Well, sir, I have been bringing you a series
of heart -to -heart talks regarding the gifts
of the Spirit. The wonderful gifts given by the
Holy Spirit. Remember, a gift is something you
do not work for, you do not merit. It's something
that is just given you. And this... series of
messages to my own heart has been most inspiring
and thrilling. And turn, if you will please,
to the 12th chapter of 1 Corinthians, and again,
I want you to see something that is vitally important,
and that is that each gift that is given is separate
and apart from all other gifts. I know we speak
of the nine gifts of the Spirit, but again, I
want to remind you that there is no reason to
believe that nine are the only gifts that the
Spirit gives to men and women. I believe with
every atom of my being, and no theologian, no
teacher of the Bible can give any scripture.
to substantiate the fact that the Holy Spirit
in the giving of his gift is limited to just
these nine gifts. Only nine are given here as
an example. Turn to the 12th chapter of 1 Corinthians.
To one is given of the Spirit the word of wisdom.
To another... the word of knowledge by the same
spirit to another faith by the same spirit to
another the gifts of healing by the same spirit
to another the working of miracles to another
prophecy to another discerning of spirits to
another diverse kinds of tongues to another the
interpretation of tongues but all these workers
that one and the self -same spirit dividing to
every man severally as he will. Now today, for
a very few minutes, we're going to talk about
that wonderful gift of miracles. And be very
careful that you do not confuse the gift of miracles
with the gift of healing, the physical healing
of the body. Neither confuse the gift of miracles
with the gift of faith. Very often, you know,
whenever one even uses the name miracles, immediately
it is associated with divine healing. It is amazing
how many folk have so trained their minds that
whenever That word miracle used, invariably,
it is associated with divine healing. And yet,
I want you to see something. The gift of faith
is one gift. The gift of miracles is another
gift. Because the word says, to another. faith
by the same Spirit, to another the gifts of healing
by the same Spirit, to another the working of
miracles. Therefore, the working of miracles
is not the same as the gifts of healing, neither
is the gift of healing the same as the gift of
faith. I hope that somehow this has made very
clear to you. Now, what then is the working of
miracles? What is the gift of miracles? It's
the supernatural demonstration of the power of
God by which the laws of nature are either altered
or controlled. He is still the mighty creator.
He is still God Almighty. There is nothing impossible
with Him. We forget that it is in His power to
control the elements. We forget that it is still
in His power to alter even the laws of nature
and the laws of the universe. Why should one
be so amazed at the miraculous? Why is it that
human beings are so limited in their thinking
that they refuse to accept anything that even
borders on the supernatural? When he is the mighty
creator, never forget. He has the power to alter
all the laws of nature. He is still at the controls.
And the working of miracles is the supernatural
demonstration of the power of God by which these
laws are either controlled or altered. It should
be the simplest thing in the world for a human
being to accept a miracle, to accept the supernatural.
Now, it is very apparent, and I will not argue
this with you, that there was more of the evidence
of miracles in the Old Testament. than perhaps
we even have today. Why was this gift, this gift
of miracles, more in evidence in the Old Testament
than in the New? Well, first of all, remember,
we have more light today. We have the Bible today.
We have the Word of God today. We have literally
the rich... Word of God. Do you realize that
even those early Christians didn't have the New
Testament as a guide? Do you realize that? Do
you realize that those Old Testament saints didn't
have the Bible as we have the Bible today as
a guide? I want you to see something for instance.
Then maybe you'll... understand a little better
what I'm trying to say. The prophet who wrought
a miracle during the Old Testament dispensation
established his divine authority before the people.
It was sort of like presenting his credentials.
I'm going to give you the scripture. I'm going
to read you my Bible right now and put them down.
Read the scripture after I will have left your
home. For instance, in Exodus, the seventh chapter,
that ninth verse. When Pharaoh shall speak unto
you, saying, Show us a miracle. Then thou shalt
say unto Aaron, Take thy rod and cast it before
Pharaoh. and it shall become a serpent. In other
words, this miracle established his divine authority
before Pharaoh. It was Moses' credentials when
he was sent to Pharaoh. Pharaoh would know that
he had been sent of God. He was God's messenger.
