How To Understand the True Priorities of God

How To Understand the Priorities of God

What are God’s Priorities? How do Mine Compare?

Introduction:

To Unbelievers:

Before we begin the main message I have prepared, I would like to caution anyone and everyone, that IF you have not been born again, literally—if there has never been a time that you recognized yourself as a lost, hell-bound sinner, and placed your trust in Jesus’ shed blood as your only hope—then this message is not for you.

Your only priority should be to find your way to the foot of the Cross, and throw yourself on the mercy of God: He will not reject you, and He will receive every repentant sinner who comes to him. Jesus said, ‘…he that cometh unto Me, I will in no wise cast out.” Jesus said that is His first priorityfor you…He says, ”Come unto Me, all ye…” Matthew 11:28

If you don’t know for sure you are saved, I would like to talk with you. Essentially it comes down to one question: “Has there ever been a time in my life when I placed my full trust in Jesus’ shed blood as full payment for my sins?” If the answer is “Yes,” then you are saved; But you still may need to learn to walk. If you are not sure, then you can make that decision at this moment, if you are willing. There is no time better than the present.

For Believers

For those of you who have been born into the family of God, there is a constant pulling at your heart to grow into the likeness of Christ, and choose His priorities. Whether or not you always recognize the cause, there is always going to be an emptiness, frustration, and unfulfillment, until you are in agreement with your Savior, and walking with Him.

In Amos 3:3 God asked, “Can two walk together except they be agreed?” The answer is “NO!” If we disagree with God, we cannot have fellowship with Him: We will always be at cross-purposes with Him. Our timing will always be off, and our lives in disarray, at one level or another. The most serious result, besides the lack of fellowship itself, is the lack of fruit. Let’s read in the book of Haggai—three books before Matthew.

Haggai 1:2-4

God said, “This people say the time is not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built. Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet, saying, Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your ceiled houses, and this house lie waste?

The historical context: the 70-year captivity was over. The people were trickling back into Jerusalem. Under Ezra and Nehemiah, the work had progressed: the wall was rebuilt; the city was becoming livable—all these were good things. The Persian king Cyrus had sent them to rebuild the Temple! King Ahasuerus had said to rebuild the city: rebuild the walls, hang new city gates; Make it a real city again. (Read the books of Ezra and Nehemiah!)

But the people have leftthe group effort of rebuilding the city, including the temple. Everyone has turned to building his own house. That’s OK, right? The walls were up, the gate was hung, the municipal buildings were usable—they had fulfilled the king’s orders.

What is the Problem?

But something was going wrong—while they had been building, they had been farming, too, and things were not going well. Look at verses 5-11 (read them aloud)—God told them to look around, and ask themselves whether God was blessing their work. The answer was a clear “NO!”—He said they had been denied the harvest because of their wrong priorities.

They partially fulfilled an earthly king’s command, and had seen the Lord’s hand protecting and guiding them day by day. But now they were not seeing His blessing. They had failed to honor Him above themselves. He had no objection to them having pleasant homes. But they had neglected His house. They had ignored the temple.

Remember that in that time, The Lord had specifically said He would dwell in the temple. That is incredible in itself, that the God who created every atom, and all the inhabitants of the world…that He should “camp out” in a building made by a tribe of refugees here on Earth. But He did say it, and He kept His promise too, just as He had done at the tabernacle.

The people were rebuilding the city, and their own homes, but His house was still a ruin—and He was quietly asking, “What about Me? Doesn’t my house count for anything?”

That Was Then:

But today, God says he does not desire to live in a box, be it a tabernacle, a temple, an Ark of the Covenant, or any other man-made thing. He is building a temple of human lives, each chosen by Himself, redeemed from the destruction of sin, and gloriously reborn. He has gifted every individual person who is part of that building, so as to function and propagate the life that is now within them, and see the whole temple grow together, through the effectual working of every part. How do we know this?

Look at Ephesians 4:16 —

“From whom the WHOLE body, fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body, unto the edifying of itself in love.”

While we are there, look back at Ephesians 2:19-22:

“Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone; In whom all the building, fitly framed together, groweth into an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”

One Temple

The Church—the Body of Christ—is the Temple.

This assembly is a local expression of the temple of God. Don’t jump to a wrong conclusion, and think that this building is a parallel with the temple in the Old Testament: it definitely is not. This is not God’s house—the CHURCH is. This building is only a church building: You are the church—we are the church.

So… If I want to apply the teaching of Haggai 1 to my life, where do I begin? It doesn’t simply to give more money, although there may be some who should—I am not here to squeeze anyone. That is between you and God—if you have been short-changing the Lord, I am confident that He has been speaking to you about it, and you are probably feeling a little uncomfortable right now. That’s good… but that is not what I want to address.

One Priority

Throughout the scripture, the single central theme is God’s redemptive work toward the fallen race of Man. What was the priority of God in the book of Haggai? He specifically says it was the need to build His temple, right? He said if they would adopt His priority, He would meet their other needs.

Today, the temple is constructed of souls, and He still says that is His priority: They are all people for whom He died. He says that is first on His list. Nothing has changed: when the disciples tried to get Jesus to take a break, and eat, He said, “My FOOD is to do the will of Him who sent me, and to finish HIS WORK” John 4:34

Jesus’s Priorities

Jesus also said, “I will build my church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.” In Ephesians we see that the reason he gave the office gifts (Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastor/teachers) is to equip the church for the work of the ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ.

In Mark 6:36-44,The disciples wanted to send the people away to buy food. Jesus said, “YOU give them something to eat.” The disciples thought they had nothing to offer, but Jesus asked them what they did have, and He multiplied the little they had, to feed a crowd. We can expect no less, provided we respond the same: submit our little to His greatness, and allow Him to multiply it to His own glory. But Jesus says, “Feed my sheep.”

How Can We Do His Will?

We are not helpless—the Lord indwells us personally. He empowers us to do the work of the ministry. (I don’t mean just the leaders—I mean you.) God has called us to feed the flock—He has made us ambassadors, reconciling the world unto Himself. And He says, “YOU give them something to eat.” None of us is helpless to serve, if we allow Jesus to serve through us. Jesus said “…apart from Me ye can you nothing.” That is the literal truth.

But, in Him, there isn’t one of us who can’t arm himself or herself with God’s Word, practice with another believer, and learn to share his or her faith. There isn’t one of us who is “too busy” to pray for the souls of the people we know. We each have 168 hours per week: it’s only a matter of how we choose to use that time, and on whom we choose to spend it. Yes, God cares where you spend your money, your time, and your efforts. He owns you, body and soul, and He has the right to claim and oversee it all.

One Hope to Offer

God says, “YOU give them something to eat!” What do you feed a dying world? What do we have to offer? Jesus said to offer them the “Living Bread:” His flesh, via the crucifixion. He said the Preaching of the Cross would seem foolishness to some, and an offense to others, but by that means, and none other, He has chosen to save those who believe.

We preach Christ crucified: That is the only message of real Hope. If his death on the Cross is not full and final payment for my sins, then I have no hope. So, the true message of Hope is the message of the Cross! It is the good news that Jesus died for my sins and yours, fulfilling the scriptures, that he was buried, that He rose again the third day: He is alive forever, and coming again. It is the good news that Jesus Saves! We have no other hope.

One Job; Many Tasks

We have only one assignment—God only gave one job to the church: He outlined it in Matthew 28:18-20. He reiterated it several times in other passages. We must not allow ourselves to be sidetracked by the affairs of life, to be snared by sin, or to be intimidated by the enemy. Increasingly, we must make God’s priority our own, and ask Him how to implement it in our daily lives. We all may have different tasks within that one job, but we only have one job.

