Daily Devotions

Mark 9:25, “… he rebuked the impure spirit. You deaf and mute spirit, he said, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” I’ll never forget the first time God used me to cast demons out of a person. I was a young pastor working in the inner city of New Orleans.…

Mark 16:17, “And these signs will accompany those who believe…” When God chose Moses to be His representative, He gave him miraculous signs to verify the message to both God’s people and Pharaoh (Exodus 4:1-31). The same is true in today’s passage when Jesus spoke to his disciples to go and preach the gospel to all…

1 Corinthians 14:32-33, “32 The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. 33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace —as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.” There are generally two opposite opinions concerning the order of the gifts that are both wrongly held in many churches…

1 Corinthians 14:1, “Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.” As a pastor I hear the excuses people make all the time to not be used in the spiritual gifts. The most popular excuse I always hear is, “I don’t have any spiritual gifts because God hasn’t given them…

1 Corinthians 12:11, “All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” Have you ever watched your favorite band play live music, whether in person or on video? Did you notice how all the musicians had a specific part to play to make…

1 Corinthians 12:10, “…to still another the interpretation of tongues.” The ninth and last spiritual gift is the “gift of interpretation of tongues.” The gift of interpretation of tongues is, “a supernatural ability to interpret a message given in tongues.” Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 14:5, “I would like every one of you to speak in…

1 Corinthians 12:10, “To another speaking in different kinds of tongues…” The eighth spiritual gift is “speaking in different kinds of tongues.” The gift of speaking in different kinds of tongues is, “a supernatural message given in an unknown tongue (language) that brings edification, exhortation and comfort.” The gift or message in tongues must always be…

1 Corinthians 12:10, “To another distinguishing between spirits…” The seventh spiritual gift is the “gift of distinguishing between spirits.” The gift of distinguishing (or discerning) between spirits is, “a supernatural revelation about the origin of a spirit and its characteristics.” Consequently, there are four different kinds of spirits in the world, which are, (1) the Spirit…

1 Corinthians 12:10, “To another prophecy…” The sixth spiritual gift is the “gift of prophecy.” Prophecy is “a supernatural message that brings edification, exhortation and comfort.” Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 14:2, “But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort.” Howard Carter said prophecy was like, “the poetry of the…

1 Corinthians 12:10, “To another miraculous powers…” The fifth gift of the Holy Spirit is the “gift of miraculous powers.” The gift of miraculous powers is, “a supernatural display of God’s infinite power.” Howard Carter wrote, “The gift can be used as a sign of the presence and power of God, for the provision of temporal…