As we come to the end of this “teaching-slash-commentary” I’d like to close with a few questions and answers regarding the use of spiritual gifts. These are questions I’ve had through the years. Perhaps you’ve had them, too.
Here we go:
Q. How I can tell when I’m in my spiritual gift or when I’m working outside my gifts and skills?
A. When a person is in their gift the activity is accompanied with a rich sense of joy - a delight in doing what is almost too good to be true! There is also a certain keenness, of a sharpness of mind, that comes into play. It’s a “just knowing what to do and how to do-it-ness” about the activity.” Spiritual activities don’t get blurred – or ill-defined – they become crystallized.
Conversely, when a person is outside her gifts there will be a general sense of draining. Energy will dwaine and “ministry” may become synonymous with “chore.” That’s not to say that ministry can’t be draining even when a person is in her gift, only that there is disposition of fatigue and “work” when a person has stepped into someone else’s spiritual turf.
Q. Can’t natural abilities be the same as spiritual gifts?
A. When we come to Christ there is no doubt that God takes our “water” and changes it to “wine” – meaning everything/all that we are is crucified and raised to new life in Christ. If you were a teacher before you were raised with Christ, you will still be a teacher afterward – howbeit your teaching will no doubt take on the added element of the fragrance of Christ. So, in one sense, “wine happens.”
There is a strong body of belief which states our gift(s) actually lie somewhat dormant in our hearts until awakened with Christ, that we are born with everything we need and everything we need will kick in to play the moment we surrender our lives to Christ. Before Christ, they are exhibited in society, but in a far less influential way than they would have been (or could have been) through a converted heart.
For example, a person with the “dormant gift of evangelism” may turn out to be a very influential person - like an Elvis, Sir Paul, or a convincing spokesperson for a “Just Say Yes” campaign - someone with a culturally defined, "natural charisma." Then, when the soul of that person becomes a new creation in Christ, their semi-dormant gift then becomes all that God originally intended it to be and things really kick into gear. Until that time, the gifts are used, and the person may find some sense of fulfillment therein, but their use is far less than God’s potential. (It’s difficult to argue with that because no one knows if it’s really true or not.)
Unless otherwise informed, I still abide by the old Biblical view: our skills and natural giftedness become empowered when we become Christians and, at the same time, God gives us our spiritual gift(s) when we are filled with the Spirit. It’s not as nice and tightly defined as it could be hoped for. There are numerous variable that go into the seen giftedness of an individual. And - as we have seen, God has the right to call up any of his gifts/skills on as “as needed” basis.
Q. Can I use spiritual gifts outside “church”?
A. Absolutely. A dear friend of mine has the gift of administration – which she uses and is paid for at BP. Many who have the gift of service and helps find themselves in the food service profession. Others with gifts of compassion, and mercy find themselves in the medical profession. Behind it all – whether within or without the organized church – the function of our gifts is to evangelize and empower others for Christ, regardless of where ever you are.
Q. Are there lesser and greater gifts?
A. No. Paul is quite emphatic here: there are not. All gifts are given and based in the Holy Spirit. Some gifts, of course, are more “in the limelight” than others. But that has nothing to do with their power or potential of use. A person who serves, or those with the gifts of hospitality, mercy, intercession, or giving are on equal footing with the prophets and apostles.
Q. Sometimes in church I feel the Lord would have me share a vision, speak a prophecy, or deliver a message in tongues. My heart pounds, I break out in a sweat, and my hands begin to tremble. What do I do with that?
A. Take two aspirin and call me in the morning...
That’s a wonderful question. I believe that God’s desire is to always have a prophetic word when followers of Jesus are gathered. Perhaps this is why there is such a push for prophets to arise from among the people. – and relevant because, as the days wear on, God will be moving more and more in revelatory ways. If you have a gift - or even the stirring of a gift that is meant to edify and build up others - you need to talk to your priest, pastor, elder, shepherd about it. The operation of your gift needs to be done in order, in a way that “fits” with the blessing of your spiritual elder, and - most importantly - in a way that God gets the fame.
If the sharing of a revelatory gift at your church would be a bit out of the box, the Lord may grant you and your pastor wisdom in how to get the word out decently and in order. There are always avenues wherein a word from God can get into the congregation. It may be couched within the framework of a written prayer, creatively infused within the story-line of a a book, or poem, written into a song, or posted in the newsletter or on the church website.
Q. Is there a "growing curve" with spiritual gifts? Will it get better as I go along?
A. Most definitely. If you are in a small group, that is the best place to begin. Like crawling, toddling, walking, and running there is a real progression to one's maturity in his or her spiritual gift. Timing, wisdom, and - above all - love are key components in the operation of spiritual gifts. Once the gift is given there’s no need to rush it. You will always have it.
So go slow. Read about it, practice it in little places. As God sees you are faithful in the little things, he will raise you up to be a greater influence for him.
A big piece in the growing curve is one's personal character - his or her discipline to live/walk according to the light he or she has been shown. That means there is a relationship between the human health of the gifted person and the integrity of his or her corresponding public reflection of the Risen Christ. Many people are tremendously gifted but they also have besetting “intentional” issues in their lives. If a person is living in outright rebellion it creates a problem. God has a reputation to keep. If needed, he will wait until that person matures in Grace so that, when his gifts are made public, people will see both an inner and outer integrity of the minister and can receive the gift, giving full glory to God, with no reservations.
This is not to say we need to be completely sinless to minister in holiness. Noting could be further from the truth. God uses imperfect vessels to do his perfect work. Yet his perfect work arises from humble hearts, broken and fully reliant on his all sufficient grace. People may still fall short of their spiritual convictions. But they get up, receive forgiveness, and get back into God’s Life and work. That’s the difference, One cannot be in rebellion to the Lord and have a contrite heart.
Q. Do you have to have been “baptized in the Holy Spirit” to have a spiritual gift?
A. No. Your gifts were given to you by default when you became a follower of Jesus. At that time, the Spirit entered your heart and sealed you as one of his own, for eternal life. You have the gifts of the Holy Spirit because you have the GIFT of the Holy Spirit.
However, when a person is anointed in the Spirit, she is endowed with power from God. Everything about the spiritual life of that person is changed - including the potency of her gifts.
It’s hard to understand why a person would seek to avoid receiving the empowerment of the Spirit. God is good - so it doesn’t hurt. And he wants to see the Good News spread across the globe - so do most Christians - and has provided the supernatural means-with-all to do it, through the empowerment of the Spirit. Sounds like a no-brainer to me.
Q. Where else can I find information on the gifts?
A. The Internet, gift blogs, Christian book stores, or at by doing a search at CBD (Christian Book Distributors) online.
In your research you will find two general schools of thought on the gifts of the Spirit. First, there is a view that the gifts ceased when the Bible was written. That view is anchored in 1 Corinthians 13.8-9. These good folks would say that the gifts were imperfect – or that it was the best way God could speak to his people before the Bible (the perfect) came along. Obviously, I don’t agree with that. The other side would more/less express the views of the gifts as I have here: all the gifts are all around until Jesus (the perfect love) appears at the end of the Age. Theories vary about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. You’ll see.
Q. What do I need to believe about the gifts in order to have eternal life?
A. Nothing. Nothing at all.
Eternal life comes when you turn away from your sin, believe that God raised Jesus from the dead, and embrace the Faith with faith. People like to add other ingredients into that – like current moral/lifestyle issues, politics, theories of evolution, and even fallibility stances over the Scriptures themselves. While these things are important, they – like the gifts of the Spirit – have absolutely nothing to do with one’s eternal salvation in Jesus Christ. Salvation is one thing; how it’s lived out is quite another.
This is the final blog in A Primer for Spiritual Gifts. I hope it has all been helpful for you. The important thing is to discover your gifts and use your gifts for the glory of God.
Look around the church or community for a place for what God has given and get busy! We need you in the Body of Christ. We need to see the love of God in your gifts. More importantly, the world needs to see Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Sunday, March 1, 2009
9 Baptism in the Holy Spirit
Here’s a question: Can a person be an authentic follower of Jesus without ever being baptized in the Spirit? Can he or she still receive forgiveness, still be in ministry with Christ, still grow into a fruitful believer, and even go to heaven without being filled with the Holy Spirit?
Yes. Unequivocally, yes!
There are large pockets of believers in Christ all over the world who maintain that the the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not relevant in this day and age. Some even preach against it. They may say the Spirit no longer needs to be made manifest in that capacity because we have the Bible. They may say we are all filled with the Spirit and don’t need a second (third, fourth, fifth, etc.) experience in the Spirit, or they may even say that the whole pentecostal experience is of the devil.
Perhaps the clearest examples of not needing the baptism in the Holy Spirit and still being a bionafied follower of Christ comes from the New Testament itself. The twelve disciples, for example, were “hands on” with the ministry of Christ. They partook in the ministry of Christ, performed miracles, and even went on mission trips where they cast out demons and healed the sick. They were powerful witnesses of Jesus Christ. And they all that - and probably many other things as well - before the Spirit fell at Pentecost.
Were they Christians before they had experienced Pentecost? Sure. Were they disciples? Yup. Did they have the Holy Spirit with them? You bet. If they had died before receiving the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost would they still go to heaven? Of course.
Similar situations happened throughout the book of Acts. Paul would come across “disciples” of Jesus – real, authentic, believers in the Lord – but, all the same, disciples who had were operating the outside the fullness of the Spirit. When they heard God had more for them, they received the Spirit and experienced the same manifestations of the Spirit the original disciples received at the Feast of Pentecost, there in the upper room, which would have included the gift of tongues.
Having said all that it would be terrible thing just to say all that without completing the picture. While the experience of the Spirit was not a prerequisite for salvation, or even essential to be a disciple of Christ, it had - and still has - an essential role in the life of the church.
