Hello, I'm 00:00:01.98\00:00:02.95 and I'd like to welcome you and invite you to join us 00:00:02.96\00:00:04.59 in our study on the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit. 00:00:04.69\00:00:07.44 We have studied the gifts to speak, 00:00:07.54\00:00:09.27 which is tongues, interpretation of tongues, and prophecy. 00:00:09.37\00:00:11.90 Then we looked at the gifts to know: the word of knowledge, 00:00:12.00\00:00:14.95 the word of wisdom, and the discerning of the spirits. 00:00:15.05\00:00:17.58 On our last program we started the gifts to do, 00:00:17.68\00:00:21.00 the power gifts, and learned about the true gifts of healing 00:00:21.10\00:00:23.93 and today we begin our study on the gift of faith. 00:00:24.03\00:00:27.26 So get your Bibles and stay with us for the next half hour 00:00:27.30\00:00:30.59 as we study to show ourselves approved. 00:00:30.69\00:00:33.60 Our study for today is on the gift of faith. 00:00:55.41\00:00:57.95 The gift of faith is when you are prompted to action 00:00:58.05\00:01:00.49 by the Holy Spirit without regard to what you may see, 00:01:00.59\00:01:03.63 hear, touch, taste, or smell. It's a supernatural virtue 00:01:03.74\00:01:08.40 given by the inspiration and assistance of the Holy Spirit. 00:01:08.50\00:01:11.50 The gift of faith accepts the prompting of God to be true 00:01:11.60\00:01:15.40 apart from any reasoning. The gift of faith rests totally 00:01:15.50\00:01:19.67 on the power of God, knowing that He will not do anything 00:01:19.77\00:01:23.96 that's contrary to His Word. 00:01:24.06\00:01:26.23 says: "And there set a certain man at Lystra, 00:01:28.79\00:01:30.85 impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, 00:01:30.95\00:01:34.14 who never had walked: The same heard Paul speak: 00:01:34.24\00:01:38.55 who steadfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith 00:01:38.65\00:01:42.59 to be healed, Said with a loud voice, 00:01:42.69\00:01:45.35 'Stand upright on thy feet. ' And he leaped and walked. " 00:01:45.45\00:01:50.20 Now another example of this: some of the gifts can work 00:01:50.31\00:01:53.19 in concert. Now here we have the gift of faith 00:01:53.29\00:01:56.66 and the gift of healing working together. 00:01:56.76\00:01:58.94 We'll be talking about that more later. 00:01:59.04\00:02:00.50 says: "And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood 00:02:03.07\00:02:05.24 twelve years, And had suffered many things of many physicians, 00:02:05.34\00:02:08.57 and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, 00:02:08.68\00:02:11.90 but rather grew worse. When she had heard of Jesus, 00:02:12.00\00:02:15.08 came in the press behind and touched His garment. 00:02:15.18\00:02:18.48 For she said, 'If I may touch His clothes, I shall be whole. ' 00:02:18.58\00:02:22.05 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up: 00:02:22.16\00:02:25.54 and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. 00:02:25.64\00:02:30.52 And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself 00:02:30.62\00:02:33.11 that virtue had gone out of Him, turned about into the press, 00:02:33.21\00:02:37.79 and said, 'Who touched my clothes?' 00:02:37.89\00:02:39.94 And His disciples said unto Him, 'Thou seest the multitude 00:02:40.04\00:02:42.89 thronging Thee, and Thou sayest 'Who touched me?' 00:02:42.99\00:02:45.25 And He looked round about to see her that had done this thing 00:02:45.35\00:02:49.68 But the woman fearing and trembling, 00:02:49.78\00:02:52.20 knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before Him 00:02:52.30\00:02:56.28 and told Him all the truth. And He said unto her, 00:02:56.38\00:03:00.74 'Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole: 00:03:00.84\00:03:04.80 go in peace and be whole of thy plague. ' " 00:03:04.90\00:03:07.46 Now the gift of faith is the supernatural ability 00:03:07.56\00:03:10.62 to believe God without doubt. To combat unbelief 00:03:10.72\00:03:14.74 and visualize what God wants to accomplish. 