Saturday, November 19, 2011

The Holy Spirit's Role in God's Kingdom

Take time with me today to consider the Holy Spirit's crucial role in God's Kingdom, as well as it's advancement. He is God, the third person of the Trinity. Without him the kingdom of God cannot function or even exist any more than a car can run without a battery or a ship can sail across the ocean without any sort of navigational equipment.

Unfortunately, in many churches, the Holy Spirit is not welcome.  The leaders have "programmed" Him completely out of the meetings and church life, and they don't realize what a dangerous place they are in.  While all their songs and activities for God continue unabated, they don't even realize that above the door is written the word "Ichabod," which means "the glory has departed."

When Jesus appeared to His disciples over a period of forty days following His resurrection, He spoke about the kingdom of God (Ac 1:3).  This is no surprise, since Jesus spoke about the kingdom of God all the time, from the beginning of His ministry until the end.  But then Luke states “On one occasion…” meaning “On one occasion when He spoke about the kingdom of God…” 

And he goes on to write that Jesus told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the promised gift of the Father, the baptism in the Holy Spirit (Ac 1:4-5).  This was definitely one of those occasions when Jesus spoke about the kingdom of God.  We know this not only from the context that precedes these verses, but also from what follows them.  When they met together with Jesus, after He had said this, they asked Him if He was going to restore the kingdom to Israel at that time (Ac 1:6).  This is because when they heard what He said about waiting in Jerusalem and being baptized with the Holy Spirit, they assumed He was talking about the restoration of the kingdom to Israel with them reigning in power on earth with Jesus. 

“So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, ‘Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?’ He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Act 1:6-8)

His reply to their question was also very interesting.  He did not say that the event they referred to would never happen.  He simply told them that it was not for them to know when these things would happen, because they were among the times and dates the Father has set by His own authority. 

Then he told them that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them, so that they could be His witnesses in Jerusalem and all over the earth.  So it’s clear from this passage that the power of the Holy Spirit is definitely essential to the kingdom of God.

As I mentioned, this was one of those occasions when Jesus spoke about the kingdom of God, and specifically He was speaking to them about the baptism in the Holy Spirit.  When we are baptized in the Holy Spirit, we receive power to be witnesses for Jesus, as well as live a holy life and do God’s will.  This is what the kingdom of God is about; it’s His reign in us spreading across the earth to the lives of other people!

Jesus did all of His miracles by the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit (Luk 4:14-21; Is 61:1; Jn 14:10b).  And He said, "If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you." (Mat 12:28).  We know He did cast out demons by the Spirit of God, and He said that this meant the kingdom of God had come upon the people there in that place.

Likewise, Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with instructions to "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons." (Mat 10:8)  At that time, He also instructed them, "And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'" (Mat 10:7).  You see, the Spirit of God enabled them to do these supernatural things, and they were to proclaim to the people that the kingdom of heaven was at hand.

That was God's way then and it still is today.  It’s impossible for the kingdom of God to truly be advanced in any other way.  It happens only by the power of the Holy Spirit.

"'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD of hosts." (Zec 4:6)

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Home page, such as The Role of the Trinity in Drawing People to GodBaptized with the Spirit, Holy Fire Baptism, The Holy Spirit Speaks, The Holy Trinity, By the Spirit of God AloneHave the Spiritual Gifts Ceased?, and The Spirit without Limit. I also recommend The Kingdom of God is Like This, The Secret Kingdom, and The Link Between Two Realms. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." 
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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Gifts and Fruit of the Spirit -- What's the Difference?

We know from Scripture that there are nine gifts of the Spirit, which initially began to be given to the church on the day of Pentecost, and are initially given in the life of a believer when he or she is baptized in the Holy Spirit. We also know that there are nine fruit of the Spirit that are found in the life of a disciple who walks in the Spirit.  But what is the difference between the fruit and the gifts?

Gifts of the Spirit
The spiritual gifts are manifestations (1 Cor 12:7).  The Greek word for manifestations is phanerosis, which means a shining forth or showing forth. The Greek word for gift is charisma, which means a free gift, miraculous faculty, or divinely conferred endowment. Therefore, as the spiritual gifts are manifested, these divinely conferred, supernatural faculties are instantaneously shown forth in the believer's life like a flash of light.

