Spiritual gifts?
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P
listening can be v-e-r-y encouraging, my dear. 
honestly, i think we can get caught up in figuring out our gifts.
especially when we are young believers.
it seems like we walk with God for 5 or 10 or 20 years, just doing what we can for others,
and then: *light bulb*
oh...i see what You've made me good at, Father!
gifts are always for others, right?
honestly, i think we can get caught up in figuring out our gifts.
especially when we are young believers.
it seems like we walk with God for 5 or 10 or 20 years, just doing what we can for others,
and then: *light bulb*
oh...i see what You've made me good at, Father!
gifts are always for others, right?
I think you are referring to the spiritual gifts listed in 1 Cor chapters 12-14, again in 4-5 verses in Ephesians, and possibly in a couple of verses in Romans. Unfortunately, due to passages like the very end of Matthew 7, believing that Jesus is your Lord, and believing that the signs and wonders that you perform are from God does not guarantee that you ever really were a Christian.
Most Christians who have done research into the dating of the manuscripts believe that 1 Cor. was one of the earliest written manuscripts, along with Ephesians and Romans. That 2 of the documents mention when they cease, pass away, or the point they are given "until" but no further, indicates to some that the gifts, ALL of them, were for the infant church where we had thousands of converts, most from pagan background, and no New Testament writings whatsoever, and that the gifts, signs, wonders, were for the period when scripture was being written only. They do have the same purpose, after all, so that the man of God can be fully equipped for every good work / for equipping and building up of the body of Christ.
Also, after some study on the issue, I am somewhat convinced that God will send whatever people need to have to believe their beliefs are "truth" if they do not receive a love of the truth. Passages like 2 Thes. 2:10-13 seem to indicate this. (While the first section is definitely about the lost who will believe error in the end times, the first word in verse 13, "but" indicates that Paul compared the Christians alive in his day via the exact same test, and that they did receive a love of the truth and did end up "believing" the truth.
This seems to fit with what God has done in the past (O.T.) in sending deceiving or deluding influences as well. The point is, if you love your beliefs so much that you don't ever want to consider anything else, you get whatever you need.
Let me know if this is the kind of information you want to look at. If so, maybe I can fill in some of the gaps.
Most Christians who have done research into the dating of the manuscripts believe that 1 Cor. was one of the earliest written manuscripts, along with Ephesians and Romans. That 2 of the documents mention when they cease, pass away, or the point they are given "until" but no further, indicates to some that the gifts, ALL of them, were for the infant church where we had thousands of converts, most from pagan background, and no New Testament writings whatsoever, and that the gifts, signs, wonders, were for the period when scripture was being written only. They do have the same purpose, after all, so that the man of God can be fully equipped for every good work / for equipping and building up of the body of Christ.
Also, after some study on the issue, I am somewhat convinced that God will send whatever people need to have to believe their beliefs are "truth" if they do not receive a love of the truth. Passages like 2 Thes. 2:10-13 seem to indicate this. (While the first section is definitely about the lost who will believe error in the end times, the first word in verse 13, "but" indicates that Paul compared the Christians alive in his day via the exact same test, and that they did receive a love of the truth and did end up "believing" the truth.
This seems to fit with what God has done in the past (O.T.) in sending deceiving or deluding influences as well. The point is, if you love your beliefs so much that you don't ever want to consider anything else, you get whatever you need.
Let me know if this is the kind of information you want to look at. If so, maybe I can fill in some of the gaps.
E
[h=1]1 Corinthians 12:29-31King James Version (KJV)[/h]29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.
30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.
E
listening can be v-e-r-y encouraging, my dear.
honestly, i think we can get caught up in figuring out our gifts.
especially when we are young believers.
it seems like we walk with God for 5 or 10 or 20 years, just doing what we can for others,
and then: *light bulb*
oh...i see what You've made me good at, Father!
gifts are always for others, right?
honestly, i think we can get caught up in figuring out our gifts.
especially when we are young believers.
it seems like we walk with God for 5 or 10 or 20 years, just doing what we can for others,
and then: *light bulb*
oh...i see what You've made me good at, Father!
gifts are always for others, right?
6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.
I operate in the gift of teaching - but it came out of constantly reading the bible for years, and God sending me people who actually asked me to study the bible with them. All of a sudden, there was 6 and I seemed to be the one who had the teaching to give. Then there was over 20, and so on.
I operate in the gift of healing - but that happened when one day I heard the Lord speak to my spirit that He wanted to heal someone. I just prayed for them, but didn't ask - instead I found myself just ministering the healing in the name of Jesus. It happens every once in awhile. The gift was for the one sick, and I was just the one who ministered the gift.
I operate in the word of prophecy - and that surprises me when it happens. It is not about the future. It is about what I see the Lord is going to do in a situation or in someone's life. But usually it is just words of comfort or scriptural instruction that the Lord gives me for someone else. It overlaps with operating in the word of knowledge.
I'm just open to what the Lord gives me to do. And you can call it "gifts", but mostly it is that I listen to the Lord a lot, and try to get His heart for people. And minister what He wants to give.
I operate in the gift of healing - but that happened when one day I heard the Lord speak to my spirit that He wanted to heal someone. I just prayed for them, but didn't ask - instead I found myself just ministering the healing in the name of Jesus. It happens every once in awhile. The gift was for the one sick, and I was just the one who ministered the gift.
I operate in the word of prophecy - and that surprises me when it happens. It is not about the future. It is about what I see the Lord is going to do in a situation or in someone's life. But usually it is just words of comfort or scriptural instruction that the Lord gives me for someone else. It overlaps with operating in the word of knowledge.
