How to Use Your Spiritual Gifts to Advance the Kingdom of God-Dreams, Visions, & Prophetic Words.
12 guys changed the world because they used all the gifts God had given them to advance the kingdom into every part of the known world. They worked mighty miracles, healings, and recieved prophetic words. They were let out of prison by angels; they had dreams and visions. Those gifts didn't go anywhere! Everyone in the Body of Christ is called to walk in the miraculous manifestation of the Holy Spirit. The question for many is, how?
I woke up this morning and I heard the Lord say " When the Holy Spirit comes within you, that is for you, for your salvation, direction, and comfort. When the Holy Spirit comes upon you for others, for Him to use you to bring others to salvation, give direction, and heal." Come join us tonight as we help activate the dynamis power of God in your life so you too can advance the kindgom of God!
The past two weeks we have been in the book of Daniel. Daniel had the Holy Spirit come upon him to move kings. We discussed the dream Nebuchadnezzar had that none of the wise men in Babylon could tell him what is was or the meaning. Daniel prayed and fasted and the Lord gave him not just the interpretation of the dream but the dream itself. We see later that Daniel is given a waking vision/ dream of the Messiah that was to come Daniel 7 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying in bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream.
2 Daniel said: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea.
All throughout the Old Testament, we see miracles, healings, and prophetic words but these gifts were given to individuals for special times. Under the New Covenant, with the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, we ALL can move in these specialized gifts that were once reserved for a few special people
1 Corinthians 12
12 Brothers and sisters, I want you to know about the gifts of the Holy Spirit. 2 You know that at one time you were unbelievers. You were somehow drawn away to worship statues of gods that couldn’t even speak. 3 So I want you to know that no one who is speaking with the help of God’s Spirit says, “May Jesus be cursed.” And without the help of the Holy Spirit no one can say, “Jesus is Lord.”
4 There are different kinds of gifts. But they are all given to believers by the same Spirit. 5 There are different ways to serve. But they all come from the same Lord. 6 There are different ways the Spirit works. But the same God is working in all these ways and in all people.
7 The Holy Spirit is given to each of us in a special way. That is for the good of all. 8 To some people the Spirit gives a message of wisdom. To others the same Spirit gives a message of knowledge. 9 To others the same Spirit gives faith. To others that one Spirit gives gifts of healing. 10 To others he gives the power to do miracles. To others he gives the ability to prophesy. To others he gives the ability to tell the spirits apart. To others he gives the ability to speak in different kinds of languages they had not known before. And to still others he gives the ability to explain what was said in those languages. 11 All the gifts are produced by one and the same Spirit. He gives gifts to each person, just as he decides.
One Body but Many Parts
12 There is one body, but it has many parts. But all its many parts make up one body. It is the same with Christ. 13 We were all baptized by one Holy Spirit. And so we are formed into one body. It didn’t matter whether we were Jews or Gentiles, slaves or free people. We were all given the same Spirit to drink. 14 So the body is not made up of just one part. It has many parts
9 Gifts of the Spirit
1. Word of knowledge
2. Word of wisdom
3. Discernment of Spirits
4. Diverse kinds of tongues
5. Interpretation of Tongues
6. Gift of prophecy
7. Gift of healing
8. Gift of faith
9. Working of miracles
When Jesus was about to start his earthly ministry and reveal to the world that the kingdom of God was at hand and that he was the Son of Man, the Messiah, prophesied by Daniel, he went to John the Baptist and was baptized in water, then the Spirit of God descended upon him like a dove.
Mark 1
19 rIn those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven, x“You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
He was baptized with water and with the Holy Spirit.
After Jesus had risen he appeared to the disciples and breathed on them to receive the Holy Ghost John 20 19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
The Holy Spirit was within the disciples. They had salvation. And yet in Luke we read that Jesus tells them to wait in Jerusalem until they receive power from on high
Luke 24 44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”
45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
The author of the book of Luke also travelled with the apostles, mostly Paul, and wrote down the events he heard of and saw and sent them in a letter to a man named Theophilus. He continues his narrative where he left off and gives us a little more detail on Jesus' final words and instructions.
Acts 1 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with[b] the Holy Spirit.”
6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
That word power is the Greek word dynamis
strength power, ability
inherent power, power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature, or which a person or thing exerts and puts forth
power for performing miracles
moral power and excellence of soul
the power and influence which belong to riches and wealth
power and resources arising from numbers
power consisting in or resting upon armies, forces, hosts
So they waited in Jerusalem for this super power and it came
Acts 2 2 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them
The people gathered didn't know what they were seeing, they thought those in the upper room were drunk. Then Peter, the one who previously had denined knowing Jesus 3x because he was afraid, was filled with power- dynamis and preached to the whole crowd, quoting Joel
14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 “‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21 And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.’[c]
Here we see the first transfer of the prophetic miracle working power from one individual at a time that the Holy Spirit would come upon under the Old Covenant to the manifestation and giftings of the Spirit of God on ALL of God's people who would yield themselves to be vessels of the Holy Spirit.
We read in Ephesians that Christ ascended into Heaven and gave gifts unto mankind. Under the Old Covenant.
