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STIRRING UP THE GIFT OF GOD:
Every
Christian Possesses the Gift of the Holy Spirit.
In Ephesians 4:5
We see this confirmed “One Lord, one faith,
one baptism,”
In Matthew 28:18-20
18 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth
has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the
close of the age."
Ephesians 1:13
In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation,
and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
Acts 2:38
And Peter said to them, "Repent,
and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift
of the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:13
For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--Jews or Greeks, slaves
or free--and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
Luke 3:22
And the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form,
as a dove, and a voice came from heaven, "Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased."
Luke 11:13
If
you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy
Spirit to those who ask him!"
Acts 1:8
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and
you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth."
Acts 2:4
And they
were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts
4:31
And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with
the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness.
Acts 10:38
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the
Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was with
him.
Acts 10:44
While Peter was still saying this, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.
Acts 10:45
And
the believers from among the circumcised who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured
out even on the Gentiles.
Acts 10:47
"Can any one forbid water for baptizing these people who have received the
Holy Spirit just as we have?"
Acts 11:15
As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the
beginning.
Acts 15:8
And God who knows the heart bore witness to them, giving them the Holy Spirit just as he
did to us;
Acts 19:2
And he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" And they said, "No,
we have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."
Acts 19:6
And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the
Holy Spirit came on them; and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.
1 Corinthians 6:19
Do you not know that your
body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own;
Hebrews 2:4
While
God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his
own will.
Hebrews 3:7
Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, "Today, when you hear his voice,
Hebrews 9:8
By
this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the sanctuary is not yet opened as long as the outer tent is still standing
Timothy had the gift from God. He believed in the Lord Jesus Christ through God's gift of saving faith and evangelical
repentance, but he also had the 'charisma', the gift of the Holy Spirit.
I Timothy 4:14-16
"Do not neglect your
gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you. Be diligent in these
matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere
in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers."
Your Gift May Be Dormant for Service, however
it is active for Redemption
What is the gift of God waiting to be stirred?
His name is Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost.
He is part of the Godhead or the Trinity. We see his work in the creation of the universe in the beginning of Genesis. He
is known as our comforter and teacher. Every Christian receives the Holy Spirit to strengthen our understanding of the Father,
to empower believers for service, to teach us the truth, to glorify Jesus and to resurrect our bodies on the day of redemption.
We
see in the Bible that Paul points out danger in neglecting the Gift. The gift of the Holy Spirit can become dormant or never
develop for victorious living depending on our understanding and willingness to serve unconditionally with our Lord. Many
Churches have taught against the gift of the Holy Spirit or they have bound his ministry only to salvation.
Paul’s
warning of neglecting the gift of the Holy Spirit or denying all of his ministry might explain why we do not see many miracles
today in the modern Church. The Holy Spirit is our helper and teacher. He is ready to empower all believers to witness, to
heal the sick, to raise the dead and to display signs and wonders to glorify our Lord.
There are nine supernatural
manifestations of the Father’s love through the gift of the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:4-11:
4 Now there
are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties
of working, but it is the same God who inspires them all in every one. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit
for the common good. 8 To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge
according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to
another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various
kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are inspired by one and the same Spirit, who apportions
to each one individually as he wills.
According to your faith, Holy Spirit activates his gifts for service. A believer
operating under the anointing can minister all nine of the supernatural manifestations listed above for ministry. The Bible
says that Holy Spirit is like the wind. He cannot be directed or controlled. The key word in the scripture above is “who
apportions to each one individually as he wills.” Holy Spirit activates the necessary gift for each ministry opportunity
as he wills based on the condition of our hearts to serve and the needs of the person who is seeking ministry.
Let
us review each manifestation of his love for service:
Manifestation of Wisdom: When Holy Spirit enables divine illumination
on a specific issue to quicken God’s truth to a particular problem or need. When he manifests wisdom, you have the mind
of Christ to know how to minister in a particular way with someone. It is like God telling you up the road take a right at
the next street. We see Jesus operating in this gift when he addresses the Pharisees who tried to trick him. Jesus knew
their hearts where not pure for him.
