Reality #1 Part 2 God equips us!
The Pattern of God's work of equipping
1. God gives and assignment to a person.
2. The Holy Spirit was given to that person to equip him or her for the assignment.
3. The proof of the Spirit's presence was that the person was able to complete the assignment effectively through the supernatural enabling of the Holy Spirit.
Moses:
Was Moses equipped to be an administrator and national religious leader before or after God gave him the assignment?
Moses didn't think that he was the right guy for the job, but God did. Read Exodus 3 and 4.
The workmen of the Tabernacle:
God gave Moses specific details on how the Tabernacle was to be built (Exodus 25-30) and He wanted it done exactly that way!
Exodus 31:2-3, 6-7
"See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship...And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you: the tent of meeting, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furnishings of the tent,"
King David:
David was called by God to be King of Israel when he was but a young shepherd boy. Not even Jesse (David's father) or Samuel (the man God used to call David) thought that David had what it would take to be king. But, the Spirit of God came upon David, however, and equipped him to be king.
The Judges and Prophets:
God gave them all assignments. Then the Spirit of God came upon each one and equipped him or her to complete the assignment given.
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
Spiritual Gifts
"Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says "Jesus is accursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except in the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
What are these gifts really?
Are the not all manifestations of the Spirit? God working through us to accomplish His work?
Therefore we do not receive a "thing" as it were, we receive God Himself! God in the presence of the Holy Spirit is our Spiritual gift and He manifests Himself in different varieties for different works.
We don't receive the gift of administration as much as the Spirit's administration ability comes through us. So God's ability becomes our own as we follow and allow Him to work through us.
Even in the works of Jesus, God the Father was manifesting Himself.
John 14:10
"Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works."
John 15:5
"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."
Christ did nothing apart from the Father, and we can do nothing apart from Christ.
A spiritual gift is a manifestation of God at work through you. God works in and through you to bear fruit. The focus is on God and what He does through you. When you focus on some "thing" you receive to do something good for God, the focus is usually on self rather than God.
Focus your attention on hearing God call to an assignment, His invitation for you to join Him. When you adjust your life to Him and obey Him, the Holy Spirit will be at work in you enabling you to accomplish all that God desires.
In Christ,
David
1. God gives and assignment to a person.
2. The Holy Spirit was given to that person to equip him or her for the assignment.
3. The proof of the Spirit's presence was that the person was able to complete the assignment effectively through the supernatural enabling of the Holy Spirit.
Moses:
Was Moses equipped to be an administrator and national religious leader before or after God gave him the assignment?
Moses didn't think that he was the right guy for the job, but God did. Read Exodus 3 and 4.
The workmen of the Tabernacle:
God gave Moses specific details on how the Tabernacle was to be built (Exodus 25-30) and He wanted it done exactly that way!
Exodus 31:2-3, 6-7
"See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship...And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you: the tent of meeting, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furnishings of the tent,"
King David:
David was called by God to be King of Israel when he was but a young shepherd boy. Not even Jesse (David's father) or Samuel (the man God used to call David) thought that David had what it would take to be king. But, the Spirit of God came upon David, however, and equipped him to be king.
The Judges and Prophets:
God gave them all assignments. Then the Spirit of God came upon each one and equipped him or her to complete the assignment given.
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
Spiritual Gifts
"Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says "Jesus is accursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except in the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
What are these gifts really?
Are the not all manifestations of the Spirit? God working through us to accomplish His work?
Therefore we do not receive a "thing" as it were, we receive God Himself! God in the presence of the Holy Spirit is our Spiritual gift and He manifests Himself in different varieties for different works.
We don't receive the gift of administration as much as the Spirit's administration ability comes through us. So God's ability becomes our own as we follow and allow Him to work through us.
Even in the works of Jesus, God the Father was manifesting Himself.
John 14:10
"Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works."
John 15:5
"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."
Christ did nothing apart from the Father, and we can do nothing apart from Christ.
A spiritual gift is a manifestation of God at work through you. God works in and through you to bear fruit. The focus is on God and what He does through you. When you focus on some "thing" you receive to do something good for God, the focus is usually on self rather than God.
Focus your attention on hearing God call to an assignment, His invitation for you to join Him. When you adjust your life to Him and obey Him, the Holy Spirit will be at work in you enabling you to accomplish all that God desires.
In Christ,
David
posted by Mark 1:17 at 11:03 AM
4 Comments:
Hi David,
I saw your posting on Grace for the Wayward Heart, and I also read your two-part article here. This is great stuff! Do you have a background in apologetics? You sure have a good grasp of the word, and the spirit behind it! (Rev 19:10)
Hi David,
Have linked to your blog.
Be blessed..
Loren,
If you want to know my background up untill this point in my life, you can read my first ever entry into this blog. It should explain who I am and where I came from as well as how God gotta hold a me and changed my life.
However, I have had no formal training in Apoligetics. I do like it, but have no training in it.
I am looking into going to Moody Bible College in the Spring, but for now, I am a Student of the Scriptures and a follower of Jesus Christ.
David
Loren,
I just realized that it the first post is harder to find than I thought. So here is the site:
http://getoutoftheboat.blogspot.com/2005/02/in-beginning.html
Hope this helps.
David
Post a Comment
<< Home