Uniqueness of a christian (Ethics)

I remember when a friend of mine came to me, telling me he wants to help me solve the issue of me paying excess PHCN (NEPA) bills, I ask him how and he said he was going to bypass the wires that at the end of it all I will be billed less or nothing on my power consumption. I ask him why must he do that. That to me it’s as good as one stealing and he told me to my face that that was his own share of the national cake and he is a Christian.

The Christian who accept the truth of the gospel practices them. Christian ethics is more than mere theory. In other for ethics to be valuable, they must be evident in everyday practical living. According to 2 Peter 1:3. It says, His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

How often do we observe people in authority making mistakes in judgement or even immoral choices that we feel are beneath our own ‘margin for error’? we are sometimes tempted to think that such faults disqualify these men and women from receiving our continued respect and obedience. 1 Peter 2:13-14 says, believers are to obey the laws of the land and not try to ignore the civil authority of our day.

In regards to any unique society or group of people, rumor has a way of growing rapidly within a surrounding community. Rumors abounded concerning certain practices of Christianity. Christians are accused of moral atrocities committed in secret meetings and these were hidden from public view. In as much as we don’t want anything to hinder our godly testimony as believers, Christians need to put to rest false accusations by publicly showing themselves to be citizen of solid stand. 1Peter 2:15-16. 

Christian are to “Honour” everyone. They are to respect others’ rights and personal concerns. Love is to be another important characteristic of their lives. Foundational to believers’ treatment of other people is their commitment to honour God in all that they do. Finally, Christians will honour the king, or live faithfully according to society’s laws whenever they do not conflict with the other principles listed in 1 Peter 2:17.

 Christianity is not just an individual experience. The bible repeatedly describes the Christian as a member of the body of Christ and strongly associated with the other members of that body. As each Christian in a local body of believers guards against evil speech and actions, relationship with other Christians will grow and the church will move forward with God’s blessings.

Practical Christian Ethics, then, "is much more than our deciding to put spiritual principles into practice. It is allowing God to move in our lives and bring out those attitudes and actions that please Him and draw others to Him. Christian ethics must be a part of our everyday lives.

ISSUES & MATTERS

On day, I was in a car with a couple who had been married for about 12 years. The wife jokingly turned to me and said “if my husband had a choice he would have unmarried me a long time ago”. The husband in response said “if I do that, what is the guarantee that the next woman I will marry will be better?”

The answer is none. There is no guarantee that the next woman will be better. Same goes for women who think that their husbands are not good enough and there are millions of better men out there. There is no guarantee that you will find a man better than your husband.

My guess here is that the couple are Christians and this went a long way in shaping heir perspective on the matter at hand. Actually the scripture addresses every matter of life.

Our lesson today gave a scriptural perspective to it in Matthew 19:3 – 12, Jesus declared that marriage covenant should never be broken. Marriage is a covenant between God and the couple to be married. Once the man and woman agree to the marriage, God joins them together and no man should put asunder (verse 6).

Apart from marriage, Christians are encouraged to submit to constituted authorities regardless of how they feel about them and their political agenda (Romans 13:1 – 5). Christians should be motivated to respond to the authority as an act of obedience to God and they should be motivated by their desire to live in peace (verse 5).

Christians owe government more than their money (as taxes). They also owe her respect and honour. When you curse government with your words and actions, you are doing nothing for the health of the nation and more grievously, you stand in opposition to God. This does not mean that Christians cannot vote in democratic government and change leadership; rather if a leader is already in place, you must show honour and respect. Most importantly, Christians owe their government prayers (1 Timothy 2:1,2).

The query into self is the critical inquiry into success-path. Check your life today, are all your actions really Christian? Are there issues weighing you down or you are confused about? Get a bible, get a bible teacher...ITS ALL IN THE WORD; Embrace bible patterns for living today.

Making A Differnce In A World Like Ours.

