Spiritual Gifts, 21

 ~ The Speaking Spiritual Gifts ~

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). 

Speaking Gifts  ~  This is a large category of Spiritual Gifts.  First we looked at Source Gifts, then Serving Gifts, and now we come to the category of Speaking Gifts. 

I like to compare this category of God-given abilities to the Medical Community in societies.  Looking at in this way we might liken various Speaking Gifts this way:

     Evangelist ~ Spiritual Obstetrician

     Teacher ~ Spiritual Pediatrician

     Pastor ~ Spiritual General Practitioner

     Exhorter ~ Spiritual Cardiologist

     Musician ~ Spiritual Psychologist

     Preacher ~ Spiritual Physical Therapist

Scripture  ~  “Speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head — Christ — from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love” (Ephesians 4:15-16). 

John Phillips puts it this way: While Serving Gifts were involved in “Expanding the Work of God,” Speaking Gifts have more to do with “Expounding the Word of God.”

Traits  ~  The speaking gifts are the public gifts – those that are typically carried out publicly in the local church.  In a very real way, they are a sub-set of the Serving Gifts as are all spiritual gifts – since all Spiritual Gifts are for the building up of the body of Christ.

These gifts are often motivational within the body of Christ (i.e., “Expound the Word of God” which has to do with body life and spiritual growth).  This category includes Inspiration of Truth (or Prophecy), Incarnation of Truth (or Ministry), and Interpretation of Truth (or Teaching).   

Caution  ~  Because these gifts are exercised so publicly it can easily be assumed that those with these gifts are more spiritual than those with other gifts.  This is a false assumption. 

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, 93

~ Regarding Perplexity ~

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  ~  “‘A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me, because I go to the Father.’  Then some of His disciples said among themselves, ‘What is this that He says to us, “A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me”; and, “because I go to the Father”?’  They said therefore, ‘What is this that He says, “A little while?”  We do not know what He is saying.’

“Now Jesus knew that they desired to ask Him, and He said to them, ‘Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said, “A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me?”  Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.  A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.  Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.

“‘And in that day you will ask Me nothing.  Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.  Until now you have asked nothing in My name.  Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full”” (John 16:16-24).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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God Is My… (Psalms), 60

 ~ God Is My King, 3 ~

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  ~  “We do not see our signs; there is no longer any prophet; nor is there any among us who knows how long.  O God, how long will the adversary reproach?  Will the enemy blaspheme Your name forever?  Why do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand?  Take it out of Your bosom and destroy them.  For God is my King from of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth. You divided the sea by Your strength; You broke the heads of the sea serpents in the waters. You broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces, and gave him as food to the people inhabiting the wilderness.  You broke open the fountain and the flood; You dried up mighty rivers.  The day is Yours, the night also is Yours; You have prepared the light and the sun.  You have set all the borders of the earth; You have made summer and winter” (Psalm 74:9-17).   

Prior Passages  ~  “Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation.  Give heed to the voice of my cry, my King and my God, for to You I will pray.  My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up” (Psalm 5:1-3). 

“You are my King, O God; command victories for Jacob. Through You we will push down our enemies; through Your name we will trample those who rise up against us. For I will not trust in my bow, nor shall my sword save me.  But You have saved us from our enemies, and have put to shame those who hated us.  In God we boast all day long, and praise Your name forever” (Psalm 44:4-8).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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Myth, 98

 ~ My Service Isn’t Important ~

Myth  ~  In the big scheme of things my service is not all that important. 

Truth  ~  Our Creator gave each of us a variety of natural abilities at the time of our natural birth.  He also gave each of us a variety of spiritual gifts at the time of our spiritual birth.  They were given to us to be used!

Scripture  ~  “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-12). 

“Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.  And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word.  But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, ‘Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?  Therefore tell her to help me.’  And Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.  But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her’” (Luke 10:38-42).

Notes  ~  Regarding this topic it is worthwhile to read 1 Corinthians chapters 12, 13, and 14. 

