Chapter 25
Gifts of the Spirit
1 Corinthians 12:1-13
There
are nine gifts of the Spirit grouped into three categories.
The
three categories of the nine Gifts of the Spirit are:
1. Revelation Gifts
·
Word
of Wisdom
·
Word
of Knowledge
·
Discerning
of spirits
2. Utterance Gifts
·
Prophecy
·
Tongues
·
Interpretation
of Tongues
3. Power Gifts
·
Faith
·
Healings
(Plural – there are several kinds of healing, such as physical healing,
emotional healing, relational healing, financial healing, spiritual healing, mental
healing and more)
·
Miracles
These
Gifts operate through believers for the purpose of:
·
Edifying
the Body of Christ
·
Encouraging
and helping people
·
Doing
the work of the ministry
·
Living
in victory
The
Holy Spirit is looking for vessels whom He can demonstrate His power through in
the earth.
Gifts
of the Spirit
Revelation
Gifts Defined
The
three Revelation Gifts of the Spirit are:
· Word of Wisdom
· Word of Knowledge
· Discerning of spirits
Definition of the Word
of Wisdom
Defined
as: “The word” of wisdom from God concerning a particular situation,
circumstance or subject.
It’s
not just natural wisdom, but it is a directional word from God as to what to do
in a specific matter.
The
Word of Wisdom and Word of Knowledge often go hand in hand. They are dual
gifts. Those who have the Gift of the Word of Wisdom usually also have the Gift
of the Word of Knowledge.
Knowledge
is a revelation of facts and information about a person or matter. Wisdom is
knowledge in action. Wisdom is knowing what to do with that information. A Word
of Wisdom tells one what to do in a given situation.
A
good example of the Word of Wisdom and Word of Knowledge working together in
action given by Jesus in His earthly ministry was in the account of the
Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:6-30) who was an outcast. His Word of
Knowledge was that she had had five husbands, and the man she was now living
with was not her husband.
His
Word of Wisdom was that those who drank from Jacob’s well would thirst again,
but the water He would give them they would never thirst again (the water
speaking of the Holy Spirit). Jesus also told her that God is a Spirit, and
those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.
After
Jesus had a Word of Knowledge about her life, He spoke with the Word of Wisdom
and told her what she needed to do to find the love, satisfaction and wholeness
in her life. She responded by going into the town and telling everyone that she
met a man who told her everything she had ever done, and that He was the
Christ. Everyone then came from the town to see Jesus.
There
are five primary ways in which the Word of Wisdom is manifested:
· By the Holy Spirit
speaking within
· As a revealed
application of Scripture
· By an audible voice or
an angel
· By dreams, visions and
trances
· By the unanimity of the
Spirit among spiritual leaders
Definition of the Word
of Knowledge
Defined
as: A fragment of supernatural knowledge
imparted to a person with this Gift concerning facts, details and information
about someone else or a situation that you would normally have no knowledge of.
Six
examples of the Word of Knowledge involves:
· Facts about the past,
present or future – John 1:1-5
· Whereabouts of men –
Acts 9:10-18
· The inner thoughts, or
plans, of men’s hearts – Luke 5:22
· Warning of coming
danger – Acts 20:28-30
· Exposing hypocrisy – Luke
12:1-12
· Revealing deception –
Acts 5:1-10
The
Word of Knowledge could include knowledge about someone’s personal life,
business or ministry. This Gift is not meant to embarrass or discredit anyone,
but it is God’s way of letting that person know that He is aware of and
understands their situation, and that He cares.
There
are four primary ways the Word of Knowledge is manifested:
· Impression by the Holy
Spirit
· Vision or dream
· Quickening of Scripture
· Audible voice
Guidelines
in operating in the Word of Knowledge:
· Privacy and
confidentiality are essential if a word of knowledge is for an individual.
· Avoid pride. Our own
words should be few and humble.
· When receiving a word
of knowledge, ask God for wisdom in what to do with that knowledge.
Definition of
Discerning of Spirits
Defined
as: To perceive, distinguish or
recognize the spirits which are behind manifestations, activities, or people’s
behavior. It is a supernatural God-given ability. The spirits could be angels,
demons, or the human spirit. This gift shows you what is of God, or what is of
the devil, or what is of human flesh.
Prophets,
seers and intercessors usually have this gift. God shows them the spirits
behind people’s behavior, the spirits governing cities, government, education,
economics, the arts and entertainment industry, churches and nations.
The
Bible reveals several things about the spirit world. Five of them include:
The
Bible confirms the fact that the spirit world exists.
The
spirit world is more real than the physical realm we live in.
The
Bible teaches that God is a Spirit, and His entire realm is spirit realm.
The
realm of Satan is also a spirit realm.
Mankind
has a spirit which will live forever (whether in Heaven or Hell depending on
whether or not one has accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior).
