 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| SPIRITUAL GIFTS BY RABBI ESTHER BOUCHER |
You have a specific place in the body of Christ a role that only you can fulfill. That
does not necessarily mean you will ever stand behind a pulpit to preach or teach. But
it does mean that you have a place in which to work for God. Are you in the right
place?
Filling your place in the body of Christ does not just mean being born again, filled with
the Sprit, and going to church. It means using your natural talents and spiritual gifts
for God. You should be actively involved in your place, because in your God-given
place is where the greatest blessings of God will flow both from your life and into your
life. There shouldn't be anyone sitting on a pew in a local church who doesn't also
work somewhere in the ministry of the church, because God has a specific place for
every member of the body of christ. Turn with me to 1 Cor. 12:12-21 Here the Body
of Christ is compared to the human body. Just as parts of the human body work
together in their places so must the body of Christ work together in their places. This
scripture helps us understand that each individual body part is necessary and that no
one part is more important than any other part. For the Body of Christ to operate
properly as a whole, it needs all of its parts functioning in their place.
In the body of Christ and the local body, instructions come from the head, Jesus
Christ. The members operating under the head carry out those instructions. In the
local body, the God-given vision, plan and purpose come through the senior pastor.
The members carry out the execution or operation of the vision. For the body of
Christ and the local church to be effective we must understand we are obligated to
love one another, because the body of Christ can't function properly if there is a strife
in it. Many times that's what happens in the human body. If one part rejects another
part because of an infection or disease, it can cause a serious health problem. But
when all the parts are in harmony with each other, the body is healthy and strong.
Romans 12:5 says we being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members
one of another. We must recognize that we are members one of another. We are to
build one another up, not tear each other down. We are to serve one another. We
are to help bear one another's burdens. We are to be kind to one another. Don't
speak evil against another member a fellow believer in Christ. Don't grumble against
another member. Pray for one another. Be hospitable to one another. Fellowship
with one another.
Individual members come together to make up the whole body of Christ. We all have
different talents and skills in which we excel. Every one of us has been given gifts
that fit a specific function and place in the body of Christ.
Go with me to Eph 4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles (eyes), some
prophets the (mouth), some evangelist (fleet) and some pastors (ears) and teachers
(hands). The gift of the apostle is special ability that God gives to certain members of
the body of Christ to assume and exercise general leadership over a number of
churches with an extraordinary authority in spiritual matters that is spontaneously
recognized and appreciated by those churches. They are the eyes in spiritual
matters. Prophets - The gift of prophecy is the special ability to receive and
communicate an immediate message ofGod to His people through a divinely anointed
utterance. They are God's mouthpieces. Evangelist - The gift of evangelist is the
special ability God gives to share the gospel in such a way that people become Jesus'
disciples and responsible members of the body of Christ. The evangelists are the
feet, taking the gospel to the world. Pastors - The gift of pastors is the ability to
assume a long-term personal responsibility for the spiritual welfare of a group of
believers. They are the ears listening to people's joys, sorrows and information
relevant to the health and ministry of the body and its members in such a way that
others will learn. They are the hands that prepare the lessons God wants us to learn.
There are 27 spiritual gifts listed in the scriptures. All of them are important. A
spiritual gift according to Peter Wagner is a special attribute given by the Holy Spirit
to every member of the body of Christ. According to God's grace for use within the
context of the body. They are designed for members of the body. The gifts were
given to meet needs beyond our ability to meet. They are supernatural intervention of
God. Apostle Paul admonishes us in I Cor. 12:1 - not to be ignorant. We are
commanded by the word of God to learn about the gifts. A primary spiritual exercise
for any Christian then is to discover, develop and use their spiritual gifts. The
benefits of spiritual gifts include: making you a better Christian allowing God to make
your life count for Him; it helps the church as a whole; it glorifies God. In Mark
16:15-20 we are told these signs shall follow those who believe. Do you believe?
