29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. ~ Romans 11:29 (NKJV)
I’m sure you’ve heard the expression, “Use it or lose it.” But when it comes to God’s gifts and calling, that saying does not apply. What God has given you cannot be lost or revoked. Paul encourages his young protégé, Timothy, to “stir up the gift of God which is in you” (2 Timothy 1:6). We need to do the same thing—we must stir up the gifts given to us.
Just as natural talents and skills are sharpened through training, practice, and repetition, spiritual gifts are activated the same way—by putting our faith into action. We will never see the sick healed if we never pray for the sick. We will never exercise authority over demons if we never act in faith in the Name of Jesus when those situations arise.
In Mark 9:14–28, there’s an interesting story about a desperate father who brought his tormented son to Jesus to have a demon cast out of him. The demon would throw the boy into convulsions and cause him to fall into the fire or into the water to try to destroy him. When Jesus was not present, the distressed father turned to His disciples—but they could not help him.
When Jesus came down from the Mount of Transfiguration, He asked the Scribes, “What are you arguing about with them?” Mark 9:16. I can only imagine the conversation that they would probably have had:
The Scribes are in deep discussion with Jesus’ disciples, likely about the disciples’ ability to cast out demons. You can’t cast out demons… Who do you think you are anyway? You’ve probably done it before, but that was then; this is now. All of that was only for that time, not for now. If it were, you would be able to do it.
And they tell us the same thing today. You think you can do these things, but you can’t, Nemo! That was only for the 1st century church. All signs and wonders ceased when the last Apostle died. Healing is not for today; it’s only if God is willing… Yet a leper came to Jesus and said, “LORD, if You are willing, you can make me clean.” And Jesus immediately replied, “I am willing…” (Matthew 8:2-3, Mark 1:40-42, Luke 5:12-13).
So, are you telling me that Jesus has changed His mind and now somehow after taking the stripes by which we are healed, He is no longer willing to heal?” Peter and John were not under that impression; they said, “Silver and gold, have I not, but what I do have, give I unto thee…” Acts 3:6 (KJV). They were absolutely sure of what they had. They believed that by His stripes we are healed. They said, “…what I do have…” Paul didn’t think that Jesus had changed His mind either, or had revoked the power and authority He had previously given His Church, but with confidence, he commanded the spirit of Python to come out, in Acts chapter 16, and the spirit came out.
So, when Jesus came upon the confusion, He asked His disciples and the Scribes, “What are you arguing about with them?” But there is no recorded answer or reply. But here’s the thing… They did not let the enemy speak lies into their lives. They went straight to the source—Jesus Himself—to ask why, and in Mark 9:29b, Jesus’ answer was clear: “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.” If you are not actively stirring up the gifts of God, you’ll never see them. This isn’t because they are no longer for us today, but because we don’t actively stir them up. We don’t spend time in prayer. We don’t fast. We’re an extremely lazy generation of the Church, so we blame God for our inability to see signs and wonders, instead of ourselves. This only pushes us further away from what God has in store for us.
Peace. Love. Go Forth and Stop Putting It On God.