Left Behind in Prayer

Left Behind Praying

And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. Matthew14:25

Recommended Reading

Matthew 14:23-33

Have you ever visited or grew up in a rural area where there is only one bus that will come very early in the morning to take you to town. On the eve of your planned journey your sleep is very uneasy because of anxiety of being left behind by the only bus, and to postpone your trip to another day  as the bus would come after two or more days.

In our lives we are always seeing such situations where we feel we have missed the bus, missed the plane, missed the boat or missed that one opportunity. Jesus once missed the boat because he was praying. As the disciples were moving further and further away from the shores the chances of Him catching up with them were vanishing. But Jesus remained in prayer until the fourth hour of the night. When he saw that it was time for Him to catch up with His troubled friend He followed them Walking on water , not only that but faster than the speed of the troubled boat. The disciples thought it was a ghost as some would say about you very soon.

Sometimes when you look around yourself you feel left alone , rather you are left behind because you missed the boat. Some of your friend have moved on, and are richer than you, other congregations have progress but yours is left behind, your friends have better jobs, cars houses etc but you are left behind, other have better qualifications but you have missed the bus.

Jesus remained behind to pray. It sound unreasonable to remain behind in prayer when there is no other means of crossing over to the other side. When we stay in prayer our movement will defy the laws of nature and people may think you are now performing some magic but the divine power will clothe you to walk on water. When you stay behind in closet of prayer will others are moving the Spirit will quicken your mortal body to pursue and even overtake more so to take charge.

Remember the story of Elijah when he remained in prayer on Mt Carmel he followed and overtook the chariot of Ahab.

When you feel left behind stay in prayer you will recover.

Father Zimbabwe Anniversary

Common Sense

Doubt and Slience

PERSONAL DOUBTS

Silence in our doubts sometimes looks like faith, but we are not better than those who express their doubt clearly to God.

 Believe your beliefs and doubt your Doubts- David Jeremaiah

FIVE FOLD MINISTRY GIFTS AND THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

FIVEFOLD (EPHESIANS 4:11) MINISTRY GIFTS

LESSON 1

(i)                 Lesson Objective

The objectives of this Bible Study Lesson are to:

v  To identify the fivefold ministry gift and their hall marks

v  To differentiate the fivefold ministry from Gifts of the Holy Spirit (Body Gifts) and Gifts of the Father (Congregational Gifts). 

v  To understand the nature of the fivefold ministry calling and those who are called.

(ii)               An Overview

Jesus said that he would build his Church (Matthew 16:18).  The fivefold ministry gifts are Jesus’ process of building hid Church

Paul explains that Christ has Chosen to do that in part by giving “gifts” of people as leaders (i.e. the Fivefold ministry gifts) to the church.

 “…to prepare God’s people for the works of service so that the body of Christ may be build up until we all reach unity in the faith and knowledge of the son of God and becoming mature , attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Eph 4 : 12, 13)

(iii)             KEY SCRIPTURE

‘And he gave some, Apostles; and some, Prophets; and some, Evangelists; and some Pastors and Teachers;’ Ephesians 4:11

The Scripture identifies Fivefold Ministry Gifts as;

v  Apostles

v  Prophets

v  Evangelists

v  Pastors

v  Teachers

(iv)             THE HALLMARKS OF  FIVEFOLD EPHESIANS 4:11 MINISTRIES

Leadership is very important part of God’s order for mobilizing His church and enabling it to achieve His purpose on earth. The church needs leaders with a variety of gifts in order to achieve this for God. No leader can do this on their own, even in a local church setting, it is also notable that no one person in all the ways that Jesus did or represent all the attributes of Jesus. However when a local church has all the fivefold ministries operating effectively within the church it can know an experience of the “fullness of Christ.” This does not mean these people need to be part of the local church , but the local church needs to have recognized them and release them to minister and received their ministry.

Fivefold ministry callings are not self-appointed or church appointed- they just need to be recognized and submitted to. These gifts of people are enable the body of Christ to function in the way God intends it to function.

