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MANY CALLED
FEW CHOSEN
SPIRITUAL GIFTS
WELCOME BACK MY
FRIEND
Good things come to those
who wait.
I trust that you're waiting at the end of each step for the next day
to continue on.
It's a great thing you're doing!
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Psalms 27:14
Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen
thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. |
What's the difference
between a gift, and a Spiritual gift? Most people think of their gifts
as their talents, but most peoples' talents are really skills that
they've developed on their own, through knowledge, study and
practice. A Spiritual gift is a natural ability that you receive from
God, through the Holy Spirit. A Spiritual gift is an ability which you
use to glorify the Lord.
What are your Spiritual gifts?
That’s a question that you can answer by asking yourself, What can I
do, to best serve the Lord? What opportunities and talents has He
given to me that I can use to glorify Him? What do I enjoy doing that
truly serves Him? He gave you unique gifts and wove them into who you
are, and He has a plan for you to use those gifts. Often times, God
will put you into situations where you can use the Spiritual gifts
that He gave you.
No matter what
your own personal Spiritual gifts are, they’re important to God. Let
me give you something to think about. Let’s say you take the
ingredient ... salt ... out of all your food. Blehhhhh! But it’s only
salt. It usually dissolves and you can’t even see it, but it sure does
make a difference. Don't underestimate the importance of the Spiritual
gifts that the Holy Spirit gives you, no matter how insignificant
YOU think they may be.
Actually, your gifts don't only
belong to you. The Holy Spirit didn't give them to you simply for
your own benefit, but for the benefit of others, and so that
people would depend on one another. If we each had all the Spiritual
gifts, what would we need to depend on others for? Our Spiritual gifts
help keep us united.
This is a wonderful
explanation by the Apostle Paul, of how we’re all united in Christ and
how we all should depend on and appreciate one another and the
Spiritual gifts that each one of us has been blessed with. Let’s take
a look.
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1 Corinthians 12:4-31
Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And
there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And
there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God
which worketh all in all.
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to
profit withal. For to one
is given by the Spirit the
word of wisdom;
to another the word of
knowledge by the same
Spirit; To another faith
by the same Spirit; to another the
gifts of healing
by the same Spirit; To another the
working of miracles;
to another prophecy;
to another discerning of
spirits; to another
divers kinds of tongues;
to another the
interpretation of tongues:
But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing
to every man severally as He will. For as the body is one, and
hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being
many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we
all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles,
whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into
one Spirit. For the body
is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am
not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the
body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am
not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole
body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were
hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the
members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now
are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say
unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the
feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the
body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: And those
members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon
these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts
have more abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no
need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more
abundant honour to that part which lacked. That there should be
no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same
care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the
members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the
members rejoice with it.
Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. And
God hath set some in the church, first
Apostles,
secondarily prophets,
thirdly teachers,
after that miracles,
then gifts of healings,
helps,
governments,
diversities of tongues.
Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all
workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak
with tongues? do all interpret? But covet earnestly the best
gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way. |
What does all that
mean? Well, to make a long story short, it means that we've all been
given different gifts by the same Holy Spirit, and that we all need
one another. Paul is kind of humorous saying, if the whole body were
an eye, how would it hear? Good point, huh? Another point he makes is
that some gifts, even though they may seem weak, are very very
important. Let me give you another example: The eye is very fragile,
even an eyelash inside of it can cause much pain, but without the eye,
the hand which is very strong, would have a difficult time working.
What did Paul mean by that last sentence? It's good to sincerely want
to do the best things FOR GOD ... BUT, Paul adds, I'm
gonna show you something that's very important! Oh my, yes! Throw a
little LOVE into the recipe and then you’ve got the
right idea. Paul goes on in
1 Corinthians,
Chapter 13 to teach more about this, that you can have
all the gifts in the world, but without LOVE ... well, if you don't
share them with LOVE, they're useless.
Have you ever gotten a paper cut
on your baby finger, and even though you're otherwise in perfect
health, that teeny tiny little paper cut can absolutely ruin your day?
Whenever you consider yourself unworthy, or the gifts that the Holy
Spirit has freely given to you unimportant, you're really affecting
the lives of others. No matter how unimportant you may think your gift
is, not using it causes a wound that effects someone else, and quite
possibly many people.
It's easy to forget
how we should use our Spiritual gifts. When you perform the gift(s)
that the Holy Spirit has bestowed upon you, do you remember that
you're sharing it with the Lord's beloved people? Do you give it
freely? Do you like to take the credit for your talent or are you
humble and make certain that others (who don't understand as well as
you do) know that it is a gift of God, and that you are merely a
vessel by which HE is distributing HIS
gift?
Let's talk about
specific Spiritual gifts for a moment.
In today's world, it seems that our gifts are different
from those that people were blessed with back in Paul's day, but is
that really true? What about doctors? True, most have not come by
their profession Spiritually, but though our society requires a degree
from medical school to be a doctor of any kind, some are
Spiritually gifted in their work. They are today's healers.
You'll find that our world today doesn't require the gift of speaking
in tongues in the same way that it did in Biblical times and the Word
of God today is spread through other means of communication, but make
no mistake,
HIS WORD GETS AROUND!
What about the
gift of prophecy? Don't we have people alive today who are God's
Prophets? This is an interesting question. Many people believe that
God doesn't use Prophets any longer. I'd like to give you something
to think about. In our unbelieving world of today, if God did send us
the precious gift of a Prophet, who would believe? I'm gonna give you
a few seconds to think about your answer ...
