EG: Ananias transferred the Holy Spirit to Paul by laying his hands on him when Jesus told him too; and Paul transferred the Spirit to Timothy in the same way.

This is yet another way in which the spirituality of the NT challenges us and makes us uncomfortable – but things like this really happened and Jesus practiced  it himself.

Perhaps the most unsettling mention of this kind of thing is the handkerchiefs and aprons which healed people of illnesses after an apostle touched them.

So, with all our sophistication and computer programs for analysing and understanding the Bible, we are far behind the woman who knew if she simply touched Jesus healing would transfer to her from him.

If your spiritual life leaves you dissatisfied perhaps looking at the Bible with fresh eyes might help?

See: Acts 9. 17; 2 Timothy 1: 6,7; Acts 19.12; Matthew 9.21.

The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. Genesis 2: 7-8.

God’s 3 steps.
God made the first person Adam from the soil – this started things.
He did not become a living being until God breathed into him.
The last step is to place him into his destiny – a paradise garden. The garden was a place where humans and God regularly met together and enjoyed each other, and where our first parents learnt to do good works.

Note: it is God who does the placing and we who do the cooperating.

Our 3 steps:
We have bodies like Adam…
Jesus Spirit breathes life into us and we become alive.
We then start the journey to our place – our paradise. This is the place where we discover our destiny and explore friendship with God and each other.

There is more to this of course such as learning to hold onto our place once we arrive, and learning how to cooperate with God in growing into the potential our destiny holds.

Remember: many are called to their places but not all reach them or hold them. Lets make sure we do!

Next week: Evaluating Your Current Place

Think of archaeological artefacts – pottery and metal objects found at ancient sites. Those artefacts are a direct link to the past – to people and events long gone.

Friends of Jesus have direct links and artefacts of early church spirituality inside us – that is,  the Holy Spirit and his spiritual gifts to name some. This means that with God the Spirit’s help we can not only recover but can also experience early church spirituality today. Simple right? All we need is a humble and teachable heart. This means we listen to what the Bible says about the Bible, and not necessarily what people say the bible is saying. Eg, BB Warfield taught “cessationism” – that spiritual gifts ceased when the apostles died and had finished writing the New Testament. Sounds sound right? Except you wont find that teaching in the New Testament – that is, it is just not there.

The way to experience early church spirituality is this:

1. Make Jesus your saviour ….and Lord. Lord = follow his teachings and align your life under his lordship.

2. Ask Jesus Spirit to teach you about your next step – it might be to do with life direction, or some character or personal issue, or some insight about your present circumstances, or some spiritual skill you feel you need ( like more prayer or spiritual gift power) .

3. Focus on the artefacts God has placed inside your heart (such as the HS or gift of faith etc) to make headway or progress in the matter or to get God’s provision for yourself. Remember, those living artefacts are your direct link to early church power and spirituality. Eg, put full faith in the Lord who is the Spirit and confidently ask him to help you progress (confidently, because he will not respond to our doubts). Keep expectant, praying, believing and reading your Bible and you will receive wisdom and insight in those matters  you are wanting help with.

4. On the other hand you can use another of the artefacts of early church spirituality, say faith, and keep holding your matter before God until he talks to you or gives you some other provision.

In conclusion, using our indwelling spiritual artefacts we can easily recover early church spirituality and power – things we, the Church and the world really need.

To experience the spirituality of the earliest church, this ‘living in the Spirit’,  try these steps:

1. Trust Jesus, invite him to be your friend, your saviour from from mistakes, and your Lord for all time. (remember to read and follow his teachings.)

2. Trust the Holy Spirit too –  invited him into your life to be empowerer, teacher and guide, that is trust him for these things and follow his prompts.

3. Next, continue living , expecting (trusting) him to connect with you and to show his presence in your life and circumstances.

For a short talk click > How To Enjoy And Follow The Holy Spirit.

Spiritual gifts or ‘spirituals’ – (things of the Spirit) are mentioned in Paul’s writing “First Corinthians – Chapter 12″. He speaks of 9 spiritual’s and the New Testament mentions 27 in total. It is very important we know our gifts, know how to use them, and keep developing them. Our gifts are essential but not sufficient to get us to heaven – remember Judas raised the dead too. He mixed the holy Spirit with wrong desires and actions and it cost him his place in heaven; Ananias and Saphira also mixed a gift of generosity with deception and it cost them their lives too. Clearly, spiritual gifts are important and…dangerous; they can take us to heaven or hell.

Here is a short talk on spiritual gifts. Spiritual Gifts – Stairways Heaven or Hell

A missing key in Western Christianity can be found in the early church’s teaching on how to overcome growth barriers.

It works like this…
1. Christ has measured to each person a metron of grace (we get ‘metronome’ from this word)- Ephesians 4. 7. Maturity, or spiritual growth, is to move towards the potential of Christ’s grace as he has measured it to us.

2. We do this from the same way Jesus did – ‘he placed himself in order under’ Mary and Joseph or, he obeyed them. (Luke 2. 51) In doing so he grew in favour with God and people. Would you like to experience this too?

