by George Runyan | May 30, 2016 | Devotional, George Runyan
1 Corinthians 14:31 – You can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted.
The subject of prophecy is at the heart of Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 14. Earlier, Paul told these believers, “You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols” (1 Corinthians 12:2). Paul goes on to share about those who speak by the Spirit of God. God the Father always intended His people to be a voice for Him. Moses said, “I would that all God’s people were Prophets” (Numbers 11:29). Revelation 19:10 states that “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
Let’s review what Paul teaches concerning prophecy. In 1 Corinthians 14:1, Paul commands us to “Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.” In verse 3 he writes, “But one who prophesies speaks to men for edification, and exhortation, and consolation.” He goes on in verse 4, “One who prophesies edifies the church.” In verse 5, Paul shares a deep desire, “Now I wish that you all speak in tongues, but even more that you would prophesy; and greater is the one who prophesies than the one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive edifying.”
Remember, Paul is dealing with these gifts in the corporate gathering of the church. The instruction applies to the church as a whole being edified not just ministering to one person. Paul writes in verse 6, “What will it profit you unless I speak to you either by way of revelation or of knowledge or of prophecy or of teaching?” These are four clear spoken ways of building up the body of Christ! In verses 7 through 33, Paul illustrates his point using musical instruments, the natural way of speaking, and the call to war. Paul states, “I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all; however, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in tongues” (1 Corinthians 14:19). In verses 31-33 Paul teaches us that “you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted; and the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets; for God is not the God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.”
Paul is not dealing with the private use of tongues in these passages. He is concerned for the church when she gathers together. There, the focus must be “edification of one another.” In the corporate gathering, there is no place for being self-focused or drawing attention to oneself. The concern is always to be toward building up others in Christ.
Pray with me for the Holy Spirit to make us an instrument for Him to speak through Him to others. Lord, cause me to both hear You clearly and to speak clearly Your word to others that they may be edified. Release the “gift of prophecy” in my life as You please. I am listening Lord, use me.
by George Runyan | May 29, 2016 | Devotional, George Runyan
Mark 16:17 – These signs will accompany those who have believed.
What a wonderful promise our Lord has given us. The word miracle denotes a non-natural, beyond natural, supernatural order of things. A miracle is a work contrary to nature, the accomplishments of which we are unaccustomed to experiencing. The gift of the working of miracles operates by the energy or dynamic force of the Spirit of God. It is a sovereign act of the Spirit of God, irrespective of laws or systems that we understand.
Some of the operations of this gift are found both in the Old and New Testament. They are seen when God delivered His people from bondage, Exodus 14:16. God provided for those in need while in the wilderness, Exodus 17:5-6. In the New Testament, miracles confirm the preached Word, Acts 8:6. Miracles deliver people at times of unavoidable situations of danger, Acts 19:11-12. Miracles display God’s power and magnificence, Psalm 150:2. Miracles show forth His excellent greatness!
Miracles are explosions of God’s almighty signs and wonders. Miracles are an expression of the divine, walking among men. Miracles are tokens of His invisible power. Miracles fall into the realm of recreation, not just mere healing. There are miraculous occasions we find mentioned in the Scriptures and recorded in history. Some examples are the deliverance ministry, when evil spirits come out of people. There are occasions when new limbs are given, blind eyes are opened, deaf ears are unstopped, a new organ given, and unexplained events taking place. The most powerful miracle is the resurrection of the dead.
God’s people, who have been saved by the power of God, need to give time to meditating on the “miraculous.” The miraculous should be a part of our walk with Christ, in the Power of the Holy Spirit. A lifestyle of the miraculous should not be foreign or strange. As a believer in the Lord, we should come to expect the Holy Spirit to break into our natural world and perform “signs and wonders.” Those that want to argue against the miraculous will be those that seldom see God’s miraculous hand. I choose to live a life of expectation resulting in many experiences of God’s intervention into my natural world with supernatural occurrences.
