Category: Messages

Hearing From God

PASTOR BEA TAN | 20 November 2022

Recap of message ‘Stirring up your Spiritual gifts”.

All of us want to see the power of God manifest in our lives; it must become reality for us. God has given us gifts of the Holy Spirit and we are to use them.

In 2 Timothy 1:6, we are reminded to ‘stir up the gift’.

In 1 Corinthians 12: 8–10, there are nine spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit listed:

Revelation gifts

– word of wisdom,

– word of knowledge,

– faith,

Power gifts

– gifts of healings,

– working of miracles,

– prophecy,

Vocal gifts

– discerning of spirits,

– different kinds of tongues,

– interpretation of tongues.

1 Corinthians 12:7 talks about the manifestation of the Spirit… A ‘manifestation’ is something you can clearly perceive, you can see it, hear it, and even feel it by your physical senses. When you can experience the charisma gifts in you, it shows the presence of the Holy Spirit in your lives.

In order to cooperate with the Holy Spirit, we are to use the gift we had been given. We fan the flames of faith by continuing to “keep in step with the Spirit,” following the Holy Spirit’s direction and guidance in every part of our lives.

But many of us may not be confident to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading. But we are designed to flow with the Holy Spirit. And today we like to discover how we can hear what God is telling us what to do. We want to hear from God. We want to recognize the Voice of God. It comes from within, and it is possible exercise our ‘spirit being’ by positioning ourselves to hear and knowing how it comes. We can be trained to recognise spirit impressions and hear God’s voice – for ourselves and others.

Why God Speaks Today?

Many people had pictured God as an Almighty deity, who created the world, and then sat in the heavens to watch us through emotionless eyes as a remote, impartial observer. The real God desires an intimate relationship with everyone of us. Father God has much to say, much to teach, and a compassionate heart to lead his people along a good path. A vital part of any relationship includes communication. God uses His Word, people who serves Him, or nature to accomplish this. He also reveals his word through prayer, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and various spiritual manifestations.

God still communicates with us today. And He wants us to hear Him. The first reason is that He wants a close relationship with His people. Jesus made this promise to his disciples.

John 10:27-28

²⁷My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. ²⁸And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.

The original Greek for “hear,” “know,” and “follow” gives us insight to this relationship.

To hear (akouw) – means to perceive and understand. It is more than just hearing the sound. It includes receiving, paying attention to, responding, and obeying.
To know (ginosko) – the word implies a relationship. It is to be familiar with and acknowledge the one speaking.
To follow (akoloutheo) – this is the natural response of hearing that familiar voice. We accompany as a follower and become a disciple.

Jesus goes on to say that his sheep will not follow another shepherd. The shepherd would call to his flock and they would respond and follow him. They would not follow a mysterious shepherd’s voice. The sheep have an ear to discern the voice of their shepherd and to follow only him. This resolute trust is the result of a well-established relationship.

The second reason why God still speaks today is for us to continue to proclaim the Gospel. Believers are blessed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit to be able to spread the message of salvation. When God sees someone in need, His compassion will cause Him to speak to His children to minister through the manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit. It is a demonstration of the power of God and the Gospel is proclaimed. But Christians need to hear from God, to activate the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The third reason why God speaks today is to build up the Kingdom of God. How do you strengthen the Kingdom of God? By fortifying the individual believers and churches within it. Apostle Paul explained about spiritual gifts:

1 Corinthians 14:3

But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort.

Paul indicated that God’s voice strengthened the people who receives it. Hence, the words build his kingdom. When they hear God’s voice, the people receive assurance that God is actively participating in their lives. They build his kingdom knowing that he is involved with their lives.

Why does God speak today? The bottom line is because he cares. He cares about you, his church, and the millions who have yet to hear.

Take the time to listen today!

Spirit to spirit

John 4:24

God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.

God usually communicates with us Spirit to spirit. Jesus said, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Romans 8:16

¹⁶The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.

Listen for God to speak to you in your spirit. Why is that the most common way God speaks? It is the most intimate and God desires intimacy with His children.