- Bezalel is "filled" with the Spirit of God to develop and execute artistic design for the Tabernacle (Exodus 31:2; 35:31).
- The 70 Elders receive some of the Spirit of God[3] that is on Moses (Numbers 11:17, 25). Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke with him, and he took of the Spirit that was on him and put [the Spirit] on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but they did not do so again." (Numbers 11:25)
- Gideon is able to deliver Israel because "the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon" (Judges 6:34), as well as upon other judges (Judges 3:10; 11:29).
- Sampson performs feats of strength when the Spirit of the Lord comes upon him (Judges 13:25; 14:6, 19; 15:14).
- Prophets prophesy when the Spirit of God comes upon them (2 Chronicles 15:1; 20:14; 24:20; Joel 2:28-29; Luke 2:25)
John 14: 15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[c] in you.1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him --
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of power,
the Spirit of knowledge
and of the fear of the LORD." (Isaiah 11:1-2)Isaiah also says that Yahweh will put his Spirit upon the Suffering Servant, who turns out to be Jesus (Isaiah 53):
"Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him
and he will bring justice to the nations." (Isaiah 42:1)Jesus reads from a third prophecy of Isaiah that refers to the Anointed Messiah.
"1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn." (Isaiah 61:1-2, ESV)"26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules." (Ezekiel 36:25-27; cf. 11:19)
"And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD." (Ezekiel 37:14)
"And I will not hide my face anymore from them, when I pour out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, declares the Lord GOD." (Ezekiel 39:29)
Dreams, Visions1 Samuel 28:15 KJV
And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.
Daniel 1:17 KJV
As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.
Daniel 7:1-3 KJV
In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters. Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
Joseph was skilled in dream interpretation8 “We both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is no one to interpret them.”
Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”- Cup bearer/ baker
GideonJudges 7:13-15 KJV
And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along. And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host. And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the Lord hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian.
Job 33:14-18
14 For God does speak—now one way, now another— though no one perceives it.15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they slumber in their beds,16 he may speak in their ears and terrify them with warnings,17 to turn them from wrongdoing and keep them from pride,18 to preserve them from the pit, their lives from perishing by the sword.Galatians 5:22-23
New International Version22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Miracles in the Career of Elijah:
1) Causing the rain the cease for 3 1/2 years (1Ki 17:1)
2) Being fed by the ravens (1Ki 17:4)
3) Miracle of the barrel of meal and cruse of oil (1Ki 17:14)
4) Resurrection of the widow's son (1Ki 17:22)
5) Calling of fire from heaven on the altar (1Ki 18:38)
6) Causing it to rain (1Ki 18:45)
7) Prophecy that Ahab's sons would all be destroyed (1Ki 21:22)
8) Prophecy that Jezebel would be eaten by dogs (1Ki 21:23)
9) Prophecy that Ahaziah would die of his illness (2Ki 1:4)
10) Calling fire from heaven upon the first 50 soldiers (2Ki 1:10)
11) Calling fire from heaven upon the second 50 soldiers (2Ki 1:12)
12) Parting of the Jordan (2Ki 2:8)
13) Prophecy that Elisha should have a double portion of his spirit (2Ki 2:10)
14) Being caught up to heaven in a whirlwind (2Ki 2:11)Miracles in the Career of Elisha:
1) Parting of the Jordan (2Ki 2:14)
2) Healing of the waters (2Ki 2:21)
3) Curse of the she bears (2Ki 2:24)
4) Filling of the valley with water (2Ki 3:17)
5) Deception of the Moabites with the valley of blood (2Ki 3:22)
6) Miracle of the vessels of oil (2Ki 4:4)
7) Prophecy that the Shunammite woman would have a son (2Ki 4:16)
8) Resurrection of the Shunammite's son (2Ki 4:34)
9) Healing of the gourds (2Ki 4:41)
10) Miracle of the bread (2Ki 4:43)
11) Healing of Naaman (2Ki 5:14)
12) Perception of Gehazi's transgression (2Ki 5:26)
13) Cursing Gehazi with leprosy (2Ki 5:27)
14) Floating of the axe head (2Ki 6:6)
15) Prophecy of the Syrian battle plans (2Ki 6:9)
16) Vision of the chariots (2Ki 6:17)
17) Smiting the Syrian army with blindness (2Ki 6:18)
18) Restoring the sight of the Syrian army (2Ki 6:20)
19) Prophecy of the end of the great famine (2Ki 7:1)
20) Prophecy that the scoffing nobleman would see, but not partake of, the abundance (2Ki 7:2)
21) Deception of the Syrians with the sound of chariots (2Ki 7:6)
22) Prophecy of the seven-year famine (2Ki 8:1)
23) Prophecy of Benhadad's untimely death (2Ki 8:10)
24) Prophecy of Hazael's cruelty to Israel (2Ki 8:12)
25) Prophecy that Jehu would smite the house of Ahab (2Ki 9:7)
26) Prophecy that Joash would smite the Syrians at Aphek (2Ki 13:17)
27) Prophecy that Joash would smite Syria thrice but not consume it (2Ki 13:19)
28) Resurrection of the man touched by his bones (2Ki 13:21)