 Ephesian 4:7-16 shows us that these people are gifted to the Church by Jesus in order to:

v  Equip or prepare believers for effective high quality service in the Kingdom of God. They try to get the best out of church members

v  Bring God’s order to His church

v  Discern those who are called to a particular work in the body of Christ, prepare and develop them, and then enable their release into that work.

v  Cause the church to be built up and grow numerically.

v  Bring believers into maturity in God both individually and corporately

v  Give the Church vision and direction from God

v  Unite the church in the faith

v  Encourage commitment , sacrifice and right submission both to God and his delegated leadership

v  Enable members of the body of Christ to be responsible, caring, loving and supportive of one another; be calm, consistent, committed and joyful ; be continuing steadfastly  in the Word of God; to be whole and complete in Christ; and be growing up in to Christ in every way being joined and held together in harmony where each person knows their place and gift and does the work God has for them to do.

v  Enable members of the body of Christ to be no longer childish , spoon-fed and self-willed, no longer stuck or stagnant in their spiritual life, no longer tossed back and  forth  by waves of mood or emotion, lacking assurance and stability ; and longer blown here and there by every of teaching that comes their way.

(v)               The Difference between Body Gifts (Gifts of the Spirit) and Ephesians4:11 Ministry Calling (Fivefold Ministries)

There is an important distinction between having a Holy Spirit gift (1 Corinthians 12:7-11)which may be called a Body gift and having a Fivefold Ephesian 4:11 ministry calling. Read 1 Corinthians 12:7

v  Body gifts are gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit in order to achieve something for God at the moment they are given.

v  The gift comes to us to do God’s work and it gives us authority on that particular work only.

v  These body gifts are available to everyone in the body of Christ who has been baptized by the Holy Spirit.

v  They operate through the members of the church as they are needed and as the Holy Spirit determines.

Read  Ephesians 4:11-12

v  Called by Jesus- it’s a calling vs 7

v  The person who has one of the fivefold ministry callings bears the authority of that calling within themselves all the time.

v  They may or may not be operating in the body gifts they always live and should always function in their ministry calling. In fact they will have available to them all the body gifts necessary to enable their ministry calling whenever they need them.

v  Not everyone in the body of Christ will be called to a ministry calling. We need to be clear about this distinction so that we don’t strive towards something God has never called us to be. If we confuse body gifts with ministry callings we will cause ourselves and others great pain and disillusionment.

(vi)             The Difference between Ephesians 4:11 Ministries and Congregational Ministries ( Gifts of the Father)

v  As much there are clear distinctions between the Gifts of the Spirit and the Fivefold Ministry calling there are also difference between these and the  Congregational Ministries on Romans 12:6-8.

v  They have two distinct differences in functions and authority but they are equal in importance in regards to their necessity and significance in God’s Church.

v  Given by the Grace of God the Father (Romans 12: 3b, 6)

v  Apostles, prophets, evangelists and teachers are gifts of God that benefit the whole church. Of cause they are able and need to minister to the local church setting giving input and encouragement but they are also given to the wider church to bring ministry and life as well.

v  Congregational gifts like elders and deacons (leadership) on the other hand function and have authority in the one local context as a rule.

v  Fivefold ministries are translocal.

(vii)           Who should Ephesians 4:11 Ministries Submit to?

v  The translocal fivefold ministries need to submit to God and the local leadership; and

v  They have authority only as they function in their God ordained role and as they bring God’s will into the setting which they are ministering.

v  A local church should not submit to anyone claiming such a ministry unless they recognize these things. To do so could cause the church great difficulty and lead to disunity and deception.

v  However, the fivefold ministries do not take orders from the local body of Christ but convey God’s authority to it. This is because they do not receive their authority from men but from God Himself.

LESSON 2

APOSTLES

(i)                 Definition

The Greek work for apostle is ‘apostolos’ which literally means ‘ one sent forth’. The word can also mean a messenger, an envoy, a delegate. These are people who are appointed by God to be translocal messengers, foundation layers and governors in His church. Pioneer of the new cause of the gospel.

