Raising the Dead

(If you prefer, you may listen to the audio version of this article or download it here).

I want to talk to you about raising the dead. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb 13:8). He said we would do the works He did and even greater works than these we would do (Jn 14:12). He said, "You may ask me for anything in my name and I will do it." (Jn 14:14). So that includes raising the dead, since Jesus and the apostles did this, as well as the prophets Elijah and Elisha. 

- One of our past students did raise the dead once, which I have written about. (link)

- And one of my friends in Bulgaria raised her husband from the dead. (link)

- The wife of Daniel Ekechukwu in Nigeria brought her dead husband to the Reinhard Bonnke crusade meeting in an ambulance after he had been in the morgue. The people in the lower floor of the church, beneath the sanctuary, prayed over him in his coffin and the Lord raised him to life. (link)

- Henry Gruver's daughter raised her father from the dead when he was killed in a serious auto accident where he had a hole in his head (link). And they went to his other daughter's wedding immediately afterward.

I will talk more about those later. But first, it's important to look very carefully at how Jesus did it and how the apostles did it. Here are some biblical examples that we should study and be prepared to follow the biblical approach the Lord and his apostles used to raise the dead by faith in the name of Jesus!

Old Testament Examples

Let's look first at a few examples from the Old Testament.

Widow of Zarephath’s Son: Raised by the prophet Elijah (1 Kings 17:17–24).

After the boy died and the mother cried out to Elijah in grief, he said “Give me your son,”  

“He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed.” 

The prophet brought the boy to his own room in the woman’s house where he was a guest, and laid the boy on his own bed. So we see the seclusion from the woman’s fear and any unbelief that she had. We also see that the boy’s body was now in contact with the bed the prophet slept on, so there was a point of contact with something that had been in contact with the anointing that was upon the prophet.

“Then he cried out to the Lord, ‘Lord my God, have you brought tragedy even on this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?;” (v. 20)

The prophet prayed a desperate prayer to the Lord.

“Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried out to the Lord, ‘Lord my God, let this boy’s life return to him!’” (v. 21)

The prophet prayed to the Lord explicitly asking Him to let the boy’s life return to him.

The Lord heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived. (v. 22)

It was a simple process with great faith and a miraculous result. 

Shunammite Woman’s Son: Raised by the prophet Elisha (2 Kings 4:18–37).

A major key to this miracle was the faith of the boy’s mother. She went to the prophet and was determined to reach him at any cost. When she did, she had faith that he could heal her son. Although the prophet sent his servant with instructions to lay the prophet’s staff on the boy’s face, that was not what the mother had faith for and not the way the Lord chose to raise the boy. So the prophet traveled with the woman to her house.

“He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the Lord.” (v. 33)

Notice that he shut the door so that he was alone in the room with the dead boy, and notice how he first prayed to the Lord, which is a key in other examples of raising the dead. 

“Then he got on the bed and lay on the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. As he stretched himself out on him, the boy’s body grew warm.” (v. 34)

The prophet made direct contact with the dead body, even matching up the parts of his own body with the boy’s. This began the process of the boy’s spirit returning to his body, evidenced by the warmth that returned.

“Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out on him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.” (v. 35)

Perhaps he continued praying, but also gave some time for the body to warm up. But since the process was still not complete and the boy had not returned to consciousness (i.e., awoken from the sleep of death). Elisha repeated the process he did at first, using direct, body-to-body contact. This was done by faith in the Lord, and could be likened to laying on of hands in the New Testament, using the prophet’s body as a point of contact for the power of God to flow into the dead body. 

Man Raised in Elisha’s Tomb: A corpse touched Elisha’s bones and came to life (2 Kings 13:20–21). 

The anointing that was still on the bones of Elisha the prophet caused a man’s spirit to return to his corpse. The bones were a point of contact, just as our hand can be, or a piece of clothing we have worn, such as the aprons that touched the apostle Paul’s body were a point of contact that brought miraculous healing to those who touched them.

New Testament Examples (by Jesus)

Now let's look at how Jesus raised the dead and learn from His approach.

Widow of Nain’s Son: Jesus raised a young man from the dead during his funeral procession (Luke 7:11–17).

This was an act of great compassion on the part of our Lord, because the woman did not even ask for help. But the Lord knew that she had lost her only son, and being a widow, would be destitute without anyone to support her, not to mention her magnified grief of being left all alone without her closest loved ones. So the love that was in the heart of Jesus was a key to this miracle and any raising of the dead.

“Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, ‘Young man, I say to you, get up!’” (v. 14)

Some versions call it a bier and some translate it coffin. The Greek word is “soros” meaning a “coffin” or by analogy a “bier”. A bier is a stand or portable frame used to support or carry a coffin, casket, or shroud-wrapped body during a funeral service or viewing. Whether it was a coffin that he touched or a bier, we see the key being his point of contact that he made with that which was holding the body of the dead man, allowing the power of God to flow through his hand into the body. In addition to that point of contact, He simultaneously spoke to the young man by faith as if he were simply asleep, and with authority commanded him to arise by saying, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” 

“The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.” (v. 15)

There was no great fanfare. It just instantly happened once the man’s spirit returned to his body at the Lord’s command. 

