Spiritual Gifts, 12

 ~ The Spiritual Gift of Witness ~

Opening Comment  ~  “Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.  Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures” (James 1:16-18). 

Source Gifts  ~  The first of the Construction Sector gifts is Love!  Love is the foundation of all our building.  The second is faith which provides the framework for our relationship with Christ and the building together with other believers.  The third is Hope!  The “blessed hope” is from the Architect of our faith as He guarantees the final result.  Finally, we come to the responsibility to Witness to others about our Savior.  Witness can be likened to the exterior of our building. 

Overview  ~  In the Old Testament Israel was God’s witness on earth (in a very significant way a singular witness as a nation).  In the New Testament all believers are His witnesses (plural). 

The terms witness and evangelism are often confused in Christian circles.  All believers are His witnesses (for good or bad).  Being an evangelist is one of the Spiritual Gifts which we will look at in more detail in a later post in this series. 

Scripture (Old Testament) ~  “For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.  The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 7:6-8).

There are at least three ways that Israel was God’s witness on earth.  First, as a proclaimer and witness to the fact that God was real.  Second, a witness to the Law and the truth of God’s Word.  Finally, a witness to the fact that God Himself would come to earth. 

Scripture (New Testament)  ~  Just prior to The Messiah’s ascension back to His Father in heaven He gave the following proclamation to His followers, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Closing Comments  ~  “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.  Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.  Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership.  Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.  Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine.  Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (1 Timothy 4:12-16).

“Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.  For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:6-7).

“As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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Question – Jesus, 82

 ~ Regarding Nationality ~

Introduction  ~  This series is about questions involving Jesus.  Some were asked by individuals involved with Jesus Christ while He walked on earth.  Others are questions that Jesus Christ asked others.  We will look at questions on about 130 topics (some may split into two or more posts).  Even so, it is far from an exhaustive list. 

Scripture  ~  “Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning.  But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover.  Pilate then went out to them and said, ‘What accusation do you bring against this Man?’  They answered and said to him, ‘If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you.’  

“Then Pilate said to them, ‘You take Him and judge Him according to your law.’  Therefore the Jews said to him, ‘It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,’ that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.

“Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, ‘Are You the King of the Jews?’  Jesus answered him, ‘Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?’  

“Pilate answered, ‘Am I a Jew?  Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me.  What have You done?’  Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world.  If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.’  

“Pilate therefore said to Him, ‘Are You a king then?’  Jesus answered, ‘You say rightly that I am a king.  For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.  Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.’

“Pilate said to Him, ‘What is truth?’  And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, ‘I find no fault in Him at all’” (John 18:28-38).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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God Is My… (Psalms), 52

 ~ God Is My Strength, 6 ~

Introduction  ~  Previously from July 16, 2017 through January 6, 2019 ALN posted a series of 60 posts of “Jesus is…,” and now we look exclusively at who “God is…” from the Book of Psalms.  While not a complete list these posts occur are in the same order they are in the Psalms. 

Passage  ~  “My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him.  He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved.  In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God” (Psalm 62:5-7).    

Prior Passages  ~  “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling” (Psalm 46:1-3).     

“Vindicate me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation; oh, deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man!  For You are the God of my strength; why do You cast me off?  Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” (Psalm 43:1-2). 

“I will love You, O Lord, my strength.  The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.  I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies” (Psalm 18:1-3).

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him” (Psalm 28:7).

“For You are my rock and my fortress; therefore, for Your name’s sake, lead me and guide me.  Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, for You are my strength.  Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth” (Psalm 31:3-5).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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