There are spiritual disciplines that facilitate hearing God’s promptings in our spirit—prayer, contemplation, solitude, stillness, etc. But listen to Him through the spirit.

Matthew 11:16

He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

We are referring to the spiritual ear here.

1 Corinthians 12:1
“Now concerning spiritual gifts, or concerning operations of the spirit, brothers, I would not have you to be ignorant”.

Paul is writing to the church… Notice the first thing: God wants you to move in the supernatural. You are designed to be a supernatural being. You are a spirit being living inside a body.

With your body you are in contact with the external world; with your spirit you can communicate with God in the spiritual realm. You are designed to flow and access with the supernatural realm of God. You don’t have to become a spiritual person – you already are spiritual. You already have a spirit element in you.

God gave us five senses in our natural body: sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell. Our spirit man also has spiritual senses. With your physical senses you can interact with the physical world. You perceive things around you, you can begin to identify certain things. It’s the same in your spirit; but many of us haven’t developed our spiritual capacity.

Recognize firstly you are a spirit being. God wants you to operate supernaturally. That’s His plan; and so Paul writes: “I don’t want you to be ignorant of the supernatural realm, or how to work with the Holy Spirit”. We don’t have to be ignorant, or have no practical experience or understanding of the spirit realm. We need to know how, and it takes an open heart to receive that.

Acts 9:10-11

¹⁰Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.”

And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”

¹¹So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus…

Saul had been persecuting the church; and as he was going to Damascus, he had an encounter, a supernatural encounter and he was struck blind. There was a man called Ananias.

The Lord called him by name; and he said: “here I am, Lord”. The Lord said to him: “Arise, go into the street called Straight” (He told him exactly which street to go to).
He said: “inquire in the house of Judas…” (he’s told which house to go to – find the house that Judas owns).

God told Ananias to go and lay hands on Saul. God had a plan to use this man to bring the gospel to the Gentiles. Ananias was never mentioned in scripture again. He wasn’t one of the leaders of the church in Damascus. Probably he wasn’t Teacher or leader as well. Do you think God only spoke to Ananias? He’s probably spoken to many others, but they weren’t listening, or think it absurd to obey. But when he called Ananias, Ananias said “Here I am, Lord.”

The story went on to tell how Ananias exercise the spiritual gifts – words of knowledge; works of wisdom (knowing what to do); prophetic utterance (speaking over him); gifts of healing; and faith flowing. That’s a great story, of many of the gifts all flowing together, with one man. Isn’t that a great story!

Why can’t we hear from God?

John 10:3

³…the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

He didn’t say His sheep CAN hear His voice or SHOULD hear His voice. He made the emphatic statement that His sheep DO hear His voice. Most Christians would say that we cannot hear His voice. What Jesus said is not wrong; all true believers can and do hear the voice of God; they just don’t recognize what they are hearing as being God’s voice.

Radio stations transmit signals twenty-four seven. But we can only hear them when we turn the receiver on and tune it in. Failure to hear the signal doesn’t mean the station isn’t transmitting. God is continuously transmitting His voice to His sheep, but few are turned on and tuned in. Most of us are usually praying or pleading with God to try to get Him to transmit messages. But the real problem is with our receivers.

Fix your receivers! Believe that God is constantly speaking and start listening. Our busyness in life creates ‘noise’ and distractions that is not conducive to hearing from God.

You are designed to be supernatural. God wants you to operate in the supernatural.
What is your part? What is the bit you’ve got to play? He wants you to learn how to flow with the Holy Spirit. You don’t have to be well qualified to move in the supernatural. You don’t have to be highly educated to flow with the Holy Spirit. He will use anyone that will just open their life up and say: God, here I am, I’m available, work through me – so God will work through you.

God will give the gifts of the spirit to anyone. It does not make them spiritual. It means: they’re just listening and responding to God, that’s all.

God wants us to be empowered and equipped to bring His power to people. The world isn’t going to come into a church building; the church has to go to the world and bring God to the world. Learn how to work with the Holy Spirit, Practice and develop what you have learned and grow it. Don’t wait for some revival, and don’t wait for some big experience; begin to learn how to hear from God and apply it. God is more willing to use you than you realise!

