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Gifts that Build

1 Corinthians 16:14 (AMP) Let everything you do be done in love [motivated and inspired by God’s love for us].

I just spent the last few days reading through first Corinthians. These books were written to the churches he had already been to. This book is one that is taught on when talking about the gifts of the spirit. When we receive Christ, we have all been gifted with salvation. It is free, we did not earn it, we receive it. This is a gift that we should be willing to encourage others to receive. This is called the ministry of reconciliation of which all of us are called into, once we receive Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:18-19 (AMP) But all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ [making us acceptable to Him] and gave us the ministry of reconciliation [so that by our example we might bring others to Him], that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting people’s sins against them [but canceling them]. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation [that is, restoration to favor with God].

People want to know their purpose, their calling, what they were created for? You were created to glorify God. You were made in His image. You are to reflect Him. This takes surrender. What about gifts? When reading the list in first Corinthians twelve, one phrase jumped out at me, “Let all things be done for edification.” Why did God give the church gifts? Edification. Our gifts are not about us, they are for the body of Christ, for the edification of the body of Christ. Meaning, we are to build up each other for the unity of the gospel. Edification is not about being self-motivating not self-promotion. Actually, it is not about promoting an individual, it is about the whole body being built up into His temple.

Ephesians 4:16 (AMP) From Him the whole body [the church, in all its various parts], joined and knitted firmly together by what every joint supplies, when each part is working properly, causes the body to grow and mature, building itself up in [unselfish] love.

There is not a “me’ focus in any of this. Now, we do see in 1 Corinthians 12:31, “But earnestly desire and strive for the greater gifts [if acquiring them is going to be your goal]. And yet I will show you a still more excellent way [one of the choicest graces and the highest of them all: unselfish love].” One of the gifts that people want, and even Paul tells us is one to desire, is the gift of prophecy. However, I do not believe He meant it in the way the church today has abused it. In context, this gift is not about just about foretelling the future, correcting leadership or reading someone’s mail. This is the supernatural ability to proclaim God’s will and truth to build up the church. It is primarily about speaking the message of God, through God’s Word. It is speaking directly to people in a way they can understand God’s Word. It is to help bring clarity to the Word of God. Even to the point of revealing inner motivations and bringing conviction and an awareness to God’s presence. They bring people to a place of true repentance so that we walk in humility.

If we are seeking a new revelation from God, as not revealed in His Word, then we are seeking something outside of God. We have fallen into idolatry. What about our imaginations? Yes, God gave us imaginations, but we are still responsible for bringing our thoughts in line with the Word of God. Does it really matter what I prophesy? We have been prophesied over, and a check was put immediately within because we knew it did not line up with God’s Word.

Jeremiah 23:16 (AMP) Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Do not listen to the words of the [false] prophets who prophesy to you. They are teaching you worthless things and are leading you into futility; They speak a vision of their own mind and imagination and not [truth] from the mouth of the Lord.

What is Paul talking about? He is talking about desiring to understand the Word of God so that you can talk about it with each other. Prophecy is for the edification of the body, just like all of the other gifts listed.

1 Corinthians 8:1b-3 (AMP) Knowledge [alone] makes [people self-righteously] arrogant, but love [that unselfishly seeks the best for others] builds up and encourages others to grow [in wisdom]. If anyone imagines that he knows and understands anything [of divine matters, without love], he has not yet known as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God [with awe-filled reverence, obedience and gratitude], he is known by Him [as His very own and is greatly loved].

At the heels of Paul talking about spiritual gifts he leads into love. The end of chapter twelve flows into it. What is the point in wanting all of these gifts if you do not know His love? They will never fulfill you. You are searching in the wrong place for your purpose. Get to know the God that loves you and start right where you are with the people He has called you with to grow in, for the edification of the body of Christ. Let everything be done in love, unselfish love.

