By Rabbi Dr. Esther Boucher
SPIRITUAL GIFTS
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You have a specific place in the body of Christ a role that only you
can fulfill. That does not necessarily mean you will ever stand behind
a pulpit to preach or teach. But it does mean that you have a place in
which to work for God. Are you in the right place?
Filling your place in the body of Christ does not just mean being born
again, filled with the Sprit, and going to church. It means using your
natural talents and spiritual gifts for God. You should be actively
involved in your place, because in your God-given place is where the
greatest blessings of God will flow both from your life and into your
life. There shouldn't be anyone sitting on a pew in a local church who
doesn't also work somewhere in the ministry of the church, because
God has a specific place for every member of the body of christ.
Turn with me to 1 Cor. 12:12-21 Here the Body of Christ is compared
to the human body. Just as parts of the human body work together in
their places so must the body of Christ work together in their places.
This scripture helps us understand that each individual body part is
necessary and that no one part is more important than any other part.
For the Body of Christ to operate properly as a whole, it needs all of
its parts functioning in their place.
In the body of Christ and the local body, instructions come from the
head, Jesus Christ. The members operating under the head carry out
those instructions. In the local body, the God-given vision, plan and
purpose come through the senior pastor. The members carry out the
execution or operation of the vision. For the body of Christ and the
local church to be effective we must understand we are obligated to
love one another, because the body of Christ can't function properly if
there is a strife in it. Many times that's what happens in the human
body. If one part rejects another part because of an infection or
disease, it can cause a serious health problem. But when all the parts
are in harmony with each other, the body is healthy and strong.
Romans 12:5 says we being many, are one body in Christ, and every
one members one of another. We must recognize that we are
members one of another. We are to build one another up, not tear
each other down. We are to serve one another. We are to help bear
one another's burdens. We are to be kind to one another. Don't
speak evil against another member a fellow believer in Christ. Don't
grumble against another member. Pray for one another. Be
hospitable to one another. Fellowship with one another.
Individual members come together to make up the whole body of
Christ. We all have different talents and skills in which we excel.
Every one of us has been given gifts that fit a specific function and
place in the body of Christ.
Go with me to Eph 4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles
(eyes), some prophets the (mouth), some evangelist (fleet) and some
pastors (ears) and teachers (hands). The gift of the apostle is special
ability that God gives to certain members of the body of Christ to
assume and exercise general leadership over a number of churches
with an extraordinary authority in spiritual matters that is
spontaneously recognized and appreciated by those churches. They
are the eyes in spiritual matters. Prophets - The gift of prophecy is the
special ability to receive and communicate an immediate message of
God to His people through a divinely anointed utterance. They are
God's mouthpieces. Evangelist - The gift of evangelist is the special
ability God gives to share the gospel in such a way that people become
Jesus' disciples and responsible members of the body of Christ. The
evangelists are the feet, taking the gospel to the world. Pastors - The
gift of pastors is the ability to assume a long-term personal
responsibility for the spiritual welfare of a group of believers. They
are the ears listening to people's joys, sorrows and information relevant
to the health and ministry of the body and its members in such a way
that others will learn. They are the hands that prepare the lessons God
wants us to learn.
There are 27 spiritual gifts listed in the scriptures. All of them are
important. A spiritual gift according to Peter Wagner is a special
attribute given by the Holy Spirit to every member of the body of
Christ. According to God's grace for use within the context of the
body. They are designed for members of the body. The gifts were
given to meet needs beyond our ability to meet. They are supernatural
intervention of God. Apostle Paul admonishes us in I Cor. 12:1 - not
to be ignorant. We are commanded by the word of God to learn about
the gifts. A primary spiritual exercise for any Christian then is to
discover, develop and use their spiritual gifts. The benefits of
spiritual gifts include: making you a better Christian allowing God to
make your life count for Him; it helps the church as a whole; it
glorifies God. In Mark 16:15-20 we are told these signs shall follow
those who believe. Do you believe? The gifts manifest the power,
which has been imparted to us as believers. All off spring partake of
the same nature, power, attributes and characteristics that belong to
their parents. If you are a child of God, it should be just as natural for
you to operate in the gifts of the Spirit as it is for a fish to swim in
water. The gifts of the Spirit were not given to the body of Christ just
to be manifested in church. The Holy Spirit is alive and well seven
days a week and it is His desire to manifest the gifts wherever there
are believers. Powerful homes make powerful churches. Don't get
hung up on the labeling of the gifts either. Christians can spend hours
arguing over which gift is which and never operate in any of them. It
is the desire of the Holy Spirit for us to be eager to flow in the gifts,
and not be concerned with labels. When the Holy Spirit desires to
move in a gift, He must have a willing vessel through which to operate.
