Holy Fire Baptism

I was first introduced to the holy fire baptism through a book by brother Yong-Doo Kim, called Baptize by Blazing Fire.  I encourage you to read all five books, as I have described in another blog (see here).  There you will see from one church's experience how we receive it, why it is so important, and some of the practical aspects of it in the life of the disciple of Christ.

I have personally experienced this and it has changed my life.  But sometimes I meet people who say that the holy fire is not found in the Bible.  I realize this is controversial, but I want to ask you to be very careful not to deny the Holy Spirit's work.  Consider this matter reverently in fervent prayer to the Lord, searching the Scriptures and seeking to know whether it is truly from God.

In order to help you, I would like to first show you the Scriptures about God's holy fire.  And then I would like to share some people other than brother Kim, who have had divine revelations regarding the holy fire that further corroborate this teaching, and confirm my own experiences.  Lastly, I would like to explain what usually happens when a person receives the holy fire.

Jesus Baptizes in Holy Blazing Fire
John the Baptist said, "As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. (Mat 3:11)

John answered and said to them all, "As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. (Luk 3:16)

Some people make the mistake in thinking that when you are baptized in water, you simultaneously receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit. This is an incorrect belief.  There is a second experience in which the Lord baptizes the believer with the Holy Spirit.  Those who refuse to acknowledge this are missing one of the greatest blessings God has for His people.  For more about the Holy Spirit baptism, you can read my blog about that (see here).

However, some people who have received both water baptism and the baptism with the Holy Spirit also fail to realize that the Lord has a third baptism.  They assume that the fire baptism is one and the same as the Holy Spirit baptism.  This too is error.  The Lord truly has a third baptism for us.  And John the Baptist made that clear when he said, "He [Jesus] will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."

God a consuming fire
For our God is a consuming fire. (Heb 12:29)  Therefore it should not surprise you that the Lord is able to baptize His people with fire.  In this same passage, He says that He is once again going to shake both the heavens and the earth, so that everything which can be shaken will be shaken.

Since God is holy, we know that He is a holy fire, as well.  And when He baptizes you in fire, it is a holy fire.

Refiner's Fire
The Lord says that before He comes, He will send His messenger to prepare His people.  We know that He did this through John the Baptist before His first coming, and He is doing it again now right before His second coming.  "He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the LORD offerings in righteousness." (Mal 3:3; cf., Zech 13:9)

When a refiner purifies gold or silver, he places it in a vessel and then puts intensely hot fire beneath it.  The precious metal melts, and the worthless material inside of it comes to the surface, where it is scooped off and removed.  Then the metal is cooled, and the process is repeated again later as many times as necessary until the gold or silver is pure.

I, for one, desire the refiner's fire to burn up all the worthless dross within me.  I hope you do also.

A Burning Coal Purified the Prophet Isaiah

Then I said, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts." Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs. He touched my mouth with it and said, "Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven." (Isa 6:5-7)

When the prophet Isaiah saw the Lord, he was ruined.  He sensed his own uncleanness.  But when he cried out in repentance, a seraphim took a burning coal in his hand and touched Isaiah's lips with it.  When this flaming coal touched his lips, it purified him.  The holy fire has a purifying effect, because it is from heaven where Jesus serves as our Great High Priest.

Now for a moment, I would like to share some extra-biblical testimonies that further corroborate this Biblical teaching.  These are people who have had divine revelations.  If you believe the Lord gives divine revelations like dreams, visions, prophecies, and visitations, according to Joel 2 and Acts 2, then you must acknowledge that this is one of the works of the Holy Spirit.  Of course, we need to test these experiences.  But if they are genuine, then we need to heed their message.

Holy Fire of God – from Anna Rountree’s books
The first one I will share is that of Anna Rountree.  In the mid-1990's she visited heaven.  During one visit, the Father said to her:

"The fire of My holiness, the fire of My love, the fire of My compassion, the fire of My wisdom, the fire of My understanding, the fire of My knowledge, the fire of My zeal, the fire of My purity, the fire of My mercy."

This fire will burn all that is wood, hay, and stubble in the lives of His children (1 Co 3:15). They must desire the fire and long for His holiness. His heart is turned toward them, and the fire of His love will reveal this. The hearts of the children will long to turn toward Him, to walk through the fire of purification, and to rest in His arms. As the enemy hates the fire, so must God’s children love it, for in and through the fire, they will see God. She went on to say that we must learn to live in the fire by allowing it to burn away all that will not pass through it as purely of the Lord.  Learn to love the fire of God.

