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The Power Gifts of the Holy Spirit

In the last study, we began a study of the specific gifts of the Holy Spirit. We looked at the revelation gifts – Word of Wisdom, Word of Knowledge and Discerning of Spirits – and the differences between these gifts. Today, we will be studying in detail the power gifts of the Holy Spirit – Gifts of Healings, Working of Miracles, and Faith. May the Lord incline our hearts to His Word. Amen!

Main Text: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Significance of the Power Gifts

The revelation gifts we considered last week are manifested for the Christian to know something God wants him to know. While the vocal gifts we will be considering next week are gifts the Christian can exercise to speak God’s will. Power is simply defined as the ability to do something; hence, power gifts are used by the Christian to do God’s will.  Thus, this set of gifts are quite important. Why? James 1:22, Matthew 7:24. The power gifts are useful for (a) doing the Father’s will (b) offering service to humanity (c) edifying the body of Christ and (d) living a victorious Christian life.

The Gift of Faith

What is Faith? Hebrews 11:1 (AMP) How is this gift used to “do” God’s will? Faith is the fuel that causes us to believe the unseen and do the impossible. All the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 did remarkable things because they were not low on this fuel. How is the gift of faith different from the fruit of faith? The gift of faith, as other gifts of the Holy Spirit, is primarily for the edification of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:7) while the fruit of faith is the result of God’s presence within us and is primarily for our personal walk with God (Galatians 5:22-25). Is the “mustard seed faith” prescription in Matthew 17:20 for those with the gift of faith or for every Christian?

The Gifts of Healing

It is interesting to note that the Bible says the “gifts” of healing in verse 9, suggesting that there are different components of the healing and different types of healing (some translations say “the gifts of healings”). God is interested in healing every area of our lives – mentally, physically, spiritually, socially and financially. Is it mandatory for the sick person to have faith as well for healing to manifest?

Matthew 8:1-3; Luke 4:31-35, Luke 5:1-7

The Gift of Working of Miracles

A miracle is an extraordinary event that cannot be explained by natural/scientific laws. Is it possible for a miracle to occur in your life even without you having faith? Consider Moses and the burning bush. Because God is sovereign, He can work miracles as He chooses. When He does these, they are usually to draw our attention to Him.

John 2:1-11; Luke 7:11-17; Matthew 8:23-27, Matthew  14:13-21

Relationship between the Power Gifts

The gift of faith is the foundation on which the other two power gifts are built (Matthew 14:28-31; Matthew 17:14-20). Is it possible for someone to have either one of these gifts without first having the gift of faith? Also, some healings that do the impossible are miracles themselves. So, we can say there is an intersection between the gifts of healing and the gift of working of miracles. Hence, it’s possible for a Christian to operate in both power gifts.

How Can I Build up my Faith?

Given that all the gifts of the Holy Spirit become manifest through faith, we should desire to build up our most holy faith. We can do this by hearing and reading the Word of God (Romans 10:17), praying in the Holy Spirit (Jude 1:20-21), and getting associated with people who have great faith (Proverbs 27:17).

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The Revelation Gifts of the Holy Spirit

In the last study, we began a study of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We established that God is the giver of these gifts. God demands purity before power. We also learnt that there are three categories of the gifts; revelation gifts, inspiration gifts, the power gifts. In this study, we will look in details at the revelation gifts (Word of Wisdom, Word of Knowledge and Discerning of Spirits).

Main Text: 1 Corinthians 12:1-14

The Gifts of the Word of Knowledge

The word of knowledge is the supernatural revelation by the Spirit of certain facts in the mind of God. God has a storehouse of knowledge from eternity past to eternity future. He knows everything, but He doesn’t reveal everything He knows to man. He gives him a word or part of what He knows. The word of knowledge is, therefore, a fragment of God’s knowledge revealed to one of His children. It is a peep into the Divine’s mind. The word of knowledge can be manifested through:

• The audible voice
• Visions (Acts 9:10-12, Acts 10:9-20)
• Inward revelation (John 4:16-18)

God Never Does Anything Without a Purpose

Since our God never does anything without a purpose, there are several reasons why God gives the gift of the word of knowledge. Some of the reasons are:

• To enlighten a discouraged servant – 1 Kings 19:2-4, 1 Kings 19:14, and 1 Kings 19:18
• To give us an edge over the enemy – 2 Kings 6:9-12.
• To expose the hypocrite – 2 Kings 5:25-26
• To discover man in hiding – 1 Samuel 10:11-23

The Gifts of the Word of Wisdom

The word of wisdom is a supernatural revelation by the Spirit of God concerning the divine purpose in the mind and will of God. To understand the term “Word of Wisdom”, we need to note that God has all wisdom and in His divine wisdom, He knows all about the future. He gives only a bit of it at a time of need (Acts 8:26-29). The word of wisdom and word of knowledge often operate together (Act 9:10-16).

