Scripture References
1 & 2 Timothy
Matthew 25:1430
1 Corinthians 12:1
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
2Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
3Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
4Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
7But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
8For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10To 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:
11But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
 | ||||||
| ||||||
Stir Up The Gifts - Part 3
Stacey Lunsford
"Receiving" - The Parable of the Talents
After reading 1 Timothy chapters 1 & 2 the Lord began to teach me about the stirring of the gifts, endurance, spiritual warfare, unwordliness and pleasing God. With the cultivation of the gifts the Lord sent me to Matthew 25:20, And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
Receive is to take something given or sent (get) or take into mind. The Master trusted the servant with 5 talents, the servant received the 5 talents and gained 5 more talents by way of trade...well that is definitely an increase *smile* Therefore the servant pleased, his Master. Spiritual Progress, Fruitfulness, Cultivation of Gifts and fidelity and the preparation for ministry is what I learned from this text. Along with 1 Timothy 1 & 2 and all I can say is praise God!
I am learning better through God's word, how to live a life that is pleasing to Him. Please in Hebrew is Chaphets (Kaw-fates) which is to be pleased satisfied with, to delight or desire and to favor. Well, in 2 Timothy 2:4 the word says that "No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier." The (NIV) says, No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs--he wants to please his commanding officer.
The Lord began to show me scriptures about pleasing Him:
- Renders Life Secure ~ Proverbs 16:7
- A Characteristic of Christ ~ Matthew 3:17
- The Aim of A True Minister ~ 1 Thes. 2:4
- The Christian Duty ~ 1 Thes. 4:1
- Enoch was an example of someone that pleased God ~
Heb. 11:5
- Benevolence a means of pleasing of God ~ Heb. 13:16,
Which brought me to 1 John 3:22, And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. This text tells me that our prayers will be answered and that we shall "receive" of Him because we keep His commandments. For the blessings of obedience, I went to Deuteronomy 28:1, And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: (see Exodus 15:26)
Hearken in Hebrew is "Azan" and it means to listen closely, to expand to perceive by the ear. "qashab" kaw-shab is to prick up the ears, to attend to or cause to hear, give heed, incline, mark well or to regard, We need to carefully listen to God's word and learn the importance of hearing, effective listening and effective application of what we have heard or received!
We must learn how to live a biblical principled life! We are to be diligent, earnest which is characterized by or showing deep sincerity with hearing the voice of the Lord and obeying Him. We are to observe, pay special attention to and do all of God's commandments then the Lord will set thee on high.
Deuteronomy 26:18-19, And the LORD hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments; And to make thee high above all nations which he hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honour; and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the LORD thy God, as he hath spoken.
Peculiar is special and 1 Peter 2:9 says, But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. This text tells me that we are God's special people...His special treasures and we are to live a life that is pleasing to Him. *smile* Going back to Matthew 25 and the parable of the talents, I learned that the Master gave his 3 servants each some goods.
1 servant received 5 talents
2 servant received 2 talents
3 servant received 1 talent
And the word tells us that every man received according to their own ability.