Thou shalt take thy rod, cast it before Pharaoh,
and it shall become a serpent. That, my friend,
was a miracle. All right, take something else.
You see, when you understand the working of the
Holy Spirit, When you will understand that God
is still God Almighty and that no man can limit
his power, then these things that occurred in
the Old Testament to the prophets and even the
things that occur today that you perhaps cannot
accept, as a human being because you don't understand
them. Remember, all you have to do is to acknowledge
God. And God always works in a supernatural way.
To this very day, wherever you find the Holy
Spirit in evidence, you'll always find the supernatural.
That's what I mean when I say to you over and
over again, The only limit to the power of God
lies within you. I know how very difficult it
is for the intellect to understand the personal
word of God as found in the 18th chapter of 1
Kings. And there you have Elijah on Mount Carmel.
I believe this is one of the greatest... illustrations,
one of the greatest evidences of the gift of
miracles being given to a human being that I
know anything about. It's easy to accept it.
Don't take your penknife and cut this portion
of the Word of God out. Don't take your scissors
and just try to cut it out and say that Elijah
was having some great hallucination. Or that
this was only the figment of somebody's imagination.
No, ma 'am. This actually happened. It did not
happen because of one man's great faith. gift
of faith given a man for that hour. I don't care
what great faith you may have. And remember something,
faith isn't something that you and I can work
up. It is God given. You know the story well.
When Elijah meets Ahab, you know the glorious
prophet's challenge. Sure you know. I just want
to read you just a couple of verses. Hear me,
O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that
thou art the Lord God and that thou hast turned
their heart back again. What happened? Then the
fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt
sacrifice and the wood and the stones and the
dust and licked up the water that was in the
trench. Literally, fire came from heaven and
lit up. the water that had filled the trenches
and you see god himself through the holy spirit
giving to elijah this wonderful gift of miracles
and all the people saw it and they fell on their
faces and they said the lord he is the god the
lord He is the God. And you see, Elijah, having
been given the gift of miracles for a time when
it was needed to glorify God. Perhaps the greatest
illustration of God himself, Altri, the laws
of nature, is found in 2 Kings, the sixth chapter.
This is glorious. Oh, I just love this. This
time it's Elisha. And the sons of the prophets
said unto Elisha, And when the word says the
sons of prophets, in other words, there was some
preacher's sons. We use the term today, preacher's
kids. Because the prophets were the preachers,
and these were the sons of the prophets. And
they said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place
where we dwell with thee is too straight for
us. They kind of got out of hand then too, I
guess, you know. And they said, Let us go, we
pray thee, unto Jordan, and take fence every
man a beam, and let us make us a place there
where we may dwell. Our fathers are too straight
-laced for us, and we want to get away from home,
you know. And he answered, Go ye. And one said,
Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants.
And he answered, I will go. And so he went with
them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut
down wood. Can't you just see these preacher's
kids cutting down wood? But as one was felling
a beam, the axe head fell into the water. And
he cried and said, Alas, master. For it was borrowed.
What am I going to do now? It isn't even mine.
As he was cutting wood, the iron axe head literally
slipped off the handle of the axe, sailed into
the river Jordan. He was so beside himself. For
it was borrowed. It wasn't his. And the man of
God said, where fell it? And he showed him the
place. And he cut down a stick and cast it in
thither, and the iron did swim. Therefore, said
he, take it up to thee. And he put out his hand
and took it. That's the word. What? What is the
working of miracles? It's the supernatural demonstration
of the power of God by which the laws of nature
are controlled or altered. Here in the Word of
God, we see that through the gift of miracles,
literally iron was made to swim. That's it. It's
the easiest thing in the world to believe the
miracles of the Old Testament. It's the easiest
thing in the world to believe the miracles of
the New Testament. It's the easiest thing in
the world to believe God for miracles today in
your own life, in your own home, round about
you. All you have to do is to believe God. Accept
the fact that he is still God Almighty. And remember
again, the only limit to his power lies within
you.