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We will continue our journey in the book of Acts discussing the supernatural. The last few weeks we picked up Paul’s journey back to Jerusalem in Acts 21: Several days later a man named Agabus, who also had the gift of prophecy, arrived from Judea. He came over, took Paul's belt, and bound his own feet and hands with it. Then he said, "The Holy Spirit declares, 'So shall the owner of this belt be bound by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem and turned over to the Gentiles.'"
We have been discussing how the Gifts of the Holy Spirit were important to the early church and how we need the nine manifestations of the Holy Spirit personally and corporately even more today. There are nine manifestations of the Holy Spirit before we continue in Acts 21: The Nine Gifts are divided into three categories of three: First week we discussed the Three Gifts to Say (Speak). Then we studied the Three Gifts to Know Gifts or Revelation Gifts and they often can work together. Today we continue to look at the three Gifts to Do (Gift of Working of Miracles)! A portion of the material comes from the great teacher Kenneth Hagin who is now with the Lord. The Gift of the Working of Miracles is NOT to be described or defined as the word "miracle" which we use as a figure of speech: "miracle" drugs, "miracle" fabrics, the "miracle" of a beautiful rose, the "miracle of a child being born, etc. Specifically, the rising of the sun, the growth and the development of a rose, and the birthing of a child are all "natural" acts as designed by God to function in their way in the ordinary course of nature. Generally speaking, they might be considered miracles but not a direct result of the Gift of Miracles. The same is true in the spiritual realm regarding the "miracle" of salvation. Generally speaking, salvation is a miracle; specifically speaking, though, salvation isn't any more of a miracle than a natural birth is a miracle. In the supernatural realm, the new birth is a very natural or normal occurrence. Let’s look at some examples of the Gift of Miracles beginning with the Old Testament first: Moses and the dividing of the Red Sea; "And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea....But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left." Exodus 14:26-29. This was the working of a miracle in that it was a divine intervention in the ordinary course of nature. It also took the gift of faith to sustain this miracle as on ongoing act (until all of the Israelites reached the other side of the shore). Solid iron axe head made to float in Jordan River; "But as one was felling a beam, the ax head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed. And the man of God (Elisha) said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim. Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it." 2 Kings 6:5-7. We know that iron will not float in water. Again, this was the working of a miracle in that it was a divine intervention in the ordinary course of nature. A few examples of the gift of the working of miracles from the New Testament: Jesus fed five thousand with just a little boy's lunch"; There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. ...Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world." (John 6:10-14). We will probably spend next week discussing a few more instances where the Gift of Miracles is seen in operation so it will build our faith and let us know that Father God can use any of us who will believe. Prayer Points: Father God in Jesus name help us to realize that your supernatural power is guided through our imperfect lives. Moses though not perfect was used to part the Red Sea. Father, help us not to focus on what we can do but what You can do through us and that You desire to use us in the supernatural.
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We will continue our journey in the book of Acts discussing the supernatural. The last few weeks we picked up Paul’s journey back to Jerusalem in Acts 21: Several days later a man named Agabus, who also had the gift of prophecy, arrived from Judea. He came over, took Paul's belt, and bound his own feet and hands with it. Then he said, "The Holy Spirit declares, 'So shall the owner of this belt be bound by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem and turned over to the Gentiles.'"