The Purpose of the Word of Wisdom

Depending on the circumstances, there are various reasons why God may manifest the gifts of the word of wisdom in His body. Some of the reasons could be:

• To solve human problems
• To confuse the enemy
• To turn a fool into a learned person thereby demonstrating the superiority of God’s wisdom over man’s
• To give direction and protection (Acts 27:10, Acts 27:23-24)
• To set apart for ministry (Acts 9:15).

The Manifestation of the Word of Wisdom

The gift of the word of wisdom could be manifested through:

• Audible voice Ex 20:1-26
• Vision or dream – Acts 9:10-12, Acts 10:9-20, Daniel 2:19-23
• Prophecy or through tongues and interpretation of tongues
• Reading scriptures
• Inward revelation – John 4:17-19

The Gifts of Discerning of Spirits

To discern means to see, that is, seeing into the spiritual realm. All visions are the manifestation of discerning of spirits. A vision might bring with it a word of wisdom or knowledge but the vision itself is the gift of discerning of spirits. The discerning of spirits gives us insight into the spirit world. This gift is not for discerning of devils nor discerning of evil spirits only, it is the insight into the realm of spirits of both good and bad. Following this line of reasoning, if the gift of discerning of spirits is in operation, we can also discern likeness of God, angelic beings, Satan and his legions. Also, we can discern human spirit with its good or evil tendencies.

Biblical examples:

• Discerning the similitude of God- Exodus 33:20-23, Isaiah 6:1
• Discerning the Holy Spirit – Rev 5:6
• Discerning spirits – Acts 16:16-18

How to Obtain the Revelation Gifts

The revelation gifts are usually given to covenant men and people whose sole aim is to serve the Lord with all they have. If you want the gift, you must be prepared to pay the cost. Galatians 3:5, Philippians. 3:7-10.

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Holy Spirit: The Giver, the Gifts, and the Fruit

Our discussion today is an overview on the operations and the person of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer. This is so important to us believers because the Spirit of God wants us to understand and utilise His things (abilities and persona) that are freely given to us to function and live in this world.

Hebrews 4:12 declares that God in us is alive and active. As we begin this series, we trust His gifts and person will become operational in our lives in Jesus name. The study is structured as follows: “The Giver”, “The Gift”, “The Fruit” and “How to Cultivate Them”.

The Giver

Now concerning spiritual gifts, I don’t want you to be ignorant (Uninformed), the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 12:1.  It means we are encouraged to understand and prioritize this subject.

We should be fully informed that:

1. God is the giver of spiritual gifts and abilities. In other words, no one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit

• All good and perfect gifts come from above and come from the father of light (James 1:17)
• There are diversities of gifts but the same Lord (in operation) (1 Corinthians 12:4)
• To each one of us grace was given (Ephesians 4:7)

2. The Spirit has given us these gifts for a purpose
3. These gifts are precious divine resources that should not be wasted or abused (Matthew 25:14-30) – Discuss the Parable of talents
4. They are given according to His will
5. They can come and increase in measure through faith (so you are allowed to covet them)

The Gifts of the Spirit

The gifts of the Spirit are special abilities given by the Holy Spirit to believers for the purpose of church edification, service (meeting needs), and for exercising dominion.

1 Corinthians 12:8-10 includes the spirit of wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, discernment of spirits, speaking in tongues, working of miracles, prophecy, and interpretation of tongues. The chapter further includes administration and helps.

Ephesians 4:7-13 enlists the ministering or office gifts as follows: Prophets, Apostles, Evangelist, Pastors and Teachers.

Romans 12:3-8 includes exhortation, giving, leadership and mercy.

The Purpose of the Gifts

• To profit all – 1 Corinthians 1:7
• For equipping saints in the ministry
• For navigating through life

The Fruit of the Spirit

The expression “fruit of the Spirit “ is a metaphor used to sum up the nine major spiritual virtues or attributes a true Christian should possess. In short, they are physical manifestations of a transformed life.

