Bible Translations

I want to take a few minutes to talk about various translations of the Bible. There certainly seem to be a lot of them available. I have looked at a number of them and some of them are just plain scary.  On the other hand there are quite a few that I like; and by saying that I am saying that there are easy to read as well as being accurate and true to the original text. These are the two primary factors that I think a person should consider when looking for a study Bible.

Easy to read

We have all heard about the King James Version originally authorized by King James of England and printed in 1611 (400 years ago). Talk about not being easy to read! I’m not talking about the King James Version that many use today because that is not the King James Version of 1611! I doubt that 10 out of 100 Americans could read the original. Here’s an example:

¹¹ Uerely, verely I say vnto thee, We speake that we doe know, and testifie that wee haue seene; and yee receiue not our witnesse.

¹² If I haue tolde you earthly things, and ye beleeue not: how shall ye beleeue if I tell you of heauenly things?

¹³ And no man hath ascended vp to heauen, but hee that came downe from heauen, euen the Sonne of man which is in heauen.

Any guess where this is from? If you have been a believer for a while (like maybe a year or even less) you should recognize the verses. Here’s another one:

¹⁶¶ For God so loued þ^e world, that he gaue his only begotten Sonne: that whosoeuer beleeueth in him, should not perish, but haue euerlasting life.

This one you might get simple because it’s so well known. The King James Version used the language of 1611 and of course in 2011 we no longer speak or write that way.

To the left here you will see a picture from a printed version of the original King James Version. You might recognize is it as Genesis 1:1-3.

I’m not particularly trying to cut down the King James Version. I use it a lot in speaking and preaching because I can explain what is being said. It is a beautifully worded Bible and many people are used to that language as being the Bible. I like the King James Version. Of course I use the “revised version” that we are all used to seeing. The one where Paul said “Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake:”(1 Corinthians 10:25)

What? What is that? I looked up the word shambles:

Shambles: (definition from the Merriam-Webster on-line dictionary 2011)

1. a dirty or messy place <this room is a shambles—clean it up right now!>

Related Words chaos, confusion, disarrangement, disarray, disorder, disorganization, mess, muddle, muss; havoc, hell, mare’s nest, snake pit; clutter, jumble, litter, mishmash, welter

2. a state in which everything is out of order <the earthquake left the whole town in a shambles>

Synonyms chance-medley, confusion, disarrangement, disarray, dishevelment, disorder, disorderedness, disorderliness, disorganization, free-for-all, havoc, heck, hell, jumble, mare’s nest, mess, messiness, misorder, muddle, muss, shambles, snake pit, tumble, welter

I had to go to an unabridged version of the same dictionary to find the archaic version of shambles.

Unabridged Definition of SHAMBLES

1 archaic : a meat market

2 : slaughterhouse

3 a : a place of mass slaughter or bloodshed <the battlefield became a shambles> b : a scene or a state of great destruction : wreckage <the city was a shambles after the bombing> c (1) : a scene or a state of great disorder or confusion <an economy in shambles> (2) : great confusion : mess

Origin of SHAMBLES

Middle English shameles, plural of schamel vendor’s table, footstool, from Old English sceamol stool, from Latin scamillum, diminutive of scamnum stool, bench; perhaps akin to Sanskrit skambha pillar

First Known Use: 15th century

In fact, as Paul uses the word it is referring to the meat market that was attached to a pagan temple. This is made known from the context of the verse, but first you would need to know what shambles means.

There are a number of other examples of the English language having evolved over the centuries that I won’t go into. This makes the point.

The Bible was written for us to read and understand. Paul wrote to Timothy that “Every Scripture passage is inspired by God. All of them are useful for teaching, pointing out errors, correcting people, and training them for a life that has God’s approval. They equip God’s servants so that they are completely prepared to do good things. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 GW)

If we are trying to study the Word and can’t understand what is written how can we benefit from that study? The believers in the city of Berea were commended for searching the Scriptures daily to see if what Paul said was true. They hungered to understand and to grow in their faith. We need to so the same today.

