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God gives the individuals in the body of Christ spiritual gifts according to HIS own will.
These gifts are to be shared with the church to benefit the church.
But some people don't understand that and they fail to share that gift that is from God. It is important to share spiritual gifts with others in the body of Christ to benefit them also!
I Corinthians 12
5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as HE (God) will.
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Comments by Joan Boney:
As a new Christian in 1975, I attended a prayer group in my neighborhood. One day we were standing in a circle praying when God said to me, "Look up."
I looked up and on the wall I saw an outline of a part of the human body.
I said to God, "I know that is a part of the body but I don't know which part."
I heard, "Stomach."
"OH ... yes! It's a stomach." I remembered the Pepto-Bismol commercials showing a stomach on TV.
When the women stopped praying, I asked, "Does any one have a stomach problem?"
One woman in the group excitedly said, "I do! I do!"
This is the first time God gave me a gift of the Holy Spirit. God showed this "word of knowledge" to me as a vision outlined on the wall.
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From that day forward, God often gave me words of knowledge when I attended our Bible class at the church I was attending.
Our teacher would lead song service and often during that time God would give me several words of knowledge for those in the Bible class.
Our teacher would always say, "Does anyone have a word from the Lord?" (and at that time we would speak when we had something from God.)
God never gave me word of knowledge during the 11 am service at church, I suspect because there was no time allowed during this main service for us to present spiritual gifts to the congregation, although I do recall some giving "prophecies", but I could never remember anything they spoke. Usually when something is from God you can't forget those words.
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Other spiritual gifts given by God are:
Romans 12
5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
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I also have a spiritual gift of exhortation.
exhort: to urge earnestly by advice or warning.
Hebrews 3
14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
Hebrews 10
25 ... but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
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Through the years, I noticed one person in our church group who seemed to always be "helping" others in the church and in her neighborhood.
One day, I noticed "helps" was listed as a spiritual gift given by God to individuals in the church.
I Corinthians 12
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.
I realized this woman, Pam Padgett, had a special calling and gift from God in helping.
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Another person had an unusual desire to "give". I saw this was also a spiritual gift from God.
I Corinthians 12:8 ... he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity;
Many gave offerings, but she was somehow "different". I believe she had a spiritual gift of "giving".
She lived in Ohio and didn't have much money but I recognized something in her desire to give.
One day her husband called me in New Mexico where I lived at that time. He said, "My wife has been brainwashed!"
I was terribly shocked to hear this. I said: "Who is brainwashing her?"
With that, he was silenced and could not speak. He quickly ended his phone call.
Then I realized he thought I was brainwashing her!
(But I realized it was God who was doing this!)
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More about spiritual gifts are as follows:
1 Peter 4
11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
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A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men. (Proverbs 18:16)
As God showed me word of knowledge, I shared that word with the church. Because I shared the gift of God the people at the church I was attending began to recognize that I was of God.
Often individuals at church and in the prayer group would say to me, "We know the hand of God is upon you."
(I wasn't sure exactly what that meant!)
The spiritual gift of God made room for me at that church.
And so it is the plan of God for the church and those with a calling of God on their lives ... we know them by their fruits ...
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