The Governor’s Administration
The primary responsibility of a governor is administra-tion over the territory entrusted to him. Likewise, the heavenly Governor is responsible for governmental administration over the colony of earth. He is present to train kingdom citizens on how to have dominion in the territory, because that’s our official function under his leadership.As we saw in chapter ten, the gifts of the Spirit are the delegation and distribution of powers by the Governor to king-dom citizens, in order to execute government business in the colony. They are for the purpose of impacting the earthly envi-ronment. When the King-Son was on earth, he healed people, cast out demons, did miracles, and even turned water into wine to help out the host of a wedding. He did practical works on earth. He was out solving people’s problems through the power of the Governor. And this is the work he continues in our lives today through the Holy Spirit.
@ Authorized Power Is Given as the Governor Wills @
In an earthly kingdom, the governor was given power by the king to appoint various people to governmental posts in the colony. The same is true concerning the heavenly government. Paul, after listing various gifts of the Spirit, wrote, “All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.” What gifts, and to whom he del-egates them, are his prerogative and responsibility.
We need to learn how to use the authority and power of the Governor in the right way so we can deliver his wonderful works to the world and bring about a change of kingdoms on earth.Paul listed a number of gifts of the Spirit in his first letter to the kingdom citizens living in the city of Corinth:Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. To one there is given through the Spirit the message or, “word” of wisdom, to another the message or, “word” of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers [or, “the working of miracles” to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits [or, “discerning of spirits”], to another speak-ing in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.
Authorized Power Is Given for the Service of the Heavenly Government ||
Any authority and power that we receive from the Governor is for the service of the heavenly kingdom; it is not for our private benefit. As the Governor delegates kingdom authority to us, he teaches us, directly and through the Constitution of the kingdom, how to administer his gifts correctly and effectively. He shows us that administration has to do with serving others, not lording it over them. Peter wrote, in his first book, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” Likewise, Paul affirmed,There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.
There are different kinds of service [or “administra-tions”, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.Unfortunately, there are some disturbing trends today in regard to the use of spiritual gifts. Some people are using their gifts to make money off fellow kingdom citizens. They’re “sell-ing” healings by telling people they will become well if they send money to them.
Or they’re abusing their gifts by using, for example, a gift of prophecy to intimidate others by claim-ing to have a message from God that condemns rather than restores or builds up.The purpose of true government is to serve its citizens. Therefore, if the Governor of the heavenly kingdom gives you a gift, you are to use it in service to your fellow kingdom citi-zens. It is not for making money, boosting your ego, or giving you control over others.
Authorized Power Is Not Personal Property
In an earthly government, if a governmental employee is given a car or a computer to carry out his duties, this is not his personal property to use in whatever way he chooses. It is to be used only to help fulfill his official responsibilities. The car or computer doesn’t belong to him; he has to return it if the government requests it or he leaves his employment. His use of such things is a privilege, not a right. The same thing is true of spiritual gifts given by the heav-enly government. Some kingdom citizens, however, start to believe that the power they have been authorized to use by the Governor actually comes from their own abilities. This leads to the problem we just discussed, that of using this power for their own purposes. This is dangerous for both the person abusing the power and the ones he is supposed to be serving. He fails to fulfill his call, and the ones who are meant to benefit from his service go without the help they could have received. #The Authorization of Power Addresses All the Needs of the Colony# The Governor, in conjunction with the King Son, del-egates power to kingdom citizens in order to address all the needs of the colony for the greatest impact of the heavenly kingdom on earth.
Paul wrote to the kingdom citizens in the city of Ephesus,It was Jesus who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pas-tors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowl-edge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Here Paul talked about spiritual gifts in terms of specific roles, which are for building up all citizens in the kingdom. Thus, the kingdom shows its presence by its influence on the people and environment of the world. The authorized power given by the Governor to kingdom citizens also equips them to deal with conf lict and opposition from the kingdom of dark-ness, which exists not to benefit, but to destroy, the inhabitants of earth.
