Post by Zac Loh on Feb 12, 2009 12:20:27 GMT -5
THE GIFT OF `DIFFERENT KINDS OF TONGUES’ AND THE GIFT OF `INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES’ (1 CORINTHIANS 12:10)
Acts 2:4-12
Not natural ability to master various human languages.
Numbers 22:21-31
It seems that God reconstructed the donkey’s jaw, mouth and tongue so that the animal can speak the human language.
My point here is …we must allow God to us our jaw, mouth and tongue!
7 REMEDIES FOR THE LACK OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS IN THE CHURCH
These are 7 reasons as to why spiritual gifts are lacking. Within these 7 reasons, we find 7 Remedies which will open the way so that there will be abundance of gifts.
1. Position/Responsibility Held Not According To Corresponding Gift
Their gifts are not utilized or honed because they are busy doing other things.
2. False Humility
This caused them to stay at their level, not aspiring to be better.
True love thinks for the benefit of others. Therefore, we want to be the most effective we can in order to bless others as much as possible. Therefore, we need the gifts.
3. Don’t See Full The Range Of Possibilities
Because they don’t see what the gifts can do, they don’t see the need, and they are not desperate.
But once they see what a difference it will make …when all the gifts are used …they will eagerly desire …they will pray for all the gifts …they will make serious adjustments and changes in order to facilitate these gifts.
4. Don’t Exercise Faith To Get The Gifts
When we don’t see the possibilities of what the gifts can do for us; naturally, will not deem it necessary to have the faith for them; naturally, we will not get the faith to get them; naturally, we will not exercise our faith to get them.
Even when we see the possibilities and sense the urgent need; yet if we don’t exercise faith, we will not get them.
Without faith, it is impossible to please God who is the Giver of the gifts. Without faith in prayer, we will not receive the gifts. Without faith in action, we will not see the reality of what we are talking about. So, we need to exercise faith.
A good example of a person who exercises faith to get the gifts into working reality is Ps. David Wong Kim.
5. Don’t Realize That The Gifts Can Be Imparted
We need to connect with the right people, the anointed men and women of God.
Those in The Ephesians Group Of Gifts have the ability to impart gifts into others.
If we are ignorant, isolated and cut-off from the people who can bless us spiritually; then we are spiritual destitute.
Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3)
All the spiritual gifts are of the kingdom of heaven. True humility means we will inherit the kingdom of heaven, and everything pertaining to it. We are citizens of the kingdom of heaven; we need to exercise our privileges and authorities of the kingdom of heaven.
We believe in material prosperity, but do we believe in spiritual prosperity?
Do we want to remain in spiritual poverty?
6. Appreciation, Appropriation And Application
When we don’t appreciate, appropriate and apply all gifts available to us; we will in not be able to fully appreciate, appropriate or apply our own gifts. This is a `common sense’ principle that you know is true.
7. Don’t Pay The Price
We must understand that our gift defines our purpose in this life. The gift is given to help us to fulfill our specific purpose on planet earth, God’s specific calling and plan for each of us.
Therefore, we pay the price so that our gift will be functioning and continue growing.
My example: come and see the amount of pieces of paper and notes upstairs; turning pages in bookstore to get one single information from reference books which are expensive if I were to buy all; writing in cybercafé – forum website (will tell my full story); put-in money to publish my first book (and I will have to find storage space for my next 3 books!).
Other than extra time, effort and money; we will also have be ready to face rejection, pressure and controversy.
As we go further, we will have to grow. The more we grow in ministry, the more rejections, pressures, controversies irrespective of how popular and big we become.
I grew by God’s grace, in overcoming rejections. I will have to be overcoming rejections in the future. I am really, internally, stronger.
The answer, of course, is God’s grace.
But we must be willing to pay the price.
You know how a diamond is made? Thousands of years under pressure, deep inside the earth.
A friend said: “if you don’t want pressure, you can choose to become a charcoal.”
Do we fear to face controversy? I am happy to note that I am now more prepared to face controversy than before. Previously, I wanted to escape controversy. But controversy never misses me, even though I always wanted to skirt around controversy.
