This is what you've been waiting for. Some more
of that old -fashioned Missouri cornbread. Oh,
and it was good for us when we were a kid. Mmm.
Especially when Mama put some good old -fashioned
molasses on it. That was good eating, I'll tell
you. And so... Maybe we'll put a little molasses
on the old -fashioned cornbread today. We are
having another one of those good heart -to -heart
talks regarding the gifts of the Spirit. And
I do pray that as I am bringing this series of
messages that you're sitting there with open
hearts and open minds, open to the Spirit. And
remember again, if anything that I say is contrary,
to the Word of God. I want you to be sure and
tell me. I put out that challenge to you. You
may be a minister of the gospel, a student of
theology. If you had been taught one thing and
the Bible says another, the Bible is right. If
you're a professor in the seminary where you
attended, taught you one thing, and the Bible
says another, the Bible is right. I shall never
forget Dr. Jarman when he went to the University
of Chicago and within six months had lost his
simple faith in the things of God, in the Word
of God, because of a professor. who taught him
that the Bible did not mean what it said. And
for 52 years, Dr. Jarman was so influenced that
he stood behind the pulpit, never having been
born again, never having preached the gospel
of salvation. Who was wrong? The one who taught.
haught this young man. For through the ages,
it has been the word of God that ye must be born
again. And one of these days, you and I are going
to be judged not from what we have been taught,
not from what some seminary has taught. but from
the holy word of God. And I'm a stickler for
the Bible. I stay with the Bible. And that which
I'm bringing you, I am bringing from God's holy
word. So I ask you again, regardless of what
your preconceived ideas have been, what you've
been taught, what you have believed up until
now, will you please just sit there with open
hearts and open minds and let the Holy Spirit
be your teacher. He'll never teach you falsely.
He'll never be in error in his teaching. Know
that. Well, all right, now regarding the gifts
of the Spirit. And as I told you before, that
the gifts of the Spirit... are given for a very
definite purpose. Please know that. Never forget
it. There's some things that are vitally important.
And had men and women had questions, learned
this years ago, much reproach would not have
been brought on this wonderful gift that God
has for his children. Much of this reproach that
has been brought upon the Holy Spirit would not
have been had we had good, sound teaching and
had Christians realized that the gifts of the
Spirit are given for a very definite purpose.
And that purpose is the edification of the church
and for the proclamation of the... That definitely
is the purpose of the gifts of the Spirit. And
if you can show me from the Word of God that
the Spirit has added anything to this His purpose
in the giving of the gift, please tell me. I
can find nothing further than the Word of God.
always it's made very clear that the gift of
the Spirit is given for the proclamation of the
gospel. There's nothing more important to God
than the salvation of lost souls. There's nothing
more important to the Lord Jesus Christ, so important
that he gave his own life for it. Nothing is
more important to the Holy Spirit. then the salvation
of souls, the proclamation of the gospel, and
then the edification of the saints, the edification
of the church. Also remember, it is by the Holy
Spirit that we recognize the Lordship. of Jesus
Christ. We are always, under all circumstances,
called upon to recognize His absolute Lordship,
absolute authority over our lives, our actions,
our thoughts. Never forget, in all things, even
in the gifts of the Spirit, After the Holy Spirit
has given a child of the king a gift, a precious
gift, always remember his lordship, his absolute
authority in the use of that gift. We are his
servants. He is our Lord. I pray the Holy Spirit
will indelibly write what I had just said on
your hearts and minds that you will never forget
it. Never. Then you'll remember that I brought
to your attention the fact that the entire Trinity
is in connection with the giving and the using
of the gifts. I think I left you in one of our
heart -to -heart talks, giving you the verses
as they are given in the 12th chapter of 1 Corinthians.
In verse 4, we have the Holy Spirit. In verse
5, we have the Lord Jesus Christ. And in verse
6, God the Father. We read in verse 4, Now there
are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
That's the Holy Spirit. The one Holy Spirit manifests
himself through the Church of God in different
ways. We try to set a pattern. We try to say
it's thus and so, and we try to control things,
set a format. You can't do it. You cannot do
it. No, ma 'am. The Holy Spirit manifests himself
in different ways in the church. We do not all
have the same gift. We're not all constituted
alike, even from the human intellectual standpoint.
And when it comes to spiritual things, we do
not all have the same ministry committed to us.
