Fruit. Gifts.
We need them now.
Now Think On This
Steve Martin
“And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven." (Luke 10:18-20, NKJV)
Raiders of the Lost Ark main man Dr. Indiana Jones came face to face with evil. The opponent had pulled out a sword to attack him. What did he do? He pulled out his gun. Game over.
Source: Screen shot from movie "Raider of the Lost Ark"
Our weapons of war are going to be needing much more power than the enemy has that we will confront. We are going to need to pull out the living God of Israel’s big guns.
In these last days I am not recommending that we all go out and get weapons that we can hold in our hands to defeat the enemy, seen and unseen. But I do know that when it comes to power against power, we better have the upper hand over the evil, wicked, “doesn’t play fair” enemy that we will, and even now do, confront in our lives and those around us.
We had better have in our possession the gifts of the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) and the character to be able to handle and use them properly, by also having the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues.
But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.”
For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:4-13, NASU)
Shuk - open market in Jerusalem, Israel (Photo by Steve Martin 2013)
Confrontations are happening all around us in the heavenlies. The hateful enemy of the Lord Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMashiach, is waging war against the saints of God. He is going all out to steal, kill and destroy. We need to be equipped to fight back, and to fight back hard. We need to be on the offense, and know how to use the weapons of war we have been given.
“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world” (1 Peter 5:8-10, NASU)
“Yeshua said to them again, “Yes, indeed! I tell you that I am the gate for the sheep. All those who have come before me have been thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. I am the gate; if someone enters through me, he will be safe and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only in order to steal, kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, life in its fullest measure.”
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
(John 10: 7-12, Complete Jewish Bible)
The gifts of the Holy Spirit are promised by Jesus to be bestowed upon those baptized by the Holy Spirit. They weren’t just for the early church, the Apostles, nor the ones living at the time of Pentecost, Shavuot. The gifts are needed as much now, as then.
Has evil in the world ceased? Surely not. That is obvious to anyone alive today.
Then why would the Lord Jesus Christ cease giving His gifts to us, needed to stand against the evil that is all around us? He hasn’t.
There is a very definite reason why the gifts of the Holy Spirit are to be received and manifested now. We need them to spread the Gospel and confront the enemy in the process.
“For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.” (Hebrews 2:1-4, NASU)
Along with the gifts of the Holy Spirit is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Two sides of the same coin, for He is the same Spirit. The gifts give us the power; the fruit gives us the ability to use that power.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:22-25, NASU)
If my character has been formed by the working of the Holy Spirit within my spirit, which takes years (not an overnight phenomena), then I will be able to use the gifts as they were intended to be used.
The love and joy He has given us will give us the means to prophesy to another out of love and joy. The patience we possess will let us know when it is the right time to share the word of knowledge, and the word of wisdom. We just won’t run out and blab our mouth. His gentle guidance, honed by patience, will tell us the right time to share the right word. Self-control will also come into play.
The fruit of faithfulness, learned by seeing His faithful ways in our life, will keep us moving forward in demonstrating the gift of miracles, even when discouragement and weariness, weapons of the enemy, would tempt us to fall back and let another do it.
Fruit of the Holy Spirit, grown over time, gives us the ability to properly use the gifts of the Holy Spirit, given at a specific time. Both are much needed in our time.
More full grown fruit - Jerusalem, Israel open market, the Shuk (Photo by Steve Martin 2016)
If you don’t believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit, I suggest you read the Bible without crossing out “outdated verses” or tearing out selected pages, to fit someone else’s inerrant theology.
Do you drive a car without an engine? Then why deny allowing the living God to teach us through the entire instruction book that He gave us, from Genesis to Revelation?
After all, Jesus Christ IS the same yesterday, today and forever.
“Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.” (Hebrew 13:7-9, NKJV)
Prepare yourself for these last days with all that the Lord makes available to us, with His gifts of the Holy Spirit operating through the fruit of the Holy Spirit. You will be glad you did.
Now think on this,
Steve Martin
Founder
Love For His People, Inc.
P.S. There are many good books and videos available on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, the gifts and fruit of the Ruach HaKodesh. I would suggest contacting my good friends at Derek Prince Ministries (with over 12 offices worldwide) for these subjects and a wide range of other great teaching, taught tremendously well by Derek. There are many free materials available on line, in many, many languages. Go here: Derek Prince Ministries
P.S. I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. They might need it. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve
We are blessed when the ministry receives gifts to support the families that we do, primarily for those living in Israel, Pakistan, Northern Ireland and India, and the hurting ones here in the USA. You also can share out of the abundance you have been given.
Love For His People, Inc. is a charitable, not-for-profit USA humanitarian organization started in 2010 to share the love of the Father in the nations.
If these messages minister to you, please consider sending a charitable gift of $10-$25 today, and maybe each month, to help us bless families we know in Israel, whom we consistently help through our humanitarian ministry. Your tax deductible contributions receive a receipt for each donation. Fed. ID #27-1633858.
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Todah rabah! (Hebrew – Thank you very much.) Please share Now Think On This with your friends.
Now Think On This - In the Year of our Lord 06.25.17 - #296 – “Fruit. Gifts. Need Them Now.” – Sunday, 8:24 am
