Hidden Behind A Door Of Humility

At our last Gathering, we began with soaking, and then I asked for testimonies.  This is how we usually begin our Gatherings each Sunday, and one lady gave a testimony with such grace and sweetness, that I wish I’d done a better job in the meeting of identifying several things she did well.  Since I didn’t manage to speak up during the meeting, I’ll do it here.  The things she did well will help all of us share testimonies that will make God’s power and love contagious in our churches, with our friends on the phone or fsce-to-face, or in our home Bible studies.

1. 1.     She came with a testimony. The facts of her testimony were simple:  She had met a man who was in terrible pain from a back problem, and she offered to pray for him.  He said he wanted prayer, and by the time she had prayed, she noticed his eyes were full of tears, and took this as a signal that the love of God was touching him.

1. She shared her vulnerability.  As she shared her misgivings about praying for the man, I think we all wondered, would I have the nerve to pray for someone in so much pain, and to expect God to give him immediate relief?

This part of her testimony reflected a conversation several of us had had during one of our meals together at another Gathering.  In the informality of eating together, we had discussed the question:  “What if I pray for the sick, and nothing happens?” Many of us were wrestling with this question.

1. In spite of her misgivings, she had offered to pray.  And whether God chose to heal him on the spot or not, at least, she had shown God’s love by reaching out to God in the man’s behalf.

Jesus said, “By this will all men know that you are my disciples:  by the love you have one for another.”  He didn’t say the [power of our healing gifts would show that we were truly His disciples; instead, the real hallmark of discipleship is that we show His love.

1. Then, she had found courage to ask if his back felt better.  It did, somewhat, and for a while. But what did this mean?  Was he losing his healing?  Maybe not.  Sometimes if we just rest in God, the healing settles in and becomes permanent.

1. Then she was candid enough to admit that she enjoyed feeling important as God was answering prayer.  She confessed it as a weakness, and noted that only God can do the truly important part.

As I’ve pondered this testimony, I’ve begun to realize God wisely keeps His movements sufficiently unpredictable that it makes it an adventure to reach for healing and other impossible gifts.  Why?  Because it’s much safer for us, with our all-too predictable ego needs.  In other words, God has hidden some of His greatest works behind a door of humility.  If we’re willing to risk a few minutes of mild embarrassment, it may be the price we have to pay to see God do something special for someone.  And when we weigh our small embarrassments against the price Jesus has paid at Calvary to heal and bless His people, we have to choose.  Do we love the other person enough to be willing to look silly for a few minutes if necessary, so we can reach for healing grace?

If it isn’t worth it to us, we don’t have to reach.  If it is worth it, we can learn to enjoy the adventure.  It really can be fun!

Count the cost, folks, and start reaching for healing and other miracles.

 Stan Smith  ::  © 2012, GospelSmith  ::  http://www.GospelSmith.com

The Thanksgiving-Christmas Healing Race

I lay in bed last night, soaking and listening, unable to sleep.  Suddenly I heard a challenge:  to engage in a “Thanksgiving-Christmas Healing Race”, and to invite other people to join me.  Here’s what it’s all about.

It started on Sunday as I sat with my four crazy friends at the dinner table.  God is nudging us all into new exploits in healing, but none of us were sure how to begin.  Then, last night, I saw what to do.

Part One – it’s about 30 days from Thanksgiving to Christmas.  That’s the duration of each round in this race.

But even if I have to start late, thanksgiving is how the race begins.  Step One is to collect testimonies of healing that have happened in our lives so far, and thank God for them.  The principle here is, “To him who has will more be given.”  If we already have a few testimonies, God will give us more.

The other endpoint of each round is Christmas, the day when Jesus was born into this world.  Our goal with each round is that we have a fuller presence of Christ the Healer in our lives.  But between the endpoints are about 30 days.  And the goal is to lay hands on somebody and reach for a miracle of healing on every one of them.  Even with sporadic results, we should have at least a few testimonies by Christmas, and be ready to start another round of Thanksgiving again, and another 30 days of reaching for more.

