Angels & Gift of Prophecy
Holy Spirit & Spiritual Gifts: Restore & Refine
The Holy Spirit is the source of our spiritual gifts and their operation mirrors how the Spirit works in the world. Just as the Holy Spirit’s purpose is to restore God’s People to Him and refine them to be more like Christ, our spiritual gifts also are designed to refresh the quenched spirits of our Brothers and Sisters in Christ and work together to build up and edify the Church.
The Holy Spirit is seen at the beginning of Creation, when “the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters” and the “earth was formless and empty, and darkness was over the surface of the deep” (Genesis 1:2) and “by His Spirit, He beautified the Heavens” (ref. Job 26:13). When the Spirit is poured out on God’s People, He also pours “water on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground” (ref. Isaiah 44:3) and “the desert becomes a fertile field” so rich it “seems like a forest” (ref. Isaiah 32:15).
The Spirit’s ability to construct and repair is not limited to the physical world, but was also seen in the deepest parts of men.
When Prophet Nathan scorned King David for his affair with Bathsheba, David cries out “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.” (ref. Psalm 51: 10-11). When confronted with Israel’s idolatry, Prophet Ezekiel is told that God will give Israel “a new heart and a new spirit”, that God would “take away [their] stony heart” and “give [them] a heart of flesh” and put His Spirit in them (ref. Ezekiel 36:26-27).
Throughout His Ministry, Christ demonstrated how we are to use our spiritual gifts for the restoration of the afflicted.
After being baptized by John and filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus is led into the wilderness where He is tested by the devil. Afterwards, Jesus returned to Galilee in the Power of the Spirit, and declared at the Nazarene synagogue that He was fulfilling Isaiah’s Prophecy (ref. Isaiah 61) that “The Spirit of the Lord [was on Him]” and anointed Him “to proclaim good news to the poor”. Christ explained that the Spirit had sent Him “to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recover sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (ref. Luke 4: 1-19). And “God anointed Jesus with the Holy Ghost and with power: and He went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil, for God was with Him” (ref. Acts 10:38).
Apostle Paul explained the purpose of the spiritual gifts is to perfect and equip the saints for the edification of the Body of Christ. By speaking Truth in Love and the effective operation of our gifts, we can join together through the unity of Faith, and the Knowledge of Christ, developing towards the measure of maturity and fullness of Jesus (ref. Ephesians 4:12-15).
Though there are a variety of gifts, their manifestation through the Holy Spirit is for the benefit of the whole Church (ref. 1 Corinthians 12:7), but we should still “earnestly pursue love and eagerly desire [the best] spiritual gifts,” (ref. 1 Corinthians 12:31; 14:1) and especially “strive to excel in gifts that build up the Church”. Paul specifically desired that all could prophesy, because it served to edify, encourage, comfort others, which strengthened and built up the Body (ref. 1 Corinthians 14:1-5, 12).
Paul writes extensive thanks to the Churches of Asia because he and his companions “were comforted in [their] comfort” and that their “spirit was refreshed by you all” (1 Corinthians 16:18; 2 Corinthians 7:13; Philemon 1:7, 20; 2 Timothy 1:16). Paul simplifies these two major roles of the spiritual gifts in his letter to the Thessalonians and Corinthians, urging them to continue to “comfort/restore and edify one another” (ref. Thessalonians 5:11; 2 Corinthians 13:11).
The Holy Spirit fell upon men to renew them when they needed to be re-tuned with Him and sought to bring them towards the fullness of God. Likewise, our spiritual gifts must focus on restoring those God has placed under our care and refine the Body of Christ to be built up in His Likeness. By understanding these two major responsibilities, we can better operate and mature in our gifts and fulfill our purpose within His Kingdom.
Prepared by, Kent Simpson, Apostolic Prophet & Eric Sepulveda, PMT Administrator
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Apostolic Prophet, Kent Simpson
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