WEBVTT 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:06.839 Today, again, we're continuing to answer questions. 00:00:08.759 --> 00:00:14.320 Oh, dear me. Really, I feel that in answering 00:00:14.320 --> 00:00:18.719 these questions, I have preached sermon after 00:00:18.719 --> 00:00:23.940 sermon. We've had an awful lot of theology wrapped 00:00:23.940 --> 00:00:27.839 up in the answering of these questions. and I 00:00:27.839 --> 00:00:30.980 pray that they would have been a real inspiration 00:00:30.980 --> 00:00:37.000 to you. You will have learned much. Maybe in 00:00:37.000 --> 00:00:40.259 more than one instance, your theology had to 00:00:40.259 --> 00:00:44.679 change a little bit. But I repeat, if the question 00:00:44.679 --> 00:00:46.439 has been answered according to the Word of God, 00:00:46.600 --> 00:00:54.579 then accept it. If you can prove to me that God's 00:00:54.579 --> 00:01:03.490 Word give something different, contrary to what 00:01:03.490 --> 00:01:07.950 I have brought to you. I'm wrong. The Bible is 00:01:07.950 --> 00:01:16.189 always right. Remember that. The 37th question. 00:01:17.989 --> 00:01:23.349 Why do so few people have the gift of healing? 00:01:24.969 --> 00:01:29.000 May I take the liberty, of reading what Paul 00:01:29.000 --> 00:01:34.780 says in 1 Corinthians, the 12th chapter, regarding 00:01:34.780 --> 00:01:43.040 the gifts of the Spirit. Let us not just take 00:01:43.040 --> 00:01:49.019 one gift, the gift of healing. Let's get the 00:01:49.019 --> 00:01:54.939 overall picture of what he is saying regarding 00:01:55.769 --> 00:01:59.810 the gifts of the Spirit. Now concerning spiritual 00:01:59.810 --> 00:02:05.069 gifts, brethren, and when he says brethren, we 00:02:05.069 --> 00:02:07.129 know immediately that he's talking to the Christian, 00:02:07.310 --> 00:02:11.889 to those who are spiritual. I would not have 00:02:11.889 --> 00:02:17.509 you ignorant. The fourth verse. Now there are 00:02:17.509 --> 00:02:21.569 diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There 00:02:21.569 --> 00:02:26.539 are differences of administrations. but the same 00:02:26.539 --> 00:02:31.599 Lord. And there are diversities of operations, 00:02:31.979 --> 00:02:38.819 but it is the same God which worketh all in all. 00:02:39.439 --> 00:02:42.539 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given 00:02:42.539 --> 00:02:47.900 to every man to profit withal. For to one is 00:02:47.900 --> 00:02:52.930 given by the Spirit the word of wisdom. To another, 00:02:53.050 --> 00:02:56.669 the word of knowledge by the same spirit. To 00:02:56.669 --> 00:02:59.009 another, faith by the same spirit. To another, 00:02:59.129 --> 00:03:05.229 the gifts of healing by the same spirit. To another, 00:03:05.330 --> 00:03:08.509 the working of miracles. To another, prophecy. 00:03:08.909 --> 00:03:13.550 To another, discerning of spirits. To another, 00:03:13.750 --> 00:03:18.629 diverse kinds of tongues. To another, the interpretation 00:03:18.629 --> 00:03:25.169 of tongues. All these worketh that one and the 00:03:25.169 --> 00:03:32.129 selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally 00:03:32.129 --> 00:03:42.150 as he will. The importance of the gifts of the 00:03:42.150 --> 00:03:47.689 Holy Spirit is to the essential functioning of 00:03:47.689 --> 00:03:55.240 the Church of... Jesus Christ cannot be overestimated. 00:03:56.539 --> 00:04:05.400 The gifts of the Holy Spirit are absolutely vitally 00:04:05.400 --> 00:04:14.900 important. They are essential to the functioning 00:04:14.900 --> 00:04:21.579 of the church. Without them, the church lacks 00:04:21.579 --> 00:04:24.540 the spiritual equipment that's outlined in the 00:04:24.540 --> 00:04:27.079 first epistle to the Corinthians, this twelfth 00:04:27.079 --> 00:04:30.480 chapter that I've just read, which is so necessary 00:04:30.480 --> 00:04:33.959 for an aggressive conflict with the powers of 00:04:33.959 --> 00:04:38.939 darkness. She is also deprived of that edifying 00:04:38.939 --> 00:04:42.860 enrichment derived from the manifestation of 00:04:42.860 --> 00:04:46.620 the Holy Spirit's presence and power in her midst. 