Continuation of the Series 'Unpacking the Gifts.   All scripture is NLT unless otherwise stated.

​“The prophetic gift changes hearts and brings Kingdom to earth.  It brings restoration.”
I know this may not make a lot of sense now, but it will. 
The whole reason I wanted to teach on the gifts is to demystify them.  Too many people think some of these gifts either aren’t for today or they are for others, and not for them.  These are for us ALL.
Paul tells us,
Ephesians 5:8-10
For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!
For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.
Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.
 
There is a level of the prophetic in all of us…the “Light” of revelation he refers to.  We must use this to help us ‘determine what pleases the Lord.’
 
Revelation 19:10
For the testimony (the witness, the evidence, the proof) of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
 
When we use this gift, it is literally testifying to the existence of Jesus.
Last month, we looked at 3 different areas of prophetic. 

1. For All
2. The Mature
3. The Office of a Prophet

Remember, Paul placed this gift, and all of the others, around the Love chapter (Chapter 13) in 1st Corinthians.  Whatever we do…Love must be the purpose, the complete motivation. 
In the book, The Prophet, by James Goll, he says

“FOR THE MANY, NOT THE FEW”
I am firmly convinced that the current prophetic empowering is intended for the many, for the rank and file “ordinary” members of the Body of Christ, not just the few, the prophetic “superstars.”
Successive waves of God’s Spirit will continue to unfold until Christ’s Church has been saturated with the spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.

Ephesians 1:15-23
Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.
I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.
I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.
Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come.
God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church.
And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.
 
Today, we are only focusing on #1, FOR ALL!
First of all, there are dual purposes for this gift.  It is for us, in our lives and for others. 
 
FOR US
I recently saw an interview with a guy named Josh Giles.  He and his little family were struggling financially, and I believe he was a physical trainer.  He prayed and began studying Proverbs 8.  We are to ask God for Wisdom and God will give us Wisdom we need to take care of ourselves and our family.
Proverbs 8:2-11 tells us
Listen as Wisdom calls out!
Hear as understanding raises her voice!
On the hilltop along the road,
she takes her stand at the crossroads.
By the gates at the entrance to the town,
on the road leading in, she cries aloud,
“I call to you, to all of you!
I raise my voice to all people.
You simple people, use good judgment.
You foolish people, show some understanding.
Listen to me! For I have important things to tell you.
Everything I say is right,
for I speak the truth
and detest every kind of deception.
My advice is wholesome.
There is nothing devious or crooked in it.
My words are plain to anyone with understanding,
clear to those with knowledge.
Choose my instruction rather than silver,
and knowledge rather than pure gold.
For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies.
Nothing you desire can compare with it.
 
God gives us this gift for us to use in our lives for direction, for instruction, everything we need.  We must learn how to seek His revelation in our own lives in order to fulfill all He has for us.
 
