Greetings Beloved of the Lord God Almighty!
We have looked into the the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and how the Lord desires to equip and use us to minister to others. We've touched on this topic over the last few blogs. Remember, we are a work in progress and haven't as of yet arrived unto full perfection. This will happen when we are with our Lord in glory rejoicing with Him.
The intention of this study is to assist us in locating and fine tune what we are created for. If any of the gifts we have spoken about makes a light go off or sparks something inside of you to say "That's it!" Then our joy is made full. For the most part you may find that you have already been walking in your gifting. You will find it just comes naturally to you. It's who you are and how you are wired.
Early on in studies we began to break down the Foundational Gifts, or the 5 Fold Ministry Gifts is another term used, the apostle, the prophet, the evangelist, the pastor and teacher. We had also looked at the ministry of helps. This ministry in mentioned in I Corinthians 12:28 "And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, and various kinds of tongues." (NAS)
The Lord is wise with all of the different personalities have given to us as individuals as well as the accompanying gifts that go right along with who we are and how He has wired us! Then to boot, He places us in a corporate body with others who also have gifts and callings. This is His master plan. That we with all of our diversities and gifts, should all come together as one in Christ. This is exciting! What is even more exciting is that He has called us to be a part of it!
In the ministry of helps we find in various areas that the gifts may overlap with other gifts. There are seasons that one gift may seem to be more prevalent than the others. However, these gifts work together to meet the needs of the whole body at those times, as the Lord wills. All of the gifts though spiritually given meet the practical needs of the whole body as well. We may find the ministry of helps and administrations do exactly that.
We find in the book of Acts 6:2-4 that the disciples were increasing and so were the people they were ministering to. Not only did they teach and minister to them, they also fed them as well. But because the crowds grew some were getting neglected. This was concerning for the disciples. They needed to devote themselves to prayer and the Word of God. So they chose seven men of good report, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom to head this task up.
The disciples could not fulfill their calling without others fulfilling theirs. The pieces fit just like a puzzle. No matter how dynamic a gift may be, in and of itself, by itself, it is limited. Now, God is not limited, just the gift. We all need each other in order to fulfill the Great Commission of God.
In I Corinthians 12:18 it states "But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased Him."
We read further about unity and diversity in the body of Christ.
I Corinthians 12:12-26 (KJV)
12-14 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free-- and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many.
15-19 If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body," is it therefore not the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be?
20-26 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, but our presentable parts parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism (division) in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
We see that the Lord in His great wisdom indeed has provided every member of His body with gifts and talents, along with strengths and weaknesses, that no part would boast of itself, giving implication of its lack of need for the other. We are all equal in the body of Christ. There is none ordained to be the head, except Christ, in His infinite glory and wisdom.
This is a beautiful example of the Lords unconditional love and lack of partiality. He does not discriminate or put at odds, one against the other. He promotes unity and oneness. As we should.
So, whatever it is that the Lord has placed upon your heart and in yours hands, do to the glory of the Lord. You have been given liberty in Christ Jesus. God is our Creator and He has imparted His creative abilities into our lives by His Holy Spirit. Be excited, be encouraged, and be blessed!
Get your note book and begin to write down things that you may be impressed to do, or ideas that may be brought to your mind. Then prayerfully consider them with the Lord and ask Him to build on them. Ask Him to help you become more sensitive to others and to open your eyes to the needs around you. To bring more to light, to give you His eyes to see what He sees, and to give you greater understanding and direction toward those things. Ask and you shall receive.
We are called to be servants one to another. These are some ways that we may be able to help or serve others by lifting their burden just a little. We are equipped to meet practical needs as well as spiritual.
Remember, when we extend a hand in the natural to meet the needs of others, the Lord will surely open the eyes of our understanding and reveal the spiritual needs of others as well. Whether it be healing, physical or emotional.
We have been anointed with Gods wisdom and the Holy Spirit. In Matthew 25:40 Jesus said "when you have done it to the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me."
Below is a list of some examples but not limited to:
Ministering to the homeless
Mentoring youth
Helping the Elderly
Hospitality ministry at church
Home Bible studies
Preaching/Pastor/Teacher
After school care for children
Mowing the neighbors lawn
Tutoring school aged children
Volunteer in community activities
May our Lord continue to richly bless and keep you and yours until the day of Christs coming!
