Annanagar Methodist Church

We are not called to understand but to obey. A quote on simple and sound faith. Yet we need to appreciate our bible studies, which bring God’s word to a better and brighter focus. I thank the women’s fellowship of AMC for this diligent endeavour.

Prayer

Holy spirit is first mentioned right in Genesis chapter 1 verse 2 when the world was a formless void. Father, Son and Holy Spirit were perfectly unified before creation of the world, loving, serving and glorying one another. We in turn were created to be united with our creator and His creation – to love and serve one another.

I was a teenager when a renowned preacher came to preach to us in college to talk to us on trinity. This profound truth was made so simple to us. The preacher explained_

“I am son to my parents, husband to my wife and Father to my children, Yet I’m one person with different roles.” We then got a glimpse of God’s dimensions. Later, realising that the Holy Spirit came to dwell in each believer, Eph 4:13 cautioned me. “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom we were sealed for the day of redemption”.

Holy Spirit – My Helper, Comforter, Teacher of spiritual truth, who convicts and intercedes for us is our guarantor for our eternal redemption.

I said to my children when they were occasionally naughty, “Amma is not pleased when you disobey, you sadden me”, that immediately brought in required results. When our Holy Spirit convicts us, we need to immediately set our paths right and fulfil the purpose of His will in our lives. Our life needs to be holy, emphasizes Joshua 3:5

“Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow, the Lord will do wonders among you.”

Holy in Hebrew is Kadosh—to be set apart for God.

God knowing that we cannot do this on our own, endows us with gifts. To simplify, gifts are spiritual qualities or characteristics under spiritual control. These gifts are not natural talents or skills. These are super naturally bestowed by Holy Spirit on all believers, enabling us to effectively honour our Lord.

The varieties of gifts fall into two general types: Speaking and Serving.

Speaking/verbal = Prophecy, knowledge, Wisdom and exhortation.

Serving/nonverbal gifts = Leadership, Giving, Mercy, Faith and Discernment, which are all permanent gifts and their purpose is to edify the church and to glorify God.

Some are a combination, yet personally unique to suit each individual and God’s purpose for Him.

Miracles, Healing, Languages and their interpretation were temporary sign-gifts limited to the apostolic age and have therefore ceased. Their purpose was to authenticate the apostles and their message as God’s word, until God’s written word was completed and with you now as the Bible.

Charismata is a greek word that says gifts are granted by God. Romans 12:3–8 clearly warns us that we need not take pride of these favours from God. Gifts are not something to seek but to be received from the Spirit, “as He wills.”  All gifts are as He chooses. Gifts are worthless without love.

“Not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” Therefore, there need not be competition, comparison or discrimination. Diversity is His choice, Be faithful. (James 3:13-18) There is no room for jealousy and selfish ambition. Wisdom needs to be pure, peaceful, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy, impartial and sincere. Wisdom in James is not merely intellectual but behavioural. (Story)

Discernment requires diligent study of the Word to exercise gifts of knowledge, wisdom and teaching. “Test all things and hold fast to what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.” 1 Thes 5:20-22

Satan is a great deceiver, John 8:44 and his demons counterfeit God’s message and work., Christians with the gift of discernment must have the God given ability, to recognize lying spirits and to identify deceptive doctrines. In Acts 17:11, The people of Berea are mentioned here as “fair minded and they received the word with all readiness and searched the scriptures daily to find out if these were so”.

When discernment was not exercised in the Corinthian church (Acts 16:16–18), grave distortion of the truth occurred. Acts 5:3.

Thus, it is essential to have people in the church who are discerning and they are the guardians, the watchmen who protect the church from demonic lies, false doctrines, perverted cults and fleshy elements.

Resisting the Worlds pressure is not simple. Rom 12:2: “Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is good and acceptable and perfect will of God.