Some Thoughts on the Gifts of the Spirit

A disorganized manifesto, if you will.

1. Organic church and communal-living communities (two separate things, very different, we just happen to do both) live and die by following the Spirit of God. That’s a real vague phrase – following the Spirit – to some folks, but it at least has something to do w/ a real and dependable guidance from God. Which is related to prophecy.

2. Our community is made up of people of a variety of backgrounds – Baptist, Presbyterian, Charismatic, other house churches. A few years ago, we had what I would say was a 50/50 split of “Word”-church and “Spirit”-church background believers. Us coming together and staying together and being in unity has done a huge variety of things – but I always come back to one thing – we’re more alive. The word that best describes it is definitely – vigorous. We’re more vibrant/resilient/full/present. The spiritual heritage of our brothers and sisters gives us a beautiful, balanced take on things like speaking in tongues, prophecy, healing, deliverance.

3. Speaking of those 4 things – here’s two scriptures that provide balance: 1 Cor 13:7 (ESV): “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” and 1 John 4:1 (ESV): “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” Another way to say it – what Reagan used to say to Gorbachev: “Trust, but Verify.”

4. We’re definitely can’t claim anything approaching a maturity in some of the gifts of the Spirit – as an example, it’s difficult for me to read these guy’s blog – post after post after post of God healing people and giving words of knowledge out like they’re candy. I almost dread new posts coming up from them in Google Reader – without a doubt it’s a record of someone being healed. Where is the faith to see stuff like that??

5. Gifts are for edifying and encouraging the church toward the Lord.

6. I saw a vision of a demon clear enough to sketch it out on paper. We prayed for deliverance of the person I felt it was “on”. This was a leeetle outside of my comfort zone in such things.