Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.
Revelation 3:20
Behold! I stand at the door, and knock
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.
Revelation 3:20
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit – Part 2
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Part 2
Benny
Hinn
“The gift of
faith is the greatest of the power gifts. It’s the exceptional ability to trust
God to work, even in unusual ways or in particularly challenging situations.”
Every
believer is promised an empowered life in the realm of the Spirit (Acts 1:8).
As discussed
in Part 1 last week, this promise of power comes after the Holy Spirit visits
your life, intensifying your ability to witness, strengthening your walk with
Christ, and equipping you for Christian service to defeat the enemy through
spiritual gifts (called the “Gifts of the Holy Spirit”) that equip you to do
the Lord’s work in new and powerful ways.
Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, lists each of the
nine gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10. These nine gifts fit nicely into three
groups:
1. Revelation gifts
2. Vocal gifts
3. Power gifts
Revelation gifts include the word of wisdom, the word
of knowledge, and discerning of spirits.
Vocal gifts are tongues,
interpretation of tongues, and prophecy.
Power gifts include faith, healings, and the working of miracles.
I shared an overview of the first four gifts—three
Revelation gifts and the first Vocal gift. Now let’s look at the final five
gifts together—two more from the Vocal gifts and the three Power gifts, all of
which are so vital.
Vocal
Gift 2: Interpretation of Tongues—the translation of
divine utterances into recognizable language
To understand the interpretation of tongues, we must
go back and revisit the fact that there are three different kinds of tongues,
as mentioned in Part 1:
• Tongues unto God (“For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue
speaketh not unto men, but unto God”—1 Corinthians 14:2).
• Tongues as a sign to the unbeliever (Acts 2 gives
the account of people who marveled at hearing their own native tongue).
• Tongues which edify the body of believers (“For greater is
he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret,
that the church may receive edifying”—1 Corinthians 14:5).
Only
the third type, edifying the body of believers, requires interpretation.
With this type of tongues, the
interpretation of tongues is crucial. The Word shows that interpretation
becomes equal to prophecy.
It is very important, as we begin to use this gift,
that we understand 1 Corinthians 14:13, which states, “Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue
pray that he may interpret.”
This gift requires spiritual maturity
and is received only through diligent prayer, study of the Scriptures, and
precious time with the Holy Spirit.
Oh, that we would be more willing to pay this price,
for the interpretation of tongues to edify the church is needed more than ever.
Vocal
Gift 3: Prophecy—revelation for edification
1 Corinthians 4:3 is very clear:
“But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and
comfort to men.”
The
gift of prophecy builds up and encourages us. It stirs us up. It comforts us.
It is not condemning. It always exhorts and encourages. It brings life and
vision and light, not doom and gloom and death.
And it’s
important to remember that anything spoken out of the gift of prophecy must
always be completely consistent with the Scriptures and will never contradict
God’s Word in any way.
Power
Gift 1: Faith—the God-given ability to believe Him
for the impossible
The gift of
faith is the greatest of the power gifts. It’s the exceptional ability to trust
God to work, even in unusual ways or in particularly challenging situations.
Again, there is some confusion about the gift of
faith. There are actually three revelations of faith in the Bible:
• Romans 5:1 speaks of saving faith, which is that measure of faith given to every person.
• There is also the
fruit of faith, in Galatians 5:22, which is an important part of the fruit
of the Spirit. The fruit of faith is within each of us, as planted by the Holy
Spirit, but the gift of faith, in 1 Corinthians 12, comes for a moment, for a
season, and for a reason.
• The gift of
faith is the instantaneous assurance of God’s ability to act in a specific
situation. It does not deny fact…it changes it!
How
do we move into this gift and the three revelations of this gift?
Romans 10:17 says:
“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of
God.”
The gift of faith can only happen when
God’s promises become more real to us than our circumstances.
Therefore,
this gift can work through us when we act through the revelation of Scripture
and the direction of the Holy Spirit. What begins as hope through prayer
becomes faith.
Power
Gift 2: Healings—the restoration of health
The “gifts of
healing” (1 Corinthians 12:9) are plural, not singular, for they apply to both
physical and emotional areas of life, and the gifts also come in two ways,
immediate and gradual.
Healing
restores what is broken. The Holy Spirit can use a multitude of acts of faith
to heal.
The spoken Word is used most often, but the woman
with an issue of blood was also healed as she touched the hem of Jesus’ garment
and by faith was made whole. We read of the laying on of hands and the
anointing with oil, but even the Apostle Peter’s shadow brought healing.
