Bible Teaching

Calvary Temple Teaching Library

Panel Discussion

Glory, Hallelujah! Let's turn to First Corinthians 14. We're going to have the guys come up in just a second and take probably the biggest part of the service; we're going to have time.... We're going to put together a panel and also give a time of sharing of all of those that were filled with the Spirit Sunday night, an exciting time in many of our lives, Amen? It was a great time I've shared. I was on the phone for quite a while with Ron today and they're just rejoicing in the great miracle that's been done there in the ministry. I was sharing with them how Father has blessed here in the lives of many of you. And he was just as thrilled and excited about that as what was going on in the registration in Africa. Forbe called; I was on the phone with him for quite a while today sharing with him. He was just weeping and thankful for what God's done in the lives of many of the young people here and the rest of you. An exciting time, Father's done it for a reason. There are some great opportunities ahead to minister, to go out into the highways and byways and compel them to come.

We're excited about Africa. Ron was calling today about some of the scheduling, and depending on flights that are available--Rob had called; he was looking at flights and said, "Everything's full into Nairobi, on the dates that you're wanting to go." He said, "If we don't get these then, I don't think there's going to be any left." And I told him, "If God wants us to go, there are going to be seats. So, let's don't get excited. Let's find out when we're going and let God make the way." I don't know who it is that's going to cancel, but I believe that we'll be able to go and minister as the Lord gives us opportunity. Be prayerful about it. We're looking in August, at this juncture, to go. And some opportunities have opened for us to go minister in August, so, nothing important going on here. We were just scheduled to go to Disney that week and that'll be wiped out. Nairobi is more fun than Disney is anyway, amen? These are some things that we'll be looking at, so be prayerful. We are going to need--I don't remember what the dates are--it's going to be like the second and third weeks of August (actually, probably the fifth of August down through the 21st of August, or somewhere in those areas). So be prayerful and just believe doors because there haven't been a lot of availability into Nairobi. So it's another miracle we can believe for.

Let's look at 1 Corinthians 14 for just a second, and then we're going to give an opportunity for many of you to share what the Lord's done in your life, the excitement. We're thrilled hearing about different ones that have been filled with the Holy Spirit. A couple of things that I wanted to share with you, just a basic understanding of the infilling of the Holy Spirit and it's purposes. In 1 Corinthians 14, we see that the Apostle writing says, "Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries" (Verses 1-2). That word "mysteries" really in the Greek is talking about spiritual truths and revelations. So those of you that have just been filled with the Holy Spirit--understand what's going on here. This language that you're praying that you don't really understand, and for some of you it seems to be gibberish, to others it's just, "I don't know, can this be God? It just doesn't make any sense to me." What you need to understand is that to every sound there is significance.

Look at verse eight of this same chapter. "For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air. There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification. [This is a very interesting aspect. Verse 11 goes on and says,] Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, [That word "meaning" is very interesting. It's actually the word dunamis and it's talking about power or ability. If we don't know the ability or the power of this voice, then] I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian...." We have to understand what he's saying--that what's happening here is supernatural and you have to recognize that. Otherwise, you'll think it's foolishness. You'll think these are barbarians. But something here supernatural is happening. Every sound has "signification," a purpose or an effect, is what that word is talking about. So listen to me, every sound has an effect. You see it here? An uncertain sound--the word "sound" there in the Greek is phone--we get telephone from it--phone and it's talking about a sound, not a language. It's an interesting word. The Holy Spirit didn't choose the word "language." He chose the word "sound." How many of you have ever heard a couple of chickens talking? Did you ever eavesdrop on them? Here a cluck. There a cluck. They seem to know what's going on. How many of you've ever heard anybody speaking in Ebonics? They seem to know what's going on. I was talking to a guy in 7-11 the other day and I didn't understand a word he said. Thank God for the universal word "Slurpee." So as we're praying and asking the Lord to fill us, there are many sounds that God has created throughout the human language realm, and other sounds that are unique to nature. So don't put a premium on your understanding or what you seem to think has to manifest for it to be God, when God has already given His standard. Amen? So it's important as you step out in faith and you begin to allow the Spirit to speak through you and to manifest through you, whether you're speaking fluently in some ancient dialect or whether you're talking chicken talk, if it's God, it has purpose, it has signification. If it's God, it has power and ability if the Spirit is the source. So it's important that we allow the Holy Spirit to minister as He wills and not put our own requirements upon these things.

So we go back and we see it--the first part of this chapter--that in the Spirit we speak mysteries and every sound, then has signification the Scripture says. And then he goes on and he talks about, in verse 12. He said, "Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church." So we always remember that though we have the infilling of the Holy Spirit, as we come together, we always have the main purpose of seeing the whole body edified and not just ourselves. Paul goes into these chapters, 12-14, and he gives some guidelines on how a Spirit-filled church is to operate. What latitude we have. And how we're to desire spiritual gifts, but these things are all to be done orderly. They are to be done decently and in order. So many churches tragically today have become so orderly; they've become impotent. Their understanding of order is suppression and that's not Biblical order. You don't suppress the gifts of the Spirit. You don't suppress the intercession of the body of Christ. The misinterpretation and application of "strangers coming into our midst" has caused a lot of that in churches. We've never been a fellowship that's emphasized the stranger dominating a believer's meeting. It's important for us to understand what we're doing here and why we've gathered. We're here to worship the Lord and we're here to see the body edified. Paul gives us an understanding of how all of that operates here. He says to make sure that when you come together let one come with a psalm, a doctrine, a tongue, an interpretation and all of the different ministry gifts that are supposed to be flowing. The greatest is love, 1 Corinthians 13:13 tells us. But, we are to desire spiritual gifts. So now that you've been Spirit-filled--those of you that have just been baptized with the Holy Spirit and been filled with the Spirit--begin to now pray and believe God to use you in the gifts of the Spirit. Not only in your prayer language now that edifies you, but as the gifts of the Spirit begin to manifest, it will edify the whole church. We'll all be edified as you begin to move in the working of miracles, in the gift of faith and prophecy, in tongues and interpretation of tongues, the discerning of spirits as the Spirit begins to use you in this way. So, pray and believe God to use you in a way that edifies and is manifested to the edification of the body.