The Purpose of the Fruit of the Spirit

• To make heaven
• To produce lasting changes in character /behaviour that is consistent with who we are
• To make visible the Holiness/Persona of God
• To be a Christian

How to Acquire, Cultivate, and Increase the Measure of the Gifts and the Fruit

• You must be born again
• Glorify God for whatever He has given you now
• Identify new operations in your life. If confused meet spiritual elders close to you
• You must use or you may lose them
• Sharpen, pray, study and walk closely with those who have the gifts you want
• Dare to use them in seemingly difficult situations and believe God for more

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The Dangers of Distractions in the Life of a Christian

In the series on “Avoiding Distractions“, we have already looked at “How to Avoid Distractions to Our Christian Faith” and “Avoiding Distractions and Living a Victorious Life: A Case Study of Mary and Martha“. In this lesson, we will be discussing “The Dangers of Distractions in the Life of a Christian”

One major aim of distractions is to spoil the testimony of the salvation we received in Christ Jesus.

From the story in Luke 9:57-62, it is clear that at one point in time we can be committed to the things of God, but along the way, the care of life and the pleasure of this world can take away our eyes from the Master.

What are the Dangers of Distractions in the Life of a Christian?

1. The person will not go to heaven unless he or she makes amendment before death or rapture takes place – Luke 9:62
2. Toiling and struggling to survive in life and this can result in frustration and depression – Luke 5:5
3. Complaining and murmuring against God, which always lead to both physical and spiritual death – Numbers 11:1
4. Absence of God’s presence which exposes a Christian to attacks from the powers of darkness – 1st Samuel 19:9
5. We can open a door for deception and lie from the enemy knowingly or unknowingly – Genesis 3:1-11
6. Being occupied with earthly things and the pleasure of this world, which are temporary: Demas has left me because he loved the things of this world – 2nd Timothy 4:10
7. Abuse of the liberty we have in Christ when we first believed – Galatians 5:1-2

How to Avoid the Dangers of Distractions

1. By watching and praying at all times – Luke 21:34-36
2. By taking heed and standing firm under the grace of God – 1st Corinthians 10:12

Prayers

• Lord Jesus, grant unto me the grace to be focused on You and to live a life of total obedience
• Father, grant me the spirit of a finisher and let me have a testimony like Apostle Paul
• Father, my life is in your hands. Keep me to the end of my race

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Avoiding Distractions and Living a Victorious Life: A Case Study of Mary and Martha

What is a distraction?

• A thing that prevents concentration
• A diversion
• Extreme agitation of the mind

The main purpose of the devil is to distract us as he has been doing from the beginning. He distracted Eve and destroyed Adam’s destiny. Distractions destroy destiny.

Jesus was invited to the house of Mary and Martha and being the Lord of Lords, it was expected that Martha would focus on the words of the Saviour but she was too occupied with trying to impress. Her intentions were good but her actions were a distraction. Our daily habits and actions can create a great distraction to our relationship with God.

Jesus went up early in the morning to pray and seek the Lord. If our environment is too noisy we may lose the connection that we need to create an atmosphere of closeness with God.

Some of us are too stimulated, we are afraid of silence but God likes stillness – Psalms 46:10. We need quietness for a good prayer life and for hearing God. A life of prayer leads to power and victory but distractions can keep us away from the place of prayer.

Emotional Distractions and Biblical Solutions

1. Negative thinking – Phil 4:8
2. Judgemental attitude – Luke 6:37
3. Doubt- James 1:8
4. Unforgiveness – Luke 6:37
5. Pride – psalms 1:1
6. Self-condemnation – Eph 2:8

Physical Distractions and Biblical Solutions

1. Noisy environment – minimise noise as best as you can
2. Phones or gadgets – switch them off
3. Lack of good sleep – get some good sleep when you can
4. People – chatting in church during prayer and worship (be aware)
5. Untidy environment – clean your house
6. Ignorance of the Word of God – read the Bible constantly.
7. Lack of planning or daily priority setting – use a dairy.

Practical Steps to Avoid Distractions

1. Think about what you are thinking before you take action – Matthew 9:4
2. Beware of your environment and your location at any given time – 2nd Samuel 11:2
3. Watch out for what your eyes, ears, and mind receive from the external world and confirm if it is Godly – 1st Corinthian 2:9
4. Don’t deny yourself of the reality about your feeling and personal challenges. Deal with it without any delay – Judges 16:1-2
5. Avoid any conversation that is contrary to what God says or His promises to you – Genesis 3:1-5
6. Avoid taking a decision when you are tired and angry – 1st King 19:4
7. Always learn from past mistakes and from people ahead of you, their success, and their failure – 1st Samuel 2:12-17. Eli & Samuel

Conclusion

Ephesians 5:15-16 (NKJV) – See then that you walk circumspectly, not as a fool but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil.