00:03:14.84\00:03:17.99 It is not only an inner conviction impelled by 00:03:18.09\00:03:21.64 an urgent and higher calling but also is a supernatural ability 00:03:21.74\00:03:26.34 to meet adverse circumstances with trust in God's Word 00:03:26.44\00:03:31.25 and messages. You see, the Bible speaks of several 00:03:31.35\00:03:35.25 different types of faith which increases from faith to faith. 00:03:35.35\00:03:38.95 First there is saving faith. Oh, I love it! 00:03:51.13\00:03:54.34 Faith which gets you into heaven. 00:03:54.44\00:03:56.03 You'll find this in Ephesians the 2nd chapter 00:03:56.13\00:03:58.36 eighth and ninth verses: "For by grace are you saved 00:03:58.46\00:04:01.59 through faith: and that not of yourselves: it is 00:04:01.69\00:04:04.72 the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. " 00:04:04.86\00:04:07.28 Then after that there is the fruit of faith. 00:04:07.38\00:04:10.26 The faith that gets you into heaven. 00:04:10.36\00:04:13.60 Now let me say that again. This is the faith 00:04:13.70\00:04:15.46 that gets you into heaven. Galatians 5;22,23: 00:04:15.56\00:04:18.43 says: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, 00:04:18.53\00:04:21.18 long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, and faith 00:04:21.28\00:04:24.89 meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. " 00:04:24.99\00:04:27.90 Now the gift of faith stems from saving faith 00:04:28.00\00:04:31.22 and the fruit of faith. 00:04:31.32\00:04:32.96 It is the ability to believe the miraculous. 00:04:33.06\00:04:36.92 says: "We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, 00:04:39.20\00:04:42.23 as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, 00:04:42.33\00:04:48.15 and the charity of every one of you toward each other 00:04:48.25\00:04:51.66 aboundeth. " This gift not only operates 00:04:51.77\00:04:55.63 in healings and in miracles, but in the realm of the impossible 00:04:55.73\00:05:00.34 as well. Saving faith produces the active faith of the 00:05:00.44\00:05:05.07 fruit of the Spirit - which in turn produces the 00:05:05.17\00:05:08.84 gift of faith. When the gift of faith is empowered, 00:05:08.94\00:05:13.00 the results are miraculous. Now, faith is a word with 00:05:13.11\00:05:18.95 which every Christian is familiar. 00:05:19.06\00:05:21.25 We contend for our faith; we share for our faith; 00:05:21.35\00:05:25.26 we are saved by grace through faith; 00:05:25.36\00:05:27.89 and we all have faith in Jesus Christ. 00:05:27.99\00:05:31.43 Some non-Christians would accuse us of having 00:05:31.53\00:05:34.38 blind faith - but only because they have been blinded 00:05:34.49\00:05:38.21 by their own ignorance of the truth. 00:05:38.31\00:05:40.08 So why is the gift of faith mentioned in verse nine 00:05:40.18\00:05:45.01 any different from or more special than faith 00:05:45.11\00:05:50.13 that we exercise in any of the contexts mentioned above. 00:05:50.23\00:05:53.78 Is faith the same in all these contexts? 00:05:53.88\00:05:56.98 Can we really understand this passage? 00:05:57.09\00:05:59.34 Why sure we can! Just have faith... 00:05:59.44\00:06:02.05 The Greek word used for faith here is pistis. 00:06:02.15\00:06:06.23 Looking at some of the other areas of the New Testament 00:06:06.33\00:06:09.26 in which faith is mentioned, we find that this word is used 00:06:09.36\00:06:12.92 in these other contexts as well. How then do we know 00:06:13.02\00:06:16.54 that there is a difference? The answer to that is in verse nine. 00:06:16.64\00:06:21.76 Faith is mentioned as one of the spiritual gifts - or 00:06:21.86\00:06:27.38 charismata. Nowhere else in the New Testament 00:06:27.48\00:06:31.35 do we see faith connected with charisma. 00:06:31.46\00:06:34.91 Therefore, while the Greek does not illuminate the nature 00:06:35.01\00:06:38.77 of the difference, it DOES establish 00:06:38.87\00:06:40.42 that there IS a difference. 00:06:40.51\00:06:42.63 This uncommon faith is not restrained by doubt. 00:06:42.73\00:06:48.65 Doubts crop up when we allow human thoughts 00:06:48.75\00:06:51.09 and weaknesses to diminish the divine power of God. 00:06:51.19\00:06:54.38 The gift of faith will always speak the solution - 00:06:54.48\00:06:58.73 will never speak the problem. 