One Calling; Many Gifts

Just like a diet, this requires re-committing oneself daily. You can’t just “get pumped up” today, and make a decision to live for God, and expect that to last the rest of your life. Chances are, it won’t last the rest of the week, let alone your whole life. So, daily, in prayer, we seek His face, and ask that He make us useable, and place us into His service.

Can we do that much? Can we daily Seek the Face of God, in prayer, and in His Word? Can’t we daily confess our sins, and ask Him to make us useable in His hand? Can we ask Him to prepare souls before us, and give us wisdom and discernment to meet the challenge?

If we can’t, then we can’t ask for God’s blessing. If we are willing to try, and keep trying, and praying for His direction, and keep studying to know His will and His wisdom, then, as God offered His blessing in Haggai’s day, He offers it to us as well. We will see the joy of a harvest of souls—not grain. A building made of people praising and serving the living God.

In Jeremiah 5:24, 25, God says that our sins are what keeps us from the harvest. That passage was specifically to Israel, and it was regarding a harvest of food. But the Harvest of Souls is all around us, and far more important. If we are not seeking to win souls, perhaps our priorities are wrong. God says, “…he that winneth souls is wise.” (Proverbs 11:30)

So, What Can I Do?

I can:

Pray for specific people whom God lays on my heart.
Pray for opportunities to be used by God, in non-specific ways. And in either case, I then can watch for those opportunities.
Prepare myself for those opportunities, by Bible study and prayer.
Prepare by seeking the teaching I need, to share the Gospel with people such that if they are interested, they can actually choose to receive the Lord Jesus.
Practice giving my testimony. I can work on it, until I can clearly tell how I became a Christian…and why.
Set aside money for Bibles to give away, as I find hungry people to feed.
Support missionaries.
Pray for the ministries in the Church. And support them, by giving of my time and money, and in any way I can, to be a servant to God, and to his people.
Learn my gifts, through practice, and how to use them to edify the church.

Conclusion:

I’d like to encourage all of you to embark on a deliberate journey of faith, with the goal being to become useable in God’s hand. It’s a goal you have to personally choose, and keep on choosing. If there is any way I can be a help to you, I want to do so. But ultimately, each of you has to make a personal choice what kind of disciple you will be. Jesus said “You shall be my witnesses—“ He didn’t say whether we’d be good ones or bad. It’s your call.

Lord Jesus, quicken our hearts to love You and to desire to serve You with what time we have left in this world. Change our priorities and teach us to walk as Your disciples.

March 7, 2026March 7, 2026

Did You Know Jan Marie Larsen? Eulogy and Final Message

Jan Larsen’s Graduation

1^st Thessalonians 5:16-19; 1^st Corinthians 15:22; Numbers 21:5-9; John 5:24, etc.

Introduction:

Unquestionably, today all of us are missing Jan Larsen, our precious sister. She encouraged all of us with her joyful approach to life and faith. Jan finished her course in this life, and she graduated into God’s presence. She was the living embodiment of Paul’s commands, in 1^st Thessalonians 5:16-19 “¹⁶Rejoice evermore. ¹⁷Pray without ceasing. ¹⁸In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. ¹⁹Quench not the Spirit.”

Rejoice Evermore

To begin with, Jan found the joy of the Lord in all of her life. As a result, she was an encourager to others to do the same. She sat people down and told them exactly what she so much appreciated in them.

Unsurprisingly, her last words to me, when she was lying in a bed, struggling to breathe, were “You are awesome!” (Obviously, that could have just been the meds talking, I will concede, but it is just the kind of thing she would say.)

Moreover, Jan blessed the Lord with all of her heart, and spoke her blessings aloud, not just thinking about Him quietly. She blessed all of us with that abundance of Joy, as well.

Pray Without Ceasing

Jan and Rick prayed together and they studied scripture together every day of their married life. Jan was an eager student of God’s Word, and fervent in prayer. She studied God’s Word as a whole. She knew that the Old Testament comprises nearly 80% of the Bible. And, she knew that the Holy Spirit authored the entire Written Word of God. So, she chose to read it her desire to be the best that she could be at whatever service The Lord assigned to her.

In Every Thing Give Thanks

Jan and Rick gave thanks together for God’s provision in their lives, whether it was the stream of tiny bird visitors they saw outside their apartment, or the people around them in church every week. Even in her sickness, she thought of ways to honor the Lord in the giving of thanks.

Finally, when Brandy Pedigo visited Rick, after Jan died, she brought him eggs and fresh-baked bread. He was thrilled with her kindness and care. But she was thrilled at seeing the Peace of God glowing in Rick’s face and in seeing his Joyful demeanor. That is the effect that Jan had on many people. She encouraged us to focus on Jesus and to learn Joy and Peace.

For This is the Will of God, in Christ Jesus, Concerning You!

Let’s make this a little more personal: Jan took this passage personally, and she went out of her way to communicate it with those around her. She knew that this passage was God’s Will for her life as a believer, because she was in Christ Jesus! She wants YOU to know it, too!

Jan also knew how it is that God invites a person to move from his or her natural position (where they have been from birth,) to a new, eternal position, in Christ.

1^st Corinthians 15:22 tells us that there are only two positions, or locations in which a human can be: “…in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” We are either still in Adam, via our natural birth, or we are permanently in Christ, by means of the New Birth.

Jesus Explained It

Beginning in John 3, Jesus explained this concept to Nicodemus, first emphasizing (v. 3) that without that new birth, no one can enter the Kingdom of God. Nicodemus found the idea of being born again very confusing. So, Jesus spent some time explaining.

Next, in verses 14-16, He said that, just as the people in Numbers 21:5-9 were invited to look away from their own devices and efforts and look to God’s solution for their sins (in their case a bronze serpent high on a pole) even so, today, God invites us to Look Away from our own philosophies and self-made piety, and moral posturing, and recognize that we are lost sinners. He invites us to turn our eyes upon Jesus, as the full payment for our sins, and thereby to gain eternal life.

Finally, Jesus told Nicodemus “Just as Moses lifted up the bronze serpent in the wilderness,” (As God’s provision for those punished for sin by snakebite) “…even so must the Son of Man be lifted up” (In the crucifixion: As God’s solution for the Sin of the Human Race.) “…that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Then He reiterated, by stating it clearly, “For God so loved the World that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever (that means you and me) believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Jesus’s Promise

In John chapter 5, Jesus said we can have eternal life now and not wait until we die to find out whether we have been accepted by God: John 5:24 says, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life [present tense], and shall not come into condemnation [future tense]; but is passed from death unto life.” [past-perfect tense: it can’t be undone!]

In Ephesians 1:6, God says to those who have trusted in Him, that they have already been “made accepted in the beloved.”

In Acts 16:30, 31, the Philippian Jailer asked Paul and Silas “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved!”

Our Sister Jan knew all these things: She loved the Lord with all her heart, and she sought to “pass along” that eternal life and supernatural joy to anyone willing to listen.

Quench not the Spirit

The last verse in this passage (verse 19) is easy to overlook: It says, “Quench not the Spirit.”

Jan Larsen never put a “damper” on joy. She did not dwell on the wreckage of the world around her, nor the political posturing and false “virtue signaling,” of evil people. She saw the people of the World as the souls for whom Jesus died, and she cared for them as such. But, she did not allow them to take her focus away from the Lord Himself. He came first, though she grieved for the lost, and prayed for their salvation. He came first!

Jan remained focused on Jesus and on the various assignments she had from Him. She allowed Him to handle the World and all of its threats. She just kept her eyes on Him: the One who bought her with His Blood at the Cross!