Accuracy when compared to the original text

Matthew, John, Paul and the others did not write in English. The English language was not in existence in the first century. Jesus did not preach in English. So it is understood that the Bible has been translated – many times. The New Testament was written in street or Koine Greek. This was the Greek language commonly spoken and written in eastern Mediterranean countries in the Hellenistic and Roman periods. It was the language of the market place. The Bible writers knew Hebrew, Aramaic, Koine Greek and maybe some of them even knew Latin, but they chose the common language so that their message would be understood by everyone. So we have to translate this into our language. That is what James did in the 1600’s. He used the Latin translation and Greek texts for the King James Version. And it’s fairly accurate.

There are some modern versions that are not so accurate. One in particular, the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (NWT), while touted as a translation is really more of a group’s interpretation. One example from this version will suffice. In the gospel of John most translations read “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1) the NWT says “…and the word was a god” with the lower case. They did this to support their claim that Jesus was nothing more than the first of the created arch-angels.

We must be very careful in selecting a Bible translation. Look to see who was on the translation committee, why did they begin the project, what texts did they use and a number of other factors. The modern translations have access to the most recently discovered texts, such as the Dead Sea Scrolls. We also have benefited from modern archeology and the discovery of and understanding of the ancient cultures.

The easiest way to find a good translation is to the talk to people you trust. Your pastor, Sunday School teacher and other Bible study leaders should be happy to help you.

What translation is best? I’m not even going to begin to answer that. I like a number of them.  The English Standard Version (ESV), God’s Word for the Nations (GW), The New American Standard Bible (NASB) and The New Living Translation (NLT) are just a few of the ones I use for study.  When I just sit down to read, as opposed to study, I often use Eugene Peterson’s The Message.  This is not a translation, but a paraphrase, so you need to be careful, but it puts the word in common language, just like it was originally meant to be read.

Of course, whatever translation you choose, it will not help one bit if you don’t read and study. There’s an old country gospel song called “Dust On The Bible” that talks about how deplorable it to have a Bible and never read it. How true.

Forgiveness

The Oxford English Dictionary defines forgiveness as “to grant free pardon and to give up all claim on account of an offense or debt”.  As Christians we are familiar with the forgiveness that God extends to us because of the death of Jesus on the cross.  Without that forgiveness we would not be able to escape judgment.

Divine forgiveness

Divine forgiveness sets the pattern for our forgiving others. Jesus said in His famous model prayer that we are to ask for forgiveness even as we forgive others (Matthew 6.12).  This was a part of Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount and has become a treasured teaching of the church. Interestingly enough, this is not the only time Jesus gave this particular model of prayer to His disciples. In Luke 11: 1 “one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray as John taught his disciples.’”  Jesus’ response was almost identical to what He taught in the Sermon on the Mount.

Speaking of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus talked about forgiveness in that message:

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. (Matthew 5:7) Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. (Matthew 5:23-24)

He talked about forgiveness on several other occasions as well.

And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. (Mark 11:25) But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also. (Luke 6:27-29) Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. (Luke 6:36) Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: (Luke 6:37)

Of course the most famous one of all is when Jesus was hanging on the cross. He had the power to obliterate all of His tormenters and the authority to call legions of angelic armies, yet He said, “Father, forgive them, because they don’t know what they are doing” (Luke 23.34).

Jesus was all about forgiveness. He wanted us to be forgiving people. He still wants us to be forgiving people. So what, exactly, does it mean to forgive someone? We hear the term “forgive and forget” a lot. That sounds great, but we are human. Sometimes it is impossible to forget. Especially if the hurt is a deep personal hurt. Does that mean that Jesus has asked us to do the impossible?

 Human forgiveness

Jesus would not do that. He knows our limitations. He lived in a human body. Remember our definition of forgiveness is “to grant free pardon and to give up all claim on account of an offense or debt”.  This does not say anything about forgetting. A friend of mine some time ago defined forgiveness by saying that forgiving is the act of remembering to forget. Oddly worded, but it makes sense. We are going to remember an offense. Not only is it is human nature, but Satan is called our “accuser” for a reason. He is very good at reminding us of the things we want to forget.

Another friend once described forgiveness with a little more detail. He said that when we forgive someone we agree never to bring the offense up to that person again, never to tell anyone else about it and when Satan reminds us that we will consciously think of other things, such as scriptures that talk about how Jesus forgave us.

It is not an easy thing to forgive those who have hurt you. And some hurts are worse than others. Some people think that their pain is beyond forgiveness, but it’s not. Jesus would not tell us to do this if it were not possible. Maybe it will take the strength of Jesus Christ for us to forgive, but we have that strength available to us. The apostle Paul said that he could do everything that he needed to so through Jesus (Philippians 4.13). We too, as believers, have this power within us. It’s not magical and it’s not some hocus pocus stage trick. It’s the power of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit that indwells Christians the moment they believe.

