WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.439 Well, sir, I have been bringing you a series 00:00:03.439 --> 00:00:06.040 of heart -to -heart talks regarding the gifts 00:00:06.040 --> 00:00:12.980 of the Spirit. The wonderful gifts given by the 00:00:12.980 --> 00:00:17.000 Holy Spirit. Remember, a gift is something you 00:00:17.000 --> 00:00:23.019 do not work for, you do not merit. It's something 00:00:23.019 --> 00:00:30.019 that is just given you. And this... series of 00:00:30.019 --> 00:00:34.259 messages to my own heart has been most inspiring 00:00:34.259 --> 00:00:37.899 and thrilling. And turn, if you will please, 00:00:38.060 --> 00:00:41.840 to the 12th chapter of 1 Corinthians, and again, 00:00:42.039 --> 00:00:45.039 I want you to see something that is vitally important, 00:00:45.320 --> 00:00:51.799 and that is that each gift that is given is separate 00:00:51.799 --> 00:00:57.820 and apart from all other gifts. I know we speak 00:00:57.820 --> 00:01:01.659 of the nine gifts of the Spirit, but again, I 00:01:01.659 --> 00:01:05.519 want to remind you that there is no reason to 00:01:05.519 --> 00:01:11.159 believe that nine are the only gifts that the 00:01:11.159 --> 00:01:14.159 Spirit gives to men and women. I believe with 00:01:14.159 --> 00:01:20.040 every atom of my being, and no theologian, no 00:01:20.040 --> 00:01:23.719 teacher of the Bible can give any scripture. 00:01:24.439 --> 00:01:27.299 to substantiate the fact that the Holy Spirit 00:01:27.299 --> 00:01:31.379 in the giving of his gift is limited to just 00:01:31.379 --> 00:01:38.579 these nine gifts. Only nine are given here as 00:01:38.579 --> 00:01:43.099 an example. Turn to the 12th chapter of 1 Corinthians. 00:01:44.359 --> 00:01:50.579 To one is given of the Spirit the word of wisdom. 00:01:51.140 --> 00:01:55.420 To another... the word of knowledge by the same 00:01:55.420 --> 00:01:59.500 spirit to another faith by the same spirit to 00:01:59.500 --> 00:02:01.959 another the gifts of healing by the same spirit 00:02:01.959 --> 00:02:05.400 to another the working of miracles to another 00:02:05.400 --> 00:02:09.439 prophecy to another discerning of spirits to 00:02:09.439 --> 00:02:13.740 another diverse kinds of tongues to another the 00:02:13.740 --> 00:02:17.539 interpretation of tongues but all these workers 00:02:17.539 --> 00:02:22.159 that one and the self -same spirit dividing to 00:02:22.159 --> 00:02:27.620 every man severally as he will. Now today, for 00:02:27.620 --> 00:02:29.360 a very few minutes, we're going to talk about 00:02:29.360 --> 00:02:37.020 that wonderful gift of miracles. And be very 00:02:37.020 --> 00:02:44.020 careful that you do not confuse the gift of miracles 00:02:44.020 --> 00:02:48.599 with the gift of healing, the physical healing 00:02:48.599 --> 00:02:52.770 of the body. Neither confuse the gift of miracles 00:02:52.770 --> 00:02:55.990 with the gift of faith. Very often, you know, 00:02:56.069 --> 00:03:02.849 whenever one even uses the name miracles, immediately 00:03:02.849 --> 00:03:09.229 it is associated with divine healing. It is amazing 00:03:09.229 --> 00:03:17.349 how many folk have so trained their minds that 00:03:17.349 --> 00:03:24.590 whenever That word miracle used, invariably, 00:03:24.650 --> 00:03:29.270 it is associated with divine healing. And yet, 00:03:29.330 --> 00:03:35.090 I want you to see something. The gift of faith 00:03:35.090 --> 00:03:42.689 is one gift. The gift of miracles is another 00:03:42.689 --> 00:03:48.819 gift. Because the word says, to another. faith 00:03:48.819 --> 00:03:54.060 by the same Spirit, to another the gifts of healing 00:03:54.060 --> 00:04:00.280 by the same Spirit, to another the working of 00:04:00.280 --> 00:04:03.439 miracles. Therefore, the working of miracles 00:04:03.439 --> 00:04:08.400 is not the same as the gifts of healing, neither 00:04:08.400 --> 00:04:11.699 is the gift of healing the same as the gift of 00:04:11.699 --> 00:04:17.370 faith. I hope that somehow this has made very 00:04:17.370 --> 00:04:24.029 clear to you. Now, what then is the working of 00:04:24.029 --> 00:04:30.170 miracles? What is the gift of miracles? It's 00:04:30.170 --> 00:04:33.170 the supernatural demonstration of the power of 00:04:33.170 --> 00:04:39.629 God by which the laws of nature are either altered 00:04:39.629 --> 00:04:45.569 or controlled. He is still the mighty creator. 