We need to be careful and exercise some caution where the laying on of hands is concerned.

‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭5‬:‭22‬ ‭ESV‬‬ says

“Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure.”

Acts‬ ‭13‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.”

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Laying on of hands can be used as a means to commission people for leadership or service.

Mark‬ ‭16‬:‭17‬-‭18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.””

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These signs are to follow anyone who believes!

Matthew‬ ‭19‬:‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“And he placed his hands on their heads and blessed them before he left.”

Laying on of hands can be used to impart blessings and we can see examples of this both in the Old and in the New Testament.

What is the laying on of hands about and why is it important enough to earn a place as one of the foundational doctrines? What spiritual purpose does it serve? One of the purposes we can see from the Bible is ‘impartation’.

Acts‬ ‭8‬:‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬ says “Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit.”

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Luke‬ ‭11‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“So if you sinful people 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.”

Jesus promised to give us the gift of the Holy Spirit so how do we receive this precious gift?

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Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭16‬ ‭TPT

“You can spot them by their actions, for the fruits of their character will be obvious...”

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When we’ve been baptised with the Holy Spirit and we allow the Holy Spirit to take charge of our lives, there are two manifestations that we should expect to see. One is the fruit and the other are the gifts.

Why do we still struggle so much with sin, even after we have accepted Jesus into our lives?

Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬ says

“So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.”

John‬ ‭14:26 NKJV

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”

As believers each one of us has access to a personal helper who knows all things, past, present and future and who can teach us everything that we need to know. Wow!

How was Jesus able to fulfil his purpose on earth and achieve all that he did?

Acts‬ ‭10‬:‭38‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ says

“how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”

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