Manifestation of the Spirit - Distributing Spiritual Gifts (12-29-2012)

December 29, 2012 - 1 Corinthians 12:4-11

12:4		恩 賜 原 有 分 別 、 聖 靈 卻 是 一 位 。
12:5		職 事 也 有 分 別 、 主 卻 是 一 位 。
12:6		功 用 也 有 分 別 、 　 神 卻 是 一 位 、 在 眾 人 裡 面 運 行 一 切 的 事 。
12:7		聖 靈 顯 在 各 人 身 上 、 是 叫 人 得 益 處 。
12:8		這 人 蒙 聖 靈 賜 他 智 慧 的 言 語 ． 那 人 也 蒙 這 位 聖 靈 賜 他 知 識 的 言 語 ．
12:9		又 有 一 人 蒙 這 位 聖 靈 賜 他 信 心 ． 還 有 一 人 蒙 這 位 聖 靈 賜 他 醫 病 的 恩 賜 ．
12:10		又 叫 一 人 能 行 異 能 ． 又 叫 一 人 能 作 先 知 ． 又 叫 一 人 能 辨 別 諸 靈 ． 又 叫 一 人 能 說 方 言 ． 又 叫 一 人 能 翻 方 言 。
12:11		這 一 切 都 是 這 位 聖 靈 所 運 行 、 隨 己 意 分 給 各 人 的 。

⁴ There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. ⁵ There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. ⁶ There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

   ⁷ Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. ⁸ To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, ¹⁰ to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

Thanks for the Spirit who manifests in us and distributes gifts to us according to His will for the common good of God's people. Spirit also gives us various gifts including the gifts of wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miraculous power, prophecy, discernment between spirits, speaking in tongues for prayer and worship, etc. 

My Holy Spirit, thanks for giving the gift of knowledge to me that I can continue my research and study in your words. But at the same time, I do want to pray for the gift of wisdom as well as I am converging my life and ministry in being a mentor or coach to other emerging or existing leaders. I need godly wisdom that I can walk with them and show them the way to be servants of God. In fact, I desire for the various gifts of Spirit as listed in this passage. I don't think I should pray for all of these but I do pray that you generously give me those necessary gifts as you lead me to shepherd  your flock in the church. 

Spirit and Lordship of Jesus (12-28-2012)

December 28, 2012 - 1 Corinthians 12:1-3

12:1		弟 兄 們 、 論 到 屬 靈 的 恩 賜 、 我 不 願 意 你 們 不 明 白 。
12:2		你 們 作 外 邦 人 的 時 候 、 隨 事 被 牽 引 受 迷 惑 、 去 服 事 那 啞 吧 偶 像 ． 這 是 你 們 知 道 的 。
12:3		所 以 我 告 訴 你 們 、 被 　 神 的 靈 感 動 的 、 沒 有 說 耶 穌 是 可 咒 詛 的 ． 若 不 是 被 聖 靈 感 動 的 、 也 沒 有 能 說 耶 穌 是 主 的 。

¹ Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. ²You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. ³ Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

When we were pagans or unbelievers, Paul states that we were influenced and led astray to worship the mute idols. But only through the power of the Spirit, we were liberated to worship God and follow Jesus. Paul stresses that only through the Spirit, we can acknowledge the Lordship of Jesus. Without the Spirit in us, Jesus to us was merely a cursed person on the cross - Jesus will never be our Savior. Without the Spirit in us, We will never surrender our lordship to Jesus as the Lord and Master of our life. 

Dear Spirit, we need you everyday as You are the Divine One who enlightens our darkened mind to see who Jesus is - He died for us and redeemed us from power and penalty of sin. You are also the One who converts our will and affection to follow Jesus wholeheartedly and enthusiastically. 

Jesus - Our Spiritual Food and Drink (12-27-2012)

December 27, 2012 - 1 Corinthians 10:1-4

10:1		弟 兄 們 、 我 不 願 意 你 們 不 曉 得 、 我 們 的 祖 宗 從 前 都 在 雲 下 、 都 從 海 中 經 過.
10:2		都 在 雲 裡 海 裡 受 洗 歸 了 摩 西 ．
10:3		並 且 都 喫 了 一 樣 的 靈 食 ．
10:4		也 都 喝 了 一 樣 的 靈 水 ． 所 喝 的 是 出 於 隨 著 他 們 的 靈 磐 石 ． 那 磐 石 就 是 基 督 。

 ¹ For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. ² They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. ³ They all ate the same spiritual food ⁴ and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 

Israelites were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea as Moses led them to pass through the wilderness through the pillar of cloud and cross the Red Sea through the staff of his hand. Similarly, we are also baptized into Jesus through his cross and resurrection. Israelites drank water from the rock and ate manna from the heaven that they could sustain their lives for forty years in wilderness. We Christians drink living water and eat living bread from the eternal life of Jesus. Jesus is the source of our salvation, like Moses for Israelites, and also the source of sustaining their lives, like manna and water from the rock for Israelites. Christ is the source but now through the power of the Spirit, becomes our spiritual rock, spiritual water, and spiritual food that sustain and grow our spiritual lives. Without Christ, we have no other source of food and drink, but at the same time without the Holy Spirit's  working in us, we will also certainly thirst and starve to death as Christ's eternal life cannot be converted to our spiritual food and drink. 

I praise my Lord Jesus as He is always my source of spiritual life. Leaving Him is the only way to death. But I also praise the Holy Spirit as He feeds Jesus' life in my life everyday. Spirit is the One to enlighten my heart that Jesus' life becomes real to me that I am in Him and He is in me. Amen!