God Is More Than Enough!

“For some [in the Body of Christ] have decided that My presence is not enough. Some have decided that there needs to be more operations of the flesh, manifestations of demons, and demonstrations of mind over matter. But I want you to know, my children, that you are not such people. For the reason that I’m able to come [and visit you here] is because you’re hungry for Me, and I have said that he who hungers and thirsts shall be filled.”

“So, don’t take my Spirit for granted, but know that each time that I come, I come for the purpose of My Kingdom and you are part of My Kingdom. So, therefore, I am come for you. I have come to heal, to deliver, to set free, to fill, and to save, for that is the operation of My Kingdom and the manifestation thereof.”

“For I desire to manifest all of My gifts. Know that it is not for the purpose of man, but it is for the purpose of the Kingdom. For I desire to set you free so that you can soar above the ceilings that the enemy has placed in your life. For surely He had a plan and said, ‘Oh, I thought I’ve got them now! I’ve got them now!’ That is just as sure as when the Lord Jesus Himself went into the heart of the earth and there abode for three days. [During those three days] Satan had a jubilee and a rejoicing, but on the third day there was a great shaking that took place, even a resurrection. So shall it be in your life!” saith the Lord. “For when the enemy thinks that he’s got you down for the third count – when he thinks that you cannot get up again – there shall come a grace, there shall come a power, there’ll come a strength that is beyond you! And you will know and experience the power of My Resurrection in your life, and you will rejoice and give Me glory and praise, and the Kingdom of God shall come nigh unto this territory through you!” saith the Lord.

~prophetic word given by Apostle David Coker to Gateway Believers Fellowship, July 31, 2011

Don’t Be Ignorant

Ignorance is not bliss, but it is a choice. The Apostle Paul exhorted the church at Corinth NOT to be ignorant of the gifts of the spirit. He went on to explain what they were and why we all, as the Body of Christ, need to value these gifts and embrace their workings in our lives. Two thousand years later, much of the Church is still choosing to be ignorant of these gifts, missing out on the fullness of the Christian walk intended to be ours. Meditate on these scriptures and study this lesson… more importantly, DON’T BE IGNORANT!!

“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led…There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 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. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.” ~1 Corinthians 12:1-12 NKJV

The Nine Gifts Of The Spirit can be divided into 3 categories: to know supernaturally, to speak supernaturally, and to act supernaturally.

To Know Supernaturally

1. The Word Of Wisdom

The Bible does not talk about the gift of wisdom, but rather the “Word Of Wisdom”.

The Word Of Wisdom is a supernatural manifestation of the Spirit, and exists on a plane far above natural wisdom. Sometimes an answer we need will not come by human wisdom, but God gives a specific Word Of Wisdom at a particular time for a particular situation.

The Word Of Wisdom implies a thought or utterance through a direct operation of the Holy Spirit at a given moment rather than an abiding deposit of supernatural wisdom.

The church has a constant need for wise leadership. Problems will occur, and delicate situations arise among the most spiritual believers. The Word Of Wisdom can be vital in meeting these needs.

Examples of the Word Of Wisdom.

* The Apostles deal with the controversy over the daily assistance to widows. (Acts 6:1-7)

* Paul’s insight and advice concerning his shipwreck. (Acts 27:10, 31, 34)

2. The Word Of Knowledge

Every Christian must endeavor to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord” (II Peter 3:18). The Word Of Knowledge is a portion of supernaturally imparted knowledge to meet a particular need. The Bible does not speak of a gift of knowledge, but rather the “Word Of Knowledge”.

All knowledge ultimately rests with the Lord, “in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). It is therefore reasonable to believe that God can impart any part of the divine knowledge at any time, as He wills.

The Word Of Knowledge includes facts from God about people, places, things, and events that a person could not possibly know unless God revealed them to him.