If this message has been a blessing please share it with someone!
We have looked into the the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and how the Lord desires to equip and use us to minister to others. We've touched on this topic over the last few blogs. Remember, we are a work in progress and haven't as of yet arrived unto full perfection. This will happen when we are with our Lord in glory rejoicing with Him.
The intention of this study is to assist us in locating and fine tune what we are created for. If any of the gifts we have spoken about makes a light go off or sparks something inside of you to say "That's it!" Then our joy is made full. For the most part you may find that you have already been walking in your gifting. You will find it just comes naturally to you. It's who you are and how you are wired.
Early on in studies we began to break down the Foundational Gifts, or the 5 Fold Ministry Gifts is another term used, the apostle, the prophet, the evangelist, the pastor and teacher. We had also looked at the ministry of helps. This ministry in mentioned in I Corinthians 12:28 "And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, and various kinds of tongues." (NAS)
The Lord is wise with all of the different personalities have given to us as individuals as well as the accompanying gifts that go right along with who we are and how He has wired us! Then to boot, He places us in a corporate body with others who also have gifts and callings. This is His master plan. That we with all of our diversities and gifts, should all come together as one in Christ. This is exciting! What is even more exciting is that He has called us to be a part of it!
In the ministry of helps we find in various areas that the gifts may overlap with other gifts. There are seasons that one gift may seem to be more prevalent than the others. However, these gifts work together to meet the needs of the whole body at those times, as the Lord wills. All of the gifts though spiritually given meet the practical needs of the whole body as well. We may find the ministry of helps and administrations do exactly that.
We find in the book of Acts 6:2-4 that the disciples were increasing and so were the people they were ministering to. Not only did they teach and minister to them, they also fed them as well. But because the crowds grew some were getting neglected. This was concerning for the disciples. They needed to devote themselves to prayer and the Word of God. So they chose seven men of good report, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom to head this task up.
The disciples could not fulfill their calling without others fulfilling theirs. The pieces fit just like a puzzle. No matter how dynamic a gift may be, in and of itself, by itself, it is limited. Now, God is not limited, just the gift. We all need each other in order to fulfill the Great Commission of God.
In I Corinthians 12:18 it states "But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased Him."
We read further about unity and diversity in the body of Christ.
I Corinthians 12:12-26 (KJV)
12-14 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free-- and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many.
15-19 If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body," is it therefore not the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be?
20-26 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, but our presentable parts parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism (division) in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
We see that the Lord in His great wisdom indeed has provided every member of His body with gifts and talents, along with strengths and weaknesses, that no part would boast of itself, giving implication of its lack of need for the other. We are all equal in the body of Christ. There is none ordained to be the head, except Christ, in His infinite glory and wisdom.
This is a beautiful example of the Lords unconditional love and lack of partiality. He does not discriminate or put at odds, one against the other. He promotes unity and oneness. As we should.
So, whatever it is that the Lord has placed upon your heart and in yours hands, do to the glory of the Lord. You have been given liberty in Christ Jesus. God is our Creator and He has imparted His creative abilities into our lives by His Holy Spirit. Be excited, be encouraged, and be blessed!
Get your note book and begin to write down things that you may be impressed to do, or ideas that may be brought to your mind. Then prayerfully consider them with the Lord and ask Him to build on them. Ask Him to help you become more sensitive to others and to open your eyes to the needs around you. To bring more to light, to give you His eyes to see what He sees, and to give you greater understanding and direction toward those things. Ask and you shall receive.
We are called to be servants one to another. These are some ways that we may be able to help or serve others by lifting their burden just a little. We are equipped to meet practical needs as well as spiritual.
Remember, when we extend a hand in the natural to meet the needs of others, the Lord will surely open the eyes of our understanding and reveal the spiritual needs of others as well. Whether it be healing, physical or emotional.
We have been anointed with Gods wisdom and the Holy Spirit. In Matthew 25:40 Jesus said "when you have done it to the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me."
Below is a list of some examples but not limited to:
Ministering to the homeless
Mentoring youth
Helping the Elderly
Hospitality ministry at church
Home Bible studies
Preaching/Pastor/Teacher
After school care for children
Mowing the neighbors lawn
Tutoring school aged children
Volunteer in community activities
May our Lord continue to richly bless and keep you and yours until the day of Christs coming!
If this message has been a blessing please share it with someone!