FOR OTHERS!
I asked my friend, Connie Coleman to take this part. 
I have two things I want to express to you.
1. Do not discount what you do not know or have not sought out from the Lord. If the  prophetic is foreign to you, that’s ok…for now…but when you make up your mind you want all the Lord has for you, or has to show you, you will seek out places, people and avenues to be exposed to others operating in that gifting.
2. Do not forget that this gift, and every gift, is about submission and surrender to the Lord. This gift, and most all gifts of the Spirit, are to strengthen and encourage others, ot for your own good or edification. It’s not about anything other than that, or making a name or platform for ourselves. It is submitting and surrendering to the Lord’s use. Period.
Walking in the prophetic is not a topic that was discussed in my church background. I was part of a denomination that did not acknowledge the works of Holy Spirit much past the point of salvation, and if so, was a weakened and mysterious topic.  
Kind of like the prayers of “Lord, if it be Thy will…” regarding things He has already told us in His Word were His will. So in not addressing the gifts of tongues, except to explain it away, or prophecy, really much at all unless addressed as “insight” or “discernment”, there most assuredly was not an  atmosphere of maturing people in those gifts. Hospitality? Sure. Administration? Fine. Prophecy, Tongues,
Healing, etc, not so much.
So, when the Lord began pushing me to seek them out, the whole counsel of scripture on gifts, anointing, calling and the work of Holy Spirit in my life, I began to have conflicting points of view, and questioned much of why it was ignored or explained away. I don’t remember my church ever making the claim such gifts do not exist anymore, but they may as well have as they were not acknowledged, taught, preached, or discipled.
I do not claim to be prophetic, or walk in the office of a prophet, but I do know the Lord has worked in my life in these areas and have made the firm decision that if it is of the Holy Spirit, I want it. No holds, no boxes of safety, no reservation. If the Lord has it as a part of the Christian walk, offered to His disciples, and used in or through us to benefit and build up others, then I want it. More than my comfortable safe zone, more than pleasing the others around me who balked, more than acceptance with the “in” group, I wanted everything the Lord had for me.
Period.
One of the first ways the gift of the prophetic began to work in my life was just knowing things. I would know that I should not be involved in an area or situation. Even if it made me feel like a heel, or uncaring, I just knew that some things were not for me to step into. Every time I listened to that, and in some of the circumstances I didn’t, Holy Spirit would reveal in major ways that it had been Him guiding and speaking. For one instance there was a close personal relationship who needed help with a bad situation, but somehow, I knew I could not step in. I felt horrible.
But I listened. It turned out that all that had been said was false and this person had actually lied, manufactured, and presented false allegation on their side of the story.   Had I stepped in as my flesh wanted, and my heart and mind felt like I should have, I would have been coming alongside a lie. Another time, a lady attended a conference with a friend that I was putting on and keynoting. Her friend had to leave, and the lady who had come with her wanted to stay.
Turns out, she was in a very bad situation, had an abusive husband, and so much other going on. She came to me and asked if I could stay in her room with her that she was afraid and thought maybe if I stayed with her, she might be able to sleep. As we went to turn out the lights, out of my mouth poured, “go to sleep, I will stay awake and pray over you so you can rest.”
As soon as I said it, I knew I had to do it. It was a very long night. I was so tired and had so much ahead of me the next day, but I knew somehow that it was imperative that I stay awake. So the Lord helped me. I knew she stirred one time in the night, but quickly went back to sleep. She left before the full end of the conference the next day, so I actually assumed that the enemy had won and drew her back into the web of abuse. It wasn’t until a few years later I learned the full story.
God had given me the urgency to stay with her, given me the words to commit to watching through the night, and let’s be honest, kept me awake, for greater purpose than I could have imagined.  Almost a year later, I found out that my presence and prayers that night, brought her back to life. 
Many other situations like these, that I am sure you could also look on and resonate with.
Then I began operating in other circles. OK, I became Bapticostal. I started hearing and seeing powerful prayer times. Worship nights with messages and times of
encouragement.
One conference a lady named LouJeanne was praying over people and had an encounter when she got to me. She fell in the spirit when laying hands on me. I was confused and never understood…til later.
Prophetic prayers seemed to fascinate me… I wanted to operate that way, but wasn’t exposed to it much, and certainly never had practice operating in that realm. But the Lord would have me reach out to someone, with a word or a scripture that I felt like He had put on my heart for them, and when delivered they would then relate to me how the Lord’s timing and His word to them was an “on-time” word that they desperately needed.
It seems so small. Just being faithful to send a text or make a call when the Lord lays it on your heart…but that is the beginning of surrender to His direction and willingness to express it to others.
You see operating in the prophetic has two real hinderances.  First, that we will not empty ourselves to hear what the Lord has to say, and second, that we will back away from sharing what He gives us.
Fast forward to last year, I got an opportunity to serve in the prayer room at a prolife conference for an couple of shifts. These prayer rooms at the annual conference are some peoples lifeblood in this work. The Lord shows up, the people pray over these pregnancy center help workers, and they are strengthened for the work. It’s beautiful. I was so honored to serve in that capacity, even just for an hour or two a couple of days. It started off kind of strange because I had not been on the praying side like this and was fully aware of my need for Him to show up.
Show up He did! He had told me that week my job was to “Love people and serve people, and trust Him with the rest.” And He was faithful.
This year, just a few weeks ago, I got to attend the conference again as a part of this amazing ministry that serves the attendees in the prayer room. About 5-6 hours a day, 4 days straight, praying for people prophetically. I can never fully relate the experience.
The quiet awaiting His voice, or His picture became such a treasure. The times when what I was getting and what the person I was partnered with got seemingly opposite things, and yet the Lord would show me how they fit together perfectly, and the people would confirm. The times He spoke directly to their situations in ways that I never could have known. The times He emphatically gave me words, or made me  feel something, I knew He wanted me to ask about, or address, that I was terrified to even bring up with someone. Deep things like gut wrenching crying I could feel and hear, the word “barren” and “infertile” jumping off the page of my Bible, that you never want to cause pain in someone by bringing up, but the Lord so lovingly meets them right where they are, and by doing so, applies His healing hand and loving heart and brings healing to their lives.
We saw healing, burdens lifted, clarity, excitement, countenances lifted, and even salvation.  We were praying with one when another bursts in the door in crisis, and she was part of praying over them in comfort.
So many instances.
So many ways He expressed Himself.
Such a beautiful and treasured experience.
But it isn’t confined to that room, or to me. We all can see the Lord do these things in our everyday lives. We all need to begin recognizing Him at work in us, around us, and through us instead of trying to explain it away.
Trust Him.
Trust His ways.
He is not weird. He will not make you be weird. He will not embarrass you.
Just begin to trust Him.
As I wrap this up, I will restate the 2 objectives as positives…
1. Seek Him out while He may be found. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you in ALL the ways He has for you!
2. Surrender to Him. Submit. Set aside preconceived ideas of how it has to happen, the box He needs to remain in, or how you heard somewhere it has to happen. Don’t surrender to a program or a formula, read the Word of God, watch the Son of God, and listen to the leading of the Spirit of God.
That really is the extent of our obligation. The rest is His. He works in and through willing vessels.
(End Connie Coleman’s teaching)
At the beginning of this teaching I said
“The prophetic gift changes hearts and brings Kingdom to earth.  It brings restoration.”
Now you see how operating in the prophetic in your life and speaking prophetically to others, it brings Kingdom, changes hearts, and brings restoration.  