00:06:58.83\00:07:00.83 is an example of this. Jesus said: 00:07:03.31\00:07:05.06 "For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say 00:07:05.16\00:07:08.70 unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast 00:07:08.80\00:07:13.26 into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, 00:07:13.36\00:07:16.74 but shall believe that those things which he saith 00:07:16.84\00:07:18.95 shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. 00:07:19.05\00:07:21.75 Therefore I say unto you, What things so ever ye desire, 00:07:21.85\00:07:24.74 when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, 00:07:24.85\00:07:27.11 and ye shall have them. " The gift of faith never doubts! 00:07:27.22\00:07:31.12 James said of doubts: "But when ye ask ye must believe 00:07:32.43\00:07:36.15 and not doubt because he who doubts is like a wave 00:07:36.25\00:07:39.03 of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. " 00:07:39.13\00:07:41.70 Now, the uses of the gift of faith. 00:07:41.80\00:07:44.17 The gift of faith may be used for supernatural blessings 00:07:44.27\00:07:48.24 such as Isaac and Jacob and Joseph. 00:07:48.34\00:07:51.23 In Hebrews 11:20- the faith chapter - 11:20-22: 00:07:51.33\00:07:57.26 "By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau 00:07:57.36\00:07:59.99 concerning things to come. By faith Jacob when he was a dying, 00:08:00.09\00:08:05.46 blessed both the sons of Joseph and worshiped, 00:08:05.56\00:08:09.44 leaning upon the top of his staff. " 00:08:09.54\00:08:12.08 Verse 22 says: "By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention 00:08:12.18\00:08:16.96 of the departing of the children of Israel; 00:08:17.06\00:08:19.36 and gave commandments concerning his bones. " 00:08:19.46\00:08:21.68 The gift of faith may also be used for personal protection. 00:08:21.78\00:08:25.53 Hebrews 11:32-34 says: "And what shall I more say 00:08:25.63\00:08:31.46 for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, 00:08:31.56\00:08:35.21 and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthah; 00:08:35.31\00:08:38.46 of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: 00:08:38.56\00:08:42.10 Who through faith - who through faith subdued kingdoms, 00:08:42.20\00:08:45.70 wrought righteousness, obtained promises, 00:08:45.80\00:08:47.87 stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, 00:08:47.97\00:08:52.60 escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong 00:08:52.70\00:08:56.10 waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies 00:08:56.20\00:09:01.69 of the aliens. " The gift of faith may be used also 00:09:01.79\00:09:06.10 for supernatural substance. Elijah was sustained by ravens 00:09:06.20\00:09:11.29 by the brook of Cherith. It takes the gift of faith 00:09:11.39\00:09:14.73 to trust and believe that birds would bring you provision. 00:09:14.83\00:09:18.73 The gift of faith may be used also for raising the dead. 00:09:18.83\00:09:22.94 There are many instances of the Lord raising people 00:09:23.04\00:09:25.99 from the dead throughout the Bible. 00:09:26.09\00:09:27.53 The New Testament records Jesus raising the following people 00:09:27.64\00:09:30.50 from the dead: the son of the widow of Nain, 00:09:30.60\00:09:34.77 Jairus's daughter. 00:09:34.87\00:09:36.43 Lazarus was raised from the dead after three days. 00:09:36.53\00:09:39.95 The gift of faith is a special faith that the Holy Spirit 00:09:40.06\00:09:43.48 gives a believer to trust God for a specific supernatural 00:09:43.58\00:09:47.36 solution to a problem. A work of power that the Holy Spirit 00:09:47.46\00:09:51.02 will perform. Galatians 3:5: 00:09:51.12\00:09:53.44 "He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, 00:09:53.54\00:09:56.77 and worketh miracles among you, 00:09:56.87\00:09:58.83 doeth he it by the works of the law, 00:09:58.93\00:10:01.51 or by the hearing of faith? " I like the Amplified 00:10:01.61\00:10:06.32 version of this, listen to this: 00:10:06.42\00:10:07.88 "Then does He who supplies you with His marvelous 00:10:07.98\00:10:11.10 Holy Spirit and works powerfully and miraculously among you 00:10:11.21\00:10:15.51 do so on the grounds of your doing what the law demands 00:10:15.61\00:10:20.20 or because of your believing in and adhering to and trusting in 