Introduction

It can, at times, be difficult to write about this issue since there are many views on the topic, the Holy Spirit.
What I have written here reflects a more Pentecostal and charismatic view.
I want to challenge you to test what I have written, by going to the Bible and looking it up. If you find parts of what I have written confusing or you want to discuss anything, feel free to contact me (tore@btww.net).

Tore

Acts 17:11
Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

1Thess 5:19-21
19 Do not put out the Spirit's fire;
20 do not treat prophecies with contempt. .
21 Test everything. Hold on to the good. 1

You can find this teaching and more on http://www.btww.net

1All Bible text excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright
(c) 1994, 1995, 1996 Soft Key Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

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The supernatural reality

The supernatural reality is closer than you can imagine.
In our western society, the spiritual realm is almost forgotten, ignored and even denied. If you live in the western world, you probably will be influenced by this thought pattern, even though you are a Christian.
The Bible talks a lot about the supernatural realm, Paul said to the first Christians:

1 Cor 4:18
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

The life we live here on earth is just a short time compared to the life we will live in for all eternity. So, it is good to get to know more about it now.
My hunger to see more of the supernatural has been great and I have often asked God to show me more of his supernatural realm. Because, I know that the more I see of the supernatural reality, the more faith I will have and then more will happen through me. More people will be saved, healed and delivered.
Often, when I go to other counties, I experience this reality more than in Norway. The reason is that the spiritual realm is more real for people in these countries than in western countries.
In Ethiopia, I prayed for a demon-possessed lady, an ordinary thing in a meeting for the Africans. At the first outreach I went to in Belarus, we forced out an evil spirit from a house. A lady in a village had been doing spiritism before she became a Christian, and was delivered. But still, she experienced spirits in her house.
In Thailand, almost every person has a spirit house outside their home, for protection against evil spirits. They have a strong belief and awareness of the supernatural.
Personally, I experience the supernatural realm more when I am in countries like this, and am exposed to attacks from the enemy in a different way than in Norway. When I live a more consecrated life in these countries, I often experience that God using me more in the supernatural, it has have an opposite effect also.
The strategy of the enemy here in the west is to get us to believe that there is no such thing as a spiritual reality.
So, the supernatural is actually more real than the natural realm.

Who is The Holy Spirit?

First, it is important to know who the Holy Spirit is.
The Holy Spirit is not like “The Force” in Star Wars. He is not an impersonal force floating around somewhere out there. Neither is he like a ghost or a mystical spirit.
He is a person as real as I am, and you can talk to him just like you would talk to me.

There are two words used for the Holy Sprit in the Bible. One is Pnevma in Greek or Ruach in Hebrew. It means: Wind, air or spirit. This word is used when the word Spirit is mentioned in the Bible.
But, when Jesus is talking about the Holy Spirit to his disciples in John 14 and 16 he uses another name. He uses the word Parakaleõ which means: To call someone for help e.g. to get help to defend in a court, or a witness or a counselor. It has the same meaning as the Latin word advocatus, which means advocate, lawyer and spokesman. It also means a comforter. A paraklêtos is a person that gives encouragement and new courage to those who are faint-hearted.

Symbols of the Holy Spirit:
Dove (Matt 3:16): It is the symbol of innocence and cleanliness. God’s spirit hovering over the waters Gen 1:2
Fire: Cleansing, (John 16:13a) the presence of God. (Acts 2:3)
God is a consuming fire (Heb 12:29)
Wind: This explains some of how the Holy Spirit functions. You can’t control manipulate the wind or see the wind, but you can see the effects. When Jesus in John 3:8 explains some of the functions of the Holy Spirit to Nicodemus, he uses the word Pnevma, wind for the Holy Spirit.

John 3:8
"The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."

What Jesus explained about The Holy Spirit
Jesus further reveals who the Holy Sprit is in John 14:16-26 and John 16:7-15. I will use some of these scriptures to explain who the Holy Spirit is. I also encourage you to read the entire chapters from 13-17 to get the big picture of what Jesus is saying to the disciples before his crucifixion.

The Holy Spirit is a person
As stated, the Holy Spirit is a person. He can talk, he can listen and he is always there for us. When Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit in John 14:17 he used the word he, not it.
This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. (NRSV)

One of the Trinity
The Holy Spirit has been from the beginning and he is part of the Trinity.
Gen.1: 2 "and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.."
Gen.1: 26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness,

The Bible uses a plural form when he is taking about the creation.
In the Great Commission in Matt 28:19 Jesus mentions the trinity. But we can also see it out from John 16:7 when he says that he will send the advocate, the Spirit.
The Father, Son and The Holy Spirit are one. They have the same will and thoughts, but they have tree different tasks. Jesus is sitting at the right hand of the Father and speaks for us before God’s throne, and he is our righteousness. The Holy Spirit’s task is to stay on earth to help us, and to glorify the name of God. (John 16:13)
The trinity is a mystery, and we can’t fully understand it with our human minds. But one way to explain it is to compare it with a sunbeam. It is only one beam but it has tree different functions:

• The invisible UV radiation as The Holy Spirit,
  
• It gives heat and power like God
  
• It gives light as Jesus the light of the world.
  

