The Holy Spirit and His Gifts

One of the most pressing words I heard the Lord say to the church recently is, “Will you give My Holy Spirit the opportunity to work in your city?” As I listened to the Lord speak deep into my heart, I heard Him clearly say that we have had over 100 years of evangelicalism in the city of Peterborough and that now is the time for the Spirit to move in power! Clearly, He wants to break out of the restrictive plans and programs of men so that once again He will have His Way. As the prophet Zechariah said so long ago, “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty” (4:6, NIV, italics added).

In order for this to happen, the people of God must clearly commit themselves to the present reality of the Holy Spirit. There can be no assertion that somehow the gifts and working of the Holy Spirit came to an end with the close of the first-century. In fact, you will find as you study the New Testament that there is not one place where the Lord said He would withdraw His supernatural activity. Indeed, it was Jesus who said, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father” (Jn. 14:12, NIV, italics added). How the Holy Spirit must long to do in Peterborough these “greater things” which I believe are meant to be the hallmark of today’s church.

In this time we are called to be a community of the Holy Spirit! Commenting on the first-century church in his little book entitled Concerning Spiritual Gifts, Donald Gee says, “the spiritual gifts with which their gatherings were enriched all arose out of the fact that the individuals comprising them were personally filled with the Holy Spirit” (p. 15). As Gee points out, being filled with the Holy Spirit is the necessary key to spiritual advance. I have personally seen how the Holy Spirit has done more in just five minutes when a person is filled than in five hours of intensive counseling. Indeed, the Holy Spirit has such a wonderful way of changing everything, for when He is at work, suddenly everything becomes new! As the apostle Paul said, “and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Cor. 3:17, NIV, italics added). Or as the J.B. Phillips translation says, “wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, men’s (and ladies) souls are set free.”

1 Corinthians 12:7 says, “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good” (NIV). This is an extraordinary verse of Scripture for it challenges us to look beyond all human limitation or boundary. To think that the eternal Spirit of God – the Spirit who was present at creation, the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead, the Spirit who came at Pentecost – is to be manifest in and through you and me is, well, quite simply, earth shattering! As the word “manifest” means in the original, God wants to make Himself “visible, clear, and known” through YOU! In The Message translation of verse 7, it says, “Each person is given something to do that shows who God is.” Following this line of thought, Donald Gee has written, “The ultimate and full purpose of spiritual gifts thus stands revealed. They are to bring men face to face with the reality of the Invisible God” (Concerning Spiritual Gifts, p. 31).

Perhaps this is why it would seem necessary for the church to experience a restoration of awe in the presence of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. You see, the gifts are not spiritual toys to be played with, nor are they human abilities that have a touch of inspiration mixed in. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are a manifestation of the Spirit of God that affects and transforms our whole being! The apostle Paul knew this when he said to the Corinthians that in the presence of the clear prophetic word an unbeliever “will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, ‘God is really among you’” (1 Cor. 14:25, NIV).

As I look back over my years of serving God, I can remember many times when I have felt a great sense of awe and reverence for the Lord in the presence of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. One time in particular comes to mind when I was in a leaders gathering in Chicago during the mid 1990s. The late Bryn Jones was present in the meetings and during a time of prayer he prophesized over my life in a way that I will never forget. His spiritual insight into my life and the clarity by which he spoke touched me right to the core of my being. For not only did the Lord speak to me through Bryn about my heart’s desires, but He also laid out the path of my future – a path that all these years later has proven to be a true prophetic insight into the very mind and heart of God concerning myself and my family. It was a dramatic moment and one that I will never forget. Even now I can see the various images that Bryn painted that spoke about things past, present and future. At times like this, you truly know that you are standing in the presence of a holy and awesome God of light and power who knows everything there is to know about you!

I am sure that all of us could tell stories about times when we have known the greatness of God in the presence of the gifts. At such times there is a heightened awareness of the majesty and greatness of God. Confronted by His supernatural presence, we are overcome with feelings of awe and reverence, for the gifts open the door to a realm in which God is absolutely in control of all things. Therefore, we must welcome the gifts of the Holy Spirit on all occasions and in every circumstance. For when we do this, we show the world that God is alive and well and ready to supernaturally change lives. How Peterborough needs this! And so, as we ponder the question, “Will you give My Holy Spirit the opportunity to work in your city?” how will we answer? I trust it will be with the affirmation, “Yes Lord, start by using me!”