Multiplicity and The Holy Spirit

They had this funny movie with Michael Keaton a while back called “Multiplicity,” where the man multiplied himself to try to make life easier only it was a little harder keeping track of so many physical copies of himself, and his wife did not know that he duplicated his body. The more he duplicated himself, the models sort of got dumber. The movie “Click” was similar to a person that is just too busy all the time and spreads himself thin in life, and can’t keep up with it all. I think about that many times at how limited I am in helping others.

Jesus had that problem when he took on flesh that he limited himself to an earthly body. It’s not technically Jesus that comes lives in our heart, but it’s Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Jesus is in a physical body at the right hand of God – it says He ever lives to make intercession for us. Hebrews 7:25

I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. John 12:24

That is why we see several references to the Holy Spirit in the New Testament (Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Acts 5:3)

(The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it." Acts 8:29 v. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.)

(While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." Acts 13:2)

When the prophets spoke in the Old Testament ---just read through it, they said, “Thus saith the Lord,” but when the prophets speak in the New Testament they say, “Thus saith the Holy Spirit.” Jesus said that he would forgive people saying that he was motivated by the devil, but it would not be forgiven against the Holy Spirit.

(Coming over to us, he took Paul's belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, "The Holy Spirit says, 'In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.'" Act 21:11)

(Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. Matthew 12:32)

There are exceptions where Saul (Paul’s) vision of Jesus where he actually saw Jesus as blinding light and when Stephen was being stone, he saw the heavens open and Jesus standing on the right hand of God.

Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." Act 7:56

About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.' Then I asked, 'Who are you, Lord?' "'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,' the Lord replied. Acts 26:13- 15

From what I can determine, the spirit of God would come upon people like Samson, but not live inside them after the fall of Adam. The angel guarded the tree of life so man would not live forever in a fallen spiritual state. It says the spirit of God runs to and fro through the earth 2 Chronicles 16:9 and that the spirit of God hovered on the waters to create the worlds. Genesis 1:2

This “hovering” is like a cloud and we see other examples of the glory of God was like a cloud.

So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels. Exodus 40:38

Then the glory of the Lord departed from over the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim. While I watched, the cherubim spread their wings and rose from the ground, and as they went, the wheels went with them.

They stopped at the entrance to the east gate of the Lord’s house, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them. Ezekiel 10:18-19

Then the cherubim, with the wheels beside them, spread their wings, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them. Ezekiel 11:22

The cloud of the Lord was over them by day when they set out from the camp. Numbers 10:34

It says that the spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in us, and it will quicken our mortal body so life (healing power) is through the spirit of God. Healing is a spiritual thing – we see many times healing as a physical thing. Doctors can treat symptoms, but they count on the healing powers of the body, and if it’s beyond our body to heal itself, we have to count on the healing power of God.

For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. 2 Cor. 4:1

John said, “beloved I wish you would be in health even as your soul is prospering.” So healing seems to be related to our soul prospering.

Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. 3 John 1:2

I don’t think that many Christians understand the voice of God, or let’s call it the voice of God in our spirit man. I was going to a hospital the other day to visit a friend and I stopped at this stop light and I just felt this “compelling” to go visit this church. One time I was standing in line at Starbucks and this girl was talking about Ouija boards, and I felt I should say something “a compelling” but I did not because it was not my conversation, and I felt bad afterwards that I did not follow the compelling of my spirit. Paul had a vision of man compelling him to come to Macedonia.

During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." Acts 16:9

Sometimes, we are just following the great commission and at other times, we are actually “sent” by God to do a particular thing. Sometimes it’s having a talent like playing an instrument or singing and we use that gift for God. We don’t want to hide our talent like the man did in the Bible. Paul talked about how the love of Christ “compels” us:

For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 2 Cor. 5:14-15

We never know if one of our children or even a grandchild may go in the mission field in the future. It’s multiplicity. God said, “Be fruitful and multiply.” One way we multiply ourselves is to make disciples of Jesus. t’s teaching men how to fish and teaching them God's word.

Although, one problem is that there are so few shepherds in life. God’s word says that “my people perish because of lack of knowledge.” There is not much real teaching going forth at some churches and so there is not a strong foundation or love of God’s word in people’s lives. Jesus said his people are like sheep without a shepherd.

Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but one who keeps the law is blessed. Proverbs 29:18

When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. Mark 6:34

A true shepherd will not abandon the sheep (does not give up on us). No matter how weak a sheep is. David understood that when he ran after the sheep in the bear’s and the lion’s mouth, but lost sight of it when he stole another man’s sheep (Bathsheba). Sometimes people lose sight of the role of a good shepherd. I’ve noticed at times, I’ve had to turn people over to God, because I can’t save anyone, but God is capable of saving them and it becomes a real battle of prayer for them.

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. John 10:11-12

I can credit my born-again experience to that my sister and her church were praying for me, I know that their prayers before the throne of God made “the difference” or filled in the gap in my life.

Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. Isaiah 59:1