In
light of the purpose of discerning of spirits, how would the church be affected
if this gift did not operate?
Answer: Deception and false prophets would go
unrecognized and enter right into the church.
There
are examples of the operation of the Gift of Discerning of spirits in the Word
of God.
· In 2 Kings 6:16-17,
Elisha literally saw the angelic armies of the Lord surrounding them.
· In Matthew 12:25, Jesus
discerned the spirits of the Scribes and Pharisees.
· In Acts 5:3, Peter
discerned the lying spirits of Ananias and Sapphira.
· In Acts 16:16-18, Paul
discerned the spirit of divination operating through a young woman and he cast
it out of her.
Gifts of the Spirit
Utterance Gifts Defined
The
three Utterance Gifts of the Spirit are:
·
Prophecy
·
Tongues
·
Interpretation
of Tongues
Definition of the Gift
of Prophecy
In
the Old Testament, the main Hebrew word for “prophesy” is naba (5012), and is
defined as: “to speak (or sing) by inspiration (in prediction or simple
discourse).”
In
the New Testament, the Greek word for “prophesy” is propheteuo (4395) and is
defined as: “(from 4396); to foretell events, speak under inspiration, exercise
the prophetic office, poet.”
Therefore,
to prophesy is to speak under the influence and inspiration of the Holy Spirit,
and to speak forth the mind and counsel of God. Speaking a prophecy could be
given via a simple discourse, singing or poetical. The Holy Spirit loves to
prophesy through song, music and poetry.
Prophesying and
Preaching
Prophesying
and preaching are similar but not identical. Preaching may contain prophecy,
but there is a difference between the two. Both of them involve speaking under
the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Preaching is exhorting and declaring the
Word, and includes teaching.
There
is one Aramaic word which is translated as “prophesying”, and is defined as
“inspired teaching” (Strong’s #5017 - nebuwah). That word is found in Ezra
6:14a, which says, “And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered
through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo.”
This verse implies that Haggai and Zechariah were both prophets and inspired
teachers of the law. The three gifts of prophecy, preaching and teaching
overlap.
There is a difference
between teaching and preaching:
Teaching
The
Hebrew (Old Testament) word lamad (Strong’s #3925), translated as “teach” or
“teaching” means to goad, to instruct, to learn, to become skillful or an
expert at something.
The
Hebrew word yarah (Strong’s #3384), translated as “teach” or “teaching” means
to flow as water (i.e. rain); to lay or throw an arrow (i.e. to shoot at a
target); to point out (as by aiming the finger); to teach.
The
Greek (New Testament) word matheteuo (Strong’s #3100), translated as “teach”
means to become a pupil; to disciple; to enroll as a scholar; a learner; to
instruct.
The
Greek word katecheo (Strong’s #2727), translated as “teach” means to sound down
into the ears, i.e. (by implication) to indoctrinate (catechize).
Teaching
is building a foundation of “precept upon precept, line upon line”. Isaiah
28:10 says, “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon
line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.”
Preaching
The
Hebrew word basar (Strong’s #1319), translated as “preach” means to be fresh,
i.e. full (rosy, cheerful); to announce glad news; to bear, bring, carry,
preach, and tell good tidings; a messenger; to publish; to show forth.
The
Hebrew word qeriyah (Strong’s #7150), translated as “preaching” or “preach”
means making a proclamation, pronounce, publish, to call forth.
The
Greek word kerusso (Strong’s #2784), translated as “preach” or “preacher” means
to herald (as a public crier), especially divine truth (the Gospel); to
proclaim, to publish.
The
Greek word euaggelizo (Strong’s #2097), translated as “preach” means to
announce good news (evangelize), especially the Gospel; to declare, bring or
show glad tidings; preach the Gospel.
Prophecy is valid for
our day and age.
1
Corinthians 12:10, 28-29 shows us that prophecy is one of the Gifts of the
Spirit and the Lord wants us to exercise our gifts. In 1 Thessalonians 5:19-20
we are told to not despise prophecies or quench the Spirit.
We
are now living in the Kingdom Age (which started with the early New Testament
church). The Gifts of the Spirit did not die out with the apostles. It just was
not as heard of or written about for centuries following the early apostles.
And people did not have Bibles back then like we have today.
The
Catholic Church ruled the religious world for centuries. There was a mixture of
Christianity and idolatry in the Church. This truth of the Baptism of the Holy
Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues and the Gifts of the Holy
Spirit was revived with the Pentecostal and Charismatic outpourings in the last
few centuries. People got a hold of what the Word teaches and ran with it.
Salvation
by grace and faith alone through Jesus Christ was also not taught in the Church
for centuries following the early apostles, but that doesn’t mean this truth
died out. This truth was revived, with much persecution, by Martin Luther.
During the centuries, water baptism by immersion was unheard of, but that
doesn’t mean that that truth died out. It was revived by the Anabaptists, with
much persecution.
