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The Charismatic Gifts

We are in the middle of a series on spiritual gifts. I have now discussed the major noncharismatic gifts the Bible mentions. But before I discuss the charismatic gifts individually, I want to talk about my approach to them generally. Since in Scripture, tongues gets most of the press, it will get most of the press here as well, but I do intend this discussion to apply more broadly than just to tongues. When I was a young believer, I attended a charismatic church for a time.  I did not myself speak in tongues, so one day two men, concerned…

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Hospitality

Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.  As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another (I Pet 4:9) God wants us to share life with our brothers and sisters in Christ.  He also wants us to welcome the stranger.  Hospitality is a means toward both those ends.  Hospitality brings people together and makes them feel welcome and important.  Hospitality builds community and helps the stranger.   Hospitality was one of the central traits that God used to build the early church.  They were constantly meeting in one another’s homes.  Those with the gift of hospitality use…

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Evangelism

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed?  And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never hears?  And how are they to hear without someone preaching? (Rom 10:14) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.  (Acts 1:8) Jesus commands us to make disciples of all nations.  Evangelism is part of that command.  Without evangelism there can be no discipleship.  All Christians are, thus,…

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Administration

“And God appointed in the church . . . gifts of . . . administrating.”  (I Cor 12:28) “But all things should be done decently and in order.”  (I Cor 14:40) When God revealed to Joseph the years of plenty and years of famine for Egypt, Joseph proceeded to advise Pharaoh to set up a system in which they gathered and stored grain for seven years to have food in time of famine.  Pharaoh then hired Joseph to run that system.  This is the gift of administration. When Moses was overwhelmed with people who came to him for judgment, Jethro,…

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Faith

“. . . if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you” (Mt 17:20). I have said elsewhere that faith is the currency of heaven.  God does business with people on the basis of their faith.  If you want God to work, you must trust Him.  If you don’t trust Him, don’t expect Him to do anything.  People with the spiritual gift of faith have a special measure of trust in God.  This measure is more than…

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