Continuation of the Series 'Unpacking the Gifts.   All scripture is NLT unless otherwise stated.

First of all, let’s look at the definition of the Greek word used throughout the New Testament for these words.

Word Prophesy-Prophecy
Greek – prophēteuō  
I. To prophesy, to be a prophet, speak forth by divine inspirations, to predict
a..  to prophesy
b.  with the idea of foretelling future events pertaining esp. to the kingdom of God
c.  to utter forth, declare, a thing which can only be known by divine revelation
d.  to break forth under sudden impulse in lofty discourse or praise of the divine counsels
      *under like prompting, to teach, refute, reprove, admonish, comfort others
      *to act as a prophet, discharge the prophetic office
 
Remember, that when Paul wrote Corinthians, it was a letter without chapters or verse numbers.  But where the gifts are spoken about, has a unique, intentional placement, I believe.

 First, we will be looking at 1 Corinthians 12, 13, and 14.
 
1 Corinthians 12:1-7
Now, dear brothers and sisters, regarding your question about the special abilities the Spirit gives us. I don’t want you to misunderstand this.
You know that when you were still pagans, you were led astray and swept along in worshiping speechless idols.
So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.
There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all.
There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord.
God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.
A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.

The remainder of the chapter goes on to talk about the spiritual gifts.  The point is that we are all given gifts, specifically to be used to help each other in the body of Christ.  He is very clear on the purpose.  It is not to make money, not to manipulate, not to elevate, just to help each other.
 
Then if you go to Chapter 13, it is known as the LOVE Chapter.
1 Corinthians 13:1-8
If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing.
If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud
or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!

Then Paul goes into prophecy vs speaking in tongues.
1 Corinthians 14:1-5
Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives—especially the ability to prophesy.
For if you have the ability to speak in tongues, you will be talking only to God, since people won’t be able to understand you. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be mysterious.
But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them.
A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church.
I wish you could all speak in tongues, but even more I wish you could all prophesy. For prophecy is greater than speaking in tongues, unless someone interprets what you are saying so that the whole church will be strengthened.
 
