Different Gifts For All Believers

It is not God's will that all members of the Body should have the same gift. When one has three eyes or seven fingers, he is a misfit. So it is with the Body of Christ when there is an improper balance of gifts. That is why Paul says in I Corinthians 12:15-18: If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, l am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, l am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

Every part of the body is needed and every member in Christ's body has a gift that fits into the program as needed. So we again find in verse 28: And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.We will consider the gifts in their totality before concluding the book. The point I want to make now is that every believer has at least one gift, and each believer's gift differs. Verses 29-31: Are all apostles? [The answer is obviously `No!'] are all prophets? [No!] are all teachers? [No!] are all workers of miracles? [No!] Have all the gifts of healing? [No!] do all speak with tongues? [No!] do all interpret? [No!] But covet earnestly the best gifts . . . .The gifts described as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers lead to prophesying, ministering, teaching, exhorting, giving, ruling, and showing mercy. Clergy and laymen may experience these gifts. These are so understandable that we will only explain the final listing of nine gifts, described in I Corinthians 12:8-10.

1. The gift of wisdom or the ability to speak with discretion. One may have an earned doctorate and be unwise in the usage of accumulated intelligence. On the other hand, one with a minimum of acquired textbook knowledge may have the ability to say the right thing at the proper moment.
   
   
2. The gift of knowledge or the ability to delve into the deep things of God and then communicate them with simplicity to hungry hearts.
   
   
3. The gift of faith or the ability to attempt the impossible for God. Joshua believed God and the sun stood still. Peter believed God and walked on the water. Since this is not a gift for all, do not foolishly launch out on some gigantic project for the kingdom and fall flat on your face. Be sure the venture is in the will of God (I John 5:14-15).
   
   
4. The gifts of healing are given to some, at times, who have the faith to trust God for miraculous healings. In Christ's day, healing generally was not produced by any virtue of the person healed but entirely through the gift of the healer. The dead were raised. What faith did they have? Nevertheless, they were resuscitated. On the other hand, there are times when the gift of healing is impossible, even though the healer may be very sincere. The problem? He has not sought the will of God for the one he is attempting to heal. First John 5:14 states: And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us. When one has not sought God's will and attempts to heal, it is all in vain. One goes through the motions and all is futile and hopeless. The Apostle Paul understood this well. That is why he left his helper, Trophimus, sick at Miletum (II Timothy 4:20). Epaphroditus also was left behind sick - nigh unto death (Philippians 2:27). Remember, God can heal anytime and anywhere when it is His will. The one enabled to heal will be given the faith to do the job properly, once God's will is made plain to him through prayer and the Word for each case.
   
   
5. The gift of miracles is the ability to win the lost for Christ. Do you know of any greater miracle than getting a man saved for all eternity? This is the reason: . . . ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me . . . (Acts 1:8).
   
   
6. The gift of prophecy is the ability to tell forth the "good news" with power.
   
   
7. The gift of discernment is the ability to judge whether the message is from God or Satan. I John 4:1 says: . . . try the spirits . . . .
   
   
8. and 9. The gift of tongues and the interpretation of tongues was the ability to speak in unlearned, foreign languages. Acts 2, verses 4, 6 and 8, state respectively: . . . they . . . began to speak with other tongues. Also: . . . every man heard them speak in his own language . . . and . . . how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? And again: . . . we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God . . . (verse 11). Some 14 or more languages were spoken and understood. In I Corinthians 14 the word unknown is in italics, meaning that it cannot be found in the original Greek text. Think of what could happen if missionaries received the original gift as they went to China, Japan, Germany, etc. Again, the point I want to make in closing this chapter is: All of God's people have the BAPTISM, and ALL HAVE ONE OF THE GIFTS - therefore, we are ALL CHARISMATICS. You do not believe it? The manifestation of the Spirit is given to EVERY MAN to profit withal (I Corinthians 12:7). Verse 11 states: But all these [gifts] worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to EVERY MAN severally AS HE WILL (emphasis mine). Again: . . . unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ (Ephesians 4:7). If you, dear Christian, have still not located your gift, try "helps" in I Corinthians 12:28. If you "help" as a counselor, an usher, a choir member, a nursery worker, a bus captain, or a youth worker, and if God has given you a special knack in knowing how to do it, you have a "gift." Because you have the baptism and the evidence, you are one who has the Holy Spirit and the evidence.

