TEH BEST GIFT

As I sit here and ponder what it will take to see a change in the "church" towards God this thought popped into my mind -- the supernatural manifestation of God. Oh to God there would be a move of the Holy Spirit like I saw in the past as a young boy. Today there seems to be a great disconnect between the spirit of the "church" and the functioning of the Holy Spirit. Then I thought "we are His workmanship" (Ephesians 2:10) could it be the log jam is not the Holy Spirit, but us? For the world to be touched by the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit must accomplish His work in our lives first, then out to the world. If not us first then we have no opportunity (from lack of authority) to be used to minister to the world. Paul tells us, “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” ( I Thessalonians 5:23) You know we may be qualified to be a preacher or teacher (a degree from a Bible school or seminary), but if we are not authorized (by His authority) by God we waste our time and the time of all who hear us. Here Paul is pointing us to three major areas: "spirit, soul, and body." The Holy Spirit employs instrumentalities to carry out the work of the Father in these three areas of our triune being. He does this by means of the various ministries of the Spirit of God and He works with these ministries through the Body. I am speaking collectively of the Body of Christ. Did you know Paul is the only person in the Bible to use this term "Body of Christ?" Now I do not mean any particular denomination, but rather the Body of Christ consisting of all true believers that are born again through faith in Jesus Christ, whether they are in the Pentecostal sheepfold, the many Baptist groups, the Presbyterian, the Episcopalian, or whatever. The idea being IF we are truly born again through faith in Jesus Christ then we are all one family (no matter the optional beliefs), one great body of Believers regardless of what denominational tag we may wear. Remember what Paul said, “Henceforth, know we no man after the flesh . .. ” (2 Corinthians 5:16) I believe the LORD is mightily working today in all denominations and is calling out a new people (the Bride of Christ) composed from the whole spectrum of all denominations. God is on the move and I am going to do my very best to be moving with Him. What counts is our personal relationship to Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is active as a person, as He is a person. As such, He has characteristics of personality and He engages in intelligent activities. Here is what the Spirit of God is seeking to do in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11, “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man (this means to every person, the idea being everyone that is a true member of the Body of Christ) to profit withal (or for the common good). For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these works that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will.” (1 Corinthians 12:7-11) These are generally called the nine gifts or nine manifestations of the Spirit by means of which He seeks to work through the various members of His Body for the edification of the Body of Christ for the accomplishment of the work of God in our triune nature: spirit, soul, and body. The Spirit uses these gifts to perfect us in these three areas. The LORD also uses other means, but we are now dealing particularly with the activities of the Holy Spirit. These nine gifts are divisible into three threes, three gifts that minister to us particularly in the realm of our spirit, three that minister particularly to needs in the realm of our soul (which includes the intellect), and three which minister particularly in the realm of the material, including our physical body. I would not say that this breakdown is inspired, but it is a logical division of these gifts that will help us to understand the operations of the Spirit as we are the members of His Body. Paul is implying that as we have physical members: hands, feet, ears, and eyes that minister to the entire physical body so God has individual members in His mystical Body, members which are through whom the Holy Spirit works. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge, to another this, to another that, to another something else, so that according to the plan of God all of these gifts should be operating as the need would require. So we see in this world the need is there, but not the movement, in great ways) of the Holy Spirit, very strange. Now we must bear in mind here that the gifts of the Spirit are tools, not toys. And Paul said, “Covet earnestly the best gifts . . ." (1 Corinthians 12:31) so we should be interested in these gifts, but I am troubled because the trend in the US and even around the world among the LORD’s people is away from the gifts of the Spirit, more of a swing from the things of the Spirit to the things of the intellect. This has the effect of not only despising, but gradually displacing the gifts of the Spirit with the natural gifts of man particularly gifts of the intellect. We see this with many denominations like the Southern Baptist (the biggest evangelical denomination in the world) that do not believe in the gifts of the Spirit. This is of course a great tragedy. We should be interested and jealously seek the LORD that we might be used by the Spirit of God in the gifts of the Spirit, as the need demands. If there is no need, then there is, of course, no demand. The LORD is not encouraging that we make an empty display of this. The gifts are available to meet a particular need. If there is no need then there is no need for their exercise. Now this raises a question: What are the best gifts? Since Paul said, “Covet earnestly the best gifts.” I have noticed that theologians or would be theologians as the case may be have argued over this for centuries. Some say prophecy is the best gift; others say the word of wisdom is the best gift. Paul did not say, Covet earnestly the best gift. He said, “Covet earnestly the best gifts.” Notice that this is plural. Now what are the best gifts? I will give you my position for your consideration. So it is with the gifts. “Covet earnestly the best gifts” What gifts? Those gifts for which there is the greatest need at a given time. The best gift today may not be the best gift six months from now. It depends altogether on the need not the gift. But we focus on the gifts and not the need. Maybe that is why there is not a greater move of God in the world? Now look back, we have these gifts divided into three areas and guess what we have needs in these three areas of our spirit. We have needs in the area of our soul to which belongs the intellect. We have needs in the area of the physical. The greatest or the best gifts are those which meet our particular need in any of these areas where the need is the greatest at a given time. For the need of our spirit are gifts of inspiration. For the needs in the soul, including the intellect, we have gifts of revelation. For the area of the physical, we have gifts of power and healing. Under gifts of inspiration we have prophecy, tongues, and the interpretation of tongues, that meet our need more particularly in the realm of the spirit where they inspire us. But when was the last time you heard a real message in tongues and then the follow on interpretation? This includes prophecy, divers kinds of tongues, and the interpretation of tongues. I am afraid we have dumbed down this group to a humanistic display of religious flesh and manipulation to where most people (even the ones who know the difference) have rejected most if not all moves of the Spirit. In the realm of the soul to which belongs the intellect are the gifts of revelation. How valuable is revelation (to know what God is saying) today? This includes the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, and discerning of spirits. I believe the discerning of spirits (not the Holy Spirit, but the spirit of the person) is one of the greatest gifts of the Spirit that most people lack. Most Christians want the "powerful gifts" (ones that can be used to control people and lead to power and making money),but may not be the best gift to meet the need. And in the realm of the material, which are the gifts of power; faith, the working of miracles, and gifts of healing. My friend there are so many needs in so many lives that demand the manifestation of the Spirit through the work of the Holy Spirit to touch the innermost heart conditions, situations, and to rectify the condition of billions of people in the world and yet the thrust and focus in the "church" continues to be the gifts (and control) and not the need. When we focus on the needs of the people again I believe the Holy Spirit will open up again the free flowing facet of His work in the "church" and the world, but not until. There is something else that I would like to mention. There is something here that has been a choice truth. Did you know there is such a thing as unbelieving Believers. All Believers believe in Christ or they would not be called Believers, but not all Believers believe what is written in the Scriptures, not to mention what God speaks to their heart. Now there are some times when it is better that we do not believe some things we hear from "the man of God." I never liked that title I am not sure what that all means. But, there are times when God sends to us (by His Spirit) His pure word, His message to our heart, and yet some in the audience some will not believe. Over my life time I have seen God move in dramatic ways and at other times in the subtle, the simplistic, yet in the sublime. I am not sure what causes God to move as He does other than our heart condition towards Him and our need which He knows all too well. After all He knows all things, I wonder at times do we really believe He knows all things? Maybe we should stop asking for the gifts of the Spirit, he knows if we can handle them. Maybe the best gift of the Spirit is not a gift at all, but the best gift from the Spirit is our need. Written by David Stahl

