Practical Applications of the Motivational Gifts...

Yesterday I gave you some blanks to fill in concerning the gifts. Here are the answers :)


An illness keeps a woman bedridden for a month. If each of her seven immediate neighbors has a different motivational gift, how will each one express love to her? Fill in the blanks.


Server...
will take over meals, offer to do housework, run errands, mow the lawn.


Compassionate Person... will ask how she feels, empathize, hug, weep, stay by her bedside.


Teacher ...
will find it hard to relate to her, but will take a good book and tapes.




Exhorter...
will go right over and encourage her, share uplifting Scripture.


Administrator...
will find out what she needs and organize the neighborhood to meet the needs.


Giver...
will bring food and other gifts, spend time talking and listening.


Perceiver... will pray both privately and with her for healing, strength and endurance.




Motivational Gifts IN SUNDAY SCHOOL…


The perceiver will want to teach the older youth and adults.
The server will prefer to help the teacher or help in the nursery handle the custodial work or be the secretary.
The teacher will aim at teaching the adult or college-age classes, or preparing and providing enrichment material.
The exhorter will be happy to teach any age and will be especially good with children and teenagers.
The giver will do well teaching any age, and may also want to handle finances or promote missionary support and offerings.
The administrator will be delighted to be in charge or be department superintendent or teach an adult class.
The compassion person will migrate to teaching or helping in the primary age, pre-school or nursery departments.


Can you think of any other jobs in Sunday School or Church services that would fit any of the gifts’ motivations?


1. Greeter/Welcome person to meet and greet people as they come in…making sure they get to the right Sunday School class. Server, Compassion Person, Exhorter


2. Usher


3. Class secretary/records keeper. This is crucial because this person will know who’s missing and find out why… will let the Teacher know.




Motivational Gifts IN BIBLE STUDIES…
Perceiver will: Spend much time in prayerful preparation; use the Bible as basic text book; focus on subjects like prayer, prophecy and God’s will.


Server will: Prefer not to teach but to provide the place for the study. But if pressed will use prepared materials; do a detailed preparation of the lesson; focus on practical subjects that demonstrate faith.


Teacher will: Want to prepare his own lesson plans; spend much time in biblical research; prefer teaching an entire book of the Bible or a thematic topic.


Exhorter will: Use prepared material; draw from life experience for illustrations; choose subjects that will help people live victoriously.


Giver will: Enjoy doing his own preparation; tend to gear each lesson to win someone to Christ; focus on subjects like evangelism and missions.


Administrator will: Organize materials into his own special lesson plan; bring in resource people for added interest; cover broad subjects from a variety of aspects.


Compassion person will: Use prepared materials; be spontaneous in teaching methods; focus on God’s love and right relationships.


We are only here to be prepared for our eternal purpose and the only way we can be prepared is to understand it is all for God’s glory. If we give our gifts away…utilizing them in God’s service then we are rich beyond measure and God just pours more and more into us to be used for His purposes.


Just remember that God has given us our motivational gifts so that we will have the eagerness and the energy to join Him in His work. When you are operating within your gift, you have the energy of Paul who wrote in his second letter to the Corinthians that

• 2 Corinthians 11 24 I've been flogged five times with the Jews' thirty-nine lashes, 25 beaten by Roman rods three times, pummeled with rocks once. I've been shipwrecked three times, and immersed in the open sea for a night and a day. 26 In hard traveling year in and year out, I've had to ford rivers, fend off robbers, struggle with friends, struggle with foes. I've been at risk in the city, at risk in the country, endangered by desert sun and sea storm, and betrayed by those I thought were my brothers. 27 I've known drudgery and hard labor, many a long and lonely night without sleep, many a missed meal, blasted by the cold, naked to the weather. 28 And that's not the half of it, when you throw in the daily pressures and anxieties of all the churches. 29 When someone gets to the end of his rope, I feel the desperation in my bones. When someone is duped into sin, an angry fire burns in my gut. 30 If I have to "brag" about myself, I'll brag about the humiliations that make me like Jesus. 31 The eternal and blessed God and Father of our Master Jesus knows I'm not lying.

If Paul kept on going after all that, who are we to complain about a little discomfort out of our comfort zones? Our purpose is to bring God glory and to spread His gospel. Paul did this beautifully.
God bestows upon us these gifts so that we'll reflect His glory and so that we'll grow up to look just like Daddy! And so that when we get married, we'll have a most beautiful, bright white wedding gown on that is the righteous acts of the saints. Amen!




I pray you have enjoyed this Study, but my deepest prayer is that Jesus has taught you more about yourself and about those you love.

Every Christian a Minister -- Why we have our Motivational Gifts

Every Christian a Minister…

Just for fun, see if you can determine how each gift would react or handle the situation oulined below.

An illness keeps a woman bedridden for a month. If each of her seven immediate neighbors has a different motivational gift, how will each one express love to her? Fill in the blanks.

