Spiritual Gifts

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#573 Patience – Steadfastness Until the Lord’s Return

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Our diligence in being obedient in following the commands and instructions from God’s Word until and for the Lord’s return can only be accomplished if we stand fast in our faith.  Christ, in His letter to the Church in Philadelphia as found in the Book of Revelation, cautions them to hold fast on to what they already have until His return.  They had already been commended for their effort to obey His Word in spite of their lack of strength;[1] but it was necessary for them to be encouraged to hold tightly to whatever strength they had, persevering in their faith and utilizing their personal and corporate resources in the Lord’s work.  That goes for us today!  Although we are all different and have different abilities, spiritual maturity and strength levels, we as Christians are to never allow our faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ to waiver, exercising perseverance as well as patience until His return.  Tomorrow we examine our reward for faithfulness.

 

Do you have as part of your patience perseverance and steadfastness in your faith?

 

“Behold, I come quickly; hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.”  (Revelation 3:11)

 

May God Richly Bless You Today                                                                       

 

 

Scripture quotations are from the King James Version, unless otherwise noted. (Capitalization of pronouns for God added.)

Archives of At the Father’s Feet can be found at atthefathersfeet.wordpress.com

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[1] Revelation 3:8

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#553 Failure to Opportunity

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Some of the most famous, talented, and successful individuals in the world have had a difficult time in school, some failing to get into advanced schools, some finishing near or at the bottom of their class, some flunking courses that would later be part of their careers, and more than a few who were written off by their teachers as never going to succeed in life.  We may have encountered some these situations not only in school but also in life, causing us to consider ourselves as failures.  Although we may have failed at what we were doing, grasping a new opportunity may be only a matter of using what God has already given us.  He has given every Christian at least one special gift; yet, sometimes we do not utilize the gift given, either not knowing our gift or not realizing the power God has given us through that gift.  Sometimes it is that very God-given gift, when fully utilized that can open a door for us that will turn our failure into one of opportunity.

If you are not fully utilizing your God-given gift(s) today, ask God to reveal not only the gift(s) to you but also how He would have you use it to further His kingdom here on earth!

“But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after than.”  (I Corinthians 7:7)

May God Richly Bless You Today

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#534 Serving the Lord (I Peter 4:11) – Claiming This Verse Personally

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Do you let God’s Word speak to you personally, obediently applying it to your life, and allowing it to change the way you serve the Lord?  We recently received an email from a Christian gentleman and devotional recipient who has done this.  He is a cancer survivor who has gone through brain surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, all of which have left him continually exhausted.  Yet, he has faithfully served the Lord, most recently as part of Disaster Relief Teams.  He testifies concerning I Peter 4:11, one of his life verses:  “This verse helped me understand that I could not serve the Lord in my strength and be successful.  It was only when I claimed the promise of His Word and called upon Jehovah-Jireh for the strength the Lord promises and provides that I was able to physically serve Him so that all glory and praise went to Jesus.”[1]  Each of us can have the same results when we serve the Lord in His strength and give Him all the honor and glory!

Examine your service for the Lord.  Is it done in your strength or the Lord’s strength?  Do you receive the glory or does the Lord receive all the honor and glory?  Let I Peter 4:11 be your guide in serving the Lord! 

“Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:  To whom be glory for ever and ever.  Amen.”   (Galatians 1:4-5)

May God Richly Bless You Today

[1] Email received from devotional recipient concerning I Peter 4:11

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#533 Serving the Lord (I Peter 4:11) – A Doxology Honoring Jesus Christ

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Peter concludes our focal verse appropriately with a short doxology that ascribes the glory, praise, might, dominion, and power for our ministry for the Lord to the One who should always receive our praise, Jesus Christ.  God is glorified in all things, and Jesus is the One through whom glory is given our heavenly Father, the One raised from the dead by our heavenly Father, and the One through whom we have salvation and a relationship with our heavenly Father, this relationship enabling us to receive and use spiritual gifts to serve others.   This praise and dominion is unlimited and everlasting, forever and ever, unto the ages of ages.  Many of us are faithful in serving the Lord, but many of us also fail to give Him the praise He deserves, and this praise is not just based on our service for Him, but also for who He is.  May we be faithful in giving Him all the glory and power forever and ever!  Amen, so be it!

As a Christian, do you daily glorify God through Jesus Christ who is your Savior and Lord?

“To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ who is God over all, blessed forever.  Amen.”  (Romans 9:5)  

May God Richly Bless You Today

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#532 Serving the Lord (I Peter 4:11) – Glory to God through Jesus Christ

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

When our ministry and service for the Lord brings honor and glory to Him, it must do so through Jesus Christ, the only One through whom we come to the Father.  Jesus Christ is the mediator, our High Priest, through whom all blessings descend to us, and through whom all praises ascend to God.  Using our gifts as God would have us enables others to see Jesus Christ in the gifts and glory will be ascribed to God through Jesus Christ and the gifts that He has given us.  As we use our gifts to help others, they will not only see Jesus in us, they will praise God for the help they have received through the gifts.  Jesus is the medium by which God is honored.  It is only through Jesus Christ that God can be glorified not only in us but also in our sayings and doings.  As we continue to serve the Lord, we need to be sure our service is such that God will be glorified in everything.

