THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT CAN FUNCTION
THROUGH YOU, AND YOU, NOT EVEN REALLY REALIZE
THAT IT'S HAPPENING.
BECAUSE IF GOD GIVES YOU A GIFT OF FAITH TO DO SOMETHING,
TO YOU, IT SEEMS QUITE NATURAL.
IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE ANY BIG DEAL.
BUT TO SOMEBODY WHO DOES NOT HAVE THE FAITH FOR IT,
IT'S LIKE, "OH, MY GOSH.
HOW IN THE WORLD CAN THEY DO THAT?"
IN HEBREWS, CHAPTER 11, WE SEE MEN AND WOMEN OF GOD,
WHO DID AMAZING THINGS BY FAITH.
ABRAHAM LEFT HOME TO GO TO A PLACE OF WHICH
HE DID NOT KNOW.
BY FAITH, HE AND SARAH, BEING PAST CHILDBEARING YEARS,
GAVE BIRTH TO ISAAC.
WELL, IF YOU'RE 100 YEARS OLD, AND 90 SOME ODD YEARS OLD,
HOW CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN HAVE A BABY?
BECAUSE THEY HAD A GIFT OF FAITH.
BY FAITH, ENOCH WAS TRANSLATED INTO HEAVEN.
BY FAITH, DANIEL WENT INTO, AND RESTED WELL,
IN A DEN OF LIONS.
HE WENT IN AND LAID DOWN AND WENT TO SLEEP.
I THINK I MIGHT'VE BEEN A LITTLE CONCERNED
THEY MIGHT EAT ME.
I MIGHT'VE STAYED AWAKE TO SEE WHAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN.
BY FAITH, THE ISRAELITES CROSSED OVER THE RED SEA.
NOW, JUST THINK ABOUT IT.
THE WATER PARTED.
SO, IT WAS A WALL OF WATER ON BOTH SIDES OF THEM.
AND THEY WERE TOLD TO GO AHEAD AND CROSS OVER ON DRY GROUND.
WELL, IF THEY WOULDN'T OF HAD THE FAITH TO DO THAT,
THEY WOULD'VE BEEN CONCERNED THAT, THAT WATER WAS
GOING TO NOT STAY UP LIKE THAT, AND COME DOWN AND DROWN THEM,
AT ANY SECOND.
JOEL OSTEEN, A WONDERFUL MAN OF GOD, HAD THE FAITH
TO RENT YANKEE STADIUM TO HAVE A ONE-NIGHT MEETING IN.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS
OF PEOPLE THAT YANKEE STADIUM HOLDS,
BUT I WOULDN'T DO THAT.
I WOULDN'T GO RENT YANKEE STADIUM.
I'D BE PETRIFIED THAT NOBODY WOULD COME,
OR A HUNDRED PEOPLE WOULD COME.
BUT HE HAD A GIFT OF FAITH TO GO AND DO THAT.
I CAN GO TO INDIA, OR NEW GUINEA,
OR SOMEWHERE LIKE THAT, WHERE I DON'T SPEAK
THE LANGUAGE, HAVE NEVER BEEN, BUT THEY GET MY TELEVISION
PROGRAM THERE.
AND I CAN GO, BELIEVING, THAT I CAN HAVE A CONFERENCE
THERE AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ARE GONNA SHOW UP.
AND I CAN GO TO ONE OF THESE PLACES--
A LOT OF THE PLACES WE GO TO WOMEN ARE VERY MISTREATED.
AND I REMEMBER, ONE MEETING, THAT I DID IN AFRICA,
WHERE IT WAS FAIRLY COMMON FOR THE MEN,
EVEN THE CHRISTIAN MEN, TO BEAT THEIR WIVES.
WELL, I WENT UP ON THIS PLATFORM AND TALKED ABOUT SOME OTHER
THINGS FOR A LONG TIME.
BUT I KNEW THAT I NEEDED TO TALK TO THE MEN ABOUT THAT.
