| E-MAIL SERVICE | Sign me up to receive the daily Word of Righteousness free via my E-mail address! ( ONLY AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH ) | |
| ARCHIVES | I want to check out the daily Words of Righteousness for any of the last fourteen days or from previous weeks. ( ENGLISH ONLY ) | |
| FEEDBACK | I have a question or comment about today's Word of Righteousness. ( ENGLISH AND SPANISH ONLY ) | |
| BOOK LIST | I would like to see the complete book list of the Words of Righteousness author Robert B. Thompson. (SOME SPANISH TITLES AVAILABLE ) |
The Daily Word of Righteousness
Gifts and Ministries, #9
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." (Acts 13:2)
Getting back to the idea of letting the Holy Spirit run the program, consider the above passage.
I love this verse because it reveals that the Holy Spirit is God.
Sometimes we of the Pentecostal persuasion regard the Holy Spirit as some kind of blessing. The Holy Spirit is not merely a blessing, He is a member of the Godhead and is to be obeyed.
We are baptized into the name of the Holy Spirit.
We are not to try to direct the Holy Spirit, or to get Him to help us with our idea of how the world ought to be evangelized.
Hear the thunder of the authority and power of the command: "SET APART FOR ME BARNABAS AND SAUL FOR THE WORK TO WHICH I HAVE CALLED THEM."
You may notice that the prophets and teachers were not developing schemes to save the neighborhood or the world. They were worshiping the Lord and fasting.
God, the Holy Spirit, commanded the assembled prophets and teachers to set aside Barnabas and Saul as apostles. The Spirit is the one who called them to this work.
We understand, therefore, that the Spirit of God gives gifts and directs their use.
For two thousand years people have sought to build the Kingdom of God by means of their own wisdom, strength, and talents. It shall not be so in the last days. The powers of Hell will be unleashed to such an extent that man no longer will be able to function successfully in building the Kingdom of God. The watchword shall be: "Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit."
It is time now for us to follow the Spirit of God and not attempt to persuade the Spirit of God to follow us. This is true of prophecy as well as of all the other gifts and ministries of the Spirit of God.
When we consider the numerous kinds of gifts and ministries that are available, the input of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and the uniqueness of the human being, we gain some idea of the great variety of expressions that can be available to the individual, to the Body of Christ, and to the world as Christians are willing to lay down their own plans and follow the Spirit of God.
It seems to me that the Holy Spirit is able at any time to bring forth wisdom, or knowledge, or miracles, or healings, or languages, through any believer at any time, if the believer is living in the Spirit.
Yet we know some believers are especially gifted with wisdom, or knowledge, or miracles, or healings, or languages. All may prophesy, and yet some are distinguished as prophets.
To be continued.