The gifts manifest the power, which has been imparted to us as believers. All off
spring partake of the same nature, power, attributes and characteristics that belong to
their parents. If you are a child of God, it should be just as natural for you to operate
in the gifts of the Spirit as it is for a fish to swim in water. The gifts of the Spirit were
not given to the body of Christ just to be manifested in church. The Holy Spirit is alive
and well seven days a week and it is His desire to manifest the gifts wherever there
are believers. Powerful homes make powerful churches. Don't get hung up on the
labeling of the gifts either. Christians can spend hours arguing over which gift is
which and never operate in any of them. It is the desire of the Holy Spirit for us to be
eager to flow in the gifts, and not be concerned with labels. When the Holy Spirit
desires to move in a gift, He must have a willing vessel through which to operate.
The gifts are given to each and every believer, not just some. They are given as the
Holy Spirit determines, not as we determine. Many who follow Jesus have believed
that the gifts were for others, not for them. Some have believed that a few of the gifts
might be for them, but only the ones with which they were comfortable. Some
have chosen to ignore all or part of the gifts because they do not understand them.
We need to seek to be used of God in the gifts to minister to the needs of others not
to stand out as a mighty person of God. God does not give gifts, which He does not
call the recipient to use, nor does He call someone to do something for Him with
equipping that person with the necessary gift or gifts to do it. Besides the general call
of salvation there will be a specific calling. Some like to refer to this as one's ministry.
So the ministry or specific all determines the way or setting that God wishes you to
exercise the gift/gifts He has given you. Ex: A person can have the gift of teaching
and be called specifically to use that gift amongst children, on the radio, or in writing
books. Individual Christians disconnected from the body of Christ are not very useful.
Spiritual gifts are not designed for Lone Rangers. The majority of the gifts can be
found in three key chapters; Romans 12, I Cor. 12 and Eph 4. Romans 12 mentions
prophesy which I've already mentioned. Gift of service - The ability to identify the
unmet needs involved in a task related to God's work, and to make use of available
resources to meet those needs and help accomplish the desired goals. Exhortation -
The gift to minister words of comfort, consolation, encouragement and counsel to
other members of the body in such a way that they feel helped and healed. Giving -
The gift to contribute their material resources to the work of the Lord with liberality
and cheerfulness. Leadership - The gift to set goals in accordance with God's
purposes for the future and to communicate these goals to others in such a way that
they voluntarily and harmoniously work together to accomplish those goals for the
glory of God. Gift of mercy is to fell genuine empathy and compassion for individuals
both Christian and non-Christian who suffer distressing physical, metal or emotional
problems and to translate that compassion into cheerfully done deeds that reflect
Christ's love and alleviate the suffering. These persons engage in one to one
relationships. Kindness comes naturally and expects no payment. The recipients are
usually the ill, the retarded, the prisoners, the blind, the poor, the aged, the ugly, the
handicapped, the shut-ins and the mentally ill. Persons with this gift make it their
lifestyle. The gift of helps gift invest the talents they have in the life and ministry of
other members of the body thus enabling the person helped to increase the
effectiveness of their spiritual gifts. I Cor. 12 speak of the gifts of revelation the first
being the word of wisdom. This is a supernatural revelation of the mind and purpose
of God communicated wisdom. It is the expression of God's unrevealed will, the
purpose of His heart in a given situation. Ex. Acts 13:2 Word of knowledge is a
supernatural revelation of the existence, or nature, of a person or a thing, or a
knowledge of some event given by the Holy Spirit for a specific purpose. It is not a
natural knowledge. It is a supernatural gift of knowledge not available for other
means. Ex. Acts 5:3 Discerning of Spirits is the gift that enables one to see into the
spirit realm, both God's and Satan's. Some believe that one must actually see the
spirits with natural eyes and others say that this means seeing in the sense of
knowing what spirits are in operation. It is a mental operation, Jesus operated in this
gift in Matt 16:23. We have the gifts of Power, which includes faith, healing, and
miracles. Faith is the supernatural operation of the Holy Spirit, which enables us to
sustain an unwavering trust in God for the provision of their needs. It is a super
natural gift of God that enables us to perform or operate in miracles. Ex. Daniel in
lions den and Peter walking on the water. The gift of healing is a supernatural power
to heal diseases, to cast out demons and to cure by making the body whole and
healthy. The gift of healing is different from laying on of hands for the sick. The Holy
Spirit may operate through one person consistently for one type of healing or He may
choose to effect several different types of healing through one individual. Acts
5:15-16 The working of miracles is a supernatural power affected through the Holy
Spirit to intervene in the ordinary course of nature and the common natural laws that
govern the material universe. It is the temporary suspension of the accustomed order.