I know all of this can be a bit confusing, especially if you have never been taught or studied about the prophetic gift.  So, to make it easy, let’s break it down to three categories. 

First:  The Gift is For All
 
In the book, The Prophet, by James Goll, he says

“FOR THE MANY, NOT THE FEW”
I am firmly convinced that the current prophetic empowering is intended for the many, for the rank and file “ordinary” members of the Body of Christ, not just the few, the prophetic “superstars.”
Successive waves of God’s Spirit will continue to unfold until Christ’s Church has been saturated with the spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.

Ephesians 1:15-23
Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.
I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.
I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.
Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come.
God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church.
And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.

In this passage, Paul specifically prays for:

•  spiritual wisdom and insight
  • so that they/you might grow in your knowledge of God.
• your hearts will be flooded with light
  • so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.
• you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him.
  • This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.

These three prayer points are all part of a prophetic gift that Holy Spirit uses in all of us.  We can only get these things by Holy Spirit.

But look back at Verses 22-23
God has put all things (in the earth) under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church (for us, for our benefit).
And the church (us) is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself. – we are full of HIM!!!!

This spiritual gift is part of Him who is in us and works through us and we are to use it. 
 
Gods intended purpose is for HIS people to be filled with the revelation of His Son.  Revelation only comes when Holy Spirit opens our hearts and minds to it and is exactly how a prophetic gift works.  Remember the part of the definition that says ‘a thing which can only be known by divine revelation?’

Many churches, ministries, people try to make the prophetic a high and lofty thing, when actually God reveals things to us all the time.  That is the prophetic at work in our lives.

There is a story in Numbers 11, while the Israelites were in the wilderness.  Moses was weary from dealing with the people, so Moses turned to God. 

Numbers 11:16-17
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Gather before me seventy men who are recognized as elders and leaders of Israel. Bring them to the Tabernacle to stand there with you.
I will come down and talk to you there. I will take some of the Spirit that is upon you, and I will put the Spirit upon them also. They will bear the burden of the people along with you, so you will not have to carry it alone.

So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord. He gathered the seventy elders and stationed them around the tabernacle. Then the Lord came down in the cloud and He took some of the Spirit that was upon Moses and placed it upon the seventy elders.   

But keep in mind that Moses still had ALL of the Spirit he needed.  That was not diminished when God ‘took it’ off of him.  He had all of the Spirit he needed, and the elders had all of the Spirit they needed.

Then, Verse 25 tells us,
“when the Spirit rested upon them (the elders), they prophesied. But they did not do it again.”

With a stroke of the Master’s hand, the prophetic presence that rested upon Moses was distributed among the elders there and they prophesied.  But they stopped and did not do it again.

What a beautiful depiction, yet what an unfulfilling outcome!

However, in Verse 26, two men, Eldad and Medad, had stayed behind in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but they had not gone out to the Tabernacle. But the Spirit saw them, and rested upon them as well, so they prophesied there in the camp.

Even though they weren’t in the tabernacle, they still received the Spirit because of their position as elders. 

Joshua went to Moses complaining and wanted them stopped,  
Numbers 11:29
But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would put his Spirit upon them all!”
There is no indication that they ever quit prophesying.

Many, both inside and outside of the church have continually tried to stop the gifts for many reasons, but always out of fear. 

But Joel 2:28-29 says
KJV
And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

Then, in Acts 2, Peter quotes this same verse as evidence of the outpouring being a fulfillment of this prophecy.  Not just on the few, but everyone with Peter that day.  Acts 1 tells us that there were about 120 people there and Acts 2:4 says ‘they were ALL filled’. 

So the prophetic gift for ALL is stated in 1 Corinthians 14:3 ‘to strengthen others, encourage them, and comfort them.’  King James says ‘edification, exhortation, and comfort.’

When you have a strong relationship with the Lord, Holy Spirit will speak through us if we allow Him.  He will show us things, and when we are praying for people, when talking with them, just normal conversation, or when you see something, if you will let Him, He will work through you to help others in tremendous ways.

There are different ways it may operate.  You may see things, feel things, have just a knowing, or maybe something is ‘bothering’ you.  Sometimes I’ll read something, or even see something on TV or the internet and I just know I have to call and tell someone about it.  Only to find out it was something that they truly needed in that moment.

