Be Strong In The Grace That Is In Christ Jesus; Desire Spiritual Gifts - Part 2046

"For John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.” (Acts 1:5)

Thus, when Jesus was taken up for the last time, the disciples (all 120 of them) continued in the upper room -- in one accord, in prayer and supplication -- tarrying in Jerusalem waiting for the promise of the Father "which," Jesus said, "ye have heard of Me!" (Acts 1:4, 14) The Comforter which would lead and guide those who believe into all truth.

When the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rising mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues, like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:1-15)

We know from the scriptures that this was not just a random one-time occurrence. Indeed, the prophet Joel prophesied in advance of this particular time to come.

"And it shall come to pass in the last days," saith God, "I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: and on My servants and on My handmaidens I will pour out in those days of My Spirit; and they shall prophesy: and I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: and it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the Name of the Lord shall be saved." (Acts 2:17-21; Joel 2:28-32)

There are other instances too wherein the Lord poured out His Spirit upon those who believed. For example, "And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost." (Acts 10:45) There is the man who had four daughters who prophesied. (Acts 21:9) On numerous occasions, the apostles laid hands on people and they were healed, the demons cast out, and the people's hearts and lives restored. We know too that when Peter's shadow fell upon the sick, the Lord healed them.

We also know of John the baptizer's father Zacharias -- filled with the Holy Ghost -- who prophesied, saying "Blessed [be] the Lord God of Israel; for He hath visited and redeemed His people, and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David; as He spake by the mount of His holy prophets which have been since the world began ..." (Luke 1:67-70; Psalms 132:17; Romans 1:2; Acts 3:21)

Even before the angel of the Lord announced His Name was to be called JESUS, for He shall save His people from their sins, the prophets of old looked forward to the time when grace should come unto His people. As Peter wrote, "... receiving the end of your faith, [even] the salvation of your souls, of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace [that should come] unto you: searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow." (I Peter 1:9-11)

The day of Pentecost was the turning point, the beginning of the New Testament church, wherein the elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through sanctification of the Spirit are given His gift of salvation, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 

To what, you ask? To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fades not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (I Peter 1:1-5)

When? As the scripture saith, "by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven ... that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (I Peter 1:12-13) You see, when we repent (and come to the realization that this same Jesus whom ye have crucified is both Lord and Christ) and are then water baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:36-38) The Spirit of the risen/resurrected Jesus now dwells in our hearts. As Jesus said, "I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you!" 

Thus, we are not redeemed with corruptible things (as silver and gold) but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot; who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you. Our souls now purified in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren. It is here that we begin to understand how we become functioning members of the body of Christ church. Jesus is the Head of the church, the chief cornerstone. 

As for us -- "being born again, not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible  -- by the Word of God which lives and abides forever." (I Peter 1:23)

But there is more to spiritual gifts. First, Apostle Paul would not have us ignorant of our calling, and our need as believers for spiritual gifts. (I Corinthians 12:1-4)

As Paul relates, "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and [that] no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." (I Corinthians 12:1-4)

Note that Paul also clarified -- "I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying." (I Corinthians 14:5)

In another place, when twelve men were water baptized in the precious Name of the Lord Jesus, "Paul had laid [his] hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied." (Acts 19:6)

Surprisingly, we learn from similar accounts in the Old Testament.

"And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, "Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints ..." (Jude 1:14)

"And the Lord came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease. But there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the Spirit rested upon them; and they were of them that were written, but went not out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp." (Numbers 11:25-26)

"Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the Name of the God of Israel, even unto them." (Ezra 5:1)

Some include unforgettable encounters. One such example can be found in II Chronicles 18:7, 9, 11; II Chronicles 20:37):

And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, "There is yet one man, by whom we may enquire of the Lord: but I hate him; for he never prophesied good unto me, but always evil: the same [is] Micaiah the son of Imla." And Jehoshaphat said, "Let not the king say so."

And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah sat either of them on his throne, clothed in their robes, and they sat in a void place at the entering in of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them. And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, "Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king."

Then Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, "Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the Lord hath broken thy works." And the ships were broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish." (II Chronicles 20:37)

There is another message that the Lord saith against false prophets, which we will look at in the next blog.

For now, know that the Lord gives us a heart to know Him -- "that I am Lord; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, for they shall return unto Me with their whole heart." (Jeremiah 24:7)

This is the promise that was given from before the foundation of the world. Stand in the offering plate.