In her vision of judgment, she saw a plumb line being let down to earth.  "As the plumb line reached earth, great rejoicing began in heaven. It was as though every created being there was singing, and the sound began to shake the celestial realms: 'His righteousness is from everlasting to everlasting. His judgments are sure and will be withheld no longer.' As the thunderous rejoicing increased, fire came out of heaven and traveled the plumb line, passing before us and sweeping down the line to the earth. Suddenly the whole world was aflame."

Her books are available online (see here and here).

Holy Fire -- from Yong-Doo Kim’s books
As I mentioned earlier, I first heard about the holy fire through brother Yong-Doo Kim in his books called Baptized by Blazing Fire.

In his book, he and other learned the following lessons:

• Shout, “Holy Fire” whenever unnecessary or hindering thoughts come to you during prayer.
• If you are having a bad day, feeling sick, or anxious, then shout out, “Holy Fire!”
• The Fire that you long to receive is the power that the evil forces are most afraid of and fear. Therefore, once you receive it, you have to continuously accumulate it daily. Charge it up everyday!
• One of the most powerful weapons used in Spiritual Warfare is Blazing Fire.  When this gift is granted to a saint, their entire Spiritual Body is fully engulfed in holy fire, with a blazing intensity.   The fire is so intense, that a mere touch of a demonic spirit will incinerate it to ashes.
• The Holy Blazing Fire is enormously, unimaginably powerful and can be used as offensive weapons.
• The Fire that the Lord grants us can completely devastate the forces of evil. In fact, it is more than just fire. The fire is a powerful layer of light that can burn up all kinds of diseases on earth, which can heal.
• Any person who prays diligently and persistently will receive the power of fire.
• The fire ministry is a ministry that has the greatest reward in heaven, as well as on earth, but also the trials and testings are highest.
• Even though we once confessed and accepted the Lord as our Savior -- even though we believed in Him -- if we cannot get out from our sinful habitual lives, then our lives are not completely holy. The only way to save ourselves is to repent. If you repent and shout out, "Holy Fire," the evil spirits will have to leave and healing will come.

Holy Fire – from Howard Pittman’s testimony
Then there is a pastor named Howard Pittman, who was raised from the dead.  You can listen to his complete testimony online (see here).  But one of his conclusions is this.  He says, "He’s going to shake this world one more time.  These things He did, you will do greater than these.  But the church must be without spot or wrinkle or blemish.  He’s getting ready to cleanse the church.  How will He do it?  He will baptize you with the Holy Ghost and fire, according to Matt 3:11.  You’ve been baptized in water.  You’ve been baptized in the Holy Ghost.  But now He’s going to baptize you with fire.  Get ready.  Yonder comes the fire!  The third and final baptism with which He’s going to clean up His church is the baptism of fire.  He’s going to take a blow torch!  He’s going to scorch us up one side and down the other to make us ready to turn loose this world.  But if you think God can do this with carnal-minded Christians, you’re mistaken.  God’s got enough fire to get rid of all the chaff.  If you don’t want the fire, get rid of the chaff."

Holy Fire – from James Agboola
In my article, James Agboola Revelation of Heaven and Hell, I wrote about how this brother was shown the international conference of the kingdom of darkness, presided over by the devil himself.  Here is an excerpt of James Agboola's testimony about what he heard in that conference:

"Now, as they were saying all these things where I was seated, I was not happy at all.  One demon said something that gave me a little joy.  He said, 'Master, we are having some problems in the world.'  The devil said, 'What is it?'  The demon said, 'Master, we have discovered there are some end-time evangelists and they are just appearing.'  He said there are some end-time evangelists and they are just appearing, and they are clothed with clothes of fire.  He said, 'Master, these end-time evangelists, we find it difficult to talk to them.'”

Holy Fire – from a woman named CJ
A woman named CJ, who saw Jesus in person and was born again, testifies to her experience in an interview online (see here).  It's a very powerful testimony.

She had searched for the Lord all her life.  And on the night she saw the Lord in her friend's living room, He spoke the following things to her: “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Lk 13:5); “You must keep the commandments” (Mt 19:17; Jn 14:15; 15:10); and “I will not share My temple with idols” (2 Co 6:16).  She then repented and gave her life to Jesus.

In 1981, after she saw Jesus and had become born again, she had another experience where she had about 40 days of tests and trials.  At the end of that time, Christ was really pleased with her obedience.  He came and laid His hands on her and His fire went all through her. This is consistent with the experiences of many others who have received the holy fire.