So he goes on and says, in verse 17 that as you're praying in the Spirit--he's contrasting community edification with personal edification--he says that when I pray.... Or let's jump back up very quickly to verse 12. "Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church. Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in an unknown tongue, [Look what happens, those of you who have just been filled with the Spirit. When I pray with an unknown tongue, say it with me,] my spirit prayeth...." This is what I was sharing with some of you Sunday night. You can't pray out of your spirit and pray with the understanding simultaneously. So you have to shut off the understanding aspect and let the Spirit pray. Now you're still cognizant of what's going on. You're aware. You're not "out of control." It's just that you can't speak two languages at the same time. So, as you're praying in the Spirit, your spirit is praying but your understanding is unfruitful. You're not aware, you don't understand the language that you're praying. You're not praying in the Spirit, and then going all of a sudden, "Oh, that's Hebrew, or that's Greek." You don't understand it. Now people around you may understand it, but you don't understand it. If Big Bird comes up and taps you on the shoulder, you won't know that you're talking bird talk, but Big Bird understood you. (You can see the grandchildren are affecting.... Actually they don't really spend much time with that bird. The kids were the bird generation and they have a bear now and a blue house.) "...But my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also." I'm not going to explain all this because we wouldn't have time for our panel or for your testimonies. The reason I'm going through some of this is so that you can ask questions on this fourteenth chapter during the panel, if you have any. "...And I will sing with the understanding also. Else when thou shall bless with the spirit...." I want you to catch that now, for those of you who have just been Spirit-filled. When you bless with the Spirit, that's what's happening--that word "bless" is praise. A lot of what you're going to be doing in that new language is praising God supernaturally in a way that you've never been able to praise Him before. And the Lord delights in our praise, doesn't He? And the Lord inhabits the praises of His people. You're going to be surprised, those of you that have just been filled with the Spirit, how much more awareness you have of God inhabiting your life and in your presence because of your prayer language. He inhabits the praises of His people. As you're praying in the Spirit without ceasing, and you're allowing God to be blessed, how is it when you bless or praise in the Spirit... "how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy [Write it down in your notes, those of you who have just been Spirit-filled especially.] "...at thy giving of thanks." You see he that prays in an unknown tongue but unto God and give thanks well. Thanksgiving. Worship. An appreciation of all of the free gifts that God has bestowed upon us. Oh, what perfect praise and worship praying in the Spirit is all about! "I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all," Paul said.

So we realize then that we are blessing or praising. We realize that when we're praying in tongues, we're giving thanks unto the Lord. "For thou verily [verse 17] givest thanks well, but the other is not edified. I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all: Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue." He's not talking about praying as a community and being edified. He's talking about when someone would stand up publicly and all of the attention would be drawn to that individual. What was happening here in Corinth was, a guy was standing up and he was speaking ten thousand words in tongues and just praying on, just praying in tongues. And then once he got all through and blessed and worshiped the Lord then he'd sit down and everybody else was saying, "Well, you know, praise God for brother George but, um, I'm sure the Lord got edified. George seems to." Paul says it's better for us if we're going to speak to the whole community that we speak to where there's understanding so that we can all be edified.

And that's the problem they were having in Corinth. People were standing up and going on and on and on and on and on in tongues and sitting down. He said if you're going to pray in tongues so that everyone hears, then you need to interpret so that we can all be edified and blessed. So there's a big difference between you praying in the Spirit within your own space--and I don't mean silently--I'm talking about not praying to where it takes over the congregation. And we'll speak toward that as we go on and look at the Scriptures. People would have us say today, "Well you know the one that's sitting in the seat of the unlearned and would come in and say that you're all heathen so therefore don't anybody pray in the Spirit where you can be heard." That's not what the Scripture teaches and we'll show you that as we go on. But it is saying that you don't speak out to the place where you're dominating the assembly and you're the only one being edified. "But realize," he goes on to say, "Wherefore tongues are for a sign, [verse 22] not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe. If therefore the whole church be come together [like we are here] into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?" Stupid! Mad! Crazy! Insane! In other words, if everyone in here was just praying at the top of their lungs in tongues, and it goes on and on and on and there's no interpretation, and there's no admonition, and there's no understanding, won't they say that you're mad? "How is it [verse 26] then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying." So he's not saying don't speak in tongues. He's saying prepare yourself. Come with a tongue. Come with an interpretation. But the key is community edification. And then he goes on and says, "If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret." In other words, when the gift of tongues begins to manifest in an assembly, it's not to dominate the whole time that we're together. Two, and at the most three, and that with interpretation. "But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church." Now so much for the, "Well, you know, the Spirit just came on me and I just couldn't help it, brother!" The Pentecostals, the Charismatics that think that somehow you loose control of yourself when the Spirit's on you, it's not Scriptural. Of course you can control yourself and right here you're told if there's no interpreter, keep silent. He also tells you to become an interpreter, pray that you might interpret. "Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace." In other words if somebody begins to give an utterance and those in authority, the prophets that are in our midst that are recognized, and someone says, "Brother, hold that thing. That's not doctrinally correct. That's not the Spirit of God." And you're going to continue to go on because, "This is God and nobody's going to stop me!" That's not order. There's spiritual authority in our church. It's recognized. There's those who are prophets among us. That's recognized and when they speak and it's revealed to another that sits by, then let the first hold their peace. So there's an understanding of how these different gifts compliment one another.