(ii)               New Testament Apostles

There were three categories of apostles in the early church.

a)      The first were those who were appointed by Jesus and who were his companions throughout his earthly ministry. They were eye witnesses of His resurrection and were called by God to establish His Church. They must have witnessed His ascension and filled by the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. ( Mark 3: 13-19; Acts 2: 21,22; Revelation 21: 14).

b)      The second was that of Paul who was called directly by Jesus and appointed by Him to the apostle to the Gentiles. He met the ascended Christ on the way to Damascus, was with Christ  in the Arabian Desert for revelation and training. (Gal 1:15-17) ( Rom 11: 13; 1 Cor 1:1; 1 Cor 9 :1,2; 1 Cor 15: 7- 10; Galatians 1:1;  2vs 8

c)      The third group is somewhat less well defined. It includes Barnabas (Acts 14:14); Andronicus and Junias( and others) ( Romans 16: 7); Silas and Timothy (1 Thessalonianias1:1;  2:7), James the Lord’s brother ( Galatians1:19). This group which includes apostles who are actively involved in the church, should  be in submission to and minister in a way that is consistent with the teaching of the first two types of apostles and to Jesus Himself who is also described as an apostle. (Hebrews 3:1)

(iii)             Signs Marking an Apostle

v  They have signs, wonders and miracles following their ministry. ( 2Cor 12:12)

v  They are called and forth by God (Romans 1:1; Acts 13 : 1-3)

v  They build spiritual foundations into God’s Church ( Ephesians 2:20; 1 Cor 3: 10-15)

v  They should recognize in themselves the call of God to be an apostle (1 Cor 9:1,2)

v  They should be able to teach (Acts 2:42)

v  They should be heralds of God’s Kingdom and testify about Jesus and all He accomplished for humanity (Acts 4:33; Acts 5:41, 42; 2 Timothy 1: 11)

(iv)             Do we have apostles in the Church today?

Yes and No could the answer.

v  NO: We certainly do not have apostles like those whom Jesus appointed during His earthly ministry or like Paul. These men had had a special mandate from God and were able to be involved in the writing of God’s Word because of this. This type of apostolic role finished with the death of John the Apostle.

v  YES: we do however we have apostles as one of the Ephesians 4: 11 ministry gifts of Jesus Christ to His Church. This type of apostolic role is only valid today, it is essential, if the body of Christ is to function effectively and if we are going to have unity in the faith and become mature in God. Some examples of extra biblical apostles would include John Wesley , Martin Luther , John Calvin,  William Carey

v  Do we have local examples?

(v)               What is the role of a modern day apostle

v  They are the first among the fivefold ministry gifts ( Eph 4:11)

v  Lay proper spiritual foundation to the local church and enable people to build into their lives the foundation of Jesus Christ and they should encourage them to obey Him no matter what the cost ( 1 Cor 3:10-15)

v  They should be  able to govern and bring order. They therefore should be able to straighten out a church that has got itself into mess or which has left unfinished the work of God which it is responsible, help in leadership selection were necessary ( Titus 1:5)

v  They should have ministry in which signs, wonders and miracles are evident (2Cor 12:12)

v  They should have a fatherly ministry to the church ( 1 Cor 4:9-13) – worth imitating , proven character and inspire people to follow Jesus Christ.

v  They should have a base from which they are sent forth( Acts 13:1-3)in which they have out-worked their ministry and to which they are accountable( Acts 14: 26, 27)

v  Opening doors of faith to the Gentiles 1 Cor 14: 27b

v  They should so know the word of God that they maintain doctrinal integrity in the churches to which God has called them. ( 1Thessalonians 2:13)

v  They should have translocal ministry and not be limited to one church

v  Willingness to suffer much for Jesus ( 1 Cor 4:9-13)

v  They should encourage the church to be evangelistic and sacrificial in lifestyle

v  Team player not lone ranger to enable growth and unity in faith

v  They should know when to be gentle and when to be strong with their God given authority ( 1 Thessalonians 2:7-12)

v  They should not dominate the churches which they are responsible by demanding submission but they should submit their words to the local leadership and only operate with an authority which is given by that leadership.