Jesus attested to the importance of Pentecost when he emphatically told his disciples to cease doing ministry until they had been empowered with the Spirit of God. Apparently he thought it was pretty important. In addition, all the disciples experienced and ministered in their newfound empowerment. So, while not essential, they readily received the Spirit as the fulfillment of the Promise. The Holy Spirit is a most important aspect of the Life for many, many reasons. He is a Gift that Jesus died to give us.
In fact, the resurrected Christ is the one who baptizes people in the Holy Spirit. I don’t know about you. But, if he’s doing it, I want to be a part of it!
Just what is the baptism in the Holy Spirit? The baptism of the Spirit is an added experience (in addition to Salvation) wherein the full love of the Father is poured into our hearts. It is not meant to be a once in a lifetime experience but the beginning of limitless infilling within each follower of Jesus Christ. It is meant for the empowering and anointing of the followers of Jesus in order to fulfill the mission of Christ.
Some Christians look at the baptism of the Spirit as an anointing, or calling, into ministry that comes down from above, like how it happened to Jesus when he was baptized by his cousin John. Others see the infilling of the Spirit more akin to a "releasing" of the power residing within the heart of the convert. Among those who subscribe to this phenomenon, most everybody leans into the experience as a God-given provision to walk the walk and talk the talk, victoriously in Christ. It’s interesting to note that people coming in from cults and/or the occult tend to find themselves in “Spirit-filled,” or “Pentecostal,” or “charismatic” churches. I believe this is because they’re used to dealing with spiritual powers and need the fullness of the Spirit as grace-given counterbalance to maintain a life of spiritual victory before a holy God.
In Scripture, the Greek behind the word, “baptism” has to do with a full immersion, or total saturation, into the same substance that resides within. Here’s an example of that: My brother once gave me a picture he took of an old wooden canoe carved by Native Americans. In the photo, the canoe is filled with water and, in turn, the canoe is sunk under, or within, the water as well. That is a good picture of what it means to be baptized in the Spirit. We are baptized into the same Spirit that dwells within our hearts.
When a person comes to Christ he receives the Holy Spirit. It is a deposit placed within the heart which serves as a seal of adoption into the family of God, a guarantee of the future life in heaven, and an avenue wherein the love of the Father is poured out. That all happens when a person repents of the old life, turns to Christ, and he comes to dwell in the heart of the new believer.
But the baptism of the Holy Spirit is very different than that.
When I was first baptized in the Spirit I had been a Christian for a couple of years. I was hitchhiking around, sharing Christ with about everyone I met. All in all, it was pretty awesome. Previous to my conversion, I had been involved with activities that were quite dark and powerful and, although content in my walk with Christ, I often experienced the devil's reside in my life. As a Christian, I had not yet experienced the supernatural power I needed to walk victoriously in Christ.
One evening a friend of mine invited me to a gathering of Christians. When I arrived it happened to be in a large conference room where a band was leading everyone in worship - which was a new experience for me. As the worship intensified I received a vision of a cracked-open door that had intensely-white light beaming in from the around the sides and top. It was glorious.
It was then when I heard the Lord say, “Now, Bill, you know I love you right?” I nodded. “And you know I will never love you any more, or any less than I love you now – you know that, right” Again, I nodded. Then he said, “But I have more for you... Do you want more of me?” “Oh, yes Lord... you know I want everything you have for me.”
And, with that, that the door flew open and I was immediately saturated with the all-consuming realized presence of God. It was an overwhelming moment wherein I experienced the holiness of God up and against my sinful wretchedness - which seemed to be particularly highlighted during that time. Then, as I watched, His holiness completely swallowed up my sin and shame. A couple of things happened at that time. I was washed cleaner then ever before. It was then when he also exchanged my callused heart of stone for a heart heart of flesh.
I cried for a long time that night – tears of gratefulness, to be sure. I rose from that seat knowing - and experiencing the power and fullness of God. It was then when the verse, "Greater is he (Jesus) that is in you than he (satan) who is in the world” really became something I could believe in, something that had been firmly anchored and set as a seal over my heart.
Additionally, it was after that experience when I began to minister in the revelatory gifts of the Spirit. Everything about witnessing, worship, Bible study, personal holiness – all things Spiritual, including my heart for those outside the Faith – changed for me that evening.
So, in summary, we’ve learned that a person does not need to be baptized in the Spirit – overwhelmed and saturated in the holiness of God – in order to be a Christian, or even in order to have a ministry. Yet, Scripture recognizes the additional experience of a personal Pentecost which cannot be overlooked.
Jesus himself is the one who baptizes people with the power/fire of his love. When this happens, a person’s orientation on life (her call, gifts, passion, and heart for the things of God) dramatically come to focus and that person’s life is, by the grace of God, forever changed.
Yes. Unequivocally, yes!
There are large pockets of believers in Christ all over the world who maintain that the the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not relevant in this day and age. Some even preach against it. They may say the Spirit no longer needs to be made manifest in that capacity because we have the Bible. They may say we are all filled with the Spirit and don’t need a second (third, fourth, fifth, etc.) experience in the Spirit, or they may even say that the whole pentecostal experience is of the devil.
Perhaps the clearest examples of not needing the baptism in the Holy Spirit and still being a bionafied follower of Christ comes from the New Testament itself. The twelve disciples, for example, were “hands on” with the ministry of Christ. They partook in the ministry of Christ, performed miracles, and even went on mission trips where they cast out demons and healed the sick. They were powerful witnesses of Jesus Christ. And they all that - and probably many other things as well - before the Spirit fell at Pentecost.
Were they Christians before they had experienced Pentecost? Sure. Were they disciples? Yup. Did they have the Holy Spirit with them? You bet. If they had died before receiving the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost would they still go to heaven? Of course.
Similar situations happened throughout the book of Acts. Paul would come across “disciples” of Jesus – real, authentic, believers in the Lord – but, all the same, disciples who had were operating the outside the fullness of the Spirit. When they heard God had more for them, they received the Spirit and experienced the same manifestations of the Spirit the original disciples received at the Feast of Pentecost, there in the upper room, which would have included the gift of tongues.
Having said all that it would be terrible thing just to say all that without completing the picture. While the experience of the Spirit was not a prerequisite for salvation, or even essential to be a disciple of Christ, it had - and still has - an essential role in the life of the church.
Jesus attested to the importance of Pentecost when he emphatically told his disciples to cease doing ministry until they had been empowered with the Spirit of God. Apparently he thought it was pretty important. In addition, all the disciples experienced and ministered in their newfound empowerment. So, while not essential, they readily received the Spirit as the fulfillment of the Promise. The Holy Spirit is a most important aspect of the Life for many, many reasons. He is a Gift that Jesus died to give us.
In fact, the resurrected Christ is the one who baptizes people in the Holy Spirit. I don’t know about you. But, if he’s doing it, I want to be a part of it!
Just what is the baptism in the Holy Spirit? The baptism of the Spirit is an added experience (in addition to Salvation) wherein the full love of the Father is poured into our hearts. It is not meant to be a once in a lifetime experience but the beginning of limitless infilling within each follower of Jesus Christ. It is meant for the empowering and anointing of the followers of Jesus in order to fulfill the mission of Christ.
Some Christians look at the baptism of the Spirit as an anointing, or calling, into ministry that comes down from above, like how it happened to Jesus when he was baptized by his cousin John. Others see the infilling of the Spirit more akin to a "releasing" of the power residing within the heart of the convert. Among those who subscribe to this phenomenon, most everybody leans into the experience as a God-given provision to walk the walk and talk the talk, victoriously in Christ. It’s interesting to note that people coming in from cults and/or the occult tend to find themselves in “Spirit-filled,” or “Pentecostal,” or “charismatic” churches. I believe this is because they’re used to dealing with spiritual powers and need the fullness of the Spirit as grace-given counterbalance to maintain a life of spiritual victory before a holy God.
In Scripture, the Greek behind the word, “baptism” has to do with a full immersion, or total saturation, into the same substance that resides within. Here’s an example of that: My brother once gave me a picture he took of an old wooden canoe carved by Native Americans. In the photo, the canoe is filled with water and, in turn, the canoe is sunk under, or within, the water as well. That is a good picture of what it means to be baptized in the Spirit. We are baptized into the same Spirit that dwells within our hearts.
When a person comes to Christ he receives the Holy Spirit. It is a deposit placed within the heart which serves as a seal of adoption into the family of God, a guarantee of the future life in heaven, and an avenue wherein the love of the Father is poured out. That all happens when a person repents of the old life, turns to Christ, and he comes to dwell in the heart of the new believer.
But the baptism of the Holy Spirit is very different than that.
When I was first baptized in the Spirit I had been a Christian for a couple of years. I was hitchhiking around, sharing Christ with about everyone I met. All in all, it was pretty awesome. Previous to my conversion, I had been involved with activities that were quite dark and powerful and, although content in my walk with Christ, I often experienced the devil's reside in my life. As a Christian, I had not yet experienced the supernatural power I needed to walk victoriously in Christ.
One evening a friend of mine invited me to a gathering of Christians. When I arrived it happened to be in a large conference room where a band was leading everyone in worship - which was a new experience for me. As the worship intensified I received a vision of a cracked-open door that had intensely-white light beaming in from the around the sides and top. It was glorious.
It was then when I heard the Lord say, “Now, Bill, you know I love you right?” I nodded. “And you know I will never love you any more, or any less than I love you now – you know that, right” Again, I nodded. Then he said, “But I have more for you... Do you want more of me?” “Oh, yes Lord... you know I want everything you have for me.”
And, with that, that the door flew open and I was immediately saturated with the all-consuming realized presence of God. It was an overwhelming moment wherein I experienced the holiness of God up and against my sinful wretchedness - which seemed to be particularly highlighted during that time. Then, as I watched, His holiness completely swallowed up my sin and shame. A couple of things happened at that time. I was washed cleaner then ever before. It was then when he also exchanged my callused heart of stone for a heart heart of flesh.