How to hear God’s voice ?

Isaiah 30:21

²¹Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,
“This is the way, walk in it,”
Whenever you turn to the right hand
Or whenever you turn to the left.

This is the prophetic word that God will draw you back (especially in your rebellion) and you will hear a voice behind you telling you what to do. God had intended to direct our lives.

Just about every problem is because we do things our way, and we don’t listen to the voice of God. We do not hear the voice of God because we just don’t recognize it as the voice of God. It is not a problem of God not speaking; it’s the problem of us not hearing or paying attention, discounting the voice of god.

John 6:63

⁶³It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.

It’s the spirit that does the quickening. The words that I speak to you, they are spirit and they are life. Being in the spirit is being in the Word. Being in the spirit is following after the Word, doing what the Word of God says and letting your life be controlled by the Word.

Those of you who are in the flesh mind the things of the flesh. Those of you who are in the spirit do mind the things of the spirit. If you mind is stayed in the physical natural realm, you are carnal! You had allowed your carnal body and mind rule you instead of God’s word.

Proverbs 4:20

²⁰My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.

A man has always had a desire to hear the voice of God. Over the centuries, people are interested in knowing the future – spiritualist tarot reading, the Ouija board, science… God has always wanted to speak to the man as well.

So how can we become more sensitive to the voice of God? God speaks to man, through the Word of God and from heart to heart. God so desires to speak to us because He is our Father and desires a relationship with us.

Your experiences with hearing from God may be different from another person’s experiences. God will speak to you the way He wants to speak to you. There is no right way or wrong way. Expect to hear from Him. Listen for His voice in your heart. But you have to make yourself available to God, be prepared to hear from Him through prayer, reading the Word, meditating on His Word… During your prayer time, open your heart to receive promptings and changes that you need to make in your life. If you want to prepare your heart to hear the voice of God, it is important to come clean.

Psalm 46:10

Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!

Ways of Hearing from God

1. The Word of God

When you read the Bible, that’s when God can speak to you. He may show you a particular verse or portion of Scripture. You receive new insights and revelations into portions of Scripture. It will speak to a particular situation in your life or give you a direction about something you have been praying for.

Psalm 119:105

Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.

2. Dreams

Write down your dreams. Ask the Lord to give you understanding. Share with someone else to get interpretation.

3. A Vision

This is using the spiritual sense of sight. In the Bible gave many examples. Jeremiah described what he ‘saw’ as the word of the Lord came to him (Jer 1:11). Zechariah says the word of the Lord came t him in the night, he had a vision (Zech 1:7-8). God spoke to Ananias in a vision (Acts 9:10).

God can speak to you in colour, or black and white, in still form or moving images. You may have a vision, either open or in your mind’s eye. This vision will speak to you either giving direction, encouragement,, or an answer to prayer.

4. An Inner Witness

This is like a word of knowledge. You know something about the person or situation and you know that it is correct. Example: you may be praying for someone’s healing and you had this knowing that he has a unforgiveness.

5. Audible Voice .

This is not quite common, but you actually hear an audible voice – like Samuel.

6. Impression / Thought

A ‘voice’ that occurs in your mind, like a thought but it is a clear message. It may be a new idea, an instruction, something you had been thinking about and you got a solution, a resolution…

7. Smell / Fragrance

This can be a nice fragrance or foul smell.

8. People

counsel, prophecies, word of knowledge…

Conclusion

God is still speaking today. Can you hear him? His message is like a radio signal pulsing through space. You need to tune in and to the correct frequency.

We are to communicate with God Spirit to spirit. If we still operate in the flesh, you will experience too much ‘noise’ and cannot hear His voice.

God speaks to us in different ways, but He may choose to speak to each of us in a particular way. For many, it is through his word, the Bible. Others discern the still small voice. Some get revelation through dreams and spiritual visions, audible voice, inner witness, people…

God wants to speak to you. He has equipped you, but we need to recognize His voice. We only need to turn down the other voices vying for our attention and turn up the sound waves of God.

