The Gifts of the Holy Spirit...Craig Denison Ministries

 The Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

As believers, we’ve been given the Holy Spirit as a Helper, Teacher, Friend, and seal for the promised inheritance of eternal life with God. His presence, guidance, and wisdom in our lives are our greatest gifts while here on earth. Through him we have access to direct connection with our heavenly Father. Through him we receive spiritual gifts to empower us. And through him we are able to bear the incredible fruit of abundant life. Open your heart and mind to all that the Holy Spirit would give you, show you, and lead you to this week.

Scripture:“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.” 1 Corinthians 12:1

Devotional:

Paul’s heart for the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 12:1 is God’s heart for you and me today. Scripture says, “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.” Within the church today are defenders of multiple positions on spiritual gifts, each as staunch as the other. But God’s desire for you and me is that we would be informed directly from him about the incredible gifts of this loving Holy Spirit who dwells within us. God longs for us to receive all he has to give. He longs to teach us about the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives that we might live with greater purpose and affections for him and others. Let’s surrender our hearts and minds to God on spiritual gifts. And let’s seek out every last bit of what God has planned for us today.

The first aspect of spiritual gifts to note is that they are indeed a gift. 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 says,

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

The Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts to each of us. He “apportions” them according to his perfect wisdom. Spiritual gifts are never birthed by man and never given for selfish purposes. The Spirit gives us gifts because he loves us and others. All that he does is in perfect love and is for “the common good.” Whether you’ve been given the gift of wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment of spirits, tongues, or interpretation of tongues, your purpose in the gift is to be the same as the Holy Spirit’s: love.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 says, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing” (emphasis added).Spiritual gifts are all about love. Operating in a gift of the Spirit is always to be done in love. Paul is clear that gifts are annoying (1 Corinthians 13:1) and worthless (1 Corinthians 13:2-3) if they are not filled with love.

1 Peter 4:10-11 says, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” Spend time in prayer discovering what gift the Holy Spirit has given you and how he would intend you to use it for the benefit of the “common good.” Choose to align your understanding and belief on spiritual gifts with the word of God alone. And live today operating in love with the amazing gifts God has given you, whatever they may be.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on God’s word about spiritual gifts. Align your understanding with his word alone.

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to as he wills.” 1 Corinthians 12:4-11

2. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you the gift he has given you. Ask him to show you if he’s given you multiple gifts! Reflect on your life and the ways God has used you in the past. If you know someone who you believe has a close relationship with the Spirit, ask them what gift they believe God has given you!

3. Ask the Holy Spirit to use you today for the glory of Jesus. Decide to be a believer who lives empowered and purposed with the gift God has given you. Ask the Spirit to show you ways he would use you. Stay in tune and ready to be used by the God of love today. 

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 4:10-11

“Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.” Romans 12:6-8

2 Timothy 1:6-7 says, “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” Keep the fire of the Holy Spirit kindled within you today by intimate relationship with him. Talk with him. Ask for his help. Stay close to him and allow him to burn passionately within you to see the lost saved, loved, and freed. 

Extended Reading: 1 Corinthians 12-14

When God Closes a Door …...BINU SAMUEL

 When God Closes a Door …

BINU SAMUEL 

“… ‘Send him back to the town you’ve given him!’ they demanded. ‘He can’t go into the battle with us. What if he turns against us in battle and becomes our adversary? …’” 1 Samuel 29:4 (NLT)

I had just gotten married, moved across town and was in search of a new job closer to our new apartment. I made some calls and sent out my resume. After some time, I received a call back from a district manager. He was upbeat, and we seemed to connect.

“Could you meet me at our newest store?” He gave me the address. “It’s about to open, and I think it would be a good fit for you.”

He didn’t have to ask me twice. “Yes, sir, I’ll be there!”

I parked my car and said a prayer, but as I was walking up to the store, I heard someone call my name. I recognized that upbeat voice. “Hey, I’m so sorry. An emergency came up and I am going to have to reschedule our meeting. I will call you soon.”

I understood. Stuff happens. Things come up, I told myself. But I had a strange feeling … God was up to something.

In the days and weeks to follow, I never heard back from that company … and as strange as it was, I never felt compelled to follow up.

But after some time, I did hear back from a different company. This district manager asked that I go and meet a man by the name of Kent. “If everything works out, he will be your local manager.”

That evening my husband and I met Kent. After a few minutes of small talk, my husband and I knew this was it.

Closed doors aren’t always a bad thing.

In 1 Samuel 29, David was on the run from King Saul. He was tired and worn out and found a safe haven in an unlikely place, amid the ungodly Philistines — long-time enemies of David’s people, the Israelites.

During David’s stay in enemy territory, Achish (a Philistine king) grew to trust and rely upon David. In fact, Achish was so pleased with David, he wanted David to serve in his army. But the Philistine commanders knew of David’s great reputation as a leader in the Israelite army, so they resisted.

“… ‘Send him back to the town you’ve given him!’ they demanded. ‘He can’t go into the battle with us. What if he turns against us in battle and becomes our adversary? …’” (1 Samuel 29:4)

As strange as it was, the great warrior, David, experienced rejection for a role he was overqualified for. But God was up to something.

Later, in 2 Samuel, Saul died and David was appointed king over Israel.

Imagine if God hadn’t closed that door and David had fought alongside the Philistines.

Would the Israelites have been able to fully trust David as their king?
What would have become of David?
Would we still have his psalms?
Would the Philistines have benefited from David's leadership had they not rejected him?

God’s sovereign hand was clearly at work in the life of David. I believe it’s the same for you and me.

Sometimes, God sets up divine appointments or divine events to cancel our current appointments. I used to worry and wonder, God, what if I choose the wrong path? Now I know: The Creator of the universe is the Creator of me, so if I go down the wrong path, God is more than able to reroute me and set me on the right one.

Friends, I met Kent in December of 1999. Over 20 years and two companies later, Kent is still my manager.

This doesn’t mean every closed door in my life or yours will directly result in a better opportunity — but we can always trust God’s plan. Maybe you’re in a season in which more doors seem to be closing for you than opening. Give it time. I believe you will look back one day and see God’s divine hand in your situation as well.

As we submit our plans to Him, I pray we learn to trust that our heavenly Father is always at work in our lives … in the confusion, in the strange cancellations and even in the closed doors.

Dear heavenly Father, thank You for the doors You have closed in my life … doors I begged You to open but, in Your mercy, You so graciously closed. Please lead me and guide me. Please continue to open the right doors for me, and close the doors I am not meant to walk through. I trust You to do what is best for me and for Your Kingdom. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The Requirements of Servanthood... Dr. Charles Stanley

 The Requirements of Servanthood

Dr. Charles Stanley

Luke 19:1-9 

When Jesus left His home in heaven, He didn't come to earth to be a superstar. He came to serve. As His disciples, we've been left here on earth to follow His example and serve a lost and hurting world. The story of Zacchaeus shows us some Christlike qualities that we need to develop in order to serve as the Lord did.

Awareness: Although surrounded by a crowd, Jesus stopped and took notice of one particular man perched in a tree. Zacchaeus was hated and rejected because he was a tax collector. Although he was rich, there was something missing in his life, and Christ recognized his need. There are people all around us "hanging in trees"--needy, empty, and searching for hope. But too often, we're preoccupied with our activities and don't even notice them.

Availability: Jesus was heading to Jerusalem to carry out the most important act in human history: our redemption. Yet He stopped to have a meal with a spiritually needy man. What could be so important that it keeps you too busy to give others what they need most--your time?

Acceptance: Although Zacchaeus was a notorious sinner, Jesus didn't say, "Clean up your act, and then I'll come to your house." We're called, not to fix people but to share the transforming gospel of Christ.

