voice of healing faith

Jesus instructed His disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father.  He said they would receive power when the Holy Ghost had come upon them.  They did as they were instructed, and when the day of Pentecost had fully come, the Holy Spirit, like fire, sat down on each one of them.  They were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in unknown tongues as the Spirit, in their spirits, gave them utterance.  Pentecost is the Greek term for the fiftieth day from the second day of Passover – the Jewish name is Shavuot, which means “weeks” which refers to the “Festival of Weeks.”  This day commemorates the day when God revealed the entire Torah (the five books of Moses) to Moses.  To believers, Pentecost refers to the day when God gave again, but this time He gave His Holy Spirit.

Jesus tells us as believers that we will receive miracle working power after the Holy Ghost comes upon us.  This power refers to the manifestations or gifts of the Holy Spirit.  Paul spoke of these gifts of the Holy Spirit in 1 Cor. 12:7, “The manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all.” This means that each Spirit-filled believer would operate in these gifts, but only as the Spirit wills.  Paul speaks of nine gifts which includes prophecy, tongues and interpretation of tongues.  These three are the topic of our teaching on this week’s broadcast.

Paul teaches that about prophecy, tongues and interpretation in 1 Cor. 14.  Obviously the church in Corinth was in error as pertaining to the gifts of tongues.  He refers to unknown tongues in two manifestations, as a type of prophecy and as praying in the Spirit.  Speaking and praying in unknown tongues has also been a topic of discussion and division in the body of Christ for the last 100+ years. Let’s take a Biblical look at God’s plan for these manifestations of the Holy Spirit.  If these were gifted to believers, then they must be important to Him and His Son.