Kingdom Fellowship: Power of Sharing-Distribution
God’s ultimate purpose in the redemptive work of Christ is for man to partake of His holiness. In the process of sanctification, the redeemed is gradually transformed into the image of the Son of God. Christlikeness is a mark of glory. The Holy Spirit outpouring is intimately involved in this critical working of God in the life of believers.
“And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one.” John 17:22.
Even Moses, the great leader, asked the Lord to reveal His glory, that was intended to shape his personality and influence his leadership.
“Please, show me Your glory.” Exodus 33:18.
And the Lord proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty……..” Exodus 34:6-7.
Prophetic writings intimated us with this awesome plan of God for His redeemed people. His presence to dwell within them and walk among them.
“So I prophesied as He commanded me and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.” Ezekiel 37:10
“I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land….” Ezekiel 37:14.
“And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.” Joel 2:28.
God created everything, including man, to reveal and reflect the glory of His mastery in creation. Glory is the mark of excellence in form and function!!!
“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoices like a strong man to run its race….” Psalm 19:1-5.
Man can only declare the glory of God (sonship), through the power of the Living Word and abiding presence and workings of the Holy spirit!!!
“…..For He is like a refiner’s fire and like launders’ soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi.” Malachi 3:2-3.
“But to you who fear My name, the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; and you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves. You shall trample the wicked…” Malachi 4:2-3.
In this exposition of Fellowship (Koinonia), we found that there is the last aspect which is the ‘outcome of fellowship’ or ‘sharing in common’ or distribution or giving.
According to Merriam-Webster dictionary,
To share is defined:
- To tell (thoughts, feelings, experiences, etc) to others.
- To have in common
- To partake of, use, experience, occupy or enjoy with others.
- To divide and distribute in shares; apportion
Christ abides with His people through the Holy Spirit. You will receive the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. You operate in a heavenly Kingdom and must have a deep experiential knowledge of the King and His resources, to truly prosper.
“I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no Savior. I have declared and saved. I have proclaimed, and there was no foreign god among you. Therefore, you are My witnesses, says the Lord, ‘that I am God.” Isaiah 43:11-12.
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8.
The Kingdom of heaven is a Kingdom of the King’s Righteousness. It is a dominion of peace, joy and power. The righteous King shares and distributes an outpouring of the Holy Spirit with His people!!!
“I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Matt. 3:11.
“For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.” Mark 9:49.
“For the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.” Romans 14:17-18.
“For the Kingdom of God is not in word but in power.” 1 Corinth. 4:20.
To be wise and faithful in your service to the King; to be acceptable and approved by God in your assignments, you need His presence and power.
The life of Jesus Christ, while He walked this earth, provides us with powerful illustration of our need for fellowship with the Father, through the Holy Spirit.
“Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me? But Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then he allowed Him.” Matt. 3:13-15.
“When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.” Luke 3:21-22.
Even the Lord Jesus had to submit to a man, as an example to us, for water baptism according to God’s righteous decree. We understand through the Scriptures that baptism is an outward demonstration of a heart devoted to God.
Subsequently, Jesus prayed to receive full impartation and fellowship with the Holy Spirit as an example for all believers.
“These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.” Acts 1:14.
“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.” Acts 2:1-2.
Now that you have been positioned right with God through faith in Christ atonement, you are now a vessel of honor made ready to fellowship with the triune God through His spirit.
“But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctifiedand useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.” 2 Tim.2:20-12.
The outcome of communion in the promises of God, through faith and partnership with Christ, is becoming a vessel of honor in whom God dwells through the Spirit.
Fellowship is an intimate relationship of experiencing shared life with God and others. The Holy spirit is distributed, with accompanying gifts, into the lives of God’s redeemed people. This has been God’s original intent before the creation of the world.
So earnestly desire for the Holy spirit impartation. Pray for Him and Wait for Him to come. The Spirit ushers in the love of God, divine wisdom, strength in your walk of faith and deeper understanding of the will of God. And power to walk humbly in obedience to God’s word and many other benefits. He is truly our helper, counselor, advocate and comforter. He reveals deep and secret things, even the deep things of God. Hallelujah!!!
“If you then being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.” Luke 11:13.
The Holy Spirit ushers the riches of Christ into our lives such as:
- Love of God. We are suddenly made aware of God’s unconditional love for us. The Spirit of God bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. Romans 5:5; 8:16.
- Deeper level of faith in trials. The Spirit of God that ushers in the deeper awareness and delight in Christ, also comforts us and gives us the inner strength to endure afflictions as we cling onto the promises of God. 2 Corinth. 1:9-11.
- Integrity in our Christian walk. The Spirit helps us to be firmly persuaded of our righteous standing before God because of Christ righteousness. He also convicts us over hidden sins so we can confess them and remain in righteous standing before the throne room. Without the Spirit, we tend to be short-sighted and don’t see our fault, but rather magnify the faults we see in others in self-righteous posture due to pride. 1 John 1:5-7; John 16:8-11.
- Hope in the promises of God. When waiting for God’s promises, for some reasons we may never know here, it takes a very long time. We need the Spirit of hope to grant us peace and joy of the Lord as we patiently wait for God to fulfill His word. Romans 15:13.
- Divine wisdom to handle complex situations in life. Life is full of complicated circumstances. You know His word but you need his guidance and direction on how to prevail over difficult life circumstances. The Spirit of God reveals deep things to our spirit in whatever way He deems fit. Daniel 2:20-23.
- Fear of God. This awesome attribute of Christ is paramount to a life dedicated to the will of God. A deep and unquenchable desire to walk in obedience to God is developed through the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. Isaiah 11:2-4; Psalm 34:11-14.
- Boldness to witness for Christ. The fear of man and distractions of our world often hinders our ability to share the gospel with courage. However, with prayers, the Spirit comes in power to enable us speak with authority about the gospel of reconciliation in Christ Jesus.
Apostle Paul made some powerful prayers imploring the wisdom and power of fellowship with the Holy Spirit.
“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling; what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe……” Ephesians 1:17-19.
“We ask God to give you complete knowledge of His will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. We also pray that you will be strengthened with all His glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to His people, who live in the light.” Colossians 1: 9-12.
Prayers
Our heavenly Father we come to You in the name of Jesus. We thank You for Your faithfulness. Thank You for Your surpassing wisdom and power. Thank You that You invited us into fellowship with Your Son, Jesus Christ. We are grateful that Your thoughts toward us are precious and wonderful. We pray that You strengthen us with power through Your Spirit and may we live to the glory of the Lord, fully pleasing You in all things, in Jesus mighty name. Amen.
Author : Prophet (Dr) Godwin Izuegbunam