Nov. 6, 2007 Time and Priorities
There is a common thought tossed around in Christian circles, that the more time spent on something means the more you value it.
This may be true in some cases. But in general I think it is over simplified and can lead to discontentment on the part of the significant others with whom time isn't spent (as much as say tiem at work or even eating).
Most husbands work 40 hours a week, of their waking hours. Say he wakes at 7am leaves by 8:30am is at work by 9 and off by 5 and home by 5:30. Then he is in bed by 10pm every night.
So he has 6 hours a weekday plus 15 every weekend day for a total of 60 hours left. Let us assume a shower a day plus dressing etc is 1/2 hour so - 3 1/2 hours = 56 1/2 Lets add in eating breakfasts and dinners and two lunches at 1/2 hour each. So 48 1/2 hours. Other bodily issues - 30min/day 45 1/2 hours left.
What does your man have to do in those 45 1/2 hours - Well mine is expected to keep up with the house; mow the lawn, do maintainance, electrical, plumbing and carpentry repair, car maintainance etc. He is also expected to play with the kids and take them places. He also is expected to spend time with me (his wife), and do errands if we need something specific (like pellets for the pellet stove). He then has to fit in time with friends, helping the neighbors or the church. Also hobbies, for him it is building or learning about aircraft. Also then his personal time with the Lord.
So if he only spends 5 hours with me during the week I should NOT feel slighted or that he cares about me less. For him to prove he cares about me more using this flawed "time" formula he would have to spend at least 41 hours with me a week to outweigh his work.!
For me this is often hard as his time is often filled with hobby time building an airplane or talking to other guys about airplanes and I feel pouty and left out.
Well this is as shout out and an encouragement to all you ladies. Get interested in his hobby, so that you can be involved more with him and his "spare" time. My dh lives and breathes airplanes so I have made him my hobby. So yes I know what a cowling is, and a rudder pedal and a Cessna 150 and all sorts of information that I would never have cared to know, but I care to know now because I love my dh and want to spend time with him.
I guess I get offended a bit when people judge others spiritual life by how much they are in the Word also. It is true that we should be reading it, and it should be on our lips, but if you are only reading it 1 % of your day are you any less of a Christian than someone who is reading it 100% of the day. NO. Sometimes, and most often actions speak louder than words. And if someone is reading and not doing then that is a sin IMO. Read all the holy book for sure.. But do not hide it. And do not sacrifice your family's well being so you can lock yourself in your closet to read. Or volunteer at the church 24/7 and not go to work so your family has bread on the table. |
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Nov. 3, 2007 How to impart Wisdom
One question the Proverbs seemed to answer for me was How do we as parents impart wisdom to our children?
Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
- First you must be following the Lord.
Proverbs 2:12
Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse,
- Keep in mind the goal of imparting wisdom to our children is to save them from wickedness. So we must be decerning ourselves, and teach them right from wrong.
Proverbs 4:1
Listen, my sons, to a father's instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.
- Get their attention before you instruct them, and teach them How to listen.
Proverbs 4:5
Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them.
- Rules are important and good, and memorization it an asset to both you and your children.
Proverbs 4:11
I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths.
- Think of the "I" as you the parent who is doing the leading.
Proverbs 9:10
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
- Again the Lord is where we begin with wisdom.
Proverbs 10:31
The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be cut out.
- This is very convicting, we are to righteous, and that will teach our children through us.
Proverbs 21:11
When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom; when a wise man is instructed, he gets knowledge.
- punishment is Godly, and necessary for imparting wisdom.
Proverbs 23:9
Do not speak to a fool, for he will scorn the wisdom of your words
- Calm your child down before imparting wisdom to them. Whether that is a timeout for your younger, or a cool off period for your teenager.
Proverbs 29:15
The rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother.
- Discipline is important, and does teach your child wisdom! Keep your child with you or how will you teach him?
Proverbs 29:20
Do you see a man who speaks in haste?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.
- Speak slowly, think before you speak and use words your children understand.
Proverbs 31:26
She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
- Your children will listen to you so be aware what is ON YOUR TONGUE.. that is a whole different study.. the tongue.. Be aware and beware is the simple saying I will leave you with.
Hope you have a wonderful weekend, see you in the new challenge in a couple days. |
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Oct. 31, 2007 Prudence Proverbs and Preschoolers.
Ladies- thanks for joining in so far! We should be about 1/2 way through the Proverbs. For those of us reading the whole book this week.
As for my house we were taking about prudence in school today. So I felt it was the perfect time to discuss wisdom. As how can one be prudent if they do not have wisdom?
My boys were unsure what wisdom was, so I explained it was "smart" and "good". We then talked about who is wise and who isn't. And who is wiser than you and who isn't. They both said right away that Mommy and Daddy are wiser than they are. And my youngest said JESUS firstly! We then discussed how to know if someone is wiser. First they are usually older, and secondly they love the Lord and tell you what is right. For us Grandparents are wiser, and elderly neighbors. We talked about how adults could be unwise.. like those in prison, and we shouldn't listen to those who are fools (stupid). If they were unsure if someone was wise or not they should ask someone that they know is wise.
Then I discussed each other. I asked my younger son, is Josiah wiser than you. He thought and said... Sometimes. He is right. I then talked to them about discernment. That when another kid tells you something that you need to decide if it is wise or not. I gave them a good illustration. If Meisha told you to move over and there was a car coming was she wise? They said yes. Then I said if she told you to move over but there was a big hole there would you? They said no, it was not wise. I reminded them if someone tells them something that they can't tell if it is wise or not to ask someone that is wise what they think.
We went on to talk about is it better to learn things by listening to someone wiser than you, or by figuring it out yourself. At first they both said themselves. But after I explained it is safer to believe someone wiser than you they agreed. I used the illustration of someone tells them to stay out of the road. Should they go in the road to see, or should they listen to Godly counsel. They agreed listening is safer.
Finally I asked them who Mommy could go to for wisdom, they said God. And I said yes that is one reason why we pray and the Bible is God's words written for us so that we can have wisdom. And they also said Daddy, I said yes, he is wise and can help. I also said that my mother and father are older and wiser in some things so that sometimes I can go ask them if I have a question.
We then prayed for God to give us wisdom, and to help us know who is wise, and which advice is wise.. 
Here are some verses that focus on what I was trying to impart to my boys today
Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline
Proverbs 1:8
[ Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom ] [ Warning Against Enticement ] Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching.
Proverbs 2:6
For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
Proverbs 2:12
Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse,
Proverbs 5:1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom, listen well to my words of insight,
Proverbs 8:12
"I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion.
Proverbs 10:13
Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning, but a rod is for the back of him who lacks judgment.
Proverbs 10:23
A fool finds pleasure in evil conduct, but a man of understanding delights in wisdom. ("bad guys" are not wise)
Proverbs 13:10
Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice. (This is a good one as it illustrates that we are not perfect as adults we still need to take Godly counsel)
Proverbs 15:33
The fear of the LORD teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor. (I think it is important for children to be able to mimic parents. So though parents are wiser than their children, and the children take comfort in that. We are also to be humbled before those who are wiser than us. Do not think ourselves higher than we ought. This will teach the children humility. And yes that God is wiser than we are. and that We are human.
I made sure to tell my children we will still fail but we still must strive to do our best for God, and that we must try and be wise about our choices. |
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Oct. 30, 2007 First four Proverbs... Any insights?
First four Proverbs... Any insights?
Here is one verse that stuck out to me Proverbs 4:1-9
1 Listen, my sons, to a father's instruction;
pay attention and gain understanding.
2 I give you sound learning,
so do not forsake my teaching.
3 When I was a boy in my father's house,
still tender, and an only child of my mother,
4 he taught me and said,
"Lay hold of my words with all your heart;
keep my commands and you will live.
5 Get wisdom, get understanding;
do not forget my words or swerve from them.
6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;
love her, and she will watch over you.
7 Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.
Though it cost all you have, [a] get understanding.
8 Esteem her, and she will exalt you;
embrace her, and she will honor you.
9 She will set a garland of grace on your head
and present you with a crown of splendor."
As parents we are to impart wisdom, even to the youngest of children. While I was an only child, implies an age of 2 years old or so these days. Not sure what was the typical time between children then, but I assume it was about the same. So at 2 years old we are to be imparting WISDOM to our children. Am I going about my day avoiding my children? Am I simply spanking when they disobey or am I also teaching them the purpose of obeying.
I want them to grow to be men full of widsom. So I am starting now. But I have to remind myself to do so, or my pride and slothfulness will get in the way of what God wants for my boys. For not only do they need to obey the Lord, I do also, and I need to go about my daily life with wisdom will embrace me also.
As parents we have a huge responsibility, especially as Christians, and especially as those who truly want to obey the word. I know I will faily, and my human nature will wreak havoc occasionally, but if I can more often keep my eyes on the Lord and my mind full of the Widsom of the Lord. It will protect me and my family.
Some practical ways to impart wisdom to the very little. Treat your dh or dh with respect as as Christ would. They will see that and feel more secure. Listen to not only your dh but also wiser couples. (Wise automatically implies God filled lives ;)). Be wise enough to know you are not 100% right 100% of the time, and be open enough to admit it. Listen to your children, comfort them so as they grow they will trust you and want to obey and will be able to learn wisdom from you, instead of having to learn it on their own.
