Chapter 5

How the power is used

So, you've got the power. Now what is its purpose? What are you going to do with it?

If you have followed the biblical principles previously described and have received the baptism with, or infilling of (or the “upon” experience of) the Holy Spirit and His power, what do you do now? How do you use this new power?

A most important principle to remember is that it is not you who does anything, but only God who does it through you. But for God to do anything through us, we must be obedient to what He says in His Word and follow the leading of His Spirit.

God wants to use this new power in you for two purposes:

•  Outreach, and
•  In-reach, a purpose often misunderstood and neglected.

The outreach is the operation of God's Spirit within you to reach the lost of this world to tell of His great love and forgiveness available through Jesus Christ. This is called “the Great Commission.”

The in-reach is the operation of the Holy Spirit within you to be a blessing to other believers through the gifts of the Spirit in a corporate (church or assembly) setting, and also to help you be a personal overcomer in this life and to grow in the Lord. (As exemplified by our Lord Jesus, the gifts of the Holy Spirit may also be used in the outreach to unbelievers.) The Holy Spirit is called the “Helper.” He is there to help all believers through the “in” experience and His indwelling. But His manifest power when present through the “upon” experience will be especially helpful.

The outreach: the Great Commission

The classic Great Commission passage is from Matthew 28:18-20, where Jesus met with the eleven disciples after His resurrection and before His ascension:

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

 

In this passage, Jesus commanded them to do four things:

•  Go.

•  Make disciples of all nations.

•  Baptize them.

•  Teach them to obey everything He had commanded.

My experience. There is something about being filled with the Spirit that makes one want to “go” and tell others about the love, forgiveness and wonderful saving grace of Jesus Christ. I strongly felt a desire to share Christ with my U.S. Air Force co-workers, neighbors, and also with many family members. Some were turned off, and that always happens, but our job is to share. The rest is up to God.

One uncle whom I had always greatly loved and had a close relationship with ever since I was a little kid was so turned off that he had little to do with me after that. With another uncle, not long before he died, he did tell me that he had accepted Christ. A third uncle remained a mocker, denying Christ until he died, as far as I know. A cousin told me before she died that she had become a believer and had asked Jesus into her heart.

We should always share Christ with love, wisdom, and sensitivity. But even when we do, some will turn against us. I recall the words of Jesus: “A man's enemies will be the members of his own household” (Matthew 10:36).

The experience with my mother was the most fulfilling. After I received the baptism with the Holy Spirit, I was stationed with the U.S. Air Force in Virginia and was planning on visiting her in Florida. On the telephone before I left, she warned, “Don't come down here with any of that religion stuff.” I gave a vague, noncommittal reply, but smiling and thinking to myself, “Yeah, right. Just wait ‘til I get there!”

The first day I was there, the Lord gave me the boldness to talk with her about spiritual things and in probing I discovered that she had some lifelong bitterness against her mother, who had cruelly berated her as a child, she related. She said, “I can never forgive her.” I seized the moment and counseled her on the importance of forgiveness and what God says about it. Her heart began to soften, and in a few minutes, while holding my hand, she allowed me to lead her in a prayer of repentance, then asked Jesus into her heart. It was one of the most tender and momentous moments of my life. The next year she had a series of strokes, leaving her in a coma, and I traveled to visit her in the hospital. I baptized her while she was in the coma in her hospital bed, “sprinkling style” because immersion was not possible. God honored it. I am not ordained, but there is nothing in the Bible that says you have to be a pastor or ordained by men to baptize someone. My dear mother went to be with Jesus a few days later. At my step-father's request, I preached her funeral and gave a salvation message to my unsaved relatives. When I got back to Virginia, the Lord clearly confirmed to me that she was with Him.

About that time I was the Inspector General of my headquarters in the U.S. Air Force at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. Shortly after my infilling “experience,” I began witnessing about Christ to my two secretaries. Then we began to meet in my office for a brown-bag lunch on Wednesdays to study the Bible. Then others around the base heard about it and began coming. Soon all available chairs were filled. Then shortly thereafter, people were standing and literally lining the walls just to be there. We finally had to move to a large room in another building, the Chapel Annex. It was a beautiful situation, because the group included both officer and enlisted personnel and government civilian employees, male and female, of different races. We were all one in Christ! Sometimes we had 30-40 people in attendance. After I retired a couple of years later, the group changed leadership, then a couple of years later changed leadership again, and again, and kept on going. The last I heard it had gone on for many years, and for I all know, may still be going in some form. I know that the Military Ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ is now having a weekly meeting in that very same room! Much, much fruit has come forth. This was the work of the Holy Spirit filling one willing servant.

