I had to step away from the Revelation to respond to a challenge about the Holy Spirit.

If you were to give a talk about the Holy Spirit, where would you begin?

The disciples had just spent three years walking with the Son of God. That might seem like a frightening thing, but they saw the character of God in action, and He was nothing like they imagined. He lived a life filled with mercy and grace, and now He was leaving them once again. It was hard enough when He was brutalized and put on the cross, but He returned, and we sat on the shoreline and ate fish with Him.

Do ghosts sit down and eat fish with you?

No, but real, living people do, so what they were experiencing was challenging to understand. But, at least for the moment, He was here, and though it was strange, they still rejoiced. It only seemed like a few days, and now He is telling them that He is leaving again.

John 16:7 AMP “However, I am telling you nothing but the truth when I say it is profitable (good, expedient, advantageous) for you that I go away. Because if I do not go away, the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you [into close fellowship with you]; but if I go away, I will send Him to you [to be in close fellowship with you].”

I used the Amplified because it contains the alternate words that convey the Holy Spirit’s roles in our lives and for us. But, wow, isn’t that interesting that Jesus also stands in intercession for us.

Romans 8:26 NASB “In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;.”

Paul’s letter to the Romans continues to argue for a duplication of efforts by talking about how Jesus makes intercession for us. I wanted to break up the monotony by using a passage from the letter to the Hebrews.

Hebrews 7:24-25 NASB “but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. (25) Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”

While this might not explain that the Holy Spirit, just like Jesus, is God, it is meant to end all arguments. John 1:1 speaks of Jesus and the Father as He created the worlds; the problem, if there is one, is that John uses the term “the Word.” 

A concordance will tell you that the Greek word used here is logos and means a thing uttered or spoken. So the application is that God/the logos spoke the creation into existence. But watch how quickly they become integrated into each other.

John 1:1-4 NASB “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) He was in the beginning with God. (3) All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. (4) In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.”

• In the beginning, was the Word.

• One might assume that this was God, alone and lonely. But immediately, we saw that this was not the case.

• and the Word was with God

• So, He is not alone, and there is nothing about the phrase that indicates, as yet, that the Holy Spirit is here with Jesus and the Father, and yet, you know He is.

• The Word was God, (and), He was in the beginning with God.

• There was no introduction, they always were, but even more incomprehensible is the idea that they were all one and the same, only different in appearance – The Father, it would seem, may be like nuclear energy and the natural, human body a destructive light; Jesus, the express image of the Father, walked on water and loved on little children; while the Holy Spirit is ethereal, undefinable and has demonstrated Himself by appearing like a dove and a tongue of fire. Welcome to the image of God.

• All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him, nothing came into being that has come into being

• Whether we understand this as God or Jesus with God, it is clear that Jesus was also the Word, and nothing came into being without Him.

• The Bible translators used the word fear to explain how we should approach Him, but fear is such a negative word; respect, on the other hand, carries many meanings, including our giving Him honor the due merely because of who He is. I have found that I am more prone to give Him honor because He poured His love upon me.

Alright, since you have absorbed all this, let’s mix it up a bit more. 

Genesis 1:1 NASB In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

So I should now easily be able to say, in the beginning, the Word/the Father/the Logos/Jesus. And the Holy Spirit created the heavens and earth. If you can’t find it in you to acknowledge that, then go back and rehearse John 1 again. 

Up to this point, we haven’t seen the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, but He has been there all along. 

Genesis 1:2 NASB The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.

Spirit is the Hebrew word rûach

. It means breath, mind, and spirit. 

You can’t separate the spirit from the body unless by physical death; but, you cannot kill the spirit, for it is made in the image of the eternal God. Fortunately, God is not subject to death, although this is what Satan erroneously thought.

Before there ever was a Paul the Apostle to teach about the Holy Spirit, we have the activity and life of God, in the form of the Holy Spirit moving upon the earth. The Holy Spirit of God is as intangible as a breath, a breeze, or the spirit of a human. I could just as quickly say that the Holy Spirit is not a freakish invention of the New Testament as some believe. The Holy Spirit of God is found all over the Old testament. 

With that in mind, I want to show you something rather alarming from Genesis, where God is about to destroy all humankind with a flood.

Genesis 6:17 NASB “Behold, I, even I am bringing the flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall perish.

Here the breath is rûach, the same Spirit that moved upon the face of the deep, and we find that rûach in all humanity – even the evil ones.

With a twisted comprehension, some will read Genesis 6:17 and think that God is only going to destroy those in which His life resides, and that is not the case. 