The gifts are given for the common good (1 Cor 12:7). They can be divided into three types, which include: the speaking gifts (tongues, interpretation of tongues, and prophecy), the knowing gifts (word of knowledge, word of wisdom, and discerning of spirits) and the power gifts (faith, healing, miracles).  I'm not just listing these as if I only knew about them from a textbook, but I've been blessed to have seen them all in operation over the past three decades. And to anyone who thinks that the gifts ceased after the first century, I've got news for you, my friend.  They are still genuinely in operation today, just as they were in the early church.

The spiritual gifts are the work of one Spirit and He gives them as He determines (1 Cor 12:11). Depending on which part of the body we are, we each have different gifts (1 Cor 12:27).  These include apostles, prophets, teachers, workers of miracles, those with gifts of healing, those who help others, those with gifts of administration, those speaking in different kinds of tongues.

Some gifts are greater than others (1 Cor 12:31), so they are not all equal.  Prophecy builds up the church (1 Cor 14:3). Tongues will build up the person speaking in tongues (1 Cor 14:4). You need to build yourself up, especially during your personal prayer time with the Lord. But you should also fervently desire the greater gifts, so that you can build others up (1 Co 12:31).

The spiritual gifts are signs, which the Lord performs on the earth (Acts 2:17-19). They are evidence that the Holy Spirit has come upon us and given us power to be His witnesses (Ac 1:8). They are evidence that we have been filled with the Spirit (Ac 2:4).

And the gifts are not revoked once they are given (Rom 11:29). Once the Lord gives you a gift, he doesn’t take it back.  But the Word tells us that the spiritual gifts are only temporary in that they will one day all cease and be stilled (1 Cor 13:8-12). This is not true of the fruit, which we’ll examine next.

Culinary fruit. Picture by Bill Ebbesen
Fruit of the Spirit
First of all, the fruit of the Spirit are the Holy Spirit’s fruit found in the life of the believer.  They are not our own fruit or they would be called the "fruit of the disciple" instead of "fruit of the Spirit." 

We can do nothing without the Lord, and it is only as we remain in Him that we bear any fruit (Jn 15:5). The fruit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal 5:22,23).

The Greek word for fruit is karpos, which literally means the produce of a tree, plant; or animal (i.e., offspring or young). In a figurative sense it also means production or that which is produced, as in conduct or actions. That is the sense in which the word karpos is used by the apostle Paul in Galatians 5. In other words, the fruit of the Spirit are qualities that the Holy Spirit produces in our lives, which may be observed in our conduct, actions, words, attitudes, and demeanor.

If you’d like a way to summarize the fruit of the Spirit, here is how.  They are summed up in love, which sums up the whole law and the prophets (Gal 5:14). Love is the most excellent way (1 Cor 13:31). Love is proven true by its actions, not by feelings (1 Cor 13:4-7).

Jesus said we would know people by their fruits not their gifts (Mat 7:16-23). People will know we are Jesus’ disciples by our love (Jn 13:35). The fruit are evidence of godly character in a disciple’s life, because they can only grow out of a life that is dead to self and that lives by the Spirit (Gal 5:16, 24, 25).

Someone might mistakenly think that they need to produce the fruit of the Spirit in order to be saved, but that would not be correct.  The Scriptures say we are saved by grace and not by our works (Eph 2:8).  But once we are saved, we should produce fruit in keeping with repentance.

Ultimately at the judgment, the test that will determine whether we truly know the Lord will be the fruit found in our lives (Matt 25:31-46).  Those who merely function in the gifts, but do not obey the commands of Jesus Christ, will be eternally separated from God (Mt 7:21-23).  It's the ones who hear the Word of God and act on it that will be able to stand in the judgment.

There is an eternal aspect to the fruit.  It never fades away or fails.  The fruit of faith, hope, and love will remain long after the gifts like prophecy and tongues have ceased (1 Co 13:8, 13). 

Side-by-Side Comparison
Let's take a look at the spiritual gifts and the fruit in a side-by-side comparison to better help us see the similarities and differences between them.