Manifestation of Word of Knowledge: When Holy Spirit enables Words of Knowledge
you receive details about a person or situation you are ministering too. For example, you might understand at the time of
ministry the word broken heart. Others who have been learning the voice of God might hear more details like this man’s
heart is broken because his daughter has moved out of the house over a dispute and she is harboring unforgiveness. Knowing
this level of detail enables you to be able to pray specifically for healing of the relationship between the father and the
daughter. Many people are hesitant to share their true needs when they come for ministry. They might say, please pray for
my family. The manifestation of words of knowledge provides accuracy to shoot with a rifle since you now know the exact target
that will bring healing.
Manifestation of Faith: When Holy Spirit enables supernatural faith, we see Christians displaying
the love of Christ even as they are martyred. We see the manifestation of supernatural faith, when someone commands healing
into a person’s body in the name of Jesus. Holy Spirit’s faith enables a believer to know that God has heard the
cry of a person and that God is moving the mountain for his glory. A believer operating in Holy Spirit’s manifestation
of faith has to be careful to guard others who are not able on their own to believe at the same level.
Manifestation
of Healings: When the Holy Spirit enables a believer to be used by God for commanding healing into someone’s body.
This believer becomes an instrument of God to transfer the anointing to heal a person’s body. We know that healing comes
sometimes quickly and other times over longer periods. A good way to think of healing is the story of the fig tree. In Mark
11, Jesus seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he
found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again."
And his disciples heard it. As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. And Peter
remembered and said to him, "Master, look! The fig tree which you cursed has withered." We see where Jesus commanded the
tree to die; however the manifestation of death did not appear until the next morning. So is it with commanding healing into
someone’s body. After laying hands and cursing the root of illness, the symptoms might continue as if nothing happened
for a period. However, if we believe the name of Jesus is true the manifestation of healing is under way. We know that God
has an appointed time for each of us and sometimes his way of healing is taking us home. We are commanded to lay hands on
the sick and command healing into their natural bodies, believe in our hearts God will raise them up and to accept Holy Spirit’s
decision for healing.
Manifestations of Miracles: Holy Spirit manifests his love through miracles to draw people to
a commitment to God and to meet human need. God works through miracles everyday, however we do not give him glory. Peoples
lives are saved, bodies are healed, favor is extended, healing manifests and yet our intellect explains away and dilutes the
truth. In healings, we see a miracle is when a person’s disease is corrected at the time of prayer. We see examples
of this today when blind eyes are opened, when backs are straightened lengthening both legs to the same length or raising
the dead. We currently have a Georgia elected official who was raised from the dead in Jesus’ name.
Manifestations
of Prophesy: We see a promise from Holy Spirit in Joel 2:28 that states, 28 "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I
will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your
young men shall see visions. One manifestation of prophecy today is when someone preaches the revelation of God through Holy
Spirit’s anointing. Prophecy builds up the body of Christ, it encourages and it imparts life. It draws believers toward
God or it confirms in a believer what Holy Spirit has already planted in one’s spirit.
Manifestations of Discernment:
Manifestations from Holy Spirit to discern whether the truth of God is being preached, to distinguish between divine spirits,
human spirits and demonic spirits. This manifestation can confirm if someone is telling the truth or if there is an unspoken
need. This gift is used frequently in ministry to separate the truth and bring healing. This manifestation can operate through
knowledge, through spiritual sight or through smell. Discernment is used by Holy Spirit to reveal the condition of someone’s
heart in a given situation.
