Whats your spiritual gift?

[Scribe]

No one in the New Testament Church prepared a weekly sermon. They met together each evening in their homes for a meal and to share what the Holy Spirit has been showing them through their personal experience. We don't have that today because most people do not have any personal experience.

Acts 2:41-42 (KJV) – “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”

Acts 20:7And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.

Devoting themselves to the Word of God and prayer would be where the "preparing" took place for when they met together and preached doctrine and gave "speeches"

I do agree that 30 minutes speeches were probably unheard of and all nighters were probably not the norm but my guess is that they preached and taught for a couple of hours at a time at least. People traveled to come hear them and were not in such a hurry.

In early American history people would travel for miles to attend a weekly service and stay all day before heading back to their homes.

I also have studied and am still studying early church history and what I have read from scholarly books not from youtube speakers who don't know what they are talking about is that churches that met in homes should be understood like Acts 20. Some had homes that were larger and would also have courtyards that could accommodate a couple of hundred people sitting and listening to the preaching of the Word. They were not crammed into a 14 foot living room of your modern tract home limiting the size of their meetings with a false glorification of small groups and to think that they were is gross ignorance of the most scholarly work done on the subject. Don't let anyone try to bend the truth with what a house church meant in the first century by comparison with their own living room. Besides larger homes with courtyards many had homes with shops on the ground floor and living quarters in the upper floor. The shops were used for church meetings and some of these were large enough to accommodate a hundred or more people sitting and listening to the teachings of the Word of God by a gifted Teacher.

There are plenty of churches doing things the way God wants them to do it. Google Spirit Filled Church near me and start visiting them and pray. Ask the Lord to deliver you from natural skepticism and criticism which comes naturally and takes no gift and pray for the Lord to lead you to the fellowship He wants you to get involved with. He will answer that prayer.

 

[Blackpowderduelist]

Your/My spiritual gift is the Holy Spirit dwelling with in you which is God condescended to not only fellowship but to Union with you, which is the meaning of grace.

 

[pottersclay]

God does not enable with a gift or gifts for your own purpose. But rather he distributes according to the need.
That need is found in the body of Christ so if your not in fellowship with the body of Christ then I would question what is called a gift.

 

[Edify]

I believe that the Bible teaches that there is a Baptism in the Holy Spirit available to those who are born again. This is when one can also receive the gift of speaking in tongues. This is the beginning of the journey to learning how to operate in the Gifts of the Spirit.

While I generally agree with most of your post, this part I don't.

Acts 2:14But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: 15For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. 16But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: (all prophetic gifts) 18And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

As a Pentecostal myelf, it's mind boggling that this scripture speaks so plain, yet millions of Pentecostals still believe tongues is the predominant gift when it is not.

Pentecostals & charismatics both believe it's mostly about tongues. Yes those on the day of Pentecost did speak in other languages, they spoke in the known languages of those Jews present, not needing any interpretation.

Acts 2:7And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? 8And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? 9Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, 10Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, 11Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. (prophesying)

Yes tongues was used but only so that the various peoples could hear prophecy in their own language. Prophecy is the predominant gift. OT prophecy & the Apostle Peter confirms it.

1 Corinthians 14:1(ESV)Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. 2For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. 3On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. 4The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. 5Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.

 

[Edify]

There is also an imperative to live an exemplary holy life. Being above reproach in everything that you do or say will make you available for the Spirit to use you in the gifts. They are gifts of the HOLY Spirit and He requires Holiness in his vessels for these gifts to have their full impact in edifying others.

There is nothing worse than a carnal member of a church living an unholy lifestyle trying to operate in the gifts of the Spirit in the congregation and drawing contempt from those who know how they are living. It turns everyone off as being a fake manifestation. Holiness and integrity is required in order to be lead by the Spirit.

