EACH BELIEVER IS GIVEN A SPIRITUAL GIFT

PROCLAMATION

“Now to each one the manifestation of The Spirit is given for the common good.  To one there is given through The Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.  All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He distributes them to each one, just as He determines.”  1 Corinthians 12:7-11 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words were written by the apostle Paul, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers in the church at Corinth.  In this chapter Paul wrote to them concerning Spiritual Gifts so that they would not be uninformed. (1 Corinthians 12:1)  His point here was that there are different gifts, but they all come from the same Holy Spirit of God. (1 Corinthians 12:4)  He then proceeds to list the gifts of The Spirit: wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, speaking in tongues, and the interpretation of tongues.  He states that The Holy Spirit distributes these Spiritual gifts to believers as He chooses.

 

APPLICATION

The Holy Spirit of God gives one or more Spiritual gifts to each believer as He determines is appropriate.  Every believer has been blessed to get at least one gift, some get more than one of them, but no believer gets all of them.  The gifts allow the believer the capacity to perform a service for the glory of God to benefit the body of Christ.  These Spiritual gifts are different from natural physical gifts like singing or playing an instrument.  Natural gifts can be used for the glory of God, but they can also be used for self-glorification.  Spiritual gifts are to be used for the advantage, benefit, and salvation of others.  We all have Spiritual gifts, physical talents, and natural abilities which we could use for the glory of God.  All of us could do more with what we have than we are currently doing.  In fact, in all that we do, we should do it to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)

 

WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM CHRIST?

PROCLAMATION

“Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!’  The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!’  Jesus stopped and called them.  ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’ He asked.  “Lord,’ they answered, ‘we want our sight.’  Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes.  Immediately they received their sight and followed Him.”  Matthew 20:30-34 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These words are from the gospel, the good news regarding Jesus, The Christ, according to the Apostle Matthew.  While He was still in Judea, Jesus taught them the parable of the Workers in the Vineyard. (Matthew 20:1-16)  As He was leaving Judea going to Jerusalem, He predicted His death to His disciples for the third time. (Matthew 20:17-19)  As Jesus was leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. (Matthew 20:29)  Two blind men sitting on the side of the road heard that Jesus, The Christ, was passing by and they yelled, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us.”  The crowd rebuked them, and told them to be quiet, but they yelled even louder.   When Jesus asked them what they wanted, they answered, “We want our sight.”

APPLICATION

What do you want from Jesus, The Christ?  If you could only get one thing from Him, what would you ask for?  Most of us have a long, “shopping list” full of things that we want, but we have not given much thought to prioritizing that list and identifying the one most important thing that we want.  Most people want “things” or silver and gold or wealth untold.  But like the parable which Jesus taught of the Rich Man whose barns were full, who tore down his barns and built bigger barns to hold more goods.  He was told, “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee.” (Luke 12:20)  As a child I was taught that if I could be granted three wishes, I should ask for good health, long life, and happiness.  Now, all I want is to hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant … enter into the joy of thy Lord.” (Matthew 25:21)  Again I ask, What do you want from Christ?  Do not listen to the crowd, seek The Lord God.  Whatsoever you do, do it all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)

USE WHAT THE LORD GOD HAS GIVEN YOU

Proclamation:

“When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a miracle,’ then say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a snake.’  So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as The Lord commanded.  Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake.”  Exodus 7:8-10 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Moses told Aaron, his brother, everything that The Lord God had spoken to him.  Then they called the elders of the Israelites together and explained everything to them.  Moses, now eighty years old, performed the signs before them which The Lord God had told him to perform and they believed him. (Exodus 4:27-31)  Afterwards, Moses and Aaron went to the Pharaoh and told him that The Lord God of Israel said, “Let My people go.”  But The Lord God had hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he would not let the people go.  In fact, he made thing harder for them by commanding that they make their quota of bricks without straw being provided for them. (Exodus 5:1-13)  Moses spoke to The Lord God and said that he had made things worse for the people (Exodus 5:22-23) and God gave him a message for the people (Exodus 6:1-8) but the people would not listen to Moses. (Exodus 6:9)  So Moses and Aaron went back to Pharaoh and Moses performed the signs as God had told him to do, yet Pharaoh would not listen to them. (Exodus 7:1-25)

Application:

The staff of Moses became a snake and consumed the staffs of Pharaoh’s officials. (Exodus 7:10-12)  Later Moses used his staff to turn the Nile River into blood. (Exodus 7:20-21)  Moses believed and he used his staff to perform miracles.  Sometimes we feel that because we don’t have much that we can’t do very much.  However, The Lord God has given each of us a gift (1 Corinthians 7:7, 2 Timothy 1:6, and Peter 4:10)  The Holy Spirit of God has given every man a gift (1 Corinthians 12:7-12) so that we can work within the body of Christ.  We just need to use what we have been given to do what The Lord God has for us to do.  If, by chance, you are unaware of your gift, pray and ask God to reveal it to you, and to give you the courage to use it to His glory.