He is the spokesman, the Advocate and a comforter.
As mentioned, Jesus called him, in John 16:7, the Parakaleõ, our comforter or Advocate.
When we don’t know what we are going to say in different situations he will come and help us.
Jesus says in Mark 13:11
11 When they bring you to trial and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say; but say whatever is given you at that time, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.

This was a real encouragement for the disciples as we read in Acts, after the day of Pentecost, how the Holy Spirit helped Peter and the other Christians to speak boldly.

He is omnipresent
Jesus could only be at one place at one at one time, he was limited. That’s why Jesus said it was best for him to go away so that the Holy Spirit could come and be with you forever and at all times. (John 16:7)

Reveals the truth
The Holy Spirit will show us and guide us to the truth and reveal the unbelief in our life.
16:8 And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; 11 about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.

He is also the one that reveal the truth about who God is.
16:16:When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

Reveals the future.
He will declare the things that are to come. John wrote in the book of Revelation about the truth on the condition of the seven Churches and on the vision of what was about to come.
We also see this in the spiritual gifts in 1 Cor 12. Some of these gifts are to reveal the truth, now, like a word of knowledge and some are for the future, like prophesy.

Gives power
He is also the one that gives power. I’ll go more into this in the next chapter.

The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament

In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit was limited. His strength was poured out only over kings, priests, prophets and some selected people. God could give and take away the Holy Spirit from peoples’ lives in the Old Testament.
In Judges 16 we read about Samson losing his power, or the anointing, when his hair was cut off.
In Psalm 51 we read about when David fell into sin with Bathsheba. He prays: Remove not the Holy Spirit from me.
In the New Testament, on the day of Pentecost, God’s Spirit is poured over all flesh. And when you receive Jesus, The Holy Spirit moves in to your heart, and you can communicate with God. Not all believers were able to do that in the Old Testament.

Baptism in The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit was given on the day of Pentecost. Now, it was not only poured over some choice people, such as priest and prophets, but over all flesh.

Acts 2:1-5
1When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

We all receive the Holy Spirit within us when we become Christians, but not everybody has experienced him coming upon them. When you hear about the fruit of the spirit (Gal 5:22) you hear of the spirit within us. But when you hear about the gifts of the Spirit, you hear of the Spirit upon us.
When Jesus was baptized in the river Jordan, the Holy Spirit came upon him and anointed him with power to serve in the ministry. But, it was already in him from the day he was born.
God's Spirit was in him giving him the fruit of love, joy and peace, but he didn't operate in the supernatural gifts until the Holy Spirit had come upon him.
You will recognize there has been a baptism in the Holy Spirit when you see a new and greater boldness, a greater power to serve him and you receive a new language, speaking in tongues.

You will receive power

Something happened at Pentecost. The disciples of Jesus were all afraid and hiding from the people. And Peter, who should have been the boldest of them all, had denied that he knew Jesus.
But at Pentecost, 50 days later, he boldly said, in front of thousands of people: “This Jesus that you crucified, is alive and he is the only way to God” (Acts 2:36)
Surely something had happened, Peter and the disciples were no longer afraid.

Acts 1:8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

My testimony
Something also happened within me when I was baptized in the Holy Spirit.
Before, I was a very shy and quiet person. I often spoke quietly and did not have a lot of confidence. I was a frustrated Christian, because I wanted to be a “good” Christian but I felt I had failed to be one, time after time. Here are some examples of my attempts to be a good Christian.
At the time when I was baptized (in water) I had to hold a testimony. It was a very scary thing to do. When I stood behind the pulpit and delivered my message, I had my head bowed down into the pulpit, so the only thing you could see was the top of my head. Also, I was talking very quietly and was afraid of the microphone. Two people were shouting out, when I stood there, and said: Speak louder, we can’t hear you.” This was one of the worst moments in my life, and I decided to not ever stand behind a pulpit again. I have not kept that promise.
I also worked in a local radio for my church. When I had this program, I always wrote down everything I should say, and it sounded like a really bad C-film.
I also thought that my voice was too slow and boring, so I sped up the cassette player when I was speaking, and then sounded like a Mickey Mouse voice. It must have been really funny to hear.
I also tried to do prison ministry, but it was not a big success. One time, I was asked to join my prison group from my church, because they did not have enough people. I did not really want to go, but felt I should. We were placed in different groups at the prison and I was put alone in a group of six prisoners. Shy and scared as I was, I did not say anything during the one hour; I just sat there. I only listened to then talking about how they smuggled drugs into the prison etc. When the hour was over, one of the prisoners turned to me, and said: “What are you doing here?” I decided that prison work is something I should not do. I did not keep this promise either, I had many good talks later, but that was after something happened, my baptism in the Holy Spirit!
I thought that to be a Christian was something difficult and heavy.
As you can see, I wished to be used by God, but I lacked success.
In the spring of 1989 I was asked to join a youth counsel in my church. I said yes to this request for some reason, but I did not understand how God could use me in a youth counsel. This only increased my frustration.