The more we can learn from others the less mistakes we will have to make along the way. As my children have grown I have taught them to pray, that the Lord is real, and that the Easter Bunny is pretend. I teach them that Mommy is human and makes mistakes also, but I try my best. And that they should do their best to obey and that the Lord loves it when the obey their mother and father. And of course that I love them.
Finally I pray over my children when they sleep. We thank the Lord for the beautiful day, we pray to the lord and ask for healing. When I get hurt my kids are the first to pray for me. Jesus was so right on when he advised to become like a child. Children love us, even when we fail them. But we are called to do our best, and to impart wisdom. So let us stay the course, and keep on working hard to raise our children to be Men or Women of wisdom. |
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Oct. 20, 2007 Gifts of the Holy Spirit (essay in progress)
Gifts of the Holy Spirit-
In my researching this topic, I have found that many have their own ideas about which gifts are gifts from the Holy Spirit. Many include things such as Craftsmanship as in Exodus 28:3-4, and Music 1Cor 14:26, Mark 12:36. However, as I have read the scriptures I find that these are not gifts of the Holy Spirit, or even Spiritual Gifts mentioned by Paul,, who describes gifts in Romans12:4-8, 1 Cor 12:4-11, 1Cor 12:27-30, and Eph 4:7-12. One could argue that the “gift” of Craftsmanship and Music fall under the category of helps, and with this comment I may agree, depending on the definition of Helps, mentioned in 1Cor 12:27-30. I have found the best definition to be the one used in the website, Wolfie posted, which is,, Helps- enables one to assist people in routine ways that are supernaturally enhanced by the anointing of the Holy Spirit. The helped person has the impression that they have been touched by God. Those with this gift should be highly esteemed in the Body.
Because of this I view the “gifts” of both craftsmanship and Music, as more of a talent, yet, if used as previously described could be used in the gift of helps. I also found that many of the gifts are easy to determine if you have or not such as, Speaking in Tongues. However, I also noticed, in many cases a gift such as The Word of Knowledge, and Discerning of Spirits, were interpreted differently. For example, in one of the references I read, The Holy Spirit and His Gifts by Kenneth Hagin (which I personally disagree with because he misrepresents passages,, meaning he practices BAD hermumutics) However, he said that one has the Gift of Discernment only if one has visually seen a Spirit, which in other references was not the case,,, In definition used from the website Wolfie posted Discernment is the heightened ability to read or hear a teaching, to encounter a problem, or to consider a proposed course of action, and then determine whether the source behind the teaching, problem, or action is divine, merely human, or satanitic. This will be a much needed gift near the End of the Age.
Here are some of the websites that I looked at for information.. www.elca.org www.theseeker.org members.theglobe.com calvaryrose.org www.bibe.org www.cforc.com www.acts17-11.com www.teamministry.com www.nebs.net .
In doing this I took 5 spiritual gifts tests, and read three books on the subject, including the study book mentioned by Zach. In praying about this and studing it and taking the 5 tests, I got to a place of confusion. Which was the result of so much information that I couldn’t reconcile, I did make it thru this stage however, and found the Gifts that I most likely have. When searching and growing as a Christian, A good source to look at about Spiritual Gifts was the Website www.theseeker.com it had lots of easy to read information, about the Gifts. OK so I am sure you are all wondering what I found out.
So, in Conclusion I found that my gifts are. Giving, Discernment, Knowledge, Teacher, and Faith. Some other gifts showed up during the Tests, which were Wisdom, Intercession, Prophet, Administration, and Apostle/Missionary. However, after praying I found the previous 5 to be more sutible.. Each test also, asked the questions a bit differently, so depending on the test would depend on the Gift is chose for you. In each test however Giving was the Highest ranked. In some tests not all the Gifts were mentioned, Some of the Obvious Spiritual Gifts, as Speaking in Tongues, and Interpretation, and Discernment were eliminated. I believe that a Christian can have more than one gift also. NOW lets compare my Five with the original listing… GIVING= Romans 12:6-7 given by God,, Gift and talent which God has enabled us to have…. DISCERNMENT= 1CoR 12:8-11 Given as THE HOLY SPIRIT wills, KNOWLEDGE=1Cor12:8-11, TEACHER Eph 4:11 Called, and also Romans 12:6-7 Annointed, talented. FAITH 1Cor 12:8-11 Wow, looks like I got well covered.
When doing your own study on the Spiritual Gifts, do not get down on yourself, or see one gift as better that the other,, We are all a part of the BODY of Christ.. If you are wondering about this HOLY SPIRIT deal,, here is how one gets the Holy Spirit.. First of all the Holy Spirit is Given by God(PS51, 1Thes4, Romans15); to those who ask(LK 12), to those who obey(Acts5), to those who God accepts(Acts15), to those that trust God(Romans15).
Word of Knowledge
Category
Revelation Gift
Definition
The supernatural comprehension of Christ and His Word.
Examples
Noah building the Ark. (Genesis 9:24)
Joshua knowing about Achan's sin.
(Joshua 7:10-11)
Elisha knowing that Gehazi lied to Naaman.
(II Kings 5:20-27)
A word of knowledge is a definite conviction, impression, or knowing that comes to you in a similitude (a mental picture), a dream, through a vision, or by a Scripture that is quickened to you. It is supernatural insight or understanding of circumstances, situations, problems, or a body of facts by revelation; that is, without assistance by any human resource but solely by divine aid.
Furthermore, the gift of the word of knowledge is the transcendental revelation of the divine will and plan of God. It involves moral wisdom for right living and relationships, requires objective understanding concerning divine things in human duties, and refers to knowledge of God or of the things that belong to God, as related in the Gospel.
The gifts of the word of wisdom and the word of knowledge function together; knowledge is raw material and wisdom builds on it.
Faith
Category
Power Gift
Definition
Function on the behalf of the believer to perform something impossible by ordinary human efforts. God intervenes with His sovereignity and glory to work this miracle for us.
Examples
While in Pharaoh's court, Moses laid down his and it turned into an adder and then changed back into a staff.
Healing of a man afflicted with leprosy (Matthew 8:1-3)
Healing of the crippled man by the Pool of Bethesda (John 9:1-7).
Judgment upon a sorcerer
(Acts 16:16-18)
The gift of faith is the supernatural ability to believe God without doubt, combat unbelief, and visualize what God wants to accomplish. It is not only an inner conviction impelled by an urgent and higher calling, but also a supernatural ability to meet adverse circumstances with trust in God's words and messages.
The Bible speaks of several different types of faith which increase from faith to faith (Romans 1:17):
Saving faith - faith which gets you into Heaven
(Ephesians 2:8-9)
Fruit of faith - faith which gets Heaven into you
(Galatians 5:22-23) .
Gift of faith - stems from saving faith and the fruit of faith; It is the ability to believe for the miraculous
(II Thessalonians 1:3).
This gift not only operates in healings and in miracles, but in the realm of the impossible as well. Saving faith produces the active faith of the fruit of the Spirit which, in turn, produces the gift of faith. When the gift of faith is empowered, the results are miraculous!
Word of Wisdom
Category
Revelation Gift
Definitions
Seeing life from God's perspective.
Examples
Paul before the council (Acts 23:6)
Jesus' answer to the question regarding taxes (Matthew 22:15-22)
The temptation of Jesus (Luke 4:1-14)
There are three types of wisdom:
The wisdom of God (I Corinthians 2:6-7)
The wisdom of the world (I Corinthians 2:6)
The wisdom of man (Ecclesiastes 1:16-18)
The gift of the word of wisdom is the application of knowledge that God gives you ( I Corinthians 2:6-7). This type of wisdom is a gift which cannot be gained through study or experience and should by no means try to replace them. The gift of the word of wisdom is seeing life from God's perspective. As a Christian exercises this gift, he begins to develop a fear of the Lord. This is the "beginning of wisdom" according to Proverbs 1:7.
The gift of the word of wisdom is also the revealing of prophetic future; it is speaking hidden truths of what is not known. It is a supernatural perspective to ascertain the divine means for accomplishing God's will in a given situation, and is a divinely given power to appropriate spiritual intuition in problem solving.
Furthermore, this gift involves having a sense of divine direction, being led by the Holy Spirit to act appropriately in a given set of circumstances, and rightly applying knowlege.
The gift of wisdom is the wisdom of God. It is the supernatural impartation of facts; it is not natural. You can't earn it. It is received from God through prayer (Ephesians 1:17).
The gift of the word of wisdom works interactively with the other two revelation gifts: knowledge and discernment.
Purposes of the Gifts
Spiritual maturity
You cannot strengthen someone who is weak unless you are mature yourself. Spiritual gifts help you mature so you can edify the Church and strengthen others
(I Corinthians 14:12).
Edification
Spiritual gifts are used for the edification of the Church and are tools that bring us into spiritual maturity: "Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church."
(I Corinthians 14;12)
Credentials
A credential is having evidence or testimony concerning your authority. When the gifts are displayed, it publicly confirms that you are a true believer, an ambassador of God: "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover ... And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen." (Mark 16:17-18,20)
We are identified as believers through the gifts of the Spirit: "God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost..." (Hebrews 2:4)
Spiritual Prosperity
I Corinthians 12:7 declares, "But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal." The gift of the Holy Spirit can be compared to a precious stone which brings prosperity. Proverbs17:8 says that "A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it: whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth."