Manifestations of Tongues: Manifestations of tongues from Holy Spirit is for speaking
in tongues and for praying in tongues. One gift manifests to communicate with a body of people through interpretation and
the other gift is for all believers to edify them and to speak directly with God. We see that Holy Spirit in Acts activated
speaking in an unknown tongue to communicate the goodness of God in another language. Paul says he speaks in tongues more
than the other believers. God reveals the mind of Christ while we pray in our heavenly language.
Manifestations of
Interpretation: When Holy Spirit activates this gift it is for the sole purpose of interpreting a message spoken in tongues
to a body of believers. Because speaking in tongues to a group of people is of no purpose unless the people understand God’s
message. When we are praying in tongues directly to our Lord, we can ask Holy Spirit for the interpretation.
The
Gift of the Holy Spirit for Service can be lifted.
Think of King Saul and how he started with such promise, the blessed
Spirit of God coming upon him and overwhelming him. But how did he go on? Suspicious, envious, entertaining murder in his
heart, defying God the king was finally destroyed in a battle with God's enemies. Consider Samson arising from Delilah's bed
and thinking to himself, "'I'll go out as before and shake myself free.' But he did not know that the LORD had left him" (Judges
16:20). But we do not have to go back to Old Testament days. Have there not been preachers we have known of whom we may say,
'The Lord has left them'? That is, God has utterly taken away from them the enabling to speak his Word under the anointing
again.
I would suggest to you, first of all, that many are despising the gift of God. Paul warns another church about
despising a certain gift - "Do not treat prophecies with contempt" (I Thess. 5:20) - and there is no reason why that may not
happen to other gifts of the Spirit. Again, secondly, we may quench the Spirit: "Do not put out the Spirit's fire" Paul tells
a church (I Thess. 5:19). God has given us a particular gift and yet we would rather it were quietly extinguished. We can
choose not to carry the mantle for service. We might think the work of the Holy Spirit carries too much responsibility or
we might think it is embarrassing in a World that is denying God. We might cease to pray over our food or elect no to attend
a public Prayer Meeting.
The Gift should be Stirred Up.
Paul tells Timothy positively what his duty is in the
next letter, 2 Timothy 1:6, "fan into flame the gift of God which is in you." Do not neglect the Father's gift; rather we
are called to fan it into a flame or stir up the gift.
His gift can and does lie dormant, or inactive if we have unbelief
or lack of teaching.
The gift can be stirred up.
How can we stir the gift for service?
Believe!
We
must believe the gift of God lives in us and that Holy Spirit wants to use us for service.
1 Corinthians 12:7
But
the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
1 Peter 4:10
As every man hath received
the gift, [even so] minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
Thank
God daily that you have his gift. Praise Him that it was given to you for profit. Tell Him that you desire to minister to
your brethren the manifold grace of God in accordance with His will.
There are many who refute the idea of gifts today.
Do you think they have any manifestations in their lives? As with everything in your relationship with God, you must believe.
Hebrews
11:6
6 But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that
he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
James 1:6-7
6 But let him ask in faith,
nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think
that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
Stand fast to your confession that the Word of God is true and it is for
me. The Bible says "the manifestation of the Spirit is given to *me* to profit withal"!
You must stir up
the gift of the Spirit that is in you and become filled with the Spirit.
Ephesians 5:18-20
18 And be not drunk
with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Fellowship with other believers and when you are alone give thanks in prayer and meditation.
I give thanks when I am at work, while I am driving or when I am with my family. Some scriptures I put to song. Some songs
I sing in unknown tongues. I worship my Lord in spirit and truth continually to keep my heart in service for my King.
The
times I have feel the strongest anointing is when I am praying and laying hands-on others doing the Father’s business.
Other times the anointing is strong when I am in prayer praising the King. "The Lord is the strength of my life!" The anointing
increases when we believe in God and desire to minister healing to others. A gentle word of encouragement or a word of experience
might be enough to minister, however sometimes a person can only be healed by the touch of the Lord.
When the power
of God is operating in your life others will notice the change and seek to have the peace that rests upon your life. The anointing
changes the atmosphere creating the environment for God to work miracles in his children’s lives.
