#459 Ghost Stories Series# 5, Gracious Ghost

Ghost Stories Series# 5 Gracious Ghost
With: D. Karl & Cheryl Thomas

“Sense knowledge has gained supremacy over Christianity and dominates it. Civilization has failed because the type of Christianity we have given it has failed. It was a sense-ruled type that was stripped of miracles.” E. W. Kenyon

1 Corinthians 12:1-11
Now concerning spiritual gifts, (Pneumatikos) 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. Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.
There are diversities of gifts, (Charismata) 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.

“CHARIS” is a word in the original Greek language of the New Testament. It is almost always translated as grace, — also kindness, favor, blessing, etc.
It means “unmerited favor.” It means “goodwill that is not deserved.”
CHARIS only applies with the recipient is undeserving. If it is deserved in any way, it is not CHARIS. If there is anything that you can do earn it, it is not CHARIS.
CHARIS is a very general and broad term. When it is used in a specific instance, the Greek word is

“CHARISMA.” This is often translated “gift.”
This is unmerited favor (grace) that is made specific in a specific instance.
It is an undeserved gift. If there is any part of it that is deserved, then it is not a CHARISMA. If you try to deserve it, then you make yourself ineligible.
Now if you want to make this word plural, you add “TA” to the end and you end up with

“CHARISMATA.” CHARISMATA means “free, undeserved gifts.”
That brings us to our passage in 1 Corinthians where the gifts of the Holy Spirit are listed

These nine manifestations of the Holy Spirit are gifts that the Holy Spirit gives to people that don’t deserve them. There is no requirement on anyone to receive them. If there are requirements, then they are not CHARISMATA. Another word would have to be used. If you have to attain a certain level of maturity or holiness in order to receive them, then they would be called rewards instead of gifts.

But the word that is used here is CHARISMATA…free gifts that are not deserved in any way.

To bring this point out more clearly, consider the context of the passage that was quoted above. It comes from a letter (1 Corinthians) that was written to a group of Christians in the city of Corinth. In this letter they are being corrected for things that would make many of today’s believers blush. Here are a few examples:

They were getting drunk during communion (ch 11 v 21)
They were suing each other (ch 6 v 7)
One of them was sleeping with his father’s wife (stepmother), and the rest of the group thought this was something to be proud of (ch 5 v 1-2)
Some of them evidently didn’t know any better than to call Jesus “cursed” (ch 12 v 3)

To sum it all up, read the following passage from chapter 3:
1 Corinthians 3:1-3
1 Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly–mere infants in Christ.
2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.
3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?
These people are not mature. Rather, they are immature. Paul calls them spiritual babies. They are not ready for meat, they still need milk. The are carnal and worldly, they are not demonstrating holy living.

However, when you read chapters 12-14, you can see that this doesn’t stop the Holy Spirit from operating His supernatural gifts through them in miracles, healings, prophecy, and so on. The gifts of the Spirit are operating mightily in this group of believers. Paul even makes this statement in chapter
1 Corinthians 1:7 – Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.

It seems to me that many Christians have a very different idea about this. People seem to think that to operate in the gifts of the Spirit, you have to fast and pray, and live holy, and so on. But if that were true, then they wouldn’t be called gifts (CHARISMATA).

Don’t get me wrong, sin is bad and can ruin your life. And immaturity is nothing to be proud of. However, sin and immaturity do not stop the Holy Spirit from using us in His supernatural gifts. By definition, CHARISMATA gifts are only given to people that don’t deserve them.

Think about it like this: What human could work hard enough to deserve the power of God? Who could earn the right to demonstrate the power of God? Nobody but Jesus. You don’t earn this. You can’t earn it. You have to just receive and use/exercise the gifts by faith, and be thankful to God that He gives a bunch of misfits the opportunity to participate in whatever He is doing.

Never let anyone tell you that you need to reach a certain level of behavior or maturity in your walk before you can move in the wonderful, powerful, and supernatural gifts (CHARISMATA) of the Holy Spirit. Don’t get tricked into disqualifying yourself. The gifts are free to all that will receive them and use them. They are given as the Holy Spirit wills (1 Corinthians 7:11), and they are given freely. If you don’t deserve them, then you are a prime candidate to receive them.

“Power without love can be disastrous.” Lester Sumrall

“But earnestly desire and zealously cultivate the greatest and best gifts and graces (the higher gifts and the choicest graces). And yet I will show you a still more excellent way [one that is better by far and the highest of them all–love].” 1 Corinthians 12:31

“Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.” 1 Cor. 14:12

It is essential to the fulfillment of God’s purpose in the earth that the church exercises Spiritual gifts with maturity.
We cannot exercise the authority of heaven without a manifestation of the power of heaven.
To build the House of God days we must use the power tools.

Some Governing Observations:
Every believer can and should flow in the gifts of the Spirit.
Manifestation of the Spirit are given fresh and spontaneously as the Holy Spirit wills.
Gifts are not given to cause us to be dependent on third party revelation.
God expects us to walk in current revelation with wisdom and knowledge. He does not want passivity to lead to inactivity.
Gifts of the Spirit often operate in together to bring the full expression of God’s purpose.
The most important gift of the Spirit is the one that is necessary at the moment.