AND SO, HERE, I HAVE MAYBE, THREE, FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND
PEOPLE OUT IN THESE FIELDS, AND THEY'RE LISTENING AND
WATCHING ON THESE HUGE SCREENS.
AND I REMEMBER IT WAS RAINING AND I SAID, "I'LL KEEP
PREACHING, IF YOU'LL STAY." AND I SAT DOWN,
KIND OF ON THE EDGE OF THE PLATFORM,
AND I SAID, "NOW, MEN, I WANNA TALK TO YOU ABOUT
HOW YOU TREAT YOUR WIVES." WELL, IN SOME OF THE COUNTRIES
THAT I GO TO, IT'S A WONDER THAT THEY WOULD EVEN
LISTEN TO A WOMAN.
AND SECONDLY, THEY CERTAINLY, WOULDN'T WANT ME GETTING
INTO THEIR PRIVATE LIFE, TELLING THEM WHAT TO DO.
BUT I HAD THE COURAGE, THE BOLDNESS, THE FAITH,
TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT HOW WRONG IT WAS TO BEAT THEIR WIVES.
AND I WAS TOLD THAT THINGS CHANGED DRASTICALLY AFTER THAT.
THAT'S A GIFT OF FAITH OPERATING.
WHEN YOU DO THINGS THAT ORDINARILY, WOULD SCARE
THE LIVIN' DAYLIGHTS OUT OF YOU, BUT YOU JUST ARE VERY
COMFORTABLE DOING IT.
I BELIEVE THAT WE RUN THIS MINISTRY BY A GIFT OF FAITH.
WE NEED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS EVERY WEEK TO PAY THE BILLS
FOR THIS MINISTRY.
EVERYBODY CLAPS AND CHEERS, AND THINKS IT'S WONDERFUL
WHEN I SAY THAT I'M ON TELEVISION,
ALL OVER THE WORLD, IN 100 DIFFERENT LANGUAGES.
"OH, THAT'S SO WONDERFUL." WELL, THEY'RE NOT GIVING
ME THAT AIR-TIME FREE.
IT TAKES A LOT OF PEOPLE TO GET ALL THAT DONE.
AND YOU KNOW, I NEVER HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT THE FINANCES.
I NEVER THINK ABOUT IT.
I'M NOT CHECKING THE BANK ACCOUNT
EVERY TIME I TURN AROUND.
I TRUST GOD, THAT IF HE WANTS ME TO DO THIS, THEN HE'LL PROVIDE.
AND SURE ENOUGH, HE PROVIDES.
I BELIEVE THAT GOD GIVES US A GIFT OF FAITH TO DO THAT.
I LOOK BACK, AND I REALLY DON'T KNOW HOW I DID,
SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I DID.
I DON'T KNOW HOW.
I'VE WRITTEN 150 BOOKS, AND I THINK, "WHEN DID I--
HOW DID I EVER HAVE TIME TO WRITE A 150 BOOKS?"
WHO WRITES 150 BOOKS?
BUT I HAVE IT IN MY HEART, VERY STRONG, TO LEAVE A HUGE
LIBRARY, OF THE WORD OF GOD, AS PART OF MY LEGACY,
WHEN GOD CALLS ME HOME.
BECAUSE MANY OF THE BOOKS THAT HAVE CHANGED MY LIFE,
WERE WRITTEN BY PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN GONE FROM
THE EARTH FOR 100 YEARS, 200 YEARS.
AND SO, I BELIEVE, THAT THOSE BOOKS CAN
STILL BE HELPING PEOPLE A LONG TIME AFTER I'M NOT HERE.
WELL, PERHAPS, YOU HAVE A SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD
AND SOMEBODY ELSE, LOOKING ON, COULD THINK,
"HOW IN THE WORLD, CAN YOU DO THAT, DAY IN, AND DAY OUT?"
BUT GOD GIVES YOU A GIFT OF FAITH.