The breakthrough
I went to a Christian camp that summer, and my frustrations increased even more. One day I went into a forest, near by the camp, and I cried out my frustration to God. “Jesus I want to be used by you, but I fail all the time. Lord set me free! Lord set me free!!”
At the evening meeting, something happened that changed my Christian life.
I did not have any intentions to go forward for prayer that evening, because I had tried it so many times before and it didn’t work. I had always remained a frustrated Christian.
Because of my frustration, I came late for the meeting and the only place I could find was in the front row, where the camp choir was sitting. I did not get very much out of the speech, because I was very occupied by my frustration. When the preacher was finished with the speech, he invited people to come forward to receive prayer, and the camp choir went up on the platform. Many people came forward at this meeting, so they removed the first rows of benches. Suddenly I was in the prayer line, without my wish or intention. It was my turn to be prayed over and the prayer partner asked what my prayer subject was. I felt I had to say something, because it would have been strange to say: I don’t want any prayer I am just standing here. So, I said something that was a desire in my heart: To be baptized in the Holy Spirit, and that happened!
I did not have a strong physical experience like being slain to the floor, or suddenly speaking in another language, but God filled me with a joy that I had not experienced before, and God showed me a truth that set me free.
When I was standing in Gods presence He said to me: “Tore, you are too much problem-centered, you always look on your own weaknesses. Instead, start to look at Me, see who I am and what I can do through you.” When I started to appropriate this truth, it was the start of an inner healing and a true picture of God.
The next day I was out on the street telling about Jesus, and for the first time it felt good to do it, not heavy and difficult. The next day again I held a short testimony for over 200 youth, which was a big step, but for the first time, I enjoyed it! God could really use me! It was like a whole new world had opened up for me.
I received a promise from God some weeks later. The scripture was Is 25:12
12He will bring down your high-fortified walls and lay them low; he will bring them down to the ground, to the very dust.

One of the strongholds that was broken early on, was the fear of standing in front of people to speak. From my childhood, I had a dream of standing and preaching the word of God, and after my experience with the Holy Spirit; I had a stronger faith that God could use me in this way.
Since my baptism, I have experienced a lot of exciting things with God: standing in front of a lot of people speaking and holding testimonies, like in Russia and Ethiopia, leading different team of outreach etc. God has really brought down a lot of my strongholds since my baptism in the Holy Spirit.

How do I receive The Holy Spirit

Luke 11:13
13If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

Acts 4:31
After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly..

• By hearing the word of God, and receiving it.
  

Acts 10:44 and Gal 3:2
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.

• By lying on of hands.
  

Acts 8:17
Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

Acts 19:6
When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied..

Speaking in tongues

Tongues are not the baptism in the Holy Spirit, but it is a confirmation that you have received it. I believe that you can be baptized in the Spirit, and still not speak in tongues. On the other hand, I also believe that all who have been baptized in the Spirit have received the gift of speaking in tongues.
What characterized the disciples at Pentecost was not that they all started speaking in tongues, but there was a new boldness; they had received power. I experienced the same thing; I received a greater boldness in my Christian life.
Not everyone experiences tongues in the same moment they get baptized in the Holy Spirit.
When I was baptized in the Holy Spirit, I didn't speak in tongues that minute, but it was something that I developed more and more after using it in my prayer life.
During the fall, after my baptism in the Holy Spirit, I experienced a lot of new and exiting things with God. I acquired the gift of tongues and I heard the voice of God. I received tongues one day as I went back and forth praying aloud in my apartment as I usually did (and do). Then, I started to say some strange words that were not Norwegian (or English). I started to use these words more and more, and after awhile it became a fluent language. It was strange in the beginning, but now I don’t think much about it. I can just start it whenever I like to.

I witnessed two examples of people who received tongues instantly.
One time I was on an outreach in Ethiopia. One of the girls on my team was praying for a local lady. After praying for a few minutes, she didn’t know what more to pray about, but suddenly she started to get some strange words. She started to pray these words out loud. It turned out that she actually was praying in the native language of the woman she was praying for. The woman understood it and it was a blessing said over her. This is almost like what the disciple experienced on the day of Pentecost.

Another example is a girl that I met on an outreach in Czechoslovakia. This was right after the fall of the iron curtain, and we came to a village were the gospel was not preached for decades. We had a meeting for about 100 girls at a school. Many people received a touch from God at this meeting, and a girl came forth and gave us a testimony. She said that she suddenly got a strange feeling of peace and joy when she asked Jesus into her life and she could not speak in her own language for a while. She actually got saved, baptized in The Holy Spirit and got the tongues at the same time. I think this should be the normal way, but it is usually not like this for many of us. There could be different reasons for this.

