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2Tim 1:6 (KJS)
Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God,
which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.
There are two things that are evident from this verse.
1. A gift can and does lie dormant, or inactive.
2. The gift can be stirred up.
The topic of this study is how to do this "stirring".
(1.) Believe!
The first thing one must do to stir up the gift of God is
to believe that he in fact has one (and maybe more).
1Cor 12:7
But the manifestation of the Spirit
is given to every man to profit withal.
1Pet 4:10
As every man hath received the
gift, [even so] minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the
manifold grace of God.
Thank God daily that you have a gift. Praise Him that
it was given to you for profit. Tell Him that you desire to minister to
your breathern the manifold grace of God in accordance with His will.
There are many who refute the idea of gifts today. Do
you think they have any manifestations in their lives? No way. As with
everything in your relationship with God, you must believe.
Hebrews 11:
6 But without faith [it is] impossible
to please [him]: for he that
cometh to God must believe that
he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
James 1:
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing
wavering. For he that wavereth
is like a wave of the sea driven
with the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that
he shall receive any thing of the
Lord.
So start by standing fast to your confession of the Word
of God, "The manifestation of the Spirit is given to *me* to
profit withal"!
(2.) The second thing you must do to stir up the gift of
the Spirit that is in you is to be filled with the Spirit.
Ephe 5
18 And be not drunk with wine,
wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms
and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart
to the Lord;
20 Giving thanks always for all
things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
A man knowledgeable in the Greek language told me that
a better rendering of vs 18 and 19 would be: "...but
be filled with the Spirit _by_ speaking to yourselves in psalms
and hymns and spritual songs.... " etc..
Do this together with other believers and when you are
alone in prayer and meditation. I do it at work and while driving. I have
a whole collection of songs that I sing. Some are praise choruses that
we wrote for our ministry. Some are scriptures put to song. Some
are songs of the spirit in unknown tongues.
This is the fastest and best way to "get in the Spirit"
like
John was on the Lords' day in Rev 1:10.
The times I have felt the most anointed and full of the
Spirit are the times when I would spend a couple hours
in prayer and praise. I remember once when I was younger, I was the
song leader and youth leader at a local church. A man and woman minister
were coming to the area who were known and accepted prophets. They
had very strong anointings, revelation gifts, and the gift
of prophecy in operation. A number of us from the church decided to drive
the 30 miles to their meeting. I rode in the back of the church van,
praying in tongues and singing psalms all the way. By the time we
got there, I was feeling the anointing very powerful upon me, like an overcoat
(like the OT mantle). When we got to the meeting, the two prophets gave
a message, and then began to minister to the crowd. We stood to go to the
front to be ministered to (I was still singing and praying in tongues).
By this time the anointing was like a burning fire upon me, on my face,
and in my bones. As I walked to the front, it seemed like my spiritual
shoulders widened to about three feet across, and my spirit grew about
a foot taller. As two prophets turned to me, they stepped back several
paces, exclaiming "whoa... that anointing on him!" . They had
to step back even farther, because they did not want to be "slain
in the Spirit" by the power of the anointing I had brought up there!
I then prophesied to them! "The Lord is the strength of my life!" Now
to be sure, there was ( and is) nothing special about me. But I am pointing
out the effect of praying and praising in the Spirit. It increases the
power of the Spirit on and in you. It creates the atmosphere that in conducive
to manifestations.
Jude 1:20
But ye, beloved, building up yourselves
on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
(3.)Being Zealous, envious, and even jealous of the manifestations
in the lives of others will bring the gifts into manifestation in your
life.
This was most difficult for me to come to an understanding
concerning. I have always seen "envy" and "jealousy" as negative
feelings, and so unspiritual. I could not understand how these things could
have anything to do with bringing about the manifestations of spiritual
gifts. The story of Elijah and Elisha comes to mind. Elisha longed for
the gifts and anointing of Elijah. The story recounts how he asked for
and received a "double portion" of the anointing of Elijah. This shows
how that desiring for the gifts and the manifestation of the spirit will
actually bring them forth.
I do not believe that this indicates an envy or jealousy
of another person, but a envy and jealousy for the gifts and
anointing of the other person. Hence , this falls in with the common notion
among many Pentecostals and Charismatics that if you follow a certain
minister, you will have his anointing and gifting rub off on you.
Now I see that it is the "zeal" or "envy" or "jealousy" for the gifting
that causes this to happen. So in this way, if you want gifts to manifest
in your life, follow a minster who is operating the gifts you envy and
are zealous for. Attend his meetings, get into his services and even volunteer
to aid in the service and the ministering line.
1Cor 12:31
(KJS) But covet earnestly the best
gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.
The words "covet earnestly", here are translated from
the Greek word "zeloo"; from where we get our word "zeal". It is elsewhere
translated "jealousy" and "envy" (1Cor 13:4). It is used in story of Jesus
cleansing the temple. "Zeal for thy house has eat me up".
Gala 4:18
But [it is] good to be zealously
affected always in [a] good [thing], and not only when I am present
with you.
(4.) Fellowship with those of like belief.
It is difficult day for most when they come to realize that
they are going to have to part company with a church or fellowship
because it is no longer feeding them or meeting their needs. If you are
in a church that does not follow the Spirit and does not worship in Spirit
and truth, depart and find one that is moving in the Spirit, the gifts,
and faith. It is going to come down to you will either leave on your own,
or they will ask you to leave. You will not fit in. If you want to move
into the power and Spirit, and your church wants to remain in dogma and
ritual... move on.
It is difficult if not impossible to get a church whose
doctrine is set against the gifts of the Spirit to come around. You will
be miserable, they will feel awkward around you, and you will end up a
loner. I am saddened to have to say these things, because I had to
come out of my childhood church (Episcopalian). go to the Assembly of God,
and finally start a home church. But I am glad that I did.
(5.)Love (charity)
Love is presented as the "more excellent way" over "Zeal"(envy
& jealousy in #3 above) to get the gifts manifesting
in your life.
1Cor 12:31 (KJS)
But covet earnestly the best gifts:
and yet shew I unto you a more
excellent way.
Being envious, and zealous of the best gifts will stir
them up, but
we see that love is the more excellent way to stir them
up. Note that the apostle does not discount zeal and envy as a valid method
for stirring the gifts up. He just says that love is the more excellent
way. This study is quite extensive, as it delves into the ministry of Jesus
and how he used love to stir up the gifts in His ministry.
Here, we are not loving the gifts, rather the recipient
of the gifts.
Love brings the gifts to the needy.
When stirring up gifts with envy, the object of the envy
is the gift. When stirring up gifts with love, the object of the love is
the needy.
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