Intentionality

in·ten·tion·al·i·ty

inˌtenCHəˈnalitē/

noun

1. 1.    the fact of being deliberate or purposive.

   
   
2. 2.    the quality of mental states (e.g., thoughts, beliefs, desires, hopes) that consists in their being directed toward some object or state of affairs.
3. 
   

This is absolutely my "NEW" catch phrase, buzz word, go to thought.  You name it.  

I'm participating in several studies through my church and on-line, and I keep hearing this word over and over.  

Mark Gungor, in Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage, "intentionality".  He doesn't have a great relationship/marriage because it just is, it's because he has intentionality of purpose in ensuring that his wife is loved, and that his marriage is great.  

Mark Virkler's, 4 Keys to Hearing God's Voice.  Some of us can't just hear God talking to us, some of us of to "intentionally" work at it.  

In Acts it says that Paul learned to be content, not he had prayed for contentment and God granted it to him, but that he learned it.  This indicates an intentionality in purpose to "learn". 

In my Monday class, Fight Back with Joy by Margaret Feinberg, we are learning how to find Joy, and utilize Joy.  But I have noticed that some in my class just don't see that they have Joy in their hearts.  They have suppressed it.  Some have even drowned it without realized it.  

Gifts of the Holy Spirit

I Corinthians 12: 7 The Holy Spirit is given to each of us in a special way. That is for the good of all. 8 To some people the Spirit gives a message of wisdom. To others the same Spirit gives a message of knowledge. 9 To others the same Spirit gives faith. To others that one Spirit gives gifts of healing. 10 To others he gives the power to do miracles. To others he gives the ability to prophesy. To others he gives the ability to tell the spirits apart. To others he gives the ability to speak in different kinds of languages they had not known before. And to still others he gives the ability to explain what was said in those languages. 11 All the gifts are produced by one and the same Spirit. He gives gifts to each person, just as he decides.

Fruits of the Holy Spirit

Galatians 5:22-23 tells us, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” The fruit of the Holy Spirit is the result of the Holy Spirit's presence in the life of a Christian.

When we accept Jesus as our savior, when we believe that His truth will save us, and restore us, and deliver us from evil, He infuses us with the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit indwells us, and remains in us.  He guides us, and convicts us, and loves us completely.  He also gives us the gifts listed in I Corinthians 12.  We don't all get all of these gifts, we do not all get the same gifts, but we do get gifts.  

AND MORE... if we ask.  I wondered for a long long time why I didn't "know" like other people did that I was filled by the Holy Spirit.  I wondered why I couldn't hear God.  I wondered if I was just going through the motions.  I joined my daughters confirmation class, because I hadn't had that opportunity as a 6th grader.  A grown adult sitting in the corner with 22 6th graders.  It's quite funny looking actually.  But I'm learning quite a bit about the history of our church, and about Methodism, John Wesley, and a bunch of other things.  This class breaks down the Apostle's Creed and dives into certain parts of it each week.  Our Pastor's wife, Allyson leads the class.  And she told the kids one day, that the Holy Spirit is in all of us, but to get the gifts, we have to ask Him for them.  We have to ask Him to turn them on, we have to ask Him to come alive in us, we have to surrender to Him, listen to Him.  THIS we have to do "intentionally".  It doesn't just happen.  

God created us with free will, the freedom to choose.  God wants us to come to Him, to surrender to Him, to seek Him.  Not just once, but always, often, daily, every minute of every day.  In order to do this, at first you have to have intentionality. We can choose and accept, believe, surrender, but He doesn't take over once we do this one time.  We have to intentionally keep doing this over and over and over.   

I have been told that if you do something every day for 30 days it will become a habit.  How is one to do something every day for 30 days?  They must intentionally think about it, they must intentionally remind themselves to do it, they must persist with intentionality!!

If I intentionally seek the Lord every day, He will intentionally be with me every day.  In order to use the gifts of the Holy Spirit, I must intentionally ask Him for these gifts, and intentially use them.  In order for the fruits of the Holy Spirit to be mine, I must intentionally as the Holy Spirit to plant the seed of that gift, and then I must intentionally water that seed with the Word, and nurture that seed, with intentionality in order for it to grow.  

