What you SAY is what you GET

(Confession brings Possession)

A lot of Christians do not know how to talk (confess). Rather than speaking God's word they like to speak their mind, feelings, thinking and imagination. This is not the right way to talk. We should speak the WORD of God instead of saying what we see, think, feel or imagine. We should not let our environment or circumstances shape us, instead we should shape our environment by speaking the right words. The Scripture (Bible) revealed to us that God spoke the world (creation) into existence. He created light by the Word of His mouth.

Let's consider the following scriptures that talk about confession

PSALM 50:23 - KJV
Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.

MARK 11:23, 24
For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall SAY unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he SAITH.
We are using the last clause of Mark 11:23 as our text: "He shall have whatsoever he SAITH."

1 TIM 6:12-14
...lay hold on eternal life whereunto thou art also called and hast PROFESSED A GOOD PROFESSION (Good Confession) before many witnesses.
*Here Profession can be substituted for Confession

HEBREWS 13:6
So that we may boldly say, THE LORD IS MY HELPER, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. Romans 10:10

Romans 10:10
 ... and with the mouth CONFESSION (Positive confession) is made unto SALVATION (health, life, abundance).

(You receive eternal life, Salvation by making a positive confession)


JAMES 3: 2
 ...If a man offend not in WORD, the same is a perfect man, and also able to bridle the whole body

HEBREWS 4:14
Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us HOLD FAST OUR PROFESSION [our confession of faith].

Caleb and Joshua were saved by their Confession
People think God loved Caleb and Joshua more than the whole congregation of Isreal but this is not true. Caleb and Joshua were saved by reason of their confession. God only said Amen to the Confession of the Isrealites. - Numbers 13:30-33, Numbers 14:24

Do not speak defeat
 If you are defeated, you are defeated with your own lips. Proverb 18: 21
says - death and life are in the power of the tongue and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof

Proverbs 6:2 also says - "Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth...

E.W Kenyon and T.L Osborn puts it this way:

"You said that you could not, and the moment you said it, you were whipped. You said that you did not have faith, and doubt rose up like a giant and bound you.
You talked failure, and failure held you in bondage."

This is very true. Believers should never talk defeat. We should never talk failure. 

But on the other hand, talk about Jesus, his love for you and the great promises God has in stock for you.

Two Mistakes made during positive confessions

• Confession to Jesus instead of confessing to the mountain.

Jesus told us to rebuke our mountains, not to tell Jesus to rebuke mountains for us. God has given us the power to speak to our mountains. Let's use the power.

• Unscriptural Positive confessions

Positive confession that is unscriptural will not be honoured by God. it is mere ignorance. God honours his word. Many positive confessions nowadays are self confessions. They are not God's word, they are not LOVE confessions.
e.g. coveting another man's property, wife, job etc- God want you to have a car but don't covet another man's car. God will provide a companion for your not covet another man's companion e.t.c. Don't put that in your confession.

Things God wants us to Confess/Possess

• Confess Jesus as Lord (Romans 10:9, 10), you will possess salvation.
• Confess "... with his stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5), and possess healing.
• Confess that the Son has made you free (John 8:36), and possess absolute freedom.
• Confess "... the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost ..." (Romans 5:5), and possess the ability to love everyone.
• Confess that "the righteous are bold as a lion" (Proverbs 28:1), and possess lion-hearted boldness in spiritual warfare.
• Confess that God will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5, 6), and possess the presence of God with each step you take.
• Confess that you are the redeemed of the Lord (Psalm 107:2), and possess redemption benefits every day.
• Confess that the anointing of the Holy One abideth in you (I John 2:27), and possess yoke-destroying results by this anointing (Isaiah 10:27).
• Confess that in the name of Jesus you can cast out devils (Mark 16:17), and possess dynamic deliverances over Satan's power.
• Confess that "they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover" (Mark 16:18), and possess positive healings for the oppressed.
• Confess that you are a branch of the living Vine (John 15:5), and possess Vine-life wherever you go.

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Success: Your Covenant Right

God's will for you is to make you PROSPER (SUCCESSFUL) and it is boldly written in His Word.
   
Jer 29:11 - KJV
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Jer 29:11 – The Message Bible
I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out — plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.

SUCCESS YOUR BIRTHRIGHT

At new birth (When you were born again/Surrendered your life to Jesus Christ – entered into the family of God), you entered into a covenant relationship with God. This covenant covers all areas of your life. God has done everything to make you a success. He has made a grand design of success for you.

A lot of God’s people lack the knowledge of THIS TRUTH. They do not know that God has planned and programmed them for success. So they continue to live purposelessly and with a wrong mindset. They do not have knowledge of their success in Christ Jesus. They are in a confused state.
This is the picture of many believers today. They are only serving God; they do not know their right nor have knowledge of God’s blessings for them.