God
desires that we be healed and be used as instruments of healing. The secret is
obedience to the Holy Spirit’s guidance.
Power
Gift 3: Working of Miracles—the divine creative acts
The working
of miracles is a supernatural occurrence against the law of nature.
It was against the natural order of things for God to turn back the Red Sea so
the children of Israel could walk on dry land (Exodus 14:26-28). It was a
miraculous act for the walls of Jericho to fall down as Israel obeyed the
Lord’s command (Joshua 6:20). It was supernatural for God to suspend the
rotation of the earth in response to Joshua’s prayer when he fought against the
Amorites (Joshua 10:12-13).
When arthritis no longer afflicts a body or blind
eyes see again, we sometimes call them miracles, but they are actually
healings. Healing is a work of restoration, while miracles are creative acts
that go against the laws of nature.
I
believe we are coming into a new dimension of creative miracles, when we will
see supernatural moves of the Holy Spirit’s power in ways that we’ve only
dreamed about. Readiness can only come through the Word. Psalm
33:6 points to this: “By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made.”
True miracles are the product of His Word. The more we understand and act on His Word,
the more we will be able to move into the powerful dimension of all nine of the
gifts of the Holy Spirit, including the working of miracles.
The
Holy Spirit’s Gifts for Today
God gives us
the nine gifts that we’ve discussed in these two teachings to build up His
Church, the body of Jesus Christ. These gifts have been given as a means to
spread the Gospel and establish His kingdom.
None of the gifts are to be forbidden, yet
everything must be done in an orderly manner (1 Corinthians 14:39-40).
By heeding these two commands, as empowered by the
Holy Spirit and guided by the Scriptures, we can move, now more than ever,
toward the unity of the believers and a dimension of power and authority in the
realm of the Spirit of which the prophets of old spoke!
The
greatest days are here!
Are you ready to be empowered for service?
God’s great desire is that each of us seeks a
closer, more intimate walk with Him. That is my prayer for you today.
Invading the Heavens & Breaking the Power of Delay by Kynan Bridges
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Passivity Out, Breakthrough In!
Invading the Heavens (book) describes the miraculous power of breakthrough that belongs to every believer. So what process brings breakthrough? What spiritual laws are at work? Dr. Kynan Bridges says you CAN overcome opposing spirits. Get under an open heaven and keep your focus! Kynan says your spiritual inheritance and confidence reside in:
• Knowing truth: you walk under an open heaven
• Pressing into the promises of God
• Recognizing distractions and roadblocks
• Embracing the “breaker” anointing
• Celebrating what is possible in God
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Kynan Bridges is a pastor and gifted teacher with a passion for seeing God’s people walk in the fullness of divine health and provision according to the Word of God. He is senior pastor of Grace & Peace Global Fellowship in Tampa, Florida.
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit – Part 1
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Part 1
Benny
Hinn
“I love studying about the Holy Spirit and the
spiritual gifts, for we live in such a changing world and we, as believers,
need the power and gifts of God in our lives now more than ever.”
Wherever I go, I see Christians who are spiritually
hungry and want to live a victorious, overcoming life in Christ. Yet, they
remain powerless because they don’t understand how to appropriate God’s power.
It’s time for that to change!
Just before Jesus ascended into Heaven, He said, “But ye shall
receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you…” (Acts
1:8).
This
promise of power comes after the Holy Spirit visits your life, empowering you
to witness, strengthening your Christian walk, and equipping you for Christian
service to defeat the enemy.
As our lives
are empowered by the Holy Spirit, spiritual gifts or new abilities called the
“Gifts of the Holy Spirit” enable you and me to do the Lord’s work in new and
powerful ways.
Consider:
• The Father desires that we understand spiritual
gifts. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Now, concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not
have you ignorant” (1 Corinthians 12:1). Remember, the devil’s
success is dependent upon our ignorance. When
you understand how to stir up these spiritual gifts in your life, you will have
power and authority over the enemy.
• The Father has provided these gifts to profit His
children. “But the manifestation of the
Spirit,” the Apostle wrote in 1 Corinthians 12:7, “is given to every man to profit withal.” It’s God’s will that we not lack any spiritual gift (1 Corinthians
1:5-7).
• Our Father wants us to pursue the gifts that He
has provided. Paul wrote, “But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto
you a more excellent way” (1
Corinthians 12:31). Paul’s words encourage us to seek the gifts, which are
available to each of us and necessary for our spiritual success. Now it is up to you and me to understand
these gifts and stir them up.
Let’s get into the Word about these gifts!
