Jude 1:22 - On some having compassion making a difference…
Thank goodness for the gift of mercy! If you have this gift I’d like to tell you that you are a great asset to the saved and unsaved alike.
1. You can be patient with a person long after others have given up on them. People with this gift have the ability to long-suffer with others despite their weaknesses and failures. Unlike the prophet, who will stick with you for 6 weeks, the person with the gift of mercy will stick with you for 6 years!
2. You are a great intercessor. Now, prophet people are excellent intercessors too. However, the prayers of the prophet and the person with mercy are two different prayers. (And both will have tears in their eyes). The prophet prays: Father, I ask that your will for Jane be done. No matter what you have to do Lord to get her to repent. Break her, mold her and make her. Do it, NOW Lord! In Jesus Name – Amen. The mercy person prays: Oh Merciful Father, I know Jane is in sin…but have mercy on her. She is weak and you know that we are only flesh. Please Lord, have mercy. Please. Amen. LOL!
3. You HATE to see people suffer! Mercy people will do ANYTHING to keep people from crying or feeling any type of pain. If you have a mercy person watching a commercial that is asking for money for poor people in other countries they will be the first to want to give. If they had the money, they will even go to the other country. Mercy people will be the only one in your living room crying during the commercial. Meanwhile the prophet is rolling their eyes at them thinking, Sucker! LOL.
4.You have a very difficult time telling people no. People with this gift have the ability to beat around the bush for ages before they tell you no. As a matter of fact, they will walk away from you without even saying no! They rather not even answer you than to say no. Most times they will do stuff they don’t even want to do just because they can’t say no! lol.
5. You make excuses for people’s sin. Unfortunately this can be a downfall for the mercy person. Instead of calling sin what it is, the mercy person will make excuses because they don’t want to hurt anyone! So, instead of telling David he is in sin, the mercy person will say “We ALL sin”. This is not good because although there is a time for mercy to be shown a person MUST live right. Making excuses for a person living in sin only keeps them sinning.
6. You have problems with lying. Again, this is not good for the person with this gift, but I understand why they do it. They lie, again, because they don’t want to see people hurt. Mercy people don’t see lies as lies. They see it as PROTECTION. But mercy people, one sin does not cancel out the other. You have to start calling things what they REALLY ARE and stop lying. In the long run, you only hurt the person you are lying to.
7. You have an EXCELLENT understanding of the mercy of God. God is infinitely merciful. The bible says he lets the sun shine on the just as well as the unjust. This is how mercy people are. They show mercy to the saved and unsaved alike. Unlike the prophet, who if given the power, would give utter darkness to the unsaved and only sun to those that walked right before God. LOL. That God for Mercy People!!
8. You are very UNFORGIVING once crossed! MY GRACIOUS!! Mercy people will stick with you for eternity…as long as you don’t offend them. Then, you are DIS-MISSED! LOL. They know how to hold on to an offense for dear life, and believe me, you will know it. Why? Because they will REMIND YOU….AGAIN…AND AGAIN…AND AGAIN…AND AGAIN….AND AGAIN…AND AGAIN!! LOL. I have a son with this gift and I am STILL explaining to him…10YEARS LATER… that I made a mistake years ago. LOL.
Let me pause here by saying that although funny, this is very serious. Mercy people, you can not punish a person for years on end after they have apologized to you and have done everything to make amends. Unforgiveness causes sickness. Don’t die early because you failed to forgive someone!
9. You treasure memories, memorabilia, and people. You do not take people lightly once they are in your life. Of all the gifts, you put your heart into people and things. Prophets and teachers can deal with a person from a distance and still enjoy life. But mercy people are put their whole soul into things. They also have GREAT MEMORIES! They can usually tell you where they were at, how they got there and how they felt when they arrived. Lol.
If you have a child with this gift, here are some tips for you:
1. They are usually very sensitive children. This is the child who is always crying about something.
2. They really don’t need to be spanked a lot. You have to correct them some other way because over spanking them leaves very deep and hurtful memories.
3. They lie often. You really have to correct your child when they lie. Let them know that they will not be in trouble when they tell you the truth. (Remember, they are avoiding the very possibility of pain). This will help them open up and be honest with you.