Jairus’ Daughter: Jesus raised the twelve-year-old daughter of a synagogue leader (Mark 5:35–43, Luke 8:41-55).

The father of the girl had faith that the Lord could heal his daughter, even though she was obviously dying; so this important ingredient of faith, which is necessary for any miracle, was already present at the beginning. As Jesus went with him, and was delayed by the healing of the woman who had been bleeding for twelve years, a man came and reported that the girl had died; but Jesus ignored the man, and told the father not to be afraid, but only to believe. So this demonstrates the need to reject all bad reports from other people, maintain your faith, and encourage the loved one not to be afraid, but simply to believe the Lord for a miracle. Fear is the enemy of faith, so everyone needs to focus on not being afraid and just believing God. 

When Jesus went to raise the little girl from the dead, he took only the 3 closest disciples (Peter, James, and John) with him and closed the door. He put the mourners outside. He was not going to do this with the atmosphere being heavily laden with a sense of hopelessness or bring anyone with him into the room that may have some unbelief. 

Lazarus of Bethany: Jesus raised his friend Lazarus after he had been dead for four days (John 11:1–44).

Jesus first made sure that his apostles and the immediate family had faith, which is why He told His apostles that Lazarus was asleep and that it was for the glory of God. It’s also why He asked the dead man’s sister Martha if she believed that her brother Lazarus would rise from the dead, and it’s also why He told her that He is the resurrection and the life.  He said that anyone who believes in Him would live even though he dies, and whoever lives by believing in Him would never die. So He made proclamations of truth pertaining to resurrection of the dead in order to build up their faith. He also demonstrated sympathy and compassion for the grieving loved ones, as we see in the way He spoke with the sisters of the dead man and the way he wept. 

Before Jesus actually raised Lararus, He first prayed to the Father in heaven for the power to raise him from the dead, giving thanks that the Father had heard him. He then had them roll away the stone, so that Lazarus could come out when the Lord called him forth and perhaps also so that Lazarus could hear him calling. He called Lazarus’ name and commanded him with authority to come forth. Once he came out of the tomb, he directed the bystanders to take off his grave clothes.  

New Testament Examples (by Apostles)

Next let's learn from the way the apostles raised the dead.

Tabitha (Dorcas): Raised by the Apostle Peter in Joppa (Acts 9:36–42). 

Peter responded to a request by the friends of the dead woman to come immediately. They showed him the things she had made when she was alive. The fact that they did these things indicates that they had faith for her to be raised from the dead, otherwise their actions would be pointless. So he didn’t have to do much to build their faith, since it was already evident. Peter went into the room alone, closed the door, got down on his knees and prayed for the power to raise her from the dead, then looking at the woman, he simply called her name and told her to "Get up." This is similar to the way Jesus raised the little girl, closing the door behind him, calling her name, telling her to get up. And likewise when he raised Lazarus, he called his name and gave a simple authoritative command for him to come forth.

Eutychus raised from the dead: Raised by the Apostle Paul after falling from a window during a long sermon (Acts 20:7–12). 

Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!” We don’t know exactly what he prayed or said to the young man. But we can assume he was praying in his heart as he went down the stairs to the young man’s dead body. We can also assume that when he put his arms around the young man laying on the ground that he may have spoken the name of Jesus and called the man’s name. We don’t have that specific info, so we can only deduce it from other passages about the way the Lord and Peter raised the dead. This particular example has similarities to the way Elijah the prophet stretched himself out on the dead son of the widow of Zarephath. 

Extrabiblical Examples

Lastly, at the opening of this article, I mentioned four modern examples of raising the dead, although I have listened to testimonies of many, many more than that. But let’s look at some of these extrabiblical examples and see what we can learn from them. 

Boy raised from the dead in Uganda: One of our past students raised the dead once, which I have written about. (link)

This former student of mine in Uganda, whose name is Justus, testified about the miracle saying, “As l ministered to the family from Rev 5:5, the [dead] boy began to sweat. Life came back [into him], when I was holding up the boy on my chest.”

He was ministering to the grieving family from a verse that tells us not to weep, because Jesus Christ, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed, and He is able. It says, “Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.’” That’s a powerful verse about the triumph of Jesus Christ. Since He has triumphed over death, hell, and the grave and has overcome the world (1 Co 15:55-57; Rev 1:18; Col 2:15; Jn 16:33), He is easily able to raise the dead.

He was not only showing love and compassion to the parents by comforting them from Scripture, but also for the dead boy, by holding his cold corpse in his arms. He was also building up their faith in the power of the Lord Jesus Christ, because of His complete victory, and encouraging them not to weep.

Bulgarian pastor raised from the dead: And one of my friends in Bulgaria raised her husband from the dead. (link). 

