1 Corinthians 12:1-3 NKJV

“1Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: 2You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. 3Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.”

So Much Fakery

In our world today, among so much of what is being called “Christian,” there is so much fakery, lies, false gospels, false gifts of “The Spirit,” and false teachers of “The Word.” So many people are creating their own “God” in their own minds for their own purposes. So many of them are adding on to or they are taking away from the Scriptures in order to justify their own lifestyles. And so many are falsely attributing to The Spirit of God what is not of The Spirit at all, but that which is of the flesh, and/or which is of Satan.

So we have a lot that is being done in the name of God, and in the name of Jesus Christ, and in the name of the Holy Spirit which is of the flesh and/or of the devil. So we need to know the gifts of the Spirit and how they are to be used, and we need to know the fruit of the Spirit, which includes “self-control.” So if you are being led to do something that makes you or your body do something over which you have no control, that is not of the Holy Spirit. And if what you do is contrary to the will of God, it is not of God.

But here we have another issue. Since so many people are abusing the “gifts of the Spirit” or they are creating their own “gifts,” claiming that they are of the Spirit of God, when clearly they are not, we have a group of people who are denying some of the primary gifts of the Spirit, teaching that they no longer exist. And they use some Scripture references out of context to try to prove their point, but it is not valid. For in the last days God’s daughters and sons will prophesy, dream dreams, and see visions. But we must test them.

1 Corinthians 12:4-11 NKJV

“4There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 7But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.”

Discerning The Gifts

“Spiritual gifts” is clearly a controversial topic, for things which are of the Spirit of God are not always easily discerned. And so many of the gifts are being abused and misused. And I believe that is one of the reasons why a certain group of people at some point in time decided that certain gifts no longer exist, because they are not things which they can control or easily explain or discern. So many, thus, have stayed with ones which they can control, like gifts of teaching, giving, mercy, serving, and leading others.

But we read in the Scriptures: “19Do not quench the Spirit. 20Do not despise prophecies. 21Test all things; hold fast what is good. 22Abstain from every form of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 NKJV)

So, we are neither to deny all which are being called “gifts of the Spirit,” nor are we to embrace everything being called “gifts of the Spirit” or “prophecy.” But honestly, I believe many people stay away from such things as these because it is so much work to test everything, to take the time to search the Scriptures to see if something is or is not of God, and to see if it contradicts the Scriptures or if it supports the teachings of God. So they “play it safe,” by just ignoring what they regard as just “too hard” to understand.

Applying This to Today

Now, what was written here in the Scriptures was during a time in history when people did not have television, radio, and the internet, like we do. So, what was written to them was to be applied to them and to the people who were in their inner circle, i.e. in their Christian fellowships. So this is not saying that we have to try to discern every “prophecy” we hear people speak in the name of Jesus if they are on television, radio, or on the internet, and if they are not in our inner circle, unless they are influencing our inner circle.

But if there is someone who is very popular among the people of my nation or in the world, and if the masses appear to be following after them and what they are teaching, and if the Lord leads me to do so, I will take the time to search out what they are teaching, and to compare it to what the Scriptures are teaching, and then to share what the Lord has taught me in the hope that it will keep at least some people from being deceived and from following after the lies, lies which might send them to hell, especially.

But please do not deny the gifts of the Spirit just because a group of people are denying them or are abusing them. The Lord gave us these gifts for a reason, that we might help one another to grow to maturity in our walks of faith in obedience to our Lord and to his commands. In what I write each day, I am exercising, in the power of The Holy Spirit who lives within me, the gifts of God within me which I am to use for the salvation of human souls from hell and for the encouragement of the body of Christ, his church.

Gifts, Ministries, body life, Ministers of the Gospel Scriptures:

[Matthew 5:13-16; Matthew 28:18-20; John 4:31-38; John 13:13-17; John 14:12; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:14-18; Acts 26:18; Romans 10:14-15; Romans 12:1-8; Romans 15:14; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; 1 Corinthians 14:1-5; Ephesians 4:1-16; Ephesians 5:11-27; Philippians 2:1-8; Colossians 3:16; Hebrews 3:13; Hebrews 10:23-25; 1 Peter 2:9,21; 1 John 2:6]

Love Never Fails

Based off 1 Corinthians 13 NIV
An Original Work / August 20, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

If I speak with tongues of men and angels,
But do not have love, my speech is but noise;
It sounds like thunder from above.
If I have the gift of preaching,
Knowledge, faith and prophecy,
But I do not love my brothers, oh, what vanity!
If I give all I possess to help a neighbor who’s in need,
But I do not love my sisters, I gain not a thing.

Love is patient; love is kind; it does not envy;
Is not proud. It is not rude; not self-seeking;
Selflessly gives out. Love does not delight in evil,
But rejoices with the truth; Protects always;
Hopes and trusts, and always perseveres.
Love is not easily angered; keeps no record of the wrongs.
It forgives when wrong’s intended; returns hate with love.

Love will never fail when it is God’s love
Reaching out through us, selfless in its care for others;
Yielding to the cross. Prophecies and tongues
And knowledge, wisdom, teaching, miracles,
Gifts of healing, helping others – these will all be stilled.
When perfection comes the imperfect will surely disappear.
Faith and hope and love remain; the greatest of these, love.

Discerning The Spirits
An Original Work / June 13, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love