00:04:48.389 --> 00:04:51.670 The Bible is full of God's supernatural dealings 00:04:51.670 --> 00:04:56.649 with his people. The experience of regeneration, 00:04:57.089 --> 00:05:00.449 whereby we become new creatures in Christ, is 00:05:00.449 --> 00:05:05.810 supernatural. Christians also readily admit that 00:05:05.810 --> 00:05:09.329 the devil is supernatural in his person, in his 00:05:09.329 --> 00:05:13.949 power, in activities. And yet, the same Christians 00:05:13.949 --> 00:05:18.300 are inclined to shrink. from the thought of a 00:05:18.300 --> 00:05:21.220 supernatural baptism in the Holy Spirit with 00:05:21.220 --> 00:05:25.519 supernatural signs attending it and the ensuing 00:05:25.519 --> 00:05:32.800 supernatural gifts. I don't know why it is that 00:05:32.800 --> 00:05:37.240 the average minister is so afraid of the supernatural 00:05:37.240 --> 00:05:45.639 power of God. Supernatural manifestations. Supernatural 00:05:45.639 --> 00:05:51.329 gifts. when the early church was founded on the 00:05:51.329 --> 00:05:57.250 supernatural. And we need to get back again to 00:05:57.250 --> 00:06:03.610 the supernatural. And wherever we find the presence 00:06:03.610 --> 00:06:09.089 of the Holy Spirit, we'll always find the supernatural. 00:06:12.329 --> 00:06:16.769 The Lord Jesus said, He that believeth on me, 00:06:16.870 --> 00:06:22.939 the work... that I do shall he do also. And he 00:06:22.939 --> 00:06:27.079 also promised, Ye shall receive power after that 00:06:27.079 --> 00:06:32.720 the Holy Ghost is come upon you. But if we ignore 00:06:32.720 --> 00:06:37.699 the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we despise the 00:06:37.699 --> 00:06:45.870 heritage which is granted to us in Christ. And 00:06:45.870 --> 00:06:50.709 we forget what the Apostle Paul exhorted in 1 00:06:50.709 --> 00:06:55.730 Corinthians, the 12th chapter, and that first 00:06:55.730 --> 00:07:01.589 verse. Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, 00:07:01.910 --> 00:07:11.129 I would not have you ignorant. Should any advance 00:07:11.129 --> 00:07:15.600 the argument? that the gifts were bestowed merely 00:07:15.600 --> 00:07:20.980 to assure in the present dispensation, and that 00:07:20.980 --> 00:07:25.639 they were not for today. Let us quote the Apostle 00:07:25.639 --> 00:07:28.839 Peter on the day of Pentecost, who said, The 00:07:28.839 --> 00:07:34.319 promise is unto you, and to your children, and 00:07:34.319 --> 00:07:38.459 to all that are afar off, even as many as the 00:07:38.459 --> 00:07:43.610 Lord our God shall call. Looking down through 00:07:43.610 --> 00:07:49.649 the telescope of time, he saw the day, the hour 00:07:49.649 --> 00:07:54.269 in which we are living. And that's the reason 00:07:54.269 --> 00:07:59.129 the promise of the Holy Spirit, the promise of 00:07:59.129 --> 00:08:00.990 the supernatural manifestation of the Holy Spirit 00:08:00.990 --> 00:08:07.949 was not limited to the early church. The promise 00:08:07.949 --> 00:08:12.759 is unto you, those to whom he was speaking. and 00:08:12.759 --> 00:08:17.379 to your children, the next generation, and to 00:08:17.379 --> 00:08:24.220 all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord 00:08:24.220 --> 00:08:30.279 our God shall call. And when we speak of the 00:08:30.279 --> 00:08:31.720 Holy Spirit, when we speak of the power of the 00:08:31.720 --> 00:08:35.639 Holy Spirit, when we speak of the gifts of the 00:08:35.639 --> 00:08:44.480 Spirit, the supernatural, Remember, it's the 00:08:44.480 --> 00:08:49.659 heritage of the church today. It's the heritage 00:08:49.659 --> 00:08:55.159 of every Christian to enjoy the supernaturals. 00:08:57.539 --> 00:09:01.379 If a person is called to be a son of God through 00:09:01.379 --> 00:09:06.019 faith in Jesus Christ, that person is also, in 00:09:06.019 --> 00:09:11.210 consequence, a prospect. recipient of the gifts 00:09:11.210 --> 00:09:18.210 of the Holy Spirit. Is that simple? It's just 00:09:18.210 --> 00:09:27.830 like that. And what does the Scripture say? Quote, 00:09:27.870 --> 00:09:32.330 There are diversities of gifts, but the same 00:09:32.330 --> 00:09:37.370 Spirit. The apostle is pointing out that although 00:09:37.370 --> 00:09:41.230 the gifts are so different one from the other, 00:09:41.330 --> 00:09:48.029 their origin or their source is the same. The 00:09:48.029 --> 00:09:50.750 gifts of the Spirit are various manifestations 00:09:50.750 --> 00:09:54.429 of the same Spirit. The Holy Spirit manifests 00:09:54.429 --> 00:10:00.610 Himself in different and distinctive ways. The 00:10:00.610 --> 00:10:04.440 gifts function differently in each individual. 