2) A word of wisdom is a supernatural insight about what to do, or how a person needs to act, or what they should do at this time.
3) Discerning of spirits - the ability to see right into the root of what is behind things that are happening. It enables us to see the motivations of people; it enables us to see what the Holy Spirit is doing; it also enables us to discern demonic spirits.
Then there are 3 gifts of utterance - where something is spoken.
1) The word of prophesy, an inspired something, words from God.
2) Diverse tongues
3) Interpretation of tongues - where the person speaks in a tongue; and someone interprets,
Finally, gifts of power - when something supernatural is done, i.e. something is 1) revealed; 2) spoken; 3) done.
By faith, miracles are done; the working of miracles, and gifts of healing, all fall under those power miracles.
6) Believers can operate in all of the gifts (section #4 in the notes). Every one of you is able to operate in all of the gifts.
Mark 16:17-18, notice what Jesus said, and this is associated with the great commission...
“These signs follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they'll speak in new tongues, take up serpents, drink anything deadly, it will not hurt them, and they will lay hands on the sick and they will recover.”
Jesus is giving the great commission. He's sending us into the harvest field.
He's sending people into cultures where the supernatural is well established. Now in a western culture, often people are very dull to things of the spirit or supernatural, but in other cultures, the majority of cultures in the world, there's a high level of awareness of the supernatural realm. In Asia, Africa, South America, idolatry is practiced openly. Sorcery and witchcraft are practiced openly, and they have tremendous and very real power.
Jesus was sending His disciples into cultures that experience supernatural power. What they needed was something stronger, more powerful, to deal with and confront the demonic realm.
In a western culture it's not so obvious, but in Asian cultures, and other cultures of the world, these things are practiced very openly. You go to some villages, they all live in fear of the witch doctor, and his power is real. They live in fear of the supernatural realm; and so idolatry is practised. In our culture the supernatural's more hidden. It's not so ‘out there’ - but it is still there.
Jesus was sending them into cultures that are supernatural. He wanted them empowered spiritually, to be able to do this; so notice what He said: “These signs will follow those who believe”.
It doesn't say: these signs will follow pastors. It doesn't say: these signs will follow ‘special people’. It doesn't say: these signs will follow just greatly anointed people. It just says: “these signs will follow those who believe”
For these signs to follow, God wants you to be a believer. You need to believe, for God to work through you.
We believe God will work supernaturally. We believe He'll do it… in another country. We believe He'll do it… through Benny Hinn; but what we struggle with, is to believe: He would do it through me - but that's what He said: the signs follow… believing. We're going to inform you of the how-to. If you grow the ‘believing for it to happen’, and start to stretch out, you'll be quite surprised!
Several things are listed there: casting out of demons, which is: discerning of spirits; and also working of miracles (and faith is involved in that); speaking in new tongues, and maybe interpretations. Taking up serpents has to do with wrestling with the demonic; gifts of revelation and prophesy; drinking any deadly thing (again, supernatural miracles); and laying hands on the sick; gifts of faith and healing.
Paul made some instructions, in 1 Corinthians 12. He said: “it is given to everyone”.
The manifestation of the spirit is given to everyone. His desire was that every believer could flow in the gifts of the spirit - and that's my desire too. God wants you to; and we'll show you how to, and it'll be great for you to step out and try to.
In Acts 9, there's a man called Ananias. Saul had been persecuting the church; and as he was going to Damascus, he had an encounter, a supernatural encounter. He was knocked off his horse, and he was struck blind. He went and fasted and prayed for three days.
Acts 9:10 – “There was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias, and to him the Lord said in a vision…” - notice that he saw something; and in this seeing, God spoke to him.
The Lord said to him: ‘arise’. First, He called him by name; and he said: “here I am, Lord”.
The Lord said to him: “arise, go into the street called Straight” (He told him exactly which street to go to)
He said: “inquire in the house of Judas…” (he's told which house to go to - find the house that Judas owns).
He said: “and then there's someone in there by the name of Saul” - so there's another word of knowledge; and he is praying.
Notice the revelation that's coming: he's being told things he couldn't know; and Saul has seen in a vision a man called Ananias coming to him - so God is downloading to him words of knowledge and revelation.
Then He said: “I want you to go him and lay your hands on him, and he'll receive his sight”. This is a freaky thing, because he knows that Saul's been murdering all the Christians; and now God's telling him go to this place in this street, inquire; the guy is in there, and he's blind; and he's praying. I've shown him that you're going to come, and you're going to pray over him.