The purpose of the race.  The purpose is to see more of Christ born into our lives — in this case, Christ the Healer.  As we hunger for more of Him, He is sure to build our faith as we let Him lead us into ministry encounters.  And testimonies are sure to accumulate, and then momentum can build.

Two ways to race.  I’ll gladly do it by myself.  It calls for me to reach for healing miracles about once a day.  If I fall behind, I can double up and minister to several people in a day.  And it probably wouldn’t matter if I finished a few days late.  Or a group of four crazy friends could run the race together.  Together, we could easily minister to 30 people in 30 days.  If anybody developed a testimony, we all could say, “Look what God has done for us.  Then, having something, we could expect God to give us more.

Why a group helps.  Sometimes as was one of us reaches out for God’s healing power, we wonder, “What if nothing happens?”  The whole onus is on each of us as individuals.  But, as part of a group, we’re part of something bigger than ourselves.

So I’m inviting my four crazy friends, and other friends in other nations to join me in the race.  Then we’ll all be able to say, “I’m involved in an international prayer experiment…”

Call it a prayer experiment.  That way, we don’t have to try to convince others that we have great healing ministries.  Instead, we can introduce them to Christ the Healer.  And as joint-owners of the testimonies, we can strengthen one another to receive more from God.  So if you’re nervous about what to do if you minister to people and nothing happens, this gives you a covering.  “I’m involved in an international prayer experiment,” you can say.  Then you don’t have to worry that you’re promising something you can’t deliver.  Then you can forget about yourself, and lovingly reach for Jesus.  And that’s when faith works:  when we get our attention off ourselves – my faith, my gifts, my anointing, my, my!  But when we see Jesus and His love, His presence makes healing easy.  And if you’re in another nation and want to run the race with us where God has put you, let us know.  Then we’ll be able to say it honestly:  “We’re involved in an international prayer experiment.”

Your Invitation.  I’m going to do this, whether anyone joins me or not.  I’ll start on Thanksgiving, which is November 24.  But I’m determined to keep it persona and relational.  It isn’t meant to be an annual event with a lot of hype and publicity.  It’s simply a way for a few friends to stretch our gift mix, and to take our first faltering steps into power evangelism.  Step-by-step, the Holy Spirit will show us how to stretch beyond ourselves.

And how do we reach for miracle testimonies?  I’ll have to answer that with more articles.  From what I’ve seen of miracles and healings in the past, the mysteries and paradoxes make it a wonderful adventure.

Stan Smith  ::  © 2011, GospelSmith  ::  http://www.GospelSmith.com

3 Kinds Of Hearing To Ask For

A few days ago I posted an article, Keep Asking To Hear More.  It was a follow-up article to Day 1 of a 31-day devotional, Learn to Hear from God.  We need to ask God to open our ears to hear Him.  Hearing from God is addictive.  No matter how much we have heard before, it whets our appetite to hear more.  So we keep asking Him to open our ears and eyes.  Why the repeated asking?  See “Keep Asking“.  But I also wrote there that my  Bible reading lately has taken me to II Kings 6, a chapter in which Elisha had several extraordinary experiences of hearing God.

I’ve become comfortable with a certain level of hearing from God day by day.  But what I read in II Kings 6 led me to ask for God to ask for several new experiences in hearing from Him:

2)  Elisha worked a miracle when an axe head fell into the water.  He threw a stick where it had fallen, and the axe head began to float. He heard from God so specifically and consistently that the king of Syria thought a spy was betraying his secret plans.

I was led to pray that I would hear the kind of things from God that willshow what steps to take to receive miracles from Him.

2)  Elisha knew where the enemies of Israel had planned ambushes – and his warnings to the king kept the Israelites from falling into the traps. He heard from God so specifically and consistently that the king of Syria thought a spy was betraying his secret plans.

My sphere of influence doesn’t include kings, but over the years there have been many times when I have known where the enemy had set a trap, and I was able to avoid it.  I won’t try to write the stories here, but often they involved hearing from God in traffic so I could avoid an accident.