The gifts are given to each and every believer, not just some. They
are given as the Holy Spirit determines, not as we determine. Many
who follow Jesus have believed that the gifts were for others, not
for them. Some have believed that a few of the gifts might be for
them, but only the ones with which they were comfortable. Some
have chosen to ignore all or part of the gifts because they do not
understand them. We need to seek to be used of God in the gifts to
minister to the needs of others not to stand out as a mighty person of
God. God does not give gifts, which He does not call the recipient to
use, nor does He call someone to do something for Him with
equipping that person with the necessary gift or gifts to do it. Besides
the general call of salvation there will be a specific calling. Some like
to refer to this as one's ministry. So the ministry or specific all
determines the way or setting that God wishes you to exercise the
gift/gifts He has given you. Ex: A person can have the gift of teaching
and be called specifically to use that gift amongst children, on the
radio, or in writing books. Individual Christians disconnected from the
body of Christ are not very useful. Spiritual gifts are not designed for
Lone Rangers. The majority of the gifts can be found in three key
chapters; Romans 12, I Cor. 12 and Eph 4. Romans 12 mentions
prophesy which I've already mentioned. Gift of service - The ability to
identify the unmet needs involved in a task related to God's work, and
to make use of available resources to meet those needs and help
accomplish the desired goals. Exhortation - The gift to minister words
of comfort, consolation, encouragement and counsel to other members
of the body in such a way that they feel helped and healed. Giving -
The gift to contribute their material resources to the work of the Lord
with liberality and cheerfulness. Leadership - The gift to set goals in
accordance with God's purposes for the future and to communicate
these goals to others in such a way that they voluntarily and
harmoniously work together to accomplish those goals for the glory of
God. Gift of mercy is to fell genuine empathy and compassion for
individuals both Christian and non-Christian who suffer distressing
physical, metal or emotional problems and to translate that compassion
into cheerfully done deeds that reflect Christ's love and alleviate the
suffering. These persons engage in one to one relationships. Kindness
comes naturally and expects no payment. The recipients are usually
the ill, the retarded, the prisoners, the blind, the poor, the aged, the
ugly, the handicapped, the shut-ins and the mentally ill. Persons with
this gift make it their lifestyle. The gift of helps gift invest the talents
they have in the life and ministry of other members of the body thus
enabling the person helped to increase the effectiveness of their
spiritual gifts. I Cor. 12 speak of the gifts of revelation the first being
the word of wisdom. This is a supernatural revelation of the mind and
purpose of God communicated wisdom. It is the expression of God's
unrevealed will, the purpose of His heart in a given situation. Ex. Acts
13:2 Word of knowledge is a supernatural revelation of the existence,
or nature, of a person or a thing, or a knowledge of some event given
by the Holy Spirit for a specific purpose. It is not a natural
knowledge. It is a supernatural gift of knowledge not available for
other means. Ex. Acts 5:3 Discerning of Spirits is the gift
that enables one to see into the spirit realm, both God's and Satan's.