In addition to one-on-one encounters, after my U.S. Air Force career, I have been privileged to serve for more than 20 years in responsible positions with two of the world's largest evangelical ministries, to which God clearly called me. I made a decision that I wanted the rest of my life to be spent sharing this “good news” about God's pardon, peace, purpose, and power available through Jesus Christ.

Not everyone is called to serve in full-time Christian ministries, but everyone is called to be a witness in the surroundings where God has placed them and to serve Christ. Your calling, whether in your school, home, neighborhood, nursing home, or secular job, is every bit as important.

For example, even if you are confined to a nursing home, you can show the love of Christ to others and tell them about Jesus, and you can be a powerful prayer intercessor and warrior. Your humble prayers can help change the world, maybe touch millions, and maybe even change nations. The apostle Paul said, “When I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). God is not through with you!

Sometimes God uses His power to anoint talented men and women to raise up huge international ministries that may touch millions or even billions of souls, and we thank God for them. But most times, that same power will rest simply on one humble person, a person who in the world's eyes may seem weak, lowly, foolish, and totally without influence. Yet with God's power operating in and through that person, he or she contains all the power of the universe! Such a humble person, without pride and ego, is qualified to receive God's power.

God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him (1 Corinthians 1:27-29).

This matter of being filled with the Spirit and witnessing for Christ is serious business and not just for our goose bumps. It is a matter of life and death for the hearers and those whom they may later influence.

Obey “everything.” Keep in mind that Jesus told them “to obey everything” He had commanded them. I believe the word “everything” means “everything.” If so, this no doubt includes a command He gave them when He first commissioned them to “go”:

Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go , preach this message: “The kingdom of heaven is near.” Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give (Matthew 10:5-8).

(This specific command was for the lost sheep of Israel, but after the resurrection, Jesus expanded the mandate to go to all the world.)

Jesus commanded them to do five things:

•  Preach the message of the nearness of the kingdom.

•  Heal the sick.

•  Raise the dead.

•  Cleanse lepers.

•  Drive out (cast out) demons.

(See Appendix 1 for modern-day testimonies)

Declaring “the kingdom.” Note the message: “The kingdom of heaven is near,” and note what is supposed to happen when the kingdom of heaven invades the earth and a person's being: healing, miracles, and deliverance!

In every kingdom, there must be a king. In the kingdom of heaven, Jesus Christ is the King. And the Bible says, “ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). When the King and His kingdom are near, the supernatural is supposed to happen, and it will happen when faith is present (and sometimes even when it is not!).

In another instance, Jesus similarly told His disciples to “go” and “Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you'” (Luke 10:9). Some teachers differentiate between the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God; however, in the same context with His disciples, the Lord uses the terms interchangeably. Sadly, many Christians gloss over this truth as just nice-sounding words, minus the power implicit.

On another occasion, Jesus exhorted His followers: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness…” (Matthew 6:33). If we are seeking His kingdom, we should be seeing typical things that happen when the kingdom is near!

Jesus also said, “The kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21). Think about that one. Let it sink in. It is more profound than we usually realize. Retired Canon Jim Glennon of the St. Andrew's Cathedral of the Anglican Church in Australia, who has had a healing ministry for over 40 years, uses that as one of his principal healing verses. He shows people that God's kingdom (and perfection) is in them, and all they need to do is, by faith, to allow it to be manifest. He cites many miraculous healings that have come with that revelation and realization.

In his book, Lord, Increase Our Faith (Bridge Publishing, 1994), Dr. Michael Landsman gives interesting insights on what it means to seek the kingdom, and characteristics of the kingdom.

In actual fact, the word “kingdom,” in the original language, means the activity of reigning. For the believer, the activity of reigning is broken down into three aspects: bringing deliverance to the captives, exerting authority over the enemy, and conferring blessings upon God's people.

