The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit

The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit

 

a3Wisdom is our ability to value spiritual things over worldly ones. It enables us to desire the things of God and correctly order the things in our life. This gift helps us view the world through God’s perspective and the light of our faith. It instills a desire to contemplate the things of God.

 

a2Understanding helps us grasp the truths of the faith more easily and profoundly. Our human intellect cannot grasp all of God’s mysteries, but through the gift of understanding we can be lead to truth, even when we do not fully comprehend. This gift strengthens our insight through prayer, scripture, and the sacraments.

 

a1Right Judgment/Counsel acknowledges the difference between right and wrong and bestows proper judgment. A person with right judgment avoids sin and leads a life for Christ. Counsel inspires us to speak up and encourage others to do the correct thing. It bestows upon us prudence, allowing us to act promptly and rightly in the face of difficult situations.

 

a6Courage sustains our decision to follow the will of God in any situation. It allows us to stand up and defend our faith, even when threatened by bodily injury or death. This gift allows us to be steadfast in our decisions to do well and to endure evil even when we do not want to.

 

a8Knowledge is awareness to God’s plan. It is not simply an accumulation of facts but rather an understanding of God’s purpose and how we ought to respond. Knowledge helps bring to light temptations and to discern whether to give in or live a life worthy of God’s approval.

 

a7Reverence is our obedience to God and our willingness to serve him. It is not just obedience through a sense of duty but rather obedience out of love and devotion. It facilitates a deeper respect for God and the Church.

 

a4Wonder and awe makes us aware of the glory and majesty of God. This gift is also synonymous with “Fear of the Lord”, in which we dread sin and fear offending God. We fear displeasing God and losing our connection with him. Wonder and awe increases our desire to draw closer to God and depart from sin.

WHO ARE YOU MARRIED TO?

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“A married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. . . . and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress.  Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another.” Romans 7:2-4

We were married to Mr. Law.  He was a good man, in his way, but he did not understand our weakness.  He came home every evening and asked, “So, how was your day?  Did you do what I told you to?  Did you make the kids behave?  Did you waste any time?  Did you complete everything I put on your To Do list?”  So many demands and expectations.  And hard as we tried, we couldn’t be perfect.  We could never satisfy him.  We forgot things that were important to him.  We let the children misbehave.  We failed in other ways.  It was a miserable marriage, because Mr. Law always pointed out our failings.  And the worst of it was, he was always right!  But his remedy was always the same: Do better tomorrow.  We didn’t, because we couldn’t.

Then Mr. Law died.  And we remarried, this time to Mr. Grace.  Our new husband, Jesus, comes home every evening and the house is a mess, the children are being naughty, dinner is burning on the stove, and we have even had other men in the house during the day.  Still, he sweeps us into his arms and says, “I love you, I chose you, I died for you, I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  And our hearts melt.  We don’t understand such love.  We expect him to despise us and reject us and humiliate us, but he treats us so well.  We are so glad to belong to him now and forever, and we long to be “fully pleasing to him” (Colossians 1:10)!

Being married to Mr. Law never changed us.  But being married to Mr. Grace is changing us deep within, and it shows.

The Salt of your Life

Matthew 5-13

“Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. “

If we are to be brothers and sisters in Christ with good spirits, we all need to have a little “salt” in our lives to provide us with the savour we need for being his instruments on earth. There are many little things that add a sudden burst of pleasure to your day. These are the “salt” of your life. Here are ten, but I bet you can think of a lot more.

  1. Finding a coin—even a penny-on the sidewalk.
  2. Receiving a compliment on your outfit
  3. Receiving a smile from a child.
  4. Seeing an old friend unexpectedly
  5. Finding just what you planned to buy at a lower price than you expected.
  6. Receiving a picture hand drawn by a youngster.
  7. Meeting an old person who still has a zest for life
  8. Overhearing some long-married person speak of their spouse with love and respect.
  9. Realizing a dream after a long, long wait.
  10. Realizing once again that God does love you and has NOT forgotten you.