00:04:48.040 --> 00:04:55.540 He is still God Almighty. There is nothing impossible 00:04:55.540 --> 00:05:01.319 with Him. We forget that it is in His power to 00:05:01.319 --> 00:05:08.399 control the elements. We forget that it is still 00:05:08.399 --> 00:05:14.819 in His power to alter even the laws of nature 00:05:14.819 --> 00:05:20.110 and the laws of the universe. Why should one 00:05:20.110 --> 00:05:26.990 be so amazed at the miraculous? Why is it that 00:05:26.990 --> 00:05:30.990 human beings are so limited in their thinking 00:05:30.990 --> 00:05:36.290 that they refuse to accept anything that even 00:05:36.290 --> 00:05:42.850 borders on the supernatural? When he is the mighty 00:05:42.850 --> 00:05:50.949 creator, never forget. He has the power to alter 00:05:50.949 --> 00:05:58.370 all the laws of nature. He is still at the controls. 00:05:59.889 --> 00:06:05.750 And the working of miracles is the supernatural 00:06:05.750 --> 00:06:11.930 demonstration of the power of God by which these 00:06:11.930 --> 00:06:18.079 laws are either controlled or altered. It should 00:06:18.079 --> 00:06:21.000 be the simplest thing in the world for a human 00:06:21.000 --> 00:06:25.660 being to accept a miracle, to accept the supernatural. 00:06:26.920 --> 00:06:34.399 Now, it is very apparent, and I will not argue 00:06:34.399 --> 00:06:41.699 this with you, that there was more of the evidence 00:06:41.699 --> 00:06:47.040 of miracles in the Old Testament. than perhaps 00:06:47.040 --> 00:06:55.420 we even have today. Why was this gift, this gift 00:06:55.420 --> 00:06:59.620 of miracles, more in evidence in the Old Testament 00:06:59.620 --> 00:07:04.160 than in the New? Well, first of all, remember, 00:07:04.379 --> 00:07:08.879 we have more light today. We have the Bible today. 00:07:09.800 --> 00:07:12.899 We have the Word of God today. We have literally 00:07:12.899 --> 00:07:19.220 the rich... Word of God. Do you realize that 00:07:19.220 --> 00:07:24.860 even those early Christians didn't have the New 00:07:24.860 --> 00:07:28.959 Testament as a guide? Do you realize that? Do 00:07:28.959 --> 00:07:35.279 you realize that those Old Testament saints didn't 00:07:35.279 --> 00:07:39.819 have the Bible as we have the Bible today as 00:07:39.819 --> 00:07:42.519 a guide? I want you to see something for instance. 00:07:42.740 --> 00:07:44.579 Then maybe you'll... understand a little better 00:07:44.579 --> 00:07:48.439 what I'm trying to say. The prophet who wrought 00:07:48.439 --> 00:07:53.740 a miracle during the Old Testament dispensation 00:07:53.740 --> 00:08:01.560 established his divine authority before the people. 00:08:02.620 --> 00:08:07.360 It was sort of like presenting his credentials. 00:08:08.600 --> 00:08:10.100 I'm going to give you the scripture. I'm going 00:08:10.100 --> 00:08:12.920 to read you my Bible right now and put them down. 00:08:13.660 --> 00:08:15.240 Read the scripture after I will have left your 00:08:15.240 --> 00:08:19.360 home. For instance, in Exodus, the seventh chapter, 00:08:19.660 --> 00:08:25.019 that ninth verse. When Pharaoh shall speak unto 00:08:25.019 --> 00:08:33.120 you, saying, Show us a miracle. Then thou shalt 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:39.980 say unto Aaron, Take thy rod and cast it before 00:08:39.980 --> 00:08:45.360 Pharaoh. and it shall become a serpent. In other 00:08:45.360 --> 00:08:55.580 words, this miracle established his divine authority 00:08:55.580 --> 00:09:04.740 before Pharaoh. It was Moses' credentials when 00:09:04.740 --> 00:09:08.860 he was sent to Pharaoh. Pharaoh would know that 00:09:08.860 --> 00:09:11.740 he had been sent of God. He was God's messenger. 