__________ will take over meals, offer to do housework, run errands, mow the lawn.


____________ __________ will ask how she feels, empathize, hug, weep, stay by her bedside.


___________ will find it hard to relate to her, but will take a good book and tapes.

____________ will go right over and encourage her, share uplifting Scripture.

_______________ will find out what she needs and organize the neighborhood to meet the needs.

________________ will bring food and other gifts, spend time talking and listening.

________________ will pray with her and privately for her healing, strength and endurance.


Do not think that your Gift is an excuse for not diving into a specific ministry. "Oh, that isn't my gift! I can't do that!" Not true. God gives each of us an added dash of other gifts so we can "fill in" for those who are walking in the flesh or are not working their ministry that God prepared for them to do way back at the foundation of the world.

However... filling in is totally different than continuing and/or taking over!

Four years ago, my Dad died. There were so many financial gifts given to the church in memory of him. The Stewardship Committee and the Deacons asked Mom what she thought Dad would have liked done with all that money. After she prayed it through, she felt that God was leading towards a children's ministry outreach through God's Mission Center. It was an ambitious, but great idea. All the workers just volunteered. My Mom looked at me expecting me to fall into this ministry with heart, soul and body just like it was my own God-ordained ministry.

I told her I'd help out for a few days, but it was absolutely not my calling or my ministry. I told her that if I stepped in, that I'd be taking someone else's place and that wasn't what God wanted. Four years later I was still doing Sonshine Kids every Saturday morning.

After the first year, it was still fun so I didn't have a problem. During the second year, I began dreading Saturdays so I prayed that if God wanted and needed me there to please change my attitude. He did. The third year another lady came in to help who relieved me greatly so I didn't have to do everything (when I say I was doing everything -- I mean on Saturday mornings. I did not have to prepared the lessons or gather materials). So, I could miss a Saturday or two when I had college tests or to study. Not quite so bad.

The fourth year (this past fall), I was in complete dread. I was angry. I resented my Mom and the kids and most especially the ministry. When working in a ministry and it becomes a Two-ton-Tilly that you are dragging up a mountain trail... be advised that you are not operating within God's will.

STOP

Don't think that you can use your feelings as an excuse. You must make sure that you have no unconfessed sin or that you are walking in the flesh because that can cause the same kind of reaction.

Be very sure before you quit the ministry that it is what God wants you to do, otherwise you'll never be at peace until you get everything straight with Him.

Motivational Spiritual Gifts and how Jesus illustrates them

Jesus possessed all the gifts in great measure and He exhibited them all in Scripture. (See Saturday for the Perceiver Gift)


As a Server He worked with His hands as a carpenter, He washed His disciples feet and said the greatest is the servant. He exhibited a great amount of energy in his 3.5 year ministry. How He kept going is an amazing feat. If you'd like the Biblical references for these, email me and I'll send them to you.


As a Teacher He continuously taught as He went. The crowds would gather, He would sit and teach. He taught at synogogues and on the hill sides in boats and as He walked along. He fulfilled the Law. He taught Truth because He is the Truth the Way and the Life. He quoted Scripture, but He never overwhelmed with His knowledge. Often times, His disciples would wait until the crowds dispersed and then ask what His teaching meant. John 14 is a good example. He was intelligent, curious and self-controlled (He made the whip He used to drive out the moneychangers.)


As an Exhorter He taught people how to live a victorious life The Beattitudes in Matthew 5:1-12. He gave positive illustrations in His parables and teachings and He gave step by step instructions such as in Matthew 18:15-17 15 "If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him--work it out between the two of you. If he listens, you've made a friend. 16 If he won't listen, take one or two others along so that the presence of witnesses will keep things honest, and try again. 17 If he still won't listen, tell the church. If he won't listen to the church, you'll have to start over from scratch, confront him with the need for repentance, and offer again God's forgiving love. He accepted people as they were such as the robber on the cross who was with Him that day in Paradise. His own life was a witness to the truth... He lived what He preached.


As a Giver He fed the 5000 and the 4000. He gave His energy to others such as when the woman touched the tallit of His prayer shawl and she was healed from her 12-year illness. He told John the Baptist when John questioned, that the blind see and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed the deaf hear and the dead are raised, the wretched of the earth have God's salvation extended to them. He gave His life so that we might live.


As an Administrator He chose and organized His followers, not only the twelve but also the 70 as in Luke 10. He was highly motivated to finish His mission. He recognized His authority came from God and He exercised that authority. He delegated jobs to His workers. He endured criticism from those opposed to His mission. He took responsibility -- the ultimate responsibility -- for the weaknesses and the sins of those who follow Him.

As a Compassionate Person He showed love towards the rich young ruler whom He knew would turn from Him and reject Him. (Mark 10:21) He was not only aware of people's physical needs, but He supplied them. He was alert to emotional and psychological needs. Matt 9:36 36 When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. He expressed emotion when He wept. He mourned over Jerusalem. He was alert to the needs of His followers to "Come with Me to this quiet place and rest."


There are so many more that there is no space to write them all. I'm quite sure you could think of several just halfway thinking about it.


