In the book, The Essential Guide to Healing, Randy Clark shares a painfully vulnerable story about an experience he once had while praying.
“I was in my office praying, ‘God, thank You that I’m not a [theological] liberal. I believe Jesus did what the Bible says He did. And thank You that I’m not a cessationist. I believe He still does what He did then.’”
Clark indicates, “I was expecting a ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant with whom I am well pleased.’ But instead, I heard from the Lord, ‘So what?’”
“So what?”
Randy was confused. “What do you mean, so what?” He quickly asked God.
The next words He heard God whisper radically transformed his life. Randy believes that He heard God clearly say the following:
“You might as well be a [theological] liberal or a cessationist. It isn’t enough to SAY you believe I still do what I did — if you don’t know how to move in my gifts, you won’t be able to DO any more than a [theological] liberal or cessationist does.”
That experience shook Randy Clark. In that moment, He discovered that the gifts of the Spirit were never intended to just be “theological” ideas. They were meant by God to be every day, practical realities.
Clark made a decision that day that He would learn to move in the gifts of the Holy Spirit.[1] Since then, Clark has gone on to form Global Awakening and has witnessed thousands of people miraculously healed, delivered, and set free as the gifts of the Holy Spirit have freely operated in his life and ministry.
“Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.” —1 Corinthians 12:1 NIV
Paul longed for believers in the church at Corinth to understand and personally experience the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
What are spiritual gifts?
A spiritual gift is a supernatural ability given to an individual by the Holy Spirit. It’s not just a heightened natural ability.
Spiritual gifts are a set of God-given, Holy Spirit-energized special and supernatural abilities that God gives a believer so that we can glorify Him, share His love, and serve others.
Spiritual gifts are not just reserved for the “spiritually elite.” They’re available to the everyday, ordinary, blue-jean and “Nike-Airforce-1-wearing” believer. They’re available to you and me.
On top of that, they’ve not been given so we can experience an emotional and spiritual “high.” They’ve been given so we can make an impact in this world! I love the way Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke put it before his passing.
“The gifts of the Spirit are not badges of honor; they are tools for the job.” —Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke
The obvious question is: “What’s the job?”
Jesus made the job crystal clear in the Great Commission. Some form of our assignment and commission shows up in all four gospels and in the book of Acts (See Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-18; Luke 24:44-53; John 20:21-23; Acts 1:8).
In Mark’s Gospel, the challenge reads like this:
He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 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.” —Mark 16:15-18 NIV
It’s fascinating that Mark goes on to give us a glimpse of the outcome of that commission.
“Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.” —Mark 16:20 NIV
The Message reads like this:
“…the disciples went everywhere preaching, the Master working right with them, validating the Message with indisputable evidence.” —Mark 16:20 MSG
In other words, the first-century followers of Jesus didn’t just have tools in their toolbox, they put the tools to work. They made their faith practical! They watched as God showed up and showed out!
These same gifts are available to believers today!
Here are just a few bullets about the gifts of the Holy Spirit or the “tools” God has given us for “the job.”
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Spiritual gifts are “gifts” not rewards.
“A spiritual gift is given to each of us…” —1 Corinthians 12:7 NLT
Spiritual gifts are rewards to be earned. They’re gifts God generously gives.
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The gifts are available to every believer.
“A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.” —1 Corinthians 12:7 NLT
“God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts.” —1 Peter 4:10a NLT
This idea is one of the central truths that came out of the Great Reformation. It’s a theological truth called “the priesthood of believers.” The gifts aren’t exclusive to those who’ve been ordained or established a 501(c)3 non-profit. They’re available for every believer!
I love the way 1 Corinthians 12:7 reads in The Message.
“Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! The variety is wonderful…” —1 Corinthians 12:7 MSG
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The gifts are supernatural or extraordinary.
“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” —1 Corinthians 12:7 NIV
I love the word “manifestation” that appears in the NIV. According to British pastor and church leader, Terry Virgo, here’s part of what is packed into the word “manifestation.”