00:09:13.059 --> 00:09:17.700 Thou shalt take thy rod, cast it before Pharaoh, 00:09:17.820 --> 00:09:24.100 and it shall become a serpent. That, my friend, 00:09:24.220 --> 00:09:28.340 was a miracle. All right, take something else. 00:09:29.059 --> 00:09:34.460 You see, when you understand the working of the 00:09:34.460 --> 00:09:41.929 Holy Spirit, When you will understand that God 00:09:41.929 --> 00:09:50.750 is still God Almighty and that no man can limit 00:09:50.750 --> 00:09:58.990 his power, then these things that occurred in 00:09:58.990 --> 00:10:01.549 the Old Testament to the prophets and even the 00:10:01.549 --> 00:10:05.070 things that occur today that you perhaps cannot 00:10:05.070 --> 00:10:08.879 accept, as a human being because you don't understand 00:10:08.879 --> 00:10:13.840 them. Remember, all you have to do is to acknowledge 00:10:13.840 --> 00:10:21.419 God. And God always works in a supernatural way. 00:10:21.639 --> 00:10:24.440 To this very day, wherever you find the Holy 00:10:24.440 --> 00:10:30.240 Spirit in evidence, you'll always find the supernatural. 00:10:32.120 --> 00:10:34.799 That's what I mean when I say to you over and 00:10:34.799 --> 00:10:40.139 over again, The only limit to the power of God 00:10:40.139 --> 00:10:46.460 lies within you. I know how very difficult it 00:10:46.460 --> 00:10:52.200 is for the intellect to understand the personal 00:10:52.200 --> 00:10:54.759 word of God as found in the 18th chapter of 1 00:10:54.759 --> 00:11:00.159 Kings. And there you have Elijah on Mount Carmel. 00:11:01.919 --> 00:11:06.309 I believe this is one of the greatest... illustrations, 00:11:06.309 --> 00:11:12.830 one of the greatest evidences of the gift of 00:11:12.830 --> 00:11:18.029 miracles being given to a human being that I 00:11:18.029 --> 00:11:21.429 know anything about. It's easy to accept it. 00:11:22.029 --> 00:11:24.909 Don't take your penknife and cut this portion 00:11:24.909 --> 00:11:26.950 of the Word of God out. Don't take your scissors 00:11:26.950 --> 00:11:34.179 and just try to cut it out and say that Elijah 00:11:34.179 --> 00:11:37.759 was having some great hallucination. Or that 00:11:37.759 --> 00:11:43.320 this was only the figment of somebody's imagination. 00:11:44.039 --> 00:11:50.120 No, ma 'am. This actually happened. It did not 00:11:50.120 --> 00:12:03.679 happen because of one man's great faith. gift 00:12:03.679 --> 00:12:12.960 of faith given a man for that hour. I don't care 00:12:12.960 --> 00:12:16.620 what great faith you may have. And remember something, 00:12:16.720 --> 00:12:20.460 faith isn't something that you and I can work 00:12:20.460 --> 00:12:30.100 up. It is God given. You know the story well. 00:12:31.559 --> 00:12:35.179 When Elijah meets Ahab, you know the glorious 00:12:35.179 --> 00:12:43.879 prophet's challenge. Sure you know. I just want 00:12:43.879 --> 00:12:50.179 to read you just a couple of verses. Hear me, 00:12:50.200 --> 00:12:53.779 O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that 00:12:53.779 --> 00:12:57.620 thou art the Lord God and that thou hast turned 00:12:57.620 --> 00:13:03.830 their heart back again. What happened? Then the 00:13:03.830 --> 00:13:10.610 fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt 00:13:10.610 --> 00:13:14.669 sacrifice and the wood and the stones and the 00:13:14.669 --> 00:13:19.649 dust and licked up the water that was in the 00:13:19.649 --> 00:13:28.690 trench. Literally, fire came from heaven and 00:13:28.690 --> 00:13:34.850 lit up. the water that had filled the trenches 00:13:34.850 --> 00:13:41.929 and you see god himself through the holy spirit 00:13:41.929 --> 00:13:47.629 giving to elijah this wonderful gift of miracles 00:13:47.629 --> 00:13:51.490 and all the people saw it and they fell on their 00:13:51.490 --> 00:13:56.970 faces and they said the lord he is the god the 00:13:56.970 --> 00:14:13.539 lord He is the God. And you see, Elijah, having 00:14:13.539 --> 00:14:20.779 been given the gift of miracles for a time when 00:14:20.779 --> 00:14:32.309 it was needed to glorify God. Perhaps the greatest 00:14:32.309 --> 00:14:41.710 illustration of God himself, Altri, the laws 00:14:41.710 --> 00:14:47.149 of nature, is found in 2 Kings, the sixth chapter. 