Landsman says that if we are truly seeking God's kingdom, we are not just praying and reading the Bible, but actually doing these three things -- doing Kingdom activities: “bringing deliverance to the captives, exerting authority over the enemy, and conferring blessings upon God's people.”

This is important to understand because to preach the kingdom and to fulfill the Great Commission, we need to be doing the things that Jesus commanded His disciples to do as they were preaching it: “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons.”

In most Western churches, such a thought is totally bizarre, even reprehensible and heretical to some. Without a biblical basis, some detractors say that the age of miracles was over when the last apostle died some 1,900 years ago and that people now have the Bible and do not need God's manifested power. However, at that time, people had the Jewish Bible, which also speaks of healing and miracles, and letters from the apostles were circulating. There is absolutely no biblical reason to believe that God retired and is no longer doing what He did 2,000 years ago. The reason it is not seen more now is that over the centuries faith has been replaced by unbelief, tradition, and ritualism in the church. The truth is, with an exploding, biblically ignorant population, the world needs these manifestations now more than ever.

And in fact, these things are actually happening right now, not only in the U.S., but in the Third World through indigenous believers and faith-filled missionaries where the people have not been taught by traditionalists that such is not supposed to happen in modern times. The people are blessed to have an expectant, childlike faith, just like in the Bible, and their minds are not polluted by liberal theology and unbelief. (See Appendix 1, Testimonies). As mentioned, I have many wonderful evangelical friends who serve Jesus and who help fulfill part of the Great Commission who have never been taught about these things, and they are doing their best with the light that they have. God uses them greatly, but it is sad that this dimension of power is missing from their lives. So much more could be done, and so many more people could be healed and delivered from demon power. Plus, Jesus used miracles and healings to attract people to Himself and His message. This attraction is greatly needed today.

Another Great Commission passage is in Mark 16:15-18:

He said to them, “ Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”

 

Except for the poison part, each of these things happened in the book of Acts. For example, Paul was bitten by a snake but it did not hurt him (Acts 28:3-5). They also happen today. I have heard of attempts to poison missionaries, but they were not harmed, and many have probably escaped snake bites. (This does not refer to the cultic snake-handling sect of the Appalachians, whose adherents are wrongly tempting God.) This is another of Christ's “go” commands of the Great Commission, with signs following.

After the Lord spoke the words above, Mark tells us:

After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it (vs. 16:19-20, emphasis supplied).

The Lord “confirmed his word by the signs…” Those were the same signs He had just mentioned.

He is still confirming His word by accompanying signs today, and will do it whenever His servants preach and teach “everything He had commanded them” and have faith-filled, expectant hearts.

Someone has said that Jesus shows up and performs according to the way He is preached. If He is preached as Savior, He shows up and saves. If He is preached as the healer, He shows up and heals. That might be an oversimplification, but there is truth to it.

What does this mean to you? As a Spirit- and power-filled believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Bible says that the same signs should follow you that followed the original disciples. You do not have to follow the signs; the signs are supposed to follow you. In fact, the Lord makes an even more extreme statement:

I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father (John 14:12).

 

Can you believe that? Can you receive it? It is a heavy statement, especially in our materialistic and unbelieving culture, but the Lord would not have said it unless it is true. Some write off the miraculous possibilities of this statement by saying that when the Holy Spirit came, about which He was speaking, He would live in and work through hundreds, then thousands, then millions of people at the same time, but when He was on the earth He was only in one person. This is certainly true. But that does not rule out the supernatural. Also, Jesus says “anyone,” and uses the word “he,” not “they.” It works on an individual basis.

In summary, to be obedient to the Great Commission, we must obey all the “go” commands, proclaiming the kingdom, and do as Jesus and the disciples did when they saw a human need ¾ they stepped out in faith and believed for the supernatural and the impossible. They got what they believed for, a lesson for us today.

Summary of “Go” Commands

* The book of Acts shows what happened after the resurrection, a model for us.
** In this chart, the commands preach, teach, and proclaim are considered the same.
*** No record in Acts, but there have been instances since then.

The question may arise: Why were not supernatural actions and signs mentioned in the classic Great Commission passage of Matthew 28? It may be the same reason each of the four gospels does not repeat everything contained in the other gospels. But if God says something once, that is enough! Proof of the validity of the supernatural signs to follow the proclamation of the gospel is contained in the book of Acts and in the history of the church up to and including today. See Chapter 7 for examples of physical healing in church history.