There
is a difference between the written prophecies of the Bible and prophecy that
is spoken today.
Written
Bible prophecy is a higher level of prophecy. It was given by God as the
authoritative Word of God. Today, prophecies are to be judged by the Word.
In
the Old Testament only a handful of people were filled with the Holy Spirit,
such as prophets, priests, seers and godly kings. The majority of the people
had to seek out a prophet to get a word from the Lord about a matter. However,
since the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit
indwells all believers. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is available to all
believers. We can now hear from the Lord for ourselves.
In
the New Testament era, we are not to seek out prophets for direction and
guidance in our lives. But rather, prophets usually CONFIRM what the Holy
Spirit has already revealed to us. Whatever a prophet says should bear witness
in your spirit.
2
Corinthians 13:1 says, “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word
be established.”
There are five primary
purposes for prophecy in the local church.
Edification – building up,
erecting the church of God.
Exhortation – encouragement,
advice and earnest warning.
Comfort – God speaking in
great personal concern, tenderness and care; God drawing close to us.
Convict
and Convince
– to speak to our own conscience or spirit and gently persuade us to change our
ways.
Instruction
and Learning
– God’s way of communicating to His people about practical life matters.
There are various ways
that a prophecy may come to an individual.
· Spontaneous utterances
· Visions
· Dreams
· By an angel
· By Jesus Christ Himself
appearing visibly in a vision to the prophet
There are at least five
ways that a prophecy may be expressed by someone.
·
Speaking
or verbalizing
·
Demonstrative
actions (for example, in Acts 21:11 the prophet Agabus took Paul’s belt and
bound his own hands and feet and prophesied that the Jews of Jerusalem would
bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles
to be imprisoned and eventually executed.)
·
Writing
prophecy down
·
Through
song or musical instruments
·
Through
liturgical dance
Should prophecy be
judged?
The
answer is YES.
1
Corinthians 14:29-33 says, “Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the
other judge. If anything be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first
hold his peace. For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all
may be comforted. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the
saints.”
1
John 4:1-3 says, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits
whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the
world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus
Christ is come in the flesh is of God. And every spirit that confesses not that
Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of
antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is
it in the world.”
1
Corinthians 13:9 says, “For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.”
Who is to judge
prophecy?
·
Every
believer who has the Holy Spirit indwelling them.
·
Elders
of the local assembly.
·
Those
with the Gift of discerning of spirits.
·
Other
prophets.
There are at least five
criteria by which prophecy is to be judged.
By
the Word of God
- Hebrews 4:12 “For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than
any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit,
and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of
the heart.”
By
witness of the Holy Spirit - 1 John 2:27 “But the anointing which you have received
from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the
same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a
lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.”
By
confession of Jesus Christ - 1 John 4:1-3,6 “Beloved, do not believe every spirit,
but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have
gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that
confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit
that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God.
And this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and
is now already in the world.” Verse 6: “By this we know the spirit of truth and
the spirit of error.”
By
its fruit
- Matthew 7:15-20 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's
clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their
fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so,
every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree
cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does
not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, by their
fruits you will know them.”
Galations
5:22-26 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no
law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections
and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not
be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.”
By
fulfillment of the prophecy - Deuteronomy 18:21-22 “And if you say in your heart, ‘How
shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?’ When a prophet speaks in
the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the
thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously;
you shall not be afraid of him.”
This
can be a sticky issue because there is responsibility on the part of the
recipient of the prophecy to obey a directive, or take action, or do something
on their part, for the prophetic word to come to pass. Also, the recipient has
to have faith and speak words of faith for the promise to come to pass.
Doubting and unbelief can nullify a prophetic word.
Also,
there is the issue of timing. God has an appointed season and timing for
bringing prophetic words to pass in our lives. Some words come to pass within a
short time, while other words may take many years to be fulfilled.
There is a distinction
between the gift of prophecy and the office of the prophet.
Not
everyone who prophesies is a prophet or prophetess. The prophet is a part of
the five-fold ministry mentioned in Ephesians 4:11-16.
“And
He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some
pastors and teachers …
for
the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the
body of Christ,
till
we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God,
to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that
we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every
wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of
deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things
into Him who is the head—Christ—from whom the whole body, joined and knit
together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by
which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of
itself in love.”
The
five-fold leadership equips (trains, teaches) the Body of Christ to do the work
of the ministry.
God
appoints individuals to these offices as He sees fit.
To
be in the office of the prophet, an individual must be appointed by God to be
in that leadership position, and be publicly acknowledged by man.
The
prophet should willingly submit to a church or apostolic leadership (not be a
lone ranger).
The
prophet must be a mature seasoned Christian (not in natural age but spiritually
speaking). They must demonstrate good fruit (the fruit of the Spirit).
