God’s Spirit (2)

Posted on by korgrocker

“But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.”
1 Corinthians 2:10-12 NLT

Yesterday I started with a question: in that the Bible is full of references to the third member of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, but His work and presence in believers is often played down or even ignored. Why is that? We then looked at some Scriptures that took us up to that momentous day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came with tongues of fire and the sound of a rushing wind, followed by Peter’s dramatic and hard-hitting sermon that led to 3000 men being saved. In that sermon, we then read that significant verse where Peter explained what was required. Acts 2:37-38, “Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”. As we pilgrims know, if we want to be a follower of Jesus, wholeheartedly believing in Him, then two steps need to be taken and a gift from God follows. Peter made this very clear. But this is not totally prescriptive because I always think of the penitent thief on the Cross next to Jesus’, who was not baptised either in water or, apparently, in the Holy Spirit, but he was still promised a new life with Christ. And then we have Romans 10:9-10, where Paul explained, “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved“. It would therefore appear that the Holy Spirit will not automatically accompany our salvation. However, God will not withhold His gift of the Holy Spirit to anyone who asks.

What does the Holy Spirit do in each believer? We remember that God is sovereign, and He will give spiritual gifts to us through His Spirit to whom He chooses. The Bible is clear that to receive a spiritual gift, we must first experience a true conversion to become a whole-hearted believer and follower of Jesus. A worldly person will not receive any spiritual gifts, because such a person does not know the gift-Giver, God Himself. But for us pilgrims, believers in Christ, we will each have received at least one spiritual gift. 1 Corinthians 12:7, “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other”. We, of course, take note of the purpose of the gift, and that it is not something for our benefit but for the benefit of others. As we read further down in 1 Corinthians 12, we will see some of the gifts that Paul has listed, such as wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, tongues and interpretation. 

So, when do we receive this gift or gifts (some people receive more than one)? Most people apparently believe that the gift of the Holy Spirit is given to us at the point of our salvation. The Holy Spirit provides gifts for us as God chooses. But there are Scriptures such as 1 Timothy 4:14, “Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecy spoken over you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you”. In this verse, Paul reminded Timothy that there was a time when he was being resourced for ministry, and a further gift was released to him through the laying on of hands by the Elders present. God also encourages us to seek His gifts, because it is through them that the Holy Spirit will enhance God’s work. 1 Corinthians 12:31a, “So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts. … “. Yesterday we read what Jesus said about gifts, “ … So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him” (Matthew 7:11). Paul wrote that we should “earnestly desire” the gifts granted graciously to us by God. There is an old saying, “if we don’t ask, then we won’t get”. But we know that being earnest means that we aren’t making a casual request, soon to be forgotten. 

An excellent example of a Holy Spirit-inspired gift can be found in the account of the healing of the lame beggar. In response to the request for money from the beggar, we read, “But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!”” (Acts 3:6). The resulting miracle reverberated around the Temple and the rest of Jerusalem, and led to the severely-threatened Jewish leaders having Peter and John arrested. Another Holy Spirit miracle can be found in Acts 9:17, “So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit”. These weren’t natural events that happened. It was the power of the Holy Spirit doing miraculous works through ordinary men exercising the gifts God had given them. 

A challenging verse can be found in Ephesians 3:20, “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think”. Don’t we realise that the Holy Spirit within us is limitless in what He can achieve? Within each believer dwells the Holy Spirit, and from His work in our lives, encouraged and supplemented by the gifts He has granted to us, great things can be accomplished for God. So, what do we think? Coming back to our starting question, why do so many people downplay the potential work of the Holy Spirit in their lives? At least one denomination believes that the gifts of the Holy Spirit died out with the first Apostles, basing this conclusion on the verses at the end of 1 Corinthians 13. Others, particularly of Pentecostal persuasions, believe that the Holy Spirit and His indwelling and gifts are just as available today as they were two thousand years ago. For me personally, I believe in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and I pray earnestly for more of God in my life, His Spirit and all.

Dear Father God. You have graciously granted us many gifts, and they all start with the Holy Spirit. We are so grateful, and we praise and worship You today. Amen.

