It is spiritual gifts. Let me repeat that. Spiritual GIFTS. Not gift. GIFTS.
Please know that my opinion on all of this is still open-minded, and I pray your grace for me if my mind changes. It is a mind. It can change. Got it.
ok.
spiritual gifts.
I went to a retreat this weekend. Resisted, at first, the altar call to receive the gift of speaking in tongues, but then I decided I would open my mind and see what God did with me. So I went down to the altar. No, I didnt receive the gift of tongues. But it's the conversations that followed that has led me into frustration. Another leader, like myself, began to tell me what my church thinks about the gift of speaking in tongues. He went on about how it is the only evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and that you will receive better robes in heaven once you have been baptized in the Holy Spirit. blech.
It makes me think of that time that Jesus said he would spit us out if we were luke warm. It makes me want to throw up. It rubs me the wrong way. I feel like it establishes a religious hierarchy that I want nothing to do with. It is all about self. That was not the message that Jesus brought.
So, I must tell you that I am planning to speak to my youth pastor about it all and find out his opinions, but I haven't yet. So bare with that fact. I have consulted some people that I feel have opinions based on good faith that I trust and recognize.
Yesterday, I decided to consult the Scriptures about the matter, and all I found are words that supported my initial disgust. Here we go:
"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.
Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.
The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink." - 1 Corinthians 12:4-13
It lists all the different gifts of the spirit!! Not everyone will be gifted with speaking in tongues. Then we would all be eyes, so how would we hear?? We can't all function as the same part of the body of Christ. That is made clear in the Scriptures. I encourage you to read 1 Corinthians 12-14, and you decide what it all means. It says to pray for greater gifts, and I will. I will pray for the gift of tongues and prophecy, but if that is not my spiritual gift, then it has to be OK.
Things will change once I talk to my youth pastor.
But this is my basic question for him...
If my spritual gift that I receive from the Holy Spirit is faith to move mountains, will my church recognize that in me and honor it?? Will they rejoice in what I have received?? Or will they say that I still fall short because I am a different part of the body??
"The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I don't need you!' And the head cannot say to the feet, 'I don't need you!' On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it." - 1 Corinthians 12:21-26
On another note, I understand that speaking in tongues is an honorable gift to receive from the baptism of the Holy Spirit. I also understand that speaking in tongues is the human spirit speaking to God. It is completely about self. But who can show me scriptural evidence that my spirit can only communicate with God verbally?? If you can show it to me in Scripture, I will believe it.
I think this gift is so aptly abused. Out of the all the people that went up to the altar on Saturday night, over 90% raised their hands when asked if they had received the gift of tongues. I am sorry. But if that figure is representative of the whole body of Christ, we are missing something. I cant imagine that 90% of people are gifted with speaking in tongues, and the other 8 or so gifts are divided in the "left over" 10%.
Ok, well, I think you get the point of what I am trying to convey.
The one thing that excites me about this is that I am beginning to recognize and build my own belief system. That makes my heart happy.
Rejoice with me.
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