It has no explanation other than the sovereign power of God. Ex. Luke 8:24 The gifts
of inspiration include prophesy, diverse kinds of tongues and interpretation of
tongues. Prophecy is the supernatural utterance in the known tongue inspired by the
Holy Spirit. This gift is conformational rather than directional. The word received in
prophecy should confirm what is known already. Prophecy means speaking for
another and is the message for the Holy Spirit given to edify, exhort, and comfort.
Luke 1:42 Elizabeth's words are a prophetic utterance. Diverse kinds of tongues is a
supernatural utterance in an unknown language by the inspiration of the Holy spirit.
According to scripture 1 Cor. 14:22 tongues are a sign to the unbeliever.
interpretation of tongues together have the same affect as prophecy. The message
should exhort, edify or comfort. The gift of administration is to understand clearly the
immediate and long range goals of a particular unit of the Body of christ and to devise
and execute effective plans for the accomplishment of those goals. Other gifts listed
in Scripture include: The gift of celibacy, voluntary poverty, martyrdom, hospitality,
missionary, intercessor and exorcism. Variation and degrees of the gifts are
distributed at the discretion of God. God gives specific gift mixes to different people,
different churches and denominations. The gift mix a church or denomination has
should be a determining factor of their philosophy of ministry. This means what it
stands for and what makes it different from other churches. If God distributes the gifts
to churches, individuals, and denominations we would do well to accept what God
has given with pride, envy, guilt, self-consciousness or a feeling of inferiority.
Whatever the gift-mix God has chosen, it is a mix adequate for growth if the dynamic
is released by the power of the Holy Spirit and in obedience to the Lord of the
Harvest. Spiritual gifts are not natural talents, fruit of the spirit, Christian roles or
counterfeit gifts. Satan uses an extremely subtle counterfeit to the precious gifts of
the spirit. Satan counterfeits the gifts of faith, miracles, healing, tongues and
interpretation. Even the gift of exorcism is carefully reproduced by the devil.
Psychics are using counterfeit prophecies that come true. This makes the appeals
more attractive. As a member of the body of Christ you must dedicate to God the gifts
and attributes you possess to be used in the local church body for the propagation of
the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Natural talents like singing, playing musical instruments,
drawing and illustrating can be used to spread the Gospel. Many people want to
serve God in areas they are not equipped to serve Him. Some actually get their
feelings hurt because they want to serve in certain areas of the local church, but they
can't, because they are not endowed with the gifts and talents necessary in those
areas. Recognize your talents and gifts and develop what God has given you. Many
people think the success of a church is all up to the pastor. The pastor is important
because he provides the vision and leadership. But he can't carry the vision out by
himself. It takes each individual finding out what their position is and then functioning
in it to fulfill the God-given vision of each local church. The local church, Gates of
Praise, must have individuals who are willing to work hard at what they know how to
do to keep the church running effectively. As a pastor, I notice when we ask for
volunteers it seems to always be the same people who offer their time and talent to
help. I am thankful for people like that! But, the body of Christ needs all of us not just
a few, functioning in our places in our own local church. A church has both natural
and supernatural functions to carry out. And it is the natural and the supernatural
coming together that make an explosive force for God. We need to ask ourselves am
I in my place? Am I fulfilling my role in our church? Each one of us needs to be busy
making sure the gospel is preached and lives are changed. We must dedicate
ourselves to be in our places, doing our part. Working together, we'll carry out the
instructions God gives us to accomplish His plan and purpose for this church and
these last days.
does not necessarily mean you will ever stand behind a pulpit to preach or teach. But
it does mean that you have a place in which to work for God. Are you in the right
place?
