The Gifts Of The Holy Spirit – The Gifts Of Revelation

Good morning and welcome! ‘It’s wonderful to be seating in God’s presence with you this morning. If you have gone on a long drive and have taken advantage of the long weekend (Queen’s birthday) here in Sydney, please take care and drive back safe.

Wherever you are, let’s focus our eyes on Jesus. This is not the time to multitask. This is the time to sit still in God’s Holy Presence because God has a word for you today! If there’s one thing that God trained us in our US trip, it was the definitely the art of believing in miracles! Miracles are supernatural gifts from God that must be received in awe and wonder! And I believe there is one or more waiting for you@

Last week, I mentioned how God brought “ravens” to provide for us during our trip to the US. But I completely forgot to mention the “raven” He sent from Australia when we were in Tulsa OK! And I felt the Holy Spirit’s nudge to mention it today. On 30 April, the night of my graduation, this “raven” messaged me at 11:44 pm Tulsa time. She said, “I would like to give you love offerings to help you with some expenses while in the US, please send me your BSB #, Acct # and full name! I’m so moved with what you have been doing for the Lord. Have fun in the States.” To some of you here and those online, this may not mean much, but to Allan and I, this was a miracle from God! This lady is from another church and has not step into this church for one bit! This was God giving insight to someone to step in faith and give sacrificially. Only God can move someone’s heart to do such a thing.

I also learn from this trip to let go and travel light! International flights gave us 32 kilos but domestic flights only allow max of 23 kilos. So, from 32 KILOS, we had to bring it down to 23 KILOS. Somehow, we managed to squeeze our stuff in our hand carry and backpacks, but it still appeared that we’re carrying too many in our hands plus my backpack felt like it was tearing my shoulders apart. To our surprise, at the boarding gate, the flight attendants who assisted us in check in and who told us to pay additional $200USD if we want to check in our 2 heavy hand carry suitcases told us to hand both suitcases to them for free. Allan and I were asking each other, “Did we hear it right?” And yes, we heard it right and so we did. We walked to the aircraft without our excess baggage, just our backpacks which perfectly fit underneath our seats. Allan and I saw these favour God’s miracle, a gift from God.

Some of us are over baggaged in this life. We have so many stuffs that we carry. God’s spiritual gifts can remove baggages He did not want us to carry because He already did! God does not want us to be ignorant of what He made available to us! Today and next Sunday, I want to talk to you about the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Its in 1 Cor 12:1, 4-11.

(1)“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant. (4) There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. (5) There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. (6) And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. (7) But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: (8) for one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, (9) to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, (10) to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. (11) But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.”

As a church we believed in the miracles of Pentecost. Our declaration of Faith made it clear:

(Slide 4) - The Foursquare Declaration of Faith

“We believe that the Holy Spirit has the following gifts to bestow upon the believing church of the Lord Jesus Christ: wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing miracles, prophecy, discernment, tongues, interpretation; that according to the degree of grace and faith possessed by the recipient, these gifts are divided to every man severally, as He, the Holy Spirit will; that they are to be earnestly desired and coveted, in the order and proportion wherein they prove most edifying and beneficial to the church…”