And she would encourage each of us to do the same!

February 27, 2026February 27, 2026

How to Understand the Hope of the Resurrection (Part 2)

The Hope and Truth of the Resurrection

1^st Corinthians 15:8-28

⁸And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. ⁹For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

¹⁰But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. ¹¹Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.

¹²Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:

¹⁴And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

¹⁵Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. ¹⁶For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: ¹⁷And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. ¹⁸Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. ¹⁹If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

²⁰But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. ²¹For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. ²²For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. ²³But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.

²⁴Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. ²⁵For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. ²⁶The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

²⁷For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. ²⁸And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

Introduction:

We began studying the truths and the Eternal Hope of the Resurrection, and we at least saw how vital that hope is to the entire Christian faith. We skipped through 1^st Corinthians 15, hoping to come back the next time and fill in the blank spots.

**What Would Be the Results if the Resurrection Never Happened?**

Paul builds a sort of “legal case outline,” here. He points out several connected ideas:

He himself was the last of the Eyewitnesses. Not because he was good…quite the opposite. And he underscores the fact that he is not worthy to be called an apostle, since he had viciously persecuted the Church.
Whatever the case, “it is what it is:” He says, “I am what I am.” He had to accept what he was, and start there, just as we do.
And Paul testifies that by the Grace of God, he had accomplished more than the others, but not on his own: God did the work. However, regardless of which apostle did the preaching, the people had received the Gospel and believed it.
But, now some among them were denying that the Resurrection was a reality. He said:
- If that is true, then Jesus is still dead.
- If Jesus is still dead, then the Gospel (which is dependent upon the truth of the Resurrection) is not true!
- Those who trusted in Him have a vain hope.
- All those who preached salvation by Jesus are liars and false witnesses.
- Those who believed in Him are still dead in their sins.
- Those who died, believing in Him, are in Hell, and lost forever. (Wow!)
He concluded that, if the Hope we have in Christ is only valid for this earthly life, we are of all men most to be pitied.

BUT! Christ IS Raised from the Dead!

Paul refuted all the connected side-effects (of the resurrection hypothetically being a lie,) with the single statement: “He is Risen!” The Gospel is true!

Jesus is the firstfruits of the believing dead who will be raised to be with Him. He says:
- Death came by Man (Adam,) thus the Resurrection also came by Man (Jesus.)
- All in Adam die: All in Christ shall be made alive. (Resurrected.)
- All will occur in proper order: Jesus first, afterward, all the rest of us.
The Resurrection will culminate in final victory for Jesus,
- Jesus will reign until He supersedes all other kingdoms and authority.
- All enemies will be under His feet.
- The final enemy to be destroyed is Death.
- The Final Kingdom and all glory will return to God the Father.

So, What Do We Do With All That Information?

Point One

The first thing we perhaps ought to notice is that only Paul lays hold of these three claims:

I am not worthy to be called an apostle. (1^st Corinthians 15:9)
I’m less than the least of all saints. (Ephesians 3:8)
I am the chief of sinners. (1^st Timothy 1:15)

If others had made similar claims, we might simply consider it a mark of humility. If Peter had said it, I might have assumed it was self-condemnation, for his having denied Jesus. But only Paul said these three things: So, I have to conclude that, because the Holy Spirit chose the words, and He chose they would only come from Paul, then there must be some sense in which all are true, and only true of Paul, since all are exclusive statements.

Why is this important? Because it means if these were literally true of Paul, they cannot be true of me or of you, even if we “feel” they are true. Feelings are not reliable reflections of reality. If God could use Paul, He can use anyone.

And, just as Paul was forced to do, we have to start where we are, and choose to obey Jesus, and submit our lives to Him, if we hope for God to accomplish anything through us. This is not a “Do-it Yourself” project! Jesus said, “…apart from Me ye can do nothing!” (John 15:5)

Point Two

The Truth of the Resurrection, and the Hope of the Resurrection are central to the Truth of the Gospel. In John 11:25, Jesus said, “I am the Resurrection and the Life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:” If Jesus did not literally, physically rise immortal, from the dead, then all the rest of the Gospel falls apart.

If He is still dead, then the whole Bible is a lie! The Central Theme of the entire Bible is the Redemptive Plan of God, foreshadowed in Genesis and repeatedly confirmed, in stronger and stronger terms, throughout all of the Word of God. Thus, if the Central Theme is negated, the entire structure is fatally flawed.

The “Gospel” would not be “good news.” All who believed it would have made a fatally bad decision, trusting a false messiah, and they would be just as fully lost as if they had no savior… because they truly would not have one.

Paul concludes that if our faith in Jesus has only temporal results, then it is no different than all the “world religions.” If we have been following a false messiah, then we are pitiable, miserable wretches, and still headed for destruction. But!

Point Three

Jesus is Alive! All of the above questions and speculation about the “result of a false messiah” are pointless, in the face of the eternal fact of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Paul went on to teach the logic of the resurrection, showing that it was entirely fitting that a man (Jesus) should undo the damage done by the first man, Adam. Although He doesn’t elaborate, here, this fits the requirements of the Kinsman Redeemer from the Old Testament:

The Redeemer had to be a near relative (which is why Jesus became a man.)
He had to be free, Himself (Jesus was sinless and free from the taint of sin.)
The Redeemer must have the price of Redemption (a sinless body, with untainted blood.)
He had to be Willing.

Two Positions, Two Heads of a Race

Adam sold out the entire Human Race: Jesus bought back the entire Human race, but He left it up to the individual to choose whether to trust in His completed work at the Cross. All who choose to remain in Adam simply remain spiritually dead; separated from God. All who choose to believe God, and trust His plan of salvation, are placed into (literally “baptized into… immersed into”) the Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit, and we are permanently bound to Him by His Grace and Love.

Why will we be resurrected? Because He bought our salvation at the Cross. All we did was to believe His Word, and receive Him. He has already been resurrected, but God said that from His perspective, if you have trusted Jesus as your Savior, then, in Him, you are already resurrected, too! Ephesians 2:6 says you are already seated with Him on the throne in Heaven!

Point Four

Because He is already the Victor, (and we have joined Him in that victory,) we will see His ultimate victory over the entire world, as well as over all the unseen evil beings. We will see Him triumph over all His enemies, including Death! Revelation 20:14 says “Death and Hell will be cast into the Lake of fire.” After that, He will deliver the eternal Kingdom to the Father, with the Glory that goes with it.

How Does All This Truth Affect Us?

Does it make a difference in our lives, knowing that the Resurrection of Jesus The Messiah is a fact, and that we are already resurrected with Jesus? It truly ought to make a difference! Pat James used to conclude, regarding this sort of truth, “We’re bullet proof!” meaning that we simply cannot fail to end up with God for eternity, as we are already there, and Jesus promised, “He that cometh unto Me, I will in no wise cast out!” (John 6:37)

How much more confident would we feel in daily life, if we truly grasped how completely He has redeemed us, and how fully He has made us His own?

Romans 6:2-6 explains that through our being baptized into Christ, by the Holy Spirit, we are now fully identified with Him in His death, burial, resurrection and eternal life. He says we are dead with Him. He says we have been buried with Him, and that we shall be like Him in the resurrection. Ephesians 2:5, 6 makes it more explicit, saying that we have been (past tense) brought to life in Him, and raised up (ascended) with Him, and seated with Him in the heavenlies. It’s a done deal!

That truth should set us free to serve without fear and without holding back. I do not claim to have fully grasped this, because, like most people, I sometimes suffer doubts and fears. But I do know this truth, and I believe that it is fully applicable today.