I was led to pray not that I would know the nature and the extent of the enemy’s trap, but that I would hear whatever I need to hear so I can avoid falling into it.

3)  The Syrian army surrounded Elisha’s house early one morning, intending to arrest him. Elisha’s servant woke him up to get him to look out the window.  “There are more with us than with them,” Elisha said.  I recalled times when I would do street evangelism in neighborhoods so bad that the police even went out two by two.  Others on our ministry team got their lives threatened; I never did.  Was it because I was so keenly aware that the heavenly host was with me, and God Himself was protecting me?

The rest of the team thought my taking time to seek God for heaven’s protection was unnecessary, but again and again, neighborhoods that were dangerous for them were safe for me.

Elisha prayed that God would open the servant’s eyes, and He did.  Immediately, the servant saw that the heavenly army outnumbered the Syrian troops.  I was moved to pray that I could pray, and God would open people’s eyes to see Jesus.  With all due respect to the heavenly hosts, seeing them isn’t nearly as life-changing as seeing Jesus.

Finally, don’t ask just once for a hearing ear.  Let the Bible and let other people’s testimonies inspire you to ask God for new aspects of hearing from Him.  Sometimes He answers quickly; sometimes He lets us wait a while.  Either way, if we ask and keep asking, we’re sure to receive.

Stan Smith  ::  © 2011, GospelSmith  ::  http://www.GospelSmith.com

Multiply To Go Deeper

After posting a 31-day devotional, “Learn To Hear From God”, on Squidoo and YouTube, I wanted to put it into practice and start posting testimonies on this blog.  I felt I should begin with the principle found on Day 31 – Multiply To Go Deeper.

It’s a simple idea:  that people would get more out of the 31-day devotional if they would do it as a group.  They could share their struggles; sometimes it’s helpful to realize that if we’re finding it hard to develop new spiritual gifts, that others struggle too.  But it isn’t all struggle; we also have victories from time to time.  With a group, one person’s victory can spill over onto everyone else.

So I prayed.  Could God give me a group that would walk through the devotional together?  Soon my wife took a phone call inviting me to speak to a home group that was hungry for the prophetic.

So far, I’ve met with them three times.  A few had already been poking around in the 31-day devotional.  As we ended our last meeting, I assigned them to  edify, exhort, or comfort five people each week.  “Next time we meet, let’s share testimonies,” I said.

As we dismissed, our hostess said, “I’d really like to get to where the gifts of the Spirit start flowing in the marketplace.”  I’m hungry for the same thing myself.  So I’ve begun praying along those lines.

So far, I’m finding it easier to hear from God than to push through the social awkwardness that stops me from sharing with strangers.  God really is far more interested in using us than we are in being used.  He keeps doing His part; it’s hard to make myself do mine.

So next Thursday when the group meets again, I’ll have to share that I’m still dragging my feet.  I may or may not be the only one.

But it’s helpful to have the accountability of the group as we’re reaching into God for new ministry opportunities.

By the time I’d missed two opportunities, I couldn’t bear to miss it again.  It happened again in a coffee shop – I take my laptop there so I can prepare JoAnn’s book for publication.  I take my coffee to a table where I can see the waves breaking on Avila Beach.

As I worked, I sensed God telling me that when I went back for my refill, I should simply testify that I liked that coffee shop because the waves reminded me of my week in intensive care after brain surgery, when wave after wave of the love of God swept over me.

By the time I needed a refill, there was a crowd at the counter.  There hadn’t been a crowd all afternoon, and I knew the people in line wouldn’t appreciate my slowing things down while I tried to give a long testimony.

So I gave the testimony in just two or three quick statements, took my coffee, and went back upstairs and got to work.

It didn’t spark a citywide revival, but at least I acted on what God told me to do.  So when the group meets on Thursday, I won’t be the fisher of men whose testimony is about one, two, three that got away.

 

If you can’t find a group, look for a friend who can help you learn to hear from God and to respond wisely and sensitively to whatever He says to you.