Several reasons why you don’t experience the tongues

There can be several reasons why you don’t speak in tongues. The most common reason is that you have received a few, strange words, that sound just like your neighbor’s. You think you’ve just made them up, and you are afraid of using them.

Or, it could be that you generally find speaking in tongues a little scary. Remember that God is a gentleman and he does not give you something you don’t want (there are exceptions, like when God met Paul, Acts 9). God has not given us a spirit of fear, we should not be afraid of Him. (2 Tim 1:7)

Another reason might be that you haven’t heard any teaching about it, or you’ve heard teaching saying it was something that only happened at Pentecost and not for us.
You may also wonder, what is the big deal about speaking in tongues? Yes, why should we speak in tongues?
Cor.14: 4
He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.

When I first received the tongues it became a great help in my prayer life. When I speak in tongues I get edified, and when I lack words and don't know what to pray, I begin to speak in tongues and the Spirit helps me.

Rom.8: 26
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

There are three types of tongues.

Arguments against speaking in tongues

When we read chapter fourteen in 1 Cor., it seems like Paul is against speaking in tongues.

1 Cor 14:6
Now, brothers, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction?

What is important to see here is that Paul is talking about the use of the tongues in the church. The problem in the first church was that everyone was going around and speaking in tongues all the time. Paul, in this chapter, is trying to put things in order and give instruction on how they should use the spiritual gifts. The challenge in the church was not that it was not in use, but they used it a lot and in wrong ways, so it became a mess. That’s why he says that not more then three should speak in tongues and then should be interpreted and that not more then two or three should prophecy in a meeting.

This chapter does not speak so much about tongues for our own edification, but you can read from this verse that Paul used it a lot.
1 Cor 14:18
I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.

What about using tongues for edification in the curch?
The point Paul is showing in these verses is that we should not use tongues all the time, no one will get anything out of it, especially if some one that is not saved is to the meeting. The visitors will be repulsed by the confusion, and the phenomenon, meant to be an impressive sign, will have a negative effect on the unsaved.

1 Cor 14:23
So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind?

At a prayer meeting were everyone is familiar with tongues, it is okay to use. It helps to lift the meeting and prayer will be more effective. So, it is not tongues Paul is against, but how different gifts are being used in the church, and that they be used with wisdom.

You will receive power, dynamis (on Greek; power)
There is explosive force in The Holy Spirit.

Manifestation of The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit can manifest himself in different ways. I wish to mention the presence, the anointing and hearing the voice of God.

The Presence of The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is always close to us, but sometimes we feel his presence stronger than at other times. Some experience him physically, some more as a peace and joy that is not dependent on circumstances. We can experience His presence, especially when we praise and worship.
We can create an atmosphere of peace and joy ourselves, by worshipping God. But the more powerful presence is only dependent on the Holy Spirit.
Very often we open up for a more powerful presence when we exhort Jesus. Some people experience the presence of the Holy Spirit physically. I have experienced that.
To experience the Holy Spirit so strongly that it's impossible to stand on your feet is actually very Biblical.
One time when Saul tried to kill David, the presence over David and the prophets was so strong that Saul felt it kilometers away.

1Sam 19:20-24
20So he sent men to capture him. But when they saw a group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing they’re as their leader, the Spirit of God came upon Saul's men and they also prophesied. 21Saul was told about it, and he sent more men, and they prophesied too. Saul sent men a third time, and they also prophesied. 22Finally, he himself left for Ramah and went to the great cistern at Secu. And he asked, "Where are Samuel and David?" "Over in Naioth at Ramah," they said.
23So Saul went to Naioth at Ramah. But the Spirit of God came even upon him, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth. 24He stripped off his robes and also prophesied in Samuel's presence. He lay that way all that day and night. This is why people say, "Is Saul also among the prophets?"

The Anointing

Luke 4:18-19
18"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed,
19 To proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
Jesus says this about himself, but when he went to his Father He gave this anointing further to the believers.

• It is in the anointing that the gifts of the spirit can function.
• Anointing helps you do things you normally could not do.
• The anointing gives you the power to do something for God, and later it creates changes in people’s lives.
• The anointing makes words you are speaking flow easier.
  

I have noticed this many times when I have taken on a challenge where I needed God’s supernatural power.
At times, before I have a sermon or a testimony, I feel powerless and my thoughts are in a mess. But at the moment I enter the pulpit, I get a power and boldness I didn't have before. This is the anointing. Without the anointing, I can't do anything. I can’t preach or do anything for God in my own strength, but when the Holy Spirit is over me, I’m able to do it. I am actually dependent on the anointing in everything I do for God. Furthermore, I am confident that greater things will happen.

Anointing makes changes
A person may have a great skill to preach, but without the anointing, it can't create changes in the lives of people.

1Cor 2:4-5
4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, 5so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.