An example of the Word Of Knowledge

* Peter’s supernatural knowledge of the secret sin of Ananias and Sapphira. (Acts 5:1-10)

3. Discerning Of Spirits

The Bible does not state that there is a gift of discernment, but rather it speaks of “Discerning Of Spirits”. The Discerning Of Spirits is the ability on a particular occasion to ascertain whether a spirit or an action is of God, of the devil, or of the human nature.

I John 4:1 admonishes us to “believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they be of God”. The purpose of this gift is to detect what is true and what is false.

The gift of Discerning Of Spirits is not only defensive in the sense that once an evil spirit is detected as operating through some human channel, that channel can then be delivered through the power of the name of Jesus Christ.

Examples of Discerning Of Spirits

* Peter’s denunciation of Simon the sorcerer based upon discernment of the intent of his heart. (Acts 8:23)

* Paul’s rebuke of a spirit possessing a girl at Philipi. (Acts 16:16-18)

To Act Supernaturally

4. Faith

The “Spiritual Gift Of Faith” is to be distinguished from saving faith or the daily faith without which it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6)

The Gift Of Faith is a measure of faith above the faith that all of us have as children of God. It is a special faith imparted to us by the Holy Spirit of God, as are the other gifts of the Spirit, to meet a particular need. The Gift Of Faith surpasses all reason, looks impossibilities in the face, and turns them into miracles.

Examples of the Gift Of Faith

* The faith of Peter and Paul for the lame man. (Acts 9:40)

* Paul’s supernatural faith during his shipwreck. (Acts 27:25)

5. Working Of Miracles

The Working Of Miracles is a suprenatural release of God’s power through a person’s life to effect an immediate, supernatural event. It is a sign or wonder that humans cannot explain by an appeal to “natural laws”. It can be a miraculous “coincidence” effected by God when we pray.

Examples of Working Of Miracles

* Raising of Dorcas back to life. (Acts 9:40)

* Raising of Eutychus back to life. (Acts 20:10)

* Miracles in Paul’s ministry at Ephesus. (Acts 19:11-12)

6. Gifts Of Healing

The Gifts Of Healing are plural. They refer to special healings of various types performed by God. All believers in the Lord Jesus Christ can lay hands upon the sick for their recovery. (Mark 16:18), and all elders in the church can anoint with oil for healing (James 5:14) Nevertheless, it appears that on certain occasions God operates in a special way to heal miraculously.

When the Gifts Of Healing are in operation, God removes the cause of the disease or affliction and healing ensues.

Some of the many examples

* Acts 5:16

* Acts 8:7

* Acts 9:33-34

 

To Speak Supernaturally

7. Prophecy

In general, Prophecy is an anointed utterance from God. It can consist of foretelling or forthtelling. The Gift Of Prophecy is a specific message from God to the hearers in their own language.

True Prophecy will always be in harmony with God’s Word. Prophecy will never replace the Bible or diminish its worth. Prophecy must always agree with the Bible.

A prophet may prophesy, but not everyone who exercises the Gift Of Prophecy fulfills the office or ministry of a prophet. (Ephesians 4:11-13)

The Gift Of Prophecy brings edification, exhortation, and comfort to the church (I Corinthians 14:3-5). Prophesying does not serve them that believe not, but serves them which do believe (I Corinthians 14:22). Prophecy does not replace or supercede doctrinal teaching or spiritual leadership.

8. Tongues

Speaking with tongues means speaking miraculously in a language unknown to the speaker. There are different kinds of tongues.

The Bible reveals four different purposes or uses of speaking with tongues.

* The first use is the initial evidence when someone is baptized with the Holy Ghost

(Acts 2:4, Acts 10:44-46, Acts 19:6).

* The second use is addressing the church, coupled with interpretation (I Corinthians 14:28)

* The third use is tongues for intercession (Romans 8:14)

*The fourth use is speaking to God in personal prayer (I Corinthians 14:2, 14, 15). The believer can speak in tongues in private devotion or in corporate worship when everyone is praying individually. In such a case there is no need for interpretation (I Corinthians 14:28).