God is not against SUCCESS

God is not against greatness. He is not against prosperity. He is not against success. He is the author of them all. God is the originator of success(Isaiah 45:7). No one is more successful than Him. He is not against your success. He is happy to see you succeed in life.
Galatians 3:13 - KJV

"Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every man that hangeth on a tree: that the blessings of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith"

He knows you are a seed of Abraham and so you are an heir of the covenant. The covenant is not for  Abraham’s alone. It is your covenant with God. We call it Abraham’s covenant because he received it on our behalf. But it is yours as much as it is Abraham’s. God will fulfill it to you as much as He was to Abraham. You are a Abraham’s child by faith. You have God’s success covenant.

"Ye are the light of the world, a city that is set on an hill cannot be hid, Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel but on a candle stick and it giveth light to all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" - Matthew 5:14-16

IGNORANCE IS AN INFIRMITY

Ignorance a dreadful disease (infirmity). It can prevent people from accessing their birthright.  Knowledge has a way of affecting and influencing an individual’s personality and well-being. If you do not know something, you cannot use it. You cannot reap what you have not sown. You cannot use knowledge you do not possess. That is why wise men say, "Knowledge is power." This is very true. Knowledge empowers. Here at FaithSuccess, we empower people by giving the right knowledge for development and Success.  Ignorance (the absence of knowledge) kills faster than old age.

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" - Hosea 4:6

If God’s people are destroyed for lack of knowledge, therefore it can be said that people can be built up and delivered from evil by knowledge. Knowledge is very important in this life.  As Believers knowledge of the Word of God is essential. Even in the Secular world, there is virtually any sector in which knowledge is not needed.

Only fools despise knowledge.

Naturally, life is full of troubles. It can be adequately described as a bed of troubles. But Christ has promised to keep us in perfect peace IF WE SET OUR MINDS ON HIM, not on the economic chaos, life problems, corruption in the society etc.

SUCCESS  IS NOT A MATTER OF CHANCE. It has no relevance to your natural background. (Educated parents, connections, wealthy family members etc). POWER is not the key to success, 1 Samuel 2:9 – NCV.

David had success in all his ways, he was not from the wealthiest clan in Isreal (I Sam 18:14)

FAITH BRINGS SUCCESS

"For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea, AND SHALL NOT DOUBT IN HIS HEART, BUT SHALL BELIEVE (IN HIS HEART) that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith" - Mark 11:23
It is clear from this statement that faith brings success. The faith being talked about in the above scripture is heart faith not head faith. It is not what comes out of your head that is established, but the one that proceeds from the heart. Paul says, "With the heart, man believeth ..." (Romans 10:10). Not with the head!

You may say I have tried this before but did not get SUCCESS, yes you have tried it with your head not your heart (by faith). Jesus cannot lie (I would call man a liar instead of calling God a liar). Try it now in faith (heart faith) and harvest your Success.

SUCCESS IS YOURS, IT’S YOUR BIRTHRIGHT

Beloved, It is God’s will for you to prosper. God wants you to know that He has destined you for success in all areas of your life. Success is your covenant right.

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The Fear of God

The Fear of God  ...Towards Being Wise

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever. Psalm 111:10

We have heard a lot of people call themselves wise, boasting of their great wisdom and how influential they are but these ones do not regard God nor His Word. They have Sin as their best friend, adviser , counselor and Master, no wonder they end up in misfortune.

Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. Ezekiel 18:4

The book of James talks about two kinds of Wisdom - Wisdom from God and Wisdom not from God (earthly and sensual wisdom). In this context, We shall focus on the true kind of Wisdom, Wisdom from above (Godly Wisdom). True Wisdom is the Wisdom that is from above. the other type of wisdom is what the scriptures calls wisdom that comes to naught.

The Beginning of True Wisdom

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever. Psalm 111:10

The fear of the Lord is  necessary  for anyone that wants to triumph in life. It is also very  important to anyone who desires to enrol with the WISE. The person who fears the Lord, the Lord will help.

Lets examine the following cases- people that feared God and excelled and people that were wise in their mind without fearing God. lets see their end.

The Case of Joseph

In chapter 41 of Genesis, wisdom lifted him to a position of authority, and he became a ruler in the land of Egypt.

And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. Genesis 41:39-41

But he walked in  wisdom by regarding Gods Word. He said, "... how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" (Genesis 39:9.) And also, "...For I fear God"(Genesis 42:18).

The Case of Daniel

Daniel also arrived on the scene and would not defile himself with the king's rich food; therefore, God lifted him. Any man can be distinguished and enthroned on the earth today, if he will part ways with sin.

What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.

The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will show them his covenant.
Psalm 25:12,14

The Case of Jesus

The scripture says, that men marvelled at His wisdom, and exclaimed,"What wisdom is this!". But that was because He did not toy with sin. Jesus was Lord over every element of nature.

As long as a person fears God, He is in charge! making it impossible for Him to be under any form of physical, mental or spiritual oppression.

Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than my enemies: for they are ever with me. Psalm 119:98

God's wisdom makes you wiser than sickness, barrenness, poverty, failure, etc; and when a man is wiser than his enemy, he overcomes the enemy easily!