“…The bad news is that while the numerical increase in the number of Christians in Nigeria is self-evident, and church attendance is an all-time high, it is however, unfortunate that there is no significant commensurate impact on the level of virtue and integrity in the Nigeria society, Nigeria has consistently ranked as one of the most perceived corrupt countries on earth. This has given rise to a befuddling paradox, namely; how can a people that profess so much faith and religiosity be regarded as the face of the earth?...”

This was an extract from an M.Sc Thesis, Political Science Dept. UNN; by Ulu, K.O. (2007) The Politics of Foreign Aid and National Development: A Focus on Nigeria, 1999-2006. 

With regard to the Nigerian church, over the last thirty years, there has been an explosion in expression of faith. Church attendance by Nigerians ranks as one of the highest in the world. The Nigerian church in many respects has become a force to be reckoned with domestically and internationally. One would expect a proportionate rise in the national index of virtues which in turn will manifest in low levels of crime, reduction in incidents of fraud and corruption. However this has not been the case.

For Christians, ethical behavior is to be determined by the word of God, not by situations or circumstances. When circumstance will be to our benefit, we should be very careful what choices we make. Those who practice situational ethics all the way a situation affects them personally to dictate their behaviour; this leads to unwarranted justification of wrong actions such as stealing, sexual immorality, lying, cheating, etc. 

Unbelievers act according to carnal thinking because they are enemies of God (according to Romans 8:7,8). No matter how good people attempt to live, without salvation no one can please God. With salvation, comes the freedom from the bondage of self-contentedness. They can have peace of mind as they make ethical decisions, even when it seems those decisions will not work in their advantage.

If the entire believers (or many that claim to be) would embrace the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, making ethically correct and upright choices would be a culture in Nigeria. Things will turn around for better for us and for the future generation.

MY SUPERMAN

MY SUPERMAN

At some point in my life, I had a big crush on someone, I guess it was more than a crush; it was love. I called him my ‘Superman’ #maybe because i had loved that xter, but hey 'my Superman' was even much more than Clark Kent , the supposedly real superman#

It was so intense that if I ever had the slightest sexual thought about any other person, I’d feel terrible guilt especially he was always there when it happened. I looked forward to calling him up every morning and telling him how my day went in the evening or give him ‘gists’ during the day when anything spectacular happened. The only queer thing about our relationship was that I couldn't see him physically but he sure was real as ever...

Do you think Jesus’ disciples had a closer relationship with Him than you do? Why or why not? I need your honest responses.

It’s easy to idealise the lives of biblical characters. True, Jesus’ disciples had unique experiences with Christ during his earthly ministry. But Jesus return to the Father means there is no limit to the fellowship He can have with us or the extent to which He can use our lives in His service.

This week’s lesson at Sunday School points us toward defining characteristics of a deep and growing relationship with Christ. That relationship is to be reflected in the way we live; pleasing to God because we have been changed by Christ.  2 Corinthians 5:17

We should rejoice in the reality of Christ’s abiding presence in their lives, recognize that our identity has changed due to Christ’s presence in us and learn to practice acts of loving service as evidence of our lives in Christ.

We as Christians are different (and that’s the naked truth). We’re different because Christ (our Superman or Super-God ,if you may) dwells in us (Christ-like nature) . We work through conflicts with Christlike action as a witness to the world of truth of the gospel; living a new lifestyle despite the pull of temptation and evidences of our old life.

Our obedience is proof of God's redemptive work in our lives. There’s  no time to waste before end-time & judgement, wouldn't you join me today, make Him your Superman too?

I love Myself...!!!

It would have been easier to take the transmitter radio to a professional, but determined to save the money; I decided to fix it myself. With my pocket knife as screwdriver, I set out to it. Just as I put pressure to the knife to loosen the rusty screw, the knife folded back and gave me a dip cut on my index finger.

There was no hesitation in seeking for a way to stop the bleeding and looking for a way to get it looked at. My actions, words, thoughts that day, when I think about it now, show how much I love myself.

To love “your neighbor as yourself” [James 2:8] requires the same level and intensity of love. To truly love God, we must also love the people he has created. Such love for others is proof of one’s love for God.