Gifts Fruit
Non character-related (Mt 7:22-23) Character-related (Mt 7:21)
Supernatural manifestation and work of the Spirit (1 Cor 12:7, 11) Result of a godly life that remains connected to Christ, abiding in Him (Jn 15:4-5)
Miraculous faculty, or divinely conferred endowment. Conduct, actions, words, attitudes, and demeanor that are produced
Distributed by the Spirit to each person as He determines (1 Cor 12:4, 11) Produced by the Spirit in the life of the believer who has crucified the flesh with its passions and desires (Gal 5:22-24)
Most people don't have them all, but we each have different ones (1 Cor 12:27, 30) Everyone should have all of them
For the common good (1 Cor 12:7) For the glory of God (Mt 5:16)
For the purpose of edification, encouragement, and strengthening of others or self (1 Cor 14:3-5) For the purpose of showing you are Christ's disciple (Jn 13:35; 15:8)
Signs and wonders that follow those who believe in Christ (1 Cor 14:22; Mk 16:17-18; Ac 2:17-19) Not signs and wonders, but evidence that we are in Christ, that we have come to know Him, that we are disciples of His, that we have passed from death to life, that we have been born of God, that we know God, that we love God, that we belong to the truth. and that the Spirit of God is within us (Jn 13:35; 1 Cor 12:3; 1 Jn 2:2-5; 3:6, 14, 19; 4:7; 5:2-3)
Tools for ministry, not used to identify one as a true disciple Evidence of your identity in Christ
Must eagerly desire them (1 Cor 14:1, 39) Must produce them by living in the light, walking by the Spirit and being led by the Spirit (Gal 5:16, 18; 1 Jn 2:10; 2 Pet 1:5-11)
Visible, shining or showing forth (1 Cor 12:7) Evident and observable (1 Jn 2:8; Mt 5:16)
Gifts "light upon" the believer who is Spirit-filled (Ac 2:3) Come forth from a pure heart (Jam 3:10-12)
Empowerment received when the Holy Spirit comes upon you (Ac 1:8) Enablement received when the Holy Spirit works within you 
Will cease one day (1 Cor 13:8) Will last forever (1 Cor 13:13)
Gifts are not revoked (Ro 11:29) One can become unfruitful, if one does not remain in Christ (Jn 15:5)
One can operate in gifts and still not inherit the kingdom of God but perish (Mt 7:19, 22-23, 26-27; Gal 5:21; 1 Jn 3:6b; 2 Thes 2:9-12; 2 Cor 11:14) Without the fruit, one cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven, but will be cut off and thrown into the fire (Mt 7:21; Jn 15:2, 6; 1 Cor 13:1-3; 1 Jn 1:6; 2:4-6, 9; 3:7-10; 4:7-8, 21)

*Table above does not include ministries from Ephesians 4:8-11 and 1 Corinthians 12:5.

Putting it All Together
The spiritual gifts include: tongues, interpretation of tongues, prophecy, word of knowledge, word of wisdom, discerning of spirits, faith, healing, and miracles. Having the gifts manifested in our lives is not the ultimate test of discipleship  (1 Cor 12:31 – 1 Cor 13:1-3). 

So we know that a person has once been filled with the Holy Spirit by the gifts we see manifested in his life. But the way we know if someone is living his life by the Spirit is by observing the fruit in his life.  Those fruit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. And while we should eagerly desire the greater gifts, so that we can build up the Body, we should be most concerned that we walk in the love of God.

The gifts are primarily tools that God has given us to stimulate faith in others and to minister to them.  However, in order to live your life in such a way that is pleasing to Him, you must bear fruit.

Without the fruit of love growing out of our hearts, everything else would be worthless. The fruit of faith, hope, and love will remain long after the gifts like prophecy, tongues and word of knowledge have ceased.

I'm thankful for the gifts of the Holy Spirit that He has manifested in my life, but even more thankful for the fruit.

Image credit: Culinary fruit. Picture by Bill Ebbesen. Courtesy Wikimedia.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, I recommend reading Fruit in Every Season, as well as the companion poem to that message written by my eighteen year old daughter Charity Lacroix, also called Fruit in Every Season (the poem). You are also invited to read my articles, Bearing Fruit in Every Good WorkThe Gift of Speaking in TonguesHave the Spiritual Gifts Ceased?The Wardrobe of the Saints, Baptized with the SpiritTen Divine Expressions for Spirit BaptismThe River of God, Obedience by the Spirit, Living a Life Worthy of the Lord, Aim for Perfection, The Difference Between a Disciple and a Believer, Being a Witness for Christ, Testing the Spirits of False Prophets, and Covenant Prayer. You may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Main Directory for this blog. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."  
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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Laying on of Hands

God has ordained the laying on of hands as a mode of conferring blessings upon people.  This is one of the elementary teachings of the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, according to the biblical book of Hebrews (Heb 6:1-2). There are several current biblical uses for the laying on of hands, which are found in the New Testament:

General Blessing
First of all, a general blessing can be given through the laying on of hands.  Jesus did this with the children who were brought to Him.  “After laying His hands on them, He [Jesus] departed from there.” (Mat 19:15); “And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them.” (Mar 10:16)

I often lay hands on my children and bless them.  As I lay hands on them, I speak a blessing over them or pray for them. And any parent , who is a disciple of Christ, can do the same to bless a child or any other person. This is so basic to faith in Christ, and yet it's surprising to see how many churches and families do not practice it.  This is not a something that only religious clerics can do for you or your child.  This is a sacred privilege of every disciple.

