The gifts of the Holy Spirit

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Brendan Mc Crossan

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit

1 Corinthians 12-1-Now about the spiritual gifts (the special endowments of supernatural energy), brethren, I do not want you to be misinformed.

The names of the gifts!

1 Corinthians-12- 4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.

6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 For to one is given

The word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the Word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another Faith by the same Spirit, to another Gifts of healings by the sameSpirit, 10 to another the Working of miracles, to Another prophecy, to another Discerning of spirits, to another Different kinds of tongues, to another the Interpretation of tongues.

11 but “one and the same Spirit” works all these things, distributing to each one individually as “He wills.”

This is how much God loves us that he desires to give us his Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirits gifts; we need to reflect on that; God is giving us his own Holy Spirit to live in us forever. And then he says in 1-Corinthians-12-27.

1-Corinthians-12-27- 27 Now “you” are the body of Christ, and members “individually.”

28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.

Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? “No!” 31 But “earnestly” “desire the bestgifts.”

Who is supposed to desire the best gifts?

We are” the onus for the best gifts lie with us as well as with the Holy Spirit, but as God says with us, we have to earnestly seek the best gifts. The Holy Spirit gives the gifts as he sees fit but then he actually tells us to go after the best gifts, to ask him for them. The Holy Spirit is pleased when we endeavour to pursue him for the greatest gifts, in fact he will give them all to us if we so earnestly seek them for the glory of God and for the benefit of the Body of Christ.

1-Corinthians-14-1-EAGERLY PURSUE and seek to acquire [this] love [make it your aim, your greatest quest]; and “earnestly desire” and cultivate the spiritual endowments (gifts), especially that you may prophesy ([a]interpret the divine will and purpose in inspired preaching and teaching). {Amplified Bible}

Another translation says!

1 Corinthians 14-1-Follow after love, and be “emulous” of spiritual [manifestations], gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. {Emulous means to seek to match or rival another’s achievement.} {Darby Bible}

If you see someone with a fantastic blessed ministry, go you after that same ministry gifting, if it is in your heart to have the same kind of ministry, this actually pleases the Holy Spirit. When I first heard about the baptism in the Holy Spirit, I heard about healing, about tongues, and I heard a man called George Mc Cann praying in them one night, and I was envious of his amazing gift, I wanted to be able to do what he could do

I had read and heard about tongues and how God desires us to pray in them, that I couldn’t wait until the 5th week, I wanted them yesterday, and before the second week of the life in the Spirit seminar was over, I received a fantastic anointing of tongues.

I then went after the gifts of the Spirit in a big way; I read books by Kenneth Hagan, John Osteen, Oral Roberts and other amazing men and women of God gifted with the gifts of miracles and healing, discernment and preaching, and I wanted everything, and on the night of my Baptism in the Holy Spirit, as I went to have hands laid on me, I was told by the two men praying with me that I couldn’t have the gift of miracles and the gift of healing, that I should seek the gift of humility love or patience, but those were not the gifts of the Spirit, they were the fruits of the Spirit. And I was so angry, I told them I want everything, and would settle for no less, so they prayed in tongues for me and stopped trying to get me to ask for just one gift.

I have experienced every single gift of the Holy Spirit during my lifetime in the lord Jesus, God answered my hearts desire; I wanted what Oral Roberts and all those other people

had, and I got it in abundance; years later the lord told me that I was not Oral Roberts or Sr Bridge Mc Kenna, that I was who he called me to be, and that I was to let go of my ambitions to be like them, he said you are the way I made you and I will use you as I please. Go after the gifting earnestly but not to try and copy or be like them. He didn’t tell me it was wrong of me to desire their gifting, but that I couldn’t be those people as they were unique in their own right, and so was I. This is the only time I know when God says to envy someone’s gifts, and it is not a sinful envy wanting what someone has, for our personal use or gain, but for the glory of God. So my advice to you is to go after the gifts of the Holy Spirit with a hunger for God, and don’t ever give up till you have every gift you desire, as the word of God tells us to choose the ones that will be of real help to the church.

1 Corinthians-14-12-If “you” really want spiritual gifts; “choose” “the ones” that will be most helpful to the church.

The lord is telling us that if we really want spiritual gifts, then we are the ones who need to choose the ones that will benefit the whole church.

God has actually given us all the Gifts of the Holy Spirit!