1 Corinthians
12:31
But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet show I unto you a more excellent way.
The more excellent way is
to stir the gift is through love. Jesus moved in the Holy Spirit through love. We are not to love the service manifestations
called gifts; rather we are called to love the giver and our neighbor as ourselves. We are to bless others in the name of
Jesus.
The Holy Spirit enables us. The Holy Spirit then gives us the power and his manifestations of supernatural gifts
to enhance, expand and enlarge the Kingdom. Holy Spirit uses Revelation Gifts—knowledge, wisdom, discernment; Power
Gifts—faith, miracles, healing; and Vocal Gifts—prophecy, tongues and interpretation to heal people and bring Jesus
glory. All of the manifestations of service we call gifts of the Holy Spirit require verbal expression, a release in our
understanding and our ability to know how to operate in them.
Holy Spirit releases more power to a believer like a
parent would authorize a teenager to begin to drive the car. In the beginning, the parent would let a teenager to drive in
the neighborhood at low speeds during the daytime. Later, when the teenager shows the discipline to honor the laws, the parent
would let the teenager drive to the store without the parent for a jug of milk. Eventually when the teenager has proven himself,
the parent starts to let him take friends with him. Finally, the parent lets the teenager have a car. Holy Spirit uses the
same principles with a believer who is seeking a deeper responsibility to operate in ministry. Holy Spirit gives more authority
to those who exercise his ministry for healing through obedience and through discipline.
Praying in Tongues prepares
a Believer to learn the Heart of God.
1 Corinthians 14:4
He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies
edifies the church.
Jude 1:20
But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy
Spirit,
1 Corinthians 14:2
For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands
him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.
1 Corinthians 14-15
14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays,
but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with
the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.
The process of praying
in the understanding and praying in tongues is the process of building yourself up spiritually, stirring up the abiding anointing
until the supernatural fire of God burns brightly emitting God’s divine light.
Philippians 2:15
That you may
become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom
you shine as lights in the world,
Ephesians 5:8
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk
as children of light
Matthew 5:14
14 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 "Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
John 5:33
33
"You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. 34 "Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these
things that you may be saved. 35 "He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light.
The
words Shekinah Glory means “residence or dwelling place of God.”
Ephesians 2:22
In whom you also are being
built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
1 Corinthians 6:19
Or do you not know that your body is
the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
2 Corinthians 6:16
And
what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell
in them and walk
So praying in the Spirit stirs up the fire (the light), and releases the power of the Holy Spirit
to do the works of God. It brings revelation. It imparts wisdom. The fire of the Holy Spirit drives demons away and causes
one to walk in security, authority and boldness.
Stirring up the gift also involves a believer’s willingness to
be used by God. Ministering with Holy Spirit is necessary to break the yoke and bring total healing to a person’s mind,
body and soul. If God anoints us and we do not flow in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we will never develop fully and experience
the wonderful blessing of being a blessing to others.
Some people walk in a great anointing than others. All born again
believers can walk in a strong anointing of the Holy Spirit if they commit his life to God. A believer must seek God and put
his needs first and the Holy Spirit searches the condition of the heart. Holy Spirit then activates his power in those he
can trust with the lives of others.
While it is true that Holy Spirit anoints certain individuals to stand and function
in specific ministry offices of the fivefold ministry, it is also true that Holy Spirit anoints every believer who believes
and who is willing to be used by Him for service. Any believer can increase the anointing on his/her life to minister in the
gifts through a closer walk with God.
John 9:31
"Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a
worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him.
1 Samuel 15:22-23
22 Then Samuel said: "Has the LORD as great
delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he also has rejected you from being king."
To grow and be used by the
Holy Spirit we must work to live a Holy life.
Psalm 101:3
I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work
of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me.
Job 31:1
"I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust
upon a girl.
