GIFT OF MIRACLES
GIFT OF MIRACLES
Sunday Evening Service
July 1, 2012, the Year of Our Lord
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
Our nation and peoples of the earth are faced with many challenges to our Faith. This past week we heard of a war looming between the U.S.A./Syria and Russia; financial upheaval in Greece and Spain; the downgrade of some large U.S.A. banks; the volatile prices of oil; the Constitution of the U.S.A. challenged; the Attorney General of the U.S.A. held in contempt of congress; cannibalism; fires in Colorado; Derecho-- 600-mile straight line wind storm; etc. etc. This is in just one week.
I spent time in prayer, yes praying for the nation, but also praying for myself! “Carolyn that sounds pretty selfish considering you’re a Pastor and a Minister of God”. If I am to walk in victory, then I must have the victory over all circumstances of my own life. In the face of catastrophic events, war, political upheaval, and financial instability of the world system, Rev. 18:4 “Come out from her my people, that you be not partakers of her sins, and that you do not receive her plagues.”
At every cross-road in my life, the Lord has required of me just as he did of the disciples when He said unto them, “follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him (Mt. 4:20.
Then there was the rich young ruler, Jesus said that he lacked one thing; sell all that you have, distribute unto the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” The rich young ruler had his heart still on his riches instead of the Lord and he did not answer the call to come and follow the Lord.
With the disciples as with my own life, one time of testing the affections of the heart is not enough. Again on the third time the Lord showed himself to his disciples, after he was raised from the dead, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of Jonas, do you love me more than these? Peter answered, you know I love you Lord. Jesus said unto him “Feed my lambs.” Three times the Lord asked him the same question. (John 21: 15-19)
This week the Lord reminded me of when I fell in love with Don, I left my family, career, and sheltered life to follow Don; and follow him I did as he sometimes jumped through walls and pulled me with him. Then I fell in love with our daughters and gave them my all. Then the day came when the Lord came for the call on my life. Don, my daughters, and my mother put up quite a fight to stop me from answering that call. But for the love of Christ and for the love of my family, I followed Christ into the ministry. Then my family followed me.
This week I felt the Lord say to me, “Carolyn do you love me as much as you loved Don when you left everything for him? Do you love me more than the comforts of your home and your security?” Like Peter and even the rich young ruler, I counted my blessings and checked my heart. I was even “grieved” that “we had to do this again---I have already done this at every cross-road of my life.” I was "grieved" with myself that I was struggling. Then I was left with only one answer, “Lord help me to love you more than these, you know all things. Yes Lord! There is no place else to go in all the earth but to you”.
As the servants of the Lord and Sons of God, we must burn all of our exits, moving forward in faith that our economy and security is in the government of the Kingdom of God and come out from placing our faith and well being in the hands of the world system, “Babylon”. “Come out of her, my people, that you be not partakers of her sins, and that you receive not of her plagues.”
Heaven, the Holy Apostles, and Prophets are to rejoice when these things happen on the earth (Rev. 18:20).
The Holy Spirit has given gifts to the church that we may be victorious. One of those giftings is the Gift of Miracles:
Mark 16: 17-20: “And these signs shall follow them that believe…and they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.”” Signs and wonders are a natural result of the preaching of the gospel. We should expect them to be there. And we should not expect just one or two. One miracle should lead to another miracle. God wants to give us an increasing progression of the miraculous, until we come into the supernatural, the realm of the miraculous” (1 Ruth Ward Heflin-Golden Glory).
Spiritual ministry means a ministry that meets the needs of man through the anointing and the manifestation of the Holy Spirit. It is the gospel of the Kingdom in supernatural demonstration and power. It is the Gospel in action.
The demonstration of the Holy Spirit is a “Doing” and a “Practicing” of that which we teach.
1 Cor. 2 4-5: “My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power; that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power (dunamis) of God.”
A “Doing” ministry utilizes the three doing or power manifestations of the Holy Spirit; namely, Faith, the Workings of Miracles, and the Gifts of Healings. (1 Cor. 12: 8-10).
Hebrews 11:6: “Without faith it is impossible to please God; for he that comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
- Faith is a spiritual force. God is a spirit. He is a faith God who is only pleased by faith.
- Faith is the absence of doubt; the opposite of fear. (2 Tim 1:7). “For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
- Faith is in the present tense. “NOW FAITH IS the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
- Faith is a gift. It is an impartation of the Lord. (Rom. 12:3) “I say, through the grace given unto me, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith.” A big ego does not constitute the supernatural power of “Faith”.
- Faith is a fruit. It grows. Rom.1:17 “Therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, the just shall live by faith.” (Gal. 5: 22-23).
- Faith comes by the hearing of the Word of God. (Rom. 10:17) “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.”
- Faith speaks. Rom 10: 6-10: “But the righteousness which is by faith speaks…”
- We live by His faith. Gal. 2:10: “I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who love me, and gave himself for me.”
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit fall into three categories:
- SPEAKING MINISTRY: Divers kinds of tongues; Interpretation of tongues; and Prophecy.
- KNOWING MINISTRY: Word of knowledge; Word of Wisdom; Discerning of spirits.
- DOING MINISTRY: These power or action
gifts enable us to ACT (do the works of) Act like God:
- Faith---The God-given ability to believe God for the impossible.