9. Interpretation Of Tongues

By this gift a person does not merly translate but interprets the meaning of a message in tongues for the church. When a person brings a message to the church through the Gift Of Tongues, The Gift Of The Interpretation Of Tongues is used to edify the church (I Corinthians 14:12). “Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret” (I Corinthians 14:13).

If there is no interpreter, the one speaking in the unknown tongue should keep silence in the church, although he can continue to pray in tongues personally (I Corinthians 14:28).

These gifts can be a tremendous blessing in the life of the believer and in the working of the local church. Of course, without proper direction and accountability, a lot of Christians get really flaky and weird when they try to manifest the gifts of the spirit apart from Holy Ghost. It is important to have accountability to spiritual authority and your fellow believers. After all, it’s always good to have someone around to keep you from being ignorant AND stupid!!

Got Unreligification?

Webster’s dictionary defines the word religion as “the service and worship of God or the supernatural; commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance.” This is how most of the world views and considers this word. However, in the body of Christ, the word religion is often associated with “spiritual” beliefs or practices that are manmade or legalistic. Religion becomes the enemy of walking by faith, trusting God, and obeying God.

Recently, Apostle David shared how God told him that he was fulfilling his personal purpose and destiny as an apostle in the Body of Christ by seeking God, walking with Him daily, and being willing and quick to obey. Apostle David described the peace in his life that comes from knowing who he is and that he is fulfilling his purpose. He then made a comment that truly marked me: “If you are trying to fulfill your purpose in your own might, you will get burned out and ceilinged beause you have made your own law and are operating out of law and religion instead of faith.”

Then it hit me! We tend to restrict usage of the term religion to spiritual things associated within the church building, and we don’t apply that term to our call or vocation in the Kingdom….but we should!

Think about it. God has called each of us to fulfill a unique purpose and destiny for His Kingdom. Now, for those who are called to make their living through the ministering of His Word, it is quite clear to see how living by law and religion would hinder their ability to fulfill their purpose. But what about you and me?! Just as God calls some to possess the Church kingdom, others are called to possess the Business kingdom, Family kingdom, Entertainment kingdom, Educational kingdom, and others. What diminishes the spiritual worth of these calls compared to those called to the ministry? Nothing!!! So if a minister’s call can be hindered by religion and living by law, so can your call and purpose!

I’ve been challenged to reassess my own motivations behind my current work. I know that God has called me to do this, yet the past couple of weeks have been very stressfull because I received some correction and I attempted to correct the situation by working harder and fixing it myself. I now realize that I was being religious concerning the call of God on my life! I did not operate in faith but out of law. Are there adjustments I still need to make? Absolutely! But now, making those adjustments is not laborious but joyous. I have been reminded that the work which God has called me to has as much spiritual ramification as the work of anyone operating in the call of the five-fold ministry gifts.

Let me break it down just a little further. If you are student in school, your current purpose for this season is to be a student of excellence. When people see that you study to show yourself approved, your reliability in completing assignments, and the good attitude with which you do it, you give everyone around you the opportunity to see God operating in and through your life. But now you have a choice to make. You can try to do this legalistically on your own and set up a whole slew of standards which you can strive to obtain and maintain. Usually, you begin to despise your own standards because you soon realize that, by yourself, you cannot live up to your own expectations. The other option is to see each assignment and task as an opportunity to serve God through obedience. Being diligent in the little things with a spirit of thankfulness. This allows God to get involved in the work He has called you to do. I have discovered that if you approach your call by faith, there truly is a joy and sense of fulfillment which comes along with it.

You see, each of us has been wonderfully and fearfully created by God to fulfill a purpose and destiny for God’s Kingdom. We can choose to live out that purpose in faith and God’s grace; or we can be religious and legalistic, nullifying the grace of God in our lives and our workplace. I encourage you to assess your life. Are there areas where you have been religious concerning the call of God? If so, recognize it, confess it as sin, and repent! Our God is a good God and He rewards those who diligently seek Him, both inside and outside the four walls of the church building. Let’s fulfill our destinies in faith for God’s Kingdom and put an end to the religion in our lives.

