Spiritual Gifts, 24

 ~ The Spiritual Gift of Teaching – Words of Wisdom ~

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). 

Category  ~  Sub-categories of the gift of Teaching are the gifts of Words of Wisdom and the gift of Words of Knowledge.

Definition  ~  Wisdom means insight into the truth and its application to daily life.  Loren Fischer defines this gift as “the God-given ability to locate formally unknown principles as well as to combine known principles of God’s Word and to communicate them to fresh situations.                “ 

Scripture  ~  “There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.  There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.  And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.  But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:4-8).

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).

Traits  ~  1) Translates ideas into words easily, analyzing, and explaining situations well.  2) Has the ability to make decisions consistent with Biblical principles before finalizing decisions.  3) Picks up details in such a way as to see the full picture and to summarize it in a meaningful way for others.  4) Chooses friends who hold high standards of conduct, and lovingly exhort those whose lives do not match Biblical standards.  5) A tendency to appear more confident at times than is the case (and they have a tendency to argue at times when evidence is weak).  6) Seeks to find ways to put what is heard into practice.  7) Interprets Scripture with keen insight by seeing practical applications from the text.  8) Suggests practical alternatives to people who are faced with a difficult situation.  9) Strives to be consistent and to determine God’s will in daily activities.

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, 96

 ~ Regarding Priorities, 2of2 ~

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  ~  “When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, ‘Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.  For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?  For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels’” (Mark 8:34-38).

Comment  ~  Martyred missionary Jim Elliot is often quoted.  The most frequent quote from Jim Elliot is “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

Two books which are full of Jim’s actual writings are “The Journals of Jim Elliot” and “JIM ELLIOT: Recorded Messages” (https://books2read.com/JimElliot).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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Daddy Forgot

 ~ Dads, Think About This ~

Daddy Forgot

He shot out the door “I’m late” he said,

He left breakfast untouched, newspaper unread.

His car revved up and off he went,

He drove away to that important event.

As his car pulled away the small girl ran down,

“Wait, Daddy wait,” I hear dressing gown.

Her mouth crumpled up and she started to cry,

            “Daddy’s gone, and he didn’t kiss me goodbye.”

She rang her Daddy and accusingly said,

            “You left without a kiss I was still in bed.”

“I am sorry Sweetheart” – “It’s okay” she replied,

But both were hurting deep inside.

Our little angel gulped down her food,

            Put on her shoes and was ready for school.

She walked out of the door her shoulders slumped,

            In her throat she could feel a sorrowful lump.

Just then the car glided up to the door,

            “It’s Daddy, it’s Daddy” the little girl roared.

They ran to each other and hugged and kissed,

            All was made better for what had been missed.

Twenty years later no one would remember,

            He was late for a meeting one snowy December.

But a little girl would never forget that time,

            When her Dad drove home to say “Goodbye.” 

~ Angella Horner, 5 July 2020 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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Myth, 102

 ~ The Bible Is Boring ~

Myth  ~  Satan the arch enemy of God suggests many lies to individuals.  This is one of his common ones. 

Truth  ~  The Bible is anything but boring.  It is true that parts of the Bible can be boring without a knowledge of other parts of the Bible.  But the Bible is a massive continuing story which is anything but boring. 

A key issue is that it takes the Spirit of God to illuminate darkened minds to make the Bible come alive. 

Scripture  ~  Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you.  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.  Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.  You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’  If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I” (John 14:25-28).

“There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.  Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.  For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:9-12).

The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, “Prescribe and teach these things.  Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.  Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching.  Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery.  Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all.  Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you” (1 Timothy 4:11-16 nasu).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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