FATHER, may YOUR word go far and wide touching the minds, hearts, bodies and souls of YOUR masterpieces throughout this world. We pray to YOU in the matchless name of YOUR SON, JESUS THE CHRIST, the LIVING WORD, that TODAY boys & men will become Your sons, and girls & women will become daughters. Isaiah 2:3 says that “THE WORD OF THE LORD WILL GO OUT FROM JERUSALEM.” WE pray that YOUR WORD will out from all over the globe today. May the earth rejoice, proclaiming that YOU ARE GOOD! May the earth proclaim JESUS IS LORD! And, may the earth experience a fresh wind of YOUR HOLY SPIRIT, finding forgiveness, healing, freedom and deliverance! AMEN!

VERSE 1

What a fellowship, what a joy divine,

Leaning on the everlasting arms;

What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,

Leaning on the everlasting arms.

CHORUS

Leaning, Leaning, Safe and secure from all alarms

Leaning, Leaning, Leaning on the everlasting arms

VERSE 3

What have I to dread, what have I to fear,

Leaning on the everlasting arms?

I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,

Leaning on the everlasting arms.

CHORUS

Leaning, Leaning, Safe and secure from all alarms

Leaning, Leaning, Leaning on the everlasting arms

CHORUS

Because He lives I can face tomorrow

Because He lives all fear is gone

Because I know He holds the future

And life is worth the living

Just because He lives

VERSE 1

God sent His Son; they called Him Jesus.

He came to love, heal, and forgive.

He bled and died to buy my pardon,

An empty grave is there to prove

My Savior lives

CHORUS

Because He lives I can face tomorrow

Because He lives all fear is gone

Because I know He holds the future

And life is worth the living

Just because He lives

CHORUS

O victory in Jesus, My Savior forever

He sought me and bought me

With His redeeming blood

He loved me 'ere I knew Him

And all my love is due Him

He plunged me to victory

Beneath the cleansing flood

VERSE 1

I heard an old old story

How a Savior came from glory

How He gave His life on Calvary

To save a wretch like me

I heard about His groaning

Of His precious blood's atoning

Then I repented of my sins

And won the victory

VERSE 2

I heard about  His healing

Of His cleansing pow'r revealing

How He made the lame to walk again

And caused the blind to see

And then I cried dear Jesus

Come and heal my broken spirit

And somehow Jesus came

 and brought to me the victory

CHORUS

O victory in Jesus, My Savior forever

He sought me and bought me

With His redeeming blood

He loved me 'ere I knew Him

And all my love is due Him

He plunged me to victory

Beneath the cleansing flood

VERSE 1

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!

Oh what a foretaste of glory divine!

Heir of salvation purchase of God;

Born of the Spirit washed in His blood

CHORUS

This is my story, this is my song,

Praising my Saviour all the day long;

This is my story, this is my song,

Praising my Saviour all the day long.

“This life—here and now, the abundant life (see John 10:10)—is more than a personal or private reality. It is also a sacred, corporate quality we experience in the fellowship with other Christians. It is a body life made up of an infinite variety of grace-events and grace-filled persons. As this grace enters the lives of individual members of the body, their faithful service makes them the means of God’s grace.”

~ REDISCOVERING OUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS, Bryant, p55

Expectation

An encouraging aspect of the gospel is that our gifts and calling do not depend entirely on us. I have stated that our calling is to be more than what we are and to do more than what we can. This is no riddle or play on words. It is a spiritual reality. On our own, in the flesh, we are hopeless. Who or what we are makes no sense without a divine someone or sacred something in control. Because of who God is and what God does for us in Jesus Christ, our expectations can soar to new heights and wonders.

It is tempting to think that we don't count, that even with gifts, whatever they are, we don't amount to much. This thinking overlooks the energizing presence of God's grace in the operation of the gifts. We ought to receive Paul's encouragement in 1 Corinthians 12:6 where he uses "working" and "inspires.'' Both come from energma in Greek, from which we get the English word energy. The grace of God is a spiritual energy that has no physical origin, but it affects and empowers the material of our flesh for spiritual and noble purposes. Paul tells us that the gifts we operate really work because God works them (see Phil. 2:13). Because of this spiritual energy or divine grace, faithful use of our gifts is nothing short of miraculous. It goes beyond mere human abilities. The results are manifold and inestimable simply because they became the very energy of God flowing with purpose and freedom.

“The heart of each spiritual gift is this energizing grace of God. Grace cannot be earned. It is God's gift of love given by divine choice. We cannot get it on our own. We cannot manipulate it, appropriate it, or manufacture it. It is a gift from God. We either receive it or reject it. If we receive it, it becomes a powerful ability for effective ministry. In the operation of the gift, the grace finds a new outlet and channel to others. The effects in others whom we serve are not our doing; they are the direct results of God's flowing grace. Thus, the results belong to God. The gift is a conduit through which God's grace moves.

We do not have to worry about the results, since they belong to God. Our calling is to discover the spiritual ability and use it for its intended purpose. Nothing in the scheme of God's salvation is more demonstrative of obedient discipleship than our grateful reception of the Spirit's gifts and our proper use of them.

Because the church can do anything for the betterment of humanity when it is receptive to God's energizing grace, we do not have to waste our time and energy worrying about the welfare of persons and the world. We can confidently believe that God will take care of the world's needs as we faithfully receive and use our spiritual gifts. More than this we cannot do; less than this we dare not do. We have the plan, equipment, and divine empowerment to be instruments of redemption for the whole human family. The gifts of the Spirit guarantee immediate and lasting results.”

~ REDISCOVERING OUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS, Bryant, p58-59

Paul insists on the presence of love (agape) to undergird every gift (see I Cor. 13). This word of caution is especially important for administration, since it centers on service and procedure more than people. The presence of love (agape) does not permit this gift, or any other, to get impersonal and insensitive enough to do harm to .the body. The gifts are gifts of the Spirit, and the Spirit pours ,God's love into our hearts (see Rom. 5:5). Love is not without gifts, but gifts without love are demonic. First Corinthians 13 is Paul's warning about the irreparable harm that comes from doing good in the wrong way.

~ REDISCOVERING OUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS, Bryant, p64

Our Father, 

who art in heaven, 

hallowed be thy name. 

Thy Kingdom come, 

thy will be done on earth 

as it is in heaven.

Give us this day 

our daily bread. 

And forgive us 

our trespasses 

as we forgive those 

who trespass against us. 

And lead us not into temptation, 

but deliver us from evil, 

for thine is the kingdom 

and the power 

and the glory, forever.  

AMEN.