Recognize Him at Work
We
need to learn to recognize the working of the Holy Spirit in our life. We need
to recognize Him in our day to day activates. As the Holy Spirit is God and a Person, you
can know His working in your life.
Many
times when we travel we see on the road a sign board mentioning, “MEN AT WORK”,
so we become careful while travelling. When we travel into unknown terrain, when we see police vehicles
we be come happy and confident. In the same way when we recognize the Spirit of
God working among us, we will become more confident and sure.
“And they went out and
proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and
confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied,”
(Mark 16:20).
The
Lord ‘working among them’ was their
confidence and strength. In the same way
when we see the work of the Spirit in us and among us we will have a greater
confidence in things that we do.
Just
a few week before my marriage, I called my friends in Orissa to inform them
about the marriage, all of them where very glad when they heard about it, many
screamed congratulations over the phone, but I still remember, when I talked to
Dorris didi, when she said ‘Congratulation’ I was hit by the power of God, from
the crown of the head to the toes. That was time that I recognized that the
Holy Spirit was at work in my marriage. Many times when I took steps towards
the marriage in the words I spoke and the things that I did, I experienced the
tangible presence of the Lord within me that gave me the assurance that the
timing for the marriage was perfect. The power of God that manifested in me was
awesome just before the marriage, at the time of marriage and even after the
marriage God is with me powerfully. These experiences help us to recognize the
Spirit of God at work in our lives.
There
are two things you need to do when you recognize the working of the Holy Spirit
in you or others.
Number
one, give the Holy Spirit freedom to continue to work, by cooperating with Him, by following His promptings,
taking the steps as led by the Spirit,
and speaking the right words.
When
the Council at Jerusalem got together to
discuss the hot topic of the day “Unless you are circumcised according to the
custom of Moses, you cannot be saved”, there were much discussion and debate
regarding this topic. Apostle Peter, Paul, Barnabas and James spoke on this
topic. Each one spoke, how they had seen ‘the working of the Holy Spirit’ among
the gentiles’ and their conclusion was “Therefore I have reached the decision that we should not trouble those Gentiles who are turning to God,…”(Acts
15:19)
They
wrote a letter and gave it to Barnabas and Silas to take it to Antioch and to
be delivered to the congregation there. One of the statements in the Letter is “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and
to us to impose on you no further burden than those essentials,” (Acts 15:28).
It
looks that when the apostles and elders got together to discuss the topic, the
Spirit of God was present there. He anointed their words, they sensed His
tangible presence in all that they
spoke. And the Holy Spirit brought into the mind of the Apostle James a Word of
God that confirmed that it was the Holy Spirit at work among the gentiles. As
soon as the Apostles recognized the work of the Holy Spirit among the gentiles,
they allowed the work among the gentiles to continue.
And
the Second one is when you see the work of the Spirit in you and among others,
keep your hands off it. Do not try to hinder the works of the Spirit, by a wrong
attitude and judgemental words. Do not try to mimic was God is doing. Do not try
to steady the things that the Spirit of God is doing. And do not try to stand before the Spirit of
God as a stumbling block when He is moving or leading. When Pharaohs army kept
pursing the Prophet Moses and the Israelites they landed up in the Red Sea,
because of pride they had hardened their hearts that is why they could not see
the Spirit of God at work.
In
the Old Testament we find another incident, where we find a rebellion against
Moses, this rebellion came out because of self ambition and jealousy.
“Now Korah son of Izhar son of
Kohath, son of Levi, along with Dathan and Abhiram sons of Eliab, and On son of
Peleth descendants of Reuben took two hundred fifty Israelite men, leaders of
the congregation chosen from the assembly, well known men, and they confronted
Moses. They assembled against Moses and against Araon, and said to them. “You
have gone too far. All the congregation are holy, everyone of them, and the Lord
is amlleong them. So why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the
Lord.” When Moses heard it, he fell on his face,”
(Numbers 16: 1-4).
Not
ready to recognize the call of God on Moses and the sacred Anointing that was
upon him; they rebelled against the Spirit of God. They were not humble enough
to appreciate Gods Spirit at work in the Prophet. Not that they did not know
that God was at work in Moses and Aaron. They had seen it, experienced it and
eaten the fruit of the ministry that flowed out of the life of the Prophet.
Many
of the opposition are based on misinformation’s that ordinary people and
leaders gather from gossip, slander, jealously hearts. Information’s from the
hearts that are impure. Korah and his team where feeding 250 leaders, who were
well known men, false information’s.
Many
times we do not approve the work of the Holy Spirit in others not because of
ignorance but because of pride, jealously, selfishness, bitterness and anger.
“While they were at Hazeroth ,
Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses… And they said, “Has the Lord spoken only
through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it. Now
the man Moses was very humble, more so than anyone else on the face of the
earth…” (Numbers 12 1-10).
Miriam
and Aaron were his own sister and brother, but out of bitterness they spoke
against Moses. Against his call and the sacred Anointing that was upon him. God
was angry and Miriam because a leper, an outcast. Be careful when you speak
against the Anointing, you will become an outcast in the sight of God.
Many
years ago I heard a real life incident that took place in India. One person
used to always slander a servant of God, he kept writing against him in
magazines. And one day the anger of the Lord descended upon him and his
daughter became leprous. One day this
man brought his daughter for prayer to this beloved servant of God, when the
servant of God saw this girl from a distance, he kept shouting “it’s a curse,
it’s a curse”. He was not led to pray for healing by the Spirit of God.
The
Bible tells us “… If one person sins
against another, someone can intercede for the sinner with the Lord; but if
someone sins against the Lord, who can make intercession?” (1 Samuel 2:25).
When
the Pharisees did not recognize the Sacred Anointing that was upon Jesus of
Nazareth, Jesus left a word of warning
for all the generations to come “Therefore
I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, but blasphemy
against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Whoever speaks a word against the Son
of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be
forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come,” (Matthew 12:31-32).
In
the Old Testament we see another
incident which took place when the Ark was being brought from
Kiriath-jearim , “When they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzzah put out his
hand to hold the ark, for the oxen shook it. The anger of the Lord was kindled
against Uzzah; he struck him down because he put out his hand to the ark; and
he died there before God,” (IChronicles 13: 9).
It
was not for Uzzah to steady the Ark. It was not for Uzzah to prevent what God
was doing. God was at work.
In
the New Testament, we find the High Priest was enraged against the Apostles for
preaching in the Name of Jesus. He planned to kill them. But the wisdom of God spoke through Gamaliel,
when he said, “So, in the present case, I
tell you, keep away from these men and
let them alone; because if this plan or these undertaking is of human origin,
it will fail; but it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them, in that
case you may even be even found fighting against God!” (Acts 5:38-39).
The
worst that can happen to a believer is when he is found fighting against
God. When you talk against what God is
doing in another person’s life, work against it and pray against it you will be
found fighting against God.
Learn
to recognize the Holy Spirit at work in your own life, in your relationships,
and in others. When the Holy Spirit is at work in a person and you bless that
person, you will be blessed.
“I will bless those who bless
you and the one who curses you I will curse…” (Genesis
12:3a).
Great
things will happen to us when we bless those whom God is blessing. And remember
you cannot curse what God is blessing.
(From the forthcoming book "Amazing Holy Spirit: He Leads" by Antony Thomas
