Give Me the Bible

The Gifts Of The Holy Spirit

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: Pr. Kenneth Cox

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Series Code: GMTB

Program Code: GMTB000014


00:19 Most theologians and historians
00:22 agree that the year 1800 began
00:25 what we call the Second
00:27 Great Awakening.
00:29 The Second Great Awakening
00:30 was a uniquely American
00:33 phenomenon though its effect reached around the world.
00:36 In North America you had men like Finney and Craig
00:39 and Masterson and Taylor and Tyler.
00:42 Later on even Dwight L. Moody was at the back end
00:45 of that Awakening.
00:46 In South America you had men like Manuel de le Cunza:
00:50 Juan Josephat Ben Ezra... his pen name.
00:52 In Europe you had many men.
00:54 But the Second Great Awakening had in common
00:58 what all great awakenings have, and that is a strong emphasis
01:02 on the Word of God...
01:04 a getting back to the Bible as a source.
01:07 People like William Miller secreted himself away
01:09 for many years with only the Bible and Cruden's Concordance.
01:13 Unlike the First Great Awakening which took place in about 1760,
01:18 the Second Great Awakening saw the genesis of many
01:22 Bible societies and track societies and missionaries
01:24 that went around the world.
01:27 But again, all great awakenings...
01:30 all great revivals... have one thing in common,
01:33 and that is an elevation of the Word of God.
01:37 Men going back to the Bible
01:38 and highlighting the Bible and the Bible only.
01:41 So it is fitting that Elder Cox
01:43 has called this particular series
01:46 Give Me The Bible.
01:48 Because if man is ever to extricate himself from
01:51 the pit of sin that he finds himself in,
01:53 it's going to be the Word of God and study of the Word of God
01:58 that will do precisely that.
02:00 My name is C.A. Murray, and it is my privilege and pleasure
02:03 to welcome you to Volume 3
02:05 Section 4 of plain, powerful,
02:08 practical preaching
02:10 from the Word of God.
02:11 We've been discussing the Holy Spirit,
02:13 and tonight we will deal with the gifts of the Spirit.
02:16 What that means, what that is,
02:19 what that does.
02:21 What the Holy Spirit wants to do to us, for us,
02:23 with us and through us. And our preacher, our teacher,
02:26 our pastor, our evangelist, and our friend
02:28 is Elder Kenneth Cox.
02:30 I'm excited - as I know you are - to hear
02:33 what the gifts of the Spirit are all about.
02:35 But before he comes to us,
02:37 we will be blessed by some special music by our organist,
02:41 the lovely Dona Klein.
04:06 Thank you Dona Klein!
04:08 Enjoyed that very much.
04:10 Well, we welcome you back tonight.
04:12 Appreciate you being here for Give Me The Bible.
04:15 We hope that as we're going
04:17 through each subject
04:20 that its helpful to you.
04:21 We decided when we were going
04:23 to put the series together
04:25 that we would take a subject
04:27 and spend five nights on that particular subject.
04:30 And that's what we've done so far.
04:32 Like now, we're into the subject of the Holy Spirit,
04:36 and we're going to spend five presentations on the
04:38 Holy Spirit. We spent five on the second coming of Christ,
04:42 and each month we will be spending five presentations
04:46 on a particular subject.
04:48 So we hope that it helps you
04:50 get a picture of what's happening and what the
04:52 scripture has to say about it in a way that will be
04:57 a blessing to you.
04:58 Tonight we're talking about the
05:03 Very, very important subject.
05:05 And so we hope it will bless you in a special way.
05:09 And then our next presentation is entitled the
05:15 The scripture talks about what is known at the Latter Rain.
05:19 That's what we'll be looking at in our next presentation.
05:22 So we hope you'll be sure be with us.
05:26 If you're watching by television, we hope you'll
05:29 keep being there each evening as we study God's Word.
05:33 If you're listening on the radio, we hope you're where
05:36 you can tune in, follow as we continue to study it.
05:40 As I mentioned tonight,
05:42 we're talking about the
05:46 Very, very important subject
05:48 because it's one that I find is misunderstood a lot today.
05:53 And we need to find out... What says the Bible,
05:56 the blessed Bible?
05:58 This should my only question be.
06:00 God gives us His Spirit to lead and to guide us.
06:04 What says the Book of God to me?
06:06 That's what we want to find out.
06:07 So what are you looking at in tonight's presentation?
06:10 What are you looking for?
06:12 Well one, of course, is to find out what the gifts are.
06:16 What are the gifts God gives?
06:18 And we'll look at those.
06:20 But also how they relate to you
06:24 and how they work in our lives.
06:26 And what's the purpose in those gifts?
06:29 Why does God give them?
06:31 So we're going to look at that.
06:32 We hope that it will help you understand what your gift is.
06:36 Help you understand how God uses those
06:39 and how you and I can put ourselves in a position
06:42 to be used more by God.