He said, "[I desire that] ye may all prophesy one by one, [in order] so that all may learn, and all may be comforted. And [understand that] the spirit of the prophets are subject to the prophets" (1 Corinthians 14:31-32). So, I can hold this prophecy and I can hold this utterance in tongues if there is no known interpreter. The spirit is subject to the prophet, "...for God is not the author of confusion" (1 Corinthians 14:33). We realize the orderliness, and yet there needs to be the spontaneous move of the Spirit. These gifts need to operate in our midst. There needs to be the ministry of tongues and interpretation of tongues, and prophecy, and healings, and miracles and gifts of faith in operation, discerning of spirits, words of wisdom, words of knowledge that manifest themselves among us. It's the refreshing. It's the imbibing of that Spirit and that power that causes Him to be edified. These are some exciting things. Hopefully it's answered some questions and if there are some others then we'll speak toward those as we go on.

Why don't you guys come on up and we'll go ahead and see if there are any questions and then we'll also give a chance for all that want to, that were filled with the Spirit Sunday night, to give a testimony. In fact, Jeff, if you want to be the runner, the "man on the street." So whenever we get ready for the testimonies you can go ahead and make sure that everybody can hear. Okay. You can just go up and put the mike up there, "How'd you feel, Job, when your house was destroyed and all of your children and your...." Don't you love that when they go up to interview...? "How'd you feel when you lost everything you had and your kids were wiped out? Can you tell us about it?" "I really enjoyed it. It was kind of, you know, the flames were so pretty as the house went up. It was just enjoyable."

Any questions on a few of the things we talked about in 1 Corinthians 14, or just questions you may have had on the gifts of the Spirit, on the Spirit-filled church? We're in the twenty-first century now and it's very interesting. Twenty-one centuries and you have a lot of different perspectives on the Charismatic church. When I say "Charismatic," I'm not talking about the 1960's Charismatic church, Dennis Bennet and those guys. I'm talking about the first century church. It's funny; I was witnessing to a guy the other day and he was asking, "What denomination?" They always want to know what denomination you are. I said, "Really we're not affiliated with a denomination now, but I was with the Assemblies of God for many years." A lot of people know what the Assemblies of God is. And a lot don't. He said, "Well I've never heard of that. What is it?" I said, "It's a Pentecostal, Charismatic doctrine that we hold to. We believe in the infallibility of Scripture. We believe in the immutability of Jesus, the head of the Church. Therefore everything they did in the first century, we believe in today. We believe in miracles and healing and speaking in tongues and these different things. That's what we believe in." The guy said, "Oh really?" He didn't know what I was talking about. I said, "You know what a Baptist is?" He said, "Yeah." I said, "Well, we're Baptists on steroids." He said, "Oh, okay!" They know that at least Baptists, a lot of them, usually go out and tell people about Jesus. Baptists are kind of seen as people that believe the Bible. Southern Baptist, those "Bible thumpers." Some people can identify that way. When you tell them you're a Baptist on steroids, they really know what they've got a hold of at that time and they become interested.

Some of you might have some questions along these lines too, that we can take a few minutes and answer. Anybody, on the charisma, the Spirit-filled church? There have been a lot of traditions over these last hundred years or so as there was a dormant period of the gifts of the Spirit in Christendom for many hundreds of years. Then there seemed to be a latter rain that many refer to in the 1900s as the Holy Spirit began to become again prominent and recognized. There was always the moving of the Holy Spirit, but it became a very prominent thing in the early 1900s. Kansas City is where it became first recognizable and then it began to spread. The fame of Azusa Street. A lot of squirrelly, false doctrine things took place at Azusa Street, but there was a lot real moving of the Spirit at that time, and birthed out of that came the mainline Pentecostal churches like the Assemblies of God out of Springfield, Missouri. Then you have the Pentecostal Church of God, the Four Square, Amy Semple McPherson group, so those are the mainline Pentecostal groups. Four Square, you have a Jack Hayford that has his roots in Four Square. A local guy that has his roots in the Pentecostal Church of God, I can't think of his name up in the Lanham area, Lowery. Lowery has his...(mimics) "Brother Scott, that was the finest dissertation I've ever heard on that passage of Scripture." They preach when they're talking to you. (mimics), "Bless God!" I can still remember him saying that. (mimics), "Brother Scott, I...." I said, "Oh, you liked it, huh." But Lowery had his roots in Church of God and so you see that these are our foundations as we come back as Pentecostals. In these traditions, there's a lot of things that were traditional that weren't Biblical. So we want to make sure that there is an understanding in our lives ,and many of you don't have those traditions because most of you, frankly, weren't raised in a traditional Pentecostal denomination. But, if there are any, we'll try to deal with some of those. Any questions? If not, we'll go to some of our testimonies? Yes. [Question inaudible.]