Healing
We find many examples in the New Testament where healing and miracles occurred through the laying on of hands. Jesus often laid hands on the sick to heal them.  “Taking the blind man by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him, ‘Do you see anything?’” (Mar 8:23);

“While the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and laying His hands on each one of them, He was healing them.” (Luk 4:40);

But not only Jesus practiced this.  Mark indicated this as a sign that would follow all those who believe: “They will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." (Mar 16:18);

God commanded to Ananias to go and pray for Saul of Tarsus, saying, “And he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight.” (Act 9:12); “So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’"  (Act 9:17).

You might wonder why you can't just pray for the person long distance or speak healing over them from across the room. Well, the truth is that you can do that, and I'm sure many people have been healed that way.  But healing is closely connected with the faith of the person receiving the blessing.  And somehow the laying on of hands -- that holy and loving physical contact -- helps the faith of the recipient, so that they can believe and receive.

I've received healing this way many times when others have laid their hands on me and prayed.  And many times I have laid hands on others to release healing into them.   Both as a recipient and as the one laying on hands, I have often sensed the power of God flow through this practice.

One instance that comes to mind happened fairly recently when I was asked to pray for a young lady, who was around thirteen years old.  She had an obstruction in her chest that was interfering with her breathing.  I and another brother laid hands on her, as I prayed for her.  As I prayed, I felt the power of God released. It's much more powerful than electricity, but it doesn't hurt you.  She didn't fall down or jerk her body, but simply stood still.  Afterward, I asked how she felt and she was able to breath normally.  She said she felt something like heat passing through her body when the healing occurred.  The next day, it was definitely confirmed by her mother that she was completely healed.  And weeks later we heard that she was still completely well.

Praise the Lord.  This is just one of many experiences that I could give to show that it is still God's way of healing.

Conferring the Baptism in the Spirit 
Another purpose for laying on hands is to confer the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This was the experience of the early church and still is today.  “Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit. Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money.” (Act 8:17-18).  Notice that Simon the sorcerer saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of hands.  He was so fascinated by it that he mistakenly tried to buy the power to do so.

Then there was Ananias, the man the Lord sent to pray for Saul of Tarsus.  “So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’"  (Act 9:17);

That same Saul, who was later renamed Paul, wrote to Timothy, “For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” (2Ti 1:6)

Once again, I have experienced this personally.  I still recall the evening in 1986 when I asked the Lord to baptize me in the Holy Spirit.  A young man named Alan, who led me to Christ, and some intercessors from our church laid hands on me and prayed for me.  As they did so, I received the Holy Spirit with power, just as the first disciples did on the day of Pentecost, with the evidence of speaking in tongues.  What a glorious experience it is to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit.  You can read more about this in my previous post on the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Conferring the gifts of the Spirit
The gifts of the Spirit (1 Co 12) are bestowed upon people through the laying on of hands of the elders.  Paul wrote to Timothy not to neglect the gifts that he received when the elders laid hands on him.  “Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery.” (1Ti 4:14);

Later Paul admonished Timothy to rekindle the gift of God that was deposited in him when Paul laid hands on him.  “For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” (2Ti 1:6)

This is another thing I can personally verify through my own personal experience.  The gifts of the Spirit listed in 1 Corinthians 12 are still active today.  They didn't cease during the first century!  I've seen them manifested authentically in my own life, as I have ministered to others.  And I have also seen them in the lives of others who have ministered to me.  I've witnessed all of the gifts in operation, and I'm here to tell you they are real.

There are many examples I could give, but one will suffice.  One time I was in a famous submarine sandwich shop in Pinardville, NH, called Bob Nadeu's.  I crossed paths with an old acquaintance, named Paul, whom I had previously worked with in high school several years earlier. As I waited for my steak and cheese sub, I prayed at my booth for the Lord to give me a word of knowledge for him, so that I could share the gospel with a demonstration of power.  The Lord showed me that his feet were bothering him. So when I joined him at his table, I was able to share that word of knowledge with him, which I could not have known, except that the Holy Spirit revealed it to me.  It turned out that he had worn some new snake skin boots to work the previous day, and now his feet were sore.  This led to an opportunity for me to share the gospel, and he prayed right there in the sub shop to give his life to Christ that day. Glory to God! It was not done by my power or my might, but by the Holy Spirit. 

