"The Gift of Miracles" Kathryn Kuhlman Gifts of the Spirit Series Talk 1

Well, sir, I have been bringing you a series of heart -to -heart talks regarding the gifts of the Spirit. The wonderful gifts given by the Holy Spirit. Remember, a gift is something you do not work for, you do not merit. It's something that is just given you. And this... series of messages to my own heart has been most inspiring and thrilling. And turn, if you will please, to the 12th chapter of 1 Corinthians, and again, I want you to see something that is vitally important, and that is that each gift that is given is separate and apart from all other gifts. I know we speak of the nine gifts of the Spirit, but again, I want to remind you that there is no reason to believe that nine are the only gifts that the Spirit gives to men and women. I believe with every atom of my being, and no theologian, no teacher of the Bible can give any scripture. to substantiate the fact that the Holy Spirit in the giving of his gift is limited to just these nine gifts. Only nine are given here as an example. Turn to the 12th chapter of 1 Corinthians. To one is given of the Spirit the word of wisdom. To another... the word of knowledge by the same spirit to another faith by the same spirit to another the gifts of healing by the same spirit to another the working of miracles to another prophecy to another discerning of spirits to another diverse kinds of tongues to another the interpretation of tongues but all these workers that one and the self -same spirit dividing to every man severally as he will. Now today, for a very few minutes, we're going to talk about that wonderful gift of miracles. And be very careful that you do not confuse the gift of miracles with the gift of healing, the physical healing of the body. Neither confuse the gift of miracles with the gift of faith. Very often, you know, whenever one even uses the name miracles, immediately it is associated with divine healing. It is amazing how many folk have so trained their minds that whenever That word miracle used, invariably, it is associated with divine healing. And yet, I want you to see something. The gift of faith is one gift. The gift of miracles is another gift. Because the word says, to another. faith by the same Spirit, to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles. Therefore, the working of miracles is not the same as the gifts of healing, neither is the gift of healing the same as the gift of faith. I hope that somehow this has made very clear to you. Now, what then is the working of miracles? What is the gift of miracles? It's the supernatural demonstration of the power of God by which the laws of nature are either altered or controlled. He is still the mighty creator. He is still God Almighty. There is nothing impossible with Him. We forget that it is in His power to control the elements. We forget that it is still in His power to alter even the laws of nature and the laws of the universe. Why should one be so amazed at the miraculous? Why is it that human beings are so limited in their thinking that they refuse to accept anything that even borders on the supernatural? When he is the mighty creator, never forget. He has the power to alter all the laws of nature. He is still at the controls. And the working of miracles is the supernatural demonstration of the power of God by which these laws are either controlled or altered. It should be the simplest thing in the world for a human being to accept a miracle, to accept the supernatural. Now, it is very apparent, and I will not argue this with you, that there was more of the evidence of miracles in the Old Testament. than perhaps we even have today. Why was this gift, this gift of miracles, more in evidence in the Old Testament than in the New? Well, first of all, remember, we have more light today. We have the Bible today. We have the Word of God today. We have literally the rich... Word of God. Do you realize that even those early Christians didn't have the New Testament as a guide? Do you realize that? Do you realize that those Old Testament saints didn't have the Bible as we have the Bible today as a guide? I want you to see something, for instance. Then maybe you'll... understand a little better what I'm trying to say. The prophet who wrought a miracle during the Old Testament dispensation established his divine authority before the people. It was sort of like presenting his credentials. I'm going to give you the scripture. I'm going to read you my Bible right now. And put them down. You can read the scripture after I will have left your home. For instance, in Exodus, the seventh chapter, that ninth verse. When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Show us a miracle. Then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod and cast it before Pharaoh. and it shall become a serpent. In other words, this miracle established his divine authority before Pharaoh. It was Moses' credentials when he was sent to Pharaoh. Pharaoh would know that he had been sent of God. He was God's messenger. Thou shalt take thy rod, cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent. That, my friend, was a miracle. All right, take something else. You see, when you understand the working of the Holy Spirit, When you will understand that God is still God Almighty and that no man can limit his power, then these things that occurred in the Old Testament to the prophets and even the things that occur today that you perhaps cannot accept, as a human being because you don't understand them. Remember, all you have to do is to acknowledge God. And God always works in a supernatural way. To this very day, wherever you find the Holy Spirit in evidence, you'll always find the supernatural. That's what I mean when I say to you over and over again, The only limit to the power of God lies within you. I know how very difficult it is for the intellect to understand the personal word of God as found in the 18th chapter of 1 Kings. And there you have Elijah on Mount Carmel. I believe this is one of the greatest... illustrations, one of the greatest evidences of the gift of miracles being given to a human being that I know anything about. It's easy to accept it. Don't take your penknife and cut this portion of the Word of God out. Don't take your scissors and just try to cut it out and say that Elijah was having some great hallucination. Or that this was only the figment of somebody's imagination. No, ma 'am. This actually happened. It did not happen because of one man's great faith. gift of faith given a man for that hour. I don't care what great faith you may have. And remember something, faith isn't something that you and I can work up. It is God given. You know the story well. When Elijah meets Ahab, you know the glorious prophet's challenge. Sure you know. I just want to read you just a couple of verses. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God and that thou hast turned their heart back again. What happened? Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice and the wood and the stones and the dust and licked up the water that was in the trench. Literally. Fire came from heaven and lit up the water that had filled the trenches and you see god himself through the holy spirit giving to elijah this wonderful gift of miracles and all the people saw it and they fell on their faces and they said the lord he is the god the lord He is the God. And you see, Elijah, having been given the gift of miracles for a time when it was needed to glorify God. Perhaps the greatest illustration of God himself, all tree, the laws of nature, is found in 2 Kings, the sixth chapter. This is glorious. Oh, I just love this. This time it's Elisha. And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, And when the word says the sons of prophets, in other words, there was some preacher's sons. We use the term today, preacher's kids. Because the prophets were the preachers, and these were the sons of the prophets. And they said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too straight for us. They kind of got out of hand then too, I guess, you know. And they said, Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take fence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there where we may dwell. Our fathers are too straight -laced for us, and we want to get away from home, you know. And he answered, Go ye. And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go. And so he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood. Can't you just see these preacher's kids cutting down wood? But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water. And he cried and said, Alas, master. For it was borrowed. What am I going to do now? It isn't even mine. As he was cutting wood, the iron axe head literally slipped off the handle of the axe, sailed into the river Jordan. He was so beside himself. For it was borrowed. It wasn't his. And the man of God said, where fell it? And he showed him the place. And he cut down a stick and cast it in thither, and the iron did swim. Therefore, said he, take it up to thee. And he put out his hand and took it. That's the word. What? What is the working of miracles? It's the supernatural demonstration of the power of God by which the laws of nature are controlled or altered. Here in the Word of God, we see that through the gift of miracles, literally iron was made to swim. That's it. It's the easiest thing in the world to believe the miracles of the Old Testament. It's the easiest thing in the world to believe the miracles of the New Testament. It's the easiest thing in the world to believe God for miracles today in your own life, in your own home, round about you. All you have to do is to believe God. Accept the fact that he is still God Almighty. And remember again, the only limit to his power lies within you.