PROPHECY" Revelation 19:10
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PROPHECY" Revelation 19:10 |
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Christian yellow page directory Unless otherwise noted, all of the information concerning Spiritual Gifts has been compiled by me, John Lounsberry. It is my desire that you will benefit from this information. My first introduction to a Biblical teaching on Spiritual Gifts was in a leadership conference of Basic Youth Conflicts on the campus of UCLA in 1971. Since then, I have come across other Bible teachers who have added their insight to my understanding of the subject. The material presented here is a compilation of over thirty years of study and personal experience. Any place where an author or teacher is quoted directly will be noted with quotation marks and an acknowledgement of their contribution. I would like to especially thank Jackson Snyder, for allowing us to use his Spiritual Gifts Survey. |
DISCOVERING YOUR UNIQUENESSThe scripture teaches that each one of us is a unique individual and that God has a special purpose for each person. Following this line of thought, we can easily conclude that since God wants the very best for each person, we will be most fulfilled when we are "living and functioning" in God's will. When we are born into this world, our personality begins to take shape. Then, when we are born again, our individual spiritual gifting accelerates it's development. It is quite probable that our motivational spiritual gift is resident within us at birth. However, we do know that as we begin to move into the flow of God's will for our lives, we become more aware of our uniqueness within the Body of Christ. Our purpose in this study is to discover just what a motivational gift is and what it's significance is for our lives. DEFINITION OF MOTIVATIONAL GIFTSVery simply stated, a motivational gift is the means by which each Christian responds to the basic "inward drive" resident within. This "drive" yearns to express the love of God to others. Because our motivational gift is designed for interaction with other people, it is only when we understand our relationships with others as well as our relationship with God that we are able to "grow spiritually". The scripture reference for motivational gifts is Romans 12:3-9. In these verses, we find that there are seven gifts listed. These are the names given to each of the basic motivations that are found in our "make-up". Simply stated, these are the "glasses" through which we view life. THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING SUBMITTED TO AUTHORITYIn order to "flow freely" in our spiritual walk, it is necessary that we learn the role that submission to authority plays in our lives. This truth is basic to the development of a Christian who is "mature in the faith". JESUS IS OUR EXAMPLEJesus, as God's Son, illustrated how to walk in each of the seven motivational gifts. The purpose of His life here on earth, was to be an example of how we are to live our lives. As we mature spiritually, we will find that we are able to function more fully in all of the Gifts. However, experience has shown that we are more likely to continue to have a dominant gifted area in which we function. Study each of the seven gifts that are listed in this section and then take the "Motivational Gifts Evaluation". This will help you to more fully understand what your basic motivational gift is. Also, you may come across other evaluations, these can also be of help. The bottom line is that when we are "open" toward God, He will develop us spiritually. A good prayer to pray is, "Father, please do whatever you will with my life. I am available for whatever direction you have for me." However, I would hasten to admonish, "Be careful, He's listening". You can check out the SpiritualGifts Evaluatiuon at no charge. |
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