I'm just open to what the Lord gives me to do. And you can call it "gifts", but mostly it is that I listen to the Lord a lot, and try to get His heart for people. And minister what He wants to give.
You certainly have encouraged me and have shown the heart of God many times since I came back to cc. I don't usually receive a word from God but I do see things and they are amazing and powerful but for some reason he mostly just shows these things about me.
But boy some of the things I saw and how strong I was in him how fiercly the firse of the holy spirit burned inside me and all around me, even remembering it now I slightly feel the overwhelming power
But boy some of the things I saw and how strong I was in him how fiercly the firse of the holy spirit burned inside me and all around me, even remembering it now I slightly feel the overwhelming power
Blain, it sounds like you have the gift of giving or/and exhorter. I will post this in my reply to the OP but for now, I want to say two things:
1. God wants us all to know all our gifts. The parable of the talents confirms this besides other passages. He wants us to know and use all our gifts, because that makes us whole and not inwardly broken up or divided.
2. There are three different types of gifts, so it requires purposeful teaching to teach Christians which gifts they have.
For now, I believe the OP is about manifestational gifts (1Cor. 12:7-10), so I'll just focus on that. The gifts you mentioned above are more related to motivational (redemptive) gifts. For the sake of this ongoing topic and confusion surrounding it, I may start a thread on it. I hope this was helpful.
1. God wants us all to know all our gifts. The parable of the talents confirms this besides other passages. He wants us to know and use all our gifts, because that makes us whole and not inwardly broken up or divided.
2. There are three different types of gifts, so it requires purposeful teaching to teach Christians which gifts they have.
For now, I believe the OP is about manifestational gifts (1Cor. 12:7-10), so I'll just focus on that. The gifts you mentioned above are more related to motivational (redemptive) gifts. For the sake of this ongoing topic and confusion surrounding it, I may start a thread on it. I hope this was helpful.
I totally with all the above. As far as Christians who say the gifts have passed away, they are in luck: they can afford to live in unbelief, because Christians, and Western Christians in particular, rarely have enough faith to operate in the manifestational gifts of 1Cor. 12. Thank God there's no condemnation for those who believe that way if they desire and seek to walk with God. (Rom. 12:1-2.) But in spite of all the unbelief and lack of faith, there is one gift that makes it pretty clear that God is operating supernaturally: the word of wisdom. It's because it has nothing to do with teaching or knowing the Bible but is like prophecy in that it tells you what to do or the course to take, and when it's from God, it always right on 100% of the time. Even atheists and unbelievers would find it hard to deny it. But again, it rarely is in operation due to unbelief, lack of faith, and ignorance in that people don't know about the gifts and their own gifts.
Oh boy, Joidevivre. You added a few more to what I'd originally said to Blain. We need teachers, but while they are asleep, I'm not skurd to do it. Lol. Here is what I have seen in the Bible and life as far as types of gifts:
1. Motivational/Redemptive gifts. (Rom. 12:6-8.)
2. Manifestational. (Rom. 12:7-10.)
3. Ministerial. (Eph. 4:11, 1Cor. 12:28.)
4. Maturing in Character. This is where though you're born with one motivational gift (usually; it's possible to be born with two but very unusual and uncommon) but grow in the other six. This is because the motivational gifts, unlike the other gifts, are actually fruits of the Spirit or seven facets of the character of Jesus. You may be born with mercy (when you are born again, these are 'redeemed' and are therefore called by some redemptive gifts), but as you grow in Christ, you suddenly also have prophecy or/and service or/and giving. You get the point.
5. Maturing in Gifts. This is where, as you mentioned a lot, you have one 'manifestational' gift but the Holy Spirit can 'manifest' any of the other gifts you don't specifically have through you.
6. Linked to number 5, you can also mature to the point that gifts not originally yours are added to you. As you use them faithfully, they become yours. Numbers 5 and 6 are what Paul was referring to when he said to desire earnestly the best gifts which, by implication, means to desire gifts you don't already have.
6. Impartation. Gifts are given by the laying on of hands or through prayer or directly from the Lord. These are often in the area of ministry or are related to ministry. (Epg. 4:11.)
Jesus is multi-faceted. We are not even scratching the surface of what He has planned for us. As the Bible says, no eye has seen and no one can grasp what He has planned for those He loves.
1. Motivational/Redemptive gifts. (Rom. 12:6-8.)
2. Manifestational. (Rom. 12:7-10.)
3. Ministerial. (Eph. 4:11, 1Cor. 12:28.)
4. Maturing in Character. This is where though you're born with one motivational gift (usually; it's possible to be born with two but very unusual and uncommon) but grow in the other six. This is because the motivational gifts, unlike the other gifts, are actually fruits of the Spirit or seven facets of the character of Jesus. You may be born with mercy (when you are born again, these are 'redeemed' and are therefore called by some redemptive gifts), but as you grow in Christ, you suddenly also have prophecy or/and service or/and giving. You get the point.
5. Maturing in Gifts. This is where, as you mentioned a lot, you have one 'manifestational' gift but the Holy Spirit can 'manifest' any of the other gifts you don't specifically have through you.
6. Linked to number 5, you can also mature to the point that gifts not originally yours are added to you. As you use them faithfully, they become yours. Numbers 5 and 6 are what Paul was referring to when he said to desire earnestly the best gifts which, by implication, means to desire gifts you don't already have.
6. Impartation. Gifts are given by the laying on of hands or through prayer or directly from the Lord. These are often in the area of ministry or are related to ministry. (Epg. 4:11.)
Jesus is multi-faceted. We are not even scratching the surface of what He has planned for us. As the Bible says, no eye has seen and no one can grasp what He has planned for those He loves.