So I have one final question: Got unreligification? You decide!

Signs & Billboards, pt 4

If there’s one thing I know, it’s that people can be completely ignorant and still operate in the Spirit. I once worked for a great man of God. He loved Jesus and wanted to live right before Him. One time he was in the hospital with pneumonia and had a vision of the Lord Jesus Christ walking up a hill with His back beaten and bloody. He recounted this vision to me with such detail, recalling even the sharp contrast in the red blood against the green grass. I have no doubt that it was a true vision from God. The problem was that he was ignorant in how to interpret the vision. He thought that it meant that since Jesus was willing to suffer that much for him, then he should be willing to suffer pneumonia for Jesus. How sad! He was given a vision showing that Jesus had already carried his sickness and healed all his diseases to strengthen his faith, but because he lacked understanding, this man got it all wrong!

I’ve known other folks who genuinely loved God, but got distracted by the bright billboard strategies of satan. These good people wanted to experience a mighty move of God so badly that they got caught up in the flakiness of whatever the current “revival” was doing. I have watched many get excited about “something new” and then disappointed (and sometimes deeply wounded) over the outcome. Unfortunately, I’ve also seen plenty of these people who became so deceived by the trickery that they completely lost touch with God’s plan for their lives. Consider William Branham, the great healing evangelist of the 1940’s. He started off pursuing God, but then started experiencing visitations from angels. He became so deceived that he started to think he was Elijah the prophet. Because of his deception, many other believers began to doubt that God really wanted them healed. Now that is exactly what the enemy intends; to discredit God’s reality, destroy ministries, and turn people away from the Faith.

Any text that we take out of context is a pretext. The same goes for any sign. Any sign taken out of the context that it was received (good or bad) is a pretext and can get us into trouble. That’s the problem with living by signs. They can be interpreted incorrectly. They can come from the wrong people. We can build a temple and worship at the sign, never making it to our God-purposed destination. We MUST learn to walk by faith after the spirit. We must understand how to discern signs and compare them to our instruction manual. We must keep our focus on where God is taking us and not get caught up in the supernatural things around us on the way.

~End

(First published 07.06.08)

Signs & Billboards, pt 3

The New Testament not only tells us which signs are from God, it even lays out which signs are used in which situations. There are signs that follow believers (Mark 16:17), there are signs to the unbeliever (1 Cor. 14:22), and there are gifts of the Spirit that are operations of the government and power of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12, and Ephesians 4).

Signs come from different sources and serve different purposes. Some are road signs that regulate driving, some are billboards that advertise, and some are identifiers that tell what and where things are located. All of these signs are legitimate, but they aren’t all from the same people. In the supernatural, there are all kinds of signs but they aren’t all from God. How do you know the difference between a legitimate sign from God and just a billboard?

One Sunday as I was preaching in my church, just as I pointed at one of the ceiling fans someone happened to turn the fan on. Now I know people who would take it as a sign that the “wind of the spirit is moving.” No, it was just a coincidence. I call these “Santa Claus signs” because it’s like a young kid that convinces himself Santa is real because the milk and the cookies are gone the next morning when he wakes up. When you want something badly enough, circumstances can always line up to support your hopes that it is true. If you’re looking for a sign, the devil will make sure you see one. I absolutely believe in prophetic and supernatural signs, but I also know how to measure them against my born-again spirit.

I’ve known family members and friends – good people, many of whom sincerely loved Jesus – who visited psychics. Those psychics were able to tell them why they were there, what they were looking for and what the outcome of a situation would be, and it all came true. Does that mean you should visit a psychic? By all means NO! Psychics operate with the help of demonic, familiar spirits, not the Holy Spirit. Demonic power can be real, not just a powerless imitation.