Consecrating elders for service
The laying on of hands is used to consecrate people for service to the Lord.  In the Antioch church of the first century, they sent out an apostolic team this way – “Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.” (Act 13:3)

It’s amazing to me that God chose this mode of operation.  It's personal, relational, and requires physical contact.  Blessings and gifts are actually released through the laying on of hands.

Maybe someone reading this would like start laying hands on everyone they meet.  But the apostle Paul warned Timothy not to lay hands on anyone too soon.  He wrote: “Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin.” (1Ti 5:22)  Paul did not state specifically which kind of laying on of hands he was referring to in this passage, so it is possible that it could be applied generally to all five types that we have just listed.  However, since this same letter of Paul to Timothy outlined the qualifications for overseers, it is more likely that he was referring to the consecration of elders. 

Paul explicitly stated the reason he gave this warning.  He said that it was to avoid “sharing responsibility for the sins of others.”  It was so that Timothy could keep himself “free from sin.”  In saying this, Paul meant that Timothy should first build relationship with men, and allow them to be tested first, before he laid hands on them to appoint them as elders.  In doing so, this would give opportunity for any besetting sins in the lives of these men to become apparent before they were set in as elders.

Paul went on to say, “The sins of some men are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their sins follow after.” (1Ti 5:24).  In other words, with some men, it’s a "no-brainer" to determine that they are not qualified to be elders.  The reason is that their sins go before them and are readily evident to others.  But the ones Timothy needed to beware of were the men whose “sins followed after them” and were not immediately apparent to the general public. If Timothy were to lay hands on such men too hastily, he would bring trouble upon himself by sharing in their sins.

When I was sent out with my wife and children for service to the Lord in Eastern Europe in 2008, the elders of our home church laid hands on us and prayed for us.  We had walked with them as our overseers for many years, and we had served alongside them in the church.  They knew us well, and concurred that the Holy Spirit was sending us out.  So we went out with the blessing of the elders and other brethren there in Manchester, NH.  We waited many years for the Lord to do this, even though we knew all along He was calling us to an apostolic work overseas. Instead of trying to make something happen in our own strength, we let the Lord do it, and we've witnessed the blessing of God upon it through the good fruit it has born.

Historical Usage
The laying on of hands dates all the way back to the Old Testament in the early days of Israel’s history. 

This was how they consecrated men for service to the Lord in the Levitical priesthood.  Moses states: "So you shall present the Levites before the tent of meeting. You shall also assemble the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, and present the Levites before the LORD; and the sons of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites.” (Num 8:9-10)

The prophet Elisha laid himself upon a dead child and raised him back to life.  “And he went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth and his eyes on his eyes and his hands on his hands, and he stretched himself on him; and the flesh of the child became warm.” (2Ki 4:34)

When a person was sentenced to death by stoning, the witnesses of his sin would lay hands on his head.  The Law states: "Bring the one who has cursed outside the camp, and let all who heard him lay their hands on his head; then let all the congregation stone him. (Lev 24:14)

In the Old Testament, laying on of hands was even used to lay the sins of God’s people on the head of a sacrificial animal (Lev 16:21; Num 8:12).  When the priest laid his hands on the animal and confessed over it the sins of the sons of Israel, an actual transfer of those sins occurred. Afterward, the animal was killed. 

But since Jesus Christ has become our sacrificial Lamb, He Himself took all our sin upon himself in His body on the tree, and died in our place.  Therefore, this particular Old Testament practice is obsolete.  In the New Testament, laying hands on people is always beneficial to the recipient.  It's never used to pronounce a death sentence, to put a curse, or to lay sin on anyone.

Putting it All Together
As we can see from Scripture, this practice dates back thousands of years.  And its usage continues in the New Testament in a fresh, renewed way, according to the grace of Jesus Christ. 

Laying on of hands is still the way to confer general blessings, to release healing upon people, to confer the baptism of the Holy Spirit, as well as the gifts of the Spirit, and to consecrate people for service in equipping ministries to which God has called them.

While you may not understand it completely, every disciple should at least have a basic understanding of it, and practice it, since it is one of the elementary truths of the faith.  It’s God’s way of transferring blessing, and we need to follow it if we are disciples of Christ.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar. I recommend reading The Name of Jesus, The Power of God to Heal, and Healing is in the Atonement. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."
 
Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"
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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.