She also gave warnings the Lord has given her in 2008 or 2009 about coming judgment against the United States (video 33:39).  The Lord also gave her two Scriptures from Ezekiel and Jeremiah to confirm this: And say to the land of Israel, 'Thus says the LORD, "Behold, I am against you; and I will draw My sword out of its sheath and cut off from you the righteous and the wicked. "Because I will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked, therefore My sword will go forth from its sheath against all flesh from south to north. "Thus all flesh will know that I, the LORD, have drawn My sword out of its sheath. It will not return to its sheath again."'  (Eze 21:3-5) "Perhaps their supplication will come before the LORD, and everyone will turn from his evil way, for great is the anger and the wrath that the LORD has pronounced against this people." (Jer 36:7)

Holy Fire in the Arctic

Pond Inlet is a small, predominantly Inuit community in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, Canada and is located at the top of Baffin Island.  On February 28, 1999, in Pond Inlet, believers had gathered for a week of revival meetings at the Anglican church, hungry for God and troubled by new reports of community drug use.  They decided to add a special Sunday afternoon youth service.  An invitation was offered for youth who wanted to come closer to God.  The worship leader was praying over youth who had gathered around the altar.

Something started to happen that was out of their control.  A sound like a jet started softly and gradually became very loud.  It was so strong!  The whole place was shaking and everything in it.  The youth leader says that fire went right through him and he started to shake.  He began to shout, "Fire!! Fire!! Fire!! Hallelujah!"

All of this was recorded on a dual cassette deck used to record the service.  In fact, it continued to record the event, even after the sound board was turned off.  You can watch and listen to a short, three-minute video about this event, which includes the original recording of it (see here).

Holy Fire - from Charles and Frances Hunter
Charles and Frances Hunter "spent nearly forty years leading 'healing explosions,' where they prayed for the sick and taught Christians about the ministry of healing. Known as the Happy Hunters for their ready smiles and quick humor, the couple wrote more than 50 books about divine healing, including the best-seller How to Heal the Sick." -- Charisma Magazine, July 14, 2009. "Charles and Frances Hunter were the most effective couple I ever saw among healing evangelists," said Pentecostal historian Vinson Synan, dean emeritus of the Regent University School of Divinity.

In their video series, "How to Heal the Sick," Frances talked about the time when she saw liquid fire coming forth from the hands of her husband Charles in a meeting.  It appeared like blue flames about four inches long, coming off his finger tips.  Although the flames were not visible to him, she could see it.  He prayed for the sick at that meeting, and they were powerfully healed.  Many of them fell under the power of God.  You can watch the three-minute section of that video (31:30 - 34:15), where she shares this wonderful testimony (see here).

On October 16, 1984, the Happy Hunters ministered at a church in Rotterdam, Holland, called Kom en Zie.  On the final day of the conference, they ministered the baptism with fire. Let me encourage you to read what they said at that meeting on my other post called The Happy Hunters on Fire (see here).

Holy Fire - from Neville Johnson
A minister from Australia by the name of Neville Johnson, who has gone to be with the Lord, has an excellent testimony about being baptized in fire in the audio clip below:

  

If you would like to read more of Neville's preaching on the baptism of fire, you can find it on my post called "The Burning Ones."

Experiential Evidence
When people receive the holy fire, they usually sense some sort of tangible evidence.  I have personally experienced this and witnessed it in others.  It is not the same for everyone.  Some people feel warmth or heat in their hands.  It sometimes feels like heavy fireballs in their hands. Others get a stinging feeling in their hands, as if they have just clapped them together.  Still others feel the fire on their lower back and a tingling sensation over their entire body. Others feel the presence of the Lord or a peace that passes all understanding. Still others find it difficult to stand straight.  Some find it difficult to hold out their arms or even to stand.   Some are completely unable to stand under the glory of God. Others begin to shake beneath the power of God. Some people begin sweating. Others feel the great joy of the Lord inside. The glory of God falls upon many who receive the fire. Most people have wonderful experiences receiving the holy fire.

It should be noted that if the person has any demons in their life, they cannot stand the holy fire and sometimes manifest themselves, so sometimes there can be demonic manifestations when the holy fire is imparted. Once the demons are cast out of their life, they will experience a wonderful freedom they did not know before.

Here is an article I've written containing Testimonies of People Who've Received the Holy Fire after I've prayed for them, as well as a video playlist of some more amazing testimonies like that.

