Author: Rev. Lek Aik Wee

William MacDonald said well, “Discerning of spirits describes the power to detect whether a prophet or other person is speaking by the Holy Spirit or by Satan. A person with this gift has special ability to discern if a man is an imposter and an opportunist, for instance.”

William MacDonald said well, “The gift of prophecy, in its primary sense, signified that a person received direct revelations from God and transmitted them to others. Sometimes the prophets predicted future events (Acts 11:27, 28; 21:11); more often they simply expressed the mind of God. Like the apostles, they were concerned with the foundation of the church (Eph. 2:20). They themselves were not the foundation, but they laid the foundation in what they taught concerning the Lord Jesus. Once the foundation was laid, the need for the prophets ceased. Their ministry is preserved for us in the pages of the NT. Since the Bible is complete, we reject any so-called prophet who claims to have additional truth from God.”

A miracle is a supernatural working by God that defies the laws of the natural created world. There are three epochs of miracles in human history traced through biblical testimonies during the time of the Exodus and Israel’s entry to the Promised Land, the time of the prophets Elijah and Elisha and during the days of Christ and the Apostles. These miracles were wrought to authenticate the Scriptures.

The gifts of healing is available as a temporary manifestation of God’s power during the period prior to the completion of the Scriptures. Christ Himself cast out demons and healed those possessed with demons. He healed the sick, the miamed and blind and deaf. Indeed, He is God. And this power was manifested in the ministry of the Apostles and disciples sent out by Jesus during His lifetime. They were able to wrought healing as Jesus did.

The gift of faith. The believer endowed with the grace to trust God even amidst severe trials to do His will. Joshua and Caleb were endowed with the faith to believe that the Israelites will possess the land of Canaan whilst the other ten spies were fearful of the giants in the land and shriek from even considering to enter the land.

This is the gift of communicating the knowledge of God’s Word to the strengthening of faith of God’s people. The Holy Spirit gives such skill to understand and convey the truth of God’s Word as revealed in the 66 book of the Bible.