Talk 09 : Receiving the Power of the Holy Spirit

May 8, 2011 2:00 PM
 
Speaker

Russel Angeles


-Current Chapter Head SFC - Silangan
-Couples for Christ Member

About our speaker:

Receiving the Holy Spirit

The Bible tells us that God has promised the Holy Spirit to His people. With the Holy Spirit, we will gain a new nature, spiritual power and the power to serve God.

How do we receive the Holy Spirit? Those who choose to receive the Holy Spirit are those who turn to Jesus, the baptizer in the Holy Spirit. Through Jesus, we will receive the new life under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Living this new life given by the Holy Spirit also comes with benovelent goals. When you receive the Holy Spirit in your life, you also choose to lead the people (1) to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the gift of tongues, (2) towards the commitment of their lives to Jesus Christ, and (3) to instruct them about charismatic praise and worship.

These goals seem difficult to achieve, but God will not send us unarmed. He offers us various spiritual gifts. To receive these gifts, we need to simply desire the, ask for them in faith, and cooperate with the Holy Spirit in speaking out to the people.

These spiritual gifts are:

(1.) The Gift of Wisdom

The gift of wisdom empowers a person to understand better. The recipient of the gift of wisdom renders sound judgment in life as well as in times of oppression, suffering and tribulations. This gift should be use in attaining the best result by the discerning the best means to use.

(2.) The Gift of Knowledge

Through the Holy Spirit, a person, who receives the spiritual gift of knowledge, will have his experience and education immensely increased. This gift confers more than just a collection of facts, information or acquired skills but it will also help a person to screen hearsays from facts. This gift allows a person to come up with the right and good decision.

(3.) The Gift of Discernment

A quick trip to the dictionary will reveal that discernment is the ability to comprehend what is obscure. The spiritual gift of discernment empowers a person to know and choose the right and best things in life, which can be sometimes muddled and obscured. It enables a person to see through the fog of modern living, to see what is important, and what is right through the clutter. In the face of uncertainty, the Holy Spirit through the gift of discernment aids a person to choose the better options in life.

4. The Gift of Prophecy

The Bible is filled with person with whom God revealed the future. These persons had received the gift of prophecy which enabled them to foresee the will of God for themselves and other people as well. With the help of the Holy Spirit, the recipient of the gift of prophecy will be able to give divinely inspired utterance or revelation, instruction, or exhortation.

5. The Gift of Miracle

A person who possesses the gift of miracle will be able to improve things or make some things wonderful. They will perform extraordinary acts.

6. The Gift of Faith

Do you remember the Biblical person Job who clung unwaveringly to his faith to God despite the many hardships he suffered? Persons like Job have the gift of faith which empowers them to strengthen and deepen their faith and trust.

The gift of faith will help you surpass the oppressions you will encounter in life. It will give you the strength to be steadfast in your faith in God. Just remember to trust and believe in God. He has greater plans for us, and our problems, although at present seem insurmountable, are only momentary and shall pass, too. God has made us for abundance, and a good and happy life.

7. The Gift of Healing

Persons who are given the gift of healing will be able to heal not only physical suffering but emotional and spiritual illness as well. Through your own faith and the Holy Spirit, you will be able to heal those who are broken, and ill.

Sometimes the gift of healing can simply be manifested in giving advices or communicating to people. You must learn how to listen to them and understand their situations.

8. The Gift of Interpretation

You will often hear people exclaim that God works in mysterious ways. Indeed, God does work through ways that men fail to understand. The Bible tells us the story of King Nebuchadnezzar who had a dream. He wanted to know the meaning of the dream, but all his royal subjects failed to comprehend it. All except Daniel, a man of God.

The gift of interpretation enables a person to understand the language employed by people to convey a message. In the case of Daniel, he was able to interpret King Nebuchadnezzar's dream, which turned out to contain a message from God.

9. The Gift of Tongues

The gift of tongue is arguably the most familiar to you. In the New Testament, the Apostles were able to speak in foreign tongue after receiving the Holy Spirit. They were able to preach God's message to nations who did not speak Aramaic, the language in Israel at that time.

The gift of tongue also gives its recipient to thank, praise and lift his concern to God through a different form of prayer.

In 1 Corinthians 14:1-5, the apostle Paul exalts God's people to "[f]ollow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy." In this particular verse in the Bible, Paul tells the Corinthians that "anyone who speaks in a tongue[a] does not speak to people but to God."

He further writes that those speak in tongues will not be understood by anyone because they utter mysteries by the Spirit.

"But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort. 4 Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church."

"I would like every one of you to speak in tongues,[b] but I would rather have you prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues,[c] unless someone interprets, so that the church may be edified."

As a recipient of these spiritual gifts, you must turn away from all your wrongdoings, and claim that God’s plan is greater than all other plans. You will have a good life ahead with God

We must also nurture the new life and God’s gift that we have received. You have to keep three things in mind: (1) do not allow Satan to rob you of your gifts; (2) do not expect all problems to go away at once through many will; and, (3) be faithful to a regular time of daily prayer in order to have a close relationship with God.

You will also be able to talk to Him. In his letter to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul encourages God's people to "pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests" and "With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for the entire Lord’s people." (Ephesians 6:18)

Before we end, read the parable told by Jesus Christ in Matthew 25:14-23 and find out which of the servant you would like to aspire to become.

"It is just like a man (B)about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. 14"(A)For one he gave five (C)talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he (D)went on his journey. 15"To 16"Immediately the one who had received the five (E)talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. 17"In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. 18"But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. after a long time the master of those slaves came and (F)settled accounts with 19"Now them. 20"The one who had received the five (G)talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, 'Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.'21"His master said to him, 'Well done, good and (H)faithful slave You were faithful with a few things, I will (I)put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' 22"Also the one who had received the two (J)talents came up and said, 'Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.' master said to him, 'Well done, good and (K)faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' 23"