Spirit Manifestations.

The manifestation of the Spirit.

The manifestation of something is what?

The definition is-

'…an event, action, or object that clearly shows or embodies something, especially a theory or an abstract idea.'

From <https://www.google.com/search?q=manifestation+definition&oq=manifestation+definition&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l5.4917j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8>

The manifestation of the Spirit will CLEARLY show in all who are His, all who have been given the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

These manifestations are given to us, as we talked about yesterday, to profit the LORD'S work through us.

We can never use the manifestations of the Spirit in us for evil, never. The Spirit would cease to be manifested in us if we do evil. The manifestation of the Spirit in us can only ever be used for the good of our Lord's work.

Are you concerned the Holy Spirit isn't working in you then you need to examine your life for any unrepentant sin, any cherished sin. So many of our cherished sins have turned into sins we don't recognize as sins any longer. We've cherished these sins into acceptance. Once we've worn down and reshaped sins into acceptability we allow them to live on in us and Satan will let us believe we are still being used by God. However, if we are NOT manifesting the Spirit in us then we really need to tear apart our lives bit by bit laying it open bear before God's revealing light of truth.  If we can't find any willful sin in ourselves we need to pray that God bless us with the Spirit so He may use us through the manifestation only the Spirit can give.

1Co 12:7  But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 

1Co 12:8  For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 

1Co 12:9  To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 

1Co 12:10  To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 

1Co 12:11  But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. 

Wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discerning spirits, foreign language, interpreting foreign language- all can be manifestations of the Spirit.

We can be blessed with one of these manifestations or several as the Lord needs to us to have to profit Him. We will never be given a single one of the Spirit manifestations to use selfishly. So while we may believe it would be wonderful to have any of those gifts, that isn't something we can even minutely gloat about even to ourselves. The wonder of these gifts is our Savior's gospel being heard, the message of salvation being given as He desires. Humbly we need to live, by the grace of God we need to exist.

Please, Lord, we know and we submit to You. Please, Lord, forgive us, cleanse us, use us for Your will, Your purpose.

All in YOUR love!

Holy Spirit Gifts.

The Spirit will give us spiritual gifts to profit with.  What is this profit? Is it for the recipients profit, or another's?

 Clearly, anyone who knows Christ as their Savior would know the answer to that question. Christ lived and died to serve others. We are entreated to live with Christ in us, living as He lived- serving others. The Holy Spirit will gift us with His gifts SEVERALLY as He wills.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit are not like tangible gifts that are given, held, and even kept for as long as the person desires to keep them. The gifts of the Spirit are given as NEEDED.

We need not despair that we won't have the faith we need from the Holy Spirit, we will have that faith as it is needed. We will have wisdom, knowledge and all that are necessary for us to be USED BY GOD.

We need to be used by God and He will use us if we are receptive to the Holy Spirit, truly desiring to be used by God in any way HE reveals to us.

You may never need to speak in a foreign language. You may never need to interpret a foreign language, you might not need to have a gift of healing, or work a single miracle, you may only ever be given faith as you needed it, or wisdom that you need. God will give us WHAT we need, WHEN we need it and there is no reason to give us any gift of the Spirit otherwise.  His gifts will not be squandered, His gifts are not given to us to be useless. The power of the Holy Spirit is so incredible that it is not something to even speak of frivolously.

More on this tomorrow by the GRACE and WILL, the LOVE and MERCY of our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST!

1Co 12:7  But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 

1Co 12:8  For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 

1Co 12:9  To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 

1Co 12:10  To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 

1Co 12:11  But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. 

Wisdom from Above.

Meekness of wisdom.

No strife in our hearts, glorying not, lying not against the truth.

This is wisdom that is earthly, sensual, devilish-

Where there is envying in our hearts-

Where there is strife in our hearts-

-there is confusion and every evil work.

The wisdom that is from above is-

Pure, peaceable, gentle, easy to give, full of mercy, full of good results.

The wisdom that is from above is-

-without partiality, without hypocrisy.

The results of righteousness is given in peace--- of those that make peace.

What's all this mean? There is an earthly wisdom and earthly wisdom is filled with envying, strife, confusion and evil.

