Fleeting Earthly Comforts and Worldly Trinkets

God often does better for us than we ask. We go to Him with our little requests. We are in need and ask for temporal relief.  We are suffering and ask that our pain may cease. We are poor and ask Him for more money.

We are just like the beggar, holding out our hands for paltry alms to eke out the day's need. Then God looks down upon us and says, "My child, are these little trifles all you want Me to give to you, daily bread, clothing, fuel for your fire, medicine for your sickness, comfort for your grief? The small things to supply your common needs are these the only gifts and blessings you want and ask from the hand of your heavenly Father, who has infinite treasures to give to you?"

Yet thousands never get beyond just such requests in their praying! Bowing daily before a God of infinite power and love, in whose hands are unsearchable riches, they never ask for anything but fleeting earthly comforts and worldly trinkets! They ask only for things for their bodies, or to beautify their homes, making no requests for the heavenly and spiritual gifts that God has for their souls! We should learn to ask for the best things in all God's treasure house!

 

[J. R. Miller]

 

 

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Ephesians 3:20 ... Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,


1 Corinthians 14:1 ... Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.

 

 

Colossians 3:1-2  ... If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.❤

The Picture of a Prophet

He has no price tags.
He is totally "otherworldly."
He is unquestionably controversial and unpardonably hostile.
He marches to another drummer!
He breathes the rarefied air of inspiration.
He is a seer who comes to lead the blind.
He lives in the heights of God and comes into the valley with a "thus saith the Lord."
He shares some of the foreknowledge of God and so is aware of impending judgment.
He lives in splendid isolation.
He is forthright and outright, but he claims no birthright.
His message is "repent, be reconciled to God or else!"
His prophecies are parried.
His truth brings torment, but his voice is never void.
He is the villain of today and the hero of tomorrow.
He is excommunicated while alive and exalted when dead!
He is dishonored with epithets when breathing and honored with epitaphs when dead.
He is a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, but few make the grade in his class.
He is friendless while living and famous when dead.
He is against the establishment in ministry; then he is established as a saint by posterity.
He eats daily the bread of affliction while he ministers, but he feeds the Bread of Life to those who listen.
He walks before men for days but has walked before God for years.
He is a scourge to the nation before he is scourged by the nation.
He announces, pronounces, and denounces!
He has a heart like a volcano and his words are as fire.
He talks to men about God.
He carries the lamp of truth amongst heretics while he is lampooned by men.
He faces God before he faces men, but he is self-effacing.
He hides with God in the secret place, but he has nothing to hide in the marketplace.
He is naturally sensitive but supernaturally spiritual.
He has passion, purpose and pugnacity.
He is ordained of God but disdained by men.

[Leonard Ravenhill]

1 Corinthians 12:28 ... And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.❤

Gifts of the Spirit

The gifts of the Spirit are given not just for the Believer alone, but for the Body of Christ; to edify, to strengthen, to feed it, to exhort it, to encourage, to build up, and to have the Body empowered to do the work of Christ. Spiritual gifts are not developed by our human ability. The Spirit of God gives Believers the gifts as He wills. Some have several, some have few, but every Believer should desire spiritual gifts. (1 Corinthians 14:1) The gifts of the Spirit are always to exalt the Lord, to witness of God’s power, and to share Yeshua Jesus, the gospel of salvation, with the lost. Amen. ℛℒ

Ephesians 4:11-13 ... And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

Romans 12:6-8 ... Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;  Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;  Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

1 Corinthians 12:4-11 ... Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:  But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. ❤

The Parable of the Spilled Coffee

A Bible study group met in a home to study how various ministries should work in the body of Christ. One member commented, “I don’t understand how different gifts can work together.”

At that moment a woman accidentally dropped her cup, which broke and spilled coffee all over the floor. Each group member responded differently to the mishap, according to their spiritual gifts.

The teacher gave some advice. “Next time if you will put your cup on the coffee table, that won’t happen again.”

The administrator responded by organizing a clean-up committee. “Bill, please go find a mop. Sally, could you help him with a towel?”

Bill, who had the gift of service, hurried to get the mop.

Sally, who had the gift of helps, followed Bill and said, “I’ll help you!” 

The person with the gift of exhortation said, “We all make mistakes so don’t let it get you down.”

The person with the gift of mercy put her arm around the woman, patted her hand and said, “I feel so badly for you.”

The person with the gift of giving exclaimed, “I’ll buy a new set of coffee mugs to replace the broken one!”

They all used their various gifts together to resolve the situation.

[Kent Crockett]

1 Peter 4:10 ... As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Ephesians 2:10 ... For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Romans 12:13 ... Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. ❤

Gift of the Holy Ghost

Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. ~ Peter, Acts 2:38  🕊