There are many great and awesome sites and blogs that can help you cultivate your gifts and your Joy with intentionality:

7 Things You Need to Know

7 Ways to Cultivate Joy

How to Find Joy "IN" Suffering

Bible Verses about Joy

These are just a few to help you get started if you are lost and unaware of the Fruit of Joy that God has given you.  I would also recommend that you talk to someone, ANYONE, that will listen.  I am more than willing to talk with you.  I am not a therapist, psychologist, or licensed anything.  But I can be a friend if you need one.  jrpodgurski27@gmail.com. 

AND I recommend Fighting Back with Joy by Margaret Feinberg.  Go to her website, and sign up for her daily emails.  SHE is an awesome and inspiring lady, who has overcome a lot, through Joy.  She has daily inspirational emails that almost always are something I need to hear.  AND as always, knee-mail to God, talk with Him, build your relationship with Him.  Talk with Him, He will respond.  Sometimes He will yell in your head so loud you can't focus, if you just let Him.  

INTENTIONALITY:  doing something deliberately, with purpose, repetitively, in order to achieve an outcome or state of mind.  

Acts Chapter 2

The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost

1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. 5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs--we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?" 13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine. "

At the Feast of Pentecost, in Jerusalem, the Church was born.  With the sound of tornadic capable winds (just the sound, not the actual winds), and tongues of fire that didn't burn, the Holy Spirit baptized the Apostles, and the Church was born.  

"The were filled with the Holy Spirit".  FILLED with the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit was IN them.  Yes, IN them.  This is an amazing feeling, when you let Him in.  

Peter Addresses the Crowd

14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 " 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below,blood and fire and billows of smoke. 20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. 21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' 22 "Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him,as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. 25 David said about him: " 'I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, 27 because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. 28 You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.' 29 "Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. 33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, " 'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand 35 until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." ' 36 "Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." 37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" 38 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call." 40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

Acts 2:34  “For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.””  At this point I must question, if he did not ascend to the heavens, then where is he?  Is he in Abraham's bosom, with Abraham and Lazarus?  I've heard some say that Christ cleared this out and took those souls with him when he left Hades.  I've heard Sh'eol referred to as just in the ground waiting.   J Vernon McGee says, David will be raised with the Old Testament saints to live on this earth someday.  Why? And where are they now?  Questions I am adding to my research list.  And will come back to here when I have the answers.  

The Fellowship of the Believers

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Notice here it says "And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." This is awesome, and tells you, it's not what we do, but the Lord does it.  He tells us to go, share the Word, share the Way, share the "Good News" of Jesus Christ, and once we do that, then HE brings them in.  He does the work.  This is fabulous, utterly and amazingly fabulous.  

Gifts from the Holy Spirit (Part 1 of 2)

According to Wikipedia:  The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit is an enumeration of seven spiritual gifts originating with patristic authors, later elaborated by five intellectual virtues and four other groups of ethical characteristics. They are: wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge, fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord (wonder and awe).  **Take note that wikipedia did not mention Speaking in tongues, nor Interpretation of tongues.  Many of the sites I found did not mention tongues at all.  Speaking and interpreting tongues is believed by some to no longer be a gift of the Holy Spirit to mankind currently.  I find no reason to believe that this gift is no longer available to us, when the others clearly are still given.  I have not experienced it in person, but know people that say that they have.    


1 Corinthians 12 (CJB)
4 Now there are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit gives them. 5 Also there are different ways of serving, but it is the same Lord being served. 6 And there are different modes of working, but it is the same God working them all in everyone. 7 Moreover, to each person is given the particular manifestation of the Spirit that will be for the common good. 8 To one, through the Spirit, is given a word of wisdom; to another, a word of knowledge, in accordance with the same Spirit; 9 to another, faith, by the same Spirit; and to another, gifts of healing, by the one Spirit; 10 to another, the working of miracles; to another, prophecy; to another, the ability to judge between spirits; to another, the ability to speak in different kinds of tongues; and to yet another, the ability to interpret tongues. 11 One and the same Spirit is at work in all these things, distributing to each person as he chooses. 