That is why the enemy strives to corrupt you with iniquity, to ensure that you don't get wiser than him, so he can keep oppressing you. Wisdom  (Fear of God) takes you to the realm of exploits, victory and outstanding success; but it is only accessible by the fear of the Lord!

The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will show them his covenant.
Psalm 25:14

True Wisdom demands purity

Let's be at variance with Sin

Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour. Proverbs 14:9
Everyone that mocks at sin is a fool and ends up in mockery.

You have a glorious destiny in Christ Jesus which you cannot afford to sink with sin. Sin is a sinker, it can sink the destiny of a man like lead in water. Sin is also as dangerous as poison. In other words, it is a murderer!

The Case of Samson

Look at Samson. He was born a prophet, called while he was conceived in his mother's womb. He grew and became a mighty warrior, yet he allowed his enemies to rejoice over him. Sin destroyed him. He was slain by fornication!

The Case of Solomon

What about the man Solomon? He was an embodiment of wisdom in the Old Testament; yet his wisdom was corrupted through immorality.
But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites. 1 Kings 11:1

Solomon's wives turned his heart away from the Lord, the Source of his wisdom, and his wisdom was converted to folly. So at the end of his journey on earth, everything was vanity to him (Ecclesiastes. 1:1-2). Sin is a destroyer. Its victims end their lives in regrets.

The principal reason Jesus came is to remove the heavy weight of sin tied around the neck of humanity. Remember that when you tie a heavy weight to anything and drop it in a river, it sinks. To enable it float again, you would need to remove that heavy weight.

Now that Jesus has removed the heavy weight of sin from off our necks, we can get back on top! We can go up in life operating the wisdom of God.

And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding. Job 28:28

Sin Kills The Mind

T. L. Osborn once said, "When you sin, something in you dies."

The Case of Adam

That was the lot of Adam after the fall. Although he was the man who had single-handedly named all the animals, when he sinned his mind was corrupted, so he used leaves as clothes to cover his nakedness.

Leaves! That was strange, because it was a well known fact that Adam was walking in the same mental realm as God. He had the mind of God. Yet, the moment sin came, his mind was corrupted and could no longer function at its original capacity.

CONFESSION: Lord Jesus, I have heard your word today, i refuse from this day to walk against your written word, i will fear you from henceforth and will work in all your ways. In Jesus Name i Pray, Amen.

All Scriptures taken from KJV version of the bible except otherwise stated

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You are Important!

Thoughts of mediocrity makes mediocres, while thoughts of greatness makes great people (giants). There is a mindset that hems us into a mediocre and boring existence. It undermines our confidence and willingness to take positive risks and stretch our faith.

God's Word says:
For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he... Proverbs 23:7
...For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. Matthew 12:34

Let's change the mediocre MINDSET TODAY:

The good news: 

Everyone born again is special to God and must see himself as such.
It is time you began to see the honour  attached to the new man. You are not a biological accident. You are a creature of destiny.

You have a destiny. 

Believe it. Jeremiah 1:5 says, "Before you were formed in your mother's womb, I knew you and destined you..."

Remember the song: 

“You’re just too good to be true. Can’t keep my eyes off of you...” THIS IS WHAT GOD IS SAYING ABOUT YOU!!!!! Genesis 16:13a—You
are the God who sees me!

You cannot go unnoticed! 

Luke 8:47 says, "Then, the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at His feet." You are chosen
by God (Colossians 3:12).

You are the apple of His eye. 

Whoever touches you, touches the apple of God’s eye. (Zechariah 2:8, Psalm 17:8) You are God’s greatest desire. That’s why
He speaks to us in our dreams (Job 33:14-16).

You have a high callling: 

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. Romans 8:28-30
Do not despise yourself. Do not despise your calling. You are a star!

You are uncommon:  

God rates you as a special treasure to Him.
...Ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people... Exodus 19:5
You are a peculiar specimen of God’s glory, a unique specie! You carry the kingdom of God inside you. Luke 17:21 tells us that the kingdom of God is within us. Your kind has never been before. You are not ordinary. You are peculiar. You have access to the divine nature of God here on earth; the abilities of God are available to you.

You have all things: 

According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

There are great promises for you: 

Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 2 Peter 1:3-4

You are a chosen generation: 

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 1 Peter 2:9

You have unusual grace and abilities:

 You are a priest and a king, and your priesthood and kingly dominion is to be manifested on earth. You are special!

You are invaluable:

 In the Creator’s eye, the entire world is not worth an exchange for your soul. You are of much value in the sight of God; you are a pearl of great price. You are so valuable, that it cost God the blood of His only begotten Son, to redeem your soul from perdition. You mean so much to God, you matter a great deal to His eternal purpose. So, stop despising yourself. The Bible says:

For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. 1 Corinthians 6:20. God sent his only son to redeem you with His blood. The only beggoten died on your behalf

To further establish your great value, God declares: "He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye " (Zec. 2:8). You are the apple of God’s eyes. You are His beloved. Therefore, discover yourself and recover your birthright; because you are peculiar and have a peculiar mission here on earth.

