Diverse Gifts for the Body of Christ
“Yet I wish that all men were like me. However each man has his own gift from God, one of this kind, and another of that kind.” (1 Corinthians 7:7 WEB)
You are not just another person.
You have your own gift from God, and He has also given you a calling. He designed each of us individually and in a personal way.
“For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot would say, “Because I’m not the hand, I’m not part of the body,” it is not therefore not part of the body. If the ear would say, “Because I’m not the eye, I’m not part of the body,” it’s not therefore not part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the smelling be? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body, just as he desired. If they were all one member, where would the body be? But now they are many members, but one body. The eye can’t tell the hand, “I have no need for you,” or again the head to the feet, “I have no need for you.”” (1 Corinthians 12:14-21 WEB)
The apostle Paul used members of the body to represent believers with different types of gifts.
The foot can represent evangelists who bring the Gospel to the nations.
The hand can represent miracle workers and people who minister in gifts of healings.
The eye and ears could represent prophets and pastors who frequently see visions and hear from God.
It is definitely not limited to these body parts—God’s gifts are very diverse.
Each person has a different function in the body of Christ, and all of us are important in our own way.
Through your gift, you can do things that I cannot, and I serve a different purpose that builds up the body of Christ.
Declare: “I have a gift from God and a calling on my life. The Holy Spirit who distributed these gifts to me will also show me how to operate in them. I have an important role in the body of Christ. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
In “Sandcastles Don’t Last Forever” you will discover what is your calling, your gift, how to walk in them, and how to maximize your eternal rewards:
http://bit.ly/sandcastlesdontlastforever
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visions of paul 在 Milton Goh Blog and Sermon Notes Facebook 的最讚貼文
Distance is Not An Issue
“For though I am absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, rejoicing and seeing your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.” (Colossians 2:5 WEB)
At that time, there was no Internet technology. There was no way to hop on a Zoom online conference call to speak to the churches. Instead, the apostle Paul saw visions of the churches in his spirit, and that is how he could see their order and steadfastness of faith. Having the Holy Spirit in us is like being connected to the Internet. We are connected to all the knowledge and power that God has.
Nowadays, the local church that I attend is not allowed to hold in-person church services due to government regulations. As a result, all services are held through online broadcast instead.
Although I miss sitting in the physical services, worshipping the Lord together with other believers, I believe that online services are no less powerful than in-person ones.
Many people are more comfortable with ‘the human touch’, such as receiving prayer in person, having a pastor to place his hand upon them while praying, but this physical contact is actually not absolutely necessary.
In His second miracle, Jesus demonstrated that the power of the Holy Spirit is not limited by distance.
“Jesus came therefore again to Cana of Galilee, where he made the water into wine. There was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to him, and begged him that he would come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Jesus therefore said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders, you will in no way believe.” The nobleman said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Jesus said to him, “Go your way. Your son lives.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way. As he was now going down, his servants met him and reported, saying “Your child lives!” So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. They said therefore to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour, the fever left him.” So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives.” He believed, as did his whole house. This is again the second sign that Jesus did, having come out of Judea into Galilee.” (John 4:46-54 WEB)
Jesus was in Cana, while the sick boy was in Capernaum. Just by speaking the words “your son lives” in faith, the power of the Holy Spirit healed the boy from a long distance away. Jesus did not have to lay hands on the child in order for him to be healed.
The nobleman initially thought that Jesus had to go to his house before the son could be healed. However, when Jesus released the words, “Go your way, your son lives,” the nobleman believed, and that was enough to receive the healing in proxy for his son.
We know that the nobleman believed because he met Jesus at the seventh hour (between 1 - 2pm). Cana and Capernaum are about 25 miles apart (about 6 - 8 hours walking distance) so if the nobleman set off immediately, he could be back home the same day at night to check on his son.
However, we see that the nobleman only spoke to his servant the next day. This means that the nobleman stayed at an inn or something for a night, and trusted that his son had been healed. If he had been unbelieving, he would have rushed home right away so as not to miss his son’s last moments, since he was “at the point of death”.
There are other long-distance healing miracles like this one, such as Jesus healing the Roman centurion’s servant, and Jesus healing the Syrophoenician woman’s demon-possessed daughter.
Continue to feed on the rhema word that God is releasing in season. Whether online or in-person, God’s power is still fully effective, and is not limited by the distance or channel.