This study was taken from Charles Stanley's sermons and from Don and Katy Fortune's book Discovering Your Spiritual Gifts Their website is www.heart2heart.org


Continue the Study...

Motivational Gifts -- Biblical Exhortations

____________________Putting Love Into Action

Romans 12:9-21(Amplified Bible)

9 [Let your] love be sincere (a real thing); hate what is evil [loathe all ungodliness, turn in horror from wickedness], but hold fast to that which is good.10Love one another with brotherly affection [as members of one family], giving precedence and showing honor to one another. 11 Never lag in zeal and in earnest endeavor; be aglow and burning with the Spirit, serving the Lord. 12 Rejoice and exult in hope; be steadfast and patient in suffering and tribulation; be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of God's people [sharing in the necessities of the saints]; pursue the practice of hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you [who are cruel in their attitude toward you]; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice [sharing others' joy], and weep with those who weep [sharing others' grief]. 16 Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty (snobbish, high-minded, exclusive), but readily adjust yourself to [people, things] and give yourselves to humble tasks. Never overestimate yourself or be wise in your own conceits. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but take thought for what is honest and proper and noble [aiming to be above reproach] in the sight of everyone. 18 If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave the way open for [God's] wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay (requite), says the Lord. 20But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head. 21 Do not let yourself be overcome by evil, but overcome (master) evil with good.



Take a minute to write down all the specific actions Christians are to do as we live for Jesus and live like Jesus. How do these actions apply to your gift? Here again, it is a matter of preference, not a matter of duty. Which of these actions are just your natural reaction or inclination to situations?

I do not have permission from Don and Katy Fortune to post from their book anything except the attributes. Therefore, I will just post some scripture which illustrate Jesus's attributes of each gift. (One of my English teacher friends just informed me that it is correct grammer to put the 's on the end of a person's name that ends in "s". It goes against the grain for me because I didn't learn it that way in Freshman English. I'm sorry Mrs. Boatright!) See if you can list the attribute depicted from each verse. We'll start at Perceiver dtoday and go through each gift to Mercy by the end of the week.

John 12:49 I'm not making any of this up on my own. The Father who sent me gave me orders, told me what to say and how to say it.

– John 14:6 Jesus said, "I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from me.

John 4:18 You've had five husbands, and the man you're living with now isn't even your husband. You spoke the truth there, sure enough.
and
Matthew 12:34"You have minds like a snake pit! How do you suppose what you say is worth anything when you are so foul-minded? It's your heart, not the dictionary, that gives meaning to your words.

Mark 1:35 While it was still night, way before dawn, he got up and went out to a secluded spot and prayed.

Matthew 21:13 He quoted this text:My house was designated a house of prayer;You have made it a hangout for thieves.

Matthew 23:27 "You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You're like manicured grave plots, grass clipped and the flowers bright, but six feet down it's all rotting bones and worm-eaten flesh.



These illustrate some attributes of the Perceiver. Okay... you don't have time to go looking up all the references. I understand that. The attributes are, speaking only what God says; the Truth is important above all things; He could see into people's hearts; He prayed and interceded; He hated evil; He was frank and outspoken.


Continue the Study...

Motivational Spiritual Gifts -- Practical Applications

_______________________ Practical Applications

The epitome of practical application of Spiritual Gifts is Jesus. He had them all in equal measure and applied them perfectly. We only need to read one of the Gospels to find Jesus illustrating them all. Since we are not Jesus, and since God promised us a prominence in one gift for the edification of the church body as well as for our own motivations, we have a huge range of applications to discover. You have probably already thought of various applications for your gift as well as the gift of others in your church. If you are on a personnel committe or a nominating committee, I beg you to consider the gifts before you stick a sibling in a job that they may not be motivated to do.


Evaluation of your Motivational Spiritual Gifts…

You may have some close scores and there could be a number of reasons for this:

1. It may be that your motivational gift was squelched in your childhood or is currently being hindered by a current circumstance…therefore another gift may be taking precedence at this point.

2. A second reason is that your self-image is so poor that you are unable to even recognize your underlying personality and your actual giftedness. This sounds so harsh, but recognizing a poor self-image and/or false humility is the first step to actually realizing your own special gift that God gave you. Recognizing that is then the next step to being utilized by God for the work He prepared for you before the foundation of the world.

3. Perhaps your current activities or employment make strong use of a secondary gift so your scoring is influenced more by your present involvement rather than your giftedness.

4. Or you’re trying to be something you are not. Perhaps you are trying not to be something you are.

5. Finally, you may indeed have two motivational gifts that are equally strong because God gifted you in just that way. The two gifts will modify each other in order to bring harmony and balance.

If you find you have identical scores in two gifts then then set the scoring sheet aside for a few days or weeks. During this time, pay attention to the choices you make, how you feel in situations and pay special attention to what motivates you. After studying these gifts for these past weeks, it shouldn’t take you long to come up with a “leaning” toward one of the gifts. If not, then face the fact that you have two primary gifts. There are some people like that.