Can We Have All of The Gifts?
The revelation, power, and inspiration gifts were all operative in the ministry of the Apostle Paul. God wants you to have these gifts of the Spirit; that is why the Bible encourages us to "covet earnestly the best gifts..." (I Corinthians 12:31).
How to Receive These Gifts?
These nine spiritual gifts come by prayer, so ask for them, desire them, pray to receive them, and covet earnestly the best gifts (I Corinthians 12:31).
Personal Rewards of Spiritual Gifts
Knowing we have a gift that is an asset to the body of Christ, we are able to achieve a deeper level of self-acceptance and purpose in life. As we exercise our gifts, we experience personal fulfillment and a deep sense of joy. By concentrating on our gifts, we achieve maximum fruitfulness with minimum weariness.
I. The Manifestation Gifts There are three categories of spiritual gifts spoken of in the New Testament. This first group of gifts is known as the manifestation gifts and are found in 1 Cor. 12:7-11. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. There are nine gifts listed here. These are referred to as the manifestation gifts because Paul used the Greek word pharnerosis, meaning "an exhibition, expression, or manifestation." In other words, Paul defined these as supernatural manifestations of the Holy Spirit at work through a believer.
II. The Ministry Gifts The second category of gifts mentioned in the New Testament is the ministry gifts, as found in Ephesians 4:8. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. The Greek word here means "presents." Looking at this verse in context we see that after Jesus ascended to heaven He presented gifts of people who were called and gifted to lead and train the rest of the Body of Christ. In verse 11, Paul lists these presents to the church: Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; Notice that the Amplified Bible repeats the implied word gift in verse 11. And His gifts were (varied; He himself appointed and gave men to us,) some to be apostles (special messengers), some prophets (inspired preachers and expounders), some evangelists (preachers of the Gospel, traveling missionaries), some pastors (shepherds of His flock) and teachers. There are five ministry gifts listed in this passage:
1.The apostle--one who establishes and strengthens churches.
2.The prophet--one who speaks forth the message of God.
3.The evangelist--one who is called to preach the Gospel.
4.The pastor--one who feeds and shepherds the believers.
5.The teacher--one who instructs believers in the Word of God. It should be emphasized that these are not titles, but functions. A person does not become a prophet by being given the name. Rather, he becomes a prophet as he develops his God-given ability to function in prophet-like ways, responding to God's specific call with a willing heart. The purpose of these ministry gifts is clear. Reading verses 11-13 from the New American Standard Bible... And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God... These five ministry gifts might equally be called "equipping" gifts, enabling the saints (believers) to do the work of the ministry so that Christ's Body on earth (the Church) can function as his true representative.
III. The Motivational Gifts The third listing of gifts in the New Testament is found in Romans 12:6-8. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness. The Greek word for gift in these verses is charisma, defined in the Greek dictionary as "a divine gratuity...a spiritual endowment...a free gift." So this is not something that we can earn; in fact, the command is not to try to deserve it, but to use it. These are the gifts we possess, which God has built into us, made part of us, to be used for the benefit of others and for His glory. Since they provide the motivating force for our lives, they have been called motivational gifts. The apostle Peter uses this same word charisma in 1 Peter 4:10. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. It is important to note that the category of gifts mentioned by Paul in Romans 12 is the same category of gifts that Peter was referring to when he said we were to employ them to benefit one another. I have good news for you. According to Peter, everyone has a motivational gift! No one has been left out. In fact, tens of thousands of people have been tested and have discovered their specific giftedness, falling under one of the seven categories, or sometimes under more than one. Let's look at Romans 12 again from The Amplified Bible: Having gifts (faculties, talents, qualities) that differ according to the grace given us, let us use them: (He whose gift is) prophecy, (let him prophesy) according to the proportion of his faith; (He whose gift is) practical service, let him give himself to serving; he who teaches, to his teaching; (He who exhorts, encourages), to his exhortation; he who contributes, let him do it in simplicity and liberality; he who gives aid and superintends, with zeal and singleness of mind; he who does acts of mercy, with genuine cheerfulness and joyful eagerness. There you have the seven motivational (that is, motivating) gifts listed. And just think, each one of us receives one (or more).
If you have a basket of apples, oranges, and bananas--what do you have? A basket of apples? No. You have a basket of fruit. So it is with the three categories of gifts enumerated in the New Testament. All three groups are composed of gifts but, like the fruit in the basket, each group is unique and distinct from the others. The motivational gifts hold the key to understanding many things about yourself--why you think and act the way you do, how you relate to other people and circumstances around you, what makes you an individual.
A. Defining the Motivational Gifts.
1. Perceiver (prophet)--one who clearly perceives the will of God. This word is purposely chosen rather than the word "prophet" to avoid confusion, since the same root word is also used in the two other categories of gifts.
2. Server--one who loves to serve others. Another appropriate word is "doer."
3. Teacher--one who loves to search out and validate truth. You could use the word "researcher" since the motivation is so strong.
4. Exhorter--one who loves to encourage others to live a victorious life. These are extremely positive people who can equally well be called, "encouragers."
5. Giver--one who loves to give time, talent, energy, and means to benefit others and advance the Gospel. Another word could be "contributor."
6. Administrator--one who loves to organize, lead, or direct. Other words could be "facilitator" and "leader." Keeps us organized and increases our visions.
7. Compassion person--one who shows compassion, love, and care to those in need.
Keeps us in right attitudes and relationships. We say "compassion" instead of "mercy" since this word is more comprehensive in today's usage.
B. What are we to do with our gifts? First of all, we are commanded to use our gifts to benefit others. Scripture emphasizes this--the gifts are not to be used for selfish purposes. It is only by the grace of God that we are gifted in the first place; therefore we are to use our giftedness to help and bless others. The contrast of the two seas in Israel shows that an outflow is essential for life. The Sea of Galilee has water flowing not only into it, but out of it. Therefore the lake is fresh and useful; it supports life. But the Dead Sea has no outlet. It holds in all of the water it receives. Through evaporation this lake has become the saltiest in the world; there is no life in it at all. So it is with the motivational gifts. They were designed by the Creator to overflow from us to those around us.
C. Our gift was built into us when God formed us. Our giftedness was not an afterthought. It was a part of God's plan to shape us for our role in building His kingdom. One of the most beautiful creative passages in the Old Testament is found in Psalm 139. For You did form my inward parts, You did knit me together in my mother's womb. I will confess and praise You, for You are fearfully wonderful, and for the awful wonder of my birth! Wonderful are Your works, and that my inner self knows right well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was being formed in secret and intricately and curiously wrought (as if embroidered with various colors) in the depths of the earth (a region of darkness and mystery). Your eyes saw my unformed substance, and in Your book all the days of my life were written, before ever they took shape, when as yet there was none of them. This is a magnificent expression of the design and development of the child in the womb! God uses what scientists now call DNA in the process. When you were conceived half of your DNA inheritance came from your father and the half from your mother. In that microscopic fertilized egg the joined DNA forms a helix-shaped ladder that is literally six feet long, yet marvelously compacted within that tiny egg. Every detail of your physical being is programmed by DNA. The color of your hair, the shape of your nose, your height, your body frame, all your physical characteristics are contained in the genetic code of the DNA. God also planned for our giftedness. God gives us special gifts at conception, and just as DNA eventually brings forth our physical characteristics, so our motivational gifts bring forth the interests, enthusiasms, and actions that make us effective members of the Body of Christ.
D. We are not to neglect our gift. (I Timothy 4:14) Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Of the fifteen times the word charisma is used in the New Testament, we find that it is not uncommon for more than one gift category to be referred to at the same time. Notice in this passage that it appears that supernatural gifts are being released or manifested by the laying on of hands. The manifestation gift of prophecy, and also the gift of the word of knowledge, is being operated over Timothy, and the motivational gift that Timothy was endowed with was identified and released in greater measure at this special time of his ordination. Let's take a closer examination of this verse, as rendered in the Interlinear Greek-English New Testament... Be not negligent of the in thee gift which was given thee through prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the elderhood. This "in thee gift" indicates that the gift was already "in" Timothy when they prayed for him. The word given in the Greek means... "to be brought forth, shown, and uttered." It is possible that Timothy had not yet identified his primary motivational gift. When we study the New Testament, we can observe that Timothy had a ministry of teaching. I Timothy 4:6 If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained. I Timothy 4:11 These things command and teach. I Timothy 4:13 Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. II Timothy 2:2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. II Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. II Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. Paul was probably one of those who prayed and prophesied over Timothy: I Timothy 1:18 This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; Remember, to neglect our gift is to neglect God's purpose and plan for our lives. Each of us has an "in thee" gift, and, like Timothy, we need to use it for the glory of God and the benefit of others.
IV. Our Gift Colors all We See If you put on a pair of sunglasses, all you see is colored accordingly. So it is with a person's motivational gift. For example: A perceiver will look at life through a perceiver's eyes. Everything will look either good or bad, right or wrong, in God's will or out of God's will. It is impossible for a perceiver to see life in any other way. A server will approach reality with the question, "What can I do to help in this situation?" He constantly notices opportunities to do things for others. A teacher will search for truth in everything he encounters. He will investigate, seek, and research. An exhorter will see opportunities to encourage people at whatever they do. The giver will look for ways in which he can invest his time, talent, and money providing for the needs of others. The administrator with his broad vision will grasp the overall dimensions of a situation. The compassion person will recognize hurts and wounds that need to be healed and see endless opportunities to express love. And each one will think, "Why don't others see things the way I see them? It's clear to me!"