He says all flesh, and though the number saved is minimal, He does not destroy all flesh. So the point being is that here in Genesis, we have the Spirit of God inside of every person, and yet they are not dominated by that Spirit, just as we are not controlled by the Spirit, it is a choice. 

So the Spirit is not a new thing.

We have the spirit of God, in existence from the beginning, a part of creation, and, He is an aspect and reflection of God, just as the Son is. And yet, the Holy Spirit is only an irresistible and dominant force in the lives of those who acknowledge and accept His presence.

Let’s go back to John 16 for a moment. 

John 16:7 AMP However, I am telling you nothing but the truth when I say it is profitable (good, expedient, advantageous) for you that I go away. Because if I do not go away, the (Comforter, Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you [into close fellowship with you]; but if I go away, I will send Him to you [to be in close fellowship with you].

A phrase in this verse keeps grabbing my attention, “the strengthener will not come to you unless.” This word come seems so simple, and yet the implications are vast. The primary way of looking at this is “to come,” the Greek word erchomai also means to enter, accompany, or grow. 

So I can look at the activity of the Holy Spirit as Him entering, accompanying me, or being the one that is causing me to grow in knowledge and relationship with the Father and others. None of this would have happened if unless Christ did not go away as He said. 

Since He did go away, then any and all of the aspects of these titles have come. 

I could consider the Holy Spirit in this manner; I could see Him as a gift. 

Romans 11:29 NASB “for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”

A little evidence.

Acts 2:38 NASB Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 11:17 CEV  God gave those Gentiles the same gift that he gave us when we put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. So how could I have gone against God?

The word for calling is klēsis and also means an invitation. So I could perceive the giving of the Holy Spirit to be an irrevocable invitation.

What does this do to your idea that the Holy Spirit will be removed from the earth with the church’s rapture?

It’s a rhetorical question, and you don’t have to answer it, but I hope it begins to shake your theology, especially if it is based upon tradition or what some false teacher has said.

Where do we get the idea that the Holy Spirit will be gone with the church? 

2 Thessalonians 2:6 NASB (6) And you know what restrains him now so that in his time he will be revealed.

Restrains is the Greek word katechō and means to hold (fast), possess, retain, and seize.

Merely because we, as the church, apply some pressure, that most likely looks like the Christian community voting, raising our voices, and saying something that occasionally motivates the rest of a sleeping world to wake up and join in our protest. I can tell you that the Christians, in the majority, are doing nothing to restrain the antichrist and whatever else is coming. Sadly, most are simply complying with the propaganda.

The assumption by many is that when the church is gone, the Holy Spirit goes with them. However, I had already pointed out how the Holy Spirit has been here long before the church entered the scene and how the gifts of God are irrevocable. So, I cannot see your logic working here.

If I haven’t done so, let me do it now. 

Peter, on the day of Pentecost, declared that this prophecy is fulfilled in your hearing. 

What prophecy? 

Joel 2:28-29 NASB “It will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions. (29) “Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

• “I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind.”

• This is not a select religious few. He is going to pour out His Spirit on anyone who wants it.

• All of this happens in association with something else.

Joel 2:1-2 NASB Blow a trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, For the day of the LORD, is coming; Surely it is near, (2) A day of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness. As the dawn is spread over the mountains, So there is a great and mighty people; There has never been anything like it, Nor will there be again after it To the years of many generations.

• So what are we talking about? The time of wrath.

• Why then did Peter announce that the time of the pouring out of God’s Holy Spirit had come? 

• The answer lies in Jesus returning to the Father, which happened. If Jesus returned to the Father, and the Holy Spirit came, and this prophecy is integrated into a prophecy about the time of wrath – a time that comes after the church is gone; then how is it possible that the Holy Spirit would be gone? 

• “And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions.”

1 Corinthians 12:7 NASB (7) But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

• Every believer receives the gift of the manifestation of the Spirit. If you have been paying attention, you know that the Holy Spirit is a gift, and it is given freely to all who receive it. It seems evident that there is a context to 1Cor 12:7, and it might have something to do with 1 Corinthians 12:2-3.

1 Corinthians 12:2-3 NASB (2) “You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led. (3) Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed”; and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.”

• I think it is safe to say that we were all pagans before Christ came into our lives, and we were being led astray. However, since Christ came in, we are led, if we will listen, by the Holy Spirit. 

• With the Holy Spirit integrated into our lives, no one should ever hear words like Jesus is accursed coming out of our mouths; our conversations should, in the majority, be speaking of the love we have for Jesus.