Proverbs 6:25
Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, nor let her allure you with her eyelids.
Psalm
18:20-23
20 The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has recompensed
me. 21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God. 22 For all His judgments were before
me, and I did not put away His statutes from me. 23 I was also blameless before Him, and I kept myself from my iniquity.
1
Peter 1:14-16
14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15 but as He
who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy."
1
Timothy 5:22
“…. Keep yourself pure.”
1 Corinthians 6:18
Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that
a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.
1 Timothy 6:11
But
you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.
2 Timothy
2:22
Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure
heart.
Galatians 5:16-25
16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17
For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you
do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the
flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies,
outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which
I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom
of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness,
self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Galatians 5:25
Since we live by the Spirit, let us
keep in step with the Spirit.
Romans 8:16
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children
of God,
Romans 9:1
I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy
Spirit,
Continuously stir up the Gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever possible. Offer to pray for other people whenever
a need is seen and when the Holy Spirit prompts you to minister.
A worldly saying is that if you don’t use it,
you loose it. We even know what the Lord Jesus said in the parable of the talents concerning people who hide their talents.
But if you use it, He will give you more.
Matthew 25:28
Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who
has ten talents.
1 Timothy 4:14
Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophesy with
the laying on of the hands of the eldership.
2 Timothy 1:6
Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which
is in you through the laying on of my hands.
God has a distinct place and purpose in His Kingdom for every person.
The Bible says that He has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased (1 Corinthians 12:18). Our challenge
and joy is to grow into the recognition of what He’s made us to be, and then to experience its release in Jesus, enabled
by the Holy Spirit.
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Some say the Holy Spirit stopped supporting the Church after the last Disciples. This is truely not
the case. The Holy Spirit is still building and supporting and empowering people into victory. Read below for some study material
documenting the Lord is the same today as yesterday:
The Mystery of When Miracles and Healing Ceased - by Grant
Jeffrey
For many Christians one of the greatest mysteries is that the tremendous miracles, healings, and supernatural
gifts of the Holy Spirit enumerated in 1 Corinthians 12, which characterized the life and worship of the early Church, seem
to have ceased by the beginning of the second century. Many theologians have dogmatically asserted that God provided for supernatural
miracles and the gifts of the Holy Spirit only to attract the attention of the pagan world and provide divine authority for
the introduction of the New Testament as God’s inspired revelation. They assert that within a century of Christ’s
resurrection, all miracles and signs had ceased permanently. Many have claimed that these supernatural signs ceased when the
apostles died. Some writers and denominations have asserted this theory as absolute dogmatic truth and reject even the possibility
of genuine supernatural miracles occurring today.
Several writers have claimed that a search of the writings of
the early Church indicates that there are no references to these "gifts" continuing beyond A.D. 100. However, during
the last few years I have carefully examined the writings of the early Church writers from the time of Christ till the Council
of Nicea in 325 that were collected in a set of ten volumes known as the Ante-Nicene Library and first published in 1890.
After an exhaustive search of these fascinating early Christian writings, I can confirm that God continued to manifest His
supernatural power including miraculous healings, resurrection from the dead, and demonstrations of charismatic gifts of the
Holy Spirit well beyond the age of the apostles. Further research in the writings of the medieval Church provide compelling
evidence that miracles, though rare, continued to manifest from time to time in a variety of places as attested by responsible
historical authorities.
There are brief references to the prophetic gifts still continuing as reported in the
early Church manual known as the Didache (A.D. 110). "And every prophet teaching the truth, if he doeth not what he teacheth,
is a false prophet. And every prophet approved and found true, if he doeth ought as an outward mystery typical of the Church,
and yet teacheth you not to do all that he himself doeth, shall not be judged before you; he hath his judgment in the presence
of God; for in like manner also did the prophets of old time.
Bishop Clement’s Letter to the Corinthians,
written by the bishop of Rome (A.D. 100), refers to the continuing supernatural work of the Holy Spirit. "An abundant
outpouring also of the Holy Spirit fell upon all.