A. Our gift gives only one perspective of the whole. God has purposely limited and focused our giftedness so that we must work together and remain dependent on each other in order to grasp the whole truth. Remember the six blind men who went to "see" the elephant? One felt the side and said an elephant is like a wall. The next felt the tusk and claimed an elephant is like a spear. The third felt the trunk and likened it to a snake. The fourth felt a leg and said an elephant is like a tree. The fifth, touching an ear, declared an elephant is like a fan. The sixth felt the tail and insisted an elephant is a rope. No one was altogether right, yet neither was he entirely wrong. It was only when they got all their observations together that they "saw" the whole elephant. So it is with our motivational gifts. Each of us is somewhat blind to the other perspectives. We are wrong to say that our way of seeing is the only true one. We are each partly right. But we are not totally right in ourselves. We need each other's viewpoints in order to see the complete picture.
B. Each gift is of equal value PERCEIVER SERVER TEACHER EXHORTER GIVER ADMINISTRATOR COMPASSION PERSON Grasp this concept--all the gifts are equal. They are equal in the sight of God. They are equal in the Body of Christ. No gift is higher than or better than another gift. They each contribute invaluably to the collective functioning of the Body of Christ. Rejoice in your giftedness! Use your giftedness! Develop your giftedness! What we are is God's gift to us; What we make of our lives is our gift to God. It is true that God bestows some of the gifts more frequently than others. Simply because more people are needed in certain functions. For instance, there needs to be more followers than leaders. Here is the percentage of people who have each gift: PERCEIVER 12% SERVER 17% TEACHER 6% EXHORTER 16% GIVER 6% ADMINISTRATOR 13% COMPASSION PERSON 30% (This tabulation is based on detailed response sheets from 1,000 people over a ten-year period, representing more than 100 groups in a variety of states, provinces, and countries.) Notice, that the most prevalent gift is that of compassion--God knows we need a lot of love and mercy. The gifts of server and exhorter are almost tied for second place. Lots of servers are needed to get God's work done, and we all need encouragement everyday. But just because there are more with a certain gift goes not mean that gift is more important. All the gifts are equally important. Necessary. And a blessing!
V. How each gift is placed in the body In the two verses leading into his description of the motivational gifts, Paul uses the graphic example of the human body. Romans 12:4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, [being] many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. There are three points from this illustration that apply to our study:
1. First, the body represents completeness, but different parts. We all have different functions. We are not the same, but are gifted in different ways. Just as a physical body needs hands and feet and eyes and ears to enable it to function, so the Church (the Body of Christ) needs those with different motivational gifts...
2. We don't have to do it ourselves. We do our part. Others do their part. Together we get the job done.
3. Paul emphasizes our mutual dependence in the Body of Christ. We really need each other. No one of us can go off on a desert island and be a victorious Christian all by himself. God has made us so that we are incomplete without the interaction and ministry of our brothers and sisters. Our attitude toward those in the church should be: When I meet someone--"What can I impart to benefit this person, and what can he or she impart to benefit me?"
VI. The gifts in the body Each gift corresponds to a part of the physical body. PERCEIVER--This is the eye of the body. Matthew 13:16 But blessed [are] your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. The perceivers are the most gifted with spiritual sight. They see things the rest of us often miss completely. Matthew 6:22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great [is] that darkness! These words of Jesus can apply to the church, and not just to individuals. The perceiver has the special responsibility of having a clear and sound eye with which to detect God's truth. SERVER--This is the hands of the body. Proverbs 31:20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. These people are literally the most capable with their hands. The seem to be able to fix or build just about anything. I Corinthians 12:28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. These people love to be helpful, anytime, anyplace...especially if it includes hands-on involvement. TEACHER--This is the mind of the body. Acts 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Teachers are exceptionally gifted with intelligence. They are always asking questions. They want to know the basis for everything and they will search until the facts convince them that something is true.
EXHORTER--This is the mouth of the body. Acts 13:15 And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, [Ye] men [and] brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on. Exhorters talk a lot. God has endowed them with great facility of speech. How else can an exhorter encourage?
GIVER--This is the arms of the body. Luke 1:51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. In this passage, Mary is quoting Old Testament Scriptures that couple strength with arms... Isaiah 51:9 Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. [Art] thou not it that hath cut Rahab, [and] wounded the dragon? Givers have great strength spiritually, extending the reach of every Christian endeavor. Remember the story about Moses holding aloft the rod so that Israel might prevail in battle over Amalek? When his arms grew weary he lowered them, and the Israelites began to lose. God provided two givers, two support people, Aaron and Hur, who held up Moses' arms until the battle was won. Givers are a strong support to those who are in spiritual battle or out on the "front lines" sharing the Gospel.
ADMINISTRATOR--This is the shoulders of the body. Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. We often say that someone in leadership is shouldering responsibility. Administrators are shoulders in the body of Christ, carrying the load of leadership.
COMPASSION PERSON--This is the heart of the body. II Thessalonians 3:5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ. People gifted with compassion are ruled by the heart rather than the head. They reveal the true nature of God by showing kindness, care and mercy to others. A brief review of the Motivational Gifts and the needs they tend to meet:
GIFT DEFINITION NEEDS MET WHAT IT DOES PERCEIVER
(Prophecy) Declares the will of God Spiritual Keeps us centered on spiritual principles.
SERVER Renders practical service Practical Keeps the work of ministry moving.
TEACHER Researches and teaches the Bible Mental Keeps us studying and learning
EXHORTER Encourages personal progress Psychological Keeps us applying spiritual truths
GIVER Shares material assistance Material Keeps specific needs provided for .
ADMINISTRATOR (Leader) Gives leadership and direction Functional Keeps us organized and increases our vision COMPASSIONATE (Mercy) Provides personal and emotional support Emotional Keeps us in right attitudes and relationships
1. Different (or diversities) of Gifts given by the Holy Spirit -1 Corinthians 12:8-11 (given)
The first group of gifts can be explained as those given to us AS THE HOLY SPIRIT WILLS. There are nine gifts which fall into this group, namely
Word of Wisdom
Word of Knowledge
Discerning of Spirits
Faith
Gifts of Healings
Miracles
Different kinds of tongues
Prophecy
Interpretation of tongues
2. Different Ministries given by the Lord Jesus - Ephesians 4:11(called)
The second group of gifts are those given to us BY THE LORD JESUS. These gifts are THE INDIVIDUALS that Jesus calls and equips to be a blessing to the Church, namely;
Apostles
Prophets
Evangelists
Pastors
Teachers
3. Differences of activities given by God - Roman 12:6-7 (talented and anointed)
The third group of gifts are those GIVEN TO US BY GOD. These are gifts and talents which God has enabled us to have. In many ways they are gifts we were created with. These gifts only reach there full potential when we allow God to anoint them, namely;
Prophecy
Ministry (service)
Teaching
Exhorting (encouraging)
Giving (contributing to peoples needs)
Leading
Mercy
1. Different (or diversities) of Gifts given by the Holy Spirit -1 Corinthians 12:8-11 (given)
In this study we are going to look at the first category i.e. Diversities or different kinds of gifts as given by the Holy Spirit. These nine gifts of Holy Spirit are mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12. As a Christian you can ask God for these gifts to manifest in your life. Remember that the Holy Spirit gives these gifts to us as He chooses (verse 11).
Lets take a look at these gifts more closely.
The nine gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12 are
The word of wisdom
The word of knowledge
Faith
Gifts of healings
Working of miracles
Prophecy
Discerning of spirits
Different kinds of tongues
Interpretation of tongues.
It is important to remember that the Holy Spirit gives all these gifts and He alone allows them to operate as He wills.
Secondly, it is helpful to know that, two, three or even more of the gifts can operate through us at the same time. In practice it is sometimes hard to determine how many of the gifts are actually operating.
We shall look at the operation of the gifts in their simplest state. To make this easy they have been divided into three groups
Revelation Gifts - Word of wisdom, word of knowledge and discerning of spirits.
Power gifts - Gifts of healings. Working of miracles and faith.
Vocal gifts - Prophecy, different kinds of tongues and interpretation of tongues.
The above groups are for ease of explanation only. Other people might classify them differently. The nine gifts however are always the same.
1. Revelation gifts
All these gifts reveal (bring to light) something. The Holy Spirit gives you a supernatural insight into something that you could not have known naturally.
a) Word of wisdom. (Or message of wisdom)
This gift operates by the Holy Spirit granting you a bit of prudence or understanding (or direction) about what to do in a given situation.
An example in the bible is found in
1 King 17:8-16
God had made provision for the widow to provide for Elijah (verse 9). The widow did not know this (verse 12). Elijah by a Word of wisdom told the widow exactly what to do (verse 13-14) and they were all provided for. Without the Word of wisdom, and indeed the subsequent miracle, they all would have starved.
Another example of a word of wisdom is found in
2 King 6: 1-7
Elisha knew exactly what to do to recover the lost axe head. A word of wisdom always gives us direction about what to do in a given situation. A word of wisdom is often accompanied by a word of knowledge, miracle or even another gift.