Some believe that one must actually see the spirits with natural eyes
and others say that this means seeing in the sense of knowing what
spirits are in operation. It is a mental operation, Jesus operated
in this gift in Matt 16:23. We have the gifts of Power, which includes
faith, healing, and miracles. Faith is the supernatural operation of the
Holy Spirit, which enables us to sustain an unwavering trust in God for
the provision of their needs. It is a super natural gift of God that
enables us to perform or operate in miracles. Ex. Daniel in lions den
and Peter walking on the water. The gift of healing is a supernatural
power to heal diseases, to cast out demons and to cure by making the
body whole and healthy. The gift of healing is different from laying on
of hands for the sick. The Holy Spirit may operate through one
person consistently for one type of healing or He may choose to effect
several different types of healing through one individual. Acts 5:15-16
The working of miracles is a supernatural power affected through the
Holy Spirit to intervene in the ordinary course of nature and the
common natural laws that govern the material universe. It is the
temporary suspension of the accustomed order. It has no explanation
other than the sovereign power of God. Ex. Luke 8:24 The gifts of
inspiration include prophesy, diverse kinds of tongues and
interpretation of tongues. Prophecy is the supernatural utterance in the
known tongue inspired by the Holy Spirit. This gift is conformational
rather than directional. The word received in prophecy should confirm
what is known already. Prophecy means speaking for another and is
the message for the Holy Spirit given to edify, exhort, and comfort.
Luke 1:42 Elizabeth's words are a prophetic utterance. Diverse kinds
of tongues is a supernatural utterance in an unknown language by the
inspiration of the Holy spirit. According to scripture 1 Cor. 14:22
tongues are a sign to the unbeliever. Interpretation of tongues together
have the same affect as prophecy. The message should exhort, edify
or comfort. The gift of administration is to understand clearly the
immediate and long range goals of a particular unit of the Body of
christ and to devise and execute effective plans for the
accomplishment of those goals. Other gifts listed in Scripture include:
The gift of celibacy, voluntary poverty, martyrdom, hospitality,
missionary, intercessor and exorcism. Variation and degrees of the
gifts are distributed at the discretion of God. God gives specific gift
mixes to different people, different churches and denominations. The
gift mix a church or denomination has should be a determining factor
of their philosophy of ministry. This means what it stands for and
what makes it different from other churches. If God distributes the
gifts to churches, individuals, and denominations we would do well to
accept what God has given with pride, envy, guilt, self-consciousness
or a feeling of inferiority. Whatever the gift-mix God has chosen, it is
a mix adequate for growth if the dynamic is released by the power of
the Holy Spirit and in obedience to the Lord of the Harvest. Spiritual
gifts are not natural talents, fruit of the spirit, Christian roles or
counterfeit gifts. Satan uses an extremely subtle counterfeit to the
precious gifts of the spirit. Satan counterfeits the gifts of faith,
miracles, healing, tongues and interpretation. Even the gift of exorcism
is carefully reproduced by the devil. Psychics are using counterfeit
prophecies that come true. This makes the appeals more attractive.
As a member of the body of Christ you must dedicate to God the gifts
and attributes you possess to be used in the local church body for the
propagation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Natural talents like singing,
playing musical instruments, drawing and illustrating can be used to
spread the Gospel. Many people want to serve God in areas they are
not equipped to serve Him. Some actually get their feelings hurt
because they want to serve in certain areas of the local church, but
they can't, because they are not endowed with the gifts and talents
necessary in those areas. Recognize your talents and gifts and develop
what God has given you. Many people think the success of a church
is all up to the pastor. The pastor is important because he provides the
vision and leadership. But he can't carry the vision out by himself. It
takes each individual finding out what their position is and then
functioning in it to fulfill the God-given vision of each local church.
The local church, Gates of Praise, must have individuals who are
willing to work hard at what they know how to do to keep the church
running effectively. As a pastor, I notice when we ask for volunteers
it seems to always be the same people who offer their time and talent
to help. I am thankful for people like that! But, the body of Christ
needs all of us not just a few, functioning in our places in our own
local church. A church has both natural and supernatural functions to
carry out. And it is the natural and the supernatural coming together
that make an explosive force for God. We need to ask ourselves am I
in my place? Am I fulfilling my role in our church? Each one of us
needs to be busy making sure the gospel is preached and lives are
changed. We must dedicate ourselves to be in our places, doing our
part. Working together, we'll carry out the instructions God gives us
to accomplish His plan and purpose for this church and these last days.
can fulfill. That does not necessarily mean you will ever stand behind
a pulpit to preach or teach. But it does mean that you have a place in
which to work for God. Are you in the right place?
