Paul, in 1 Corinthians 12, talks about having some that have been placed, first apostles, prophets, teachers, miracles, gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.  Then he speaks this rhetorical question, are all apostles?  No.  Are all prophets?  No.  Do all speak with tongues?  Do all interpret?  Now, when we ask this question, “Do all speak with tongues?”  It’s talking about the gift of tongues, not the initial physical evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit; okay?  Paul is going to go on in the fourteenth chapter and say, “I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all.”  He’s not saying that he gives more messages in church than all of you put together.  He’s talking about his own personal prayer life in the Spirit through the baptism of the Holy Ghost.  We make those distinctions as we read through Chapter 14.  When is this the gift of the Spirit, purposing edification, exhortation and comfort to the church and when is it a personal intercession, manifestations of praise and thanksgiving by the Holy Spirit?  In this particular part here, as he’s asking these questions, he then tells us, “I want you to covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.”  “Covet earnestly the best gifts…”

We’ll take just a moment and emphasize again, this is not something on the back burner.  “Covet earnestly the best gifts.”  Amen?  Are you coveting something today?  What are we coveting?  All of us have a strong desire for something.  “I’m coveting my after-church snack.  Can’t wait to get back home and get it.”  What’s got your heart?  What are you longing for?  What are you reaching out to grasp with all of your might?  “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ…” (Philippians 3:14).  Amen?  What are we pressing for? 

This tells us one of the things that it should be, is to have the Holy Spirit indwelling us, enabling us to become a source of edification to the body of Christ, a source of making God big in our midst.  Don’t you like it when you run into somebody here in the body and you’re just visiting and they’re just talking about how good God is?  Don’t you enjoy that?  For some of us it’s, what was that thing that used to be on Hee-Haw?  “Gloom, despair and agony on me.”   Whatever that little guy’s name was?  “Oh, things are so bad.  Oh, you don’t understand.  I just feel so far from God.”  Well, that’s not a possibility, but if it was, you moved, (amen?) because He will never leave us nor forsake us.  He will not leave us without the Holy Ghost comforter, praise God.  We are not separated from God, we are one with Him, praise God.  We’re united with Him.  He dwells in us and we dwell in Him.  Hallelujah.