Have you ever wondered, “How far away is heaven?” When Jesus ascended in the glory cloud to join His Father at His right hand, how far did He actually go? Was it “just around the corner” or “to the other side of the moon”? How far away is heaven?
The nearness of heaven is hinted about in the account of Stephen’s death, told in the Book of Acts. Arrested, Stephen bravely faced the Jewish council and being full of the Holy Spirit made his good confession. Filled with rage, the eyes of the Jewish leaders fumed dark with murder but Stephen’s eyes looked upward and in the clearness of a pure heart saw Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father. What was our Lord doing... standing? He was standing with Stephen, leading His Church to victory. Hallelujah! Stephen’s last words were addressed to the One Standing Near, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” Then he fell asleep.
In that courageous moment, how far was Stephen from heaven? How far are you and I from that Holy Assembly? Is heaven any further than a baby can crawl from the safety of his mother’s arms or as far as a kitten can wander from the litter? The Bible teaches that if the veil parted which separates this world from the eternal splendor, you and I would see that same One Stephen saw “standing at the right hand of the Father.” Can you imagine? Seen or unseen, Jesus is at this moment in our midst! Glory!
Nearer still than the Blessed Standing One is the Helper, Comforter, Teacher and Promise of the Father who dwells in our hearts. He quickens our spirits. By His presence we can cry out “Abba, Father.” The mystery hidden from long ages passed and now providentially revealed... “Christ in you, the hope of glory!” Jesus is recognized as our Leader, the Holy Spirit as His Administrator.
1 Corinthians 12:12,13: 12For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
Romans 8:9: 9However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.
“That they may all be ONE,” was Jesus’ prayer, “even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You” (John 17:21).
1 Corinthians 12:12,13,20,27: 12For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit... 20But now there are many members, but one body... 27Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.
Romans 12:5: ...5so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
John 14:16,17: 16I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.
Acts 5:4 (Speaking to Ananias, Peter said...): 4While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-22: 16Rejoice always; 17pray without ceasing; 18in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19Do not quench the Spirit; 20do not despise prophetic utterances. 21But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; 22abstain from every form of evil.
1 Corinthians 12:4-16: 4Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. 6There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. 7But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; 9to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. 11But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.
12For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
14For the body is not one member, but many. 15If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. 16And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.
Romans 8:14: 14For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
Acts 2:17,18: 17“And it shall be in the Last days,” God says, “That I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, And your young men shall see visions, And your old men shall dream dreams; Even on my bondslaves, both men and women, I will in those days pour forth of My Spirit And they shall prophesy.”
Acts 16:6,7,9: 6They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; 7and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them... 9A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”
John 14:25-27: 25These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. 26But 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 that I said to you. 27Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.
1 Corinthians 2:12,14: 12Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God... 14But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.
1 John 2:20: 20But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know.
John 16:13: 13But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.
1 Corinthians 1:1,2,4-7: 1Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, 2To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours...
4I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, 5that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, 6even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, 7so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
1 Corinthians 12:4-6,11,18: 4Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. 6There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. 11But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills... 18But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.
1 Corinthians 12:7: 7But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
1 Peter 4:10: 10As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
1 Corinthians 7:7: 7Yet I wish that all men were even as I myself am. However, each man has his own gift from God, one in this manner, and another in that.
Romans 12:6-8: 6Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; 7if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; 8or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
1 Corinthians 12:8-10: 8For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; 9to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues.
1 Corinthians 12:28-30: 28And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues. 29All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they? 30All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they?
These ministries may take many forms including those listed below.
| 1 Corinthians 12:28 | Ephesians 4:7-12 |
| Apostles | Apostles |
| Prophets | Prophets |
| Teachers | Pastors (Elders) |
| Workers of Miracles | Teachers |
| Healers | Evangelists |
| Helps | |
| Administrations | |
| Various kinds of tongues | |
1 Corinthians 12:28: 28And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.
Ephesians 4:7-12: 7But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8Therefore it says,
“When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, And he gave gifts to men.”
Romans 1:3-5: 3concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, 4who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake...
Ephesians 4:1-16: 7But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8Therefore it says,
“When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, And he gave gifts to men.”
1 Corinthians 3:1-23: 1And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. 2I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, 3for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? 4For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not mere men?
5What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. 6I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. 7So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. 8Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
10According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. 11For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. 14If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
16Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.
18Let no man deceive himself If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. 19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God For it is written, “He is the One who catches the wise in their craftiness”; 20and again, “The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are useless.” 21So then let no one boast in men. For all things belong to you, 22whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, 23and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God.