Glorify God in all that you say and do as you serve Him today!

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven”  (Matthew 5:16)  

May God Richly Bless You Today

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#531 Serving the Lord (I Peter 4:11) – Serving to Bring Honor and Glory to God

 Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It has been said multiple times by many, “If we are in the God-business to receive personal praise or recognition, we are in the wrong business.”  When we serve the Lord we are to do so with the purpose of bring honor and glory to Him, that being our sole end.  When we are helping others as our ministry for the Lord, we should help them in a way that they recognize the help is coming from the Lord, not us, thus showing the power of our Christian faith.  Faith in Christ Jesus brings us into God’s family as children of God, and as the family worships and serves Him it not only brings honor and glory to Him, it also brings others to desire membership in the family also through faith in Christ Jesus.  Any aim for serving the Lord other than to bring honor and glory to Him is contrary to His Word and a sin.  May we all faithfully serve Him in a way that truly brings honor and glory to Him.

Are you serving the Lord for the right purpose?

“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”  (I Corinthians 10:31)  

May God Richly Bless You Today

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#530 Serving the Lord (I Peter 4:11) – Serving With All Our Might

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

When we refer to trusting God’s strength we are also referring to trusting and using the ability He has given us to accomplish that which He has for us to do.  The ability that is given us is what God expects us to use for His service in serving others, not just as we please or for our own enjoyment only.  This would include using our strength, influence, resources, and talent ministering for Him.  He has supplied us with great ability for His service, and giving anything less is sinning against Him.  We have been called to a sacred and holy ministry for Him, and although God’s work is often hard, it is also service for a God who loved us enough to send His only begotten Son to earth to die for us that we may have eternal life.  As we think of our ministry in that light, we should be thrilled and honored that He has called us to serve Him.

Examine your heart and your life and be sure you are serving the Lord to the very best of the ability He has supplied you!

“She hath done what she could:  she is come aforehand to anoint My body to the burying.”  (Mark 14:8)  

May God Richly Bless You Today

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#529 Serving the Lord (I Peter 4:11) – Depending on God-Given Strength

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The Lord gifts Christians with a diversity of gifts, one being abilities that center on serving; however, even though the abilities have been given to us by God, we all too often attempt to use those abilities in our own strength, not allowing Him to supply our strength.  When we fail to access His strength, we will more than likely “burn out” or grow weary in the task we are doing, but when we allow God to give us the strength, we will find that He supplies enough strength to go above and beyond anything we can imagine.  Accessing this godly strength can be as simple of spending time in prayer and meditation.  This can be especially true in group situations such as a church congregation.  We as members of a church congregation have a responsibility to work with other Christians in ministry. It is important that we pray with and for each other, cooperate in working, ministering and spreading God’s Word, and trust God’s strength to carry us through to the end of our task. 

As a member of a local congregation of God’s people, do you pray for your staff and other members, joining them utilizing the abilities and strength provided by God as they minister for the Lord?

“It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.”  (Psalm 18:32)  

May God Richly Bless You Today

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#527 Serving the Lord (I Peter 4:11) – Those Who Serve

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In his first epistle, Peter encouraged believers to use the spiritual gift(s) that God had given them.[1]  Not all Christians are given a gift that necessitates speaking or teaching, but that does not mean they have not been given a gift that enables them to minister.  When Peter writes, “If any man minister,” he seems to be referring to all Christians who serve the Lord through any service or aid rendered to another other than preaching or teaching.  It may refer to a deacon ministering directly to those in the church or a private person ministering as the Lord directs.  The service may include charitable contributions, aid to the disadvantaged, working with emergency teams, ministering to or visiting with the sick, participating in mission endeavors, and other ministry opportunities provided by the Lord.  Those with the gifts focused on serving have as much responsibility as those with gifts focused on speaking, and tomorrow we will see in what manner we are to use those gifts. 

If you, as a Christian, have questioned your spiritual gift or gifts because you have not been lead to preach or speak, examine your heart to see what spiritual gift or gifts of service the Lord has entrusted to you!

“Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them…if service, in our serving;” (Romans 12:6a, 7a – ESV)

May God Richly Bless You Today

[1] I Peter 4:10

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#526 Serving the Lord (I Peter 4:11) – Speaking God’s Word

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As we seek to use a spiritual gift that requires teaching or speaking, whether publicly or in a small worship setting, Peter, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, states that we are to speak as one speaking the oracles of God.  When we consider the word “oracles”, we are basically speaking of divine communication or revelation of God, the truth that has been revealed by God in Scripture.  In essence, we have the responsibility of teaching and speaking for Him a message from His Word; the words spoken not being our own or our personal opinion, but the very words of God.  Considering we are speaking holy “oracles” and the seriousness of such a responsibility, we should speak in a manner of reverence, awe, and worship, showing the recipients of God’s Word the importance of receiving and applying God’s Words to their hearts.

When speaking and teaching God’s Word, remember that you are His spokes-person, delivering His Words from His Holy Scriptures!

“For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God:  but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.”  (II Corinthians 2:17)

May God Richly Bless You Today