About the Gifts of the Spirit

Yosefu Ueno

12 hours ago near Dallas, TX, United States · 

• Prophesying is including but not limited to preaching.

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    John Edwards I read a helpful explanation somewhere once which said that the simple gift of prophecy doesn't necessarily include revelation-knowledge (supernatural knowledge of facts past or present), nor insight into God's plans (including knowing the future). That would be the additional gifts of either the word of knowledge or the word of wisdom, in operation. To prophesy simply means to speak forth under Divine inspiration - for edification, exhortation and comfort. 
    
    I found that helpful, because it means that a lot of us might actually be prophesying a lot more often than we ourselves realize. 
    
    For example, when we are in a one-on-one conversation with someone and we feel inspired to encourage the person in a special way, sometimes that might actually be the simple gift of prophecy in operation.
    
    This makes it possible that any of us can be flowing in a gift of the Spirit even in a simple conversation without necessarily needing to give someone a precise word of knowledge or detailed insight into God's plans. 
    
    It means even our daily conversations, phone calls, Fb posts, Tweets, SMSs - and of course our Sunday sermons - can include moments where the gift of prophecy is in operation, as the Spirit wills. All we have to do is make ourselves available to sense when the Holy Spirit is inspiring us with something special to say!

    2 hours ago · Edited · Like
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    Yosefu Ueno I hear you, and I agree with you in most of what you say. If what you are saying is effectively expanding the lower range of prophecy allowing more of people that previously did not believe that they can prophesy; then what I am trying to do is to expand the higher range of it by inviting people that previously didn't get impressed by any 'prophecy' to pay attention to what some real-deal prophets, many of who are in America. Either way, we need to expand the range of our expectation regarding prophecy. I am apostolic and crave a close relationship with a prophet. We are the foundation of the church.

    2 hours ago · Edited · Like
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    John Edwards Yes that's great Yosefu! 
    
    Prophecy is definitely something distinct from simply giving encouragement or preaching. It is saying something that is especially inspired by the Spirit in and for that moment. 
    
    When the gift of prophecy comes into a sermon, you can feel the difference. 
    
    When the gift of prophecy comes into a one-on-one conversation, you can feel the difference.
    
    It's altogether on another plain. It's distinct from normal preaching, normal conversation, or normal counselling. 
    
    Of course it must always line up with the written Word. But it's something that you are Divinely inspired to say in that moment. And the extraordinary element of it can be felt.
    
    But it may or may not be accompanied by the additional gifts of the word of knowledge and the word of wisdom. That's something extra again.
    
    Another great element which can be included in public preaching besides the gift of prophecy is the gift of tongues coupled with the gift of the interpretation of tongues. 
    
    Smith Wigglesworth while preaching would sometimes suddenly begin to speak briefly in an unknown tongue, and then what would follow was something spontaneous in English - the interpretation. And then he'd carry on preaching again.
    
    We can do this in a counselling session too. And even in a private casual conversation. Sometimes you'll suddenly feel inspired to speak in a tongue. And then what follows is revelation, in English. What follows is a new idea or new topic of conversation that has a special element of the Spirit, of God's will, in it.

    about an hour ago · Edited · Like
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    Yosefu Ueno As regard to sperking in tongues. I am convinced that those believers that have grown out of the 'unbeliever/unlearned' phase of their Christian life should learn to say 'Amen' to prayers that are prayed in prayer language (tongues). I am so blessed that I get to hang around with people I really trust as legit believers and therefore I can, without any dought, say 'So bet it' to their prayers in their prayer language. And that moment, only that moment, something really unexplainable happens. God honours your faith and you can feel in your spirit that He is about to reveal something new to you. So speaking/praying in tongues is no big deal. I do that all the time. And prophecy should equally be real normal part of any Christian's life.

    about an hour ago · Edited · Like
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    John Edwards The additional gifts of the word of knowledge and the word of wisdom can be really helpful too. 
    
    I remember one time I was sitting in a church meeting, listening to the sermon, when suddenly the number "3" came to me and "back pain". 
    
    I said to myself, "I think I've got a word of knowledge".
    
    Straight away the preacher said, "Somebody here has a word of knowledge".
    
    I spoke from the back of the church, "I think it's me! I'm getting the number '3' and 'back pain'".
    
    Then the preacher said to the congregation, "Anyone with back pain, put your hand up."
    
    Three people put their hands up. The preacher told them to come back to where I was and asked me to pray for them. 
    
    One of the three people explained to me that he was born with an unformed disc in his spine. 
    
    I asked him, "Which disc is it?" 
    
    He answered, "Number 3 from the bottom".
    
    So I laid hands on each of the three people for healing.
    
    Some years later I was visiting a small rural town, and I met one of the men. He told me that he'd had back pain for years and that it had been real good ever since.
    
    Then he asked me whether I remember the other man - the man who had an unformed disc in his spine. I said that I remembered.
    
    Then he told me he was a friend of his and that it was his friend's first time in church and that it left a big impression on him.
    
    Praise God the gift of the word of knowledge is available for all of us!

    about an hour ago · Edited · Like · 1