06:45 So we hope it will bless you in a special way.
06:48 During the series we've been very happy to have
06:52 David Tank with us.
06:53 David is from Modesto, California - where he lives.
06:57 And tonight he's going to sing a song on the 8th Psalm
07:02 which he wrote. I'm sure you'll be blessed in a special way.
07:21 As I look at Thy heavens,
07:24 the works of Thy fingers,
07:28 the moon and the stars which Thou hast made,
07:35 what is man that Thou art mindful of him?
07:40 And the son of man that Thou dost care for him?
07:51 As I think of Thy greatness...
07:54 the powers You command,
07:58 the majesty and glory that You have,
08:05 what is man that Thou art mindful of him?
08:11 And why Lord do You care so much for him?
08:20 Yet Thou has made him just a little less
08:24 than God.
08:28 And did crown him with glory
08:31 and with honor.
08:34 Thou has given him dominion
08:37 o'er the workings of Thy hands.
08:42 The sheep and the oxen,
08:44 the beasts of the field,
08:48 the birds of the air,
08:50 and the fish of the sea.
08:58 Oh Lord, my Lord,
09:00 Creator of all things,
09:04 how majestic is Thy name in all the earth.
09:11 What is man that Thou art mindful of him?
09:17 And why Lord do You care so much for him?
09:25 What is man that Thou art mindful of him?
09:30 I just don't know, Lord, why You care
09:33 so much for him.
10:03 Amen.
10:17 Gracious Father,
10:19 we come to You this evening
10:21 first, Lord, just to give You
10:25 our thanks. Thank you, Lord,
10:28 for loving us.
10:30 For supplying all our needs
10:36 with the fruits of the Spirit,
10:37 the gifts of the Spirit.
10:39 Lord, help us to know how
10:42 to open up our hearts and to accept You.
10:47 To let the Holy Spirit work in our lives.
10:51 Give us understanding tonight
10:54 that we may know what You are willing to do for us
10:58 and that we might know how
11:01 to be the witnesses that we should be.
11:04 For this we pray in Christ's name, Amen.
11:15 Have you ever received a gift?
11:17 And have you noticed when given a gift how much
11:21 excitement, eagerness there is.
11:25 You wonder what's... what's in the box, what's there,
11:29 and you're excited about it.
11:31 Can you remember a particular gift that you received that
11:38 kind of stands out more than any other gift you ever got?
11:41 You know? What gift have you... was given to you over the years
11:47 that just kind of stands out?
11:48 I have one in my life that stands out more than
11:51 any other gift that I've ever received.
11:54 I've forgotten many, many, many of the others.
11:58 I don't know. I can't remember what they were.
12:00 They've all gone.
12:01 But this one... I have never forgotten it.
12:05 I've remembered it all my life.
12:07 And it was when we were... my wife and I were at school
12:12 in Lincoln, Nebraska.
12:14 And we were absolutely so poor...
12:19 I can't describe to you how poor we were.
12:24 It's just so much that... it was my birthday.
12:27 I didn't think she'd get me a present.
12:30 I didn't... I mean, she didn't have any money to buy it with
12:33 period. I mean, there was no such thing
12:35 as having money to go get me a gift with.
12:37 There wasn't such.
12:39 And so I didn't expect anything.
12:41 But my birthday came, and sure enough
12:45 there was a box... a little box
12:48 and she gave it to me for my... my birthday.
12:52 And I didn't have any idea what it was.
12:54 And I can remember opening the box.
12:57 And as I took the lid off and looked inside
13:01 there was a lollipop.
13:04 A sucker that she had bought me for my birthday.
13:07 That gift has stayed in my mind and in my heart
13:11 more than anything else because to me it was a symbol
13:14 of her love and devotion to me,
13:16 and it just had a special meaning to me.
13:19 Well God has gifts that He wants to give you.
13:23 Definite gifts He wants to give you.
13:26 And the gifts that God gives to you -
13:29 how should I put it? -
13:31 aren't so much to do with the physical part of it, folks.
13:35 God wants to give you gifts that deal with the spiritual
13:38 side of it. That's the gifts He wants to give you.
13:41 And because the physical part... that's not going to stay around.
13:47 You know? It says: "the flesh profiteth nothing. "
13:51 It isn't. But the Spirit is what is life and what lives.
13:55 And so God wants to give you gifts that deal with the Spirit.
14:00 And you'll find that there are several gifts in the Bible.
14:03 I mean, not just one of two
14:05 but a lot of different gifts that are given in God's Word.
14:08 In fact, the scripture gives three lists
14:11 of gifts that God wants to give.
14:14 And I'm going to read with you those three lists
14:18 so you'll know what they are.
14:20 And these are gifts that God wants to give to you
14:23 and to me. So the first one we're reading about
14:26 is in I Corinthians the 12th chapter.