# Manifesting the Authorized
Power of the Governor:
The Gifts of the Spirit in
Kingdom Terms#
Let us now explore nine gifts of the Spirit, as listed by Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians. We will look at them in terms of specific administrations of the Governor on earth. There are three categories of gifts listed:√ Three of them say something.
√ Three of them do something.
√ Three of them reveal something.
The three that “say” are gifts of utterance: prophecy, dif-ferent kinds of tongues, and the interpretation of tongues. The three that “do” are gifts of power: faith, miraculous powers or the working of miracles, and gifts of healing. The three that “reveal” are gifts of revelation: the message or word of wisdom, the message or word of knowledge, and distinguishing or dis-cerning between spirits.
While there are a variety of gifts, they have a unity of purpose serving citizens of the kingdom by enabling them to take on the nature of the King and use the power of the kingdom to transform the earth into the image of heaven. We begin with the revelation gifts, which address things such as facts, events, purpose, motivation, destiny, and whether some-thing is human, whether it is of the kingdom of heaven, or whether it is of the kingdom of darkness.
# The Authorized Word of Wisdom #
“To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom.” The message or word of wisdom is a supernatural revelation by the Holy Spirit concerning the mind and will of God and his divine purposes. It is authorized power from the Governor that gives kingdom cit-izens the ability to know the best thing to do in difficult or per-plexing situations. For example, when you need legal advice, you contact a lawyer, and he gives you legal wisdom that is appropriate to your situation. The word of wisdom is special instructions from the King, through his Governor, about what to say or what to do in a particular instance.There is natural wisdom that can be gained through a knowledge of the Constitution of the kingdom. For example, in the Old Testament book of Joshua, God encouraged Joshua, Moses’ successor, to apply what he learned from the Scriptures in order to have success in life: “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.
Then you will be prosperous and successful.”A word of supernatural wisdom is different from natural wisdom, however, in that it comes directly from the King to a citizen (or citizens) through the Governor, enabling him to deal judiciously in the affairs of life. Scriptural accounts reveal that this wisdom may come in the form of a vision, a dream, an angel (messenger) from the King, or a word or impression given to a kingdom citizen by the Governor. For example, in the life of Paul...
√ The Holy Spirit spoke to kingdom citizens in the city of Antioch, instructing them that they were to set apart Paul and Barnabas for the work of the kingdom to which they were called.
√ When Paul was being taken prisoner by ship to Rome, and the ship encountered a violent storm, Paul received a message of hope and encouragement for all who were on board:I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, “Do not be afraid, Paul.
You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.” So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.Paul’s encouragement, which he received from a messen-ger of the King, showed them how they were to respond to this life-threatening situation.
A word of wisdom may apply to the person who receives it, or it may apply to someone else.
In both instances, the kingdom government is teaching its citizens regarding how to best apply governmental policy and purposes in the colony of earth. # The Authorized Word of Knowledge# “To another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit.” While wisdom is about application, knowledge is about having the information you need to make the best deci-sions in executing delegated authority in the colony.
It refers to the government providing you with the ability to understand its policies; but especially, it gives you the ability to understand what the King is thinking; it is supernatural revelation by the Governor of certain facts in the mind of the King.The King has all knowledge, but he doesn’t reveal every-thing to his citizens. The word of knowledge gives them part of what he knows what they spe-cifically need to know to carry out their assignments.
Some human governments give their employees classified information on a “need to know” basis, which is only what they need to know to fulfill their responsibilities. The word of knowledge operates in a similar way.The word of knowledge may be manifested through an inward revelation, the interpretation of tongues, a word of prophecy, a vision, or an angel. Again, this is not natural knowledge that can be gained from experience or informa-tion, or even a profound acquaintance with the Scriptures. It is supernatural, meaning it is something we would not ordinarily be able to know and cannot learn on our own. For example...
√ Jesus demonstrated a word of knowledge when he talked with a woman he had just met and told her she had had five husbands and was currently living with another man. This demonstration of knowledge was for the purpose of gaining her attention and building faith in the King so she and others would understand how to be reconciled to the heavenly government.