Practically hiding in the upper room, at the direction of Jesus, were they willing recipients of the Holy Spirit? 

At any point in time, they had the opportunity to quit and walk away. When we think of the disciples, most of us picture the twelve minus Judas, of course; but by this point, we have indications that at least 120 followers gathered in that room. 

Acts 1:12-15 NASB “Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. (13) When they had entered the city, they went up to the upper room where they were staying; that is, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon, the Zealot, and Judas, the son of James. (14) These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. (15) At this time, Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren (a gathering of about one hundred and twenty persons was there together) and said,”

There has to be an assumed willingness for that many people to gather in the upper room.

Did they all manifest the Holy Spirit? 

We are not told the answer to that beyond the Holy Spirit came upon every one of them. What we do know, from things like Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, is that some characteristics of the Holy Spirit: (Comforter, Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) could be seen in the lives of all those who followed Jesus.

1 Corinthians 12:7-11 NASB (7) But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. (8) For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; (9) to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, (10) and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. (11) But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.

Since the Holy Spirit is a free gift, and it manifests itself through words of wisdom; words of knowledge; faith; gifts of healing; effecting of miracles; prophecy; the discerning of spirits, and various kinds of tongues, then this highly varied group of people that Joel speaks of are clearly operating in the power and motivation of the Holy Spirit but without the religious constraints. 

Against such, there is NO law. Galatians 5:22-23.

A Christian brother recently brought up the fruits of the Spirit; that day, the item that stuck in my mind, and has been there for weeks, was self-control.

Self-control speaks to me about the multitude of times that I have been restrained by the Holy Spirit, thereby preventing me from doing something stupid, illegal, or deadly. Almost a month after that conversation, my pastor, Jack Hibbs, integrated the fruits of the Spirit into his teaching this last Wednesday evening, 2/3/2021. I felt impressed to share some insights with you.

Galatians 5:22-23 NLT But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (23) gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

I used the NLT because it directly infers that the Holy Spirit produces this fruit in us, in contrast to the fruit as seen in the NASB, which could be thought of as something I could merely pick off a tree when needed.

Just seeing these words “as something I could merely pick when needed,” as though these fruits are not mine, accosts me.

Pastor Jack spoke about the Holy Spirit in two ways.

First, the Holy Spirit is the one who brought you to Jesus Christ, and therefore, comes into you when you receive Christ. Jack Hibbs says that this is the baptism into Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit. 

I suppose the logic to this comes from the fact that God is: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and that the soul, having asked Jesus to come in, now belongs to God, and therefore, the Holy Spirit. A roundabout way of saying this is that by inviting Jesus into my life, I am and have invited the Holy Spirit into my life.

(Think about this. Jesus, just before He went to the Father, said, 

John 16:7-15 NASB "But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. (8) "And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; (9) concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; (10) and concerning righteousness because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; (11) and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. (12) "I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. (13) "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. (14) "He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. (15) "All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.

Look at John 16:7-15 NASB above, for it says, that when He, Jesus, leaves the earth, the Holy Spirit - the comforter will come. The implications of this are that the interactions with man are fully enveloped in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit acts and responds just as Jesus did, for He did nothing without hearing from the Father.)

An example of what I just said about the Holy Spirit coming into our lives could come from Paul’s address to the church in Rome, which you can see in Romans 2:14-15.

For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, (Romans 2:14-15 NASB)

To say, “their conscience” can just as easily be stated, their spirit. The person indwelt by the Holy Spirit is then directed accordingly. The problem is that the majority of us think that whatever good thing we did was our great idea.

To be honest, I don’t thoroughly understand this teaching of how the Holy Spirit is instantly a part of every believer, although it makes sense that God would be looking for a way to regain those He has already paid for through the cross. Not being able to grasp this concept most likely comes from seeing so many, over the years, stumble back into the darkness; this is especially disturbing when you know that the verses before and after the reference in Galatians above tell you why you do what you do. The answer to the problem, every time is to admit that you just did what you wanted to do, change your ways, and get yourself into the Word. Scriptural references speak of receiving of and from the Holy Spirit.

Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38 NASB)

but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." (Acts 1:8 NASB)

In both of these instances, Receive is the Greek word lambano and means to take hold of.

When Peter, in Acts 2:38, instructed the large crowd that upon repenting and being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit was he telling them that they would receive the power and speak in other tongues?

I do not try to put God into a box anymore, nor do I try to control how God uses the box I assigned to Him or what is inside; so, to be honest, I do not know what parameters God was operating in that day.