In the book of Acts, it is recorded:

So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders (14:3, emphasis supplied).

 

We are to proclaim the gospel, or good news, and the signs and wonders confirm the message of His grace. That is the purpose of them -- to confirm . It confirmed them then, and it confirms them now. If anything, hearts in the world today are colder and in more unbelief than they were in the first century, and there are many times more people in unbelief. As mentioned, God's supernatural power is needed today more than ever before. He is just waiting for His people to get on fire, believe Him, and do what He commanded. Then, just watch Him work.

By the way, you do not have to be an evangelist speaking to great crowds to be used by God in this way. It can be in a one-on-one situation.

For example, if you encounter a person with a sickness, and you sense the Lord leading, you can step out boldly in faith and say, “Would you like for Jesus to heal you?” If they say yes, place your hand on their head or shoulder and pray the prayer of faith, thanking the Lord for loving and healing that person. Don't pray the faith-destroying prayer, “Lord, if it be thy will…” (see Chapter 7). As did Jesus and the disciples, pronounce them healed. Thank the Lord right then. Yes, so you are out there on a faith limb, but you are just where the Lord wants you! The devil is telling you that you are a fool and will be embarrassed. But you remember the Word, and stand on it: “They will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” Jesus will meet you at your point of faith, and that person will be healed, as God confirms “the message of His grace.” God does not lie.

Sid Roth, founder of Messianic Vision, who sees many healings and miracles, says:

If God sent you a telegram to witness to or pray for a specific person, you would swallow your fears and pride and do it. What if every time you saw a sick person you would consider that as God's telegram to you? What if you began to pray for large numbers of sick nonbelievers? What would happen?

First, you would be shocked at the nonbelievers' openness to your prayers. Second, you would see a greater percentage of instant healings. And third, you would begin to lead them to the Messiah.

What if they are not healed? That's not your problem. You are not the healer. You are God's messenger boy (or girl). Just make yourself available.

 

Yes, sometimes a person may not get healed. I have had that happen. The reason is a mystery known only to God. Our job is to be obedient and do our part. The rest is up to God. We must not let our pride or fear of embarrassment stop us and quench the Spirit. Pride and fear are not of God.

In some cases there may not be an instant healing, but the healing process may begin and you will never know the results. The Lord may use that delay time to teach and deal with the person. I recently went next door where a new home was under construction. The bricklayers were there, and I noticed that the bricklaying supervisor, a large black man, used a walking cane. After striking up a conversation about their trade and complimenting their work, I asked him about the problem, and he described a lifelong problem with both hips. I asked if he would like for me to ask Jesus to heal him and he said yes. I stood behind him and laid a hand on each hip and prayed for his healing, quoting the Word, while his workers looked on in amazement. So far, I am not aware of any healing, but I believe the encounter was a divine appointment. I did what I felt led to do, and the results are up to God.

Once I was at a concert and a featured singer suddenly developed a migraine headache and was about to cancel her performance. I felt led to go backstage and ask, “Would you like for Jesus to heal you?” Though surprised, she said yes. I laid a hand on her head and spoke God's healing word to her, just as Peter spoke to the lame man. Her headache suddenly disappeared. She was elated, giving credit to the Lord, and was able to perform. Yes, I was apprehensive when I did this because I am human, but I did it by faith, and God honored my faith and His Word.

Believe, receive, act, bring deliverance to the captives, exert authority over the enemy, and confer blessings upon God's people.

The in-reach

The in-reach consists of:

•  Ministering to those who are already believers, that is, the church, or body of Christ.
•  Helping you live your own life as an overcomer. Eight times in the book of Revelation, the Lord promises special blessings to those who overcome in this world (2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21; and 21:7). For example:

To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God (2:7).

 

To overcome, we need the power of the Holy Spirit. We cannot do it in our own strength. To attempt it in our own strength is to fail.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit. In 1 Corinthians chapter 12, there are listed nine different supernatural manifestations of the Spirit designed by God for the corporate body, that is, the assembly of believers, or the church, although God may also manifest them in reaching the lost, as our Lord demonstrated.

Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will (vs. 4-11, KJV).