4. Teach them early about mercy AND judgment. This will give them a balanced perspective on life.
5. Teach them the principle: Bless those that curse you and pray for those that spitefully use you. This will help with the unforgiveness.
Mercy people, thank God for you! If it were not for this gift, a whole heck of a lot of us wouldn’t be here right now.
Next time: The Teacher.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Motivational Gifts – The Prophet (Perceiver)
Jude 1:23 – And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment spotted by the flesh
This scripture describes the Prophet (also known as perceiver) perfectly. They are the gift in the body of Christ that is designed to spot sin, snatch you out of it and send you in the right direction. Prophets have EXTREMELY EXCELLENT SPIRITUAL EYES AND EARS. They can also tell you exactly what you need to do to stay out of sin. Also, they will help guide you in your walk with God. They sense when people are lost and is equipped to give spiritual direction.
The motivational gift of the Prophet is one of the most coveted gifts in the body of Christ. However, it is the most costly gift because this is the gift that causes one to go through much pain and suffering. Most people who think they want this gift is unable to pay the price that comes with it. I have this gift and I must tell you that it is a very expensive gift to have. It has cost me many friends, great misunderstandings, deep suffering and lots of enemies. But I would not trade this gift for anything! Why? Because when I see people free from suffering, pain and bondage it makes the difference. Those of you that possess this gift know what I’m talking about.
This is how you know you possess the gift of the prophet:
1. You will speak against sin no matter what the cost. Prophets HATE sin. Mostly, they hate the sin THEY commit. In other words, they are extremely introverted. They are very hard on themselves and do whatever it takes to please God. They will not stand for idolatry as well and will annihilate it in a minute.
2. You are GREATLY misunderstood. The prophets main goal is to see God’s will done. Most people do not understand that. They think the prophet is judging them. This is where prophets lose friends and new enemies arise. Prophets ARE DESIGNED BY GOD TO SPEAK GOD’S WILL AND TO STAND UP AGAINST SIN. God created them to do this. Prophets want to rid the heart of sin, they do not want to get rid of the person – initially. However, they will get rid of you if they have to. Also, many people try to “punish” the prophet because they speak against sin. To be honest, the prophet invites this punishment into their lives. In their minds they are thinking “If I have to suffer for change to be made, then so be it”. You really can’t punish a prophet. Lol.
3. You will suffer long and hard to see the will of God accomplished. Prophets have a PhD in suffering. They do not get a kick out of suffering. They know it is needed to get a spiritual job done.
4. You will stand alone for the holiness and righteousness of God. Prophets are normally loners. They usually do not have many friends because their gift will not permit them to have many. Prophets are totally in agreement with that. As a matter of fact, the best friend for a prophet is another prophet! Lol. This is because not many people are able to understand them like another prophet.
5.You have a deep sense of God’s will and will articulate it in the midst of severe opposition. While everyone else is making excuses for sin, the prophet will raise his/her voice high to speak against it. They don’t care what other people think about them or what other people say about them.
6. You are in spiritual fights often (either on their behalf or on others behalf). If you ever want someone to fight for you – CHOOSE A PROPHET. They will fight to the bitter end.
7. You are constantly in prayer. Since prophets have a great need to stand against sin, they must be in prayer often. Prophets will carry people’s sin in their heart and if they don’t pray and release that sin, it can make them depressed and even sick.
8. You will voluntarily suffer so that others can be free. A prophet will pray to God to allow someone else to be free while they suffer on their behalf. No other gift will pray this prayer.
9.You can see through lies instantly. Remember, prophets have a heightened sense of righteousness. They don’t have to sniff out sin because they know it is standing right in front of them. And if you keep playing with them, the prophet will call you out.
10. You love deeply – and hate deeply. Prophets have mastered the extremes. This is because their life is in the extremes. They are either deeply hot or deeply cold. They are in war or in peace. They are never in one state for a long time so they know how to shift and adjust to life experiences quickly.
11. You have a deep sense of integrity and justice. Prophets love justice. They hate partiality and unfairness. They don’t care about titles, money or position. If you are in sin they are going to speak against it.