They
should have a good track record of prophecies they have spoken coming to pass.
They
should only speak what the Holy Spirit tells them to speak, not adding anything
to it or taking anything away. The prophetic words they give are more weighty
and authoritative than just simple prophecy.
For
example, they prophesy over nations and declare God’s purposes in the earth.
When prophesying over individuals, they prophesy with detailed precision.
Also,
they must operate in at least four of the Gifts of the Spirit:
·
Gift
of Prophecy
·
Word
of Knowledge
·
Word
of Wisdom
·
Discerning
of spirits
A
prophet should have the Gift of Discerning of spirits to be able to see into
the spirit realm to recognize angelic activity from demonic activity, to
recognize truth from error, to recognize what is from God and what is from the
enemy or what is just flesh.
A
prophet has to have the gift of the Word of Knowledge to see things of the
past, present and future. And then have the gift of the Word of Wisdom to give
people direction as to what to do in a given situation.
Those
who have the Gift of Prophecy speak under the influence of the Holy Spirit to
one or more persons to give edification, exhortation and comfort.
When
the Spirit of Prophecy is flowing in a meeting, anyone can prophesy when that
anointing is present, even if they don’t have the Gift of Prophecy. An example
is when King Saul began to prophesy when he came into the company of the
prophets, and he was a changed man (1 Samuel 9:27 – 10:6).
There are some things
that will contaminate prophecies being spoken.
·
Root
of bitterness (which defiles many – Hebrews 12:5).
·
Unforgiveness
·
Negative,
critical attitudes
·
Pride
·
Stubbornness
·
Antagonism
·
Independent
spirit
·
Unyielding
spirit
·
Controlling
spirit
·
Anger
displayed
There
are some practical points of wisdom for those who prophesy in the Church:
·
It
is important to use good etiquette in your voice tone and mannerisms when
prophesying. You should avoid yelling, screaming or other extremes in your
voice or manner. You should avoid using harsh words or whipping the people. You
should avoid scolding and lecturing.
·
The
timing of giving a prophetic word is important. You should be sensitive to the
timing of the Holy Spirit and of those around you. Not all the prophets should
speak in a given service (Paul said just two or three should speak in turns,
and the other prophets should judge the words being spoken – 1 Corinthians
14:29-32).
·
It
is important for the prophecy to flow with the general theme of the service. If
the word is on a totally different track, then wait until another time to share
it.
·
Avoid
prophesying your pet doctrines or emphasis.
·
Avoid
giving out personal counsel to a need you are aware of.
·
We
are now living in the New Testament era. Prophetic words given today should be
seasoned with grace to bring edification, exhortation and comfort to the Body
of Christ (1 Corinthians 14:3). A prophetic word should not be one of doom and
gloom, or of whipping someone, or prophesying negative things to someone.
·
Even
if the word involves warning, foretelling or prediction of something negative,
the other part of that word should be redemptive, giving hope to the individual
that if they choose to do this or that, that it can be averted. For example, in
the Old Testament God sent prophets to warn the people that if they continued
in idolatry that they would be taken into captivity. However, if they repented
and walked in obedience to the Lord, it could be avoided. They didn’t listen
and finally did end up being taken into exile in Babylon, but the positive part
is that God said it would only last for 70 years and then they would return to
Jerusalem and rebuild their temple.
Gift of Diverse Kinds
of Tongues
The
Gift of Tongues is the God-given supernatural ability to speak in languages
that you do not know. It could be any
ancient or current earthly language, or a language spoken in heaven. Most often
it is speaking an earthly language you have never learned.
The
Gift of Tongues is for giving a public prophecy to the Church in an unknown
language, and then either interpreting it yourself afterwards or someone with
the Gift of Interpretation of Tongues interpreting the prophetic word.
The
Gift of Tongues could also be in operation to an audience of one or more in a
setting outside of the local church. Sometimes God uses people with this gift
to speak a word from the Lord to someone who speaks a different language to
minister to that person and/or lead them to Christ.
On
the Day of Pentecost, in Acts 2, when the Galileans were filled with the Holy
Spirit they began to speak eloquently and fluently in the languages represented
of the thousands of Jews present for the Feast of Pentecost. They were
declaring the wonderful works of God.
It
was a sign and a wonder, because the Galileans were considered to be
uneducated, crude in their speech, and rough around the edges. But when the
Holy Spirit baptized them, they spoke as if they were highly educated and
fluent in many languages. As a result, 3,000 people were saved the first day
and the early church was birthed.
The
Gift of Interpretation of Tongues is the supernatural ability to interpret what
was spoken, or prophesied, in an unknown tongue into the language of the
hearers so that all may understand.
There are three
purposes for Tongues and Interpretation in the assembly.
·
A
sign to unbelievers (1 Corinthians 14:21-22).
