It would be tragic for you to live your entire life and not realize the extent to which God has supernaturally gifted you, and desires to channel His power through you.
I watched in disbelief, but I could not deny it. I was not a Christian at the time. The three of us were alone in the chapel at Camp Hovey, Korea in the winter of 1978.
“Brother, the Lord just spoke to my heart. You got wife problems.” The young Soldier now joined me in startled disbelief.
How did Master Sergeant (MSG) White know that this Soldier, whom he’d never met before, had wife problems? Turns out he did have wife problems. White then began to tell him how to set matters right with his wife.
I later asked MSG White, who was also a Baptist preacher, how he knew the Soldier had wife problems? He replied, “Sometimes the Lord will reveal to you what is going on in another person’s life so you can help them.” What??!!
I didn’t know what to think. I had not been to church in over a decade. Church to me was dry, boring, and full of older, uninteresting people.
I started spending time with MSG White. He seemed to be a walking problem solver who loved serving people. His influence was instrumental in me giving my life to Christ only weeks after I met him.
Gradually at first but over time, the unthinkable occurred. God began speaking to me, and most often while I was in the process of serving others.
I never get used to it. It still amazes me that God speaks to me. David said it like this: “What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?” (Psalms 8:4)
It saddens me that many individuals experience a dry religion. There is so much more! The premise of this series follows:
“If God promised to guide you, tell you, speak and declare to you, (John 16:12-15) then why would He make it difficult for you to hear His Voice?”
You are a candidate to hear the Voice of God, and you are also a candidate to walk in the supernatural power of God.
Previous articles have outlined the fundamental requirements to hear from God. Now let’s reveal more hidden treasure.
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)
Those who set their hearts to seek God diligently, and serve others, can experience the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit.
The Bible has a number of gift lists, but our focus will be on the nine gifts of the Spirit outlined in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11. You will find this passage at the end of this article.
These gifts find expression in the lives of committed believers who serve others.
MSG White was not sharing God’s “inside” information to impress that young Soldier; White was trying to help the young man so the Holy Spirit “helped” MSG White, help the Soldier.
Herein lies the critical point. God’s knowledge is for service not arrogance. God’s knowledge is to help not horde. God’s knowledge is to set free, not to make you important in the eyes of others.
If you want to help others, God will impart His secrets to you and channel His power through you. He will stir things in you, that will astound you. You just have to remember. It’s not about you. It’s about others.
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson
I have shared this quote with hundreds of federal government employees as part of a presentation on self-awareness. Through coaching, I helped many of them discover talents they did not realize they had.
I could not engage with these employees from a faith-based standpoint for obvious reasons, but listen. God created you! He has deposited things in you -even beyond the nine gifts of the Spirit- that are hidden.
It would be tragic for you to live your entire life and not realize the extent to which God has supernaturally gifted you, and desires to channel His power through you.
God wants to talk to you about you. God also wants to talk to you about others if your motivation is to serve.
Why? Because God wants to heal broken humanity and He primarily uses human vessels to do so.
Okay Kevin…how do I access this hidden treasure? Very simple. You ask for it. Jesus said:
“So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” (Luke 11:13)
Important! Don’t miss God due to pride. You see, for many, the baptism in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues is the entry point to access the power of God.
Speaking in tongues may seem strange at the beginning. This fact explains why Paul gave specific instructions on how the gift of tongues is to be regulated in church gatherings. (1 Corinthians 14:22-29)
Still, the apostles that performed miracles, established the church, and wrote the New Testament, spoke in tongues. Paul spoke in tongues more than his contemporaries. (1 Corinthians 14:18)
These men rose out of weakness and received supernatural power that turned the world upside down. (Acts 17:6)
I was turned off by speaking in tongues back in Korea in 1978. Pride got in the way. I earnestly asked God for eight of the nine gifts and especially prophecy. I did not want the tongues. Well…tongues was the first gift I received. First, I had to humble myself.
It is a tragedy that so many young people (Generations X, Millennials, and Generation Z) are missing out on an empowered, purposeful life that could eclipse anything they can imagine.
No matter your age group or demographic…
It would be tragic for you to live your entire life and not realize the extent to which God has supernaturally gifted you, and desires to channel His power through you.
Ask the Lord for His supernatural power and keep asking for it. Humble yourself. Begin serving others, and in the process of serving, the Holy Spirit will begin to help you, help others!
Get ready for the new you. God Bless! Press On!! Kevin
“But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. (1 Corinthians 11: 7-11)
Wow! Awesome commentary! As I was seeking God’s plan for my life, I am so reminded that God is more concerned about who I am than what I do. After reading your commentary, it just reiterates the things that are important to God! Thanks for sharing!
Bless the Lord! Let’s serve and let’s help and we will see the power flow!!
So true Kevin. When we stand before God, He’s not going to call us by our titles. He is simple going to say, “Well done thy good and faithful servant.
So true Kevin. When we stand before Him, he is not going to call us by our titles. He will simple say, “Well done thou good and faithful servant”.
Thank you for the reminder of what is important to ask God for. More of him , more of His Spirit.
God as given us everything that will make His body successful; however we want to pick and chose. I agree with you that pride and misunderstanding of the gift speaking in tongues has confused many in the body of Christ. But, God has given the body the 7/11 gifts not for convenience for the building up of His Saints for the work of ministry. Blessing
Amen and let’s be about the business of bringing clarity to this state of confusion!
Isn’t God amazing! … the way he will put people in our lives to help us wise up so He can rise up (within us). #Glory2God 🙌🏾