My Bulgarian friend, whose name is Zlatka, had just been informed by the doctor who had been operating on her husband, Haroutyun, that her husband had died. She didn’t feel well. In fact, she almost died of shock right on the spot, but the Holy Spirit came upon her with power and she said, “I demand he come back to life in the name of Jesus!!” At that same moment, he came back to life. They saw his pulse in his neck! 

The Holy Spirit came upon her with power and she made a bold declaration of faith in the name of Jesus, demanding that her husband come back to life. 

Nigerian pastor raised from the dead: Daniel Ekechukwu in Nigeria was raised from the dead at a Reinhard Bonnke crusafe in Nigeria.

The wife of Daniel Ekechukwu in Nigeria brought her dead husband to the Reinhart Bonnke crusade meeting in an ambulance after he had been in the morgue. The people in the lower floor of the church, beneath the sanctuary, prayed over him in his coffin and the Lord raised him to life. (link).

While he was dead and experiencing hell, his wife was crying out for God to bring him back to her.  She got his corpse out of the morgue, where he had been for three days after being embalmed, and brought it by ambulance to a meeting being conducted by evangelist, Reinhard Bonnke. Through the prayers of some pastors and others in the basement of the church, Daniel was raised from the dead. 

His wife was praying to the Lord for her husband to be raised to life. She had faith in Him to do it. She acted on her faith by bringing his body in an ambulance to a Christian evangelistic crusade to be prayed for, and he was indeed prayed for by a number of people while still in his coffin. 

Her faith was so great that she intended to bring the coffin right down the aisle to the preacher to do a miracle in front of the entire congregation, but the security guards would not allow it, so she was redirected to bring the body downstairs to a room where others prayed for him while massaging his dead body. So tenacious faith, laying on of hands, and prayer to God were key aspects in this miracle. 

American preacher raised from the dead: Henry Gruver's daughter raised her father from the dead when he was killed in a serious auto accident where he had a hole in his head (link). And they went to his other daughter's wedding immediately afterward. 

While his body was laying dead on the ground with a hole in his forehead next to the wrecked vehicle that he was thrown from when it crashed, after all attempts by the forest rangers to resuscitate him using CPR, his fifteen-year-old daughter, who stood beside his corpse, said this: “Devil, that’s my Dad! You can’t have him. I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.” Even though his spirit was already soaring through the stars of the galaxy on his way to heaven, his spirit immediately returned to his body and he came back to life. 

His daughter obviously exercised faith, and in the name of Jesus rebuked the devil, which was a spirit of death, refusing to let him have her father. In this case, perhaps we could call it "Raising the Dad."

When to Raise Someone from the Dead

You may be wondering how we can know when it's appropriate to raise someone from the dead, since everyone must eventually die sometime (Heb 9:27). You may be thinking that perhaps it was God's will that the person died at the particular time he did. Therefore, please let me give you a guideline to help you know when to attempt to raise the dead. Unless you know for certain that the person was a believer in Jesus Christ, who was ready to meet his Maker, and who finished his work on earth for the Lord (Phil 1:23-26; Ac 13:36; Col 4:17), then you should assume that it was NOT his time to die, and he qualifies as a good candidate to be raised from the dead.

Who Should Raise the Dead?

Maybe you are thinking that this is only for certain people with a gift of raising the dead. If so, then let me remind you that Jesus said, "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." (Jn 14:12). Since Jesus raised the dead, then if you believe in Him, you will do the same thing and even greater things than that. If you don't believe that, then you make Him out to be a liar. He also said, "All things are possible for him who believes" (Mk 9:23). All things includes raising the dead. And remember that the Lord is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34), so this is not just for some believers. 

However, it's best to first be baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire before you attempt to operate in this realm (Mt 3:11; Lk 3:16; 11:13:24:49; Ac 1:5,8; 2:4, 38; Jn 7:38; 20:22), because you will need to have a powerful anointing from the Lord, without which you will have limited success. If you have not received this anointing, then please pray and ask the Lord to baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Please see Baptized with the Holy Spirit and The Holy Fire Series. 

Closing Words 

Some of the key points here in these biblical and extrabiblical testimonies are the need for faith in our own hearts, faith in the heart of the grieving loved one(s), encouraging them not to be afraid or to weep but to believe, as well as praying first for God’s power, closing the door to shut out any unbelief or hopelessness, speaking the person’s name while looking at them, boldly and directly rebuking the devil or spirit of death in the name of Jesus, refusing to accept the person’s death, operating in love, and authoritatively commanding them by faith in the name of Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit to get up. In some instances a point of contact may be used such as laying on of hands or putting arms around the dead person, but it is not always necessary. 

We also as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ should all be prepared to raise the dead whenever it may become necessary to do so. We must gird our mind for action, remaining prepared at all times, because we never know when the need to do so may arise. 

Attribution notice: Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. Painting of Elijah Raising the Dead Boy has been re-rendered by Gemini generative AI.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Home page. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

___________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org. 

Have the Spiritual Gifts Ceased?