Messages

Stirring Up Your Spiritual Gifts

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Post date 12 January, 2023
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Stirring Up Your Spiritual Gifts

PASTOR BEA TAN | 2 OCTOBER 2022

PRAYER – We want to live an abundant life, live victoriously. As believers, we are to be examples of what God had intended us to be like. You had given us spiritual gifts; we ask you to remind us to fan into flame the gifts of God.

INTRODUCTION
Have you wondered why the church and believers today hasn’t made a greater impact on our generation today? The gospel had lost its relevance to most people in their real lives. People cannot look beyond their daily struggles. We have the message. But we need to preach the full gospel – that there is abundant life, there is healing power, delivering power, there’s joy… People must be able to see the power of God manifest in their lives; it must become reality for them.

We are given spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit when we become a Christian. But we failed to recognize them and failed to use them.

SIGNS AND WONDERS

Mark 16:15-18

¹⁵And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. ¹⁶He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. ¹⁷And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; ¹⁸they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Jesus said all true believers would flow in the miraculous: “And these signs will follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”

Do these things seem absurd in our circles? Even in our churches? Of course, many people in the world do not believe in these signs and wonders and may even be shocked by it.

Anecdote: Recall the early 2000s when we were just starting to move in the spirit, we had the canal house and the meetings in North Dandalup. In our meetings, people get saved, healings were happening, demons were cast out, financial miracles…

If a Christian’s life isn’t supernatural, it’s superficial. Here Mark goes on to say in

Mark 16:19-20

¹⁹So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. ²⁰And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs.

The messages based in God’s Word would be confirmed by signs following. Without a doubt, Jesus and the first apostles used the gifts, calling men to their message and confirming that God was truly the One speaking through them.

Hebrews 2:3-4

³how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, ⁴God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?

The Lord bore witness to the accuracy of their message through miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit. Jesus used miracles to confirm His message. If we cannot reach a person where they are, we need the miraculous power and gifts of the Holy Spirit. The gifts are not optional, but an integral part of the gospel. It is necessary and is still valid today.

Our churches are not touching people because lives are not transformed. But the Lord wants to touch lives. And hence we go back to what Paul had urged Timothy to do.

STIRRING UP YOUR GIFTS

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. In other translations, ‘stir up the gift’ is read as “fan into flames the gift” (ESV, NIV, NLT), “keep ablaze the gift” (HCSB), and “rekindle the gift” (CSB, NRSV).

Writing this epistle from prison, and only a short time before he will be executed, Paul was keen to ensure that this young protégé will be able to stand firm in safeguarding the gospel and spreading the message of salvation in Jesus Christ.

The Greek word translated “stir up” denotes the kindling of a fire. We have a fireplace, and we understood that it is necessary to stir up the glowing embers and add new fuel for the fire to flame up and continue burning brightly. Paul was telling Timothy was to see to it that his spiritual gifts did not grow cold through disuse; he was to “stir it up” and keep the fire going.

Paul was simply reminding Timothy about his faith; not just him; but through the faith of his mother and grandmother as well. It wasn’t Paul’s responsibility to stir up Timothy? No, Timothy was told to stir up the gift himself. We can encourage each other, pray for each other, and minister to one another, but it is an individual’s responsibility to keep his “spiritual fire” burning, stirred up.

An anecdote of Charles Spurgeon tells of when he visited an elderly nurse from his congregation. This elder lady was living in a poor house, and when Spurgeon went to visit her, he saw a framed certificate on her wall. As a nurse she had cared for a wealthy man for quite a time. When he died, he left his vast estate to her. She didn’t read the contents of the certificate. Not knowing the value of what she had been given, she was living destitute all her life.

When Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven, He left you an incredible gift—your spiritual gift. Maybe you’ve not discovered yet what you have in Jesus. Could it be you have it framed on the wall, not using it? Or is it still sitting on the shelf in its wrapping? Or have left your gift under the tree, unopened and unappreciated?

Just a word on gifts; there are also ministry gifts mentioned in the Bible. We are not focusing on these for this session.

