Before you read this study understand that we do not teach, we share and then ask all who read the following take it to God and verify it with Him. We believe a lot of the world is misled by the church of the world and religion vs the one true church. And to know the truth can only come from knowing, not just knowing of God, John 14:26, I John 2:27, Rev 3:19-22.
Many are called but few are chosen because many are misled by false teachers Matthew 7:13-15 so we help all who wants to know the truth how to find and know the truth of and by God and not of and by man.



Gifts or Manifestations of the Spirit


Pastor J. R. Wilhite, author   Close Window

It is such a shame that so many have studied but overlooked one word, "manifestations".

Yes, there are gifts but there are manifestations as well. They are not one and the same.

A gift is something that is yours, you have it, and you can use it when you want. If I made a gift of a boat to you today, you could take it out today and ride it. Then you could use it again tomorrow and as often as you want, not only when the urge of the gift felt it was there to be used.

The Spirit offers us all that it has depending on our circumstances. If we need knowledge then the manifestation of the Spirit should rise up in you in knowledge and supply you with all the knowledge in the area that you need it.

John 14

  1. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

No matter what you need, the Holy Spirit will supply it for as long as you need, no longer and no shorter of a time.

A gift is a different story. Too many people think of manifestations as gifts. They will say I can not use it now because I have no use for it, but as soon as I have need of it, my gift will show up. As time goes by they start to notice they have more and more gifts, as they need them, but in actuality they are having manifestations of the Holy Spirit.

A gift will never leave you and will always work.

My wife has a gift of faith. Yes, I know we all have faith, but she has more.
Can you go into prayer and ask God for something and have it the same day? I have seen her do it.

We owned a business that was no longer what we felt we should be in. The merchandise was slowly but surely going bad and it was not of the quality I wanted associated with my name. So we shut down our chain of 5 stores (we were up to 7 at one point.)

People who are Christians told me to sell the bad merchandise back to the world and get my money back from the world. Others were even saying, "Stay in a while until you pay all debts off no matter how bad the product is." Sound like someone you have heard?

How about Job's friends who kept telling him to curse God and die? What types of friends were they?

I did neither and closed the stores. It put us over $500,000 in debt with no income at all.

We decided I would seek the Lord. My wife said she would find a job and we would find a way out of this. She applied for two jobs both with in two weeks of each other. The second one called her first. They called her in for an interview and she went in, and then the first one called her to come in for an interview. Afterwards she was in a crisis; she felt the first one that interviewed (which was the second she applied for) was far below the other job as far as her ability and pay. So what was she to do if the first offered the job before the second finished with the interview process? She never had to worry, the Lord was in control. The one she applied for second, but interviewed for first, turned her down and said she was not qualified for the position. The position she was turned down for was a rep job. The other she was waiting to hear from was for a manager position over the same type of department at about double the pay.

The same day she was turned down she got the other job.

I tell you all this for the following, she was to start in 2 weeks. We decided that with only $35 a 1/4 tank of gas to go to Kenneth Copeland's Believers Conference in Fort Worth. Right before we left we got a blessing of $150. So my wife, 3 children, and I stayed at a "Motel 6" for 5 nights. We did not miss a single study, and some how stretched the $185 to last the week staying at a motel, eating out, attending all 5 days of the conference and a few times digging in my wife's purse and my pockets for change to pray over for seed. One afternoon we gave $3.85 when we got back we found that my wife's sister's father in law who is pretty tight was wanting to give us $385 for our kids for school clothes. The $3.85 we prayed for was for school clothes. At the conference, after arguing with the Lord for a year to be a Pastor again, I decided to do so, and He (God) told me to notice the time. When I got back, Sherrye had left me a message. It stated that she was told to tell me that at 3PM on Aug 19 she was told by the Lord to tithe to me. That was the same moment I decided to follow the Lord as a Pastor.

Then we came back and it is only days before my wife started her new job. We have $385 for kids clothes, which by the way was just enough for all three. We had Sherrye's tithe which caught us up a lot of rent and electric bills. So things were looking better, next we needed clothes for Barbara; she could not go into an office as upper management wearing jeans.

We prayed and she went out in the front yard and was at peace about the clothes. I was concerned when our next door neighbor called Barbara over. She asked Barbara to try on some clothes she bought. They all fit, so she gave them to her. No big deal huh?

First of all, the lady is a Jehovah's Witness (we are not) and they normally will give to their own only. Second, she was 75 and had bought 15 business outfits that she never would have worn, costing between $1,500 and $3,000. Third, she is at least 7 inches shorter and a good 50 lbs. less than Barbara is and they fit Barbara perfectly.

Well, the next to last day before she starts work and all we have left is a problem with our car. Ours was years old and in need of much work and she is going to be driving 80 miles round trip a day. Well the car may have lasted a month or two. She got up, went into prayer, and came out with a smile and told me that God said by sundown she would be driving in the spirit.

At 7PM she got a call from a dealership we never had been in before that our new car was ready. She already high in the Spirit just got in the car and went over to the dealership. She got there and told them, at best, she could only give $300 for a down payment. The salesman said that was ok, and paid the rest. As the sun was going down she was on her way home and she noticed she was driving a brand new Dodge Spirit. She was driving home in the spirit.

Now Barbara's faith has helped us a lot over the years, but it has been diluted somewhat, by working in the world system. She was at her best when she was not working in the world system and was able to spend more time with God.

Now, my gift is talking and hearing from God. You may say, "Well, that is one we all have; it is called reading His word." Yes, to a degree you are right. But I mean actually hearing Him, actually talking to Him; holding conversations with Him on a daily basis. As much as I would like to have Barbara's gift of faith, I would never even think of trading what I have for anything of anyone else.

I love getting up and knowing I can spend the day with the Lord and we can talk about anything. You see, my father died when I was 13. He had been sick for a while and before that he worked a lot so I never knew my father. So God is my Father in all aspects. That's how I know how loving He is. Yes, His wrath will come, but only after giving everyone so many chances to change that only a total fool would have to endure it.

He has warned me when I was doing something wrong and being a fool (sometimes I continue messing up) but He is so loving He never says "I told you so". He is just concerned and loves me.

1 Corinthians 13

  1. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
  2. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
  3. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Paul said it best it is not the gifts, or manifestations, but the love that is the most important of all. Yes, some will have gifts of different natures, and all will have manifestations of the spirit as long as they are allowing the Spirit to operate in them. Most of all, above all else, what every child knows and understands is love.

I do not mean a worldly kind of love, or a love that we speak because we are Christian. I mean a true love that comes from within and is from God and flows from us to others.

All believers should have manifestations of the Holy Spirit in their lives on a regular basis. You may have many different aspects of the Holy Spirit over time, but they are always manifestations to help someone. Gifts are there for you to help you and bless you. Yes, a gift can and, at times, will bless others, but it is yours. Yes, others do have the same gift as well.

My prayer for you is:

3 John 1

2. Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth

Remember to show faith when you pray, then praise and give thanks.

God Bless You as you hear His words and follow His leading.


Sponsors

  • New Ceiling Tiles
  • [ Print This Page ]

    Copyright © 1996 - Gods Gift For You All Rights Reserved.

    1-24-04-269