We are going to study this week the various ways we are commanded to put Love into action. Love In Action is the actual utilizing of your Spiritual Gifts.

Continue the Study...

Total up Spiritual Gift scores

Okay, total up all your scores. I hope you've been keeping a running total of each gift. I hope this grid thing works below so that it'll be easier for you to see how you score. This is what mine looks like...


My Scores
GIFTS 10% \ 20% \ 30% \ 40% \ 50% \ 60% \ 70% \ 80% \ 90% \ 100%][TOTAL] Perceiver............ ..................[ 84% ]
Server....................................[ 52% ]
Teacher................................ [ 84% ]
Exhorter................................[ 87% ]
Giver..................................... [ 80% ]
Administrator.......................[ 98% ]
Compassion.......................... [ 80% ]

I am an Administrator. 
I am motivated by getting a big job done. I wondered why the people in my church didn't see my abilities or want to use them in any way. Then I got on my knees and asked God to use my abilities. He put a heavy burden on my heart to reach out to the women in my community and my region of Northeast Louisiana. Refreshment in Refuge was born. It is a women's retreat in January... the time when women need nourishing refreshment in our Lord because we come through the holidays barely hanging on to our sanity. I love this ministry! I cherish my time with God while I plan it and when I write the Bible study for it.


I challenge you today, to look at your scores then go back and read again all about your prominent gift. Then ask God to use your gift in the way He deems proper. Do not expect the people in your church to recognize your abilities and then to use them. Your church family doesn't know you like God does. God will make the way for using your Gift like no human can possibly imagine!


Next week we will be looking at some practical applications of the gifts. I hope you have enjoyed this series. More importantantly, after next week, I pray you will be greatly edified in how to use your gift through God's strength for the greatest impact.


Continue the Study...

Attributes of the Gift of Mercy day 5

__________________Misunderstandings Of The Gift Of Mercy

1. Sensitivity to spirit and feelings of others may lead some to think they are being guided by emotion rather than logic. Sometimes this is true but most often it is the immediate recognition of the hurt and the need to step in to protect the one being hurt. The reaction and the motive is purely unselfish.

Unfortunately, the Gift of Mercy only sees the hurt and does not see how the hurt helps. The person with this gift needs to look past the hurt and see how God is using the hurt to help stimulate Spiritual growth .

2. Avoidance of firmness in a situation may appear to be weakness or indecisiveness, this isn't the case, though. The Gift of Mercy wants to comfort above all things and to make the hurts go away, even to the point of taking on the hurt themselves in order to help the other person get better. However, Empathy does not rule the Gift of Mercy. This Gift gently and carefully moves in to make a healing atmosphere, they have a lighter touch than most other gifts. To them, healing is the most prominent and most important event. The Gift of Exhortation wants the hurter to learn from the situation, the Perceiver wants the hurter to hear what God is trying to say through the hurt, the Teacher wants to compare different Biblical examples of the exact same situation. The Gift of Mercy doesn't see anything but a clear track to healing.

Can you see how the different Gifts can possibly be a War with each other? If not for the Binding of the Holy Spirit into unity, these gifts could squabble over a patient until the patient expires!

3. Sensitivity to words and actions which cause hurt may appear to be “taking up another person’s defense”. I have seen the mouse change into the lion more times than I can count on message forums. This Gift does defend the perceived helpless and can become quite the Mother Bear defending her cubs. Once again, this Gift must look at the broader picture before jumping into a scrap. Taking stock of the whole situation enables this Gift to realize when it is appropriate to jump into a fray.

4. Ability to detect insincere motives may appear they are hard to get to know.
The discernment of the Gift of Mercy is phenomonal. The Gift of Perceiver and the Gift of Mercy can spot a fraud a mile away. Trust their instincts! They won't steer you wrong unless they are walking in the flesh, not the Spirit.

5. Attraction to and understanding of those in distress may be misinterpreted by those of the opposite sex. As stated before, this can lead to sexual sin and Satan can turn a helping hand into a web of seduction. The person with the Gift of Mercy must understand this can happen and take steps to avoid this misunderstanding both from his/her own perspective as well as from the other person's perspective. I know this is true because I fell into this trap!

This Gift needs to be careful not to drop to the level of the person they are trying to help and become ineffective in God’s hands.

Evident Distinctions Of The Gift Of Mercy When Walking

In the Flesh....................................... In the Spirit
Unconcern ......................................................Attentiveness
Callousness .....................................................Sensitivity
Partiality ........................................................Fairness
Indifference ...................................................Compassion
Harshness ......................................................Gentleness
Rudeness .......................................................Deference
Anger .............................................................Meekness


REMEMBER…
God has “predestined us before the foundation of the world to be conformed to the image of His Son.” He enables us by the presence of the Holy Spirit and through the gifts He has placed in each of us to help one another reach that goal.