Pastor Scott: Good question. Let's all look over at chapter 12 for just a second. Paul says in the 12th chapter, he starts it off, "[I don't want you to be without understanding concerning spiritual gifts.] Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are diversities of operations, but the it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal" (1 Corinthians 12:4, 6-7). Now, he begins to tell us why these gifts are going to manifest through us. We just went through and showed a whole bunch of personal reasons why we are filled with the Holy Spirit. Our praying in our prayer language. We're giving thanks well. We're praising God. We're edifying ourselves, all of these different things. Paul is dealing here primarily with corporate ministry. What he's saying is that for everyone of us who is Spirit-filled who begins to experience the manifestation of this gift being imparted to us, flowing through us, we have to understand that it's to profit everybody. When he talks about, "For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same spirit; to another faith..." (1 Corinthians 12:8-9). We see down at verse 11 that "...all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will." Notice that "every man." So what we're seeing here is that we are all candidates at all times for these ministry gifts to function to us. But we don't have the wherewithal to operate in these at our discretion--it's at the Holy Spirit's discretion--but everyone of us who is Spirit-filled is a candidate at all times to be used in any of the gifts. I think that is as succinct as I can say that, and put it together to where you can understand. So, everyone who is Spirit-filled can't just go work a miracle or move in gifts of healings, but we that are Spirit-filled severally as the Spirit wills, when He desires, we now are candidates and able to be used in these areas, severally as He wills. In other words, I'm not limited to one. I can function in all of them, but it's not something that I can say they're mine to disperse at my discretion. Does that help? Do you guys want to add to that?

Pastor Miller: I was going to ask, if it's appropriate, maybe down in verse 28, would you go on and clarify the different offices. What's the difference between operating in a gift and moving in a particular office?

Pastor Scott: Okay. Yeah, we can see as you go down and he makes a distinction then that all of us can be used in any of the gifts as often, as diverse as the Holy Spirit wills. Then you go down into verse 28 and you see that there is a distinction between gifts and offices. God has set in the church apostles, prophets, teachers, miracles, healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues and all of these things that he begins to make a distinction of gifts and offices. You'll see that many who are in the offices are also prominent in using gifts because of the need to facilitate the office. It's not a merit badge, as we have said. It's functional. It's for the purpose of God. So a prophet who's a five-fold ministry gift is different from someone who prophesies as the gift of the Spirit of prophecy. There is a complete distinction there. Is that what you were making reference to? So it's important to understand that. So, not everyone who prophesies is a prophet, but every prophet, of course, prophesies and has many other recognizable functions that make their ministry distinct. Did that help though? Great.

Pastor Heglund: I know that there was one thing that helped me with those gifts because I used to get a little frustrated about myself, because I was thinking, "Gee, I never get used in the word of knowledge or the word of wisdom or those different areas." I remember in one of the pastor's conference when I was pretty young on staff, this whole topic came up and was being discussed quite a bit. Even around here, I would wonder, well, how much of this is really going on? Because I kind of had the image of the old 700 Club where they'd be saying, "I'm getting a word of knowledge and there's someone out there with a sore back." Like there's not a million people in America with a sore back. Like it was this great word of knowledge, just seeing that being used. I'm going, "Yeah, that doesn't seem to happen around here that much or whatever else." But you were explaining--it reminded me when you were mentioning the five-fold ministry gifts--being used in those things as it's needed and as the Lord needs to be manifested to care for His people. That the word of knowledge or the word of wisdom, I see it and am becoming more familiar with it in my own life--not in a "woo-woo" way--but watching you move in that word of wisdom as it comes up in the deacon's meeting and there's a situation. You can see how the Lord is using you to speak things that are just perfect for that situation right at that time and being the word of wisdom. I think that a lot of people have a misunderstanding, at least religious people, and I kind of did, about the 700 Club type of stuff. See more and more at different times as I'm ministering to some of the kids or something, I just see, "Well that wasn't me. That was wisdom that was needed for this situation that was greater than I was." Of course I go back and check. But you see those things being worked and those gifts being used. Sometimes I think if we're not careful, we can make them these big "woo-woo" things. I think they're happening and the Lord's using us many times in those to get things done. And that may be more on the end of being part of the five-fold ministry gifts, but just seeing some of the practical areas, it's not always this big "woo-woo" thing. Sometimes you may not even recognize that that's what was going on.

Pastor Scott: Yeah, they can be very practical and the line between the gifts and graces that work with offices is a very--it's not a clearly defined line because these gifts are operating to allow the office to function all the time. But they're not always observable, necessarily. Any other questions? Yes. [Question inaudible.] Okay, in Acts, let's look back at Acts for just a second, of course chapter 2 we're very familiar with the day of Pentecost, "And they were all filled [verse 4] with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." We saw the scenario of how they went and ministered and were threatened and they rejoiced about being used of God. Verse 43, the narrative continues down with the healing of the lame man and the powerful sermon that's being preached, and now the persecution. And the people are marveling at the boldness, chapter 4 verse 13, of Peter and John and marveled and took knowledge that they had been with Jesus. The stand in verses 19 and 20 after being threatened, "Is it right to obey God or men?" Here again the persecution that came and then you find these words in verse 31, "And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness." So here you see these same guys being filled again. It doesn't mean they ran out. It all trickled out and the guy's saying, "I don't seem to have any power." It's talking about that awareness again of--we talked about praying and giving thanks well, and God inhabits the praises of His people. As you're in that time of worship and magnifying God and you're in and on course working for Him, there's that constant refreshing and empowering to fulfill His purpose and that's part of what's happening here of that re-filling, if you please. It's actually a refreshing. It's a re-energizing many times. Refurbishing for the task that's at hand. That's something that we need to do. Stir it up! If it's not flowing, it's because you've not put yourself in a place where it's needed to. Make yourself available, severally as the Spirit wills. Make yourself available so He will use you in these gifts and He will refill you and refresh you to overflowing. "Out of your innermost being shall flow forth rivers of living water." (John 7:38) This is the refreshing, praying in the Holy Ghost. That's an important part of keeping ourselves refreshed. Yes. [Question inaudible]