So if we break those out:

1.  Word of wisdom
The spiritual gift of wisdom, like the gift of knowledge, is also referred to as the “word of wisdom” or “utterance of wisdom.”  The Greek word for wisdom is sophia and it refers to the intimate understanding of God’s Word and His commandments which results in holy and upright living.  In the context of 1 Corinthians 12:8, it means to speak to the life of an individual or to a specific situation with great understanding and a righteous perspective, with the goal of guiding others toward a life of holiness and worship. *

2.  Word of knowledge
The spiritual gift of knowledge is also known as the “word of knowledge” or “utterance of knowledge.”  The Greek word for this gift is Gnosis and it simply means knowledge and understanding.  The Scriptural emphasis in 1 Corinthians 12:8 is on the ability to speak this knowledge to others in a given situation.  In the opening passages of 1 Corinthians, Paul spoke of knowledge and recognized that the highest form of knowledge among men is the Gospel of Jesus Christ (i.e. the testimony about Christ, cf. 1 Corinthians 1:4-7).  What we can conclude then is the gift of knowledge is an understanding of the things in this world and in our lives that is founded in the Gospel and rooted in the Scriptures.  This gift is closely related to the gift of wisdom which is alluded to by Paul in 1 Corinthians 1:18-31.*

3.  Gift of Faith
The spiritual gift of faith is not to be confused with saving faith.  All Christians have been given saving faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), but not all receive this special gift of faith.  The word for faith in the New Testament is Pistis.  It carries the notion of confidence, certainty, trust, and assurance in the object of faith.  The gift of faith is rooted in one’s saving faith in Christ and the trust that comes through a close relationship with the Savior.  Those with this gift have a trust and confidence in God that allows them to live boldly for Him and manifest that faith in mighty ways.*

4.  Gift of Healing
The spiritual gift of healing found in 1 Corinthians 12:9 is actually plural in the Greek.  Charismata iamaton is literally translated “gifts of healings.”  This spiritual gift is closely related to the gifts of faith and miracles.  All spiritual gifts are to be exercised in faith, but gifts of healings involve a special measure of it.  This gift is interesting in that there is no guarantee that a person will always be able to heal anyone he or she desires.  It is subject to the sovereign will of God, as all spiritual gifts are.*

5.  Working Miracles
The spiritual gift of miracles is described in Scripture much like the gift of healing.  It is found in 1 Corinthians 12:10 and the Greek phrase energemata dynameon literally translates “workings of powers.”  The double plural most likely means that these gifts were diverse and were not permanently available at the will of the gifted believer, but instead were bestowed at various times and circumstances.  Thus, the gifts are subject to the divine will of God and His purposes and are not decided by the one who performs the miraculous works.*

6.  Prophecy
This is the spiritual gift where the Spirit empowers certain Christians to receive revelation and speak powerful messages from God to people.  See Romans 12:6, I Corinthians 12:10, 14:1-5, 30-33,Ephesians 4:11, I Peter 1:20-21.*

7.  Discerning spirits 
The spiritual gift of discernment is also known as the gift of "discernment of spirits" or "distinguishing between spirits."  The Greek word for the gift of discernment is Diakrisis.  The word describes being able to distinguish, discern, judge or appraise a person, statement, situation, or environment.  In the New Testament it describes the ability to distinguish between spirits as in 1 Corinthians 12:10, and to discern good and evil as in Hebrews 5:14.*

8.  Speak in tongues
This is the spiritual gift where the Spirit enables a Christian to supernaturally speak a previously unknown language.  See I Corinthians 12:10, 30, 14:4, 39, Acts 2:4, Acts 19:6.*

9.  Interpret tongues
This is the spiritual gift where the Spirit gives certain Christians the ability to clarify and interpret messages uttered in an unknown language. See I Corinthians 12:10.*

(Definitions provided by:  http://www.spiritualgiftstest.com/spiritual-gifts they had all the work done already, and they are spot on, so yes I'm sharing with you their information)

Spiritual Gifts Test also listed a few other "gifts" and where they can be found in scripture.  I copied them so that you would have a complete picture and listed them next.  I recommend this site if your curious about the gifts.    

The spiritual gifts listed below are found in three passages: Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:8-10;28-30, and Ephesians 4:11

Administration

Knowledge

Apostleship

Leadership

Discernment

Mercy
Evangelism

Miracles

Exhortation

Pastor/Shepherd

Faith

Prophecy
Giving

Serving/Ministering

Healing

Teaching

Interpretation of Tongues
Speaking in Tongues
Wisdom


This site has a test that you can take to see which gifts are yours.  I took it a few days ago, and think it was spot on.  Be honest when you take the test and it might just enlighten you in ways you hadn't thought of.  

Spiritual Gifts Test: Adults  

Spiritual Gifts Test: Youth

Please feel free to share your results in the comments section.  I'd be interested in seeing if your results were as accurate as mine.  

In part two, I will look at the gifts of Tongues in closer detail, hope to see you then. 

Shalom...  Peace be with you.