14:28 And here God lists gifts He wants to give.
14:36 How many?
14:38 Be very clear
14:39 that God gives you a gift
14:41 and that gift is not for just you.
14:46 It's not something that you hoard.
14:49 It's not something that's just for you.
14:51 That gift's given for the "profit of all. "
14:55 Very, very important.
15:07 Those are two gifts.
15:37 Those are gifts. We just read nine gifts
15:40 that God wants to give to you and to me.
15:45 And it has a very definite purpose that we'll talk about
15:48 in just a moment.
15:50 There are other gifts that are listed here
15:52 in Romans the 12th chapter and verse 6.
15:55 Talks about gifts that God gives.
16:29 Those are gifts that the Holy Spirit gives to you and I
16:34 that we are to use.
16:35 Now, God gives five gifts
16:40 for the church. Five gifts for the church.
16:45 And He spells them out very clearly,
16:48 and He says these are the five gifts that He gives
16:50 to the church. And when I'm saying to the church
16:53 that is... for the operation of the church.
16:56 For how it should operate and take place.
17:04 Apostles, folks, are people in leadership.
17:10 That's what that's referring to.
17:12 They are the ones who guide and direct
17:14 in the affairs of the church.
17:16 And the leadership in that respect referred to as apostles.
17:20 And then it says "some prophets, "
17:23 Gives a gift to the church because that is helpful to the
17:27 church to know where it's going... where it's headed.
17:29 "to some evangelists, "
17:31 and that's for the spreading of the gospel.
17:34 "and some pastors and teachers. "
17:36 Those five gifts are given to the church
17:39 and they are given for the work of the church.
17:42 That's what they are to be used for.
17:44 And those are gifts that the Holy Spirit gives.
17:47 By the way, that doesn't apply just to clergy.
17:53 That doesn't apply just to clergy.
17:56 That applies to the work of the church.
17:59 And that includes all of us.
18:02 Not just one but all of us.
18:04 It says: "for the" what?
18:10 That's more than clergy.
18:15 And I have known many laymen
18:19 who God has given a gift to
18:23 that they do outstanding jobs in these five areas.
18:27 So God gives those gifts, and they are to be used
18:31 in the work of the church as it takes place.
18:34 Now, He lists nine gifts
18:39 that He gives, and those gifts are to be used.
18:43 The thing of it is... is it says that Christ is the head
18:47 of the church.
18:49 That's what it says. It says Christ is the head
18:51 of the church. And the Bible says here in Corinthians
18:55 it says that the "church is the body. "
18:59 Way it describes it. The church is the body.
19:02 And it says that you and I are members of that body.
19:09 OK? Have you got the picture?
19:10 Christ is the head. The church is the body,
19:14 and you and I are members of that body.
19:18 OK. Paul takes that theme up and talks about it here
19:22 in the 12th chapter, and he says:
19:32 In other words, if the foot says "I don't like being the foot.
19:36 I want to be the hand. "
19:37 See? No, just because it doesn't like being the foot...
19:42 No, it's still part of the body.
19:45 And by the way, it's just as important
19:48 as the hand.
19:50 And so some of us are the eyes.
19:53 Some of us are the feet.
19:55 Some of us are the hands.
19:57 Some of us are the ears.
19:58 We are all different parts of God's body.
20:02 But every part is important.
20:05 OK? So he puts it all together. He goes on and says:
20:16 If the ear doesn't like it and wants to be the eye,
20:20 no... it's still part of the body.
20:22 And it fulfills a very definite function and purpose
20:25 in the body.
20:28 Are you following that?
20:31 Because I find that sometimes
20:33 church members don't follow that very well.
20:37 Watch:
20:52 You know, it's not just one... it's all of us.
20:56 We're members.
21:04 Now, what I'm trying to tell you
21:07 is God has put you in the church
21:12 just exactly where He wants you. Amen!
21:16 That's what that's saying.
21:18 He's put you there just exactly where He wants you.
21:22 And you and I are to fulfill the purpose by which He has
21:28 called us to do with the gifts that He has given us.
21:33 Now let me tell you what bothers me.
21:36 What bothers me is... let's say that I wake up
21:41 some morning with a toothache.
21:44 And my tooth is really hurting me.
21:47 And I... I go and
21:51 get something to try to
21:54 deaden the pain a little bit
21:56 till I can get to the dentist.
21:58 And I go into the bathroom
22:00 and see if I've got something there in the medicine cabinet
22:03 that I can put there by that tooth
22:04 to deaden the pain and just give me some relief
22:07 until I can get to the dentist.
22:09 And I go in the bathroom
22:10 and I get ready to get whatever I have in the medicine cabinet,
22:14 and my hands won't move.
22:16 You know, I can't pick up my hands.
22:20 And pretty soon my hands say "Well,
22:24 that's good enough for you.
22:26 You shouldn't have been eating so much sugar.