The greatest limitation of human love is its scope. That is the reason humans (Christians and non-Christians) target their love towards their families, friends, countrymen, people who draw out natural feelings of romantic love, loyalty or duty. Inasmuch as such love is certainly commendable, it only begins to satisfy God’s command to love. In Luke 6:32, Jesus asked “If you love those who love you, what credit have you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them.”

Favoritism is defined as the practice of giving special treatment or unfair advantages to a person or group. Favouritism is expressed by valuing people for what they poses, what they can do for us or special people they know, not for who they are. Christians can sometimes pay more attention to certain people because of their race, colour, social standing, ethnic group, or financial situation.

Showing favouritism is a sin and is condemned by God. James 2:9 (NIV) “But if you show FAVOURITISM, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.” Guilty as charged? Let this not be the reason you will go to hell.

Love cannot come to life if all we do is think pleasant thoughts about those we love. No one can see our thoughts. We must do something for someone if they are to experience our love. God has eternal significant reason for bringing each person we know into our lives – so we can become a flesh-and-blood embodiment of His love for that person.

The kind of love God wants us to show is the love that notices the need of another and won’t rest until it’s been met. It’s a gentle, tender love that thinks and acts carefully. It’s the sacrificial and compassionate love that a Samaritan had for a fallen traveller. It’s the kind of love God wants to share with your neighbours through you.

You think you know?

On my way home that evening, I joined a Danfo bus; a passenger alighted from the bus at his stop; the bus conductor asked the other passengers to make room for him so he can sit. The passengers totally ignored him. He repeated his request and they continued to ignore him. He shifted in so he can gain more balance and the lady nearest to him shoved him with so great a force that if he didn't hold the bus door tight, the lady would have pushed him out of the bus.

How do we respond to conductors; cashiers; the carpenter, tailor or that craftsman that you've hired to do a job for you? What do we do or say when they fail to deliver on their promise? As Christians, our decisions should be based on spiritual truth. A specific Bible verse may not come to mind as you make a choice, but biblical principles should provide clearly marked boundaries for right behavior.

The only way to way to establish those boundaries is to study God’s Word regularly. Bible study concerns more than God’s dealings with people in the past. Bible study reveals how God interacts with people today – and by extension, how He wants to relate to you personally.

Did you know that the Bible said:

• ·        Whatsoever you wish that men should do to you, do it even so to them? (Mat. 7:12)
• ·        Ignorance of the Law is not an excuse? (Rom. 10:14-21)
• ·        He who knows what is right and fails to do them, to him it is a sin?         (James 4:17)
• ·        As much as it lies within your power, live at peace with all men? (Rom. 12:18, Heb. 12:14)
• ·        God requires of you to act justly and love mercy?      (Micah 6:8)
• ·        Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you?           (Mat. 5:44)
• ·        Accept him whose faith is weak without passing judgment?           (Rom. 14:1)
• ·        You should not judge someone else’s servant?                              (Rom. 14:4)
• ·         When you wound someone’s weak conscience you sin against Christ?   (Rom. 12:12)

The list goes on and on. There is no aspect of our daily life that the Bible has not given a clearly defined course of action to take. We will not know them until we study the Word of God.

As we study the Bible, we discover more areas in life that connect to and are shaped by biblical truth. We must take the additional step of obedience if we are to experience the blessings God intended for us to enjoy through His word.

Christians do well when they accept and practice God’s Word as their standard for godly living. Doing so does not guarantee that the storms of life will not come their way, but they do have the promise that they can weather the storms successfully.

NO SIN?! IMPOSSIBLE OR NOT!!!

So I asked them , 'is it possible to live without sin?' Yes! No!...and the arguments went back and forth amongst my Sunday school students...'how can? not when we're in this flesh!'. 'Yes we can!', another said, 'our righteousness is of God not ourselves, its by faith we are justified, else we don't to need to come to church...'