Forgiveness is possible.  Forgiveness for you if you believe in Jesus died for your sins and rose again to gain victory for you over sin and death; and forgiveness for those who have sinned against you.

Even through this He said "Father, forgive them."

Gays in the military

I am opposed to gays serving openly in the military. This opposition goes beyond religious beliefs. It is practical and biological. I was in high school where boys and girls in PE and sports programs showered separately after gym programs. I have served (briefly) in the US Navy where men and women were housed separately. Prisons and other residential institutions house men and women separately. All this is for a good reason. Men and women are usually sexually attracted to each other. to have them sleeping, showering and living together under the close conditions of these situations would create serious tension. In schools, sports and prisons the results of these build up (or acted on) tensions aren’t calamitous. In situations where lives and our national security are on the line, these tensions could prove to be fatal. Our national security should not be held hostage by a small group of individuals who are demanding their “rights”. The only reason they can demand these “rights” is because of a well trained and disciplined military to protect them. There were many questions and hesitations over the issue of women serving in a submarine’s close quarters for just this very reason. If we allow gays to serve in the military then we should just open the door wide and mix the genders in all venues where they are segregated. Begin in school and allow our middle school children to mingle, nude, in showers. There is no difference when placing gays in the military! I will pray for America, because this seems to me to spell the beginning of the end.

I Believe…

1. The Bible is the inspired Word of God. (2 Timothy 3.15-17)
2. There is one God, evident as three separate persons, yet divinely one. (Deut. 6.4)
3. Man is born into sin, lives in sin, and will die in sin unless he accepts Jesus as his savior. (Romans 5.12, 6.23)
4. Jesus died so that man can be saved. It is a gift of God, not something man earned. (Romans 6.23, 10.13)
5. There are two ordinances of the Church that Jesus commanded His followers to observe.
   1. Water baptism. (Matthew 28.19)
   2. The Lord’s Supper or Communion. (Luke 22.19)
6. In the filling and indwelling of the Holy Spirit as a separate act of God. (Acts 2.4)
7. Believers are to witness and make disciples. (Matthew 28.19)
8. In healing of the body, mind and spirit. Jesus suffered that we might be made whole. (Isaiah 53.5,
9. That Jesus will return again for His followers. That believers will be raised from the dead and those alive at His return will be taken up to heaven. (1Thes. 4.16)
10. That those who refuse to accept Jesus are condemned to an eternity in a literal hell. God has not condemned them, but by their refusal of Jesus they have condemned themselves. (Luke 16. 19-31, John 3.18)
11. In the promise of a new heaven and a new earth where righteousness dwells. (2Peter 3.13)

I am incensed and outraged

I am even somewhat puzzled at the reaction from other nations over Israel’s stance and actions regarding the supposed “relief” ships that attempted to enter Israeli waters near Gaza. I am not at all surprised at the media’s reaction, however.

For days now, Israel has been warning the organizers of this flotilla that they would not be allowed to dock in Gaza. They were offered the opportunity to dock in Israel, clear their “relief” supplies through Israeli security, and Israel would then transport the supplies to Gaza. The flotilla organizers would have nothing to do with that common sense solution. They plainly said that they would ignore Israel’s warning.

Israel is at war. Almost daily they endure rocket and missile attack, mostly from Gaza. It makes perfect sense for them to be wary of this “relief” effort. No nation would allow self-proclaimed enemies to bring ships full of who knows what into enemy territory. Israel, true to their nature, warned the organizers ahead of time, just like they warned the terrorists in Gaza before they attacked during Cast Lead. Warnings were once again ignored.

Europe and the United States are “upset”. Using words like “unacceptable” and “human right violations,” nations around the world are demanding explanations and investigations. Even the US, Israel’s so-called ally, expects that Israel will “conduct a full and credible investigation.” Strong language when being used nation to nation. Wars have been started over milder words.

It is time for the world to wake up to reality. Israel is a sovereign nation. Jerusalem is an Israeli city. The PA is not even a nation, simply a group of terrorists who would like to “wipe Israel off the face of the earth.”