Stan Smith  ::  © 2011, GospelSmith  ::  http://www.GospelSmith.com

 

Go Where Jesus Is

It sounds like an oversimplification:  “Go where Jesus is.”  A theologian might ask, “Can you name a place where Jesus isn’t?”  After all, the psalmist said even that if he made his bed in hell, even there God would find him.  Wherever you go, Jesus is sure to be there.

But over the years, I’ve learned to look for the manifest presence of God wherever I go, and when I sense Him, I head straight into the cloud of His presence.

Tonight it’s happening in a very simple way.  I’ve just finished two recording sessions of prophetic song, once with a team and once as a soloist.  Now it’s time to listen to all the tracks we recorded and decide what to include in a CD.

I listened to a few tracks while soaking this afternoon.  The presence of God has been hanging on me ever since.  So after supper as I decided what to work on, I decided to go back to the recordings.  This is where I have sensed His manifest presence lately; it makes sense to go back for more of Him.  And so I sit and write for a few minutes, then I turn away to worship.

I Samuel 9 gives an example of the impartation of spiritual gifts.  Saul found himself in God’s manifest presence as the sons of the prophets prophesied on musical instruments. Suddenly his own prophetic gift was awakened.  He did not keep coming into God’s presence, and his gift dried up.

King David by contrast kept seeking God’s presence, and his prophetic gift continued to flow throughout his lifetime.

It’s simple choices.  Maybe you have a friend with whom you notice God’s presence whenever you get together.   Make excuses to spend time with that friend.

Maybe there’s a prayer meeting or a small group within your church or a house meeting where the presence of God is noticeably strong.  Go to those meetings.

Perhaps you’re preaching somewhere, and every time you mention the word “healing” you sense a nudge of the presence of God.  Make sure to take time to lay hands on the sick.

I was in a worship conference, and the presence of God became so intense in the altar area that a young minister who was nervous about the things of the Spirit fell on his face before God and lay there motionless for a quarter of an hour or more.

The next day, he carefully found every reason he could to stay in the back of the church.  He told someone, “There’s a hole up there, and God is in the hole.  I’m not getting anywhere near it!”

I understand.  It’s a fearful thing to fall into the hands of God.

But it’s even more fearful not to.  Without the presence of God, we have to go in our own strength.  It isn’t more of God that’s dangerous – it’s going on our own little religious way without Him that is.

But here’s my advice:  if you ever see a hole and God is in it, jump in and don’t get out until you have to.

Stan Smith  ::  © 2010, GospelSmith  ::  http://www.GospelSmith.com

Awaken Spiritual Sight

If you have asked Jesus to live His life through you, you can expect to develop spiritual senses.  Let’s look at one:  seeing.  Here is what the Bible says.

In John 3:3, Jesus said to Nicodemus:  “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  These words imply that if we are born again, we can see God’s heavenly kingdom.

Many Christians have never imagined that they could see the things of the kingdom.  We have imagined that these blessings await us after death, and we have been afraid to expect to see anything before then.

But with the outpouring on the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, Peter quoted Joel’s prophecy to show that the Holy Spirit would open our eyes to see things in heaven and earth:

…I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.  And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy.  I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.  (Acts 2:17-19)

Notice how much of this prophecy demands a sense of sight:  young men seeing visions, old men dreaming dreams, God showing wonders in heaven, and God showing signs in the earth.

One more phrase is very potent:  “Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.”  The fire and vapor describe the glory that led Israel through the wilderness and on to the promised land; this is the same glory the prophets saw, the glory that descended when Moses dedicated the Tabernacle and Solomon dedicated the Temple.

We today find access to this fire and vapor of smoke by the blood of Jesus.

Dreams, visions, signs, wonders, and the manifest glory of God – all are promised with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  But of course, it requires an eye to see.

Many of us read the promises of God and sigh.  We just don’t seem to be spiritual enough to see the things of the kingdom.  But it comes back to this:  are you born again?  If so, you have received new senses with your new birth, and one of them is a sense of spiritual sight.