You have a special assignment:...Every man hath his proper gift of God... 1 Corinthians 7:7

There is a proper assignment for you on earth, that why you are given your unique and proper  gift. You have a special mission on earth. You are sent on a mission by Jesus Christ, even as the Father sent Him while He was on earth. Jesus Himself declared:
God has an office for you to occupy and has endowed you with the gift you need for excellence in that office.
Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. 1 Corinthians 12:4-6

You have been sent: You have been sent to proclaim Gods Glory, to bless your world, to be a light unto your generation. ...As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. John 20:21
You are in the class of Jesus. He has sent you. The world should say of you, "what manner of man is this?"

Conclusion You have all it takes. You have all it takes, you are empowered, you have been called. Locate it and stay in it. Every calling of God is a glorious calling. Every placement is a glorious placement, with the ultimate purpose of glorifying the called. Think greatness, Think excellence, you are Special.

...The works that I do shall he (you) do also; and greater works than these shall he (you) do... John 14:12

CONFESSION:

I have a destiny. I am chosen by God. I cannot go unnoticed by Jesus. He sees me and recognizes me, and calls me His own. He is with me, because I have accepted him into my life. I have a special gift, I have a high calling, I am unique. He loves me and considers me significant. I reject all feelings of insignificance and unimportance. I am the apple of His eye, in Jesus Name.

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Concerning Spiritual Gifts... Part 2

The nine manifestations or gifts of the Holy Spirit are generally divided as follows:


Three revelation gifts -Spiritual gifts that reveal something:

•     The word of wisdom
•     The word of knowledge
•     The discerning of spirits

Three power gifts -Spiritual gifts that do something:

•     The gift of faith
•     The working of miracles
•     The gifts of healings

Three utterance or inspirational gifts -Spiritual gifts that say something:

•     Prophecy
•     Divers kinds of tongues
•     Interpretation of tongues

The Word of Wisdom

The word of wisdom is a supernatural revelation by the Spirit of God concerning the divine purpose and plan in the mind and will of God.

The Word of Wisdom Is Not Wisdom in the Affairs of Life

The word of wisdom is confused many times with simple wisdom in the affairs of life, but simple wisdom in the affairs of life is not a spiritual gift. In the beginning of Joshua's ministry, God told him that the key to his success would lie in meditating on the Word of God, and that is how Joshua was to obtain wisdom in the affairs of life.

The Gift of the Word of Knowledge

Notice that this gift is called "the word of knowledge." It is not "the gift of knowledge." There is no such thing as a spiritual gift of knowledge. There is, however, a spiritual gift, called the word of knowledge. The word of knowledge is the supernatural revelation by the Holy Ghost of certain facts in the mind of God  — facts about people, places, or things in the past or present..

The Word of Knowledge vs. The Word of Wisdom
The difference between the two gifts — the word of knowledge and the word of wisdom — is that the revelation the word of knowledge brings is always present tense or concerning something that has happened in the past.

 On the other hand, the word of wisdom always speaks of the future.
The Word of Knowledge and the Word of Wisdom Can Operate Together
We divide the two gifts of the word of knowledge and the word of wisdom and deal with them singularly. However, as I mentioned, very often spiritual gifts operate together.

The Gift of the discerning of spirits

The gift of the discerning of spirits is supernatural insight into the spirit world.
The discerning of spirits actually has a more limited range of operation than the other two revelation gifts, the word of wisdom and the word of knowledge. That is because its revelation is limited to a single class of objects — spirits.

What the Discerning of Spirits Is Not

Someone has said that the best way to find out what something is, is to find out what it is not.
So let's discuss what the discerning of spirits is not. It is not discernment. I've heard people say, "I believe I have the gift of discernment."
Actually, there is no such thing mentioned in the Bible as the gift of discernment. It is the discerning of spirits. Many times what people call the gift of discernment is really the gift of the word of knowledge in operation.
In other words, sometimes people know things by the Spirit of God and call it discernment. But that doesn't mean it is really discernment. It is actually the word of knowledge in operation.

Also, the discerning of spirits is not a kind of spiritual mind reading. And the discerning of spirits is not psychological insight, nor is it mental "penetration." It is not the power to discern the faults of others.
You will find that the power to discern faults in others is possessed not only by believers but by unbelievers as well. You don't even have to be a Christian to have that "gift"! As a matter of fact, the power to discover or discern the faults in others is absolutely forbidden in the Scriptures. "Judge not, that ye be not judged" (Matt. 7:1).
One purpose of the baptism in the Holy Ghost is to destroy this "gift" of discerning faults in others, which is nothing more than criticism, and then to replace it with the sweet gift of gentle forbearance. The gift of discerning of spirits is not faultfinding. If those who think they have the "gift" of faultfinding would just turn that "gift" on themselves for about fifteen seconds, they
would never use it again.