Other Scriptures:
Now let's continue with more Scriptures about the holy fire.

Fire will devour Your enemies
Isaiah said, "O LORD, Your hand is lifted up yet they do not see it. They see Your zeal for the people and are put to shame; Indeed, fire will devour Your enemies." (Isa 26:11).  So we know that God's holy fire will consume His enemies.  It does not consume His people though.   But in warfare against spiritual forces of wickedness, the holy fire certainly consumes God's enemies.

Fire consumed the 250 rebels
Fire also came forth from the LORD and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering the incense. (Num 16:35)

The holy fire of God consumed the 250 rebels that came against Moses and Aaron.  They are an example to us not to rebel against the Lord.

Fire consumes Sabbath breakers
"But if you do not listen to Me to keep the sabbath day holy by not carrying a load and coming in through the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in its gates and it will devour the palaces of Jerusalem and not be quenched."'" (Jer 17:27)

The Lord hates it when His people don’t listen to Him and make money on Sundays.  In doing so, they fail to keep the Sabbath day (now Sundays) holy.  So He will kindle a fire in the gates of their city that will not be quenched.  It’s the judgment of God against the disobedient.  You can read more about keeping Sundays holy at my blog on the topic (see here).

Elijah commanded holy fire to consume the captain and his fifty
Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him, and behold, he was sitting on the top of the hill. And he said to him, "O man of God, the king says, 'Come down.'" Elijah replied to the captain of fifty, "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty." Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. So he again sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he said to him, "O man of God, thus says the king, 'Come down quickly.'" Elijah replied to them, "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty." Then the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. (2Ki 1:9-12)

In this passage, we learn that the holy prophet of God was able to command holy fire to come down out of heaven and consume the enemies of God, which in this case were soldiers.

Shouting, "holy fire!"
The disciples of Jesus knew that Elijah had called down fire on the Lord's enemies, and they were ready to do the same.  When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them (even as Elijah did)?" (Luk 9:54).  The Lord did not tell them that this is impossible.  He simply told them that they were operating in a wrong spirit to think they should do such a thing to people.

Yet this is something we can do to our invisible, spiritual enemies. When we have genuine faith and desire a weapon against the enemy (demons), we can call for it aloud and it will be given to us.  We simply shout “Holy fire!” or "Fire of the Holy Spirit!"

How is that possible?  The word is near you, even in your mouth.  I believed therefore I spoke.  When you speak what you believe, and you do it in genuine faith, there is spiritual power.

Your fire or God’s holy fire
“Who is among you that fears the LORD, That obeys the Word of His servant, That walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God. Behold, all you who kindle a fire, Who encircle yourselves with firebrands, Walk in the light of your fire And among the brands you have set ablaze. This you will have from My hand: You will lie down in torment.”  (Isa 50:10-11)

If you fear the Lord and obey His Word, you must trust in the name of Jesus, rely on Him, and walk in His Light. But if you kindle your own fire and surround yourself with it, then the Lord says to go ahead and walk in the light of your own fire.  He will let you do that, if you choose your own light, your own fire instead of His holy fire.  Here is what you will receive from His hand: in the end, you will lie down in torment.

God’s holy fire or strange fire
And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. (Lev 10:1)

And Nadab and Abihu died, when they offered strange fire before the LORD. (Num 26:61)

The punishment upon these two newly inaugurated priests was very severe.   Their sin was that they offered unauthorized incense with fire that was not holy.  This is why we must be very careful that we receive God's holy fire and do not operate with strange fire.

Fire to consume gates of Nineveh, the bloody city of lies
Behold, your people are women in your midst! The gates of your land are opened wide to your enemies; Fire consumes your gate bars. (Nah 3:13)

This verse speaks of the gates of the city of lies consumed by holy fire.  Lying spirits cannot stand before the holy fire of God.  They are consumed by it just as the gates of the city of lies were.

Fire to burn and devour God’s enemies
Therefore the Lord, the GOD of hosts, will send a wasting disease among his stout warriors; And under his glory a fire will be kindled like a burning flame. And the light of Israel will become a fire and his Holy One a flame, And it will burn and devour his thorns and his briars in a single day. (Isa 10:16-17).

His holy fire terrifies the sinners in Zion.  As the Holy Spirit said through Isaiah: "The sinners in Zion are terrified; trembling grips the godless: 'Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?' Those who walk righteously and speak what is right, who reject gain from extortion     and keep their hands from accepting bribes, who stop their ears against plots of murder and shut their eyes against contemplating evil..." (Is 33:14-15). 

