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 each one individually 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

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.

Learning to Accept God’s Forgiveness..Aaron D’Anthony Brown

 Learning to Accept God’s Forgiveness

By Aaron D’Anthony Brown

“For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For the desire to do what is good is with me, but there is no ability to do it. For I do not do the good that I want to do, but I practice the evil that I do not want to do.” - Romans 7:18-19

The Uncomfortable Truth
Paul’s words point us to an uncomfortable truth about ourselves - we are sinners. In our humanity, we sometimes do the wrong thing despite knowing what’s right. The Bible labels sin as falling short of holiness and rebelling against God. To complicate matters, we contend with consequences lasting anywhere from mere minutes to many years after sinning. The longer hurtful consequences last, the more likely we struggle to accept forgiveness. 

It’s usually easier to find problems with other people than ourselves. Their flaws seem grand, and ours microscopic. Likewise, asking God for forgiveness tends to come more naturally than forgiving someone else. Even though God, and others, forgive us, we sometimes find it hard to accept and forgive ourselves. Scripture gives us plenty of reasons to embrace forgiveness:

• God forgives us.
• God loves us.
• God helps us grow.
• Christ redeems us.

But these truths don’t mean anything if we tune our focus to our self-critic instead.

Intersecting Faith and Life:
Paul’s words also remind us the biggest critic we face is ourselves. When we know what’s right but commit to wrong, we give that inner voice fuel to put us down. Rather than building ourselves up according to what God says about us, we break down further, increasing the likelihood of sin.

A sure way to silence the self-critic is to adhere to Scripture. Clinging to unforgiveness stifles our ability to live out the faith. We don’t seek forgiveness for ourselves for our small and big transgressions because we deserve forgiveness. God forgives us for our sins because of what Christ Jesus has done for us; therefore, we must do the same for others. Learning to forgive is essential to attain the perspective God has for us. Here are some steps we can take today. 

Accept God’s Forgiveness
What does Scripture say about the forgiveness God exhibits for us? Once we understand this, we’ll better understand how to accept forgiveness through Christ and forgive others.

Reconcile with Others.
Another way to further forgiveness is to make amends with others. Of course, the relationship won’t always be repairable, but knowing where we stand often brings peace and insight.

Confront Lies (or Negative Beliefs)
What do you tell yourself afterward when you fall short and give in to sin? Often, the negative beliefs we hold about ourselves are the source of continued sins like addiction.

Recognize Our Sin Nature.
Recognizing we are fallen people living in a fallen world is essential for putting sin in the proper perspective. We’re not perfect by any imaginative standard, but that’s exactly why Christ died for humanity and offered us a path to a newer and better life. Forgiveness helps us see that.

Further Reading:

• Romans 7:14-25
• 1 John 1:8-9
• Romans 8:1
• James 4:17
• Psalm 103:12

Four Valuable Lessons Learned through Asking..Lynette Kittle

Four Valuable Lessons Learned through Asking (Matthew 21:22)
By Lynette Kittle

Today’s Bible Verse: “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer” - Matthew 21:22

When hired as a Senior Publicist for a large publishing house, I had to hit the floor running and learn fast how to ask for pretty much everything.

Publicity is all about being bold enough to ask everyone you can to spotlight your clients and their resources. It’s continually seeking out and asking for opportunities.

A big stretch for me was learning how to push past my own insecurities and fears in asking. Although starting out feeling awkward and uncomfortable in my requests, it became easier the more I did it, and eventually became like second nature.

Below are four valuable lessons learned through asking.

1. Asking Doesn’t Have to Hurt

What’s the worst thing about asking? Someone might say no. That’s it.

Learning to not take “no’s" personally frees us to ask without fear, which is good training in learning how to boldly approach with confidence in asking God for everything (Hebrews 4:16).

If unsure what we’re asking is God’s will, we don’t have to fear because if we are not asking for the right things, we’ll learn because God will let us know.

“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures” (James 4:3).

2. Asking Opens Doors

Jesus is our example of stepping out to knock and ask for doors to be opened.

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with Me” (Revelation 3:20).

We’re also encouraged to knock and ask. My publicity pitching taught me if I wanted to see doors open, it’s all about knocking and asking.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7).

3. Asking Leads to Answers

James 4:2, explains how we often don’t have things just because we aren’t asking.

To my surprise in asking, there were people who responded in ways I didn’t see coming. Some I thought would say yes, didn’t. Others I didn’t think would even respond said yes, even exceeding my expectations at times.

Because I depended on God’s leading in asking and not leaning on my own limited understanding, amazing things happened. Like Proverbs 3:5 urges, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”

Opportunities I hadn’t even imagined came to be because I asked. “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imaging, according to His power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20).

4. Asking Glorifies God

As a senior publicist, I relied heavily on God to help me in the where, when, who, and how to ask for opportunities. And when the successes came, God received the glory.

Likewise when seeing our prayers answered, our goal should be to give Him the credit for moving on our behalf. As Jesus told us in John 14:13, our successes are all about bringing glory to God. “And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

A Prayer for Lost Souls..Emily Rose Massey

 A Prayer for Lost Souls

By Emily Rose Massey

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” - Romans 5:8, NASB

Have you ever tried to share the gospel or truth of God’s Word with someone, and they asked you to stop? That uncomfortable moment happened to me a few years ago with my younger sister while we were out to dinner. Needless to say, the drive back home was quiet and awkward. I experienced mixed emotions about the situation because I wanted her to have a relationship with the Lord as I do. At the same time, I was a bit offended that she refused even to discuss the Christian faith. When we meet opposition regarding sharing our faith, it is very easy to become offended at those who mock or push back; perhaps our first instinct is to turn our backs on them or set it in our hearts to never discuss the Lord around them ever again.

Instead of bitterness or offense towards those who might disagree with our beliefs, we should have compassion on them because, at one time, before Christ saved us, we, too, were enemies of God and lost. Even if our unsaved friends and family hurt us, these situations should drive us to pray for lost souls. Romans 5 is a powerful chapter in the book of Romans, and in verse 8, we are reminded of God’s great love for us:

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8, NASB).

God loved us so much that He gave His only Son to die for sinners. Not only should this truth cause us to rejoice in the gift of our own salvation, but it should also fill our hearts with so much hope that God’s mercy is available to those we love and even those we do not know. If we cannot reach them with our words of the truth, we can pray that the Lord may bring someone else to share the gospel with them. Let us not shrink back when sharing the truth with those who seem guarded or hostile. May our words always be seasoned with grace and love as we continue to point them to the Lord’s goodness and faithfulness. Let us have hope that God Almighty can reach those who seem unreachable. No one is too far gone for His arm to rescue! 

Let's Pray:
Father God,
Thank You for loving me so much that You sent Your Son to die for my sins so I can be in fellowship with You forever. You know how badly I want my friends and family to know You like I do. You love them more than I do because You created them. I ask that You begin to prepare their hearts to receive Your grace to believe Jesus is the only way to true forgiveness and eternal life. Draw them to You, I pray. I also pray You would give me the boldness to continue sharing Your gospel and Word and not allow intimidation to hold me back. Help me to overcome the fear of man and to fear You alone. You are worthy of telling others about You and Your plan of redemption, no matter if we are hated and despised for it. In Jesus’ name, Amen.