Filling your place in the body of Christ does not just mean being born
again, filled with the Sprit, and going to church. It means using your
natural talents and spiritual gifts for God. You should be actively
involved in your place, because in your God-given place is where the
greatest blessings of God will flow both from your life and into your
life. There shouldn't be anyone sitting on a pew in a local church who
doesn't also work somewhere in the ministry of the church, because
God has a specific place for every member of the body of christ.
Turn with me to 1 Cor. 12:12-21 Here the Body of Christ is compared
to the human body. Just as parts of the human body work together in
their places so must the body of Christ work together in their places.
This scripture helps us understand that each individual body part is
necessary and that no one part is more important than any other part.
For the Body of Christ to operate properly as a whole, it needs all of
its parts functioning in their place.
In the body of Christ and the local body, instructions come from the
head, Jesus Christ. The members operating under the head carry out
those instructions. In the local body, the God-given vision, plan and
purpose come through the senior pastor. The members carry out the
execution or operation of the vision. For the body of Christ and the
local church to be effective we must understand we are obligated to
love one another, because the body of Christ can't function properly if
there is a strife in it. Many times that's what happens in the human
body. If one part rejects another part because of an infection or
disease, it can cause a serious health problem. But when all the parts
are in harmony with each other, the body is healthy and strong.
Romans 12:5 says we being many, are one body in Christ, and every
one members one of another. We must recognize that we are
members one of another. We are to build one another up, not tear
each other down. We are to serve one another. We are to help bear
one another's burdens. We are to be kind to one another. Don't
speak evil against another member a fellow believer in Christ. Don't
grumble against another member. Pray for one another. Be
hospitable to one another. Fellowship with one another.
Individual members come together to make up the whole body of
Christ. We all have different talents and skills in which we excel.
Every one of us has been given gifts that fit a specific function and
place in the body of Christ.
Go with me to Eph 4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles
(eyes), some prophets the (mouth), some evangelist (fleet) and some
pastors (ears) and teachers (hands). The gift of the apostle is special
ability that God gives to certain members of the body of Christ to
assume and exercise general leadership over a number of churches
with an extraordinary authority in spiritual matters that is
spontaneously recognized and appreciated by those churches. They
are the eyes in spiritual matters. Prophets - The gift of prophecy is the
special ability to receive and communicate an immediate message of
God to His people through a divinely anointed utterance. They are
God's mouthpieces. Evangelist - The gift of evangelist is the special
ability God gives to share the gospel in such a way that people become
Jesus' disciples and responsible members of the body of Christ. The
evangelists are the feet, taking the gospel to the world. Pastors - The
gift of pastors is the ability to assume a long-term personal
responsibility for the spiritual welfare of a group of believers. They
are the ears listening to people's joys, sorrows and information relevant
to the health and ministry of the body and its members in such a way
that others will learn. They are the hands that prepare the lessons God
wants us to learn.
There are 27 spiritual gifts listed in the scriptures. All of them are
important. A spiritual gift according to Peter Wagner is a special
attribute given by the Holy Spirit to every member of the body of
Christ. According to God's grace for use within the context of the
body. They are designed for members of the body. The gifts were
given to meet needs beyond our ability to meet. They are supernatural
intervention of God. Apostle Paul admonishes us in I Cor. 12:1 - not
to be ignorant. We are commanded by the word of God to learn about
the gifts. A primary spiritual exercise for any Christian then is to
discover, develop and use their spiritual gifts. The benefits of
spiritual gifts include: making you a better Christian allowing God to
make your life count for Him; it helps the church as a whole; it
glorifies God. In Mark 16:15-20 we are told these signs shall follow
those who believe. Do you believe? The gifts manifest the power,
which has been imparted to us as believers. All off spring partake of
the same nature, power, attributes and characteristics that belong to
their parents. If you are a child of God, it should be just as natural for
you to operate in the gifts of the Spirit as it is for a fish to swim in
water. The gifts of the Spirit were not given to the body of Christ just
to be manifested in church. The Holy Spirit is alive and well seven
days a week and it is His desire to manifest the gifts wherever there
are believers. Powerful homes make powerful churches. Don't get
hung up on the labeling of the gifts either. Christians can spend hours
arguing over which gift is which and never operate in any of them. It
is the desire of the Holy Spirit for us to be eager to flow in the gifts,
and not be concerned with labels. When the Holy Spirit desires to
move in a gift, He must have a willing vessel through which to operate.