√ A prophet named Agabus was given a word of knowl-edge that a severe famine would afflict the entire Roman world. (In a demonstration of the relationship between the word of knowledge and the word of wisdom, the kingdom citizens took this knowledge and applied it [wisdom], deciding to send relief to kingdom citizens living in Judea.)
√ Peter was given supernatural knowledge that a couple named Ananias and Sapphira were lying about the money they donated to the church.
√ Through a vision, the disciple John was given knowledge of the inner spiritual conditions of seven assemblies of kingdom citizens in Asia, so that he could give them mes-sages of warning and encouragement from the King.Through the word of knowledge, therefore, the Governor may communicate a message from the King to his citizens, saying, “This is what is going wrong here,” or “This is what’s going right in the colony; keep up the good work.” He may also reveal important information to a kingdom citizen, so that he can convey to another citizen what he needs to func-tion properly in the kingdom.
# The Authorized Power of Faith #
“To another faith by the same Spirit.” The authorized power of faith is a supernatural belief or confidence. It is the government providing its citizens with special ability to believe in its policies so they will take action to carry them out.Every kingdom citizen has faith. In fact, the author of the book of Hebrews wrote, “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” The gift of faith, therefore, is not the same as the faith with which we enter the kingdom through belief in the sacrifice of the King-Son on our behalf, and the forgiveness we receive as a result. That faith comes through belief in the Constitu-tion of the kingdom. As Paul wrote, “Faith comes from hear-ing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” Neither is the gift of faith the same thing as the fruit of the Spirit known as “faithfulness.”
Nor is it the faith by which kingdom believers daily live as they trust the King to carry out his purposes through their lives and to bring them encouragement and peace. Again, such faith can be increased through exposure to and application of the King’s Word. Instead, the gift of faith is a special authorization by the government to a kingdom citizen so that he knows, without a doubt, that a particular outcome will ultimately be manifested for the purposes of the kingdom. Some examples of this kind of faith follow.
As you review them, note the close relationship between the gift of faith and the working of miracles. (In this context, one Bible commentator referred to the gift of faith as “wonder-working” faith.)
√ The belief of three Hebrew men, who were governmen-tal officials in the ancient kingdom of Babylon, that God could deliver them even if they were thrown into a blazing furnace.
√ Jesus’ confidence that Lazarus, who had been dead for four days, would be raised to life.
√ The unwavering belief of Peter and John that a man who had been crippled from birth would be healed in the name of Jesus.The gift of faith is therefore the Governor motivating kingdom citizens to trust in the promises and power of the heavenly government. The Governor encourages the citizens to courageously carry out their assignments in the belief that he will take care of everything that needs to be done to accom-plish the work.
# The Authorized Power of Healing #
“To another gifts of healing by that one Spirit.” Gifts of healing are supernatural cures for disease and disability. No natural means are involved, whether medical science or other forms of the application of human knowledge. In terms of the administration of the heavenly government on earth, healing is the King’s commitment to the welfare of his citizens, as well as his program for securing that welfare. This healing power is mentioned in the plural gifts of healing. The word healing is sometimes used in the plural in this context, as well: “gifts of healings.” The plural usage refers to the ability to heal different kinds of diseases. The book of Matthew records, “Jesus was going about in all Galilee, teach-ing in their synagogues, and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.” The gifts of healing address a variety of sickness, both mental and physical, that bring us into disharmony with our-selves, other people, or the King-Father. This would include things such as fear, loneliness, and depression.
Gifts of healing are for the restoration of the whole person. We should recognize that all healing ultimately comes from God, whether it is through a doctor’s care or the body’s natu-ral healing processes. The gifts of healing do not negate doc-tors. However, we should be aware that supernatural healing, a physician’s care, and the body’s natural ability to heal are dis-tinct channels of healing. The first comes from another world, the second only assists the healing ability that our Creator has placed within our own bodies, and the third is an inbuilt capac-ity. In addition, there is a distinc-tion between gifts of healing and our receiving healing by exercis-ing faith in Scriptures that state the King’s desire to heal us.