3. Using his method Ephesians 4: 2,3 encourages us to do the same – to obey, to set ourselves in order under the Spirit of Jesus and to practise humbleness, gentleness, patience, as well as bearing with and bearing up one another.

As we do this we will find we become spiritually stronger, more in control of our emotions and willpower, more sensitive to God, and having more power

in casting off Satan’s temptations.

Here is a short talk on this topic…The Way Up Is Down -A Key To Spiritual Growth

Be blessed this week and don’t forget to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power….
Gary

Simply said, our spiritual forebears understood Jesus had really left the Earth and that the Holy Spirit had come down. This is why we see NT references to “the Holy Spirit said” or, “it seemed good to the Holy Spirit”. Learning to live with the Holy Spirit as God who is present is one of those early spiritual insights which the church had.

In Ephesians chapter 4 verses 2 & 3 Paul teaching it:
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep unity with the Spirit through the bond of peace”.
In other words, a great secret to personal spiritual power is relationship with Jesus Spirit. And the only way we can enter our personal destiny and not be ashamed to look Jesus in the eyes one day is by strong unity with his Spirit. Here is how in verses 2 & 3:
1. Practice humility.
2.Practice gentleness.
3. Practice patience.
4. Bear up and bear with each other.

These seem such small things, almost trivial compared with the great work of ministry we are called to. However, the way up is the way down and the way to receiving our own is to be faithful in the smallest and littlest things. In fact, it is in these areas we learn to apply and grow in our spiritual power – for if we cannot manage our own hearts in these things how can God entrust greater things to us?

Link to talk on GodVironment Series – Living In The LifeZone

Don’t  Remember the last thing God said to you and you to God. Remember it, and hold onto it. It is obviously important to you, to God, and to the Devil – for different reasons. Jesus has told us Satan will try and steal those words God gives to us – that is why you are being hit with powerful pressure from the Devil. This is what Satan did in Jesus case: God said ”You are my son whom I love; with you I am very well pleased”. Satan attacked those words in Jesus heart and said, “If you are the son…”. Satan hears the life giving words God speaks to you and will do his utmost to steal them from your heart.

The second is sharp discernment. When Jesus was put under pressure by the Devil in the desert, he (as usual) appeared in another form and masked his temptation so it appeared good but was bad. which appeared to be good was in fact evil. Satan’s temptations come in delightful wrappings. If you are feeling are considering doing something questionable beware…your desires are the Satan’s wrapping – there is a death grenade inside the appeal. In Jesus second temptation he saw through Satan’s appealing offer of glory and power and said “No!” Your offer is really about my allegiance  to God – I refuse to give in to you!

The third is a ready reply. Jesus had a ready reply for Satan. The apostle Paul calls these “the sword of the Spirit”. That is, Spirit led words from the Bible or from your heart. When Jesus said to Peter, “Get behind me Satan” he was not quoting from the Bible but speaking by the Holy Spirit. We must do the same – using God’s words to attack the temptation with God’s power. After all, it is a temptation of power and it will only yield to power in return.

Or as James said - “Submit to God, resist the Devil, and he will flee from you”. 

A Two Minute Spiritual Vitamin For A Modern Temptation

Such divine encounters are God’s way of giving us life changing downloads and refreshing insights which transform us. In the examples, both Paul and the three apostles were touched by God’s glory – that is, they experienced it. With many people drowning in stress and too much information these days, we desperately need such new experiences with their new sources of knowledge. Experiencing God’s glory like those early people is one way God seeks to change us for the better.

3 steps and a key.

Firstly, divine encounters happens to Jesus friends – so, be a friend to Jesus.

Secondly, it happens to those who have been following him – start following to make sure you get your downloads.

Thirdly, open your heart to his learning agenda for you – that is, don’t put any conditions on the downloads Jesus wants to give to you -work hard at not controlling God!

Key: seeing God’s glory is not about improving our minds but about teaching our hearts to know and trust him.

Transformed By Glory – a 2min talk.

Adam had a place: God made him outside the Garden and then placed him inside into his own place and role. The Garden was his place. Judas, like Satan, had a place but lost it. Though given a very special place he did not value it could not hold it. Like Satan, the Bible tells us he lost his place. What a terrible result.

Some keys:

1. As in the placement of Adam God is the one who does it and the only one who can. “No one from the east or the west can exalt a person;  it is God who judges – he brings one down, he exalts another”. Psalm 75.6,7.

2. We are to cooperate with him. The curse of Eden is we are convinced we know what is best. Have not we learnt yet? The only way we can enter and hold our place is to be brought into it by him. The method is simple the way is not as we must learn the ways of another…(Ps 95.10). His ways are different for each of us. Adam had to learn about God as a male with a particular role and job; Eve hers as a female with a different role and job.

3. Next, we are to step out and come out on the things he teaches us. Use it or loose it.  He teaches us as he taught the 12 Apostles – in relationship and on the job. This is, relational knowledge, not conceptual; practical not theoretical. He will teach us about himself and life on our jobs -  that is, in the ordinary course of our life’s circumstance – relational things taught in relational ways.

As we treasure and act on the things he teaches we will get more from him. Using God’s  stewardship principle – using what he gives to get more – we will discover increasing focus and momentum guiding us towards our unique place. Keep going.