One commentator says, “The same God that is a rejoicing Light to those that serve him faithfully will be a consuming fire to those that trifle with him or rebel against him.”  Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?  The righteous who serve Him faithfully.

"Fire goes before Him And burns up His adversaries round about." (Psa 97:3)

God will repay our enemies with flaming fire when Jesus returns
"For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire," (2Th 1:6-7)

We know that when the Lord returns, he will be revealed from heaven with His angels in flaming fire.

Fire from the mouths of the two witnesses
And if anyone wants to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. (Rev 11:5)

This is how the two end-time witnesses will function.  They will have a gift to be able to devour their enemies with holy fire that comes forth from their mouths.  Notice there are only two who will do so against human enemies.  But the idea is the same when dealing with evil spirits. This should not seem strange to anyone acquainted with the Word of God and spiritual warfare.

The Lord appeared as a fire
At the burning bush. “The angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed.” (Exo 3:2)

The angel of Lord appeared to Moses in a blazing fire.  Just as the bush was on fire but was not consumed, when a child of God is baptized with holy fire, they are not consumed.  Only the chaff in their lives and the demons are consumed by it.

The Lord's Fire is in Zion
The Holy Spirit spoke through the prophet Isaiah, saying that the Lord is the One "whose fire is in Zion" (see Is 31:9b).

Putting it All Together
The Lord is going to shake this world one last time.  He is coming right away.  Only the ones who are truly seeking the Lord with all their heart will be spared from the coming judgment.  The Lord is coming only for a holy people, ready, without blemish, without wrinkle and without defilement.  He is not coming for those who have walked away from Him.

The only way we can have purity in our lives in these last and evil days is through repentance and the holy fire.  The third and final baptism with which He’s going to clean up His church is the baptism of fire.  He’s going to make us ready to turn loose this world. 

It is a holy fire, because it is not produced by man. It is produced by the one, true, holy God.  It is a promise for the believer, according to Mt 3:11.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note:  If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy Songs of the Holy Fire, The Refiner's Fire, The Three Elijahs, The Burning Ones, Living Sacrifices in Consuming Fire, The Fiery Sufferings of the Believer, and Restored Truth. You can access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." Revival painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.  Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

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.

International Impact of Pentecost

It’s amazing to consider the international reach that occurred on the day of Pentecost. 

The Scriptures state, “When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven.” (Act 2:1-5)

God planned this perfectly.  Pentecost was a Jewish feast that brought Jews from around the world into Jerusalem.  And when the Spirit of God was poured out on the disciples of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem, the people in the crowd declared their nationalities and places of origin. They included people from the far eastern border of the Roman Empire (Parthians, Medes and Elamites), westward through Mesopotamia and Judea, and the regions of Asia Minor, as well as Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia. They also included people from the southern regions of the empire--Egypt and, west of it, the parts of Libya near Cyrene, the capital of the Empire, Rome, the island of Crete, and the Arabs.  Here are the modern day names of these places:

• Parthia was a region of modern-day northeastern Iran. 
• Media was a region of modern-day northwestern Iran.
• Elam was a region of modern-day southwest Iran.
• Judea included the nation of Israel.
• Mesopotamia was generally all the lands between the Euphrates and the Tigris, including modern-day Syria, almost all of Iraq and southeastern Turkey.
• Asia Minor corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of modern-day Turkey.
• Cappadocia corresponds to the center of what is now Turkey.
• Pontus was located in modern-day northeastern Turkey.
• Asia is bounded on the east by the Pacific Ocean, on the south by the Indian Ocean and on the north by the Arctic Ocean.
• Phrygia was the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey.
• Pamphylia was modern day Antalya province, Turkey
• Egypt was much the same as modern day Egypt.
• The parts of Libya near Cyrene were located in North Africa.
• Rome was, of course, in modern day Italy.
• Crete was one of the islands of the Mediterranean Sea.
• The Arabs were the people living in Western Asia and North Africa.  These include the modern day nations of Egypt, Sudan, Algeria, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Tunisia, Libya, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestinian territories, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Mauritania, Qatar, and Bahrain. 

As you can see, there was a vast multinational group represented in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out.  They heard the disciples speaking in other tongues.  “And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language. They were amazed and astonished, saying, ‘Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born?’” (Act 2:6-8)

The people were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language. They were amazed and astonished!  And they said, “We hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God.” (Act 2:11)

The people from these nations were both Jews and Gentile converts to Judaism.   They heard the mighty deeds of God declared in their own languages that day.  It was God’s plan that they should all see His Spirit poured out and hear the gospel preached, because it is a universal message for all nations.