There are those who teach that the gifts of the Holy Spirit that we see in operation in the New Testament during the first century AD have ceased, and that they are no longer in operation. One of the Scriptures they cite is the following statement by the apostle Paul in his first epistle to the Corinthians: "Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away." (1Co 13:8). This is known as cessationism, which was originated by Reformers such as John Calvin.

First of all, in its context, what Paul meant by that statement was to contrast love with the gifts of the Spirit. The Corinthians emphasized speaking in tongues, and Paul stated that one day the gift of tongues will no longer be needed and prophecy will one day cease, but that love will endure forever. He did not mean that at the end of the first century all the supernatural gifts of the Spirit would cease.

Having a Form of Godliness But Denying Its Power

The people who believe in cessationism deny the supernatural power of God without any proper Scriptural basis. Paul warned us about such people when he said they are those who are "having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people." (2 Timothy 3:5).

Such people have often been known to accuse those who operate in the supernatural power of God and the gifts of the Spirit to be merely pretending to do so, or in some cases cessationists accuse such people of doing so by the power of demons. When they say such things to those who are genuinely operating in the power of God, they are attributing acts of the Holy Spirit to the devil, and in doing so are in danger of blaspheming the Holy Spirit, if they have not already done so. While there are certainly counterfeit miracles and healings that the demons are able to perform through those who are under their control, there are also genuine miracles, signs, and wonders that the Lord is doing today. 

These Signs Accompany Those Who Believe

Jesus Himself said, "And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." (Mar 16:17-18). 

These are the signs that follow those who believe in Jesus Christ. In other words, these signs are seen in the lives of those who believe in Him. They do these things in His name: drive out demons, speak in new tongues, lay hands on the sick and they recover; and even deadly poison doesn't harm them if they drink it.

The fact that these signs still follow believers in Jesus to this day is well-documented and supported by indisputable evidence. I have personally experienced the gifts of the Spirit and countless other signs and wonders operating in my own life, seen them in operation in others, and know people who have also experienced them in their lives. This includes but is not limited to healing, miracles (including raising the dead), word of knowledge, speaking in tongues, interpretation of tongues, discerning of spirits, deliverance from demons, gems coming down from heaven, the baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire, dreams, visions, encounters with angels, being caught up to heaven, visits to hell, prophecy, and much much more. To God be all the glory forever and ever. 

Why should anyone consider it incredible that God still raises the dead (Ac 26:8)? After all, Jesus said, "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." (Joh 14:12). This means that anyone who believes in Him will do the works Jesus did during His earthly ministry (that includes raising the dead), and even greater things than these! If you believe in cessationism, you are making God out to be a liar. The reason these signs don't follow you is because you don't believe.

Jesus is the same yesterday, and today, and forever

Speaking of prophecy, cessationsists believe that the only prophecy that happens today is the preaching of the Word. They deny that anyone can still prophesy for the Lord as the prophets did in Bible days, but they are badly mistaken. The gift of prophecy is still in operation today, just as all the other gifts are. God changes not (Mal 3:6; Jas 1:17). He has not changed from the way He worked in the days of the Bible. He is still a supernatural, wonder-working God. Jesus is the same yesterday, and today, and forever (Heb 13:8).

Do Not Quench the Spirit or Despise Prophetic Utterances

That is why we are commanded not to quench the Spirit or despise prophetic utterances (1Th 5:19-20).  We are instructed in Scripture to test them all, and correctly discern the things of the Spirit.  The saints are to pass judgment on the utterance (1 Cor 14:29), and all things be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses (Mt 18:16).  We are instructed to test the fruit and verify the good character of the messenger (Mt 7:17-19; 12:33).  We are to search the Scriptures to ensure that the message is consistent with the Word (Ac 17:11). If the fruit (character) and message are consistent with the Word, then we should receive it as from the Lord.  We are to hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil (1Th 5:21-22). Genuine dreams, visions, revelations, signs, and wonders that come from God always confirm the Word, but do not add to it (Mar 16:20).

Last Days Outpouring of the Spirit

On the Day of Pentecost when the early church received the baptism with the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues, as tongues of fire appeared over their heads in the upper room, the apostle Peter explained to the observers what was happening, by quoting the prophet Joel:

"No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: '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. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'" (Act 2:17-21)

This passage clearly says that God will pour out His Spirit on all people in the last days, which is the period we are now living in. The last days began during the first century (Ac 2:16-17; Heb 1:2; Jas 5:3; 1 Jn 2:18; 1 Pet 4:7) and continue until Christ's return. The evidence of the outpouring of the Spirit as stated in this passage (Act 2:17-21; Joel 2:28-31) includes people seeing visions and dreaming dreams, as well as prophecy, signs, and wonders. Since the last days did not cease during the first century, but continue to this day, that means the outpouring of the Spirit also continues and so do all of these signs, wonders, and gifts of the Spirit.

Continuation of Five-fold Ministry Gifts

In Paul's epistle to the Ephesians, he said that God gave certain ministries to the Church as gifts to equip the saints for works of service (Eph 4:11-13). These gifts include apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, and evangelists. 

