THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: Speech Gifts - Prophecy

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The Gift of Prophecy is the ability to speak to others by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to help them grow, to encourage them and to comfort them. The Gift of Prophecy reveals and expresses the heart of God towards people.

³ But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. – 1 Corinthians 14:3 NKJV

This gift of the Holy Spirit is available to every believer and it is one gift we are all encouraged to desire earnestly.   

¹ Pursue love and strive for the spiritual gifts, and especially that you may prophesy. – 1 Corinthians 14:1 NRSV

We see this gift in operation in the Book of Acts and in the epistles, every time believers were filled with the Holy Spirit, they spoke in tongues and prophesied. It was so then, it is so now and we should not settle for anything less than the Scriptural standard and precedent already set by the early church.

What the Gift of Prophecy is Not

The Gift of Prophecy cannot be operated as man wills; it is the Holy Spirit who initiates it. The Gift of Prophecy is not meant to replace the written Word, if anything it is to confirm the Scriptures. The Gift of Prophecy is not for foretelling future events, neither is it to be sought for directional purposes. The Gift of Prophecy is not for bringing correction, rebuke or pronouncing judgment. It should not be confused with the Ministry or Office of Prophet which entails more than exhortation, edification and comfort and is outside the scope of this study.

Prophesying

This gift, like every other gift of the Spirit, manifests differently in different members of the Body of Christ. Each one of us is unique and the Spirit uses each one of us the way we are (with our uniqueness, quirks and all), so imitating how another person is being used by the Spirit is needless, to say the least. Just be yourself and deliver the prophetic utterance that the Holy Spirit gives you. Remember this, it takes faith to step out and deliver a prophetic word, actually our life in the Spirit is a life of faith from start to finish. We walk by faith, not by our five senses.  

Some practical ways of receiving prophecy include visions (open and/or inward), hearing words (inwardly and/or audibly), on-the-spot unction, etc. – the thing is, the Holy Spirit knows exactly how to communicate with each one of us. Let us not fall into the soulish trap of trying to manipulate the Spirit to speak to us according to our preconceived ideas or even past experiences.   

We will never be able to prophesy paragraphs and chapters until we are faithful in giving out the “one word” or “one liner” prophecies that the Spirit gives us. If we are faithful with little we will be faithful with much, if we are unfaithful in little we will be unfaithful with much, that’s a Scriptural principle. Faithfulness is always rewarded with increase, no wonder it is a Fruit of the Spirit, a trait every Spirit filled believer should manifest consistently.

In prophesying, do not go beyond what you have received – to do so even with just a few choice words – as harmless as it may seem, is a form of pride and if not checked may eventually lead one into deception.  

⁶ We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; - Romans 12:6 NIV

Judging prophecy:

It is important we understand that there is a huge difference in the way prophecy was handled in the Old Testament and the way it is handled in the New Testament. In the OT, they were not instructed to judge or weigh prophecy but in the NT we are. In the OT if a prophecy didn't come true, the one who gave it would lose their life for they are deemed to have spoken presumptuously. In the NT we judge the prophecy and either accept or reject it.

Why such a difference in handling prophecy in the two Covenants? To answer that we need to understand that in the OT, the Holy Spirit did not abide in people continually, He just came upon Prophets, Judges, Kings, Priests and a select few for a specific purpose and season. In the NT, we are born again by the Holy Spirit, He recreates us and dwells in our spirits, we are one with the Lord (1 Corinthians 6:17) and after Jesus was glorified, the Holy Spirit was given and came upon us from the day of Pentecost, empowering us to be witnesses for Jesus, He came to be with us forever, He doesn't come and go like in OT times (John 14:16).

Now we all have the Holy Spirit, we all have access to God, we all can hear God, we all can be led by the Spirit and He desires to have fellowship we each one of us, not a select few on behalf of everyone else. That’s one reason a NT believer today isn't supposed to run around chasing prophecies from other believers, the Holy Spirit in you yearns to talk to you, spend time with Him through studying the Word and prayer, cultivate a relationship with Him, hear His voice and be at rest.