Let’s say the same thing a little differently.  Have you asked Jesus to come and live in your heart?  If so, He has come in.  Does He have spiritual eyes that can see?  If so, so do you.  He is your link to God; He is the mediator between God and man.  He and He alone makes it possible for you to see the things of God’s kingdom.

Some of us may feel it is dangerous to desire to see the things of heaven, but it seems even more dangerous not to.  II Corinthians 3:18 says, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

If we see God’s glory, it will change us.  Would any of us claim to be so spiritual that we can afford to bypass this work of transformation?

Even the smallest glimpses of heaven’s reality will change us.  A vision may be only an earthly thing serving as a symbol, but it nudges us to choose holiness over iniquity, humility over pride, love over self-interest.

Seek God for spiritual sight.  Jesus said it goes with the new birth; He said He was anointed to open blind eyes; He poured out the Holy Spirit to cause us to see.  It’s your birthright in Christ.  Don’t live without it.

Stan Smith  ::  © 2010, GospelSmith  ::  http://www.GospelSmith.com

Launch Miracles

Testimonies build faith, and with that in mind I’ve posted a bit of my own testimony on YouTube – telling about a day when God challenged me to recall every time I had faced the spirit of death in His name and won – see  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHCbtBeP9EM.

Many of us need to build faith for miracles.  Maybe we’ve heard other people give their testimonies but we don’t have any of our own yet.  Or maybe we used to see miracles, but years have passed and we wonder if we’ve lost touch with the power of God.

Here are a few things you can do to stir up miraculous gifts of the Spirit in your own life.

If you study the miracles of the Bible, you’ll notice that they almost always began with what a person had – not with what he didn’t have.

Moses wondered how or why the Israelites would believe him when he came from the desert with a testimony that he had met God at the burning bush.  “What is that in your hand?” God asked, and Moses said it was a shepherd’s rod.  “Throw it down,” said God, and it became a snake.

Again and again, Moses released miracles with the rod that was in his hand.

And so it was that Samson won a great victory when he grabbed the only thing he could find to use as a weapon:  the jawbone of an ass.  In like manner, the Elisha ministered a financial miracle to a widow when he asked, “What do you have?”  It was only a small pot of oil, but it multiplied and she sold the excess and paid her debts.

Jesus’ first miracle likewise started with what they had:  stone pots filled with water that would become wine.  Or skip ahead to the miracle of the loaves and the fishes; again, nothing happened until a little boy gave his lunch to Jesus.  Then the miracle began.

Do you see the principle?  It begins with what you have, not with what you need.  This is why Jesus said in Matthew 25:29, “To everyone who has, more will be given.”

So when it comes to miracles of healing, begin with what you have:  testimonies.

If you’ve lost touch with God’s power but you used to see things happen, take time to share your testimonies.  Tell them to other people, or tell them to God.

But what if you’ve never seen a miracle or a healing yourself?  Start with the reality of Christ in you.  If you’ve asked Jesus to come into your heart and to live in you, you now have a testimony.  Read of the healings He performed in the four gospels.  These are His testimonies, but if He lives in you they also become your testimonies.

Notice that it’s His kingdom, His power, and His glory.  It isn’t about our faith, our gifts, or our anointings.  The more we can magnify Him and minimize ourselves, the more we will see God’s power released.

Finally, testimonies make the power of God contagious.  We are misusing testimonies if we use them for self-promotion, but we are using them correctly if we are seeking to stir up the gifts of the Spirit in others.

With this in mind, expect your testimonies to stir other people’s faith.  Your stories will get them involved in the works of God too.

I’ve posted another video about the principle that testimonies make God’s power contagious.  See my testimony about chemotherapy without side effects at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbsxyPUnMDs.

Courage To Do New Things

Paul urged Timothy to press into new gifts. He had received them in seed form through the laying on of hands, but now he needed to cultivate them and make them part of his lifestyle.  Here is how Paul exhorted Timothy:

Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.  For God has not given a spirit of fear; but of power and of love and of a sound mind.  (II Timothy 1:6-7)

These two verses in Timothy suggest five things we need to ask God to give us:  (1) courage, (2) an impartation, (3) power from God, (4) love, and (5) a sound mind.