Lord Jesus, please bring the truth and the hope of the resurrection to life in our minds and hearts, and use it to set us free from our fears, our doubts, and our besetting sins. Teach us to walk in the newness of life.

February 21, 2026February 21, 2026

How To Understand The Hope of the Resurrection

The Hope of the Resurrection

1^st Corinthians 15; 1^st Thessalonians 4:13-19; 2^nd Corinthians 5:1-10

Introduction:

We were in 1^st Corinthians 14, and we were nearly (but not quite) ready to begin 1^st Corinthians 15. (People sometimes call Chapter 15 “the Resurrection Chapter.”) However, we recently lost our beloved Jan Larsen. It seems good to me to address the “Blessed Hope” of Believers today, rather than waiting.

First, I want to point out that the “Blessed Hope” in Titus 2:12, 13 is the returning Person of Christ. He is the Person of our Salvation. Furthermore, God describes Him, the indwelling Christ, as our “Hope of Glory,” in Colossians 1:27 “…Christ in You, the Hope of Glory.”

So, regarding our current “Hope of Glory:” Each of us has embraced that Hope, by believing the Gospel. Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

Notice that this is the ONLY thing God describes as being His power to save sinners. This is THE power of God unto salvation, “to every one who believes.” The choice is there for everyone. He does not offer His Grace by any other means but through the Person of Christ. Jesus said so. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: No man cometh unto the Father but by Me.” (John 14:6)

Does that sounds “exclusive?” Well, the fact is, our sins excluded us from the presence of God. This is Him offering us restoration: we can be INcluded in the Family of God.

So, What Is The Gospel? What is the Good News?

¹Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; ²By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

Here is the Gospel in outline form:

³For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

⁴And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

⁵And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:

⁶After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

⁷After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.

⁸And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

Point by Point

If you want to see it “point by point,” notice the first three points, in verses 3, 4. Together, they complete the Gospel…the GOOD News!

The death of Jesus, for our sins, in accordance with the Scriptures, fulfilling Prophecy,
His Burial, also in accordance with prophecy (Jonah 1:17 and Matthew 12:39-42), and
His Resurrection, on the third day, also confirming the scriptures, fulfilling Prophecy,

And, the next few comments are simply the confirmation of the many eye-witnesses, most of whom were still living at the time of that writing.

Paul goes on to emphasize the importance of the Resurrection. There were people present (especially including the Sadducees, but possibly the Gnostics and others) who denied that the resurrection was possible. He points out in verses 12-19, that if there “is no resurrection,” then Jesus is not resurrected, which would mean He was not the Savior, as that was a requirement, as part of His Credentials.

And that would mean that those who believed in Jesus had a vain faith: a vain hope in a false Messiah. And that would mean that they were still in their sins, and still headed for Hell!

But in verse 20, he answers that doubt with finality: “But now, Christ IS risen from the dead and IS become the firstfruits of them that slept!”

So, we should address some questions regarding the Resurrection:

Why Will We Be Raised?

In verses 21-22, we see that, in the wisdom of God, He saw it fitting that “… since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. ²²For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”

And then He spells out that the result that there are only two places we can be. You are either “still in Adam,” and thus, dead in your sins, or: You are “in Christ” as we read in Ephesians 1 & 2, and eternally alive!

Thus, those who can say with confidence that they will spend eternity with Jesus can only do so because He shed His blood for their sins… and they have trusted Him as their Savior. They plead the Blood of Jesus as their only Hope.

When Will We Be Raised?

The resurrection of these bodies (in which we now live) will be completed at what we call the Rapture. 1^st Thessalonians 4:13-18 tells us in detail how that will happen, in what order, and (in connection with the next chapter) we can see it will happen just before the Tribulation begins.

¹³But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. ¹⁴For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

¹⁵For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. ¹⁶For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: ¹⁷Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. ¹⁸Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

But there is an obvious question that arises when we affirm these things: “In the meantime, between now and the Rapture, Where are our loved ones?” Where are all of our believing friends and family? (Where is our precious sister, Jan??)

2^nd Corinthians 5:1-10 is our answer:

¹For we know that if our earthly house (Our physical body in which we live) of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. ²For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: ³If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. ⁴For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

⁵Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. ⁶Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: ⁷(For we walk by faith, not by sight:) ⁸We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

⁹Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. ¹⁰For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Resurrected or Replaced?

The passage in 1^st Thessalonians 4 teaches us about when our physical bodies will be resurrected. The one here, in 2^nd Corinthians 5, tells us how it will be temporarily replaced with an immortal body until our old bodies are raised immortal. Then he says, we will be like Him and see Him as He truly is! If we die before His return, then we will see Him that way from the moment we leave our old body behind, But after the Rapture, every believer will see Him as He is, and we will all have our old bodies raised immortal.

How Will We Be Raised?

1^st Corinthians 15:50-53 tells us that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. then He tells us that the day will come, when the last trumpet will sound and the Dead shall be raised incorruptible. He specifically says that “this mortal shall put on immortality.” He says “we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.

⁵⁰Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. ⁵¹Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, ⁵²In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

⁵³For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

Collectively, the scriptures clearly teach that Jan is with the Lord today, even though her worn-out, little, old body is in a morgue, somewhere: She is with Him, face-to-face, and completely wrapped in His Joy and His Peace.

At the Rapture, when that trumpet blows, she will have her body back, perfect and immortal, and we will all recognize one another, just as James, Peter, and John recognized Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration.

After that we will all face the Bema seat: the Awards ceremony: the Judgment Seat of Christ. God says so. But right this moment, Jan is completely focused on the reality of the Risen Christ, and she worshipping Him in person.

What Will Our New Bodies Look Like?

The short answer is: “I don’t know!” When we all get our new bodies, will Jan still be the shortest person in the room? I seriously doubt it. She may be nine feet tall, with fire in her eyes! Or, maybe we will all be the same height. We simply are not told.

However, God does address the broader question, in 1^st Corinthians 15:35-38

³⁵But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?

³⁶Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:

³⁷And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:

³⁸But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.

Paul’s Reply

He points out that when we plant wheat, we do not expect wheat seeds to come springing up out of the ground: We expect something that first resembles grass, but which eventually bears a seed head with many wheat seeds.

Then He answers the question in verses 42-49:

⁴²So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:

⁴³It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:

⁴⁴It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

Fulfilling the Pattern

⁴⁵And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. ⁴⁶Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. ⁴⁷The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven. ⁴⁸As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. ⁴⁹And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

Does that really “satisfy us?” Maybe not, but we choose to rest in that promise. None of us have seen the immortal, so we cannot accurately imagine it, and it is fruitless to try. We know that we will be like Him. That is the best we can say. And until then, all we can say for sure is that all our believing loved ones, those whom we have lost, are with Him now, and are safe in Him.

Lord Jesus, give us the faith to simply trust You and to believe Your Voice above all others: Help us to cling to Your Voice and Your Promise alone. As sheep follow their Shepherd, let us follow You and be safe in Your care.

February 14, 2026February 14, 2026

How To Understand What The Bible Teaches about Tongues

What about Tongues? (Part 1)

1^st Corinthians 14:1-28, 39-40

¹Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.

²For he that speaketh in an [unknown] tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.

You may see that the word “unknown” is in italics in your Bible. That is because, in every case, the adjective “unknown” is not in the original language. It only means a language the speaker has not learned.

³But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.

⁴He that speaketh in an [unknown] tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. ⁵I would that ye all spake with tongues but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.

⁶Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?

Non-living Examples

⁷And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?

⁸For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?

⁹So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.

¹⁰There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.

¹¹Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.

¹²Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.

¹³Wherefore let him that speaketh in an [unknown] tongue pray that he may interpret.

