Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant…. The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 1 Corinthians 12:1, 7.
Paul declares that the gifts and manifestations of the Spirit were set in the church … “till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” Ephesians 4:13.
All men do not receive the same gifts, but to every servant of the Master some gift of the Spirit is promised.
The Lord has need of all kinds of skillful workmen. “He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” Ephesians 4:11, 12.
In immediate connection with the scenes of the great day of God, the Lord by the prophet Joel has promised a special manifestation of His Spirit. Joel 2:28. This prophecy received a partial fulfillment in the outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost; but it will reach its full accomplishment in the manifestation of divine grace which will attend the closing work of the gospel….
At this time the special endowment of divine grace and power is not less needful to the church than in apostolic days.
God will today endow men and women with power from above, as He endowed those who on the day of Pentecost heard the word of salvation. At this very hour His Spirit and His grace are for all who need them and will take Him at His word.
The gifts are already ours in Christ, but their actual possession depends upon our reception of the Spirit of God….
If they are connected with Christ, if the gifts of the Spirit are theirs, the poorest and most ignorant of His disciples will have a power that will tell upon hearts. God makes them the channel for the outworking of the highest influence in the universe.
The Faith I Live By p. 292
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for our friend’s little boy, Xander. He is in need of a miracle. Please also pray for his mom, dad, and his three brothers. They just had a new addition to their family a few weeks ago. On Tuesday, February 5, Xander was taken to the ER at _____ after being diagnosed at Urgent Care with Influenza A, pneumonia, an ear infection and mild respiratory distress. His condition deteriorated unbelievably fast and he was helicoptered to ______and placed in PICU. Within a short time, we learned that Xander was in septic shock with multiple organ failure and the doctor was not at all optimistic that he would survive. Sylvia
—-Please be in prayer for my friend Nancy’s mother. She has fallen and broke her hip. Nancy will be traveling to help her mom. Prayers for healing and safe travels. Jennifer
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Dear Friends,
After my grandmother, Ida, graduated from high school, she took a secretarial course in college. After she finished that course, she worked as a secretary for Dr. Upjohn of Upjohn Pharmaceuticals. How a young girl just out of school was able to get such a job, I’m not sure, but if it were not for that job, she probably would have never met my grandfather.
She looked forward to working each day, because Dr. Upjohn was such a kind man. He treated all of his workers with respect and was always concerned for their welfare. Those who worked for him, felt as if he were their friend, their benefactor. And he was. Their wages were higher, their benefits better, their future brighter than any other employees of any other company throughout the nation. He even bought a lake and surrounding land so they would have their own private park for picnicking and boating. Other companies were having labor problems, but the workers at the his company, were happy and content.
While Dr. Upjohn was alive, he put into practice our Dear Saviour’s admonition: “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” Matt 7:12 The disciples had to learn this principle. They were always fighting for first place. “Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren. But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” Mat 20:20-28
Think of it! Our Loving Creator’s plan was for His creatures to find happiness in serving others, not seeing how much we can please ourselves. He declares, “If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.” Mark 9:35 Selfishness and self-seeking will have no part in God’s Great Kingdom of Love.
Let us put self aside and truly be “the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.” Eph 6:6 Let us love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Let us follow in the footsteps of our Dear Saviour, Who “humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” Phil 2:8
Rose
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The Gifts of the Spirit