. . .
. . .
. . .
No matter what
your answer was, doesn't it mean that a Prophet is really in the eye
of the beholder?
Peter tells us
in the book of the Acts of the Apostles, quoting scripture from
Joel 2:28-30, that the gift of prophecy will be given to men
and women in the End Times:
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Acts 2:17-18
And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will
pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your
daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on
my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and
they shall prophesy. |
What about teachers, and helpers, etc.? If you look around, you'll
see that there are still people who are gifted in many of the same
ways, in our world today, as in Biblical times.
Do you have
gifts that you don't even know about? Perhaps you are gifted with
something that you don't consider a 'gift' but is something that
touches other peoples' lives. Maybe hospitality is a gift of yours.
You may find it effortless, whereas someone who may be a fantastic
cook might have great difficulty making people feel welcome, whether
it be at home or at a Christian community gathering. If you've ever
seen the old movie "It's A Wonderful Life" you know that there are
many people who's lives you've affected just by being ... you. That
alone is a Spiritual gift. The fact that God created you, is evidence
that He has a plan for you, and that even if you can't put a title on
a specific 'gift' ... you ARE a gift to others.
The way that we
use our gifts is so very important. If someone gave you a gift, and
you thought it was too special to use it, what good does it do? It
may be nice to look at, but what does it profit anyone? The same goes
for your Spiritual gifts. What if those who are gifted with musical
ability didn't sing? What good does it do for anyone then? Don't put
your Spiritual gifts up on a shelf somewhere, and never use them ...
it's a shame for them to go to waste.
Some people are jealous of other
peoples' Spiritual gifts, and this is a problem that apparently was
going on way back when, too. If the word jealous is too harsh for you,
let's use the word ... envious. Paul explains, using the parts of our
physical body, as an example of how we should view our Spiritual gifts
as parts of the body of Christ, and not to misjudge our importance.
How you use your gifts is important:
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Romans 12:4-16
For as we have many members in
one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being
many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of
another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that
is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to
the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our
ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that
exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with
simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth
mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be without dissimulation.
Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be
kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour
preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in
spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in
tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the
necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Bless them which
persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do
rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one
toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of
low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. |
What does all that
mean? It means to give your gifts with LOVE. We should never take
advantage of Spiritual gifts or take them for granted either, whether
they be our gifts, or someone else's. As Paul said above, your gift is
serving the Lord, which deserves reverence, whether you are giving or
receiving.
A lot of people claim
that they don't have any gifts or talents, or that they just don't
know what their gifts are. Sometimes this is for attention but
sometimes it's because they don't want the responsibility that goes
along with being gifted. Let me give you an example:
Two year old Junior learned the ABC's from watching Sesame Street
every morning, but when mommy wants Junior to sing the ABC's for Aunt
Gertrude, he remains as silent as a clam. Not because he doesn't know
the ABC's, but because once someone else knows that Junior knows his
ABC's, he knows he's gonna have to sing them for everybody that
happens by until he's 5!
This is just a silly
example, but do we realize the happiness and the benefits that we are
keeping from our fellow Christians by not using our God given gifts?
Sharing your Spiritual gifts takes your precious time ... it's a
sacrifice, for God. Whatever you do for others, you do for the Lord.
We all belong to Him ... We're all A PART of Him. Do you have
something better to do with your time than that?
There are other kinds
of Spiritual gifts, that aren't talent related ... but the kind that
are like presents, if you will. If you're a Christian who hasn't
recognized your Spiritual gifts, take a good look at these:
THE GIFT OF JESUS CHRIST
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John 3:16
For God so loved the
world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. |
THE GIFT OF THE
HOLY SPIRIT
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Acts 2:38-39
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of
you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and
ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the
promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are
afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call.
Luke 11:13
If ye then, being evil,
know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more
shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them
that ask Him? |
THE GIFT OF
ETERNAL LIFE
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Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal
life through Jesus Christ our Lord. |
THE GIFT OF GRACE
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Ephesians 2:8
For by Grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves: it is the gift of God: |
EVERY GOOD GIFT
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James 1:17
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and
cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no
variableness, neither shadow of turning. |
God doesn't hide our
gifts from us. If you sincerely look for them, you'll find them ...
just ask Him. The Lord won't deny your earnest prayer to fulfill the
plan that He has for you. Pray for the opportunity to discover your
own special niche. Oft times, when we put our own plans aside and open
our heart to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, is when we truly
discover the gifts that God designed just for us. You've discovered
that one of your gifts is to REPRESENT.
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STEP #8
To complete this step you
must CHOOSE to find out more about these Spiritual gifts that we
have learned about. You can begin by reading these studies
so that you will know the TRUTH of these
Spiritual gifts so that if YOU are given them, you will use them
effectively and wisely.
Continuing in EACH step daily
is so very important.
Go back over each step often to
be sure you have not missed anything.
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If you have any
questions about the program, contact one of the CHRISTIAN TEAM LEADERS
in the Christianity Oasis Chat Room.
Or you can contact us at:
ManyCalledFewChosen@ChristianityOasis.com
To continue our program,
you can return tomorrow and select:
STEP #9
I’ll meet you there!
Take care and have a SON-sational day.
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