Therefore, the discerning of spirits is not a spiritual gift to uncover human failures. Christians should walk in love, and the Bible says love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8). Paul, writing to the Church at Ephesus, said, "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you" (Eph. 4:32). Paul was talking here to Christians.
No, the discerning of spirits is not discerning of character or faults; it is not even the discerning of people. It is called the discerning of spirits, and it deals with spirits that exist in the spirit realm, whether they are divine, satanic, or human.

Discerning of Spirits Is Not Simply Discerning of Devils

Let me point out that this gift of discerning of spirits is not just the discerning of devils, nor is it the discerning of just evil spirits.
To say that the discerning of spirits has to do only with devils is misleading. This gift has to do with the entire class of spirits, including good spirits, bad spirits, and human spirits. It is supernatural insight into the realm of spirits. The discerning of evil spirits is included, of course, but too many times folks have thought that seeing demons and devils is all this gift encompasses and they have been misled.

Gifts of the Spirit Are Supernatural

All of the gifts of the Holy Spirit are supernatural; they are not natural. Every one of them is a supernatural manifestation of the Spirit of God.
There are Bible teachers who say that some of the gifts of the Spirit are natural and some of them are supernatural. But if one of them is supernatural, then all of them are supernatural.
Every single one of the gifts of the Spirit listed in First Corinthians 12:8-10 is a supernatural manifestation of the Holy Spirit.

The Gift of Special Faith

It is a supernatural manifestation of the Holy Spirit whereby a believer is empowered with special faith, or wonder-working faith
The Gift of Special Faith Is Not the Same as Saving Faith
Every believer already has general faith or saving faith, which is also a gift. Ephesians 2:8 says, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God."
The faith that you are saved by is a gift of God, but it is not one of the nine gifts of the Spirit.
Saving faith is given to you through hearing the Word, because the Bible says, "So then faith [saving faith ] cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10:17).
The faith which we are talking about in this lesson — special faith — is something other than general faith or saving faith. It is a supernatural manifestation of the Holy Spirit whereby a believer is empowered with special faith, or wonder-working faith, and it is beyond simple saving faith.

The Gift of the Working of Miracles

A miracle can be defined as a supernatural intervention by God in the ordinary course of nature. The working of miracles is used to display God's power and magnificence.
In Young's Analytical Concordance to the Bible, the Greek word for "miracles" in First Corinthians 12:10 is "dunamis," and can also be translated acts of powers.

The Gift of Faith vs. The Gift of the Working of Miracles

The gift of faith is also distinct from the working of miracles, although both gifts produce miracles. One of them is active and the other is passive.
The working of miracles is active; it actively works a miracle. The gift of faith doesn't work a miracle, but passively receives a miracle.
In other words, the difference between the working of miracles and the gift of faith is that the gift of working of miracles actively does, and the gift of special faith passively receives.

Gifts of Healings: Not Medical Science

First, I want to emphasize the supernatural character of the gifts of healings. The gifts of healings have nothing to do with medical science or human learning.
Luke, who was a medical doctor, was with Paul on many of Paul's missionary journeys.
Luke wrote the Acts of the Apostles as well as the Book of the Bible that bears his name. Luke was with Paul when he was shipwrecked and they were on the Island of Melita.
Nothing at all is said to the effect that Luke ministered to the folks on that island with his medical knowledge. But the father-in-law of the chief man of the island was sick, and Paul laid his hands on him and he was healed. He was healed by the supernatural power of God. This was the gifts of healings in manifestation.

Note: There is a difference between receiving healing through the manifestation of gifts of healings and just simply receiving healing by our own faith in God's Word.

The Gift of Prophecy

Prophecy is supernatural utterance in a known tongue. is simply means divinely inspired utterance in a known tongue

The Bible says, ". . . greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret ..." (1 Cor. 14:5). This infers that to speak with tongues and to interpret the tongues
is equivalent to prophecy.

tongues + Interpretation = prophecy

Therefore, prophecy is really the most important of these three gifts of inspiration or utterance in that it does not require another gift to complete it.

The Simple Gift of Prophecy Is Not Prediction

Many people think the gift of prophecy is prediction. The simple gift of prophecy, however, is not prediction but is speaking unto men ". . . to edification, and exhortation, and comfort" (1 Cor. 14:3).

Difference between prophecy in the Old Testament and prophecy in the New Testament.
It is also interesting to note the difference between prophecy in the Old Testament and prophecy in the New Testament. In the Old Testament prophecy was essentially foretelling, but in the New Testament we see that the gift of prophecy shifts strongly to forth telling.
The Gift of Prophecy vs. The Office of the Prophet
The gift of prophecy should not be confused with the prophetic office. The simple gift of prophecy has no revelation in it. Rather, it speaks unto men for their edification,
exhortation, and comfort (1 Cor. 14:3); it is to edify the Church (1 Cor. 14:4).
Notice that in First Corinthians 14:1, Paul was telling the whole Church at Corinth to covet to prophesy and to desire spiritual gifts, ". . . but rather that ye may prophesy." Yet in First Corinthians 12:28, Paul said that all are not prophets. If prophesying made a person a prophet, then Paul would be contradicting himself. In other words, the fact that the gift of simple prophecy operates through a person doesn't make him a prophet.