12. You will disconnect from people who instantly that live a continual life of sin. Prophets normally show no mercy when people won’t get their lives right. They will hang in there with you for a minute – no longer! Lol! Prophets are needed because they show where the boundary line is. They understand God’s judgment PERFECTLY! If you want someone with compassion, stick with a Mercy person. I’ll discuss them next time.
Prophets have downfalls as well. An immature prophet does not know patience. They want you to get out of sin TODAY! Lol. To them, there is no time to waste. God has to show the prophet that a person getting out of sin is not on their timetable. If you have a child that is a Prophet (Perceiver), look for these signs:
1. They hate it when injustice is done. They will argue with you tooth and nail so that you can see who was REALLY wrong! Lol.
2. They will fight for the weak
3. Their mouths get them in trouble because they call things the way the SEE it (remember, they have excellent spiritual sight)
4. They have very few friends – and they like it that way.
5. They have problems with control and intimidation. This means they try to MAKE others do what is right.
6. They will take the blame for their siblings. This means that they are willing to take punishment to see their siblings go free.
Well, for those of you that are Prophets or have children that are prophets I hope your understanding is enlightened. God equipped you with this gift because you are needed in the body of Christ!
My advice – stay in prayer and continue to speak against sin!
This scripture describes the Prophet (also known as perceiver) perfectly. They are the gift in the body of Christ that is designed to spot sin, snatch you out of it and send you in the right direction. Prophets have EXTREMELY EXCELLENT SPIRITUAL EYES AND EARS. They can also tell you exactly what you need to do to stay out of sin. Also, they will help guide you in your walk with God. They sense when people are lost and is equipped to give spiritual direction.
The motivational gift of the Prophet is one of the most coveted gifts in the body of Christ. However, it is the most costly gift because this is the gift that causes one to go through much pain and suffering. Most people who think they want this gift is unable to pay the price that comes with it. I have this gift and I must tell you that it is a very expensive gift to have. It has cost me many friends, great misunderstandings, deep suffering and lots of enemies. But I would not trade this gift for anything! Why? Because when I see people free from suffering, pain and bondage it makes the difference. Those of you that possess this gift know what I’m talking about.
This is how you know you possess the gift of the prophet:
1. You will speak against sin no matter what the cost. Prophets HATE sin. Mostly, they hate the sin THEY commit. In other words, they are extremely introverted. They are very hard on themselves and do whatever it takes to please God. They will not stand for idolatry as well and will annihilate it in a minute.
2. You are GREATLY misunderstood. The prophets main goal is to see God’s will done. Most people do not understand that. They think the prophet is judging them. This is where prophets lose friends and new enemies arise. Prophets ARE DESIGNED BY GOD TO SPEAK GOD’S WILL AND TO STAND UP AGAINST SIN. God created them to do this. Prophets want to rid the heart of sin, they do not want to get rid of the person – initially. However, they will get rid of you if they have to. Also, many people try to “punish” the prophet because they speak against sin. To be honest, the prophet invites this punishment into their lives. In their minds they are thinking “If I have to suffer for change to be made, then so be it”. You really can’t punish a prophet. Lol.
3. You will suffer long and hard to see the will of God accomplished. Prophets have a PhD in suffering. They do not get a kick out of suffering. They know it is needed to get a spiritual job done.
4. You will stand alone for the holiness and righteousness of God. Prophets are normally loners. They usually do not have many friends because their gift will not permit them to have many. Prophets are totally in agreement with that. As a matter of fact, the best friend for a prophet is another prophet! Lol. This is because not many people are able to understand them like another prophet.
5.You have a deep sense of God’s will and will articulate it in the midst of severe opposition. While everyone else is making excuses for sin, the prophet will raise his/her voice high to speak against it. They don’t care what other people think about them or what other people say about them.
6. You are in spiritual fights often (either on their behalf or on others behalf). If you ever want someone to fight for you – CHOOSE A PROPHET. They will fight to the bitter end.
7. You are constantly in prayer. Since prophets have a great need to stand against sin, they must be in prayer often. Prophets will carry people’s sin in their heart and if they don’t pray and release that sin, it can make them depressed and even sick.