1-Corinthians-1-4-I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5For in him you have been enriched in every way—in all you’re speaking and in all your knowledge— 6because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. 7Therefore you do “not lack” any “spiritual gift” as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. {NIV Bible} Another translation says.

1-Corinthians-1-7- There is no gift of the Holy Spirit that you don't have. You are full of hope as you wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to come again. {NIRV Bible}

The reason you have every gift and power is because you have the Holy Spirit living inside you, “he is the gift,” and he distributes his gifting to those who earnestly seek them.

Hebrews-2-4- The Lord first announced that salvation. Those who heard him gave us the message about it. 4 God gave witness to it through signs and wonders. He gave witness through different kinds of miracles. He also gave witness through the gifts of the Holy Spirit. He gave them out as it pleased him.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit are a sign and witness to God’s love, and it pleases the Holy Spirit to give them out as he pleases, and obviously from scripture it pleases him to give us the gifts that we sincerely desire.

2

Explaining the gifts.

The gift of wisdom is a gift that we all need, 8To one is given in and through the [Holy] Spirit [the power to speak] a message of wisdom, giving wise advice; Giving God’s advice to someone as you talk with them.

A Woman has a natural gift of wisdom. She instinctively knows when something is not right with the kids for example or between her and her husband, a man will ignore the feeling that one of his kids is not so good but a woman instinctively knows, it is wisdom working in her, and this gift is increased a hundred fold when she gets baptised in the Holy Spirit

Word of knowledge [the power to express] a word of knowledge and understanding according to the same [Holy] Spirit; for example when ministering with people the lord will give a word of knowledge, {one word} or a picture, or an image, to show a possible block to their healing.

Faith To another [[b]wonder-working] faith, it is a knowing that a miracle or a prayer is being answered. It’s a supernatural conviction that comes over you.

Gifts of healings Healing happens over a period of time, with constant prayer, that’s why the lord says keep on praying until the answer comes.

Working of miracles, The gift of miracles is praying with someone and the lord heals them within a few minutes or a very short time. Miracles defy the norm. Like praying for a situation, like I have on occasions, stopped the storms and bombs from exploding and bullets failing to hurt their intended targets.

Another prophecy, this is the gift that the lord wishes you would desire most, to speak messages or instruction to the body of Christ. To prophecy is different from prophesying. Predicting with divineauthority,themessageofGod,([c]thegiftofinterpreting the divine will and purpose);

Discerning of spirits, to know when a spirit is present in someone, or in the room, or speaking through someone,likecatching sightofoneoutofthecornerofyoureyeusually. Or when praying with someone just for a split second or two you actually see in the persons eyes, the spirit controlling them.

Different kinds of tongues, to another the gift of tongues, everyone has a different prayer language as the Spirit gives it to them. Tongues are the only gift that is for your own personal use, it is the only one that you can turn on at will. People say that tongues is the least of the gifts, scripture does not say that. Tongues is actually the key to the other gifts; when you pray in tongues needing a word of knowledge, you pray for a moment or two and then ask for the word and God gives it. Healing happens through praying in tongues. Miracles happen through praying in tongues, because it is the Holy Spirit praying through you for what ever you come to him for. Prophecy comes usually after worshipping in tongues.

1-Corinthians-14-4-4The one who speaks in tongues builds up himself spiritually; but the one who prophesies builds up the church. 5Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.

God wants everyone to speak in tongues, and also to prophesy.

The Interpretation of tongues. This gift is the second half of the gift of tongues to want to know what you just prayed about, you simply ask the Holy Spirit and he will tell you, and don’t doubt him, as you will usually find that what the spirit said was not what was on your mind at that moment as you prayed in tongues.

All of these supernatural gifts are there for the taking; you are the one who needs to give up everything to go after the best gifts, those that will be of real help to the whole church. To get supernatural gifts from God you have to be faithful in you’re searching, never giving up until you have what you asked for and hopefully you asked for the right reasons, to Glorify God and to further the Kingdom of God, not your own little kingdom.

1 Corinthians 12-31-But “earnestly” “desire the bestgifts.”

Don’t give up if you keep on asking you will keep on getting, don’t stop until you have all the gifts that his word says you have for helping his kingdom on earth.

Bibles used.

The way Bible; Darby Bible; NIV Bible; Amplified Bible; New International Readers Bible.