Filling your place in the body of Christ does not just mean being born again, filled with
the Sprit, and going to church. It means using your natural talents and spiritual gifts
for God. You should be actively involved in your place, because in your God-given
place is where the greatest blessings of God will flow both from your life and into your
life. There shouldn't be anyone sitting on a pew in a local church who doesn't also
work somewhere in the ministry of the church, because God has a specific place for
every member of the body of christ. Turn with me to 1 Cor. 12:12-21 Here the Body
of Christ is compared to the human body. Just as parts of the human body work
together in their places so must the body of Christ work together in their places. This
scripture helps us understand that each individual body part is necessary and that no
one part is more important than any other part. For the Body of Christ to operate
properly as a whole, it needs all of its parts functioning in their place.
In the body of Christ and the local body, instructions come from the head, Jesus
Christ. The members operating under the head carry out those instructions. In the
local body, the God-given vision, plan and purpose come through the senior pastor.
The members carry out the execution or operation of the vision. For the body of
Christ and the local church to be effective we must understand we are obligated to
love one another, because the body of Christ can't function properly if there is a strife
in it. Many times that's what happens in the human body. If one part rejects another
part because of an infection or disease, it can cause a serious health problem. But
when all the parts are in harmony with each other, the body is healthy and strong.
Romans 12:5 says we being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members
one of another. We must recognize that we are members one of another. We are to
build one another up, not tear each other down. We are to serve one another. We
are to help bear one another's burdens. We are to be kind to one another. Don't
speak evil against another member a fellow believer in Christ. Don't grumble against
another member. Pray for one another. Be hospitable to one another. Fellowship
with one another.
Individual members come together to make up the whole body of Christ. We all have
different talents and skills in which we excel. Every one of us has been given gifts
that fit a specific function and place in the body of Christ.
Go with me to Eph 4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles (eyes), some
prophets the (mouth), some evangelist (fleet) and some pastors (ears) and teachers
(hands). The gift of the apostle is special ability that God gives to certain members of
the body of Christ to assume and exercise general leadership over a number of
churches with an extraordinary authority in spiritual matters that is spontaneously
recognized and appreciated by those churches. They are the eyes in spiritual
matters. Prophets - The gift of prophecy is the special ability to receive and
communicate an immediate message ofGod to His people through a divinely anointed
utterance. They are God's mouthpieces. Evangelist - The gift of evangelist is the
special ability God gives to share the gospel in such a way that people become Jesus'
disciples and responsible members of the body of Christ. The evangelists are the
feet, taking the gospel to the world. Pastors - The gift of pastors is the ability to
assume a long-term personal responsibility for the spiritual welfare of a group of
believers. They are the ears listening to people's joys, sorrows and information
relevant to the health and ministry of the body and its members in such a way that
others will learn. They are the hands that prepare the lessons God wants us to learn.
There are 27 spiritual gifts listed in the scriptures. All of them are important. A
spiritual gift according to Peter Wagner is a special attribute given by the Holy Spirit
to every member of the body of Christ. According to God's grace for use within the
context of the body. They are designed for members of the body. The gifts were
given to meet needs beyond our ability to meet. They are supernatural intervention of
God. Apostle Paul admonishes us in I Cor. 12:1 - not to be ignorant. We are
commanded by the word of God to learn about the gifts. A primary spiritual exercise
for any Christian then is to discover, develop and use their spiritual gifts. The
benefits of spiritual gifts include: making you a better Christian allowing God to make
your life count for Him; it helps the church as a whole; it glorifies God. In Mark
16:15-20 we are told these signs shall follow those who believe. Do you believe?