When our lives are fill with envy, strife and confusion we have to ask ourselves where it is coming from. It's EARTHLY wisdom. We may believe we are right to feel these things envy, strife, confusion and even evil because they come so naturally, they fill our lives and the world all around us. Truly, with some people these things are DAILY occurrences and while troublesome they are very commonplace. Strife, confusion, envying, evil all are devilish and if we would allow ourselves to recognize them for what they are- maybe, just maybe we could pray for wisdom from above. We need pureness, peace, gentleness, mercy…we need God's wisdom! We need to desire Gods wisdom. We need to shun the wisdom of the world, the wisdom that is devilish. Please LORD, please, please we want to be YOURS and have YOUR wisdom!

Jas 3:13  Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. 

Jas 3:14  But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 

Jas 3:15  This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 

Jas 3:16  For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 

Jas 3:17  But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 

Jas 3:18  And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. 

God is Witness.

1Th 2:4  But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. 

1Th 2:5  For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness: 

1Th 2:6  Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ. 

1Th 2:7  But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children

Allowed of God----- to be put IN trust with the gospel.

NOT pleasing men, but GOD.

No flattering words, no covetousness-  GOD IS WITNESS.

Gentle among others- as a NURSE CHERISHETH HER CHILDREN.

We too are allowed of God to be put in trust with the good news of the gospel- the salvation through JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD.

We too must be more concerned with PLEASING GOD not others.

We have no need to use flattering words- no covetousness.

God is our WITNESS- God is for us!

Just as a good nurse cherishes those in her care - we too must be as gentle with all we come in contact with. We must care for them from our heart as how special they are in God's sight. Gentle…. not forceful!

All through JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD!

Mortify your members-- keep your focus on heaven!

Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 

Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 

Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 

Col 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. 

Col 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth

Mortify ourselves here and now.

When we set our affections on things above we are not setting them down here on earth. If our affections are not being set here on earth we have a lot less chance of getting caught up in the sins prevalent here and now. Mortifying our members- keeping ourselves from sin BY setting our affections on things above and not on earth is very important.

How much harder is it to give into temptation when you know by waiting longer you have a reward that is not sinful.

When we take our minds- our affections- off the things above we open ourselves up to temptation.

How attached are we to our sins? Seriously, how attached are we to things that bring us pleasure, happiness, joy, contentment, laughter, and so on? We believe that being happy is an excuse to ignore things that are sinful. We change sinful things into good things in our minds so we can do them without feeling guilt. We need to set our affection on things above!

God wants to protect us from the things on earth and He gives us means to do this. We have to mortify ourselves not give in to the sins that so easily corrupt us. We can do this by HIS grace in looking to things above, making our affections heaven bound NOT earth bound!

Let us examine ourselves--

2Co_13:5  Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you…

Let us set our affections on things above!

All through Jesus Christ our LORD and SAVIOR, now and forever!!!!!!!

Set your affection on things above.

Col 3:1  If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 

Col 3:2  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 

How much of our agonizing in this life is spent over things on earth? Seriously, how much do we worry about things here and now? We do, we are miserable with worry over so much in our lives. Are we SEEKING things that are above, really…are we?  How actively are we seeking things which are above where Christ sits on the right hand of God? How do you actively seek for things above? How do you set your affections on things above not here on earth?

We have to ask ourselves these questions when we are face to face with so much brutal heartache over our living conditions here and now. And we need to ask ourselves this even more when we are complacent in our lives, happy in our circumstances because we are living in a life of luxury, and if not luxury than a life we are very comfortable in.  I'm not saying we can't be comfortable in our lives but if we do experience a comfortableness here, do we continue to seek those things which are above and if so, how?

Yes, HOW?! What constitutes seeking things above where Christ sits next to God?

If we are risen with Christ, if we believe in His resurrection we truly need to seek those things which are above where Christ and our Heavenly Father dwell.

If heaven has our affection nothing can take that from us, nothing.  Everything tangible here on earth, everything emotional here on earth can be taken from us- everything. There isn't a single tangible thing that can't be taken from us on earth. Our affection for heaven cannot be taken from us! If we live our lives with heaven as our central focus, all else around us can totally crumble leaving us with nothing but our affection for heaven, and we would still be content in that surety. We spend way too much of our lives living for things that can be taken from us.

