The Baptism And Gifts Of The Holy Spirit

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< > Chapter Seven The reception of the gifts of the Holy Spirit Introduction Let us remember Paul's words, “Keep on pursuing love, and desire and cultivate God's spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.” 1Cor.14v1. God's “grace gifts” are part of our Christian heritage. Spiritual gifts are received to glorify Christ and the Father. Spiritual gifts are given us to meet people's needs, and to manifest and extend God's kingdom of love. Mt.10v7,8. Lk.10v8,9. This demonstration of Divine love makes people realise how good God is, and how He can enrich and fulfil their lives. Manifesting spiritual gifts with the purpose of glorifying God like this will cost us something; personal Calvaries are always at the root of real blessing. Spiritual gifts are received at the will of the Holy Spirit. We must remember that we cannot use a gift just when we desire to, except devotional tongues. The Holy Spirit gives the gifts severally as He wills, not as we will; as we, or others need them. 1Cor.12v7,11. Heb.2v4. However, the Holy Spirit wants to do far more than we give Him the opportunity to do; and certain ministries of the Church, apostles, prophets and evangelists, are used by God to continuously manifest certain gifts. Even when the Holy Spirit has often manifested his gifts through us, we cannot manifest them when we like; if He does not give us something, then we have nothing to give. If the Holy Spirit decides that it is time for us to listen, and gives the gifts to someone else, then we cannot manifest the gifts. It is sad that many Christians do not know how the Holy Spirit communicates His gifts to them, and so they do not know if they have anything to deliver from Him. The purpose of this chapter is to help Christians in this respect. Spiritual gifts are often imparted through the leading ministries of Christ's Church. God has set in the Church ministries whose work it is to lead Christians into an experimental knowledge of Scripture truth. God expects the ministries of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and elder-teacher, to lead Christians into a living and vital experience of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, they are our heavenly Father's good gifts. Lk.11v5-13. James.1v17. Prophetic ministry has an important place in the deeper development of spiritual gifts and spiritual ministries. How sad it is to see Christians without spiritual gifts or spiritual ministry, because the ministries that can lead Christians into these things are either absent, or despised, stifled and opposed. The apostles considered it of first importance to get Christian converts baptised in the Holy Spirit and manifesting spiritual gifts, both for their own benefit and the benefit of others. Acts.1v4-8. 2v4. 8v15-18. 9v17. 10v44-48. 19v1-6. 1Cor.12v7. Paul did not just give intellectual teaching on doctrine, essential as this is; he led Christians into a living experience of doctrine, he brought his converts into a vital experience of God and His good gifts. Rom.1v10,11. Paul, like Moses the authority and power to impart spiritual gifts and spiritual ministry. Deut.34v9. 2Tim.1v6. Paul developed the spirituality and improved the characters of Christians he had never met, in churches far away from him, through watching over them and ministering to them, by means of the revelation and power gifts of the Holy Spirit. Col.2v5. 1Cor.5v1-5. However, Paul did not rely exclusively on revelation gifts for the oversight of the churches; he also wrote letters and relied on the reports of others as well. Paul exercised the gift of faith in prayer for Christians he had never met, through the illumination of the gifts of revelation. Col.2v1,2. Gal.4v19. The quite remarkable delegated authority that God gave to Elijah is revealed, when he asks Elisha for his last prayer request before God translated him, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” 2Kings.2v9-14. 1Kings.19v16,19-21. Elisha asks for the double portion of the Spirit, which was the inheritance of the eldest son, Deut.21v15-17., this would demonstrate that he was Elijah's successor, not only in name, but also in power. This great and instant increase in authority and power in the ministry of Elisha was immediately manifested in the division of Jordan, and the cursing and execution of the mob of rowdy young men. These hooligans were obviously acting on the behalf of some power-seeking older men, and were almost certainly their followers. Their masters saw their opportunity to take power, now Elijah had gone from the scene, so they sent these men to mock and deride Elisha. The Hebrew word “nahar,” is rarely translated as “children,” in the Old Testament; it is used of the sons of Jesse in 1Sam.16v11., and many of them were in their twenties, and David the youngest was in his teens. “Nahar,” is much more often translated as “servant;” it is used of Phurah the servant of Gideon, Judges.7v10,11.; of the servant of Boaz, who was in charge of the reapers, Ruth.2v5,6.; the servant of Saul, 1Sam.9v5,7,8,10,22,27.; of Ziba, the old servant of Saul, 2Sam.9v2,6,8,9,11. 16v1. 19v17.; of Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, 2Kings.4v12,25,38. 5v20,25. 8v4. etc. “ Jesus imparted spiritual gifts and ministries to His apostles and to the seventy. Lk.9v1,2. 10v1-9. In Acts.3v6., Peter said, “Such as I have give I thee.” Paul led Christians into an experience of spiritual gifts, and he and Church elders did the same for Timothy. Acts.19v1-6. Rom.1v10,11. 2Tim.1v6. 1Tim.4v14. This was the normal practice of all New Testament leaders. God uses the ministries He has set in the Church to impart spiritual gifts. Indeed, God intends that the reception of the revelation and power gifts, and their operation on the higher levels of power, should take place under the supervision of mature Christians with a proven ministry in those areas. This enables Christians to learn more quickly about the operation of these spiritual gifts than they would on their own, and helps to preserve them from the dangers and errors that can come through ignorance and fanaticism. Jesus developed the faith and ministries of His apostles by letting them observe His ministry; the apostles then manifested spiritual gifts under His supervision, and then He sent them out alone for short periods, to develop confidence in their ministries. Even though God normally manifests the more powerful operations of the revelation and power gifts through the ministries that He has set in the Church, He can, and does, bypass these ministries and use ordinary Christians in a remarkable way. We would do well to note, that the ordinary believer, Ananias, was used by God to minister to the newly converted Paul, so there is no exclusive ministry of God's power. Acts.9v10-19. There is a recognised ministry, but not an exclusive ministry; under the Holy Spirits guidance any believer can be used to impart spiritual blessing. However, if you are having difficulty in receiving the baptism and gifts of the Holy Spirit, you must earnestly seek God yourself, and then go to someone who has a proven ministry of leading Christians into the baptism and gifts of the Holy Spirit. < >
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Chapter Seven

