Many people and even Christian churches claim that the manifestation of the Holy Spirit such as speaking in tongues, prophesying, healing, casting out demons and miracles ceased when the disciples died. Is this true or false? We must always answer these questions by reading God's Holy Bible comparing scripture to scripture and not lean to our own understanding.
II Timothy 3:16
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
WARNING!! God gave us tools to use for his glory. Why do Christians try to do a job without the necessary tools God gave us to do the job?
Hebrews 2:3-4
How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation. God also bearing witness with signs and wonders and with divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit
Unbelief comes from an evil heart and is an enemy of God.
Hebrews 3:12
Take heed, brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.
We need to grow up in our faith and use the power of the Holy Spirit God has given us to use if he permits. This does not mean that God has stopped permitting healing. It means that God does the healing not the person. We are his vessels.
Hebrews 5:14
Strong meat belongs to them that are full age to discern both good and evil. Let us go unto perfection of faith toward God of the doctrine of baptism and laying on hands and resurrection of the dead and of eternal judgment And this we will do, if God permits.
Acts 19:6
And when Paul laid hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
If you have respect of persons you sin against God. God is no respecter of persons. What he gives to one he will give to another. He never takes back what he gives. We show our faith in Christ by the works we do. When you trust and follow someone you do what they do.
James 2:8
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. But if you respect to persons, ye commit sin
18: Shew me thy faith, without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 26 for as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
You cannot just talk about the glorious love of Jesus without doing the work of Jesus. And since you represent the body of Christ you must keep yourself Holy.
Peter 1:16
Be holy for I am holy. And if I call on the Father, who without respect of persons judges according to every mans work. You know you were redeemed with the blood of Christ as a lamb without blemish.
23 being born again not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God which lives and abides forever.
When we manifest the Holy Spirit by speaking in tongues it builds our faith.
Jude 20
Build yourself up. Pray in the Holy Spirit
Praying in the Holy Spirit is perfect prayer. You are speaking the wisdom of God. The deep things of God are taught to us by the Holy Spirit, but the natural man can't receive it because you must have the Holy Spirit to receive it. It is like an app. On your phone you cannot talk to someone without downloading the messenger or Skype app. God is a spirit and you must speak to him in spirit and in truth.
Romans 8:26
The Spirit also helps our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groaning which cannot be uttered.
God takes us using his Holy Spirit very seriously and we should too. We are co-laborers with God as his temple. And if anyone tries to destroy his temple, Him shall God destroy.
I Corinthian 3:9,16,19
For we are laborers together with God; ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
16 Know you not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
19 For the wisdom of the world is foolishness to God
21 Therefore let no man glory in men.
23 Ye are Christ's: and Christ is God's
What God thinks of you is more important than what man thinks of you. If you think that you can sin against your own body with sexual perversion when your body is God's holy temple you are in error. You are being foolish. Let no man deceive himself. The Lord knows your thoughts. He is not mocked. Your body is corruptible even though your spirit is perfect. You are God's temple and must keep yourself holy.
God had me stop here
This is the key so pay attention
God did not stop the move of the Holy Spirit. WE DID
By caring more about what man thinks of us than what God thinks.
Caring for the ways of this world.
We did this.
Not God
WE Must keep ourselves Holy to use the power given to us.
I Corinthian 4:20
The kingdom of God is not in word but in Power!
I Corinthians 6:19
Your are of the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you. You are not your own. You were bought with a price.
I Corinthians 12:1, 3b,4,7, 13:1-10
Concerning spiritual gifts I would not have you be ignorant. No man can say that Jesus is Lord, but by the Holy Spirit. There are diversity of gifts but the manifestation of the spirit is given to EVERY MAN and WOMAN to profit. If you have not LOVE it profits you nothing. You are speaking in tongues of men and angels.
When that which is perfect come, THEN that which is in part shall be done away.
Jesus is the only perfect one and we are waiting for HIM to come back. Until then these gifts are given to those that believe in him and can use this power until he returns. We are to desire these gifts and ask for them. Speaking in tongues is a sign to those who do not believe and prophesying is for those who already understand that Christ can speak through you with the Holy Spirit to edify trained believers. The enemy wants to keep you ignorant.
Galatians 3:26
Who has bewitched you? You are children by faith in Christ Jesus 27and have been baptized.
28 and have put on Christ- our Identity is in him.
Ch 4: 6 Because we are sons and daughters of God he has sent forth HIS spirit into our hearts
We are no more servants, but an heir of God.
Ephesians 1:13
We are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise
17 that God may give you the spirit of wisdom and knowledge
2:8 By grace you are saved through faith. It is a gift of God, not of works.
3:1 Paul prisoner of Jesus Christ for Ye gentiles dispensation of the grace of God.
3:3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery.
3:6 That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel.
3:12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith in him.
I Thessalonians 5:19
Quench NOT the Spirit. Despise not prophesying.
I Timothy 4:14-16
Neglect NOT the gifts that is in you which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of hands of the presbytery. Meditate upon these things.
Take heed to the doctrine continue in them.
The Holy Spirit gives us the power we need to reach the lost, to heal the sick and to cast out demons to set the captives free. We are prisoners of this wicked world but Jesus has overcome this world. We must use the power he gives us and not get talked out of it by looking at the world and wanting what the world wants. We must be holy as He is holy. The world will hate us because it hated Jesus, but Jesus has given us the power to overcome until He returns.