But don’t just rely on your gift in the moment, you must partner the gift God has given you with Holy Spirit.  Prophecy is not just about God or you, it’s about God’s heart for the person you are ministering to.

Second: The Mature

1 Corinthians 14:22-25
So you see that speaking in tongues is a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers. Prophecy, however, is for the benefit of believers, not unbelievers.
Even so, if unbelievers or people who don’t understand these things come into your church meeting and hear everyone speaking in an unknown language, they will think you are crazy.
But if all of you are prophesying, and unbelievers or people who don’t understand these things come into your meeting, they will be convicted of sin and judged by what you say.
As they listen, their secret thoughts will be exposed, and they will fall to their knees and worship God, declaring, “God is truly here among you.”

Note: Chuck Smith’s commentary about this passage.
“So the tongues, an interesting passage, are a sign for those who believe not. Now herein is a very difficult passage of scripture, because it would appear that the very next verse completely contradicts this.
We do find on the day of Pentecost that tongues did serve as a sign for those that believed not. For on the day of Pentecost when these devout Jews were drawn by the phenomena, they heard them speaking in the various languages, though they were, all of them, from Galilee region, languages from all over the world, using these languages to praise God and to glorify the Lord.
As Peter then explained to them the phenomena that they were observing, giving them the scriptural basis, when Peter was finished with his message and the Holy Spirit had convicted their hearts, they said, "What shall we do since we have crucified the Lord of glory?" Peter said, "Repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, for the promise is to you and your children who are far off."”

Now, we see in Verse 22 that ‘Prophecy is for the benefit of the believers.’

When we first begin to realize we can operate in this gift, we may find that we operate in it a bit more than others.  Or we may realize that it is something that is really part of us.  Someone with the type of gift I am referring to, often begins to realize it is something they have operated in all of their lives.  Sensing things, being able to know when something is about to happen, etc. 

But as you grow in the word, worship, and pray regularly, you will grow in this gift.  You will want to sit under godly teaching, study the word more deeply in order to understand it better and grow.  As you realize this gift is growing, then you have a responsibility to begin studying about the gift and how it operates in and through you.  We are all different.  While all of us can operate in it to a degree, but those called to this gift, it will mature in it.

Only the truly mature should bring correction or foretell future events.  The immature may have a revelation, but should not prophesy it without submitting it to a mature prophet to ‘judge.’  This just means they will counsel on how it should be handled.  This will bring protection and growth to the ‘new’ prophet.

In Verse 14:25 we see that ‘their secret thoughts will be exposed.’  When you have matured, or if you are gifted a bit more in this gift, you may ‘know’ or see things in the spirit.  But you are never to ‘expose’ the hearer in a mean, negative, or public way. 

1 Corinthians 14:32
And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.

We can choose when, how, or if we will release a word.

Kim Clement is becoming well known right now because so many of his prophecies are coming to pass about Donald Trump and the US.  He got ill in 2015 and died in 2016 and prophesied the Trump presidency, new supreme court justice among many other things.

He told a story once about a man in one of his services that the Lord revealed to Kim, was a pedophile.  The man was standing next to his wife in a crowd of several hundred people and Kim wasn’t sure what to do with what God showed him.  So he went down and stood in front of the man and told him to hold his hands up.  The man did and Kim began slapping his hands really hard.  You see his hands were his tools of abuse.  After a few minutes the man broke down and fell to the floor weeping and repenting.  Kim never had to say a word and the man knew God was confronting him in his sin.
God will speak through you, if you let him, and even if you don’t know the ‘what’ the people will.  I often times have been told to just say a word or a phrase to someone and they start laughing or crying because they know God was speaking to them.

Third and Final: Office of the Prophet
 
Ephesians 4:11-16
Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.
Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.
This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.
Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.
Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.
He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
 
This is commonly referred to as the Five-Fold Offices.  These offices were what Jesus left as gifts to the church, in order to build the church.

Their job is stated clearly. 