The argument could only be resolved by the Word of God, we had to rediscover certain deep truths. As Christians, the scriptures form one of the foundation stones of any revival. It is the final authority for faith & conduct.

What is our responsibility toward God's Word today? Studying, sharing, life application with wisdom. To what extent should we base our everyday lives on God's word? the word hidden in our heart can help avoid sinning Psalm 119:11.Our interaction with God's word is vital if we are to live pleasing. it is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness ; that the man of God (you and i) may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works , 2 Timothy 3:16,17

Well, the lesson on Josiah rediscovering God's word sparked a radical revival in Israel,  2 kings 22:8- chapter 23. He was king yet he had a humble attitude. Humble enough to acknowledge his sin, repent and move on living a fulfilled christian life openly

this is a good time for  self-examination. Just as we get physical exams periodically to check  the condition  of our bodies, we need to examine ourselves in the light of God's word to see if we are tr spiritually healthy.. We need to consider whether or not we respond to the word of God when the Holy Spirit brings something to our attention. Galatians 2:20,21, 2 Timothy 3:16,17


Stay hooked to Christ , living by faith in grace & mercy in victory above sin. Rediscover God's Word particularly for you Today.

IT'S IN YOU

One of my close friends, Victor, (I think he has other interests) recently asked me, ‘what is your description of Love?’. Well, for me Love was being self-sacrificing, a no-secret-status between two parties, from being merely friendly to brotherly affection....

‘No!’, he said. ‘I meant between a man and a woman?!’. Taking a moment to think about it, ‘Yea’ I said,‘its still comes to the same thing in every case; we would be self-sacrificing and do anything for those we truly love...’

Today’s lesson brings to view Jesus’s expression of Love. What was the bond between him and his disciples? What is his relationship with humans today? He no longer sees us as servants or merely decaying mortals, but FRIENDS; friendly enough to tell us the secrets of God through written words (John 15:15); friendly enough to die for us (John 15:13); to pray for us (John 17: 9, 20); friendly enough to never want to leave us alone (John 17:23,26)

“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends”, Jesus said.

Some people call each other baby, honey, sweetie but lack relationships with true demonstration of love; JESUS has simplified it, so I’d need you to contemplate the implications of becoming Jesus's friend and accept His call to union with Him, his lifestyle (with the twelve and us all) is a living testament. Friendship with Jesus produces healthy, maturing Christians in our homes, at job, in church, in our country and the world at large.

Share God’s Love today, it’s in you

IT'S IN YOU

One of my close friends, Victor, (I think he has other interests) recently asked me, ‘what is your description of Love?’. Well, for me Love was being self-sacrificing, a no-secret-status between two parties, from being merely friendly to brotherly affection....

‘No!’, he said. ‘I meant between a man and a woman?!’. Taking a moment to think about it, ‘Yea’ I said, ‘its still comes to the same thing in every case; we would be self-sacrificing and do anything for those we truly love...’

Today’s lesson brings to view Jesus’s expression of Love.  What was the bond between him and his disciples? What is his relationship with humans today? He no longer sees us as servants or merely decaying mortals, but FRIENDS; friendly enough to tell us the secrets of God through written words (John 15:15); friendly enough to die for us (John 15:13); to pray for us (John 17: 9, 20); friendly enough to never want to leave us alone (John 17:23,26)

“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends”, Jesus said.

Some people call each other baby, honey, sweetie but lack relationships with true demonstration of love; JESUS has simplified it, so I’d  need you to contemplate the implications of becoming Jesus's friend and accept His call to union with Him, his lifestyle (with the twelve and us all) is a living testament. Friendship with Jesus produces healthy, maturing Christians in our homes, at job, in church, in our country and the world at large.

 

Share God’s Love today, it’s in you

MY FRIEND'S & I

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul....

Horatio G. Spafford composed this song while on a ship that was near the spot at sea where his four daughters perished. How could it be “well” for Spafford in his grief?