(vi)             FALSE APOSTLES

In the early church, some claimed to be apostles but were not . Paul described these peoples as false and deceitful (2 Cor 11:12-15). Today there are such people who make such similar claims. They are marked by the following:

v  Seeking to build their own Kingdom rather than the kingdom of God

v  Pointing people to themselves rather than directing people’s attention to Jesus Christ

v  Are proud rather than humble

v  Are oftenly obsessed with making money rather than living selflessly

v  Love motivated life

v  Want to be served rather than be servant

NB: Such people should be avoided but real apostolic ministers must not be missed as they are appointed by Christ. We should never reject God’s provision just because satan has a counterfeit.

LESSON 3

PROPHETS

(i)                 Definition

The Greek word for ‘prophet’ is ‘prophetes which means ‘one who speaks forth or openly a divine message’. A prophet of God is one who speaks forth His mind and counsel. In Christian terms they are people through whom God guides His people by using them to communicate His word, revelation, vision, direction and will.

(ii)               Biblical basis

The Bible has many references to the work of God’s prophets. This is particularly the case in the Old Testament but there are New Testament examples:

v  Agabus and company( Acts 11:27,28)

v  Some members of the church at Antioch ( Acts 13:1)

v  Judas and Silas (Acts 15:32)

Prophets have more than just the gift of prophecy ( Romans 12:6, 1 Corinthians 12:10) which is given by the Holy Spirit on an occasional basis when needed, they have a lifestyle which is given over to presenting God’s word to His church.  To them prophecy is an office they occupy.

(iii)             What does a prophet do?

An Ephesian 4:11 prophet is a member of the body of Christ with a translocal ministry who communicate God’s words to His people. (Acts 13:1). These words are always contemporary, authentic, consistent with God’s Word, relevant, direct, understandable, up building and powerful. Prophets are called to feel what God feels and convey it to the people.

Scriptures: 2 Samuel 12:1-4; Acts 21:10,11; Ephesians 3:4-6; 1 Corinthians 14:1-5, 31

Prophets do the following:

v  Reveal what the future holds (like Agabus and the O.T prophets) and should encourage the church to live in a way that takes advantage of this knowledge. It encourages faith based on God’s word.

v  Brings God’s vision to His people- ‘Thus sayeth the Lord’

v  Build proper spiritual foundations into God’s church. They will want to show the church what God really intends it to be.

v  Bring God’s guidance, direction, strengthening, comfort, instruction and encouragement.

v  Edify or up build God’s church and show it that it is not there for its members but to fulfil God’s plans and purpose and to glorify Jesus Christ ( Revelation 19:10)

v  Bring God’s conviction , admonition and correction

v  Bring specific, understandable words from God that can be applied to life and not generalized concepts which tend to ‘tickle’ the ear but which make no difference to our Christian walk.

v  See real issues which need to be resolved and understand what changes need to be made so that God’s will is enabled to be carried out.

v  They should be involved in leading praise and worship in a church because they sense more than any other ministry, the movement of the Holy Spirit and how to take people to the throne of God. ( 1 Chro 25:1)

(iv)             How do prophets convey their message

Prophets need wisdom when conveying the message God would have given them otherwise they may cause unnecessary tension, fear and anxiety in the body of Christ.

They can:

v  Speaking  direct words

v  Acting

v  Singing

v  Telling a story , allegory or parable

(v)               How do prophets receive their message from God

Prophets receive their message from God through the Holy Spirit in a variety of ways including:

v  actual words from God

v  Getting a ‘sense’ of what God wants to communicate

v  Pictures/vision

v  Interpreting the gift of tongues ( 2Peter 1:20,21)

(vi)             Prophets and Church order

1 Corinthians 14:29-33, 40

v  Prophet are called to weigh carefully any prophecy given in the church and to bring prophecy in an orderly God glorifying fashion.

v  God is not a God of disorder but of peace;

v  A prophet cannot say that God took over his spirit and forced him to prophesy, because the spirit of a prophet is subject to his own control

(vii)           Warning to Prophets

v  Prophets need to recognize that they need the body of Christ and that their ministry is to serve that body,

v  Avoid arrogance thinking that their gift is superior than other people’s

v  We only know and prophecy in part ( 1Cor 13:9) so it is wrong for a prophet to feel that they have all the answers or that they do not need anybody else

v  Jesus warned that it is going to be very costly to be one of His prophets(  Matthew 23: 34)

v   Need to be intimate with God so that they speak only God’s message.

v  Members of the church are  warned not to treat prophesy with contempt( 1 Thessalonians 5:20; 1 Timothy 4:14) but rather receive the prophet ( and their message)  and get a prophet’s reward ( Matthew 10:41)

(viii)         False Prophets

The Scripture is clear that there will be false prophets and that they will deceive many especially in the last days ( Matthew 24: 11; 2 Peter 2:1,2).