00:10:20.30\00:10:24.74 and relying on the message that you heard? " 00:10:24.84\00:10:28.06 The gift of faith sees no difference in believing God 00:10:28.16\00:10:31.33 for $5 or $5,000 or $5,000,000 dollars 00:10:31.43\00:10:36.01 because it takes the same gift 00:10:36.04\00:10:37.71 of faith for any of those. For the past 22 years, 00:10:37.77\00:10:42.65 I have observed the gift of faith in action 00:10:42.75\00:10:45.06 in Danny Shelton's life. I personally know of no one else 00:10:45.16\00:10:49.07 that moves in this gift arena as often and as powerfully 00:10:49.17\00:10:53.88 as Danny Shelton does. I have watched through the years 00:10:53.98\00:10:57.24 as God spoke to Danny to build or establish something for the 00:10:57.34\00:11:00.97 kingdom of God and saw an unwavering faith abound. 00:11:01.07\00:11:05.12 I am not aware of a single commission that the Lord 00:11:05.22\00:11:09.01 presented to Danny where the finances were in place 00:11:09.12\00:11:12.54 for this challenge before starting the project - 00:11:12.64\00:11:16.42 yet they were all accomplished. 00:11:16.52\00:11:19.92 You see, this is how the gift of faith works. 00:11:20.02\00:11:22.96 First, God speaks. Second, we obey. 00:11:23.06\00:11:26.28 Third, only then, will God supply. 00:11:26.38\00:11:30.02 Let me go over that one more time. 00:11:30.12\00:11:32.03 God speaks; we obey; and then He supplies. 00:11:32.13\00:11:35.38 What we want so much of the time is we want God to speak 00:11:35.48\00:11:38.04 then supply before we obey. Faith doesn't work like that. 00:11:38.14\00:11:40.96 The gift of faith will not consider the odds 00:11:41.06\00:11:43.68 or count the cost... it simply obeys! 00:11:43.78\00:11:47.30 Now the last of the gifts that we are going to study 00:11:47.40\00:11:50.45 of the gifts to do is the working of miracles. 00:11:50.55\00:11:54.17 Jesus foretold that believers would do miracles 00:11:54.27\00:11:57.80 in John 14:12. The Amplified version, powerful, 00:11:57.90\00:12:01.92 says: "I assure you, most solemnly, I tell you 00:12:02.02\00:12:04.69 if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself 00:12:04.79\00:12:09.46 be able to do the things that I do and he will " 00:12:09.56\00:12:12.81 oh, I love it... "and he will do even greater things than these 00:12:12.91\00:12:17.19 because I go to the Father. " Now, the definition. 00:12:17.29\00:12:20.52 A miracle occurs when the Holy Spirit transcends 00:12:20.62\00:12:24.66 known laws through which God normally governs this universe. 00:12:24.76\00:12:29.42 It is the supernatural power to intervene in and to counteract 00:12:29.52\00:12:33.12 earthly and also evil forces. The Greek word working 00:12:33.22\00:12:38.34 and the phrase working of miracles 00:12:38.44\00:12:40.00 is a noun, and it means the things produced by God's energy 00:12:40.10\00:12:43.63 or operations. Miracle is also a noun, and it means power. 00:12:43.73\00:12:49.09 Now let me share with you what a miracle is NOT. 00:12:49.20\00:12:53.11 It's not a figure of speech. It is not a miracle drug. 00:12:53.21\00:12:58.30 It is not miracle fabrics. It is not a sunset. 00:12:58.40\00:13:02.98 No matter how beautiful and wonderful it is, 00:13:03.08\00:13:06.29 it is not the birth of a child, 00:13:06.39\00:13:07.68 general miracles such as all the gifts of the Spirit, 00:13:07.78\00:13:11.25 the new birth, and so on. 00:13:11.35\00:13:13.75 Examples of real working of miracles in the Old Testament: 00:13:13.85\00:13:18.74 let me share this with you. 00:13:18.84\00:13:19.99 The working of miracles is more prominent in the Old Testament 00:13:20.09\00:13:23.01 whereas gifts of healing are more prominent 00:13:23.11\00:13:25.26 in the New Testament - but here are some Old Testament examples. 00:13:25.36\00:13:28.89 First there are immediate, immediate, immediate miracles. 00:13:28.99\00:13:34.05 The immediate creation of the world. 00:13:34.15\00:13:36.58 Ex nihilo - that means God created something 00:13:36.68\00:13:39.37 out of nothing - is a miracle. Psalm 33:6 says: 00:13:39.47\00:13:43.97 "By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made, 00:13:44.10\00:13:47.32 and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. " 00:13:47.42\00:13:50.61 says: "He stretcheth out the north over the empty place 00:13:52.42\00:13:55.96 and hangeth the earth upon nothing. " 00:13:56.06\00:13:58.63 That's a miracle! 