The word gifts here is from the Greek word charisma , where we get the word charismatic. In Christian circles, a charismatic is one who believes the above passage refers to actual supernatural manifestations described, nothing more and nothing less, as demonstrated all over the world today, and does not write them off as just natural abilities. For example, the word of knowledge is not obtained from a school or university, nor healing from a medical doctor. Both are direct from God's Spirit, although God may sometimes use the natural means for other purposes.

Here is a brief explanation of each of the nine gifts:

Word of wisdom. This is supernatural revelation given to reveal a course of action needed to accomplish God's will in a situation for a person or group. It may be in the form of guidance for a needed decision. An example is in John 21:6 when Jesus told the disciples to cast a net on the right side of the boat so that they could catch some fish. For another example, a counselor may be given a word of wisdom for a counselee about an important decision in his life. The Holy Spirit may direct that person with a word of wisdom through the counselor. Or this can happen through friends. The one receiving the counsel should not make a decision based on this alone, but should pray for confirmation from the Spirit.

Word of knowledge. This is supernatural revelation concerning the facts of an existing situation. An example is in John 4:17 when Jesus told the woman at the well that she had five husbands. With a word of knowledge, a counselor may be given insight as to why a person is having a spiritual or emotional problem, such as because of unforgiveness or occult involvement. Or it may mean God wants to heal someone. For example, one day during my weekly Bible study at Langley Air Force Base, a reserve captain friend was visiting. Eldon was putting in his required annual active duty time. In the Air Force, Eldon was in the public relations field, but in his civilian job he worked with the Christian Broadcasting Network, in marketing. During prayer time, Eldon spoke up and said the Holy Spirit had just given him a “word of knowledge” that someone in the group had a hernia and that the Lord was healing it. He asked if anyone would like to volunteer that he or she was the person to whom the Lord was referring. No one said anything. The silence was deafening. Some in the group assumed that Eldon meant well but was mistaken and had missed the Lord's leading. However, during the next week's meeting, a normally very quiet lady asked if she could share something. She sheepishly admitted, “I was the one with the hernia but I was too timid to speak up. I was scheduled for hernia surgery, and when I went in for surgery the next day, the hernia was completely gone. There was not even any scar tissue.” She was praising the Lord, as was everyone. In this case, and as is often the case, the gift of the word of knowledge was given along with the gift of healing.

Faith. This is the supernatural ability to believe God without doubt in a particular situation, such as for a miracle or healing. Jesus constantly manifested this gift. For other examples, see my testimony about legs and arms growing out in Appendix 1.

Healing. This refers to supernatural healing of the body without human aid, as Jesus constantly ministered. This does not refer to healing through modern medicine as some try to rationalize. It is supernatural healing by the power of the Holy Spirit as described in this book. For example, in the New Testament, the power of the Holy Spirit healed the woman who had the issue of blood for 12 years after “she had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse” (Mark 5:26). Many people today spend all they have (or all the government or their health plan has) on doctors and still do not get better, but get worse. They need God's power. See how to get this healing power in Chapter 7 and the testimonies in Appendix 1.

Miracles. This refers to supernatural power to accomplish God's will in a situation that transcends or counteracts natural law. An example is when Jesus commanded the wind and the sea to be still (Mark 4:39) and raised the dead (John 11:43). I have known people to be led to exercise authority over the weather, and have done so myself at least twice as God has led. By the way, we cannot arbitrarily operate in any of these gifts just any old time we desire, but we must be led by the Spirit, who, as mentioned, “ gives them (gifts) to each one, just as he determines” (1 Corinthians 12:11), or “as He wills” (NKJV).

Prophecy. This is speaking a supernaturally inspired utterance ¾ speaking a message from God. More often than not, in New Testament times, prophecy is not predictive, the way we normally associate the word, but it may be. In fact, the Bible tells us that prophecy accomplishes three things: “Everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort” (1 Corinthians 14:3). If we are being led by the Holy Spirit, we may not even know when this gift is being manifested and someone or group is being strengthened, encouraged, or comforted by our Spirit-inspired words. Since Jesus was God, every word He spoke was prophecy, and much of it was predictive, as in Matthew chapter 24.

