| Related sites for http://www.spirithome.com/gifts-sp.html |
| Out_of_the_Woods_Consulting Facilitation and consulting services to help United States organizations employ the potential of their volunteers. List of services, contact and background information, description of the Policy Gove | | The_Brookings_Institution The center presents its research, books, and commentary. | | Dubey,_Girjesh_Dhar A biography and information about his ambitions, a curriculum vitae with cover letter, his current and past university projects, and photographs. | | Sonko,_Lee_C_ Blog, recipes, archives of documents and pictures. | | Knoell,_Craig Includes personal information, photographs, and links. | | Equal_Employment_Opportunity_Commission The agency of the United States Government that enforces the federal employment discrimination laws. Information about discrimination on the basis of age, sex and sexual harassment), race, color, nat | | Meaning_and_the_Problem_of_Universals Subtitled a `Kantian-Friesian approach', an article by Kelley L. Ross. A nice historical survey of the problem of universal, but a bit weak on particular theories (eg. Frege). | | Drew_Family_History Family history including the surnames Bennett, Drew, Featherstone, Hoggard and Tirrell. | | Boshart Descendants of John Boshart (b.abt.1750) Wittenheim, France and Anna Maria Muller. Both were Swiss Anabaptist (Mennonite) refugees. Surnames include Jantzi, Roth, Zehr, Eicher. | | Burton Descendants of Jones Burton (b.1875) Mecklenburg County, Virginia USA. Married Mildred Lambert. | | UseofForce_us Overview of U.S. self-defense law. | | Lectorium_Rosicrucianum International school of the Golden Rosycross. | | Religious_Subjects A personal web site featuring articles on resurrection, ransom, the third day, soul, hell, God's Kingdom, the Trinity and Christmas. | | MacroHistory__Prehistory_to_the_21st_Century A narrative on trends, successes and failures across the ages in power conflicts, religion, philosophy, and political institutions. Also, monthly commentaries with a historical perspective. | | Ashcroft\'s_Terrorism_Policies_Dismay_Some_Conservatives Religious conservatives who pressed for the appointment of the attorney general are troubled by his actions as the leading public figure in the law enforcement drive against terrorism. New York Times | | Ascension_Sanctuary Custom made altars for ceremonials and rituals. Also offers chakra bags and other ritual supplies. | | Romani_Discography Recorded music available on CD by Romani artists. | | Alpha_Astrophysical_Research_Project Scientific investigation of natal astrology and occult science, focusing on the approaches of Aleister Crowley, using adaptive self-organizing computer algorithms. Full research texts, with articles o | | The_Fishwrapper Mission partners of the Church of Scotland working in Northeast Thailand. Contains news of local church developments. Includes many photos. | | The_Pink_Compass Website dedicated to educating, encouraging and supporting women in achieving balance in their lives, with business and home life articles. |
|
Gifts of the Holy Spirit body { background-image: url(tile_ltwood.jpg) }  Gifts of the Spirit Explore what spiritual gifts are about: What Are the Gifts of the Holy Spirit? The Context for All Spiritual Gifts The Ultimate Gift What Do the Terms Mean? Not the Same, but Similar Spiritual Gifts Aquinas on Gifts Paul on Gifts Gifts, Talents, Skills What Really Counts Quotes Study Questions How DARE You! More on the Gifts  What Are the Gifts of the Holy Spirit?The Overall Context of Gift-Talk God created the world around us. God created us. God didn't build a toll booth to collect user fees for life. Instead, life is free, and being in the created world is free; it's a gift. We humans are the ones who attach fees to what's been freely given to us.The Ultimate Gift The biggest gift of all, however, isn't other people, and isn't nature, or the universe, or family. The biggest gift in all of existence is that we are given the Giver - the same Greatest One who was Job's only satisfaction and Moses' only strength is now given to humankind. God chooses not only to put up with us, but to be with us. That's what all this Jesus talk means - that's why Jesus matters. He is, in Christmas-talk, "God-with-us", Immanuel. That is the gift of Jesus. But Jesus is not walking among us today. So another gift has been given - God in yet another way, the divine Spirit through whom Christ is still in effect right here and now. This Spirit leads, shapes, empowers, and gives us joy. The gift a Christian lives in every day, most fundamentally, is the Holy Spirit. What's Meant by Gifts of the Spirit When speaking about "gifts of the Spirit", we're not talking about the gift of God, though that's what lies behind all other gifts. Nor is this about the gift of creation, or the gift of other people or of family or nation or culture -- great gifts all. When speaking of gifts of the Spirit, spiritual gifts, charismata, or things like that, it's about what the Spirit gives as part of bettering people's life in general, and specifically for the life of following Christ. Not the Same, but Much Alike While that narrows the gifts down quite a bit, it's still so broad that it is not very helpful. Different spiritual gifts do different things. So let's drill down into some of the terms used for such gifts, overall.Spiritual Gifts "Spiritual gifts" is the general term used here. It's a phrase which has meaning in most religions, even ones which don't have a god but who insist that human beings