Last time I was with you I posted about the coming of the Holy Spirit on that long ago Day of Pentecost. As the Apostles were gathered in The Upper Room, the Holy Spirit made an auspicious entrance. He settled upon The Twelve and their lives were instantly changed. His presence was witnessed by many, the Disciples spoke in tongues that were foreign to them and the gathered crowd understood in their own languages. Peter became the Rock upon which the Church was built and thousands of souls joined their souls to Jesus. The gifts of the Holy Spirit were introduced to the world that wonderful day.
I shared with you a personal revelation in that the Holy Spirit is not only intended to be our internal, personal guide and spiritual helper as indeed Christ had foretold. His wisdom and strength are meant to also work in an Upward and Outward path, helping to spread the Good News of Christ even to the ends of the earth. Wisdom and strength are not the only gifts that the Holy Spirit brings us. These gifts are first mentioned in the Old Testament, Isiah 11:1-3a. ESV.
“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord”
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit and the Catholic Church
The Roman Catholic Church has long recognized the gifts of the Holy Spirit as being wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. All these gifts are intended to work together inside of us to increase and perfect our ability to show the greatest gift of all which is love. Saint Thomas Aquinas wrote (in Summa Theologiae) that the four gifts of wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and counsel direct the intellect and the remaining three gifts (fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord) direct the will toward God.
Wait… Hold On…Stop!
Y’all, I just realized I was going into book report mode! Holy Junior High! That is not what you should expect to find on TheNarrowPath. That isn’t me. I can’t imagine that is why you are here. Let me get back on track.
Haunted
As I write this, I am listening to one of my new favorite songs. The message is simple and comforting. I hope that you will give a listen to Ghost by MercyMe. (I apologize for the commercial.) I woke up yesterday with this message playing in my head. I had an overwhelming feeling that I was to share it far and wide. So I called K-LOVE to make a request (boy, that sent me back a couple of decades!), but they didn’t have it yet. Everything is digital these days.
“Holiness keep haunting me”.
“Lead me through the darkness. Lead me through the unknown.
Oh, lead me Holy Ghost”.
Thanks, guys. Guide, comforter, teacher, mover, and shaker; the Holy Spirit is all of these and more.
Baptized in Water, Cleansed by the Holy Spirit
We, as Christians, are baptized in water and cleansed by the Holy Spirit. His gifts are bestowed on us all. Scripture tells us that the Holy Spirit guides us in the use of His gifts.
“4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.” Matthew 12:4-11 ESV
It is my prayer that each of us is aware of the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives and that we use His gifts to grow in Faith, that we allow Him to guide us in the service of God and that through the power of the Holy Spirit we will spread the Good News of Jesus Christ even to the ends of the earth.
Next time … the Fruits of the Holy Spirit.