Discerning of spirits. All human activity is influenced by (1) human spirits, (2) the Holy Spirit, or (3) demon spirits. This gift is supernatural discernment in the spirit realm to determine which of these three sources is behind a certain activity. What appears to be human is not always human but is sometimes being driven by demon spirits. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12). I have seen this gift manifested on numerous occasions. On two occasions, I perceived demons were actually looking at me with hate and mockery through human eyes. Of course, their human habitations were unaware of this. Much of what we see and hear in the entertainment world today represents demonic manifestations through unwitting human vessels, although I have heard of some entertainers who have willingly given themselves over to Satan. Jesus exercised this gift when He said to Peter, His dear friend and disciple, “Get behind me Satan” (Matthew 16:23). He was speaking to the spirit influencing Peter's words at the moment. If we discern a demon spirit in someone, we need the Spirit's leading to cast it out, and then we do so in total faith and confidence.

Tongues. This is the gift of supernaturally speaking a message to an assembly of believers in an unlearned language. In such a setting, it should always be accompanied by the next gift, interpretation. As such, it serves the same function as prophecy: to strengthen, encourage or comfort the hearers. Not everyone exercises this gift; however, a proper exegesis of this subject reveals that this is not the same as private praying or singing in an unlearned language spoken of in 1 Corinthians chapter 14:14-15, which any Spirit-baptized person can do (and should do, according to 1 Corinthians 14:5).

Why did God invent such a strange and controversial phenomenon as tongues? Should He have first checked with sophisticated, modern-day theologians and read some of their books? I don't think so. One reason He gives is: “Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers” (1 Corinthians 14:22). How can this be, if the unbelievers hear nothing but unintelligible sounds? The answer may be in Acts chapter 2 when Jews “from every nation” (v.5) heard the disciples speaking in their own language, languages the disciples had not learned. Many believe this was only a one-time event, but I have heard of it happening in recent times. This is a different function from praying or singing in tongues. The other reason previously mentioned is, with interpretation, like prophecy, to speak to His people in an assembly to strengthen, encourage, or comfort.

The Bible also explains that privately praying in tongues enables the Holy Spirit to speak or pray through us without interference from our carnal mind (1 Corinthians 14:4). God gives guidance on worship services: “When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church” (1 Corinthians 14:26).

God may also have chosen tongues because James 3:8 says, “No man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” The gift of tongues and praying in tongues harness this restless evil under the total control of the Holy Spirit, short-circuiting man's fallen brain. One of modern man's biggest problems is his fallen intellect, which is worshipped by many, and is also a source of the deadly sin of pride. But the truth is that all of man's intellect, in all the universities of the world, combined, is less than that of a termite compared with God's wisdom.

In arguing against the modern-day reality of tongues, some grasp at a straw with 1 Corinthians 13:8: “whether there be tongues, they shall cease” (KJV). To do so, however, they have to take it totally out of context, which says:

Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away (vs. 8-10).

 

If the gift of tongues has ceased, then so has knowledge and speaking under the inspiration of the Spirit (prophecy), which we know cannot be true. For example, Daniel wrote that knowledge would actually increase in the last days (12:4). “That which is perfect” refers to Jesus' return, not the early century compilation of the Bible. The controversy and sometimes mocking rejection of this gift by many modern-day Christians no doubt grieves the Holy Spirit, who only wants to bless us.

Interpretation of tongues. See preceding. When a message in tongues is not followed by an interpretation, it may not necessarily be because the message in tongues was not from God, but because the one to whom the Holy Spirit gave the interpretation may have been disobedient or too timid to have stepped out in faith with it. With regard to these gifts, they are placed into operation by faith.

Seeking gifts? Some say that we are to seek the Giver and not the gifts. That sounds very religious, but it is half wrong. Certainly, we are supposed to seek the Giver, as numerous Scriptures tell us. But the last part of that statement is not according to Scripture, which says, “covet earnestly the best gifts” (1 Corinthians 12:31, KJV). We are to covet gifts! Which are the best gifts? The best gifts are the ones needed to meet a need in a particular situation. If I am ministering to someone who has a need, or in a group where there is a need, my heart of love and compassion causes me to covet to be able to be used to help meet that need with one or more of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit. God's way is the way of love, and because of His compassion, the gifts are given to meet human need.

How to. How does one operate in these gifts? First, it has to be by the Spirit of God. We cannot will it to happen and act on our own. We cannot work it up. Remember the passage above says, “dividing to every man severally as he will” (KJV). The NIV is clearer: “just as he (the Holy Spirit) determines.”

