Discover Your Gift, Practice Your Gift, Use Your Gift!

1 Corinthians 12:27 - 31 
Now you are the Body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.  And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.  Are all apostles?  Are all prophets?  Are all teachers?  Do all work miracles?  Do all have gifts of healing?  Do all speak in tongues?  Do all interpret?  But eagerly desire the greater gifts.

It was great to listen to Steve Pilbrough on Sunday morning and evening share his heart about serving in the church, and expound on some of the teachings in Scripture about using our gifts.  Steve has been with us at Highway for almost a year now, and he has a deep passion to see two things happen; 1) leaders released to do what God has called them to do and not be distracted with every small job that needs to make church happen; and 2) to see people get involved in the life of the local church by using their gift.  Because of his great passion for these two areas, we thought it would be great for Steve himself to share his thoughts on the subject.  If you missed Sunday night's sermon, you can download it off our Sermons Website by clicking this link.  (The sermon will be up by Wednesday 22 Feb).

I want to follow up with Steve Pilbrough's teaching with a few thoughts on the subject.  Incredibly, the elders have just come back from a week in Johannesburg with Paul Manwaring, one of the pastors at Bethel Church in Redding, California, where his heart is also to see the church operating in its fullness by it being administered and stewarded correctly.  In a nutshell, Paul Manwaring's message is that every great move of God needs to be facilitated and administered by those with a gift of administration, otherwise it cannot be sustained.  But!  If those administers don't have a heart for or haven't encountered the Power of God, then they will build dry structures that limit that move of God!

Bottomline?  We need everyone to be operating in what God has called them to do!

When we do this, we will truly be the greatest and best run organisation on the planet.  And that is how it should be!

Now, I don't want to talk too much about the gift of administration here today.  My aim for today's devotional is to encourage each of us to find our gift and use it!

Here's the thing...  We have an incredible church!  And we are in the midst of a worldwide revolution.  We really are.  The Gospel of Grace is raging like a Holy Wild Fire all over the world, and we are constantly getting emails from people wanting to know more.  Highway Christian Community has become a hub of resources for people to grow in their revelation of who God is and who He has made them to be.  And for this local house to continue its mission, we need all the gifts to be operating.

Now, there are many gifts listed in the Scriptures, particularly the New Testament and Paul's writings.  The primary passages are Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:7-10, 1 Corinthians 12:27-31 (as highlighted here today) and Ephesians 4:11 - 12.

Each passage highlights different gifts, some overlap, some are exclusive to that passage.  It is important that we don't get too worked up as to what exact gift we are or box ourselves into one specific gift.  God doesn't like boxes.  But what is important is that we practice what we do find interest in.

Usually, the gifts that catch our eye when reading them in Scripture or interest us are the ones that we naturally operate in.  (This is of course just a guide).

Now, I want to encourage you, as the title of this devotional says...  Find your gift, practice your gift and use your gift.  If you don't know what you're gifted in, ask some friends for perspective.  Or ask Holy Spirit to reveal it to you as you list them from the above verses.

Practice them.  Step out in cell group or at Sunday meetings (on the mic or one on one - Remember, if your word doesn't get released on the mic, don't get discouraged!  It may be for another time or another person).  If you battle at first, don't give up.  That's why we have to practice!  That's how we grow.

Once you feel comfortable with a gift that you feel God has given you, keep using it!  God gave it to you to be used!  Don't sit on it.  People could be missing out on a blessing.

And finally, if you're not sure where or how you fit in, just get stuck in anywhere!  What is absolutely imperative is that sons and daughters in the Kingdom get raised up.  And just like in a normal family, when a child is young, it helps around the house wherever it can.  But when it is older, it studies a specific subject and gets a job in that specific field.

We should all see our church as our family, and we have a job to do in contributing to this worldwide revolution, and while we may not be established in our own gift yet, we can help get the bigger picture done now by making ourselves available!

The Power of Knowing Your True Identity

1 Corinthians 13:12
Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.  Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

As you can see by the red text, I would like to draw your attention to the final phrase in this verse...  "even as I am fully known."  This gives us a great indication as to what Paul was referring to when he said "now I know in part, then I shall know fully."  He was talking about his very own identity.  Not who God is, not what God is like (which we will eternally see more and more) but Paul was referring to his very own identity, who HE is.

God knows exactly who you are.  But not in the way you think.  God sees you as who you truly are, in the spirit.  He sees your true value.  Remember, He paid the highest possible price for you (1 Cor. 6:20), He gave up everything He had to buy you back (Matt 13:44), that's how valuable you are.  You are more valuable than you could ever imagine.  You may not yet know it, but God knows exactly how valuable you are.  You are more precious and valuable than all of the world's minerals and resources combined!