AND ALTHOUGH, IT'S CHALLENGING AT TIMES,
YOU DON'T LOOK AT IT THE WAY SOMEBODY WOULD LOOK AT IT,
THAT DID NOT HAVE THAT GIFT OF FAITH.
WE'RE SAVED BY FAITH, BUT THAT'S NOT THIS
GIFT OF FAITH THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
I BELIEVE THAT THERE'S GREATER THINGS THAT GOD
HAS FOR YOU TO DO.
YES, I SAID, I BELIEVE THERE ARE GREATER THINGS
THAT GOD HAS FOR YOU TO DO.
AND SOME OF YOU DISCOUNT YOURSELF
AND YOU DON'T EVEN THINK YOU CAN DO ANYTHING.
AND I'M CHALLENGING YOU, AS YOU BEGIN TO PRAY FOR
THESE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT, LIKE I'VE BEEN ENCOURAGING
YOU TO DO-- YOU GOTTA PRAY FOR
THE WORD OF KNOWLEDGE, THE WORD OF WISDOM.
NOW, YOU'RE GONNA PRAY FOR THIS SUPER-NATURAL GIFT OF FAITH.
"GOD, WHEN YOU WANT ME TO DO SOMETHING THAT
JUST SEEMS, TO ME, TO BE OVER MY HEAD,
GIVE ME THE GIFT OF FAITH, SO I CAN DO IT."
AND YOU KNOW WHAT?
SOMETIMES, YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE ANY FAITH,
'TIL FAITH IS ALL YOU HAVE.
AND I SAID-- SOMEBODY, SAID TO ME, ONE TIME,
"WELL, ISN'T THAT A LITTLE OVER YOUR HEAD?"
I SAID, "EVERYTHING'S BEEN OVER MY HEAD FOR A LONG TIME,
SO IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW MUCH DEEPER I GO."
IT'S WONDERFUL TO STEP OUT IN FAITH AND TRUST GOD.
THE NEXT GIFT THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT IS THE GIFTS
OF HEALING.
AND BOY, THERE'S A LOT TO BE SAID ABOUT THIS.
"TO SERVE AS AN ATTENDANT, TO CARE FOR THE SICK,
TO TREAT, TO CURE, TO HEAL, OR TO MAKE WHOLE."
I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, I GET SO MAD AT THE DEVIL
FOR MAKING PEOPLE SICK.
I HATE TO SEE PEOPLE SICK AND IN PAIN.
I'VE HAD MY SHARE, AND I KNOW MANY OF YOU,
EVEN WATCHING, RIGHT NOW, YOU'RE SICK OR YOU'RE IN PAIN.
AND I BELIEVE THAT HEALING IS PART OF THE ATONEMENT.
THE BIBLE SAYS IN 3 JOHN 1:2, "BELOVED ABOVE ALL
ELSE I WOULD THAT YOU PROSPER AND BE IN HEALTH
EVEN AS YOUR SOUL PROSPERS." IT'S NOT GOD'S WILL FOR YOU
TO HURT ALL THE TIME AND BE SICK.
AND YOU NEED TO CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR HEALING.
NOW, I DON'T KNOW SOMETIMES WHY IT TAKES SO LONG.
AND I DON'T KNOW SOMETIMES WHY SOME PEOPLE GET
HEALED REAL QUICK AND OTHERS IT TAKES TIME.
BUT YOU KNOW I HAD TEN YEARS OF MIGRAINE HEADACHES.
WELL, I DON'T HAVE MIGRAINE HEADACHES ANYMORE.
I HAD CANCER; I DON'T HAVE CANCER ANYMORE.
PRAY.
PRAY THAT GOD WOULD HEAL YOU.
HE CAN DO IT SUPER NATURALLY, OR HE CAN DO IT THROUGH
NATURAL MEANS.
I BELIEVE ALL HEALING COMES FROM GOD.
