Sunday, 21st August, 2016.
Scripture Reading: 1 Cor.12:8-10
Memory verse for the week: 1 Sam 3:4
“The voice of the Lord said Samuel’s name; and he said, Here am I.” (BBE)
There are 9 gifts of the Spirit according to 1 Cor.12:8-10. These 9 gifts are a tremendous help and aid not only to you in your own personal walk with the Lord, but many of them can also be used to help other people out as special needs and circumstances arise in their lives.
Each and every believer has been given by the indwelling of the Spirit of God, gifts of the Spirit (Acts 2:38). In 1 Corinthians chapters12-14 we see gifts of the Holy Spirit. They are not gifts that have been developed by human capacities; therefore the believer has absolutely no right to brag on these gifts. It is like taking credit for a gift you receive on your birthday.
The 9 in 1-fold fruit of the Holy Spirit could be likened to be a cake, while the 9 gifts of the Holy Spirit are the icing on the cake.
No believer can say he’s got no gift of the Spirit from God. God has given all believers gifts; some have several but everyone has these gifts. These gifts of the Spirit are given not for the believer but for the Body of Christ. It is to make the Body complete. These gifts are intended for the church to edify it, to strengthen it, to feed it, to exhort it, to encourage it and to have the Body of Christ empowered to do the work of Christ. These gifts are always to exalt Christ, to witness of God’s power, to build up the body, and to work to enlarge the body of Christ by sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with the lost.
There is a lot of difference between natural talents and the gifts of Holy Spirit. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are special gifts given by the Spirit to believers to enable them to
consistently bear fruit to the glory of God and our Lord Jesus Christ. There are many of these gifts and they are all available today as in the time of the Apostles.
ACTION WORD: THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT ARE DIFFERENT FROM YOUR NATURAL TALENT.
PRAYER POINT:
- Holy Spirit, please open my eyes to the gifts you have deposited within me, in Jesus’ name.
- I shall not quench the Spirit of God in my life, in Jesus name.