So true. There's a woman in our church who won't make her child mind & argues with her husband at home, yet seems to have no problem giving messages in tongues during the service.
Any christian who desires to manifest the gifts of the Spirit should FIRST be manifesting the FRUIT of the Spirit.

Matt 7:15 NAS “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16You will [p]know them by their fruits. [q]Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they? 17So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20So then, you will [r]know them by their fruits.

Gal 5:22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

 

[Scribe]

While I generally agree with most of your post, this part I don't.

... I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: (all prophetic gifts) 18And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

The description of the event has them speaking in tongues. Those that understood said they were speaking about the wonderful works of God. Peter says what they were doing when they were speaking in tongues about the wonderful works of God was a fulfilment of the scriptures about them prophesying. Therefore it is scriptural to understand the gift of tongues as a form of prophesy. Especially tongues with interpretation or tongues that are understood by the hearer. All spoken gifts fall into the category of the prophetic gifts.

I understand that many have different opinions about the statement "Initial evidence of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is speaking in tongues." I have been fellowshipping with brothers and sisters who do not agree with that statement for 40 years. It is not a deal breaker or a point of contention with me.

I agree with you that Paul said to desire both gifts but that prophecy was greater. The point that is often stressed in doctrinal statements among Pentecostals is that the speaking in tongues appears to be the initial gift and common for all who first experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

I believe that is what the scriptures reveal to us when we read the book of Acts. I can expect this same gift and so can you.

Paul said a lot about tongues and one of the things that he said in 1 Cor 14:14 was that when he prayed in tongues his spirit prayed but his understanding was unfruitful and then he said that he would still pray in tongues even though his understanding was unfruitful. This is for his own personal edification that occurs by the Spirit and bypasses understanding. He also said he would sing in tongues even though his understanding had no understanding. This he did MORE THAN THEM ALL and he had been doing it for 20 years when he wrote these statements.

This praying and singing in tongues between himself and God not in the assembly required no interpreter. This is the part of the gift of tongues that is available to all believers baptized in the Holy Ghost. This is "initial evidence of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is the gift of tongues" doctrine is the held by the majority of Pentecostals world wide.

The Assemblies of God being about 70 million I find to have the best doctrinal interpretations of all other Pentecostals groups and I believe that God is behind the rediscovery of these doctrines that swept the world in the early 1900s and really started with an attempt to answer the question "What does the scripture say is the evidence that one has been baptized in the Holy Spirit?" The answer to that question was presented to a Bible College in Topeka Kansas and all the students came up with the same answer. The gift of speaking in tongues.

They began to pray earnestly for the this Baptism of the Holy Spirit and received it by faith and were given the gift of tongues. Then they began to preach it and the Azusa Street revival which started on the front porch of a house on 216 North Bonnie Brae and then moved to an old church/factory/barn on Azusa street was instrumental in spreading the message world wide. Of the many pastors who experienced that baptism of the Holy Spirit at that time about 300 gathered in Hot Springs Arkansas in 1914 the Assemblies of God was started and now has about 380,000 churches and still growing. It is the fastest growing denomination and the largest Missionary organization of all evangelical denominations.
I do not see it as a man made denomination but as a the continuation of the book of Acts. The Spirit of the Lord is behind it. That it all started with "what was the biblical sign of the baptism of the Holy Spirit?" And discovering that speaking in tongues was the common sign and then asking for and receiving this is still sparking revivals world wide as it did in the book of Acts.

I am 100% in agreement with the statement that the gift of tongues is the sign that one has been baptized in the Holy Ghost according to the scriptures.

I can still fellowship with believers who do not agree. It is not a salvation issue. They don't want to fellowship with me sometimes, but that is on them. We don't claim that people do not have the Holy Spirit if they do not speak in tongues. We are saying that the "Baptism of the Holy Spirit" given for the empowering for witnessing and with supernatural gifts of which the initial gift is tongues is given to those who already have the Holy Spirit in them from being born again and this is why some get confused.

