CLASS 2. - The Importance and Operation of the Supernatural Gifts During
Prayer
A. Becoming a Lightning Rod
When people choose to give their lives to Jesus and receive Him as their personal Lord and Savior, they are re-born and become alive to another realm. They physically live in the natural world and are alive in the spiritual or supernatural realm, giving them the limitless ability to transcend natural talents and personal skills.
Living a supernatural life is a Christian's most powerful yet practical way to live. Christians can live in this natural world with supernatural power to affect change in every life they touch by learning to use what God has given them at the moment of salvation through the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Becoming a lightning rod of God's transforming power requires the Christian to move from being passive and intimidated by the gift of the Holy Spirit to becoming intimate and passionate with Him. They must learn that the Holy Spirit is God, yet He is also a friend - not a force.
B. The Gifts that Keep on Giving
When a person chooses to give their life to Jesus and receive Him as their personal Lord and Savior with a repentant heart, they are re-born and become alive to a supernatural realm.
Jesus is the greatest gift ever given. Through the gift of the Savior, every person on this planet has the freedom of choice to receive God's gift of salvation. Salvation makes a person "complete" in Christ (Colossians 2:10). All that the Father is, Jesus is. "All the fullness of the Godhead bodily" dwells in Jesus, and He dwells within the Christian (Col 2:9-10 NKJV). Jesus is the physical presentation of all that the Father is.
Jesus claimed to live a sinless life and to be God, as well as having shared the glory of God in Heaven (John 1:1-5,8:28-29,17:5,46-47). When He was accused of claiming to be God, He did not deny it (John 10:30). Nor did Jesus correct the disciple Thomas when he said to Him, "My Lord and my God" (John 20:28 NIV).
Jesus said that if a person believes in God, they should believe in Him (John 14:1). He also claimed to be the ONLY way to God and that He could forgive sins and give everlasting life. (Matthew 11:27; John 6:40,47,10:28-30,11:25,4:6; Luke 5:20-21,7:48-49, 47). He also claimed that He would die and return to life and return to judge the world (Matthew 24:27-30,25:31-32; Mark 14:61-62; Luke 18:31-33; John 10:17,12;32-33,16:16)
Jesus willingly received worship and claimed the role and functions reserved only for the Creator God in the Old Testament, such as the Shepherd, the Rock, and the Sower (Matthew 2:11,7:24-27,13:24-30,14:33,21:15-16; Luke 24:52; John 9:38).
Jesus declared that He had the same level of authority as God (John 5:19), that He existed before Abraham, and had the name of God (Exodus 3:13,14; John 6:35,8:24,58-59, 10:11-14,11:25). Jesus also declared that He was the truth, the Lord of the Sabbath, and those who have seen Him have seen God (Matthew 12:60; John 14:6,9). Jesus told the Apostle John, "I am the Alpha and the Omega…who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty" (Revelation 1:8 NIV).
A person can't be converted if they don't acknowledge the claims of Jesus and if the Holy Spirit is not living inside them because; "if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ (Romans 8:9-11 NIV - see also John 14:20).
Jesus prayed for the disciples, the greatest prayer ever prayed on earth.
"that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me." (John 17:21-22 NIV)
Not only did Jesus pray for those around Him, but He also prayed for every individual Christian in the future. God gave the greatest gift ever imagined, and He keeps on giving gifts to His children because every Christian has the gift of the Holy Spirit living in them. They possess - and have access to - all of His promises, gifts, and supernatural power because God is the giver of all gifts. They are to stir up these gifts:
"Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands." (2 Timothy 1:6 KJV)
The word picture here is of one taking a poker and stirring some dying coals in a fireplace, causing them to burst into flames.
C. Instruments of Grace
The word "grace" comes from the Greek word 'charis.' The supernatural gifts are 'charismatic' grace gifts. The word has various meanings in the Bible. One such word used is about goodwill and loving-kindness shown to people.