8. You will voluntarily suffer so that others can be free. A prophet will pray to God to allow someone else to be free while they suffer on their behalf. No other gift will pray this prayer.
9.You can see through lies instantly. Remember, prophets have a heightened sense of righteousness. They don’t have to sniff out sin because they know it is standing right in front of them. And if you keep playing with them, the prophet will call you out.
10. You love deeply – and hate deeply. Prophets have mastered the extremes. This is because their life is in the extremes. They are either deeply hot or deeply cold. They are in war or in peace. They are never in one state for a long time so they know how to shift and adjust to life experiences quickly.
11. You have a deep sense of integrity and justice. Prophets love justice. They hate partiality and unfairness. They don’t care about titles, money or position. If you are in sin they are going to speak against it.
12. You will disconnect from people who instantly that live a continual life of sin. Prophets normally show no mercy when people won’t get their lives right. They will hang in there with you for a minute – no longer! Lol! Prophets are needed because they show where the boundary line is. They understand God’s judgment PERFECTLY! If you want someone with compassion, stick with a Mercy person. I’ll discuss them next time.
Prophets have downfalls as well. An immature prophet does not know patience. They want you to get out of sin TODAY! Lol. To them, there is no time to waste. God has to show the prophet that a person getting out of sin is not on their timetable. If you have a child that is a Prophet (Perceiver), look for these signs:
1. They hate it when injustice is done. They will argue with you tooth and nail so that you can see who was REALLY wrong! Lol.
2. They will fight for the weak
3. Their mouths get them in trouble because they call things the way the SEE it (remember, they have excellent spiritual sight)
4. They have very few friends – and they like it that way.
5. They have problems with control and intimidation. This means they try to MAKE others do what is right.
6. They will take the blame for their siblings. This means that they are willing to take punishment to see their siblings go free.
Well, for those of you that are Prophets or have children that are prophets I hope your understanding is enlightened. God equipped you with this gift because you are needed in the body of Christ!
My advice – stay in prayer and continue to speak against sin!
The Power of the Single Parent: Teaching Your Children the Word of God
As Christian single parents one very important thing to do while raising your children is to teach them about Christ. I know by experience that we can teach them many things. We teach our children to tie their shoes, write their alphabet, make friends and many other things. But we can not fail to teach them about Christ.
The very first thing you should teach your children is that they must be saved. You can teach them many biblical principles like sowing and reaping or blessings and curses. But if you do not teach your children that they need the Savior the other knowledge will not do them any good because that knowledge will not get them into heaven. The bible states “Except a man be born of water and of the spirit he can not enter into the kingdom of God. John 3:5. Your child must be born again. Salvation is an individual thing. They do not go to heaven because you are saved.
Secondly, you must teach your children the ways of Christ. Believe it or not Jesus taught on some very deep and interesting subjects: The Principle of Being Thankful (Luke 17:11-17), Submission to Authority (Luke 8:5-13), Giving (Matthew 10:8), Loving your Enemies (Matthew 5:44), Persistence (Luke 11:8) and much more. You can teach your children how to live like Christ through his teaching.
Giving your children scriptures to remember is an excellent idea. But the goal is not that they memorize scripture, the goal is that the Word sinks into their heart so they can LIVE the Word. Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee. Psalm 119:11.
There are various ways you can teach your children on the level in which they will understand.
1. Read the Word of God with them on a consistent basis. If we can watch television and go to the movies, we can read the Word of God with our children. Constantly let your children know that the bible is not a “book of stories”. It is real. The people and events were real. The upcoming prophesies are real. When you tell them that the Word of God is real and not a story you open their eyes to the kingdom of God. They will believe, trust and honor the word as truth.
2. Live the Word of God to your children daily. No one is perfect, but we all have the capacity to live like Christ on a daily basis. The more you live the Christian walk the more your children will see that He is real. If we live one way and say something totally different our actions can “water” down the effectiveness of the Word. This is one of the reasons why unbelievers call Christian hypocrites. Because we are sometime guilty of saying one thing and doing something else. If the world feels that way, your children will feel that way too.