The gifts are given to each and every believer, not just some. They
are given as the Holy Spirit determines, not as we determine. Many
who follow Jesus have believed that the gifts were for others, not
for them. Some have believed that a few of the gifts might be for
them, but only the ones with which they were comfortable. Some
have chosen to ignore all or part of the gifts because they do not
understand them. We need to seek to be used of God in the gifts to
minister to the needs of others not to stand out as a mighty person of
God. God does not give gifts, which He does not call the recipient to
use, nor does He call someone to do something for Him with
equipping that person with the necessary gift or gifts to do it. Besides
the general call of salvation there will be a specific calling. Some like
to refer to this as one's ministry. So the ministry or specific all
determines the way or setting that God wishes you to exercise the
gift/gifts He has given you. Ex: A person can have the gift of teaching
and be called specifically to use that gift amongst children, on the
radio, or in writing books. Individual Christians disconnected from the
body of Christ are not very useful. Spiritual gifts are not designed for
Lone Rangers. The majority of the gifts can be found in three key
chapters; Romans 12, I Cor. 12 and Eph 4. Romans 12 mentions
prophesy which I've already mentioned. Gift of service - The ability to
identify the unmet needs involved in a task related to God's work, and
to make use of available resources to meet those needs and help
accomplish the desired goals. Exhortation - The gift to minister words
of comfort, consolation, encouragement and counsel to other members
of the body in such a way that they feel helped and healed. Giving -
The gift to contribute their material resources to the work of the Lord
with liberality and cheerfulness. Leadership - The gift to set goals in
accordance with God's purposes for the future and to communicate
these goals to others in such a way that they voluntarily and
harmoniously work together to accomplish those goals for the glory of
God. Gift of mercy is to fell genuine empathy and compassion for
individuals both Christian and non-Christian who suffer distressing
physical, metal or emotional problems and to translate that compassion
into cheerfully done deeds that reflect Christ's love and alleviate the
suffering. These persons engage in one to one relationships. Kindness
comes naturally and expects no payment. The recipients are usually
the ill, the retarded, the prisoners, the blind, the poor, the aged, the
ugly, the handicapped, the shut-ins and the mentally ill. Persons with
this gift make it their lifestyle. The gift of helps gift invest the talents
they have in the life and ministry of other members of the body thus
enabling the person helped to increase the effectiveness of their
spiritual gifts. I Cor. 12 speak of the gifts of revelation the first being
the word of wisdom. This is a supernatural revelation of the mind and
purpose of God communicated wisdom. It is the expression of God's
unrevealed will, the purpose of His heart in a given situation. Ex. Acts
13:2 Word of knowledge is a supernatural revelation of the existence,
or nature, of a person or a thing, or a knowledge of some event given
by the Holy Spirit for a specific purpose. It is not a natural
knowledge. It is a supernatural gift of knowledge not available for
other means. Ex. Acts 5:3 Discerning of Spirits is the gift
that enables one to see into the spirit realm, both God's and Satan's.