Paul is saying that even he hasn't clearly seen his true identity.  He has an idea of it, he sees a reflection, but he hasn't seen it in its entirety.  And there will come a day when he, like us, will see who we truly are.  After all, it has been said so often that we are like Jesus even in this world!  (1 John 4:17)  (Now, let me say, it doesn't necessarily say that we will only experience this revelation after this life - something to ponder!)

Friends, the more we come to understand (by revelation) how valuable we are in the eyes of the Creator of the Universe and the more we come to understand who we truly are and who He created us to be, we will live remarkable lives!  We will live lives of unconditional Love toward one another, we will live with a strange positivity as we are unaffected by the negative circumstances that surround us, we will live powerfully and with authority.

I pray that today, we would come into a further revelation of our true value, our true identity, and so be further transformed outwardly into the likeness of the Image of Jesus, our Big Brother.  (2 Cor. 3:18)

The Glory of Provision

Exodus 16:10
While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the Glory of the Lord appearing in the cloud.

Most of us know the story of the Glory of the Lord appearing to the Israelites in a cloud in the desert, even if it is vaguely.  Many of us would remember that the Lord led the Israelites by a cloud by day and by a pillar of Fire by night (Exodus 13:21).  But in this context of Exodus 16 the Lord's Glory appears in a specific context.  It is the context of provision.

The Israelites were grumbling against the Lord that they were going to starve to death.  And God, in His Grace, Mercy, Compassion and Goodness, simply offered a solution to their complaints (not prayers).  He said that He would provide Bread from Heaven in the morning, and quail meat in the evening.  It was when He made this announcement to the Israelites through Aaron that His Glory appeared out in the desert in a cloud.

Now, Exodus 13 tells us that the cloud of the Glory stayed in front of the Israelites every single day and never left their sight.  And in this verse (Exodus 16:10) we see it "appear" again.  I don't believe it disappeared.  I believe the cloud appeared in a different position to where it was.  You see, the Glory Cloud was always in front of the Israelites, but in this instance, It appears out in the desert.  And God was about to provide life-giving food to the Israelites which would manifest in the desert.  So it would seem that as He was announcing this form of provision to His people, He was also showing them it was His Manifest Presence that was going to produce this life-giving food.

Friends, do you know that this incident was a picture pointing to Jesus!?  Have a look at what Jesus tells His followers in John 6...

Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

34“Sir,” they said, “from now on give us this bread.”

35Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.

Once we have Jesus, there is nothing else we need.  He meets our every desire, from the inside out.  He starts with the biggest desire of all; the deep longing within each man for Love, identity, acceptance and purpose.  And then He begins to provide for everything else.  He promises to take care of us!  (Matthew 6:33)

Do you know that you hold the very Presence of God Himself within you?  You are the Holy tabernacle where God's Presence dwells (1 Cor. 6:19 and Colossians 1:27)!  My friend, the very same Presence of God that provided for the Israelites in the desert when they had nothing now dwells within you!  What an incredible truth!

I want you to believe this Glorious truth, and release it into your atmosphere around you.  Speak Life into each and every situation around you, and don't stop!  Release what is in you.  Release the supernatural provision of God into every situation around you.  Declare it as a Righteous, Royal Prince or Princess of the King.  Declare with authority!

You may say "but James I have!  I have declared so much and nothing is happening."  Well, I don't buy that.  Just stop and look around you.  How much can you be thankful for?  God knows what you need before you ask it.  When we focus on what He has provided for us and not on what He hasn't, it builds faith and thankfulness in our hearts and inspires to continue declaring with joyful authority!

Now, I have based this week's devotional on the Glory Cloud because I watched a video this week of a Glory Cloud manifesting at a meeting in Bethel Church in Redding, California.  As I watched I was deeply inspired by God's promise of His Presence and His Provision.  Because where His Presence is, there too is His Provision.

Just watch this video by clicking on the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VqbVH6SNP4

You will notice the cloud appears above the right-hand corner of the room like a small mist.  Most notably between 1 minute and 1:45.  You will also notice how the cloud shimmers with golden and silver sparkles.  Incredibly, a number of people standing in that very corner received Gold teeth supernaturally!

I watched this video and I felt so strongly God saying that we can see the same miracles that the Israelites saw and even more!  We have the very Presence of God dwelling within us.  The more we believe this Truth the more we will act on it, and the more we will see its effects in our lives.  Just like this group of people who believed this Truth came together and saw a manifestation of God's Presence in the atmosphere where they were worshipping!  I am pretty sure they will have faith that God will provide for all their needs in their daily lives as well!