The value of close friendships is especially important in time of grief. Grief makes life difficult for even the strongest person. Support during the difficult days following the death of a loved one becomes vital. Close friends can readily provide this needed support. Greif reminds us that we need intimate friendships. How poor our lives are if we have the heartaches alone. Friends do not make the pain and sense of loss go away, but they do make it more bearable.

Everyone today seems to live by crowded, hectic schedules. This is all the more reason for us to place our friends high on our list of priorities. Time made for friends will add joy to our lives as well as to their. “No man is an island, thus life’s road is better travelled in the company of friends than alone”.

Recognize the great value friendship holds for you, and then make the effort to build good solid friendships. We depend on friendships. Life is more enjoyable with friends. However, there are people who question the importance of friendships. They see themselves as too strong to need the strength of others.

The closeness that breeds friendship begins with a heart and home that are open to friendship. To have friends, you must be a friend. To take these friendships to a deeper level, one needs to open his or her life to people with whom they want to have friendship. Those who remain aloof from others find it difficult to develop deep friendships. A person who is willing to listen will find it easier to make friends. Developing a friendship should be a priority even at the cost of leaving some things undone so we can give our attention to friends.

Today’s Questions:

1.        What was wrong in what Martha was doing to that of Mary?

2.       In our own way, how do we comfort a friend in grief?

Friendship requires us to make choices. Sometimes, it can be hard to make the best choice we can to strengthen a friendship. Often our head, our sense of duty and obligation can cause us to ignore our heart that recognizes that spending time with a friend is more important than getting certain things done.  

Think about your closest friends. Do they know you cherish them and their friendship? Find ways this week to let your friends know how you feel about them and how much you appreciate them. Each of these friends is a precious gift from the Author of friendship – Jesus.

 

Scorpion, my friend

I read this story from a friend’s Facebook wall:

 
“An old man saw a drowning scorpion and decided to save it. Each time the man tried to pick the scorpion up, the scorpion will sting the old man.  It didn’t stop the man from trying to help the scorpion. He continued to attempt to pick up the scorpion and the scorpion would do the same. A young boy who was observing told the old man to let the scorpion be since it would not stop to sting, but the old man replied the boy: ‘it is in the scorpion’s nature to sting and it’s in my nature to save it’. Then the man used a leaf to pick up the scorpion to safety.”

Most times we think our relationships are not working out, we may have misdiagnosed. Maybe we have been the scorpions or we have not tried enough to save the scorpion despite the stinging. Maybe we have been assuming wrongly, maybe we have not said the right words yet, maybe we still nurture the wound from a previous sting, maybe we have been not sticking around long enough. How far are you willing to go to ensure that it works, how strong are you willing to push?

From our today’s lesson, our imperfections do not have to spell the end of our relationship with the greatest Friend of all. Our friendship with Him can continue and it can grow stronger. When one friend fails another, it can be painful thing for both people. This is where most friendships come to an end.

No friendship is perfect. Earthly friends sometimes fail, but good friends do not discard one another because of imperfection. Neither does Jesus. He is the perfect example of a friend as described in Proverbs 17:17 “A friend loves at all times,…” (NIV). One whose love is loyal and constant, and who does not leave us when thing become unpleasant. His friendship assures us that He is more than a fair-weather friend. When hard times come, He will be with us and help us through them.

Friendship calls for the realisation of who our friends are. It is hard to enjoy close friendship without recognising who a person is. Discovering that a friend has been less than truthful with us about who he or she is can put a strain on the friendship. We expect friends to be honest with us, if not trusting a friend is difficult. This is also true in our friendship with Jesus. If we say He is our friend, we must understand who He is and allow this recognition to shape our response to Him. Only when we have this understanding can we really enjoy the close friendship He offers.

Peter and his friendship with Jesus show us that in spite of our imperfections, Christ invites us to still be friends with Him. (Matthew 14:24-33, 16:13-19 and John 21:4-19). As Peter did, we must first return to Jesus. Then we must do the thing we once failed to do – we must commit ourselves to following him faithfully at whatever cost. 