Jesus had the Holy Spirit without measure (John 3:34) and therefore was able to walk continuously in divine wisdom. We can see Jesus having a word of wisdom in the incident of the women caught in adultery (John 8:1-12) and during the tax issue (Matt 22:15-22) Try to identify them?
Word of knowledge
This is also called a message of knowledge (NIV)
This is a gift of supernatural information that is not available to you naturally.
An example in the bible is found in
2 King 6:8-12
Each time the king of Syria made a plot against Israel, the Holy Spirit revealed the information to Elisha who in turned warned the King of Israel. You can see why the king of Syria was perplexed. He thought he had a spy in his mist.
Another example is found in
1 Samuel 9:1-27
The Holy Spirit gave Samuel information supernaturally about the whereabouts of Saul's ass.
Jesus used a word of knowledge when talking to the Samaritan women (John 4:1-26). The Holy Spirit revealed to him information about her married life (verse 18). You can see how useful the word of knowledge would be in a counselling situation.
Jesus also used a word of knowledge to get the donkey he rode into Jerusalem (Matt 21: 1-9) How else did he know the donkey was there? Can you also detect the word of wisdom?
c. Discerning of Spirits
The main difference between this and the word of knowledge is that the discerning of spirit is limited to supernatural information of the spirit world. With the gift of discerning of spirits you can perceive or even see which type of spirit (either good or evil ) is operating in a certain situation.
An example is found in.
2 King 6 : 13-18
Elisha's servant's eyes were opened and he discerned the angels around. In Acts 16:1-24 Paul discerned that the girl following him saying "good things" was actually being used by an evil spirit. We also see Jesus discerning what spirits were in operation in some of the people he healed Mark 9: 14-29. Notice how Jesus was able to call the demons by name when casting them out.
Since all sickness is not due to demons the gift of discerning of spirits can come in very useful when praying for the sick
2. Power gifts
All these gifts enable us to get things done supernaturally.
a) Gifts of healings
This gift is easy to explain. It is the gift of supernatural healing (of disease or ailment) without any natural (or medical) assistance.
We see Peter and John use the gift of healing at the gate to the temple.
Acts 3:1-9
Jesus healed numerous people during his life
Matt. 8:14-17, Matt 15:29-31
The gifts of healings are very useful in evangelistic meetings. When people see the love of God demonstrated with people getting healed it draws them closer to him.
b) Working of miracles
This is a supernatural intervention of the Holy Spirit's power to change or alter natural events or circumstances.
Moses did ten miracles in Exodus 7 to Exodus 12.
When the Israelites crossed the Red Sea in Exodus 12, this again was another miracle.
Joshua commanded the sun to stand still (Joshua 10)
Jesus fed 5,000 (Matt 14:13-21) and again 4,000 (Matt 15:32-39) He also raised dead people and walked on the sea. These were also miracles.
c. Faith
This is supernatural faith that the Holy Spirit gives us. The gift of faith comes into operation where our own faith stops or reaches its limit. However, since the Holy Spirit gives us these gifts he can grant us the gift of faith at any time.
The gift of faith gives us great faith, which enables us to receive whatever is needed from God. We can see the gift of faith in operation at a certain moment in Daniel's life.
Daniel 6:16-23
Daniel was cast into the lion's den. Daniel neither resisted being thrown into the den nor did he worry. That was supernatural faith in action. The lion's mouths were stopped.
Jesus always walked in faith and it would be hard to differentiate between his own faith and the gift of faith.
I believe one example is found in
Luke 4:27-30
Here the people attempted to push Jesus over the hill top. Notice how He escaped? Those people were rendered powerless to stop Jesus from walking away. Miracles are usually present when the gift of faith is in operation.
3. Vocal gifts.
All these gifts give us supernatural utterance. These gifts make use of our tongue.
a. Gift of prophecy.
This is hearing what God is saying and declaring it. Prophecy is for edification (building us up) exhortation and comfort.
The word of God is prophecy. God can give you part of a scripture as prophecy to someone. Prophecy is simply hearing what God is saying at any particular time and declaring or proclaiming it. Our preaching or even singing could be prophecy when we are hearing and saying what the Holy Spirit leads us to say. When the anointing of God comes on us it sometimes causes us to prophesy
We see examples in Numbers 11:16-30, 1 King 22:1-28, Acts 21:9-14
Here we see people speaking as the Holy Spirit gives them utterance. When we open ourselves to the Holy Spirit, He can also lead us to prophesy. This gift should be more common during our prayer times.
b. Different kinds of tongues.
This is the Holy Spirit giving us the supernatural ability to speak in new tongues we have not learnt naturally. It could be tongues of another nation or even tongues of angels (1 Corinthians 13:1)
Examples in the scripture are in
Mark 16:17, Acts 2:3-11, Acts 10:44-48, Acts 19:1-10
Speaking in other tongues helps our prayer life tremendously. Paul, who wrote most of the new testament spoke in tongues a lot (1 Corinthians 14:18) Jesus said these signs would follow them who believe in him, they would speak with new tongues. (Mark 16:17)
Speaking in tongues is a gift which is associated with the new testament believer
Praying with our understanding means praying in a known (often mother) tongue. Praying with the Holy Spirit means praying in tongues unknown to us but given by the Holy Spirit. The scripture encourages us to do both.(1 Corinthians 14:13-15).
Praying with the Holy Spirit helps us to pray about those things we do not clearly understand. However, because the Holy Spirit knows everything He can pray through us in tongues more accurately (Roman 8:26-28)
Praying with the Holy Spirit also builds us up spiritually. It keeps us in God's love. To build ourselves up spiritually we need to spend more time praying in the Holy Spirit (Jude 20-21)
c. Interpretation of tongues.
This gift speaks for itself.
When we pray in tongues we can ask God to give us the interpretation (1 Cor. 14:13).
Because praying in tongues is praying with the Holy Spirit, when we interpret our tongues we are actually speaking the mind of God, this is the same as prophecy.
Remember
All these gifts are available to us as believers. Lets ask God for them. On many occasions several gifts are in operation at the same time. In many of the examples given above you would have noticed this. Sometimes healings and miracles go together. If someone is crippled he would need a miracle as well as healing to be completely set free.
Short exercise
Can you give any examples of the gifts of the Holy Spirit you have witnessed ?
Have any of the gifts manifested in your life before ?
Can your spot the different gifts of the Holy Spirit in the following scriptures ?
Remember there might be more than one gift in operation in some instances
1 King 19: 2-4, 14 & 18
Here God uses the gift to encourage the Prophet.
2 King 5: 25-26
2 King 6:9-12
1 Samuel 10:21-23
Acts 9:10 -16
Acts 8: 26-29
Acts 11: 28-30
Acts 21: 10-11
Acts 16:16 -18
2 King 2:9-14
1 King 17: 12-16
Acts 21: 8-11
Mark 16:17
2. Different Ministries given by the Lord Jesus - Ephesians 4:11(called)
Ministry Gifts
The Ministry gifts
There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.
1 Corinthians 12:5 (NKJV)
Jesus has called every member of the body of Christ to serve him in one way or another. Some of us are called into one (or more) of the five fold ministries.
Whereas the gifts of the Holy Spirit are supernatural abilities given to us by the Holy Spirit as he wills, on the other hand, the ministry gifts are individuals that Jesus has called and equipped to be a gift to the body of Christ.
In order to fulfill the ministry Jesus has called us into we will need to allow the Holy Spirit to work not only through us but also in us. Joseph (Genesis 37 - 41) and Moses ( Exodus 1- 7) are examples of two people called into the ministry. Notice how God touched and prepared them beforehand.
Not only do we need a good understanding of the Word of God, but our life and character also have to be modelled by God's word if we are to be effective ministers for him.
The Qualities
Notice that Ephesians 4: 2-3 mentions five qualities that are worthy of our calling. Try to mention them
1
2
3
4
5
The above mentioned qualities are themselves a result of our drawing closer to God. We may not start out in the ministry with all these qualities but they are something we should strive towards.
The main reason why Jesus calls people into the ministry is mentioned in
2 Tim 1:9
Five things we should always remember about our callings (or ministry) are:
Jesus calls us into the ministry.
It is his choice not ours. You don't choose to be an Apostle (or any other ministry) it all depends on what the Lord wants you to be. Remember he made you and he alone knows best what you can do. Rm 1:1, 1Cor1:1, Eph 1:1
Ministry means service.
This means serving as the Lord intends and not as you desire. Being called to be a pastor does not necessary mean starting a church. You might be called to work along side with someone. Its not the title that matters but the service. You can be part of a church, pastoring people, but not the leader of the church. 2 Tim 4:11
You have to be faithful to the Lord if you are to serve effectively in your ministry. This means being faithful in small things. This is how ministry starts. 1 Tim 1:12
You have to work at the ministry 2 Tim 4:5, 1 Tim 4:11-16
This means spending time in studying the Word, prayer and waiting on the Lord. You can manifest a gift of the Holy Spirit with no effort on your part (Acts 19:6), but if your life is going to be of service to other believers you will need to get rooted in the Word and faith. Ministry is giving people out of what you have received from the Lord.