EACH AND EVERY BELIEVER IS GIVEN A SPIRITUAL GIFT

Proclamation:

“Now to each one the manifestation of The Spirit is given for the common good.  To one there is given through The Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.  All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He distributes them to each one, just as He determines.”  1 Corinthians 12:7-11 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the apostle Paul, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers in the church at Corinth.  In this chapter Paul wrote to them concerning Spiritual Gifts so that they would not be uninformed. (1 Corinthians 12:1)  His point here was that there are different gifts but they all come from the same Holy Spirit of God. (1 Corinthians 12:4)  He then proceeds to list the gifts of The Spirit: wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, speaking in tongues, and the interpretation of tongues.  He states that The Holy Spirit distributes these Spiritual gifts to believers as He chooses.

Application:

The Holy Spirit of God gives Spiritual gifts to each believer as He determines is appropriate.  Every believer has been blessed to get at least one, some get more than one of them, but no believer gets all of them.  The gifts allow the believer the capacity to perform a service for the glory of God to benefit the body of Christ.  These Spiritual gifts are different from natural physical gifts like singing or playing an instrument.  Natural gifts can be used for the glory of God but they can also be used for self glorification.  Spiritual gifts are to be used for the advantage, benefit, and salvation of others.  We all have Spiritual gifts, physical talents, and natural abilities which we could use for the glory of God, and all of us could do more than we are doing.  In fact, in all that we do, we should do it to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)

FOR THE GLORY OF GOD

Proclamation:

“As He went along, He saw a man blind from birth.  His disciples asked Him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’  ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.’”  John 9:1-3 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the Apostle John under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Here, John records the events surrounding the fifth public miracle that Jesus performed, giving sight to a man who was born blind.  Jesus, The Christ, said that this man was born blind so that the works of God could be manifested in him. (John 9:3)  This situation occurred so that The Lord God could be glorified.  Jesus spat on the ground, made some mud with His saliva, and put it on the blind man’s eyes, then told him to go wash in the pool of Siloam. (John 9:6)  The blind man did this and gained sight in his eyes.  When the Pharisees learned of this they were upset because Jesus had again performed a miracle on the Sabbath. (John 9:14-16)

Application:

Sometimes bad things happen to good people, as part of God’s permissive will, that leave us helpless so that He can get the glory when He makes a way out for us when there appears to be no way.  We may at times be helpless but we are never without hope.  Our hope is in The Lord God. (Psalm 31:24 and 33:18)  We may not understand why some things happen, but we know that all things work together for our good. (Romans 8:28)  So, whatever happens, to God be the glory. (Jude 1:25)

OUR GIFTS CAN OPEN DOORS FOR US

Proclamation:

“A man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before great men.”  Proverbs 18:16 (NASB)

Explanation:

This proverb was written by King Solomon under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Here he states that a person’s God given gift will make room for him.  It will make a way for him, it will enlarge his presence and gain respect for him among men.  It will also open doors to the presence of great men and allow him to keep company with influential people.  It will get him the opportunity to speak to, and gain the favor of, them that are esteemed and thought well of.  The same is also true for our tangible gifts, or monetary gifts, which can open doors and influence people.

Application:

The Lord God has blessed each one of us with at least one gift, which if we are wise we will use to His glory.  The gifts of The Holy Spirit of God are wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, distinguishing of spirits (discernment), speaking in tongues (in languages that one has neither learned or understood), and interpretation of tongues. (1 Corinthians 12:7-11)  These are not gifts which we give away but which we use for the benefit of others.  We are also each blessed with different individual talents and abilities which we should use for the glory of God.  These gifts, along with our tangible and monetary gifts, can also be used for the benefit of others as well.  Jesus, The Christ, said that as we do things to the poor and needy, we are doing it to Him. (Matthew 25:40)  We should use our gifts and our influence in order to benefit others.

GOD HAS BLESSED EACH OF US WITH A GIFT

Proclamation:

"We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.  If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.  If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully."  Romans 12:6-8 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the Apostle Paul to the believers in Rome.  After warning the people of God not to think too highly of themselves, (Romans 12:3) Paul told them that each one of them is a member of the body of Christ and each of them has a purpose and function to fulfill. (Romans 12:4-5)  Then he shared with them that they all have been given gifts, thanks to the grace of God, and they have not been given the same gifts.  Then Paul admonished them to use the gift which they had been blessed with to the best of their ability.