22:29 You ought to have known better.
22:31 That's what you get for what you've been doing.
22:34 You shouldn't do that. "
22:35 Is that the way my hands treat my tooth?
22:38 Huh?
22:40 No, my hand sympathize with my tooth.
22:44 It tries to help and relieve the problem that I'm having.
22:48 I don't understand when each one of you
22:52 are members in the body
22:55 and yet I hear some member say of another member
22:58 "Good enough for 'em. "
23:00 "Shouldn't have done that. "
23:01 No! That isn't what you do.
23:04 You sympathize with the person.
23:06 You sympathize and you help them.
23:08 You know, we sing a song...
23:10 sing a song and say: "You may notice that we say
23:12 brothers and sisters around here.
23:14 It's because we are a... family
23:18 and these folks are so dear.
23:20 If one has a heartache, we all shed the tear.
23:24 And rejoice in each victory in this family so dear. "
23:28 That's what God wants us to be, folks.
23:30 That's what we are to be.
23:32 God has placed you in the church,
23:35 in the body of Christ,
23:36 and you have a purpose for being there.
23:40 And I don't care who you are...
23:42 you have a purpose, you have a place
23:47 in God's body.
23:49 And He calls us to work within that place.
23:53 Now, He tells us clearly that He give us these things
23:58 to be witnesses. Acts 1 verse 8:
24:16 So He says clearly that you and I
24:19 are to be witnesses, and He gives these gifts to us
24:25 to make our witness effective.
24:29 Did you follow me?
24:31 Without the gift of God
24:34 your witness will not be effective.
24:37 Gives us those gifts to make us effective.
24:41 And what you have to realize
24:44 is it's not your place,
24:46 not my place,
24:49 to get down on my knees and plead with God
24:53 to give me a certain gift.
24:56 That is not what the scripture teaches.
24:59 The scripture does not teach that I should get down
25:03 on my knees and plead with God for the gift of tongues.
25:10 It just doesn't teach that.
25:12 This is what it teaches:
25:23 In other words, it makes it clear
25:25 that the Holy Spirit gives us whatever gift
25:28 He wants us to have.
25:30 It is not up to you; it's not up to me
25:34 to say "Lord, I need this particular gift. "
25:37 He gives us what gift He wants us to have
25:41 because He knows us a whole lot better
25:44 than we know ourselves.
25:58 So He gives us whichever gift
26:02 He would like us to have.
26:03 He gives us that gift, and that is what we are to use.
26:08 Now, there are nine gifts
26:11 that are given for witnessing, as I mentioned.
26:14 How do you know your gift?
26:17 Well, as we found out in our last presentation
26:20 when we talked about fruits of the Spirit,
26:24 that you and I are to have all the fruits of the Spirit.
26:28 Those are to be in our lives,
26:31 and we are supposed to grow in them and all.
26:33 And those are to be present.
26:35 Not... that's not that way in the gifts of the Spirit.
26:38 In the gifts of the Spirit, He gives us one gift.
26:42 He may give somebody two gifts.
26:44 But it's the Holy Spirit that gives us what gift
26:47 He wants us to have.
26:48 And so he gives us different gifts of the Spirit.
26:52 So I need to look and watch
26:55 for what gift He wants to give me.
26:58 Secondly, folks, I need to be very, very clear -
27:02 and I'm telling you how to know what your gift is -
27:05 be very clear on what the Bible teaches.
27:09 So spend time. Read I Corinthians 12, 13, 14.
27:14 Understand clearly what God teaches about these gifts.
27:20 And then, I just need to watch for them.
27:23 Secondly, they come as a result of prayer...
27:29 and so I need to pray
27:31 that God will show me the gift He's given me
27:35 and that I will bring it about in my life.
27:38 Paul wrote to Timothy, and he said this to him:
27:52 Paul said the gift is in you.
27:54 It's present with you.
27:56 Spend time in prayer; stir it up!
27:58 Use that gift that God has given you.
28:02 Friend, that... we shouldn't allow that
28:05 gift just to lie there dormant.
28:07 I need to be using it.
28:09 It's very important for it to be used.
28:13 You and I must be teachable.
28:17 I must surrender.
28:20 Folks, I cannot say enough
28:23 of how important it is that we surrender ourselves
28:28 to be used of the Holy Spirit.
28:31 I must do that for that gift to operate in my life
28:36 and do what needs to be done.
28:38 So be teachable.
28:42 Be willing; be flexible.
28:45 Let God use you in a special way.
28:48 All right, let's take a look at these nine gifts
28:51 that the Holy Spirit gives us for witnessing.
28:56 Says:
29:02 So it's given to each one of us
29:04 for everybody.
29:06 That's part of the gift. All right.
29:38 Those are the nine gifts that are given.
29:42 Now, I'm going to talk about them in a little different order
29:46 and three of them I'm going to put to the very end.