Therefore, the prophet would have other revelation gifts operating in his ministry, as well as the gift of prophecy.
To constitute standing in the office of the prophet, a person needs to have at least two of the revelation gifts operating on a continual basis in his life and ministry, plus the gift of prophecy.
In other words, for a person to stand in the office of the prophet, he would need to be called to the fivefold ministry as a preacher or teacher of the Word (Eph. 4:11,12), and have two of the three revelation gifts — the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, or the discerning of spirits — plus prophecy operating consistently in his ministry.
Therefore, we should not confuse the office of the prophet with the simple gift of prophecy which we are all told to covet.

Paul said, "But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to EDIFICATION, and EXHORTATION, and COMFORT" (1 Cor. 14:3).
Thus, we can readily see that in the simple gift of prophecy there is no revelation. The simple gift of prophecy is given for edification, exhortation, and comfort. In the office of the prophet, however we very often find that revelation or foretelling does come forth, even through the vehicle of prophecy.

The Gift of Tongues

Divers kinds of tongues is supernatural utterance in an unknown tongue.

The Gift of Tongues Is a Supernatural Sign

Divers kinds of tongues is supernatural utterance by the Holy Spirit in languages never learned by the speaker, nor understood by the speaker, nor necessarily always understood by the hearer. Speaking with tongues has nothing whatsoever to do with linguistic ability; it has nothing to do with the mind or the intellect of man. It is a vocal miracle of the Holy Spirit.
We might ask, "What is the good of speaking with tongues?" Jesus said in Mark 16:17, ". . . these signs shall follow them that believe . . . they shall speak with new tongues."

The Gift of Tongues Is Unique To This Dispensation

One preacher disagreed with speaking in tongues, saying, "John the Baptist had the Holy Ghost and he didn't speak with tongues. Prophets of the Old Testament had the Holy Ghost, but they never spoke in tongues. So why do we need to speak in tongues?"

Initial Evidence of Receiving the Holy Spirit

Speaking in tongues is the initial evidence or sign of the Holy Spirit's infilling Presence (Acts 2:4). I believe, of course, that there are other evidences that will follow, but this is the first or initial physical evidence.

Speaking Mysteries Supernaturally to God

Paul gives another reason for speaking with tongues in First Corinthians 14:2: "For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but UNTO GOD: for no man understandeth him; howbeit IN THE SPIRIT HE SPEAKETH MYSTERIES" (1 Cor. 14:2).

The Gift of Interpretation of tongues

Interpretation of tongues is a supernatural showing forth of that which has been said in an unknown tongue.

The gift of interpretation of tongues is the least gift of all of the gifts of the Spirit because it depends upon another gift — divers kinds of tongues — in order to operate. It does not operate unless tongues have been in operation.
The purpose of the gift of interpretation of tongues is to render the gift of tongues
understandable to the hearers so that the whole church congregation, as well as the one who gave the utterance in an unknown tongue, may know what has been said and may be edified thereby. Paul said,". . . greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, THAT THE CHURCH MAY RECEIVE EDIFYING" (1 Cor. 14:5).
All these gifts operate by faith, but it takes more faith to operate in the gift of prophecy than tongues or interpretation of tongues.

The Gift of Interpretation — Not Translation

As we mentioned earlier, the interpretation of tongues is not a translation. I am sometimes asked why it is that when someone speaks at length in tongues, an interpreter will occasionally give only a short message.

Note: all the spiritual gifts listed above are manifested by the Holy Ghost as he wills. you cannot start the operation of a spiritual gift like if you switch on your TV set at home. The manifestation of the Spirit is given by the Holy Spirit Himself. Nevertheless some gifts can be operated by faith (e.g gift of tongues)

Recommended book
 The Holy Spirit and His Gifts by Kenneth Hagin

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Concerning Spiritual Gifts... Part 1

With regard to Spiritual Gifts...

1 Corinthians 12:1-14 (NET)
 With regard to spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.  You know that when you were pagans you were often led astray by speechless idols, however you were led. So I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
  Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit.  And there are different ministries, but the same Lord.  And there are different results, but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each person the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the benefit of all.  For one person is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, and another the message of knowledge according to the same Spirit,  to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,  to another performance of miracles, to another prophecy, and to another discernment of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues.  It is one and the same Spirit, distributing as he decides to each person, who produces all these things.
  For just as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body – though many – are one body, so too is....

1 Corinthians 12:1-14 (KJV)
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

For the body is not one member, but many....

Don't Be Ignorant (Uninformed) of Spiritual Gifts

A lot of people in the Church today are ignorant about Spiritual Gifts.

Paul said by the Holy Spirit to the Church at Corinth, "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I WOULD NOT HAVE YOU IGNORANT" (1 Cor. 12:1 - KJV).

With regard to spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed (1 Cor. 12:1 - NET)..

