Reference: John 14:21, and I Corinthians12:4-7
Any church that is void of the gifts andthe power of God will not be a true witness for the cause and sake of JesusChrist. The gifts of the Spirit are imparted to each and every single member ofthe body of Christ. We are told in ICorinthians 12:27-31 that we are themembers that make up the body of Christ and we as individuals are placed in thebody by Almighty God himself. We certainly cannot place ourselves in the bodyof Christ to become a member of it and do the work that the word of God revealsthat the true body of believers will manifest. God places each member in thebody for a specific reason and purpose. Versetwenty-eight reveals that Godplaces the members into the body as some being first apostles, secondarilyprophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps,governments, diversities of tongues. Each one of these positions mentioned isgiven to a person through and by the Spirit. These gifts are not just given tothe members by their simple asking of it and receiving it like receiving a giftfrom our earthly father or from a friend. The gifts of the Spirit that aregiven to us is having an ability to perform the offices in which we have beenplaced. The ministerial gifts of which consists of five different offices areimparted to certain men by the Spirit, but in order for a man to be placed inone of the offices of the ministry, they must study the scriptures verydiligently waiting for God to place them in this position throughly furnishedwith the necessary knowledge to be able to teach others the truth of the wordmaking them disciples or converts of Christ.
If a man fails to study the scripturesas the word reveals then they will only be what the Bible calls false teachersand prophets. This is because they would not be throughly furnished unto allgood works as so stated in II Timothy 3:16-17. The scriptures are inspired of God to instruct us inrighteousness unto a perfect man, throughly furnished unto all good works. Aman's failure to be instructed by the knowledge of the scriptures will causehim to exalt himself and place himself in the ministry without being placedthere by the Spirit. Satan is the author of the false teachers and preachersthrough and by his tactics causing a man to by-pass the word of truth failingto come to the knowledge of its contents. God places the ministers into theministry in his own way which is teaching him the truth of the scripturesthrough and by the revelation of the Holy Ghost. Most men today think they arepreachers based on the fact that they have went to some Siminary school oftheology. The theology schools today are only schools where men are taught theway of man and not the way of God. God does not send a man to some school oftheology but rather he sends him to the scriptures teaching and revealing tohim his truth. God never did nor will he ever send a man to a school to betaught his word. The Holy Ghost is the teacher and revealer of truth and notman. The Holy Ghost educates a man through his word and he also enables him toperform his position. The Bible reveals that there are nine gifts of theSpirit which are, the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith,gifts of healing, working of miracles, prophecy, discerningof spirits, divers kinds of tongues, the interpretation oftongues, but all these works through and by the one Spirit of God that onereceives as a gift himself. The gifts of the ministry are given to a man by hisstudy of the scriptures waiting on God to place him in the ministry andenabling him to perform that office. The gifts such as the tongues, and faith,and working of miracles, and interpretation of tongues, word of wisdom andknowledge, are given to the members by the Spirit in due season. The religiousworld today has been blinded from the truth of the purpose of the five-foldministry, which consists of the apostle, the prophet, theteacher, the evangelist, and the pastor. They have beenblinded from the fact that this ministry is given to perfect the saints, forthe work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we allcome to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto aperfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ etc. Thereligious world today has been deceived into believing salvation was an instantwork performed on an individual and received at the altar. The truth of thematter is that we become children of God filled with the measure and stature ofChrist through a daily process as we receive and obey the truth of the word ofGod through the ministry of the word. The gifts of the Spirit are given tothose that covet them. Paul tells us in I Corinthians12:31 to "...covet earnestly for the best gifts: and yet show Iinto you a more excellant way." Tocovet a gift means for you to desire them. We are told in Psalms 37:4 to, "Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall givethee the desires of thine heart." Thereason why the gifts are not being given is for the fact that people arefailing to desire the word of God loving it with all their heart, soul, mind,and strength. To delight thyself in the Lord means for you to meditate daily onthe word of God. Your love and desire for the word of truth will transform youinto the image of the Lord Jesus Christ where you can be used of God. Theapostle Paul tells you to present your body unto God as a living sacrifice soyou can prove what is the will of God for your life. (Romans 12:1-2)To covet and desire a gift will not be given you unless you receive the word oftruth and obey it. Many people today desire the gifts but they despise the wordof truth. How is it possible for you to receive a gift if you hate and despisetruth? Satan has deceived many through his lying ministers that teach instantsalvation causing them to fail to come to the measure and stature of thefulness of Christ. The Pentecostals of today say they believe in the miraclesand the gifts of the Spirit but they have been deceived thinking they have thegifts when all the time they are living in a life of delusions. The true giftswill be given to those that receive and obey the truth of God's word that willperfect them filling them with the measure and the stature of Christ Jesus. Theapostle Paul tells us in I Corinthians 14:1 to follow after charity and to desire spiritual gifts.People today have failed to follow after charity which is done by our desiringthe word of God more than anything else. God's word makes a new creation out ofthe believer, but people today do not want truth. They want what they can getbut they are not willing to offer their bodies as a living sacrifice as theBible says to do in Romans 12:1-2 which can only be done by your obedience to the revealedword of truth. Your delight in the Lord must be your love and desire for theword of God. We must be as David, love God's word more than life itself. Thelove and desire of the word of God will make a new creation out of the believerplacing them where they can receive the gifts from God....