Application:

God has also blessed each one of us today with a gift.  Some have more than one gift.  All of us have been given gifts but we do not all have the same gifts.  God has a purpose for each one of us to fulfill which compliments the purposes that He has for other believers to fulfill.  However, it is up to us to determine how we will use our gift.  God does not interfere with our free will or our freedom of choice.  It is up to us to choose whether or not we use our gift, and if so, then how we will use it.  We should use our gifts to the best of our abilities, and do so in a way that gives God glory.

WE ARE ALL CALLED TO SERVE GOD

Proclamation:

"I keep asking that The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, The Glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better.  I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you ..." Ephesians 1:17-18 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this prayer were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the Apostle Paul to the believers in Ephesus.  Paul prayed that God would bless them to know Him better, and that they would embrace that which The Lord had set forth for them to do for His glory.

Application:
God has a special purpose for each one of us. (Jeremiah 29:11)  We are not all called to preach the gospel or to teach it.  However we are all called by The Lord God to serve Him in some capacity.  We are not all given the same gifts or abilities, but we all have been blessed with at least one gift that we can use in His service. (1 Corinthians 12:7)  We should all pray for ourselves and for each other that we would recognize our gifts that we have been blessed with, and with the wisdom and understanding to know how we can use our gifts for the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 12:27)

FOR THE GLORY OF GOD

Proclamation:

"His disciples asked Him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’  ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him." John 9:2-3 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the Apostle John to record the conversation which occurred just prior to Jesus giving sight to a man who was blind from birth.  Jesus explained the situation to His disciples by saying that some times things happen to people so that God can use the situation in order to show others what He can do and so He can be glorified.

Application:

Sometimes bad things happen to good people.  We don't understand it and we often ask why it happened.  Let us not be so quick to complain about our situation, whether our bad choices led us to it or if it was the result of something over which we had no control.  We should act in a Christ-like manner regardless of the situation.  God is still in control.  Whatever it is, it can still serve a purpose.  Our negative situations can be used by God for His glory, for our benefit, or for the benefit of others.  Remember the Bible story about Job.  He was a God-fearing good man who was wealthy and lost everything that he had when God let the devil test him. (Job 1:1-22)  In the end, Job was blessed with twice as much as he had. (Job 42:10 and 12)  As Christians "... we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28)  So let us live for the glory of God, no matter what happens.

WE SHOULD LET OUR LIGHT SHINE

Proclamation:

"... Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of our Lord and Savior Jesus, The Christ, as He spoke to His disciples and indirectly to the surrounding crowd during His Sermon on The Mount.  After He presented the beatitudes, Jesus told them that they were the salt of the earth and then He said that they were the light of the world. (Matthew 5:13-16)

Application:

Salt has a purifying influence in addition to having a unique taste.  Light always defeats darkness and it reveals things which are hidden in the dark.  As believers we are to be a purifying influence in a sin sick world.  We are to be the light which shines so that the lost can find their way to Christ.  We are to live our lives in such a manner that others can see The Christ within us.  Our good deeds are to be done for the benefit of others, to help, encourage, edify, and enlighten them.  We are to be living examples of good Christian behavior for others to see and imitate.  Additionally, we are to do so, not for the personal praise from men, but for the glory of God.  Before we speak or act, we should ask ourselves, "What would Jesus say or do in this situation?"  Let us examine the motives for our words and actions.  Let us stop living for personal attention, glory, gain, and gratification.  We each should pray and ask God, "What is His purpose for our life?"  Then we should let our light shine and live for the glory of God.

ASK AND YOU WILL RECEIVE

Proclamation

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seek finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of our Lord and Savior Jesus, The Christ, which He spoke to His disciples and to the surrounding crowd during His Sermon on the Mount as recorded by the apostle Matthew.  Jesus told them that whatever they asked Him for would be given to them.  This is clarified in another Bible verse, “And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that The Father may be glorified in The Son.  You may ask Me for anything in My name, and I will do it.  If you love Me, keep My commands.” (John 14:13-15)

Application:

Jesus said that we can have what we ask Him for.  He also said that we will find what we seek and opportunities will be opened up to us.  We do not have what we want because we have not asked The Lord God for it. (James 4:2)  If we pray for it and if we believe that He will give it to us, then we will receive it. (Matthew 21:22)  There are, however, some underlying conditions to this.  First, this only applies to believers.  If He is not your Father, do not expect that He will give you what you ask for.  If you do not believe in Him, don't waste your time asking Him for things.  Secondly, this only applies to things that will help us to give God Glory, not things to glorify or pacify or pleasure ourselves.  If we ask for something that is inappropriate it will not be granted. (James 4:3)  Thirdly, in order to get the "... any thing ..." we want from Him we must keep His commandments.  By keeping His commandments we show Him that we love Him. (John 14:21)  If we love Him and truly want to please and glorify Him then we will get what we ask Him for.