¹⁴For if I pray in an [unknown] tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.

¹⁵What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.

¹⁶Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned (has not learned that language) say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?

¹⁷For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.

¹⁸I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:

How Did Paul Use Tongues?

I do not know how Paul was using this gift. Dr. McGee thinks he used it to preach the Gospel. But there is zero evidence in the Bible that God ever used the gift of tongues in evangelism. Rather, He used it in praising God, magnifying God, and speaking the wonderful works of God.

Most of the places Paul went already spoke Greek. This was the result of the Grecian empire expansion from 400 years earlier. The conquerors introduced the Greek culture and language wherever they went. The empire included all of the Grecian peninsula, Northward into what is now Yugoslavia and Bulgaria, and all of Turkey. It reached southward into the Northeastern section of Egypt. Then it reached Eastward across the entirety of Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Iraq, Iran, and even deeply into Northwest India.

Everywhere he went, Alexander named cities after himself, and left soldiers there to govern the areas. It was all in the Greek language, with the result that Greek culture and language deeply affected a huge area…in fact, ALL of the areas in which Paul would later preach. My assumption is that he was speaking in Greek, wherever he went.

Speaking With Understanding

¹⁹Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an [unknown] tongue.

²⁰Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.

²¹In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord.

This prophecy (Isaiah 28:11, 12) is that Gentiles would bring the Gospel back to the Jews in their various languages. They would testify to Israel of the Truth of God’s Word, and His Righteous, Holy Character, and His Messiah. And the Jews would still reject the message. History has continually fulfilled that prophecy .

A Sign

²²Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.

²³If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?

²⁴But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: ²⁵And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.

²⁶How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.

²⁷If any man speak in an [unknown] tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.

²⁸But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.

Introduction:

As I have said before, I do not see in scripture a definite time when tongues will cease. I only see that they will. The closest thing I have, declaring when, is 1^st Corinthians 13:8-12. So far as I see, the “Perfect,” in verse 10 is the return of the Lord Jesus at the end of the tribulation. It is the beginning of the Kingdom age. And, it has not happened. So, if the gift has ceased, I can’t prove it and I can’t say when it happened.

Over the years, you all probably have figured out, I really do not like to cite extrabiblical sources as authoritative. However, I will briefly do so, here. In studying this chapter, I looked to some commentaries. Why? Because this chapter is confusing, even when I try to read it in context with the rest of scripture.

The Continuing Question: Have Tongues Ceased?

I consider only God’s Word to be completely authoritative, however, speaking historically, Dr. J. Vernon McGee quoted John Chrysostom. (He was an early church father at the end of the fourth century, from AD 347-407.) He wrote, regarding chapter 14, and the matter of tongues. “This whole passage is very obscure, but the obscurity arises from our ignorance of the facts described, which, though familiar to those to whom the apostle wrote, have ceased to occur.”

It is interesting that from that early church father’s perspective, the gift of tongues had already faded out of existence. And the gift ceased long before the time of Chrysostom. Long enough that no one was sure how the gift worked.

So, have these gifts ended? I don’t know. However, the few examples I have personally seen, of a “message in tongues” and an “interpretation,” were false.

Test the Spirits

Dr, McGee also told of a former student of his who came from a deep Roman Catholic past. As a believer, he went into a Charismatic church: One which regularly practiced “tongues and interpretation.” He stood up and recited in Latin, part of a Catholic mass. Then he sat down: And another man popped up to “interpret.” The second man gave a lengthy “interpretation,” but one which had nothing to do with what actually had just been said.

So, the first speaker stood, again. He declared that the interpretation was false. He said that what he had actually recited was the Catholic mass, in Latin! And the church’s response? The ushers hustled him out of the meeting and told him not to come back! They were not upset or disturbed by the false interpretation: They were upset because it was exposed!

I have personally known other believers who “tested the spirits” in this way, and those they exposed were also very angry. In one case, the only reason the man did so was because his relatives had been pressuring him to “try speaking in tongues.”

He was exasperated by their persistence, so he finally raised his hands and quoted a children’s poem in Pennsylvania Dutch. They were thrilled; moaning and praising God, declaring that they could “feel the Spirit moving!” But he stopped and sadly told them what he had actually said. And they were furious!

(Sorry: That sort of thing makes me very skeptical about the true source of the modern tongues movement.)

As we begin Chapter 14, I will reiterate that I see no Biblical teaching that the gift of tongues has already ceased. However, I will also say have never personally seen a genuine application of the gift, used as prescribed by God.

We See Several Things In 1^st Corinthians 14:

The gift of preaching (as described in verse 3) is far more valuable and productive than the gift of tongues.

The phenomenon of tongues (verse 22) is a sign, but it is a sign for unbelievers, not believers. We can see three major events where tongues were a sign:

Acts 2:4-14 a sign to the Jews that the Gospel is true: Jesus is the Messiah.

Acts 10:44-47 a sign to the Jews that the Gentiles were born-again saints.

Finally, Acts 19:1-9 a sign to the Jews that the message of the Gospel is true.

Notice that in each of these three cases, God gave the miracle to draw attention to the message. This is also true of the various healings. The lame man healed in Acts 3:1-11, was an undeniable miracle, but God specifically gave it to draw attention to the Gospel. When Jesus healed the man at the pool of Bethesda, it was to draw attention to His message of the Kingdom, not just to “make the man feel better,” or to “set up shop as a healer.”

Tongues Were Real Languages

Also, please note that Acts 2:4 specifies that the disciples, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, actually spoke in these other languages. Many commentators have attempted to teach that they were all just speaking “some ecstatic heavenly language,” and the audience only heard them in their own individual languages. That is not true. Each disciple spoke in a language that he or she had not learned. The listeners heard them speak in those languages: their native languages.

Finally, 1^st Corinthians 1:22-24 states that it is primarily the Jews who demanded such signs.

Also, there evidently is (or was) a use of tongues in prayer, but this is the only place God mentioned it, so I can’t say much about it.

The use of tongues in church was limited to two or three (at most) people per service, by turns, and that was only if interpretation was given. Without interpretation, they were to keep silent.

So, How Do We Proceed?

Though God’s Word does declare certain boundaries and priorities, Paul admonished the church as a whole, in 1^st Corinthians 14:39, 40

³⁹Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues. ⁴⁰Let all things be done decently and in order.

In conclusion, we do not attempt to prevent people from using the miraculous gifts (if they still exist.) But we also see a caveat. When the true gift is being used: By necessity, the True Giver has to determine how people use the gift. Otherwise, it is not God at work, but our old nature.

A Biblical Example:

The book of Numbers tells us that Balaam was a true prophet, but he sold out. When Balaam used the gift of prophecy, it truly was God speaking through him: But it did not produce what he or the Moabite king wanted to hear. So, he offered “advice” in addition to the true prophecy, as to how to cause Israel to fall into sin. And it worked! But the result was that the Moabites and Midianites were defeated, and Balaam died with them! (See Numbers 22-24, and Numbers 31:1-8)

The remainder of 1^st Corinthians 14 is dealing with the orderly form of a God-centered Church Service. We will continue to examine the remainder of the chapter in the near future.

Lord Jesus, we ask that You, as the Living Word, will guide our hearts and minds: And that You, by Your Holy Spirit, will teach us to follow Your Written Word in all things. Help us to avoid deception and distractions, and to walk with You in Truth.

February 7, 2026February 7, 2026

How do the Other Gifts Compare to the Foundation of Agapé?