We have been discussing how the Gifts of the Holy Spirit were important to the early church and how we need the nine manifestations of the Holy Spirit personally and corporately even more today. There are nine manifestations of the Holy Spirit before we continue in Acts 21: The Nine Gifts are divided into three categories of three: First week we discussed the Three Gifts to Say (Speak). The second week we studied the Three Gifts to Know Gifts or Revelation Gifts and they often can work together. Today we continue to look at the three Gifts to Do (Gift of Working of Miracles)! A portion of the material comes from the great teacher Kenneth Hagin who is now with the Lord. The Gift of the Working of Miracles definition by Pastor Cho in Korea: “A remarkable or surprising event that happens by the direct intervention of God, not following the general known laws of nature” The word “working” is, of course, an action word and is translated from the Greek word “energema” meaning: “energy”, “to be in work, to be effective, active, operative, to energize or be energized”. The word “miracles” is translated from the well-known word “dunamis” meaning: “act of power”; “special miraculous power”; “capability, power to do anything; then, power, might in action… a miracle as wrought by divine power; a work, with reference to the power required for its performance”. A miracle can be defined as a supernatural intervention by God in the ordinary course of nature: a temporary suspension of the accustomed order, or an interruption in the system of nature as we know it, operated by the power of the Holy Spirit. Whereas the gift of faith is a gift of the Spirit to the believer that he might receive miracles, the gift of the working of miracles is given to a believer that he might work a miracle. It is the mighty power of God flowing through a person (Howard Carter – “Questions and Answers on Spiritual Gifts”), an animal, or some other instrument (Lester Sumrall) to do something that could not be done normally. When this gift is in manifestation through a believer, he participates in the same power of God that was in manifestation when God created the world. When the Lord permits a person, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to speak a word and the miraculous occurs, then the same God who created the world is allowing some of His omnipotence to be manifested through that person. In the gift of faith, God is working on our behalf, but independent of us – we do nothing. The exact opposite is true in the gift of the working of miracles: God is entrusting us with a strength, an energy that we do not normally have. The power of the Spirit of God surges through our hands, feet, and mind causing us to do or be something that is not normal or natural to our behavior. The working of miracles is used to deliver people from unavoidable danger or harm. The gift of faith would carry a person through the danger with great peace and calm without the person being harmed at all. The gift of faith and the working of miracles work together under certain circumstances. Unlike the gifts of healings, the gift of the working of miracles is more prominent in the Old Testament than in the New Testament. I want to spend next week also discussing the Gift of Miracles because it is so supernatural that many children of God do not even believe it is possible for today but Father God never changes and we need all the Gifts of the Holy Spirit in operation in our corporate and private lives. Prayer Points: Father God in Jesus Name give us the faith not only to believe in the supernatural manifestations of the Gift of Miracles but the faith to believe that You desire to use believers like us in the Gift of Miracles. We yield ourselves to the Holy Spirit. Let’s continue our journey in the book of Acts discussing the supernatural. The last five weeks we picked up Paul’s journey back to Jerusalem in Acts 21: Several days later a man named Agabus, who also had the gift of prophecy, arrived from Judea. He came over, took Paul's belt, and bound his own feet and hands with it. Then he said, "The Holy Spirit declares, 'So shall the owner of this belt be bound by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem and turned over to the Gentiles.'"
We have been discussing how the Gifts of the Holy Spirit were important to the early church and how we need the nine manifestations of the Holy Spirit personally and corporately more so today. There are nine manifestations of the Holy Spirit before we continue in Acts 21: The Nine Gifts are divided into three categories of three: First week we discussed the Gifts to Say (Speak). The second week we studied the Gifts to Know Gifts or Revelation Gifts and they often can work together. Last week we looked at the gift of Faith. Today we continue (our 3rd week) to look at the Gifts to Do (Gift of Healing)! A lot of the material comes from the great teacher Kenneth Hagin who is now with the Lord. Since there is so much controversy over Divine Healing, let me share Biblical truths. Psalm 103:2-4 Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-- who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion; 1 Peter 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his stripes you have been healed. 3 John 2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. Father God’s Word is very clear about what His will is in our lives as His children. The problem is our natural mind doesn’t want to believe His Truth more than we believe our Tradition. Sickness was not created by Father God but rather entered into the world by the fall of Adam but Jesus (the Last Adam) came and reversed the curse for those who would just believe the report of the Lord. We must renew our mind with Father God’s word daily to retrain what has become a lifestyle of fleshly thinking. I also want to stress just as we as parents would not want our children sick or would never punish our children with sickness neither does Father God. He is a GOOD GOD! He is a LOVING GOD! He sent Jesus to give us an abundant life not a sick life. If sickness was from Father God why did Jesus go around healing all that were sick? Friends, get this in your Spirit man, Father God desires for us as His children to walk in divine healing and divine health. It is His Will to heal us because He already has. We won’t need healing in heaven, we need healing on earth! We get a new body in heaven. More truths about The Gifts of Healing (1 Corinthians 12:9); Gifts of Healings are not gifts automatically received by someone who has been supernaturally healed by the gifts of healings in operation. Neither is it a gift which operates through medical science. Gifts of healings are manifested through the supernatural power of God. Let’s also touch on this truth, Divine Healing (Healing by general faith - prayer of faith) is another way to be healed. Available to all believers (born again - even if you have yet to be baptized with the Holy Spirit), "And these signs shall follow them that believe, In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." Mark 16:17, 18 Have your minister or elder pray for you, "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; Let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; And the prayer of faith shall save the sick and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him." James 5:14, 15 Have family members pray for you and agree with you for your healing..."That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven." Matthew 18:19 Remove any outstanding issues between you and the Lord. Reclaim healing scriptures from the Word, meditate on them day and night, believe you have received your healing, and praise the Lord for your healing until it manifests itself. Prayer Points: Father God in Jesus Name, help me to replace my thoughts on healing with the truths in Your Word which are Your thoughts and Your Will. Not only heal my body but use me to heal others in Jesus Name! We have been teaching on the Gifts of the Spirit and the timing is perfect. The last four weeks we picked up Paul’s journey back to Jerusalem in Acts 21: Several days later a man named Agabus, who also had the gift of prophecy, arrived from Judea. He came over, took Paul's belt, and bound his own feet and hands with it. Then he said, "The Holy Spirit declares, 'So shall the owner of this belt be bound by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem and turned over to the Gentiles.'"