The church as much as it accepts prophets it needs to test every spirit. (1 John 4:1-6)

False prophets can recognized by:

v  The fruits of their lives and character ( Matthew 7: 15-23)

v  Content of the message if it is consistent with the Scriptures

v  Willingness to submit to the scriptures and others ( 1 Cor 14 :29)

v  The way the prophesy is delivered whether it is orderly and God-glorifying ( 1 Cor 14: 40)

v  Whether their prophecy has good lasting fruit ( effect) which has resulted in a more mature or Christ-like Christian or church

v  Whether the prophecy is condemning or not because God never condemns

v  Whether a prophecy is fulfilled or not. ( Deuteronomy 18:21,22)

LESSON 4

EVANGELIST

(i)                 Definition

The Greek word for ‘evangelist’ is ‘euangelistes’ which literally means ‘a messenger of good’. In Christian terms, it denotes a communicator of the gospel (or good news) of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God. This proclamation has signs following like healing the sick, casting out demons and even raising the dead.

Evangelists present their message to the world so that humanity knows and respond to the message of salvation available in Jesus; and to the church , to encourage an outreach mentality( a heart for the lost) and to teach the Christians how to win others to Christ.

(ii)               The Ministry of an Evangelist

v  Have a real heart for lost humanity i.e those who do not know peace with God and the way of Salvation. ( Romans 1:16, 17; Ephesians 1:13,14)

v  They have been called by to reap a harvest of souls for Him. Of course every Christian should be involved in soul winning but these have special gifting in the area. ( Mark 16:15-18)

v  They have one man message i.e the good news of salvation in Jesus

v  God often confirms the validity of their message by signs and wonders, like healing the sick and casting out demons (Acts 8:4-8)

v  Sensitive to the Holy Spirit and flow with him.( Acts 8:26, 39)

v  They go to the  people  rather than expect people to come to them ( John 16 :7-11; Rom 10:8-15)

v  Evangelists need to be familiar with the word of God and know how to communicate the reason for the hope that is within them ( i.e give their testimony) in a way other people can understand.

v  They need to present the gospel message in clear and understandable way and live the life they preach.

v  Motivating the church towards the lost and training of church members in evangelism.

v  Their character is generally blunt, frank, directive and open. They speak the truth without fear and unapologetically

(iii)             Evangelist and Discipleship

They respond to the Great Commission ( Matthew 28:18-20). They don’t just preach and leave the new converts alone but:

v  Evangelists are keen to see that those who are saved fitted into a good church

v  Follow up the saved

v  Provide follow up material to the saved( even giving away their own Bibles), so that the saved can get going on the new Christian life.

v  However evangelists either cannot or do not want to continue follow-up for long preferring to refer the people they have brought to the Lord to pastors and teachers who are gifted in the area of discipleship.

(iv)             Dangers of working alone

When an evangelist works alone, they tend to be left with a large number of spiritual infants who have not got the help they need to enable their growth into maturity in God. They have one message of salvation and are tough in character.

They need to work out of or with a local church and with other fivefold ministries.

LESSON 5

PASTORS

(i)                 Definition

The Greek word for ‘pastor’ is ‘poimen’ which means a shepherd or one who tend herds and flocks. In Christian terms it speaks of those who care for, rule over, nurture, feed, guard and guide members of the body of Christ. They make a church a caring community where the truth is spoken in love.

