This Sunday (25th February) I'll finish a five week series teaching through the Spiritual Gifts.
My prayer and I trust the prayer of all at Bottear is that come Sunday night all of us will have some idea of our gifts as well as how to cultivate and use them!
In talking to some of my Brothers and Sisters there I know that many of them havecaught atleast a glimpse of what God has given them in order to make Him famous on the Earth!
May we remember that even though we may not have certian gifts that we are not excused from ministering in those ways. So All are called to mercy, to evangelize, to be hospitable, we are all to seek greater knowledge of God in His word and grow in wisdom that we may give good council!
We are all to use discernment, and so forth!
My prayer is that we cultivate the gifts God has given, but I pray that above all else we will cultivate "Love".
Falling deeper and more intimately in love with Jesus Christ through His word!
And that we might love one another.
All our ministry's will cease, when Jesus comes back there will be no need for us to teach or preach or heal. But Love will continue throughout eternity!
So my cry is "Yes, by all means, and please cultivate your gifts my freinds. But more than that grow in your love".
If we serve in any way that is not rooted in love of God and of our nieghbour we fall far short of God's plan for our ministry!
I could write more but I won't, perhaps you will continue my line of thought:
Tuesday 20 February 2007
About Boaly
Gary has been involved in printing the Scriptures for 20 years, enjoys photography and rambling online
2 comments:
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who are we? what gift(s) do I have? what ways can I use them? how do I cultivate them? I must use them! so self-centred - questions and comments that have proceeded from my heart out of my mouth and i am sure dishonoured God.
surely brother any actions on our part must be in the power of God not taking His grace for granted and rooted deeply in Him seeking that He would pour out upon us and each new day renewing an agape love within us! He has given us gift(s), all-knowing, ever-present, all-seeing Creator God has deemed and imputed gifts to us but it is in no strength whatsoever of our own that we can use these - we must constantly be God-centred, looking heavenward into eternity with Him and His glory and love...oh such unimaginable mind-blowing earth shattering love...He doesn't need us - let us continue to grow in knowledge of Him (Colossians 1:10 - this was quoted to me personally by john piper none else) and live each day at His feet selflessly giving of ourselves through Him -
1:10 am
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Amen brother.
I do totally agree with you, but I also know you and can guess much of your heart to know that when you have said;
"who are we? what gift(s) do I have? what ways can I use them? how do I cultivate them? I must use them!"
That much (perhaps not as pure as you ought, nor as we all should be) of the motivation behind such statements is indeed a high view and deep rooted love for God!
Don't forget He knows our hearts, seeing not just the words from our lips but the reasons behind them!
So to say;
"I want to cultivate my gift" is pleasing to Almighty God if the motive behind saying it is; that you know God, Love Jesus and want to cultivate your gift, by His grace for His renown!
But if the motive is short, if it does not come from seeing God as magnificent and beautiful etc and knowing Him, and is not said with deep roots of love then I fear it is displeasing and infact sinful! Perhaps centred in making our own name famous instead of His!
And often we still have to do things though our hearts may not be fully in them, but we need to pray and repent that we are not feeling nor motivated as we ought when serving or ministering to others!
Just some thoughts. -
2:09 pm
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