So we all have to come to a time which we are willing to face controversies, because it is a natural consequence when we are growing in our gifts.
Acts 2:4-12
Not natural ability to master various human languages.
Numbers 22:21-31
It seems that God reconstructed the donkey’s jaw, mouth and tongue so that the animal can speak the human language.
My point here is …we must allow God to us our jaw, mouth and tongue!
7 REMEDIES FOR THE LACK OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS IN THE CHURCH
These are 7 reasons as to why spiritual gifts are lacking. Within these 7 reasons, we find 7 Remedies which will open the way so that there will be abundance of gifts.
1. Position/Responsibility Held Not According To Corresponding Gift
Their gifts are not utilized or honed because they are busy doing other things.
2. False Humility
This caused them to stay at their level, not aspiring to be better.
True love thinks for the benefit of others. Therefore, we want to be the most effective we can in order to bless others as much as possible. Therefore, we need the gifts.
3. Don’t See Full The Range Of Possibilities
Because they don’t see what the gifts can do, they don’t see the need, and they are not desperate.
But once they see what a difference it will make …when all the gifts are used …they will eagerly desire …they will pray for all the gifts …they will make serious adjustments and changes in order to facilitate these gifts.
4. Don’t Exercise Faith To Get The Gifts
When we don’t see the possibilities of what the gifts can do for us; naturally, will not deem it necessary to have the faith for them; naturally, we will not get the faith to get them; naturally, we will not exercise our faith to get them.
Even when we see the possibilities and sense the urgent need; yet if we don’t exercise faith, we will not get them.
Without faith, it is impossible to please God who is the Giver of the gifts. Without faith in prayer, we will not receive the gifts. Without faith in action, we will not see the reality of what we are talking about. So, we need to exercise faith.
A good example of a person who exercises faith to get the gifts into working reality is Ps. David Wong Kim.
5. Don’t Realize That The Gifts Can Be Imparted
We need to connect with the right people, the anointed men and women of God.
Those in The Ephesians Group Of Gifts have the ability to impart gifts into others.
If we are ignorant, isolated and cut-off from the people who can bless us spiritually; then we are spiritual destitute.
Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3)
All the spiritual gifts are of the kingdom of heaven. True humility means we will inherit the kingdom of heaven, and everything pertaining to it. We are citizens of the kingdom of heaven; we need to exercise our privileges and authorities of the kingdom of heaven.
We believe in material prosperity, but do we believe in spiritual prosperity?
Do we want to remain in spiritual poverty?
6. Appreciation, Appropriation And Application
When we don’t appreciate, appropriate and apply all gifts available to us; we will in not be able to fully appreciate, appropriate or apply our own gifts. This is a `common sense’ principle that you know is true.
7. Don’t Pay The Price
We must understand that our gift defines our purpose in this life. The gift is given to help us to fulfill our specific purpose on planet earth, God’s specific calling and plan for each of us.
Therefore, we pay the price so that our gift will be functioning and continue growing.
My example: come and see the amount of pieces of paper and notes upstairs; turning pages in bookstore to get one single information from reference books which are expensive if I were to buy all; writing in cybercafé – forum website (will tell my full story); put-in money to publish my first book (and I will have to find storage space for my next 3 books!).
Other than extra time, effort and money; we will also have be ready to face rejection, pressure and controversy.
As we go further, we will have to grow. The more we grow in ministry, the more rejections, pressures, controversies irrespective of how popular and big we become.
I grew by God’s grace, in overcoming rejections. I will have to be overcoming rejections in the future. I am really, internally, stronger.
The answer, of course, is God’s grace.
But we must be willing to pay the price.
You know how a diamond is made? Thousands of years under pressure, deep inside the earth.
A friend said: “if you don’t want pressure, you can choose to become a charcoal.”
Do we fear to face controversy? I am happy to note that I am now more prepared to face controversy than before. Previously, I wanted to escape controversy. But controversy never misses me, even though I always wanted to skirt around controversy.
So we all have to come to a time which we are willing to face controversies, because it is a natural consequence when we are growing in our gifts.