1 comments View Entry

The Three Parts of Deception in (Matt. 24: 3-5; & v 24), if you have read it.  In short,   Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition [the Antichrist]" (2 Cor. 2: 3 )

These verses confirm that deception will be the major problem of the last days.  Another major source of deception is self-deception.  The Bible says, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us (1 John 1: 8 ).

There are 3 elements in deception.  There is first the fundamental distrust of God and His leadership, authority and Word.  But God's Word is truth ( John 17: 17) and  He Himself is "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14: 6).

The 2nd element of deception is rebelion.  Just like Jonah, you know what to do;  you simply won't do it.  The Bible says, "Therefore, do it, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him is sin" (James 4: 17).

The 3rd element of deception is the rejection of God's love. All cults are loveless.  Their enlightenment master never said, "I love you; I want to save you from eternal damnation."  They are harsh, dominating, mean-spirited, and critical of everyone except their own.  The Bible says, "Love does no harm to a neightbor" (Roman 13: 10) and "He who does not love does not know God, for God is love" (1 John 4:8 ).  Jesus said, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another" (John 13: 34).  A church without the love of God is nothing more than a loveless cult.

Deception offers that which is desirable in the beginning but destroys in the end.  Satan came to Adam and Eve in the Garden and asked, "Do you want to be like God?"  It was desirable in the beginning [A-Want-To-Be-Like] which caused our deception in the heart.

Why does God permit deception to remain on the earth from the beginning?  Every New Testament church has deception working in it.  Jesus prayed, "I do not pray that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil one" (John 17:15).

God allows deception to drive us to the Word that we may be "approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth" ) 2 Timothy 2: 15).  When heresies, false doctrine, or cults preach another gospel, those who are approved stand boldly and expose the deception.

BEWARE OF 9 TYPES DECEPTION

1:  Religious Deception.  Paul teaches, "Therefore let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths" (Col. 2: 16).  Fasting without godliness is an illustration of religious deception.  forbidding people to marry is religious deception.  Declaring people holy for keeping manmade rules of righteous is deception.  (see 1 Timothy 4: -5).

2:  Doctrinal Deception.  Doctrinal deception occurs when people leave the simple meaning of the Word of God.  An illustration of doctrinal deception is those who say, "We have no need of water baptism because the thief on the cross wasn't baptized."  My answer is, "Get yourself crucified and then we'll excuse you from water baptism.  In the meantime, get in the tank, lake or what have you!"  The Scripture doesn't say you need sprinkle of water either!

3:  Ethical Deception.  This is when Christians profess the lordship of Jesus Christ but cheat and lie in their daily routine lives or business dealings.

4.  Moral Deception.  Secular humanism is the cornerstone of moral deception.  It says, If it feels good, do it!"  But Scripture says, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God' (Matt. 4:4).  You don't break God's law; God's law breaks you!

5:  Intellectual Deception.  Intellectual deception is when an individual believes that his knowledge and opinions, formed by his intellect, are equal or superior to the teaching of the Word of God.  As he continues to plunge it through day after day, well, he allows someone else stands on his shoulder.

6:  Fanatical Deception.  Jesus taught, "The time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service" (John 16: 2).  The crusaders and leaders of the Spanish Inguisition are historical illustrations of fanatical deception.

7:  Mystical Deception.  Experiencing dreams, visions, voices, angels, or "a bright light" does not necessary mean you have had a visitation from an angel or Jesus Christ.  Paul says that "Satan himself transforms into an angel of light" (2 Cor. 11: 14).  Anything that inspires you to do anything contrary to the Word of God is demonic.

8:  Sexual Deception.  Sexual deception is the belief or philosophy that rejects the God ordained monogamous sexual relationship between a man and his wife as the only acceptable sexual relationship.

9:  Spiritual Deception.  When Christians become bored with the discipline of the Word of God and begin practices that are contrary to New Testament orthodoxy, this represents the genesis of spiritual deception.

Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, "I am the Christ;" and will deceive many.  Matt. 24: 4; 5

Tags: Pery

2 comments View Entry

The New Atheism and Morality

By Ravi Zacharias

Though the chorus of voices decrying belief in God has been humming in the ideological background for centuries, it seems to have reached a crescendo with the emergence of a movement that has been dubbed the new atheism. The trademark of this new brand of atheism is its vitriolic attack on religion. To its advocates, religious beliefs are not only false; they are also dangerous and must be expunged from all corners of society. The pundits of the new atheism are not content to nail discussion theses on the door of religion; they are also busy delivering eviction notices to the allegedly atavistic elements of an otherwise seamlessly progressive atheistic evolution of Homo sapiens.