Nowhere in scripture do we find signs of jewels appearing, gold dust falling, people being led to act like animals, stigmatas (blood or oil from peoples hands like the wounds of Christ), odd “friendships” with angels, or special angels that carry special anointings.  These are “billboard” signs that have been put up by other supernatural powers but don’t fit into God’s reality. The important thing to understand is that these false signs are just as real as the other signs. Have you ever followed billboard signs, looking for a certain restaurant or café, only to get there and find that the location doesn’t exist? Just because a sign is real, doesn’t mean it’s from God or that it’s pointing you to God. Many signs point you to dead ends. It’s important to remember that there is a real spiritual world out there, and God isn’t the only one putting signs up on your spiritual road.

Don’t get me wrong; I’ve seen God do some very interesting things. I’ve seen people healed, delivered, and set free. I’ve seen miracles that simply cannot be explained. However, there is one common element to everything God does… His Word. God’s response is always in line with His Word. And His Word will bring real transformation in the lives of His people.

End Part 3

Signs & Billboards, pt 2

In our media-sensitive world, we have billboards everywhere and they can distract us from our real focus. If we’re looking too intently at a billboard, we could miss a signal from another driver and cause a wreck. When the sign becomes the focus, we lose sight of the true destination.

In the Old Testament, people had to live by signs. They didn’t have a born-again spirit from God to give them direction through an inner witness (Eph. 3:16). They needed outward signs from God in order to know where to go and what to do. Moses followed a cloud of fire and Gideon set out fleeces; they needed a supernatural occurrence from without in order to know what God’s plan was. In Proverbs, David prophetically writes that the spirit of a man is the candle of the Lord and searches all the inward parts of the belly. Now, he didn’t have a born again spirit yet, because Jesus had not yet come. But God used him to write about the way Christ’s followers should live and act and respond to the spirit after Jesus died so that we might be born again. As New Testament Christians with the nature and spirit of God resident inside us, we don’t have to look for outward signs. We can simply know in our “knower.” We are to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7), meaning we follow the leadings and promptings of our born again spirit that dwells in us, not a supernatural sign.

End pt. 2

Signs and Billboards, pt 1

What is God doing today? People run here and yon, saying “God is doing this” in such and such location, or “God is really moving” in so and so church. But God is busy building and establishing His Kingdom, and He’s not pressured into doing this by using media hype and hocus-pocus. No, He’s doing it His way, according to His Word. His Word says He builds His church on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, and that is just what He’s doing.

God is setting apostolic governing churches in territories to build His Church. You’ve got all kinds of folks out there calling themselves apostles and prophets. You’ve got guys who are prophesying over folks and barking like dogs. Is that really the direction the church is going? Is God doing THAT? Well, one function of true apostles and prophets is to expose the counterfeit operations of Satan that try to slip in and subvert the credibility of the Word. If Satan can discredit the quality of a move of God by sending the false, he is able to successfully restrict and limit the effectiveness of the true move as it happens. In this season, it is vital that we build everything we do upon the foundation of the Word of God. I’m not trying to criticize any particular move of God from the past or the present. My goal today is to equip you with knowledge and understanding to help identify a true move of God.

Imagine you are driving to your favorite vacation spot. When you get about 30 miles from your destination, you see the first road sign with the city’s name. Do you slam on your brakes, slide across the median and jump out at the sign? I would hope not! Yet, in the body of Christ, it seems we have become sign hunters. At the first sign of a “miracle” or the “supernatural,” we bring everything to a screeching halt so that we can take pictures of the sign, dance around the sign, and even build churches to the sign. How foolish we have become! The sign’s purpose is to reveal location. Spiritual signs are no different. When you see a spiritual sign, it is not advertising itself, it is merely pointing the way to where God wants you to go.

Jesus said in Matthew 12:39, “An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas.” Jesus didn’t say they were “slightly in error.” He called them EVIL and ADULTEROUS! What He is saying is that if you are seeking after a sign, you are showing love for the sign rather than the One who gives the sign. You are actually cheating on the truth. You are adulterous, looking for benefits from something that you don’t have real relationship with.

How many churches and “revivals” have become so “sign” minded that they have become adulterers to the Truth?

End Part 1