How are you doing at serving those around you? Maybe it's time to slow down and open your spiritual eyes to see all the needy people. God places opportunities all around us, but if we're not attentive, we'll miss them. Sometimes you just have to look up to see who’s in the tree.

When Ezra Prayed...by Bible Pathways

 When Ezra Prayed

by Bible Pathways

"Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore."  - Ezra 10:1

Ezra grieved over the nation of Israel because of their sin. In this verse, he lays it all out before God and this chosen nation of God. The verse goes on to say that he confesses to the Lord. Through Ezra, the people repented and returned to the will of the Lord.

This is a great example of how to obtain a revival in the whole nation. One might ask, can one man really make a difference? The Word of God shows example after example of that very thing happening. One person following the Lord will always make a majority. What shall we then say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? (Rom. 8:31).

The Bible is full of individuals who made a difference by standing for what was right. They made a difference by standing for God. You only need to read the "roll call of faith" in Hebrews 11 to get a fairly comprehensive list of these individuals. There have also been many since the days the Bible was written. Many who have given their lives for the cause of Christ and the promotion of the Word of God. There are some who have become well known for their sacrifice. Others are only known to a few. Some may have had no one to mourn their passing. However, their gift is known greatly in heaven.

Others may not have died for the cause of Christ, but have lived their lives dedicated to God. These too have brought change in the world around them. The Scripture compares a child of God to salt and light. Both being agents of change. Matthew 5:13-14 tells us, “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden."

Ezra was a leader, of that there is little doubt. His heart was turned towards godly things. He set his life to seeing the work of God completed. This work changed the heart of a nation. Any of us could be used in a similar manner. It is all about living in obedience to the Lord and His will.

A Prayer to Remember God Makes Everything Beautiful...By Victoria Riollano

 A Prayer to Remember God Makes Everything Beautiful

By Victoria Riollano

"Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time." Ecclesiastes 3:11

Everything is beautiful in its time.

I can remember a time when a verse like this would cause much frustration. I would read this verse in a time of despair and think, “Lord, how could you make this beautiful?” How could a moment of loss, tragedy, or abandonment ever be seen in a positive light? This was especially true a few years ago.

In 2017, it felt like everything was falling apart. My father-in-law had passed away, my church friends had all become foes, and my husband was battling with chronic illness. During all this, I was pregnant. Although that was a joyous occasion, birthing something new amidst a sea of pain was not an enjoyable experience. Yet, I could not help but remind myself, “One day, the Lord will make this beautiful.” One day, the Lord would show His glory through it all.

I believe this feeling was also shared by the lame man in John 5. Though this man remains nameless, the Bible says he’d been in a paralyzed condition for 38 years. In the passage in John 5:1-5, we see a man who was desperate to be healed to avail. It is believed that the very place he laid at the Sheep Gate pool would be where angels would come at certain times, stir up the waters, and bring healing. All that was required was to be the first in the water. So, for many years the man was strategically placed to be set free from his condition. Unfortunately, time and time again, he was overlooked, step over, and never able to be the first in the pool. In just reading the words found in John, we can feel the agony and frustration he must have felt. I am certain, he would wrestle with the phrase, “He makes everything beautiful.” Sometimes disappointment can make us doubt God’s great plan!

I am so happy that the story doesn’t end here.

When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”

The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”

Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” 9 And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. John 5:6-9

In an instant, with a single sentence, Jesus changed the trajectory of his life. He went from one who was in desperate need to one who was fully healed! His life has become a testimony for the many who had ignored him and tossed him aside for their own gain. God truly made it all beautiful in His time. He was a living, breathing, walking, testimony of God’s goodness!

Today, I want to encourage you to with the words we find in Ecclesiastes 3:11, “He makes all things beautiful.” You may feel disappointed or discouraged now. You may not understand why things have unfolded the way they have in your life.

Yet, here’s what we know to be true, we serve a God who loves His children. He sees all and He knows all. He is all-powerful and He has not forgotten you.