Now when the Holy Spirit speaks prophetically through an individual, we can all confirm His voice and we should. We know we have an enemy who would jump at any opportunity, using any available vessel to lead us astray; that’s one main reason we are to weigh and judge prophetic utterances.  

In some circles, because of abuse, the Gift of Prophecy is somewhat thwarted and frowned upon while in others there is a prophecy for everything, everyday, every-single-time they gather (obviously I’m exaggerating ) but you get the idea! Either extreme is unscriptural and therefore not good, the written Word of God is our standard.

¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰ Do not despise prophecies. ²¹ Test all things; hold fast what is good. ²² Abstain from every form of evil. – 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 NKJV

In the New Testament we are instructed to test everything and to hold on to what is good (1 Thessalonians 5:20) therefore we are to judge prophecies, failure to do so can result in dire consequences to the hearers. The Apostle Paul, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit instructs us to weigh prophetic utterances. We are to judge the prophecy, not the one prophesying. The written Word is our main guideline for judging prophecies.

Any prophecy that violates the written Word must be rejected promptly and the one who gave it should be lovingly and carefully shown why, if they are a new believer or a novice at operating in the Gift of Prophecy and they genuinely missed it and are humble enough to accept correction, then it’s a learning curve for them, they should be encouraged not stifled.

²⁹ Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge. ³⁰ But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent. ³¹ For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. ³² And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. ³³ For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. - 1 Corinthians 14:29-33 NKJV.

If the result of a prophetic utterance by the Gift of Prophecy is fear, confusion, condemnation, shame, manipulation, control, intimidation, guilt or anything like that, rest assured it did not originate from the Holy Spirit and should not be received by God’s people.

Any prophetic utterance that focuses on man at the expense of the testimony of Christ is at best soulish, at worst – outright demonic in origin. Sadly, these are the kinds of prophecies rampant in many charismatic circles today, you know, the ones that go something like this…”you shall be the greatest and everyone will come to you blah blah blah” or the more subtle but equally destructive "because you've fasted and prayed for seven days I will do blah blah blah...". You see beloved, the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy (Revelations 19:10), He is central, He is the focus, once we know and understand that anything we are and everything we receive from God is based on what Jesus did and not on what we can do, we will swiftly sift out these flesh tickling, ego boosting utterances masquerading as prophecies. More on this when we get to the "Gift of Discerning of Spirits"  

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Beloved, of all the nine Gifts of the Spirit listed in 1 Corinthians 12, the Gift of Prophecy is the one we are encouraged to desire earnestly (1 Corinthians 14:1). Let us, therefore passionately desire to be used by God to edify, exhort and encourage others through the Gift of Prophecy. How do we do that? It all starts and ends in Love; as we love others with the love of God that is in us, that has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5), we will find ourselves walking in faith which will result in us receiving words of edification, exhortation and comfort to impact lives and glorify Christ our Lord. 

Blessings beloved,

I am your brother,

Patrick

Up Next>>> Speech Gifts: Tongues and Interpretation of Tongues

THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT - An Introduction

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The Holy Spirit recreates our spirits when we are Born Again, that is when we believe in Jesus and what He has done to save us and confess Him as our Lord and Savior. The Holy Spirit then takes residence in us. Our spirits become one with Him, but that is not enough for effective service. The early disciples believed in Jesus but still needed the baptism of the Holy Spirit to be effective in fulfilling their callings.

If the early disciples who spent three years with Jesus preaching, healing the sick and casting out devils were commanded not to do anything until they were baptized in the Holy Spirit, what makes some Christians today think we don’t need the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Or that we “got it” at salvation, when salvation and baptism in the Spirit are two distinct events.