WTFMT 75 (FROM HGM ON 9 JUNE 20)

WILDERNESS TRUTHS FOR MODERN TIMES-75

TEXT:  "And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?"   (I Samuel 18:8)

         

 I.  SELF-CENTEREDNESS

 

     A.  Evidence of Saul's self-centeredness is more pronounced as seen in the above text.  Saul's very same problem manifested in Jonathan's victories in Chapters 13 and 14 also surfaced in David's victory.  

 

     B.  Saul's self-centeredness seen in relationship to the victories of Jonathan and David certainly was in Saul during the time between the victories.  As with backsliding and any other unrighteous characteristic in us they do not just pop up one day.  They are in us, right from the very start, all the while waiting to be manifested. 

 

     C.  Even as we grow in the LORD and even when He begins to work in our lives in a greater way certain things not of Him are still rooted in us.  And unless we allow God to lay an axe to the roots and gives it a death blow it will continue to linger in us quietly causing us great frustration and unfullment in the things of God.  We will just go through the motions not inwardly being truly satisfied with our relationship with the LORD and fail away. Most often we blame our Brothers and Sister, the Pastor, and even the world for our failure, but again it is a manifestation of our desire to not allow God to work in our lives.      

 

     E.  When Saul moved to avenge his enemies in I Samuel 14:24 he does not move in divine direction.

      "And the men of Israel were distressed that day: for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted any food."  (I Samuel 14:24)

    

    F.  He moved in his spirit wanting to do his own thing for his own purpose. "That I may be avenged on mine enemies." Doing his own thing brought great trouble.

 

    G.  But Jonathan moved in a different direction (eating) while his father moved in another direction (fasting)  "Then said Jonathan, My father hath troubled the land: see, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey."  (I Samuel 14:29)

     H.  Upon one (Jonathan) there was enlightenment; upon the other (Saul) there was darkness.  Jonathan acted out of necessity; Saul acted out of self-honor and glory. Saul hindered or limited God.

         "How much more, if haply the people had eaten freely to day of the spoil of their enemies which they found? for had there not been now a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?"  (I Samuel 14:30)

 

     I.  Jonathan knew and understood the need for food for energy in the time of battle. (The manna ceased and the meat diet began for the Children of Israel just before the conquest of the Promised Land) If the people would have followed Jonathan's example, there would have been a great victory, and sin would have been prevented.  Saul moved in ignorance being self-centered and blind which brought about unfavorable results.

        "And they smote the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon: and the people were very faint. ³² And the people flew upon the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and slew them on the ground: and the people did eat them with the blood.³³ Then they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people sin against the LORD, in that they eat with the blood. And he said, Ye have transgressed: roll a great stone unto me this day." (I Samuel 14:31-33) The direction which Saul took moved the people into sin.

     J.  As Saul continued to withdraw from God there was a response from God to that withdrawal. The response was silence (which is a response). Thus a breakdown in communication occurred,

         "And Saul asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into the hand of Israel? But he answered him not that day."  (I Samuel 14:37) The reason God did not answer Saul and was silent was because Saul had withdrawn himself from God.  Saul rejected the commandments of God.

    K.  Disobedience led to rebellion.  Therefore, God rejected Saul.  He had been living in the disastrous place of wickedness, and was spiritually in very bad shape. But he continued to move more and more in his backsliding direction.

II. PARTING THOUGHTS

    A.  Saul did not intend to take the blame for his condition and the pitiful situation.  He sought a scapegoat upon which to lay the blame.  Self must not look bad nor take the blame which is the pride of life.

          "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."  (I John 2:16)

     B.  When sin gravitates from "the list of the flesh" to "the lust of the eyes"  repentance becomes more difficult.  When service to sin by the flesh and by the mind moves into man's spirit, "the pride of life" hopelessness sets in. Certainly it is not absolute hopelessness, but recovery is extremely difficult and rare. Saul did not recover.  He laid the blame upon Jonathan his own son. (I Samuel 14:38-45)