The nine spiritual manifestation gifts are instruments of grace, as is the teaching of God's Word, reading the Scriptures, daily prayer, the church's ministry, etc. Healthy growth is stifled and hindered when the utilization of the supernatural gifts of grace are minimized or their need and use diminished. When a church teacher or leader devalues the use of supernatural gifts, they run into the danger of becoming legalistic and receiving "the grace of God in vain" (2 Corinthians 6:1 KJV).
Within Jesus dwells all the fullness of grace and truth, including God's supernatural manifestation gifts.
"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14 NIV)
Jesus was both fully human and fully God. Every Christian has received the fullness of God through grace (John 1:9,16). They are "complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power" (Colossians 2:10 NKJV).
Those who walk in humility before God are given greater grace to stand in the gap for others and help to influence change in the human heart. Jesus called every Christian to serve the homeless, hungry, sick, and imprisoned as if they were Jesus Himself (Matthew 25:34-40). The grace gifts of God are to be given to others just as Jesus freely gave them to those He came in contact with.
"But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." (James 4:4 NIV - also 1 Peter 5)
The grace gifts will flow freely and naturally through those that walk humbly before God and humanity. The Holy Spirit will give them more significant opportunities to share those gifts with others. Every Christian has been given the command to grow in grace (2 Peter 3:18). Because they have been given gifts of grace, so they are to:
"minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen." (1 Peter 4:10 NIV)
Many are told they are given a spiritual gift at the moment of salvation. There even exists 'Spiritual Gift' assessment tests available to help a person figure out which of the multiple 'gifts' listed in Scripture were given to them by God.
The negative effect of this kind of manufactured teaching is the creation of a religious caste system where those with the so-called 'greater' gifts, such as "prophecy," "healing," or "working of miracles," hold higher positions of authority and 'power' than those who only have the gift of "helps," or "mercy," or "hospitality."
This belief has created a 'class' composed of spiritual elitists with a supposed greater spiritual authority and fullness of anointing given by God than the congregation of lower 'class' Christians. The reality is that there is no multi-fold ruling class in Christianity. Every Christian share in the fullness of the Triune God because in Jesus, "the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily," and they have "been filled in Him, who is the head of all rule and authority (Colossians 2:9-10 ESV).
It is the Holy Spirit who mobilizes all Christians to do the work of the ministry. He disperses spiritual gifts as needed and qualifies people for leadership in the local church, not seminary training or advanced degrees. Sadly, too many churches entrust spiritual leadership and ministry to professional 'clergy,' which can cause 'non-professional' Christians to neglect their responsibility for ministry and diligent Bible Study. The result of this teaching is that a person assumes they are limited to the 'gift' they were assessed to possess and must rely on others who have "gifts" they don't have when they come across a need or situation that requires a different gift, or even multiple gifts.
For example, let's say that someone comes to a Christian in the workplace or a social setting for counseling because they are struggling with multiple issues that have reached a serious climax. It becomes evident that the person needs more than a word of encouragement. The problems are so severe that they need deliverance and healing using the gifts of Discernment, Knowledge, Wisdom, and Healings (or more!) to restore fully emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
If one were taught that they were only given a specific gift, they would have to get on the phone and call those assessed as having the gift(s) needed to help the person. The best way to avoid such a situation would be to have a team of emergency spiritual gift paramedics ready at a moment's notice! Of course, the church would have to organize a committee to study the need and then put their recommendations on a ballot to be voted on by the congregation at the next corporate meeting- providing the Pastor doesn't get fired because he suggested it in the first place!
The above scenario is like a Physician yelling out in a restaurant, "Is there a Doctor here?" or waiting for an ambulance to save the life of the person choking to death, rather than immediately ministering personally to them because they knew how to treat and save the person.
D. Gifts of Purpose
The purpose of the nine supernatural manifestation gifts is to provide what is necessary to bring a person to the place of forgiveness, repentance, healing, and restoration. These gifts are very powerful because they work from God, working from within the Christian.
The complete and ultimate purpose of the manifestation gifts is to bring humans face to face with the reality of the invisible God and make the Church realize that the Holy Spirit is always present and that He is the only source of life and power in ministry. These gifts of the Holy Spirit are available to every Christian:
"But one and the same Spirit works all things, distributing to each one individually as He wills." (1 Corinthians 12:11 NIV)
The gifts and the anointing of the Holy Spirit are integral for the manifestation gifts to begin flowing freely as the Christian moves from the natural to the supernatural.