After they heard Peter preach the gospel, they were convicted deeply by the Holy Spirit.  “Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brethren, what shall we do?’” (Act 2:37)

Still Only One Way to be Saved Today

The answer that Peter gave to their question is the same for us today.  Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself." (Act 2:38-39) When they asked what they must do to be saved, Peter told them to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.   

About three thousand people were added to the church that day.  And presumably most of them later went back to their home countries with the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ for their people.  No matter what nation or race you are from, this is still the only way to be saved.

Still Only One Way to be Empowered as a Witness
Just as the gospel message hasn't changed, neither has God's way for disciples of Christ to be His witnesses.  We still need to be empowered and that can only happen by being baptized in the Holy Spirit. There is no place in Scripture where Jesus revoked His command to wait until you first receive the power of the Holy Spirit before being His witness.

Scholars say that Pentecostal and charismatic churches are the fastest growing form of Christianity today.  According to a report from Voice of America, regarding a new global study funded by the John Templeton Foundation, researchers state that Pentecostals and charismatics make up one quarter of the world's Christians, and the majority of them are in the developing world.  These congregations are thriving, because they believe God is powerful and is doing miracles in the present.  They are ministering to the sick and the poor, and meeting the needs of these people in their communities.

Putting it All Together
Before the disciples were baptized in the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, they were afraid and hiding out in a locked room.  But when the Holy Spirit came upon them, they were clothed with supernatural power to be bold witnesses of the resurrected Christ. The gospel is for all nations, and perhaps as many as 25 nations received the gospel on that first day.  The international impact of Pentecost was vast and can still be seen today. In many countries the church has been in existence since that day.

Being baptized in the Holy Spirit is still essential in order to be a truly effective witness for Christ. Churches that teach and practice this are among the fastest multiplying churches in the world.

Ultimately there will one day be worshipers from every nation, tribe, and language before the throne of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. As the apostle John wrote in the Revelation he received, "After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, 'Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.' " (Rev 7:9-10).  Have you been empowered to be a witness for the Lamb?

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. 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.

Supernatural Power for All Disciples

Peter and John Healing the Lame Man

Have you ever noticed that some Scriptures seem to indicate that in the early church only the apostles functioned in the supernatural? And then there are other Scriptures that show that all believers can do so. Let’s examine those in order to determine whether they are limited to the apostles or for all.

First we will look at the ones that show how God’s supernatural power seemed to be limited. Then we will look at the ones that show us how all believers can function this way.  Let me encourage you to put aside all your existing ideas, as well as anything you have been taught, and just let the Word speak for itself.

Power limited to the apostles
Jesus told the apostles gathered with Him just before his ascension, “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 1:8)

Luke’s account of the early church reveals that the apostles were functioning in the supernatural.  “At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon's portico.” (Act 5:12)  However, we do not see any record that signs and wonders were taking place at the hands of the thousands of other disciples in the early church – just the apostles.  

Although at least 5,000 people believed in Christ in Jerusalem during the early days of the church, it was the apostles who were giving testimony with great power.  “And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all.” (Act 4:33)

Peter Healing the Sick with his Shadow

In those days, there were constantly multitudes of people added to the church.  Yet did they bring their sick to any one of the thousands of disciples for prayer and healing?  No, they looked to Peter.  Luke states, “And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number, to such an extent that they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on any one of them.” (Act 5:14-15).  It was Peter’s shadow they were hoping would fall on one of the sick, so that they would be healed.  This seems like a unique sign that followed His apostolic ministry.

Luke states the general sense of awe in the church at that time.  “Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.” (Act 2:43).  Again, notice how there were many signs and wonders taking place specifically through the apostles. No mention is made that these were taking place through every member of the church. In fact, in this passage, no mention is made of signs and wonders taking place through anyone else but the apostles.

Paul Healing the Cripple at Lystra

In the accounts of the apostle Paul’s missionary journeys, we find that he performed many miraculous signs and wonders.  In addition to healings, miracles, and casting out demons, there was even miraculous power connected with articles that belonged to him. Luke write, “God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out.” (Act 19:11-12). It’s amazing what God did through Paul.  Yet throughout the biblical accounts of his ministry, we don’t find similar accounts about such things happening through his companions. We never read about the apostle Barnabas, nor Silas, nor Priscilla and Aquilla, nor Apollos, nor Timothy, nor Titus performing signs and wonders.

