We Need His Gifts
Now Think On This
Steve Martin
“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 2:4 NASU)
When it comes down to
the end, power verses power will be the action of the day. Living in the end of
days, through the end time events coming upon the earth, will require us as believers
to be equipped with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We will have to be empowered
with His holy fire, that working within us to give the courage, boldness and
overcoming power to defeat the enemy and his attacks.
You know Satan is going
to use all the power he has been allowed to have, for a given time. We better
be ready to fight back – not in our own power, but in the power of the Almighty
God of Israel, who has given us the supernatural weapons for warfare.
The world is seeking the
unseen and the supernatural. We see it in the movies being produced in
Hollywood, the TV shows that more and more depict hidden witchcraft, portrayed
as “good and wholesome”, and through the increasingly dark and evil
manifestations that draw the young and old after them.
We can’t win the battles
we face through our own abilities. No smooth talking words will achieve the
necessary force that will stop Satan and his demon henchmen in their tracks.
We need the fire of the
Holy Spirit, and the gifts the Lord has made available to us.
In 1973, when I was a
senior at the Catholic Columbus High School in Waterloo, Iowa, I was seeking the Lord for
more. I wanted a supernatural experience that my previous Catholic upbringing
didn’t provide. Even after 12 years of religious upbringing, it wasn’t enough.
I wanted more.
And as He always does,
the good Lord responded to my seeking heart.
At a prayer meeting with
others from my class, when hands were laid upon me to receive His Holy Spirit,
I was baptized with the holy fire and supernatural love of the Lord. As both a
sign and a wonder, I began to speak in tongues, even as they did in Acts 2. My
life was changed forever from that day forward. I experienced what the early
Church had been given the first time.
The Lord has made this
available to us today, because He knows we need this empowerment.
“When the Feast of
Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Without warning there was
a sound like a strong wind, gale force — no one could tell where it came from.
It filled the whole building. Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread
through their ranks, and they started speaking in a number of different
languages as the Spirit prompted them.
There were many Jews
staying in Jerusalem just then, devout pilgrims from all over the world. When
they heard the sound, they came on the run. Then when they heard, one after
another, their own mother tongues being spoken, they were thunderstruck. They
couldn't for the life of them figure out what was going on, and kept saying,
"Aren't these all Galileans? How come we're hearing them talk in our
various mother tongues?
Parthians, Medes, and
Elamites;
Visitors from
Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia,
Pontus and Asia, Phrygia
and Pamphylia,
Egypt and the parts of
Libya belonging to Cyrene;
Immigrants from Rome, both
Jews and proselytes;
Even Cretans and Arabs!
"They're speaking
our languages, describing God's mighty works!"
Their heads were
spinning; they couldn't make head or tail of any of it. They talked back and
forth, confused: "What's going on here?"
Others joked,
"They're drunk on cheap wine." (Acts 2:1-13 THE MESSAGE)
In these 42 years since
that May day, I have used this gift from the Lord of speaking in tongues as my
prayer language, allowing the Spirit of the Lord to intercede through me, on
behalf of my family, my co-workers, my country, and the nations of the world.
He has also built me up in my inner spirit, even as His word says it would.
Again, the gifts of the
Holy Spirt are going to be most needed in the end of days. Those who will be
standing will have been trained and daily walking in faith by using them.
“Now concerning
spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware. You know that when
you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led. Therefore
I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus
is accursed"; and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by 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 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.
For the body is not one
member, but many. If the foot says, "Because I am not a hand, I am not a
part of the body," it is not for this reason any the less a part of the
body. And if the ear says, "Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of
the body," it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. If
the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were
hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But now God has placed the members,
each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. If they were all one member,
where would the body be? But now there are many members, but one body. And the
eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; or again the
head to the feet, "I have no need of you."
On the contrary, it is
much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; and
those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more
abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, whereas
our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the
body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, so that there may
be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one
another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one
member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
Now you are Christ's
body, and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church,
first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of
healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues. All are not
apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are
they? All are not workers of miracles, are they? All do not have gifts of
healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not
interpret, do they? But earnestly desire the greater gifts.” (1 Corinthians
12:1-31 NASU)
With the gifts of the
Holy Spirit in use, we will be able to fight the onslaught of the enemy,
encourage our brothers and sisters in the faith, and demonstrate to the world
Who is the most powerful One on the throne. Working with all in the Body of
Christ, together as each uses that which they have been given, we will
demonstrate the miracles, signs and wonders that it will take to show the world
His greatness.
Have you been baptized
in the Holy Spirit? You can be. You will need to be. The Lord will freely give
to you as you ask Him.
The coming days will
require you to be equipped with all that the Lord has to give. Be ready.
Now think on this,
Steve Martin
Founder
Love For His People.
Inc.
P.S. We sure could use
your help to bless the families we do in Israel, India, Pakistan, Vietnam and
the hurting ones here in the USA. Please give out of the abundance you have
been given.
In May, 2016, my wife
Laurie and I will be traveling to Israel to spend time with our friends. We
support them in word and deed. We have our plane tickets in hand.
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 $5-$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
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Contribution checks can
be sent to:
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Inc. P.O. Box414 Pineville, NC 28134
Todah rabah! (Hebrew
– Thank you very much.)
Please share Now
Think On This with your friends.
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Now Think On This #201 “We
Need His Gits” by Steve Martin
Date: In the year of our
Lord 2015 (11.01.15) Sunday at 6:15 am in Charlotte, NC
All previous editions
of Now Think On This can be found on this
Blog, and on the website: Now Think On This
I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with
your family and friends. You can easily use the social media icons below.
Thanks! Steve
COMMENTARY: Did the New Covenant Nullify the Sabbath?