We have been discussing how the Gifts of the Holy Spirit were important to the early church and how we need the nine manifestations of the Holy Spirit personally and corporately more so today. There are nine manifestations of the Holy Spirit before we continue in Acts 21: The Nine Gifts are divided into three categories of three: First week we discussed the Gifts to Say (Speak). The second week we studied the Gifts to Know Gifts or Revelation Gifts and they often can work together. Last week we looked at the gift of Faith. Today we continue (our 2nd week) to look at the Gifts to Do (Gift of Healing)! A lot of the material comes from the great teacher Kenneth Hagin who is now with the Lord. The Gifts of Healing (1 Corinthians 12:9): Once again I want you to notice this truth, it says Gifts of healing. As we, the Body of Christ, operate in the fullness of the Holy Spirit individually but yet corporately we will find that no sickness will have the power to remain in our midst. For those who have gifts of healings in their lives and ministries, when it comes to healings, they have more success in some areas than in others. Kenneth Hagin says, "...in my own ministry, ruptures, growths, hernias, or lumps of any kind are almost always healed when I pray for people...ninety-nine cases out of a hundred. Some of the growths completely disappear within a month." Someone else would have greater success in getting cancer victims healed (the anointing upon your gift of healing is more specific, and therefore limited). Kenneth Hagin speaks about a gentleman he knew who was greatly used of God in praying for people who were deaf, but admitted that he seldom got any other type of malady healed except deaf people. God will anoint you for whatever He has called you to do, but He anoints some people to minister in special ways; Kenneth Hagin calls them "peculiar" anointings. Starting with Jesus - he ministered healing to people in various ways: He spat on the ground, made clay of the spittle, rubbed it on a blind man's eyes, and told him to go wash in the pool of Siloam (John 9:7); he healed a deaf and dumb man by sticking his fingers in his ear, spat, and touched his tongue, "...And straightway his ears were opened...the string of his tongue loosed...he spake plain." Mark 7:35 Kenneth Hagin recalls a minister who would rub spit on every single person he ministered to and they were healed. Kenneth Hagin, himself, ministered healing to people in unusual ways. A woman came to him with a stomach tumor so large, she looked as though she was pregnant. He proceeded to lay hands on her, but the Lord came to him saying, "Hit her in the stomach with your fist." Kenneth Hagin was reluctant to do so, but when he did, her stomach "...went down like you'd stuck a pin in a balloon." The bottom line is - yield to the Holy Spirit. When it comes to being used in the Gifts of Healing or any Gift of the Holy Spirit, don’t limit Him, only obey Him as He speaks to you. It’s your obedience to the Holy Spirit that releases the Power of the Holy Spirit. A full manifestation of the gifts of healings can also drive out demons causing other physical problems without the discerning of spirits or word of knowledge in operation. For example, where someone might seek healing for arthritis, they might also be "delivered" from the demonic spirit of alcoholism without your realization. Gifts of healings are not given to a believer to "bless" him personally, but it is a ministry of healing to bless others. Remember the Gifts Father God GIVES you are not for sale. We should never charge someone to use the Gift He has given us. Healing the sick is included in the Great Commission: the purpose of these gifts is to deliver the sick and destroy the works of the devil. Yield to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and watch the supernatural take place in your life. Prayer Points: Father God in Jesus Name, as a child in your family and a servant in the Kingdom, I yield my body to the Holy Spirit for use in your Kingdom in any way you desire to use me. I’m free from sin, guilt and condemnation because of the Blood of Jesus which releases me to be used supernaturally in your Kingdom! The Holy Spirit is so amazing! I think it’s so fitting that He has led us to discuss the Gifts of the Spirit, because we are experiencing such a manifestation of the supernatural. Last Sunday so many supernatural healings manifested during communion including a man who was in town visiting family who was deaf in his right ear (for over 10 years) and while praying for him the gift of faith, healing and miracles opened his ear and he was able to hear!