Paul taught the Corinthians about the gifts God has appointed in the church. He wrote: “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.”(1Co 12:28)  It was obvious from the context that these gifts were given to individuals, and they are not all given to every believer.

In this same context, Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “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?” (1Co 12:29-30). These were rhetorical questions, and the answer was obviously negative.  Everyone is obviously not an apostle, and neither is every believer a prophet, a teacher, or a miracle worker.  Not every member of the Body has gifts of healing, speaks in tongues, or interprets tongues either.

Luke records in his account how the baptism of the Holy Spirit was bestowed at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, and Simon the sorcerer’s response to seeing this.  Luke wrote: “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, saying, ‘Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.’” (Act 8:17-19)

It was the apostles who laid hands on the servants chosen to distribute food to the widows in the early church community. “And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.” (Act 6:6)

The Lord initially spoke the message of salvation Himself.  But those, who heard Him speak, later confirmed the message to others by signs, wonders, various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit that God did through those people.  The writer of Hebrews stated, “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.” (Heb 2:2-4).  This passage could be used to show how the Lord gave signs and wonders to confirm His Word spoken by the apostles, the ones who initially heard Jesus.

Paul explained that all the members in the Body do not have the same function.  He wrote to the Romans, “For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.” (Rom 12:4-8).  He explained that each one has different gifts, and he mentions some of them given to the members of the Body, including prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, giving, ruling, and showing mercy.  God did not paint us all one color. He did not make every member of the Body to have the same gifts. 

These signs will accompany those who have believed
Up to this point, if we had only read the Scriptures I cited above, we might believe that the supernatural power was limited to the first apostles.  But if the Lord had limited the spiritual gifts, signs and wonders to the first apostles, then the Great Commission would have also been limited to them.  When Jesus told them that they would be His witnesses, He also told them to first wait until they baptized with the Holy Spirit, so that they could be endued with all power they would need. Receiving power must precede being His witnesses.  

The apostles had already walked with Jesus for over three years, seen Him with their eyes perform miracles, and heard Him teach. They ate with Him and prayed with Him.  He had previously commissioned them along with the seventy disciples, while he was with them, to go and preach.  They had already cast out demons and healed the sick.  They even saw Him after He was resurrected from death!  So if those, who were privileged to have such prior experiences, needed to be endued with power to be His witnesses, you can be sure that every other disciple without such experiences must also receive the power of the Holy Spirit. If it was necessary for the first apostles to receive power in order to be His witnesses, then it is certainly necessary in order for anyone else to be His witness.   If Jesus limited that power to the first apostles, then how could He expect the successive generations of people in the church who came after them to fulfill the Great Commission?

We can be certain that there was no such limitation of power. Mark’s gospel ends with the following words of Jesus: “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; 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.’ So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed." (Mar 16:15-20)

In this passage, Jesus said that those who have believed will be accompanied by signs that include the following:  in Jesus’ name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; 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.  This shows us that it is the Lord’s will to confirm His word by signs that follow it whenever it is preached. It proves that signs and wonders are essential in order to fulfill the Great Commission, and those who have believed will perform these, not just apostles.

One Scriptural example of this is Philip.  He went to Samaria to preach Christ, when the church was scattered through Saul’s persecution.  “Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming Christ to them. The crowds with one accord were giving attention to what was said by Philip, as they heard and saw the signs which he was performing. For in the case of many who had unclean spirits, they were coming out of them shouting with a loud voice; and many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed. So there was much rejoicing in that city.” (Act 8:4-8).  The Bible tells us that he was a man full of the Holy Spirit.  The one connection we can make between Philip and the apostles is that they had laid their hands on him when they appointed him as one of the seven to distribute food to the widows.  However, he himself was not an apostle.  Yet when he preached, he also performed signs and wonders that included miracles, healings, and casting out demons. 

In one situation, Philip was even supernaturally transported through space.  After he had led the Ethiopian eunuch to Christ on the desert road to Gaza, and baptized him, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away and carried him to Azotus.  “When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he kept preaching the gospel to all the cities until he came to Caesarea.” (Act 8:39-40).  So we can clearly see from Scripture that the Lord performed signs and wonders through others besides the apostles.

Jesus said He would send the Holy Spirit after He went to the Father, and that the Spirit’s power would be given, so that believers could do the works that He did.  He said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.” (Joh 14:12).  This promise is for those who believe in Jesus, just as Jesus said when He gave the great commission as recorded in Mark’s gospel.  It’s not limited to apostles only.