I cried for a long time that night – tears of gratefulness, to be sure. I rose from that seat knowing - and experiencing the power and fullness of God. It was then when the verse, "Greater is he (Jesus) that is in you than he (satan) who is in the world” really became something I could believe in, something that had been firmly anchored and set as a seal over my heart.
Additionally, it was after that experience when I began to minister in the revelatory gifts of the Spirit. Everything about witnessing, worship, Bible study, personal holiness – all things Spiritual, including my heart for those outside the Faith – changed for me that evening.
So, in summary, we’ve learned that a person does not need to be baptized in the Spirit – overwhelmed and saturated in the holiness of God – in order to be a Christian, or even in order to have a ministry. Yet, Scripture recognizes the additional experience of a personal Pentecost which cannot be overlooked.
Jesus himself is the one who baptizes people with the power/fire of his love. When this happens, a person’s orientation on life (her call, gifts, passion, and heart for the things of God) dramatically come to focus and that person’s life is, by the grace of God, forever changed.
8 Tongues
Perhaps the most misunderstood gift of the Spirit is “tongues.” Let’s talk about that.
Paul wrote the Corinthians and thanked God that he spoke in tongues more than anyone else in their church, which indicates not only its authenticity but its viable place in the life of a follower of Jesus. Tongues of men and and tongues of angels are everywhere in the Bible. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit manifested himself through “tongues of men” - known languages from that current day and age. Many times afterward, when the Spirit showed up, tongues also showed up.
Just to clear the air: A person exercising the gift of tongues doesn’t go into a zombie-like trance with white foam oozing out from the sides of their mouth anymore than a bilingual person does when speaking in their second language.
The language of the Spirit is... well, a language. And, just like any other language, it comes with its own vocabulary, dialect, expressions, grammar, in-fluctuation, syllables, and so on. A person with the gift of tongues can speak, pray, or even sing their gift almost anywhere they please - at church, in the car, or even at the gym. Some can even use their gift in their mind - like you do when you talk to yourself. It’s use is solely at the discretion of the user.
What is the value of the gift of tongues. Scripture says a person who has the gift of tongues builds himself up in the faith. That means the strength of the Lord may be magnified, lifted up, or encouraged in the heart of a person when they praying tongues - perhaps something akin to taking a spiritual vitamin.
In addition, tongues is useful in situations when your unclear exactly how to pray, or when you’re prayed out over a situation and running on empty. This can be especially useful when passing the scene of an accident on the freeway, or pulling over for an ambulance racing to the hospital. I have personally noticed that my spiritual discernment seems to sharpen after I have spent time praying in “the Spirit.” This is especially helpful just before I lead worship or pray for others.
The first time I prayed in tongues it happened in a far-a-way field near the college I was attending and under the cloak of darkness...
At that time I didn’t believe in the gift of tongues but did believe, if tongues were real, that God was big enough to give them to me if I asked.
As mentioned earlier, I had also had substantial Bible teaching telling me that the gifts of the Spirit had died out when the Bible had been written. So, by asking God for the gift of tongues, I was fearful that I would get a gift of satan instead. It was all a bit spooky for me. So, with no one around (and when the airy cloud moved mysteriously crossed over the face of the full moon), I prayed. “God, I’m going to try this. But, if it’s not your will, I pray you will shut my mouth. Guide my tongue because here I go.” Then I started talking in make-believe.
Within a milli-second two distinct things happened. First, my mind was barraged with all manner of thoughts of personal condemnation, telling me I sounded like a full-fledged idiot - and that I was a “lousy, illogical witness for the cause of Christ.”
Within a milli-second of the first milli-second, the Spirit of God got a hold of my tongue and I took off - speaking be in a new, heavenly language! Just like that.
It wasn’t nearly as difficult, or strange, as I had made it out to be. In a distant way, it seemed almost normal. It was quite a powerful experience, though. I experienced a immediate sense of the presence of God and a corresponding surge of joy. In fact, the presence of God became so intense that I had to ease back on it. I had never had such an intense physiological experience with the the Lord before then. I got up from the field, looked up at the stars and said, “Wow, I guess tongues are still around.”
After an experience like that one would think I’d become fluent in the language and use it every day. But that wasn’t the case. In fact, in the years to follow I rarely revisited the gift and pretty much forgot all about it. Indeed, within a short period of time, I essentially talked myself out of the gift of tongues altogether.
About two years later found myself living on a kibbutz in Israel. One particular Saturday morning, I was in church when the pastor led the congregation into of time of “free-form singing in the Spirit.” It was beautiful. The entire place turned into a most holy place. The presence of God was all over the place - not unlike that night in the field. As the praises increased I heard a particular someone singing a magnificent praise to the Lord. Though I couldn’t make out the language, I knew it was glorifying God in an almost angelic language. It was so beautiful that I had to open my eyes to see who it was singing these beautiful song. I opened my eyes, traced the melody with my ears and – lo and behold – it was coming from me. It was a hallelujah moment.
That did it. From that day since (some 28 years) I have used this gift almost every day - when praying for others, when worshipping, or when simply clearing the pipes in my head before I teach. It’s never led me astray and - quite to the contrary - it has blessed others.
While tongues can build up an individual in the faith, they can also serve to edify a church, or a gathering of people. I believe there are at least two types of tongues. The first are those that are angelic, or other worldly. This is the type I was singing that day in Jerusalem. It is an intimate expression of praise, worship, intercession, and/or prayer, said in faith, mixed with love, and directed to God. These languages can be said simultaneously with others who have this gift in corporate settings because they are directed to God and are not intended as a prophetic gift for the gathered.
A second type of tongues manifest as actual languages of the world - like Spanish, Dutch, Finnish, or Indian. They are unknown to the user but are understood by anyone in the general vicinity who could understand what’s being said. These are given to impart a prophetic message - a word of encouragement and (sometimes direction) - to the people gathered. This type of gift is readily understood because it is heard from natives of the country of the tongue. When non-believers hear the words of the Lord in their own language, and additionally see that the tongue-talkers aren’t even from their own country, it is a tremendous testimony to God.
There is a use of the gift of tongues which is also prophetic in nature. They sound like angelic tongue - a language that is not of this world - yet their application takes the on the form of a prophetic word to those gathered. In these situations another spiritual gift must come into play - the interpretation of tongues - so that everyone can know what the person with the gift of angelic tongues is saying.
There is a danger in tongues. Tongues are fun. It’s the kind of gift that can be abused. Paul really came down hard on the church at Corinth because, each time they gathered, they did nothing but speak in tongues. The danger was that no one understood what was being said. So, if you have the gift of prophetic tongues, ask the Lord to give you an interpretation so you can follow your pronunciation in a known language – or ask the Lord to give someone else the interpretation. Or else, don’t do it at all.
What about the gift of tongues? Is it for you? As I mentioned a few chapters back, the big gift is the Holy Spirit himself. And, as I said, if you have the Holy Spirit in you then you have the potential for all the gifts of the Spirit - including tongues.
Could you speak in tongues? Most likely. I believe God would have Christians speaking in tongues much, much more than they do now. we are currently doing. Can you imagine that - waiting for a bus somewhere and speaking the marvelous praises of God in the precise language and dialect of the Muslim standing there next to you? The gift of tongues is a powerful form or prayer, intercession, spiritual warfare, and prophecy – and boy, in our day, do we need it.
If the Holy Spirit is in you – which He is – why not try it? Why not place this blog aside, sit back right now and ask Him to release the gift of tongues in your life? You don’t have to sneak away somewhere under the cloak of darkness. You can ask him to release the gift in your heart right here, right where you are now.
After you ask for it, give it a moment of silence and, when you feel the peace of the Lord resting upon you, simply start talking. It may sound like gibberish at first - no, let me correct that... It will sound like gibberish at first - and you will have your sincere doubts. But within a milli-second, the Spirit will get a hold of the water of your words and change them into the wine of a holy, heavenly language.
He may not do it - not now, anyway. But he just may. You’ll never know, until you ask.
Paul wrote the Corinthians and thanked God that he spoke in tongues more than anyone else in their church, which indicates not only its authenticity but its viable place in the life of a follower of Jesus. Tongues of men and and tongues of angels are everywhere in the Bible. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit manifested himself through “tongues of men” - known languages from that current day and age. Many times afterward, when the Spirit showed up, tongues also showed up.
Just to clear the air: A person exercising the gift of tongues doesn’t go into a zombie-like trance with white foam oozing out from the sides of their mouth anymore than a bilingual person does when speaking in their second language.
The language of the Spirit is... well, a language. And, just like any other language, it comes with its own vocabulary, dialect, expressions, grammar, in-fluctuation, syllables, and so on. A person with the gift of tongues can speak, pray, or even sing their gift almost anywhere they please - at church, in the car, or even at the gym. Some can even use their gift in their mind - like you do when you talk to yourself. It’s use is solely at the discretion of the user.
What is the value of the gift of tongues. Scripture says a person who has the gift of tongues builds himself up in the faith. That means the strength of the Lord may be magnified, lifted up, or encouraged in the heart of a person when they praying tongues - perhaps something akin to taking a spiritual vitamin.
In addition, tongues is useful in situations when your unclear exactly how to pray, or when you’re prayed out over a situation and running on empty. This can be especially useful when passing the scene of an accident on the freeway, or pulling over for an ambulance racing to the hospital. I have personally noticed that my spiritual discernment seems to sharpen after I have spent time praying in “the Spirit.” This is especially helpful just before I lead worship or pray for others.
The first time I prayed in tongues it happened in a far-a-way field near the college I was attending and under the cloak of darkness...
At that time I didn’t believe in the gift of tongues but did believe, if tongues were real, that God was big enough to give them to me if I asked.
As mentioned earlier, I had also had substantial Bible teaching telling me that the gifts of the Spirit had died out when the Bible had been written. So, by asking God for the gift of tongues, I was fearful that I would get a gift of satan instead. It was all a bit spooky for me. So, with no one around (and when the airy cloud moved mysteriously crossed over the face of the full moon), I prayed. “God, I’m going to try this. But, if it’s not your will, I pray you will shut my mouth. Guide my tongue because here I go.” Then I started talking in make-believe.