A person may be healed by applying to himself statements such as this one from the first book of Peter: “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” Yet gifts of healing are manifested through a kingdom citizen to whom the Governor gives a special administration of heal-ing; they occur through the activity of a kingdom citizen as empowered by the Governor. We should also understand that we cannot make gifts of healing, or any of the gifts, operate according to our own wills. They are given only according to the will of the Governor, and we should maintain an open mind to receive whatever gift he may give us.The following are some examples of healing that go beyond medical help and were administered through the intervention of a person empowered by the Governor:
√ A man’s shriveled or withered hand was completely restored; a centurion’s servant who was paralyzed and on his deathbed was cured; a man who was born blind was given his sight; a woman who had suffered from a hemor-rhage for twelve years—and who had been to many physi-cians without help—was made completely well. Each was healed by Jesus working in the power of the Spirit. √ Through Peter’s ministry, a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and bedridden for eight years, was made totally well.
√ Paul healed a man on Malta who suffered from apparently recurring bouts of fever and dysentery.It has been said that healing and compassion go hand in hand. Sympathy alone is ineffective. Sympathy means that you feel sorry for the person, empathize with his illness, and want to help him. Compassion, however, is an almost irresistible urge to free a person from the sickness or problem afflicting him.
There is true passion in compassion that alleviates suffer-ing.In the administration of the kingdom of heaven on earth, therefore, the gifts of healing are the Governor’s authoriza-tion of kingdom citizens to free others from being invaded by anything that is abnormal to the kingdom. In this way, the government shows evidence that it is present and can address negative conditions in the colony. In the kingdom of God, healing is executing justice. The Governor confirms the rights of the citizens to live in wholeness.
# The Authorized Power of Miracles #
“To another miraculous powers.” In one sense, all gifts of the Spirit are miracles because they are beyond our natural experience. But miraculous powers or the working of miracles are specific acts that defy human understanding. They “blow the mind.” As such, a miracle is a supernatural intervention in the ordinary course of nature, a temporary suspension in the accustomed order of things by an act of the Spirit of God. Some examples of this gift include...
√ Moses’ parting of the Red Sea, which allowed the Israelites to escape the pursuing Egyptians on dry ground.
√ The continual flow of a widow’s supply of oil and flour during a famine, through the intervention of the prophet Elijah.√ Jesus’ feeding of more than five thousand people by the multiplication of just five small loaves and two fish. √ Jesus’ raising of Lazarus from the dead.
√ Peter’s raising of Dorcas from the dead.
√ The temporary blinding of Elymas the sorcerer, who opposed Paul’s proclamation of the gospel of the king-dom. Interestingly, the Greek word for miraculous or miracles, in reference to this gift, is dunamis, the same word used for the power that Jesus said would come upon his followers when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them.
1/ Miracles are an “explosion” of kingdom power; they are wonders that bring astonishment to people who witness them.In the administration of the kingdom of heaven on earth, then, miracles are the government providing for the special needs of people. Whatever the miracle is, whether it is sup-plying food, raising the dead, or something else, it is provi-sion. Miracles are not entertainment; they are the result of the Governor, through citizens under his authority, performing actions that confirm the presence of the kingdom and its abil-ity to transform the environment of the colony.
# The Authorized Power of Prophecy#
“To another prophecy.” Prophecy is a message from the King, supernaturally given, in an earthly language known to the hearer or hearers. It is the heavenly government giving its citizens confirmation about information the government has previously told them.Paul wrote this concerning the gift of prophecy:Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men, but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries.
But one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation [or, “comfort”]. One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself; but one who prophesies edifies the church. Now I wish that you all spoke in tongues, but even more that you would prophesy; and greater is one who prophesies than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive edifying.
The purpose of prophecy, Paul said, is for edification, exhortation, and consolation or comfort. He indicated that prophecy is the most important gift of all because it edifies kingdom citizens. The word edification in the Greek means “‘the act of building’in the sense of the promotion of spiritual growth.”