·
He
who prophesies speaks edification, exhortation and comfort to believers (1
Corinthians 14:3-5). When a person gives a public prophecy in an unknown
language, then that prophetic word should be interpreted by either the person
who has the Gift of Interpretation of Tongues or by the person who gave the
prophetic word in tongues.
·
Lift
congregation into praise or prayer (1 Corinthians 14:13-15 “For if I pray in a
tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is the
conclusion then? I will pray with the Spirit, and I will also pray with the
understanding. I will sing with the Spirit, and I will also sing with the
understanding.”)
In what ways are
Tongues a sign to unbelievers?
·
Evidence
of the supernatural
·
Sense
of the supernatural
·
Witness
of hearing a foreign language they may know
Not
everyone has the Gift of Tongues or Interpretation of Tongues. However, all
believers can speak or pray in tongues.
1
Corinthians 12:4-31 teaches that we all have our own gifts given to us by God,
and we form one body.
The
Gift of Tongues is for the edification of the Church. The Gift of Tongues is
giving a public prophecy, or declaration, in a language you do not know, and
then either you or someone with the gift of Interpretation of Tongues
interpreting the word. Or as in the case in Acts 2, the Galileans spoke in the
languages of the nations of Jews present for the Feast of Pentecost (and no
interpreter was necessary … the Jews understood what the Galileans were
saying). The Galileans were declaring the wonderful works of God.
Speaking
or praying in tongues is for your own self-edification for your own personal
prayer life.
There is a difference
between “interpretation” and “translation”, as it relates to the Gift of
Interpretation of Tongues.
To
interpret is to explain, expound or unfold. To translate is to convert from one
language to another.
When
interpreting a message in tongues, the interpreter does not translate the
language into the language of the hearers, but rather explains, expounds and
unfolds what was said in tongues.
Who is to interpret
tongues in the assembly?
The
one to whom this Gift has been given to. If there is no interpreter, the one
who has the Gift of Tongues should pray that he/she may interpret the prophecy
they just gave so that all may be edified.
Presbytery
Laying On of Hands and Prophesying
1
Timothy 4:14 “Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by
prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.”
The
Greek word for “presbytery” is presbuterion (Strong’s #4244). It is defined as:
“the order of elders.”
A
number of presbyters together constitute a “presbytery” (1 Timothy 4:14), a
council or assembly of Christian elders.
These
spiritual leaders should have the same high qualifications (Titus 1:5-9) and
perform the same essential duties of teaching (1 Timothy 5:17; Titus 1:9),
serving (James 5:14), decision making (Acts 15:2,6,22-29), and shepherding
(Acts 20:17,28) as the New Testament presbyters. (From Nelson's Illustrated
Bible Dictionary.)
The
word “elder” may refer to age, experience, and authority, as well as specific
leadership roles. In the New Testament church, elders were appointed to the
churches for governing, assisting the Bishop or pastors, explaining the
Scriptures, teaching doctrine and ministering to the sick. They also imparted
gifts to people by the laying on of hands and by prophesying.
An
example of a presbytery meeting in our day and age is when spiritual leaders in
the Body of Christ gather together who operate in the Gifts of the Spirit,
especially the Gifts of Prophecy, Word of Knowledge, Word of Wisdom and
Discerning of spirits.
They
take turns prophesying over various individuals, by speaking into their destiny
and sharing what the Lord reveals to them about an individual (especially their
future and they confirm what God has called you to do). They help people to
come into their placement into the Body of Christ (refer to Ephesians 4:11-16).
Every
member of the Body of Christ as their own place, niche, or gift/s in the Body.
There is no need for competition or jealousy, because we are all different and
all of us have different gifts, talents and ministries.
If
you don’t know what your gift or ministry is, it is usually something that you
are very good at and enjoy doing, something that comes natural to you, or
something that burdens your heart (such as mercy ministry or helping young
women and children who are involved in human trafficking).
Every
Christian has a gift that God has given to them—whether it be a spiritual gift,
or natural gift (like being a florist or musician). God wants us to use our
gifts to bless other people and bring glory to God.
God
also has a ministry for each person in the Body of Christ, ranging from the
5-fold ministry to being a stay-at-home mom and raising children in the fear
and admonition of the Lord.
Only
a few are called to the 5-fold ministry, but many people are called to
marketplace ministry.
A
presbytery meeting is a time of commissioning people into their ministry
calling. Sometimes the elders lay their hands upon people to impart gifts to
them. Other times there is no laying on of hands, but just the spoken word
only.
I
was prophesied over at two different presbytery meetings several years ago (at
the Bible College I attended and at a Bill Hamon meeting). At the Bible College
meeting, the pastors and elders prophesied over me that God has called me to
the office of the Teacher, and that I would write books, as well as articles
for major national journals. At the Bill Hamon meeting, the elders prophesied
that God was going to use me as a prophetic Psalmist, and bring me into total
health and wealth. At another gathering at church, (which was not necessarily a
presbytery meeting), one of the elders of the church prophesied over me to
arise and lay hands on the sick. Since then I began a healing ministry.
