Spiritual Gifts

1 Corinthians 14:1-5

“Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.”

Pursue love that is not a suggestion it is a command and yet for many of us, the world has molded us into a false understanding of love.  We are like that old song, "Looking for love in all the wrong places” wanting to be loved and yet not seeking the source of love, for God is love.  So shall we review how God defines love in 1 Corinthians 13”4-8, ^“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth.  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.”

The next command to a follower of Christ is; “earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.”  One does not have to wonder why would the Father desire this of us, for the heart of God is that all people would enter into a relationship with His Son, and by doing so they will enter into God the Father.  Do you recall the prayer of Jesus to the Father, it is recorded in John 17:20-24, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word, that they may all be one, just as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. The glory that You have given Me, I in them and You in Me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that You sent Me and loved them even as you loved Me. Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, may be with Me where I am, to see my glory that You have given Me because You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” 

My prayer for each of us is that we spend time on things that will last, someday we will have no need for prophecies, but that is not today for only Jesus has the answer for the needs of this world. 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice