Category: Devotions

I have been impressed by those who can preach with charisma.
I have been awed by those who speak through a filter of heaven itself.
I have been excited by those who speak for God.
For those with wisdom and knowledge, those with huge faith levels I have given the deepest of respect to.
What always stirs my heart are those who give of what they have and of themselves, laying everything down before God and man. I am moved by sacrificial, self-less surrender of wants and rights for the good of others. Yet even this amazing trait needs the right motive otherwise the gain is empty.

Paul pauses his response to the spiritual gifts as badges of honour with what has become the world-wide known love passage. Spoken mostly at weddings, seen on plaques and pictures, it speaks today to us all to practice the words. Paul opens the passage up with a warning.

“If I speak in the tonguesof men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13 v 1-3)

Oh how we rave about the gifted, skilled and able people!

This week I heard of a Pastors daughter and her husband who have given up on church though they were gifted with tremendous worship leading ability, they’ve dropped out. Why? They saw how the large church they attended dealt with their interns. They realised they were just a number, a cog in the wheel. They burnt out not because of a lack of faith or because they were frustrated with a gift-less church. They dropped out because of a lack of love.

Some are more concerned with their love of structures and strategies than the love of the saints.

What do churches need? Great preachers? The language of men and angels? Being a mouthpiece for God? Having wisdom and knowledge? Faith to be and act and do miracles upon miracles? What about amazing philanthropists? Is that it? Is that what our churches and communities need?

I talked with a pastoral couple yesterday and they reflected how after a number of years pastoring their church that their town knows the church loves the people in the community. The town knows they are loved by the church. Isn’t that amazing!

Here it is: love. Everything else doesn’t matter if you don’t have it.

Do they love people?
Is love for others the motivation behind their gifting, their action?
Loving really matters.
How you treat people counts!
Without love all you have is nothing.

We have seen the power of these spiritual gifts. We have been encouraged to eagerly desire them especially the greater gifts. But there is something that outweighs all of this.

Paul steps away from the spiritual gifts for a chapter. The gifts have divided the church and they have missed something of more importance.

He is going to show them.

“And yet I will show you the most excellent way.” (1 Corinthians 12 v 31)

I have seen a church which has wonderful structures, policies and the management of the church is second to none. Yet that church has not moved into this realm that Paul will speak of. In all of their excellent development they have not discovered the most excellent way.

I have seen a church which has developed a wonderful strategy of communication. I haven’t ever seen such a model. It is purposeful and it is done to give people freedom to express their desires and concerns. Yet the tone suggests they haven’t met the most excellent way.

We have read of a church that moves in the spiritual gifts and yet is divided because they have not known the most excellent way.

There is a way which outweighs all others. There is a way that diminishes all other efforts of man. There is a way that outshines even what God gives to man. This way has been shown. It has been demonstrated by God. It is the most excellent of ways.

There is a realm that is very different to the world we wake to and live in today.

When He speaks the most excellent way is spoken.

When He sends the most excellent way is opening up.

When He shows up the most excellent way is here.

The world does not know it, though they long for it. The most excellent way never originated with us. We had nothing to do with it. We would not have known this way unless we had been shown it.

So we move into this most excellent way….

We have spent time reading many verses on body parts. Now Paul tells us why.

“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. ²⁸ And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. ²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰ Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? ³¹ Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.” (1 Corinthians 12 v 27-31)

The point being is that you are a body part, you and your gift that has been given to you..

No Christian or expression of Church has it all. But we are told to eagerly desire the greater gifts and he provides another list.

Interestingly prophets are second. These are not so much the office of the Old Testament prophet but rather he is setting himself up for what he will say in chapter 14 where he urges us to eagerly desire prophecy.

Importantly the ‘different kinds of tongues’ that were causing the disunity in the church are at the end of the list. It was almost to say they’re not as important for you to fall out over, though in chapter 14 he will encourage us to use them.

Today you may focus on what you don’t have but don’t. Be thankful for what He has given you and how He is using you with that gifting. Pray for more gifts but don’t stress for no one has it all but everyone has something and what we have is powerful!

Ever been in a group of people where you can feel the superiority at the surface of people’s conversations? If not then spend a few moments on social media and you will discover it fairly quickly. This Church at Corinth had members who were feeling they were more important than others and it was based on their gifting. Where there is superiority you will always find inferiority. Equally members felt they were not quite making the grade. They were the foot or the ear of a body as Paul explains.