In Paul’s epistle to the Corinthians, he gave a more complete list of spiritual gifts that are given to the various members of the Body: “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 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.” (1Co 12:1-11) Paul referred to these supernatural signs and wonders as both gifts (Greek, charisma) and manifestations (Greek, phanerosis). It is very clear from this passage that the Lord has distributed these among the various members of the Body, and they are not all given to one person or even to a select few. 

After explaining the spiritual gifts in detail to the Corinthian church, and teaching that some gifts are greater than others, because they build others up, Paul exhorted them to earnest desire the greater gifts.  He wrote: “But earnestly desire the greater gifts.” (1Co 12:31a).  The words in the original language reflect that all believers should covet these greater gifts and should be very zealous to function in them, even with a white-hot passion in their hearts.  He repeats this exhortation again a second time, saying, “Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.” (1Co 14:1).  Paul acknowledged that the members of the Corinthian church were all zealous for spiritual gifts, and he encouraged them in that pursuit.  Paul repeated his exhortation to them yet a third time, saying, “So also you, since you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the edification of the church.” (1Co 14:12) Since this is repeated three times, we can assume it is important for us.  The Lord wants each disciple to passionately desire the spiritual gifts in our lives, especially prophecy, which is so important for edifying others.   Paul’s message to the Corinthians is still the same for us today.  We should seek to abound for the edification of the church, and ask the Lord for the specific gifts we would like to have in order to do so.  That’s a godly pursuit the Lord will surely honor!

Putting it All Together
It’s clear from Scripture that the Lord desires to confirm the message of salvation with signs and wonders, whenever it is preached.  These manifestations of power are essential, in order to be a witness for Christ to the ends of the earth and complete the Great Commission.  The Lord also desires to give gifts to members of the Body, so that they can build themselves up, but especially so they can build up the rest of the Body. 

Initially all one hundred twenty disciples in the upper room, which included the apostles, received the gift of the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.  However, as I have explained more fully in my previous post, called “Baptized with the Spirit,” whenever disciples anywhere were baptized with the Holy Spirit, they received the same kind of power as the apostles and other disciples did initially in the upper room on the day of Pentecost.  They experienced manifestations of God’s power, such as speaking in tongues and prophecy. 

The gift of the Holy Spirit was clearly not limited to the apostles, although the early accounts highlight how they were the ones who primarily functioned in the supernatural. Jesus promised that he who believes in Him will do the works He did! While not all members of the Body have the same gifts, and not everyone functions in all the gifts, these gifts are available to all believers.  In fact, not only are they available to us all, but we are also exhorted to earnestly seek the greater spiritual gifts that lead to the edification of the Body. 

Let me encourage you today to do this.  First of all, if you have never been baptized with the Holy Spirit, then you have not yet received a very important gift that God wants to give you. Begin by praying to be baptized in the Spirit.  If you want to understand this gift better, you can read my above-mentioned blog on the topic.

Once you have been baptized with the Spirit, go before the Lord in prayer with a burning, passionate desire in your heart to edify the Body.  There may be specific gifts that you would really like to have in order to bless others.  Ask Him specifically to give you those gifts, and tell Him why you want them.  Then wait expectantly for the Holy Spirit to manifest them in you with all His omnipotent and enabling power.  And don’t forget to have faith.  When you ask, believe that you have received what you asked for, and it will be given to you. I assure you that you will not be disappointed. 

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. The image of Peter and John Healing the Lame Man is an Oil on canvas painting done by Nicolas Poussin is France.  The picture was painted in 1655 for a Monseur Mercier of Lyons. This artwork is currently on display in Gallery 620 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  The image of Peter Healing the Sick with his Shadow is a fresco painted in 1426-27 by Masaccio, who was originally named Tommaso Cassai and born in San Giovanni Valdarno.  The fresco is located at a chapel called Cappella Brancacci, in the church of Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence, Italy. The image of Paul Healing the Cripple at Lystra is an oil on canvas painted by Karel Dujardin around 1663. The artwork is on display at Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. 

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 Have the Spiritual Gifts Ceased? and The Name of Jesus.  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.

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 God, Baptized with the Spirit, Holy Fire Baptism, The Holy Spirit Speaks, The Holy Trinity, By the Spirit of God Alone, Have 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.

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 Work, The Gift of Speaking in Tongues, Have the Spiritual Gifts Ceased?, The Wardrobe of the Saints, Baptized with the Spirit, Ten Divine Expressions for Spirit Baptism, The 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.

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.