The Spirit of God through Paul said that He didn't want the Church at Corinth to be ignorant (Uninformed) concerning spiritual gifts, then certainly the Spirit of God does not wants the Church today to be ignorant concerning spiritual gifts.

However, a gross ignorance does exist in the church today concerning these things. In some assemblies people know nothing at all about the gifts of the Holy Spirit, or even that such gifts exist. They think these gifts have ceased to exist. In other places people know something about the gifts of the Spirit, but their knowledge is very limited.

What are Spiritual Gifts

Spiritual Gifts are endowment given to Holy Ghost baptised believers for the furtherance of the Gospel and exaltation of Jesus. It is an endowment. It is not worked for. God gives to every Holy Ghost baptised believer as He wills. 1 Cor 12

Spiritual Gifts Will Exalt Jesus Christ

Paul also said to the Church at Corinth, "Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led" (1 Cor. 12:2). These people had previously worshipped idols and in this idol worship, motivated by the wrong spirit, they would say a lot of things that were in error.

Church history tells us that some of these people would come into the Christian assembly and when the Spirit of God began to manifest Himself, these people would yield to a wrong spirit and say things under the influence of the wrong spirit.

Some of them would even rise up in the services when the gifts of utterance were in operation and they would say that Jesus was accursed (cursed). And the Scripture says that no one speaking by the Spirit of God would call Jesus accursed.

Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the spirit of God calleth (calls) Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. (1 Cor. 12:3)

In other words, Paul said that when the Holy Spirit is in manifestation, He will make Jesus Lord. If an utterance gift, that is, a vocal gift—prophecy, divers kinds of tongues, or the interpretation of tongues—is in manifestation, then, of course, it will be clear by what is said that Jesus is Lord.

Holy Ghost Inspired Gifts will exalt Jesus

If the other gifts are in manifestation, they will always uplift the Lordship of Jesus, not the lordship of some man. They will not attract attention to some man, preacher, prophet etc but rather to Christ.

You can be sure that if someone is operating in what appears to be one of the vocal gifts, and calls Jesus accursed or speaks against Him in any way, then he's not speaking by the Holy Spirit.

Then Paul said in First Corinthians 12:3 that no man can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. In other words, Paul was saying that if someone is speaking by the right spirit—by the Holy Spirit—then what he says will exalt the Name of Jesus.

Personal testimony by Reverend Kenneth E. Hagin (of Blessed Memories)

Once in a meeting while I was praying for people for healing, I sensed that someone in the prayer line had a wrong spirit. I knew within my own spirit who this person was before she ever stood in front of me to be prayed for.

When she stepped up in front of me for prayer, I asked her, "Are you a Christian?" She replied that she belonged to a particular church.

I said, "Well, you can belong to any church and still not be a Christian. You have to be born again."

"Oh, I am saved and filled with the Holy Ghost," she said. "Do you want to hear me speak in tongues?" Then she started saying something that sounded like tongues.

I said, "Sister, say this prayer after me from your heart." I prayed a prayer to God the Father and she repeated the words after me. Then I said, "I acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ as Your Son, and I acknowledge that He is come in the flesh."
But when I said that, she said, "Jesus Christ is not Your Son and He is not come in the flesh." It was immediately apparent that wasn't the right spirit speaking.

Those tongues she was rattling off—some kind of "gibberish"—weren't given by the Spirit of God. I tried two or three times to get her to repeat that prayer after me. Finally, she said, "Something on the inside of me won't let me say what you said."

"I know it," I said. "Do you want to be free from it?"

"I sure do!" she answered. I cast that spirit out of her in the Name of Jesus. Then I had her pray the sinner's prayer and she was born again. She was then filled with the Holy Spirit and went home speaking in tongues.

This woman was saying, "I am saved, I am born again, and I am filled with the Holy Ghost," but she wasn't at all. People can make a lot of statements, but that doesn't necessarily make them true. When the Spirit of God is in manifestation, He will make Jesus Lord. The wrong spirit won't acknowledge that Jesus is Lord and won't say that Jesus is Lord.

The Nine Gifts Categorized
For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another THE WORD OF KNOWLEDGE by the same Spirit....(1 Cor. 12:8)

Paul goes on to list nine manifestations or gifts of the Spirit. The nine manifestations or gifts of the Holy Spirit are generally divided as follows:

Three revelation gifts—spiritual gifts that reveal something:

• The word of wisdom
• The word of knowledge
• The discerning of spirits

Three power gifts—spiritual gifts that do something

• The gift of faith
• The working of miracles
• The gifts of healings

Three utterance or inspirational gifts—spiritual gifts that say something:

• Prophecy
• Divers (different) kinds of tongues
• Interpretation of tongues

Very often these gifts work together, as tongues and interpretation work together. But we divide them as they are divided here in 1 Corinthians 12 in order to distinguish them and to talk about them...

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Being Honorable in Business

Touching story from Kenneth Copeland

Being honourable in business 

The importance of being honourable in business

FaithSuccess wishes us all a Happy New Month. Here is a touching story from Kenneth Copeland which shows the importance of being honourable in business. Christians should never forget the Word of God in whatever they do.