 ^“Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. ¹⁹ If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts, but one body. ²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” ²² On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and the parts that we think are less honourable we treat with special honour. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, ²⁴ while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honour to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵ so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. ²⁶ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it.” (1 Corinthians 12 v 15-26)

What does this tell us?

• You may feel inferior but you are needed as much as anyone else, v15.
• You may feel inadequate but that doesn’t change the fact you belong to the whole body of the Church, v16.
• Pay attention to the giftings in the Church that may appear small but make an important contribution, v17.
• God created the diversity of the Church. He intended for different gifts to be given to different people, v18.
• The most important gifting is the whole of the gifts working together, that is the intent of the Holy Spirit, v19-20.
• No one should look down on anyone for those that appear lesser are indispensable, v21-22
• The plan of God gives greater honour to those who don’t look as important, v23-25.
• Church members have bad days and good days and when they do then the whole Church is impacted if they are being who God created them to be, v26.

To take even just one of those points and think about your Church to pray and perhaps make changes in your own life will be transformational.

Paul takes a humorous image of body parts and uses them to bring about this profound teaching and the Church today needs to hear it more than ever.

A reminder: this church in Corinth were struggling with some hierarchy spirit and much division. Basing their evidence on the spiritual gift they had some members were seeing themselves as more important than others. Having gone through a list of the spiritual gifts explaining they all come from the one Spirit and for the common good and that no one has achieved anything to receive a gift, Paul explains that for the church to be what it is meant to be then diversity is essential.

“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized byone Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.” (1 Corinthians 12 v 12-14)

Through the Spirit we become part of something greater than ourselves. The Church isn’t just a one-gift church but rather made up of different gifts no matter what ethnicity or social class it is made up of.

One of my claim to fames is I achieved an ‘O’ level in music! What I strangely remember is Beethoven’s Sonata called Pathetique. I think because though I always thought the word meant pathetic when it means passion I also could play the opening bars!

But it is the opening movement that is remembered more than the Sonata itself. In fact that has been one of the developments of our times. Most can recall movements but they don’t know where they come from. They sit independent to the whole composition. The rest being discarded, ignored and totally forgotten.

Local Churches and even streams of churches/networks/denominations have become similar to movements and other than a Churches Together annual service have forgotten the symphony or sonata that they belong to.

There are 3 or 4 movements in a symphony or sonata. Each are different in pace, different keys, sometimes there is a correlation to the opening but not always. The movements build independently to the final movement where the composer is envisaging everything coming together journeying to the great crescendo as the audience stand to their feet in the auditorium with rapturous applause.

The church should remember it is a movement. The composer created you as a movement. Some are loud and some are quiet, fast, slow, but all are needed. The second movement cannot say let us get rid of the third movement because it is not in the same key. They have no voice. It is the composer’s voice. He is the Head. His name, Jesus.

In one sentence Paul strips away any thought of:- 

• Spiritual pride with the gifts. 
• Disappointment in not having certain gifts.
• Division within the church over the gifts.

Having explored each of the nine gifts Paul lists here (and there’s more) he repeats what he said in his opening line in v7. 

“All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” 1 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭11‬ ‭

• Gifts come from the same person, the Holy Spirit. They originate from Him. They are His gifts. They belong to Him. They are His work. Let me add more emphasis – they are not ours.
• Gifts come as the Holy Spirit determines. We can ask for the gifts and Paul will encourage us to do this later. But it’s not like we pick and choose what we want. It’s what He wants and ultimately what will bring glory to God.
• Gifts are given to each one. Every Spirit-filled believer is given gifts. No one is gift-less. The Holy Spirit knows which gifts to give to which person. 

When these gifts are respected and released they bring the reason why we are placed in the Church. They give purpose.

Even more importantly we know we are contributing to the unity and purpose of the Church. 

Today let these truths be known whichever part of God’s church you serve in. 

I’ve seen this gift being used beautifully. In a public setting after the gift of public tongues   Is given comes a powerful equivalent (not a translation) of what was just spoken. Perhaps we could call it a response. During listening to the public gift of tongues there is a heightened expectation that the interpretation will be coming either from the same person or someone else in the room. The Holy Spirit will be responding soon to give understanding and we await with a longing for what would be said. 

“to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.” 1 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭10‬

Paul will be saying in chapter 14 that if we have the public gift of tongues then we must seek the interpretation gift also because when we come together publicly everything needs to be understood. 

All my life the majority of times I have heard this gift in operation is what would be called an equivalent to prophecy. Although I know that the Holy Spirit can do what He wants to do, I cannot help think that if it is indeed prophecy (God speaking to man) then why not just let the prophetic gift flow. But perhaps through teaching we can understand that if tongues is for prayer, praise and giving thanks to God as the private use is in chapter 14 then the gift of interpretation is also God-ward. It is something that has been debated by many. For me, I have heard beautiful and powerful prayers that carry a prophetic edge but are given to God and these have followed the message in tongues. Every single time I have heard these I have marvelled of the impact of the gift of interpretation on the church.

Holy Spirit I humbly ask that you give this gift to me. Use me to empower your church. I reach out for the gift not only of tongues but of interpretation. Above all may Jesus be seen and glorified. Amen 

It is to speak in a language of people or angels which has not previously been learned. 

It was 11am Sunday morning, half an hour into the service and Big John stood up and spoke at length in a language very unfamiliar to me. The person next to me whispered, “the Holy Spirit is talking, wait and you will hear the message in English.” I was 14 yrs of age and learning that the Spirit spoke in an unknown language but that it could be understood in English. Big John would follow the similar pattern most Sunday mornings and usually the Spirit chose 11am to speak. I had arrived at an Elim Church. 

Here in chapter 12 we have tongues mentioned as one of the gifts. A gift that my Big John had. A public gift. But in a few verses time (v30) one that not everyone will have. In chapter 14 when we get to it we will read more about the personal gift, the grace of spiritual language and how it helps us in our discipleship and a desire by Paul that we all have this gift (v5).

“to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.” 1 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭10‬

Last week in the northern part of Kenya a team I was leading were praying for a group of Christians at the front of the church. They had responded to the message and were seeking more of God. As the team moved amongst them in prayer one of the members stopped totally taken by surprise because a young man was speaking English. “Let the glory of God be amongst the praises of His people.” He spoke these words twice. When we asked the leader there and then in the middle of what was going on to question the young man, we found that not only was he illiterate, but he had never spoken any English before in his life nor did he know anyone who had that language!

So why? What was going on in the move of the Holy Spirit as people were being healed by God of various sickness, as some were being saved and others set free? I’m not sure exactly but I do know that a new empowered faith came upon the team to pray for sicknesses because we knew, we had the evidence, God was here. 

This gift was promised by Jesus in Mark’s gospel (16:17).

On the first day of the Church this gift was in operation. 

It is listed here amongst the other gifts.

It is a gift to be received. 

Like the other gifts which need each other to be effective for example faith and healing; this gift needs the next gift especially if it is the language of angels and spoken publicly.

Holy Spirit saturate my life with your presence and power as I seek this gift of tongues of men and angels. Above all I pray this for the benefit of others, for the common good, that they may know you are here. I ask for this gift not for the attention to be given to me but that Jesus will be seen and glorified. Amen. 

It is a separate gift. Some think prophecy is today simply really good preaching, with unction (love that word!) but it’s not, though really good preaching can contain this gift of prophecy within it.

“To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.” 1 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭8‬-‭10‬

This is less about predicting future events (though it involves this) and more about  speaking God’s heart and mind into situations. 

This special message from God is in the language of the one speaking and the one hearing. It builds up and demands a response. 

It is not reliant on human thought and reasoning. 

We will discover that all may prophecy (14:1) but that does not mean all are prophets. The office is inseparable from the person whilst prophecy is given for the moment. The office comes second amongst Paul’s list and yet the gift is way down the list here in this list of Paul. 

Prophecy will never speak against the Bible. It will always be loving. 

Prophecies can and should be delivered in your normal voice. You won’t have to pretend a super spiritual voice. Just be you. 

Prophecies can be corrected and should be. Prophecies can change atmospheres of a room and bring understanding to the confused. Prophecy lifts the downhearted and sheds light for the way forward. To have prophecy is to be a conduit for the comfort of God. 

Holy Spirit I desire this gift. I earnestly seek this gift. Teach me how to use it. To the situations and people around me who long for a message of encouragement, speak through me. I desire for Jesus to be glorified. I align myself with your heart and mind towards people and eagerly expect you to give me your words that will build up and empower them. Amen