The reception of the gifts of the Holy Spirit

Introduction

Let us remember Paul's words, “Keep on pursuing love, and desire and cultivate God's spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.” 1Cor.14v1. God's “grace gifts” are part of our Christian heritage.

Spiritual gifts are received to glorify Christ and the Father.
Spiritual gifts are given us to meet people's needs, and to manifest and extend God's kingdom of love. Mt.10v7,8. Lk.10v8,9. This demonstration of Divine love makes people realise how good God is, and how He can enrich and fulfil their lives. Manifesting spiritual gifts with the purpose of glorifying God like this will cost us something; personal Calvaries are always at the root of real blessing.

Spiritual gifts are received at the will of the Holy Spirit.
We must remember that we cannot use a gift just when we desire to, except devotional tongues. The Holy Spirit gives the gifts severally as He wills, not as we will; as we, or others need them. 1Cor.12v7,11. Heb.2v4. However, the Holy Spirit wants to do far more than we give Him the opportunity to do; and certain ministries of the Church, apostles, prophets and evangelists, are used by God to continuously manifest certain gifts. Even when the Holy Spirit has often manifested his gifts through us, we cannot manifest them when we like; if He does not give us something, then we have nothing to give. If the Holy Spirit decides that it is time for us to listen, and gives the gifts to someone else, then we cannot manifest the gifts. It is sad that many Christians do not know how the Holy Spirit communicates His gifts to them, and so they do not know if they have anything to deliver from Him. The purpose of this chapter is to help Christians in this respect.