Won’t you join me in expectation of God’s promises to those who believe? Ask the Holy Spirit to perform mighty signs and wonders through you on behalf of those in need of the power of God. Father, raise my expectation of Your mighty power working with me and through me on a daily basis for Your glory.
by George Runyan | May 28, 2016 | Devotional, George Runyan
Mark 16:18 – . . . they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover
In the early church, the gifts of healing were displayed many years after the resurrection of Christ. Paul had power to heal through special miracles. “God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that handkerchiefs or aprons were carried from his body to the sick, and diseases left them and the evil spirits went out” (Acts 19:11-12). It is recorded that Paul prayed for Publius’ father and then “laid his hands on him and healed him” (Acts 28:8).
Twenty-six years after the resurrection of Jesus, ordinary believers were still operating in the gifts of healing. Paul speaks of healing gifts in the plural in I Corinthians 12:9. In Galatians, Paul asked a question concerning the Spirit and miracles. “So then, does he who provides you with the Spirit, and work miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law or by hearing with faith” (Galatians 3:5)? James, many years after the earthly ministry of Jesus, gave direction for the Elders to pray for the sick, with a promise of healing and forgiveness (James 5:l4-16).
The Scriptures are filled with many divers operations of the gift of healing. I have listed a number of references which speak about this wonderful gift. Take time to study the Scriptures for yourself. Ask the Father to reveal His will to you concerning healing. Trust Him in faith that the Holy Spirit would give gifts of healing to you. Ask Him to use you to bring healing to those in need. Father, supply my life with Your gifts of healing as You would direct. There are many in need of God’s healing power. There is a great need for God’s people to allow the Holy Spirit to minister His gifts through their life.
Here are a few examples of the diversity of the healing gifts: Touch of a hand – Matthew 9:21; Sending the Word – Psalm 107:20; Peter’s shadow – Acts 5:15; Aprons and garments – Acts 19:12; Anointing with oil. – James 5:14; Laying on of hands – Mark 16:18; Prayer in Jesus’ Name – Acts 3:6; The Word of Knowledge – Acts 9:11.18 and 14:8.10; Through the means of special directions to the sick one: Mark 7:31-37 – Fingers in his ears and touching the tongue; Mark 8:22-26 – Saliva placed on the blind man’s eyes; Acts 20:9-10 – Paul embracing a dead man who revived; Action taken by the sick one to show faith. In John 5:1-9 is the example of the man at the pool of Bethesda picking up his bed and walking. Another time in Matthew 9:1-7, Jesus told the man to “pick up his bed and go home.” And he got up and went home. It was in Jesus’ healing ministry that, “the crowds were awestruck, and glorified God, who had given such authority to men” (Matthew 9:8).
God has always been the healer of His people. He heals today as well. Won’t you receive His healing grace in your life and allow Him to use you to bring His healing power to others? Remember what Jesus said about those who believe on Him, “They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover” (Mark 16:18).
by George Runyan | May 25, 2016 | Devotional, George Runyan
1 Corinthians 12:9 – To another is given gifts of healing
One of the most powerful verses of Scripture states, “You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him” (Acts 10:38). Our Lord sets the standard for ministry. Jesus takes of His anointing and gives a portion to each believer.
One of the gifts of power is “healing.” Of the gifts of power, healing is the most widely distributed. The gifts of healing are for the supernatural healing of disease and infirmities without natural means of any sort. I must emphasize the entirely supernatural character of the “gifts of healing.” These gifts of healing must not be confused or mixed with medical science in any fashion. Healing through these gifts is brought about by the power of God in the name of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit who resides in believers. Please notice, Paul’s plural use of the word “gifts” as it relates to healing. One possible reason is there are so many different kinds of sickness and diseases which afflict the human race. Not all sickness is physical. Consider other needs such as emotional suffering, a wounded heart, sexual brokenness, and deliverance from all kinds of demonic inflicted bondage
The Lord still has compassion on the sick today; He still delivers from the power of the enemy. He is still healing people in the old fashioned way revealed in His Word. His way is a safe way, a painless way, and is free. It is a holy way because it is His Way. It is helpful to understand the working and purpose of these gifts of healing by considering their operation as revealed in the Scriptures. If you remove from Scripture all the references to healing, you would not have much of the Bible left.