• Equip the body to do His work
• Build up the church, the Ekklesia

This will be done until,

• We are unified in faith and knowledge which brings maturity
• We measure up to Christ’s standard

The purpose of which is to

• No longer be subject to false teaching
• Not manipulated and influenced by false teachers
• Speak the truth in Love
• Grow in EVERY WAY like Christ
• Help the body to fit and work together perfectly
• Help the body to be healthy
• Help the body to be healthy, growing, and full of love

A body of believers with all five in operation, doing what they are supposed to do, operating in this manner, would be such a strong and effective work that the enemy would not be able to bring it down.

Some Things to Remember

• Witness of Jesus

Revelation 19:10
And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony (the witness, the evidence, the proof) of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

The gift of prophecy is the ‘proof’ that Jesus is working in and through you.  It also confirms to the hearer’s heart that Jesus sees them, loves them, and cares for them.  It shows them that God sees them and loves them enough to send you to speak to them in that very moment.  Always remember, you are literally speaking for God.  Never take that responsibility lightly.

• Responsibility of Stewardship 1 Peter 4:10-11 NLT

God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.
Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.
 
1 Peter 4:10-11 KJV
 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
 
The word ‘oracles of God’ is the word “Logion,” which means “words or utterances of God.”  Again, you are speaking for God, but you must ‘steward it. 

This means, you need to grow in it, sit under godly teaching, learn about it, study it, practice it, have someone mentor you in it.

There is an Old Testament story about Saul when he was anointed King.
1 Samuel 10
Then Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured it over Saul’s head. He kissed Saul and said, “I am doing this because the LORD has appointed you to be the ruler over Israel, his special possession.
10:6
At that time the Spirit of the LORD will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them. You will be changed into a different person.

Then go to Verses 9-10,
As Saul turned and started to leave, God gave him a new heart, and all Samuel’s signs were fulfilled that day. When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, they saw a group of prophets coming toward them. Then the Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul, and he, too, began to prophesy.

God needed Saul to be changed, especially his heart, so he could run Israel well.   We see evidence of that heart in the early days of his reign when he built and dedicated the temple. However, we see later that he didn’t steward the gift.  He disobeyed God and ended up in torment and misery, finally losing the throne to David. 

We may be gifted, but if we don’t steward the gift or our lives well, we will suffer consequences.

• It’s a Forever Gift

Romans 11:29
For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.

The gifts and callings are always in operation, even when you walk away from God.  That is why Saul was so miserable. 

There are many people in business, who seem successful in their work, but because they were given the gifts for ministry, they are miserable.  The gifts still work, but if we don’t walk out our call, we will struggle.  We must steward the gifts and our walk with Him.

• The Gifts Didn’t End

1 Corinthians 13:7-13
Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!
Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture!
But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless.
When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.
Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.
Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

Many churches, denominations, or even people use Verse 10 to say the gifts ceased. 
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It says ‘When the time of perfection (or the perfect) comes.’  The Greek word for ‘perfect’ used here is ‘teleios’ which means - brought to it’s end, completeness, finished, perfected.  And the word for ‘comes’ is erchomai’ which means - arrives, is established, or comes into being.  

So it literally says, ‘When the time of the end, or time of completion, or time it is finished, or the time it is perfected arrives’ these partial things will become useless.

Some say that when Jesus was resurrected, or others say that when the Canon of Scripture was put together in 325 AD with the Council of Niceae, that was the ‘perfect’ came so there was no more need of the gifts. 

However, there is nothing in scripture or even in extrabiblical texts from that time that indicate that would be ‘perfection.’

I see the ‘perfection’ coming in 2 ways.

The first is at Jesus second coming simply because we won’t need these things anymore.  But if you look at it in context, we see something very specific that Paul is referring to. 
 
When you are given a prophecy from another person, it is often ‘incomplete’ like a puzzle.  But either it works with something you know but they don’t or, as you walk it out, everything begins to fall into place, it is completed and makes sense.  Then the prophecy is then perfected and no longer needed.

Sometimes we put things into a long-term view that may only be meant for a short-term application.   
In context though, we see Paul specifically talking about maturity. 

1 Corinthians 13:9
Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture!
Verse 11
When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.
 
It is just like reading the bible as a young Christian and you will have passages you don’t understand, but when you mature and grow, these passages begin to make perfect sense, so there is no ‘need’ to try to figure it out anymore.   Prophecy is the same way.
Verse 12
Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.
 