Within a milli-second two distinct things happened. First, my mind was barraged with all manner of thoughts of personal condemnation, telling me I sounded like a full-fledged idiot - and that I was a “lousy, illogical witness for the cause of Christ.”
Within a milli-second of the first milli-second, the Spirit of God got a hold of my tongue and I took off - speaking be in a new, heavenly language! Just like that.
It wasn’t nearly as difficult, or strange, as I had made it out to be. In a distant way, it seemed almost normal. It was quite a powerful experience, though. I experienced a immediate sense of the presence of God and a corresponding surge of joy. In fact, the presence of God became so intense that I had to ease back on it. I had never had such an intense physiological experience with the the Lord before then. I got up from the field, looked up at the stars and said, “Wow, I guess tongues are still around.”
After an experience like that one would think I’d become fluent in the language and use it every day. But that wasn’t the case. In fact, in the years to follow I rarely revisited the gift and pretty much forgot all about it. Indeed, within a short period of time, I essentially talked myself out of the gift of tongues altogether.
About two years later found myself living on a kibbutz in Israel. One particular Saturday morning, I was in church when the pastor led the congregation into of time of “free-form singing in the Spirit.” It was beautiful. The entire place turned into a most holy place. The presence of God was all over the place - not unlike that night in the field. As the praises increased I heard a particular someone singing a magnificent praise to the Lord. Though I couldn’t make out the language, I knew it was glorifying God in an almost angelic language. It was so beautiful that I had to open my eyes to see who it was singing these beautiful song. I opened my eyes, traced the melody with my ears and – lo and behold – it was coming from me. It was a hallelujah moment.
That did it. From that day since (some 28 years) I have used this gift almost every day - when praying for others, when worshipping, or when simply clearing the pipes in my head before I teach. It’s never led me astray and - quite to the contrary - it has blessed others.
While tongues can build up an individual in the faith, they can also serve to edify a church, or a gathering of people. I believe there are at least two types of tongues. The first are those that are angelic, or other worldly. This is the type I was singing that day in Jerusalem. It is an intimate expression of praise, worship, intercession, and/or prayer, said in faith, mixed with love, and directed to God. These languages can be said simultaneously with others who have this gift in corporate settings because they are directed to God and are not intended as a prophetic gift for the gathered.
A second type of tongues manifest as actual languages of the world - like Spanish, Dutch, Finnish, or Indian. They are unknown to the user but are understood by anyone in the general vicinity who could understand what’s being said. These are given to impart a prophetic message - a word of encouragement and (sometimes direction) - to the people gathered. This type of gift is readily understood because it is heard from natives of the country of the tongue. When non-believers hear the words of the Lord in their own language, and additionally see that the tongue-talkers aren’t even from their own country, it is a tremendous testimony to God.
There is a use of the gift of tongues which is also prophetic in nature. They sound like angelic tongue - a language that is not of this world - yet their application takes the on the form of a prophetic word to those gathered. In these situations another spiritual gift must come into play - the interpretation of tongues - so that everyone can know what the person with the gift of angelic tongues is saying.
There is a danger in tongues. Tongues are fun. It’s the kind of gift that can be abused. Paul really came down hard on the church at Corinth because, each time they gathered, they did nothing but speak in tongues. The danger was that no one understood what was being said. So, if you have the gift of prophetic tongues, ask the Lord to give you an interpretation so you can follow your pronunciation in a known language – or ask the Lord to give someone else the interpretation. Or else, don’t do it at all.
What about the gift of tongues? Is it for you? As I mentioned a few chapters back, the big gift is the Holy Spirit himself. And, as I said, if you have the Holy Spirit in you then you have the potential for all the gifts of the Spirit - including tongues.
Could you speak in tongues? Most likely. I believe God would have Christians speaking in tongues much, much more than they do now. we are currently doing. Can you imagine that - waiting for a bus somewhere and speaking the marvelous praises of God in the precise language and dialect of the Muslim standing there next to you? The gift of tongues is a powerful form or prayer, intercession, spiritual warfare, and prophecy – and boy, in our day, do we need it.
If the Holy Spirit is in you – which He is – why not try it? Why not place this blog aside, sit back right now and ask Him to release the gift of tongues in your life? You don’t have to sneak away somewhere under the cloak of darkness. You can ask him to release the gift in your heart right here, right where you are now.
After you ask for it, give it a moment of silence and, when you feel the peace of the Lord resting upon you, simply start talking. It may sound like gibberish at first - no, let me correct that... It will sound like gibberish at first - and you will have your sincere doubts. But within a milli-second, the Spirit will get a hold of the water of your words and change them into the wine of a holy, heavenly language.
He may not do it - not now, anyway. But he just may. You’ll never know, until you ask.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
7 Listening
The revelatory gifts have got to the most misunderstood gifts of the Holy Spirit – and rightfully so. They can be misused. They can be manipulative. They can be creepy, unpredictable, abusive, and downright rude. In short, they can ruin a life.
Yet, in spite of all that, Jesus used them, the apostles used them, and the church fathers used them. They’ve been the centerpiece of every revival in history, and – as I mentioned in an earlier chapter – a vast majority of the worldwide Body of Christ in this day and age actively engages in the gifts of the Spirit - all of the gifts of the Spirit, including the revelatory/supernatural gifts. Why? The revelatory gifts are powerful avenues wherein God blesses, heals, equips, and anoints his followers to shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation.
So how do they work? How does a prophet hear God’s word so he can share it with the gathered? How does a vision come, a word of knowledge, a dream, or a healing? In short, how does God speak?
Variety is the Norm. For starters, it is a very individual thing. Different people get it different ways. That’s the beauty of our God. In addition, different ways can be made manifest in the same person. And to raise our faith, no ministry situation is the same as the last ministry situation.
Physical pain. One way people have heard the “voice” of God is though physical pain in the body. Sounds weird, but it’s true. It’s almost as if God allows them to feel what the ailing person is going through as a form of prayer, or intercession.
That happened to me once. I was speaking on the subject of healing at an ALPHA course in Switzerland, Florida, and, as I was asking the Lord how he would minister that evening, I felt an intensely sharp pain in my lower gut – like a needle. It was very painful and, after a second thought, I concluded it must be a word of knowledge for someone in the group. So I said, “I believe the Lord would like to minister to a person having trouble with a gallbladder.”
Just then a slight stirring happened at the back of room and, within a few minutes, I found myself praying for a woman who came forward at the urging of her husband. She told me she didn’t believe in healing and I mentioned that it may not be for her healing – only that God singled her out for prayer of any nature. We prayed, she left, and I went home.
A few weeks later I saw this woman at a party and learned that, since the prayer, she had been completely healed. (She also mentioned she still didn’t really believe in healing, but couldn’t argue with the medical results.) She was slated to have surgery when we met but didn’t need it when she went in to the doctors’ offices later that week. All that happened as a result of me getting a pain in the place where I thought a gallbladder should be.
The mind. God shares his will for us and gives revelatory insight through thoughts, as well as other normal operations of the brain. Visions, for example, come through one’s imagination, sort of like dreams. Visionaries actually see a segment of something notable, describe what they’re seeing, and pray into it. Words of knowledge can flow from verses that we have memorized. Not everything that comes to our imagination is of the Lord, of course. The point here is that visions appear on the same “screen” that everything else in our imagination appears on.
Emotional Feelings and the Past Memories. Other ways God can reveal himself are within the avenues of emotion and memory. If, for example, you are praying with a person and a certain memory emerges from somewhere out of the blue, don’t discount that. It very well may be a word of knowledge for that other person. With that memory you’ll need to ask for wisdom on what to do with what God has just revealed. Just because a person gets a vision doesn’t mean it’s an automatic shoe-in. It could go any number of directions - all of which demand the ongoing discernment and reliance upon the the Spirit. Do you share your vision? Do you share the learning experience you gleaned from the experience, perhaps couching it in a prayer, or full-blown exhortation? Does the memory include the name of a person? If so, is that a name of someone in the life of the person within you’re praying? Should you voice this name? The year of your memory’s conception? You see what I mean? All these questions are open turf and demand the wisdom of the Spirit before you step into articulation of the word.
In the same manner, I have prayed for people and have been overwhelmed by emotions - sometimes grief; other times joy. Chances are, whatever you’re experiencing is something that God is doing, or wanting to do, under your humble hands.
As I close this chapter two things come to mind. First, is the increasing trend on multiple ministers in this area. Gone are the days where one super-Christian knows it all. God likes it when a couple of people get together and decipher what God is up to.
Just last week a woman and I were praying with someone else. In a time of silence I saw the exoskeleton of an insect that had recently discarded its “shell.” It was beige in color and transparent, left hollow on a gravel mound. At the same time, the woman with whom I was ministering saw this person dancing, twirling with delight. We apparently received the visions at about the same time because we interrupted each other when sharing what we were getting from the Lord! After hearing both sides of the same reality, the woman broke into joy and said that’s exactly what the Lord was doing in her life! She had recently made a define decision to leave the past behind and, in her newfound joy and freedom, was now dancing for the Jesus. This completely affirmed what was going on this woman’s life! Sometimes it takes more than one person to decipher what the Lord is doing.
The other thing that comes to mind as we close out the chapter is this: Remember - it’s all about faith. Faith is needed in every situation (whether revelatory or not) with ministry is happening. Even a famous faith healer is, on some level, working on faith - the same the same level of faith that we normal people work on when we’re praying for lesser things. Without faith it is impossible to please the Lord. To be sure, different people have different levels of faith. One person could never have the faith to raise the dead, but - for them - it takes all their faith to pray aloud at Outback. Either way, a person raising the dead is operating in the same proportionate “challenging vacuum of faith” as the person grace. Same faith, same challenges - and sometimes the same nervousness associated with stepping out for God. Sure, the pros may make it look easy but don’t be fooled, they are trucking along, riding the highways of faith, just like the rest of us.