Cessationists believe that only some of these gifts still exist today, namely pastors, teachers, and evangelists, but that apostles and prophets ceased at the end of the first century. However, if you read the Ephesians passage in context, Paul said that these gifts would continue until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, and we become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Last time I checked, the church had not yet attained to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Therefore, there is still a need for all of these five-fold ministry gifts to equip the saints for works of service.

Even during the first century, there were more than just the Twelve apostles. Of course, there was the apostle Paul along with his fellow apostle Barnabas (1 Cor 9:5-6), but he even mentioned others in his writings that were apostles also, such as Andronicus and Junia (Rom 16:7). An apostle is a "sent one" and the Lord is still sending people today. Although there are still false apostles today as there were during Paul's day, there are still true apostles and prophets as well.

Speaking of modern prophets, some of the New Testament prophets included Agabus (Ac 11:27; 21:10), Judas and Silas (Ac 15:32), as well as other unnamed prophets (Ac 11:27-28), and ones that were named (Ac 13:1). There is nothing in Scripture that says this ministry was discontinued by God, as I have already stated earlier. Quite the contrary! In fact, Paul said, "And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues." (1Co 12:28). And he went on to give specific instructions for how prophets are to conduct themselves in the Church (1 Cor 14:29, 32).

Articles Disproving Cessationism

Many of my other articles address the topic indirectly. Here are some examples:

Supernatural Power for All Disciples

Baptized with the Holy Spirit

Holy Fire Baptism

The Gift of Speaking in Tongues

Discerning the Things of the Spirit

Blaspheming the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit's Role in God's Kingdom

Gifts and Fruit of the Spirit: What's the Difference?

By the Spirit of God Alone

International Impact of Pentecost

Anointed by the Holy Spirit

Healing is in the Atonement

A Warning to the Nay Sayers

Testimonies Disproving Cessationism

There are also countless testimonies and videos documenting the fact that genuine signs, wonders, miracles, and gifts of the Spirit are still in operation today. Here are just a few:

Forty Days in Heaven and Hell

Eudoxia Varga Testimony of Heaven and Hell

Gems from Heaven (our personal experience)

Only the Holy -- Three Shocking Testimonies (see Howard Pittman's testimony)

The Body Parts Storehouse in Heaven (one of our graduates)

The Voice That Changed Everything -- the Testimony of Dr. Stenhouse (a personal friend of mine)

Amazing Healing and Deliverance in Uganda (one of our graduates)

Saved By a Vision of Second Coming (a personal acquaintance of mine)

The Night the Lord Came Into My Hut (one of our graduates)

Testimonies from Voila (a pastor I came to know in Romania)

Pastor Raised from the Dead (a Bulgarian pastor I know)

Boy Raised from the Dead After One Day (through one of our disciples)

Supernatural Encounter While Striving to Draw Closer to God (another one of our students)

Outpouring of the Spirit (our personal experience)

Michael Shigaba's End Time Message for Mankind

Dreams and Visions: Tsunamis, Asteroids, Nuclear, etc.

Prophetic End Time Warnings from Little Children

Angelic Escape from Terrorist Assassins (someone I know personally)

More Than Dreams

And the list goes on and on. For more examples proving cessationism is false, please see EternalDestinations.info and Testimonies from Eastern Europe.

Conclusion

Please check out those articles and testimonies carefully, and I think you will find plenty of Scriptural proof that cessationism is false. It is clear from Scripture, as well as abundant experiential evidence, that the gifts of the Spirit have not ceased to operate to this day. Our God is an awesome God, all things are possible with Him (Matt 19:26), and nothing is impossible for those who believe (Mk 9:23). If you are a true follower of Jesus Christ, who has been saved through faith in Him, and you have not yet received the baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire, then I encourage you to pray and ask Him for that gift today. This will open up the door for the supernatural power of God to begin operating in your life, too, which is all part of the full gospel. For the kingdom of God is not merely a matter of talk, but of power (1 Cor 4:20)!

Attribution notice: Scripture quoted from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. 

Author's note:  I also recommend reading The False Gospel of Eternal Security, Accurately Handling the Word of Truth, Exposing Heresy. If you would like to become a disciple, consider enrolling in our Doulos Training School. You may access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Holy Spirit Speaks

Some people actually believe that the Holy Spirit does not speak.  Let’s see what the Scriptures say:

Jesus said, "For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.” (Mat 10:20)

Jesus said, "When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit.” (Mar 13:11)

Jesus said, "When they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."  (Luk 12:11-12)

Jesus said, "When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me,” (Joh 15:26)

Jesus said, "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.” (Joh 16:13)

"Brethren, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.” (Act 1:16)

“While Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, ‘Behold, three men are looking for you.’” (Act 10:19)

Peter said, "The Spirit told me to go with them without misgivings. These six brethren also went with me and we entered the man's house.” (Act 11:12)

In the Antioch church, “While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’”  (Act 13:2)

The apostle Paul said, "And now, behold, bound by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me.” (Act 20:22-23)

Paul said the Holy Spirit spoke through the prophet Isaiah. “And when they did not agree with one another, they began leaving after Paul had spoken one parting word, ‘The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers,’” (Act 28:25).

