The Plumbline

We have been exploring the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives through the various "gifts" he gives as we walk along with him.  As we have already established, there are a variety of "fruits" and "gifts" of the Spirit, but all come from exactly the same source.  Fruits are a result of growth IN our inner man as we walk with the Spirit, gifts are a result of the Spirit's working within us given to help each of us grow a little deeper in Christ.  The gifts of the Spirit are for the benefit of the entire Body of Christ - his church - your fellow believers.  The fruits of the Spirit actually impact you first, then they begin to reveal the nature of God's heart to the world around you.  We need both - one without the other is like bread without butter, potatoes without gravy, or cake without frosting.  I can eat bread plain, but there is something about the combination of butter slathered on the surface of a good bread which gives it just that much mo...

If you stop long enough to see the display of God's amazing power, it will not take you long to realize it is everywhere you look.  The tiny ants crawling in and out of their intricately dug tunnels beneath the earth.  The beauty of the sun glistening off the freshly fallen snow and quickly frozen tree limbs.  The awe of a brightly painted evening sky at the setting of the sun.  The tiny miracle of new life held closely in your arms.  The radiant heat of the sun on a cold day.  The soft melody of the chirping bird enjoying the feeder in the yard. There are "signs" or "displays" of his power everywhere.  It does not stop in nature - it is within each of us, as well.  Scripture declares, "Each person is given something to do that shows who God is..."  We are each given some amazing way to express the power and greatness of our God - we sometimes just need to embrace this expression and go with it! God’s various gifts are handed out everywh...

Different carries the idea of being dissimilar in some way - to some, it even carries the connotation of something being inferior to another.  For example, when you can buy the name brand or the generic, some feel there is a clear difference between the two - one is inferior to the other.  While I sometimes agree with this when it comes to buying "the real deal" or the "knock-off", I don't think this applies to the gifts God bestows in our lives.  None of the gifts from God are "inferior" to another.  If they are "different", it simply means one stands as unique to the other.  They are distinct, not ordinary, and they vary.  In some respects, we may all possess the "same" gift, but we manifest it in a variety of ways - each unique to our personality, circle of influence, etc.  Spiritual gifts are never "inferior" or "superior" to one another - they are designed to be used by the one who possesses them in a manne...