So, in summary, we’ve seen the way God speaks to a person is as varied and as magnificent as the Person we serve. Our minds, emotions, and bodies are all fair game - fair avenues wherein the Spirit can reveal the will of the Father in order to evangelize and equip the followers of Jesus.
The walk-a-way here is to know that God is always working, always speaking, always up to something. And he uses us to get it out into the mainstream.
Of all people - us.
Yet, in spite of all that, Jesus used them, the apostles used them, and the church fathers used them. They’ve been the centerpiece of every revival in history, and – as I mentioned in an earlier chapter – a vast majority of the worldwide Body of Christ in this day and age actively engages in the gifts of the Spirit - all of the gifts of the Spirit, including the revelatory/supernatural gifts. Why? The revelatory gifts are powerful avenues wherein God blesses, heals, equips, and anoints his followers to shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation.
So how do they work? How does a prophet hear God’s word so he can share it with the gathered? How does a vision come, a word of knowledge, a dream, or a healing? In short, how does God speak?
Variety is the Norm. For starters, it is a very individual thing. Different people get it different ways. That’s the beauty of our God. In addition, different ways can be made manifest in the same person. And to raise our faith, no ministry situation is the same as the last ministry situation.
Physical pain. One way people have heard the “voice” of God is though physical pain in the body. Sounds weird, but it’s true. It’s almost as if God allows them to feel what the ailing person is going through as a form of prayer, or intercession.
That happened to me once. I was speaking on the subject of healing at an ALPHA course in Switzerland, Florida, and, as I was asking the Lord how he would minister that evening, I felt an intensely sharp pain in my lower gut – like a needle. It was very painful and, after a second thought, I concluded it must be a word of knowledge for someone in the group. So I said, “I believe the Lord would like to minister to a person having trouble with a gallbladder.”
Just then a slight stirring happened at the back of room and, within a few minutes, I found myself praying for a woman who came forward at the urging of her husband. She told me she didn’t believe in healing and I mentioned that it may not be for her healing – only that God singled her out for prayer of any nature. We prayed, she left, and I went home.
A few weeks later I saw this woman at a party and learned that, since the prayer, she had been completely healed. (She also mentioned she still didn’t really believe in healing, but couldn’t argue with the medical results.) She was slated to have surgery when we met but didn’t need it when she went in to the doctors’ offices later that week. All that happened as a result of me getting a pain in the place where I thought a gallbladder should be.
The mind. God shares his will for us and gives revelatory insight through thoughts, as well as other normal operations of the brain. Visions, for example, come through one’s imagination, sort of like dreams. Visionaries actually see a segment of something notable, describe what they’re seeing, and pray into it. Words of knowledge can flow from verses that we have memorized. Not everything that comes to our imagination is of the Lord, of course. The point here is that visions appear on the same “screen” that everything else in our imagination appears on.
Emotional Feelings and the Past Memories. Other ways God can reveal himself are within the avenues of emotion and memory. If, for example, you are praying with a person and a certain memory emerges from somewhere out of the blue, don’t discount that. It very well may be a word of knowledge for that other person. With that memory you’ll need to ask for wisdom on what to do with what God has just revealed. Just because a person gets a vision doesn’t mean it’s an automatic shoe-in. It could go any number of directions - all of which demand the ongoing discernment and reliance upon the the Spirit. Do you share your vision? Do you share the learning experience you gleaned from the experience, perhaps couching it in a prayer, or full-blown exhortation? Does the memory include the name of a person? If so, is that a name of someone in the life of the person within you’re praying? Should you voice this name? The year of your memory’s conception? You see what I mean? All these questions are open turf and demand the wisdom of the Spirit before you step into articulation of the word.
In the same manner, I have prayed for people and have been overwhelmed by emotions - sometimes grief; other times joy. Chances are, whatever you’re experiencing is something that God is doing, or wanting to do, under your humble hands.
As I close this chapter two things come to mind. First, is the increasing trend on multiple ministers in this area. Gone are the days where one super-Christian knows it all. God likes it when a couple of people get together and decipher what God is up to.
Just last week a woman and I were praying with someone else. In a time of silence I saw the exoskeleton of an insect that had recently discarded its “shell.” It was beige in color and transparent, left hollow on a gravel mound. At the same time, the woman with whom I was ministering saw this person dancing, twirling with delight. We apparently received the visions at about the same time because we interrupted each other when sharing what we were getting from the Lord! After hearing both sides of the same reality, the woman broke into joy and said that’s exactly what the Lord was doing in her life! She had recently made a define decision to leave the past behind and, in her newfound joy and freedom, was now dancing for the Jesus. This completely affirmed what was going on this woman’s life! Sometimes it takes more than one person to decipher what the Lord is doing.
The other thing that comes to mind as we close out the chapter is this: Remember - it’s all about faith. Faith is needed in every situation (whether revelatory or not) with ministry is happening. Even a famous faith healer is, on some level, working on faith - the same the same level of faith that we normal people work on when we’re praying for lesser things. Without faith it is impossible to please the Lord. To be sure, different people have different levels of faith. One person could never have the faith to raise the dead, but - for them - it takes all their faith to pray aloud at Outback. Either way, a person raising the dead is operating in the same proportionate “challenging vacuum of faith” as the person grace. Same faith, same challenges - and sometimes the same nervousness associated with stepping out for God. Sure, the pros may make it look easy but don’t be fooled, they are trucking along, riding the highways of faith, just like the rest of us.
So, in summary, we’ve seen the way God speaks to a person is as varied and as magnificent as the Person we serve. Our minds, emotions, and bodies are all fair game - fair avenues wherein the Spirit can reveal the will of the Father in order to evangelize and equip the followers of Jesus.
The walk-a-way here is to know that God is always working, always speaking, always up to something. And he uses us to get it out into the mainstream.
Of all people - us.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
6 Myths of the Super-Saint
Most of the gifts of the Holy Spirit look familiar. We see them every day - people administrating, teaching, sharing hospitality, showing compassion, and serving. When choosing a life vocation the ideal is to wind up in a profession that integrates one’s gifts with one’s work.
A teacher, for example, may or may not have the gift of teaching. Yet when a professional teacher has the spiritual gift of teaching it is a win-win for everyone: the students really grasp the content in a deep way and the teacher is fulfilled in his or her chosen profession.
While many of us may believe in the more so-called “dynamic” gifts of the spirit, few of us have seen these gifts in action. Many of us have seen these gifts used in abusive or satirical situations. There are abuses with all the gifts. With the revelatory gifts, however, there seems to be more a a stigma involved. A Mad-TV episode will much more readily take a shot at a faith healer than a person who sits around all day crunching numbers. A bit of that stigma has crept into the church as well. We need to be cautious not to through the baby out with the bath-water!
So let’s spend some time taking a close look at the operation of the revelatory gifts - specifically how they work. We’ll look at a few myths associated with them and try to even them out on a level plane with the other gifts of the Spirit.
The revelatory gifts are called, “revelatory,” because their operation depends solely on information that is given, or “revealed,” by God in order for the gift to work. Revelatory gifts include words of knowledge, visions, dreams, prophecy, the interpretation of tongues, wisdom, and discernment of spirits. People with a revelatory gift(s) often tend to have complementary, or accompanying, gifts in the areas of healing, miracles, and exorcism. God works through the revelatory gifts in powerful ways to get under what is seen, to address the heart of the matter - whether it be a nation, a group of people, or an individual.
Let’s take a look at two myths commonly generated about the revelatory gifts of the Spirit.
Myth #1: People who have revelatory gifts are superhuman. They have it all together. Rainbows follow them wherever they go.
While I have always believed that God reveals insight, visions, directions, and other supernatural directives to people, I have always also believed that the person receiving these directives had to be some sort of super-Christian. You know, the kind of person who fasts 40 days twice a year, never watches T.V., and never dances.
But that isn’t true. Like all spiritual gifts – indeed, even as the Grace of God itself – we are working within the realm of gifts, unmerited favor, and nothing that we can strive to attain or even deserve. (That’s why highly gifted people can do equally highly creepy things.) Of course we can grieve that Spirit to point where we become dull and hard of hearing. But, the gifts of God are irrevocable and have a reputation of leaking through us, even in spite of our humanity.
It’s very easy to see a person who is praying for the sick, for example, as a superhuman kind of guy. There he is, eyes shining, sharing words of knowledge that no one else in the world could ever know, laying hands on you and filling you with divine electricity – after which you from the floor and return home literally shaking in your shoes. You stare at yourself in the mirror because you can’t believe you’re the same person you were when you left earlier that evening for the service. You float into your bedroom and fall to the bed into a deep, peaceful slumber that night, knowing you’ve had a life-changing encounter with the Almighty God of the Universe.
Days pass and you see this same Divine Faith Healer – no, let’s just say it this way...“You see this guy who has the gift of healing” at Target. At once you want to worship him. But, as you rub your blurry eyes to see the real picture, you see a much different man. There he is, hunched over the counter at the register, shirt half-way hanging out of his torn blue jeans, patting down his pockets looking for his reading glasses, fumbling around with loose change which is clanging on the floor and rolling in every conceivable corner of the room - all the while holding up a long line of frustrated shoppers.
What’s with that? Wouldn’t you think someone you linked you with the Almighty God of the Universe and spoke into the very threads of your spiritual DNA would have known how much money his shopping would cost and would have somehow supernaturally arranged his cash-flow before he even walked into the Target department store?!!
No. Not really. Not really at all.
Remember: A person’s personalty, skills, and mental state - can be quite different from that same person’s spiritual gift. Contrary to popular belief, people who operate in the revelatory gifts do not have a corner on the spiritual market. They are just ordinary people like you and me. Sure, they’ve been graced with gifts that perhaps seem more extravagant than the others, but they are using their gifts in the same proportion of faith that someone else may have when using their gifts, say the gift of helps, for example.