BEWARE OF DOGS

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Someone will wonder the kind of title for today’s message. Why does Apostle Paul call some people dogs? Remember in Scriptures, the term is often used. JESUS once referred to a woman and her daughter as dogs. The term was also used in the battle between David and Goliath etc. So who are dogs?   Let’s meditate the Scripture below :
PHILIPPIANS 3:2

“Watch out for those DOGS, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved.”

Dog as used in the Scripture above, is used to describe those who do not have covenant with GOD. The New Covenant was founded on the shedding of the PRECIOUS BLOOD of CHRIST JESUS. So those who don’t have covenant with GOD by the PRECIOUS BLOOD of JESUS CHRIST are referred to as dogs. The dogs rely on law for their righteousness. And insist that Christians follow Mosaic law (circumcised) to be saved. The dogs among us preach message of condemnation in churches because they themselves are condemned. BEWARE OF THOSE DOGS!

GALATIANS 2:4


“This matter arose because some FALSE BELIEVERS had infiltrated our ranks to SPY on the freedom we have in CHRIST JESUS and to make us SLAVES.”
In the Scripture above, Apostle Paul used a synonymous term for the dogs. He called them FALSE BELIEVERS because they don’t BELIEVE in the FINISHED WORK of CHRIST JESUS so they cannot be described as TRUE BELIEVERS.
Their duty is to spy on the freedom we have in CHRIST JESUS with the aim of enslaving us. When they see post on righteousness through CHRIST JESUS, is posted, they post unnecessary Scriptures to confuse and argue foolishly to enslave those who are weak in the faith. Beloved, beware of FALSE BELIEVERS on social media networks and in churches.

Who are TRUE BELIEVERS and the CIRCUMCISED? Meditate the Scripture below :
PHILIPPIANS 3:3
“For we who worship by the SPIRIT of GOD are the ones who are truly CIRCUMCISED. We rely on what CHRIST JESUS has DONE for us. We put no confidence in human effort,”
Ayayaaaaa… I’m a TRUE BELIEVER and CIRCUMCISED. Did you really read that?
We who have the HOLY SPIRIT and worship by the SPIRIT of GOD.
We who rely on the SUPREME SACRIFICE and the FINISHED WORK OF CHRIST JESUS ON THE CROSS are TRUE BELIEVERS and the most CIRCUMCISED.

You see why I always emphasize that all we need is CHRIST JESUS? Beloved, never be swayed away by false denominational doctrine. Hold on to your FAITH in CHRIST JESUS. The devil is after your FAITH. Lean on the everlasting. Look on to the FINISHED WORK OF CHRIST JESUS; that is where you see your righteousness, victory, salvation, justification, etc.

ONCE AGAIN BEWARE OF DOGS. IT’S ALL ABOUT CHRIST JESUS.
ALL WE NEED IS CHRIST JESUS.


NO JESUS, NO LIFE!

60 Similarities between Joseph and Jesus

  1. Joseph was a shepherd (37:2); Jesus is the Great Shepherd (John 10).

  2. Joseph was opposed to and exposed evil (37:2); Jesus did the

  3. Joseph was loved by the his father (37:3-4); Jesus was beloved by the (Mat. 3:17; 17:5; John 10:17; Philippians 2:9)

  4. Joseph was hated by his brothers (37:4); Jesus was hated by His brothers (John 1:11; Luke 19:14).

  5. Joseph was hated for his words (37:8); Jesus was hated for His words of (John 7:7; 3:32)

  6. Joseph was promised a remarkable future (37:7-12); Jesus looked passed the cross to the joy set before Him (Isaiah 9:6, 7; Luke 1:31-33; Hebrews 12:2).

  7. Joseph foretold of his future sovereignty (37:7-12); Jesus did the (Mat. 26:64)

  8. Joseph was envied by his brothers (37:11); Jesus was envied by (Mat. 27:17-18)

  9. Joseph was sent by his father to his brothers (37:13); Jesus was sent to the ‘lost sheep of Israel,’ by His father (John 4:34; 5:30; 6:38-40; 12:48-50; 17:21)

  10. Joseph seeks out his brothers (37:14-17); Jesus sought out His (Luke 19:10)

  11. Joseph seeks the welfare of his brothers (37:14); Jesus came not to condemn but that the world might be saved through (John 3:17)

  12. Joseph seeks his brothers until he finds them; Jesus seeks us until He finds And this at the initiative of the f(F)ather.

