050 - Spiritual Gifts #1 - Don Gossett

[00:00:00] The subject of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is one of those supernatural realms of walking in the Holy Spirit through many years

[00:00:08] I've been reading books by many authors who have written on this subject

[00:00:12] Some of the most helpful books were written by my dear friend Kenneth Hagan

[00:00:17] Joyce Meyer has also written helpful material on the gifts of the Spirit

[00:00:21] And I've recently been studying what she wrote and

[00:00:25] And most important we're talking about the Holy Spirit not just some any spirit

[00:00:30] And the most controversial of all these gifts is probably the gift of speaking in tongues

[00:00:36] For the Bible says in 1st Corinthians 12 to one is given various kinds of unknown tongues

[00:00:43] And I want to quote what Joyce Meyer has written here

[00:00:48] Believers in some segments of the body of Christ are known for operating in the gifts of the Spirit

[00:00:53] Perhaps more than those from other spiritual backgrounds

[00:00:57] Some church groups teach on the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit regularly

[00:01:02] And see the operation of the gifts frequently

[00:01:05] While some don't teach on them or even believe they're available for Christians today

[00:01:10] These gifts are clearly part of Scripture and should be studied and sought by all believers in Jesus Christ

[00:01:17] Speaking in tongues is speaking in a supernatural language

[00:01:20] One that God understands but the speakers and others may not

[00:01:25] It's usual for private prayer and communion with God

[00:01:28] And it's beneficial in corporate settings

[00:01:31] But it must be then accompanied by the supernatural spiritual gift of interpretation

[00:01:37] Ignoring the gifts of the Spirit may close the door to excesses and abuses of this gift

[00:01:43] But they do not take place at times but also close the door to countless blessings of people

[00:01:50] Desperately need this in their daily lives

[00:01:52] And here's what Joyce says

[00:01:54] I have to say as Paul did in 1st Corinthians 14 18

[00:01:58] That I'm glad I speak in tongues

[00:02:01] And I thank God for this gift

[00:02:04] I speak in tongues a lot because it strengthens me spiritually

[00:02:07] It increases my intimacy with God and enables me to hear his voice more clearly

[00:02:13] Clearly Paul spoke in tongues

[00:02:16] The 120 disciples who were filled with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost all spoke with other tongues

[00:02:22] Other believers who received the baptism of the Holy Spirit as recorded in the book of Acts spoke in tongues

[00:02:29] Why shouldn't you and I operate in this gift of the Spirit?

[00:02:33] So be open to the gifts of the Holy Spirit

[00:02:37] And never have a closed mind of learning new things

[00:02:41] Well that's a good word that I'll begin here with by Joyce Meyer

[00:02:46] And you know when I was just a young man

[00:02:49] Entered full-time ministry when I was just 19

[00:02:53] I had gone two years to college

[00:02:57] One to a Baptist college for the first year

[00:03:00] And the second year to an Assemblies of God Bible College

[00:03:04] But in those two years I never heard one lesson taught on the gifts of the Spirit

[00:03:09] So I was quite ignorant entirely of this wonderful truth

[00:03:14] When I first began to travel with William Freeman

[00:03:18] Now he was one astounding man of God

[00:03:21] He had been just an ordinary railroad brakeman

[00:03:25] And then got born again

[00:03:27] And after that was called to preach the gospel

[00:03:30] He became pastor of a small church there in California

[00:03:34] And after some time he felt God nudged him

[00:03:39] That he should resign from his church

[00:03:41] And give himself full-time to ministry

[00:03:44] And it was one of the most tremendous stories to my understanding

[00:03:48] How this man heard from God

[00:03:51] He made a decision that he would devote eight hours a day

[00:03:55] In communion with God

[00:03:57] Even as he had worked eight hours a day on the railroad

[00:04:01] Now I never know exactly how long he maintained this discipline

[00:04:06] But it was evident that he was a mighty man of prayer

[00:04:09] When I joined him

[00:04:10] Now I was so delighted to have the input from his life

[00:04:16] About the gifts of the Holy Spirit

[00:04:19] He had to me until that time been a foreign subject

[00:04:22] And William Freeman had one of the most dynamic visitations of God I'd ever heard