“[A manifestation] is a means by which the Holy Spirit manifests or reveals Himself. It is something that makes evident [the Holy Spirit’s] presence and power.” —Terry Virgo
The Holy Spirit is invisible. But, through the gifts of the Spirit He “manifests or reveals” Himself to people. He impacts our senses in a way that we can see, hear, feel or experience God Himself! Wow!
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The gifts are for service, not status.
“God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.” —1 Peter 4:10 NLT
Peter goes on in Verse 11 to indicate that when we use our gifts selflessly to serve others every act of service brings “glory to God.”
This all takes us back to the original definition:
Spiritual gifts are a set of God-given, Holy Spirit-energized special and supernatural abilities that God gives a believer so that we can glorify Him, share His love, and serve others.
The Grand Experiment
After Randy Clark had his interaction with God described in the introduction to this post, he stepped away from a ministry position at Vineyard Church in Illinois and took a job working in 80 Kruger Grocery Stores training people in the bakery and determined to make his life a “grand experiment.” He writes:
“I told God… This is going to be my grand experiment. I’m not going to tell anyone I’m a preacher. Instead, if You give me a word of knowledge, or if anyone says they’re sick or I notice they’re sick, I’m going to say to them, ‘I’m a Christian. I’ve seen some people healed when I’ve prayed, but not everyone. I don’t promise you anything, but if you’ll let me, I’d like to pray for you.’
Then Clark shares the following:
“The grand experiment worked! That year I saw more people healed in the Kroger grocery stores than I did in our church or house group meetings…” [2]
Making It Practical
Adam Bower is the Lead Pastor of Praise Community Church in York, Pennsylvania. He’s an innovative thinker and Spirit-filled pastor with a passion to see believers understand their identity in Christ and walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. He is also the Instructor for the ISOW Bible College course, The Practical Use of Spiritual Gifts.
This course takes a very practical, useful, helpful, action-oriented approach to the gifts of the Spirit and how believers can operate in those gifts today. Or, as Bonnke put it, how we can use them as “tools for the job.”
In this course, Pastor Bower:
- shares foundational truths that are essential for operating in the gifts of the Spirit,
- considers the importance of faith and love in the operation of the gifts,
- surveys biblical passages that describe God’s will in regard to miracles and diving healing,
- examines the role of the evil one in inflicting suffering and opposing the will of God,
- assesses our responsibility for creating the culture and atmosphere necessary for the operation of spiritual gifts to thrive,
- looks at possible objections to the operation of the gifts of the Spirit today,
- considers the impact that fear and unbelief have when it comes to the supernatural work of God,
- offers practical insights on how believers can operate in the gift of the Word of Knowledge,
- provides a practical structure for the operation of the gifts of the Spirit inside the church and outside in the community, and,
- presents a practical model for prayer.
From “So what?” to “What now?”
It’s time to stop living a “So what?” kind of life! If you believe that God’s Word is still “alive, active, and powerful” (Hebrews 4:12). If you believe that the Holy Spirit is still present, and powerful and that His gifts are available to believers today, why not make a decision that you refuse to live a “So what?” kind of life. Instead, make your life a “grand experiment” with God, believing that He longs to “manifest” His presence, power, and gifts in His church and our world today. Make your life an adventure expectantly asking God on a daily basis, “What now? What do you want me to know? What do you want me to do? Who are you bringing into my life so that I can join you in the adventure of seeing You do what only You can do?”
You can learn more about spiritual gifts and the way God wants you to practically put them to use by checking out the ISOW Bible College course, The Practical Use of Spiritual Gifts with Pastor Adam Bower. Click here for more information.
To view courses in Spanish, click here.
[1] Randy Clark and Bill Johnson, The Essential Guide to Healing: Equipping All Christians to Pray for the Sick, Location 281 of 3851. Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
[2] Randy Clark and Bill Johnson, The Essential Guide to Healing: Equipping All Christians to Pray for the Sick, Location 391 of 3851. Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
