Revival Times 2017 August 2017 | Page 7

Abimelech gives Sarah back to Abraham (Genesis 20) the moment of creation. We can find almost every spiritual gift mentioned in 1 Corinthians already at work in the Old Testament! Every man or woman who is full of the Holy Spirit is a recipient of revelation, and this is the key to unlocking the door to the supernatural. Jesus only did what he saw the Father doing; he didn’t do anything by his own initiative. He responded to what God was showing him. And if you and I know how to discern the will of the Father by the Holy Spirit, then we can move like Jesus moved. Abraham’s revelation begins Genesis 12 where the Lord instructs him: “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonours you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” No wonder Abimelech was in trouble! On the cross Jesus took our sins that we might receive his righteousness, and so back in the times of the Old Testament, before Jesus came, God saved Abraham ‘on credit’ – with the bill paid at the cross. Abraham was walking by faith. He believed right to the end, even though there was stumbling on the way, because he knew God was in control. If we want to move in spiritual gifts, we have to be right with God first. It is not just about having ability; we must have a relationship with God. Romans 4:20 reminds us that Abraham never wavered through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, gave glory to God, and was fully convinced that what God had promised he was able to perform. Abraham was a man of action. At times he took the wrong action, but he was always seeking to move forward. You can’t just say: ‘Lord I believe!’, you have to step out in action: speaking in new tongues, laying hands on the sick, sharing you faith with others. You ➜ Revival Times August 2017 7