Ephesians 4:7, 11-12

⁷But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

¹¹And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, ¹²for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,

(Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, Teachers)

Romans 12:6-8

⁶Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; ⁷or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; ⁸he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

(a) perceiving, (b) serving, (c) teaching, (d) encouraging, (e) giving, (f) ruling, and (g) mercy

God didn’t save you to just do nothing, but to serve! He had given you spiritual gifts. That includes every one of us who believes in Jesus. You need to continually let the Holy Spirit rekindle, renew and revive your spiritual gifts.

SPIRITUAL GIFTS

These are supernatural gifts. Not natural talents but are supernatural gifts from heaven. When you get baptized in the Spirit, you receive these gifts and they are gifts. The word “gifts” is charisma. ‘Charis’ is a Greek word meaning grace. Grace is a free, unmerited favour of God toward the undeserving and the ill-deserving.

It is the manifestation of charisma gifts of God that set Christians apart from the rest of the world. If you love the LORD, you want to be adorned with his gifts. God is the one who initiated the gifts, he gave freely to His people, and you are responsible to use these gifts that are under your control.

Spiritual gifts are used to demonstrate the love of God to others.
Spiritual gifts are to be used in everyday life circumstances
Spiritual gifts allow the church to function on God’s power
Spiritual gifts are provided by God to supernaturally meet the needs of the community.

1 Corinthians 12: 8–10

For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 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.

There are nine spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit. They are:

– word of wisdom,

– word of knowledge,

– faith,

– gifts of healings,

– working of miracles,

– prophecy,

– discerning of spirits,

– different kinds of tongues,

– interpretation of tongues.

The nine gifts can in general terms be categorized into three groups:

Revelation Gifts (Know)

Word of Wisdom
Word of Knowledge
Discerning of spirits

Power Gifts (Do)

Gift of Faith
Working of Miracles
Gifts of Healing

Vocal Gifts (Say)

Prophecy
Different kinds of Tongues
Interpretation of Tongues

1 Corinthians 12:7

⁷But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:

The nine gifts are all “manifestations of the Spirit, given to everyone for the profit of all”, A ‘manifestation’ is something you can clearly perceive, you can see it, hear it, and even feel it by your physical senses. When people can experience the charisma gifts in a believer, it shows the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

Word of Knowledge

A word of knowledge is a special revelation/insight from God as to a hidden circumstance or internal position of a person’s heart. A word of knowledge is an utterance enabled by the Holy Spirit that supernaturally reveals facts that would otherwise remain unknown.

Illustration

At House of RaphaEL, rephael was minstering to this young man, and then had a word of knowledge that he was kicked. That young man broke down that he had been kicked by his father. We were then able to continue to minster for his resporation.

Word of Wisdom

A word of wisdom (Greek: sophia) is the spiritual capability to observe life and truth from God’s perspective and then apply that wisdom to specific situations. It is a special revelation/insight from God of the divine purposes of God. It is an astonishing message from God, given by the Holy Spirit through a believer in how to approach a situation or apply understanding in a particular circumstance. Wisdom can be recognized by its fruit.

Illustration

Our ex-pastor was joining an African mission. They had a session where funds were raised. They had cards that say, just $5 a month. We took that pledge card twice but had this strange ‘NO’ from the Lord. Few months later, that mission had wrapped up, some funds mismanagement.

Discerning of spirits

The gift of discerning of spirits is the supernatural ability given by the Holy Spirit to recognize the source of a spiritual manifestation. It is a special revelation/insight from God as to what spirit is motivating a person or a circumstance. It is significant to be able to discern the different spirits:

Divine – Holy Spirit telling Cornelius to send for Peter (Acts 10:30-35).
Demonic – Paul was able to know that there was a demonic spirit in the slave girl (Acts 16:16-18).
Human/Natural – Simon the sorcerer had a bitter and sinful human nature (Acts 8:18-23).

Discerning of spirits must be done by the control of the Holy Spirit; He bears witness with our spirit when something is or is not of God. It is the spiritual ability to tell the difference from God’s word between the spirit of evil and of God, the flesh and the spirit, and truth and error, before the fruit is clearly manifested. The gift enables you to detect the realm of the spirits and their activities. It involves the power of spiritual insight.