00:13:58.73\00:13:59.87 Next there are the mediate miracles. 00:13:59.98\00:14:02.59 The plagues in Egypt; Moses' rod turned into a snake; 00:14:02.69\00:14:08.06 the crossing of the Red Sea; the two widows' provision. 00:14:08.16\00:14:13.97 You see, the workings of miracles in the New Testament 00:14:14.07\00:14:17.44 are parallel to those in the Old. 00:14:17.54\00:14:19.34 Peter raised Dorcas from the dead. 00:14:19.44\00:14:21.13 In Acts 9:36-41 it tells us "Now there was at Joppa 00:14:21.23\00:14:26.95 a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation 00:14:27.05\00:14:29.97 is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works 00:14:30.07\00:14:33.34 and alms deeds which she did. And it came to pass 00:14:33.45\00:14:36.29 in those days, that she was sick, and she died: 00:14:36.39\00:14:39.38 whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper 00:14:39.48\00:14:42.18 chamber. And forasmuch as Lydia was nigh to Joppa, 00:14:42.28\00:14:46.48 and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, 00:14:46.58\00:14:48.99 they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not 00:14:49.10\00:14:52.02 delay to come to them. Then Peter arose and went with them. 00:14:52.12\00:14:55.93 When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: 00:14:56.03\00:14:59.05 and all the widows stood by him weeping, and showing the coats 00:14:59.15\00:15:02.44 and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them. 00:15:02.54\00:15:05.92 But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed: 00:15:06.02\00:15:10.44 and turning him to the body said: Tabitha, arise. 00:15:10.54\00:15:16.25 And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up. 00:15:16.35\00:15:19.83 And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, 00:15:19.93\00:15:23.65 and when he had called the saints and widows, 00:15:23.75\00:15:26.46 they presented her alive. " 00:15:26.56\00:15:29.37 Now next, Paul raised Eutychus from the dead. 00:15:29.47\00:15:32.72 Acts 20, verse 9 and 10: POWERFUL... 00:15:32.82\00:15:35.61 "And there sat in a window a certain young man 00:15:35.71\00:15:39.45 named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: 00:15:39.55\00:15:42.97 and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, 00:15:43.07\00:15:47.89 and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead. " 00:15:47.99\00:15:52.02 D- E-A-D dead. 00:15:52.12\00:15:54.28 "And Paul went down, and fell on him, 00:15:54.39\00:15:56.64 and embracing him said, 'Trouble not yourselves; 00:15:56.74\00:15:59.68 for his life is in him. ' " Praise God! 00:15:59.78\00:16:04.89 Jesus fed the physically hungry. Jesus fed the hungry: 00:16:05.00\00:16:09.53 4,000+ people. Matthew 15:32-38 tells us 00:16:09.63\00:16:15.61 "Then Jesus called his disciples unto Him and said, 00:16:15.71\00:16:18.91 'I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue 00:16:19.01\00:16:22.45 with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: 00:16:22.55\00:16:24.45 and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint 00:16:24.55\00:16:27.36 in the way. ' And His disciples say unto Him, 00:16:27.46\00:16:29.86 'Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, 00:16:29.96\00:16:33.46 as to fill so great a multitude? ' 00:16:33.56\00:16:35.42 And Jesus said unto them, 'How many loaves have ye? ' 00:16:35.52\00:16:38.97 And they said, 'Seven, and a few little fishes. ' 00:16:39.07\00:16:41.87 And He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. 00:16:41.97\00:16:44.63 And He took the seven loaves and the fishes, 00:16:44.74\00:16:46.73 and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to His disciples, 00:16:46.83\00:16:50.77 and the disciples to the multitude. 