3. When walking with your children show them things in the world that remind you of God’s attributes. For example, a rock may remind you of God’s strength. Pick up the rock and tell them to try to crush it. When they can’t do it let them know that the inability to crush the rock represents Satan’s inability to crush God and his plans. Or you can show them the stillness of a river or creek. This can remind you of God’s peace. These times can enlighten your child’s heart to God and His Word.
4. Teach them through your mistakes and achievements. Most times we don’t have any problems telling our children of all the good things we have done. This is when we tell our children how much God has blessed us because we were obedient. But what about when we were disobedient? Do not be afraid to tell your children when you messed up with God. This will teach your children about God’s mercy and his grace. It will also teach them that you are accountable to God in your life. This will put the fear of the Lord in your children (something that is GREATLY missing now-a-days!) as well as teaching them that they have to be accountable to God for their lives. When I talk to my children about the things that I did wrong I tell them the event, how God dealt with me and I tell them the consequences I suffered because of my disobedience. I also reinforce the truth that no one gets away with sin. NO ONE, NOT EVEN ME! God does not punish us for every sin, but he will spank us for continual sin.
Teaching your children the Word of God and his ways is not hard. If we really want our children to be young men and women of integrity we will do everything possible to show them God’s ways.
The very first thing you should teach your children is that they must be saved. You can teach them many biblical principles like sowing and reaping or blessings and curses. But if you do not teach your children that they need the Savior the other knowledge will not do them any good because that knowledge will not get them into heaven. The bible states “Except a man be born of water and of the spirit he can not enter into the kingdom of God. John 3:5. Your child must be born again. Salvation is an individual thing. They do not go to heaven because you are saved.
Secondly, you must teach your children the ways of Christ. Believe it or not Jesus taught on some very deep and interesting subjects: The Principle of Being Thankful (Luke 17:11-17), Submission to Authority (Luke 8:5-13), Giving (Matthew 10:8), Loving your Enemies (Matthew 5:44), Persistence (Luke 11:8) and much more. You can teach your children how to live like Christ through his teaching.
Giving your children scriptures to remember is an excellent idea. But the goal is not that they memorize scripture, the goal is that the Word sinks into their heart so they can LIVE the Word. Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee. Psalm 119:11.
There are various ways you can teach your children on the level in which they will understand.
1. Read the Word of God with them on a consistent basis. If we can watch television and go to the movies, we can read the Word of God with our children. Constantly let your children know that the bible is not a “book of stories”. It is real. The people and events were real. The upcoming prophesies are real. When you tell them that the Word of God is real and not a story you open their eyes to the kingdom of God. They will believe, trust and honor the word as truth.
2. Live the Word of God to your children daily. No one is perfect, but we all have the capacity to live like Christ on a daily basis. The more you live the Christian walk the more your children will see that He is real. If we live one way and say something totally different our actions can “water” down the effectiveness of the Word. This is one of the reasons why unbelievers call Christian hypocrites. Because we are sometime guilty of saying one thing and doing something else. If the world feels that way, your children will feel that way too.
3. When walking with your children show them things in the world that remind you of God’s attributes. For example, a rock may remind you of God’s strength. Pick up the rock and tell them to try to crush it. When they can’t do it let them know that the inability to crush the rock represents Satan’s inability to crush God and his plans. Or you can show them the stillness of a river or creek. This can remind you of God’s peace. These times can enlighten your child’s heart to God and His Word.
4. Teach them through your mistakes and achievements. Most times we don’t have any problems telling our children of all the good things we have done. This is when we tell our children how much God has blessed us because we were obedient. But what about when we were disobedient? Do not be afraid to tell your children when you messed up with God. This will teach your children about God’s mercy and his grace. It will also teach them that you are accountable to God in your life. This will put the fear of the Lord in your children (something that is GREATLY missing now-a-days!) as well as teaching them that they have to be accountable to God for their lives. When I talk to my children about the things that I did wrong I tell them the event, how God dealt with me and I tell them the consequences I suffered because of my disobedience. I also reinforce the truth that no one gets away with sin. NO ONE, NOT EVEN ME! God does not punish us for every sin, but he will spank us for continual sin.
Teaching your children the Word of God and his ways is not hard. If we really want our children to be young men and women of integrity we will do everything possible to show them God’s ways.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
