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Gifts of the Spirit - 6/18/2008 3:15:20 PM
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How do you know what yours are and how can you tell if it's the gift of discernment?
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RE: Gifts of the Spirit - 6/18/2008 5:14:05 PM
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mvic
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WOW !!!
Interesting question. I can't wait to see what replies it will attract !!!
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RE: Gifts of the Spirit - 6/18/2008 5:24:43 PM
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sparkleingsnow
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Many have asked this question (myself included), and I'm not sure I can give you a good answer, but I will try. You might start by looking at what your good at and what you enjoy.
ie: Do you love to give? Perhaps your gift is to support the church, or to help the needy. Do you love to encourage others? Perhaps your an encourager. Do you love to pray? Perhaps your an intercessor. Do you love to teach? To preach? To tell others about Jesus?
Also ask others around you what they see that your good at.
And of course ask the Lord to reveal to you what He would have you to be doing to help the body of Christ. The gifts of the Spirit are used to build up the body. 1 Corinthians 12
God Bless
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RE: Gifts of the Spirit - 6/18/2008 5:32:29 PM
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SinnerSaved
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Discernment is not one of the gifts. We are all called to discern. The gift you refer to is Discerning of Spirits which is very different...
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RE: Gifts of the Spirit - 6/18/2008 5:33:03 PM
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JimboFletch
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As to the gift of discernment, I have it and usually know upon meeting someone that they are a thorough phony. I do not always "know" something about everyone I meet, but when I do there is no question it is from the Holy Spirit. One of the checks of the gift is that I often sincerely wish that I was wrong - it's not a matter of liking or disliking someone.
I have never shared my knowledge of discernment until there is proof beyond doubt to others. I believe the Holy Spirit gives me the discernment, not to make accusations, but to stay alert and cautious.
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RE: Gifts of the Spirit - 6/18/2008 5:35:45 PM
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quote:
ORIGINAL: SinnerSaved
Discernment is not one of the gifts. We are all called to discern. The gift you refer to is Discerning of Spirits which is very different...
I've been to many churches in 20 years and I wonder, where did so many preachers get the idea that some will 'have the gift of discernment' and some won't?
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RE: Gifts of the Spirit - 6/18/2008 5:37:13 PM
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quote:
ORIGINAL: JimboFletch
As to the gift of discernment, I have it and usually know upon meeting someone that they are a thorough phony. I do not always "know" something about everyone I meet, but when I do there is no question it is from the Holy Spirit. One of the checks of the gift is that I often sincerely wish that I was wrong - it's not a matter of liking or disliking someone.
I have never shared my knowledge of discernment until there is proof beyond doubt to others. I believe the Holy Spirit gives me the discernment, not to make accusations, but to stay alert and cautious.
So it's not just about discerning evil spirits from good ones as the Bible speaks of it? It's about people as well?
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RE: Gifts of the Spirit - 6/18/2008 5:38:15 PM
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JimboFletch
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Won_by_One
quote:
ORIGINAL: SinnerSaved
Discernment is not one of the gifts. We are all called to discern. The gift you refer to is Discerning of Spirits which is very different...
I've been to many churches in 20 years and I wonder, where did so many preachers get the idea that some will 'have the gift of discernment' and some won't?
Those "spirits" that are discerned inhabit people, not floating around. Discernment is discerning of those spirits within people. It is a gift.
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RE: Gifts of the Spirit - 6/18/2008 5:40:34 PM
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JimboFletch
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Won_by_One
quote:
ORIGINAL: JimboFletch
As to the gift of discernment, I have it and usually know upon meeting someone that they are a thorough phony. I do not always "know" something about everyone I meet, but when I do there is no question it is from the Holy Spirit. One of the checks of the gift is that I often sincerely wish that I was wrong - it's not a matter of liking or disliking someone.
I have never shared my knowledge of discernment until there is proof beyond doubt to others. I believe the Holy Spirit gives me the discernment, not to make accusations, but to stay alert and cautious.