Let Your Light Shine

"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."  Matthew 5:16 (NIV)

These are the words of Jesus, The Christ, as recorded by the Apostle Matthew as Jesus was beginning His Sermon on the Mount.  After telling His disciples that they were the salt of the earth and the light of the world, He told them to let their light shine.  He wanted all men to see their good works and then glorify God, The Father, in heaven. 

Believers are to be a living example of the teachings of Christ.  Once we are saved, The Holy Spirit of God indwells us and we are changed. (Ezekiel 36:27 and 1 John 3:24)  That Spirit within us is the light which shines forth, however brightly.  By living godly lives, we show the world the power of salvation to change us from what we used to be.  We all need to let our light shine, and let it shine brightly.

Ask Believe And Receive

"If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."  Matthew 21:22 (NIV)  The King James Version reads: "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." 

These are the words of Jesus as He spoke to His disciples on His way back to Jerusalem from Bethany, where He had spent the night, on the day after He had driven the money-changers and merchants from the temple.  Jesus told them that they would receive whatever they asked The Lord God for in prayer if they believed that they would receive it.  

There is power in the prayer of the believer.  Jesus, The Christ, said that we would receive whatever we asked for in prayer. (Matthew 7:7 and 21:22)  However, there are some conditions which relate to this.  First, we must believe in Him, and believe that He can grant our requests. (Hebrews 11:6)  Second, we must ask for things that will give God glory. (John 14:13)  Third, we must be sincere in our requests. (James 5:16)  Fourth, we must not ask for things for the wrong motives, or for our lustful pleasure. (James 4:3)  If we ask for anything which is consistent with the will of God, and which we desire in order to give glory to God, then our prayer requests will be granted, but only if we believe.

God's Help Deliverance And Forgiveness

"Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of Your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for Your name's sake."  Psalms 79:9 (NIV)

The author of this psalm wanted God's help, deliverance, and forgiveness.  This psalm is a prayer.  This is a request for God's help when evil and havoc is all around.  It is also a request for God to purge away their sins.  It is a plea for God's compassion and for His mercy. 

It is not easy for us to live our lives in such a way that God is glorified in our actions and words.  We could say, like the Apostle Paul said, when we would do that which is good, evil does so easily overtake us. (Romans 7:21)  The evil that we try so hard to avoid, that is what we find ourselves doing. (Romans 7:19)  That is why we need to pray, like the psalmist prayed, that God would help us, deliver us, and forgive us of our sins.  For it is only with His help that we can change and become more Christ-like. (2 Corinthians 5:17)  Even after we are saved, we must be on guard for we will still be under attack by the devil to see if he can cause us to fall into sin.  (Ephesians 6:11)   And, when we fall, we will not be forgotten, The Lord God will pick us up. (Psalms 37:24)  He will do so because He said that He would, and to not do so would dishonor His name.

Let The Light Of God Shine Within You

"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."  Matthew 5:16 (NIV)

At the beginning of His Sermon on the Mount, after giving them the Beatitudes, Jesus, The Christ, told His disciples and the surrounding crowd to let the light of God which was within them shine so that men might see it in their good works and then give praise and glory to God in heaven.  They were to behave in such a way that their good deeds would give God glory.

All who have accepted Christ as their personal Savior, have the indwelling of The Holy Spirit and therefore have God within them. (Ezekiel 36:27 and Luke 17:21)  We need to keep our mind and our bodies clean because The Spirit of God will not dwell in an unclean temple. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)  If we focus on obeying The Word of God, then our behavior will more Christ-like, and those around us will see The Spirit of God shining within us, and we will be able to give God the glory for our good deeds and words. (Isaiah 60:1, 2 Corinthians 4:6 and Revelation 14:7)  By submitting to The Word of God which abides within us, we can overcome the devil. (James 4:7 and 1 John 2:14)  To God be the glory!!!

Do Your Best At Whatever

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom."  Ecclesiastes 9:10 (NIV)

As he shared his wisdom with the people of his kingdom, King Solomon said do your best in whatever you do, while you can do it, because there will come a time when you will not be able to do anything.

None of us will live forever here on earth, death is coming.  So while we are alive and well enough to do things, we should do the very best that we can do.  For we don't know how long we will have the chance to do anything.  While we can, we ought to praise God in whatever we do, and we should do our best at whatever it is because we are doing it for Him. (Colossians 3:23)  We should thank God for all that He allows us to do. (Philippians 4:6)