Pastor Scott: Okay, one of the things I shared in men's breakfast that may be a help to some of you too, as we go on into this particular subject--I was sharing with one of the men that asked a question in men's breakfast about how to keep your mind under control. You're trying to pray and your mind's wandering and different areas. I shared that there are two big problems we have in prayer. A lot of times your mind's wandering and it's just out there. You'll find many times, if you're not careful, that when that's happening you're "praying in the Spirit." You're not praying in the Spirit if your mind's running all over the place. I said that one of the ways you can discipline yourself--remember I said you couldn't pray in tongues and with the understanding at the same time--I shared with this gentleman that a good thing to do at that time is just to sit down and open the Scriptures and begin to recite the Word of God. When I'm having trouble with my mind, you'll notice--some of you may have even heard at different times that pray up here around the altar--I'll open to the Psalms and just begin to read out loud Psalms, the Psalms that magnify God. I'll just start causing this, because now my mind is involved. It's not involuntary. It's not like breathing. I'm articulating something and to be able to take the thought, articulate it, it takes conscious effort. Now the mind has to focus on this act. You're bringing the mind into a discipline now, and you're getting it back on course and all the things about the tacos and the lawn growing and all the things that are going on up there in your head are now subordinated to this purpose, the declaration of the Word of God, and at that time now you can begin to pray in the Spirit. You'll find that there is a discipline that takes place. If it wanders, go back to that same discipline. That helps. Just gibbering in tongues with your mind going all over is not praying in the Spirit. You who pray in the Spirit will be conscious when you're praying in the Spirit. I clearly discern when I'm praying in the Spirit and know the difference between it coming out of my head and out of my spirit. ...Coming out of your spirit, you know because you can, it's kind of like you can do two things at once. Like when your wife thinks you're listening to her and you're answering, "Yeah, uh huh." And they can throw some stuff in on you because you're answering. You're trying to use the "gift" and it's not working exactly right and these different things. You've got to be careful that your mind is conscious of what's taking place.

To get back to the question, in praying without ceasing, Paul said, "I thank my God, that I pray in tongues more than ye all." Praying without ceasing. There's also the fact that you don't have to articulate everything but you can be aware of the Spirit making intercession internally, and you're meditating and you're waiting now for God. You can sense the Spirit praying and making this intercession and the wisdom of God being prayed, and waiting to hear that still small voice that says this is the way walk in it. (Isaiah 30:21) You're not going to hear that either if you're making all this noise. There's a time to shut it down. Stop the articulation, internally be aware of the Holy Spirit's praying and at the same time be conscious of Him now going to let you in on the revelation. This is something that's going on between Spirit and Father and your head's going to get caught in the middle of this thing and you're going to find out what's going on. I'm trying to paint a picture for you of how you hear from God. That's kind of what's happening. It's not like God's up in heaven and going, "Hey!" The Spirit's in you and He's ever living to make intercession and this whole thing is going on in the spirit realm and finally we get illuminated and we go, "okay, that's what I'm supposed to do. There's the Word of the Lord to me." That comes from being quiet. Being still and knowing He is God. So what do we do? Hebrews, "...labour therefore to enter into that rest" (Hebrews 4:11). I pray. I study. I meditate. I rest. That's a process that'll help you, I think, in being able to get the Word of the Lord and walk in it. Did you guys want to comment along these lines?

Pastor Miller: I think what you were saying is, the key is, you practice prayer and practice His presence. Even what you articulate is supposed to be inspired. The unction comes from God. So, you're praying and the Spirit is leading you in the prayer. Through practice, through communion, through practicing the discipline of prayer, and practicing His presence, you know when it's time to be quiet and listen. And you know when it's time to articulate. I know for myself a lot of times the way it happens is I'll be praying and verbalizing and it's not like God says, "Okay, now stop and be still." I'm praying and verbalizing and all of a sudden in my heart I know things have shifted and I know I need to be quiet now and just listen. [Pastor Scott: Yep.] Then as you're listening for a while and He speaks to your heart then the praise and the prayer just erupt from what you've heard. Now it's time to articulate again. It kind of flows like that from your spirit.

Pastor Scott: Right. Yeah, and by use you get to understand how it works and the practical part of it, and then you get into that communion part. You hear from God in so many... You can hear from God when you're our cutting the lawn. You're driving down the road, whatever it is. As you're staying in communion and practicing the presence of God, that voice--once you've become aware of it--is very clear. You know when He's communing with your spirit. Any other questions? Yeah. [Question inaudible.]

Pastor Scott: Okay, again these are some good questions and different areas about prophecy as it affects the community. Prophecy is for edification, exhortation and comfort, the Scripture tells us. One of the big confusions--and I don't want to get off on this too far--one of the big confusions in Spirit-filled churches is the overlapping of the gifts of speaking in tongues and interpretation being used interchangeably with prophecy. It's a misunderstanding of the passage that Paul is speaking here in 12 and 14. (1 Corinthians 12 & 14) "Greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh [in an unknown tongue] except he interpret" (1 Corinthians 14:5). People say, "well that's...." These gifts don't equal one another. They're not duplicating one another. Prophecy then is spoken to the community to edify, exhort and comfort. Tongues, with interpretation, is spoken unto God, and there's a praise and a giving thanks well and a blessing that's taking place. You'll find that in most Spirit-filled churches an interpretation of tongues, if it happens at all, really is just a prophecy. Somebody will give a message in tongues and somebody will prophesy. Very seldom will you hear a true message in tongues with interpretation. It's because of these traditions, I've told you of the three main Pentecostal branches. And after a hundred and something years, you know, tradition becomes reality. It's not the same thing. The distinction that you'll see is clear in the Scripture and hopefully will become clear in the midst of the church in the days that we're going into.

