SPIRITUAL GIFTS
The Gift of Prophecy
I am led by the Holy Spirit to enlighten you on the spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. Paul exhorts us in his epistle to the Corinthian church to desire spiritual gifts, but especially that we may prophesy (I Cor.14: 1). This gift is meant for edification, and exhortation and comfort of the church (I Cor.14: 3). It reveals the secrets of an unbeliever’s heart so that he may fall down on his face and worship God (I Cor.14: 25). Through the gift of prophecy, all mysteries and all knowledge concerning the things of God are understood in a supernatural manner (I Cor.13: 2).
Who should prophesy? Paul exhorts all in a church to prophesy, one by one, so that “all may learn, and all may be comforted” (I Cor.14: 31). However, in Chapter 12:29, Paul tries to convince that all are not apostles; all are not prophets; all are not workers of miracles, etc. Nevertheless, we should covet earnestly the best gifts. Though not all are prophets, all of them can covet the gift of prophecy.
In a New Testament church, the gift of prophecy or the ministry of a prophet should be given due importance. You need not say like the Old Testament prophets, “Thus saith the Lord”. All of you in a church may speak out a word of exhortation or a word of comfort for edification of the other church members. The church pastor or the elders should encourage all the people of God in the church to come forward for sharing their messages of exhortation and edification. As the Holy Spirit moves in their midst, these people of God will speak out words of prophecy which will comfort and edify the other members of the church.
If there are prophets in the church, let two or three prophets speak and let the others judge (I Cor.14: 29). When the prophets give prophetic messages in the church, the others can judge whether their messages are truly inspired by the Holy Spirit or are based on the Word of God. A prophet cannot give a message on his own which is contrary to His Written Word. These days, we come across many persons who, claiming themselves to be end-time prophets, give messages, which run counter to the Word of God.
Paul says in Chapter 13:9-10, “We know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away”. The gift of prophecy is not perfect because we prophesy in part. A person endowed with the gift of prophecy may not disclose accurately all the mysteries. When the perfection comes by our putting on immortality, on the second advent of Jesus, all the spiritual gifts including this spiritual gift will vanish.
These days, the gift of prophecy is misused due to lack of knowledge. No body should be encouraged to approach a prophet or a person endowed with the gift of prophecy to find out God’s will in a particular matter. For instance, do not approach anybody, and ask him, “Whether I should marry “X” or “Y”?” or “Whether I should purchase this property from “X” or “Y”?”. If you want to marry a person of your choice, that person should not be an unbeliever, a divorcee, or a married person as revealed in God’s Word. If you want to purchase a property, you should have the financial ability to purchase it and the property should have proper legal title, etc. You should seek God’s will especially as revealed in His Word. Under the New Testament, you should approach God directly to find out His will. Of course, a prophet or a person with the gift of prophecy merely confirms what the Lord has already revealed to that person.
The Gifts of Healing
As we read the gospels, we find that Jesus healed the sick people in diverse ways and not in a stereotype manner. In the 9th chapter of John, Jesus healed a blind man in a completely different manner. He made clay with His saliva and anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. Then He asked to him to go and wash in the pool of Siloam. The blind man obeyed and came back seeing.
Jesus commanded His disciples in Matt.10: 8, “ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give…” Jesus gave His power of healing to the Church as a gift. It is not a single gift but a multi-faceted gift. That is why Paul, while teaching the Corinthian church about the various spiritual gifts, refers four times to the “gifts of healing” in the Chapter 12 of I Corinthians (Verses 9, 10, 28 and 30). During evangelistic campaigns, the evangelists make use of this spiritual gift in a stereotype manner with the result that many people go home disappointed. During the ministry of Jesus, He healed all the people who came to Him for healing. If the evangelists are sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit, the gifts of healing through them will bring about tremendous divine healing.