Never = 0
Seldom = 1
Sometimes = 2
Usually = 3
Mostly = 4
Always = 5
Total _______________


Continue the Study... For the best part to Total your scores and find out who you are ;)

Attributes of the Gift of Mercy day 4

For the rest of the week we will search Ruth for the attributes. Turn to Ruth and read this short but so sweet love story. I am a firm believer that reading this short book at least twice a year gives greater meaning to Grace, Love and Hope. The rest of the characteristics will be found here. Can you find the verses that depict these attributes?


11. Is drawn to others with the gift of compassion.

12. Loves to do thoughtful things for others.


13. Is trusting and trustworthy.

14. Avoids conflicts and confrontations.

15. Doesn’t like to be rushed in a job or activity.

16. Is typically cheerful and joyful.

17. Is ruled by the heart rather than their head.

18. Rejoices to see others blessed and grieves to see others hurt.

19. Is a crusader for good causes.

20. Intercedes for the hurts and problems of others.


The challenge for these today is to not only find the attributes but to also identify why no one person in the book of Ruth displays all the attributes.


Isn't that interesting? Why do you think that is?


This exercise is to show you that all of us have a healthy portion of the gift of Mercy and not one of us displays Mercy in the same way. John writes that God is Love. Therefore, when the Holy Spirit resides within us, we are molded and melded into the Holy Spirit becoming alive Spiritually. Since God is love, and we are one with God (in answer to Jesus' prayer in John 17), every Christian has this gift in abundance. All the other gifts temper this one. If we had nothing but Mercy, then we would be easily tossed about because thinking with the heart and not with the brain is dangerous, indeed.


Now, go back and read 1 Corinthians 13 again. Read it with all twenty attributes of the gift of Mercy in mind. God has given us the gift of Mercy so that His work will be done with the right heart attitude and the right motive. When we have the right heart attitude and the right motives, our works are like precious jewels, gold and silver: righteous acts. Those righteous acts will be our Bright White Bridal Gown!


Never = 0
Seldom = 1
Sometimes = 2
Usually = 3
Mostly = 4
Always = 5
Total _______________




Continue the Study...

Attributes of the Gift of Mercy day 3

Remember we are still in Luke 10...


6. Is more concerned for mental and emotional distress than physical distress. This one is implied.




7. Is motivated to help people have right relationships with one another.



8. Loves opportunities to give preference or place to others.


9. Takes care with words and actions to avoid hurting others.


10. Easily detects insincerity or wrong motives.


Compassion people are love in action. This will never vary. I know I said this yesterday, but it is worthy to repeat it. Sometimes when any of the other gifts are faced with a trauma within their life, God will give them a booster shot of the Gift of Mercy. If you are experiencing any recent life changing trauma such as divorce, death of a loved one, rejection in the form of a job lay-off or firing or the breaking up of a serious relationship or something similar… you should be aware you will always score high in this gift during these times. God does this for two specific reasons. One is to take your focus off yourself and your situation and into a more healthy train of thought. And Two is for you to realize that you are not alone in your hurting/pain. God made us as one body in Jesus.


We will suffer pain, trials and persecution in order to grow in Spiritual maturity. Other reasons we suffer these tribulations is to: Give God the glory; to minister to others who are going through the same situations we did; and to become stronger in our faith and walk with Him, to get closer to Him.


Never = 0
Seldom = 1
Sometimes = 2
Usually = 3
Mostly = 4
Always = 5
Total _______________




Continue the Study...

Attributes of the Gift of Mercy day 2

______________Characteristics Of The Gift Of Mercy

Luke 10:25 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up, testing Him and saying, Teacher, What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? 26 And He said to him, What has been written in the Law? How do you read it? 27 And answering, he said, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength," and with all your mind, and "your neighbor as yourself." (Deut. 6:5; Lev. 19:18) 28 And He said to him, You have answered rightly; do this, and you shall live. 29 But desiring to justify himself, he said to Jesus, And who is my neighbor? 30 And taking it up, Jesus said, A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell in with plunderers, who both stripping him and laying on blows, went away, leaving him being half dead. 31 But by a coincidence, a certain priest was going on that road; and seeing him, he passed on the opposite side. 32 And in the same way, a Levite, also being at the place, coming and seeing him, he passed on the opposite side. 33 But a certain traveling Samaritan came upon him, and seeing him, he was filled with pity. 34 And coming near, he bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. And putting him on his own animal, he brought him to an inn and cared for him. 35 And going forth on the morrow, taking out two denarii, he gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, Care for him, and whatever more you spend, on my return I will repay to you. 36 Who, then, of these three seems to you to have become a neighbor to the one having fallen among the plunderers? 37 And he said, The one doing the deed of mercy with him. Then Jesus said to him, Go, and you do likewise.

This story is so deep and has so many lessons, but we're going to look at the lessons which point to the gift of mercy. Some of the characteristics of this gift are implied here, others are spelled out. We'll see if we can find them all.

1. Has tremendous capacity to show love.

The Samaritan didn't care if this man was Jew, Gentile or Samaritan. His actions showed that he cared he was a human being in dire need. God says that the love of man will grow cold in these last days. The Gift of Mercy is greatly needed.