Notice what Paul said to Timothy 2 Tim 2:14-16
Also observe how Paul himself studied and waited on the Lord before entering his ministry
Gal 1:15-18
We need to learn from other believers in the faith. Paul conferred with Peter. We need to learn from other people of God, but we also need to let Jesus teach us through his Holy Spirit. Afterall, his the one calling us into the ministry
Be aware of people who are helpful to your ministry.
2 Tim 4:11, Phil 2:25
God will direct people along to you who will encourage and support the work of ministry. People like this are very essential if you are to succeed. They will be people who share your vision and commitment to Christ. They will respect you and pray for you.
The seven pillars
There are seven "ones" mentioned in Eph 4: 4-6. Name them?
1. 5.
2. 6.
3. 7.
4.
Whatever ministry we are called into we must always remember that there is only one body. We may belong to different churches but in heaven we are all seen as one big group of people who have been washed clean by the blood of Jesus. We are called to serve the body. Although we might be assigned to a particular part of it.
Try and study the importance of the seven things mentioned ?
The Ministry Gifts
Eph 4:11
Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers
Firstly we should recognise how these gifts came about (Eph 4:8-10). Jesus by his death and resurrection gave these gifts to us. He alone can call a person into this ministry. We do not choose what we want to be. Jesus chooses us.
Apostles
These are the sent ones. An Apostle is the combination of all of the other ministry gifts. They are anointed to plant, establish and build up the body of Christ. They are pioneers. All the disciples of Jesus were apostles
Matt 10:2, Acts 2:42. Paul was also called to be an apostle 1 Tim 1:1
When Jesus calls a person into the ministry, the person has the responsibility to become grounded in the word and faith to fulfil that call. Notice that the disciples of Jesus were called Apostles right from the start Matt 10: 1-2. One of them, Judas, never made it. He did not fulfil his part of the ministry Acts 1:15-17
Jesus does not change his mind. When he calls a person into the ministry it is a permanent offer. We might not respond to the offer immediately, or even try to run away from it or only be partially committed and therefore not fulfill it. But Jesus' calling on our life will always remain.
Rom 11:29
Prophets
These are anointed to speak prophetically about the will of God. Prophets speak to the body of Christ as well as the unbelieving world.
Being a Prophet is much more than just prophesying. It involves speaking the counsel of God in several ways. A prophet will preach, exhort and may even sing and pray to get the counsel of God across. No doubt the gifts of the Holy Spirit (especially the Word of Wisdom, Knowledge and prophecy) will constantly be in operation in his or her life.
A prophet is someone who is constantly hearing from heaven. By virtue of the demands of the ministry, a prophet will always have to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading.
Examples of Prophets in the Bible are
Acts 11:27-30
Acts 21:10-14
Remember that none of the ministry gifts should take our eyes off Jesus.
Only Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. Heb 12:2
A prophet can tell you what God is saying at any particular time, but only the Holy Spirit can instruct you on what to do. Rm 8:14 - 17.
Prophets help us to hear from God and can even confirm what God has already told us. It is only a false Prophet that will attempt to play the role of God. Notice how the prophet Agabus was informing Paul of what was going to happen and not instructing him on what to Acts 21: 10-14.
Evangelist
These are anointed to preach the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Their ministry is clearly defined in Lk 4:18-19
Philip was an evangelist Acts 21:8
Take a look at his ministry Acts 8:4-13, 26-40
Timothy was also an evangelist 2 Tim 4:5
It would be useful for you to read the whole of the book of Timothy to get the full picture of what Paul was telling Timothy about his ministry.
Sometimes we may not be very clear on what ministry we have been called into. The most important thing is that we are faithful in what we are doing. If we are not faithful in small things God will not commit greater things into our hands. As we grow more rooted and grounded in the faith the call of God upon our life will become more apparent.
Pastor
Pastors takes care of the flock of God. Another word for Pastor is Shepherd. The work of a shepherd gives us a good understanding of the role of a Pastor
The tasks of a Near Eastern shepherd were:
- to watch for enemies trying to attack the sheep
- to defend the sheep from attackers
- to heal the wounded and sick sheep
- to find and save lost or trapped sheep
- to love them, sharing their lives and so earning their trust.
(courtesy Strong's Greek and Hebrew Lexicon)
The ministry of a pastor is a very demanding one. It requires the spiritual gifts as well as natural abilities. While all the other ministry gifts may simply visit the church and leave, the Pastor is always there. Just like parents have to deal with good children and disobedient children who do not want to learn or grow up so does a Pastor.
1 Peter 5:1-5 mentions the roles of Pastors
1 Tim 5:17-21 also instructs us on how elders (and Pastors) should be treated by the flock.
Teacher
These are anointed to explain and interpret the word of God. This has nothing to do with a natural ability. Paul was very well learned before his conversion but he understood nothing about God. Acts 7:58, Acts 22:1-10
To operate in any of the ministry gifts you must be anointed with the Holy Spirit. You cannot become a teacher (i.e. Ministry gift one) by simply studying loads of books or listening to other people teach. It is a calling.
Jesus was a teacher of the word and the people noticed the difference
Matt 13:53-55
A person called to teach will have to study the word of God a lot
2 Tim 2:7
A teacher does not just repeat what another person have taught, but rather receives the word of God into his / her heart and then ministers to the hearts of other people.
The Holy Spirit is the main teacher. Someone called to the ministry of a teacher must learn to be taught by the Holy Spirit before being able to teach other people God's word . Jn 14:26
A teacher receives revelation of the word from the Holy Spirit and passes this on to the body of Christ.
All the Apostles were teachers of the word. As you read their epistles you will notice how they had a good understanding of the whole bible. A teacher must be well rooted in the whole bible.
Its important to remember that people called to be ministry gifts to the body of Christ are not the only people in the ministry. All of us can teach, evangelise, prophesy or pastor other Christians to a certain extend. The ministry gifts are simply people who have a greater anointing (than ours) to do a particular serve to the body of Christ. In other words, we should all be involved in ministry and not leave it to a few people.
The main role of the ministry gifts are
To prepare God's people (all believers) for works of service, this will enable the body of Christ to grow and fulfil its task of spreading the gospel. Ephesians 4:12
To help the church reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, so that the body of Christ will become mature and be just like Jesus - full of power with signs and wonders following us. Ephesians 4:13
To stop us being spiritual babies. This will prevent the church being deceived by the lies and false teachings of satan. The church will then be able to stand firmly against the attacks of the evil one. Ephesians 4:14
To help us speak the truth in love. It is only when we learn to walk in love with one another that we will have true unity. Our doctrines won't bring unity, only love can. Ephesians 4:15
To help the body of Christ build herself up, so that each part (or individual) will play his or her role. The strength of the church lies in the fact that each of us must recognise our roles and fulfil them. Ephesians 4:16.
Questions
What Ministries do you think the following people had
Moses (Numbers 12:1-12)
Ezra (Ezra 7:8-10)
Jesus
Do you think you are being called into any of the five fold ministries.
What is the ministry of an evangelist? Acts 8:5-40
What is the role of a Pastor - Jer 3:15, Jer 23:3-4, Jn 21:1517
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit
3. Differences of activities given by God - Roman 12:6-7 (talented and anointed)
Service Gifts
Gifts of service.
"and there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all" (NKJV) 1 Cor 12:6
The gifts of service (or diversities of activities) mentioned in Roman 12:6-8 are various activities that all members of the body of Christ can fulfill. Many of these gifts are God given abilities which become gifts to the body of Christ as a result of the individual submitting to God.
The anointing of God upon our lives will enable us to use our abilities (or talents) for building up the church. They may not be spectacular in operation but they are very essential to the successful operation of any local church or fellowship.
The gifts of service have to be in constant operation if the church is to grow and successfully fulfil its ministry.
Gifts Of Service (or diversities of activities) Rm 12:6-7
Prophecy
Ministry (or service)
Teaching
Exhorting (or encouraging)
Giving (contributing to people's need)
Leading
Mercy
The adjustments.
Romans 12:1-3 mentions what we should do with our bodies and mind. Try to mention them ? It is important that we renew our minds with the word of God if we are to be of use in the church. We should not consider ourselves of more importance than others. The body of Christ's strength lies in its unity. All the activities we perform are essential and none are to be looked down upon.
We should all be able to see where we fit in with regards to the gifts of service
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit
3. Differences of activities given by God - Roman 12:6-7 (talented and anointed)
Service Gifts
Gifts of service.
"and there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all" (NKJV) 1 Cor 12:6
The gifts of service (or diversities of activities) mentioned in Roman 12:6-8 are various activities that all members of the body of Christ can fulfil. Many of these gifts are God given abilities which become gifts to the body of Christ as a result of the individual submitting to God.
The anointing of God upon our lives will enable us to use our abilities (or talents) for building up the church. They may not be spectacular in operation but they are very essential to the successful operation of any local church or fellowship.
The gifts of service have to be in constant operation if the church is to grow and successfully fulfil its ministry.
Gifts Of Service (or diversities of activities) Rm 12:6-7
Prophecy
Ministry (or service)
Teaching
Exhorting (or encouraging)
Giving (contributing to people's need)
Leading
Mercy
The adjustments.
Romans 12:1-3 mentions what we should do with our bodies and mind. Try to mention them ? It is important that we renew our minds with the word of God if we are to be of use in the church. We should not consider ourselves of more importance than others. The body of Christ's strength lies in its unity. All the activities we perform are essential and none are to be looked down upon.
We should all be able to see where we fit in with regards to the gifts of service |
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Jun. 23, 2007 Purpose of a Pastor (essay in progress)
PURPOSE OF PASTORS-
First I did a word study on the different words used for someone who is in charge of others. I found seven separate English words used for these people in the Bible. I then went to the Strong's Concordance and found all the greek and hebrew words used for these words. Here are the seven different terms; Teachers, Elders, Overseers, Deacons, Leaders, Shepherd, Pastor.
The word translated as "elder" in English translations is actually the Greek word used for a Bishop ("episkopos") or a Priest ("presbyteros"). Pastors,
TEACHERS
1 Cor 12:27
27Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. 29Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues[d]? Do all interpret? 31But eagerly desire[e] the greater gifts.
And now I will show you the most excellent way.
ELDERS
1 Peter 5:1-31
To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: 2Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; 3not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.
Titus 1
5The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. 6An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient.
OVERSEER
1 Timothy 3
1Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer,he desires a noble task. 2Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. 5(If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?) 6He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap.
Titus 1
7Since an overseer[b] is entrusted with God's work, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. 8Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. 9He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
DEACONS
1Timothy 3
8Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. 9They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. 10They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.
11In the same way, their wives[b] are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.
12A deacon must be the husband of but one wife and must manage his children and his household well. 13Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.
LEADERS-
Heb 13:7
7Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.
Heb 13:17
17Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.
Here are some leaders in the Bible-
Moses, Noah, John the Baptist, Jesus, Peter, Paul, Stephen
SHEPHERD
Jeremiah 3:15
15 Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.
Zeh 11:7
7 So I pastured the flock marked for slaughter, particularly the oppressed of the flock. Then I took two staffs and called one Favor and the other Union, and I pastured the flock.
Mt 9:36
36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Jn 10:11
11"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
Jn 1:16
16From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.
1 P 5:4
4And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
The word Shepherd can be translated into pastor, in both Hebrew- 7462 ra`ah raw-aw' a primitive root; to tend a flock; i.e. pasture it; intransitively, to graze (literally or figuratively); generally to rule; by extension, to associate with (as a friend):--X break, companion, keep company with, devour, eat up, evil entreat, feed, use as a friend, make friendship with, herdman, keep (sheep)(-er), pastor, + shearing house, shepherd, wander, waste.
And Greek - 4166. poimen poy-mane' of uncertain affinity; a shepherd (literally or figuratively):--shepherd, pastor.
Biblically speaking, pastors feed the flock and take care of the sheep.
What is the flock?
Acts 20:28;
28Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.
And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might LEARN FROM US NOT TO THINK (of men) ABOVE THAT WHICH IS WRITTEN, that no one of you be puffed up for one against the other.
Paul, as an authority of Christ's Gospel, is disciplining Christians to limit their faith and beliefs with the written Word of God. For example, Acts 20:28 above talks about a "flock" to feed. Is it really made up of animals?
Ezekiel 34:31
31 You my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are people, and I am your God, declares the Sovereign LORD.
The Word of God in its entirety gives definitions for its own terms. The next good question is: what should pastors feed the flock which is the Church of God?
Matthew 4:4;
4Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'[a]"
Pastors should feed and strengthen the Church of God with every Word that comes out of the mouth of God or Christ's doctrines and statutes.
What I have written above are the duties of pastors as feeders or the flock only. They also have many other duties to themselves, Church-nonmembers, and especially to God. If you want to have an idea of what pastors SHOULD NOT DO, read the epistle of Jude.
I think the next best question is: how do I know that I am in the real flock Church of God that Pastors of God take care?
PASTOR-
The word pastor is only used one time in the Bible - Eph 4:11 - It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists and some to be pastors and teachers. To prepare God's people for works of service so that the body of christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
However, in the current pastoral role, they need to encompass all the previous positions mentioned. First in accordance with being a teacher they must have a gift of doing so, and it must be given by God. Secondly, as an elder they are to be shepherds of God's flock, serve willingly and eagerly, not be greedy, and not lord it over others, and be an example. Thirdly, as an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money, must manage his family, and see that his children obey him with proper respect, not be a recent convert, not conceited, good reputation with outsiders, be blameless- not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain, be hospitable, one who loves what is good, upright, holy and disciplined. He also must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. Fourthly, as a deacon they are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain, husband of one wife, and manage his household well. They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. Their wives are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.
MORE REQUIREMENTS
Rom 14:19
let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Jeremiah 23
35-36"Instead of claiming to know what God says, ask questions of one another, such as 'How do we understand God in this?' But don't go around pretending to know it all, saying 'God told me this...God told me that....' I don't want to hear it anymore. Only the person I authorize speaks for me. Otherwise, my Message gets twisted, the Message of the living God-of-the-Angel-Armies.
PREACHING
Titus 1
1Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God's elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness— 2a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, 3and at his appointed season he brought his word to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior,
ORDERLY WORSHIP-
1 Cor 14:26 Everyone has a hymn or word of instruction revelation toungue or interpretation.
ALL these must be done for the strengthening of the church. Is the emphasis to be on ALL or to be on that they must be done for the strengthening of the church when they are done?
In this case what is the purpose of the pastor? Seems like they would take on a more behind the scenes roll; organizing and protecting from false prophets rather than actual preaching. Or is the pastor the one always called to do the "word of instruction"?
Humbleness of a Pastor |
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Mar. 19, 2007 Christian Music- is it a style of music?
Contemporary Christian Music falls into other diverse and contemporary styles like- a cappella, broadway, folk, classical, rock, jazz, blues, dance, metal, rap, alternative, new age, hip hop, boogie woogie, barrelhouse, bluegrass, barbershop quartets, indie, grunge, punk, ska, yes and even - thrash, death, gothic, and industrial.
There is still the question of Traditional Hymns, Southern Gospel and Traditional Black Gospel styles.
Traditional Hymns are Classical, Folk, occasionally a cappella.
Southern Gospel would be a mix of hymns, a cappella, country, bluegrass, and black gospel.
Black Gospel is a compilations of barrelhouse, blues and boogie-woogie, and jazz.
"... The term "Christian music" is a misnomer. Music cannot be declared Christian because of particular ingredients. There is no special Christian musical vocabulary. There is no distinctive sound that makes a piece of music Christian. The only part of a composition that can make it Christian is the lyrics. In view of the fact that such phrases as "contemporary Christian music" are in vogue, this is a meaningful observation. Perhaps the phrase "contemporary Christian lyrics" would be more appropriate. Of course, the lyrics may be suspect doctrinally and ethically, and they may be of poor quality, but my point is concentrated on the musical content."
http://www.afn.org/~mrblue/ccm/ccm.html
So the answer in my definition of style is NO there is no style of music that is Christian. Instead our view of Christian Music is controlled by our culture and our society. Where in Africa drums and chanting might be considered Christian music, or in India classical music with quarter tones played on a sitar. In a Catholic service music is a repetitive harmonic chant, and in a Black Gospel service it is full of hallelujahs, Amens, clapping and hand waving. So our view of what is or isn't Christian Music is culturally biased. And, we shouldn't judge whether something is Christian Music or not so quickly.
Can music control us?
NO, we allow it to. We are not passive, nor manipulated. There is some truth in the saying of music soothing the savage beast, but on the other hand it can't cause a true beast to calm down if it doesn't want to be. Satan can't influence believers unless we allow him, so if he is using musicians to do so, he might be sly, but we are still allowing ourselves to be turned in a certain direction. "We must be careful not to imply music cannot be used for evil purposes. But we must realize that the devil goads people who use music; he does not empower the music itself."http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/music.html
So is any music style inherently evil? NO. People are sinners, and what they do with the music style can be to the glory of God or in sin against God. It is like any other art medium, from oil painting, dancing, to color crayons. On the other hand conforming our music to the culture is occasionally not fueled by a love for God but a lust for monetary gain or recognition.
Let us now look to the Bible and in the History of Christianity for what was originally "Christian Music" I would have to say it is jewish, and primarily the Psalms. They even note HOW to play it, and occasionally what instrument to use. Does this mean that King David's view of music, and his songs/Psalms and not only the entire words but also how to play it and which instruments should dictate how we worship with music today?
REFERENCES
http://www.afn.org/~mrblue/ccm/ccm.html
http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/music.html
www.psalmistry.com/christian_music_styles.htm |
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Mar. 6, 2007 What is Worship?
WHAT DOES WORSHIP MEAN-
Four Meanings for the word Worship
Latreia (Latreuo) - service & sacrifice when directed toward God. It might have been better if the translators had chosen the words 'serve', 'service' and 'minister' instead of worship.
leitourgia (i.e. translated service)
leitourgos (i.e. translated serves or servant) is used of Christ, angels, rulers, Epaphroditus's delivery of the Philippian gift, and of ministry to the Gentiles
Luke 1:74 ... to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear. (from Jews to God)AAcA
Proskyneo (Proskuneo) and its Hebrew equivalent shachac - bowing down (histahawa or shachac {Heb.} or proskyneo {Gk. to kiss forward}), kneel- bending the knee (i.e. gonu or gonupeteo), posture of submission.
Matthew 2:11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.
Threskeia - religiosity, sacrifice, serve - Sacrifice, carry out instruction -
Acts 26:5 They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that according to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee
Sebomai - revere, venerate, praise, extol
Acts 16:14 One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message.
