The Holy Spirit - Spiritual Gifts: Book 1: Amazing Power For Everyday People (Illuminated Bible Stud ^HOT^
4 Now there are [distinctive] varieties of spiritual gifts [special abilities given by the grace and extraordinary power of the Holy Spirit operating in believers], but it is the same Spirit [who grants them and empowers believers]. 5 And there are [distinctive] varieties of ministries and service, but it is the same Lord [who is served]. 6 And there are [distinctive] ways of working [to accomplish things], but it is the same God who produces all things in all believers [inspiring, energizing, and empowering them]. 7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit [the spiritual illumination and the enabling of the Holy Spirit] for the common good. 8 To one is given through the [Holy] Spirit [the power to speak] the message of wisdom, and to another [the power to express] the word of knowledge and understanding according to the same Spirit; 9 to another [wonder-working] faith [is given] by the same [Holy] Spirit, and to another the [extraordinary] gifts of healings by the one Spirit; 10 and to another the working of [a]miracles, and to another prophecy [foretelling the future, speaking a new message from God to the people], and to another discernment of spirits [the ability to distinguish sound, godly doctrine from the deceptive doctrine of man-made religions and cults], to another various kinds of [unknown] tongues, and to another interpretation of tongues. 11 All these things [the gifts, the achievements, the abilities, the empowering] are brought about by one and the same [Holy] Spirit, distributing to each one individually just as He chooses.
The Holy Spirit - Spiritual Gifts: Book 1: Amazing Power for Everyday People (Illuminated Bible Stud
Jesus gives himself to us in the Eucharist as spiritual nourishment because he loves us. God's whole plan for our salvation is directed to our participation in the life of the Trinity, the communion of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Our sharing in this life begins with our Baptism, when by the power of the Holy Spirit we are joined to Christ, thus becoming adopted sons and daughters of the Father. It is strengthened and increased in Confirmation. It is nourished and deepened through our participation in the Eucharist. By eating the Body and drinking the Blood of Christ in the Eucharist, we become united to the person of Christ through his humanity. "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him" (Jn 6:56). In being united to the humanity of Christ, we are at the same time united to his divinity. Our mortal and corruptible natures are transformed by being joined to the source of life. "Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me" (Jn 6:57). By being united to Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, we are drawn up into the eternal relationship of love among the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. As Jesus is the eternal Son of God by nature, so we become sons and daughters of God by adoption through the sacrament of Baptism. Through the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation (Chrismation), we are temples of the Holy Spirit, who dwells in us, and by his indwelling we are made holy by the gift of sanctifying grace. The ultimate promise of the Gospel is that we will share in the life of the Holy Trinity. The Fathers of the Church called this participation in the divine life "divinization" ( theosis). In this we see that God does not merely send us good things from on high; instead, we are brought up into the inner life of God, the communion among the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In the celebration of the Eucharist (which means "thanksgiving") we give praise and glory to God for this sublime gift.