have a part of themselves that is beyond what we can measure or touch or logically figure out. Whatever the spiritual realm is, it bestows on people a range of accomplishment abilities that go beyond mere skill or knack. The term 'spiritual gifts' itself does not say who gave them, or even whether anyone did. (In some religions, what Christians call 'gifts' are treated like peaches dangling from a spiritual tree, there to be picked by those who have enough spiritual insight to find them.) While the term is useful, and is good shorthand for more complicated definitions, Christians much prefer to use the term "gifts of the Holy Spirit", as thanks to the One who gives the gifts, and as a way to give credit where credit is due.Aquinas on Gifts The Roman Catholic writer and scholar Thomas Aquinas (in *Summa Theologica*, II.2) discusses spiritual gifts at length. In doing so, he founded the main tradition for gifts of the Spirit in the Catholic Church of Middle Ages Europe. He drew his approach from Isaiah 11:1-5, where it speaks of these gifts : wisdom, knowledge, counsel (right judgement), understanding; strength (courage, fortitude), reverence (piety), and fear of the LORD. Through wisdom, knowledge, counsel, and understanding, the Spirit shapes and steers the mind, creating change in the way a person thinks and puts information together. The Holy Spirit provides perspective, reminds us of the right past events, and reveals new opportunities. Through the gifts of courage, reverence, and fear of the LORD, the Spirit shapes your will, so that you choose to use what you learn and think for the purposes God is calling you to do. The gifts Aquinas writes about benefit the person who receives them, and help others indirectly through what that person does. These correspond to the Capital Virtues of charity, faith, prudence, fortitude, justice, and hope, which Aquinas drew from Greek philosophy. The Isaian gifts help develop a person who is spiritually strong enough for the great tasks at hand.Paul's Gifts of the Spirit (Charismata) The apostle Paul spoke of gifts from the Spirit often in his letters to local churches. He gave detailed lists of what kinds of gifts there were, in 1 Corinthians 12, and again in Romans 12. The word he used for these gifts was charismata, which is a Greek plural term related to the word for grace. Like grace, charismata are given at no price by the Spirit. But there is one thing expected of those who are given charismata: the gift is to be used for building up other people. Whereas the Isaian gifts Aquinas wrote about are firstly beneficial to you personally, the charismata are given to benefit others - the brothers and sisters of the faith, yes, but also everyone else, believer or not. God gives us the charismata so we can express the love of one another which is at the core of the Christian way of life. The spiritual gifts enable and empower what is done for others, and the Spirit meshes them together among the believers so they can work together to love more effectively. This meshing of spiritual gifts was central to the success of the early church, and to many remarkable acts and movements since then. When the charismatic movement started taking hold in the '60s and '70s, the most fruitful place it turned to in its search to hook up with the Spirit's work was First Corinthians.Gifts, Talents, and Skills Spiritual gifts do not depend on natural talents and aptitudes or developed skills, though God gave you those, too. A gift of the Spirit is something that God gives for the purpose of building up others in a life of faith. It is the experience of Christians over the years that the spirit usually harnesses one's talents in the service of the purpose for which the gifts were given. Yet sometimes, the spiritual gifts seem to work against a person's natural endowment. This is, after all, the same God who led his people out of Egypt using a stammerer named Moses, made a shepherd boy/musiciannamed David into a renowned warrior and king, and turned ruralfishermen into leaders who left a mark on the course of history. There areexamples everywhere of people who don't have training, aren't highly skilled,have no particular knack, but when the time comes for them to benefit others, the gift is there. The Spirit takes pleasure in surprises and on turningthe tables on the expected. It's wise to leave ourselves open for such action. You can develop a talent, but the Spirit gives the gift it's meant to go with. Where there's a gift, there are natural abilities and developed skills which can go with it. There is the gift of discernment of spirits, and the natural ability of intuition, and the skillful use of a discernment process. There is the gift of healing, and there are the natural healing processes and the medical skills to assist those processes. There is exorcism, and there are people able to rid their lives of those who use lies and trickery, and the skill of making themselves more true. There is prophecy, and there is the ability to discover the truth and and the skill to figure out how and when to share it. There is ecstatic spiritual experience, and there are romance and desire, and the skills to use them to create bonds of love with your spouse. God created everyone with these natural foreshadowings of supernatural gifts. They're good, and are meant to be used all, not just the faithful. If you find that you have a talent, use it and develop it as best you can. But it takes the Holy Spirit working within the believerto put the natural and the supernatural together with power to |
|
