Mar 30
I was raised in a church that defined receiving the Holy Spirit by the gift of tongues.
As I got older, I began to read in scriptures that John the Baptist was filled by the Holy Spirit from his mothers womb. This was several years before the gift of tongues was given to the disciples on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2:4.
The more I studied I began to see that when you accepted the Lord as your Savior, the Trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit came into your heart. Gifts are given after salvation and none of them are a spiritual thermometer to measure your spirituality or salvstion.
Spiritual gifts found in Ephesians, Romans, and First Corinthians are divine, supernatural abilities bestowed on Christ Believers to build up the church and glorify God.
They are listed as prophecy, teaching, serving, leadership, wisdom, healing, and tongues.
The Holy Spirit sovereignly distributes them as He wills, and is not based on merit. An emphasis is placed on a diversity of gifts, with no single person having them all but utilizing all of them in the body of Christ.
All of the gifts can be easily abused and used to build oneself up instead of God.
Gifts are distinct from but may overlap with natural talents. Some people are born with a natural love for everyone while others would rather let people love themselves.
Many New Testament believers had the gift of serving which is so easily overlooked. The ones I remember are Dorcus, Mary and Martha, sisters of Lazarus, and Peter’s mother-in-law, along with many others that served sacrificially.
The ones today who get the most attention are the people who proclaim the gifts of prophecy, healing and tongues because they have visible signs for all to see.
The only sign that should be looked up to are the visible igifts that glorify God not self.
In my opinion, I think the proper term should be they received the gift of tongues and not they were filled with the Holy Ghost unless you believe that you aren’t saved until you receive that gift! Then I have to think about the thief on the cross. Jesus said, ‘I am the way!’
Don’t be mad at me for my belief and I won’t criticize you for yours, but I will love you and you are required to do the same. We are all headed to the same place and Jesus is the only way!
You can always pray for me – I need prayers and you need the practice 👩💼
In Mark 12:30-31, Jesus declares the two greatest commandments as loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself.
I think most of us love ourselves pretty easily but we should love the clerk who is a little short on patience and the driver who whips in front of you almost clipping your fender.
As my mother used to say, that’s when the rubber meets the road and your true character will surface. Our natural Adamic side wants to react and retaliate but remember the 80’s saying: WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?)
We need to live so close to God that when we are squeezed, His love pours out!
I think God’s love is defined in John 3:16. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Oh, what love!
I think I have some things to work toward.
Have a blessed resurrection day and attend a service on Easter morning to worship the risen Savior!
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