I understand the bitterness that could result from a nation regaining its homeland after enemies have held it for a long time. But the Palestinian’s will simply have to accept that Jews have been in Israel and Jerusalem long before Arabs and Muslims ever even existed. Of course that will never happen, so there will be war. What should happen, is that the rest of the world should realize that Israel is fighting to survive and provide a minimum of safety for her citizens.

As an American, I call on Washington to take the first step and call this situation honestly. Israel gave ample notice to a group of thugs. The thugs ignored the warning and are now paying the price of their foolishness. It is time for President Obama and Secretary Clinton to stand up and act like Americans.

Coming against Israel

After a long time you will be called to service. In the years to come, you will attack a land that has been rebuilt after a war. Its people have been gathered from many nations and brought to the mountains of Israel, mountains that have been ruined for a long time. These people were brought there from the nations, and all of them live there safely. You will attack like a storm and cover the land like a cloud. Your troops and the many armies will be with you. “‘This is what the Almighty LORD says: At that time ideas will enter your head, and you will make wicked plans. You will say, “I’ll attack a land with unwalled villages. I will attack peaceful people who live safely. All of them live without walls, locks, or gates. I will come to rob them and loot them. I will use my power against the ruins that people are living in again. I will use it against the people who were gathered from the nations. These people have cattle and property, and they live in the world.” (Ezekiel 38:8-12)

It has been a long time since this prophecy was written. As I read the news from Israel, Iran (Persia), Russia (Gog), and other places I see a gathering against Israel. Media outlets focus on their own areas so without reading a number of sources you would never see the whole picture. As it is, there are a lot of “blank” spots. These are countries that are known for their secrecy.

However, what I see is that Russia and Syria are arming terrorist groups with increasingly more sophisticated weapons. Gone are the days when Hezbollah will lob a few homemade rockets into some Israeli farm with no loss of life. They now have sophisticated guided cruise missiles, supplied by Syria, capable of decimating Tel Aviv and other major population areas. They published plans are to hit both military and civilian centers to cause maximum damage and terror.

I also see Iran (Persia) feverishly building nuclear weapons. Their leader has publicly and proudly proclaimed that it is his desire and even his aim to “wipe Israel off the face of the map”. Their various military branches are also arming terrorist groups whose aim is to hurt and even destroy Israel.

The world seems to think that the PA has a “right” to its presence in Jerusalem and the UN wants to make Jerusalem a split capitol. Too many commentators see this as nothing more than a prelude to pushing the Jews out of Jerusalem.

I see the forces gathering against God’s people. Having read the prophecies, I can see what is happening. Maybe it will be soon, maybe the tension will, again, be relieved for a while. I do not have knowledge of God’s timetable. There is one very important point that needs to be made. A point that the Lord made and that is often overlooked when talking about the current mid-east crises. That point is outlined in the remainder of Ezekiel 38. God wins! Israel will be protected.

On the day that Gog attacks the land of Israel, I will be filled with burning anger, declares the Almighty LORD. In my fiery anger I tell you this. On that day there will be a large earthquake in the land of Israel. Fish, birds, wild animals, everything that crawls on the ground, and every person on earth will tremble in my presence. The mountains will be torn down, the cliffs will crumble, and every wall will fall to the ground. I will declare war against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Almighty LORD. Each person will use his sword against his relative. I will punish Gog with plagues and death. I will send rainstorms, large hailstones, fire, and burning sulfur on his troops and on the many armies with him. I will show my greatness and my holiness. I will reveal myself to many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.’” (Ezekiel 38:18-23)

Thoughts on life

My daughter is taking a class on ethics. Some of the questions she was asked to comment on were about life, murder and abortion. Below are the questions and her answers.

Is killing in defense of the innocent sometimes morally justifiable? Use examples to illustrate your answer.

Oh, I believe so. In our text for example, Mary (Thiroux/Krasemann pgs.186-187), was defending herself against a rapist who wasn’t going to stop trying to hurt her.  It is also justifiable to kill defending someone other than yourself.  My example? If one or both of my children were being attacked and I knew that there was no other way; yeah; that person would go down.  Although, using a mother may not be the best example.  Very few mothers wouldn’t defend their children regardless of the consequences.  Still, if I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and witnessed an obvious crime against someone, child or adult, I could not just walk away, or watch.  I would do everything in my power to help, even if it meant taking a human life.  I know this makes me sound like I don’t have an issue killing.  I really do. I would do everything I possibly could to avoid it; but I would if I absolutely had to.

What about abortion? Are there any justifiable exceptions for abortion? Why or why not?

Absolutely not, in any way, shape, or form is abortion acceptable.   I have heard, I think, possible “reasons” why, and I still don’t think it’s okay.  Yes, I have been sexually assaulted; as a child, and as a teen, and there was a risk of pregnancy.  There is still no reason.  There is adoption.  There are so many people out there who cannot have children naturally, but want nothing more than to raise a child.  And there is biological proof, by doctors and scientists alike that have said that life begins at conception.  The fetes’ (which, by the way is Latin for baby) heart starts beating and pumping vital blood at five weeks of development.  The amniotic sac is present at four weeks of development.

Most women don’t even know that they’re pregnant until the fourth or fifth week!

http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-5-weeks_1094.bc

And when lives are at stake, such as the child’s, or the mothers, the answer is still the same.  Care needs to be taken when the pregnancy turns high risk.  There are so many technological advances now, that no one needs to terminate a pregnancy due to health.

How does mercy death differ from mercy killing? Is one more morally acceptable than another? Why or why not?

“The important distinction between mercy killing and mercy death is that mercy killing is involuntary, or does not involve the patient’s permission or request, whereas mercy death is voluntary and done with the permission of the patient and usually at his or her request”(Thiroux/ Krasemann, pg.209).

If I had to choose, which I guess here I do, I would have to say mercy death is the more moral of the two.  I really don’t agree with either, because the Bible clearly states, “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13, NIV, Zondervan Publishing House, 1984, by International Bible Society), but it also states that we should, “Be kind and compassionate to one another…” (Ephesians 4:32, Zondervan Publishing House, 1984, by International Bible Society).  And to me, just standing by and watching someone just lie there on the bed suffering, with no hope of recovery is just wrong.  But then again, going back to the God factor, there may not be any hope for human intervention, but God can do anything, and it’s really not our place to decide who lives and who dies; that God’s.  This is a situation that I’m lucky to not have experienced yet, but I’ve been with people who have, and seen the pain they go through; the absolute helplessness.  It’s a horrible, awful experience that I hope to never go through.

World Crisis – Can We Solve It?

Everyone will readily admit the world today is in serious trouble. There are many who are actually trying to fix some of the world’s ills. The problem is that most of the world’s leaders have no clue what is wrong. President Obama is doing his best; I’m sure, as is, PM’s Putin and Merkel. But until they discover what is actually wrong they cannot fix it.
The truth is, even if they knew the problem, they would be unable to end the crisis. Most Christians could tell the leaders that the problem is Sin. Not sins, or sinners, but Sin.
God created a perfect world, placed perfect man in that world and gave the man control over the world (Genesis 2.15). This man, Adam, was to tend and watch over all of creation (Genesis 1.27-28). As we all know, Adam messed up. Satan came along and lied to Adam and Adam gave away his responsibilities to the devil. Sin entered the world (Romans 5.12).
God, being the faithful, loving Father He is, then revealed His plan to redeem the lost world. But for now Sin is still here. We are all descendants of Adam and inheritors of Sin. Therefore we are all guilty (Romans 3.19). We act the way we do because we are slaves of Sin (Romans 7.25).
As was pointed out, we are all guilty. The penalty, or sentence, is death (Romans 6.23). Our faithful, loving Father however, has gifted us with a pardon. While we are indeed guilty, He offers us a gift: life (Romans 6.23)
When we accept this great gift, we are no longer bound by or slaves of Sin. Yes, we will from time to time commit sins, but it is no longer our desire to live in Sin.
But what about the world crisis? Well, this was also solved. God came to earth in the Person of Jesus. He paid a very high price, but He did, in fact, redeem the whole world (John 1.29). I know that sometimes it doesn’t seem like it when we read the daily headlines. Jesus has yet to return to collect His property. (That’s what redemption is. He bought back what Adam gave away – the world.) Be assured, He will return to collect what is His.
Presidents and prime ministers are powerless to solve the crisis. But that’s okay because Jesus already did.