Second, it will be for the edification of those gathered in the assembly and an act of love and provision from our loving God.

Third, make sure nothing about your action will glorify or exalt yourself. Do a quick attitude check. Your ego and self-interest must be stripped and totally missing.

Fourth, when the Holy Spirit is about to use someone in this way, there is an inner unction, or prompting by the Spirit. One senses it in his spirit, even if only a small voice or signal.

Fifth, it will not be forced upon God's chosen vessel. That person must step out in faith with it. The Spirit is often quenched because the chosen vessel may be fearful of being wrong and embarrassed, and does not act on the inner leading. That is where faith and obedience come into play. The operation of the gifts of the Spirit requires faith, obedience, and the humbling of pride.

God sees a need; then God prompts; then by faith and obedience, we act; then God acts.

Result: God's people are blessed.

Other gifts. The above nine are considered the principal supernatural gifts or manifestations of the Holy Spirit, but the New Testament has other lists of gifts, contained in Romans and Ephesians. In this first list from Romans, prophesying is repeated from 1 Corinthians 12, but the others are more natural abilities given by the Holy Spirit:

We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully (Romans 12:6-8).

 

This next list from Ephesians is considered God's calling as “offices” with the church:

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-13).

Deliverance from demons. Demons are not myths nor the figment of ancient imaginations, but the Bible reveals that they are real spirit-beings, with personality. They serve their master, Satan, in the kingdom of darkness, and they try to manifest themselves in the world by becoming embodied in humans.

The 72 disciples whom Jesus had sent out to minister came back to Him to report with joy what had happened, that they had been casting out demons.

“Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name” (Luke 10:17).

 

Jesus replied:

I have given you authority (Greek: exousia ) to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power (Greek: dunamis ) of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:19-20).

 

Snakes and scorpions are symbolic words for demon spirits. This is confirmed in both passages above, such as when Jesus clarifies with the word “spirits.” But note that as important as this is, Jesus said the primary thing is to rejoice that our names are written in heaven. We must keep our perspective.

One of the commands Jesus gave to Spirit-empowered believers is to “cast out demons.” Spiritually lost people can be possessed by demons. In other words, their personality can be taken over by them, and no matter how nice they may seem, we already know that they are citizens of the kingdom of darkness (Colossians 1:13). If you have wondered how a terrorist can mercilessly kill many innocent women and children, or how a grown man can abduct and kill a little girl, or how a high school student can gun down fellow students, these are examples. Hitler was demon-possessed. The Nazis were heavily into the occult, which can cause demon possession. Occultism is extremely popular today. Many young people are into the occult and are obsessed with occult music and occult computer games, which take over their minds, causing a sharp rise in teenage suicides and crimes. Innocent? Hardly. The New Age movement is largely occult. Demons run free in our modern world and most people are not even aware of them, part of the modern-day deception, caused by the widespread rejection of the authority of God's Word and His Son Jesus Christ. Evidence of demon possession may not be as dramatic as a serial killer or a Hitler, but may bring devastation and hurt to people in many ways, such as through theft, immorality, and blasphemy against God.

Even Christians can be harassed (but not possessed) and influenced by demons, especially if they have been disobedient to God, and thereby inviting them. Spirits (demons) of infirmity can even cause physical and emotional sickness in either Christians or non-Christians. More sickness is from demons than most people realize. Remember, Jesus “went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil” (Acts 19:38).

Demon activity can be detected by the gift of discernment, described above. They can be cast out of a person by any believer by the authority of the name of Jesus Christ, which demons must obey. Usually the victim must want to be delivered before deliverance can take place, because otherwise the demon has found a willing home.

Do not fear demons. Remember, Jesus has all the power, and that same power is operating in you if you are a born-again, Spirit-baptized believer in whom Christ dwells.

Simply assert your authority, in Jesus' name, and command them to come out and depart. They must go. They have no choice.

Some religious tradition complicates the process of deliverance with elaborate rituals of “exorcism,” but that is not scriptural. The Bible is our only guide and Jesus is our model, and it says about Him, “When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick” (Matthew 8:16).

It says, “With a word.” Just say, “I command you to come OUT, in Jesus' name,” and they must go.