1.  Courage. If we are timid about moving in new gifts, we need to discern that God is not the author of our timidity.  There is nothing wrong with moving into a new gift cautiously, taking one step at a time.  The key is to have courage to take steps we have never taken before.  More about this later.

2.  An impartation. You may be in a meeting where a veteran minister lays hands on people who want more of God.  You can receive new gifts this way.  Or you can receive them as you study the scripture, hear the word preached, worship, pray, or soak in God’s presence.

What is impartation?  It is God’s putting a gift in your heart before you have a track record of having moved in it.  First something must happen on the inside.  This is impartation.

3.  Power from God. Ask for it.  The baptism in the Holy Spirit is one time of impartation.

So are the mountaintop experiences we have as we walk with God.  He may speak something special to us, show us a vision, or lead us to meetings where the power of God is on display.  In your heart, tell God you want what He is letting you experience – you want it to be part of your lifestyle, day in and day out.

4.  Love. God’s love will overcome our timidity.  I used to go street witnessing once a week.  Each season, it was hard for the first week or two.  But one day I would look at a man and realize, “This may be God’s last chance to speak to this man.”  Suddenly I was so moved by God’s love that all my timidity fell away.  I didn’t care if I made mistakes, or if I looked stupid.  Somehow, the only thing that mattered was to let God’s love touch him.

When we are locked up in the world of self – my reputation, my gifts, my calling – it’s hard to leave the familiar to step into new things.  But the love of Christ will tug us into them if we will let God enlarge us.

5.  A sound mind. We don’t need to become fanatics; we don’t need to be obnoxiously bold.  If we want to be fruitful, we need to care about others more than we care about ourselves.  This will lead us to carry ourselves humbly, but to make ourselves available to minister to others.

When I first began to minister healing, it was scary.  What if nothing happened?  What if I made a fool of myself?  These and other questions tried to lock me into timidity, but I had to face another question:  what if God really does want to do what He says in His word He will do?  What if someone won’t get healed tonight if I don’t step out?

A sound mind will enable you to take the risk of stepping out in new things without making a mess if nothing happens.  Sometimes I’ve told people, “I’m new at this, but it is in the Bible and I’m going to reach for it.”  Even if I admit that I can make a mistake, I’ve seen again and again that God is ready to act if I will step out and take at least a small step towards Him.

Don’t be afraid to step into new gifts. Take small steps, and keep taking them.  The important thing is not how big your steps are; it’s that you keep moving towards God.

Stan Smith  ::  © 2010, GospelSmith  ::  http://www.GospelSmith.com

3 Ways To Minister Healing

There are three approaches we can use if we want to let God use us in a healing ministry. (1)Faith centers on the word; often the people who minister healing by faith like to teach people what the Bible says about healing to help release the healing gifts.  (2) Waiting on God and acting on what He says demands that we spend a lot of time in the secret place, drawing fresh direction from God.  (3)The manifest presence of God is most likely to be felt inside the church, often in a worship service; it is amazing how little effort it takes to get people healed instantly in God’s presence.

Most of us who seek gifts of healing stumble into one way of healing or another, and we tend to stick with it. But it can be worthwhile to cultivate some of the other approaches to healing so we’ll be ready for the divine appointments we encounter.

In the early years of my ministry, I always focused on faith. It worked!  With Bible in hand, I would pray, acting like a lawyer who was building an airtight case for his clients before the Judge.  I rarely saw instant healings happen but the answers to prayer were dramatic and powerful.

Often when I was asked to pray for someone, I felt hamstrung because I did not have the opportunity to spend half an hour or more teaching what the Bible said about healing.  I would pray, and usually God answered.

But look at Jesus.  He was able to heal people without giving them a teaching first.