The Shepherd of Hermas (A.D. 110) also contains a reference
to speaking in tongues and prophecies. "When then the man who hath the divine Spirit cometh into an assembly of righteous
men, who have faith in a divine Spirit, and intercession is made to God by the gathering of those men, then the angel of the
prophetic spirit, who is attached to him, filleth the man, and the man, being filled with the Holy Spirit, speaketh to the
multitude, according as the Lord willeth.
In addition, there are numerous significant references to these supernatural
gifts continuing in the life of the early Church in the following centuries.
Irenaeus
The brilliant
Christian teacher Irenaeus wrote a treatise against heresies called the Refutation and Overthrow of Knowledge Falsely So Called
(A.D. 185) that recorded many manifestations of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and supernatural miracles that still continued
in some churches, including accounts of people being raised from the dead: Some drive out demons really and truly, so that
often those cleansed from evil spirits believe and become members of the Church; some have foreknowledge of the future, visions,
and prophetic utterances; others, by the laying-on of hands, heal the sick and restore them to health; and before now, as
I said, dead men have actually been raised and have remained with us for many years. In fact, it is impossible to enumerate
the gifts which throughout the world the Church has received from God and in the name of Jesus Christ crucified under Pontius
Pilate, and every day puts to effectual use for the benefit of the heathen, deceiving no one and making profit out of no one.
Similarly, we hear of many members of the Church who have prophetic gifts and by the Spirit speak with all
kinds of tongues, and bring men’s secret thoughts to light for their own good, and expound the mysteries of God.
Irenaeus also wrote about the gifts of the Holy Spirit in Against Heresies: "In like manner we do also hear many
brethren in the church, who possess prophetic gifts, and who through the Spirit speak all kinds of languages, and bring to
light for the general benefit the hidden things of men, and declare the mysteries of God." (Irenaeus, Against Heresies
5:6:1)
Justin Martyr
Justin Martyr wrote his Dialogue with Trypho in A.D. 165 and clearly referred
to many supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit appearing in the daily life of the second-century Church. He wrote, "Daily
some of you are becoming disciples in the name of Christ, and quitting the path of error; who are also receiving gifts, each
as he is worthy, illumined through the name of this Christ. For one receives the spirit of understanding, another of counsel,
another of strength, another of healing, another of foreknowledge, another of teaching, and another of the fear of God.
Tertullian
Tertullian was a major theologian and Christian writer ministering in Carthage. In A.D. 215
he described supernatural visions and prophetic gifts of the Holy Spirit as operating normally in the third-century Church.
"And thus we who both acknowledge and reverence, even as we do the prophecies, modern visions as equally promised to
us, and consider the other powers of the Holy Spirit as an agency of the Church for which also He was sent, administering
all gifts in all, even as the Lord distributed to every one."
Origen
Origen was a Christian theologian
who lived and taught in Alexandria, Egypt, from A.D. 185 to 254. In his book Against Celsus written in 250, Origen described
the gifts of the Holy Spirit as still continuing in the life of the Church. "Traces of the Holy Spirit who appeared in
the form of a dove are still preserved among Christians. They charm†demons away and perform many cures and perceived
certain things about the future according to the will of the Logos.
Origen noted that these charismatic gifts
were gradually diminishing, although some "traces of His presence" were still evident. "Moreover, the Holy
Spirit gave signs of His Presence at the beginning of Christ’s ministry, and after His ascension He gave still more;
but since that time these signs have diminished, although there are still traces of His presence in a few who have had their
souls purified by the Gospel and their actions regulated by its influence.