Everything
that was prophesied over me, I already knew it deep on the inside. It was a
confirmation of what God had already revealed to me.
Gifts of the Spirit
Power Gifts Defined
The
Power Gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 are:
1. Gift of Faith
2. Gifts of Healing
(“gifts” is plural, meaning that there is more than one kind of healing. There
is physical healing, emotional healing, mental healing, spiritual healing,
relationship healing, financial healing, and more.)
3. Gift of Miracles
Gift of Faith
Definition:
The God-given ability to believe the Lord for the impossible in a particular
situation. It goes beyond general faith (knowing God is able). It is where a
person with this gift knows the will of God for a specific matter and knows
beyond a shadow of a doubt that it will happen.
Three
Kinds of Faith Revealed in Scripture:
1. Saving Faith – Initial
faith response to God at salvation where we accept and believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ.
2. A Fruit of the Spirit
(Galations 5:22-23) – Faith as an attribute within one’s character. It is
developed by the Holy Spirit and our faith becomes more mature and strengthened
over a process of time.
3. Gift of Faith – A
divine (sometimes instantaneous) faith that God downloads to someone to believe
for a miracle, healing or for God to do something specific in someone’s life
(such as believing for large sums of money or calling life back into the dead).
The person with this gift receives a “quickening” from the Holy Spirit (the
Lord revealing His will or plan about a matter) and the person has supernatural
faith to believe for this miracle. It transcends human faith—it is God’s faith
downloaded to a person.
There
are examples of the operation of the Gift of Faith in Scripture:
1.
In
John 11:11, Jesus knew Lazarus was dead, but He also knew that He was going to
raise him from the dead. He had no doubt about it.
2.
In
John 9:1-7, Jesus knew that the man born blind from birth would be healed so
that the works of God would be made manifest.
3.
In
Matthew 14:19-21, Jesus had the Gift of Faith when He took five loaves of bread
and two fish, gave thanks to His Father, and began breaking the bread and fish
into fragments. The food multiplied and 5,000 men (not including the women and
children) were fed. There were twelve baskets of food left over. (With the
women and children, it was probably 15,000 – 20,000 people present that were
fed.)
4.
In
Mark 4:39, when the storm arose on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus rebuked the wind
and commanded the sea, saying “Peace, be still!”. The winds and the waves
obeyed Him, and there was a great calm.
5.
In
Acts 3:1-7, Peter had unwavering faith as he proclaimed a man’s healing and
even took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet. Immediately the man’s
feet and ankle bones were strengthened, and he walked, leaped and praised God
as he entered into the Temple.
6.
In
Joshua 10:12-14, Joshua was fighting a battle and had almost defeated his
enemies when it was transitioning from afternoon to evening. Joshua rose up in
faith, with no doubt in his heart that this miracle would take place, and
commanded the sun to stand still upon Gibeon and the moon to stand still in the
Valley of Ajalon. The sun stood still, and the moon did not move, until they
had avenged themselves upon their enemies. The sun did not go down a whole
entire day. There was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord
hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel.
What
key factor recurs over and over again in the Gift of Faith?
Knowing
the will of God through the written Word, as well as through a Word of
Knowledge, dreams or visions, or by the inward voice of the Holy Spirit. Faith
comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17).
Gifts of Healing
Definition: The God-given ability to supernaturally
impart healing to others.
There
are several kinds of healing: spiritual, physical, emotional, mental,
relational, financial, and more. The person with this gift is not the healer.
Jesus is the Healer. The person with this gift is the vessel whom God uses to
flow through.
God
uses different individuals to specialize in certain types of healing. For some,
God uses them to bring emotional healing to people’s lives, and people are set
free from bondages, captivity and inner wounds. Others are primarily used to
bring physical healing. Some people have an anointing to pray for specific
diseases, and they see many people healed from it. Some people have an
anointing to minister to people who have addictions, and many people are set
free. Some are called to help heal marriages and families.
Some
healings are instantaneous, while others are gradual. What does gradual healing
involve?
Being
healed of inner problems, and the mind, soul and physical body responding
accordingly. Often inner wounds can take years to heal.
Some
sicknesses are healed over a period of minutes or hours. An example of this in
Scripture is Luke 17:11-14 where Jesus met ten lepers who pleaded with Him to
heal them. Jesus replied, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” As they obeyed
and went their way, they were cleansed of their leprosy. They were healed as
they went.
Some
people are healed from physical sicknesses gradually over a period of time.
They improve and get more and more well, until their healing is complete. Matthew 16:18 says, “They shall lay hands on
the sick and they shall recover.” Total recovery does not always happen
overnight. Sometimes it takes hours, days, weeks or months.