Spiritual gifts are often imparted through the leading ministries of Christ's Church.
God has set in the Church ministries whose work it is to lead Christians into an experimental knowledge of Scripture truth. God expects the ministries of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and elder-teacher, to lead Christians into a living and vital experience of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, they are our heavenly Father's good gifts. Lk.11v5-13. James.1v17. Prophetic ministry has an important place in the deeper development of spiritual gifts and spiritual ministries. How sad it is to see Christians without spiritual gifts or spiritual ministry, because the ministries that can lead Christians into these things are either absent, or despised, stifled and opposed. The apostles considered it of first importance to get Christian converts baptised in the Holy Spirit and manifesting spiritual gifts, both for their own benefit and the benefit of others. Acts.1v4-8. 2v4. 8v15-18. 9v17. 10v44-48. 19v1-6. 1Cor.12v7. Paul did not just give intellectual teaching on doctrine, essential as this is; he led Christians into a living experience of doctrine, he brought his converts into a vital experience of God and His good gifts. Rom.1v10,11. Paul, like Moses the authority and power to impart spiritual gifts and spiritual ministry. Deut.34v9. 2Tim.1v6. Paul developed the spirituality and improved the characters of Christians he had never met, in churches far away from him, through watching over them and ministering to them, by means of the revelation and power gifts of the Holy Spirit. Col.2v5. 1Cor.5v1-5. However, Paul did not rely exclusively on revelation gifts for the oversight of the churches; he also wrote letters and relied on the reports of others as well. Paul exercised the gift of faith in prayer for Christians he had never met, through the illumination of the gifts of revelation. Col.2v1,2. Gal.4v19.

The quite remarkable delegated authority that God gave to Elijah is revealed, when he asks Elisha for his last prayer request before God translated him, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” 2Kings.2v9-14. 1Kings.19v16,19-21. Elisha asks for the double portion of the Spirit, which was the inheritance of the eldest son, Deut.21v15-17., this would demonstrate that he was Elijah's successor, not only in name, but also in power. This great and instant increase in authority and power in the ministry of Elisha was immediately manifested in the division of Jordan, and the cursing and execution of the mob of rowdy young men. These hooligans were obviously acting on the behalf of some power-seeking older men, and were almost certainly their followers. Their masters saw their opportunity to take power, now Elijah had gone from the scene, so they sent these men to mock and deride Elisha. The Hebrew word “nahar,” is rarely translated as “children,” in the Old Testament; it is used of the sons of Jesse in 1Sam.16v11., and many of them were in their twenties, and David the youngest was in his teens. “Nahar,” is much more often translated as “servant;” it is used of Phurah the servant of Gideon, Judges.7v10,11.; of the servant of Boaz, who was in charge of the reapers, Ruth.2v5,6.; the servant of Saul, 1Sam.9v5,7,8,10,22,27.; of Ziba, the old servant of Saul, 2Sam.9v2,6,8,9,11. 16v1. 19v17.; of Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, 2Kings.4v12,25,38. 5v20,25. 8v4. etc. “

Jesus imparted spiritual gifts and ministries to His apostles and to the seventy. Lk.9v1,2. 10v1-9. In Acts.3v6., Peter said, “Such as I have give I thee.” Paul led Christians into an experience of spiritual gifts, and he and Church elders did the same for Timothy. Acts.19v1-6. Rom.1v10,11. 2Tim.1v6. 1Tim.4v14. This was the normal practice of all New Testament leaders. God uses the ministries He has set in the Church to impart spiritual gifts. Indeed, God intends that the reception of the revelation and power gifts, and their operation on the higher levels of power, should take place under the supervision of mature Christians with a proven ministry in those areas. This enables Christians to learn more quickly about the operation of these spiritual gifts than they would on their own, and helps to preserve them from the dangers and errors that can come through ignorance and fanaticism. Jesus developed the faith and ministries of His apostles by letting them observe His ministry; the apostles then manifested spiritual gifts under His supervision, and then He sent them out alone for short periods, to develop confidence in their ministries.

Even though God normally manifests the more powerful operations of the revelation and power gifts through the ministries that He has set in the Church, He can, and does, bypass these ministries and use ordinary Christians in a remarkable way. We would do well to note, that the ordinary believer, Ananias, was used by God to minister to the newly converted Paul, so there is no exclusive ministry of God's power. Acts.9v10-19. There is a recognised ministry, but not an exclusive ministry; under the Holy Spirits guidance any believer can be used to impart spiritual blessing. However, if you are having difficulty in receiving the baptism and gifts of the Holy Spirit, you must earnestly seek God yourself, and then go to someone who has a proven ministry of leading Christians into the baptism and gifts of the Holy Spirit.

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