Almighty Father, thank you for this beautiful Sunday. Grant us the grace to spend this day with you in prayer and at Mass as your chosen people, so as to be filled again with spiritual grace necessary for the coming week of work and responsibilities. May we participate actively in your mission for us to deserve the inheritance you prepared for those who persevere in following you and doing your holy will while still here on earth. Renew us in your friendship. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For our friends watching online, if you don't have a copy of our new set of lessons, just go to the Amazing Facts website: amazingfacts.org and you can download lesson #1, which is our study for this morning entitled Paul: apostle to the gentiles, or you can go visit an adventist church nearby and you'll be able to receive the entire thirteen lessons right there. We have a free offer that goes along with our study today, a book written by Joe Crews entitled riches of grace - and this is our free offer for today. For those watching in North America, if you'd like to receive a free copy of the book, call us on our resource phone number. That number is 866-788-3966 and you can ask for offer #152. Well, before we get to our lesson, as normal, we like to begin by lifting our voices in song and our song leaders will lead us at this time.Thank you, Pastor Ross. It is always our pleasure to sing along with you every time we study together. Music is truly a part of worship. Today we're going to sing about how wonderful God is as our creator and God. If you'll pull out your hymnals - those of you who are at home and right here in our studio.Hymn #92 - this is my father's world. As we look around this planet it is a far cry from what he meant it to be, but soon and very soon, I know, because His Word promises us that it is going to be restored to its former glory. I can hardly wait for that day. Hymn #92 - we'll sing all three verses - this is my father's world. I'm so grateful, today, that God looks at me as his child, amen? At this time Pastor Ross will lead us in opening prayer.(Soft piano music) let us bow our heads for prayer. Dear Father in Heaven, what a privilege to be able to gather in your house and study Your Word. And, as we begin our new journey in the book of Galatians, we want to invite the Holy Spirit to come and guide our hearts and our minds. So many important lessons, Lord, in this book for us today. So we pray for the Spirit's leading bless our time together today, in Jesus' Name, amen.Our lesson this morning, launching us into our new study of Galatians is going to be brought to us by dr. Derose. Thank you. Well, it's always good to be studying together and to begin a new journey together. So, as Pastor Ross introduced it, we are starting a series on the book of Galatians - that great message of the Gospel presented in that letter that Paul wrote to the churches of galatia.And, as we begin our study, lesson #1 actually begins by looking at the author of the book of Galatians - a focus on the apostle Paul - Paul: apostle to the gentiles is the title of the lesson. And, as we pick up the background of the apostle Paul, our minds are drawn to a chapter in the book of acts. And, actually, not the most flattering chapter, when we think about the early church. We begin in acts chapter 6 - that's where I'm turning - and some of us like to idealize - we like to glorify things that happened in the past. And many say, 'boy, if I could just be a part of that early church.Everyone had everything in common - they were living in harmony'. That's what the account says but, by the time we get to acts we see there are some challenges in the church and that's the context in which the apostle Paul will ultimately emerge and the lesson rightly points us in that direction as we begin. So we're looking at acts chapter 6, beginning with verse 1. I'm reading from the new king James version. It says, "now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the hEllenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution." Now, if you have the King James version, it says there was a 'controversy' between the Hebrews, or the jews, and the Greeks, or the grecians. Now this term 'Greek' in the Hebrew, actually it's - the new testament is in the Greek - the term 'Greek' in the Greek language, in which the new testament was written, is kind of a nebulous term. Here, in acts 6 - I'm actually preaching from the andrews study Bible and it makes, I think, a very - very insightful comment there about the Hebrews and the hEllenists. Listen to it. It says, "among the early Christians, who were all jews, tension developed between Hebrew (Jewish Christians from palestine who spoke mainly aramaic and/or Hebrew) and hEllenists (Jewish Christians from outside palestine who spoke mainly Greek).So, if you get the picture here, this term for Greeks or grecians, in the King James, often translated 'hEllenists' in the new king James and in other translations, often refers to Greek-speaking jews. So, at this time, the Greek culture had pretty much permeated the holy land and the then-known world there, in which God's people were living. So you had those that spoke Greek that were more assimilated into the dominant culture, and then you have those who were still speaking the indigenous middle eastern languages like aramaic and Hebrew. And so, this is where the controversy arises. Now I mention that point because sometimes the King James version continues to use that term 'hEllenists' when sometimes it's speaking of gentile Greeks.And, as you read through the book of acts, you will find that kind of tension. So the Greeks are sometimes Greek-speaking jews, as we're reading about in acts 6. Other times they're actually people of Greek ethnicity who are gentiles. So, it's a little bit confusing whether you use the King James translation or a modern translation. But here, in acts 6, it's clear we're speaking only of jews because there really is no discussion about gentiles coming into the church at the point of acts 6.That comes just a little bit later. So, you see, though, there's a problem in the church and, to me, it's i