Prophecy will not be directive. So many times there's the misuse of prophecy and personal prophecy. "The Lord gave me a word for you, brother, and the Lord told me that you're supposed to go to Africa." So somebody lays hands on you and says, "The Spirit of the Lord just spoke to me, brother, and I have a word for you and I believe that God's telling you that you need to go to Africa." Now is that God? If it is then you're going to have to take this dude with you to know when to come home. God doesn't direct us that way. Prophecy is not "directive." It's not giving course to people's lives and setting order. Prophecy is to edify, to exhort and to comfort. To build up, stir up and to cheer up. You know, if you look at edify, exhort, comfort. A word spoken in our midst and usually it's a principle, a Biblical principle. It's quoting of Scripture. It's something that comes and stimulates our hearts. It gives us faith. It causes us to have hope when we're cast down. But it's done supernaturally. It's something that's spoken at a moment. I remember the first case I ever remember hearing personally is when I'd just been born again. I'd only been saved a couple of weeks. My namesake, my grandfather, Bob, his name was Star, Star Robert, I just been saved a couple of weeks and I got a phone call. I was called out of service and I went to the back. It was my mother. She said I just wanted to call and let you know that Bob just killed himself. It was interesting as a young man--I was 20 years old--how real Hell was at that time. I was close to my grandpa. He was a character. We used to have a lot of fun with him. He'd take us out in the jeep and run us around and take us hunting and do a bunch of stuff. The reality of Hell, and I thought, "Man, God's so good to save me." And yet really this aspect. I went back into service and I sat down. As soon as I sat down, there was a prophecy that was given. And in the prophecy, as the prophecy went on, and the utterance continued and it came to the place of speaking directly about the sorrowfulness of your heart but God will turn your tears to joy. After all these years, I used to remember exactly, and it's out of my head right now. It'll come back later probably. The fact that it was a very encouraging thing and cheering us up and speaking of the justice of God and the sovereignty of God and that's how it works. So, it's for a specific purpose. There's a need in our midst. Either numerous or one. God will stop a service for one person and speak into our midst and encourage or stir up somebody or cheer up somebody. We need to always be ready when we come to be used in these gifts, but it's supernatural. How do we know? It's a thing again of sensing that inward intuitive voice. You'll find, I think, if you talk to just about everybody, all of a sudden your heart starts beating faster (mimics rapid heartbeat), and you think "Aw, man. Is this the Lord? I don't want it to be me. What if I goof up? What if somebody rebukes me?" That's how it starts usually, these different areas. But, as you've prepared yourself, and you move out in faith and obedience, God will honor your obedience. Everything that is done is for edification. Any instruction, reproof, or correction you would get is for the good of the body. So pride has to be dealt with in those areas. It's not going to be something where you're taken over, (Sounds of possession) "I'm out of control!" That's not what happens because the Spirit is subject to the prophet. If you walk out of there thinking, "Oh man, the Lord gave me a word and I didn't speak it. Now the whole church is going to be destroyed and people's lives, and dear God...." The Lord can use somebody else. He'll get the message out and so just be a candidate and ready to be used. Did you guys want to comment anything along these lines?

Pastor LaRock: When you prophesy according to Romans, chapter 12, whatever gift it is that you operate in you do it by faith. Some people wonder, "If I'm supposed to prophesy, does God give me the whole message verbatim before and then I just kind of recite that message verbatim?" It's really more that God drops a message in your heart and then you communicate it. Sometimes the Holy Spirit will move in service and He may be putting the same message on multiple hearts. This person over here may say it in one way, and this person over here may say it in a different way but the same Spirit and the same message is going to get across, because your personality gets involved in it. So God doesn't take over and give you a verbatim message that you just recite. He puts a message in your heart and then you convey that. Your personality is involved in it. And you do it by faith. Sometimes you may think, "I know generally what God wants me to say but I don't have the words from start to finish, but I really feel like God wants me to say something." Then you have to proceed by faith and believe that God is going to help you have the words to communicate what He put on your heart. So you just step out sometimes. You're stepping out of the boat and believing for God to minister to His people. Sometimes you might surprise yourself. "Man, I started off, I only had three or four words and that was a blessing, what I shared. God took over. Praise God, I stepped out of the boat and started walking and God used me and it was a blessing." I think probably a lot of people in here that have prophesied, would say that. I didn't really know how this thing was going to end up, but I just stepped out in faith. I believe that Father wanted to use me. My motive was to edify the body, not to seek my own glory, and God used me and the body was edified.

Pastor Scott: Amen, according to that measure of faith, that portion that's given to you. So allow the Holy Spirit to use you in that way. Any other questions? Yes. [Inaudible question.] Correct. These are manifestations of a Spirit-filled believer--and those who haven't been filled with the Holy Spirit, as we shared Sunday night--the Spirit resides within you. You're regenerated; the Spirit dwells in you in His fullness and this is a subsequent work that empowers us to be witnesses, not only evangelize, but to edify. This becomes that supernatural function to build the church. Also, it's done through personal edification through intercession, et cetera. A non-Spirit-filled person is not able to give a message in tongues, interpret tongues, or give a spiritual utterance. What they can do is, they can, with an anointing, teach the Word of God. They can pray with an anointing, et cetera. But this is a subsequent work that takes to another level of building and edifying the body of Christ and effecting our evangelism, our outreach. It's an empowering. This is supercharger stuff. It's not to say those that are born again don't have some horsepower. This just adds to it. It's a supercharging, severally as He wills. That's the thing we have to understand. I can't just heal anytime I want. I can't prophesy any time I feel like it. It's as the Spirit wills. I am now a candidate for all of these functioning through me then. Any other questions? Yes. [Inaudible question.]