So it's not just about discerning evil spirits from good ones as the Bible speaks of it? It's about people as well?
As I stated above, those spirits are discerned within people pretending to be saved. It is a gift to protect believers from people with evil spirits.
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RE: Gifts of the Spirit - 6/18/2008 5:45:42 PM
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quote:
ORIGINAL: JimboFletch
Those "spirits" that are discerned inhabit people, not floating around. Discernment is discerning of those spirits within people. It is a gift.
Well, I never meant for anyone to think I implied they were spirits floating around but the pastors who were preaching on it were talking about the difference between demons and angels. When someone thinks they've been blessed with a special gift from God, they've said, it's important to discern whether that gift is from God or from satan b'c satan tries to fool people and tries to mimick everything God does--so discerning is necessary. And not everyone has the ability to tell which are good and which are bad, they've all said. So, yes, I do believe discernment is a gift.
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RE: Gifts of the Spirit - 6/18/2008 5:51:54 PM
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JimboFletch
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I know a lot of people disagree with me, but I do not believe a born again, blood bought child of God can be possessed by demons. I do not believe that the Holy Spirit of God would share a temple with one of Satan's demons. So discernment isn't about guessing what spirit is within a believer, only to recognize an instrument of Satan in a church.
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RE: Gifts of the Spirit - 6/18/2008 5:53:10 PM
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earthless
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Great discussion - there also needs to be a clear line made between what are talents and what are spiritual gifts. There are similarities and differences between talents and spiritual gifts.
Both are gifts from God.
Both grow in effectiveness with use.
Both are intended to be used on behalf of others, not for selfish purposes.
1 Corinthians 12:7 states that spiritual gifts are given to benefit others...not one's self. As the two great commandments deal with loving God and others, it follows that one should use his talents for that purpose.
But talents and spiritual gifts differ in whom they are given to and when. A person (regardless of his belief in God or in Christ) is given a natural talent as a result of a combination of genetics (some have natural ability in music, art, or mathematics) and surroundings (growing up in a musical family will aid one in developing a talent for music), or because God desired to endow certain individuals with certain talents (for example, Bazeleel in Exodus 31:1-6).
Spiritual gifts are given to believers by the Holy Spirit (Romans 12:3, 6) at the time of their placing their faith in Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. At that time the Holy Spirit gives to the new believer the spiritual gift(s) He desires the believer to have (1 Corinthians 12:11).
There are three main lists of spiritual gifts...
Romans 12:3-8 lists the spiritual gifts as follows: prophecy, serving others (in a general sense), teaching, exhorting, generosity, leadership, and showing mercy.
1 Corinthians 12:8-11 lists the gifts as: the word of wisdom (ability to communicate spiritual wisdom), the word of knowledge (ability to communicate practical truth), faith (unusual reliance upon God), the working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, tongues (ability to speak in a language that one has not studied), and interpretation of tongues.
The third list is found in Ephesians 4:10-12, which speaks of God giving to His church apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor-teachers. There is also a question as to how many spiritual gifts there are, as no two lists are the same. It is also possible that the Biblical lists are not exhaustive, that there are additional spiritual gifts beyond the ones the Bible mentions.
While often one may develop his talents and later direct his profession or hobby along those lines, spiritual gifts were given by the Holy Spirit for the building up of Christ's church.
In that, all Christians are to play an active part in the furtherance of the gospel of Christ. All are called and equipped to be involved in the "work of the ministry" (Ephesians 4:12). All are gifted so that they can contribute to the cause of Christ out of gratitude for all He has done for them.
In doing so, they also find fulfillment in life through their labor for Christ. It is the job of the church leaders to help build up the saints so they can be further equipped for the ministry that God has called them to. The intended result of spiritual gifts is that the church as a whole can grow, being strengthened by the combined supply of each and every member of Christ's body.