Power of God

Posted on by korgrocker

““Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.””
John 9:2-5 NLT

That poor man had been born blind in a culture that left him with no option but to be a beggar. A sad situation where the man would have had no self respect and he would have been reliant on others for most of life’s basic requirements. But Jesus assured the disciples that the man’s blindness was not caused by sin. Instead, He implied that on this occasion there was an opportunity to demonstrate that the “power of God” was able to cure this otherwise incurable condition. Should the man be able to see would be a miracle that the Pharisees and the other religious leaders could never be able to explain away.

There is a connection between this man being blind, living his life in a world of darkness, and Jesus being “the light of the world”. In a physical sense the blind man was walking in a dark world that could only be illuminated by the “power of God”. In a spiritual sense, the far more common condition of sin could only be remedied by belief in God and the One whom He sent, Jesus, His Son. There is an immediate connection between physical and spiritual blindness and Jesus demonstrated for that, and subsequent, generations that it is only the “power of God” that is capable of bringing a remedy. 

Jesus told His disciples that there were things to do that could only be done while it was daylight. Once the night had come, these tasks would no longer be possible. Because Jesus was the “light of the world” perhaps He was implying that once He had left the world the opportunities to perform the “works of God” would leave with Him. That would certainly have been the case except for one thing – the sending of the Holy Spirit. We read in John 14, “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. …. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognise him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you” (John 14:12-13, 16-17). 

Sadly, there are many Christians today who believe that the “power of God” was only for the apostolic age and they deny that God’s power is manifested anymore in works of healing. But Jesus left us with His Great Commission, and we read in Mark 16:15-18, “And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptised will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”” We Christians agree that we must share the Gospel, the Good News about the saving love and grace of God, but the Commission goes on to describe manifestations of the “power of God”. Speaking in tongues, casting out demons and healing the sick were specifically mentioned by Jesus. We have the power of God through the Holy Spirit who lives within each and every believer. And so, we believers have a challenge. The Holy Spirit works through us to do the works of God – if we let Him.

Dear Father God, please forgive us for taking those elements of Scripture that we feel comfortable and safe with, but ignoring or forgetting the rest. We have Your Heavenly resources at our disposal, and through faith we can use it to Your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Song Ends

Posted on by korgrocker

“And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang: “Blessing and honour and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever.” And the four living beings said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭5:13-14‬ ‭NLT

The song rings out through all creation. The verse, chorus and bridge reverberate through all creation, and then comes to an end. Just imagine the echoes dying away through the universe, before there is silence. And it is then broken by the four living beings saying the single word, “Amen”. This is a word we often use to end a prayer, or it may appear at the end of a hymn or song. It has the meaning, “so be it”, implying that what has been prayed or sung about, has finished. Finally, the twenty four elders fell down before Jesus and worshipped Him. 

Revelation 5:14 brings the fifth chapter to an end, almost as though it is introducing a pause in the events that were unfolding before John, the Apostle. Of, course, there was no pause, but certainly things were about to change, as we shall see in Chapter 6. 

What do we pilgrims think about introducing a pause into our lives, before we restart afresh on a new venture, or a new phase, perhaps, in our relationship with God? Are we in a place of wonder, touched by a move of God? Have we come through a time of great spiritual blessing? And are we now saying a big “Amen” before the echoes of our worship of God stop reverberating through our souls? In any time of blessing, the Sunday will come to an end, but there is always a Monday morning.

The God we worship is an amazing miracle Worker. The God we worship walks and talks with us. Perhaps, like the psalmist in Psalm 103:2-5, we can say, “Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!” But the challenge we pilgrims have is how we carry our wonderful life of blessings into a transforming experience to those around us. There will always be people who don’t want to hear our message. There will always be the spiritually deaf and the blind, who are comfortable in that. But the Apostle Paul wrote the following in 2 Corinthians 4:7, “We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves”. Folks, we have to share what we have no matter how ill-equipped we feel we are. We might very much relate to Paul’s fragile clay jars, not feeling strong enough to share our faith, but the clue behind it all is the “great power” of God. A power we have within us.

Father God. John experienced amazing Heavenly worship in his vision. And we too can join the Heavenly song of worship to Jesus. We pray for Your help in sharing that song with those around us; those in this lost and unhappy world. We worship You today. Amen.