What
means or methods were used in Scripture to operate the gifts of healing?
1.
Calling
for the elders of the Church and anointing the sick with oil in the Name of the
Lord (James 5:14).
2.
Holy
Communion. My mother and I have seen sickness healed, as well as answers to
prayer, when we took Communion over a particular situation. There is healing in
the Blood Atonement.
3.
The
spoken word or command (Matthew 8:8-13).
4.
Laying
on of hands and prayer (Matthew 16:18).
5.
Handkerchiefs
or aprons by the hands of Paul (Acts 19:11-12).
6.
The
shadow of Peter walking by (Acts 5:15-16).
7.
Touching
the hem of Jesus’ garment (Matthew 9:20-22; Matthew 14:34-36).
There
are several ways a person may know if he/she has the Gift of Healing:
1. Inner witness of the
Holy Spirit
2. You have visions and
dreams, and see yourself healing the sick
3. Ability to believe God
for healing
4. Compassion for the sick
and afflicted
5. By results (people who
you minister to are healed)
6. It was prophesied over
you by the Elders and imparted to you by the laying on of hands
7. Others will recognize
this gift within you
There
are at least ten purposes for the Gifts of Healing in operation:
1.
God
loves His people and wants them to be in good health.
2.
Jesus
heals because He is full of compassion. A leper came to Jesus, “…beseeching
him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst
make me clean” (Mark 1:40). What was the Lord’s response? “And Jesus, moved
with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I
will; be thou clean” (verse 41). It was compassion that led to the miracle.
Jesus Christ heals people today for the same reason, so that “…the goodness of
God leadeth thee to repentance” (Romans 2:4).
3.
Jesus
heals because healing belongs to His children. Once, when Jesus was preaching
near the city of Tyre, a Syrophenician fell at His feet, asking Him to cast an
unclean spirit out of her daughter. Jesus said to her, “Let the children first
be filled: for it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it unto
the dogs. And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the
table eat of the children’s crumbs” (Mark 7:27-28). The Lord saw the woman’s
faith and the daughter was delivered. If you are a child of the King, healing
should come to you first, even before unbelievers receive their miracle. Yet I
watch as those who do not know the Lord reach out in great faith, hungry for
the crumbs. And time after time He pours out His healing virtue upon these
people. Thank God, healing is often the entry point that helps people receive
Jesus Christ as Savior.
4.
Jesus
heals to bring glory to His Father. On the side of a mountain near the sea of
Galilee, “great multitudes came unto Him…and he healed them…(and) the multitude
wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to
walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel” (Matthew
15:30-31). On another occasion, there was a similar response when Jesus healed
a paralytic man. “…When the multitude saw it, they marveled, and glorified God”
(Matthew 9:8). All glory and praise belong to the Father. Healing is a
wonderful, awe-inspiring faith-builder that should lead to glorifying God.
5.
Jesus
heals to fulfill God’s promises. At Capernaum, “they brought unto him many that
were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and
healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by
Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our
sicknesses” (Matthew 8:16-17). When the Master heals, it is a fulfillment of
the prophecy spoken through Isaiah. On the Cross, Christ took our sickness and
infirmities.
6.
Jesus
heals also to confirm His own word. Healing was promised by the Father, then
declared by Jesus Christ. He said, “If I do not the works of my Father, believe
me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may
know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him” (John 10:37-38). Christ
knew exactly why He was sent to earth. He came to perform the works of His
Father. Miracles confirm the spoken word of Jesus. He heals to fulfill His
personal word to you.
7.
Every
time the Lord heals, the devil’s defeat at the Cross is exposed once again. The
Word tells us, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might
destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). At the house of Cornelius, Peter
said, “You know…how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with
power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the
devil; for God was with him” (Acts 10:37-38).
8.
Healing
and health are aspects of rectifying the curse of the law.
9.
To
confirm the Gospel message with signs and wonders.
10.
Healing,
along with salvation, is included in the Blood Atonement of Christ. Jesus not
only bore our sins, but He also bore our diseases, sicknesses and sorrows, and
by His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5). Jesus paid a heavy price so that we
could be healed. He just wants us to believe and to receive it.
The
original sources of sickness are:
1.
Satan
2.
Sin
When
mankind fell and sin entered into the world, so did death and sickness.
However, Jesus took the curse upon Himself and redeemed us from it. By
accepting Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, we can have eternal life in Heaven
one day (where there is no more curse, no death, no sickness, no darkness, no
night, no weeping, no pain, no sin, no demons, no poverty).
While
we’re here on this earth, we can enjoy abundant life right now. John 10:10
says, “For the thief (devil) comes only for to steal, and kill and destroy; but
I have come so that you may have life and have it in abundance (till it
overflows).” Part of abundant life is living free from sickness.