There was a study done in Chicago in which a person dressed up like a homeless man (stinky clothes and all), lay down on the side walk next to a building and moaned softly and at time loudly. The "test subjects" (those people who were asked to participate in an experiment but were not told what the experiment was only that they needed to prepare a speech and give it to a class at a certain time. On purpose, some of the subjects were delayed while others were given plenty of time to get to the class early. Every one of the subjects had to pass this man moaning on the sidewalk. Out of the 37 subjects, only 5 stopped to give aid. One of them was late and the other 4 were on time. I am certain those 5 people had a huge dose of the Gift of Mercy.

2. Always looks for good in people.

The Samaritan did not wait to find out if the man was of good character or not. He just helped. Often times a Mercy person will bend over backwards to give the benefit of doubt to anyone they come in contact with. The grumpy person is "just having a bad day"; the rude person is "just in a hurry". This person will be courtious to a fault until they perceive someone else is being stomped on, then all the fangs and claws come out in defense of that person.

3. Senses the Spiritual and emotional atmosphere in a group or individual.

The person with the Gift of Mercy predominant will understand this trait without explanation. The Mercy person can sense emotions quite accurately. This gift will surface as the dominant gift when the Christian has just suffered something tragic such as the death of a spouse or divorce or some unusually tough times with the kids. I believe that God gives us this during the time of grief so that we will not be focused on our own problems but will become "distracted" by the problems of others. It is a coping mechanism.

4. Is attracted to people who are hurting or in distress.

Just like the Good Samaritan was.

5. Takes action to remove hurts and relieve distress in others.

Can you see each of these qualities in the passage above?

Never = 0
Seldom = 1
Sometimes = 2
Usually = 3
Mostly = 4
Always = 5
Total _______________

Continue the Study...

Attributes of the Gift of Mercy

_________________ Attributes of the Gift of Mercy

Greek word – Eleeo (el-eh-eh'-o) -- to have mercy on
to help one afflicted or seeking aid
to help the afflicted, to bring help to the wretched
to experience mercy
kindness or good will towards the miserable and the afflicted, joined with a desire to help them
of men towards men: to exercise the virtue of mercy, show one's self merciful
of God towards men: in general providence; the mercy and clemency of God in providing and offering to men salvation by Christ
the mercy of Christ, whereby at his return to judgment he will bless true Christians with eternal life
The Biblical illustration for the gift of Mercy is John and the Good Samaritan.


Mercy/Compassion is neither a “feminine” or “masculine” gift. It is a character trait of God as are all the Motivational Spiritual Gifts.


More people have the gift of Mercy than any other gift. It balances all the other gifts as in the case of balancing strengths and weaknesses. To reflect upon Paul’s assertion, 1 Corinthians 13 is a description of godly Mercy.

1Corinthians 13:1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but I do not have love, I have become as sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophecies, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give out all my goods,
and if I deliver my body that I be burned, but I do not have love, I am not profited anything. 4 Love has patience, is kind; love is not envious; love is not vain, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave indecently, does not pursue its own things, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth. 7 Love quietly covers all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails. But if there are prophecies, they will be caused to cease; if tongues, they shall cease; if knowledge, it will be caused to cease. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect thing comes, then that which is in part will be caused to cease. 11 When I was an infant, I spoke as an infant, I thought as an infant, I reasoned as an infant. But when I became a man, I caused to cease the things of the infant. 12 For now we see through a mirror in dimness, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will fully know even as I also was fully known. 13 And now faith, hope, and love, these three things remain; but the greatest of these is love.

The greatest of these is Love. In these last days, God says that the love of man for mankind will grow cold. That is a most terrifying thought. We just think it's bad now. My dad used to have a morbid joke about the news: Let's get today's body count. That's cold.

• PERCEPTION A cowboy rode into town and stopped at the saloon for a drink (root beer, of course!). Unfortunately, the locals always had a habit of picking on those of a British background, which he was. When he finished, he found his horse had been stolen. He came back into the bar, handily flipped his gun into the air, caught it above his head without even looking and fired a shot into the ceiling. "WHICH ONE OF YOU SIDEWINDERS STOLE MY HOSS?" he yelled with surprising forcefulness.
  
  No one answered. "ALRIGHT, I'M GONNA HAVE ME ANOTHA SODA, AND IF MY HOSS AIN'T BACK OUTSIDE BY THE TIME I FINISH, I'M GONNA DO WHAT I DUN IN TEXAS! AND IIIIIIIIIIII DON'T LIKE TO HAVE TO DO WHAT I DUUUUUN IN TEXAS!"
  
  Some of the locals shifted restlessly while he had another root beer, walked outside, and his horse was back! He saddled up and started to ride out of town. The bartender wandered out of the bar and asked, "Say partner, what happened in Texas?"
  
  The cowboy turned back and said, "I had to walk home..."