Believe in the anointing.
It took time before I started to believe in the anointing God had given me, even though I had been baptized in the Holy Spirit. That’s why the speeches I gave in the beginning were not very good. I still wrote down everything I should say and I usually quoted what someone had said, because I did not believe I could say it in that way, until one day. After a meeting one of my friends came to me and said: “Why are you saying that someone else can say things in a better way? When God has given you the anointing to speak, why don’t you trust him to give you the right words?” He was right! So, after that I didn’t quote as much what other people had said, but I trusted in the anointing God had given me. When I started to do this, I also experienced God giving me words and a boldness to say things in front of other people in I clear and good way.

The grade of anointing could vary
The anointing is often stronger over people who have consecrated themselves. People that have been praying and fasting will often experience a higher level of anointing. Other times, we can experience a higher level of anointing when we have times of persecutions and trials. In times of trouble I have experienced a greater anointing and a greater presence of the Holy Spirit.

• You cannot always notice the anointing physically, but you will know it when you have it.
  
  

Some biblical examples of anointing
The anointing when Jesus healed a woman with bleeding for twelve years. (Mark 5:30)
When the shadow of Peter fell on the sick, they were healed because of the anointing over Peter. (Acts 5:15)
I know my experiences of the anointing in my life are fairly small compared to the two examples above, but I long to get there some day. And I know it’s possible!

Hearing God’s voice

The Holy Spirit is a spokesman for God. God speaks to us through the Holy Sprit.
John 16:13
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

God speaks today!
The same words Peter spoke on the day of Pentecost are still for us today.

Acts 2:17f
17 " In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams. 18Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.

Has God spoken to you?
If you wonder if God has spoken to you, it may be He did, but you didn't know that it was He. Samuel didn't know it was God the first two times God spoke to him (1 Sam 3), so it is possible that God has spoken to you without your knowledge. I will mention a few things that may help you see that God did speak to you.

How God speaks
Hearing the voice of God is like learning a new language; in the beginning you are insecure. You are not sure if it is right or not, but when you have practiced it for a while you get more secure and you can distinguish what is the voice of God.
There are different ways God can speak to us: Through prophecies, dreams, visions, pictures, an audible voice, and an inner voice or through His word. The two last are probably the most frequent ways, but I believe there will come a time were we will experience the other ways more often.

Prophecy
Did you ever get an encouragement where someone wrote to you or told you that "God loves you very much and has a great future for you" and it was something that you really needed then and there? At that time, God spoke to you through another person. Maybe you also have had a scripture from someone, or something you have read yourself became an encouragement or a revelation for you. Then, you have had the experience of hearing God’s voice. It’s as simple as that. It's not really difficult to hear God speak to us if we are listening and aware of Him. I will say more about prophecy in the next chapter.

Dreams
It could be that you’ve had a dream from God. Check the list below and see if you recognize anything.

• Does the dream lead you to seek God more?
  
• Is the presence of the Holy Spirit there when you wake up?
  
• Does the dream repeat itself?
• Does the dream give you symbols (like Daniel)?
  
• Does the dream suddenly wake you up?
  
• Does the dream come back to you again and again when you are awake?
  
  

Visions
Visions are thoughts or goals you have that are inspired by the Holy Spirit. If you have a goal to see five people saved during a year, is this a God given vision? He wants everyone to be saved.
It can also be seeing a picture in front of your eyes when you are awake. The founder of Youth With A Mission saw a vision about a wave, wave of youth that should enter every country of the world with the good news. He has seen this vision fulfilled. YWAM is today one of the biggest mission organizations in the world, with workers in close to 150 counties.

Pictures
You see pictures instead of words. It can be a word of knowledge that comes like a picture. Some people are more visual than audient and God speaks to us in the way we communicate best.

Audible voice
It’s not often that this happens, but it does happen today. Paul experienced this audible voice when Jesus met him on the road to Damascus. (Acts 9)

Inner voice
This is the most common way to here God’s voice today (at least here in the west). Often, this happens by an impression you get, or through simple thoughts that come to your mind. I know that God is speaking to us in this way daily, and he is more willing to speak to us than we are to listen.
I can often have a talk with God in my mind. How do I know it is God? Often, I just know it is He because the solutions and answers I receive are not the usual, logical way I would think. It may sound strange, but I know He functions like this.
The best evidence of knowing that I hear God’s voice is when I pray for people. When I pray for people I sometimes get thoughts about that person I could not possibly know.
In the beginning, when I prayed for people, I‘ve thought the words I received were only my own thoughts, but when I’ve dared to speak the words out loud I’ve usually had good reports back.

Through the Bible
If you have experienced a time when you read the Bible and the word spoke to you, even though you have read the scripture many times before, you have heard the voice of God.
Some weeks after my baptism in the Holy Spirit, I experienced God talking to me in this way. When I was praying in my apartment one day, I was holding my Bible and suddenly I looked up a scripture that really spoke to me. It was a promise that he would tear down all of my strongholds that I had about myself and about God. The scripture is: Is 25:12
12He will bring down your high-fortified walls and lay them low; he will bring them down to the ground, to the very dust.

Some personal experiences about hearing God’s voice.

Once, some friends and I were having a worship time together. When we sang one of the songs, I got a word of knowledge from God. It was one sentence: "I am so sick and tired of God not hearing my prayers." After we singing this worship song, I shared this sentence with the group. Then, one of me friends said: "That’s strange, but that is just what I was thinking before we sang this worship song."

Before I left for my outreach on my DTS in Skien, Norway 95/96, we were seeking God to find out what we should do on outreach. We split up into small groups and asked God. There were four in my group, and when we were to share what each had received, we all had one idea and it was the same idea: Street kids! We didn't know it before we left Norway, but the YWAM base in Ethiopia was just about to start a work among street kids. They were really encouraged when we told them what God had said to us.

When I first heard God’s voice in this group I thought it was just from myself because it came so easy and it was the first thing I thought of. I thought if I should really hear from God I had to hear a loud audible voice saying: STREEEET-KIIIIDS!!!! But, God spoke to me through an ordinary thought.

When you learn to hear God’s voice, you will soon recognize what is from yourself and what is from God. You get certainness in your heart.

Once, I experienced God speaking to me through a picture in my mind. I was going to a Christian camp, and I needed a car to get there. I had a car, but there was something wrong with it. I took it to a garage, but they couldn't find what was wrong. On my way home from the garage, I prayed: "I know it's your will that I should go to this camp, God, and you see that I need this car for tomorrow, so I pray that before I come home you will show me what's wrong with this vehicle." Just a few minutes before I arrived home, I saw a picture of the exact thing that was wrong with it. I went out, tightened a screw, and my car was fixed.

God doesn't always speak
through "writings on the wall"

The manifestations gifts in 1Cor 12

1 Cor 12:1
Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant.

The first thing Paul is saying about the gifts is that we should not be ignorant about them. Obviously it must be important, since he is saying this.

1Cor 12:4-11

4There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.
7Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,A and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

These gifts are supernatural, they are not natural talents that God has put there, but it will be given to us supernaturally when God wants to (he wants it more often than we do) and when we need it.
Since these gifts are supernatural, they’re not from you, but from the Holy Spirit. You are just the channel these gifts work through. A mirror only reflects the sun; it's not the source.
It's the same way with us; we only reflect God’s power, we’re not the source. These gifts don’t belong to me, but the Holy Spirit.
It’s important for us to understand this. If we don’t, we can easily become proud and believe we are so great and spiritual.
When God works these gifts through you, they will appear through your unique personality. God wants to use you the way you are, he wants it to be different because no one is the same.
Some say that when God uses me it's in a different way than when he uses others. But that’s just the way it should be, we shouldn’t try to be like others. There are enough copies in the world.
In the following verses after talking about these gifts, he says that we are different parts of the body, this is important to remember, because it is easy to compare ourselves with others. For instance, thinking that I should prophesy the same way as my pastor.
When God uses you in a specific gift, don’t be afraid of making mistakes. You have to be willing to sacrifice your pride. (This also means that if you do make a mistake, admit it.)
Before God can use you in these gifts it is important for you to put yourself in a situation that gives the Holy Spirit the opportunity to work through you. Start by laying your hands on the sick and begin to prophesy when you pray for people.
You also have to know that when you are using this gift, you will meet resistance, either before or after. It is important to be aware of this, because we can easily be discouraged and give up before we even get started. After a great victory, there often comes a big test. You are most vulnerable right after you have prophesied or have had a testimony, etc. Be aware of the spiritual realm! We have an enemy that wishes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10).

Ten points to train yourself up to use the gifts

1. You have to desire it.
   
2. Don’t be ignorant.
   
3. Be teachable.
   
4. Don't begin with great (e.g. you shold go to Africa) prophecies. Start with friends.
   
5. Have the right attitude. Be humble.
   
6. Be bold and take risks.
   
7. It can be painful
   
8. Models
   
9. Be persistent.
   
10. Practice makes perfect.
    
    

Now, I will go through the nine gifts one by one.

The word of wisdom

The word of wisdom is a supernatural wisdom you get from God in a situation where your own wisdom is not enough. It gives you, for instance, wisdom in a situation where you don't know what to say.
Jesus operates a lot through word of wisdom. The Pharisees tried several times to “catch” Jesus in what he was saying so they could accuse him for false teaching.
In John 8 we read about a woman the Pharisees had caught in adultery. They brought her to Jesus to test him. And they said:

John 8:5
In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?"

If Jesus had said they should stone her to death they could have taken him to the government of Rome, because they were the only ones to summon a death penalty. If he had said she should not be stoned they could accuse him of breaking the Law of Moses. Jesus received a word of wisdom and said:
John 8:7
When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."

This led the Pharisees to go away, the elders first. They were probably the ones who knew they were not without sin. This word of wisdom defused the situation.
You might find yourself in a situation where you don’t know what to do in the future. Then, you need a word of wisdom from God.
One time I joined the prison ministry from my church, I talked to a person that believed in reincarnation. He had talked with several people that had experienced past life and he really believed in it. Two questions came to my mind. The first one I asked was: “Do you believe in a god and a bad force?” He gave a confirming answer. “How can you be sure that the experience these people have is not lies from the bad force?” He could not answer these questions. I know that the questions I gave him caused him to start thinking. In this situation, I received a supernatural knowledge from God.

