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