Playing Dirty

During my secondary school days, a few of my ‘FRIENDS’ and I formed a small group with the sole purpose of winning election into school prefect positions. 

I learnt a lot from that small group. We had a simple agreement on “power sharing formula” – contest this time, I will support you, you will step aside for me next election. It seemed perfect when it was made. We all agreed. We all signed. We all supported. But when the stepping aside time came, you could guess what happened...playing dirty, you see!

This was not the kind of friendship Jesus had with John the beloved.

Think about friendships that you enjoy and the intimate nature of friendship may become clear. You probably share things with your friends that you would not share with strangers or even your siblings. You may have shared things in confidence with a close friend that you would not want others to know. By nature, friendship is an intimate, personal relationship between people who trust each other. This was the kind of friendship the disciples found in Jesus, one devoid of betrayals and unfaithfulness.

Friends lay down their lives for each other in many ways. In addition to offering financial help, it may involve taking time out of a busy schedule to listen to a friend who needs to talk. It may involve sharing our time to attend an event with a friend or giving ourselves in a number of other ways. When we do these things, we reflect the love of Christ. We also show friendship in a way that is more than just words. Our sacrifice actions prove the sincerity of our friendship.

If you have come to faith in Christ, let His love be seen in your personal relationships. Instead of merely make friends for yourself, make them for Jesus as well. Through friendship, point your friend to the Saviour. Realise that both types of friendships – with other people and with the Lord – are closely related. Consider ways you can develop a closer relationship with Christ and seek to show His love. Never take the value of friendship lightly. Treasure your friendships and try to develop new ones.

Work at being a true friend. Hook up with Jesus. Stay Hooked to Him.

HOLY ‘BATHING’

HOLY ‘BATHING’

As a teenager, we used to live on the upper floor of a tenement building (face-me-i-face-you) which had the toilets and bathrooms at the back , sharing fence with the neighborhood’s primary school. For many weekends (whilst we lived there), I had ‘private’ view of a dirty depraved-looking old man who specialized in bathing women. God forbid bad thing! Mssstcheeeew!

Of course it was easy to decipher the situation (thanks to Nollywood movies), the women had some troubles in their lives, consulted the old man who prescribed ‘spiritual’ bathing/ cleansing amongst other things (perhaps including carnal knowledge of them), they simply needed ‘Spiritual Renewal’, but sadly chose the wrong source. Tufiakwa!

Today’s Sunday School features the biblical concept of repentance, how it relates to Spiritual renewal, shows availability Christ’s love to all who believe and encourages us to worship God in spirit and truth (2Chronicles 29:31)

It’s sad but not strange that even today certain ‘Christians’ and even some pastors seek power and spiritual renewal from the enemy, even when they have a godly heritage.  A replay or blast from the past shows King Ahaz continuously living in defiance to God, his nasty death and the early Succession by his ‘Christian’ & Spiritually renewed Son , Hezekiah…evidence of flirting with sin and temptation. 2 Chron 28:1- 30:27

Repentance is a change of mind in our basic attitudes toward God and Christ that results in turning away from our sinful life style towards Jesus and live by faith in Him, because without Repentance, Spiritual Renewal is impossible.

Do you want to be free, have peace, joy, worship God with a pure heart, face life’s challenges undauntedly? Stop running from ‘pillar to post’, God is not a respecter of persons… Take a decision like Hezekiah today, let his revival stir fresh desires in our hearts for genuine spiritual renewal as individuals and cleansing for this great country Nigeria.

Be empowered, Renewed. Get your ‘Holy Bath’ from Jesus Now!

'Awoof' of the Holy Spirit

God created the world around us. God created us. God didn't build a toll booth to collect user fees for life. Instead, life is free, and being in the created world is free; it's a gift. We humans are the ones who attach fees to what has been freely given to us. 