God left Adam in charge of a perfect world and charged him with it’s upkeep. Jesus left Christians something to do also. We are to tend to this world. This is a much more challenging task, I think, but certainly a worthwhile task (Mark 16.15-20).  When Jesus returns, He will put everything back the way it was (Isaiah chapter 11).
Today’s world leaders should do what they can, for today. There might even be some good come from it. But Jesus already solved the crisis, and I’m putting my hope in Him.
If you’re tired of “politics as usual” and want something better, all you need to do is ask Jesus to be Lord of your life. He’s available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you need help or have questions, look up an evangelical church or write to us. We will glad to help. Free of charge, of course, because Jesus already paid the price.

The Holy Spirit—Nature, Work and Gifts

The Holy Spirit is God

Recognition of the Holy Spirit as a member of the Godhead is a major part of our doctrine. This recognition is tied to the doctrine of the Trinity that says that God is one God, expressed as three distinct persons; God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
The scripture clearly shows the Holy Spirit to be a multifaceted, dynamic part of the Godhead. It is critical for us to understand Him, as much as anyone can under God.
Throughout the Bible it is made clear that the Holy Spirit is God due to the attributes that are ascribed to Him. (Being God, it would be inappropriate to call the Holy Spirit “it” as some do. We refer to Him as Him.)

Omnipotence

The Holy Spirit is omnipotent. This means that He is “all-powerful”. Only God can legitimately make that claim. “You send out your Spirit, and they are created. You renew the face of the earth.”. (Psalm 104.30)

Omnipresence

The Holy Spirit is omnipresent or everywhere at all times. Again, an attribute of God. David asked,  “Where can I go to get away from your Spirit?” then he listed some places that would be very hard to for him to reach such as heaven, hell and the depths of the sea. In all of these places God was there. David knew that the Holy Spirit was God.  (Psalm 139.7)

Omniscience

That the Holy Spirit is all-knowing or omniscient is brought out in a number of scriptures. The apostle Paul was inspired to write “the Spirit searches everything, especially the deep things of God.” (1 Corinthians 2.10) In John 14.26 Jesus said that the Comforter (another name for the Holy Spirit) will teach us all things and bring to our recall all that we need to know.

Unchanging

In 1 Corinthians chapter 12 we are shown many abilities that the Holy Spirit bestows on believers, yet it is brought out that this is the same Spirit. The Spirit’s immutability is compared to that of Jesus in these verses. The same Jesus of whom it is written He is “the same yesterday, today and forever.”

Eternal

And finally, the Holy Spirit is eternal. The writer of Hebrews uses a word in the Greek that is full of deep meaning. He says that the Holy Spirit is not just never ending, but never beginning, never ending and always continuing to exist. (Hebrews 9.14)

The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament

The very first mention of the Holy Spirit is in Genesis chapter one. In the second verse it says, “The Spirit of God was hovering over the water.” This is a good way to introduce Himself. The original words used here could well be translated as “the life of God.”  Often when a person dies it is said that his spirit has left. This is common from Abraham and throughout the Bible.
While He is so much more than that, as we will see later, He is also the life of God. (Please take this only as a metaphor. As humans it is not really possible for us to understand the make-up of God, so we use metaphors and examples.) There are many instances in the Old Testament that show the Holy Spirit’s work and power.
Later, also in Genesis, Pharaoh needed some answers so he was searching for “a man who has God’s Spirit in him”. (Genesis 41.38) Even then we see the Holy Spirit as One who answers the needs of God’s people. In this case Joseph was the man and we all know the story of how he saved the Jewish people by following the Holy Spirit’s leadership.