There are two significant related series of Abundant Life Now posts: Natural Gifts (“God’s Gifts”) and “Spiritual Gifts.”   

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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11 Failures Of David

~ The Progressive Nature of Sin In David’s Fall ~

Introduction  ~  King David in the Old Covenant and the Apostle Peter in the New Testament are examples of how even some of God’s greatest servants can fail miserably.  Recall that David throughout most of the Biblical record had an intimate relationship with God.  He had many accomplishments for God—however his major recorded failure, which occurred after great spiritual successes, is an example for us today.  “Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).  Let’s look at the steps in his failure as recorded in 2 Samuel 11. 

1.  David Was Careless In His Duties  ~  “It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah.  But David remained at Jerusalem” (2 Samuel 11:1).  …

2.  David Let His Guard Down  ~  …  “Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house.  And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold” (2 Samuel 11:2).  …

3.  David Began To Lust  ~  …  “So David sent and inquired about the woman.  And someone said, ‘Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?’” (2 Samuel 11:3).  …

4.  David Embraced His Lust  ~  …  “Then David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her, for she was cleansed from her impurity; and she returned to her house” (2 Samuel 11:4).  …

5.  David Reaped Consequences  ~  …  “And the woman conceived; so she sent and told David, and said, ‘I am with child’” (2 Samuel 11:5).  …

6.  David First Scheme To Hide His Sins  ~  … “Then David sent to Joab, saying, ‘Send me Uriah the Hittite.’  And Joab sent Uriah to David.  When Uriah had come to him, David asked how Joab was doing, and how the people were doing, and how the war prospered.  And David said to Uriah, ‘Go down to your house and wash your feet.’  So Uriah departed from the king’s house, and a gift of food from the king followed him.  But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house.  So when they told David, saying, ‘Uriah did not go down to his house,’ David said to Uriah, ‘Did you not come from a journey?  Why did you not go down to your house?’” (2 Samuel 11:6-11).  …

7.  David’s Second Scheme To Hide His Sins  ~  … “Then David said to Uriah, ‘Wait here today also, and tomorrow I will let you depart.’  So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next.  Now when David called him, he ate and drank before him; and he made him drunk.  And at evening he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house” (2 Samuel 11:12-13).  …

8.  David’s Third Scheme To Hide His Sins  ~  … “In the morning it happened that David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah.  And he wrote in the letter, saying, ‘Set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retreat from him, that he may be struck down and die.’  So it was, while Joab besieged the city, that he assigned Uriah to a place where he knew there were valiant men.  Then the men of the city came out and fought with Joab.  And some of the people of the servants of David fell; and Uriah the Hittite died also.  Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war, and charged the messenger, saying, ‘When you have finished telling the matters of the war to the king, if it happens that the king’s wrath rises, and he says to you: “Why did you approach so near to the city when you fought?  Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall?  Who struck Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth?  Was it not a woman who cast a piece of a millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez?  Why did you go near the wall?” — then you shall say, “Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also”’” (2 Samuel 11:14-21).  …

9. David Thought He Got Away With It  ~  …  “So the messenger went, and came and told David all that Joab had sent by him.  And the messenger said to David, ‘Surely the men prevailed against us and came out to us in the field; then we drove them back as far as the entrance of the gate.  The archers shot from the wall at your servants; and some of the king’s servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.’  Then David said to the messenger, ‘Thus you shall say to Joab: “Do not let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another.  Strengthen your attack against the city, and overthrow it.”  So encourage him’” (2 Samuel 11:22-25).  …

10.  David’s Sin Made It Easier To Sin More  ~  …  “When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.  And when her mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son” (2 Samuel 11:26-27a).  …

11.  God Was Not Pleased With David’s Actions  ~  … “But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord” (2 Samuel 11:27b).

Closing Scripture  ~  “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7).  “…be sure your sin will find you out…” (Numbers 32:23). 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

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