00:10:05.299 --> 00:10:11.259 Take, for example, the working of miracles. In 00:10:11.259 --> 00:10:15.039 Elijah, it was associated with the mantle he 00:10:15.039 --> 00:10:19.320 wore. In Moses, with the rod which had been changed 00:10:19.320 --> 00:10:23.539 into a serpent. In Samson, the miraculous power 00:10:23.539 --> 00:10:28.840 was inseparable from his physique, so that he 00:10:28.840 --> 00:10:33.399 became supernaturally strong Spirit was upon 00:10:33.399 --> 00:10:39.279 him. However, in each instance, it was the manifestation 00:10:39.279 --> 00:10:46.240 of the same gift, although the operations were 00:10:46.240 --> 00:10:54.759 so different. Oh, this is glorious. Why don't 00:10:54.759 --> 00:11:06.139 you see something? The selfsame spirit, dividing 00:11:06.139 --> 00:11:15.720 to every man severally as he will. Here we have 00:11:15.720 --> 00:11:19.820 the prerogative of the spirit to give what gifts 00:11:19.820 --> 00:11:26.659 he sees most suitable for the individual. And 00:11:26.659 --> 00:11:30.100 it is for us to covet earnestly the... best gifts 00:11:30.100 --> 00:11:34.159 of the Holy Spirit. And it is the prerogative 00:11:34.159 --> 00:11:39.379 of the Spirit to bestow these gifts as He will. 00:11:41.179 --> 00:11:44.919 Now, at the end of 1 Corinthians 12, we read 00:11:44.919 --> 00:11:48.840 that we are to covet earnestly the best gifts, 00:11:49.080 --> 00:11:53.379 but the Apostle would show us a more excellent 00:11:53.379 --> 00:11:59.500 way. And what is the more excellent way? It is 00:11:59.500 --> 00:12:06.340 to seek the love of God first and to desire the 00:12:06.340 --> 00:12:09.340 gifts of the Spirit in order that we may serve 00:12:09.340 --> 00:12:16.100 God better. The answer is actually given in the 00:12:16.100 --> 00:12:22.419 14th chapter of 1 Corinthians. Follow after charity 00:12:22.419 --> 00:12:32.139 or love. and desire spiritual gifts. If we put 00:12:32.139 --> 00:12:36.179 spiritual gifts before the love of God, we shall 00:12:36.179 --> 00:12:39.960 make a very serious mistake. For the first and 00:12:39.960 --> 00:12:47.120 the most important thing is love. For me to live 00:12:47.120 --> 00:12:53.399 is Christ, and Christ is love. Those who love 00:12:53.399 --> 00:12:57.419 God will normally desire spiritual gifts, since 00:12:57.419 --> 00:12:59.899 they are manifestations of His Spirit, given 00:12:59.899 --> 00:13:04.240 for His glory and for the enrichment of His church. 00:13:06.039 --> 00:13:09.379 Now I want you to see something. The question 00:13:09.379 --> 00:13:13.379 is, why do so few people have the gift of healing? 00:13:14.639 --> 00:13:20.480 But may I also ask a question? Why limit it to 00:13:20.480 --> 00:13:25.320 just the gift of healing? For to one is given 00:13:25.320 --> 00:13:30.100 by the Spirit the word of wisdom. Why are there 00:13:30.100 --> 00:13:35.340 so few who have been given the word of wisdom? 00:13:35.360 --> 00:13:40.559 To another, the word of knowledge. Why are there 00:13:40.559 --> 00:13:46.559 so few to whom has been given the gift of knowledge? 00:13:46.639 --> 00:13:51.919 To another, faith by the same Spirit. Then comes 00:13:51.919 --> 00:13:55.259 the gift of healing, the working of miracles, 00:13:55.500 --> 00:14:02.600 prophecy, the discerning of spirits, tongues, 00:14:02.740 --> 00:14:07.879 the interpretation of tongues. And I would go 00:14:07.879 --> 00:14:12.539 so far as to say that that which Paul has given 00:14:12.539 --> 00:14:19.600 in number has really been limited. Four more 00:14:19.600 --> 00:14:27.299 gifts than those that Paul named here. Don't 00:14:27.299 --> 00:14:30.399 limit the Holy Spirit to whatever you do. Don't 00:14:30.399 --> 00:14:37.539 limit him to just nine gifts. There are more, 00:14:37.659 --> 00:14:46.240 and I believe this with all of my heart. I've 00:14:46.240 --> 00:14:52.509 come to the conclusion. That he who is perfect 00:14:52.509 --> 00:14:58.549 wisdom and perfect knowledge, who knows an individual 00:14:58.549 --> 00:15:04.190 better than that individual knows himself, knows 00:15:04.190 --> 00:15:15.750 to whom he can trust. He does not give his gifts 00:15:15.750 --> 00:15:26.210 promiscuously. Sort of like the man who looked 00:15:26.210 --> 00:15:35.429 up and said, Why doesn't God bless me with riches? 