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Did Jesus say you would be endued with tongues or power to be a witness?
Was it power to witness or tongues that made a fisherman, which was viewed as, unlearned and ignorant preach one of the greatest sermons ever know?!
The Spirit comes upon you for ministry and within for character....Gifts are for ministry...Fruit is for character...
You will not operate in gifts until you have character and your only motivation is perfect Christ like love...gifts are not a measure or indication of spiritual maturity at all....Character is...
It is also not "initial evidence" it is ongoing evidence
Was it power to witness or tongues that made a fisherman, which was viewed as, unlearned and ignorant preach one of the greatest sermons ever know?!
The Spirit comes upon you for ministry and within for character....Gifts are for ministry...Fruit is for character...
You will not operate in gifts until you have character and your only motivation is perfect Christ like love...gifts are not a measure or indication of spiritual maturity at all....Character is...
It is also not "initial evidence" it is ongoing evidence
if you know for sure, without a doubt, that you have 'actually-received' the Holy Spirit', -
then, through every, single obstacle that comes-up before you, Jesus will assure you that He
has your back and is laying-out His Holy path before you, every single, step of your way,
as long as we are in and obeying His Will...
then, through every, single obstacle that comes-up before you, Jesus will assure you that He
has your back and is laying-out His Holy path before you, every single, step of your way,
as long as we are in and obeying His Will...
I've got mixed feelings about spiritual gifts tests. I met a young man and a friend of mine, after I met him, told me he'd just come to faith and that he'd had to go through deliverance or something like that. He had just taken a spiritual gifts tests and was depressed. He was a plumber, and according to the test, what he was gifted in was fixing stuff around the church building. I tried to encourage him that God can use him in ways he hadn't considered. But he was depressed and it didn't seem to sink in. But I saw him about a year later and he was talking to our mutual friend, saying how God was using him, how he was going around ministering to different people.
Some of the so-called spiritual gifts tests are rather poor. If you like to start new things, they say you have the apostolic gift. If you identify things that are wrong and point it out, they say you have a prophetic gift. That's based on a misunderstanding of what these gifts are. Misunderstandings of scripture can result in bad, invalid tests.
I am not necessarily against all spiritual gifts tests. But I think you could discover your gifts better by examining yourself, asking God to show you your gifts, and asking other people who know you.
And you might have some gifts you don't know about because you haven't been in many situations for them to manifest. When I was in my early '20's, I started attending a church plant that met in a home where people would pray for each other, for half an hour, or maybe an hour. I started praying about details of people's lives I didn't naturally know about, and they'd tell me about it. I realized I was being moved to pray about these things. Later on in my life, I was praying for a man at a retreat. I prayed about his ministry there where he lived, about his ministry in India, and for a car for his family. I had met him once and didn't know him. He told me when he prayed quietly about his ministry here, I prayed for that out loud. When he prayed for his ministry in the US, I prayed for that out loud. He prayed about his car which had a wheel that was making loud noises, and I prayed for that. He was a grad school student and probably didn't have a lot of money. He ended up replacing that used care with another one that was better.
I think what I was doing fits in the category of exercising the word of knowledge. Whatever you label it as, if I hadn't spent time ministering to people by praying with them, I might never have discovered that gift. If you never tried to pray or minister to the sick, when would the gifts of healing ever have an opportunity to manifest in you?
My advice is to pray about it, meditate on the word, but also to minister to others. Pray with people. Encourage people. Gifts are given for the common good, for one part of the body to minister to others. So minister to other people if you want to see the gifts you are praying for and other gifts manifest in your life and you want to identify them.
Some of the so-called spiritual gifts tests are rather poor. If you like to start new things, they say you have the apostolic gift. If you identify things that are wrong and point it out, they say you have a prophetic gift. That's based on a misunderstanding of what these gifts are. Misunderstandings of scripture can result in bad, invalid tests.
I am not necessarily against all spiritual gifts tests. But I think you could discover your gifts better by examining yourself, asking God to show you your gifts, and asking other people who know you.
And you might have some gifts you don't know about because you haven't been in many situations for them to manifest. When I was in my early '20's, I started attending a church plant that met in a home where people would pray for each other, for half an hour, or maybe an hour. I started praying about details of people's lives I didn't naturally know about, and they'd tell me about it. I realized I was being moved to pray about these things. Later on in my life, I was praying for a man at a retreat. I prayed about his ministry there where he lived, about his ministry in India, and for a car for his family. I had met him once and didn't know him. He told me when he prayed quietly about his ministry here, I prayed for that out loud. When he prayed for his ministry in the US, I prayed for that out loud. He prayed about his car which had a wheel that was making loud noises, and I prayed for that. He was a grad school student and probably didn't have a lot of money. He ended up replacing that used care with another one that was better.
I think what I was doing fits in the category of exercising the word of knowledge. Whatever you label it as, if I hadn't spent time ministering to people by praying with them, I might never have discovered that gift. If you never tried to pray or minister to the sick, when would the gifts of healing ever have an opportunity to manifest in you?
My advice is to pray about it, meditate on the word, but also to minister to others. Pray with people. Encourage people. Gifts are given for the common good, for one part of the body to minister to others. So minister to other people if you want to see the gifts you are praying for and other gifts manifest in your life and you want to identify them.
We all have the ministry of reconciliation. We all can share the gospel.
There are talents we all are born with. Gifts of the Spirit are the "spiritual talents" that Holy Spirit gives for power in witnessing, and for signs and wonders.
Natural talents and gifts of the Spirit are different.
I asked the question should a prophet activate the gifts only because that happened to me. I actually felt "something" within my middle area.
Am sure not all have to have an experience like this.
There are talents we all are born with. Gifts of the Spirit are the "spiritual talents" that Holy Spirit gives for power in witnessing, and for signs and wonders.
Natural talents and gifts of the Spirit are different.
I asked the question should a prophet activate the gifts only because that happened to me. I actually felt "something" within my middle area.
Am sure not all have to have an experience like this.
That was your first assumption, that I wanted you to teach me something...its called a discussion group not the most longest and most well reputation, green hash marked board members teaching new members their own private doctrinal interpretations board....
you want to teach? Ask your Pastor to get you a small group or Sunday School Class......
you want to teach? Ask your Pastor to get you a small group or Sunday School Class......
U
The average BDF user is a self appointed teacher here to correct everyone else. To tell everyone they're wrong. And to be condescending and insulting. Doesn't matter if it's their first day or if they've been here years. So your 'green hash mark' comment is irrelevant and shines a light on your ignorance about this site.
And, not to mention, you are here to teach as well, whether you word it that way or not. Truth is you're here arguing with others and being insulting. You actually fit in perfectly well, regardless of how many 'green hash marks' you have. See, it's not a matter of how long or how many 'green hash marks' you have, because you're no different.
And, not to mention, you are here to teach as well, whether you word it that way or not. Truth is you're here arguing with others and being insulting. You actually fit in perfectly well, regardless of how many 'green hash marks' you have. See, it's not a matter of how long or how many 'green hash marks' you have, because you're no different.