Paul said we cry out by the Spirit, who testifies with our spirit.  “For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a Spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,” (Rom 8:15-16)

The Spirit of Jesus is the One who cries out, “Abba, Father!” within the disciple of Christ.  Paul again said, “Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Gal 4:6)

Paul taught that it is the Holy Spirit speaking through us that Jesus is Lord. “Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, ‘Jesus is accursed’; and no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.” (1Co 12:3).  If you want to speak by the Spirit, begin saying with power and conviction, “Jesus is Lord!”

Paul said, “But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,” (1Ti 4:1)

The apostle wrote to the Hebrews, “Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, ‘Today if you hear His voice,’” (Heb 3:7)

He continues, “And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying, ‘This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws upon their heart, and on their mind I will write them,’ He then says, ‘And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.’" (Heb 10:15-17)

Luke records what happened on the Day of Pentecost: “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.”  (Act 2:4).  When people are filled with the Holy Spirit, they will speak, because the Holy Spirit speaks. 

If the Holy Spirit does not speak, how could he give the disciples utterance to speak in languages they never learned?

"For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day; but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel: 'And it shall be in the last days,' God says, 'that I will pour forth of my Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my bondslaves, both men and women, I will in those days pour forth of my Spirit And they shall prophesy.” (Act 2:15-18).

God said through the prophet Joel that in the last days He would pour out His Spirit on mankind, and they would prophesy, including both children and adults.  Once again, the Holy Spirit speaks through the people who receive Him when He is poured out.

Peter affirmed this fact when He said, “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” (2Pe 1:20-21)

“And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, ‘O Lord, it is You who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them, who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Your servant, said, “Why did the gentiles rage, and the peoples devise futile things?”’” (Act 4:24-25)

In their prayer, the disciples indicated that the Lord spoke the words of Psalm 2 by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of David. 

The apostle John said, “This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.” (1Jn 5:6)

Jesus continued to speak by the Spirit even after His resurrection.  Luke states: “The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen.” (Act 1:1-2)

In fact, even when He spoke to the apostle John on the Isle of Patmos, He spoke by the Spirit:

Jesus said, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.” (Rev 2:7)

Jesus said, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.” (Rev 2:11)

Jesus said, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.” (Rev 2:17)

Jesus said, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Rev 2:29; 3:6, 13, 22)

Here are the words of the apostle John: And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, "Write, 'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!'" "Yes," says the Spirit, "so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them." (Rev 14:13)

“The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.” (Rev 22:17)

Putting it All Together
It's abundantly clear from the Word of God that the Holy Spirit definitely speaks.  This is how all the Scriptures were written, as men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. In fact, everything Jesus said was spoken by the Spirit, even after His resurrection.  Even after His ascension, He continues to speak by the Spirit, as He did to John on the Isle of Patmos.

The Spirit of God speaks to and through every true disciple of Christ, who has received the Spirit.  Whenever the Holy Spirit comes upon mankind, people will speak. They will speak in tongues and prophesy, as the Spirit gives them utterance.  In fact, a disciple cannot even say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Spirit.  So let's begin to declare it out loud.  Make it known in the heavens and on the earth that Jesus Christ is Lord. If you say to God, "Abba, Father," that is the Holy Spirit testifying through you that you are God's child.

Anyone who says the Holy Spirit doesn't speak needs to read their Bible.  He still speaks today.  The only question is whether you hear what He is saying. You need to receive the Holy Spirit after you become a believer.  Have you received the Holy Spirit?  Let Him who has ears hear what the Spirit says to the Church.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. The "Receiving the Spirit" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's note:  You can access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."  Also see the following posts:

The Person of the Holy Spirit
Baptized with the Spirit
Holy Fire Baptism
The Bodily Form of the Holy Spirit

Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Supernatural Power for All Disciples

Peter and John Healing the Lame Man

Have you ever noticed that some Scriptures seem to indicate that in the early church only the apostles functioned in the supernatural? And then there are other Scriptures that show that all believers can do so. Let’s examine those in order to determine whether they are limited to the apostles or for all.

First we will look at the ones that show how God’s supernatural power seemed to be limited. Then we will look at the ones that show us how all believers can function this way.  Let me encourage you to put aside all your existing ideas, as well as anything you have been taught, and just let the Word speak for itself.

Power limited to the apostles
Jesus told the apostles gathered with Him just before his ascension, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."  (Act 1:8)

Luke’s account of the early church reveals that the apostles were functioning in the supernatural.  “At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon's portico.” (Act 5:12)  However, we do not see any record that signs and wonders were taking place at the hands of the thousands of other disciples in the early church – just the apostles.  