Illustration

At the canal house, I sense this spirit of death, even smell, on this new lady in the group. She flatly denied saying her life was cruisy. Few months later, her sister who had brought her to our meeting, said she attempted suicide.

Gift of Faith

The gift of faith is the special ability that God gives to believers to determine with extraordinary confidence the will and purposes of God for His work, and to act on God’s promises with assurance and firm belief in His ability to fulfil His purposes. It is the assurance in your heart that your prayers are answered even BEFORE you sees it come to pass with your natural eyes. It is believing you have it WHEN you pray (Mark 11:24). It is knowing the roots are cursed before you see the tree die.

Gift of Miracles

The gift of working of miracles is a supernatural energy flow from God that causes an instantaneous creative change in the human body, nature or a specific situation. It is described as a mighty work. This gift is usually manifested during times when an immediate action is needed from God to intervene and release His power. The gift of the working of miracles means a supernatural intervention by God in the ordinary course of nature.

In the gift of faith, God is working in our behalf, but separate of us. We do nothing. God does something through us independently, radically, gloriously in a magnificent way. We just marvel at His work. In the gift of the working of miracles, God trusts us with the power, the energy, the ability that we do not usually have. It is the power of God flowing through us. It is God using our hands, our minds, our bodies to be or do something that is not normal, that is beyond the ordinary. It is not in our natural behavior to be able to do those things.

Gifts of Healings

Gifts of Healings are the supernatural ability to heal all manner of sickness and disease in the human body. This power gift is used in times where people need miraculous intervention from God for the restoration of their health. Healing may take place instantaneously or gradually over a given time period.

Prophecy

Prophecy is God revealing his mind, his counsel and intents to his people. God wants to communicate with his people. The words ‘prophecy’, ‘prophesy’ stands for “speaking, to declare, a pronouncement, to proclaim, a declaration, to make known” a message inspired by the Holy Spirit.

The gift of prophecy is a body ministry function, given because Christ wants to bless His people.

1 Corinthians 14:3

³But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men (NKJV)

³But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort (NIV)

Prophecy is vital in the body life of the Church. The gift of prophecy is given to believers to bring the word from the Lord for edification and exhortation and comfort to men. In a wide sense, it is a rhema word communicating God’s intent and purposes.

Speaking in Tongues

The most contentious of all the gifts is speaking in tongues. It is the supernatural gift given to the believer by the Holy Spirit to speak in another human language and/ or an unknown heavenly language (angelic language) without being taught. What does this really mean? Paul clearly states that when a person speaks in tongues; he does not speak to man but to God, because no one understands him (1 Cor 14:2).

Acts 1:4-5, 8

⁴And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; ⁵for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

⁸But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be ^[^c^]witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Jesus asked his disciples to wait until they receive the “power” when the Holy Spirit comes. This happened at Pentecost, and the power of the Spirit is evidenced by the speaking in other tongues. You wait till the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you speak in tongues; you are filled with the power of God. Then wait no more but move with your tongues into the realm of the supernatural.

Illustration

My personal experience in being filled with the HS and spoke in tongues in Sydney on a hospital bed praying for someone.

Interpretation of Tongues

1 Corinthians 14:26-28

²⁶How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. ²⁷If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. ²⁸But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God.

Remember, that spiritual gifts are given for the edification & strengthening of the body of Christ – bringing a psalm, a teaching, tongue, revelation, interpretation. This gift is the divine ability to interpret a message spoken in an unknown tongue. It works in a situation where a message or utterance has previously been given in an unknown tongue. Hence it is no use if someone exercises the gift of tongues (exaltation tongue) and there is no one to interpret.

When God uses a believer to speak in tongues in a public gathering; He is bringing a prophetic word to His people. Hence the gift of interpretation of tongues will work hand in hand with this gift to bring a clear message that can be understood by the people.

Different Kinds of Tongues

There are different kinds of tongues (1 Cor 12:10). God has appointed different spiritual gifts in the church body (1 Cor 12:28). Speaking in tongues is important as it the prayer language of the Holy Spirit that he gives to us so that we can pray. Tongues is a prayer language of the Spirit, hence there are different kinds of tongues for different kinds of prayers.

