Reaching the World

We living as Christians today…especially those who live in the United States of America are most blessed to have an abundance of Christian resources at our finger tips. Whether its Bible translations, commentaries and study materials…or ministries who make their radio or television broadcast available online…we have a veritable feast for our spirit.

One of the newest developments has been the I-pod…and podcasting. Now you may be thinking to yourself, “Gee wiz, I’m a low tech kind of person…not sure I can do that.” But let me tell you there are a plethora of broadcasts to take advantage of. Preaching and teaching that will help build you up, encourage you and keep you in check…when you are straying down that wrong path. What a wonderful instrument and tool in the hands of God…to get His word out to a lost and dying world. Available for your use…simply by downloading.

One of my very favorites…is Charles Stanley and In Touch Ministries. In Touch Ministries is committed to getting out the Word of God…and reaching the entire world with the gospel message. In their efforts they have recently starting podcasting Charles Stanley’s radio program.

Additionally, the In Touch Ministries website has an abundance of resources available for all to utilize. Expanded studies, sermon outlines/notes, radio and TV broadcasts to replay, a daily devotional, and much more.

Charles Stanley is rooted and well grounded in the Word of God. He has a heart for God and great desire to worship and praise Him and obediently follow him. He’s a gifted teacher and loves people and loves to share God’s Word.

In the last few weeks Dr. Stanley has been teaching a series on “Living in the Power of the Holy Spirit”. He’s reviewing the gifts of the Spirit and the work of the Holy Spirit within the life of a Christian. Below from In Touch Ministries is a list of the “Motivational Gifts and their Characteristics”. It’s some great teaching…and helps you to see how God might use you in His Kingdom to help build up the body of Christ.

Please be sure to take advantage…as you grow in your walk with Christ. Check out In Touch Ministries…and feed your hungry soul.

Read…think and pray how God may want to use you…to further His kingdom.

Characteristics of Motivational Gifts

The Characteristics of the Gift of Prophecy:
1. A strong need to express themselves verbally.
2. A strong ability to discern the character and motives of other people.
3. A wholehearted involvement in whatever they are doing.
4. Very open to correction.
5. Extremely loyal.
6. Willing to suffer for what is right.
7. Very persuasive in defining truth.

The Characteristics of the Gift of Service:
1. Sees and meets practical needs.
2. Frees others to achieve.
3. Disregard for weariness.
4. Difficulty in saying "No!"
5. Alert to likes and dislikes.
6. Strong desire to be with others.
7. Need for approval and appreciation
8. Likes short-range projects.
9. Meets needs quickly.
10. Tendency to feel inadequate and unqualified for spiritual leadership.

The Characteristics of The Gift of Teaching:
1. Strong desire to present truth systematically.
2. Requires thoroughness.
3. Needs to validate information.
4. Checks out the teacher.
5. Great delight in researching.
6. Tendency to avoid illustrations from non-biblical sources.
7. Needs to clarify misunderstandings.

The Characteristics of the Gift of Exhortation:
1. A motivation to urge peoples to their full spiritual maturity in Christ.
2. An ability to see root problems in a person.
3. Prescribes steps of action.
4. Turn problems into benefits.
5. A desire for face to face discussion in order to determine and insure a positive response.
6. Desire to gain spiritual insights through personal experience.
7. Desires to bring harmony between diverse groups.
8. An enjoyment with those eager to follow steps of action.

The Characteristics of the Gift of Giving:
1. Able to see resources
2. Desire to feel a part of the work.
3. Desire to give high quality.
4. Hope the gift is an answer to prayer.
5. Desires to give secretly.
6. Prefers to give without pressure of appeals.
7. Concern that giving will corrupt.
8. Exercises personal thriftiness.
9. Gives to motivate others to give.
10. Ability to see financial needs that others overlook.
11. Confirms amount with counsel.

The Characteristics of the Gift of Organization:
1. Ability to see the big picture and visualize final results.
2. The ability to break down the major goals into smaller, achievable tasks.
3. Motivated to organize that for which they are responsible.
4. The ability to know what resources are available and needed to reach a goal.
5. The ability to know what can and what cannot be delegated.
6. Tendency to remove self from detracting details and focus on ultimate goals.
7. The willingness to endure reaction.
8. A need for loyalty and confidence from those who are being directed and served.
9. A tendency to assume responsibility if no structured leadership exists.
10. A desire to complete the task as soon as possible.
11. A joy and fulfillment in seeing all the parts come together and others enjoying the finished product.
12. A desire to move on to a new challenge when the previous task is fully completed.

The Characteristics of the Gift of Mercy:
1. Ability to feel an atmosphere of joy or distress in an individual or group.
2. Attracted to and understand people who are having mental and emotional distress.
3. Desire to remove hurts and bring healing to others rather than to look for the benefits of the hurts.
4. A greater concern for mental distress than physical distress of others.
5. A sensitivity to words and action which will hurt others.
6. A tendency to react harshly when intimate friends are rejected.
7. An ability to sense genuine love and a greater vulnerability to deeper and more frequent hurts from the lack of love.
8. A need for deep friendships in which there is mutual commitment.
9. A need to measure acceptance by physical closeness and quality time together.
10. An enjoyment and unity with those who are sensitive to the needs and feelings of others.
11. A tendency to avoid firmness unless he sees how it will bring benefit and eliminate greater hurt.
12. A closing of the spirit to those who are insincere or insensitive.