(ii)               The ministry of pastors

Like Jesus the pastor in his church should:

v  Have real love and compassion for those they lead ( Matthew 9:36)

v  Willingly give sacrificially of themselves to the people who need them( Luke 15:4-6; John 10:11-18; 1 John 3:16-18)

v  Make sure their people are adequately cared for ( 1 Peter 5:2-6)

v  Be able to lead effectively( John 10:1-5;Hebrews 13:7)

v  Be able to feed their people spiritually (John 21: 15-17)

v  Know their flock  personally ( John 10:3,7)

v   Correct and protect their people so that they do not come to harm(John 10:11-13; Acts 20:28-31; Matthew 18:15-20)

(iii)              Some dangers in pastoral ministry

v  If the pastor is ministering to his flock own their own the flock may end being lazy and disinterested. The church will be well fed but without a sense of direction or motivation to do the work to which God has called them.

v  Pastors tend to be busy that find it difficult to maintain their own spiritual growth and this tends to be passed on to those they lead (Hebrews 13:7)

v  Pastors should be very careful to serve God with the right motivation because they are in a position they from which they could easily exploit their people for money or to gain power. ( 1 Pet 5:2-7; Acts 20:32-35)

LESSON 6

 TEACHERS

(i)                 Definition

The Greek word for ‘teacher’ is ‘didaskalos’ which means ‘one who instructs’. In Christian terms, these are people who expound in detail God’s word and revelation given by God, and who instruct God’s people and ground them in the ways of God. They should apply the whole counsel of God to the lives of the believers, making disciples of Jesus in the process.

(ii)               The Ministry of a Teacher

Jesus is the best example of how to operate in this ministry. Like Him, God’s teachers need to communicate effectively and expound the word of God with power, anointing and authority. (Mark 1: 22; John 7:16; John 8:28) The commission of Jesus to His church was to make disciples of all nations and these were taught to obey everything that Jesus commanded or taught. (Mat 28:18-20)

God’s teachers need to:

v  Be continually open to God and be teachable ( Romans 2:21; 1 Cor 2:13)

v  Have a real love and respect for God and His Word and be able to instil the same in those they teach. ( Deut 31:13, 13; Josh 1:7,8)

v  Enable the growth into maturity in God of those they teach and by teaching what is appropriate at the right time to the right people. They need God’s discernment to do this. ( Acts 20:20, 27; Colossians 1:28; Hebrews5:12; 1Peter 4:11) Read  Isiah 30 : 20,21

v  Know the Word of God so well that it becomes a part of their life and enable those they teach to do the same. This means that God’s teachers have  to live in the good of the Bible’s teachings, thus enabling them to teach by example.( Mat 10:24,25; John 13:13,14; Matthew 23:1-3; 2 Timothy 1:13,14, 2 Tim 3:10-17)

v  Show the people of God the way of truth and be on guard against those who seek to divert God’s people from this.( 2 Peter 2:1-3; 1 Tim6:3-5; 2 Tim 4:3-4; Mark 7:7, Acts 17:11; titus 2:1,2; 2 John 8-11)

v  Enable the development and preparation of church members and growth of the church. ( Eph 4:11-16)

v  Teach God’s word in a way that is clear , understandable and applicable to life so that those who hear can put the teaching in practice. (Prov 9:9) and have their minds renewed. Communicate the truth through the Holy Spirit. ( John 14:16,17,26; John 16:13;1 Corinthians 2:10-16)

v  Teach people how to start the Christian life well. They enable people to understand foundational truths of Christianity, and they then build on these as people mature in Christ. ( Hebrews 5:11-6:3)

v  Teach people about the overall plans and purposes of God, and Jesus’ central place in them.( Eph 4:21-24) Not to reduce them to arbitrary, irrational set of rules, but the expression of God’s truth as it pertains to humanity.

v  Teach people how to teach others ( 2 timothy 2:2)

v  Maintain  a right motivation for teaching. ( 2 Tim 2:14-26; Titus 1:10,11; Titus  2:7,8; 2 peter 2:3)

v  Know that they will be held accountable for what they teach and its effect on people.( Matthew 22:15; James 3:11)

(iii)             Some pitfalls into which teachers may fall

v  When a church is monopolized by the ministry of a teacher, the church members tend to become audience. God want hearers to become doers of the word.

v  Teachers should not encourage dependence on themselves by their teaching, but rather dependence on God.( Hebrews 5:12-14)

v  Teachers should not be coercive, manipulative, or domineering when teaching or admonishing other people, because this tends to condemn or crush people

LESSON 7

GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

(i)                 Baptism In The Holy Spirit: Goal Or Gateway

v  Doorway into the supernatural (1 Cor. 12:8–10)

v  Not for our indulgence or self-display but for glory of God as we reach out into the lives of the need men and women around us.

