Real Spiritual Gifts...

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
(1 Corinthians 12:1-11 ESV)
Paul had his hands full with the issues of the Corinthian church: selfishness, sexual sin, spiritual misunderstanding.  Here he tackles spiritual gifts - everyone wanted them and wanted them seen. But Paul calls for a different picture - one where the Spirit is heard more than seen - in our speaking up for Christ; one where were serve with others' benefit in mind more than our own; one where the Holy Spirit shines and unifies.  That's the way His presence is known.

More Marks of the Spirit at work...

Romans 12:9-13 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. 
Paul has just painted a picture of the Body of Christ with everyone doing their part as members, using the gifts He has given through the Spirit.  He now goes on to add detail to that picture by painting different frames of what it looks like in motion.   Each one requires more than one person in the picture.  We cannot really show love or the work of the Spirit alone.  It is in our actions and attitudes toward one another that we let the Spirit show He is there.  Even those that could be done alone: abhoring what is evil, hoding fast to what is good, being zealous and fervent, serving and rejoicing, praying - these are much clearer when we do them together, when we are agreeing on them and taking a stand, together.  May He show today.

Sober thinking on Spiritual Gifts...

Romans 12:3-8 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. 
The key starting point for thinking about spiritual gifts is "We, not me."  The pull of the old sinful nature is self-centeredness.  We focus on ourselves, think about how wonderful I am; we lose sight of the fact that we are part of a body, and we need all the other parts.  We need to stop searching for what the Body can do for us, and think about what we can do for the Body.

Seeing the Spirit... in our churches...

1 Thessalonians 1:2-10 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. 
How can we see the presence of the Holy Spirit in our churches?  Paul mentions several ways in his words to this church.  People are serving Christ, not out of obligation, wuth with sincere hearts.  They are responsive to the Word of God, and want to live by it, not the standards of this world.  And they are watching and waiting in faith for Christ to return, as He said; the Holy Spirit confirms that we are the children of God, and as such, we want to be with Him.  May it be so among us.

The sign of the Spirit: selflessness

Romans 14:13-19 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. 
Paul knew the Holy Spirit well.  He had seen Him at work; he had learned to hear His voice; he had been empowered by His gifts.  But the truest evidence of the Holy Spirit in God's people is Christlike character - a selflessness that serves.  When the Holy Spirit is at work, right relationships, peace and joy flow freely.  We look out for one another, stop passing judgment, and seek what edifies the other. It is a pursuit - it does not come easily or even naturally; it comes supernaturally from Him. Pursue it.

From Disciples to Believers...

Acts 19:1-7 And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John's baptism.” And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. There were about twelve men in all. 
This passage has differences and similaritities with some of the other passage that record the giving of the Holy Spirit.  The first key is that they were disciples when Paul first meant them. That is the term used in the gospels of both disciples of John and Jesus.  These disciples had not received the gift of the Holy Spirit because they had not believed in Christ as the Messiah; they had repentance but not faith, and then were baptized to demonstrate that faith.  This is one of the rare occasions where the laying on of hands is mentioned in the giving of the Spirit, where it is a clear testimony to others that this is a signficant change in where the Church was going - Followers of John are now joining the Church.

When the Spirit is obvious...

Acts 11:12-18 And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man's house. And he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter; he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’ As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?” When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.” 
Not every event of the giving of the Holy Spirit is the same, but there are enough similarities so we know.  Peter had learned to listen to His voice.  He saw the signs they had seen in Acts 2.  And he saw the results in peoples' lives - "Repentance that leads to life."  Though the order in Acts differs as to when they believed, were baptized or received the Holy Spirit, one thing that always was there was repentence and faith, and great joy.  Those are signs enough in every situation to see that the Spirit has been given.