Pastor Scott: Right. Paul's speaking toward a couple of things that are being assumed here. One, this is a believer's meeting and so you're part of the fellowship just like we are here. When you come here, you know there are interpreters that are present. He's also, as you read the epistles saying, "Pray that you interpret." So, you're to know if you are. One of the first things he admonishes is if you're going to give the message, you pray for the interpretation. You'll notice at times as the Lord has used me in this particular gift, you'll notice that you've never heard me just give a message in tongues. There's always an interpretation. So, I'm confident that there's an interpreter present, because it's me. Yet, if I've never given an interpretation in tongues, and I have given a message in tongues, but I'm part of a community that I know interpreters are present, then I can feel free to let that minister even though--and this is what Paul is saying--you may never have flowed in the gift of interpretation. If you know they're present, don't stifle that gift of tongues just because you don't interpret, if you know interpreters are present. That's a little practical part of it. All the way back I think I saw a hand. Yeah. [Inaudible question.] I'm not sure, run that by me one more time.

Pastor Miller: Are you saying, that since it's the Holy Spirit that's going to divide the gifts, "I'll just sit back and see what happens, because it's not up to me anyway." Is that what you're saying? We're not supposed to have that type of attitude. Right.

Pastor Scott: Right, We're always to desire for the Spirit to use us, and to covet the best gifts. The best gifts, of course, are the ones that are needed. "Hey, my favorite gift is healing." And a guy is standing there and he needs a word of wisdom and you're saying, "I can lay hands on you and the Lord will heal you." The guy says, "I'm not sick, but I need to know how to get this certain thing taken care of." Right now he doesn't need your healing. He needs some wisdom. The best gift is the one that's needed. The best gifts are those, of course, that edify "...and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way" (1 Corinthians 12:31). Chapter 13, they are to operate in love. The whole purpose of the gifts is to distribute the love of God into our midst. It's not to show ourselves off. It's not to think we're spiritual. It's all by grace and faith. We're no more spiritual than anybody else is, but in fact we've become servants of all and we're able to love, as we've been loved. And we're able to minister these gifts for the edification. So, what Richard was saying... Yeah. We don't just sit back and say if God wants to do it, do it. Seek and say, "Lord, here's a person who's obviously sick. I have the general mandate to pray and lay hands on them, but I'm asking you to kick in and for your Spirit to manifest and for signs and wonders to be done in the name of the holy child Jesus," as we read through that little portion of Acts. We're to believe for those things. Don't just sit back passively, pray and seek and desire spiritual gifts, in the body that you might prophecy that we'd all be edified, is what he goes on to say. Okay, we'll take... Any more? Have one here. How many have a question? Anybody else? One, two, three, we'll take these three and then we'll give a chance for some testimonies. Yes. [Inaudible question.]

Pastor Scott: As we were just sharing on the other, the mandate that these signs shall follow them that believe in My name. In that we are given a mandate of doing certain things. Some of them are evidences of the Spirit. Now you've got to remember that Paul assumes that all of the church is going to be Spirit-filled. He hasn't gone through two thousand years of diluting of the gospel where some are and some aren't. The early church was Spirit-filled. What we've done now is had theologians tell us you don't have to be anymore. Paul didn't understand that, anymore than Paul didn't understand that Jesus wasn't literally coming back, anymore than Paul didn't understand oh, it's supposed to be a post-tribulation instead of pre-tribulation, see? So when you read these epistles, you have to read them from Paul's understanding of what the church is. When he's talking about us praying for the sick and doing all these things, he's seeing the Spirit-filled church. Now, the fact of the matter is that the healing takes place by faith in the name of Jesus, et cetera. The gifts of the Spirit are again, I believe, where we see many of these what we would term "spectacular healings." Lame man as opposed to not feeling well today. "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church... [They'll anoint you with oil]" (James 5:14). We have that format that's set up for the anointing. The laying on of hands of Spirit-filled believers, et cetera. That distinction is there. Another thing is to where, I think, like the lame man and others, the gifts of healings, the gift is something that is sovereignly being enacted and many times doesn't rely on the faith of the sick person or the agent praying. It's God's impartation. Those are things that begin to work through Spirit-filled believers and God's manifestation of the gift. So there is a distinction that we can make in the sovereignty aspect as you relate it to the declared responsibility we have to pray, lay hands, all of these other things that are responsibilities of the believer. Did you guys want to comment along those lines at all? Okay, we'll take one more. Where did I see them? Yes. [Inaudible question.]

Pastor Scott: Okay, some good questions. You know, doubt. Is this for real or whatever? As we shared the first part this evening out of [1 Corinthians] 14 and we talked about every sound having signification and the fact that God is the originator of these gifts, et cetera. The enemy, of course, can through our own intellects, say how can this be? This just sounds like nonsense to me. I don't understand it. Like I said, I don't understand how dogs communicate or birds or any of that either. I do have to understand what was spoken here in chapter 14, verse 10 that there are many sounds, many voices in the world and none of them without signification. So by faith I understand and receive this. Now the second part of that, does this thing grow? Yes. You'll find that not only will you become, and you should become, more fluent, but I think you'll find in some cases--maybe you guys can share--not only fluency, but have you all in your own lives been able to detect different languages and different expressions of these languages? I know myself, I distinctly know of like a dozen different languages. I recognize them. I don't understand them. I can recognize them. I can tell when different ones are functioning. So there is a process or a growth. Have any of you guys experienced any of that? Fluency, diversity, if any of you want to speak to that you can. But yes it does.

Last in the very back. Kim. [Inaudible question.]