Although at least 5,000 people believed in Christ in Jerusalem during the early days of the church, it was the apostles who were giving testimony with great power.  “And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all.” (Act 4:33)

Peter Healing the Sick with his Shadow

In those days, there were constantly multitudes of people added to the church.  Yet did they bring their sick to any one of the thousands of disciples for prayer and healing?  No, they looked to Peter.  Luke states, “And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number, to such an extent that they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on any one of them.” (Act 5:14-15).  It was Peter’s shadow they were hoping would fall on one of the sick, so that they would be healed.  This seems like a unique sign that followed His apostolic ministry.

Luke states the general sense of awe in the church at that time.  “Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.” (Act 2:43).  Again, notice how there were many signs and wonders taking place specifically through the apostles. No mention is made that these were taking place through every member of the church. In fact, in this passage, no mention is made of signs and wonders taking place through anyone else but the apostles.

Paul Healing the Cripple at Lystra

In the accounts of the apostle Paul’s missionary journeys, we find that he performed many miraculous signs and wonders.  In addition to healings, miracles, and casting out demons, there was even miraculous power connected with articles that belonged to him. Luke write, “God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out.” (Act 19:11-12). It’s amazing what God did through Paul.  Yet throughout the biblical accounts of his ministry, we don’t find similar accounts about such things happening through his companions. We never read about the apostle Barnabas, nor Silas, nor Priscilla and Aquilla, nor Apollos, nor Timothy, nor Titus performing signs and wonders.

Paul taught the Corinthians about the gifts God has appointed in the church. He wrote: “And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.”(1Co 12:28)  It was obvious from the context that these gifts were given to individuals, and they are not all given to every believer.

In this same context, Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they? All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they?” (1Co 12:29-30). These were rhetorical questions, and the answer was obviously negative.  Everyone is obviously not an apostle, and neither is every believer a prophet, a teacher, or a miracle worker.  Not every member of the Body has gifts of healing, speaks in tongues, or interprets tongues either.

Luke records in his account how the baptism of the Holy Spirit was bestowed at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, and Simon the sorcerer’s response to seeing this.  Luke wrote: “Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit. Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, saying, ‘Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.’” (Act 8:17-19)

It was the apostles who laid hands on the servants chosen to distribute food to the widows in the early church community. “And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.” (Act 6:6)

The Lord initially spoke the message of salvation Himself.  But those, who heard Him speak, later confirmed the message to others by signs, wonders, various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit that God did through those people.  The writer of Hebrews stated, “For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.” (Heb 2:2-4).  This passage could be used to show how the Lord gave signs and wonders to confirm His Word spoken by the apostles, the ones who initially heard Jesus.

Paul explained that all the members in the Body do not have the same function.  He wrote to the Romans, “For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.” (Rom 12:4-8).  He explained that each one has different gifts, and he mentions some of them given to the members of the Body, including prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, giving, ruling, and showing mercy.  God did not paint us all one color. He did not make every member of the Body to have the same gifts. 

These signs will accompany those who have believed
Up to this point, if we had only read the Scriptures I cited above, we might believe that the supernatural power was limited to the first apostles.  But if the Lord had limited the spiritual gifts, signs and wonders to the first apostles, then the Great Commission would have also been limited to them.  When Jesus told them that they would be His witnesses, He also told them to first wait until they baptized with the Holy Spirit, so that they could be endued with all power they would need. Receiving power must precede being His witnesses.  

The apostles had already walked with Jesus for over three years, seen Him with their eyes perform miracles, and heard Him teach. They ate with Him and prayed with Him.  He had previously commissioned them along with the seventy disciples, while he was with them, to go and preach.  They had already cast out demons and healed the sick.  They even saw Him after He was resurrected from death!  So if those, who were privileged to have such prior experiences, needed to be endued with power to be His witnesses, you can be sure that every other disciple without such experiences must also receive the power of the Holy Spirit. If it was necessary for the first apostles to receive power in order to be His witnesses, then it is certainly necessary in order for anyone else to be His witness.   If Jesus limited that power to the first apostles, then how could He expect the successive generations of people in the church who came after them to fulfill the Great Commission?

We can be certain that there was no such limitation of power. Mark’s gospel ends with the following words of Jesus: “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.’ So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed." (Mar 16:15-20)

In this passage, Jesus said that those who have believed will be accompanied by signs that include the following:  in Jesus’ name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.  This shows us that it is the Lord’s will to confirm His word by signs that follow it whenever it is preached. It proves that signs and wonders are essential in order to fulfill the Great Commission, and those who have believed will perform these, not just apostles.

One Scriptural example of this is Philip.  He went to Samaria to preach Christ, when the church was scattered through Saul’s persecution.  “Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming Christ to them. The crowds with one accord were giving attention to what was said by Philip, as they heard and saw the signs which he was performing. For in the case of many who had unclean spirits, they were coming out of them shouting with a loud voice; and many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed. So there was much rejoicing in that city.” (Act 8:4-8).  The Bible tells us that he was a man full of the Holy Spirit.  The one connection we can make between Philip and the apostles is that they had laid their hands on him when they appointed him as one of the seven to distribute food to the widows.  However, he himself was not an apostle.  Yet when he preached, he also performed signs and wonders that included miracles, healings, and casting out demons. 