29:52 And the reason I'm putting them to the very end
29:55 is because they are very public
29:57 to begin with and because they are misused today
30:03 in a very definite way.
30:05 One of the gifts that's given is wisdom.
30:09 That's a gift that the Holy Spirit gives.
30:12 Now folks, that word wisdom
30:15 means somebody who can give good counsel.
30:20 Somebody who has a... more than just
30:26 book knowledge. They have the ability to understand life
30:30 and give good counsel in relationship to what God says.
30:34 That does not have a great lot to do
30:38 with formal education.
30:41 OK?
30:43 I'm sorry. I have seen people who have
30:47 lots of formal education that don't have much wisdom.
30:53 And I've seen people who have very little formal education
30:57 that had great wisdom.
30:59 And those are the type of people that I'm going to look for
31:02 and hunt if I need counsel.
31:06 That's somebody I want to talk to
31:08 is someone that God gave the gift of wisdom to.
31:11 That's a gift that's given.
31:13 To another is given the gift of knowledge.
31:16 That's what I call book learning.
31:19 They have knowledge... book learning.
31:22 Or they've been able to apply things they've learned in life
31:25 and they have knowledge that way.
31:28 I went to school with a young man that I believe
31:31 had the gift of knowledge.
31:33 Because I can remember we would... we would
31:37 sit there in the room and be studying Greek.
31:42 And I'd be over at the desk pouring over the Greek book
31:45 and he would sit on his bed and strum his guitar
31:49 and page through the Greek book.
31:51 You know? And when we took tests, he'd make A's;
31:54 I'd make B's.
31:56 I mean, he just seems to be a walking encyclopedia
31:59 and even to this day, folks,
32:01 I can pick up the phone and call him
32:04 and I can ask him about places or dates, and he can just
32:07 spiel them off. I mean, just seems to be a walking
32:10 encyclopedia.
32:11 Has a tremendous amount of knowledge.
32:13 But if I need counsel, I don't call him
32:18 because he doesn't have horse sense.
32:20 See? You understand what I'm talking about?
32:23 There's a difference between wisdom,
32:25 and there's a difference between that and knowledge.
32:28 But both of those are gifts of the Spirit.
32:31 Given by the Holy Spirit.
32:35 Makes a big difference.
32:36 To another is given faith.
32:38 Now every one of you is given the gift of faith.
32:42 But when it's listed here it's more than just a gift
32:47 of faith. It's much larger, much bigger.
32:50 And you've know people, I'm sure, that seem to have
32:53 the gift of faith. They just have a tremendous faith that
32:56 they can reach out and take hold of things and believe.
33:01 That's a gift that's given to them by God.
33:04 That gift... very important. Those are gifts
33:07 that are given to you and to me.
33:10 To another prophecy.
33:13 Now the next three gifts that I'm going to talk about here
33:17 are given to help us understand where we're going.
33:23 What's happening. And prophecy is one of those gifts
33:26 that God uses. And that gift of prophecy
33:29 takes place several ways.
33:31 1. It takes place by the study of God's Word.
33:35 As I pick up the Bible and I read the prophecies...
33:40 the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation...
33:43 and it helps me understand where we're headed.
33:47 What's happening; what's taking place.
33:49 That's prophecy, folks.
33:50 That's... God put it down there; it helps us know that.
33:53 Then there's other people that God gives
33:56 the gift of prophecy to.
33:59 They are able to see the future
34:02 and understand what is coming.
34:04 And of course you and I understand that was done
34:07 in the writings of Ellen G. White.
34:09 And we can pick up her books and read them
34:12 in which she talks about things that are coming.
34:15 And we understand it. And by the way,
34:18 you know, I wasn't born yesterday as you well know.
34:22 And so I've been... I've been here for a good while.
34:26 And I've been following the Lord for a good while.
34:30 And I have been reading the writings of Ellen G. White
34:34 for a long time.
34:36 And I'll just tell you this:
34:38 the prophecies that she made
34:40 have all been fulfilled
34:42 as she said they would be.
34:44 Amen.
34:45 See? Because God gave those.
34:48 Those take place. So you and I have the gift
34:52 of prophecy among us or to people.
34:54 And I believe particularly in the last days
34:57 the gift of prophecy will be prevalent.
35:01 I believe that many will have that gift in the last days
35:05 As we face serious times, God will bless and help
35:11 lead and guide His church that way.
35:13 So that's the gift of prophecy that's given.
35:16 To another the discerning of spirits.
35:18 In other words, God gives to that individual
35:22 the ability to know whether it's of God or whether it's not.
35:28 Peter. Peter had the gift of discerning of spirits.
35:33 Mean that's very clearly taught in scripture.
35:36 That was a gift that Peter had.
35:37 You remember Ananias and Sapphira came in there.
35:42 Ananias said: "Yeah, we sold the property.
35:44 This is how much we got. "
35:46 And Peter said: "No, Ananias.