[00:04:28] I heard him share it many times

[00:04:30] You know because I traveled with him for five solid years

[00:04:34] And it was a learning experience all the time

[00:04:37] To have this man as my mentor

[00:04:39] On the gifts of the Holy Spirit

[00:04:42] You see he had been visited by God

[00:04:44] Through a supernatural visitation

[00:04:47] One evening in his church

[00:04:49] He was on his face on the carpet

[00:04:51] Simply praying

[00:04:53] When suddenly the room

[00:04:55] There had not been lights turned on as yet

[00:04:58] He suddenly illumined with a bright light

[00:05:01] And he looked up

[00:05:02] And there stood a man

[00:05:04] And the man simply said to him

[00:05:06] I am an angel of the Lord

[00:05:08] Sent by God to give you a gift of healing

[00:05:11] You are to go and stretch forth your hand

[00:05:15] To bring healing to the people

[00:05:17] If you can get them to only believe

[00:05:19] Not one thing will stand before you

[00:05:21] Not even cancer

[00:05:23] There is a great sleeping and slumbering in the land

[00:05:26] There must be an awakening

[00:05:27] Because Jesus is coming soon

[00:05:31] Well that was the message he received that day

[00:05:33] It changed his whole life

[00:05:35] And changed the future of his ministry

[00:05:37] It was an awesome gifting

[00:05:39] Many times in those five years I worked with him

[00:05:43] In great crusades

[00:05:45] He would often emphasize his gratitude

[00:05:49] To what God had done

[00:05:51] Now his visitation of the angel

[00:05:54] Didn't supersede the authority of God's written word

[00:05:57] But he was very aware of what this visitation had meant

[00:06:02] I can so well remember in those great prayer lines

[00:06:06] Where thousands of people would come in a great crusade

[00:06:10] Sometimes he would be encountered with a very difficult situation for healing