In one situation, Philip was even supernaturally transported through space.  After he had led the Ethiopian eunuch to Christ on the desert road to Gaza, and baptized him, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away and carried him to Azotus.  “When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he kept preaching the gospel to all the cities until he came to Caesarea.” (Act 8:39-40).  So we can clearly see from Scripture that the Lord performed signs and wonders through others besides the apostles.

Jesus said He would send the Holy Spirit after He went to the Father, and that the Spirit’s power would be given, so that believers could do the works that He did.  He said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.” (Joh 14:12).  This promise is for those who believe in Jesus, just as Jesus said when He gave the great commission as recorded in Mark’s gospel.  It’s not limited to apostles only.

In Paul’s epistle to the Corinthians, he gave a more complete list of spiritual gifts that are given to the various members of the Body: “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware. You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus is accursed"; and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.” (1Co 12:1-11) Paul referred to these supernatural signs and wonders as both gifts (Greek, charisma) and manifestations (Greek, phanerosis). It is very clear from this passage that the Lord has distributed these among the various members of the Body, and they are not all given to one person or even to a select few. 

After explaining the spiritual gifts in detail to the Corinthian church, and teaching that some gifts are greater than others, because they build others up, Paul exhorted them to earnest desire the greater gifts.  He wrote: “But earnestly desire the greater gifts.” (1Co 12:31a).  The words in the original language reflect that all believers should covet these greater gifts and should be very zealous to function in them, even with a white-hot passion in their hearts.  He repeats this exhortation again a second time, saying, “Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.” (1Co 14:1).  Paul acknowledged that the members of the Corinthian church were all zealous for spiritual gifts, and he encouraged them in that pursuit.  Paul repeated his exhortation to them yet a third time, saying, “So also you, since you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the edification of the church.” (1Co 14:12) Since this is repeated three times, we can assume it is important for us.  The Lord wants each disciple to passionately desire the spiritual gifts in our lives, especially prophecy, which is so important for edifying others.   Paul’s message to the Corinthians is still the same for us today.  We should seek to abound for the edification of the church, and ask the Lord for the specific gifts we would like to have in order to do so.  That’s a godly pursuit the Lord will surely honor!

Putting it All Together
It’s clear from Scripture that the Lord desires to confirm the message of salvation with signs and wonders, whenever it is preached.  These manifestations of power are essential, in order to be a witness for Christ to the ends of the earth and complete the Great Commission.  The Lord also desires to give gifts to members of the Body, so that they can build themselves up, but especially so they can build up the rest of the Body. 

Initially all one hundred twenty disciples in the upper room, which included the apostles, received the gift of the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.  However, as I have explained more fully in my previous post, called “Baptized with the Spirit,” whenever disciples anywhere were baptized with the Holy Spirit, they received the same kind of power as the apostles and other disciples did initially in the upper room on the day of Pentecost.  They experienced manifestations of God’s power, such as speaking in tongues and prophecy. 

The gift of the Holy Spirit was clearly not limited to the apostles, although the early accounts highlight how they were the ones who primarily functioned in the supernatural. Jesus promised that he who believes in Him will do the works He did! While not all members of the Body have the same gifts, and not everyone functions in all the gifts, these gifts are available to all believers.  In fact, not only are they available to us all, but we are also exhorted to earnestly seek the greater spiritual gifts that lead to the edification of the Body. 

Let me encourage you today to do this.  First of all, if you have never been baptized with the Holy Spirit, then you have not yet received a very important gift that God wants to give you. Begin by praying to be baptized in the Spirit.  If you want to understand this gift better, you can read my above-mentioned blog on the topic.

Once you have been baptized with the Spirit, go before the Lord in prayer with a burning, passionate desire in your heart to edify the Body.  There may be specific gifts that you would really like to have in order to bless others.  Ask Him specifically to give you those gifts, and tell Him why you want them.  Then wait expectantly for the Holy Spirit to manifest them in you with all His omnipotent and enabling power.  And don’t forget to have faith.  When you ask, believe that you have received what you asked for, and it will be given to you. I assure you that you will not be disappointed. 

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. The image of Peter and John Healing the Lame Man is an Oil on canvas painting done by Nicolas Poussin is France.  The picture was painted in 1655 for a Monseur Mercier of Lyons. This artwork is currently on display in Gallery 620 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  The image of Peter Healing the Sick with his Shadow is a fresco painted in 1426-27 by Masaccio, who was originally named Tommaso Cassai and born in San Giovanni Valdarno.  The fresco is located at a chapel called Cappella Brancacci, in the church of Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence, Italy. The image of Paul Healing the Cripple at Lystra is an oil on canvas painted by Karel Dujardin around 1663. The artwork is on display at Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. 

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar. I recommend reading Have the Spiritual Gifts Ceased? and The Name of Jesus.  You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

___________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.