Manifestation Gifts (vs.4) 1 Cor 12:8-10 “charisma”:– spiritual favours “pneuma”:– Spirit
Ministry Gifts (vs.5) Eph 4:11 “diakonia”:– offices “Kurios”:– Lord Jesus
Motivation Gifts (vs.6) Romans 12:6-8 “energma”:– show forth ones self “theos”:– God

“Spiritual gifts are the presence of the Spirit Himself coming to relatively clear, even dramatic, expression in the way we do ministry. Gifts are God going public among His people.”
Dr. Sam Storms

“Real Christianity is actually divine power in action. It is the Holy Spirit in action making the Word of God happen.” “God uses manpower. Man needs God’s power. God works when people work.”
Reinhard Bonnke

Manifestation Gifts 1 Cor. 12:8-10
Revelation: (hearing) Wisdom, Knowledge, Discerning Spirits
Power: (doing) Faith, Healing, Miracles
Utterance: (speaking) Prophecy, Tongues, Interpreting Tongues

Manifestation:– (phanerosis) to make manifest or visible or known what has been hidden or unknown, to manifest, whether by words, or deeds, or in any other way.
A manifestation not a personal ability.

Revelation: (hearing) Wisdom, Knowledge, Discerning Spirits

Wisdom:–{sophia} supreme intelligence, such as belongs to God.
A special, supernatural, fresh Word of divine instruction in season.

Knowledge:–{gnosis}:– recognition, the understanding of a thing.
A special, supernatural, fresh Word of divine information in season.
“…to another distinguishing between spirits,…” vs.10

Discerning (diakrisis) :– distinguishing, judging. From (diakrino) :– to separate, make a distinction, discriminate, to prefer, to try, to give judgement. To separate one thing from another.

Power: (Doing) Gift of Faith, Gifts of Healing, The Working Of Miracles

Gift Of Faith (pistis):– A miraculously given miracle producing faith for a specific time and a certain task.
The gift of Faith comes because of a revelation and is released through an act of boldness.

Working Of Miracles (dunamis):– a supernatural intervention in the ordinary course of nature; by the power of god nature is suspended, altered or controlled.
To operate in the working of miracles you will also need to flow in revelation gifts and the gift of faith.

Gifts Of Healings (iama):– many different manifestations of healing each appropriate to and effective for its related illness.
To operate in the gifts of healing you will need to flow in many of the other gifts of the Spirit

Utterance: (Speaking) Prophecy, Tongues, Interpreting Tongues

“Prophecy is important in the life of the Church, because prophecy is the most edifying gift for a congregation. The other eight gifts are focused “rifle” gifts, which normally bless one specific person or perhaps a few; prophecy is a “shotgun” gift that can bless hundreds of people at once.”
– Dr. Bill Hamon

God Wants To Speak To Us!
Why did he include the method of prophecy?
Duet. 18:15-22
God’s voice frightened them. Ex.20

He will use someone like you.
He will put His word in that mouth.
The word must be tested.

Gift Of Tongues (glossa):– a supernatural utterance in languages not known to the speaker given by the Holy Spirit using our natural voice. God to man.
The gift of tongues is a product of both God and man. Every believer has a part to play in speaking in tongues for the Spirit gives you utterance, and you do the talking. “…they began to speak…”

Three Types Of Tongues.

Unknown tongue to God. Prayer language. Warfare. Build up your faith. Worship spiritual song.
Sign and wonder tongue. Spoken or heard in a known language.
Unknown tongue from God. A tongue that is to be interpreted to bring edification to the body.

Interpreting Tongues (Hermeneia):– the supernatural explanation of a gift of tongues given to an individual by the Spirit and spoken in a known language. It is important to note that “interpretation” of tongues is not the same thing as “translation” of tongues, for the interpreter never understands the tongue he or she is interpreting.

“I would that ye all spake with tongues but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.” 1 Corinthians 14:5
Ask for the interpretation. Even if you were the one who brought the tongue.

Gift Of Prophecy (Propheteia) :– a spontaneous supernatural vocal expression of inspiration in a known tongue which edifies, exhorts and comforts the church.
Intellect, faith, and will are operative in this gift, but its exercise is not intellectually based. It is calling forth words from the Spirit of God.

Flowing In The Gifts
5 Prophetic Realm Of Operation:

Prophetic Motivation Romans 12:6
Prophetic Company
Spirit Of Prophecy
Office Of A Prophet Eph. 4:11
Gift Of Prophecy 1 Cor. 12/14

Boundaries Of The Gift:
“But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.”
1 Corinthians 14:3
Edification (Oikodome):– the act of building up, the act of one who promotes another’s growth
Who doesn’t need to be built up?

Flowing In The Gifts
Exhortation:– (Paraklesis) to draw near, a calling near, summons.
The prophetic gift should always usher us closer to the heart of God.

Comfort:– (Paramuthia) an address, made for the purpose of persuading, or of arousing and stimulating, or of calming and consoling. Comfort and Stimulation.

1 Corinthians 14:29 “Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said.” (NIV) “…while the rest pay attention and weigh and discern what is said. (Amp)
OTHERS:– those who are qualified.

Seven Tests Of Prophecy:

Test the spirit. Where is it from?
Test the content. Is it biblical?
Test the purpose. Does it glorify God?
Test the vehicle. Is there fruit?
Test the atmosphere. Is there liberty?
Test the direction. Where does lead?
Test the accuracy. Does it happen?

“I would that ye all spake with tongues but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.” 1 Corinthians 14:5

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