2 It therefore signifies strengthening or building people up in the ways of the kingdom. The Greek word translated exhortation means “‘a calling to one’s side’; hence, either ‘an exhortation, or consolation, comfort.’”
3 Comfort means “‘a speaking closely to anyone,’ hence denotes ‘consolation, comfort,’ with a greater degree of tenderness” than exhortation. I think of this word in the sense of calming people down in the face of difficulty and bringing peace to them.
Paul specifically said that the gift of prophecy should be earnestly sought, for the better-ment of others. As the prophet Joel said, “Your sons and daughters will prophesy,” and “Even on my ser-vants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.”Prophecy is obviously a vital gift to kingdom citizens, but it has been too often misused. Here are some guidelines in using this gift:
1. Prophecy is not one-sided. It must be confirmed by giver and receiver.
2. Prophecy usually confirms something already known by the receiver, rather than being the means of giving direc-tion to that person.
3. Prophecy speaks to the intellect and understanding.
4. Edification, exhortation, and comfort may be delivered through a biblical teaching from a leader in an assembly of kingdom citizens.
5. The gift of prophecy should not be rejected. Paul wrote, “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies.”
6. Prophecy should be tested rather than automatically accepted. Paul also said, “Test everything. Hold on to the good,” and “Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said.”
7. Someone who gives a prophecy is not “under the control” of the prophecy. He has a choice whether or not to speak it and can decide when is an appropriate time to speak it. When someone receives a prophecy, he must draw on the qualities or fruit of the Spirit, exercising self-control in regard to its use.
As Paul said, “For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged,” and “The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.”We should also note that there is a distinction between the gift of prophecy, which all citizens are encouraged to seek, and the office of prophet, which is given by the Spirit to certain kingdom citizens. √ The disciples at Ephesus “spoke in tongues and proph-esied” when they received the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
√ Philip the evangelist had four daughters who prophesied.
√ Agabus the prophet predicted the famine in the Roman world as well as Paul’s being taken prisoner to face Caesar in Rome.The authorized power of prophecy, therefore, is the Governor providing a kingdom citizen with information that supports and encourages his fellow citizens in the life of the kingdom. For example, when the Bahamas was still under the kingdom of Great Britain, we would receive various communications from the government, such as, “A storm is coming, but we have a plan in place to address any problems that may arise.
If something should happen, here’s what the government will do.” Similarly, a prophecy from the heavenly kingdom might be, “You’re going through a tough time, but we’re sending help to address the problems and relieve your distress.” In this way, prophecy is a reminder to kingdom citizens that the heavenly government is still at work on their behalf, no matter what they might be going through. After we have received a prophecy, even if we don’t see it immediately mani-fested, we can know that everything we need is on the way whether it’s deliverance, freedom, peace, or healing.
# The Authorized Power of Discernment #
“To another distinguishing between spirits.” Distinguish-ing between spirits or the discerning of spirits gives a kingdom citizen insight into the supernatural world and its workings. Its revelation is focused on a single class of beings, spirits, and should not be confused with discernment that comes as a result of a word of wisdom. It is not a kind of spiritual mind reading, psychic insight, or mental penetration.
Neither is it the discern-ing of other people’s character or faults. It concerns nonhuman spiritual entities. Some believe it only has to do with discern-ing evil spirits; however, it refers to discerning both good spiritual beings, who are part of the heavenly kingdom, and evil spiritual beings, who are part of the kingdom of darkness. Paul wrote, “Satan himself masquer-ades as an angel of light.” We need to be able to tell whether messages or impressions we receive are from the King or his enemy.One example of the authorized power of discernment is the ability to discern the visible likeness of God.
√ Moses was given this capability, as he recorded in his second book, Exodus:Then the LORD said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”
√Isaiah the prophet was given this capacity through a vision of the holy King of heaven. He wrote,In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were ser-aphs, each with six wings: with two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”Another example of this gift is the revelation of the source of a supernatural manifestation:
√ Paul discerned that the slave girl who had a spirit of divi-nation, or the ability to predict the future, was under the control of the power of the kingdom of darkness, and he cast the demon out of her.