E. No Respecter of Persons
God uses people in different ways as they each move in the gifts. God anoints every Christian because Jesus sees them as co-equal due to the Cross. God has called and anointed them to appropriate what He has given them. He will not take His gifts back or change His mind because "the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable" (Romans 11:29 NIV).
God is no respecter of persons. He has blessed every Christian with "every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3 NIV).
"He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things." (Romans 8:32 KJV)
Some seem to genuinely flow more freely in the anointing and power of God because they are more broken than others. Those who choose to walk in trusting-faith with Jesus when everything hits the fan will begin to manifest more of Jesus and less of themselves.
God is not the author of trials and tribulations. When they do come (and they ALWAYS do!), those who resist God's wooing during those troubling times will not experience the power of the Resurrection. God uses good and evil to mold and shape the Christian to have an intimate relationship with Him.
The anointing is living water that flows in the river of life that proceeds from God's throne. It never stops flowing and is available by God's grace to enable and empower every Christian to draw from it to heal, deliver, impart, teach, equip, and accomplish God's good pleasure.
All of the grace gifts of the Holy Spirit must be subject to His governance. Jesus said that apart from Him, no one can do anything (John 15:5). The manifestation gifts are always edifying, encouraging, and comforting people (1 Corinthians 14:1-3). They must flow freely from the foundation of love because God is love. There is no eternal value in ministry if the anointing of the Holy Spirit is absent.
F. Accessible to All
The supernatural workings of the Holy Spirit operated without an Apostle being present among the ordinary people. Every Christian has access to the supernatural manifestation gifts presented here for the proclamation of the Gospel and for the edification of each member of the Church universal, which is the body of Christ.
Jesus never gave an expiration date on the use of supernatural gifts. Christians must not neglect their "gift" (1 Timothy 4:14 NIV). They are implored to stir up the gift and yield to the anointing of the Holy Spirit so that the gifts can manifest (2 Timothy 1:6).
The Christian fully controls the spiritual 'things' of the Holy Spirit. Nothing can take them over or force them to manifest something they don't want to happen.
"To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good . . . to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom ... to another gifts of healing, to another workings of miracles." (1 Corinthians 12:7-10 NIV)
G. The Easy Way
To naturally flow in the gifts as needed, a person must be willing to obey the Holy Spirit when He prompts them - at any given moment in time - to minister to another. Using the supernatural manifestation gifts is a free act of the will and not something the Holy Spirit forces upon a person because He will never violate anyone's will.
The Holy Spirit provides the power and anointing to effectively change for the good of those with whom Christians interact daily. The truth is that since ALL of God's gifts are available to every Christian to give to others when the need arises, they don't need to call on someone else who is more 'qualified.'
To illustrate this truth again, let's suppose someone receives a new car as a gift for their birthday. Who possesses the gift – the person who is giving the gift or the person receiving the gift? It is the person who received the gift. Likewise, when a person needs healing, they become the possessor of the gift when they are healed - not when they are sick. When God heals someone, they are the ones who receive the Gift of Healing!
In every unique circumstance, a spiritual gift is necessary; the Holy Spirit will manifest it through the Christian who is in need for the "common good":
"To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines." (1 Corinthians 12:7-11 NIV)
The Christian possesses ALL the glorious riches of Jesus, the Hope of Glory! (Colossians 1:27 NIV) Since they possess all of Jesus, they have all the gifts they should actively use. The gifts manifest when they empty themselves of SELF and allow the anointing of the Holy Spirit to flow from the inside out!
H. The Spiritual Endowment
God is love which is what energizes faith. It works by love (Galatians 5:6). Perfect love casts out all fear (1 John 4:18).
"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment" (Matthew 22:37-38 KJV)
God desires that the Great Commandment be restored to the first position in the life of every Christian. God wants them to begin to love Him with everything they have. Because He is love, love never fails.