Things
we can do in the natural also help us to live in good health. For example, good
nutrition, clean water, exercise, vitamins and minerals, sleep and rest,
recreation and relaxation, and getting sufficient sunshine. Avoiding strife,
learning to forgive, being healed of anger and temper, removing the root of
bitterness and having joy in your life contributes to better health.
God
also heals us through doctors and medicine. It is off balance and foolish to
refuse to go to doctors, or to the hospital, when you or your children need to.
Also, it’s wise to remain on your medication until the doctor confirms you are
healed and takes you off of it. Going to doctors and taking medicine does NOT
imply a lack of faith on your part. God has given doctors wisdom and knowledge
about how the body works and what to do to cure it. In the near future, God is
going to reveal the cures to many dreadful diseases, such as cancer to
scientists.
God
just does not want us to exalt doctors above Him, because He is the Great
Physician and our Creator. He ultimately knows how our bodies work and what to
do to cure it.
Exodus
15:25-26 shows us a type and shadow of the redeeming work of Christ, and His
Atonement on the Cross, which makes us well and whole:
“So
Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree (represents the
Cross). When he cast it into the [bitter] waters (represents the curse), the
waters were made sweet (the curse broken).
There
He made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them, and
said, ‘If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is
right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I
will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For
I am the Lord who heals you (healing is part of the Atonement).’”
Gift of Miracles
Definition:
It is God performing something supernatural, which transcends natural laws,
through an individual.
One
of the Greek words for “miracles” is dunamis (Strong’s #1411), where we get the
word dynamite. It means “to be able or possible; force (literally or
figuratively); miraculous power; a miracle.”
The
Webster’s Dictionary defines the word “miracle” as the following: “an unusual
or wonderful event that is believed to be caused by the power of God; a very
amazing or unusual event, thing, or achievement; an extraordinary event
manifesting Divine intervention in human affairs.”
What is the place and
importance of miracles in the Bible?
Miracles
always accompanied Jesus and His disciples, as well as the apostles. Miracles,
signs and wonders always accompanied the preaching of the Gospel. In the Old
Testament, God displayed His awesome power through miracles, mostly for
deliverance and preservation and to show the heathen nations that He is the One
and Only True and Living God.
Miracles
are governed by the will of God and the obedience of man.
There
are four aspects relating to the working of miracles:
1.
Hearing the Word of God – God communicates His will to men
through the Bible, a Word of Knowledge, a vision, an angel, through Jesus
Christ directly in a vision, or an audible voice as in the case with Moses.
Exodus 14:15-16 says, And the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell
the children of Israel to go forward. But lift up your rod, and stretch out
your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on
dry ground through the midst of the sea.”
2.
Believe the Word – Obey what God reveals to you. Accept and
embrace it. In Exodus 14:21-22, it says: “Then Moses stretched out his hand
over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all
that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. So the
children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the
waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.”
3.
Mark
11:23 says, “For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be
removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but
believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he
says.”
Speak the Word – God releases His
power by His spoken Word, and it comes into existence. Romans 4:17, in the
Amplified Version, says: “Who gives life to the dead and speaks of the
nonexistent things that [He has foretold and promised] as if they [already]
existed.”
The New King James Version says “Who gives life
to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did.”
4.
Acting on the Word – Acts of faith which accompany the speaking
of the Word. James 2:17 tells us that “Faith by itself, if it does not have
works, is dead.”
The purposes of miracles are:
1. For deliverance, preservation and provision
2. Edification and building up of fait
3. Accompanying the preaching of the Gospel
In
the last day Church, miracles will operate on a large scale prior to the coming
of the Lord. Creative miracles, such as body parts being restored, the raising
of the dead, and speaking to the weather and elements, and it obeys you, will
become common.
God Restores Body Parts That Are Missing
“Then great multitudes came to Him (Jesus), having with them the lame,
blind, mute, maimed, and many
others; and they laid them down at Jesus' feet, and He healed them. So the
multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they
glorified the God of Israel.” Matthew 15:30-31
To be maimed is to be dismembered or mutilated.
The Living Bible translation words Matthew 15:29-31 like this:
29 “Jesus now returned to the Sea of Galilee and climbed a hill and sat
there.
30 And a vast crowd brought Him their lame, blind, maimed, and those who couldn't speak, and many others, and laid
them before Jesus, and He healed them all.
31 What a spectacle it was! Those who hadn't been able to say a word
before were talking excitedly, and those
with missing arms and legs had new ones; the crippled were walking and
jumping around, and those who had been blind were gazing about them! The crowds
just marveled, and praised the God of Israel.”
Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17).
This passage gives us faith to believe that God can and will restore missing
body parts (arms, legs, feet, eyeballs — any part that is missing).
There is nothing too difficult or impossible for the Lord. I've heard many testimonies from evangelists about people with missing body parts being made whole. In the days ahead, these kinds of miracles will become more and more common.