As long as you hear or read, believing it, you shall experience the manifestation of the rhema word.
In the nobleman’s son’s case, the word in season was “your son lives”.
Earlier this year, I felt like I was coming down with a flu. I was sneezing repeatedly and my nose was dripping. I felt weak and irritable.
As I was praying in tongues and also asking Jesus to heal me and make me well, suddenly I heard these words in my spirit: “he grew strong through faith”.
Instantly, I knew that the Holy Spirit was talking about the apostle Paul’s description of Abraham in “Romans”.
“Yet, looking to the promise of God, he didn’t waver through unbelief, but grew strong through faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what he had promised, he was also able to perform.” (Romans 4:21 WEB)
This was a rhema word for me to be healed. I grabbed it and repeatedly confessed and meditated on this, that I was growing strong through faith.
Abraham grew physically stronger through faith. He was already old and weak, but because he believed in the rhema word which God spoke to him, he and his wife Sarah experienced drastic youth renewal.
Their saggy skin, old internal organs, weak muscles, and dry bones were all renewed miraculously, allowing them to be fit for childbearing and even raising a child.
As I kept confessing “he didn’t consider the deadness of his own body, but he grew strong through faith,” I felt physically better and I did not sneeze or have runny nose anymore.
It was just a few words, but I emphasized on the “grew” and “strong”. Suddenly, each word was pregnant with life-giving power for my situation.
Faith comes through hearing the rhema word of Christ. What is He saying to you? As you are listening to a sermon video online, what is the key message or statement that jumps out at you and makes a strong impression in you heart? Sometimes the Lord whispers a verse or passage to you from within. Grab it and declare it for yourself because it carries the miracle-working power of God to turn your situation around!
Actionable Steps:
1. Get yourself plugged in to a ministry that preaches the Gospel. Listen to the new messages released by the pastor or preacher. If the Holy Spirit led you there, then you will benefit from believing the rhema words that is released through that ministry.
2. Train your mind to believe in the limitless reach of prayer. Pray for people who are far away from you, knowing that God will answer your prayers of faith, regardless of the distance between you and them.
3. When you receive a word in season (rhema word), write it down in your notebook or somewhere so that you do not forget. Revisit these words often and declare them, so long as you are still waiting for the manifestation.
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This teaching is the 5th issue in my new Patreon Bible Study series called “The Way Forward: How to Thrive Amidst Change”. If you want to learn how you can still reign in life amidst lockdowns, strict regulations, and lots of bad news, join us as a “God Every Morning (GEM)” tier or above patron to receive it.
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visions of paul 在 Milton Goh Blog and Sermon Notes Facebook 的最讚貼文
A New Vision
“After these things Yahweh’s word came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Don’t be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”” (Genesis 15:1 WEB)
When Abram was feeling afraid of a retaliation from the enemies he had just defeated, God showed him a vision of a shield.
When you have an inward vision of doom and gloom, God will work to replace the image you have inside.
It is so important to see godly visions about all the areas of your life.
Finances, marriage, children, health, family, ministry, business, job.
What inward images do these words trigger? If you are seeing a negative image, it shows that there is a vision which must be replaced.
Ask God to give you a fresh vision for that area. He may lead you to a Bible verse that contains an imagery to help you replace a vision of dread with a vision of confident hope.
The apostle Paul taught about the shield of “the” faith.
“above all, having taken up the shield of the faith, in which ye shall be able all the fiery darts of the evil one to quench,” (Ephesians 6:16 YLT98)
Many English translations of the verse above omit the word “the” before the word “faith”. If you look at the original Greek, there is a “tēs” which means “the (referring to the definite article)”.
If you do a simple search of “the faith” in the New Testament, it almost always refers to the faith in Christ Jesus, which is the Gospel of Jesus Christ in its totality.
“But after some days, Felix came with Drusilla, his wife, who was a Jewess, and sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ Jesus.” (Acts 24:24 WEB)
When you believe that you are righteous and forgiven because Jesus died at the cross, was buried, and was raised to everlasting life on the third day, you will experience God as your shield.
You can enjoy divine protection when you are in faith. When you are fearful, you are in unbelief. However, thank God that we can have a new vision. What negative visions are you seeing in your heart? It’s time to get new ones in God’s word to replace them!
Learn how to wield the shield of the faith and the other pieces of God’s armor, and more: https://bit.ly/silencing-the-serpent
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