The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: - Vital Christianity

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II Samuel 12:1-14
II Kings 5:20-27
II Kings 6:8-14
Acts 5:1-11
Nathan rebukes David
Elisha confronts and rebukes Gehazi
Elisha traps blinded Arameans
Peter confronts Ananias and Sapphira
How is the Gift Exercised?
We seek to be in a right, open and prayerful relationship with the Lord. Ministering to others
in this attitude we pray ‘What is it, Lord? What is it, Lord?’ We keep asking. Then we wait and
listen.
We may suddenly sense the real truth about a problem, a simple fact or the whereabouts of
something lost; or we may sense a power to minister which prompts us to ask who may be in
particular need.
1. We may see a picture (vision or dream) or word in the mind’s eye or superimposed over a
person’s face or the affected part of his/her body.
2. We may ‘hear’ a word or phrase in the mind’s ear.
3. We may feel that another person is afflicted in some way.
4. We may sense power coming upon us, alerting us that God wants to minister to someone
present.
5. We may sense heat, heaviness or tingling in the hands, alerting us to lay them on someone
for healing.
6. Whenever supernatural knowledge is revealed, we may not necessarily feel constrained to
speak the ‘word’ out aloud immediately, if at all. Supposing God revealed that a person
had cancer, we would need to pray for a ‘word of wisdom’ as to what to do with such
knowledge. We might then be led to ask that person how he had been feeling lately. If he
mentioned some troubling symptom, we would suggest we prayed about that.
7. Ideally we would first share a ‘word’ such as in (6) with a sympathetic third party,
preferably one known to have been given gifts of discernment. Words from God can be
‘sharper than a double edged sword’ and must be handled with great care.
8. Opportunity should be given for the gathered church to share ‘words of knowledge.’
9. Words of knowledge indicate the direction in which God is working.
10. Words of knowledge are faith builders.
11. When God reveals something in this way, it is because God wants something done with
such knowledge.