Word of knowledge

The impartation of God's knowledge is to receive a supernatural knowledge of something that has happened or will happen, that we, as human beings never could have known.
For instance, knowing of a disease on another person that you couldn’t have possibly known. In a meeting, it could be that someone enters the pulpit and says: "There is someone here who has a bad left knee while being injured this summer in a motorcycle accident."
It is also something you can experience when you pray or talk to someone.
The experience I had with my friends in the previous chapter shows how this gift works. I got a word of knowledge I could not have known it naturally.
In John 4:16-19 we read about Jesus asking for water from a Samaritan woman at a well. Here, Jesus is working through a word of knowledge.

16He told her, "Go, call your husband and come back."
17"I have no husband," she replied.
Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband. 18The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true."
19"Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet.

When you read this story you can see that Jesus operates in more than one gift. He also operates in the word of wisdom and prophecy.

Supernatural faith

A supernatural faith is to have a supernatural revelation of God’s faith. It will be given to you at a specific time, at a specific place, for a specific purpose.
The gift of faith has nothing to do with the verse saying, “ faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. ”(Rom 10:17)
When this gift functions, supernatural things will happen that have nothing to do with your own faith, only Gods faith.
When the Holy Spirit comes over you, and you work in this gift, you will experience a breakthrough in one-way or the other.
These gifts also work by a strong certainty that you have already received what you have prayed for.
Daniel experienced this gift when he was in the lion’s den. (Dan 6)

Elisha experienced this gift when a raven gave him bread and meat everyday when he was in the desert (1 King 17)
When Peter healed the paralyzed man at the temple gate, he operated in this gift. He said:

Acts 3:16
By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.

The gift of healing

This gift works when a person gets healed without a doctor or medicine. Healing is something that can happen gradually, the sick person gets better and better over a period of time. One example from the Bible is when Jesus heals the son of a nobleman.

John 4:50-53
50Jesus replied, "You may go. Your son will live."
The man took Jesus at his word and departed. 51While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. 52When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, "The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour."
53Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live." So he and his entire household believed.

When you feel a great compassion and love for someone that is sick, God probably wants you to use this gift. Be bold and start to lay your hands on the sick! It could also be the Holy Spirit coming over you with an extraordinary power.

Matt 14:14
When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

Mark 5:30
At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"

Working of miracles

Some examples of miracles are: To make sun and moon stand still, make water into vine, divide the red sea, walk on water, calm the storm and feed five thousand with five loaves of bread and two fish.
You can’t make miracles happen, but you can put yourself in a situation where God can use this gift through you. Miracles are something that work instantly; healing can take a longer time.
In the Bible you can see that the working of miracles, the gift of faith and healing go together. When someone has been raised up from the dead, then these three gifts were in use.
Two examples
John 11:41-44
41So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me."
43When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" 44The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

Mark 5:40-41
…But they laughed at him.
After he put them all out, he took the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum!" (Which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!").

Before a miracle happens, a command usually has to be given. If you feel the Holy Spirit come over you and give you a command, be aware, this could be the Holy Spirit wanting you to use this gift.

Prophecy

Prophecy is to say something from God, and it is in a language everyone understands.
Prophecy is not something you say of yourself but it is to impart directly what the Holy Spirit wants to say.
The purpose of a prophecy is to edify, exhort and comfort. Paul said that this gift is the one we should seek to get the most.

1Cor 14:1,3-4
1 Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy…
3But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort.
4He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.

We have often made prophesy something difficult. We think that if I am to speak out a prophecy it really has to be "something", it has to be great and you have to say: "Thus says the Looord.."
But a prophecy can be that you were reminded of a scripture you wanted to share in a meeting or give to someone and that was an encouragement for the person. Prophecy is for edification, exhortation and comfort.
We always hope that a prophecy is one hundred percent from God, but most of the time it’s not, at least not the first time. The reason is that the vessel he uses is not one hundred percent perfect.
We are so afraid of failing, but if we are going to do something for God we have to dare to fail.
Don’t start with difficult prophecies; "Next year you are going to Africa." But start simple like: So says the Lord: "I love you or I have future and hope for you." If this prophecy is wrong it really doesn't matter. If the person you tell didn't feel loved by God and he really needed to hear it, then it becomes a great encouragement to him. If not, it's encouraging to hear it anyway.
If it is a more serious prophecy you can also say: “I don't know if this is God, but test them in your heart. If it’s not right, forget it or put it on "the shelf".”
The church should be a place where it is okay to fail, but often it is not like that. The church is the worst place to fail because we are such perfectionists.
Prophecies can be misused like the rest of the gifts. That's why we should test what has been said, but not by critical eyes.
Because prophecies have been misused they are often despised. When a prophecy has been said in a church you can see that congregation judging it. It says in the Bible to test the prophecy, but you should know by the first sentence if this is from God.
Receive the whole message, and put things that you know are not from God on the "shelf".
This is how you evaluate a prophecy: Does it lift up the name of Jesus? Does it edify the church? Is it according to the word of God? Does it produce freedom or bondage?