00:16:50.87\00:16:52.96 And they did all eat, and were filled: 00:16:53.06\00:16:56.44 and they took up the broken meat that was left 00:16:56.54\00:16:59.53 seven baskets full. And they that did eat 00:16:59.63\00:17:03.99 were about 4,000 men, besides women and children. " 00:17:04.09\00:17:09.89 You see, Jesus fed the people because He had compassion 00:17:09.99\00:17:13.03 on them and their hunger. Assuming that there were 00:17:13.13\00:17:15.67 four people to a family, 00:17:16.06\00:17:19.04 Jesus fed 16,000 people 00:17:19.07\00:17:23.04 here at one time. The next time He fed 5,000. 00:17:23.18\00:17:28.03 In John 6: 5-10: "When Jesus lift up his eyes, 00:17:28.14\00:17:31.64 and saw a great company come unto Him, 00:17:31.74\00:17:33.33 He said unto Philip, 'Whence shall we buy bread, 00:17:33.43\00:17:37.44 that these may eat? ' And this He said to prove him 00:17:37.54\00:17:41.55 for He himself knew what He would do. 00:17:41.65\00:17:44.48 Philip answered and said, 'Two hundred pennyworth of bread 00:17:44.58\00:17:47.50 is not sufficient for them, that every one of them 00:17:47.61\00:17:50.67 may take a little. ' One of His disciples, Andrew, 00:17:50.77\00:17:53.77 Simon Peter's brother, said unto Him, 00:17:53.87\00:17:55.39 'There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, 00:17:55.49\00:17:58.64 and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? ' 00:17:58.74\00:18:03.09 And Jesus said, 'Make the men sit down. ' 00:18:03.20\00:18:05.22 Now there was much grass in the place. 00:18:05.32\00:18:08.82 So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. " 00:18:08.92\00:18:14.04 Assuming that there were four people, once again, to a family, 00:18:14.14\00:18:17.93 Jesus fed 20,000 people here at one time. 00:18:18.03\00:18:22.51 This is truly a miracle! See, there were those there, 00:18:22.61\00:18:26.38 His disciples. One of them was a hesitator, the other was a 00:18:26.48\00:18:29.28 calculator, and the other one was an eliminator 00:18:29.38\00:18:32.15 but Jesus was an innovator - and this is what the miracles 00:18:32.25\00:18:36.42 of God can do if we will embrace them. 00:18:36.52\00:18:40.45 Then there were the miracles of Elisha. The man of God 00:18:40.56\00:18:43.86 made the metal axe head to swim. That's what it says - to swim - 00:18:43.96\00:18:47.40 which was lost in the water in II Kings 6:1-7. 00:18:47.51\00:18:51.41 Or Elijah raised the widow's son from the dead, 00:18:51.52\00:18:54.17 not to mention the many miracles of healing, deliverance, 00:18:54.27\00:18:57.38 and provision in both the Old Testament and the 00:18:57.48\00:19:00.37 New Testament of the Holy Bible. 00:19:00.47\00:19:02.71 However, not everything that appears to be a miracle 00:19:02.82\00:19:07.06 from God, hear what I am saying to you, 00:19:07.17\00:19:08.82 not everything that appears to be a miracle 00:19:08.92\00:19:11.35 is necessarily from God. Just as in Moses' day, 00:19:11.46\00:19:14.41 there were magicians who did lying wonders, 00:19:14.51\00:19:18.10 so there are today. The Holy Bible tells us that 00:19:18.20\00:19:21.96 in the last days the antichrist or the false messiah 00:19:22.06\00:19:25.00 will have his false prophets performing seeming miracles. 00:19:25.10\00:19:28.32 Many times people are drawn into false religions 00:19:28.42\00:19:31.54 and into witchcraft because they think they have evidence 00:19:31.64\00:19:35.05 or receive a miracle. 00:19:35.15\00:19:37.16 Real miracles, however, God's miracles 00:19:38.51\00:19:41.38 always glorify the Lord. The Holy Spirit is God's agent 00:19:41.48\00:19:45.25 on earth to supply resurrection power of Christ into your life, 00:19:45.35\00:19:50.05 and He will always magnify Jesus Christ, 00:19:50.15\00:19:52.54 who is God who came to earth in human flesh. 00:19:52.64\00:19:56.56 Do we dare question the power of God today? 00:19:56.66\00:19:59.96 Does He not now have the same eternal, unlimited power 00:20:00.06\00:20:05.06 as always? Do we presume to limit the power of God 00:20:05.17\00:20:08.94 in affirming that no miracles occur today? 00:20:09.04\00:20:12.38 The answer to these questions is a very emphatic NO! 00:20:12.48\00:20:18.11 Being omnipotent, all powerful, God is able to do anything. 00:20:18.21\00:20:22.83 What God is able to do and what He wills to do 00:20:22.93\00:20:26.84 are completely different issues. 