35:49 Why are you lying to God? "
35:52 See he discerned what was there. He understood the situation.
35:58 So you and I will find that there will be people
36:01 in the church that have that ability.
36:04 Let me just say this, folks.
36:06 You have to be very careful in these areas.
36:11 I must make sure that what I am saying
36:17 harmonizes and agrees with the Word of God. Amen!
36:23 Never, never, never - put it down -
36:27 will God give you something and show you something
36:30 that will go contrary to this book.
36:33 It just doesn't happen.
36:35 And if it is not in agreement with the Word of God,
36:41 recognize it as that and stop it.
36:44 I run onto people who come and they have some prophecy
36:48 that is totally out of context with God's Word
36:52 and they want you to accept it, believe it,
36:54 as the word of God. No way!
36:56 No way! It will always harmonize with the Word of God
37:01 if it's from the Lord.
37:02 So make sure when it comes to prophecy,
37:05 when it comes to the discerning of spirits,
37:08 you have to make sure this is of God.
37:13 This is what the Lord says.
37:15 The interpretation of tongues.
37:18 Interpretation of tongues is given... it's given
37:24 1. To put a check on the use of tongues.
37:30 There to put a check on the use of tongues.
37:35 In other words, that person has the ability to interpret
37:40 what is being said and they know if it is of God
37:44 or if it is not.
37:46 Very, very vital
37:49 thing that has to take place in our lives
37:52 and to be used. These are gifts that God gives.
37:56 Now the last three, as I told you,
37:58 are gifts that are very public
38:03 and they're also very, very misused today.
38:08 And therefore we need to be very clear
38:11 on what God's Word says about these gifts
38:14 and how they are used. One is healing.
38:17 Now, the scripture is crystal clear
38:22 when it comes to healing.
38:25 Does God heal?
38:27 Absolutely!
38:30 No question God heals.
38:32 That is true.
38:34 But there are certain things about healing
38:39 that the scripture also makes clear. It tells us
38:42 that if somebody's sick exactly what we ought to do.
38:45 And this is what it tells us here in James:
38:48 It says:
39:09 So the scripture tells us clearly
39:11 that if somebody is sick
39:13 that they're to call the elders of the church.
39:15 Pray for that person,
39:17 and the prayer of faith will save the sick.
39:20 Nowhere... nowhere in scripture does it ever say
39:26 that I should wholesale it.
39:29 You know? And I find that's done today.
39:31 It's abused unbelievably.
39:35 It's used to advertise and all this kind of stuff.
39:40 No! That's not what Christ did
39:41 and that's not what the scripture teaches.
39:44 It simply says if they're sick, call the elders of the church
39:48 and pray for them.
39:49 "Anointing them with oil,
39:51 and the prayer of faith will save the sick. "
39:53 I will remember I was holding a meeting in
39:58 Louisville, Kentucky.
40:00 A little girl 10 years of age
40:04 came to me and she said: "Brother Cox,
40:07 I have a very serious
40:10 condition.
40:12 In fact, it's life-threatening.
40:15 And when the meetings here
40:17 are over, my parents are
40:19 taking me to Mayo
40:21 for a physical. And if they can't find out
40:25 or figure out how to solve it,
40:26 then it probably will take my life.
40:29 It was a kidney condition.
40:31 And she said: "I was just wondering if you'd
40:34 pray for me. "
40:35 And I told her, I said: "Young lady, I'll
40:37 be glad to pray for you. "
40:39 But I said: "Why don't we just call some of the other pastors
40:42 and have an anointing service and anoint you? "
40:46 And she said: "OK. "
40:48 And so we got the pastors together and we had
40:50 an anointing service and prayed for her
40:53 and anointed her with oil.
40:54 And, you know, folks...
40:58 there wasn't any lightning.
41:00 There wasn't anything like that.
41:02 We just prayed for her as the scripture said...
41:05 anointed her as God's Word said.
41:07 When the meetings were over, her parents took her to Mayo.
41:10 And they had had her there for about two days
41:14 running tests on her,
41:16 and the doctors called in the parents
41:18 and they said... Doctor said to them, he said:
41:20 "Now, we've run tests now for two days, "
41:24 and they said: "we can't find any problem. "
41:27 Amen!
41:29 And the parents said: "Well, great! "
41:30 The mother said: "We'll take her home. "
41:32 And the doctor said: "No, you're not going to take
41:34 take her home. " Said: "We're going to keep her 2 more days
41:38 because we want to continue to run some tests. "
41:41 They said: "In fact, " they said, "you brought
41:45 all the medical records so we know there's been a problem
41:49 because you've got all the records here. "
41:51 In fact, she'd previously had surgery
41:54 for this problem and said:
41:55 "We can't even find any signs of that. "
41:58 And so they kept her two more days.
42:02 Never could find anything.
