Charitable Attitude

Are you a charitable person? Do you have an attitude of charity? Are you generous with what you have been blessed with? Will you share your blessings with others? Have you pondered why God has blessed you?

Many of us give to charitable organizations. We may give to organizations to help the homeless, children, or animals. We may give to non-charitable organizations to conduct research, support schools, sports teams, or the arts. But what are we giving?

In most cases, we give money. There is nothing wrong with that. However, which is the better attitude? Give money to feed someone or invite them to your table? It is a change in attitude. We can donate money and be removed from seeing the hunger on the faces of those who will benefit from our donation. Or we can cook a meal and serve those who are hungry, thereby creating a connection and start a relationship. By serving them, we add the human touch.

We can donate money to buy new uniforms for a sports team. But we can have a longer lasting effect on the children by volunteering to coach, by being involved in their lives. We can donate food to an animal shelter. But we can save an animal by adopting them and bringing them into our home.

Each of us has been blessed by God with talents and possessions. He has blessed us so that we may be a blessing to others. There is nothing wrong with donating money, especially when it will be used to help those who are far from us. But it isn’t always about money. Sometimes, it is about donating our time and talents to help others.

I pray we all use our blessings wisely. I pray we donate money when called for. I pray we donate our time and talents when we can to create relationships that have a lasting effect. Have an attitude of charity. Be a charitable person. Share your blessings with others. Be a volunteer. Donate what you have when you can.

Proverbs 11:24-25

One person gives freely, yet gains even more;

another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.

A generous person will prosper;

whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

Use Your Gifts Wisely

For the past few weeks, we have discussed spiritual gifts. We have covered gifts from apostle to servant, prophet to speaking in tongues, helping to miracles, and many more. Each of us has at least one gift. What are we to do with our gifts?

The Holy Spirit distributes these gifts to us as he determines (1 Corinthians 12:11). He distributes them to equip us for good works and to build up the church (Ephesians 4:12). And, as we see in today’s passage, he expects us to be good stewards with our gifts.

Being a good steward with our gifts is a responsibility. We must be conscious of our gifts. We need to use them conscientiously. It takes work to sharpen the talents and skills we have been gifted by the Holy Spirit with. Will we make the effort to hone our gifts and use them as the Holy Spirit designed them to be used?

Again, today’s passage says we are to use our gifts to serve others. It is especially important to serve our brothers and sisters in Christ. To build up the church, we need to share our gifts with one another. We must use our gifts to teach, preach, heal, comfort, and love one another. As we support, lift up, and strengthen one another, we build up the body of Christ.

Being a good steward requires us to take an inventory of all God has blessed us with and using those blessings wisely. Wise use of those blessings means carrying out God’s plan. To be wise, we must ask God for wisdom and God will grant it (James 1:5). Good stewardship of our gifts pleases God.

I pray we all take inventory of our gifts. I pray we use our talents and skills to build up the body of Christ. I pray each one of us choose to be good stewards of the blessings God has granted us. Know your gifts. Sharpen your skills. Hone your talents. Build up the church. Serve one another. Be a good steward.

1 Peter 4:10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

Healing from God

Do you long for healing? Are you looking for physical healing? Would you like to experience emotional healing? Are you in need of spiritual healing? Would a miracle be welcome? Have you asked for healing and believe it will happen?

We all need healing. We may need physical healing, emotional healing, or spiritual healing. Sometimes we wish for a miracle. Sometimes we just want it to be over with. When we need healing, life can be very challenging.

God has placed people in our midst to help us with healing. God has gifted some with the gift to be doctors, nurses, and caretakers. He has gifted some to be counselors, advisors, and therapists.

There are also times God chooses to grant a miracle. It is not something that happens regularly. For those blessed with a miracle, they are truly blessed. Likely, we have heard of miracles occurring. Perhaps it was a miraculous healing, one the doctors could not explain. Maybe it was a miraculous saving, an accident someone should not have lived through. Or it could have been the dramatic, miraculous turnaround of someone’s life.

Healing of all kinds, whether miraculous, through medicine, or by therapy, all ultimately come from God. He is the One who has gifted people with healing or has granted the miracle. It is God’s wonderful grace that grants us healing.

I pray we all seek God for healing. I pray we give Him the credit in our healing. I pray each one of us trust that God knows what is best for us and our loved ones. Ask for healing. Believe you will be healed. Seek to help heal others. Ask God for the gift you desire. Know that all healing comes from God.

1 Corinthians 12:28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues.

Good Gifts

How do you use your talents? Are you aware of the talents you have? Do you seek to hone your skills? Will you use your talents for good? Do you know where your talents come from? Do you know that God has gifted you with them?

We all have a variety of gifts or talents. We may be gifted with athleticism. We may have a gift for music. We may have a gift for serving or helping. We may be a talented organizer. We may be gifted with the ability to learn quickly. We may be a talented artist.