In Acts 1:8, we see Jesus speaking to the disciples, of which there were many. He said, they would receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon them; this is entirely different for the disciples, as they were already followers of Jesus, however, without the apparent infilling of the Holy Spirit; that came later as they waited, in that room, as told.

Galatians 5:22-23 speaks directly about the Holy Spirit being in us, so for the sake of argument let's say you have received the gift of the Holy Spirit in your life and you are very much aware of that through evidence. That evidence, for me, exhibited itself by Him talking to me in conversational tones with frequency.

Paul tells us “ the Holy Spirit, produces this kind of fruit in our lives.” Those fruits look like this.

• Love,
• Joy,
• Peace,
• Patience,
• Kindness,
• Goodness,
• Faithfulness,
• Gentleness,

and

• Self-control.

Nothing deserves to go un-discussed but the Holy Spirit spoke to me rather pointedly along the line of self-control.

Pastor Jack, in that Wednesday night message I spoke about, talked about meeting a young man at the grocery store, in which Pastor was recently shopping. The young man recognized him through the mask and asked if he could speak openly with the Pastor. He then told the pastor that he was living a life that was displeasing to God and what could he do about it? The bottom line answer was to get yourself into God's word. Do not pursue Christianity or religion, but pursue a relationship with the Father; in other words, get to know Him intimately.

Self-control seems to speak of one who rejects God and tries to fix things themselves; that is not the case here. We are dealing with the Greek word egkráteia which means Continence, temperance, self-control.

TEMPERATE means moderate; not excessive. 

CONTINENCE, is to withhold; but also means the restraint which a person imposes upon his desires and passions; this includes sexual passions and lewd pleasures.

Now, this one thing alone would save many of us from a world of grief, and should, if we are listening cause us to wonder why are we doing things we don't want or need to do.

Paul said this very thing, and if there was someone who would understand what this passage in Galatians 5 is saying, it would be him.

For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand, I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin. (Romans 7:18-25 NASB)

Simply put,

I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. (Romans 7:19 NLT)

There is an answer.

Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind, I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. (Romans 7:25 NLT)

It almost seems hopeless but there is Jesus. I work hard at living a life like Christ, but occasionally I choose to react inappropriately, and I am not talking about lewd acts, I am talking about anger and rage. The thing that caught my attention that Wednesday night as I watched Pastor Jack, was the tail end of Galatians 5:23. There it says,

There is no law against these things!

Those things are the fruits of the Spirit, not your spirit, but God's Spirit – the Holy Spirit, and it is He - the Holy Spirit, that is growing those fruits inside of you.

On your own, you are a hopeless cause. I know, you think you have got it all together, but you don't, and sadly, you know that. I suppose that knowledge and the fact that you keep running from God makes you rather pathetic. Let me know how it works out for you.

Instead of struggling, turn your life over to Jesus Christ and receive His free gift of the Holy Spirit.

To each person, the manifestation of the Spirit is given. A continuation of what I thought would be a short teaching/commentary on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:7-10(a.)

Let's break this down a bit. I am doing this because I was disturbed by what I heard the bible study leader recently say. I found it to be legalistic, limiting, confusing and difficult to understand. Several people had questions, just as I did, but for different reasons. People do not ask questions just because they need to exercise their tongues; they want answers, real answers, not religious prattle. I sincerely hope that is not what I am doing. A friend told me long ago to keep the length down; I had anticipated that happening here, but alas, I had to cut it in half when I realized it was eight pages long. 

So, even though the scripture reference below indicates that we are covering up to verse 11, a portion of verse 10 and 11 will be following this post, and quickly.

1 Corinthians 12:7-11 NET. 7) "To each person the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the benefit of all. 8) For one person is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, and another the message of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9) to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10) to another performance of miracles, to another prophecy, and to another discernment of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. 11) It is one and the same Spirit, distributing as he decides to each person, who produces all these things."

