Daily Devotional
Word of the Day
Coveting the Gifts
Pastor Scott
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
Listen to this teaching | Related Teaching | Bible Teaching | 
Print
"But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way."
(1 Corinthians 12:31)
The Spirit is unique. Jesus ministered uniquely. There were times that He just laid hands on people. There were times that He spoke. There was a time that He made a little clay and anointed eyes or put His finger in ears. Some people think that's the only way you do it, so if somebody comes up that's deaf they will push their fingers until they touch, in the name of Jesus. There's no one way to do it; you just have to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Are you ready to do what God tells you to do? Do you know that voice? That voice is never one that promotes self; it is always about Jesus. It's always about ministering to others. It's always about bringing glory to God. It's not about life easy on you. It's not about your reputation. The Comforter, the Paraclete, glorifies Jesus. That's how you can guard yourself.
Quench not the Spirit. God wants to use you. Are you letting Him? Are you embarrassed or afraid you might fail? I have missed it and have looked kind of dumb sometimes, but I'd rather do what I believe God is telling me and be wrong than to miss it and Him not be gloried and His body not be edified. Quench not the Spirit.
Despise not prophesying. The Lord wants to speak through you. He wants to prophesy, speaking words of edification, not personal prophesy--"You are supposed to marry them; you are supposed to get that job." We're not talking about that kind of nonsense. We're talking about speaking to edification, exhortation and comfort. Are you supernaturally being used that way to build up the Body of Christ? When was the last time you spoke a prophetic word among your peers? Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesying. This is what He wants to do in our midst, beloved. This is the Church that's being perfected, the bride whose wrinkles are being ironed out in preparation for His soon coming. Without it, we are not going to stand.
"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you" (John 14:26). Any time you hear that voice, it will always be something that Jesus already dealt with. It is not going to be new. There's no extra-Biblical revelation. There's nothing that God will speak to you that hasn't already been ministered through Jesus. The spirit of all prophesy is the testimony of Jesus (Rev. 19:10). You can hold it up against the life of Jesus, the ministry of Jesus, the teachings of Jesus, and then we know that this is what the Spirit of God is saying to us at this moment.
What about the gifts of the Spirit? Are you coveting the gifts of the Spirit? The Bible tells you to covet the gifts of the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:31). Are you coveting those gifts, saying, "I want to be used of God; I want to hear the voice of God"? Some of you are coveting new drapes, carpet, car, job. Some of you would even settle for a spouse of any sort. Do you know why you would settle for just anybody that would take you? It's because you've quenched the Spirit. None of those things will make you content. That spouse or a new car won't make you content; only the presence of God will. Are you coveting spiritual gifts?