What has been said of Faith may be said also of both the other gifts which with it forms the second group of three within the nine. Whether it be Healing or Miracles, every born-again child of God has some real knowledge and experience of each in grace. Who has not known the healing power and comfort of peace which passeth understanding, or of love shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Spirit when baptised by Jesus into His death and resurrection? And who among us that are saved cannot testify to miracles of some sort having taken place in our lives, whether in spirit, soul or body? Answers to prayer, openings of doors, supplyings of needs, all testify to the reality of the miraculous life in which God, having brought us, also now sustains us; and this is just how it should be with us all. But none of these must be mistaken for the particular gifts of which they are the grace.
For Mutual Benefit to the Glory of God
The spirituals are gifts superadded to the grace, extending the ordinary to the extraordinary, and that which is common to us all to that which is entrusted only to the few. Now although this is the case, it is so by God's will, and must be understood by us aright, for although given to the few, they are not to be regarded as specially for them so much as entrustments to the whole Body unto the benefit of all mankind and the glory of God thereby. They are worked by the selfsame Spirit that indwells all, and none need feel envious or jealous of another, for in bestowal and operation each is for mutual benefit so that while credit must be given to the member who faithfully uses the gift, the glory surely goes to Him whose Body we all are.
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G.W. North (1913 - 2003)
G. W. North was born in London England in 1913. As a young man he became aware that the Lord was calling him into the work of the ministry. At timely stages the Lord placed folk in his path who were able to direct him into the truth of heart purity and a more expansive understanding of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. He held pastorates in Kent and Bradford. By the late 1960s, following a significant period of ministry in Liverpool, he began a more itinerant ministry. This led him to many parts of the world, and occupied him until well into his eighties. His powerful preaching and the unique sense of the Lord's presence, which seemed to brood over his meetings, were always intensely challenging.The true secret of his remarkable ministry stemmed from his personal communion with the Lord Jesus. To him, 'entering the holiest' was not merely a theological concept; it was a distinct spiritual reality - and the central feature of his spiritual life. It was here, in the place of worship, that his revelatory ministry found its source. He preached from understanding and conviction. He was never the echo of another, nor did he take on board the ebb and flow of various contemporary emphases. He was not a man of 'books'; he soaked himself in Scripture and allowed it to saturate his heart and mind. Truly, this is a man who has lifted up a standard for the people. Mr North went to be with the Lord on 29th April 2003, shortly after his ninetieth birthday.