Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12 v 8 - 10: "For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10 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:"
Each of the nine gifts has depths and layers that we discover when we become more proficient in using them. When we see the results it spurs us on to know more and understand deeper things.
One of the most complex gifts is the discerning of spirits of good and evil. The problem it brings to mind is our modern outlook on things spiritual. Evil spirits are a myth consigned to Hollywood horror movies and therefore this gift is not for today!
Reading the Bible about how Jesus and the apostles dealt with evil spirits has become just a history lesson for back then, certainly not for now when our psychiatrists and psychologists have all the answers. And asylums are full of those they have run out of answers for.
My own first encounter with a demon came when my pastor asked me to take in a young woman with two small daughters who had nowhere to stay. We were already a crowded house but moved things around to accommodate Gail. She had just survived a suicide attempt and I fetched her from the hospital.
From the first day she took control of me. I cannot explain how but it was scary. At our first church outing she manifested a demon, which was my first encounter with one of those. A dear sister and I took her to another room to continue to pray for her. At this moment and not even knowing such a gift existed, I suddenly knew a lot more about the situation. I had courage to deal with and confront this demon. I knew it had to tell me its name. I knew it was afraid of the name of Jesus and the Blood of the Lamb.
Even her name was a demon given to her by her Satanist father whom she had never known. While we were praying I could hear this high-pitched demonic voice screaming I am Gail over and over. After consulting someone, he said he needed confirmation. Gail was out of earshot but she suddenly shouted I hate the name Gail! And Gail the demon responded in a wild wrestling match that took 5 strong people to control. The demon even screamed, you can't kick me out or her father will lose his powers.
At this point a demon bearing her father's name also joined the wrestling match and finally she was free. The words .....We wrestle not against flesh and blood from Ephesians 6 are true! She dropped the name Gail and was called by her middle name. So began my ministry and my knowledge grew and I realised it was very unpopular. It's not for the faint-hearted but the gift is priceless and has very great depths. I learn something new every day. The encounter with Gail was in 1980.
Mark 16 v 17: "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;"
Jesus said that without putting a time limit on it knowing that every generation will encounter strong demonic activity because it is time to cast them out. They inspire corruption, greed, sin, fornication, rape, murder, disease, war, disasters, terrorists, cults, and every evil atrocity known to man. God knew by the time of Noah that He had to destroy the people along with the demons and start over. He had to sacrifice Jesus to destroy the hold of sin on every human.
The letters to the churches in Revelations says over and over, we must overcome. Or else. Jesus is saying we must overcome the demons that cause alcoholism, cancer, AIDS, drug our children, or kidnap them for sex slavery. There are at least 25 million children being used as sex slaves right now. And we donate billions of dollars to save some animal from extinction! One African American gets murdered last week and the political divide is paying for anarchy across the USA. Very sad about him dying like that but the response is just pure evil.
The last two gifts are the word of knowledge and the word of wisdom. It's just one word, not a paragraph. It sometimes comes in the heat of a spiritual battle when something is blocking as I had when praying for another lady. She could not tell me her problem. But Jesus told me, Rape. Word of wisdom, gently.
So I asked her about her relationships with men and she gave me her history until she suddenly cried out that she had been raped aged 16. That helped and Jesus set her free. We have to get past the doubts that make us think that's just us, that's not coming from God. That grieves the Holy Spirit who is trying to teach us how to apply the gifts He gives.
Let us rejoice in the power of the Holy Spirit and embrace everything He gives us. Let us be wise stewards of the gifts and not bury them. If every Christian stepped into their true place and all were using their gifts under the direction of the Holy Spirit, Jesus would have returned by now.
All the divisions and false doctrines, lack of spiritual power and true authority limits the anointing of the Spirit of God. It's up to us to overcome the negativity and become united in one Body. We must make our Christianity count and fight the good fight.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, Thank You for everything You have done for me, personally, and for so many countless others down the centuries. Please wake the church up to its full spiritual responsibility to do the works of God that You require of us. The battle is raging and so many are wandering in search of entertainment, amusement or riches. Please Lord, turn them to truth. In Jesus' name. Amen.