(ii)               GIFTS OF REVELATION

v  Word of wisdom

The Holy Spirit gives this gift to enable us to see a person or situation as God does and speaking out words inspired by Him into this person or situation i.e. applying God’s wisdom to a situation. (John 8:4-7, Luke 20:20-26)

v  Word of knowledge

The Holy Spirit through this gift enables us to know God’s truth about a person or situation ( Matthew 21:2,3; John 4 :17,18) Words of knowledge are usually shared with people to whom we are ministering in a direct way and they contain elements which will uncover truth both for you and the other person. Words are very direct and appropriate and not guess work. Usually when given this gift one is hesitant to speak out at first, it may be a verbal word, idea, picture, vision or impression of the spirit;  as it seem trivial but will learn how precise God is in putting out his finger on the spot within people’s lives.

v  Discerning of spirits

This gift enables us to supernaturally discern, perceive or judge whether the spirit operating in a person or situation is divinely, humanly or demonically sourced.(Luke 13:11-16; John 8:42-47; Acts 16:16-19) We are told to test the spirits and see whether they are of God. ( 1 John 4:1)

(iii)             GIFTS OF POWER

v  Faith

The Holy Spirit through this gift enables us to have assurance and confidence that God is going to prove His power in a ministry situation i.e. we know what God is going to do (even if it does seem rationally improbable) and we are given the power to believe with expectation that it will happen and the authority to effect it. ( Mark 4 : 37-40; John 11:41-44)

Different from the faith for salvation every Christian has

Different from one of the fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22)

v  Working of Miracles

The Holy Spirit through this gift enables us to carry out acts which are often contrary to the natural laws, with power beyond human capacity.( John 2:1-11;Luke 9:16,17). A miracle is an event which is reliant on the direct intervention of God and which produces results which manifest the extra-ordinary power of God. E.g. raising the dead, changing water into wine e.t.c

v  Gifts of Healing

The Holy Spirit enables us to with gift to administer God’s power of to heal spiritually, emotionally and physically. (Mark 1:29-31; Mark 3: 1-5). The word gifts is in plural because there are many different gifts of healing, which are given relative to the many different illnesses and traumas which people suffer. It is not uncommon for a person to have a capacity for healing in a certain range of illnesses or in relation to particular emotional needs.

(iv)             VOCAL GIFTS

v  Different kinds of Tongues

This gift of the Holy Spirit enables us to speak in a language (whether earthly or angelic) which we have not previously learned and which edifies us. ( Acts 2:4; Acts 10:46; 1Corinthians 14:1-28) This gift can be very important in a ministry situation, because it opens up to God to enable us to be sensitive to Him ; this helping us to discern His will and His Word in a situation which confront us.

v  Interpretation of Tongues

This gift of the Holy Spirit enables us to interpret the meaning of an unknown/ unlearned tongue to an understandable language. ( 1 Corinthians 14:13, 26-28). The gift is more appropriate in a corporate setting where the Holy Spirit responds to the exercise of the gift of tongues. What comes is the dynamic equivalent of what is said in a tongue.

It is not a translation, but would better be qualified or classified as a response.

Tongue is used to draw attention to the fact that God wants to speak  and heightens expectation , and interpretation presents what is said so that everybody can understands, judge and act on it ( where appropriate)

The gift of interpretation can be used also to interpret personal offering in tongues of an individual to the Lord.

v  Prophecy

The Holy Spirit through this gift enables us to communicate a special message from God to a person /people  which will be in the language of the hearer/s and which will edify (up build) , strengthen, encourage and comfort the person /people ( Matthew 24:3-44; John 21:18,19; 1 Corinthians 14:1-6, 22-25, 39-40). A prophecy will usually be very direct and contains within it the need for a response.

Remember , often a gift of the Holy Spirit will require the operation of some other gifts for it to be effective e.g. the gift of healing may need the gift of faith for it to operate effectively.