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HEART TO HEART Pastor Lynda MacDonald, Nova Scotia |
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OUR FATHER’S GIFTS Much is being said these days about
ministries that move in unexplained manifestations. There are conferences
from east to west that are said to have the Holy Spirit showing up in strange
ways. I
want to focus not on these different manifestations but on the Father and His
purpose in giving “good gifts” to His children. First, let’s establish that God is
Holy and He does nothing before He tells it to His prophets. In other words,
we need to know that it is written or not written in scripture. Amos 3:7 “ADONAI, God, does nothing without
revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.” If a particular manifestation is not
found in scripture, be extremely cautious about it. God keeps His Own Word! Another needful thing to establish is
that God gives only good gifts to His children. (Matthew 7:11) “So if you,
even though you are bad, know how to give your children gifts that are
good, how much more will your Father in heaven keep giving good
things to those who keep asking him!” Psalm 84:11 reads “For ADONAI, God, is a sun and a shield; ADONAI bestows favour
and honour; He will not withhold anything good from those whose lives are
pure.” What
are those gifts? 1 Corinthians 12:4 “Now there are different kinds of gifts,
but the same Spirit gives them.” Is it a manifestation? Yes for the good of
all but nowhere in scripture could I find that it was to profit an
individual! 1 Corinthians 12:7 Moreover, to each person is given the
particular manifestation of the Spirit that will be for the common good.” What are those gifts according to the
Word? They are 1.Word of Wisdom (wise Godly direction) 2.Word of Knowledge (knowing by
discernment what otherwise would be secret) 3. Faith (trust in God) 4.Gifts of Healing (restoring the body to
health) 5.Working of Miracles (performing an act
beyond natural means) 6. Prophesy (Prophecy is the proclamation
of a message revealed by the Holy Spirit, suited to the specific needs of the
moment, in the language of those who hear it) 7. Judging of the spirits (knowing if the
operation of a spirit is of God) 8. The ability to speak in other tongues
(bringing a message from God in a language you did not learn) 9. The ability to interpret the tongues
(Speaking the meaning of the tongues in the language of the congregation) 1
Corinthians 12:8-10 The ministering gifts are (1Corinthians
12:28) “ And God has placed in the Messianic Community first,
emissaries; second, prophets; third, teachers; then those who work miracles;
then those with gifts of healing; those with ability to help; those skilled
in administration; and those who speak in various tongues. Another scripture
backed place is in Ephesians 4:11 “He is the One who gave some the gift to be
apostles. He gave some the gift to be prophets. He gave some the gift of
preaching the good news. And he gave some the gift to be pastors and
teachers. It is easy to see that God has all the
bases covered. Why would the Body of Messiah need these gifted people?
Ephesians 4:12-13 explains it this way, “He did it so that they might prepare
God's people to serve. If they do, the body of Christ will be built
up. That will continue until we all become one in the faith and in the
knowledge of God's Son. Then we will be grown up in the faith. We will
receive everything that Christ has for us.” Manifestations within the Body are to
prepare God’s people to serve so as to build the Body up. Hebrews 5:12-14 gives an example of a
congregation who is not being served in order to become built up. “ By this time you should be
teachers. But in fact, you need someone to teach you all over again. You need
even the simple truths of God's word. You need milk, not solid
food. Anyone who lives on milk is still a baby. That person does not
want to learn about living a godly life. Solid food is for those who are
grown up. They have trained themselves with a lot of practice. They can tell
the difference between good and evil.” What if
your congregation is too small for all these gifts to operate? The one
wonderful thing about God is that He knows just what we need and when we need
it. If there is a gap in the gifts, He will send someone along, even in a
temporary way, to serve the believers. “He makes a way when there seems to be
no way!” 1 Corinthians 12:29-31 stresses the way
to seek the gifts “Is everyone an apostle? Is everyone a prophet? Is everyone
a teacher? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak
in languages they had not known before? Do all explain what is said in those
languages? But above all, you should want the more important gifts.” What would the most important gifts be?
Those gifts that are needed within the congregation where you fellowship.
When the gift of healing is needed pray for someone to use that gift. When
direction is needed, pray for a prophet to arise. When souls are being won,
pray for someone to do the work of an evangelist. Whatever you do- seek to be
assistive in making the congregation where you are a stronger, faith based
group, moving in God’s directives, and hearing from Him on a daily/weekly
basis so that your fellowship is right on top of what He and you are to
accomplish together! One thing is for sure – IF God provided
these gifts for us then we must need them –now more than ever! |
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