Novatian
The Christian
theologian Novatian (A.D. 270) of Rome wrote a strong defense of the doctrine of the Trinity and died as a martyr during the
second last wave of persecutions by the pagan Roman emperors. Novatian wrote about the key role of the Holy Spirit in supernaturally
empowering the Church. "they were henceforth armed and strengthened by the same Spirit, having in themselves the gifts
which this same Spirit distributes, and appropriates to the Church, the spouse of Christ, as her ornaments. This is He who
places prophets in the Church, instructs teachers, directs tongues, gives powers and healings, does wonderful works, often
discrimination of spirits, affords powers of government, suggests counsels, and orders and arranges whatever other gifts there
are of charismata; and thus make the Lord’s Church everywhere, and in all, perfected and completed.
St.
Augustine
Augustine (354ñ430), bishop of Hippo, was the greatest theologians of the early medieval Church
and systematized much of the theology that governed the teaching of the Western Church for over a thousand years. Although
in his early years Augustine believed that all miracles had ceased by the end of the lives of the apostles, his view was transformed
by the compelling evidence of many well-attested miracles that occurred during a powerful revival that occurred throughout
the churches of North Africa that were under his supervision. In the last section of his epic work The City of God, Augustine
wrote about numerous miracles that he had personally witnessed and investigated, including remarkable miraculous healings
involving paralysis, blindness, and even people who were resurrected from the dead. He wrote, "For even now miracles
are wrought in the name of Christ.
Professor Peter Brown wrote in his book Augustine of Hippo that Augustine carefully
collected the evidence of a variety of supernatural incidents and miracles "until they formed a single corpus, as compact
and compelling as the miracles that had assisted the growth of the Early Church.
For example, Augustine reported
on a person healed of blindness, "The miracle which was wrought at Milan when I was there, and by which a blind man was
restored to sight, could come to the knowledge of many; for not only is the city a large one, but also the emperor was there
at the time, and the occurrence was witnessed by an immense concourse of people.
The Venerable Bede
The
great early English Church leader known as the Venerable Bede, the father of English history, quoted a letter sent by Gregory
the Great, the bishop of Rome, in A.D. 601 to Augustine of Canterbury, a missionary sent from Rome to England. Gregory acknowledges
the fact that miracles were occurring and that they were very effective in drawing the English natives to faith in Christ:
"I know, most loving brother, that Almighty God, by means of your affection, shows great miracles in the nation which
he has chosen. Wherefore it is necessary that you rejoice with fear, and tremble whilst you rejoice, on account of the same
heavenly gift; viz., that you may rejoice because the souls of the English are by outward miracles drawn to inward grace.
Gregory also acknowledged in his letter that Augustine personally had "received the gift of working miracles.
Continued Supernatural Miracles
If space permitted, I could quote from a variety of Church authorities
over the centuries that followed who witnessed the continued operation of supernatural miracles. These other sources include
the famous Bernard of Clairvaux (A.D. 1190ñ1153) and Martin Luther (A.D. 1483ñ1546). In addition, there is overwhelming
evidence of supernatural miracles that have occurred during the last few centuries during the Welsh Revival and remarkable
healings and other miracles witnessed by many reliable sources in the tre mendous growth of the Church around the world in
the last few decades. There are many scriptural promises of Jesus Christ regarding His continued supernatural empowering of
the Church through His Holy Spirit. "For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth him all things that himself doeth: and
he will show him greater works than these, that ye may marvel" (John 5:20). Jesus promised that His faithful followers
would be able to do "greater works" because He was empowering the Church with His Holy Spirit. "Verily, verily,
I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because
I go unto my Father" (John 14:12).
In addition, the Scripture declared, "For I am the Lord, I change
not" (Malachi 3:6). Since God does not, and cannot change His nature, it is consistent and logical to believe that He
would continue to manifest His supernatural power of miracles among His people from time to time to demonstrate His continued
divine nature and mercy to humanity. Therefore, it is not surprising that our generation, which has witnessed the fulfillment
of more remarkable prophecies than any other generation in history, should also witness extraordinary supernatural displays
of God’s providence, including miracles of healing.
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