Persons with the gift of Compassion have the ability to feel atmosphere of joy or distress in a group of people. Most of the people with this gift do not recognize it as an attribute of the gift and the ability will distress them.

They have a tendency to be attracted to people having emotional or physical distress. And the folks experiencing distress will develop a physical attraction to the Compassion person of the opposite sex because they misinterpret the attention. They have an ability to project themselves into another person’s problems. Their desire to remove hurts and bring healing generally prevents them from looking for benefits in the pain felt by the objects of their attention.

They have a greater concern for mental distress than physical distress because of their knowledge that inner feelings are of utmost importance. They will always reach out with love and caring to soothe and heal.

Compassion people are sensitive to words and actions so as not to hurt anyone and when hearing anything critical, they react to it. Their tendency to react harshly when intimate friends are rejected or hurt makes them a champion in causes. Their sense of loyalty causes them to feel another’s pain and this trait keeps the rest of us in touch with feelings as none of the other gifts can do.

They sense genuine love and have a greater vulnerability to a sense of lack of love. They are more easily hurt and more frequently hurt. Compassion people need to feel that “protective care” from their mate and will back off if hurt. They understand commitment and will give it unconditionally. They have a need for deep friendships with deep commitments and they have a need for genuine awareness of commitment.

They measure acceptance by physical closeness and quality time together. They will be attracted to other compassion people. This is the only gift that will be attracted to itself. All the other gifts seem to pair off with other gifts such as an Administrator with a Perceiver or Teacher…A Giver with an Exhorter etc.

Mercy people do not like confrontations. They will avoid firmness with a person in counseling until they are made to see the benefit to that person. Mercy people must realize they need to temper their gift with wisdom. We must not interfere with God when someone is in the middle of being broken…we might prolong it.

They have a great ability to detect insincerity immediately and will close relationships or reject those displaying insincerity and insensitivity.

Continue the Study...

What a difference a day makes... or does it?

That is my laptop and that is my hand. What is different about my hand today from Saturday?

Okay, so I jumped the gun, skipped to the last chapter and basically left out all the kissing parts! I'll get to that soon. We've got to finish our study on the Motivational Gifts of the Spirit so we can be effective ministers of Christ.

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One interesting note that I will be discussing soon and the background is on another blog.

My dear sister in Christ, Sue McHenry, who blogs at Biblical Therapy had an amazing post about Divorce.

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A couple of the questions thrown at us yesterday at church...

Q: When are you tying the knot?

A: Don't know yet. There are a lot of mountains we must climb. So I'm asking prayer for this. His mom lives in his house and we are not moving her out so we must find a place to live for a while. I must have a job so we can maintain 2 households. My job must be flexible so I can take Mom and his mom to the doctors. It is a tangle that God can unravel and I do expect Him to do this in His perfect timing.

Q: That was really quick! Are you sure?

A: As sure as the sun will rise tomorrow morning. It really wasn't all that quick. We've been dating far longer than we have been sitting together in church! We didn't sit together in church until we were fairly certain we'd be getting married eventually -- we certainly didn't want tongues wagging if there wasn't anything to our relationship except friendship.

I have really tried to find something I did not like or could not live with and I cannot not. He is as true as he appears. For the whole parish of Tensas to say, "He is a really nice guy," is an amazing feat. All the folks that I have grown to love as my church family have known him since he was born and I trust their judgment almost as much as I trust God's. My church family tried to tell one of my dear friends not to get involved with a certain fellow, advised against it from the beginning. And they were right back then, I'm certain they are correct now.

But most importantly, what does God have to say about all this? What an interesting question! We'll explore that question, next week.

Attributes of the Administrator day 5

_____________________________________ Day Five Bible Study

Misunderstandings Of The Gift Of Administration

1. Delegating may appear as being lazy.

Those who do not have this gift usually look upon the Organizer as the best thing since sliced bread. The Administrator must recognize the gifts of those under her because she must deal with each gift in a different way. Once a person recognizes his/her gift, then it becomes much easier to understand how to relate to others with the same gift as well as others with different gifts. Any Administrator should go through this study because it will make their work so very much easier! Each gift is motivated by something a little bit different, once the Administrator understands how to motivate people, the sky's the limit when it comes to getting things done.

2. Hard shell may appear as unfeeling and that he doesn’t care

3. Not explaining why tasks must be done may appear as using people
a. we are all so afraid someone might “use us” but as long as God’s work is being done, what does it matter?
b. if we are used or even “misused”, isn’t Romans 8:28 still true?

The Administrator simply must realize that all folks do not have his vision for the Big Picture. He must understand that some folks need the reason behind an action (Exhorters and Teachers), while others (Servers) just want to take one step at a time with their work divided up into stages. Don't overwhelm the Server with the big picture, it freaks them out. (If you are a Server, there is no shame in this. In fact this is the greatest gift to the Administrator because it forces him to make a game plan that is easily understandable to everyone on the team.)