There is a group called United Pentecostals in Christ who teach that you have to speak in tongues to be saved and if you got baptized in water in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit you have to do it over again in the name of Jesus or you are not saved. The UPC is an embarrassment to pentecostals and many don't like to say they are pentecostal and use the word Charismatic instead because they don't want anyone to think they are part of the UPC cult.

 

[KingdomBrat]

I think most of us have several Gifts, not all, but we can be used in several ways by God to fulfill His Purpose.

 

[phil36]

What is your spiritual gift, how long did it take you to realize it, and how did you realize it?

And any cool stories that your gift has given would be awesome!

I wanted to see what peoples gifts here are and how we are using them. A nice change of pace from arguing about semantics


(I believe this is best suited in Bible discussion forum because I know eventually it will turn into a biblical discussion)

Well, there's one thing I do know, my spiritual gift is not singing . It's a good job God see's the heart when he hears me singing


Joking aside, I tend to find that what I was already good at or decent at God has allowed me to use that to play my small part in the Kingdom. One would be music, but not necessarily playing in church. I was out about in clubs and pubs for a longtime. Prayer, is a powerful thing.

 

[Blain]

What is your spiritual gift, how long did it take you to realize it, and how did you realize it?

And any cool stories that your gift has given would be awesome!

I wanted to see what peoples gifts here are and how we are using them. A nice change of pace from arguing about semantics


(I believe this is best suited in Bible discussion forum because I know eventually it will turn into a biblical discussion)

I think this is a great subject to have here, sp[iritual gifts are a topic I really love discussing and studying. Personally I am not even sure if I have gifts I am not aware of but no one walks in just one area especially those who regardless of their initial gifts or calling are simply willing to be used.
I have been used in several of the gifts but the two that I seem to be most intuned to is prophecy and teaching and have seen him use me in situations in this regard, like the times I was called to stand in front of a crowd and speak, it was a new church a small one and I was visiting my sister for the weekend and wanted to try this church out as per usual I said to God on the way there to use me for anything no matter how big or small and when I got there the people there were so friendly and nice but I have a keen sense of inner troubles and could tell they were all hurting inside

I asked about it and apprently many there had either lost loved ones or had loved ones who were very very ill and I couldn't stop thinking about these inners wounds these people carried.

about half way through the sermon I suddenly felt an urgent need to get in front of the crowd and speak I had no idea what I was going to say I just knew I had to get up there and speak so after the pastor was done I got up on stage and just spoke what God placed on my heart to say, without even meaning to I gave a mini sermon about the heart inner wounds God'as gentle healing and many other things after I was done I was shocked to see the whole crowd stand and appluad they were in tears and I saw that God used me to both teach and provid inner healing

I have never witnessed anything more beautiful and have been used both in cc and in real life to teach guide encourage and often times even give a prophecy that seems to create life in those who read it or hear it, I am by no means wise or rich in knowledge but I am very sensitive to his voice and naturally speak what he says to my heart and maybe that is why he uses me as a teacher so much.
I have seen many teachers use organized and well thought out scriptural teachings but the problem is that there never seems to be any life in their words the church looks half asleep or just sitting there
But when I have been called to speak in front of people I just go in blind I speak what is on my heart and I see him create this spark in people this fire this life it is the most amazing and beautiful thing I have ever seen and I hope he will one day give me another chance to be used like this

 

[Scribe]

No one in the New Testament Church prepared a weekly sermon. They met together each evening in their homes for a meal and to share what the Holy Spirit has been showing them through their personal experience. We don't have that today because most people do not have any personal experience.

25Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

They met with the church and taught great numbers of people. For a whole year. Don't you think they prepared? Preaching the word was the God ordained method.

This is out of Acts 11 and so we see from an early time the way we do it today is the way they did it then.

 

[mar09]

What is your spiritual gift, how long did it take you to realize it, and how did you realize it?