This verse can have a short-term application, as well as a long-term, future with Jesus, application.  There comes a point where things are revealed, both in the present and when we see Jesus.  Whether we die and go to heaven or when He returns, it will all be made clear. 

This was to comfort us, not cause us to discount much of the word of God because we don’t understand it.  We need to have faith that He will show us.
I personally have a deal with God.  If He gives or shows many anything and I don’t understand it in the moment, I ask Him and trust Him to show me when I need it.  He always does.

I lived the first half of my life believing this was not for today.  But when I saw it in operation and knew that God didn't end any of the gifts of promises, I decided I wanted all He had for me.
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In all of this, pray and ask God to show you Himself.  I will continue talking about this gift next week.  

3 things I have to tell you right off the bat:
    1. I talk, or pray, in tongues.
    2. I want everything God has for me, as I’m sure you do as well.
   3. This is what I believe about the gift of tongues, but I am not telling you how to believe.  All I ask is that you take it back to the Lord and ask Him to show you.  This is a very individual gift. 
 
My Background
I was raised in a denomination and family that were cessationist, or at least I think it was.  They never talked about things of the Spirit and I don’t ever remember hearing a sermon on Acts 2.

Cessationism is the belief that certain gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as healing, prophecy and tongues, ceased with the death of the apostles, or others believe much of the things in the Bible ended with the ‘closing’ or creation of the Canon of scripture.  This was when the 66 books were put together to create what we call The Holy Bible.

Non-cessationists (me) believe that there are many scriptures that evidence that gifts are for today and these are gifts are available through the power of Holy Spirit.

I believed the gifts had ceased for a long time as well until I realized that there is nothing in scripture that is of God, has ended.  While I was in a Baptist church in leadership, I told the Lord that I wanted all He had for me.  I put everything I thought I knew, on the altar.

Then he started to show me things.

One Sunday the pastor said something negative about the Holy Spirit and how it wasn’t for today, not the gifts, but Holy Spirit (what about the trinity?).  I literally saw a faint fog like a cloud lift off the front of the church and go out.  I looked at earl and he looked at me and we both knew that the Holy Spirit departed.  We never went back to that church.

Some of the scariest scriptures in the Bible are:

Judges 16:20.
Then she cried out, “Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!”
When he woke up, he thought, “I will do as before and shake myself free.” But he didn’t realize the LORD  (The Spirit of the Lord) had left him.
1 Samuel 16:14
But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.
 1 Samuel 16:23
And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.
 
I believe that when we get saved, fully surrender to Christ, we receive a measure of the Spirit, and it can increase or ‘come on us’ in greater measure to enable us for whatever assignment He has for us. 

We see this in the Old Testament on the judges and the prophets, then in the NT we see it with Jesus and in Acts 2, which we will look at later in this teaching.

Hebrews 2:1-4 NLT
So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.
For the message God delivered through angels has always stood firm, and every violation of the law and every act of disobedience was punished.
So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak?
And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever HE chose.
 
However, the Holy Spirit can also leave due to disobedience, which we saw in the earlier Old Testament verses.

But complete surrender and asking Holy Spirit to fill you, all of the time or just for a specific task, He will come and empower you to do what is necessary. 

John 3:3-6
Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
“What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”
Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.
Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.
 
John 14-17 are Jesus final words to his followers before the crucifixion and in this passage, He tells us what the Holy Spirit is for.

John 14:26
But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.
John 16:7-13
But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.
And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.
The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me.
Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more.
Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.
“There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now.
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.
 
The gift of the Holy Spirit is THE MOST IMPORTANT GIFT we have and the amount He works in and through us is in direct proportion to the amount of surrender we have in our lives.  I know this may sound a bit harsh, but if we believe the gifts, any of the gifts, are not for today, do we really believe He sent Holy spirit to help us?
 
1 Corinthians 12:6-11
God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.
A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.
To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge.
The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing.
He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said.
It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.

How can you believe some of these gifts are for today and not the others?  For instance, asking for the gift of faith, but you don’t believe in prophecy?  Or working in discernment, but not miracles or healing?