The Manifestation Of The Holy Spirit

THE MANIFESTATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

By Rodney W. Francis

We hear a lot about the Holy Spirit in Christian circles these days. In this article I am giving you a challenge to know and understand what the manifestation of the Holy Spirit is. It is recorded in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11:

“But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit (“advantage; be better for”) of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.”

These verses describe to us what the manifestation of the Holy Spirit is. It is the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit functioning in the midst of God’s people, as well as those gifts enabling us to be effective witnesses for Jesus in a supernatural way. The word “manifestation” comes from the Greek word “phanerosis” and means “a making known; exhibition, i.e. expression. The act of demonstrating.”

  • The manifestation of the Holy Spirit is the nine Spiritual Gifts functioning, operating through Holy Spirit-filled believers.

  • If we desire to see more manifestations of the Holy Spirit Ministry, then we need to be cultivating these beautiful gifts to be functioning more regularly in and through our lives.

The tragedy is that in many churches these days, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are not encouraged, and often not allowed to operate. If more Christian leaders knew and understood the purpose and power of Spiritual Gifts operating in our midst, then all would be sincerely seeking to see these gifts released to flow in their midst. The Scriptures tell us that we need to “earnestly desire” these gifts (1 Corinthians 12:31; 1 Corinthians 14:1-5, 12, 39). They do not “just happen.” The Holy Spirit needs ordinary people like you and me to be so available to Him that He can trust us with His revelation knowledge to share with others, and so see their needs met; people receiving wisdom, discernment, knowledge of God’s calling on their lives; healings; miracles; in fact anything the Holy Spirit wants to reveal to and through us.

Spiritual Gifts functioning in and through my life have opened doors internationally for me to minister, and have enabled God to use me to bring answers to people around the world. The truth is that we cannot really afford to be living as Christians without these gifts operating! I call them “the Christian’s tools of the trade.” They are God-given, and everything that God gives is for our benefit and advantage. We ignore them to our loss. So many people these days are desperately looking for answers to their personal needs and problems; Spiritual Gifts often hold the key to their answers and are a wonderful blessing and help when they are in operation.

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS AMAZING!

On several occasions I have been sitting at home when the Holy Spirit will speak to me and say words like: “I am sending you (to England/Hawaii/Italy/Kenya) and when you get there you will meet such and such a person with these coloured clothes on.” On each of those occasions I had already been booked to fly to those countries for the first time. Every time I have met those people in those countries and most times it meant the opening of a new nation for me to go and preach. It is very confirming and very amazing to go to that country and meet a total unknown person, and I am able to tell them that they were wearing the exact same clothing that I “saw” back in New Zealand! In one situation (Hawaii) the Lord told me that I would meet a lady in a blue dress who was suffering from a wounded spirit and that I was to release healing to her. When I was shown this in New Zealand the lady did not even own a blue dress. She received it from her father in USA (one week later) and wore it for the very first time the day I was there! She told me later that blue was not her colour and that it was the first time in her adult life that she had worn a blue dress. She only wore it to honour her natural father! But God knew before she owned that dress that she would be wearing it that day in the meeting! The lady was instantly healed. I call these experiences “Divine appointments”! And they are!

Through the Gifts of the Holy Spirit I have known what to do in a meeting, what to speak on, what people to minister personally to, etc. The guidance is limitless. Once I receive the word from the Holy Spirit I then have to step out in obedience, as often the word received will not “make sense” to my natural, logical thinking. If I am not careful the natural mind can get in the way and cause me to doubt what I have received, even to the point of not doing anything with the word received. That then becomes a lost opportunity through not obeying what the Holy Spirit has told me. I have learned over the years to trust the Lord more than my own reasoning, etc. And I am so glad that I do! Because the end results far exceed anything we try and accomplish through our own efforts and thoughts.

It has been my personal joy to see and hear thousands of people (over the years) in different countries stepping out in the Spiritual Gifts for the first time in their lives, after I have encouraged them and given Scriptural evidence for the Gifts. It never ceases to amaze me at how accurate ‘first timers’ can be. My observations are that many Christians do desire to be more useful to God and to serve Him wholeheartedly. Stepping out in the Spiritual Gifts certainly helps to fulfil that desire as the results are so very different to what is accepted as “normal Christianity.”

Jesus taught His disciples that they needed to be “endued with power from on high” ~ which is the coming of the Holy Spirit into our lives in a very real and personal way ~ as we all need the power of the Holy Spirit and His Giftings for us to effectively fulfil the purpose of God here on earth today (John 16:7-15; Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8; Acts 2). When the Holy Spirit comes into our lives He brings with Him those nine beautiful Gifts of the Holy Spirit so we can glorify Jesus through their operation, and minister effectively to others.

  • Have you been filled with the Holy Spirit?

  • If so, what are you doing with His Gifts that are now resident within you?

  • Be encouraged to “desire earnestly” . . .  to “stir them up” so you know the experience and joy of ministering with the Holy Spirit to bless and impact lives (2 Timothy 1:6-7).

“Desire earnestly” is strong Scriptural language. “Desire” means “to be zealous, filled with zeal, zealously affected, to desire zealously” (Word Study New Testament), and “earnestly” means to be “(1) Serious in mind or intention. (2) Showing or characterised by sincerity of intention. (3) Demanding or receiving serious attention” (Collins Dictionary). It is more than having good intentions. We must give ourselves to the Holy Spirit and His Gifts in such a way that we are not satisfied until we have had a breakthrough and these gifts are operating out of our lives. 1 Corinthians 14:12 tells us that we should seek to be the best at functioning in Spiritual Gifts; for the word “excel” means “to super abound – in quantity or quality – make abound, have, have more abundant, exceed, increase” – Strong’s). It means “to be superior to (another or others); surpass. To be outstandingly good or proficient” (Collins). This is not a matter of being proud, but pressing through in such a way that we can be the most effective we can at exercising Spiritual Gifts.

  • Just think what kind of Christianity would impact our generation if every Christian gave themselves with such a desire to excel at functioning in Spiritual Gifts.

Signs, wonders and miracles would be the normal way of Christianity because the same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead is now having His way in you and in me (Romans 8:9-14)!! It is all a matter of how strong a desire you have to function in the Spiritual Gifts. The motivation should always be love for God and love for people. That way we do not make serious mistakes.

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