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The gifts of the Holy SpiritCharismata: ministering in the new millennium |
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The gifts of the Holy SpiritCharismata: ministering in the new millennium |
Limited release! Basic discipleship instruction on the Baptism of the Spirt and walkingin the Spirit. ePUB only from Lulu and available in iBookstore. $7.99
The name comes from the Greek word for gift, charisma, that is used extensively in I Corinthians 12. Vine's definition is God's endowments upon believers by the operation of the Holy Spirit.
Over the years, those of us used in the gifts and those of us who have led services where the gifts are expected and commonplace have come up with a lot of practical knowledge about how these gifts work. This page is focused on the operation of the gift list in I Corinthians 12.
I know that is heresy for many in the church today. But when we thing about that, much of what the church does is extra-biblical. We have to be careful, of course. But then altar calls, Sunday school, seminaries, abbots, and much more are all extra-biblical. What does that mean on a practical level? This page is not doctrine—it is advice from a man who has been focused on how to practically, day by day, walk in the spirit for over 35 years.
The operative scripture is I Corinthians 12:7 “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” esv These aren't for personal glory or power. They are to help you minister as you have a need. They are designed for use in a meeting, bible study, worship service, outreach, and so forth.
IN 1 cor 14, Paul gives his opinion that prophecy is the best gift — though we are to earnestly desire all of the gifts. 14:12 lays it out: “So also you, since you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the edification of the church.” nasb
These are tools to share Jesus and communicate His instructions to us. It is a real mistake to focus on the gifts instead of the Giver.
That being said, it is foolish to avoid the gifts or to not use what we have all been given. many of the difficulties of Christian living are eradicated by the manifestation of the Holy Spirit into your life and the lives of people surrounding you.
Here is an excerpt from one of my novels, Surprised?, that shows how the gifts work in a meeting. The scene is this: the end is close, America is being racked by severe economic and political crises brought about by natural disasters and lack of leadership. This little church in Santa Fe is going to be used by the Lord to bring in the final harvest before the End. Just before the meeting, while getting set up to begin, they have discovered a bloody aborted fetus in a jar in their refrigerator. The woman who discovered the jar pulled it out of the fridge, freaked out dropped the jar, which smashed, and there’s blood everywhere. Here’s the meeting that resulted: Spirit led meeting in Santa Fe.
There are nine listed:
This is knowledge imparted by the Holy Spirit that the speaker has no way of knowing in the flesh. My wife regularly "knows" of specific sin in the lives of people she counsels.
This is a word from the Lord about what He wants done with that knowledge or what he wants the believer to do. Quite commonly, within relationships, in mentoring, and so on — prophecy takes the form of a word of wisdom. It is usually a solution to a situation from God that solves a problem, blesses a sheep, or builds character.
This is a faith given from the Lord that wells up inside and overflows in action. Smith Wigglesworth talked about this occurring on some of the occasions when he raised someone from the dead.
These are not medical miracles, but healings beyond what doctors can understand. I heard of the testimony (after all these years, I can't remember where [I think it was from Dennis himself at a meeting in West Virginia in the 1970s]) of the disappearance of a pacemaker in one of Dennis Bennett's meetings [or is that a miracle?]. Then there are all the good reports heard over the years of tumors falling from bodies and much more.
Something supernatural—impossible naturally—like walking on water or Philip's teleportation in Acts 8:39 & 40.
God speaking through a human to His people. It rarely seems to be future telling—I suspect that is because the future is foretold as much as we are going to see in advance in the scriptures we already have.
The ability to discern the spiritual origin of a word, process, or work. This is an under used gift because most people do not think it is really necessary. Believe me, it is.
Giving the Holy Spirit control of your tongue—allowing Him to speak through you directly to the situation at hand. The common belief is this is perfect prayer. Here's a wider explanation of the gift of tongues.
Please notice that this is interpretation, not translation. In our experience this is a version of prophecy—but then so are knowledge & wisdom. Yes, you can interpret your own tongues, but it is a dangerous path. It is very easy to delude yourself.