  13. Joseph was conspired against (37:18); Jesus was also conspired (Mat. 12:14)

  14. Joseph’s brothers did not believe his dreams (37:19, 29); Jesus’ brethren did not believe His (Mat. 27:39-43; John 3:18, 36)

  15. Joseph was stripped of his coat (37:23); Jesus was stripped of His (Mat. 27:27, 28; John 19:23)

  16. Joseph was cast into a pit (37:24); Jesus was thrown into a

  17. Joseph was taken out of the pit, alive in his body (37:28); Jesus was bodily-resurrected from the tomb (pit).

  18. Joseph’s brothers mingled hypocrisy with their hatred (37:27); the Jews did the same with Jesus (Mat. 27:35, 36; John 18:28, 31)

  19. Joseph is sold for the price of a slave(37:38); Jesus was sold for thirty pieces of silver (the price of a slave).

  20. Judah suggested the idea of selling his brother (37:26-28); the Greek name for Judah is Judas (Mat. 1:2-3).

  21. Joseph’s blood sprinkled coat (goat blood) is presented to his father (37:31); Jesus is our scapegoat and His blood was presented to the Father as a sin offering. (Leviticus 16:8-10)

  22. Joseph becomes a servant (39:1); Jesus became a servant (Philippians 2:6, 7)

  23. Joseph was a prosperous servant (39:2, 3); Jesus was also a prosperous Servant (Isaiah 52:13; 53:10)

  24. Joseph’s master was well pleased with him (39:4); the Father was always pleased with what Jesus did (John 8:29).

  25. Joseph, the servant, was made a blessing to others (39:5); Jesus was a blessing to the

  26. Joseph was a goodly person (39:6); Jesus came as a servant into the world and yet lived a goodly (perfect)

  27. Joseph was sorely tempted and did not sin(39:7-12); Jesus was tempted and did not sin (Mat. 4:1-11; 2:18; 4:15)

  28. Joseph was falsely accused (39:16-18); Jesus was falsely accused (Mat. 16:59, 60).

  29. Joseph attempted no defense (39:19); Jesus gave no defense at His trials (Isaiah 53:7).

  30. Joseph was cast into prison, though he was innocent(39:20); Jesus is sentenced to death though Pilate found no fault in Him (John 19:4, 6).

  31. Joseph thus suffered at the hands of the Gentiles (first by his brethren then by the Gentiles; Jesus was sold by His brethren then suffered at the hands of the Romans (Gentiles.

  32. Joseph, the innocent one, suffered severely (Psalm 105:17, 18); Jesus suffered by

  33. Joseph won the respect of his jailor (39:21); Jesus won the respect of a Roman centurion standing at the cross (Luke 23:47).

  34. Joseph was numbered with transgressors (40:1-3); as it was prophesied about Jesus (Isaiah 53:12) and as it was (Mark 15:28).

  35. Joseph was the means of blessing to one, but the pronouncer of judgment on the other (40:16, 17, 19); as Jesus was a blessing to one of the thieves He was crucified between (Luke 23:43).

  36. Joseph evidenced his knowledge of the future and gave credit to God alone (40:8); as Jesus did the same on earth (John 12:49).

  37. Joseph desired to be remembered by the butler (40:14); as Jesus said, “This do in remembrance of ” (Luke 22:19)

  38. Joseph was put in prison (the tomb) but God would not allow him to remain there because God’s purpose for Joseph was not yet fulfilled. So it was with Jesus Christ, God would not allow Him to remain in the tomb (Acts 2:24). Joseph changed his prison clothes for clothes of glory as did Jesus Christ (John 20:6, 7).

  39. Joseph was delivered from prison by the hand of God (God sending a dream to Pharaoh and Joseph’s testimony in 45:7-9); as God raised Jesus from the tomb (Acts 2:32; 10:40).