I know I'd like to be like somebody else. But
you know, if I tried, To be like somebody else,
I'd fall flat. I couldn't do it. Oh, my goodness
on life. It wouldn't be me, you know? And it
wouldn't be long before I'd find myself being
a hypocrite because I'm trying to be like somebody
else. And whatever you do, don't try to be like
Kathryn Kuhlman. If you do, you'll fall flat
because I'm me. He made me like I am. Oh, there's
a lot of things about myself that I can hardly
stand. If I was making myself, I would have changed
so many things. I wouldn't be so loud. Oh, there
are a lot of things about myself I would change.
Oh, but he made me like that. I have such trouble
with my long legs. I can't sit gracefully, and
I don't know what to do with them. I like to
put them under me, but he made them wrong like
that. I can't help it, and if I wore a robe,
it wouldn't be me. So you see, I've got my problems
too, but don't try to be like me. We just must
be ourselves. And when he gives gifts, he knows
exactly what he's doing. He gives us the gift
that's most suited. When he calls us, he puts
us in the place that is best suited for us and
where he can use us. Now, I don't think I'd be
a very good missionary. I just don't think I
would. And yet, I have seen Gene Martin... Out
on the mission fields, and I have stood amazed
as God has used that man in such a marvelous
way. I don't fit in Gene Martin's shoes, and
he can't fit into mine, and yet we both have
a definite call from God. We both love God with
all of our hearts. God is using both lives. It's
like that. Now, there are diversities of gifts,
the Word of God says, but it's the same Spirit,
the same Holy Spirit. There are diversities of
administrations, but it's the same Lord. The
gift of the manifestation are all of the Spirit
of God within the believer. And when it comes
to using those gifts, all must be in subjection
to the lordship of Christ. If, for instance,
God has given me some particular gift, I'm not
to use that gift whenever I think I see fit.
Now, I'm going to say something in the next...
few minutes, that is vitally important. And please,
whether you are among those who still covet a
gift, or whether you are among those who have
received a gift or gifts of the Spirit, please
sit there and let the Holy Spirit be your teacher.
Maybe you have been misappropriating. Maybe you
have been misusing that which is so precious
and that which has been given to you. God has
given you a particular gift. You are not to use
that gift just any old time you want. If God
has given me a particular gift, I'm not to use
that gift whenever and as I think fit, but only
in subjection to the Lord Jesus Christ himself.
It is to be controlled by the Spirit and under
the subjection of the Lord Jesus Christ because
He is still Lord of Lords. I must recognize His
Lordship in exercising that gift which He has
given unto me. I'll just pause just a minute
while you take a deep breath. You see, that is
one thing that has brought on so much fanaticism.
There are those who have honestly made a nuisance
of themselves. They have been so unwise. You
see, now, Miss Cooman, you're on dangerous ground.
I am never on dangerous ground when my ground
is the word of God. You might have the most marked
gift of God. You may have the greatest gift that
God has given to an individual. But that does
not mean that you are at liberty to use it. whenever
you will. All right, I'll give you the scripture.
Paul understood it. Paul was very careful. He
understood it perfectly. He knew what he was
talking about. Read it, it's there, 1 Corinthians,
the 14th chapter, the 32nd verse. The spirits
of the... prophets are subject to the prophets.
And if any are gifted by God, they're to hold
that gift in subjection to the Lord Jesus Christ
and not make spiritual nuisance of themselves.
Our blessed Lord's authority must be recognized.
in the use of gifts. I've seen people, and I
would not say, oh, God forbid that I should ever
rebuke them or say to them, that is not a gift
of the Spirit. You do not have the gift of the
Spirit. Who am I to judge? It's just as bad to
sit on a little judgment seat and be little judges.
Who am I to say whether or not that which you
have is a gift of the Spirit? Who am I to say
whether or not you've been filled with the Spirit?
Who am I to judge? God forbid! But I will say
that if you have been given a particular gift
of the Spirit, you have been very unwise in the
use of that precious gift. Along with that gift,
there must be divine wisdom, Holy Ghost wisdom
in the exercising of that gift. I don't care
what it is. I don't care whether it's the gift
of the word of knowledge. I don't care whether
it's the gift of the word of wisdom. I don't
care whether it's the gift of prophecy, the gift
of miracles, the gift of faith, the gift of healing,
the gift of tongues, the interpretation of tongues.
I don't care what gift God has given you. You
must use... divine wisdom in the use of that
gift. The spirits of the prophets are subject
to the prophets and all gifts are given that
Christ may be exalted and in that way others
are blessed. If God has given you a gift, be
sure that it's used under the lordship and the
guidance and wisdom of the Lord himself. God
bless you.