00:20:26.94\00:20:29.66 God once created man from dust 00:20:29.76\00:20:32.54 and the woman from the man's rib. 00:20:32.64\00:20:34.91 He once parted the Red Sea to permit the escape of Israel 00:20:35.01\00:20:38.31 from Egypt and rained manna from heaven upon them. 00:20:38.41\00:20:41.96 He provided quail in the wilderness, and water 00:20:42.07\00:20:44.37 from the rock to supply Israel's needs. 00:20:44.47\00:20:46.89 He gave commandments inscribed on stone with His finger. 00:20:46.99\00:20:50.82 He once caused His Son to be born of a virgin, 00:20:50.92\00:20:53.74 and Jesus performed numerous miracles ranging from 00:20:53.84\00:20:56.77 feeding the hungry to raising the dead. 00:20:56.87\00:20:59.68 Some of the futile attempts to reproduce miracles 00:20:59.78\00:21:03.41 of Biblical caliber are shabby and sometimes tragic replicas, 00:21:03.51\00:21:08.41 and I have witnessed some. The parents of a California youth 00:21:08.51\00:21:12.14 were charged with manslaughter for withholding insulin 00:21:12.25\00:21:15.11 from their son. The son died, but the father steadfastly 00:21:15.22\00:21:18.11 insisted the Lord would raise his son from the dead 00:21:18.21\00:21:21.57 in three days. This delusion did not come to pass. 00:21:21.67\00:21:25.89 The minister of a 40-member church in Tennessee 00:21:25.99\00:21:28.94 was freed of manslaughter charges when two of his members 00:21:29.04\00:21:32.15 died after drinking strychnine to demonstrate their faith 00:21:32.25\00:21:35.70 in the divine, supernatural powers. 00:21:35.80\00:21:38.84 I just read recently on the Web of a minister that told his 00:21:38.95\00:21:43.54 congregation in an Asian country that he was going to walk 00:21:43.64\00:21:47.60 on water. And he walked out into the water, 00:21:47.70\00:21:50.90 walked out in over his head, 00:21:51.00\00:21:52.73 and they have not seen him since. 00:21:52.83\00:21:54.88 That's not a miracle of God. 00:21:54.98\00:21:57.09 Throughout human history, there has been the bogus 00:21:57.19\00:22:01.54 as well as the genuine miracle, the error as well as the truth, 00:22:01.64\00:22:05.44 and the false as well as the factual. 00:22:05.54\00:22:07.81 There have been people whose faith sincerely was based upon 00:22:07.91\00:22:11.51 delusion as well as those whose faith was anchored 00:22:11.61\00:22:15.11 in Biblical truth. The magicians of Pharaoh 00:22:15.21\00:22:18.28 sought to duplicate the miracle of Moses, 00:22:18.38\00:22:20.69 and error is always a counterfeit of the truth. 00:22:20.79\00:22:24.19 Did you hear that? 00:22:24.29\00:22:25.26 Error is always a counterfeit of God's truth. 00:22:25.27\00:22:28.14 There have been groups claiming supernatural powers 00:22:28.24\00:22:31.10 that have no connection with Christianity. 00:22:31.20\00:22:34.70 Attempted healings and miracles have always occupied 00:22:34.80\00:22:38.49 a prominent place in pagan religions. 00:22:38.59\00:22:41.15 And mighty world rulers have gone to Delphi, to the Oracle, 00:22:41.25\00:22:45.91 to Greece to seek the Oracle from the pagan temple 00:22:46.01\00:22:49.54 to advise them on their battles. 00:22:49.64\00:22:52.30 The sensational revival of the occult in our time illustrates 00:22:52.40\00:22:55.78 the susceptibility of many people to accept the mystical 00:22:55.88\00:22:59.92 and the unexplained. These occult groups can perform 00:23:00.02\00:23:04.45 feats just as astonishing as anything offered by the 00:23:04.55\00:23:07.58 modern-day faith healing advocates of Christianity. 00:23:07.68\00:23:10.53 God's Word is ultimate truth 00:23:10.56\00:23:14.87 and nothing is true 00:23:15.20\00:23:16.86 that does not agree with this source. 00:23:16.95\00:23:21.87 Don't go away; we'll be right back after this message. 00:23:21.97\00:23:27.08 If you've been confused about what the Bible says 00:23:29.16\00:23:31.51 about the Holy Spirit's amazing gifts for the church, 00:23:31.61\00:23:33.76 you'll want to order your very own copy 00:23:33.86\00:23:36.02 of this 13-part series. It's available on DVD 00:23:36.12\00:23:39.50 or video cassette from 3ABN at a very special price. 00:23:39.60\00:23:43.45 This 13-part series with Pastor Hal Steenson 00:23:43.54\00:23:46.33 makes a wonderful gift for a friend or a family member. 