In 2017, I experienced this as the Lord brought complete healing to my husband, rectified our ministry woes, and allowed us to birth a beautiful baby girl named Heavenly Joy. And for the man we find in John 5, we see that his thirty-eight years of pain have turned into a testimony that over 2,000 years later we can still rejoice about. God truly does turn things around. Let us not grow weary in the wait.

Let's pray:

Father,

I thank you for your limitless wisdom. I thank you for writing my story. Although I may not always understand why things are happening, you do. You go before me and keep me even in my darkest hours. I thank you for using my moments of sadness as a starting point for a miracle to take place. Help me to embrace your process for me. Thank you, Lord, that you make all broken things new and beautiful.

In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Making Do-Gooding A Way of Life...by Lynette Kittle

 Making Do-Gooding A Way of Life

by Lynette Kittle

“Do to others as you would have them do to you” - Luke 6:31

During high school, my husband carried his Bible to every class, wore a big wooden cross around his neck, and led people to Salvation in Jesus Christ in the school hallways. He was known for sharing the Gospel with pretty much everyone he met. 

Although some fellow classmates may have avoided his evangelistic outreaches, he was also known for reaching out in kindness and compassion to the students who were outcasts. He befriended those who were being teased, made fun of, isolated, left out, and treated poorly by other classmates.

Even if some students may not have wanted what he was offering spiritually, they noticed his compassionate and kind do-gooding to fellow classmates. “For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people (1 Peter 2:15).

Jesus the Do-Gooder
Acts 10:38 describes how Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power went around doing good. Although Scripture gives us only a glimpse of all the good things Jesus did while on earth, John 21:25 reports, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” Likewise, God has prepared all believers to do good things, too. 

Ephesians 2:10, explains, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Sometimes as Christians we tend to go around doing things when it’s convenient for us, or when it feels right to us. Yet how many of us stop to ask God to show us and lead us to the good works He has already planned for us to do?

Actions Speak Louder Than Words
Because our words sometimes fall away pretty quickly, do-gooding has the potential to speak volumes to those around us, especially when done with humility. Philippians 2:3, urges, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” As well like most things in life, how we do things sometimes speaks louder than what we do. If we’re going around doing things trying to score points with God, and with people, then our do-gooding loses its effectiveness. 

However if like 1 Peter 4:8 urges, we do-good from a heart that loves God and loves others, our actions have limitless potential to touch not only the heart of God but also the hearts of those around us. “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” Like most we probably don’t enjoy when people do things for us out of obligation, or fear, or for public recognition, or for gaining something in return. So as God’s Word urges, “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:31).

A Few Pointers to Do-Gooding
So for those who may be a little rusty in do-gooding, God’s word gives us a few pointers in how to start.

1. Ask God to reveal His plans. Because God’s Word tells us He has already prepared good works for us to do, we can ask God to lead us in doing good. We can ask Him to point out to us what to do and how to do it. We can ask God to direct our steps and to help us to lean on His understanding over our own, in seeking to do good (Proverbs 3:5).

2. Just do it. Galatians 6:10 encourages, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” Instead of keeping score and adding up our do-gooding points, we’re encouraged to be generous to all people, including non-believers and especially to fellow believers.

3. Avoid being a showboat. Jesus in Matthew 6:1 cautioned us to, “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” He encourages our do-gooding to be in secret over tooting our own horns and looking to be publicly honored. By doing so, we can take joy in knowing God sees and will reward us (Matthew 6:2-4).

Because showing off our good works robs us from receiving God’s rewards, it’s better to do whatever we do, whether in word or deed, all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him (Colossian 3:17).

Intersecting Faith and Life:
Ask God to lead you this week in accomplishing the good works He already has prepared for you, opening your eyes and ears to see and hear what He has already prepared for you to do. 

Further Reading:
2 Timothy 3:17-18
Hebrews 13:16