00:15:40.649 --> 00:15:43.429 You want to know something? The same man who 00:15:43.429 --> 00:15:48.950 looked up and asked that question had not and 00:15:48.950 --> 00:15:54.559 was not being obedient. to God with that which 00:15:54.559 --> 00:16:02.039 he had. He wasn't even paying his tithe, that 00:16:02.039 --> 00:16:10.120 part which was rightfully God's. And I'm sure 00:16:10.120 --> 00:16:18.480 that if he was not obedient with that with which 00:16:18.480 --> 00:16:24.830 he had and had been given to him, God couldn't 00:16:24.830 --> 00:16:26.230 feel as though he could trust him with anything 00:16:26.230 --> 00:16:35.330 more. You understand? Why, bless you. If God 00:16:35.330 --> 00:16:42.190 were to give certain people a gift, they would 00:16:42.190 --> 00:16:53.620 misuse that gift within the first 24 hours. God 00:16:53.620 --> 00:17:02.679 knows exactly what he's doing. Yeah? And that 00:17:02.679 --> 00:17:08.160 is the reason, you see, I would not say to you 00:17:08.160 --> 00:17:15.519 that I had been given a certain gift. No one 00:17:15.519 --> 00:17:20.180 has ever heard Catherine Cooman ever say that 00:17:20.180 --> 00:17:30.119 she possessed A certain gift. Do you want to 00:17:30.119 --> 00:17:38.380 know why? If he has so chosen to give me something 00:17:38.380 --> 00:17:46.000 special, along with that gift, there's also a 00:17:46.000 --> 00:17:54.410 great responsibility. A tremendous responsibility. 00:17:56.710 --> 00:18:09.109 An awesome responsibility. It becomes almost 00:18:09.109 --> 00:18:23.470 overwhelming. And one must be very careful. What 00:18:23.470 --> 00:18:29.109 one does with that which has been given him of 00:18:29.109 --> 00:18:40.470 the spirit. That's the reason I try to be so 00:18:40.470 --> 00:18:47.150 careful. And sometimes I think you become weary 00:18:47.150 --> 00:18:51.190 of hearing me say Catherine Cooman has nothing 00:18:51.190 --> 00:18:55.509 to do with it. Catherine Cooman has never healed 00:18:55.509 --> 00:19:00.230 anyone. I know the truth of that statement better 00:19:00.230 --> 00:19:07.549 than anyone else. Because I know it's the supernatural 00:19:07.549 --> 00:19:14.089 power of God. My responsibility is to be very 00:19:14.089 --> 00:19:18.549 careful to give God the praise. To give God the 00:19:18.549 --> 00:19:27.680 honor. To give God all the glory. I must guard 00:19:27.680 --> 00:19:33.819 that which he has given me very carefully. And 00:19:33.819 --> 00:19:37.980 one day, when I stand in his glorious presence, 00:19:38.299 --> 00:19:43.700 I'm going to have to give an account of that 00:19:43.700 --> 00:19:57.380 with which he has entrusted me with. Look up 00:19:57.380 --> 00:20:06.359 just now. Perhaps through blinding tears. Remember 00:20:06.359 --> 00:20:11.420 that you're his child. And these things that 00:20:11.420 --> 00:20:14.180 I've been talking about are a part of your inheritance. 00:20:17.440 --> 00:20:21.400 You want to be filled with holy spirit? You'll 00:20:21.400 --> 00:20:30.740 feel. that which you will yield unto him. Do 00:20:30.740 --> 00:20:36.559 you want to be given a gift of the Spirit? Search 00:20:36.559 --> 00:20:40.579 your own heart and first of all see whether you're 00:20:40.579 --> 00:20:46.039 being faithful and true to him with that which 00:20:46.039 --> 00:20:55.519 he has entrusted to you now. And I repeat, the 00:20:55.519 --> 00:21:00.500 importance of the gifts of the Holy Spirit to 00:21:00.500 --> 00:21:03.099 the essential functioning of the Church of Jesus 00:21:03.099 --> 00:21:08.279 Christ cannot be overestimated.