We are told to set our affection on things above not on earth…

Col 3:2  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 

…for a reason. 

This isn't to say we won't find affection for our loved ones, our children, our spouses, our family and friends but that affection has to come secondary to the affection we have for the things above.  We can't allow losing the things on earth we have affection for destroy our affection for heaven.

Satan will try that tactic, he did with Job and countless others since. It didn't work with Job, but how many has that ploy worked with? By the grace of God I pray it never works with me, I am so weak in so many ways. I need to truly set my affections on things above and not on the things on earth.  All here is temporary to eternity even though it doesn't feel that way especially where our affections are concerned.

May we be blessed in Christ and seek things above! All through His love now and forever!!!!!!!

Complete in Christ.

Man's philosophy and vain deceit, traditions of mankind, rudiments of the world.

How many of us live our lives by various philosophies of men? Good men perhaps, good sounding philosophies, maybe even harmless philosophies however- they are mankind's philosophies NOT GOD'S. 

Col 2:6  As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 

Col 2:7  Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. 

Col 2:8  Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 

Col 2:9  For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 

Col 2:10  And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power

No matter how wonderful a man's philosophy may be it can never offer eternal salvation to a single person.

We can be spoiled through man's devices, man's deceptions, man's traditions, man's principles. Spoiled by believing they make us good enough human beings that should there be an hereafter then we lived our lives good enough to deserve that hereafter.

There truly are many good people who have brought happiness, contentment, help to many people yet without Christ, without His offered salvation will they be His? Would they even want to be His? A lot of them do not believe there is an evil in need of repentance and forgiveness outside of men forgiving men and men repenting of their evil and using their own moral fortitude to shun the evil they are prone to. They don't believe they need a God, or a Savior- yet they are tremendously wonderful people in the scheme of humanity's terms. Why don't they believe in God? If they don’t believe in God they don't have to answer to anyone but themselves. They don't have to live in fear of a judgement. They believe in themselves and maybe other people and to them it is all that is needed. Man looks to himself making up all sorts of excuses why they don't need to believe in God or a Savior. These wonderful people are deceived. Nothing says that the deceived have to be bad, morally corrupt people. There are many deceived who live only good lives and they will even tell Jesus about how much good they did in their lives as if that alone warrants eternity. They'll cry out about their good deeds and they won't be lying, they will have done good. These people will claim to believe in Jesus but Jesus won't know them. Of course there will be many who won't even claim to know Jesus but they'll tout their good deeds as they've laid claim to their title of 'Good Person'.

The truth is- we are only complete in Jesus Christ. Seriously, we are ONLY complete in our Savior. We can deceive ourselves all we want and lay claim to our own goodness, but that deception will deny us salvation. It's a self-deception- allowing ourselves to be deceived. Yes, we can allow ourselves to be deceived. We don't take precautions not to be deceived and therefore are accountable for the deception.

Eve's deception by Satan was forgivable because it was not self-deception. When we purposefully choose to align ourselves outside of Christ we have opened ourselves up to the deception of the worst kind. Remember, just because you're deceived doesn’t mean you're going to be a horrible monster of a person- that's just another fallacy that Satan likes to encourage. Sweet, kind, lovable people can be caught up in the deceptions of Satan.

Col 2:8 …Christ-

Col 2:9  For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 

Col 2:10  And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power

Christ is the head of all principality and power -

Col 1:16  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 

Col 1:17  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 

Eph 1:20  Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 

Eph 1:21  Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 

Eph 1:22  And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 

Eph 1:23  Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. 

1Pe 3:22  Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him. 

Christ suffered unimaginably when He didn't have to, He choose to redeem us through His sacrifice.

Did Christ like this world He was living in?

Joh_17:14  I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

Joh_17:9  I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.

Joh_16:33  These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Joh_14:27  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Suffice it to say that Christ was NOT of this world. And the world has not gotten any better since He walked the earth- not in their love of Him and His truth.

We need to be complete in Christ and no other!  By His grace may this be! All through HIS LOVE!