4. Viewing people as resources may appear that projects are more important than they are

We all must remember that the Admin is the driving force behind the projects. Take a minute and think about that person at your church who can organize any project at the drop of a hat, who is never frazzled by having to go to Plan Z after Plans A-Y failed or were unsuitable. If for some reason that person seems more focused on the project than on the fact that Janie has no babysitter so she can't stuff envelopes, it isn't because the Admin doesn't care, it is because the Admin has moved on to finding a replacement. The project isn't everything it just seems that way.

5. Desire to complete tasks quickly may appear insensitive to others’ schedules.

This is very similar to number 4. Sometimes it takes a person with the gift of Mercy to say something kind to the Admin to make her stop and put things back in priority, especially if the Admin is operating in the Flesh and not in the Spirit.

EVIDENT DISTINCTIONS OF THE GIFT OF ADMINISTRATION WALKING


In the Flesh.......................................... In the Spirit
...Disorganized.........................................................Orderly
...Un-aggressive...................................................... Takes Initiative
...Unreliable............................................................. Responsible
...Proud.................................................................... Humble
...Double Minded.................................................... Decisive
...Fainthearted........................................................ Determined
...Unfaithful.............................................................. Loyal

Helpful Tip from my friend David

I was so surprised to know this as I use the computer all the time. I changed the size of my letters on my computer with it. Very good tip.
David


THIS IS FOR ALL YOU (US) OLD PEOPLE and those that have to wear
glasses for reading (or you younger people who can't see either)!

I just found this out and thought I'd pass this on. It's very useful
when trying to read small print.
If you hold down the Ctrl key on your key board and then turn the small
wheel in the middle of your mouse away from you or towards you, the print
size will change - it will either get larger or smaller - depending on
which way you turn the wheel. Try it, it really works!!!!!!!!!!!!.

Attributes of the Administrator day 4

_____________________Day Four

Neh 6:9 They were trying to intimidate us into quitting. They thought, "They'll give up; they'll never finish it." I prayed, "Give me strength." 10 Then I met secretly with Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, at his house. He said: Let's meet at the house of God, inside The Temple; Let's find safety behind locked doors because they're coming to kill you, Yes, coming by night to kill you. 11 I said, "Why would a man like me run for cover? And why would a man like me use The Temple as a hideout? I won't do it." 12 I sensed that God hadn't sent this man. The so-called prophecy he spoke to me was the work of Tobiah and Sanballat; they had hired him.
Neh 6:13 He had been hired to scare me off--trick me--a layman, into desecrating The Temple and ruining my good reputation so they could accuse me. 14 "O my God, don't let Tobiah and Sanballat get by with all the mischief they've done. And the same goes for the prophetess Noadiah and the other prophets who have been trying to undermine my confidence." 15 The wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul. It had taken fifty-two days. 16 When all our enemies heard the news and all the surrounding nations saw it, our enemies totally lost their nerve. They knew that God was behind this work. The Message

14. Prefers to move on to a new challenge once something is completed.

15. Constantly writes notes to self.

16. Is a natural and capable leader.

17. Knows when to keep old methods going and when to introduce new ones.

18. Enjoys working with and being around people.

19. Wants to see things completed as quickly as possible.

How many days did it take to build the walls? Let's recall that the people working on the walls had to do so with one hand holding a sword and build with the other. There were so many distractions that it is amazing how fast these walls went up.

20. Is willing to let others get the credit in order to get a job done.

The mature Administrator acknowledges exactly Who is in charge and where the organizational skills really come from. We see this so clearly in verse 16 of chapter 6. Are the other characteristics from today noted in chapter 6? If so, which ones? In the space below, jot down several characteristics you noted in the first 6 chapters of Nehemiah which apply to the Administrator/Organizer.

Never = 0
Seldom = 1
Sometimes = 2
Usually = 3
Mostly = 4
Always = 5
Total _______________

Continue the Study...

Attributes of the Administrator day 3

___________________________________ Day Three Bible Study

9. Enjoys delegating tasks and supervising people.






10. Will endure criticism in order to accomplish the ultimate task.
In Nehemiah 2:19, we see him taking the taunts and jeers of Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem. How does he take the heat? 


The person with this gift has the hide of an elephant when it comes to his work or his people. He knows that not everyone has the same drive or can see the big picture so he will do everything he can to shield his people from undo criticism. He can take the heat, that's why he's in the kitchen.



Then in chapter 4, we see Nehemiah do something about the jeering and indignation. What is it?



11. Has great enthusiasm for whatever he is involved in. Neh 6:9

12. Finds greatest fulfillment and joy in working to accomplish goals.

13. Does not enjoy doing routine tasks.

14. Prefers to move on to a new challenge once something is completed.


Does this sound like you or someone you know? Are you starting to understand why your siblings in Christ act the way they do and say the things they say? What about understanding yourself better?


I find it so fascinating to understand Christian I know better. It helps my relationships so much!




Never = 0
Seldom = 1
Sometimes = 2
Usually = 3
Mostly = 4
Always = 5
Total _______________


Continue the study...