Let's look at it verse by verse:

7. "To each person, the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the benefit of all."
   Manifestation can easily be interchanged with the word expression, and it makes sense. Therefore, the expression of the Spirit can take on so many forms. No matter what the form, the expression of the Spirit is given for the benefit of all.
8. "For one person is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, and another the message of knowledge according to the same Spirit,"
   The message is simply the Greek word logos and means something said. But, you need to get this settled in your mind; you cannot remove the humanity of the person from the word being given.
   As I mentioned in a previous post, I was met at the door as I entered the church the week following my last oration to the body of that church. The pastor told me, you will not be doing that here anymore. The reason, because of people, specifically one couple, said I made God sound angry. Since they had money and were major supporters of the church, they won, and my spirit was crushed for a long time. Strangely, the pastor said, I have analyzed every word you have given, and they were all Biblically sound. You see, that is the greatest aspect of the message we give anymore, it can be virtually taken from scripture. Now, there is no doubt that God may have you speak quietly to someone and have you reveal that He knows their secrets, but that is only meant to drive them to His arms, not condemn them to hell, and, may not be entirely from the Word of God.
   Wisdom is what we understand it to be, the right use or exercise of knowledge.
   Now the question is when the knowledge is from God and just a little beyond the mundane financial decisions you have to make every day, what do you do? An example of this might be the understanding you have of things to come. Delivered in full force, some people may just slip into a depression, not knowing what to do. So the obvious factor is how you deliver the message and to whom.
   Knowledge – this seems simple enough. Thayer's definition tells us: knowledge signifies in general intelligence, understanding. If you pursued this word through the KJ concordance, you would find it used 29 times, 28 of those are gnosis.
   What if the message implied by the word knowledge carries, in part, the idea that we are to use our brains, or to at least understand, not only the Word of God but the signs of the times taking place around us?
   I longed for years to comprehend the Revelation, besides that, it has a blessing promised for those who do understand it. Every attempt I made to understanding was quickly met with muddy water, as my momentary clarity faded. There was, however, a day when a man named Joel Richardson happened to be on the Glenn Beck television, and I happened to walk through the room while it was on. I bought the man's book and immediately began to consume it. What changed for me?
   1. Delivery – the man spoke in a non-theological manner that I could understand.
   2. I soon began to realize that the Bible is not a book set up for a Western/Gentile mentality, and therefore I had to start thinking like a Jew. Fortunately, that process had already begun in me.
   3. I had, in a sense, come off an extended period of spiritual drought. I suppose some of that came because of a pastor abusing his position, but I know that what was going on inside of me, had many sources – stemming all the way back to childhood.
      You might wonder what the drought looked like for me, as you may be going through it yourself. I knew the life of God and therefore, my life, was wrapped up in words I find in the Bible, but reading the Word felt as dry and lifeless as much of the desert. At least I was aware enough of a problem that I could plead for help. Having tried to get help from people I knew that was not the place to go (people are broken, just as you and I are, and they will let you down.) So, I prayed and asked the Lord to open my eyes, ears, and heart to what He was trying to say to me. I don't know where the burning desire came from, but I had to know what the nature and character of God was. Oh sure, having been raised in the church, I knew what tradition and opinion had to say, and I was sick of that. Tradition and opinion got me kicked out of a church. With desire and notepad, I began to read and write. I challenged and asked questions of everything I read. Simple words found new meaning as I looked up their definitions (By the way, I cannot stand to have a pastor stand in front of me and say, this one thing is what that word means in the Greek or Hebrew.) I get the fact that education could play a role in their understanding, but I have looked these words up also, and they can convey several meanings. Often, the other options carry much more weight when contrasted with the context of what is being said. An example of this can be found in Matthew's gospel where the disciples asked Jesus to tell them when these things would come to pass, and, what would be the sign of His coming. You have to go back up several chapters where, at His command, they put Him on the unridden colt (the ride of Kings in that day) and walked Him into the city where “everyone” called Him the Messiah and said, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Keep in mind that no one, as yet, got it. They had no real clue that He would not rule this earth at this time. He settled that question quickly when they came to the temple and Jesus, much like William Wallace in the movie “Braveheart,” goes to pick a fight. He made a whip of cords and chased them all out of the court of the Gentiles; then He cried out that it was His temple. Well, as far the disciples were concerned, He slammed that door shut. Two days later, walking away to the mount of Olives, they asked Him the two part question - a very Jewish question.
9. "to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,"
   Faith is the Greek word pistis and can also mean persuasion and assurance. There was an attempt to explain the gift of faith in Bible study that day by saying something like this; faith is “moral conviction (of religious truth).” I am not even sure what that means, but it sounds like something that we create. How could that be when all we humans seem to know how to create is havoc? Well, that is not entirely true, for all people.
   In my life I had this happen: Home alone, the phone rings (back then there were no cell phones) and I answered it. It was one of my brothers, and he proceeds to tell my that his wife had blood clots that could travel to her heart or brain. I don't know how to explain it any other way except to say, that instantly I had an assurance, and I spoke out as a prophet and said, You listen to me, she will live and not die. I decreed life over her in the Name of Jesus and commanded the blood clots to dissolve. Well, she lived, and they got divorced. The point is that my assurance, or faith at that moment, got my brother through the situation with confidence, and God did the rest.
   “gifts of healing” - I can use that same brother for example again. After playing tennis one day, he beat me, as usual, and jumped the net just to rub it in my face. Sadly, he caught his toe on the net and came smashing to the ground. Yes, there is justice in the world. Later that night he comes walking toward me, grimacing in pain, and says, Look at this. At that point, the tendon apparently snapped, and I watched it travel up his arm, just under his skin. Feeling that assurance once again, I grabbed his arm and said, Tendon, you get back down there and reattach yourself. We both stood there in awe as immediately the tendon traveled back down the arm and never gave him any grief after that. My assumption is that it reattached.
   Healing is the Greek word iama, pronounced ee'-am-ah and means: a cure. Think about the ministry of Jesus while here on earth – He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the devil. He went about curing people, presumably in an instant.
   Something else to note: iama is a derivative of the word iaomai / ee-ah'-om-ahee and carries additional meanings of heal, make whole. If there was a gap in time where even with Jesus it did not happen instantly, we saw that when the man said, I now see men as trees. Why it worked like that I do not know, but Jesus touched him a second time, and he was completely healed. Others were told to pick up their beds and walk, while another had to go to the pool of Siloam to wash the mud off his face.
   What is my take away from this? That healing has nothing to do with a religious level of activity and is what we claim to desire, real action, and life.
10. (a.) "to another performance of miracles, to another prophecy, and to another discernment of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues."
    Let's start this one with a different translation. The NASB says, “to another the effecting of miracles.” Effecting is a much better word than performance, as we are not actors putting on a stage show. I realize many have given that impression, but that is not real life. Effecting implies producing or accomplishing. Since we cannot create miracles, they can only be one thing, a response from God to our prayers for help.

• Miracles

Miracles are the Greek word dunamis (we derive the English word dynamite from this word.) 

The King James Concordance shows us that the word has been translated as many things, things which we see in the definition of the word: (miraculous) power, might, strength: - ability (4), mighty (1), miracle (2), miracles (17), power (83), powers (6), strength (2), wealth (1).

Why would someone need the gifting of power? Maybe it is because we, on our own, have none. Oh sure, there are those that think their vast intelligence and muscles give them power. However, the problem with that kind of thinking is that they have no control over people, places, and things.

An example of this was the "Breaking News" on the television at the gym this morning, as an oil refinery had a large scale, flaming blowout in the early morning hours and left 26 thousand people without power. The wealthy could easily respond to this with, I would never live that close to a refinery, and besides, I have backup generators. The point is, life and things are completely random (it seems), and you have no control over random incidents.

Then there was the pastor I met, who used to work alongside the now departed pastor Jack Hayford. Together they piloted a large church in an affluent community. One night his wife flashed her lights at another driver to let them know they needed to turn their lights on. She did not know that the driver was driving this way intentionally and that the plan was that the first person to flash their lights would be the target for murder. Within a few seconds, on her way to pick up a family member, and, as a young child rode in the car with her, she was murdered as a right of passage into the gang. Once again, a random act that you have no control over.

In the darkest of times, you need it, and it is the promised gift from – the comforter who sustains and guides us until the Son returns and reigns permanently as king.

Allow me to use Peter as an example as well:

Without any idea of what the result would be, Peter waited along with the others in the upper room, until they were endued with dunamis, power. They did not know what to expect, and no one told them tongues of fire would be dancing on the head of every one of you. The results were dramatic. Only a few days prior Peter had vehemently denied Christ and the impact of his realization devastated him. None of the disciples grasped who Jesus was, and they anticipated Him rising as the conquering king they had longed. That was not why Jesus was here this time, and He allowed himself to be brutally murdered. I have told people, that Peter quit and went back to fishing; others followed, and that is where Jesus found them, fishing. Peter, a spiritually broken man, is the first to hit the beach, and what does Jesus do? He reaffirms him through a process of loving challenges. Endued with power from the Holy Spirit from God, Peter hits the streets and preaches to the crowd who berated the disciples, including Mary, because of the unusual nature of the noises coming out their mouths. Peter's sermon, if I can call it that, brings over three thousand to into the kingdom that day. This story is an example of why we need power.

I might conclude it was a miracle that by the mouth of one man, without a microphone, he was able to reach and turn the hearts of over 3000 people. That is a miracle.

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