And any cool stories that your gift has given would be awesome!

I wanted to see what peoples gifts here are and how we are using them. A nice change of pace from arguing about semantics


(I believe this is best suited in Bible discussion forum because I know eventually it will turn into a biblical discussion)

Helps/ministry/encouragement. I did not realize for a long time, as i was looking for some big gifts=). In time, God showed that ministering (in small ways too, wc many do not want to do, as they are focused on doing the big assignments=) can be done everyday. Not a good cook? Then bake, like me hehe. Sometimes just the 'excess' from what i prepare at home has already encouraged an elderly church member, when there was no other way i could think to minister, as spending time or other.
Writing was an old favorite way i ministered w/ my small writing ministry; doing small tasks at church, like when i noticed covers of Bibles were old and need replacement.. then just initiated. Also volunteered in church gardening, doing the bulletin boards, etc.
Maybe will add to the thread when i have more time, thank you.

 

[Webers.Home]

.
• Rom 12:6-7 . . If a man's gift is teaching, let him teach

• Eph 4:11 . . It was he who gave some to be teachers

Probably the least desirable venue, and the least productive, for exercising
the gift of teaching is an internet forum.

Sunday school classes are typically populated with folk affiliated with the
same denomination, which usually results in a room full of ready listeners;
whereas internet forums are a hodgepodge of denominations resulting in
more arguing than listening.
_

 

[Runningman]

.
• Rom 12:6-7 . . If a man's gift is teaching, let him teach

• Eph 4:11 . . It was he who gave some to be teachers

Probably the least desirable venue, and the least productive, for exercising
the gift of teaching is an internet forum.

Sunday school classes are typically populated with folk affiliated with the
same denomination, which usually results in a room full of ready listeners;
whereas internet forums are a hodgepodge of denominations resulting in
more arguing than listening.
_

But don't we still learn a lot despite having numerous disagreements? I do.

 

[Webers.Home]

.

But don't we still learn a lot despite having numerous disagreements? I do.

Spiritual truth isn't meant to be learned by means of disagreements; it's
meant to be learned via instruction, i.e. taught by someone especially
enabled by God for that purpose. (Eph 4:11-14)

• 1Cor 12:29 . . Are all teachers?

The answer to that is a great big NO.

Some years ago I was invited to a home Bible study. Before considering his
invitation; I asked the man if his group was led by a competent Bible
teacher. He said: No; we don't have a teacher. The group teaches itself. In
other words: we speak as the Spirit leads us to speak.

They say iron sharpeneth iron. But that doesn't work when both irons are
soft. That's why files are hardened and tempered. Well; that man's group
lacked a file, so to speak; so I declined.
_

 

[Runningman]

.



Spiritual truth isn't meant to be learned by means of disagreements; it's
meant to be learned via instruction, i.e. taught by someone especially
enabled by God for that purpose. (Eph 4:11-14)

• 1Cor 12:29 . . Are all teachers?

The answer to that is a great big NO.

Some years ago I was invited to a home Bible study. Before considering his
invitation; I asked the man if his group was led by a competent Bible
teacher. He said: No; we don't have a teacher. The group teaches itself. In
other words: we speak as the Spirit leads us to speak.

They say iron sharpeneth iron. But that doesn't work when both irons are
soft. That's why files are hardened and tempered. Well; that man's group
lacked a file, so to speak; so I declined.
_

Ok. What is the vetting process for sifitng out who is a competent teacher? How does someone know if they have the gift of teaching as opposed to a person who doesn't possess that spiritual gift?

 

[Scribe]

.
• Rom 12:6-7 . . If a man's gift is teaching, let him teach

• Eph 4:11 . . It was he who gave some to be teachers

Probably the least desirable venue, and the least productive, for exercising
the gift of teaching is an internet forum.