Each talent we have has been gifted to us by God. We do not often think about them in that way. And I dare say we do not often thank God for those gifts. I know I don’t nearly often enough. But we can thank God regularly for them by both thanking him in prayer and by using them to carry the good works he has planned for us.

You see, God has gifted us with a variety of talents for the common good. We are given gifts to serve our community, build up the church, and strengthen the body of Christ. As we use them for these purposes, God is pleased. This is a thanks that speaks louder than our words.

It will not take much looking in our community and churches to see where our talents can be put to good use. There is a lot of hurting people in this world. They need our help. And here is the real kicker—as we help others, we help ourselves the most. So, let’s go use the talents God has gifted us with.

I pray we all decide to use our gifts. I pray we use them for the common good. I pray each one of us will identify and use our gifts to carry out God’s plan and do the good works he has planned for us. Identify your gifts. Use your gifts for good. Use your gifts to carry out God’s plan. Use your gifts to do the good works God has set before you.

1 Corinthians 12: 7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.

Interpreting

Can you interpret languages? Do you interpret the signs you see? Do you attempt to interpret what is going on around you? Have you ever used an interpreter? What does interpreting mean to you?

We interpret many things in our lives. On a daily basis we interpret body language. We interpret tone of voice. We may even interpret words or word phrases into something we can better understand. Interpreting is part of who we are.

There is a need for someone to interpret from one language to another. Some of us may be able to interpret a language or two. To be a good interpreter of languages takes a significant amount of learning. You need to know the culture, the meaning, slang or idioms, and maybe even body language or facial expressions.

Being able to interpret spiritual language is not something we can learn. It is purely a gift of the Spirit. We have either been gifted by the Holy Spirit to understand spiritual language or we have not. If there is no one who can interpret the spiritual language, whomever may be able to speak the language should not speak.

We do not see as many speaking with the gift of spiritual language as perhaps there were in the early church. However, there are occasions in which it happens. Yet, if there is no one who can interpret, it does not build up the church, which is one of the main reasons for the church to meet.

I pray we all seek to build up the church. I pray we keep quiet if we can speak a spiritual language and there is no one to interpret. I pray each one of us does our part to strengthen the body of Christ. Interpret if you are able. Be quiet if there is no interpreter. Seek to build up the body. Strengthen the body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 14:26-28 What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up. If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God.

Test the Spirits

Have you ever tested the spirits? Have you discerned whether they are from God or are evil? Do you make the effort to ensure you are being led by the correct Spirit? Do you know there are different kinds of spirits roaming this world?

In some ways, our culture has glamorized spirits and deflected the importance of discerning between them. There are television programs that hunt ghosts and are about dead people walking around. This time of year, we see movies about evil spirits, people being chased by them, and sometimes those spirits turning to good.

We are told by the Apostle John to test the spirits. He was not talking about ghosts, but the spirit of another person, as well as evil spirits. On the one hand, he was speaking of testing what other people profess. The belief being it was the inner spirit of a person where their beliefs were held. From their inner spirit, they spoke their beliefs, gave advice, and lived their lives.

On the other hand, he had witnessed evil spirits in the world. He had seen Jesus cast out demons. He knew firsthand that demons existed. I think we have forgotten there are evil spirits roaming the earth and making every attempt to steer us in the wrong direction so as to separate us from God.

John tells us how to discern between the spirits. It is really quite simple. Either the spirit confesses Jesus Christ came into this world or not. The spirit guides us closer to Him or it doesn’t. Much like John’s gospel, he writes in his first letter in black and white terms.

I pray we all ask God for discernment. I pray we test the spirits. I pray each one of us chooses to follow Jesus and the spirits that guide us in His direction. Test the spirits. Discern between spirits. Choose to follow Jesus. Choose to listen to the spirits that point to Him.

1 John 4:1-3 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

Spiritual Language

Have you ever heard someone speak in tongues? Do you know what it means to speak in tongues? Can you speak in multiple languages? Have you experienced the ability to speak in a language that no one else understands?

Speaking in tongues, as spoken of in the Bible, has raised much debate. Some believe it is merely the ability to speak a foreign language. Others believe it is the ability to speak an angelic language. And still others believe it is speaking in a spiritual language.

Paul mentions in 1 Corinthians 13:1 speaking in tongues of angels and tongues of men. However, he discourages doing so in the assembly of the church as being of no use practical use, unless someone can interpret it. Why? One of the main purposes to gather as a church body is to build up the body. If someone is speaking in a language that no one else understands, they cannot be building up the body.

As for speaking in a spiritual language, some believe this comes upon a person in a type of ecstasy brought on by the Holy Spirit. The person speaking is praising God, or perhaps the Holy Spirit is speaking through the person, in the language the Holy Spirit uses. In Romans 8:26, Paul tells the church in Rome that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us when we pray because we do not know what to pray.

As Paul states, being overcome by the Spirit to speak in a spiritual language is not something that should be done in a congregational setting. Perhaps Paul was saying this should be done in private, where the person overcome can communicate with God directly and thereby be edified or built up. The gift of speaking in tongues is a wonderful gift when used properly.

