Earlier this week I had a dream and in my hands was something like a large homemade card that my granddaughters might make. It was covered with all sorts of different cut out pictures pasted on. I was supposed to choose one or more of those brightly colored items and then peal off the one(s) I liked. As I was making a choice I woke up, this was at about 5 o'clock in the morning, and now wide awake in bed I realized that the dream had to do with spiritual gifts.
Two things seemed very clear to me then. People need more than ever to be able to get together to experience and grow in the gifts of the Holy Spirit and there is great power in hearing a person's testimony of what God is currently doing in their life. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that will change and renew lives.
When I was an atheist and had been trying to connect the dots as to the what and why of Christian belief I attended a few charismatic prayer meetings with Jackie and everything, from what the people would share concerning how God had moved in their lives that week, to the prophetic words given, to verses from the worship songs, to something from the main teaching, would work together to answer my questions and show me that this unknown God was interested in me. I went again and the same thing would happen.
I experienced the same thing many times later as a prayer group leader. During the week or two before my assignment there would be things that stood out for me, maybe my scripture reading or experiences or even something I read in the paper or saw on TV, and as I would be praying on the way to the prayer meeting the Spirit would form these in my mind into a unified theme. As I would sit or stand there in the prayer meeting, waiting to present this theme as my teaching, all the testimonies and sharings, the worship songs and prophetic words chosen or given by others would lay out the same theme the Holy Spirit had prepared me with. This same creative Spirit who was present at the beginning can still work in wonderful ways to build up the body of Christ.
I was very blessed as a young man to have been given the responsibility of discernment for the move of the Holy Spirit in a group setting. Although prayer meeting leadership is not for everybody many of the spiritual gifts are. How can we grow in spiritual things if there is no opportunity to do so? How can we grow properly if there are not mature Christians to encourage us and to gently correct us when we inevitably mess up? There is a place in the body of Christ for each of us to be useful and gifts available to the individual from the Holy Spirit for the benefit of all.
The fear of yielding to the gift of tongues is not so great if you know a bunch of otherwise normal firmly committed Christian people who do so. I have been daily speaking and singing in tongues for over 40 years and can't imagine life without it. We need avenues where there are mature believers available to encourage others and to teach them how to yield that unruly member to the Holy Spirit. I firmly believe that this is a spiritual gift intended for each believer, designed by God for personal spiritual growth, greater prayer endurance and, PRAISE THE LORD, WORSHIP!
The fear of speaking out a word from the Lord as an exhortation or a prophecy is not so great if you are in a setting of people who know and love you. Everyone must start somewhere. This principle is true not only in prophecy but in praying for healing and all the other spiritual gifts as well. A lot of times we can get excited in our souls and what we do or say is not from the Holy Spirit or we speak out a word that God has given just for us but not for the group or we try to add on more when the Spirit has only provided a partial. But what are the options? We either succumb to fear when we sense a prompting from the Spirit and do nothing or we step out in faith, learning and growing as we go. Even here the Spirit being gentle will not force Himself. He will often confirm through others if we are hitting the mark.
This is my sense. There is great excitement when you go somewhere and know that the Holy Spirit will be moving in power and you are not just a spectator. Your praise, your sharing, your encouragement is part of what the Spirit is doing. When the Holy Spirit moves in power in our lives we cannot keep quiet about it. When the Holy Spirit is moving in our lives and we cannot keep quiet about it the spirit of others get interested, opening a door in their hearts to the move of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit reveals to them the person of Jesus. They desire His Lordship. They desire to honor the Father. Their lives are changed.
I have a early Father's Day card for you. It is filled with many bright pictures. Peel one or more off and share them with others. Better yet, find those of like mind and experience the card together.
We urge you; brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted; help the weak, be patient with everyone.
See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people.
Rejoice always;
Pray without ceasing;
In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
Do not quench the Spirit;
Do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good.
Abstain from every form of evil. (I Thessalonians 5: 14-22)
No comments:
Post a Comment