  40. Joseph is seen now as the Revealer of secrets; compare 41:16 with the words of Jesus in John 17:8; 8:28; and 12:49.Compare 41:25 with God revealing what He would shortly do through Jesus Christ in Revelation 1:1.

  1. Joseph warned of a coming danger, and urged his hearers to make suitable provision to meet it (41:33-36); as did Jesus Christ warned His hearers that death did not end all but there was a life beyond the grave that one should prepare and be ready for

  2. Joseph is portrayed as a Wonderful Counselor in giving wisdom to Pharaoh (41:33-36); as Christ is known as the One “in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col. 2:3).

  3. Joseph’s counsel commended itself to Pharaoh and his officers (41:37-39); as did Jesus’ teaching while He walked on earth (Matt. 7:28-29; 13:54; and compare John 7:46 with Genesis 41:38).

  4. Joseph is exalted, and set over all Egypt (41:39-40); as God highly exalted Jesus (1 Peter 3:22; Philippians 2:5-11).

  5. Joseph was seated on the throne of another; as Jesus shares the Throne with the Father. “Today our Lord Jesus Christ shares the throne with the Father as Joseph shared the throne of Pharaoh. As Joseph ruled over Pharaoh’s house with his word, so today our Lord Jesus Christ rules over Father as Joseph shared the throne of Pharaoh. As Joseph ruled over Pharaoh’s house with his word, so today our Lord Jesus Christ rules over the Father’s household, the household of faith, the Church, by and through His

  6. Joseph was exalted to the throne because of his personal worth; as Jesus was highly exalted for His personal worth (Philippians 2:6-9).

  7. Joseph was invested with such insignia as became his new position (41:42); as was our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 5:31; Hebrews 2:9; Revelation 1:13).

  8. Joseph’s authority and glory were publicly owned (41:43); as Peter publicly declared the Lordship of Jesus Christ on Pentecost (Acts 2:36; Philippians 2:10)

  9. Joseph received from Pharaoh a new name (41:45); as God gave Jesus Christ a new name (Philippians 2:9, 10; Matthew 1:21; Acts 5:31). True is was the name “Jesus” given to Him at His birth. Jesus means Savior, but Jesus could not save His people from their sins until after His death, burial, and resurrection. As Joseph did not become his people’s savior until after his “death,” “burial,” and “resurrection.”

  10. Joseph was thirty years old when he began his ministry (41:46); as Jesus was thirty when He began His public ministry (Luke 3:23).

  11. Joseph’s exaltation was followed by a season of plenty (41:47-49); as their (is) a season of harvest now after Jesus’ exaltation as LORD. This time period is known as “the time of the Gentiles.” (Romans 11:25; John 12:24).

  12. Joseph’s exaltation was also followed by a period of famine (41:53-54); as ‘the time of Gentiles’ will come to an end and ‘the time of Jacob’s trouble’ (Jeremiah 30:7) will (See Daniel 12:7; Mark 13:19-20 (it will a very grievous time (as in Genesis 41:31)). It will be a time when the whole earth (a picture of all of Egypt) will be tried. (Revelation 3:10). See Amos 8:11-12 for the kind of famine coming (or may already be here) – a famine of the Word of God.

  13. Joseph, alone, is now seen as dispersing bread to a perishing world (41:55); as Jesus is the One who alone disperses the Bread of Life (Acts 4:12; Matthew 17:5 ‘. . . hear ’

  14. Joseph became a Saviour to all peoples (41:57; 54); as Jesus is the Savior to all peoples (John 3:16; Revelation 5:9).

  15. Joseph has unlimited resources to meet the need of all the people (41:49); as we read of the riches of Christ’s grace in passages such as 1:7; 2:7; 2:4; 1 Peter 1:3; Eph. 3:8; Col. 2:9; Romans 10:12.