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How to Avoid Distractions to Our Christian Faith

What is a distraction? A thing that prevents someone from concentration on something else, extreme agitation of mind. (Oxford Dictionaries).  We will learn in this outline how to avoid distractions.

The environment we live in and our daily activities demand a lot of attention and it is now becoming very hard to manage our time because of the pressure from family, social interaction and the pursuit of life goals and aspiring to become what the society defines as success.

It is not wrong to be ambitious and aspiring to be great in life.  God wants His children to be the best in all that we do both in our secular work and every other area of our lives.

3 John 1:2 – Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, even as your soul prospers…

Hebrew 12:2 says: “Looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith, Who for the Joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God…”

It is not possible to be looking at two directions at the same time. When we look up to the sky it becomes very hard to look down at the same time, any attempt to look up and down at the same time will lead to frustration and confusion and doublemindedness.

What Should I do to Avoid Distractions?

1. Learning the lifestyle of Jesus Christ. He was both man and God, yet He went to the wedding and ate with sinners. John 1:1-10, Luke 5:27-32. Jesus knew why He came to this world and He focussed on it – we need to focus on God.
2. Shut your spiritual eyes and ears to the noise of men and opinions especially if it doesn’t match the word of promise – 2 kings 2:3.
3. Determination is a signal that you know what you want in life. Elijah told Elisha to stay here. Elisha refused. 2 Kings 2:1-8.
4. Get connected to a good Christian and trusted mentor and learn from them as much as you can for your Future Journey – 1 King 19:1-21.
5. Write down your vision and make it plain on the tablet. What you write down and see every day automatically shapes your way of thinking and reminds you of where you are going – Habakkuk 2:2.
6. Learn to prioritise your daily, weekly, monthly and yearly plans both physical and Spiritual. John 11:1-16, Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. Abandon time-wasting activities.
7. Always take note of what you are watching, seeing and listening to on a daily basis and feed your spirit man and your mind with reading good books and associating with people of vision – Matthew 14:28-30.

Conclusion

Everybody is prone to distractions these days because we live in an age of information overload.

We get both useful and not so useful information downloaded to us daily but we have a choice to watch our eyes and ears from getting contaminated. With the help of the Holy Spirit and prayer, we can overcome every activity that the enemy is introducing into our lives in order to distract us.

Remember when Peter walked on water, as long as He kept His eyes on Jesus, He was able to do the miraculous but when He took His eyes off Jesus Christ, He began to sink.

When we feel we are sinking, it is a sign that we may have taken our eyes off our saviour.

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The Doctrine of the Trinity

The doctrine of the Trinity has been in the churches for centuries, the early churches and the elders came together to this agreement because there was an ongoing debate about the deity of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit even in prayers. (Nicaea council AD 325) (Nicene Creed).

What is the Trinity?

Trinity is the state of being three, a word used to describe a group of three and a union. In the Godhead, there is constant unity, equality and eternity, no beginning and no end. Trinity is not the name of God but a relational dimension, an explanation of relativity and the relationship between the Triune God according to their specific and peculiar manifestation.

There will never be an adequate human explanation for the existence or the origin of the God in the Trinity as man will forever be mystified by the very nature of the Godhead. It is beyond theology, philosophy, religion or politics. It is the mystery of godliness and spirituality, the very foundation of our faith. It is not a position that God occupies but His nature, how he operates. Jesus Christ is the only member of the Trinity that humans have seen with the physical eye.

How Can We Relate to the Trinity?

1. We are not to pray to the Trinity but pray to the father God in Jesus’ name by the power of the holy spirit. Zech 4:6b – “Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit says the Lord”.
2. We must relate and respond to every member of the Trinity in equal measure.
3. We need help from all the members of the Trinity.
4. We have to live by faith.
5. Learn to understand the inner witness of the Spirit to avoid being duped.

God the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit

Is that so bad? Some say that it means God is three. He is one God eternally manifested in three and purposely remaining as the father God. Jesus referred to God as His father in a few places in the Scriptures -John 4:34.

The doctrine of the Trinity has sparked a few debates in theological circles and churches. However, we affirm that God exists and so is Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. The more room we give to each one of them in our hearts, homes, and churches, the more influence they will have on our daily experiences.

God is a spirit and God has a spirit. When this spirit came on Mary the Virgin, Jesus Christ was conceived. Divinity and humanity came together. Jesus was both man and God, He died and rose by the Spirit of God and He went up to heaven because He couldn’t live on earth anymore. Then the Holy Spirit came on the Day of Pentecost and came on them all, no longer priests, special persons and apostles alone but everyone.