Other Gifts, Compared to the Foundation of Agapé

1^st Corinthians 13:1-3, 8-13

¹ Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

²And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

³And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

⁸Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

⁹For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

¹⁰But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

¹¹When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

¹²For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

¹³And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Introduction

We spoke about the supremacy of Agapé love in God’s valuation. We saw that Jesus’s “New Commandment” was specifically that we practice that care for one another. Finally, we saw the 15-point outline of the character of Agapé in 1^st Corinthians 13:4-8.

Now, we will back up and look at two questions:

How much value do the gifts have without Love (Agapé) and
How long will the other gifts last as compared to Agapé?

Value of the Gifts, without God’s Love

Paul lays out a very clear, and rather curt dismissal of all the gifts absent the core value of Agapé:

¹ Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

[Only verse in the Bible that suggests (or reveals) that angelic language may be different than human languages. We are given no further information on this subject, so I am going to let it rest as stated.] The real issue? If the “gift of tongues” is there, but agapé love is not, then it is just “noise.” Maybe a thrilling noise, like a gong or cymbals or the rattle of a tambourine, but it is still just noise.

²And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

Aren’t those Gifts Important?

Prophecy seems pretty important! Speaking for God is an honor and a terrific responsibility. Supernatural Wisdom that “sees through” all mysterious puzzles is also a wonderfully valuable gift. Supernatural Knowledge seems to be able to answer all questions. That seems pretty powerful as well. And supernatural Faith that can (perhaps) move mountains…. They all seem great!

But Paul says all these things amount to nothing of value, unless the Love of God is both empowering them and motivating their application. More specifically, he says that a person manifesting the gifts, but not the Love, is nothing!

³And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

He says that generous, heavy giving and personal sacrifice, too, (even including martyrdom,) are valueless without the Agapé love. The person who lives this way is investing their time and effort and money and life itself in something that has no eternal value.

**The Gifts Themselves are Not Eternal**

Paul lists some of the gifts and points out their limitations:

⁸Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

These three gifts, specifically, he says, will cease. He goes on to give us some hints about when they will cease. People argue endlessly about the time-line, but verse 12 pretty much clears up the controversy.

⁹For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

“Partial” as compared to “completion” is the issue. The Greek word translated as “perfect” is “teleios,” and it always means “complete” or “ripe” or “mature,” not “without flaw.” But usually it means complete. So, Paul contrasted our partial knowledge against complete knowledge. Prophecy has always told only part of the whole story. The fulfillment virtually always includes some sort of irony, or a twist in the tale, so to speak.

A Biblical Example: The prophet informed a rich, political official that although he would see plentiful food, the next day, he would not get to eat any of it. He undoubtedly thought, “Oh yes I will!” But when they A Biblical Example: The prophet informed a rich, political official that although he would see plentiful food, the next day, he would not get to eat any of it. He undoubtedly thought, “Oh yes I will!” But when they opened the city gates, the starving people pressed through. In their frenzy to reach the food outside the gates, they trampled that rich, arrogant man to death in the gate!

The prophecy only told the truth. It did not tell how it would be fulfilled.

What Is the “Perfect” that Shall Come?

This is a passage over which there has been a fair amount of controversy. One fairly standard reply to the question is that the “perfect” (or “complete”) here is the completion of the Bible, specifically, the completion of the New Testament.

Yet another is the completion of the Body of Christ, the Church.

Another is the second coming of Christ, Himself.

Whatever it is, we have to agree that when that “perfect” comes, there will be no more of those three gifts, at least. (Perhaps it actually applies to all the miraculous gifts.)

¹⁰But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

He doesn’t leave much room for argument on that issue. So, the main question left is “What is the “Perfect” that he predicted?”

“Growing Up” Issues

¹¹When I was a child, (Greek, “nepios”…a baby who can’t talk yet.) I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, (Greek “aner” …a man, or in some cases, a husband) I put away childish things.

Paul uses the example of a child growing up to maturity. He demonstrated that some things will be best left behind as one matures to adulthood. So, let us compare this passage to the passage in Ephesians 4:11-16, where God tells us to “grow up into Christ,” and see what He means.

Ephesians 4:13-15 says “grow up into Christ.” Paul begins by saying that all the gifts listed in Ephesians 4:11-12 will continue until the events in verses 13-15 have been completed.

He then goes on and tells us to grow up into the measure of Christ Himself, to a perfect man. If the “perfect” in 1^st Corinthians 13 is the completion of the New Testament, then the passage in Ephesians is wrong, as the office gifts in Ephesians 4:11 have not produced the Church as a completed man, in the stature of Christ. Sorry, the Church at large is far from complete, and its members are, on average, far from mature!

“New Testament Completion” Problems

If I say that the “perfect” is the completion of the New Testament, then I have to face verse 12, and ask myself, “Do I truly see Jesus, face to face? Do I know God as well as He knows me?”

¹²For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

If my answer to that is, “No!” then there are only two possible things I can say:

Either I have failed to know the written Word well enough to allow me to see the Living Word, face to face (Can that even be done?) And I must have failed to apply His Word diligently enough that I know God as well as He knows me (That sounds somewhat blasphemous, to me!)
Or, I have to admit that the completion of the New Testament is not the “Perfect” to which Paul is referring.

Church Completion problems

As we noted, the Church is neither complete nor mature, and the gifts will not be needed, by the Church, once the Church is completed and raptured. We will be with the Lord face to face! We will “know him as we are known,” etc. It all seems to fit! But the rest of the world will not know him, nor will the tribulation saints: those who come to faith during the Tribulation.

Forty years ago, someone told me that the word translated as “Perfect,” in verse ten was a feminine word. So I reasoned that it could not refer to either the Written Word of God, or to the Second Coming of the Living Word of God, as both are about Jesus, and He is fully masculine.

But they were wrong! And, as a result, I taught it wrong! I recently looked up the word for “perfect,” in the interlinear, and it is the Greek word, “teleion.” This is not to be confused with the word “teleios.” (What’s the difference?) “Teleion,” the word used in 1^st Corinthians 13:10, is masculine, NOT feminine! It cannot refer to the Church, which is the Bride of Christ.

Combine that with the dreams and visions that Israel will experience during the Tribulation, after the Church is gone, and the prophetic judgments that will be laid upon the world during that time, and we have to concede that the “perfect” cannot be the completion of the Church.

“Second Coming” Answer

The Return Of the King obviously seems a great option, simply because Jesus certainly is “perfect,” both in the sense of being flawless, Holy, etc., and in the sense of “completed.”

Also, we realize that after His return, there will be no more need for prophecy or tongues or special gifts of knowledge, because every living human will have seen Him face to face, and “The knowledge of the LORD will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.” (Isaiah 11:9)

And, yes, the entire Body of Christ will be “All Grown Up!”

Combine that truth with the fact that the noun translated as “Perfect” in verse ten is masculine, and we can see that the Personal Return of Jesus, to reign in Jerusalem as the immortal King, is what the “perfect” has to be.

So, What will Remain?

Some things will remain, even after the Return of Christ:

¹³And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Faith, Hope and Love will remain after the Kingdom begins. There will still be people born who will reject faith, and secretly hate the Lord. They will be revealed at the end of the Kingdom age. But believers will still be saved by faith, and they will hope in the final fulfillment of God’s Word. They will Love the Lord with agapé love, and love those around them in the same manner.

But Evangelism will no longer happen. The knowledge of the Lord will be complete. People will still have to decide whether they will enter into a faith relationship with Him, but they will all know who He is.

So, What Should We Do With This Information?

To begin with, I think the principle in Matthew 6:33 applies. “But, seek ye first the kingdom of God and His Righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” I entered into a permanent relationship with Him by His Grace, through faith. That placed me into His kingdom, and into His body, the Church, but it also implanted in me His righteousness. Not “something I do,” but rather, “all that He did!” 2^nd Corinthians 5:21 says that “He (who knew no sin) became sin for us, that we might be made the Righteousness of God in Him.”

Philippians 3:9 says that we need to be found “in Him,” “…not having my own righteousness,” which is by the Law (by our works,) “but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.”

We need to learn to walk with Jesus in such a way that our works conform to His, by Faith and by Love. This gives us great assurance of Hope, knowing that we are aligned with His Love.

Lord Jesus, Please free us from our slavery to sin, and pride, and public opinion. Lift us up, every day, to continue walking with You.

February 1, 2026February 1, 2026

How to Understand the Importance of the Agapé Love

What is the Agapé Love?

1^st Corinthians 13:4-8

Introduction:

We hear a lot about the Love of God, and sometimes we hear scholarly-sounding teaching on the different kinds of “love” in the Bible. Some of that teaching is appropriate, just to eliminate confusion regarding what the Lord commands concerning Love.

**What Was Jesus’s New Commandment?**

In John 13:34, 35, Jesus said, “³⁴A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. ³⁵By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

Reading that passage, probably most people would assume that the word for “love” in Jesus’s command meant that we ought to have strong feelings of affection for one another. (And, it could mean that!) But this is one of the places where we truly need to understand the difference between at least the two most commonly used forms of “love” in the New Testament.

If we recall the conversation between Jesus and Peter, in John 21:15-17, we may recall only that three times Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me?” And all three times, Peter answered, “Yes!” But the third time, Peter grieved at the question, and protested “Lord, You know all things! You know that I love you!” And, all three times, Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep! Tend to my lambs!” What a strange conversation!

Except that, when we look that up in our handy Greek interlinear (Which I need, because I do not pretend to speak or read Greek, beyond bits and pieces) we find that the first two times, Jesus used the verb “agapao,” to ask, “Do you love me?” And Peter responded using the verb “phileo.” But the third time, Jesus switched verbs and used the same verb as Peter used. Peter grieved because the third time, Jesus used the phileo verb…not because Jesus asked three times. So, there must be a significant difference.

What IS the Difference?

They gave me a “textbook answer” in school, but I wondered what difference native Greek speakers make between the two words. So, I asked a co-worker, a native Greek speaker. He replied in his thick accent, “Ah…phileo means, ‘I love you! You are my brother! I love you!’” And then, with great intensity, he said, “But agapao means, ‘I give you my heart! I give you my soul! I LOVE you!’” He was not some scholar, giving me a clinical, sterile answer. He was not even a believer. He just gave the answer from his heart, as a Greek-speaker!

Therefore, reading the exchange between Jesus and Peter, using those two definitions, it sounds like this:

Jesus asked, “Are you fully committed to Me, Peter, or just to this catch of fish?” Peter replied, “Well, I have great affection for You, Lord—You are like a brother to me! I love You!” Jesus said, “Then feed My lambs!”

Jesus tried again, “Peter, are you fully devoted to ME?” Peter replied, “Yes, Lord! You know I have great affection for You!” Jesus replied, “Then feed My sheep!”

The third time, Jesus asked, “Peter, do you even like me? Do you even care?” Peter was grieved because, the third time, Jesus asked “Do you even have affection for me?” He replied, You know all things, You know that I have affection for you!” And Jesus still reiterated, “Then feed My sheep!”

So, we can at least see that agapao (verb form of agapé) is NOT the same as philéo. Peter knew the difference. Jesus knows the difference, and it is well for us to know the difference! Jesus’s New Commandment was specifically that we have agapé love for one another! Not just affection.

So, How is that Done? What does that “Look like?”

Keep in mind that agapé love has nothing to do with feelings. As we read the description of the agapé love, in 1^st Corinthians 13:4-8, we notice that there is no reference to feelings, at all. Every single descriptor is an action word. They all describe how agapé love behaves or does not behave.

So, let’s explore each of the descriptors and see how they might find application in our lives.

1^st Corinthians 13:4-8

⁴Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, ⁵Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; ⁶Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; ⁷Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. ⁸Charity never faileth:

Please notice that because the Greek language has about five different words for love, three of which are used in scripture, the translators authorized by King James attempted to set apart the agapé love by using the word “charity” to translate it. The “problem” for us is that the word “charity” has changed over the years, and now it virtually only means “giving to the poor.”

In a way, that makes sense, as the meaning of “agapao” means the “pouring out of yourself for the benefit of someone else, without regard for how it affects you.” Jesus demonstrated that Love at the Cross: He poured Himself out for us, not allowing His own feelings or comfort to interfere with His sacrifice for us.

**So, What DO we see in 1^st Corinthians 13:4-8 as the Descriptors for Agapé love?**

Agapé Love is patient (longsuffering.)
Agapé Love is kind.
Agapé Love is not envious.
Agapé Love is not given to arrogance, boasting or pride.
Agapé Love is not“puffed up”…not filled with self-importance.
Agapé Love is not given to inappropriate behavior of any kind.
Agapé Love is not focused on self, or the needs of self.
Agapé Love is not easily stirred to anger.
Agapé Love is not given to assuming bad motives in others, nor keeping a “score.”
Agapé Love is not pleased with evil things, no matter to whom they happen.
Agapé Love is happy when truth is honored, even if it is not to its own benefit.
Agapé Love is able to bear up under every load, and withstand every trial.
Agapé Love is able to hope, despite circumstances, for God’s blessing in all things.
Agapé Love is able to outlast any trial, enduring it as part of love.
Agapé Love is eternal, and it has eternal value.

Interestingly, verse eight points out that some of the things we may think are eternal are not! The gifts of the Holy Spirit are not eternal. They are for this life only. There will come a time when we no longer need those gifts. But Agapé Love is eternal and will not cease to function. Choosing to love in this way is always an act of the will…not a response to feelings. It is not based on emotions, but rather, it is a voluntary choice.

What Other Things do we Know About Agapé Love?

Romans 13:10 says “Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore Love is the fulfilling of the Law.” Jesus confirmed this, in Mark 12:30-33, saying that the twin commands “thou shalt Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and all thy soul and all thy mind and all thy strength,” and “thou shalt Love thy neighbor as thyself” were the “core value” of all of God’s commands. That, if you fulfill those two commands, you have fulfilled all the rest!

Galatians 5:13 says we are not to use our “Christian Liberty” as an opportunity for self-serving, (serving our flesh; our old sin nature,) but rather, by agapé love, God calls us to serve one another. (Love Serves!) Jesus said (Mark 10:45) that “the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many,” (Love Gives! Love serves, and Love gives!)

1^st Peter 4:8 exhorts us, “And above all things have fervent charity [agapé love] among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.”

Cover sins? “Cover…” how? Agapé Love motivates us to “throw a veil over” the faults of others. God expects us to forgive others, in the same way that He has forgiven us.

**So, How Has God Forgiven us?**

Psalm 103:12 says that He has removed our sins from us as far as the East is from the West. That is a powerful statement! I appreciate that particular comparison because it is unlimited. I can only fly so far North before I will suddenly be flying South! And the reverse is also true. But! I can fly East for the rest of my life, and I will never suddenly find myself flying West! And the same is true in the other direction. It is an unlimited separation.

Furthermore, (in Psalm 103:14) God says that “He knows our frame, that we are dust….” He understands our frailties and He accepts us as we are. (Will you be that considerate toward those around you? Will you accept them as they are, and choose to tolerate their idiosyncrasies? Will you tolerate their irritating mannerisms, and their flawed logic?) The word “forbearance” means to lovingly “put up with” one another.

Imputed Righteousness

Romans 4:7, 8, quoting King David, says “Blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.”