The biggest gift of all, however, is not other people, and is not nature, or the universe, or family. The biggest gift in all of existence is that we are given the Giver. But Jesus is not walking among us today. So another gift has been given - God in yet another way, the divine Spirit through whom Christ is still in effect right here and now. This Spirit leads, shapes, empowers, and gives us joy. The gift a Christian lives in every day, most fundamentally, is the Holy Spirit.

Gifts of the Spirit are special abilities provided by the Holy Spirit to Christians for the purpose of building up the body of Christ. The list of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 includes wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, speaking in tongues, and interpretation of tongues. Similar lists appear in Ephesians 4:7-13 and Romans 12:3-8. The gifts of the Spirit are simply God enabling believers to do what He has called us to do. 2 Peter 1:3 says, "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." The gifts of the Holy Spirit are part of the "everything we need" to fulfil His purposes for our lives.

Gifts of the Spirit - The Definitions

There is some controversy as to the precise nature of each of the gifts of the Spirit, but here is a list of spiritual gifts and their basic definitions.

o   The gift of wisdom is the ability to make decisions and give guidance that is according to God's will.

o   The gift of knowledge is the ability to have an in-depth understanding of a spiritual issue or situation.

o   The gift of faith is being able to trust God and encourage others to trust God, no matter the circumstances.

o   The gift of healing is the miraculous ability to use God's healing power to restore a person who is sick, injured, or suffering.

o   The gift of miracles is being able to perform signs and wonders that give authenticity to God's Word and the Gospel message.

o   The gift of prophecy is being able to proclaim a message from God.

o   The gift of discerning spirits is the ability to determine whether or not a message, person, or event is truly from God.

o   The gift of tongues is the ability to speak in a foreign language that you do not have knowledge of, in order to communicate with someone who speaks that language.

o   The gift of interpreting tongues is the ability to translate the tongues speaking and communicate it back to others in your own language.

o   The gift of administration is being able to keep things organized and in accordance with God's principles.

o   The gift of helps is always having the desire and ability to help others, to do whatever it takes to get a task accomplished.

Which One(s) Do I Have?

The Holy Spirit distributes the gifts of the Spirit as He sees fit (1 Corinthians 12:7-11). God does not want us to be ignorant of how He wants us to serve Him. However, it is very easy for us to get caught up in what spiritual gift(s) we have and then only serve God in that area of ministry. That is not how it works. God calls us to obediently serve Him. He will equip us with whatever gifts of the Spirit we need to accomplish the task or tasks He has called us to. Yes, God calls some to be teachers and gives them the gift of teaching, but that does not excuse the person from serving God in other ways as well. Is it beneficial to know what spiritual gift(s) God has given you? Of course, it is. Is it wrong to focus so much on spiritual gifts that we miss other opportunities to serve God? Yes!

                          Today’s Question

Why are spiritual gifts needed in the church today?

There is no magic formula or spiritual gift test that can tell you what gifts of the Spirit you possess. What we need to focus on is serving God. Do you see a need in your church? Do what you can to meet it. Is there a position in a ministry that is vacant? Pray as to whether God would have you fill it. If we seek God's will and obey His leading, He will always equip us with whatever gifts of the Spirit we need. Spiritual gift tests can be of some value in determining what areas God has especially gifted you. As always, though, place far more emphasis on God's Word and submitting to the Lord's leading than you do on the results of a spiritual gift test.

What Are the Gifts Used For?

The Apostle Paul indicated that the gifts of the Spirit are equally valid, but not equally valuable. Their value is determined by their worth to the church. In dealing with this matter, he used the analogy of the human body. All members of the body have functions, Paul declared, but some are more important than others (1 Corinthians 12:12-26). The service of each Christian should be in proportion to the gifts which he possesses (1 Corinthians 12-14). All believers, as members of the body of Christ, must be serving together in order for the body to be fully-functional. That is why a church needs pastors, teachers, helpers, servants, administrators, those with great faith, etc. All of the gifts of the Holy Spirit working together are needed to produce the full potential of the church. Since the gifts of the Spirit are gifts of grace, their use must be controlled by the rule of love - the greatest of all the gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 13).