Some believe that one must actually see the spirits with natural eyes
and others say that this means seeing in the sense of knowing what
spirits are in operation. It is a mental operation, Jesus operated
in this gift in Matt 16:23. We have the gifts of Power, which includes
faith, healing, and miracles. Faith is the supernatural operation of the
Holy Spirit, which enables us to sustain an unwavering trust in God for
the provision of their needs. It is a super natural gift of God that
enables us to perform or operate in miracles. Ex. Daniel in lions den
and Peter walking on the water. The gift of healing is a supernatural
power to heal diseases, to cast out demons and to cure by making the
body whole and healthy. The gift of healing is different from laying on
of hands for the sick. The Holy Spirit may operate through one
person consistently for one type of healing or He may choose to effect
several different types of healing through one individual. Acts 5:15-16
The working of miracles is a supernatural power affected through the
Holy Spirit to intervene in the ordinary course of nature and the
common natural laws that govern the material universe. It is the
temporary suspension of the accustomed order. It has no explanation
other than the sovereign power of God. Ex. Luke 8:24 The gifts of
inspiration include prophesy, diverse kinds of tongues and
interpretation of tongues. Prophecy is the supernatural utterance in the
known tongue inspired by the Holy Spirit. This gift is conformational
rather than directional. The word received in prophecy should confirm
what is known already. Prophecy means speaking for another and is
the message for the Holy Spirit given to edify, exhort, and comfort.
Luke 1:42 Elizabeth's words are a prophetic utterance. Diverse kinds
of tongues is a supernatural utterance in an unknown language by the
inspiration of the Holy spirit. According to scripture 1 Cor. 14:22
tongues are a sign to the unbeliever. Interpretation of tongues together
have the same affect as prophecy. The message should exhort, edify
or comfort. The gift of administration is to understand clearly the
immediate and long range goals of a particular unit of the Body of
christ and to devise and execute effective plans for the
accomplishment of those goals. Other gifts listed in Scripture include:
The gift of celibacy, voluntary poverty, martyrdom, hospitality,
missionary, intercessor and exorcism. Variation and degrees of the
gifts are distributed at the discretion of God. God gives specific gift
mixes to different people, different churches and denominations. The
gift mix a church or denomination has should be a determining factor
of their philosophy of ministry. This means what it stands for and
what makes it different from other churches. If God distributes the
gifts to churches, individuals, and denominations we would do well to
accept what God has given with pride, envy, guilt, self-consciousness
or a feeling of inferiority. Whatever the gift-mix God has chosen, it is
a mix adequate for growth if the dynamic is released by the power of
the Holy Spirit and in obedience to the Lord of the Harvest. Spiritual
gifts are not natural talents, fruit of the spirit, Christian roles or
counterfeit gifts. Satan uses an extremely subtle counterfeit to the
precious gifts of the spirit. Satan counterfeits the gifts of faith,
miracles, healing, tongues and interpretation. Even the gift of exorcism
is carefully reproduced by the devil. Psychics are using counterfeit
prophecies that come true. This makes the appeals more attractive.
As a member of the body of Christ you must dedicate to God the gifts
and attributes you possess to be used in the local church body for the
propagation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Natural talents like singing,
playing musical instruments, drawing and illustrating can be used to
spread the Gospel. Many people want to serve God in areas they are
not equipped to serve Him. Some actually get their feelings hurt
because they want to serve in certain areas of the local church, but
they can't, because they are not endowed with the gifts and talents
necessary in those areas. Recognize your talents and gifts and develop
what God has given you. Many people think the success of a church
is all up to the pastor. The pastor is important because he provides the
vision and leadership. But he can't carry the vision out by himself. It
takes each individual finding out what their position is and then
functioning in it to fulfill the God-given vision of each local church.
The local church, Gates of Praise, must have individuals who are
willing to work hard at what they know how to do to keep the church
running effectively. As a pastor, I notice when we ask for volunteers
it seems to always be the same people who offer their time and talent
to help. I am thankful for people like that! But, the body of Christ
needs all of us not just a few, functioning in our places in our own
local church. A church has both natural and supernatural functions to
carry out. And it is the natural and the supernatural coming together
that make an explosive force for God. We need to ask ourselves am I
in my place? Am I fulfilling my role in our church? Each one of us
needs to be busy making sure the gospel is preached and lives are
changed. We must dedicate ourselves to be in our places, doing our
part. Working together, we'll carry out the instructions God gives us
to accomplish His plan and purpose for this church and these last days.