I pray we all know the Holy Spirit intercedes for us. I pray we know there is a spiritual language. I pray each one of us will invite the Spirit to speak to us and build us up. Pray in the spirit. Pray with the Spirit. Know the Spirit intercedes for you. Be wise in language use. Use the appropriate language to build up one another.

1 Corinthians 13:8-10 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.

Trust Jesus

What evidence convinces you something is a fact? Do you need to be a witness of it? Will you listen to the testimony of witnesses? Does the reputation of the witness matter? Do you look for signs of truth? Will you throw away the truth if you do not have confirmation?

Getting to the bottom of things can be challenging. We are bombarded with misinformation, half-truths, and outright falsities in today’s culture. We see them on every social media platform, in advertising, and even in our daily news.

We experience partial truths based on partial information. This is not say that all of them are intentionally misleading us. Unfortunately, there are times when we only have a few pieces of information and must make a decision based on what we know at the time. As more information becomes available, we can change our decision based on the new information. Science works in this way. Technological advances cause corporate leadership to continually change decisions.

However, there is a truth we can trust. There is truth that only gets better as we dig deeper into it. We have the Truth Speaker. We have witnesses. We have angels testifying to it. We have miracles that verify it. The truth I am speaking of is the truth of God’s Word—Jesus Christ.

The Hebrew writer speaks of the testimony about Jesus. He speaks of our salvation. He speaks of Jesus announcing it during His ministry on earth. He confirmed it in the signs, wonders, and miracles He performed. The Hebrew writer goes on to state we have witnesses who testified to it after Jesus was resurrected. We have all the evidence we need to put our faith in Him.

I pray we all accept the truth of Jesus. I pray we accept the salvation He offers. I pray each one of us trust the evidence presented, including the signs, wonders, miracles, and witness testimony. Accept the truth. Accept salvation. Trust the evidence. Trust in the miracles. Trust the witnesses. Trust Jesus.

Hebrews 2:2-4 For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

Miracles Witnessed

Have you ever witnessed a miracle? If so, what kind of miracle was it? If not, do you want to see a miracle? How do you define miracles? Are they supernatural? Do you believe all miracles come from God? Have you heard someone say they can grant a miracle?

Miracles amaze us. We cannot explain them. We may have witnessed one. We may have heard the testimony of someone who has witnessed one. It may have been a miraculous healing. It may have been a miraculous saving. It may have been any one of many different possibilities.

I have heard stories of miraculous healings. I have heard doctors be unable to explain the healing that took place, whether it was the healing of an organ or the elimination of a disease. I have heard of miraculous savings. Someone survived with no injury an auto accident that police investigators say there is no way they should have survived, let alone be unscratched.

We can attribute those miracles to God, largely due to no one being involved in them. How do we explain a miracle that happens after someone prays over another? Did God work through the person praying? Did God answer the prayer? Does God give people the ability to grant miracles today? The answer to all these questions could be yes. What we do know is God grants miracles to achieve his work in this world.

We also know that miracles often come during an extremely difficult time. Things are usually dire when the miracle occurs. There is no other option than a miracle. So, do we really want to see a miracle? To see a miracle, we need to be close to a situation that only God can fix.

I pray we all believe in miracles. I pray we know that God grants miracles according to his will. I pray each one of us listen closely to the stories of miracles, but not need a miracle ourselves. Believe in miracles. Know that God grants miracles. Listen to the stories of miracles. Do not desire to witness a miracle. You are a miracle.

Galatians 3:5 So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?

Serving in God’s Grace

What does serving others mean to you? Is your focus on what you can do for them? Do you reap any benefits from serving others? Do you prefer others to serve you? Have you thought about your service being a grace from God?

Serving others comes in many forms. We may serve by helping a student understand their math equations. Our help may mean the difference between getting a passing grade or failing the class. We may serve by helping someone clean their house.

But serving may also mean encouraging someone to accomplish something they thought was not possible. It may be your encouragement that keeps a person going down the right path. It may be your encouragement that entices a person to try something new.

Serving is giving. It is giving a part of yourself. It is giving your time and energy to someone else. It is setting aside your preferences to provide for someone in need. It is sharing God’s grace with someone who needs it.

Mercy is also a serving spiritual gift. When you show mercy, do you not demonstrate the servant nature of Jesus? Yes, mercy is difficult for us, but only because of our pride. Following in Jesus’ servant footsteps is to show mercy to those who need it.

God has given us His grace and to be a faithful steward of it, we must serve one another. The heart of a servant, servanthood in the flesh, is what God has called us to. Serving others is serving God. It is walking in the footsteps of Jesus.

I pray we all choose to serve one another. I pray we follow in Jesus’ servanthood footsteps. I pray each one of us will choose to serve others through helping, giving, encouragement, and mercy. Give to one another. Show mercy to one another. Help one another. Encourage one another. Serve one another.

1 Peter 4:10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.