Abba, Father, our Banner, You are so Worthy of our honor and our praise. You are Holy and Marvelous. Thank You for Your Son putting us back into right standing with You. Through Him we have been born again and created new. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit, our Teacher and our Friend. Thank You for Your Word. We repent for seeking gifts to build up ourselves. We repent for only being a part of the body when it is self-serving and pleases us. We long to know You. You reveal Yourself to us in ways we could never have imagined for ourselves. We thank You for spiritual gifts, but above all we thank You for Your Love. Let us desire Your love above the gifts. Let us be trees of righteousness. You set the captives free not for us to look for anything to fulfill us other than You. We choose surrender today. We choose love today. We choose joy today. We choose forgiveness today. We choose hope today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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Options or Obedience?

Jeremiah 42:13-16 (AMP) But if you are going to say, “We will not stay in this land,” and [in so doing] do not listen to the voice of the Lord your God,  saying, “No, but we will go to the land of Egypt, where we will not see war or hear the sound of the [warrior’s] trumpet or hunger for bread, and we will stay there,”  then in that case listen to the word of the Lord, O remnant of Judah. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “If you are really determined to go to Egypt and to reside there [temporarily], then the sword, of which you are afraid, will overtake you there in the land of Egypt; and the famine of which you are afraid will follow closely after you in Egypt, and you will die there. 

How frustrating must it have been to be Jeremiah during this time. He was the man God decided to speak His Word through. It was not an easy Word either. He was beaten for it, put in stocks for it, put in a pit for it and even spent time in the courts prison for it. Yet, he did not change what God proclaimed.

Here the people are asking Jeremiah what God says about their decision to go to Egypt. Exodus happened in the 13th century BC, Babylonian captivity in 539 BC, yet the people were still looking back to Egypt. How many generations had passed? Whenever, there was a threat, Egypt was their answer. God delivered them from there before, He would do it again, right?

This is what He told them: verses 9-12, and said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your petition before Him: ‘If you will indeed remain in this land, then I will build you up and not tear you down, and I will plant you and not uproot you; for I will relent and be satisfied concerning the disaster that I have inflicted on you [as discipline, and I will replace judgment with compassion]. Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you now fear [as if he were deity]; do not be afraid of him,’ says the Lord, ‘for [he is a mere man, but I am the living, omniscient God and] I am with you [always] to protect you and to deliver you from his hand. And I will show you compassion, so that he will have compassion on you and restore you to your own land. 

The Babylonian captivity was going to last 70 years. There were people who would be led captive and would return in their life time. This could not be said of those who chose to return to Egypt. One such person that is possibly recorded, but I cannot find any definite disproof or proof of, was Mordecai. Mordecai is the uncle of Esther, who raised her as his own. We read in Esther that he and his family were led away to Babylon as part of the captivity (Esther 1:6). He did not live a terrible life. It even shows that he held office at the king’s gate (Esther 2:21). He was able to carry out his duties in his customs. He honored the king. There was some upset that happened, but God worked it out in their favor. Upsets are going to happen.

What caused me to take notice was Mordecai was mentioned again in Nehemiah (7:7). Could this be the same Mordecai? He would be very old, but that would not be unheard of. Ezra 3:12, “But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ households, the old men who had seen the first house (temple), wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, while many shouted aloud for joy.” This could very well be the same Mordecai. Proof that God did keep His promise.

My take away…stop looking to what worked in the past. God is not a formula to plug in to get the outcome you desire. Do not look back to the old land that He delivered you out of? We are a people that craves familiarity and want to keep our options open. We survived there and we can survive there again. What if He wants better for you than to just survive? What if He wants you to thrive? What I love about Mordecai’s story is that when he was led into captivity, sorrow and self-pity were not part of his story. He was told by God that he would be able to trust the king, and He would take care of him and his people. Just because harm was intended by someone else, did not mean that it was able to succeed. Mordecai did not run. He did not go back to the familiar. He trusted God at His Word.

Luke 9:62 (AMP) But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back [to the things left behind] is fit for the kingdom of God.”

It is never going to be as good as it was back there. He wants better for you! Stop trying to get back there, move forward. God is not something you plug into the equation for the favorable outcome. He should be the source. My question to you is, “Are you looking for options or choosing obedience?” The Israelites wanted options. Mordecai chose obedience.