The gifts manifest the power, which has been imparted to us as believers. All off
spring partake of the same nature, power, attributes and characteristics that belong to
their parents. If you are a child of God, it should be just as natural for you to operate
in the gifts of the Spirit as it is for a fish to swim in water. The gifts of the Spirit were
not given to the body of Christ just to be manifested in church. The Holy Spirit is alive
and well seven days a week and it is His desire to manifest the gifts wherever there
are believers. Powerful homes make powerful churches. Don't get hung up on the
labeling of the gifts either. Christians can spend hours arguing over which gift is
which and never operate in any of them. It is the desire of the Holy Spirit for us to be
eager to flow in the gifts, and not be concerned with labels. When the Holy Spirit
desires to move in a gift, He must have a willing vessel through which to operate.
The gifts are given to each and every believer, not just some. They are given as the
Holy Spirit determines, not as we determine. Many who follow Jesus have believed
that the gifts were for others, not for them. Some have believed that a few of the gifts
might be for them, but only the ones with which they were comfortable. Some
have chosen to ignore all or part of the gifts because they do not understand them.
We need to seek to be used of God in the gifts to minister to the needs of others not
to stand out as a mighty person of God. God does not give gifts, which He does not
call the recipient to use, nor does He call someone to do something for Him with
equipping that person with the necessary gift or gifts to do it. Besides the general call
of salvation there will be a specific calling. Some like to refer to this as one's ministry.
So the ministry or specific all determines the way or setting that God wishes you to
exercise the gift/gifts He has given you. Ex: A person can have the gift of teaching
and be called specifically to use that gift amongst children, on the radio, or in writing
books. Individual Christians disconnected from the body of Christ are not very useful.
Spiritual gifts are not designed for Lone Rangers. The majority of the gifts can be
found in three key chapters; Romans 12, I Cor. 12 and Eph 4. Romans 12 mentions
prophesy which I've already mentioned. Gift of service - The ability to identify the
unmet needs involved in a task related to God's work, and to make use of available
resources to meet those needs and help accomplish the desired goals. Exhortation -
The gift to minister words of comfort, consolation, encouragement and counsel to
other members of the body in such a way that they feel helped and healed. Giving -
The gift to contribute their material resources to the work of the Lord with liberality
and cheerfulness. Leadership - The gift to set goals in accordance with God's
purposes for the future and to communicate these goals to others in such a way that
they voluntarily and harmoniously work together to accomplish those goals for the
glory of God. Gift of mercy is to fell genuine empathy and compassion for individuals
both Christian and non-Christian who suffer distressing physical, metal or emotional
problems and to translate that compassion into cheerfully done deeds that reflect
Christ's love and alleviate the suffering. These persons engage in one to one
relationships. Kindness comes naturally and expects no payment. The recipients are
usually the ill, the retarded, the prisoners, the blind, the poor, the aged, the ugly, the
handicapped, the shut-ins and the mentally ill. Persons with this gift make it their
lifestyle. The gift of helps gift invest the talents they have in the life and ministry of
other members of the body thus enabling the person helped to increase the
effectiveness of their spiritual gifts. I Cor. 12 speak of the gifts of revelation the first
being the word of wisdom. This is a supernatural revelation of the mind and purpose
of God communicated wisdom. It is the expression of God's unrevealed will, the
purpose of His heart in a given situation. Ex. Acts 13:2 Word of knowledge is a
supernatural revelation of the existence, or nature, of a person or a thing, or a
knowledge of some event given by the Holy Spirit for a specific purpose. It is not a
natural knowledge. It is a supernatural gift of knowledge not available for other
means. Ex. Acts 5:3 Discerning of Spirits is the gift that enables one to see into the
spirit realm, both God's and Satan's. Some believe that one must actually see the
spirits with natural eyes and others say that this means seeing in the sense of
knowing what spirits are in operation. It is a mental operation, Jesus operated in this
gift in Matt 16:23. We have the gifts of Power, which includes faith, healing, and
miracles. Faith is the supernatural operation of the Holy Spirit, which enables us to
sustain an unwavering trust in God for the provision of their needs. It is a super
natural gift of God that enables us to perform or operate in miracles. Ex. Daniel in
lions den and Peter walking on the water. The gift of healing is a supernatural power
to heal diseases, to cast out demons and to cure by making the body whole and
healthy. The gift of healing is different from laying on of hands for the sick. The Holy
Spirit may operate through one person consistently for one type of healing or He may
choose to effect several different types of healing through one individual. Acts
5:15-16 The working of miracles is a supernatural power affected through the Holy
Spirit to intervene in the ordinary course of nature and the common natural laws that
govern the material universe. It is the temporary suspension of the accustomed order.