[00:06:17] Perhaps someone who was hopelessly afflicted

[00:06:19] And so often he would simply lift his heart up

[00:06:24] And his voice up and say

[00:06:25] Lord I remember that which you've spoken to me

[00:06:29] Said and told me

[00:06:30] He always wanted to remind God

[00:06:33] That he was aware of the visitation of the angel

[00:06:36] And the manifestation of the gifts of healing

[00:06:40] That was a great experience to see

[00:06:43] And now some people would ask me

[00:06:45] When they heard him speak

[00:06:47] Rather a quick word

[00:06:49] He would say

[00:06:50] Lord I remember that which you've spoken to me

[00:06:53] Said and told me

[00:06:54] Some thought he was saying

[00:06:55] What did he speak in San Antonio

[00:06:58] Well he wasn't saying San Antonio at all

[00:07:00] He simply had three verbs in one sentence

[00:07:03] I remember that which you've spoken to me

[00:07:06] Said and told me

[00:07:07] Well it was a simple way of expressing his gratitude

[00:07:11] And he would submit to the Lord

[00:07:14] And well the evidence was so great

[00:07:16] So I learned a great deal about the gifts of the Holy Spirit

[00:07:21] Through what my work with William Freeman

[00:07:24] A mighty visitation had been

[00:07:26] And it was always a constant influence

[00:07:29] Now when I worked with him those years

[00:07:32] It became my responsibility

[00:07:34] After he had preached a strong salvation message

[00:07:37] And added hundreds to Christ

[00:07:39] I would stand at the microphone and say

[00:07:41] Now it's time for Brother Freeman

[00:07:43] To pray for the healing of the sick

[00:07:45] He wants to pray first of all

[00:07:47] For those with outward afflictions

[00:07:49] That when you're healed

[00:07:50] People will see and know

[00:07:52] What the Lord has done

[00:07:53] And I would call for those who were deaf

[00:07:56] Blind, crippled

[00:07:58] Outstanding afflictions

[00:07:59] That when a healing was manifested

[00:08:01] All could see and rejoice and praise God

[00:08:04] And then he would go down before these people

[00:08:09] And that's when he had a second gifting of the spirit

[00:08:12] That was manifest and that was the discerning of spirits

[00:08:15] It was not discerning people

[00:08:17] It was discerning spirits within them

[00:08:19] And he was always perceptive by the Holy Spirit

[00:08:23] By this gift of discerning of spirits

[00:08:26] To know who was ready for a healing

[00:08:28] And who was not

[00:08:29] And he would then say to them

[00:08:31] Very thoughtfully

[00:08:34] Please wait to another time

[00:08:36] When I will pray for you

[00:08:37] And he would then usher those people

[00:08:40] Whom he witnessed that they were ready for a miracle

[00:08:44] And the ushers would take them to the platform

[00:08:46] And there would be maybe as many as 25 people

[00:08:50] Ushered there on the platform

[00:08:52] And he would pray for them one by one

[00:08:55] And then demonstrate what God had done

[00:08:58] The blind who received sight

[00:09:00] It didn't happen all the time

[00:09:02] But it happened very frequently

[00:09:04] However the deaf were almost always received their hearing

[00:09:08] And those with no sense of taste or smell

[00:09:11] Was always evidence that they could then clearly smell and taste

[00:09:15] And then there would be those manifestations

[00:09:18] Of people's crippled limbs being healed

[00:09:21] And to me it was an education

[00:09:23] In the supernatural power of God

[00:09:26] Working with that man for those years

[00:09:29] What a delight

[00:09:30] What a blessing

[00:09:31] It proved to be in my own life

[00:09:33] And I'm so grateful that God permitted me

[00:09:35] To have those five years

[00:09:38] Traveling with

[00:09:39] Living with

[00:09:40] Working with this man of God

[00:09:41] And how his life was so touched by God's Spirit

[00:09:45] Now I mentioned about

[00:09:47] That the angel of the Lord said to him

[00:09:49] That he'd given to him a gift of healing

[00:09:52] And the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 12 9

[00:09:55] To another is given the gift of healing

[00:09:59] Which means extraordinary powers

[00:10:02] Anointed by the Holy Spirit

[00:10:04] Now the gifts of healing work with the gift of faith

[00:10:07] Although all believers are encouraged to pray for the sick

[00:10:10] And see them recover

[00:10:12] According to Mark 16 and 18

[00:10:14] These signs shall follow them to believe

[00:10:16] They shall lay hands on the sick

[00:10:18] And they shall recover

[00:10:19] However

[00:10:20] However this gift of healing

[00:10:23] The Holy Spirit distributes this

[00:10:25] Extraordinary gift to people

[00:10:28] Just as he gives other spiritual gifts to certain people

[00:10:31] Now in those years of traveling

[00:10:34] Often the crowds were enormous

[00:10:36] He had a big tent

[00:10:38] Seating 10,000 people

[00:10:40] And often that tent would be filled with people

[00:10:43] Why?

[00:10:44] Because God was manifesting his power

[00:10:47] Through the instruments of a man of God

[00:10:49] And there were many wonderful healing

[00:10:51] I would receive stacks of testimonies

[00:10:55] As the editor of his magazine

[00:10:56] And I'd receive reports of confirmed physical healings

[00:11:01] Confirmations even by medical doctors

[00:11:03] This would happen over those five years repeatedly

[00:11:06] And the prayer of faith during those meetings

[00:11:09] And thank God it would happen

[00:11:12] God was working

[00:11:13] For when a person receives healing through a spiritual gift

[00:11:17] That healing may not be evident immediately

[00:11:20] Healing can be a process that works somewhat like medicine

[00:11:24] It is necessary to receive it by faith

[00:11:27] And believe it is working

[00:11:28] The results often become visible later

[00:11:30] I often encourage people to say

[00:11:33] The healing power of God is working in me right now

[00:11:36] How about that?

[00:11:37] Speak that affirmation

[00:11:39] The healing power of God is working in me right now

[00:11:43] Yes, we should trust God

[00:11:45] In this area for our health

[00:11:47] And I thank God for doctors, of course

[00:11:50] And I thank God for medicine

[00:11:51] When we need it

[00:11:53] But I want to emphasize

[00:11:54] That Jesus is our great physician

[00:11:57] He's the greater physician

[00:11:59] As a matter of fact

[00:12:00] And God is our spiritual wonderful physician

[00:12:04] By his grace

[00:12:06] And his word is our medicine

[00:12:08] So you can ask God to heal you

[00:12:10] And there may be the manifestation

[00:12:13] Of this gifts of the Holy Spirit

[00:12:15] Well, I will continue to share with you on this subject

[00:12:18] Father, I pray

[00:12:19] That people's hearts will be open

[00:12:21] To receive the truth of your word

[00:12:24] That the gifts of the Holy Spirit

[00:12:26] Will be a part of their life

[00:12:28] In Jesus' name, amen

[00:12:30] Well, how about it?

[00:12:32] Oh, in gratitude for this precious Lord

[00:12:34] Let's say, praise you, Lord, amen

[00:12:38] And let's say it ten delightful times

[00:12:41] Praise you, Lord, amen

[00:12:44] Praise you, Lord, amen

[00:13:03] Praise you, Lord, amen

[00:13:05] Praise you, Lord, amen

[00:13:08] Praise you, Lord, amen

[00:13:11] Hallelujah