Opening

There is a man I would like to tell you about. His story will help you see just how important it is to have honor in business—important in ways you may not have imagined.

This fellow was about 20 years old and had a good job. He was the youngest child in a family that had a lot of difficulty and very little money. He worked his regular job all day, and at night fixed cars to sell. Gradually, he began making money and he finally saved enough so he could buy a better type of car to restore and sell. He was good at his work, a gifted businessman.

God’s Grace - 2 Cor 6:2, Eph 2:8-9

Meanwhile, there was a meeting at a Baptist church in Fort Worth where his folks attended and he decided to go. At the end of the service when the invitation was given, the conviction of the Holy Ghost came on him. He had a tight grip on the seat in front of him, trying to resist responding to the wooing of the Lord. The Spirit of God was all over him. A man in the church came over, put his arm around the young man and told him he loved him. He encouraged him to go forward and receive Jesus as his Savior and Lord. In fact, that man walked with him down the aisle.

The Unpleasant - Romans 2:24

Before that week was up, the same man who had led him to the altar to accept Jesus beat him out of all of his profit on a car. It wasn't a mistake. He just skinned that young man in a deal-on purpose! The older man should have known better-any Christian ought to know that you don't get a man saved on Saturday night, then cheat him on Tuesday. That's wrong.

The young man had a temper. He was angry, so he rebelled against the Lord. He said he never would go back to church again. And he didn't.

He became very successful and eventually had a national car business. Then he went into the airplane business, and I started flying for him and we became close friends.

God’s Grace Continuing

My mother and father lived two doors down from him. He liked my parents and would sometimes eat with us. Mama would feed him and preach to him and just love him. She would say, "I'm telling you right now, I'm going to pray you into the kingdom of God." He would just smile.

She prayed for him just as she prayed for me—all the time. She treated him as if he were her own son, and he ate it up. But she could not get him inside the church door. Why? Because of a dishonorable Christian businessman.

Years later after I had entered the ministry I had the opportunity to pray with him, but there was no visible change in his lifestyle. He stayed on my mind and heart a lot. I was praying for him once while I was in a meeting and I thought, I'm going to call him as soon as I get back to town.

But when I called him, a lady answered and said, "He died the day before yesterday."

You can imagine how I felt when I heard that.

I went to the funeral, and the man's son asked me to say a few words about his father. So I did. I told the people exactly what had happened in this man's life, what had caused him to be the way he was.

After the funeral, a woman walked up to me and said, "Kenneth, I need to tell you something." And what she told me and I'm sharing with you, shows God's faithfulness and honor in the man's situation.

God's Honor Came Through - Mal 3:6

"A few nights ago I absolutely could not sleep," she said. "I tossed and turned, and finally got up to pray. 'God, what is this?'"

Get dressed, He answered. I've got somewhere I would like you to go.

"It was the middle of the night. I usually don't do things like that, but I obeyed the Lord and got dressed."

God then led her to a hospital where she didn't know anyone so she just started praying in the spirit, listening for the Lord as she walked down each hall. Suddenly she tripped right in front of one room and the Lord said, Go in there.

She went in and saw that the man in the bed wasn't asleep. She walked up to him and said, "Sir, I don't know you, and you don't know me. But the Lord wouldn't let me sleep tonight. God sent me down here to you. Do you know Jesus as Lord?"

He said, "You sound like Vinita and Kenneth Copeland."

"Vinita Copeland is a close personal friend of mine," she said.

"I've been trying to call Kenneth for two days," he answered. "He's out of town, and I was lying here praying, 'God give me somebody. I'm dying. Send me somebody. I can't die in this shape. I can't die like this. Send me somebody, Lord. Send me somebody.'"

Can you see what was happening in that situation?

God's honor was at work. God was honoring the decision that man made back in the Baptist church nearly 40 years before. He was honoring my mother's prayers and my prayers and our love for that man. God was honoring all these things.

Thank God for that woman who honored God's direction to go to that hospital in the middle of the night, not even knowing why. She prayed with him, and he came back to Jesus, praying and rejoicing in Him.

Then he died.

Actually, he didn't die. He just stepped out of that old cancerous body and went on to be with the Lord.

In the last minute of the last hour this man finally recognized the honor of God. Thank God for that!

But think about the consequences of just one act by a dishonorable Christian. A man spent his entire life out of fellowship with Jesus, his brothers and sisters in the Lord, and with the Father Himself because one man dealt shamefully with his brother.

How important is it to be honorable in business? Important in ways you may not have imagined.

Prayer:

Thank you Lord for your word that has come to me today, I promise to abide by your word in all I do, to be honourable and not bring reproach to your Holy name.  In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Scriptures to Note - Christianity

Eph 2:8-9
For by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, (it is) the gift of God;
 not of works, that no man should glory. ASV

2 Cor 6:2
2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

Romans 2:24
For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.
(See 2 Sam 12:14; Isa 52:5; Ezek 36:20,23.)


Mal 3:6
6 For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
KJV

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