To worship God we need to know him, so God initiates worship by revealing himself to us. The more we understand him the better we can declare his worth (worth-ship), worship.
HISTORY OF BIBLICAL CORPORATE WORSHIP-
Before Moses
First - The head of the household lead the family religiously. They built their own alters and worshiped on their own. IE: Job made sacrifices on behalf of his children. There was no special priesthood. Each person could worship without a priest.
Second - Occasionally God told his people where to build and alter and what to alter, but usually it was self-directed. No special times, days seasons. No restrictions except avoiding Baal Worship (NO OTHER GODS).
Third - Even method was pretty open, about how to sacrifice/worship.
Days of Moses Worship went from very little structure to very specific and very detailed structure. God specified exactly - when sacrifices were to be made, how they were to be made, where they were to be made, and who was supposed to make them. Worship became much more formal. Under the law of Moses, there were holy places, holy people, holy animals, holy rituals, and holy times. God designated certain things for certain uses in worship
1st century church - "Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about 3,000 were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer" (vv. 41-42 John 4. - no place for worship, worship everywhere in Acts that prayer, teaching and fellowship are involved. Other verses talk about songs, too. Colossians 3:16 tells us the early church sang in their worship: "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God." Ephesians 5:19 is similar: "Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord." 1 Corinthians 14:26 What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church verse 26: That all "must be done for the strengthening of the church." In verse 31 he says the goal is "so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged."
2nd century - Justin Martyr, an apologist and pastor, wrote of two major parts: the liturgy of the Word and the liturgy of the Eucharist. The liturgy of the Word consisted of lessons from the Old and New Testaments, a sermon, prayers, and hymns. The liturgy of the Eucharist included a kiss of peace; offering of bread, wine, and water; prayers and thanksgiving over the bread and wine; remembrance of Christ's death, including the narrative of the institution of the Last Supper, and a command to continue in it; an Amen, said by all the people; Communion; then the reserved portions were taken by the deacons to those who were absent.
Late Medieval- pomp and ceremony
16th- Reformers- Word and Sacrament
Today- Corporate worship involves our entire relationship with God: our words, our attitudes, and our actions. Our words may be normal conversation, songs or prayers. In any style of speaking, we can declare God’s praises and express our faith reliance on him.
1- gathering together - by gathering we are showing that God has worth. Wherever two or more are gathered...
2- music - rejoice, praise, confession, supplication, meditative, celebrate, expressing emotions
"You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light" (1 Peter 2:9)
3- prayer - praise, request, confession - when we express our dependence on God, it shows his worth
4- sermon - communication of God's word to us, it effects real life and demands a heart-felt response. We should be participants not just an audience. Romans 1:9: "I serve [latreuo, one of the Greek words for worship] God with my whole heart." How? "…in preaching the gospel of his Son." A similar thought is in Romans 15:16: "God gave me the grace to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit."
5- responding - DO what god is telling us, TELL others. Service/Giving money-Romans 15:27, Philippians 4:18, 2 Corinthians 9:12
Worship Rituals- Baptism, Lord's Supper, Weddings, Funerals, Ordination, Blessing of Children, Anointing the Sick.
Current types of worship-
Evangelistic - winning the lost
Expositional - teaching the word
Renewal - excitement, revival, 'touching God'
Body-life - fellowship, relationships and small groups
Liturgical - serving & glorifying God through liturgy
Congregational - worship expressed by the laity.
"Of these, the renewal, liturgical, congregational approaches are arguably what most Christians conceive of as worship - times of personal and corporate singing and praise. As we have seen, however, the biblical principles and commands related to worship are much broader and more integrated into the Christian life. Worship is the response of grateful and humble people to the living God where submission, sacrificial service, praise, profession, testimony and gratitude are freely expressed in innumerable ways. This is a much richer concept than mere corporate singing and praise once each week for 20 minutes - an event that could occur without any actual worship going on at all. " http://www.xenos.org/essays/worship.htm
WORSHIP SHOULD INCLUDE-
Cleansing Spiritual and Physical Bodies- Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. (Rom 12:1) This was seen in the Priests cleansing themselves before entering the temple, and is seem symbolically today with the holy water at the entrances to Catholic Churches.
Sacrificing yourself, and accepting Sacrifice- Thusia - a sacrifice, victim. Sacrificing yourself could imply homologia- (confession), and accept Jesus' sacrifice for you. Eph 5:2...and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. Phil 2:17 But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.
Praising and Thanking the Lord for all he has done.
HINDERANCES-
Pragmatism-done to get what we want not what we need. Yet what we want (communion with God), happens when we pursue what we truly need.
Intellectualism- not a substitute for worship. Leader is responsible to share light of worship. "Our minds are to be used in study, but what is studied includes worship of the One who has communicated with us.
Evangelism- Not the ultimate reason for worship.Worship implies the believer's response to God. Non-believers cannot worship the true and living God.
Sin- Our sins can get in the way, we need to be cleansed vessels to come before the throne of God and worship him.
Barriers- internal (mind wandering etc), external (babies crying, other disturbances).
Other things to think about-
Worship should be a balance between spirit and truth. Truth of God and about God. Must have a humble, spiritual attitude as well as doctrinal soundness.
Allow enough time for true worship, so that congregation isn't rushed. Also don't take up worship time in doing other things that may be considered good but are not worship like announcements.
Worship should have a very high priority, and it should be evident by the energy given to it by the leadership.
Who is the leader and why, make sure the whole service is God-centered, not man-centered.
Style vs substance- Substance primary style secondary (if style overshadows substance true worship may be thwarted).
References-
http://www.xenos.org/essays/worship.htm
http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/worship.html
http://www.wcg.org/lit/spiritual/worship/worship2.htm |
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Mar. 3, 2007 CELL PHONE vs THE BIBLE
I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone?
What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we flipped through it several times a day?
What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we gave it to kids as gifts?
What if we used it when we traveled?
What if we used it in case of emergency?
This is something to make you go....hmm...where is my Bible?
Oh, and one more thing. Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill. Makes you stop and think, "Where are my priorities? And... NO DROPPED CALLS! ------- copied----- |
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Feb. 21, 2007 Religion & Psychology
A Topic of controvery was brought up at our bible study meeting on Wednesday the 14th of Februrary. We had been discussing Nancy's Missler's book The Way of Agape. Well when reading it the first time in December on my own I had written notes in the margin. One was regarding the idea that God no only heals us from our sin, but wipes clean the memory of that sin (p255). So the mood in the study was critquing the text. I hadn't wanted to mention issues I had found with/in the text. But since it was already an atmosphere of critiquing I brought up one other issue I had with the text. One of inconsitancy.
On page 223 Missler states "Continually sharing and reprogramming our negative thoughts back in our hidden chambers is one of the reasons psychological couseling can be so very dangerous. in this type of counseling, we are not trying to figure out our own corrupt thinking and behavior. I don't think god intends for us to do this". Which to me is a vaild viewpoint, even though I disagreed that there is no use for psychology, or that it is evil simply because it isn't in the Bible. However on many other pages including.. she uses psychology for her own purposes. The statement regarding Psychology on page 251 states "I told Emily to simply recognize what God was bringing up and then experience those feelings. I told her to name the emotions and the thoughts as they came up; get them out any way she could; and then, go through the steps we are now learning and get rid of those those thoughts and feelings for good." These two statements to me are saying the same exact thing. I could understand why someone without a psychological background might not pick up on the inconsistancy. But using big words, is all symantics they are both based on Cognitive Behavioral Psychology
In doing some investigating about this I found an excellent set of articles about the subject, specifically about this book and psychology, and the conflicting ideas that I noticed. http://www.psychoheresy-aware.org/nmissler.html He points out the many times in The Way of Agape and other Missler books where she uses psychology. She uses studies done by psychologists to validate a viewpiont. One perfect point he makes is her theory about the hidden chambers being the unconcious and that the unconscience can control the conscience is straight Freudian ideology. But on her website Her husband Chuck posted an article all about the dangers of Freud's views. http://www.khouse.org/articles/1996/108/
To me either of these ideas are valid, but choose one. Either psychology is evil, or there are some good profitable things to learn from it.
The leader of the Bible Study, a supporter of Dr. James Dobson (a renowned Christian author and psychologist), went on to declare the dangers of psychology. I do agree there are things in psychology that I do not agree with, but there are also certain things in most things I disagree with, and my viewpoint is known. If I waiver those I am speaking to are made aware that I am not sure of my viewpoint.
In talking to my sister who has a master's degree in Psychology about the current state of psychology today, she said the only difference between counselors and psychologists is their level of education. Psychologists have to have Ph'd's where anyone can be a counselor. For me it seems that a counselor might even be more dangerous than a psychologist, as they have less training, and are not as regulated. One more thing she mentioned is that confrontation is psychology, if a client is obviously viewing something incorrectly, there comes a time, after you have built up a report with them that their thinking is confronted.
After all this I went ahead and emailed the article I found to the leader of the study. I pray she reads it and responds to me. I am hoping it doesn't cause a stress in our study, but instead points out the inconsistancy in the text, and in her own statements. That way I know exactly what viewpoint I am dealing with.
Today the leader emailed me back and said, no that she doesn't think psychology is evil, so we are good now. Onwards and upwards ;). |
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