If baptism in the Spirit happens at salvation, why then did Peter and John go down to Samaria after they heard people were saved and were instrumental in getting the Samaritan believers baptized in the Holy Spirit? (Acts 8:14-17) Or, why would Paul ask the Ephesians believers if they had received the Holy Spirit after they believed? And when they said no, He got them baptized in the Holy Spirit? (Acts 19:1-6)

Beloved, if you are Born Again, and haven’t been baptized in the Holy Spirit, don’t delay any longer, the promise of the Holy Spirit is for you and the Lord Jesus is the One who baptizes us in the Holy Spirit just as John the Baptist said “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Luke 3:16) Jesus Himself said He will send the Holy Spirit when He ascends to the Father and that the Holy Spirit will be with us and in us forever. Jesus promised us the Gift of the Holy Spirit.

Today we are baptized in the Holy Spirit because Jesus has already been glorified. There is nothing we can do to earn it, it doesn’t depend on our performance but on Jesus’ promise to us. Jesus said:

¹³ If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” – Luke 11:13 NRSV

When we ask the Lord to baptize us in the Holy Spirit, He gladly answers “Yes”. And once we are baptized in the Holy Spirit, we are ready to be used in any and all of the nine Gifts of the Spirit as He sees fit.

The Gifts of the Spirit are essentially manifestations of the Holy Spirit; they are expressions of God the Holy Spirit in, to, through and for His people. It is the will of God that we know and receive these Gifts, for through each gift we get to experience His love and see His supernatural power demonstrated in our midst.

There are Nine Gifts of the Spirit recorded in the New Testament and by God’s grace we will endeavor to study each one of them. The Word of God encourages us to not only know these gifts but to also avail ourselves as vessels through which the Holy Spirit can manifest these gifts to impact us and others today.

Our main text as we go through these gifts is 1 Corinthians 12:4-11

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 same Spirit, 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. – 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 NKJV

We will divide these nine gifts into three groups of three gifts each as follows:

1. Speech Gifts – Prophecy, Tongues and Interpretation of Tongues
2. Revelational Gifts – Word of Knowledge, Word of Wisdom and Discerning of Spirits
3. Power Gifts – Faith, Gifts of Healings and Working of Miracles

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The Gifts of the Holy Spirit are for building up the Church and Jesus is the one who said “I will build my Church…” (Matthew 16:18) I submit to you that He manifests Himself through these Gifts using His Body – the Church, to do just that. We do not own any Gift, the Spirit uses us as He wills but we have to be willing as well for He will not force Himself upon anyone, neither will He coerce or manipulate anyone into submitting to being used by Him in any of His Gifts.

Up Next =>>> Speech Gifts: Prophecy

WE FOLLOW… HE MAKES US

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As He launched His earthly ministry, Jesus called out His first disciples who were fishermen with these simple words.

¹⁹ Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” – Matthew 4:19 NKJV

To the others like Matthew the Tax Collector He simply said “follow me” (Matthew 9:9)

He asked them to do only one thing and that was to “follow Him” and He promised to “make them” fishers of men as long as they followed Him.

Today, the Lord is calling out to us by His Spirit who is within us. He is calling us to follow Him and He will make us whatever He wants to make us. Our part is to hear His voice and to follow Him, we are not tasked with the duty or responsibility of making ourselves anything, He is the potter, we are the clay; He is the one who “makes” us into different vessels fit for His use, as He pleases. However, if we fail to follow Him it’s our loss, we miss out on what He would've made us.

In order to follow Him, we must hear His voice. The Good News is we can and do hear His voice because we are His sheep, we are in Christ.

Jesus our Lord said:

²⁷ My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. – John 10:27 NKJV

So, as His sheep we not only hear His voice, but we follow Him as well. We follow Him wherever He may lead us, and He leads us by His Spirit that is resident within us – the Holy Spirit, who leads us all the while witnessing with our spirits that because of Jesus’ finished work and our faith in Him, we are God’s children, holy, righteous and accepted in the Beloved.

¹⁴ For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. ¹⁵ The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. – Romans 8:14:-16 NIV

We are no longer to be lead outwardly by the OT Law or by some man-made set of rules and regulations for us to be accepted by God, we are now led inwardly by the Holy Spirit who knows the mind of Christ in any given situation we may find ourselves in. As we walk in fellowship with the Holy Spirit and follow His leading, we will not have to worry about “making” ourselves anything, He will “make” us what He created us to be seemingly effortlessly. 

