THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: Power Gifts: The Gift of Faith - 3

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I remember a dear brother whose visa application was turned down and he was visibly disappointed. He had just come from the embassy when we met and right after he told me his application was declined, the Holy Spirit immediately rose up in me and I found myself saying to him “go back on Friday, you will get your visa”. He said something about not having any other documents to add to what he already had and a few things along those lines, but I repeated the same thing, “go back on Friday, you will get your visa”.   

As soon as we parted, the enemy started bombarding my mind “look at you”, “ what were you thinking?”, “that’s unheard of”, “you just made a fool of yourself”. Then I started thinking “why did I say that?”, “why did I tell him to go back on Friday?”. “what will I say when I see him again?” and on and on all these questions were swirling in my head but the thing is, as I was talking to this brother, I was so confident, it was like I was almost ordering him to go back to that embassy on Friday to get his visa.

Well, what do you know…the brother sought me out on Friday with the good news, he went and was given his visa without a hassle! Glory to God! Now that beloved, was the Gift of Faith in operation. Had I chosen to be “logical”, “reasonable” and/or “realistic” – good human qualities to have – I wouldn't have been much help to that brother and I doubt I would've been used by God to bless him.

See beloved, when you flow in the Gifts of the Spirit, don’t expect the enemy to stand applaud you, he will oppose you, he will use others to criticize you, sadly he will use even fellow believers to discourage you, should they let him. He will bombard your mind with all kinds of thoughts, he will always point you to yourself – “how could YOU…”, “what would they think of YOU…”, “YOU will make a fool of YOURSELF”. Keep your focus on Christ, at the end of the day We are His and all these gifts are His, not ours and He uses us as He pleases, not as we please.  

The Gift of Faith cannot be “worked up” by human effort, it operates as the Holy Spirit wills. When a situation warrants it and the Spirit desires to manifest through this gift, then we might get promptings (from the Holy Spirit) to say or do something and it will be with such confidence that isn't naturally ours.

It is always helpful to remember it is never to be about us, it is always to be about Christ Jesus our Lord; when the Spirit desires to use us in this gift we shouldn't shrink back, we should instead avail ourselves of the opportunity

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knowing that God wants to reach and bless someone else through us. Let us keep on loving others with the love of God that is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who is in us (Romans 5:5). And as we do, opportunities to flow in the Gifts of the Spirit, the Gift of Faith included, will present themselves and we will be able to rejoice for being conduits through which others are blessed by this Gift of the Spirit.

Beloved, let us keep on desiring the Gifts of the Spirit while pursuing the Fruit of the Spirit.

I am your brother,

Patrick

         

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