Glory to God! All Praise goes to Him! The last three weeks we picked up Paul’s journey back to Jerusalem in Acts 21: Several days later a man named Agabus, who also had the gift of prophecy, arrived from Judea. He came over, took Paul's belt, and bound his own feet and hands with it. Then he said, "The Holy Spirit declares, 'So shall the owner of this belt be bound by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem and turned over to the Gentiles.'" We have been discussing how the Gifts of the Holy Spirit were important to the early church and how we need the nine manifestations of the Holy Spirit personally and corporately more than ever. It’s so important that I want to continue looking at the nine manifestations of the Holy Spirit before we continue in Acts 21: The Nine Gifts are divided into three categories of three: First week we discussed the Gifts to Say (Speak). The second week we studied the Gifts to Know Gifts or Revelation Gifts and they often can work together. Last week we looked at the gift of Faith. Today we continue to look at the Gifts to Do (Gift of Healing)! A lot of the material comes from the great teacher Kenneth Hagin who is now with the Lord. The Gifts of Healing (1 Corinthians 12:9); Notice this Gift is in the plural form: "Gifts." The gifts of healings are manifested for the supernatural healing of sickness and disease without any natural source or means: it is a gift of the Spirit to minister healing to another. Through the ministry of gifts of healings, the Lord endows His servants with special gifts to pray for specific diseases and ailments. Gifts of healings is the only gift out of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit that is in plural form (except tongues), but it is also the only gift that is actually limited because of the "anointing." Jesus, "healed all manner of sickness and all manner of disease." Mathew 4:23, in his earthly ministry. He also healed people with unclean spirits. Why? Because Jesus had the fullness of the Holy Spirit without measure so that all gifts of healings were manifest in his earthly ministry. The Body of Christ has the same measure of the (Holy) Spirit collectively as Jesus had individually (John3:34). Therefore, no one person has the Spirit without measure and cannot succeed in healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. There are times when any gift of healing can operate through any believer when Father God needs it to. Lester Sumrall said, "...it has been suggested that there are possibly as many categories of disease in the world as there were stripes placed on Jesus' back. He received 39 stripes and, according to Isaiah 53:5, with his stripes we are healed." One thing we must know and believe is this, it is the Father’s will to heal all that are SICK just like it’s His will to save all that are lost! Just as all sin has been paid for, all sicknesses have been healed by the blood of Jesus! Gifts of healings are manifested through another person to you: Healing power, the anointing, not the gift, is transferable: It will flow from one person to another, mainly by touch such as the laying on of hands. All healing is done by God, the difference is in the channel through which healing is manifested. Most healing is by degree based on two conditions: 1) The degree of healing virtue (power) administered; Ephesians 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. There are different degrees of power working in each believer. 2) The degree of faith that gives action to the power administered. Even if the anointing is strong, faith must be there to give action to that power or there will be little or no healing. Also, some healings are instant and some are progressive. It would appear that healings generated from the manifestation of gifts of healings are more likely to occur instantaneously! Healing is so important to the body of Christ and will become more needed in the days to come. I want you to know this, the Holy Spirit wants to use all believers to lay hands on the sick and see them recover. Remember we are only vessels but Jesus is the Healer! Prayer Points: Father God in Jesus Name I make my vessel available to you today, use my hands to heal the sick, the broken hearted, the hurting today. I promise to give you all the Praise and Glory. Amen! |
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