42:05 Sent her home. That's been, oh, folks,
42:08 I don't know, that's probably been 30 years ago.
42:12 That woman's grown. Has children.
42:16 Sends me a Christmas card regularly and all.
42:20 You know, God healed her. Just took away the whole thing.
42:23 God does that.
42:25 That's a promise that He gives us... that's healing.
42:27 But dear friend, please...
42:31 it's not something that we want to...
42:34 Like it's for the benefit of all.
42:36 It's not for something that we are going to wholesale or
42:39 talk about in that sense. It's something that
42:41 we do and give all the glory and honor to the Lord.
42:44 All right, the other is tongues.
42:48 Speaking in tongues.
42:52 Scripture clear about tongues,
42:56 and you need to understand exactly what the scripture
42:59 teaches concerning tongues...
43:01 and so that's what we're going to look at.
43:10 This is when the Holy Spirit was poured out.
43:27 Now here they were, as we found out in our previous deal
43:31 they were Jews and they were there,
43:33 and the Holy Spirit was poured out
43:35 and they began to speak in other tongues.
43:38 Talking in other languages, if you please.
43:42 Now Paul gives us very, very clear counsel about this.
43:48 Listen to what he says here:
44:05 Why is that?
44:07 Why would he say the person who prophesies
44:11 is greater than the person who speaks in a tongue?
44:14 Well, he goes on and tells you why.
44:22 Paul is saying: "If I stand up here and I speak in a tongue,
44:26 a language that you don't understand,
44:29 if I speak to you tonight in Swahili,
44:32 none of you are going to understand. "
44:34 He said: "Much better that I speak to you
44:37 in a language that you CAN understand. "
44:53 He said: "I've got to speak to you by something
44:57 that you can understand. " That's what he's trying to say.
45:15 He said: "If I just talk to you in a language
45:18 you don't understand, it's not going to help you. "
45:21 But he said: "Much better that I said five words to you
45:26 that you can understand. "
45:28 So, yes. Tongues is a gift.
45:32 No question about that, folks.
45:34 But it tells us exactly how it's to be used.
45:36 Watch this. It's telling you now exactly how it's to be used:
45:53 Now folks, that direction is just as clear as can be.
45:58 It said if there's going to be somebody speaking in tongues
46:01 let there be one,
46:04 or two, or at the most three.
46:09 None of this stuff that you see happening
46:12 where you've got 15, 20 people all standing on their feet
46:16 speaking in an unknown tongue.
46:18 That is not of God; that's confusion. Amen!
46:21 See? The Bible is clear.
46:23 It's to be one, two, or at the most three -
46:27 now listen - and it says "each in turn. "
46:31 What does that mean?
46:32 One at a time!
46:35 Doesn't mean all of them at the same time.
46:37 It means one at a time is to speak.
46:40 "And if there is no interpreter, let one interpret. "
46:45 That's to put the check on it that I talked about.
46:48 "And if there is no interpreter, "
46:51 let him what?
46:57 So the scripture is very, very clear
46:59 how tongues are to be used.
47:02 IT IS A GIFT.
47:04 And it is used, and it has great power,
47:08 and it does great good in many places where
47:11 God's Spirit uses it.
47:13 But we need to make sure that we're lettin' the Holy Spirit
47:17 lead as we use it.
47:19 The last one is miracles.
47:21 What the scripture has to say about miracles.
47:36 You'll find in the early church, a sign of an apostle
47:41 was someone who performed miracles.
47:45 And God used it as a sign of their position and place.
47:51 They were apostles.
48:11 So they performed miracles.
48:14 Now, God performs miracles.
48:18 That's a gift that's given.
48:20 I had a friend I believe that had that gift
48:23 because I walked sideways every time I got around him
48:26 because something strange was going to happen.
48:28 He just seemed to have that gift.
48:30 But it's a gift of miracles.
48:33 But you must understand that the devil can perform miracles.
48:37 So you cannot let miracles be the basis of your belief.
48:49 You see?
49:03 So what am I to do?
49:06 What am I to do if somebody
49:12 predicts something,
49:14 says it's going to happen?
49:16 Or they... they work a miracle?
49:18 Can I believe that?
49:21 And can I accept that?
49:23 How am I to relate to that?
49:26 I want you to listen because here in Deuteronomy
49:29 it tells you exactly how you and I are to relate to this.
49:44 He predicts something's going to happen
49:47 or he even performs a miracle, OK?
49:54 Just exactly like he said... it happened.
50:04 He tries to lead you away from what you know is right,
50:09 lead you contrary to God,
50:24 Knows whether you are. So He's telling us that we
50:29 are to follow Him. Listen, this is what you're to do:
50:43 Yes, it says clearly that you and I
50:46 are to hang on to the Lord.
50:49 I am to follow His Word.
50:51 I am to walk as God teaches me.
50:55 You see, dear friend, it's very important
50:58 that I make sure that these signs that Christ has given...