00:23:46.43\00:23:49.00 Just call us at: 00:23:49.10\00:23:50.07 and we'll be happy to take your order. 00:23:53.77\00:23:55.34 You may also order it online at: 00:23:55.44\00:23:57.04 You know a major question is how are we to discern true or false 00:24:14.59\00:24:18.53 miracles? By what rule of scripture would a faith healer 00:24:18.63\00:24:22.18 establish that his work is authorized by God? 00:24:22.28\00:24:25.47 Or that his healing is any more genuine than that 00:24:25.57\00:24:29.40 of a witch doctor? Some pertinent points regarding 00:24:29.50\00:24:32.91 the healings of Christ will serve as practical tests 00:24:33.01\00:24:36.98 for professed, so-called "healings" today. 00:24:37.08\00:24:40.84 Now if you want the gift, the real gift of miracles, 00:25:42.47\00:25:44.99 to operate in you, make sure that the Word of God is in you 00:25:45.09\00:25:48.73 and what you are being influenced by 00:25:48.84\00:25:51.17 is the right people. Miracles are the product 00:25:51.27\00:25:53.94 of the spoken Word of God because God IS HIS WORD. 00:25:54.04\00:25:58.61 I've seen false miracles. I've seen real miracles. 00:25:58.72\00:26:03.59 I've seen the power of God manifested in people's lives 00:26:03.69\00:26:07.13 and all nine gifts of the Holy Spirit in operation. 00:26:07.23\00:26:11.09 I've seen the true. I've seen the false. 00:26:11.19\00:26:14.00 I've seen the truth, and I've seen the error. 00:26:14.10\00:26:15.91 But I want you to know something, OK? 00:26:16.02\00:26:18.41 Don't give up on the truth because there is error 00:26:18.51\00:26:21.75 out there. I said the other day we use real money but there is 00:26:21.85\00:26:25.18 still counterfeit. I know that I know that I know 00:26:25.28\00:26:28.72 that God can do all these things that we have talked about. 00:26:28.82\00:26:33.09 Many years ago when I was in college studying 00:26:33.19\00:26:36.44 for the ministry, I went to a big faith healing meeting. 00:26:36.54\00:26:40.05 And this was something that changed my life. 00:26:40.15\00:26:42.54 And at that point, I myself, even as a charismatic pastor, 00:26:42.65\00:26:46.37 started counteracting the counterfeit 00:26:46.47\00:26:48.36 because I noticed something. The person that came out 00:26:48.46\00:26:50.94 that was supposed to be Brother Greatness and 00:26:51.04\00:26:53.20 Evangelist Wonderful saw all these people down front 00:26:53.30\00:26:57.58 in wheelchairs and on stretchers, 00:26:57.68\00:26:59.41 and he called people up and said you've got sinus problems 00:26:59.51\00:27:04.01 you've got an ear infection, and things that that nobody 00:27:04.11\00:27:06.99 could actually see that had been truly manifest. 00:27:07.09\00:27:11.01 He stood there and prayed for all these that you could not 00:27:11.11\00:27:15.67 tell whether they were actually healed or not - 00:27:15.77\00:27:17.55 and never touched, never acknowledged, 00:27:17.65\00:27:21.71 the ones that were down front in wheelchairs 00:27:21.81\00:27:24.75 and on stretchers... because people would know, 00:27:24.85\00:27:27.82 they would know whether or not they were healed. 00:27:27.92\00:27:29.86 I went outside of that coliseum and cried. I wept, and I said 00:27:29.96\00:27:34.08 "God please, never let me do something like that. 00:27:34.18\00:27:39.43 Allow me if I ever minister and manifest the gifts of the Spirit 00:27:39.53\00:27:45.44 allow me to only manifest these in the real, the purest, 00:27:45.54\00:27:50.70 and truest of sense. " Recently God got me out of the 00:27:50.80\00:27:54.48 babbling and tongues and now has brought me 00:27:54.58\00:27:56.22 into the truth of that. God's honoring that request. 00:27:56.32\00:27:59.76 And I encourage you: be open to the gifts of the Spirit. 00:27:59.86\00:28:03.08 Be open to the moving of the Spirit because our church 00:28:03.18\00:28:06.46 needs these gifts desperately in this end time. 00:28:06.56\00:28:10.13 On our next program we are going to be looking at the 00:28:30.74\00:28:32.67 5 doma gifts that Jesus left for the perfection of the church. 00:28:32.77\00:28:37.03 So be sure and check your 3ABN World for the 00:28:37.13\00:28:41.23 dates and times, and join us there. 00:28:41.33\00:28:44.49