Sunday school classes are typically populated with folk affiliated with the
same denomination, which usually results in a room full of ready listeners;
whereas internet forums are a hodgepodge of denominations resulting in
more arguing than listening.
_

I agree that there are many challenges to teaching in a format like CC.
When we post as though we are teaching and do not expect to be contradicted here in this format it is annoying.
People must give others permission to teach them like in a church setting.

Here we are too guarded and skittish, highly suspicious that half the posters may have severe psychological problems.

I do have an idea that I think would work in a format like CC that would contribute to mutual edification and learning bible interpretations.

If we designed some kind of form where a list of rules of hermeneutics were used as questions that had to be answered for a passage. Such as:
The goal is to identify authorial intent, or if we could ask the author "what did you mean by that" what would they say?

1) Who is speaking?
2) When was it written and to whom?
3) What was the context when it was said?
4) Are there other scriptures that deal with the same subject
5) How have others interpreted it through the centuries and why did they do so?
6) Are there any shades of meaning in the original languages that need to be mentioned? What scholars have written about this that are expert in the languages. (training in how to use language tools is important, most people have no idea what they are talking about when they attempt to explain the original language meanings without this training)
7) There are lists of common rules found in books on hermeneutics that are all similar and can be used to make a question form.

When discussing a passage of scripture and attempting to explain why you think that it means what you say it means, if you used the list of rules in hermeneutics to make your case it would be very edifying and you would learn how to teach better as a result.

Most people will not take the time. They will just blurt out what they think a verse means and if someone disagrees they start the personal emotional bantering. They haven't done a good job presenting their case but they are annoyed that others are not convinced.

 

[Scribe]

Ok. What is the vetting process for sifitng out who is a competent teacher? How does someone know if they have the gift of teaching as opposed to a person who doesn't possess that spiritual gift?

Because they are good at teaching the Bible? The gift of the Holy Spirit is obvious if you have it. Others will also recognize it.

 

[Runningman]

Because they are good at teaching the Bible? The gift of the Holy Spirit is obvious if you have it. Others will also recognize it.

I agree with you, but the poster I replied to said that teaching as the Spirit leads is not adequate enough to be a teacher. If that isn't good enough for the person who said that then what is?

 

[Scribe]

.



Spiritual truth isn't meant to be learned by means of disagreements; it's
meant to be learned via instruction, i.e. taught by someone especially
enabled by God for that purpose. (Eph 4:11-14)

• 1Cor 12:29 . . Are all teachers?

The answer to that is a great big NO.

Some years ago I was invited to a home Bible study. Before considering his
invitation; I asked the man if his group was led by a competent Bible
teacher. He said: No; we don't have a teacher. The group teaches itself. In
other words: we speak as the Spirit leads us to speak.

They say iron sharpeneth iron. But that doesn't work when both irons are
soft. That's why files are hardened and tempered. Well; that man's group
lacked a file, so to speak; so I declined.
_

Those are some of the worst bible studies. The idea that people can sit around and say "This is what that means to me" and each person give their ideas. Most of them will be off the wall unrelated ramblings. The author had an intended meaning and that is the ONE that the bible study should focus on applying to our lives. Allowing people to make up personal private interpretations as valid applications that the author would have never intended is insane.

 

[Scribe]

I agree with you, but the poster I replied to said that teaching as the Spirit leads is not adequate enough to be a teacher. If that isn't good enough for the person who said that then what is?

It is also a calling. The Holy Spirit calls, and equips. And we are responsible to study and learn, to give ourselves wholly to the study of the Word that we may be an excellent teacher. The Holy Spirit will give us the gift to teach as well as the hunger and drive to study and learn and this insatiable desire to learn is part of the gift of teaching. No teacher is worth his salt who does not pay the price to give himself WHOLLY to these things. Prayer and study is the main life of the teacher. The best of these are rare. Few pay the price. Many are disctracted by daily demands on their time and never heed the CALL. They teach but they don't go all the way. They don't give themselves WHOLLY to these things.