√ A centurion named Cornelius recognized that the angel who appeared to him in a vision was from God, and he acted on the instructions he was given in that vision, so that he and his family and friends were connected to the heavenly kingdom.The authorized power of discernment often works in con-junction with the word of wisdom or the word of knowledge.
#The Authorized Power of Special or Different Kinds of Tongues#
“To another speaking in different kinds of tongues.” Dif-ferent kinds of tongues are supernatural utterances given by the Holy Spirit in languages not necessarily understood by the speaker or hearer. They are either expressions from the Gov-ernor to the King on behalf of the citizens, or expressions from the King through the Governor in response to the citizens. In the previous chapter, we talked about tongues as the initial evidence of a kingdom citizen being filled with the Holy Spirit. The emphasis was on heaven-given languages that every believer may receive.
The purpose of speaking in these tongues is for individual communication with the King-Father. It is mainly a devotional experience through which we praise and worship him and offer him requests. While devo-tional tongues is usually private, and has to do with oneself, the gift of different kinds of tongues is public, and is in regard to others. We may therefore call the gift of different kinds of tongues the public ministry of tongues, as opposed to the personal expression of tongues. The gift of different kinds of tongues is manifested within a gathering of kingdom citizens.
#The Authorized Power of Interpretation of Tongues#
“To still another the interpretation of tongues.” The power of interpretation of tongues is manifested when the Governor reveals to a kingdom citizen the meaning of an utterance spoken in special tongues, and the person speaks that interpretation to the assembly.
I believe the word interpretation is important in this context. This is not a word-for-word translation but an interpretation that makes the communication comprehensible in the human language of the citizens.For example, when we are dealing with human languages, there are some phrases and idioms in one language that cannot be translated into another language on a word by word basis and still convey their essential meaning, especially if colloqui-alisms are involved. This might occur when, for example, we take something spoken in English and interpret it for French-speaking people. For this reason, there may be a difference in length between the original statement and its interpretation. The same thing applies in the interpretation of tongues. An utterance in a heaven-given language may lead to an interpre-tation of longer or shorter length than the original utterance.
Interpretation of tongues obviously does not operate as an independent gift; it is dependent on the gift of tongues. Its purpose is to render the meaning of tongues intelligible to the hearers so that the whole assembly of kingdom citizens can be instructed, warned, strengthened, or encouraged by it. As Paul wrote, “He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified.” Effective Service All these examples of authorized power are very practical and have to do with effective service on behalf of the heavenly kingdom in the colony of earth. Each gift comes from and is working for the same Spirit. Again, the gifts exist to show evi-dence of the presence of the government in the colony and to reveal the benevolent nature of the King and his desire to give the best to his citizens.
All are given by the same Governor, who delegates them as he chooses. He may cause someone to exercise a gift just one time or he may enable him to continu-ally manifest it. We must be sensitive to the ways in which the Governor is working and not try to force something he isn’t doing or quench something he is doing. Receiving the Baptism in the Holy Spirit Authorized power comes through the baptism in the Holy Spirit. All kingdom citizens need this baptism in order to live victoriously on earth and fulfill their calling as ambassadors of the King. As we have seen, receiving the new birth is the first step; being baptized in the Holy Spirit is the second step. With-out the baptism, we’re not pre-pared to live on earth and serve the kingdom of heaven as well as we could.
Many believers have entered into a relationship with the King but have experienced little of the power of the King, which is necessary for kingdom life to be fully and effectively expressed. Spiritual power is the privilege of every believer who seeks to be filled to overflowing with the presence of the Governor. We receive the legal right or authority of the King when we receive the new birth. John the disciple wrote, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God.” But Jesus said we would also receive a different kind of power, a power of enablement, an explosive power: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.” Again, the Greek word translated power here is dunamis, or “miraculous power,” from which we get the word dynamite.5This enablement is present to some degree in conversion, but its fullness is received with the baptism in the Holy Spirit, and as we continue to walk in the Spirit. We receive the personof the Holy Spirit in the new birth, and we receive the powerof the Holy Spirit in the baptism.