Let that level the field.
Myth #2: A person with revelatory gifts can look through your vulnerable eyes, peer into the deepest chambers of your soul, and know everything about you - past, present, and future. They know your secret sins. They know about that time in high school when you and whats-his-name locked braces at Walden Pond. And, then, there was that other thing...
They know everything.
This is another common stigma associated with these guys - akin to Myth #1. It sounds something like this, “If this mighty man of God is so accurate in addressing this particular issue in my life, then they must know every particular issue in my life.” This is easy to believe - as God shoots for the bulls-eye every time - and hits it. People gifted in revelation speak with such pinpointed, prophetic, accuracy that it is easy to assume they know all about everything.
Again: simply not true.
When I minister in the revelatory gifts, for example, it’s not like I look into the eyes of the victim and do perform a Spock-like mind-meld of the spiritual interior of the person – as if I was a mechanic looking over the inside of an engine – and then, after filtering though all the gunk, determine what’s best and move in to pinpoint the precise cause of the problem. It’s nothing like that at all.
This how it works: God will show me a picture of something - one thing - one thing only. I share with the person what I think I’m getting, and we pray. It’s always very limited. It’s the only thing seen. There are times I need to really look at the vision for a while and seek to decipher and sort of piece together what it all means before I say anything. Other times, I get something and share what I’m getting and - in the process of speaking what I’m getting - the picture fills in and the interpretation of the revelation sort of forms on my lips as I’m describing it in faith.
God rarely violates spiritual integrity and preciousness of one of His children - even when it would be easy to do so. If he does, it’s usually done in private. He’s not out to embarrass us, only to heal, encourage, deliver, and bless us.
In this chapter we’ve looked at two myths regarding those who have revelatory gifts and a bit on how the gifts work in a ministry situation. Next chapter we’ll talk a bit more about how a person discerns what God is doing or saying in any particular ministry situation.
For now we need to understand that revelatory gifts are no greater, or lesser, than any of the other gifts of the Spirit. There are no more, or no less, “extravagant” gifts of the Spirit. All gifts are equal in footing and require proportional amounts of faith to do them. We’ve seen that people who can have life-changing gifts fumble around at cash registers and even struggle with their own issues. Some even have their laundry aired on prime time television.
After all, they are only human.
Next chapter we talk about the business of “how a person can discern what God is doing or saying in any particular ministry situation.”
A teacher, for example, may or may not have the gift of teaching. Yet when a professional teacher has the spiritual gift of teaching it is a win-win for everyone: the students really grasp the content in a deep way and the teacher is fulfilled in his or her chosen profession.
While many of us may believe in the more so-called “dynamic” gifts of the spirit, few of us have seen these gifts in action. Many of us have seen these gifts used in abusive or satirical situations. There are abuses with all the gifts. With the revelatory gifts, however, there seems to be more a a stigma involved. A Mad-TV episode will much more readily take a shot at a faith healer than a person who sits around all day crunching numbers. A bit of that stigma has crept into the church as well. We need to be cautious not to through the baby out with the bath-water!
So let’s spend some time taking a close look at the operation of the revelatory gifts - specifically how they work. We’ll look at a few myths associated with them and try to even them out on a level plane with the other gifts of the Spirit.
The revelatory gifts are called, “revelatory,” because their operation depends solely on information that is given, or “revealed,” by God in order for the gift to work. Revelatory gifts include words of knowledge, visions, dreams, prophecy, the interpretation of tongues, wisdom, and discernment of spirits. People with a revelatory gift(s) often tend to have complementary, or accompanying, gifts in the areas of healing, miracles, and exorcism. God works through the revelatory gifts in powerful ways to get under what is seen, to address the heart of the matter - whether it be a nation, a group of people, or an individual.
Let’s take a look at two myths commonly generated about the revelatory gifts of the Spirit.
Myth #1: People who have revelatory gifts are superhuman. They have it all together. Rainbows follow them wherever they go.
While I have always believed that God reveals insight, visions, directions, and other supernatural directives to people, I have always also believed that the person receiving these directives had to be some sort of super-Christian. You know, the kind of person who fasts 40 days twice a year, never watches T.V., and never dances.
But that isn’t true. Like all spiritual gifts – indeed, even as the Grace of God itself – we are working within the realm of gifts, unmerited favor, and nothing that we can strive to attain or even deserve. (That’s why highly gifted people can do equally highly creepy things.) Of course we can grieve that Spirit to point where we become dull and hard of hearing. But, the gifts of God are irrevocable and have a reputation of leaking through us, even in spite of our humanity.
It’s very easy to see a person who is praying for the sick, for example, as a superhuman kind of guy. There he is, eyes shining, sharing words of knowledge that no one else in the world could ever know, laying hands on you and filling you with divine electricity – after which you from the floor and return home literally shaking in your shoes. You stare at yourself in the mirror because you can’t believe you’re the same person you were when you left earlier that evening for the service. You float into your bedroom and fall to the bed into a deep, peaceful slumber that night, knowing you’ve had a life-changing encounter with the Almighty God of the Universe.
Days pass and you see this same Divine Faith Healer – no, let’s just say it this way...“You see this guy who has the gift of healing” at Target. At once you want to worship him. But, as you rub your blurry eyes to see the real picture, you see a much different man. There he is, hunched over the counter at the register, shirt half-way hanging out of his torn blue jeans, patting down his pockets looking for his reading glasses, fumbling around with loose change which is clanging on the floor and rolling in every conceivable corner of the room - all the while holding up a long line of frustrated shoppers.
What’s with that? Wouldn’t you think someone you linked you with the Almighty God of the Universe and spoke into the very threads of your spiritual DNA would have known how much money his shopping would cost and would have somehow supernaturally arranged his cash-flow before he even walked into the Target department store?!!
No. Not really. Not really at all.
Remember: A person’s personalty, skills, and mental state - can be quite different from that same person’s spiritual gift. Contrary to popular belief, people who operate in the revelatory gifts do not have a corner on the spiritual market. They are just ordinary people like you and me. Sure, they’ve been graced with gifts that perhaps seem more extravagant than the others, but they are using their gifts in the same proportion of faith that someone else may have when using their gifts, say the gift of helps, for example.
Let that level the field.
Myth #2: A person with revelatory gifts can look through your vulnerable eyes, peer into the deepest chambers of your soul, and know everything about you - past, present, and future. They know your secret sins. They know about that time in high school when you and whats-his-name locked braces at Walden Pond. And, then, there was that other thing...
They know everything.
This is another common stigma associated with these guys - akin to Myth #1. It sounds something like this, “If this mighty man of God is so accurate in addressing this particular issue in my life, then they must know every particular issue in my life.” This is easy to believe - as God shoots for the bulls-eye every time - and hits it. People gifted in revelation speak with such pinpointed, prophetic, accuracy that it is easy to assume they know all about everything.
Again: simply not true.
When I minister in the revelatory gifts, for example, it’s not like I look into the eyes of the victim and do perform a Spock-like mind-meld of the spiritual interior of the person – as if I was a mechanic looking over the inside of an engine – and then, after filtering though all the gunk, determine what’s best and move in to pinpoint the precise cause of the problem. It’s nothing like that at all.
This how it works: God will show me a picture of something - one thing - one thing only. I share with the person what I think I’m getting, and we pray. It’s always very limited. It’s the only thing seen. There are times I need to really look at the vision for a while and seek to decipher and sort of piece together what it all means before I say anything. Other times, I get something and share what I’m getting and - in the process of speaking what I’m getting - the picture fills in and the interpretation of the revelation sort of forms on my lips as I’m describing it in faith.
God rarely violates spiritual integrity and preciousness of one of His children - even when it would be easy to do so. If he does, it’s usually done in private. He’s not out to embarrass us, only to heal, encourage, deliver, and bless us.
In this chapter we’ve looked at two myths regarding those who have revelatory gifts and a bit on how the gifts work in a ministry situation. Next chapter we’ll talk a bit more about how a person discerns what God is doing or saying in any particular ministry situation.
For now we need to understand that revelatory gifts are no greater, or lesser, than any of the other gifts of the Spirit. There are no more, or no less, “extravagant” gifts of the Spirit. All gifts are equal in footing and require proportional amounts of faith to do them. We’ve seen that people who can have life-changing gifts fumble around at cash registers and even struggle with their own issues. Some even have their laundry aired on prime time television.
After all, they are only human.
Next chapter we talk about the business of “how a person can discern what God is doing or saying in any particular ministry situation.”
Friday, February 20, 2009
5 All in Us
As we’ve seen, all of Jesus’ followers – those whom He has sealed with His Spirit for eternity – have, by default, the potential to have all the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the big gift. All gifts lie resident in him. From his Fountainhead all rivers flow.
The idea that every disciple of Christ carries the inner potential for all the gifts can be a bit humbling. For the person who yearns to be totally surrendered to God’s will on a moment by moment basis, it can even be a bit unnerving. God has the prerogative to call forth any gift he deems fit for any situation of warrant. In other words, we shouldn’t be surprised if, from time to time, we find ourselves in uncharted territory; we find ourselves being called to step into gifts that are foreign to - that lie outside of - our normal gift mix.
Talk about adventure!
I was once in a church when the Pastor invited the congregation to share any words, images, visions, and so on that would serve to edify the assembly gathered. “When the Lord prompts you, just stand up, there where you are, and share what you’re getting from your seat. Be sure to speak up so everyone can hear you,” he said.
At once I had a vivid impression which I knew was from God. With that came the knowledge that He was wanting me to stand up and share the impression with the 250+ other people in the room – which was completely out of the question for me. In fact, the whole idea of standing up and saying a “thus saith the Lord,” just sort of freaked me out. Up to that point I had never done anything like that before. “Besides,” I argued. “You don't understand, Lord. Prophecy isn’t my spiritual gift.”