51:02 these gifts that He's given...
51:04 that they are used as God would have you use them.
51:08 Yes, you need to desire them.
51:11 In fact, it says this:
51:18 That's what we're supposed to do...
51:32 So he says clearly that you and I are to seek
51:37 spiritual gifts.
51:39 That makes your witness effective.
51:42 That's why many, many Christians
51:47 live uneffective lives
51:50 is because they don't receive the gifts of the Spirit.
51:53 So, sure. I need to pray for the infilling of God's Spirit.
51:58 I need to pray that God will make that gift prevalent
52:03 in my life and that I will use it as God wants me to.
52:07 So we need to follow the Lord and His way.
52:16 Spirit of the living God,
52:22 fall afresh on me.
52:29 Spirit of the living God,
52:35 fall afresh on me.
52:42 Break me,
52:45 melt me,
52:48 mold me,
52:52 fill me!
52:57 Spirit of the living God,
53:04 fall afresh on me.
53:12 Let us pray.
53:13 Father in Heaven,
53:17 we come to You this evening
53:20 Lord, opening up our hearts.
53:25 Asking that You would be present.
53:30 That You would help each one of us
53:32 to be aware of the gifts that You have given us.
53:37 That we might stir them up.
53:39 That we might use them.
53:42 That we might grow spiritually as You would have us to,
53:47 and that our witness would be effective.
53:50 That it would touch the hearts of men and women
53:53 and that we might be the witness that You would have us to be.
53:58 Forgive us, Lord, where we have permitted
54:03 the things of this life to absorb our attention
54:09 and that we haven't come to You
54:13 and placed ourselves to be used as You would have us to be.
54:18 Bless each one here this evening
54:21 in a very, very special way we pray.
54:24 In Your name, Amen.
54:27 Our next presentation which will be
54:31 the last one in this series,
54:33 is on the Latter Rain.
54:35 And it says
54:37 just before Jesus comes
54:40 the Holy Spirit will be poured out.
54:42 Will be poured out in great, great measure
54:46 as it was in the Day of Pentecost.
54:49 That's what we'll be looking at in our next presentation.
54:52 God bless you. Be sure and be here!
54:55 A coal miner of old would leave his family every day
54:58 and descend into the depths of the earth
55:01 with the certain knowledge that the smallest mistake
55:05 could keep him and others from ever seeing daylight again.
55:08 Walking along in the dark,
55:10 he could only rely upon his feeble oil lamp
55:14 to keep him alive.
55:15 He faced many dangers down there.
55:17 Rockfalls, flooding, fires.
55:21 But perhaps the danger he feared the most
55:24 was the one that he could not see.
55:26 They called it chokedamp or blackdamp:
55:29 an unbreathable mixture of gases
55:32 that could quickly snuff out his life.
55:35 Imagine for a moment the terror he felt when he realized
55:39 he had hit a pocket of blackdamp.
55:41 The sudden drop in oxygen would put out his lamp
55:44 leaving him in terrifying darkness, fumbling in vain
55:48 to relight it before he lost consciousness.
55:53 Then in the late 1800's,
55:55 a bright new light began to shine in the dark world.
55:59 Using marble-sized pellets of calcium carbide
56:03 and a few drops of water,
56:05 this new lamp produced a gas which burned six times brighter.
56:10 Not only did it make his job a whole lot easier
56:13 but it also saved lives.
56:15 You can see this tiny reflector
56:18 could focus that beam of light
56:24 The lamp was also easy to re-light.
56:27 And since it required far less oxygen,
56:29 it could illuminate the way out
56:32 should they encounter the chokedamp.
56:34 What an incredible illustration this is
56:37 of the condition of fallen man.
56:40 After struggling to survive the pitfalls of life,
56:43 he suddenly realizes the danger he could not see
56:47 had left him without hope and gasping for his last breath
56:51 in utter spiritual darkness.
56:54 For him there is no eternal life through Jesus.
56:57 In fact, he may not have ever heard about Him.
57:03 But friends, just as that bright light
57:06 of the carbide lamp saved lives,
57:08 so does the light of the Bible.
57:11 We need the light of God's Word to illuminate the dark corners
57:15 of our hearts. It focuses our attention on Jesus Christ...
57:18 our only hope for salvation.
57:21 And all who read and study it
57:23 are warned about the rockfalls of life.
57:26 That's why we call this series Give Me The Bible.
57:30 We're trying our best to bring the light of God's truth
57:33 to those who are living and dying in despair.
57:36 It's our mission. It's our passion.
57:39 Won't you join us?
57:42 Please consider what you can do
57:44 for those who still don't know about Jesus.
57:46 As the Holy Spirit impresses,
57:48 you may send your tax-deductible gifts to:
58:03 Thank you for helping us to bring the Blessed Hope
58:05 to millions all around the world.


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Revised 2014-12-17