Personal Edification

Jude 20 – praying in the Spirit to build up our faith. It edifies you, enlightens you and builds you up (1 Cor 14:3, 4). You are assessing the power of the Holy Spirit when you pray in tongues. For this kind of tongues, you do not need interpretation, as it is not for the entire church. You are speaking to God.

Praise

Acts 2:11 – At Pentecost, the disciples were praising and declaring the wonders of God. They were praising in tongues publicly, magnifying the name of God. Yet they are praising God privately, though in a public place, there is no need for interpretation of the tongues.

Intercession

Rom. 8:26 – when you can pray in tongues, and the Spirit will intercede for us with groanings that words cannot express. You speak mysteries. You tap into the wisdom of God that only God can reveal through his Spirit (1 Cor 2:7-10). For this type of tongue, there is no need for interpretation.

Spiritual warfare

Eph. 6:18 – Paul instructed the Ephesians to put on the armor of God, particularly to “pray in the Spirit”. This kind of prayer in the Spirit is spiritual warfare, praying to God to send angels to bind the demonic spirits. The LORD shall “march out like a mighty man, a warrior… to triumph over your enemies” (Isa 42:13) on your behalf. There is no need for interpretation for this kind of tongues.

Exaltation

Exaltation is bringing about an intense atmosphere of exhilaration, well-being, power, or importance. When you speak in tongues in a public gathering, you bring a word from God to the people. As the tongue is unknown to the people when you speak in tongues supernaturally, you need to interpret because you want the people to hear (1 Cor 14:5). Tongues with interpretation are a prophetic word meant for the people.

Tongues plus interpretation is as powerful as prophecy. When tongues are used for exaltation, use it correctly because there is a message for everybody. You need to listen quietly, and then have interpretation, so that the church may be edified.

HOW DO WE COOPERATE WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT TO STIR UP THE GIFT?

We stir up the gift by using the gift we’ve been given.
We stir up the gift through godly discipline, which produces the fruit of God’s nature in our lives. – love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
We keep the gift ablaze by not letting our spiritual selves grow cold or, worse, lukewarm, as the church in Laodicea.
We fan the flames of faith by continuing to “keep in step with the Spirit,” following the Holy Spirit’s direction and guidance in every part of our lives.
We stir up the gift by not quenching or neglecting the Spirit of God, but allowing Him to thrive in us like a living, blazing fire.

1 Timothy 4:13-14

Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.
14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.

We must choose to do it. We keep the gift of God stirred up as we choose to continue in the things of God.

1. Continue in Well Doing

Romans 2:7

To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life

We must continue to do well.

2. Compassion for people

1 John 4:8

⁸He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

God’s basic nature and character is love. Jesus is often moved with compassion for people in need. The guideline here is if you feel the compassion of God towards certain people, just follow the flow to minister. Recognise that it is God’s love flowing out through you, and God will use the spiritual gifts He had given to you to minister to those people.

3. Continue in the Faith

Colossians 1:23

²³if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard…

In order to keep the gift of God stirred up, we must continue in the faith; grounded and settled, and you wil not be moved.

4. Consistent Prayer

Colossians 4:2
²Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;

We must be courageously persistent in prayer. Hold it fast, and don’t let it go. We must also watch. Stay awake. Be focused and specific, not vague.

We must continue consistently in prayer, and always with thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for always.

5. Commit to Stay in the Word of God

1 Timothy 4:16¹⁶Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you (NKJV)

¹⁶Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers (NASV)

It is not enough to learn what is good. We must also continue in it. We must persevere in the good doctrine of God. True disciples are not only hearers but also faithful doers of the Word. We know the truth as we continue in the Word of Truth. Then, divine truth sets us free.

6. Commune with the Father & His Son

1 John 2:24:
²⁴As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father.

How do we stir up this precious gift of God that is in us and not neglect it? As we have read, we must continue in well doing, in the love of Christ, in the grace of God, in faith, in prayer and in the Word. Then we will “continue in the Son, and in the Father.”

CONCLUSION

1 Corinthians 12:31

31 But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.

1 Corinthians 14:1

Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts…