http://ichthys.com/ 
Ministry and Preparation for Ministry XX
Question #1:  
Hi Bob,

A friend of mine is attending a workshop on the gifts of the Spirit, using 1 Corinthians 12:27 where they are trying to help Christians identify and recognize their particular gifts. The purpose being for building up the body ( the church). This is a missionary based evangelical church. She asked me whether I thought we could have more than one gift and if so how would one determine which would be the most useful gift for that ministry.

It all seemed a bit like edifying people rather than relying on the Spirit to work in our lives but I admit I could be totally wrong and too judgmental.

Your opinion would be appreciated.

Trust you are well and enjoying the summer break. ___ remains lost and unrepentant and is a burden on my heart but I keep praying and trusting God for __'s deliverance. 

Kind regards,
Response #1:  
As each one has received a [particular spiritual] gift, [so let us be] ministering it to each other as good stewards of the multi-faceted grace of God.
1st Peter 4:10

The "multifarious" / "multifaceted" grace of God is described here in relation to spiritual gifts. Rather than seeing gifts in "cookie-cutter" style, in my reading of what scripture has to say on this topic (you can get all the details in BB 5: Pneumatology at the link), there are as many combinations of gifts and as many variations of those gifts as there are Christians. We are all gifted, but we all need to reach spiritual maturity to have those gifts come into their full functioning so as to enter into the ministry that the Lord has for us – and He has one for us all (e.g., 1Cor.12:4-11; on this subject, see BB 6B: Ecclesiology). 

I do agree with you that trying to pro-actively "find out" one's gifts is taking things backwards. Our job is to grow and then to make use of the talents and attributes (and gifts) which it is obvious that the Lord has given to us, putting them into practice in that main ministry He has in mind for us. Sadly very few Laodicean Christians are doing anything about their own spiritual growth and so the vast majority are immature and not ready to use whatever gifts they do have, not at the level intended at any rate. If we are doing what the Lord wants – growing, passing the tests that temper us and prepare us, taking advantage of ministry opportunities – then all these things will fall into place. 

The only major exception to this principle, I would say, is in the case of ministries which do take preparation and time to prepare to engage in. One cannot, for example, learn Greek and Hebrew overnight, so that any man who suspects he has the gift of pastor-teacher does need to recognize that fairly early on and take the necessary steps to add the required skills to the spiritual preparation we all ought to be making.

I pray for your ___ daily. Nothing is impossible for the Lord.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #2:  
Hi Bob,

As always, thank you for your sound advice. You are definitely using your gift to its full potential and I thank God for you and the amazing ability you have to answer questions from so many people who are seeking.

__ was diagnosed with a fast growing grade 4 lung cancer with metástasis in the pancreas 6 months ago. No contributory factors or prior symptoms; completed 5 chemo sessions but had to discontinue as was so ill. However the tumours have shrunk but overall we are not dismayed and know that God has planned every day that we have here and in the future with Him. I am an RN and the gifts that I was given have been fully utilized in many ways but the most incredible thing was the sense of peace and lack of anxiety that we have both felt. I cannot imagine a life without Him.

Thank you again and may God bless you and your work for His glory.
Response #2:  
Thanks for your good words as always, my friend.

I'm terribly sorry to hear about your ___'s medical travails. I have put up a prayer request up on Ichthys and I will be keeping ___ in my prayers as well.

Thanks you also for your strong witness of faith.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #3:  
Hi Mr. Luginbill,

How are you? I hope it is going well. I was thanking God for you the other night - I read your How can we know the Bible is true? link and it was wonderful. I also revisited the dichotomy of man and that was also wonderful, and I picked up on more another time around.

I know we had a discussion about ministry and gifts/talents, and you said God factors it into His plan. I'm trying to figure out how to support myself in a Christ-honoring way and also how get prepared for my ministry, which are separate things but I am one person, so in some sense I have to sort it all out.

In working, I have discovered that I enjoy entrepreneurial pursuits. Most of my talents and interests from childhood on have been artistic - writing stories, painting and drawing, video work, etc so my question is: what is God's view on art/creativity?

It seems to me that God likes to make things (of course everything He makes is perfect so it is good, not so with people). Does the image of God have only to do with free-will or does it also mean we have other characteristics of God? If I am understanding you correctly when reading email postings, you think that art/music can be emotional and put you in a fake world and is therefore not beneficial to the Christian life (correct me if I have misunderstood you, I want to accurately understand your position).

Did God give me these artistic talents? If so, is there a certain thing God expects of me?

Also, just to say, I have a high standard for what I call "good" art and writing. I am very disappointed in even what is called "Christian" these days. When I go to the library the shelves are all filled with dark and yucky books (even worse than when I was a kid and I'm not that old!) Which I know is a result of the time we are in - still I wonder, is there a place for entertainment in a Christian's life, or does craving that just mean a person hasn't matured enough spiritually? Is there a place for truth-filled fiction or not? Are we called to provide a higher standard or called to move on from it cause it is worldly?

I am trying to fill my spare time - I have reduced my entertainment significantly (Spiritually and mentally this has helped) but I do have to wonder, outside of Bible, Bible study, and work, what do I do? I need some mental simulation. I love to encourage people. I also love to think critically (I have been studying apologetics for fun). I am sorry this is an unorganized email, this has rattled around in my mind for a long time. Thank you I'm advance for your perspective, it is always insightful!

Respectfully,
Response #3:  
I'm bumping along. I hope your health is good. It is good to see you making progress on all these issues. I have been praying for you. And thanks for your encouraging words as well!

On things "out there" which are called "Christian" today, I hear you. There are a lot of rocks and shoals for believers in the devil's world, more so today than in times past (and it's only going to get worse). As those who have put Jesus Christ first in our lives, we strive to be part of the solution, not the problem.

As with many other things in this life, how we are to use our gifts is a matter of personal application. The Bible is not shy about telling us what things we are definitely not to do nor about giving us definitive commands and solid guidance about what we should do. If we are avoiding sinful behavior on the one hand (sanctification: defense) and pushing forward with growth, progress and production on the other (spiritual growth: offense), then we are in that "sweet spot" and headed to a good reward. Of course, when it gets down to particulars of living our lives day by day, many things, perhaps most things, require us to personally apply the truth we have learned and believed. And the way we see things and do things will change as we become more mature and experienced. At least it should.

I would never tell any other Christian what they should do in the vast area of life in between the two extremes outlined above. You are the only one who can figure out what the Lord is leading you to. We know things about ourselves and they become clearer as we grow. The Lord puts opportunities in our path which are godly; the evil one tempts us with things that are not. Lots of things seem to fall into a gray area in between, but with the help of the Spirit, prayer and care, we are always given the ability to sort these out aright, if we are willing to listen.

It is true that I have opined about the dangers of things which are not true, but that is a general principle. Have I ever watched movies and TV, watched sports or read novels? Indeed I have. And I do. Not as much as I used to. But that is as much a function of not having the time or the interest as it is of wanting to avoid things that are unhelpful and unhealthy (there is plenty of that out there, after all). When it comes to things like this, we don't want to be monks (monks run into their own problems); we also don't want to over-indulge. Some art and entertainment is very dangerous; some almost entirely innocuous. Some of it arguably can destroy us; some of it arguably can be beneficial. I would advocate for limiting our emotional engagement with such things whether we are talking about consuming them or evaluating them. Going overboard with anything is generally a very bad idea. Playing a video game on one's phone for ten minutes every once in a while is probably not going to hurt us; getting addicted will lead to nothing good. 

Like everything else in this world, art is passing away. But then so is carpentry and Classics and fishing and accounting . . . etc., etc., etc. We do what we do in this world first to earn a living. That is godly whereas refusing to work is certainly not. And using as an excuse alleged or actual spiritual imperfections in any line of work (they all have them: link), in order to avoid working altogether is flat out wrong: "The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat" (2Thes.3:10 NIV).

Any believer who can find a way to put bread on the table which makes use of his/her talents and interests is indeed blessed, and doubly so if in doing so he/she can also have a witness for the Lord in some way. Just HOW one goes about that and at the same time avoids getting involved in anything that violates one's conscience (or is actually problematic), is a matter of individual application depending on very many factors, most of which only the person in question is qualified to evaluate in the Spirit.
So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.
Romans 14:22-23 NIV
We have to have confidence that the Lord is "in" what we are doing on the one hand. On the other hand, we also have to accept that nothing in this life is perfect. We are not perfect and whatever we set our hands to will not be perfect either. We strive to give a good witness in whatever we do; but we do what we do in full knowledge that the truth and our growth in it and sharing of it is far more important.

I am confident that the Lord will give you wisdom on this, and lead you into just the right thing.

Keeping you in my daily prayers for that, my friend.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #4:   
Hi Mr. Luginbill,

Apologies for the late reply. Life is full and I just now stopped running around. 

This helps me, thank you - especially when you said: Think about what you know would be good to do and have done and work back from that.

I have wondered and wanted to ask you this for a long time. Does the talents/gifts God gives us (not spiritual) work together with the spiritual gifts He gives us? Does Jesus expect us to use non-spiritual gifts for Him or just use them for life?

Mr. Luginbill, will you please say an extra for my health tonight? I'm not feeling well, and I suddenly have a new symptom that's never happened before, do you think God is punishing me? I've had an ongoing struggle with a certain sin, I was caught in it badly but not as much now, but I still occasionally mess up (I did two days ago). And I do try to confess but I'm worried God might be punished me and I'm scared.

Respectfully,
Response #4:  
I will do so.

In terms of "punishment", it's important for believers to understand how much our heavenly Father loves us. He is our Father, and He is perfect in His love for us. He only disciplines us for our own good and welfare – just like how we would only discipline a child of our own when we had to for their own good, not out of a desire to "punish" or for retribution, not at all. Here's a link on that: The Fact and Purpose of Divine Discipline .

As Paul tells us in Hebrews chapter 12, when we do receive discipline, it is just that, namely, an indication of our heavenly Father's love for us AND a confirmation that we are His true sons and daughters all of whom receive discipline from time to time – only unbelievers do not.

If we confess our sins, we are absolutely forgiven them (link). If we need some correction, our Father is perfect in His loving application of it. So fear is out of place: we revere Him as we would a perfect, earthly father; but we do so in a way that appreciates that great love for us (which should also be paralleled by earthly fathers – even it wasn't in someone's case, we all have an idea of what a good father SHOULD be). We should always be striving to draw closer to Him and to our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and not let momentary lapses sour things.

In terms of gifts and talents, absolutely I do think that God takes all this into account and gives us everything He gives us for the purpose of carrying out the plan He has for us personally and for the Church of Jesus Christ as a whole. As I often remark, there are as many ministries as there are believers, and the combination of gifts and talents God gives is likewise multifarious. We are all special to Him; we all have a definite purpose; we all have the mandate and the opportunity to respond to Jesus Christ and His truth to do what He wants us to do for His Body, His Bride, His Church. Gifts and talents are key to that (but spiritual growth and progress in passing tests always precedes the full implementation of the ministries He has in mind for us). More on all this in BB 5: Pneumatology, "Spiritual Gifts".

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #5:  
Hi Mr. Luginbill,

I want to apologize for overreacting last night, please forgive me. I wasn't thinking right - I do want to respect God and not exhaust His patience with me, but sometimes I think I forget how much He loves me.

I do get excited about my ministry, but I know it will take time before I am spiritually mature to fulfill my full mission. Just trying to figure out what God wants right now. Thank you for your advice!

Respectfully,
Response #5:  
No need to apologize! How are you feeling?

It's good to be excited about ministering. I think the Lord prefers believers who have to be reined in (rather than spurred on), but it's also good not to "go off half-cocked". 

So keep growing! The Lord will work everything out in His good timing if we stay faithful.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #6:  
Dear Teacher

Thank you for the heads up. I've tried to look into it but it's a bit of a high-pressure time for us here. I think that things are easing up now, so I hope to find some time this week to research the new option thoroughly.

Have you been well?

Just a quick question. What do you base your rejection of gifts on, Sir? I have friends that have offered to send a gift to me and mine. I said no to one of them, but I sense that it has caused some pain in our relationship. It's not like we couldn't use the help, but I am trying to balance between maintaining a certain respect for the Word of God on the part of those offering and allowing them an opportunity to serve the Lord for rewards. I'm sure the thought counts with the Lord, so the fact of my rejection must not impact too greatly on their rewards, but I also worry about how they might feel that I don't count them worthy to serve me even though they have taken advantage of my teaching gifts to the extent that they have.

[omitted]

Just some updates on how things have been. It's all been rather exhausting, but our Lord has been showing me just how good He is and I keep seeing how unworthy we are of Him.

Your student in Jesus
Response #6:  
Sorry to hear you've had such difficulties, my friend. I'm keeping ___'s health in my prayers.

On gifts, if I've ever said anything on the subject it was probably of a personal nature. It's true that this ministry does not accept donations, but that is a personal decision for reasons of taking money out of the equation in this ministry (and that has been a great blessing over the years). Paul famously refused support from the Corinthians – to make the issues of truth clear – but he did take if from the Philippians et al. I don't have anything against people giving support or receiving it. It's just that, personally, I've had bad experiences with this sort of thing whenever ministry was involved. It might just be me. 
The laborer is worthy of his wages.
1st Timothy 5:18 NKJV (Lk.10:7)
For pastor-teachers, the above means that absolutely those who teach the Word have the right to be supported by those being taught.
Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.
Galatians 6:6 NKJV
In the modern world, for any sort of complete support for a pastor meant to liberate his time in order to be able to do a good job in studying and teaching, this means – to my way of thinking at any rate – a set salary . . . or something as close to a regular paycheck as the congregation can manage, with this expenditure being paramount above everything else (like expenditures for buildings), and with expenditures for everything else being far and away in second place (see the link).

However, there is an old "tradition" in my country, one which has pretty much died out now except perhaps in rural areas, where the above was not always the case. The pastor and his family were often provided a place to live (the "manse") and also occasionally supported food-wise by the agricultural produce of the farmers et al. who were part of the flock – along the lines of Levitical tithes but by no means equaling anything like 10%. My dad's first permanent pastorate was in a small town in Indiana (where I was born and grew up for the first five years of my life before we moved to Chicago . . . quite a culture shock that was!). I still remember one fellow bringing a bushel of apples to the back door of the manse. That is all well and good, but what if the pastor needs money to pay the electric bill, not apples? The thing that gripes me is not the giving of gifts; rather it is the notion some people seem to have that giving things (especially things that cost little because the people giving them already have them – like apples or old clothing), they are then absolved of seeing to it that the pastor is properly supported. This is the modern world, and in the modern world, support is salary paid in money, not apples or clothing or used car parts or whatever.

The other thing that concerns me about giving gifts in a ministry context is that those giving them to the pastor directly sometimes feel that they have some kind of special hold over him, that somehow he is therefore obligated to them on that account. I think this is often true of gift giving generally, and in my experience in the best friendships this whole messy complication is best avoided – except when people are so close there is no issue of hurt feelings or mistaken assumptions. It is also true, as you too have experienced, that if we decline a gift, it often will, as we say in this country, "bend the person's nose out of joint". Of course, any mature Christian ought not to have an issue with that, but sadly people are not perfect, not even Christians, not even otherwise mature Christians. Knowing that this is a potential issue, sometimes I personally have accepted as well as rejected gifts – and have had people misunderstand and react badly both ways (there seems to be no winning on this one). [example omitted] In seemingly no time thereafter __'s attitude towards me seemed to change and it wasn't very long until __ broke off all contact with me. I ended up giving the gift to charity.

We do the best we can – and leave the rest to the Lord.
There's more on all this of course at the link:  in BB 6B: "Pastoral Support"

Keeping you guys in my prayers.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #7:  
Dear Teacher 

Will look out for your update then, Sir. And we will keep on praying.

I was wondering what Ps.115:8 meant. I suppose Is.44:11,18-20 could be the answer to that so that there is no need to go to what the resurrection of condemnation and the state of the rebel angels in the Lake of Fire might look like?

One of the things about your teaching on spiritual gifts that impressed me greatly and that I hadn't heard anywhere else was that it wasn't just the spiritual ability or talent that is the gift but the believer himself. As such, one believer could be a bundle of abilities specially concocted by the Lord to serve His Church. I think that that helped me to resolve the tension that seemed to exist between my penchant for apologetics and my desire to discover and expound Bible teaching to others. It's not that I have to be one or the other, but that I am both things and that (among other things) makes me a different sort of pastor-teacher than someone else might be. I wrote up that piece in the course of a conversation on our Ichthys WhatsApp group early last year. I hoped that it would help anyone who was still wondering about what their spiritual gift was. What other ways might someone come to know what their gift is in our own era, Sir?

Thank you very much for your answer, Sir. I was a bit tripped up by his read of my choices though. I didn't think he was right, but at the same time I wasn't entirely sure that he was wrong. I have thought about stopping this seemingly neverending pursuit of skill in ___ and just accepting that I should toe Pastor Curtis Omo's path (link). I am never fully convinced that that is the right path, but I also might just be blinding myself to the Lord's leading there. Still, I feel like it would be wrong to go down that road in order to have some way to support my family. It is precisely that concern that makes me want to have some way of earning a living besides being a pastor-teacher so that I will not do my job for the Lord with economic considerations in mind. I am willing to be supported as a pastor-teacher when I run short in my own income, but I am worried that not having any economically viable skills besides being a pastor-teacher will create significant vulnerabilities for me in my ministry. For another thing, I really don't feel doubtful of what I am doing right now trying to nail down skill in ____. My concern there is that it has taken long enough that everyone should be doubting that I am doing the right thing and they would get discouraged and then they might discourage me too. I do think that in a few months now, I should be done, but it is still future. Additionally, it is costing me significantly in my training to become the pastor-teacher I want to be. So I have cause to wonder if this is the right path anyway. Otherwise, I take for granted that everyone has the right to give or withhold their help as they are persuaded is the Lord's leading for them. I just struggled with the accusations (can't think of a better word right now) that he made given that I already have plenty of personal dissatisfaction with my own self in the matter.

Always praying for you here, Sir.

Your student in Jesus
Response #7:  
Thanks for those prayers!

Yes, I think Psalm 115 is speaking about literal idols (Ps.115:4) of the gentile nations (Ps.115:2) in contrast to the One true God of Israel.

Re: Being "a different sort of pastor-teacher than someone else might be", I don't think that there are any two the same or any two ministries the same. We're all different; we all have in common that we are trying to serve the Lord the best we can . . . or should. So I don't see a limit on the possibilities. There are no limits with God. How He brings each of us around to seeing what we need to be doing is likewise not something that's covered in scripture and therefore not a one-size-fits-all situation. Timothy had his gift/ministry confirmed publicly, but that was by an apostle operating with the gift of prophecy (neither of which applies today). The rest of us are led by the Spirit to get pointed in the right direction . . . if we're willing to grow and thus be led.

When it comes to life choices like the ones you're making, we can't expect others to understand them, and just because they validate them doesn't make them right (or vice versa). My progress towards ministry prep wasn't the best while I was training for my Ph.D. We try to strike the right balance but that can be hard. In my case, it was really not possible to take it any slower than I did for other considerations. I had had a plan to get a job as a professor to support myself. Things did work out that way, but there were a LOT of unexpected twists and turns along the road. For one thing, it's a lot harder than I though it would be with not as much time or resources as I thought this career would provide . . . but God did work it out. When I was in seminary, I had to take out loans; others were supported. But in the end, God worked it out for me in a wonderful way and I have absolutely no complaints. He always does this – for those who are relying on Him. These are personal applications we have to make and live with regardless of the approval or disapproval of others.
Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
Psalm 37:5 NKJV
Keeping you and your family in my prayers daily, my friend.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #8:  
Hello Dr. Luginbill,

Several denominations believe that God will heal you if you have faith. This belief is based on Isaiah 53:4-6. They state that verse 4 is the doctrine they use to support their belief. Their is a believer that I watch sometimes on Youtube that says Verse 4 is relating to those whom Jesus healed during His ministry here on earth and cite Matthew 8:17 as support. 

"The 1995 of the NASB says this:

" 4Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted."

These denominations claim that in this verse, griefs are sickness, and diseases are the sorrows, in support of their doctrine. Verses 5 and 6 in my understanding, are not dealing with sickness and diseases, but they are speaking of spiritual not physical grief and sorrows, and are not physical sickness and diseases as they claim.

I would surely appreciate your take on the above. Thanks so much for your help.

Still studying your teaching on "Eschatology", and it is a remarkable and revealing , and I am learning much from it. Thanks soooo much for directing me to it.

Blessing to you, and the grace of God be given to you in abundance.

Your friend,
Response #8:  
I have heard this before. I had one person otherwise unknown to me write to reproach me because of my translation of Isaiah 53:4-6 and my explanation of this passage in an email response, being very upset because I, like you, identify bearing these "sicknesses" as references to Christ bearing our sins. I believe this was the one she was referring too (though she did not specify):
As to our Lord "taking on our infirmities and carrying our diseases", first, He did do extensive and miraculous healing of the sick during His earthly ministry – as a sign that He was the Messiah who would take away our sins. Disease in scripture while clearly not the same as sin would never have happened in the first place without Adam's sin and can be the result in divine discipline of sinning (e.g., Num.12:10; Jn.5:14; 1Cor.11:30; Jas.5:14-16), although that is clearly not always the case (as in the case of Job; cf. also Jn.9:2-3); we all sin and we all get sick, but the two are not necessarily related by cause and effect. But since there is the obvious connection between the two just noted, disease in scripture is often symbolic of sin, and that is what Isaiah 53:4 means in the first instance in terms of its basic interpretation: our "sicknesses and weaknesses" are reflective of our mortal status which is in turn due to our inherent sinfulness. So when Jesus healed the sick it was a demonstration of His power to take away also the sin that underlies it – and that connection is also obvious throughout Isaiah 53:4-12:
(4) For He bore our sicknesses and He carried our weaknesses. And yet we considered Him as [the One who had been] punished, smitten and afflicted by God. (5) But [in fact] He was made subject to torment on account of our transgressions, and He was crushed because of our collective guilt (lit., "guilts"). The punishment [required] for making peace [with God] on our behalf [fell] upon Him. Because of His wounding, we have been healed. (6) We have all gone astray like sheep. Each of us has turned to his own way. And the Lord caused the guilt of us all to strike Him. (7) Though He was oppressed and afflicted, like a lamb led to slaughter He did not open His mouth, and like a ewe before her shearers He did not open His mouth. (8) By repressive judgment He was taken away, and who gave any thought to His posterity? For He was cut off from the land of the living. He was punished for the transgression of my people. (9) And they assigned Him a grave with the wicked (pl.) and with a rich [man] in His deaths (sic). Not for any violence that He had done. Nor was there any deceit in His mouth. (10) For it was the Lord's good pleasure (i.e., "will") to crush Him, to subject Him to torment. But though you make His life a guilt offering, He will see His seed, He will lengthen His days, and the good pleasure (i.e., "will") of the Lord will prosper in His hand. (11) [Released] from the trouble [inflicted] upon His life, He will [again] see [the light of life] and be satisfied (i.e., in resurrection). My righteous Servant will provide righteousness for the great [of heart] (i.e., believers) through the[ir] acknowledgment of Him, and He Himself will carry their guilt (lit., "guilts"). (12) Therefore I will allot to Him [the plunder] among [His] many [brothers], and He will apportion plunder to the mighty [among them]. Because He lay bare His life unto death, and was dealt with as transgressors [are], so that He bore the sin of the many, and substituted [Himself] for the transgressors.
Isaiah 53:4-12
As I also point out in the above response, it's much easier for God to heal a disease than to take away sin, because the former is a matter of power and He is omnipotent, but the latter required the Father to judge the Son and the Son to be judged for our sins, paying a price beyond our understanding to do so.

What I can also observe here is that is absolutely nothing in the context of Isaiah 53 to suggest that 1) we are healed by some special "faith healing" ritual or mystical procedure, or 2) any human being has been given this power or any other similar power since the passing of the apostles. It is true, of course, that our Lord healed many, but He is now in heaven. It is true, of course, that the apostles on occasion were given to perform acts of healing, but we are not apostles with their special gifts and mandates and even for them this was not an all-the-time ministry (cf. 2Tim.4:20). There are "gifts of healing" given to others besides apostles in, e.g., 1Cor.12:9; 12:28; 12:30), but these are special gifts for the apostolic period only which "ceased" along with tongues once the Bible was completed ("the perfect") and the apostles left the scene (1Cor.13:8-13).

To claim one has the power to heal others when one does not is the height of arrogance, it seems to me. To tell people that they will be healed "if only they have enough faith" completely misreads scripture (at best) and can be a devastating message to deliver to believers who DO have faith and who ARE trusting God – but for whom God's plan includes a certain amount of physical suffering. All of us are tested, merely in different ways. We all want healing from one thing or another at one time or another, but sometimes it is God's will for us to "suffer through" to demonstrate that we do trust Him, in spite of trouble. That was certainly the case with Paul.
And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2nd Corinthians 12:7-10 NKJV
So we DO pray for others and ourselves for healing and we DO trust God to answer our prayers, but we DO NOT arrogate to ourselves the sovereign right to decide the when and the where and the how of it. Instead, we trust Him to do what is right and good, even when it might not feel that way to us at the moment. THAT is ""faith-[in-regard-to]-healing" of the true biblical type.

Here are a few links on that:
Healing, Miracles, and Dreams: Sorting the Wheat from the Chaff by biblical Means
God Heals - in His way (not our way)
"Faith Healing"
What Type of Healing is being Discussed in Isaiah 53:5?
The Gift of Healing
In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #9:  
Hi Dr Luginbill,

Okay so I am still on the dailies. I am sick today though so it is hard to pray. But I wanted to tell you something I have been up to. So one of the things for growing one's agency and autonomy (from a background like mine) is to explore your likes and values.

One of the things I was looking at was archetypes (patterns of ways of being that show up over and over across times and cultures). And I would put in stuff about myself and things I have written, and it came up with sage, which doesn't mean I am actually a wise person now, but some of the traits and goals are similar (the potential may be there). And I tried to explain that I am uncomfortable telling other people the right way, I would present different perspectives and arguments and my own experiences, but be nervous about a formal advising/mentorship type thing. The AI said that sages can be outside any formal system and can just do 'perspective sharing' one on one once in a while with other people, but the way it described it brought to my mind the spiritual gift of encouragement. So now I have been thinking I am comfortable with that, maybe I have the spiritual gift of encouragement. But I am not sure where to go, it isn't like pastorship with a path already laid out. At least right now, reading the Bible and related things are part of (when I listed the things I am reading like history, that was part of it-the sage thing), and prayer.

Maybe after a while I should put myself in some sort of way where I can start trying to use that gift? But I am not sure what kind of way would be good for that.

Do you have any ideas one how to develop that gift or practice with it?

PS: There was also the seeker archetype, which goes for a broader seeking of truth, via different perspectives and traditions and philosophies (to learn and explore in that way). That doesn't have to be like different religions, but, for example with Christianity, would read how the Bible was interpreted over time, and differences in orthodoxy vs catholicism, and what was the mystic perspective, and things like that (and this doesn't mean agreeing with it of course). But I had a harder time making a connection with that, beyond a similar thing of sharing experiences and perspectives one on one (like encouragement, I think).

Hope you feel better
Response #9:  
Thanks for the prayers (I'm doing better today and the first day back went well). I'll say a prayer for your health too (lots of folks getting sick lately, it seems).

On gifts, I think it's great that you are identifying strengths which may be related to spiritual gifts. As I often say, it's really more important to identify the ministry area where you "fit". That is to say, instead of worrying about "am I a square or round or triangular peg", better to find a slot where you fit – and then you have your answer (which at that point is usually not so very important since now you are actually doing the job the Lord has for you). 

As I also often point out, there are various combinations of gifts and no two believers are ever precisely the same mix, so that it is best to avoid looking at this issue in the cookie-cutter fashion of traditional denominationalism. We want to spread the Word, through evangelism and through teaching and by any other means, of which encouraging, reminding, helping other believers is certainly an important part (cf. Heb.10:24-25). What such a ministry would "look like" is potentially as varied as we all are as individual believers in Christ. The important thing is that Jesus has a job for each of us, and we have been gifted to do that job . . . but we have to be willing to do it, and to prepare spiritually for it through pursuing growth, passing the tests that temper us and qualify us, and then to be willing to accept and exploit the opportunities we are given.

Hope you feel better soon! 

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #10:  
Dr. Luginbill;

I want to express my appreciation once again for your current exegesis of Hebrews. I get so much from your explanations and I look forward eagerly to studying your analysis of each remaining chapter as they become available. Your explanations make such perfect sense and really make the book of Hebrews come alive. The book that I used to seldom read has now become one of my favorites! There are so many misunderstood (or misinterpreted) passages that are being taught incorrectly, and I am so thrilled at your ability to plainly explain each passage in a way that makes total sense and contributes to my understanding of the totality of God's Word. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I do have a question about spiritual gifts in general, and mine in particular. First, some background. I have always been interested in details - who, where, when, why, and how. I find that most people I deal with are not interested in those details, would rather get the "Cliff's Notes" version, and think that I just give out way too much information. Ever since I heard and believed the gospel I have had this hunger to learn more and more about God, His kingdom, His plan for mankind, everything spiritual (again... who, what, when, why, and where). I tried getting that information by reading the Bible (KJV mostly) and just couldn't put it together and make sense of it. I tried reading some commentaries and got more confused because of so many differing opinions. The "spiritual people" whom I questioned seldom had satisfactory answers - and by satisfactory I mean understandable and in harmony with what little scripture I already understood (supposedly). The churches I attended frankly contributed little to ease my hunger, but I figured it was better than nothing. I read a lot of books and subscribed to several tape subscriptions - some of which were helpful, some were not - always searching for more answers. My "curiosity" alienated me from many Christians and even pastors. I was told that I was "too heavenly minded to be of any earthly good". I felt like I was parched and starving for spiritual food and drink. I finally quit attending church and spent my energies building and running a successful business, though never abandoning my faith and considering God's Will in all my decisions. That occupied my time but my mind kept wondering, searching. I thank God that after many years of this searching, He led me to the Ichthys website where I finally feel that I can drink freely from the water of the Word. I can't tell you how that has changed my life (thank you again).

Now back to my question... Due to my interest in details, I have often found myself in the position of teaching others what I have learned, whether in a classroom setting, public speaking, or (mostly) one-on-one conversations. Not that I have ever sought any teaching positions, but it seems I can't help myself when it comes to wanting to tell others what I have learned. Of course, I often go into way more detail than they want to hear so I often see their eyes starting to glaze over (haha). I have been told repeatedly that I have been given the spiritual gift of teaching. I really don't think that is the case, because I have never studied Greek beyond a very basic level and have no experience with Hebrew whatsoever. That being the case, the things I "teach" others do not come from my personal studies of the original languages, but from what I learn studying the writings of those who understand the original languages far better than me (you, for example). I think that probably eliminates me from having the actual gift of teaching. So my question would be - what would you call my spiritual gift? I feel like more of a "server" of spiritual food cooked up by others more talented than me. I can do some cooking myself (like boiling a hot dog) but I am no chef and have so little training. I can, however, bring the properly prepared food to others for their enjoyment and nourishment. Sometimes I feel like a fraud because none of this food was actually prepared by me. And ironically (using a restaurant as an analogy) the servers often get more acknowledgment (tips, compliments, etc.) than the cooks who have undergone the necessary training and do all the hard work! To be honest, I very much enjoy serving spiritual food to others, but I would continue to feed myself even if there were no others to whom I could serve.

Also, I think the term "pastor/teacher" probably refers to the same person rather than two different individuals. I am certainly not a pastor (as most Christians would describe a pastor) and have never wanted to be (although one of my past pastors accused me of wanting his job), so this is another reason I am hesitant to believe my gift is teaching.

I do have a small group of about 8 people (family and friends) that I send lessons to once or twice a week. I started doing this for my sister some time ago and over the years others have asked me to send them these lessons as well. These lessons are mostly snippets from your great storehouse of knowledge. As I study your writings (which I do every single day), there are things which I find very interesting and/or are especially applicable to my life. I take notes and keep "abridged editions" as short lessons for my personal use, and I send some of these lessons to these people who have asked to receive them. I often tell them about the Ichthys website where they can get more information, but none of them have told me that they visit the site. I don't understand that but I have to accept that it's not everyone's cup of tea. Yet they enjoy the "abridged editions" that I send them and frequently tell me so. They sometimes ask me questions that come up in their bible reading, so I have that opportunity to teach as well, but again, my answers usually come from things I have learned from others (mostly you), not from wisdom I have gained by studying the original languages.

I have been asked several times why I am able to understand these things that seem so simple and true when I explain them, but they could not get that understanding on their own. I explain that that is why God gave some people the gift of pastor/teacher - specifically someone who was willing and able to spend the years and do the hard work of preparation to properly explain God's truths - and that does not describe me, but I try to take full advantage of the work they have done to grow spiritually and help others do the same.

So after all that, how would you describe my spiritual gift? What would you call it? And, more importantly, how could I better use it to further God's Kingdom?

Your brother in Christ,
Response #10:  
Good to hear from you, my friend, and thanks awfully for these encouraging words.

In terms of spiritual gifts, I think if you will read the pertinent sections in BB 5: Pneumatology, you will see that my position on this is that the biblical lists of gifts are more categories than they are cookie-cutter expressions. No two teachers are the same. No two Christians are the same. No two believers have the same exact "cocktail" of talents, experiences, gifts and inclinations. If we are growing, as you are, the Lord gives us ways to serve after we have grown and been tested – just as you are doing.

In short, a better question than "what is my gift?" (since that may have a complicated answer) is "what is my ministry?" (since if that question is answered, the first will be either obvious or superfluous or both). From your description, it certainly seems to me that you are gifted as a teacher – since you are teaching and being effective at it. I teach Greek and Latin for a living (in addition to administrative and research responsibilities). But I didn't invent those languages. As a ministry, I teach the Bible, but I didn't write a single word of it and couldn't understand a single word of it without the Holy Spirit. Also, while I did devote a large part of my life to preparation, there have been many men who have come to the "field" during the "last hour" and still brought in a good crop. If only those who knew Hebrew and Greek well could be teachers, then most of the people who are sharing the truth being helped by this ministry would be disqualified.
And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.
2nd Timothy 2:2 NIV
It's not as if I didn't have such teachers myself, both secular and spiritual. That is nothing to be ashamed of. That is the ways it always is. And, after all, unless what we have received is the truth, then there is no profit in what we have learned. So the fact that you have diligently verified what you have learned, have learned it well enough to be able to teach others, and are in fact doing so, is exactly what a pastor-teacher is supposed to be doing, taking care of the flock given to him, large or small, through the guidance which only the Word can provide in the power of the Holy Spirit. Anything in this ministry which is true (which I strive might and main to be as close to "all" as possible), came from the Bible through the Spirit, and much of it not without antecedents of other men dedicated to the truth. The problem in Laodicea is so many spinning AWAY from the center of truth through doubt and laziness and attention to deception, rather than what you are doing, namely, circling IN on the truth through learning and BELIEVING the truth . . . and helping others to do likewise.
“A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher."
Luke 6:40 NKJV
So I want to encourage you to keep at it, my friend! The truth belongs to God, not to any human being. And we who belong to Jesus Christ all want the same thing: His glorification through the expansion of that truth as much as possible and to as many as possible before He returns.

Re: "I often go into way more detail than they want to hear so I often see their eyes starting to glaze over". That might be the motto of Ichthys! And it is a sure sign that you are gifted in teaching. So as to "how could I better use it to further God's Kingdom?", while that is up to you to figure out in prayer and with the Spirit, it sounds to me like you are already on exactly the right track.

I'll be keeping you in my prayers, my friend.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #11:  
Hi Dr L,

I was reading the Peter series about how Peter was a pebble, and Saul was little, and I just had a thought...for awhile I wondered about some of the New Testament books not all being written by the apostles, and I don't think even half of the apostles wrote Bible books, and especially there are only two of the four gospels written by apostles. And I had the thought, what if that was to deemphasize them, and focus on the Lord, instead of the apostles as a group, or any individual one apostle? When you read Mark, you are likely not thinking, wow this-apostle-we-know-so-much-about's book! What do you think? It is a little different for Paul, since Paul wrote so many letters, but even most of his bio information was mostly written by Luke in Acts (I think, because he does mention personal details in letters).

Respectfully,
Response #11:  
Good observations. We'll have to wait to the other side to get the answer. Correct: Mark and Luke were not apostles, but were closely connected with the ministries of two of the foremost of the apostles (Peter and Paul respectively). The apostles Matthew, John, Peter and Paul were given to write scripture, Paul being the real #12 who replaced the reject Judas. But the other eight apostles were not given to produce books of the Bible. Two of the Lord's brothers and the two protégés of apostles mentioned above round out the New Testament. 

I suppose this goes to show that not everyone has the same ministry but the Lord assigns us our "jobs" according to His will – and it's incumbent upon us to do what He prods us to do in the Spirit. 
There are different gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are different ministries, but the same Lord (i.e., Jesus Christ); and there are different results, but the same God [the Father] who brings about all results in all cases.
1st Corinthians 12:4-6
Another interesting point is that "apostle" is a gift, but we see just from this one perspective that not all apostles were given the same jobs/ministry fields. That is a very good argument against cookie-cutter traditionalist definitions of what, e.g., a pastor's job "is" – or any other actual spiritual gift/area of ministry as well. Grow. Pass the tests you're given. Listen to the Spirit guide you into the work Jesus has for you. Find your ministry – and that will explain your gifts.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #12:  
Hi Doc, [omitted] – how do I not do these things? I know they're wrong, but that doesn't seem to be enough most of the time. If addiction isn't a real thing, why is it so hard for me to control myself? I don't understand.
Response #12:  
I don't believe I'd ever say something like "addiction isn't a real thing". But what is addiction? If we are talking about drugs and alcohol, there can be physical/chemical dependencies which cause intense physical illness and side-effects in going "cold turkey". So it is real – but it is also the case that it is often possible to go "cold turkey" or otherwise wean oneself off the stuff in some gradual fashion so as to not die doing it. It is mostly a question of will power. That is to say, it was a choice to get hooked; it is a choice to get off. That doesn't mean it is easy. Almost everyone in America understands that it is not easy to lose weight, for example. But it is possible (so I hear). People do it all the time. And people fail to do it all the time. It is a question of will power. That it is to say, it is a matter of choice. 

Not all choices are easy; many of them require much pain and trouble and effort over a long period of time. If a person wanted to run an "iron man", it would be easy enough to sign up. Getting prepared to the point of actually being able to complete that grueling event would very difficult, depending upon where a person is starting from in terms of physical shape. For many people, it would be possible – but for most people, it would not be easy. It would take many choices – free will, exercised over a long period of time. That is the way the Christian life is, only involving spiritual struggles rather than physical ones (not that there isn't a physical dimension there too). As Paul puts it . . .
Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
1st Corinthians 9:25 NIV
It is "hard" because everything about life is hard. But hard is not the same thing as impossible. You have made correct decisions and choices in the past. You have rejected temptation. You have engaged in spiritual growth activities. What you are struggling with is consistency. That requires that we get deadly serious about commitment to Jesus Christ. It may not be easy, but you will find that if you just try . . . a little harder . . . the Spirit will help you. 

Keeping you in my prayers about this, my friend.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #13:  
Thank you Doc, sorry for misunderstanding again. Once I gain spiritual maturity and all that, should I try to witness to people, and I mean random people in hopes someone is interested? Now that i think about it, most people just won't care about the truth enough to listen to me. But how else am I to bring people to Christ other than shining His light wherever possible?

Also, you say to be careful when intaking any kind of secular media right? There are kinds we should obviously never partake in (porn, ones that glorify gratuitous violence, anything overtly blasphemous), but there are kinds that aren't necessarily sinful but are still best to stay away from. I'm talking about the ones that are designed specifically to take up as absolutely much of your time, energy and money as possible. There's several I've been sucked into, and while I always get bored of them eventually and move on, it seems to keep happening, and some keep sucking me back in later on. Please pray I'll overcome this before it's too late.
Response #13:  
Time is our number one resource as believers. Using it effectively takes some experience to get right, but there are some activities, even otherwise innocuous hobbies of every sort, which can become sink-holes for most of our spare time and energy too if we are not careful. It's all about setting priorities – in other words, it's all about the choices we make.

As to witnessing, there is a lot at Ichthys about that (here's one link which will lead to others: Evangelism in Principle and Practice II). It's important remember that it is the Holy Spirit who is actually doing the witnessing – whenever we give the gospel correctly (e.g., Acts 16:31). Whether or not people respond is based upon what they choose, namely, to accept the Father's witness about His Son given by the Spirit . . . or not. In terms of when to witness, the best witnessing, for those without a special gift of evangelism, is to people we know and/or to people whom the Lord brings into our orbit. There is a right time and a wrong time. If we are walking in the Spirit, He will help us see when the time is ripe. Forcing it is not the best method in my observation and experience (cf. Matt.7:6).

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #14:   
Thanks Doc, God's timing is always perfect. I tried to witness to my ___ (the one who's a leftist), telling ___ that if He really is real, to incriminate God is to incriminate the concept of existence itself. __ just responded that "that sounds like something a cult leader would say to avoid being criticized" and I agreed that if someone used that to avoid being biblically scrutinized, just claiming God is on their side without citing any Biblical proof, that would be bad...then I kind of blanked and forgot what to say afterwards. What do I tell ___ now?
Response #14:  
As to your ___, we have to remember that it is the Holy Spirit who is the Agent of witnessing . . . IF we give the gospel alone, pure and simple, loud and clear. We will NEVER convince people to be saved through rhetorical skills and argumentation. They have to want to be saved, have to want to be delivered from physical death and eternal condemnation. Who wouldn't?! Turns out, most people by far prefer to be their own gods instead of submitting to the THE God in Jesus Christ so as to be saved.

So keep praying for ___. And consider that if ___ sees the gospel changing you for the good that the witness of the life is more powerful for many people than merely the words.
Question #15:  
I have done a lot of prep work for my ministry but it is pretty depressing dealing with Satan's lies all the time, I may need to recuperate for a bit. Maybe I need to change tack for a while. What I have been doing is hammering away at ministry study on top of my study of your ministry and the Bible. At the same time I have been trying to minister to my family, extended family and friends. It has been pretty rough going and I really wonder if any of it has been worthwhile. I have laboured for quite a while now over rock solid soil with no sign of any improvement.

Have been considering this for a while now. An example of whether I am going gung ho in the wrong direction is this...I am trying to still maintain a relationship with __ and be a good influence in__ life. [omitted] I didn't think this through properly. I was so fixed on one problem (coersive relationship) that I was blind to the other ones.

This is how it is with everyone I know. If I see taking someone out for a day out as a sort of remedy then I also see the pitfalls with doing 'that' thing.

I have the distinct impression at the moment that I am playing whack-a-mole. Obviously I have my own tribulations that I am going through but I realise that once you are helping people with one part of their life, then all this other deception seeps in from another direction. You can help a person away from one pernicious influence in their life but then they can topple backward into another. Like you have written before, 666 ways to satanic salvation. If you try to swerve someone from one lie, there are so many others, it's like fire fighting. I have often felt overwhelmed by it and wondered if it is a losing battle. Of course the Lord is currently and in the future, triumphant over all but not all of us will share His triumph will we.

It has just made everything so clear cut to me. The answer to it all is Salvation. It is literally the only answer to every question. You put a band-aid on one problem and then another pops up and another and another. We know that there are few jobs that are Simon pure, well there are very few influences that are Simon pure either. I have realised just how malleable and easily influenced people are. I reason that if they can be influenced by the bad, they can be influenced by the good. I do however see a lot of perverse thinking going on, as though people are deliberately making bad choices for themselves perversely.

I am wondering now if I should try a different tack. I thought I should put the heft and effort into doing the things which will show progress such as work on the house, building my website both for my business and my ministry, working on my business and ministry etc.

I just think this change of tack (ministry/business etc) will give me a bit of respite. I can actively move forward in my own life through faith. It is so hard to move others. Only the Lord can do that and the person has to be willing.

It is rolling the rock uphill when the other person isn't even trying. The truth is it is in their hands to change things around but they MUST be born again first or it truly is hopeless. Without that inner change of heart it is just superficial outer changes. You may give up smoking to take up drinking or gambling instead. Everyone has their preferred poison but it is the sin nature at the root of all of it. That root needs to be dealt with first and only on an individual by individual basis through Salvation.

I hope you know that it was all done with genuine love and hope that all of these people in my life will be saved. At times I have felt fear and guilt over the thought that many won't be. I have to keep reminding themselves that the Lord has done everything to ensure their Salvation but He will not force them to accept His wonderful free gift. If people don't want Him and His gift, why would my efforts change that?

Happy for you to share this my friend with personal info redacted.

In Jesus,
Response #15:  
I'm sorry to hear that you are having such a tough time of it, my friend. I have been and will continue to be praying for you and your health, and for your family too.

Some very good observations here. When you say, "If people don't want Him and His gift, why would my efforts change that?", that really is the perspective all evangelism efforts need to have, especially "family/friendship evangelism". Doing things for people as a Christian service is, after all, the approach that the majority of erstwhile Christian groups and denominations have adopted, "demonstrating Christ's love to the world". That is fine, as far as it goes, but it reached a point with the RCs and many older line Protestant groups as well (e.g., the Methodists) where means began to dominate and eventually replace message altogether. Many of these places became wedded to their works, as if God should be impressed, rather than with any sort of passion to share the gospel.

Evangelism of any sort is difficult, done the right way. I don't pretend to have any special insight since this is not my area of gifting nor focus of my own Christian experience. One of my main criticisms of "big tent" and "high profile" evangelism has always been that if people are saved at some rally (as opposed to just "recommitting" through some ritual altar call e.g.), thereafter they are just left adrift – or handed over to the local Methodist of Baptist church (which in some cases is even worse than nothing). So this ministry concentrates on teaching the truth.

As I've always said, family and friends are often a very tough lift. We love and care for them, but they are often the last people to be willing to listen to US. We are not unique in this experience either:
Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.” And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
Matthew 13:54-58 NIV

Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave Galilee and go to Judea, so that your disciples there may see the works you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” For even his own brothers did not believe in him.
John 7:3-5 NIV
Since familiarity bred contempt even for the Son of God, we need to take note of that and not become discouraged on the one hand (as if we are being specially disrespected – instead it's a common thing), and on the other hand we need to be realistic about the prospect of those near and dear listening to us (as opposed to someone else). For those who (think they) know us, the witness of the life is usually more powerful – and it can take some time to sink in with some of them.

Before we despair too much, however, it's also always good to remember that the Lord knows us much better than we know ourselves, that the plan of God was ordained in eternity past, taking into account everything (including our love for friends and family), and that if we persevere in doing what the Lord wants us to do, listening carefully to the Spirit and hanging in there day by day with personal growth and progress as well as efforts at production, then in the end we will be accomplishing what Jesus wants us to do. And there is nothing more important than that. 

If we do the above, we can have confidence that in the end things will be "worked out together for good", even if in the short term (which can seem like the long term) we are experiencing trials and tribulations.
Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
Psalm 37:4-5 NKJV
I'm praying for you, my friend.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #16:  
Thank you Bob,

I have a lot to process and take on board. I think I have underestimated the effect the abuse of my past has had over me. [omitted] It's hard not to slip into toxic family dysfunction around them also. The problem with people with 'narcissism' is that 'being kind to them' is misinterpreted as 'do what I want and play by my rules' but that is invariably sinful. I find it hard to get that balance with them [omitted].

I am sorry to moan so much about these wilderness years Bob. I don't want to be like the faithless Israelites who were always murmuring. I aim to lay these things with the Lord and trust Him through all these things. I feel I need to step back and take stock and go quiet a bit. When I say step back I mean from trying to get somewhere with unbelievers. I will trust them to the Lord in prayer and keep on with my spiritual growth and study quietly to myself whilst working on my other projects quietly to myself with the Lord as my comfort. I really feel it is time to build my ministry for the benefit of my brethren in Christ, believers like me.

Many thanks my friend,

In Jesus,
p.s. I would love to get to the point that I don't put on you or burden you so that I only have a good report to share with you because I am enduring and overcoming all through the Lord.
Response #16:  
I'm always happy to hear from you!

Focusing on the past is the essence of psycho-therapy . . . which is one of the reasons I am totally skeptical of it. Better to move on. That is what the Bible teaches regarding all unpleasantness, forgiving our enemies and looking forward instead to the much more important goal ahead when the Lord evaluates our lives. It's hard to move forward when you're gaze is stuck backward. We cannot change yesterday, but we CAN fight the fight today. And that is what we should endeavor to do, one day at a time.

I'm keeping you in my prayers, my friend.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #17:  
Hi Bob,

I just wanted to add something else...

The new neighbours moved in with a promising start but then I realised that I heard the same strange repetitive knocking in the house, arguments through the wall and in the shower this morning I could smell that familiar smell of cannabis again! This sounds like I am going crazy and at first it hit me like a ton of bricks.. different people with similar problems emerging..
It hit me hard at first when I realised this all..

I have rallied though and tried to see it spiritually. I think the Lord is presenting me with the same test again because I failed it last time. I built up a lot of anger against my old neighbours and didn't act neighbourly towards them. I also relied on police, council and estate agents as my deliverers.

This time I will keep being friendly and Christlike to my neighbours and pray for them and rest in the Lord for deliverance. At first I thought that I wouldn't have deliverance at all over this but then I reasoned that we might not have the luxury of law abiding and peaceful neighbours in the tribulation and that instead we may be called to tough it out and be longsuffering.

This time, whether I will be delivered through this or not, I will do what glorifies the Lord the most.

Thanks so much for your patience with me Bob.

In Him,
Response #17:  
Apartment/condo/duplex living is always a challenge – at least in my experience. That was how most of my adult life was lived until blessed to be able to move into this house about twenty years back now. Everything has its challenges. You are right to see these things in spiritual terms. God does answer our prayers. We have to trust Him to do so . . . and have patience until He does.

It is a rotten world. While that has always been true, it sure does seem to be getting "more rotten" by the day. Evil is beginning to throw off all restraint, all subterfuge, and even demand allegiance as "the truth". In that regard, this is good training for the Tribulation where that trend will reach fever pitch. While I would have more peace of mind, I'm sure, if I ignored all news, I find it good practice to read/watch anyway and attempt to inure my feelings when confronted by such things. Of course decline is progressing so fast it's hard to keep up! I personally am glad I am "where I am" on the personal chronology line. Wouldn't really want to be just starting out now with the way things are going. But God has put us all in the right place and the right time for us AND for Him. Our job regardless of age is to try to do the best job we can for Jesus Christ, doing what He wants us to do until He takes us home . . . or we see Him return while still "in the flesh". Either way, there is so much blessing on the other side, it really is short-sighted to let ourselves get too upset by anything on this side. We all do it. We all could do better.
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far
Philippians 1:21-23 NIV
Keeping you and your family in my daily prayers, my friend.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #18:  
Hi Bob,

Going back to what you wrote to me on Friday, well, it all makes perfect sense. You've taught and written to me and others many times about the importance of preparing ourselves spiritually for the Tribulation. I've always agreed but this time after reading your email everything seemed to click into place.

I'm zealous for the truth and have always had fire in my spirit when it comes to standing up for the truth. I've taken the opportunities to gently make friends and family aware of any false teaching they are believing and I've tried to point them to or teach them the truth. I'm surrounded by unsaved family and when the right opportunity has come my way I've shared the gospel with them. I've planted the seeds and right now it's all in the Lord's hands as I continue to have faith and pray for them.

I know I have more in me to give to others but it's like you said, there aren't many out there who are interested in the truth. The Tribulation is going to be a time to be strong in the truth, faithful to the truth, defend the truth and teach the truth to those who want the truth and not the lie - for those who want the Lord. To me this will include my friends and family who I'm praying for and anyone else the Lord sends my way in that time to help. He's placed these people in my life for a reason.

I have peace in my heart knowing that using the time I have left to prepare spiritually for the Tribulation is what the Lord wants me to focus on most. Once the Tribulation begins, I know I won't regret a single second that I used to prepare for those difficult times - not only for my own spiritual safety but knowing that in being prepared the Lord will use me to help others too.

I'm so thankful to the Lord for giving me a teacher who loves and teaches the truth, for giving me my godly desires and spiritual gifts and all the resources I need. It's only because of his grace and in His power I'm able to do any of this and my greatest desire is to glorify Him. 

Thanks for everything you wrote, Bob - you've encouraged and helped me so much.

Keeping you in my prayers.

In Jesus
Response #18:  
You are so very welcome, my friend!

What can I say to this message – other than a hearty and heartfelt "Amen!"

We all need to be doing what you are doing. And it is a challenge sometimes since we won't necessarily have the prod of someone needing that help today. We have to be ready to give it today – and tomorrow as well.

Jesus Himself didn't begin His great ministry until He was thirty years old. 

God uses prepared people. And He prepares people who are willing to respond. Our job is to be willing and do to the good things of preparation He is leading us to.

In Jesus our dear Savior,

Bob L.
Question #19:  
I love your teaching, Bob. Thanks so much for all your encouraging words. I know I'll have a lot more to say to you about the big T before it finally arrives!

[omitted]

We're having a bit of a heatwave over here. Today was a little cooler which I was grateful for because I was at work. They've forecast temperatures of up to 35 degrees C on Monday and Tuesday next week. That's mega hot for us! A bit rough when you have no AC!

Hope everything is good with you. How are the enrollments going so far, Bob?

I was wondering as well if you have any plans for after you've completed 2nd Peter. Not that I'm trying to keep you busy or anything!

Keeping you in my prayers.

In Jesus
Response #19:  
[omitted]
This is all good practice for what is coming. I think we'll be fine if we carry on like we are doing. While it is true that the tests during the Tribulation will be harder, the process and method we're learning about how to pass them is precisely the same. If we can pass a little one, we can pass a big one – that's the way this works. Passing tests is all about trusting the Lord, and we build our faith by trusting Him in small things; trusting Him in big things is no problem if we can trust Him in small things because He is the same and we are the same: He is worthy of our trust and we have the potential of trusting Him absolutely in all things, great or small. 

Enrollments are not great, but it is still July. They shut down things for the last few weeks anyway and only open them up when we get closer to the start. Don't know what that schedule is. I've gotten the opportunity to have another meet and greet with new students (early August) and two of my stalwarts volunteered to pitch in so that should help some too. We'll just have to wait and see – and pray . . . and trust. Thanks for your prayers!

Stay cool! 90+ is starting to seem normal here in L-ville.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #20:  
Hi Bob,

[omitted]

I think you're right about the tests we go through. If we can pass a little test, we can pass a big test. We've all been through different trials and tribulations in life and I don't think anyone should worry if they feel they haven't been through some of the really traumatic stuff that others have gone through. It doesn't mean they're going to struggle to get through the Tribulation. The Lord knows what each of us who love Him need to help us to grow spiritually and help us through what's ahead. He knows us better than we know ourselves, all our strengths and weaknesses and He will provide exactly what we need as individuals. And to be honest, sometimes when I've been going through the tougher tests, I seem to have come through them easier than some of the smaller ones. My faith seems to have come alive and ramped up even more! And we need to remember that we're not on our own with these tests, big or small. The Lord is right there with us and all we need to do is to ask for His help and He will give us exactly what we need to get through. So we don't need to worry about anything! We don't need to measure ourselves on how hard a test might look. What is hard for one person could be a breeze for another. God's got it all covered.

Going through the tough time was a big test, but I trusted that the Lord would work it all out for good. (Romans 8:28) I trusted Him no matter what happened either way and I really mean that. I had peace in my heart and He DID work it all out for good. I couldn't have done this without the Lord. He was with me every step of the way. All praise, glory and thanks to Him!

I believe God causes ALL things to work together for our good and that's what He is doing with all the hard experiences past and present in my life. He's using them to help me to grow spiritually and I embrace that and thank Him with all my heart for it! The testing of my faith produces perseverance (James 1:2-4) and we're going to need that in the Tribulation. I'm not perfect and I definitely have my weaknesses but the Lord understands. (Hebrews 4:15-16) It's all about faith in Him and in His promises to us. Relying on Him and not on ourselves. Our faith is strengthened when we can look back and see how He has never failed to hold our hand and bring us safely through when we have put our trust in Him. He will be there with us through the Tribulation. He has promised to never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5-6). If God is for us who can be against us. (Romans 8:31)

Let us hold on without turning [to the right or to the left] to the hope we have professed - for the One who has promised us [eternal life] is faithful.

Hebrews 10;23

Keeping you in my prayers, Bob!

In Jesus
Response #20:  
Thanks for the update and clarification. I also have the attitude of "if it's working and not hurting, let's not try to fix it please!" So I probably err in the direction of not checking things out as much as I should. But if it's hurting and not working . . . Blessedly, that hasn't been the case for some time except for a bad tooth a while back (God be praised!).

I hear you on the smaller tests. That really is a common human thing, namely, to "handle" big problems alright and then blow up over minor aggravations. Believers learn to cope with both. 

"The Lord knows what each of us who love Him need to help us to grow spiritually and help us through what's ahead." Amen! The plan of God is absolutely perfect and has taken absolutely everything – every choice we made/make/will make – into perfect consideration. It is as if Jesus Christ is standing right here with us and handling everything for us. In fact that is essentially what is going on – we just can't see it. Yet we CAN see it – with the eyes of faith. We've been told plenty in scripture about God's provision for us and to us, and we've got plenty of biblical examples – not to mention plenty of experiences in our own lives. So it ought to be easy for us to trust Him absolutely all the time. Getting to THAT place requires a great deal of spiritual growth and practice – and the willingness to put Jesus Christ first at all times (and no one is 100% perfect there).

I suppose that's one positive way to look at the Tribulation. We who have been dedicating ourselves to spiritual growth for a long time will finally have an opportunity to put all the tools in our spiritual tool box to work. In fact we'll need to. It is possible to accept that "there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be" (Matt.24:21), but at the same time also have enough faith and confidence – in Jesus Christ – not be fearful about it. If we are doing what we ought to be doing now, things will work out then. 

After all, we won't be alone.
"And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. "
Matthew 28:20b NKJV
In Jesus our dear Savior,

Bob L.
Question #21:  
[omitted]
Response #21:  
You're more than welcome, my friend!

And I'm terribly proud of how well you've mastered this situation. It has been a long slog, but you kept at it with the Lord and with His truth. 
Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.”
Genesis 32:28 ESV
Keep fighting your good fight of faith!

In Jesus,

Bob L.
http://ichthys.com/