Spiritual Gifts, 19

 ~ The Spiritual Gift of Administration ~

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). 

Serving Gifts  ~  Within the Service Sector we compared the Spiritual Gift of Serving with non-profit organizations in society.  The Gift of Going / Mercy was likened to Missionaries, while the Gift of Helps is a parallel for food banks and similar organizations.  The Gift of Hospitality was compared to the travel industry, and the Gift of Leadership is a direct parallel to leaders throughout society.  The Gift of Administration is a clear counterpart to managers throughout society.

Gift of Administration  ~  In modern societies many would consider this to be a sub-set of the Gift of Leadership.  “The God-given legislative ability to stand behind people in order to collect data, to set policy, to develop plans which will guide a course of action with skill and wisdom.” –Loren Fischer

Scripture  ~  “Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.  And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.  Are all apostles?  Are all prophets?  Are all teachers?  Are all workers of miracles?  Do all have gifts of healings?  Do all speak with tongues?  Do all interpret?  But earnestly desire the best gifts.  And yet I show you a more excellent way” (1 Corinthians 12:27-31).

Traits  ~  The person with the gift of administration will typically; 1) develops careful plans to implement a particular course of action, 2) assume responsibility of supervision to see that the details on a job are running smoothly, and 3) establish guidelines and procedures for the participants in a project to see that the job gets done correctly.

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, 91

 ~ Regarding Ownership ~

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 He [Jesus] spoke a parable to them, saying: ‘The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.  And he thought within himself, saying, “What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?” So he said, “I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.  And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”’  But God said to him, “Fool!  This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?”  So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God’” (Luke 12:16-21). 

Quotes  ~  The Beloved Apostle wrote, “Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life” (John 12:25).

“I'd rather lose in a cause that will ultimately succeed, than succeed in one that will ultimately fail” (Abraham Lincoln, 1809-1865).

“There are two things that characterize the teachings of our Lord.  Number one is this: the worth, the infinite, heavenly, eternal worth of the soul.  And the second one: the transitory, temporal, ephemeral, ultimate worthlessness of everything else” (W.A. Criswell).

One of my favorite quotes is, “Don’t sacrifice the permanent on the altar of the immediate.”

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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Mothering

 ~ Not All Are Mothers, But All Should Mother! ~

Introduction  ~  Mother’s Day in the U.S.A. is a time to honor all the women in our lives.  While all women do not have children, all women have a role to play in the mothering of the young with whom they have ongoing contact. 

Roles  ~  All women are to love children.  This takes many forms including teaching, encouraging, and correcting.  These are vital roles which all adults have yet God has enabled women with special abilities in these areas. 

Scripture  ~  “The virgin’s name was Mary.  And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among [among, not above] women!” (Luke 1:27b-28).

“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).

“Who can find a virtuous wife?  For her worth is far above rubies…  her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: ‘Many daughters have done well, but you excel them all.’  Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.  Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates” (Proverbs 31:10, 28-31).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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Myth, 96

 ~ God Doesn’t Care About My Physical Body ~

Myth  ~  This myth can be stated in a variety of ways but the underlying belief is that the spiritual realm is all that matters and God doesn’t really care about my physical condition.

Kernal of Truth ~  “Exercise yourself toward godliness.  For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come” (1 Timothy 4:7b-8).  You only need a cursory glance at this passage to realize it is a comparative statement.  

Truth  ~  God considers us stewards of all He has given us including our physical bodies.  Therefore, gluttony and any other avoidable factors that damage our physical bodies is an afront to Him.

Scripture  ~  “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful.  All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.  Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them.  Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.  And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power” (1 Corinthians 6:12-14).

The Apostle Paul continues in this passage, “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?  For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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