Given the rhetoric, one might be forgiven for thinking that some new discoveries have rendered belief in God untenable. Curiously, this drama is unfolding in the same era in which perhaps the world’s leading defender of atheism, Antony Flew, has declared that recent scientific discoveries point to the fact that this world cannot be understood apart from the work of God as its Creator. This is no small matter, for Flew has been preaching atheism for as long as Billy Graham has been preaching the Gospel. Unlike Flew and others, the new atheists seem to forget that the success of their mission hinges solely on the strength and veracity of the reasons they give for repudiating religion. Venom and ridicule may carry the day in an age of sensationalistic sound bites, but false beliefs will eventually bounce off the hard, cold, unyielding wall of reality.

A good example of a claim against religion that does not sit well with the facts of reality is issued in the form of a challenge to the believer to “name one ethical statement made, or one ethical action performed, by a believer that could not have been uttered or done by a nonbeliever.” (1)  We are expected to agree that no such action or statement exists and then conclude that morality does not depend on God.

The problem is that the conclusion does not follow from the premise. The fact that a non-believer can utter moral statements and even act morally does not logically lead to the conclusion that morality does not depend on God, much less that God does not exist. This challenge misunderstands the believer’s position on the relationship between morality and God.

The believer’s claim is that the world owes its existence to a moral God. All human beings are moral agents created in God’s image and are expected to recognize right from wrong because they all reflect God’s moral character. The fact that human beings are the kinds of creatures that can recognize the moral imperatives that are part of the very fabric of the universe argues strongly against naturalism.

Unlike the laws of nature, which even inanimate objects obey, moral imperatives appeal to our will and invite us to make real decisions on real moral issues. The only other parallel experience we have of dos and don’ts comes from our minds. Thus when the atheist rejects God while insisting on the validity of morality, he is merely rejecting the cause while clinging to the effect.

Without God, morality is reduced to whatever mode of behavior human beings happen to favor either because of their genetic makeup or conventional accords. There is no action that is objectively right or wrong. Rape, hate, murder and other such acts are only wrong because they have been deemed to be so in the course of human evolution.

Had human evolution taken a different course, these acts might well have been the valued elements of our moral code. Even Nazi morality would be right had the Nazis succeeded in their quest for world dominance. Unless the world contains behavioral guidelines that transcend human decisions and genetic determinism, there is no reason why anyone should object to such conclusions.

Though some religious people do not live up to the moral principles they espouse, it is not true that genuine religious devotion makes no difference to one’s moral commitments. It is missionaries, and not atheists, who regularly give up their own comforts and accept unbelievable amounts of pain and suffering to better the lives of societal outcasts, not just through preaching but also through education, technology, and humanitarian relief. Our failure to live up to what we know to be right provides empirical evidence for the need for God’s intervention in our lives.

Those who insist that objective morality makes no difference to human autonomy still expect morality to guide the behavior of others. That our society is saturated with transcendent moral sentiments accounts for the popularity of some television programs that arrest our attention night after night. Perhaps ninety percent of the shows depend exclusively on our ability to apply objective moral standards to the actions of the characters. Should the Judeo-Christian moral bank close its doors to our cultural psyche, the bankruptcy of human-centered morality would eventually send our spiritual tentacles scouring for an alternative transcendent anchor.

Thus were the new atheists to succeed in their quest, the result would not be the elimination of religion but the entrenchment of a different religion. As Ravi Zacharias has warned in his new book The End of Reason, eventually, the real choice for the West will not be between Christianity and atheism but between Christianity and another religion.

Beware of ethical naturalists bearing moral gifts.

1) Christopher Hitchens, “An Atheist Responds,” The Washington Times (Saturday, July 14, 2007).

J.M. Njoroge is associate apologist at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.

Tags: Pery07

1 comments View Entry

The 2nd Exodus Begins

More than 2,600 years ago the prophet of Ezekiel prophesied the resurrection of Israel  from the Gentile graves in the lands to which she had been scattered, predicting  the rebirth of Israel, which took place May 14, 1948.  Ezekiel also prophesied about the Holy War that will take place in Israel some time after Israel's restoration to independence.  In this espisode I will examine what Ezekiel said concerning Israel and what he said about the Arab coalition of nations that, under Russia's leadership, will invade Israel in the near future.

God gave Ezekiel a vision of a valley full of dry bones.  I want to make it very clear here that I don't believe that Ezekiel's vision has anything to do with the resurrection of the dead saints of the church.  In Ezekiel  37:11, God told him, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel."  There is no doubt in the text this could only be Israel.

In a vision, God took Ezekiel to a valley full of dead bones that were very dry and scattered.  This was God's physical portrayal of the nation of Israel.  Israel ceased to be a nation in 70 A.D. when the Jews were scattered to the ends of the earth by the Roman army under the ruler Titus.  It would be more than 2,000 years ago before Israel became a recognized state again in May 1948...and the bones grew very dry!

God asked Ezekiel a perplexing question:  And He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?"  --Ezekiel 37:3

Ezekiel responded to God by saying, "O Lord God, You know" (v. 3).  In other words, he was saying, "I don't see how it's possible.  Death has done its work.  Life is gone.  Lord, if these bones live, it will requre the miracle-working power of Jehovah God's deliverance."  For many years I have studied the gospel of Jesus Christ to audiences all over and all walks of life.  Yet, I like Ezekiel, often as I looked over the audiences and passed my thoughts and stretched further more, Can these bones live?

In respones to Ezekiel's quesiton, god told hime to do something strange.  It was the strangest message to the deadest congregation in the history of preaching!  God told him to preach the Word of the Lord to the dry bones.  "Again He said to me, 'Prophesy to these bones, and say to them,"O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!'" (v. 4)

The word [prophecy] doesn't always mean to foretell or to predict.  Here it means to speak out or to preach a message to the people of God.  There is supernatural power in the spoken Word of God.

Ezekiel's faith conquered the limitations of his carnal mind, and he obeyed the voice of God.  It's a Bible fact:  obedience brings blessing, and disobeience brings judgement.  Ezekiel looked at the valley full of scattered, very dry bones, and preached this message:  Thus says the Lord God to these bones:  "Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live.  I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live.  Then you shall know that I AM the Lord."  --Ezekiel 37:5-6.

Ezekiel proclaimed that God was going to do a supernatural work that would make those dry, lifeless, scattered bones live again.  It would be a reveal of death and corruption.  In perfect obedience to the Word of God, Ezekiel obeyed as directed from God, see Ezekiel 37: 7-8.

Notice that the restoration to the life for the bones was a [process].  It was not an instantanous event.  The bones were dry, scattered, and dead for a very long time.  The dry bones in Ezekiel's vision represent the nation of Israel during the Diaspora, beginning in 70 A.D.  Gradually, the bones came together, and the sinews and flesh came upon them.

It was at this point of Israel's gradual restoration that people like Theodor Herzl, the Father of Zionism, began to call the Jews back to Israel.  The "sinews and flesh" continued to come together as the Jews of the earth returned to [Eretz/Israel], to drain the swamps and transform the desert into a rose.  On May 14th, 1948, at 4:32pm, the State of Israel, after 2,000 years, was reborn.  Ezekiel's prophetic vision was fulfilled:  Ezekiel 37:21.

Today God begins to restore and bring back the Jews home from over the world as Promised Land of the eternal covenant God had made with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants.

At the conclusion of Ezekiel 37, the nation of Israel had been physically reborn.  Today they have a flag; they have a constitiution; they have a prime minister and a Knesset.  They have a police force, a powerful military stronghold, and the world's best intelligence agencies.  They have everything but spiritual life.

Like the dry bones of Ezekiel 37, Israel awaits the spiritual awakening of the breath of God and the coming Messiah.

Stay tune....

Tags: Pery

1 comments View Entry

Your destiny cannot control by your good merits and commas.  Self-reliance on good deeds will not control your destiny either.

Seize your destiny!  Make decisions that draw you closer to God, and remember to guard your thoughts.  Your every decision is built upon a thought.  Saint Paul writes, bring  "every thought into captivity to the obediences of Christ!"  (2 Cor. 10:5).  Sin doesn't begin with an action; it begins with a thought.

1. Adultery does not begin at a motel or any other places; it begins when your thoughts turn away from your marriage vow made before God.
2. Murder does not begin when you squeeze the trigger; it begins when your thoughts of anger are not brought into obedience before God.
3. Divorce does not begin in the judge's chambers; it begins when you entertain thoughts of how good life would be without your spouse.
4. Theft does not begin when you break the window of the jewelry store; it begins when you first imagine how wonderful it would be to have what's not yours.

Your Speech Impacts your Destiny!

Your thoughts will become your words, and your words will take on powerful implications of their own.   Proverb 18:21 says,"Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit."

Notice that there is no middle ground regarding the effects of your speech; your words will lead to either life or death!  Wounds inflicted by a sword will soon heal, but wounds inflicts by a toxic tongue cannot be mended apart from the healing power of God's forgiveness.

I once saw the teacher of an adult class gave this assignment to his students:  "Go to someone you love and tell them that you love them."  At the beginning of the next class, one of the students told the teacher he was angry at the assignment b/c he didn't feel that he could say these words to anyone.  He then said, But as I began driving home, my conscious started talking.  5 years ago, my wife and I had a vicious disagreement and never really resolved it.  We avoided seeing each other unless we absolutely had to at family and friend gatherings.  By the time I got home, I had convinced myself I was going to tell my wife I loved her.  Just making that decision seemed to lift a heavy load off of my chest.

At about 5:30 P.M., I was at my own home ringing the doorbell, and as luck would have it, my wife answered the door.  I didn't waste any time!  I took one step inside the door and said, 'Honey, I just rushed my way home to tell you that I'm sorry and I love you."

It was as if a transformation came over my wife.  Before my eyes, her face softened, the wrinkles seemed to disappear, and she began to cry.  We stretched out our arms and hugged each other.  The children came and saw it made them them wanting to dance over our toes   A bit later, she looked at me straight and said, 'I'm sorry too; I was too selfish at that time.'

With this forgiven speech, two days of that conversation, we changed destiny of our relationship.  God says, so long the unforgiven spirits have not healed, the Father in heaven will not forgive either.

Daily devotion... God bless.

2 comments View Entry

Do not allow FEAR to hinder you from taking bold and dramatic action.  So, in what areas of your life have you allowed fear to master you?

1.  Do you fear of failure?

2.  Do you fear criticism?

3.  Do you fear other people?

4.  Do you fear something from your past?

5.  But wait!  Do you fear the future?

6.  Do you fear death?

If anyone here fall into one or more category of fear, I can help overcome them by God's Word.

God be with you.

2 comments View Entry

Watch your thoughts, for they become your words.  Choose your words, for they become actions.  Understand your actions, for they become your habits.  Study your habits, for they will become your character.  Develop your character, for it becomes your destiny.

Encouragement to all my brothers and sisters in Christ our Lord:  You are now determining your destiny.  The choices you had made, make today, or will be making are/will shape who you become by God's mold.

I encourage anyone that has the courage,strength and  character that open the door, it would be your opportunity to do God's great commission to the unbelievers.  Perhaps a time for a test to defend your faith.  I would personally invite you to see a challenge at:  Khmerconnection.com  I believe together we can win the battle for Christ.  

0 comments View Entry

I put this Q in the poll and I feel like post it again to see how much you can come up with your thoughts. 

Suppose you have 10 minutes in heaven with God, what are some daunting questions you would want to ask God?  And, how do you want God to answer you.  I know this is critical, but you must think in God's position.  Hope to hear from all of you

5 comments View Entry

FORGIVE THOSE WHO WRONG YOU

Muhammad:  "The recompense for an injury is an injury equal thereto (in degree):  but if a person forgives and makes reconciliation, his reward is due from Allah: for (Allah) loveth not those who do wrong.  But indeed if any do help and defend themselves after a wrong (done) to them, against such there is no cause of blame.  The blame is only against those who oppress men and wrongdoing and insolently transgress beyond bounds through the land, defying right and justice:  for such there will be a penalty grievous.  But indeed if any show patience and forgive, that would truely be an exercise of courageous will and resolution in the conduct of affairs.  --Surah 42:40-43, Ali Translation

My assertion:  Muhammad teaches that if anyone acts in such a way, you would do the same unto him; and if anyone wants to reconcile, this person can reconcile in the same manner.

JESUS:  "If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also.  If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic.  Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.  Do to others as you would have them do to you.  If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?  Even 'sinners' love those who love them.  And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you?  Even 'sinners' do that.  And if you lend tothose from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you?  Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full.  But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.  Then your reward will be great.

0 comments View Entry