THE SPIRIT OF GOD
THE SPIRIT OF GOD
Sunday, March 10, 2018, the Year of Our Lord
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
The Spirit of God in the Old Testament describes the actions and character of God as He revealed Himself to mankind.
The Spirit is the ruach/wind/breathe of God who created the earth, the heavens and all that is in them through His nature of Elohim and the LORD God (Jehovah – self-existent, eternal, One). God continued to reveal Himself and His nature through many names.
In the New Testament, there is only ONE NAME for GOD. That is “Theos.” This is the Godhead; the Trinity inclusive of God the Father – lst person of the Trinity; Christ, the second person of the Trinity; and the Holy Spirit the third Person of the Trinity.
In 1 Corinthians 12: 4-6 God informs us He has three categories of spiritual gifts, each from a specific member of the God-head.
1 Cor. 12:4: There are diversities of gifts, by the same Spirit (Holy Ghost- peuma).
12:5: There are diversities of administrations, but the same LORD (Messiah, Kyrion used in the New Testament of the LORD Jesus Christ). LORD is used in the Old Testament as Jehovah.
12:6: There are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which works all in all. (Theos = Father God; Lord Jesus Christ; and the Holy Spirit).
Eph. 4:7-11: Unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore, he said, When He ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) He (Jesus Christ gave some, apostles, some prophets, and some evangelists; and some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
The ascensions gifts (Offices of the Kingdom of God) are gifts of Christ to the Church.
This is elementary to the Spirit filled church, Yet throughout Christendom there continues to be lack of understanding of how the gifts of the Holy Spirit; the Offices of Jesus Christ; and the Operations of the Godhead flow in unity in the Body of Christ. The manifestation and diversity of the operation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the Offices are given to every man/woman to profit all; not to magnify the vessel.
The Theos/Godhead is the instrument of the operations of the gifts and offices.
We often hear people say, I operate in such and such gift, or someone else is described as operating in the gifts of the Spirit.
The Godhead operates through us. We are not the operator.
Once we learn to yield our members to the operation of the Holy Spirit within us, all competition, self-promotion, selfish ambition, preeminence, pushing and jealousy in the Body of Christ with regard to gifts and callings will cease.
We will come into the unity of the faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
It is the intent of the Godhead to bring a glorious church, without sport or wrinkle, to fullness in the last days----one which is absolutely holy with sons of God in the stature of Jesus Christ.
Eph. 4:13 is my calling to bring the church into maturity. I press on. All the gifts of the Holy Spirit OPERATE in our church fellowship. All the Offices given by Jesus Christ OPERATE in this body of believers. I bring in a diversity of gifts and Offices to bring us into maturity, Sonship, and prepare us to be the glorious, overcoming Bride. We are being built up on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone.
Eastgate’s members are mature, steadfast, faithful, love the LORD (kyrion) our GOD, and one another. We are blessed. We are called to be saints. We as a church body are truly walking in the Spirit in all the Faith we have; but we know there is more.
As I considered and prayed about the OPERATIONS of the Spirit of God, I considered the LORD is calling his Church to another level of yielding our members:
Rom 6:19: I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh; for as you have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
I am preaching today to a church body who have been separated, sifted, tested, justified, sanctified, washed in the Word and the Blood of Christ Jesus.
But I know there is an upward call for the OPERATIONS of the Spirit of God to move through His people in power, miracles, awesome deeds of righteousness, as a glorious, over coming church. We are at the threshold of great promises and blessings of souls, deliverances, healings, and miracles as we lay aside all drives of the flesh and yield to the OPERATIONS of the Spirit of God.
We know the blessing of the holy kiss greeting among the brethren. We raise holy hands in worship. We experience His holy habitation in our hearts. We are blessed to fellowship with holy men and women. We continue to climb the holy hill and have our habitation in the holy city.
I have prayed and asked the LORD through the Spirit of God to release in my life, the church, and the true church universal His Operations of the Spirit in might and power of awesome deeds of righteousness.
Last Saturday night in a dream, I saw written out, Preach about the righteousness of Trey Gowdy. That message took some pondering. Why would the LORD want me to preach on the righteousness of Trey Gowdy? What would that look like? I realized the LORD was declaring Trey Gowdy a righteous man. If so, then the awesome deeds of righteousness (Psa. 65:4-5) would be his portion. I did ask the LORD recently who are those who are righteous in the earth? I am not sure I expected an answer. I was only pondering the Word of God. I did pray and declare the word on Monday as we were driving back to Houston. Last night in prayer we again released through the operations of the Spirit of God deeds of righteousness to Trey Gowdy.
Friday I went to a prayer meeting in Houston hosted by Phyllis Garrett. I shared the dream and prayer action. Phyllis pointed out that after I had prayed on Monday, Trey Gowdy wrote his letter on Tuesday to Jeff Sessions requesting a special prosecutor to investigate the F.B.I. and Justice Department. This would be a deed of righteousness.
I was slow in responding to this directive because I didn’t understand. I had asked the LORD for the grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ and the Office I stand in to be used in OPERATIONS of the Spirit of God. Instead of immediately acting on the directive, I pondered the message on Sunday and didn’t release it until Monday, March 5th. I have to get fine tuned and keener to act and obey when the LORD speaks even when I don’t understand what I am doing.
Is there a connection between the message the LORD gave me and the action taken by Trey Gowdy? I cannot say. That is not for me to say. However, we must be quick to obey.
“Christianity has a king, who is both “holy” and “undefiled.” He is an active king-priest, who has designed a temple not made with man’s hands. He is crafting components without a hammer being heard in the holy city. His work is with His people on the earth. His Temple structure bases everything on the apostles and prophets (holy men) along with Himself as the chief corner stone (the most holy). Living Sanctified-Stones are added to the construction, as they conform to His plan. Just as the prophets fit the plan, so did the apostles, and so it must be in this generation.
Zech. 6:13: He shall build the temple of the Lord; and He shall bear the glory.
Jude, Peter and Paul felt it was not blasphemy to consider themselves equal to, and their ministry coincident with, the patriarchs of the ancient world. They stood as part of the “cloud of witnesses,” joined in synchrony and sanctity along side the ancients who were made “holy” in Him.” (C. R. Oliver)
Believers today have been called to this same “holy” lineage. To us has been given more grace unto the measure of the gift of Christ. To us has been given the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ and the Spirit of God.
God’s gifts are freely given. Anyone upon whom the Holy Spirit falls will unfailingly know it. The outward evidences may be many and varied but the Spirit is One and He is Lord.
There is the Seven-fold spirit of God in Isaiah 11: 1-5: “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 of the Fear of the Lord.”
He is the Holy Spirit of Truth (John 16: 12-15); The Spirit of Holiness (Romans 1:3-7); Holy Spirit of Comfort; The Spirit of Promise (Eph. 1: 2-14); The Spirit of Power (11 Tim. 1: 6-14); The Spirit of Grace (Heb. 10: 26-30); The Spirit of Glory (1 Peter 4: 12-19); The Spirit of Adoption (Romans 8:15); The Spirit of Wisdom; etc. This list is inconclusive.
2 Co. 3:3: Forasmuch as you are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
Roger Teale told me last year I was an “epistle.” I will gladly take that and rejoice.
All the attributes of God’s nature and names; his love, truth, goodness, mercy, long suffering, patience, kindness, power, etc. are invested in the believer through the grace of the OPERATIONS of God.
I have asked the LORD that we will once again allow the Trinity to operate through us laying down the flesh that Christ may be glorified in His Church through the operations of God.
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries Church
Scripture from K. J. V.