The gifts of healing, if operated according to the leading of the Holy Spirit, would result in healing of the sick in diverse ways. Some people may get healed by a simple prayer of the evangelists; some may get healed by impartation of this gift by the laying of hands of the co-evangelists or even the volunteers of the campaign; some may get healed by the anointing of oil; some may get healed after some time or some days of using the anointed oil. Above all, the people should always be exhorted to humble, pray and repent so that God will forgive their sins through the Blood of Jesus and will heal them (2 Chr.7: 14).
Whenever I receive a prayer request for divine healing through my inbox, the Holy Spirit moves my heart with compassion, and leads me to minister to them in diverse ways. Some of His ways are as follows:
I advise them to touch their computers and to say “Amen” with me; I ask them to take a bottle of oil, to pray over it saying, “This is the Blood of Jesus Christ shed for my healing or for the healing of X or Y”, and then to apply it either on the places affected by the diseases or on their head till the sign of the disease disappears from their body; I command the evil spirits causing such diseases to leave their body in the Name of Jesus Christ; I prophesy words of life and of healing unto their dry bone in Jesus’ Name; I ask the sick people to kneel down and pray for healing.
Apart from the miraculous healings, the Holy Spirit also brings healing by way of surgery and medical treatment. The gifts of healing also extend to healing through medical treatment. The Holy Spirit overshadows such people who undergo surgeries and other treatments in the hospitals, in response to prayers.
Since we have freely received the gifts of healing from our Lord, we should freely minister to the sick people without expecting any reward from them. We are not supposed to appeal to them to help our ministries financially.
Do you want to minister to the sick people who seek your ministry? The Lord wants to give YOU the gifts of healing today. Dearly beloved in Christ, you need the gifts of healing for your ministry. Will you please agree with me and touch your computer in token of your agreement with me? Receive the gifts of healing by faith in the Name of Jesus Christ. You should now start exercising the gifts both in your evangelistic campaign and in ministering to the people in an individual manner.
Other Spiritual Gifts
The word of wisdom is one of the spiritual gifts given by Christ Jesus to the Church, His Body. This gift imparts you the wisdom of Christ so that you may give right advice or counsel to those whom you minister. It enables you to understand the mysteries of God hidden in His Word. Through this gift, you can interpret the visions and dreams.
The word of knowledge reveals the particular problem of a person being ministered to. It gives you knowledge of his/her present problem or ailment. Late Dr.D.G.S.Dhinakaran, Jesus Calls, India, had been blessed with this supernatural gift through which he called the people by name, and revealed their problems or diseases.
The gift of faith imparts you the same faith, which was in Christ Jesus by which God’s power was released through Him. Through this supernatural gift, you can accomplish great things for God. This gift transcends the limited human knowledge or the power of reasoning. Impossibility turns into a possibility. This gift enables you to bring a dead person to life.
The gift of the working of miracles works in a supernatural realm. It affects the nature or the environment in which a person lives. It restores a born handicapped person to perfection. It creates new organs in place of diseased organs.
The gift of discerning of spirits enables you to discern the spirit of a person. You can know whether the person to whom you are ministering to is possessed or oppressed by an evil spirit. You can know the exact number of evil spirits, and the design of each evil spirit. You can get a very clear insight into the working of these evil spirits in the kingdom of the Devil. You can also discern the spirits of anti-christs/false prophets. This gift is essential in these last days.
The gift of speaking in tongues enables you to speak in diverse kinds of tongues, which you have not learnt. Through this gift, you speak to God in mysteries, which no one understands. This supernatural edifies yourself so that you can effectively minister to someone. When you do not know how to pray in a given situation, this gift operates and you speak to God in your spirit (I Cor.14: 2,14). While ministering to someone, you get God’s revelation through this gift. This tongue should be interpreted either by you or by someone so that the person whom you are ministering to may benefit (I Cor.14: 5,13 & 27). If you do not interpret, or if there is none to interpret, you should “keep silence” in the church, and should speak to yourself, and to God (I Cor.14: 28). The gift of interpretation of the tongues is another spiritual gift.
- Job Anbalagan