The Holy Spirit in the New Testament

Most of us have read where the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus when He was baptized and how the Holy Spirit came upon the believers in the upper room on the day of Pentecost. These are just two of the many times the Holy Spirit is mentioned in the New Testament.  The apostle Paul said that “Every scripture passage is inspired by God” (2 Timothy 3.16). God, in the form of the Holy Spirit, is the source of that inspiration.  Since the only scripture Paul had was the Old Testament, this is a New Testament look at the work of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament.
In his famous Pentecost sermon, Peter said that we, as believers, would receive the Holy Spirit as a gift. Jesus promised that this would happen, even as it was foretold by the prophet Joel in the Old Testament (Joel 2.28).
The gift of the Holy Spirit is God’s presence in His people today, to give us the courage and ability to spread His Word to the world. Without this, we would be weak and ineffective. Too many times the world opposes the Word of God, often quite violently. We need God’s power to see us through.
A number of Christian denominations claim that some of the outward manifestations of the Holy Spirit, most notably tongues, are at best for the first century. They claim that passed away with the apostles. I would like to point out that God, not the apostles, gave believers the gift. Also there are many recordings of people other than the apostles who spoke in tongues as an evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit.
I will cite one example here, but there are many. Peter was lead by the Spirit to the home of a Gentile named Cornelius.  He witnesses to them and all of the household was saved.  Acts 10 verses 44—47 records that all who heard Peter were filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages. No one could deny that even Gentiles were being filled. God used this filling to show that everyone could  be saved and baptized in the Holy Spirit.
It is the same today.  God uses the outward manifestations of the Holy Spirit to show that everyone, without regard to race, gender or past history, can be saved and filled with the Holy Spirit.
Over the next months we will take a closer look tongues, healing and some of the other manifestations of the Holy Spirit.

Purpose of the gifts

Some of the gifts of the Holy Spirit are listed by the apostle Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians. These are the commonly accepted gifts, and I hesitate to add to this list. On the other hand I don’t want to say that God doesn’t gift as He chooses. We need to recognize that God is Sovereign, and if He chooses to present a gift that is needed for a specific situation that is not in this list, but meets the definition of spiritual gifts, then we need to accept that as His prerogative.
Before we list the gifts, I want to point out a few things about all spiritual gifts. Paul said that, “There are different spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit gives them. There are different ways of serving, and yet the same Lord is served. There are different types of work to do, but the same God produces every gift in every person.” (1 Corinthians 12:4-6) Spiritual gifts ALWAYS point to and glorify Jesus. The deceiver can duplicate and counterfeit gifts, and often does, but look at who gets the glory.
The giver of gifts
All true spiritual gifts come from God. We are all part of the Body of Christ, and it is Jesus Christ Who sent the Holy Spirit. (John 16.17) In 1 Corinthians 12.15-22 Paul explains that as one body we have many parts (or functions) and that even though these parts are different they are all needed.  Each gift is given as needed in the church.

Gifts of the Holy Spirit

The gifts of the Spirit are listed as words of wisdom, words of knowledge,  courageous faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, tongues, and interpretation of tongues. As soon as he lists these he says,  “There is only one Spirit who does all these things by giving what God wants to give to each person.” (1 Corinthians 12.11) There are many gifts, but only one gift giver. And He gives “what God wants” to individuals. Not what we think we need.

Using the gifts

We  will take a closer look at the use of the individual gifts later, but there are two overriding concerns that cannot be said too many times.
“There are different ways of serving, and yet the same Lord is served.” and “ Everything must be done in a proper and orderly way.“ (1 Corinthians 12.6 and 14.40) The focus of the Holy Spirit is to bring glory to Jesus. This is not done when we are in total disarray. The desire to serve one another is good, but we need to remember that the goal is to glorify Jesus. He is glorified when we serve others, even as He served.  God wants us to use the gifts He gives us to glorify His Son as we are serving others.

Draw Near To God

I have heard people say, “God has left me.” In fact, I have felt this myself from time to time. Many times when we experience a loss or tragedy in life our first thought is that God has abandoned us. It seems that the  pain will never go away and that there is no one who cares or knows what we are going through.

Losing all that we have, or losing someone close to us, is never easy. It hurts. However, being in pain doesn’t mean God has left us. The truth is, God said “I will never abandon you or leave you.” (Deut. 31.6, Heb. 13.5) We need to know this truth and allow it to set us free. We can easily become slaves to this pain.  We think it makes us feel better to dwell on the hurt and the loss.

David endured many trials and sorrows on the road to becoming king but he knew that he had to ask for God’s protection. (Ps. 31) It’s easy to blame God when we experience loss but this is when we need to purpose to come closer to Him. It is then that He will then come closer to us. It’s when we are walking through the “valley of the shadow of death” when we need Him by our side. (Ps. 23.4) His comfort and protection come when we are seeking Him.

The key to drawing closer to God is knowing Him. Jesus provided a way for us to live in joy. Yes, we will experience sadness every once in a while. In Jesus we no longer need to live in depression. Dwelling on the sadness is not the answer; Jesus is.  He offers eternal life, and He promises a fulfilled life here on earth.  Ask Him to heal your sorrow today and know the joy that only Jesus can give.