When we say in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, we confirm that we are a vessel of the Holy Spirit just like on the Day of the Pentecost and so we carry the trinity.
Stay blessed.

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How to Receive Answers to Your Prayers

There has been so much emphasis on why, when and how to pray, but having prayed, how do you receive the answers to your prayers? As important as prayer is, receiving is equally, if not more important. The Bible does not only teach us how to pray, it also explains how to receive the answers to our prayers. If we do not have what we need, it is because we are not asking God for it (James 4:2), but if we are asking, we are not receiving because we probably are not asking in faith (Mark 11:24).

Receiving the Answers to Your Prayers

Several Bible passages allude to the fact that God has given or will give us all we need (2 Peter 1:3, Romans 8:32, Ephesians 1:3). So why does it appear we do not have answers to our prayers? It is because we are missing a crucial step in the process. There are three steps to having the answers to our prayers as seen in Mark 11:24:

1. Ask God in the name of Jesus Christ (John 14:13)
2. Receive the answer by faith
3. Then, the answer is yours to have

The following points are also worthy of note in relation to receiving answers to our prayers:

• Hebrews 11:1 – Believe you have received the answers. Having faith means we are expecting God to answer. Faith gives us that assurance, the certainty, that we have received what we have asked for. This certainty grows as we gain more knowledge of God, especially through His Word (Romans 10:17)
• Live in agreement with your belief in God. Do not act contrary to your confession. It naturally appears that the act of receiving is a passive one; but it is not because faith is supposed to act, or do that which is believed (James 2:14-26).
• 1 John 5:14-15, James 4:3 – Ask God for the right thing. How do I know the right thing to ask for? It is right when it is in line with God’s will, or intention, or mind for your life. We know His general and specific intentions as we study the Bible and continue to live in Him – Jer 29:11, Ps 121, Deut 28:13
• Matthew 6:33 – Go after God, and God will sort out your daily needs. See what God has planned for us:

I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers! – Isaiah 65:24 (NLT)

Conclusion

It is the desire of God that His children have everything pertaining to life and godliness. He is always willing to answer us when we call on Him in faith, with the right requests. Moreover, You have no idea what God could do for you if your life pleases Him. That is probably the best way of receiving from God.

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Christians, Be Wise

Why are we here, what is the purpose of life, and where are we going? If we knew the answers to these questions we would be wise in the way we live. Wisdom is the correct application of knowledge and it is also written that: “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding” (Pro 4:7 NKJV). Our Lord and Saviour is coming back and we need to be wise by staying alert.

The King is Coming

The Lord Jesus Christ is coming again but this time, not as a baby, but as a conquering king, with fire in His eyes and ruling with a rod of iron (Rev 19:11-16). He says: “And behold, I am coming quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work” (Rev 22:12 NKJV).

Two major features of His coming are very clear:

• He will come at an unexpected time (Mat 25:6; II Pet 3:10).
• We will give account; as He will come with both rewards and terror (II Cor 5:10-11, Rev 20:11; 22:12).

A Call to Wise Living

Since we know the King will be back and will demand that we give account at His return, we should be wise and lead a very careful lifestyle. A question is in order here: “Can we be too careful?” There may be many options or alternatives but we should simply choose the way of the Lord. So as not to be caught unaware by His coming, we need to focus on Him (Heb 12:1-4) and take note of the following among others:

• We have an assignment and the time is short – we will not be here forever. Therefore, identify your God-given life’s goals and pursue them. Meanwhile, our attitude should be that of fellowship before service; and service instead of activities (Hos 6:6).
• The Christian walk is, first of all, a private one (Mat 25:8-10).
• Focus on that which has significance in God’s kingdom (Col 3:1-3).
• Live one day at a time (Mat 6:34; Phil 1:6; 4:6-7).
• Do not compromise, for you do not know the day or hour of His return (Mat 25:13).
• Keep your peace, be still and see God at work (Psa 46:10).

Conclusion

It is a reality that our Lord is coming back. This calls for wisdom in how we live. God sent us here for a purpose; the ultimate part of which is to serve Him and we must do this day by day. Sometimes the storms of life can sweep us off balance, but we should remember that only in keeping step with Him day by day can we really become the best that He wants us to be. He cares, He really does, and He wants us to be vigilant and prepared, always trusting Him, thinking straight and looking steadily at the joy that is set before us. Finally, in the midst of our greatest challenges, God is still God and He will come through on our behalf; we just need to be still.