Donna Cothran (13 Feb 2008)
"To:  Carl Lindquist, Don Best, Kelly, and Frank Molver"

Your messages are wonderful . .  helping us realize that the Gifts of the Holy Spirit are real for the believer TODAY.   Our Merciful Saving Infinite God is for us!!  He desires His children to preach the good news IN the Power of the Comforter indwelling. 
 
Praise God for the accompanying supernatural signs sent from our Risen Lord Jesus . . .
 
• the word of wisdom
• the word of knowledge
• faith
• gifts of healing
• the working of miracles
• prophecy
• discerning of Spirits
• divers kinds of tongues
• the interpretation of tongues

 

  Sadly,  some in the Church are content to try to reach the world with the preached word only, thereby violating the Apostle Paul’s great declaration: “Our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction” (1 Thessalonians 1:5).

1 Corinthians 1:7-8 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. [8] He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 2:4-5  My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, [5] so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.

it is vitally important when preaching the good news, that it be accompanied with a “demonstration of the Spirit’s power.”

Preaching the Word of God effectively includes genuine manifestations “of the Spirit’s power.” John

14:11-12 ...at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

Jesus promised that believers (not just apostles) may do the works that He did, and even greater, because He has returned to the Father and given us His Spirit. Christ’s disciples in the early Church did indeed do the works that He had done.

“ANYONE who has FAITH IN ME.” If you have faith in Jesus, then in His Name YOU can have these gifts that glorify the Lord.    .

Romans 11:29 God’s gifts and his call are IRREVOCABLE.

 “For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable -- He never withdraws them when once they are given.”

The Greek word here for “gifts” is charisma, from which we derive our English word “charismatic.” The Bible is assuring us that the charismatic gifts, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, are never revoked or withdrawn when once they have been given.

Hebrews 2:4 God also testified to [our great salvation] by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who DOES NOT CHANGE like shifting shadows.

God the Father does not change, including His giving of spiritual gifts. He confirmed the Gospel in the first century with “signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit.” And He who “does not change” confirms the same Gospel in the 21st century with the same supernatural manifestations.

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the SAME yesterday and TODAY and forever.