Three
Groups of Gifts
Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, lists each of the
nine gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10. The nine gifts can be divided into three
groups:
Revelation
gifts
Vocal gifts
Power gifts
Revelation gifts include the Word of wisdom, the Word
of knowledge, and discerning of spirits.
Vocal gifts are tongues, interpretation of tongues,
and prophecy.
Power gifts include faith, healings, and the working
of miracles.
Let me share a brief overview of each one. In Part 1
of this teaching, I’ll go through the three Revelation gifts and the first
Vocal gift, then continue with the rest in Part 2.
And as we go through these, I encourage you to take
time to study each more deeply on your own and stir them up in your life.
Revelation
Gift 1: Word of
Wisdom—the application of knowledge
We experience the Word of wisdom when the Holy
Spirit gives us supernatural wisdom or understanding through His Word in
certain situations.
When Jesus was faced with temptation in the
wilderness, He ignored what satan attempted to offer and responded by quoting
the Word of God.
Eve, on the other hand, failed to confront the
devil’s lies and was deceived.
You can use
the Word of wisdom to defeat the purposes of the enemy by knowing how to apply
the Word; at times, it can mean the difference between life and death.
In fact, the Word of wisdom is essential
in the operation of all the other gifts, so it is important to seek this gift.
Pray for this gift. Ask God to saturate your life with it, and as you study Scripture, the
Lord will begin to give you the Word of wisdom to illuminate your
understanding.
Revelation
Gift 2: Word of
Knowledge—receiving facts supernaturally by the Spirit
The Word of knowledge is something that couldn’t
possibly be known without the Holy Spirit’s prompting. There are numerous
examples throughout Scripture where the Word of knowledge is given by the
Spirit with specific information concerning a need or problem. (An example is
in 2 Kings 5, when Elisha the prophet knew that Gehazi had lied to Naaman the
leper).
Ananias and Sapphira pretended to sell their land
and give all to God’s work, but Peter received a Word of knowledge that allowed
him to boldly ask, “Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy
Ghost?” (Acts 5:3).
A
Word of knowledge can be personal or may be given for you to share with others.
When you receive it, you should immediately begin praying for God’s wisdom to
share or apply this Word.
Revelation
Gift 3: Discerning
of Spirits—perceiving the source of a manifestation
The last of
the three Revelation gifts helps you perceive whether a spiritual manifestation
is from God, man, or the devil.
It was the discerning of spirits that helped the
Apostle Peter understand the vision spoken of in Acts 10, which in turn led to
evangelism among the Gentiles, for he said, “Of
a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons.”
It was the gift of discerning of spirits that led
Paul to cast the evil spirit out of a fortune teller who seemingly spoke all
the right words saying, “I command thee in the Name of Jesus Christ to come out
of her” (Acts 8:23).
We’re in a battle, and the enemy is
cunning. Sometimes, evil masquerades as good. Therefore, we must be watchful
with our supernatural senses, exercising the Revelation gift of discernment
along with wisdom and knowledge.
Vocal
Gifts 1: Tongues—three
supernatural means of communication
There is some confusion about the first of the vocal
gifts because there are actually three different kinds of tongues:
• Tongues unto God (“For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue
speaketh not unto men, but unto God”—1 Corinthians 14:2).
• Tongues as a sign to the unbeliever (Acts 2 gives
the account of people who marveled at hearing their own native tongue).
• Tongues which edify the body of believers (“For greater is
he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that
the church may receive edifying”—1 Corinthians 14:5).
There is a place for each kind. Paul was certainly
not dismissing the value of tongues, for he wrote, “I would that ye all spake with tongues” (1 Corinthians 14:5) and “forbid not to speak with tongues” (1 Corinthians 14:39). He even wrote, “I thank my God,
I speak with tongues more than ye all” (1 Corinthians 14:18).
This gift is critical for intercession
and spiritual warfare. It’s a powerful entranceway to
deep, intimate fellowship with the Savior. Without
tongues, you overlook one of the most special of all the gifts of the Holy
Spirit.
(We will continue this study of the remaining two
Vocal gifts and the three Power gifts in Part 2).
All
Nine Gifts Needed Now
The enemy has always hated the gifts,
for they strangle his effectiveness. These gifts are not only essential to
doing God’s work, but stirring up and releasing the gifts brings divine,
scriptural prosperity in all areas of life.
We cannot do any part of God’s work
effectively without the gifts. The Holy Spirit uses them to produce eternal
fruit.
If a time ever existed when the gifts of the Holy
Spirit are essential for victorious Christian living, it is now!
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