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The Nine Gifts of the Holy Spirit

“And Peter said to them, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”  Acts 2:38-39.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit were intended by God to bring forth the brotherhood of Christians, and yet, when you put Godly things in the hands of mankind, division arose.

One of the most difficult aspects of these gifts is understanding that God has already given them to believers.  I have witnessed services in which people were told to beg God for the gifts.  It is unnecessary to beg for something that you already possess.  The biggest hurdle for believers is to just accept the gifts.

1 Corinthians 12:8-10 gives us the 9 gifts:

  1. A word of wisdom: Supernatural insight for decision-making and understanding God’s will.
  2. A word of knowledge: Supernatural information or understanding of truth given by the Spirit.
  3. Faith: A supernatural ability to believe in and expect what is needed beyond ordinary faith.
  4. Gifts of healings: The ability to be an instrument of God’s healing power.
  5. Working of miracles: The supernatural power to perform acts that are beyond ordinary human ability.
  6. Prophecy: The gift of speaking forth God’s message to people.
  7. Discerning of spirits: The ability to distinguish the spiritual realm and identify true or false spiritual influences.
  8. Kinds of tongues: A supernatural ability to speak in a language one has not learned.
  9. Interpretation of tongues: The ability to understand and communicate a message spoken in tongues.

Today, a Christian must arm up against the powers of darkness.  In the day of fake news, having the gift of discernment is handy.  It is hard to decide which of the gifts are most important.  It is easier to decide which ones are least important.  I was a deacon in a charismatic church that believed that if you didn’t speak in tongues, you probably weren’t saved.  As my faith grew, I came to learn that it was the least important gift, unless you have someone with the interpretation of tongues.  And even then, it is no good unless you have the gift of discernment.  It can be amazing as to see something Godly coming out of the hole in our face that spews such wickedness.  Okay, sorry for that tangent.

The Holy Spirit pours Himself out to us in full measure; but our limitations restrict the manifestations of how the Spirit works within us.  It is this Spirit that holds the Church of Christ together, no matter how frayed.  It is easy to spot the differences between denominations, but we are all held together: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16.

I know, it sounds too simple.  Yet, that just shows how much He loves us.  If you believe in Him, you belong with the rest of us.  Heaven is the place where we stop arguing over doctine.

 

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Reverence

I confess, I was put off by the lack of reverence at a recent church service.  My irritation was ignited by my studies of the Seven Spirits of God in Isaiah 11: 2 – 4.  Our minister was calling people forward to accept Christ, and a group of people were rushing to be the first ones out the door.  Apparently, the parking lot is hard to navigate after a church service.

I liked the gentle manner in which the pastor reminded folks that leading people to Christ is likely the most important part of the service.  He didn’t mention how disruptive these folks are or their lack of reverence.

Don’t think that I don’t know my own faults.  I will have my own list on Judgement Day.  I pray that the lack of reverence isn’t one of them.

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The Seven Spirits of God

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.

He shall not judge by what his eyes see,

or decide disputes by what his ears hear,

4     but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,

and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;

and he shall strike the earth…”  (Isaiah 11: 2-4)

God the Father poured out His Spirit in full measure upon His Son.  In turn, Christ passed along these manifestations of God’s Spirit to His followers.  If you were counting, there are seven independent manifestations of God’s Spirit:

  • The Spirit of the Lord
  • The Spirit of Wisdom
  • The Spirit of Understanding
  • The Spirit of Counsel
  • The Spirit of Might
  • The Spirit of Knowledge
  • The Spirit of the Fear of the Lord

 

Jesus received the Spirit in full.  When God fills us with His Spirit, we accept all of His Spirit, and yet few of us can manifest more than a couple of them.  God wants us to have all of them, and they belong to all of us, but sometimes we stand in the way of the Spirit within us.

The reason that Charlie Kirk was such a great man is that he manifested so many of those Spirits in his life.  It is no wonder that we looked up to him—his love for God, his love for his family, and his love for Country.  Charlie manifested the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

So? What are these Spirits?

  • The Spirit of the Lord gives us boldness because it is when we are inspired by the Spirit of the Lord. Some think that the Spirit of the Lord is “a still, small voice.” Because that is how they know Him.  But, He’s the Spirit of boldness. This Spirit brings authority and power.
  • The Spirit of Wisdom gives us knowledge that is beyond ourselves. Wisdom is a force providing divine insight into the plans and purposes of God.  It is understanding spiritual realities. It gives us the ability to see what is missing and helps us make good judgments.
  • The Spirit of Understanding goes hand in hand with Wisdom because Understanding gives us the ability to comprehend what the Spirit of Wisdom has revealed to us. It allows us to see from God’s perspective.  Revelation, or understanding, means to bring light to hidden things.  This understanding brings forth prophets (small “p”).
  • The Spirit of Counsel is simply God’s advice for a plan of action, showing us what to do by providing us with continual guidance, keeping us on the right path.
  • The Spirit of Might gives us boldness to turn the Spirit of Counsel outward. It gives you the courage to do what God calls you to do with overpowering and extraordinary power.
  • The Spirit of Knowledge shares with us information that is beyond our ability to comprehend. It is as if God has given us a library card to His library.  It gives us access to information that makes fools out of the intellectuals of our generation.  It provides the kind of knowledge that you want to act upon.  It is the knowledge that brings awareness.  More importantly, it brings us the will of God.
  • The Spirit of the Fear of the Lord brings us reverence. It keeps us from becoming casual before God.  We are constantly reminded in the Bible that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. When the Spirit of reverence enters a place, things change.  Yield yourself to this Spirit so that you can walk in reverence and humility.

 

Understanding the Seven Spirits of God gives you a better understanding of walking in the fullness of God.

Charlie, thank you for being an example for the rest of us.

 

 

 

 

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Property Rights

One of the problems that we face in our self-righteous world is making moral decisions that exceed the confines of the law.  Recently, a veterinarian was convicted of theft in Michigan for refusing to return a dog to a homeless man.  The veterinarian felt that the local animal welfare organizations would not do proper justice in investigating the welfare of the dog.  She further went on to exclaim that it was her ethical duty as a veterinarian to take the dog, and besides, the dog wasn’t licensed.  Okay, that was pretty lame.

The veterinarian’s “act of kindness” backfired when a Grand Rapids jury convicted the veterinarian of theft.  Her defense attorney spoke to the Associated Press that, “What is right and what is legal are not always the same thing.”  If she gets any jail time, she will get an opportunity to review her actions and determine if “being right” was worth it.

Animals are considered personal property.  By law, only animal control organizations have the authority to take legal possession of a person’s pet, following a practice of exercising due process.

In a perfect world, the court could order the veterinarian to return the dog.  But, it turns out for whatever reason, this “humane act” resulted in the euthanasia of the dog.  This kind of weakens the resolve that the veterinarian was actually performing an act of kindness.  We are all left wondering if the dog was better off with the involvement of the veterinarian.

The feelings that you have about this should feel oddly familiar; we experience this every day.  We have front row seats to some of the worst pet owners in our communities.  Yet the property status of a pet is no different than a person owning a car.  And yet, if you are doing your job right, you can prove to your community that there is a difference:  you are much less likely to go to jail for mistreating your car.  The veterinarian should have trusted her local animal welfare professionals.

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Police Officer Shoots Dog

I have spent a career working with Police Officers and dogs.  Police Officers tend to overreact to dogs acting aggressively.  Police Officers seem to have some notion of self-preservation.  Unlike Animal Control Officers, Police Officers don’t get a lot of practice in being attacked by dogs.  As such, they perceive a doggy threat much higher than an Animal Control Officer would.

Police Officers work with a continuum of threat assessment, but that assessment protocol doesn’t work well with animals.  In a perfect world, an officer might first consider a nonlethal means of handling dogs.  They have little or no experience in testing pepper spray or a taser on dogs, so it makes sense that their gun might be the first tool they grab.  They know, from experience, that their gun is an effective tool.

In that same perfect world, dog owners would be smart enough to reel their dog in (or even place it on a leash) when an officer approaches.  Dogs die because officers don’t want to be bitten.  Dogs die due to stupid owners.

If I were to make the world a better place, I would let the officer take a small bite and then sue the owner for a million dollars.  The dog would live, and the officer could take a nice fishing trip.  And, who knows, maybe the owner learns something in the process.  I know, that’s a long shot.

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Pet Limit Laws

As with most laws, pet limit laws exist because some people lack the common sense to understand their limits. This blog is the result of a seizure of 97 dogs in our community. The notion of pet limit laws is the belief that as the number of animals that increase at a residence, the issue of animal-related complaints rise. Many communities enact pet limits in preparation for the idiots who come into their communities lacking the necessary common sense needed when people group together.

Pet limit laws can be found either in the local zoning code or in the animal control ordinance. Most limit the number of pets to less than a half dozen (over six months of age). As an incentive, many communities allow people to own more sterile pets than fertile ones. The idea is that people who spay/neuter their pets are generally more responsible than those who don’t.  Exemptions are often given to people who are fostering animals for the animal shelter.

A large number of pets at a specific residence increases noise related to pets and odor related to pet waste. Given these issues, it is understandable that people make animals one of the issues that are most reported to city/county councils. The worst part of people owning too many pets is when the government has to step in. Most public animal shelters are unprepared for a large influx of animals. So it comes down to one person’s lack of common sense creates a crisis for those who have to deal with it.

If I sound a little harsh here, it is because I have dealt with my share of pet seizures resulting from stupid people owning pets. From a professional perspective, there are a lot more stupid people in our communities than you could ever imagine; unless you are living next to one, and then you know.

It will be interesting to see how our community deals with this latest seizure. Will they address pet limits due to a single idiot, or do we need a few more incidents of our shelters being overburdened?