It has no explanation other than the sovereign power of God. Ex. Luke 8:24 The gifts
of inspiration include prophesy, diverse kinds of tongues and interpretation of
tongues. Prophecy is the supernatural utterance in the known tongue inspired by the
Holy Spirit. This gift is conformational rather than directional. The word received in
prophecy should confirm what is known already. Prophecy means speaking for
another and is the message for the Holy Spirit given to edify, exhort, and comfort.
Luke 1:42 Elizabeth's words are a prophetic utterance. Diverse kinds of tongues is a
supernatural utterance in an unknown language by the inspiration of the Holy spirit.
According to scripture 1 Cor. 14:22 tongues are a sign to the unbeliever.
interpretation of tongues together have the same affect as prophecy. The message
should exhort, edify or comfort. The gift of administration is to understand clearly the
immediate and long range goals of a particular unit of the Body of christ and to devise
and execute effective plans for the accomplishment of those goals. Other gifts listed
in Scripture include: The gift of celibacy, voluntary poverty, martyrdom, hospitality,
missionary, intercessor and exorcism. Variation and degrees of the gifts are
distributed at the discretion of God. God gives specific gift mixes to different people,
different churches and denominations. The gift mix a church or denomination has
should be a determining factor of their philosophy of ministry. This means what it
stands for and what makes it different from other churches. If God distributes the gifts
to churches, individuals, and denominations we would do well to accept what God
has given with pride, envy, guilt, self-consciousness or a feeling of inferiority.
Whatever the gift-mix God has chosen, it is a mix adequate for growth if the dynamic
is released by the power of the Holy Spirit and in obedience to the Lord of the
Harvest. Spiritual gifts are not natural talents, fruit of the spirit, Christian roles or
counterfeit gifts. Satan uses an extremely subtle counterfeit to the precious gifts of
the spirit. Satan counterfeits the gifts of faith, miracles, healing, tongues and
interpretation. Even the gift of exorcism is carefully reproduced by the devil.
Psychics are using counterfeit prophecies that come true. This makes the appeals
more attractive. As a member of the body of Christ you must dedicate to God the gifts
and attributes you possess to be used in the local church body for the propagation of
the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Natural talents like singing, playing musical instruments,
drawing and illustrating can be used to spread the Gospel. Many people want to
serve God in areas they are not equipped to serve Him. Some actually get their
feelings hurt because they want to serve in certain areas of the local church, but they
can't, because they are not endowed with the gifts and talents necessary in those
areas. Recognize your talents and gifts and develop what God has given you. Many
people think the success of a church is all up to the pastor. The pastor is important
because he provides the vision and leadership. But he can't carry the vision out by
himself. It takes each individual finding out what their position is and then functioning
in it to fulfill the God-given vision of each local church. The local church, Gates of
Praise, must have individuals who are willing to work hard at what they know how to
do to keep the church running effectively. As a pastor, I notice when we ask for
volunteers it seems to always be the same people who offer their time and talent to
help. I am thankful for people like that! But, the body of Christ needs all of us not just
a few, functioning in our places in our own local church. A church has both natural
and supernatural functions to carry out. And it is the natural and the supernatural
coming together that make an explosive force for God. We need to ask ourselves am
I in my place? Am I fulfilling my role in our church? Each one of us needs to be busy
making sure the gospel is preached and lives are changed. We must dedicate
ourselves to be in our places, doing our part. Working together, we'll carry out the
instructions God gives us to accomplish His plan and purpose for this church and
these last days.
Ministry of Gates of Praise Ministries, Inc. Copyright Gates of Praise Ministries 2007