- Working of Miracles – The God-given ability to perform the impossible.
- Gifts of Healings – The God-given ability to impart healing for the physical body at certain specific times.
I came to the awakening of Gift of Miracles in 1995. My Gifts are stronger in Gift of Faith, Knowing Ministry, Speaking Ministry, and Gifts of Healings through Gift of Faith.
I am a former-spiritual snob. I thank God that He loved me enough to deliver me from an elitist attitude of my faith. I say this with grave respect to the Gift of Faith required in those who operate in the Gift of Miracles. Prior to 1995, I had experienced many miracles, deliverances and healings through the Gift of Faith and Gifts of healings. I didn’t “get” the need to use “things” to release God’s power for miracles. By things, I am referring to items used as points of contact. It was not that I didn’t believe in the gift, but the exercise of the gift by modern evangelists seemed to necessitate it being purchased. (Act. 8:20).
In 1995, I was invited to participate in a miracle revival birthed by Bishop Dwight D. Pate at Church Point ministries in Baton Rouge, La. Also participating in this revival was Evangelist G. W. Delatte of Knoxville, Tennessee and Pastor Wilbert Scott of Baton Rouge, La. Through this revival and much prayer and study on my part, I came to the understanding that Gift of Faith, Gifts of Healings and Gifts of Working of Miracles are completely separate gifts and have their own unique way of coming into existence. Yet, they work closely together when God’s power manifests.
“The slower the scholar, the more God will forbear to teach.” Faith will always require risk of things not seen.
Since then, I have used whatever ”things” at my disposal as a point of contact for Faith for healing and miracles.
Gift of Miracles is most often manifested through the Office of the Apostle and the Evangelist. It is also a separate body ministry described in 1 Cor. 12:29 as “Workers of Miracles”. We are told to earnestly desire this gift (1 Co. 12:31) and to not neglect the gift. It can be imparted by grace through prophecy and laying on of hands (1 Ti. 4:14). The Evangelist is the gatherer in the 5-fold ministry. Gift of Miracles gathers the people, raises their faith level, and then God meets them. The Apostle governs. As we are now experiencing the restoration of the apostolic power to the church, we will continue to experience an increase in miracles, signs and wonders. The stumbling block of those in the flesh will be if they use the Gift for fame or gain. “Through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people…believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women” (Act. 5: 12-14).
Faith says that when we know something is from God, we can run straight forward into it.
“He that ministers to you the Spirit, and works miracles among you, is it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”
A miracle is a free gift from God. It can’t be earned, bought, or deserved. This particular gift knows no respecter of persons. It is a great equalizer. An 80-year old saint and a new born Christian receive of this free gift equally. This same grace was made available to the Gentiles when they received the Holy Spirit by faith in Jesus Christ and all the benefits of the Kingdom of Grace. God was and is no respecter of persons between the faithful Jew who obeyed the law and the pagan Gentiles.
That is what makes gift of miracles so much fun. It takes away all struggling. As a Pastor, this is one of the reasons I was slow in seeing the long-term benefit of miracles (Not that I didn’t appreciate miracles---I would and will take all I can get). I was trying to help people mature, stabilize commit and be fruitful. This is valid and important in the Kingdom. However, Gift of Miracles shows no preference over the fruitful, mature saint and a sin-soaked pagan.
We will never get so full of faith, or become so mature that we no longer require miracles. Miracles are a part of the blessedness of the Kingdom of God. “Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved by God among you, by miracles, signs and wonders, which God did by him in the midst of you, and you yourselves know this.” (Acts 2:22). Jesus said we will do even greater works. “This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.”
To activate this gift seems to be by declaring it and moving out in Faith. The way to develop a healing ministry is by laying hands on the heads of many sick people. Just find people who need a miracle and lay your hands on them and believe.
Daniel 4:2: “I thought it good to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has worked for me. How great are His signs, and how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.”
John 11:40: “Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”
Purposes of Miracles:
Reveal God: Ex. 7:5; 9:29; Dt. 4:33; Ex. 7:17: “Thus says the Lord, in this you shall know that I am the Lord…”
Produce faith in God: Ps. 106:8: “He saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known.”
Produce Fear of God: 1 SA. 12:17-18; Da. 6:20
Encourage obedience: Ex. 19:4; Dt. 29:5; Ps. 78:10
Glorify God: Lk. 5:25; Jn. 11:4: “Jesus said, this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be thereby glorified.”
Testify of Jesus: Mt. 11:3; Jn. 2:11; Heb. 2:4:”God also bearing them (the apostles) witness (of Jesus) both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost according to his own will.
Glorify Jesus: Act. 3:16: “Faith in His name…”
Testify to God’s Servants: Ex. 4:2; Zech. 2:9; Acts 2:22
Preserve the righteous: Da. 3:28
Changed wicked purposes: Ex. 3:19
John 14:12: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believes on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries, Inc.
Scripture from K.J.V.; (1) Ruth Ward Heflin, Golden Glory; (2) The Tongue of the Learned by: K. J. Varner with J. L. Dutton; Teaching by Carolyn Sissom May 10, 2000, Gift of Miracles; Comments, Testimonies, and Conclusions are my own and not meant to reflect the views of those whom I entered into their labors.”