A surprise visitor. Shortly after I received the baptism with the Holy Spirit, I was so desirous of telling others about Jesus that I decided to start a neighborhood Bible study. I designed a flyer to announce the first meeting and my sons put one on every door in the neighborhood. I also notified several of my Christian friends. Well, the announced day and time finally arrived. We were curious as to who if anyone would show up. As it turned out, only one person in the whole neighborhood came! She was a very nice lady, but we quickly learned that she was into the occult. However, several Christian friends came, one of whom was a Spirit-baptized Southern Baptist Air Force chaplain (captain), Bob, who was leading our group that night. While sharing in the group discussion, it became apparent that because of her occult involvement, the visiting lady had a demon spirit! She was willing for Bob to minister to her, and he cast out the demon right in my living room. It came out wailing and screaming, then suddenly the lady had a whole new countenance and peace about her. It was amazing. That night began a Bible study that lasted for several years, eventually attracting and touching the lives of many people, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit flowed freely.

Be an overcomer! At first glance, wanting to overcome and be victorious in this life may seem like a selfish motive. But do not forget that God loves us deeply and wants to bless us. He loves us so much that he sent His only Son to die for us. You cannot get any more loving than that.

Why does God want us to overcome? There are three main reasons:

•  Because of His love, He does not want us to live in defeat and depression, but to live with His love, joy, peace, and other fruit of the Spirit described in Galatians 5:22-23.

•  He wants us to overcome the weaknesses of life so that we can more effectively serve Him and help fulfill the Great Commission. How could we do that if we are defeated and depressed?

•  He wants us to overcome the weaknesses of life so that we can be a blessing to our families and other members of the body of Christ. Again, how could we do that if we are constantly defeated and depressed?

How to be an overcomer. This is really an easy one, and it should be, because God knows we totally need Him in order to overcome, and He is always available and eager. The apostle Paul prayed a Spirit-inspired prayer for us when he wrote:

We pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light (Colossians 1:10-12).

 

All we have to do is to allow Him, the Holy Spirit, to control us moment by moment.

Part of what we call the Lord's prayer says, “Deliver us from the evil one” (NIV), or “from evil” (KJV). The evil one, Satan, is responsible for attacks against us, to destroy or harm us, or to steal away things that God has freely promised us, purchased by Jesus' own blood. But from this prayer our Lord gave us, we know it is God's will that we be delivered from the evil one, and we know that if we pray according to His will, He hears us, and if He hears us, we know we have our requests (1 John 5:14-15).

We pray according to God's Word and will, we believe, and we receive by faith. It is ours. Our part is to obey God and flee from sinful temptations and activity. The Bible compares Satan to a roaring lion, roaming around, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). But Satan has only limited influence, according to God's sovereignty. In effect, you could say that God has this lion on a leash, or in a cage, with limited boundaries. Dr. Bill Bright says Satan is a caged lion and that the secret of protection from Satan is to stay out of his cage. But if we want to get chewed up and devoured, just step in the cage with him ¾ that is, enter into Satan's world of darkness and participate in it, in thoughts and actions.

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you (James 4:7).

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you (Philippians 4:8-9).

 

The power of love. God tells us that His love is so great that nothing can separate us from it:

We are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:37-39).

In this passage, God says that nothing will be able to separate us from His love. God's love is the key. About God's love, the Holy Spirit says:

There is no fear in love. Perfect love drives out fear (1 John 4:18).

 

Fear is a major cause of defeat and depression. Fear is the opposite of faith, and, in effect, fear is actually faith in the devil! Speaker Joyce Meyer says that fear is False Evidence Appearing Real. Someone else has said that it means "Forgetting Everything About the Resurrection.”

Faith and Doubt

Doubt sees the obstacles;

Faith sees the way;

Doubt sees the blackest night;

Faith sees the day;

Doubt dreads to take a step;

Faith soars on high;

Doubt questions, “Who believes”?

Faith answers, “I.”

--Unknown

Is love a reliable antidote to fear? Well, God also says:

Love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8).

 

“Never fails” is as reliable as you can get. Here is another key passage:

If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:31-32).

 

To be an overcomer, embrace God's love. There is no fear in it. Nothing can separate you from it. It never fails.

Let the power of His loving Spirit fill, empower, and control you, moment by moment.

Reject all else.

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