  16. Joseph’s family is driven out of their own land (42:1-3, 5); this is in fulfillment of God’s prophecy in Genesis 15:13. And so, a few years after Joseph’s brothers rejected him they are forced out of their country as were the Jews after a few years after rejecting Christ were scattered into the world by the

  17. Joseph was unknown and unrecognized by his brethren (42:6, 8); as Jesus today is not recognized by the Jews. Joseph was exalted over all the house of Pharaoh, but Jacob knew it not. All these years he thought (assumed) that Joseph was dead! Today, Jews ‘believe’ Jesus to be dead and do not know that He has been exalted as LORD over all the

  18. Joseph, however, saw and knew his brethren (42:7); so too, Jesus’ eye is on the Jews even today (Jeremiah 16:17; Hosea 5:3).

  19. Joseph punished his brethren (42:7, 17); as God (Jesus) is dealing harshly with the Jews today (Hosea 9:17; Matthew 23:35-36, 38-39. “Joseph was the cause of their troubles Joseph was punishing them for their past dealing with himself. The secret of all Judah’s suffering during the past centuries is to be found in the fact that the rejected Messiah has been dealing ‘roughly’ with them.”

  20. Joseph made provision for his brethren while they were in a strange land (42:25); as God (Jesus) promised to provide for the Jews while they are scattered (Jeremiah 30:11; Ezekiel 11:16)

Old Covenant Vs New Covenant

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Are you Jewish by blood?
Is your family of Jewish
bloodline?
If not, you’re what the Bible calls a Gentile.
For thousands of years, God divided humanity into two main categories—Jew and Gentile.
Why is this important?
Because the law was never given to the Gentile.
It was never our privilege.
No, the law was what distinguished Israel from the rest of the planet.
Everyone else was “excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world” (Eph.
2:12).
For a Jewish person to abandon the old way of the law
and adopt God’s new way was a challenge.
We see evidence of that struggle in The Book of Hebrews, for example:
In The Book of Hebrews it contains thousands of words urging the Jews to drop the old and hang on tightly to the new.
But for most of us, that’s not our situation.
We’re Gentiles.
We were never offered the law.
Today, we Gentiles are offered ONE COVENANT – THE NEW.
Breaking free from the old shouldn’t really be necessary,
since the old was never really ours to begin with!
Have you ever thought about that?
You, your heritage and your family line—none of it had anything to do with the law if you’re a Gentile.
And it was the same for the Greeks back then.
They had no relationship with the Jewish law.
So did Paul march into Galatia or Corinth with THE LAW OF MOSES under his arm to fix them up?
Of course not!
If he had, many would have reacted with “MOSES WHO?”
Bringing the law into the picture was the very thing that made the Apostle Paul angry.
The JUDAIZERS were following on Paul’s heels with a message of
“IT’S JESUS PLUS THE LAW.”
THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT – WE ARE STILL HEARING TODAY!
“IT’S JESUS FOR SALVATION & THE LAW FOR DAILY LIVING.”
But THE TRUTH IS that Gentiles (that’s most of us!)
were NEVER even OFFERED THE LAW.
FOR US, IT’S THE NEW COVENANT OR NOTHING AT ALL.

My Testimony

My Path to Jesus

Being born in a good Hindu family, I was doing Idol worship. There was a famous temple in India, which always a huge crowd to see and worship that Idol. Each and every year on Dec 31st I would go over there and stand hours in the queue to have glimpse of that idol. Everything was going fine in my life.  On a fine day When I was travelling in train to my office I saw a beautiful girl and decided to love her and daily followed her and she too got attracted to me and so we started loving and having a loving life. When I informed my parents about my love with a Girl, the first question they asked me was “What was the religion of that Girl”. I said she was Christian.

My parents immediately rejected it and said they will be looking a Hindu girl and so asked me keep quiet and not have any relationship with that Girl. But I was having relationship with that Girl and enjoying the days, meanwhile my father passed away due to heart attack and my mother travelled to USA to help my sister for her pregnancy.

I decided this is the best time to marry my Girl friend, and so I asked her to come to a Registar Office where we can marry.  I India we can marry in Registar office where when we get married they will provide us a certificate and so it becomes legal and so one can separate them. On Sept 24th 2004 I got married her and took her to my house and started living with her. When my mother returned back from USA, she was astonished to see me living with Christian Girl and asked me get out her house and so we came out and started living separately. Life was going good, as there no one to guide us and no boundaries for us we started enjoying all the beauties of this world. We were blessed with a beautiful daughter too.