A long period of silence followed, during which I went through intense internal tension. It seemed like everybody in the room was waiting for me to stand up and share “the word.” I resisted. Still we waited. It was excruciating. I sat there thinking, "Lord, you're just going to have to get somebody else to do this thing because I'm not going to move." More time passed. Peoples’ shoes were beginning to scuffle on the floor. Others began to cough and let out long sighs.
Just when I could take it no longer – and much to my relief – the man next to me squirmed in his chair uneasily, let out a long sigh, slowly rose to his feet, and awkwardly shared a prophetic word. I could tell he was as uncomfortable as I was. But he did it. And the clincher was his word carried much of the same elements of the vivid impression that God gave me to share - all of which was followed by a number of "Amens" and Hallelujahs," I might add!
I was unnerved. "Dude - you could have done that!" And, as the service continued, I found myself realizing I has lost out on a wonderful opportunity - the opportunity to do something big for God - all because I “didn’t have that gift.”
So much for human reasoning.
Since then I’ve noticed that God will call me into situations that warrant action that I am either ungifted or uncomfortable with. When I see the same thread of love flowing through me I understand that God is God - he can use me in anyway he deems fit. And afterwards, when I see fruit, I am awestruck all the more because I know, without a doubt it wasn’t me. It was God in me.
Lesson learned: Know your gifts; and know who’s the Lord over all the gifts. Be on the lookout: God has the right to call out any gift at any time needed. If we choose (like I did) to quench the Spirit's leading, it;s not like we’ll loose our salvation or anything - only the privilege of being an instrument and giving glory of the Lord. We’re not going to hold him up. With or without us he's going to get His word out anyway. If we say, “No thank you, Lord - not today, I have a headache,” he'll just move around the room until He finds someone more available to his leading.
Are you ready for that?
It’s risky business - to be sure. But I’m convinced that the great adventure rides on the crest of this type of openness. This is where little people do big things for God. Maybe you don’t think of yourself as someone who could do big things for God. And you are not. Perhaps, better said, you are somebody wherein God can use to do big things for others.
So this short chapter’s summary comes in the form of a gentle admonishment to maintain a posture of openness to the Holy Spirit. When you sense the leading of the Spirit in anything - and I mean in anything - why not take the risk and step up to the up to the plate?
The idea that every disciple of Christ carries the inner potential for all the gifts can be a bit humbling. For the person who yearns to be totally surrendered to God’s will on a moment by moment basis, it can even be a bit unnerving. God has the prerogative to call forth any gift he deems fit for any situation of warrant. In other words, we shouldn’t be surprised if, from time to time, we find ourselves in uncharted territory; we find ourselves being called to step into gifts that are foreign to - that lie outside of - our normal gift mix.
Talk about adventure!
I was once in a church when the Pastor invited the congregation to share any words, images, visions, and so on that would serve to edify the assembly gathered. “When the Lord prompts you, just stand up, there where you are, and share what you’re getting from your seat. Be sure to speak up so everyone can hear you,” he said.
At once I had a vivid impression which I knew was from God. With that came the knowledge that He was wanting me to stand up and share the impression with the 250+ other people in the room – which was completely out of the question for me. In fact, the whole idea of standing up and saying a “thus saith the Lord,” just sort of freaked me out. Up to that point I had never done anything like that before. “Besides,” I argued. “You don't understand, Lord. Prophecy isn’t my spiritual gift.”
A long period of silence followed, during which I went through intense internal tension. It seemed like everybody in the room was waiting for me to stand up and share “the word.” I resisted. Still we waited. It was excruciating. I sat there thinking, "Lord, you're just going to have to get somebody else to do this thing because I'm not going to move." More time passed. Peoples’ shoes were beginning to scuffle on the floor. Others began to cough and let out long sighs.
Just when I could take it no longer – and much to my relief – the man next to me squirmed in his chair uneasily, let out a long sigh, slowly rose to his feet, and awkwardly shared a prophetic word. I could tell he was as uncomfortable as I was. But he did it. And the clincher was his word carried much of the same elements of the vivid impression that God gave me to share - all of which was followed by a number of "Amens" and Hallelujahs," I might add!
I was unnerved. "Dude - you could have done that!" And, as the service continued, I found myself realizing I has lost out on a wonderful opportunity - the opportunity to do something big for God - all because I “didn’t have that gift.”
So much for human reasoning.
Since then I’ve noticed that God will call me into situations that warrant action that I am either ungifted or uncomfortable with. When I see the same thread of love flowing through me I understand that God is God - he can use me in anyway he deems fit. And afterwards, when I see fruit, I am awestruck all the more because I know, without a doubt it wasn’t me. It was God in me.
Lesson learned: Know your gifts; and know who’s the Lord over all the gifts. Be on the lookout: God has the right to call out any gift at any time needed. If we choose (like I did) to quench the Spirit's leading, it;s not like we’ll loose our salvation or anything - only the privilege of being an instrument and giving glory of the Lord. We’re not going to hold him up. With or without us he's going to get His word out anyway. If we say, “No thank you, Lord - not today, I have a headache,” he'll just move around the room until He finds someone more available to his leading.
Are you ready for that?
It’s risky business - to be sure. But I’m convinced that the great adventure rides on the crest of this type of openness. This is where little people do big things for God. Maybe you don’t think of yourself as someone who could do big things for God. And you are not. Perhaps, better said, you are somebody wherein God can use to do big things for others.
So this short chapter’s summary comes in the form of a gentle admonishment to maintain a posture of openness to the Holy Spirit. When you sense the leading of the Spirit in anything - and I mean in anything - why not take the risk and step up to the up to the plate?
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
4 Graced in Ministry
In the New Testament there are hallmark Scriptures regarding the gifts of the Spirit. Perhaps this is the time to look at them. They are:
1 Corinthians 1.7;12.1-14.40
Romans 1.11; 12:3-8
Ephesians 4.7-16
1 Timothy 4:14
2 Timothy 1.6
Hebrews 2.4
1 Peter 4:10-11
As you read through the lists you will soon sense a couple of things. You’ll see each gift is proactive and has its part to play in the general scheme of things. Conversely, each gift provides an avenue wherein the others experience and receive the work of God in their lives. When a person is operating in his or her gifts it is a win-win situation: work gets done and God gets revealed.
There is a lot of proactive work being done in the church today. People are so very busy doing very important things. Like busy beavers, or scurrying ants, the activities of the faithful can sometimes take on a level of business never intended by our Lord. True, we are a motivated people group - with a a wondrously urgent message for the world to hear. But many of us are wrung out, drop dead tired. Why is that? We figure, if we don’t do “it” nobody else will. The truth is that nobody else can do it because we are doing it all for them.
The followers of Christ have the dangerous potential to be the most codependent group of people on earth - and all for good reason, I might add. We’ve been gifted. We’ve been called. We’ve been commissioned by Christ himself to get the good news out in every which way, shape and form. It’s a high calling.
But why are we so busy, so consumed, so drained of the abundant life that Jesus died to give us? Are we are working off guilt from the past? Are we still working for our salvation, seeking to be justified before a holy God by the things we do? Are we seeking to establish God’s reputation to others by how we painstakingly articulate our theology - and correct others who can’t do so? Do we think that if we fail God, God himself fails? What’s with all the strife? Why are we so very, very driven? Weren't the nails driven in far enough for me?
It’s almost as if we have exchanged the old laws of sin and death - the rules and regulations we were first forced to obey, now have been replaced by God’s amazing grace - with a new law which really doesn’t look too much different than the old law. We have clothed ourselves within such a high standard of Christian responsibility, action, and behavior - let’s call it a “ministry work ethic” - that the well-defined line between salvation by grace and salvation by works has been blurred.
It’s a hard line to walk - that of Grace and working out a heart of thanksgiving for the Grace received. Our new nature is “love.” So we instinctively want to help each other, do the work of the church, share God’s love, go the second mile, jump into endless activities for the sake of “the call,” and whatnot. These are all good works and stem from pure motives. The danger, of course, is when we commit to ministry, regardless if the ministry lies within the range of our spiritual gifts, or not.
It has been said that, “The need is the Call” – meaning that if you are aware of a need (anything from global warming to a squeaky door in the woman’s bathroom) it is your duty to respond to it. I don’t agree with that. I don’t see it outlined in Scripture, either.
Look at Jesus. If anyone was aware of the unmet needs around him certainly he was. Did he heal all the lepers, raise all the dead people back to life, bless every child he saw? Did he give money to all the poor? Of course not. He sought to remain true only to what he saw God, doing. Through it all He stayed true to only that which God was calling Him to. That meant, for Jesus, the need wasn’t the call. His call was was what God needed him to do, and nothing else. (How freeing!) As he resolved to look beyond the tyranny of the urgent Jesus was able to fulfill our greater need by going to the Cross and securing our salvation.
LIke Jesus, our real need is to foster the ability to hear God’s voice. When we hear his voice he will tell us what to do. Then we need to be obedient to that - only that - regardless of all the other needs that are everywhere around us.
This brings us to an amazing fact: God doesn’t give any one person all the gifts. He doesn’t expect one person to do it all. On the contrary, he gives a couple of gifts to me and a couple of gifts to you. That’s so we wouldn’t get burned out doing everything all the time. He’s also mixed it up that way so we’d learn to depend/rely on others. This not only teaches us humility but reveals God’s wondrous glory within the interaction of the mystical “Body of Christ.” When others bring their gifts to the table God is reflected and we see Jesus.
The other wonderful thing is this: If I only do what I’ve been gifted to do, and you only do what you’re gifted to do, then everything will get done. I really don’t think I have to do the things you’ve been called to do. You’ll have to do those things yourself. I’ve got enough on my plate, thank you very much.
Well then, the question beckons: If God wants us to only do the things that lie around the general area of our giftedness, how can we discern our general area of our giftedness? In short, how can we know our spiritual gifts?
Here are some things to look at:
1. Remember When. Pause for a moment and recall a time in your life when you were particularly struck with the Presence of God. Got it? Alright, for starters, get back to that.