Should we try to “make” ourselves anything we will at best end up being frustrated and miserable, for without Him we can do nothing.

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Beloved, I’m not advocating complacency or apathy in any way, shape or form. One cannot truly follow the Lord’s leading and remain apathetic, ineffective or indifferent in how they live and love on others. I must also hasten to add that being constantly active and involved in everything is not necessarily proof that one is following the Lord’s leading.  

Christ has graced each one of us uniquely and it is He who knows how and where we fit best in His Body – the Church and we can only find our place and be at peace as we follow His leading.

Jesus said “follow me and I will make you…”

My part is to follow Him, His is to “make me…”

And we know that He who has promised is faithful and He will do it! 

Blessings!

THE BLOOD OF JESUS 101

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According to God, the life of a creature is in its blood and that is why from the very beginning, when God gave man animals as food, He forbid the eating of animals with their life blood still in them (Genesis 9:4) . Later, the Jews of old were told not to drink blood or eat meat with blood still in it. The life of that animal was in the blood and in the same way the life of a human being is in their blood (Leviticus 17:11-14). When blood is shed it means a life is “shed”; it is either taken away or forfeited or offered, whichever the case may be.

From the time of the Old Mosaic Covenant, the High Priest would go into the Holy of Holies with Blood once a year to make atonement for the people’s sin. He would sprinkle the blood on the Mercy Seat on top of the Ark of the Covenant. This was a shadow pointing to the substance – Jesus, the Lamb of God and our High Priest who would come later.

When Jesus went into the true Holy of Holies in Heaven with His Blood to atone for the sin of the entire human race, that Old Covenant practice was effectively done away with, as a shadow of what was to come, it had already served its purpose. Jesus sprinkled His blood on the Mercy Seat once and for all – never to be repeated again, it is done, and sin has been fully, conclusively and decisively dealt with by God, it has been put away for good. (Hebrews 9:24-26)

The Lord Jesus told us exactly what to do with His blood and what it would accomplish in us:

⁵³ Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. ⁵⁴ Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. ⁵⁵ For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. ⁵⁶ Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. – John 6:53-56 NIV

These words of the Master offended many people, remember they had been taught for generations not to eat blood, and they certainly weren't cannibals. They didn't get the spiritual significance of what He was telling them. Even His disciples said of His words “this is a hard teaching, who can accept it?”. Many of them left Him, that’s how offended they were:

⁶⁶ From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. – John 5:66 NIV

You see beloved, we've gone the other way, we repeatedly plead and plaster the blood of Jesus on stuff, this shouldn't be so. We are to drink it, as it were; His life is in us and has now become ours. We are one with Deity; we are not to call on the Blood of Jesus superstitiously, as a charm to protect us or our stuff as some of us have ignorantly done in the past. We are kept safe by His Name – Our Strong Tower! We are protected by the power of God through faith (1 Peter 1:5)

Let’s not forget this truth: In Him we live and move and have our being. We are in Him already, how much more protected can we ever be?

For far too long we have been listening to the lies of the enemy who seeks to distract us from believing the truth that we are complete in Christ. The devil wants us to keep on living beggarly, lacking, unfulfilled lives; second guessing our Father’s love for us, doubting His Word and ultimately being ineffective in doing what we've been called and equipped to do.

If you are in Christ and He is in you, then you have eaten of His flesh and drank of His blood and His

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blood is cleansing you as you live your life, fellowship and interact with other saints. And as His blood is cleansing you it is ushering you into the Father’s presence at all times so that you can stand confidently before your Abba Father, without feelings of guilt, shame or condemnation and live your life from that place of victory.    

The blood of Jesus was shed for the remission of our sins, and it inaugurated the New Covenant of which we are beneficiaries.

²⁷ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, ²⁸ for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. – Matthew 26:27-28 ESV