To summarize the differences between spiritual gifts and talents:
(1) A talent is the result of genetics and/or training, while a spiritual gift is the result of the power of the Holy Spirit.
(2) A talent can be possessed by anyone, Christian or non-Christian, while spiritual gifts are only possessed by Christians.
(3) While both talents and spiritual gifts should be used for God’s glory and to minister to others, spiritual gifts are focused on these tasks, while talents can be used entirely for non-spiritual purposes.
Hope this helps in the discussion.
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RE: Gifts of the Spirit - 6/18/2008 5:54:42 PM
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earthless
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quote:
ORIGINAL: JimboFletch
I know a lot of people disagree with me, but I do not believe a born again, blood bought child of God can be possessed by demons. I do not believe that the Holy Spirit of God would share a temple with one of Satan's demons. So discernment isn't about guessing what spirit is within a believer, only to recognize an instrument of Satan in a church.
Great point and in seeing what you guys were discussing about discernment, it is a point that I am so glad you did bring up.
Christians (born-again believers) can be oppressed by the demonic, but they cannot be possessed by the demonic.
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RE: Gifts of the Spirit - 6/18/2008 5:55:46 PM
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quote:
ORIGINAL: JimboFletch
I know a lot of people disagree with me, but I do not believe a born again, blood bought child of God can be possessed by demons. I do not believe that the Holy Spirit of God would share a temple with one of Satan's demons. So discernment isn't about guessing what spirit is within a believer, only to recognize an instrument of Satan in a church.
Again, I'm not talking about possession. I'm talking about people who feel that their special gifts are of God. If it weren't possible for a believer to be deceived, the Lord would not have told us to be careful that we're not deceived.
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And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, and they house--Acts 16:31
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RE: Gifts of the Spirit - 6/18/2008 6:17:25 PM
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sparkleingsnow
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Great post earthless. (Refering to post #12 as you have more than one on this thread.)
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Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is
within me, bless his holy name.
Psalm 103:1
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RE: Gifts of the Spirit - 6/18/2008 6:38:45 PM
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SonInMe1
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I am not sure this is discernment but I can tell a little personal story here.
When I was saved I was immersed in christianity almost full time ( long story ). So, I decide to....go back to my ways.
I went to a bar. When I waled in and looked at the people...know what I saw? I could literally see the evil dripping from them. In every eye. In their movements. It...was shocking.
I can tell today evil at its core in people. I meet people and instantly know that I cannot trust them. Its not every person I meet and its not every unsaved person I meet, but....its there.
There are a couple guys at work that...evil just emminates from them.
There are people at church I don't even know, and you can see...something unsettling about them.
Its not 100% either or I wouldn't have thought my first pastor was the best representation of Christ I had ever seen. Totally off there so I guess I can be wrong too. Sometimes even the flesh can get in the way...I guess.
I would guess when you find your "gift" its best to use it for His kingdom. I'm not sure what mine are. Those things unique to yourself that God can use. In some ways I think these things are the things that God births in you. Maybe not genetics but a unique gift from God to each individual.
I also think gifts can challenge us to work outside of our own little boxes. Being unconfortable with soemthing may be a sign...its your service to the Lord. The "easy" service to God may not be the true one He has for you. I hear this from some pastors.....they say being a pastor wasn't their idea.
Like Moses. Jonah and many others in the bible, they were chosen for a job they either didn't want to do or were ill equipted naturally to do.
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You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
James 4:4
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RE: Gifts of the Spirit - 6/18/2008 6:46:55 PM
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DaveW
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I will amen what earthless said. Good explanation of the talents vs gifts thing.
The gift of discerning of spirits is a spiritual gift found in 1 cor 12. This is given to specific individuals. There is another discernment that we are all to grow into listed in Heb 5:
Heb 5:13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant.
Heb 5:14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.
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RE: Gifts of the Spirit - 6/18/2008 11:18:13 PM
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Liveloved
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quote:
I believe the Holy Spirit gives me the discernment, not to make accusations, but to stay alert and cautious.