00:14:48.169 --> 00:14:54.629 This is glorious. Oh, I just love this. This 00:14:54.629 --> 00:14:59.529 time it's Elisha. And the sons of the prophets 00:14:59.529 --> 00:15:04.230 said unto Elisha, And when the word says the 00:15:04.230 --> 00:15:07.730 sons of prophets, in other words, there was some 00:15:07.730 --> 00:15:13.490 preacher's sons. We use the term today, preacher's 00:15:13.490 --> 00:15:18.009 kids. Because the prophets were the preachers, 00:15:18.090 --> 00:15:21.450 and these were the sons of the prophets. And 00:15:21.450 --> 00:15:24.250 they said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place 00:15:24.250 --> 00:15:26.769 where we dwell with thee is too straight for 00:15:26.769 --> 00:15:31.330 us. They kind of got out of hand then too, I 00:15:31.330 --> 00:15:35.169 guess, you know. And they said, Let us go, we 00:15:35.169 --> 00:15:38.230 pray thee, unto Jordan, and take fence every 00:15:38.230 --> 00:15:40.350 man a beam, and let us make us a place there 00:15:40.350 --> 00:15:44.509 where we may dwell. Our fathers are too straight 00:15:44.509 --> 00:15:47.330 -laced for us, and we want to get away from home, 00:15:47.350 --> 00:15:52.110 you know. And he answered, Go ye. And one said, 00:15:52.409 --> 00:15:55.649 Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. 00:15:55.789 --> 00:15:58.789 And he answered, I will go. And so he went with 00:15:58.789 --> 00:16:02.750 them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut 00:16:02.750 --> 00:16:06.730 down wood. Can't you just see these preacher's 00:16:06.730 --> 00:16:12.049 kids cutting down wood? But as one was felling 00:16:12.049 --> 00:16:17.029 a beam, the axe head fell into the water. And 00:16:17.029 --> 00:16:21.100 he cried and said, Alas, master. For it was borrowed. 00:16:21.700 --> 00:16:26.080 What am I going to do now? It isn't even mine. 00:16:27.879 --> 00:16:31.539 As he was cutting wood, the iron axe head literally 00:16:31.539 --> 00:16:35.980 slipped off the handle of the axe, sailed into 00:16:35.980 --> 00:16:43.799 the river Jordan. He was so beside himself. For 00:16:43.799 --> 00:16:46.679 it was borrowed. It wasn't his. And the man of 00:16:46.679 --> 00:16:51.889 God said, where fell it? And he showed him the 00:16:51.889 --> 00:16:58.269 place. And he cut down a stick and cast it in 00:16:58.269 --> 00:17:07.130 thither, and the iron did swim. Therefore, said 00:17:07.130 --> 00:17:12.470 he, take it up to thee. And he put out his hand 00:17:12.470 --> 00:17:18.680 and took it. That's the word. What? What is the 00:17:18.680 --> 00:17:23.039 working of miracles? It's the supernatural demonstration 00:17:23.039 --> 00:17:28.880 of the power of God by which the laws of nature 00:17:28.880 --> 00:17:35.559 are controlled or altered. Here in the Word of 00:17:35.559 --> 00:17:41.220 God, we see that through the gift of miracles, 00:17:41.500 --> 00:17:53.200 literally iron was made to swim. That's it. It's 00:17:53.200 --> 00:17:57.099 the easiest thing in the world to believe the 00:17:57.099 --> 00:17:59.759 miracles of the Old Testament. It's the easiest 00:17:59.759 --> 00:18:01.720 thing in the world to believe the miracles of 00:18:01.720 --> 00:18:04.500 the New Testament. It's the easiest thing in 00:18:04.500 --> 00:18:08.720 the world to believe God for miracles today in 00:18:08.720 --> 00:18:12.319 your own life, in your own home, round about 00:18:12.319 --> 00:18:23.589 you. All you have to do is to believe God. Accept 00:18:23.589 --> 00:18:32.789 the fact that he is still God Almighty. And remember 00:18:32.789 --> 00:18:40.890 again, the only limit to his power lies within 00:18:40.890 --> 00:18:42.710 you.