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Logos Software

By far, the best tool I have found to be a resource for my Bible studies is Logos software.  If you would like to check out this resource:  click here.

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What’s With Israel?

If you ever bothered to read your Bible, you’d see that the Jews are God’s people. It shows you how much love God can have for such a rebellious lot. They don’t even believe in His Son, Jesus! If His love is so great for these people, we can be secure in His love for the rest of us. So it comes down to this: you are either on God’s side, or you are on the wrong side. You will not like being on the wrong side of God on Judgment Day.

So, if you are a part of the world that wants to destroy Israel, you are going to Hell. Yes, literally! If you don’t believe in Hell, you’ll get a chance to change your mind when you get off the bus. God is not going to allow His people to be destroyed. The sooner that these world groups understand that, the better their survival will be.

The reason that the United States side with Israel is that, for the most part, we are a Christian Nation. We’ve read our Bibles. Although we are not mentioned in the Bible, we know that it clearly says that those who help the Jews will be rewarded. Those who oppose the Jews will find a bus ticket waiting for them. Look, I don’t make up the rules, and far be it from me to argue with God. He has always watched over me, and I understand Him watching over the rest of His people.

Israel has been fighting a land grab by their neighbors. God goes back a long way… from the beginning of time. Early on, God promised the Jews land. Lots and lots of land. Israel has not demanded that those nations get off their “God Given Land.” They just want to be left alone. Of course, that isn’t going to happen, and those folks are going to continue attacking Israel. Eventually, they will bring on Armageddon. You’ve seen the movies; it isn’t pretty. For years, we have tried to figure out Bible prophecy; each year it becomes clearer.

There is only one hope, one way, one truth, and damn it isn’t difficult. Get on the right team!

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Rabies

When I was working in Florida, we were battling the problem of feral cats. At that time, we were using the age-old solution of trapping and killing the cats. With such a large number of cats being trapped, we found a large number of raccoons finding their way into our traps. I came up with the idea of testing the raccoons for rabies so as to determine whether if we had a problem.

Our Health Department wasn’t eager to open that bag of worms. They were worried that I would show the presence of rabies was more prevalent than they wanted. They were worried that I would unleash a crisis that they were not prepared to deal with. And for them, it was a nasty task of cutting out the brains of these animals. We eventually agreed to just deliver the head of the raccoons, so that they wouldn’t have to worry about disposing of the bodies.

I took on the task of mapping the locations where the animals that tested positive were trapped. We discovered that the presence of rabies was much higher than we expected in our raccoon population. Something that our Health Department didn’t want to be known. After all, how do you deal with rabies in a wildlife population?

Just because you find a raccoon that tests positive for rabies, you don’t necessarily have the risk that that animal is shedding the virus. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t use the presence of rabies as a PR stunt to encourage people to vaccinate their pets.

For the most part, the rabies vaccination can be purchased to provide protection for 1 year or 3 years. Many veterinarians will administer the 1 year vaccination to force their clients to come in annually for their pet’s health examination. It’s good for the veterinarian’s pocketbook, and it is a thing that responsible pet owners do.

I’ve always believed that the solution of dealing with raccoon and feral cat populations would be in the form of seeding an area with pellets that contain rabies vaccine and a sterilant I just can’t figure out how you package the pellets so that small children don’t eat them; but, no matter how gross the things that children pick up and eat, they seem to survive.

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Dog Bites on Postal Carriers

A couple of months ago, I received a postcard from the Post Office reminding residents of the need to secure their pets; dog bites rise in the summer months. Today, our local media reports that there has been a spike in the number of postal carriers being bitten by dogs. Two factors are present when dog bites occur: hot weather that makes dogs short-tempered, and irresponsible dog owners who let their dogs run loose. There isn’t much of a cure for either of these two factors…. Or is there?

I have always believed that the Postal Service holds the greatest cure to end the stupidity factor. They only need to stop mail service to the neighborhood with loose aggressive dogs, and the dog owners’ neighbors will begin the education process. In most cases, the dog owner sees his (or her) error and will comply with the neighborhood norms. If that doesn’t work, then the dog becomes a victim of the neighborhood by either someone holding the dog for Animal Control to pick up or by “accidentally” digesting food that disagrees with the dog.  Having the option of having animal control in the community is a good step in reducing incidents of extreme justice.

Unfortunately, there are plenty of pet owners who cannot overcome their stupidity and thus secures the careers of many animal control personnel. I used to meet up with postal carriers to check in with them about potential problems on their routes. No one knows the problem of loose dogs better than postal carriers: work with them to keep the mail flowing.

In communities where animal control is underfunded, I have heard about neighborhoods in which people carry weapons when going out for a neighborly walk.  Usually, the problem has to persist when neighbors resort to such activities; and yet,  the owner acts shocked when one of their dogs is the recipient of a neighbor’s bullet.   Clueless is right up there with stupidity for such people.