And to intercede.
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RE: Gifts of the Spirit - 6/19/2008 7:43:49 AM
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mvic
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Does the Holy Spirit bestow His gifts on all believers or just some?
How is His choice made?
What about those with no gifts - are they less likely to enter Heaven?
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Welcome to my Blog
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RE: Gifts of the Spirit - 6/19/2008 7:48:16 AM
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earthless
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quote:
ORIGINAL: mvic
Does the Holy Spirit bestow His gifts on all believers or just some?
How is His choice made?
What about those with no gifts - are they less likely to enter Heaven?
According to Scripture - ALL born-again believers have a (or more) gift(s) from the Holy Spirit. And you are saved not because of spiritual gifts, their usage, etc.. but because of grace alone through faith alone in Christ Jesus alone.
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RE: Gifts of the Spirit - 6/19/2008 7:49:24 AM
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JimboFletch
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quote:
ORIGINAL: mvic
Does the Holy Spirit bestow His gifts on all believers or just some?
How is His choice made?
What about those with no gifts - are they less likely to enter Heaven?
The Holy Spirit distributes His gifts as He sees fit - God is Sovereign. No lone individual has all the gifts required for a local church to function. That's part of the purpose - we HAVE to be connected with other believers or we have insufficient gifts to be effective, mature, and growing. Paul compares us to a building of stones, each having a particular spot for a strong, secure building.
I find no evidence in the NT that any believer has no gifts from the Holy Spirit.
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RE: Gifts of the Spirit - 6/19/2008 7:58:37 AM
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mvic
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Earthless: Thanx for your reply. Please see my other Thread "Passports please ..." I'd like your view on "Born again".
Earthless and JimboFletch: I don't think I have any gifts - at least none that I am aware of. Why? Am I doomed?
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Christian words of comfort at http://www.holyvisions.co.uk
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RE: Gifts of the Spirit - 6/19/2008 8:09:15 AM
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Peter_Gunn
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quote:
ORIGINAL: JimboFletch
As to the gift of discernment, I have it and usually know upon meeting someone that they are a thorough phony. I do not always "know" something about everyone I meet, but when I do there is no question it is from the Holy Spirit. One of the checks of the gift is that I often sincerely wish that I was wrong - it's not a matter of liking or disliking someone.
I have never shared my knowledge of discernment until there is proof beyond doubt to others. I believe the Holy Spirit gives me the discernment, not to make accusations, but to stay alert and cautious.
I could have written this myself, Jimbo. I call it "getting a snapshot" of someone when I meet them. Not always, but very often, when I first see a person, even before actually meeting, there is a "snapshot" I get that shows me who this person is on the inside. Understand?
I used to ignore it and pass it off as just a first impression that could be wrong. Then I would (mentally) get myself in trouble for denying that initial image.
It happened when I saw my wife for the first time. We made our first date over the phone after being "set-up". When she was walking toward me for that first date, I got one of those snapshots. It was completely correct.
Long post, I know, but here's my question: How does one use that "gift" within the church? What good is it if you can "see through" people? If you say anything about it, first you risk being wrong, second you risk being labeled judgemental and third people write you off as being a flake.
How is it useful?
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RE: Gifts of the Spirit - 6/19/2008 3:34:07 PM
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Lufia
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I also don't have any gift.
I read yesterday from a pastor that a proof that you have the Holy Spirit ( received as a new born christian) in you is that you speak in tongue. I am sure that i have the HS but i dont speak in tongue. I dont know why he said that.
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RE: Gifts of the Spirit - 6/19/2008 3:50:40 PM
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earthless
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Lufia
I also don't have any gift.
I read yesterday from a pastor that a proof that you have the Holy Spirit ( received as a new born christian) in you is that you speak in tongue. I am sure that i have the HS but i dont speak in tongue. I dont know why he said that.
Because he is wrong and confused. Spend that time listening (paying heed) to someone else.
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