THERE ARE SOME AMAZING MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY TODAY,
AND YOU THINK, "HOW IN THE WORLD DO THEY DO THAT?"
I MEAN, I'VE HAD TWO HIP REPLACEMENTS.
AND MY DOCTOR SAID, "IF YOU SAW WHAT WE DID TO YOU,
YOU WOULD THINK IT WAS THE MOST BARBARIC THING IN THE WORLD."
TO TAKE A SAW, AND SAW MY HIP BONE IN HALF,
AND PUT A NEW JOINT IN THERE.
AND YET, THE NEXT DAY, THEY HAD ME UP,
WALKING AROUND THE HOSPITAL.
I WAS WALKING VERY FAST BUT I WAS WALKING.
AND IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS, I WAS AS GOOD AS NEW.
HOW CAN THEY DO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT
THEY DO TODAY?
WELL, I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S JUST BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE SMART.
I THINK ALL HEALING COMES FROM GOD.
THERE'S MIRACULOUS HEALING.
BUT I BELIEVE THAT A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE THINK
ARE NATURAL, ARE STILL GOD WORKING THROUGH THESE MEANS.
SO, NO MATTER, WHETHER YOU GO TO THE DOCTOR,
OR YOU'RE GONNA BELIEVE GOD FOR A SUPER-NATURAL HEALING,
BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING, GO TO GOD.
EVERY TIME YOU TAKE MEDICINE, ASK GOD TO MAKE IT WORK.
THANK HIM FOR IT.
BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT HE GAVE THE TECHNOLOGY TO MAKE IT.
THE GIFT OF FAITH AND THE GIFT OF HEALING,
VERY OFTEN, FUNCTION TOGETHER, OR THEY FUNCTION VERY CLOSELY.
NOW, THERE ARE DIFFERENT DISPENSATIONS IN THE CHURCH.
AND YOU SAY, "WELL, WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?"
WELL, THERE ARE DIFFERENT TIMES WHEN GOD DOES DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND OVER THE YEARS, THERE HAVE BEEN REVIVALS
OF DIFFERENT TYPES.
AND A FRIEND OF MINE, WAS USED BY GOD, GREATLY,
BACK IN THE SIXTIES AND SEVENTIES,
IN WHAT WAS CALLED, "THE TENT HEALING REVIVALS."
AND HE HAD SOME AMAZING MIRACLES.
HE HAD THE FAITH TO DO THINGS THAT I WOULD THINK,
"HOW IN THE WORLD DID YOU DO THAT?"
LIKE, HE TOLD ME ABOUT ONE TIME, WHEN HE WENT UP TO A WOMAN,
IN THE CONGREGATION.
SHE HAD ON GLASSES, HE TOOK HER GLASSES OFF,
STOMPED 'EM INTO PIECES, ON THE GROUND, AND SAID,
"YOUR EYES ARE HEALED." AND SURE ENOUGH,
HER EYES WERE HEALED.
WELL, I WOULDN'T HAVE THE NERVE TO DO THAT.
BUT I WOULD, IF I HAD A GIFT OF FAITH.
SEE, HE KNEW, THAT HE KNEW, THAT HE KNEW, THAT GOD WAS
GONNA HEAL HER.
NOW, WE DON'T SEE A LOT OF THIS STUFF TODAY.
BUT LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING, GOD'S NOT FINISHED.
AND HE MAY COME BACK AROUND WITH ANOTHER GREAT REVIVAL,
WHERE WE WILL SEE THINGS LIKE THAT AGAIN.
I AM GONNA START BELIEVING FOR MIRACLES.
I BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO BELIEVE GOD FOR THINGS.
YOU HAVE NOT BECAUSE YOU ASK NOT.
DON'T LET YOUR BRAIN STOP YOU.
DON'T LET YOUR OWN MIND GET IN YOUR WAY.
BECAUSE GOD CAN DO THINGS THAT YOUR MIND CANNOT
EVEN FATHOM.