During my faith years, I sometimes heard something from God.  If I acted on it, that’s when the most dramatic healings happened. Often I heard something that took a bit of courage to act upon.  For just one example, a woman wanted to be healed of bunions; her feet hurt constantly and it was hard to get them in her shoes.  I prayed and heard that I was supposed to kneel before her, lay hands on her feet, and announce that angels would make her bones as soft as modeling clay, reshape them, and then they would harden into bones again.

It took me a few days to get the nerve to follow through on that one!  But she was healed almost immediately, and she testified in church several times that it was wonderful to get into her shoes and to be able to work all day on her feet without pain.

If this is our preferred way to move in healing, we will feel that our hands are tied behind our backs if we haven’t had time to wait on God and hear His voice or see a vision.  Of course, even in a few seconds of ministry time, we can look to God and receive something fresh from heaven.

But look at Jesus.  Only once did He postpone ministry so He could hear from God first – this was the reason for the delay in ministry to Lazarus – but He usually stayed in a steady stream of receiving input from the Father.  Of course, from time to time He spent a whole night in prayer.

In the last few years, my focus has been on God’s healing presence. Often I end my preaching with a few moments of worship, then ask people who need healing to stand.  I command healing in Jesus’ name, then I ask them to test themselves and let us know if something has happened instantly.  I have seen more healings with this approach than with the others.

But if I meet a stranger in a store and find an opportunity to minister healing, I don’t have any way to fill the store with worship music for the next half hour so I can minister.  This is a good time to fall back on faith – faith can access God’s promise when we feel nothing – and to keep my senses tuned towards God, watching for anything He might want to show or tell.

Again, look at Jesus.  He didn’t have to have trained musicians traveling with Him so He could access the presence of God.

Stan Smith  ::  © 2010, GospelSmith  ::  http://www.GospelSmith.com

The School → More Gifts

There are many ways to press into new gifts of the Holy Spirit, but exactly how do the three actions of the Online School Of The Spirit help?

Receive From God As You Soak

Soaking is a prayer that hooks you up to God as your power source. You can expect to receive more anointing, fresh revelation, and clear direction as you soak.

Soaking is a way of sowing to the Spirit in secret, which means you can expect to reap more anointing and power in the open.

Jesus noted that He did what He saw the Father do and spoke what He heard the Father speak.  You can see and hear what God is doing and saying as you soak.

Soaking is a form of abiding in Christ, and all of His promises of fruitfulness and answered prayer go with it.  Think of soaking as a way to act on the first and greatest commandment, to love God with all your heart and mind and soul and strength.

Receive More As You Encourage

Getting involved with people puts a draw on the anointing.  If soaking hooks you up to God as your power source, ministering to people will complete the circuit and cause God’s wisdom and power to flow.

Your encounters with people will force you to seek God for new gifts because He will lead you to people who need things you don’t have.  Even if you don’t think you have a gift, you have the Giver if Jesus lives in you – go ahead and reach for a new gift because you’ve met someone in need.

Be like the man in Luke 11 who needed loaves at midnight, and ask largely from God.  What if nothing happens?  Be like the widow with the unjust judge in Luke 18 and keep seeking.

Why Bother With Journaling

Jot down what goes right and what goes wrong.  There’s something to learn from both.

Often God will lead us into a new situation and let us do our best; afterwards, He shows us how we could have handled the situation.  God isn’t rebuking us for making a mistake; He is using the need to awaken our ability to receive the lesson He wants to teach us.  This style of teaching saves us from being like the Algebra student who wails, “But why am I learning this?  Will I ever use this stuff?”

Jot down the directions you receive from God when you soak.  Even if you don’t look at your journal again for a few days, you are more likely to remember what God told you if you write it down.

Write testimonies.  Don’t make them long; write just enough to jog your memory.  Testimonies will help build your faith and will encourage you if you go through a dry season.

Post your own experiences here.

As you use the online school, you’ll come up with more ways the three actions can set you up to be trained by the Holy Spirit.  Post your stories as comments; they will help train people all over the world.

Stan Smith  ::  © 2009, GospelSmith  ::  http://www.GospelSmith.com