We've discussed many things about the Holy Spirit, but now I would like to bring His ministry to a more personal level. The Holy Spirit is the One Who will lead us, direct us and convict us, in our walk as a child of God. The more sensitive we are to His ministry, the easier it is for the Father to use us on His behalf.
When Jesus said that, "It's not Me, but the Father in Me," in John 5:30 (Amplified), He was speaking about the Holy Spirit (Who is God), Who was in Him. In John 14:17 (Amplified), Jesus said, "The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart) because it does not see Him or know and recognize Him, But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you (constantly) and will be in you."
It's the same Holy Spirit (God in the Spirit) Who led Jesus, is now here to lead and direct each one of us. Since we are each different in our character and lives, He leads us in different ways. Some are more sensitive to the Holy Spirit, than others. Many are reluctant to hear Him, while other say that they don't hear Him at all. The best way to hear the Holy Spirit, is to know the Word and the will of the Father. The Holy Spirit will never lead us into something that the Word won't back up. The Holy spirit is the will of God, because HE IS GOD. He will never lead us errantly.
We discover that the Father has placed the entire ministry of His power into the hands of the Holy Spirit, in 1Corinthians 12:1-31. All of the Gifts of the Spirit are based on and function on Love. It's not so much about how we love God, but how much God loves us. When we allow the Holy Spirit to reveal how much the Father loves us, it's not difficult to see how easily His love can flow from us to others. Romans 5:5 (Amplified) says, "Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us.
It's almost impossible to imagine how much God loves others, until we know how much He loves us. When the Holy Spirit reveals His love for and to you, then you can walk in that love towards others. When this love is revealed to our hearts, we become candidates for any or all of the Gifts of the Spirit to work through us.
God tells us to "Earnestly desire and zealously cultivate the greatest and best gifts (the higher gifts and the choicest graces)", in 1Corinthians 12:31 (Amplified). And He says, "And yet I will show you a still more excellent way (one that is better by far and the highest of them all love)."
I failed for many years, to understand what the Holy Spirit was telling me about these gifts. One day, He spoke with me about these gifts, saying, "The gift of healing is not for you, it is for the sick." I still didn't understand the full meaning of what He was saying to me. As God began expounding on His Word, He said, "The gift of healing is for those who are sick, you are the messenger who will take that gift to them."
Finally, I began to understand that it's by knowing and understanding God's love for the people, will use His love to deliver whatever their need is to them. Those who will cultivate and desire these gifts, must be committed and moved by His love. God's love is "The greatest and best gift" that will motivate all the gifts to work through a committed Spirit. Love is the deliverer of the gift of the Holy Spirit Himself. Without knowing His love, we can never be moved by anything else to "distribute" these gifts of love to a hurting people.
Many men and women have been criticized through the years, while operating some of these gifts. Many have been called liars and phonies by other Church people. There have been some who weren't honest in their motives, but the love of God for His people, will never be stopped by anyone else's ego.
It can become difficult to resist being "puffed up in pride" when God works miracles through your ministry. People seem to either criticize you or they wish to exalt you. It's only by understanding love and God's love for the people, that we can keep on an even keel, according to Acts 3:11-12 (Amplified) which says, "Now while he (firmly) clung to Peter and John, all the people in utmost amazement ran together and crowded around them in the covered porch (walk) called Solomon's. And Peter seeing it, answered the people, You men of Israel, why are you so surprised and wondering at this? Why do you keep staring at us, as though by our (own, individual) power or (active) piety we made this man (able) to walk?" Even Jesus continued repeatedly telling the crowds that it was, "The Father in Me, Who has done the works."
If we get our eyes off of the love that moves us and begin to focus on the power that flows through us, then it's easy to become prideful or arrogant with such power. The Holy Spirit will constantly remind us that it's God's Love working through us on behalf of others. The only way to move in the Gifts of the Spirit, is to move by the Spirit (or let the Spirit express Himself through us). He is Love and He has poured Himself into us.
Peter stood up and made a statement about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:16-17 (Amplified) saying, "But (instead) this is (the beginning of) what was spoken through the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, God declares, that I will pour out of My Spirit upon all mankind." Notice how God didn't say that He'd "pour out My Spirit," but pour out of My Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit Who is being poured out from us, to all mankind. What He is pouring out of His Spirit is His great Love. Without knowing this love on a personal basis, we can never understand it on a ministerial basis.
If we remain in the dark about His love or doubt His will towards us, then we can never walk in this kind of power. Our unbelief and double-mindedness, will negate our faith and won't allow the Holy Spirit to be poured out of us to others. When we believe that God is the One responsible for the poor condition of others, then how can we believe God to get them out of it? This misunderstanding of His Love, will stop the delivery of the Gift to them, through you.
We are nothing more than delivery persons who deliver the Gifts of the Spirit to them as needed. On a personal basis, we are taking God's gift to someone else. The Gift is for the on who needs it, God though, requires someone He can trust, to take it to them. Once the Holy Spirit reveals this to your heart, you become led by Love through His Spirit, Who is Love. All the Gifts of the Spirit are based on the Love the Holy Spirit brought into our hearts, when He came.
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