Do today what so captured your heart then. Think a bit deeper about the activities surrounding that event. What was stirred in you? What was being done around you? Who was doing what when you so powerfully encountered Christ? Find a place like that in your present day life and invest in that.
2. Your Dream Gift. As you consider the list of gifts from Scripture, or as you have observed the gifts in action, ask yourself, “What gifts create a real buzz in my soul?” Which gifts do I dream about doing? What gifts - when I see other doing them - do I find myself thinking, ‘I would love to be able to do that?’”
Why not ask God for it? Read about it. Go to a seminar about it. Become friends with someone who has it. Contrary to popular belief, God is not a celestial killjoy. He actually has been known to give someone the desire of their heart.
3. Fruit Inspection. Take a good look at the fruit that is being generated by the activities you are currently engaged with. What is growing? What is dying? Do things that install growth.
4. Consider the Streets. Go unrestricted; not all gifts are to be used in church. You may be using your gifts very nicely indeed in the workplace – which actually works quite well.
I know of a woman, for example, who has the gift of compassion. Guess what she does in real life? She is a social worker. I know others who work in the oil business – one of which has the gift of evangelism. Of course, he doesn’t stand at the water cooler and pass out Bibles. But, you can be sure, that in every conversation he has one ear tuned to the gentle of leading of Christ and, if so invited, will share the Lord at the drop of a hat. These are situations where one’s spiritual gift leaks through the vocation of the individual. That’s okay. Spiritual gifts are for the evangelizing and edification of the followers of Jesus. And they (the potential and actualized followers of Jesus) are everywhere.
5. Listen to Others. What do they see in you? Other followers of Jesus oftentimes see things we cannot and often have uncanny discernment into our lives.
Shortly after I had “crossed-over” to Christ, I remember speaking quite emphatically to a friend one evening. I’ll never forget it. We were sitting on our sofa and I spent about an hour sharing with her how I came to Christ and pleaded her to do the same. “Just check him out,” I said. “What have you got to loose?” She just stared at me. Afterwards she said, “You’re good. Bill, you ought to be a pastor.” At the time, that was the last thing I wanted to hear. Today... well, today I am a pastor.
So, in summary, we’ve looked at the gift-lists as outlined in Scripture, noted that - thankfully - not everyone has the all the gifts, seen that God is seen by others through our gifts, and have gotten a few ideas on how to discern our own spiritual gift(s), and have been encouraged to spend some time in silence, reflecting and praying over your specific gifts.
In the next chapter we’ll take a look at God’s prerogative to call us into any and all gifts of the Spirit - depending entirely upon any given need at any given time. As a friend of mine says, “I guess he thinks he’s God!”
Perhaps now would be a good time to place the blog aside and reflect upon the five items mentioned above. Inventory your experience, the desires of your heart, your fruitfulness, and what others have seen in you.
1 Corinthians 1.7;12.1-14.40
Romans 1.11; 12:3-8
Ephesians 4.7-16
1 Timothy 4:14
2 Timothy 1.6
Hebrews 2.4
1 Peter 4:10-11
As you read through the lists you will soon sense a couple of things. You’ll see each gift is proactive and has its part to play in the general scheme of things. Conversely, each gift provides an avenue wherein the others experience and receive the work of God in their lives. When a person is operating in his or her gifts it is a win-win situation: work gets done and God gets revealed.
There is a lot of proactive work being done in the church today. People are so very busy doing very important things. Like busy beavers, or scurrying ants, the activities of the faithful can sometimes take on a level of business never intended by our Lord. True, we are a motivated people group - with a a wondrously urgent message for the world to hear. But many of us are wrung out, drop dead tired. Why is that? We figure, if we don’t do “it” nobody else will. The truth is that nobody else can do it because we are doing it all for them.
The followers of Christ have the dangerous potential to be the most codependent group of people on earth - and all for good reason, I might add. We’ve been gifted. We’ve been called. We’ve been commissioned by Christ himself to get the good news out in every which way, shape and form. It’s a high calling.
But why are we so busy, so consumed, so drained of the abundant life that Jesus died to give us? Are we are working off guilt from the past? Are we still working for our salvation, seeking to be justified before a holy God by the things we do? Are we seeking to establish God’s reputation to others by how we painstakingly articulate our theology - and correct others who can’t do so? Do we think that if we fail God, God himself fails? What’s with all the strife? Why are we so very, very driven? Weren't the nails driven in far enough for me?
It’s almost as if we have exchanged the old laws of sin and death - the rules and regulations we were first forced to obey, now have been replaced by God’s amazing grace - with a new law which really doesn’t look too much different than the old law. We have clothed ourselves within such a high standard of Christian responsibility, action, and behavior - let’s call it a “ministry work ethic” - that the well-defined line between salvation by grace and salvation by works has been blurred.
It’s a hard line to walk - that of Grace and working out a heart of thanksgiving for the Grace received. Our new nature is “love.” So we instinctively want to help each other, do the work of the church, share God’s love, go the second mile, jump into endless activities for the sake of “the call,” and whatnot. These are all good works and stem from pure motives. The danger, of course, is when we commit to ministry, regardless if the ministry lies within the range of our spiritual gifts, or not.
It has been said that, “The need is the Call” – meaning that if you are aware of a need (anything from global warming to a squeaky door in the woman’s bathroom) it is your duty to respond to it. I don’t agree with that. I don’t see it outlined in Scripture, either.
Look at Jesus. If anyone was aware of the unmet needs around him certainly he was. Did he heal all the lepers, raise all the dead people back to life, bless every child he saw? Did he give money to all the poor? Of course not. He sought to remain true only to what he saw God, doing. Through it all He stayed true to only that which God was calling Him to. That meant, for Jesus, the need wasn’t the call. His call was was what God needed him to do, and nothing else. (How freeing!) As he resolved to look beyond the tyranny of the urgent Jesus was able to fulfill our greater need by going to the Cross and securing our salvation.
LIke Jesus, our real need is to foster the ability to hear God’s voice. When we hear his voice he will tell us what to do. Then we need to be obedient to that - only that - regardless of all the other needs that are everywhere around us.
This brings us to an amazing fact: God doesn’t give any one person all the gifts. He doesn’t expect one person to do it all. On the contrary, he gives a couple of gifts to me and a couple of gifts to you. That’s so we wouldn’t get burned out doing everything all the time. He’s also mixed it up that way so we’d learn to depend/rely on others. This not only teaches us humility but reveals God’s wondrous glory within the interaction of the mystical “Body of Christ.” When others bring their gifts to the table God is reflected and we see Jesus.
The other wonderful thing is this: If I only do what I’ve been gifted to do, and you only do what you’re gifted to do, then everything will get done. I really don’t think I have to do the things you’ve been called to do. You’ll have to do those things yourself. I’ve got enough on my plate, thank you very much.
Well then, the question beckons: If God wants us to only do the things that lie around the general area of our giftedness, how can we discern our general area of our giftedness? In short, how can we know our spiritual gifts?
Here are some things to look at:
1. Remember When. Pause for a moment and recall a time in your life when you were particularly struck with the Presence of God. Got it? Alright, for starters, get back to that.
Do today what so captured your heart then. Think a bit deeper about the activities surrounding that event. What was stirred in you? What was being done around you? Who was doing what when you so powerfully encountered Christ? Find a place like that in your present day life and invest in that.
2. Your Dream Gift. As you consider the list of gifts from Scripture, or as you have observed the gifts in action, ask yourself, “What gifts create a real buzz in my soul?” Which gifts do I dream about doing? What gifts - when I see other doing them - do I find myself thinking, ‘I would love to be able to do that?’”
Why not ask God for it? Read about it. Go to a seminar about it. Become friends with someone who has it. Contrary to popular belief, God is not a celestial killjoy. He actually has been known to give someone the desire of their heart.
3. Fruit Inspection. Take a good look at the fruit that is being generated by the activities you are currently engaged with. What is growing? What is dying? Do things that install growth.
4. Consider the Streets. Go unrestricted; not all gifts are to be used in church. You may be using your gifts very nicely indeed in the workplace – which actually works quite well.
I know of a woman, for example, who has the gift of compassion. Guess what she does in real life? She is a social worker. I know others who work in the oil business – one of which has the gift of evangelism. Of course, he doesn’t stand at the water cooler and pass out Bibles. But, you can be sure, that in every conversation he has one ear tuned to the gentle of leading of Christ and, if so invited, will share the Lord at the drop of a hat. These are situations where one’s spiritual gift leaks through the vocation of the individual. That’s okay. Spiritual gifts are for the evangelizing and edification of the followers of Jesus. And they (the potential and actualized followers of Jesus) are everywhere.
5. Listen to Others. What do they see in you? Other followers of Jesus oftentimes see things we cannot and often have uncanny discernment into our lives.
Shortly after I had “crossed-over” to Christ, I remember speaking quite emphatically to a friend one evening. I’ll never forget it. We were sitting on our sofa and I spent about an hour sharing with her how I came to Christ and pleaded her to do the same. “Just check him out,” I said. “What have you got to loose?” She just stared at me. Afterwards she said, “You’re good. Bill, you ought to be a pastor.” At the time, that was the last thing I wanted to hear. Today... well, today I am a pastor.
So, in summary, we’ve looked at the gift-lists as outlined in Scripture, noted that - thankfully - not everyone has the all the gifts, seen that God is seen by others through our gifts, and have gotten a few ideas on how to discern our own spiritual gift(s), and have been encouraged to spend some time in silence, reflecting and praying over your specific gifts.
In the next chapter we’ll take a look at God’s prerogative to call us into any and all gifts of the Spirit - depending entirely upon any given need at any given time. As a friend of mine says, “I guess he thinks he’s God!”
Perhaps now would be a good time to place the blog aside and reflect upon the five items mentioned above. Inventory your experience, the desires of your heart, your fruitfulness, and what others have seen in you.
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