The Power Gifts
The three power gifts are
1. The gift of faith
2. The working of miracles
3. The gifts of healing (see Study 8)
- 1. The Gift of Faith
For a specific time and purpose, to accomplish a certain task. We see it happen in advance and this gives boldness to move out in faith. Do you see what the Father is doing? For example; a man was near death from AIDS lying on the children’s mat in front of the church. Suddenly I saw in the Holy Spirit, the man standing up and walking. Then I saw how I was to do it and immediately obeyed by walking up to the man, taking hold of his hand and saying; “In the name of Jesus rise up and walk”. Pulling him to his feet, he suddenly became healed and walked. A few weeks later the man had put on weight and got himself a job and through this miracle of Jesus, many became Christians in his village.
a) The gift of faith comes once the gift of wisdom reveals a demonstration of God’s power that God is about to demonstrate.
This enables us to move out boldly in obedience on the revelation we have received. (Matthew 2:19, Daniel 3:16-18, 1 Samuel 17:32 & 45-46, Acts 13:10-11 & 5:9-11)
b) The gift of faith works along with the working of miracles or healing.
Jesus spoke to Lazarus “Lazarus come forth”; or to the storm, “Peace be still”.
c) The gift of faith may also be revealed in a more long-term task.
For instance when we had only £8.50 to our name. We knew that the Lord wanted us to build a 40 bed Christian Holiday ranch. Because we knew He wanted this, we had no problem believing it. He gave us the determination and endurance to see this happen and it did happen.
- 2. The Working of Miracles
A miracle is a supernatural demonstration that alters or controls the normal laws of nature e.g. food being multiplied, rain suddenly coming to end drought, are two that I have seen. In Uganda a mango tree suddenly began to bear fruit continuously for three years in a severe war situation to feed the refugees. These are miracles that are happening today.
Jesus turned water into wine, calmed the storm, walked on water, and fed 5000 people with only 5 loaves and 2 fishes. The working of miracles require action, working from supernatural knowledge of what is about to happen. We then receive the word of wisdom as to what to do and as we do it the miracle happens.
God says to Moses in Exodus 14:15 “why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward ’’; and in Exodus 14.16, “lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go on dry land through the sea”. Here the Lord told Moses exactly what to do and what He the Lord would do. As Moses obeyed so the miracle happened and the sea parted. We first hear the Lord, then in faith obey what He has told us to do and the miracle will happen. John.25, Matthew 14:27-29, and Luke 5:4-7 are some of the miracles Jesus did.
a) Jesus raises the dead
In John 12:32 Jesus hears Lazarus is dead.
In v34 Jesus asks, “where have you laid him?”. Jesus wept, he was moved.
In v39 He says “take away the stone”. Here Jesus already knows that
Lazarus will be raised and has wisdom to do it.
In vs40-42 He prays a prayer of faith on account of the people standing by.
Then He cried “Lazarus come forth” and Lazarus came out
b) Jesus still raises the dead today
On the 7th August 2005 after the Sunday service, one of our team visited a hospital near Blantyre in Malawi. This Sunday he could not go in at the front entrance, so he went in by the mortuary at the back entrance and saw a dead man on his right. The Lord prompted him to go and pray for him, so in obedience he went over to pray for him and Jesus raised him from the dead. The whole hospital praised God for this miracle. They kept the man in for two days of observation, before letting him go home. Not only was the man raised from dead, but was also completely healed of the malaria, which had killed him.
Note - Never try to raise the dead unless you have specifically heard from God to do so, and also how to go about it.
3) How to move in the working of Miracles
a) We need to take time to hear Him speak and to receive His word of knowledge
b) We also need to hear what we must do through the word of wisdom
c) We must obey and step out in faith and do it
d) The miracle will happen because Jesus has gone to the Father (John 14:12)
THINK
- How does the gift of faith come about through the other gifts?
- Study three Old Testament examples and three New Testament examples to show this