Consider three reasons helpful in seeking God for the gifts of healing to be operating in and through our life in Christ. I suggest looking these Scriptures up and asking the Holy Spirit to give you a greater understanding of God’s will to heal.
by George Runyan | May 24, 2016 | Devotional, George Runyan
1 Corinthians 12:9 – To another is given faith by the same Spirit.
Let us remember that through faith we are saved (Ephesians 2:8). We call this “saving faith.” The first work of the Spirit in our life is to lead us to faith in Christ. Faith that believes the Word of God which declares what the Lord has done for us through His death on the cross. This is faith that began to work in us before salvation actually takes place. Paul calls it “The faith of the Son of God” (Galatians 2:20).
Faith is named in the fruit of the Spirit as seen in Galatians 5:22. This kind of faith can only be developed by the Spirit as we learn to walk in the Spirit. Fruit can only be grown, not made. This fruit of faith speaks of God creating us to be a faithful people. We begin in faith that saves us. Then we learn to walk in faith, learning to trust the Holy Spirit on a daily basis. At times, we may experience the gift of faith which the Holy Spirit gives at His will for special times of need.
The gift of faith is distinct from saving faith and the fruit of faith. The gift of faith is in the family of the power gifts. When one operates in this gift, they believe God in such a way that God honors their word as His own. He miraculously brings to pass those things spoken in faith. It is a supernatural endowment by the Spirit whereby what is uttered or desired by a person shall eventually come to pass. This faith utterance covers blessing, cursing, destruction, and is different from the gift of the working of miracles and the gifts of healing in that often its operation is not immediately or even generally observed.
The operation of Miracles is more of an act, as when the Red Sea was rolled back by Moses, while the operation of the gift of faith is more of a process. The Gift of Faith begins with a sudden surge or boost of faith given by the Holy Spirit, when needed, as seen in Joshua 10:12-13, Acts 9:40, and Acts 13:11. Peter is a great example of this operation of faith. He entreated the Lord to bid him to come as the Lord was walking on the water and approaching the disciples. The other disciples in the boat thought Peter had lost it for sure, but when he came back in the boat with Jesus, Peter was their hero of “faith.” You just have to know, each one of them wished they had done what Peter did!
Holy Spirit, there are times when only the “gift of faith” can bring us through to Your intended purpose. Make me a willing vessel to allow You to give me that gift to help me do Your will when my natural ability fails me.
by George Runyan | May 23, 2016 | Devotional, George Runyan
John 4:18 – You have had five husbands and the one whom you now have is not your husband.
The woman at the well is an excellent example of how powerful this New Testament gift of knowledge can be. As Jesus speaks with the Samaritan woman, He tells her life history with men. As we continue to read on in John 4:19 – 29, we learn how the whole city came to hear Jesus as a result of this one word of knowledge spoken to the women. That word helped to convince a sinner of her need of the Savior; she in turn was used to reach others by pointing them to Christ.
Acts 9:10-11 speaks of how the word of knowledge came through a vision and pointed out to Ananias a man in need. That man happened to be Saul of Tarsus, who later became the Apostle to the Gentiles. Notice how this word came in a vision to Ananias. He responded, “Here I am Lord”.
Peter received a word of knowledge about corruption in the church (Acts 5:3). The result was fatal for a man and his wife because they purposed in their heart to lie to the Holy Spirit. Today, it seems like many get away with lies and deception, but let me assure you, when this gift of knowledge begins to operate in the Lord’s Church at this level, judgment will also follow as it did in the days of the early apostles.
Please do not confuse this gift of knowledge with learning. The word of knowledge is a special supernatural revelation of facts given by the Holy Spirit. The examples are too numerous for all of them to be included. The “foretelling” of events to come is an operation of this blessed gift. To treat this gift as a vocal gift by suggesting that it is about preaching and teaching that came through studies, is to rob it entirely of its supernatural and miraculous character.
Holy Spirit, I am limited in what I know. I invite You to use me as often as it is pleasing to You through the gift of knowledge. Reveal to me what I need to know to encourage a child of God or help one to come to know the Savior. If You will, use me to point out sin that the one in bondage may be set free to experience Your love.