Pastor Scott: No, it's something that's a subsequent work. The infilling of the Holy Spirit does not come with maturity. It comes with seeking. It comes with believing. The Holy Spirit is available to those who ask, the Scripture says. "If ye then, being [carnal], know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your [heavenly] Father give [the Holy Spirit] to them that ask him" (Matthew 7:11). This promise, as we saw, is unto you, to your children, to all that are afar off even as many as the Lord our God shall call. (Acts 2:39) We saw in the Corinthians passage, that it's for every man to profit everybody. So, we go throughout the Scriptures. Every time in the book of Acts, the Holy Spirit is poured out, speaking in tongues is the initial immediate, discernable, physical evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. A lot of your new Charismatics say tongues are not necessary. The Bible is absolutely clear that tongues is always the initial physical evidence of someone having been baptized in the Holy Spirit. Every major account in the Scriptures reveals that they spoke in tongues. It's important to understand that. It is the outward initial physical evidence. It's not something that will come with maturity. It comes by faith, seeking and God imparting. It doesn't however, as I said, it's not a merit badge. It's not something that we can think that somehow because someone received it so much easier than another person who has tarried for a longer period of time that they're any more spiritual. It has to do again with faith and an understanding of Father's good pleasure. When you get those things in line you will be filled. Father wants to. Jesus is the baptizer. It's a promise to you. It's not only a promise; it's a mandate. And only one thing is hindering it. It's you. I can share with you what it is. It's that faith of stepping out and letting the utterance be simultaneous with the awareness of God wanting to speak, "But I don't know what to speak." No, you don't. Never will. There's only one thing... How many of you've seen a glass of water and you can actually fill it above the rim? Have you ever noticed that? That's cool. Any of you ever seen that? You can stack water up and it will actually go up above the rim, higher than the rim. And the only thing that's holding that water in that heap is that dry lip. If you'll use your lips and let the rivers of water begin to flow out you'll never get it stopped. They spoke, as the Spirit gave them words to speak. Last one, I think there was a hand back here. No, all the way back here. Wasn't there anybody? No. Okay, Janet. [Inaudible question.]

Pastor Scott: Yeah, that's what the question was, and we said it's a mandate and so we lay hands on the sick and they recover. Remember though, all of these statements that were made, were being made to a Spirit-filled church. It's important for us to understand, and yet, of course, the Lord honors faith. He honors the name of Jesus. Those that come to Him, He doesn't turn away. There are all of the principles, so this again is an empowering into that other realm.

Time went by. There were a lot more questions than I thought. We might even take an opportunity in another service. Who's here though and says, "I've got to say something. Man, I got filled with the Spirit and I can't stand it!" Just stand up if you're one of those people. We'll give you an opportunity because I know how that feels. It's so good. Got to tell somebody! Can't help but speak the things that I've seen and heard, praise God. Anybody want to share, just stand up. I need to see what we're dealing with. Okay, one here. Anybody else that was filled with the Spirit? We don't want anybody to not get a chance to share. Okay, go ahead. Why don't you run back there, Jeff. If you don't stand up you're not going to get a chance, okay. Stand up, if you want to share. If you don't want to share, we're going to give a chance for all who were filled to just recognize that in just a moment. But if you just wanted to share... go ahead.

Brandon Schwartz: I know for me receiving the Holy Spirit was one of those things that I just always wanted to have. I've asked for it and asked for it. But, I never really received it. You were talking half way through the message you were, like if you haven't been filled with the Spirit then believe that you will receive. In my notes there's like a whole paragraph of me talking myself into going up there because I knew you we're going to call everyone up there. So, it was a little scary, but I knew if I went up there, that chances are, I'd get it. So then you called everyone up there and at first I was a little, you know, didn't want to go up there but I did. And I felt like I was all alone and I didn't know what to do. I just asked, "Lord give me the Holy Spirit." And I didn't know what to do after that so I just opened my mouth and God just filled it with words to speak.

Pastor Scott: Praise God! Amen! It's an exciting thing. You see the simplicity of that faith. It's to come as a little child. Anybody else? Yes, go ahead, George.

George: I know I've been seeking it for a few years and I just feel like I was almost bound by it. This is never going to happen. Sunday night I just had that experience where I sensed it when I first got saved. You've mentioned it a couple of times that the grass was greener. The sky was bluer and it's just a refreshing, I guess almost what you said. I just thank God for it. I just continue to believe and just walk in it. [Pastor Scott: Amen.] I just want to thank God for it.

Pastor Scott: Amen. Praise God! It's a thing like we said. It grows, the fluidity grows, the awareness and the next thing you know, the empowering, the revelation that begins to come. You'll begin to understand the Scriptures more than you've ever understood them before. These are some areas that are very important. A number of our young people have been getting together and going witnessing and different areas. That's an exciting thing. We're just really delighting in what God's doing in the midst of many of our youth in the awareness of becoming evangelists. It is a high calling of God. And those three aspects of the responsibilities of the body of Christ they need to be balanced. Balance doesn't mean that you dilute them all down. It means you emphasize what God's emphasizing. That's balance.

Father, we thank You for the Word and we just rejoice in Your presence and the power of Your might. We thank You, Father for these lives that have been touched and filled with Your Holy Spirit and we ask that You'd continue to empower them, Father, so that the body would be edified as they are personally edified. Jesus, that You might be all in all. For it, we're going to give You the praise, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Before we go, stay seated. Everyone who was filled with the Holy Spirit Sunday night, if you'd just stand up. We'd just like to see those that were filled with the Spirit on Sunday night. Amen! Thank God! Isn't that exciting?! Praise God! Hallelujah! We do rejoice with you, and it gets better and better. Go in peace and God's love go with you.

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