A very good advice when you evaluate a prophecy is:
A prophecy should never lead YOU; it should only be a confirmation of something you already know in your heart.

If you receive a prophecy that doesn’t confirm something you already have in your heart, put it on "the shelf". If it is God, he will remind you of it, and take it forth again later.

Some examples of wrong prophesies

• In a meeting a person came with this prophecy: “So says the Lord: As I was with Abraham when he lead the Israelites out of Egypt, so will I be with you.” After awhile he understood that he had said something wrong, so he stood up again and said: “So says the Lord: I was wrong, it was Moses not Abraham.”
  It could very well be that the content of the prophecy was okay, but he had said wrong name. He should have been humble enough to say: I was wrong, not God.
  Human weakness can come into a prophecy, but that does not mean that all of the prophecy was wrong.
  
  
• It was just before Christmas and one person was prophesying: “So says the Lord: Have a happy Christmas and a merry good year.”
  
  
• At a Bible school, during a worship time, one of the students stood up and said: “So says the Lord: I appreciate your worship, because it is good for my health.”
  Can God be sick? I don’t think so.
  
  
• At another prophecy in a meeting: “Great fear will come upon our land, great fear so that even I the Lord am afraid.”
  Can you imagine our God in heaven afraid and with shaking knees?
  
  
• One person came with a prophecy in a meeting. Another person did not agree with this prophecy, so he stood up and said: So says the Lord: I have never said this.
  
  
• One girl was interested in a boy. One day she walked over to him and said: “God has told me that we should get married.” The boy was thinking for a while before he answered: “I have not heard Him say this to me.”
  Again: Prophecy is just a confirmation about something you already have in your heart. It should not lead you. In this case, this girl actually used the prophecy to manipulate, which is dangerous.
  
  

Discerning of spirits

This is God’s alarm system for the church against false teaching. This gift enables you to know if someone is lying to you, or if you hear a false prophecy or teaching.
Here are some Biblical examples:

Acts 5:1-4
1Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2With his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles' feet.
3Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God."

Peter exposed, with help from the Holy Spirit, the motive behind Ananias and Safira's "good deeds"

Acts 8:18-24
18When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money 19and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit."
20Peter answered: "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 22Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. 23For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin."
24Then Simon answered, "Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me."

This segment is about Simon, the wizard, who had become a Christian. Everything was right. He had received Christ and had been baptized; he went to church and he asked to be filled with the Holy Spirit’s power and authority. But Peter, with help from the Holy Spirit, saw through him and what his motive was.

One time, I was on an outreach team in Thailand. I talked with a person that lived close to the place we lived. He seemed to be very interested in Jesus, so we sat for a while and talked. Suddenly, I got a feeling that something was not right with this man. A few days later, I found out his motive to know Christ. The only reason he showed an interest in Christ, was to get to the girls on my team. I believe that I was operating in the gift of discernment when I got this impression while talking to him.
This gift is also in use when you discern if a person is demon-possessed.

Acts 16:16
16Once when we were going to the place of prayer, a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future met us. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune telling. 17This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved." 18She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" At that moment the spirit left her.

Diverse kinds of tongues

This is a tongue that is being said out loud in a congregation, and it should be translated. It can also be a language on earth that you don't understand but someone in the congregation does.
To speak in tongues for your own edification is not one of these nine gifts in 1 Cor 12.
You can use the gift you received when the Holy Spirit baptized you whenever you like, but you can’t use the supernatural gift for the church when you want to. All of these nine gifts are given to you when the Holy Spirit wants to, not when you want.

1 Cor 12:11
All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

The way you can sense this kind of tongue is when you feel a spiritual pressure inside of you. You feel your heart beat faster and you feel there is something God wants to say.

Interpretation of tongues

Interpretation of tongues that have been said out loud in a congregation is a prophetic message.

To whom and when will these gifts be given?

I believe we can all operate in all of these gifts; Jesus did. Paul also says in 1 Cor.12: 7
7Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.

In other words, it says that these gifts are given when it's suitable. I believe that if you are in a situation where you need any of these gifts, the Holy Spirit will give it to you then and there. I believe if someone is sick, we don't have to wait for a "healer" to pray for the sick, but God wants to impart faith in you so that you can operate in the gift of healing.
The Holy Spirit will give it to you when you need it.
I believe you can be trained to be more secure and have more faith in using one or more of the gifts, but that doesn’t mean you can't function in all of them.

Important parting words

• These gifts have to be used in love, if not it can be used for your own benefit and you can start to manipulate! (1 Cor 14)
  
• These gifts should not be used for your own glory, to gain spiritual popularity, or to manipulate forth your own selfish will!
  
• Desire these gifts, not for your own sake, but for the sake of others!