Here is what the adversity started in my life During this period she used to go to Church and I used to go to my Hindu Temple. Now I had a huge credit standing against me and all creditors started coming to my house and abusing me and I was crying like anything Ho God what to do, please save me. I again went to my mother and asked to save me with some money, but she refused. During that time my wife advised me that please come to church with me and let us pray with my mighty God and he is ready to save us. I got angry and shouted at her Are you a stupid, I have going to see my God every year , but it has not saved me, I lost my parents and relatives and now I am alone, with you, is your God going to save me.

She again requested to listen to her, but I refused to listen.  On a fine Monday again my wife came to me and requested that there is a family crusade in Church on Sunday and for this we need to go as couple, can you please come with me. I said please do not disturb me, already I am facing lot of trouble with this world, I do not know when a creditor is going to catch my neck for money. So she started praying for me and days went and on Saturday evening she was sitting and praying from evening 7 pm. I was enjoying watching TV with my daughter and we slept. Next day morning when I woke up I could not see my wife beside me and got feared and ran to hall where she was, she was still in prayer and her eyes were filled with tears. I asked are you crazy sitting whole night and crying for a silly thing, she said please come with me to church, I got mercy on her and accepted her request, but on condition I will not do not Christian rituals there. She said you come and sit that is enough for me. I went to church and sat on the last seat. The church was so beautiful and was cool with A/C, I started looking for Idol of Jesus like we used to have in our Hindu Temples, My wife said Jesus is here behind us and we don’t do Idol worship. I didn’t understand and that I am confused. When pastor came and preaching I got sleep and so I was sleeping. Once the service was over my wife asked me did god spoke to you. I laughed at her and said that I have been worshipping my idol from my birth, but it never spoke to me, but in this church nothing was there, then what do you mean by God speaking to me. She didn’t say anything, she was quite and we returned home. The same day evening she again started praying.

Here is what God spoke to me. I was sleeping in my Bed. I had a dream, I saw a beautiful white object and I heard a voice that “please come to me and ready to save you”. I got feared and asked my wife what was that. She said to me that is God trying to speak to you. I said He asked me to come near to him and so what I need to do now. She said come to church every week and he will speak to you more. So I started to Go to church every week. During this time I was half minded, I used to go to church and my Hindu temple too. My wife advised not to do that, but I never listened to her. After a few months again God spoke to me and said present your life to me to him, I got feared again, but this time it is very clear that Jesus is trying to do something in my life, so I throwed away my idols in my home in dust bin and accepted Jesus as my saviour took Baptism and started following Jesus. I was made as usher in church and later I became leader of the church. During this period I got promotions in my office too and slowly I have cleared all my credit too. The life was happy again.

Now again Jesus spoke to me and asked I have blessed you and what are you going to do for me. I said I have been to church regularly and do the best help I can do for the church, giving my tithes what else you need. Jesus said you need to serve me. I got confused and asked my Pastor what does this mean to serve Jesus. Pastor said you need to work for Jesus and so I resigned my job and started to help my pastor Full time.  My pastor advised me to study Bible College and so started searching for a good Bible college within my budget. I applied for Fits and got admission and I have to apply for Visa.

When I went for Visa interview I thought that I have every papers and also a recommendation letter from a pastor in USA so I will get it, but they simply rejected my application and I was totally vexed and crying with God, All my friends started laughing at me, what you planning to go USA. It is a tough task and it is not so easy. My pastor said try again and I said it is waste of money, already I lost and you want me to spend again on Visa. He said try and this time you will succeed. So I applied and the visa interview was one week later. This time Myself and my Wife started fasting for full day and prayed for the whole day and when I went to Visa interview it got approved without any Issues I praised God and made me stand as a testimony in my Church.

Learning from God. We should never put front any human . My visa application got rejected first time since I was in mind I have every paper and a recommendation letter from USA pastor, but the second time I placed faith on God and went for Visa interview it god approved. So always put your heart and faith on God and not any human beings. If we have faith on God he will help us and succeed in everything.