God the Father sees you in Christ…and only in Christ. He sees you as perfect, clean, and holy, in Christ! The Lord chooses to no longer see you as a guilty sinner. Can you choose to see other believers in that same light? That is what agapé love requires.

If you are loving others with the Agapé love, then you are not so likely to hold their faults against them. In your own mind, you will set aside those faults and you will overlook their shortcomings, and not take into account the wrongs you have suffered. Why? Because their soul is more precious to you than your own comfort. Their well-being is more important to you than “standing on your own rights.”

What are the Results?

The result of agapé love ruling your life will be a more consistent tranquility, as well as a deep concern for the welfare of other believers. You will find that you are no longer likely to be offended by others. You will genuinely care about what they care about, and look for opportunities to be a blessing to others without calling attention to yourself in the process.

Relationships will deepen, as others sense that you genuinely care for them, not just superficially, or “just when it looks good.”

Priorities begin to change as you begin to see others through God’s eyes. Your focus will shift away from self, and you will increasingly find yourself asking God to show you His way to respond to life, and His path for you to follow. Your church-family will become increasingly precious to you, as you learn to see the brothers and sisters through God’s eyes.

The reality of whether we love God is revealed by whether we treat the brethren with His Love. 1^st John 4:20 poses the question, “…he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God, whom he hath not seen?” So, if someone claims to love God, but their actions show that they do not love other believers, then God says they are lying about loving God. That sounds harsh to us. But it is in the same verse we just read: It is the first half of that same verse. “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar…” The reality is, we are fooling ourselves…deceiving ourselves.

Changed Lives

And, in 1^st Thessalonians 4:11, 12, he says another result is that we will be more likely to tend to our own business, and to live quiet lives. We will also be productive, looking for ways to maintain a clear conscience and good relationships with others, particularly unbelievers.

We will strive to earn an income through honest work, and use that income in a way to honor God, and not be dependent upon others, for testimony’s sake. These are good principles for today as well: today, there are various programs which may tempt us to milk “free money from the government,” not admitting that it ultimately comes from our fellow taxpayers. We don’t want to have a reputation for being “freeloaders,” of any kind.

Galatians 6:4, 5 agrees, saying “But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden.”

But if another brother or sister is under a crushing load that they cannot bear, we exercise the love of Christ and ease their burden. (Galatians 6:2)

Agapé love is practical. And it looks for the opportunity to bless others in practical ways.

Jesus showed the ultimate example of Agapé Love when He bore our sins at the Cross. He met our need, without respect to what it cost Him. We can either follow His example or fail to do so.

Lord Jesus, please teach us the incredible importance of allowing Your Love to flow through us to the world around us. Let us see other people as You see them, and Love as You love.

January 24, 2026January 24, 2026

How to Understand the Gifts of the Spirit (Part 2)

Gifts of the Spirit (Part 2)

1^st Corinthians 12:8-10, 28-31; Romans 12:4-9

Introduction:

I have avoided any attempt, so far, to definitively describe the various gifts of the Spirit, partly because, as God reveals them in a believer, they are self-defining. They become obvious.

But we have a desire to “define” everything, and that is OK. Some of the gifts do require some clear definitions. Let’s read about the gifts, and consider what they each mean.

1^st Corinthians 12:8-10

⁸For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; ⁹To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; ¹⁰To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:

1^st Corinthians 12:28-31

²⁸And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. ²⁹Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? ³⁰Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? ³¹But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

Romans 12:4-9

⁴For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: ⁵So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. ⁶Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; ⁷Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; ⁸Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. ⁹Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

An Observation Regarding Gifts

Gifts are a manifestation of God working in a specific way through an individual. But the entire Body of Christ has a responsibility to God to be demonstrating the Character traits of Christ in our everyday lives. This is not “Gifting.” It is our Life.

Each of us is called to “grow up into Christ.” Ephesians 4:15. As we exercise whatever gifts have been entrusted to us, it allows other believers an easer path to growth as well. So, while we may not have “flashy” gifts, if we are doing what God has called us to do, we are blessing others and we are living in obedience to the Giver of our gifts.

The gifts are given for the edification (the “building up”) of the whole body. They are not there just for us to “feel good about them.” We all have the same core responsibilities, regardless of our individual gifts.

Spiritual Gifts Vs. Spiritual Responsibilities

(Most of the following is copied directly from the Nelson Study Bible:)

Spiritual gifts are extraordinary abilities that the Holy Spirit gives to a believer by which to build up and encourage and help the church. Even though such attributes as faith, teaching, and giving are considered “gifts,” all Christians are exhorted to develop these character “traits.”

Some Christians Are Given…	But All Believers Are Called…
Divinely supplied Wisdom (1^st Corinthians 12:8)	To Live Wisely (Romans 16:19, Ephesians 5:15, Colossians 4:5)
Divinely supplied Knowledge (1^st Corinthians 12:8)	To Grow in Knowledge 2^nd Peter 1:5
Extraordinary Faith (1^st Corinthians 12:9)	To Walk By Faith (2^nd Corinthians 5:7) and Abound In Faith (2^nd Corinthians 8:7) to Take Up The Shield Of Faith (Ephesians 6:16) and Pursue Faith (1^st Timothy 6:12: 2^nd Timothy 2:22)
Special Gifts of Teaching (1^st Corinthians 12:28, Romans 12:7)	To Teach Others The Truths Of God (Matthew 28:20; 2 Timothy 2:2, 24)
Supernatural Ability to Help (1^st Corinthians 12:28)	To Serve One Another In Love, (Galatians 5:13) and To Minister To Others (Romans 12:7)
The Gift of Exhortation (Romans 12:8)	To Exhort One Another Daily (Hebrews 3:13)
The Gift of Giving (Romans 12:8)	To Give, Not Grudgingly Or Of Necessity (2^nd Corinthians 9:7)
The Gift of Mercy (Romans 12:8)	To Be Merciful (Luke 6:36. James 2:13)

**So, What Gifts Really Need Defining?**

Miracles—a display of supernatural power, changing physical reality in some way. Usually, miracles were done to meet a specific need, but they were ALWAYS to draw attention to the “person and message of God.” I say “were,” because there are many who teach that “miracles have ceased.”
They teach that that gift only existed during the time of the Apostles. I do not think that it can be Biblically proven that the miraculous sign gifts have ceased, so I will not go any further with this idea. I will, however, confess that I have never known anyone who genuinely possessed this gift, or any of the other “sign” gifts.
Healing—Same as above.
Various kinds of Tongues—these were (are) human languages, but not having been learned by the speaker. They are being used to give a message glorifying God, and drawing attention to Him, not to the speaker. The gift probably still exists, but in my experience, I have only seen it used falsely…not coming from God, as far as I can tell.
Interpretation of Tongues—same again. I have never known anyone who truly had this gift. That doesn’t prove anything. But, speaking from my own experience, I can say that everyone I have personally seen supposedly demonstrating this gift, was doing so falsely.
Discerning of Spirits—I am not even really sure what this gift is. Some people think it is “seeing demons,” or something similar. Perhaps it is the ability to “see through” what people are saying and doing on the outside to discern the reason behind the behavior, the “spirit” of the person involved. Possibly to discern the gifting of another person.

At the very least, it is a spiritual gift, not a natural ability. Acts 16 may beone example of a time when it was demonstrated. Paul discerned that the young woman following them around, and telling everyone that they were “servants of the Most High God, who are announcing to you the way of Salvation” was demon possessed. Does that mean that this gift is always used for that? Not necessarily. But it may be the ability to discern the source of teaching, whether (or not) from God, as well as other special situations.

Going Beyond Human Ability

Faith—some are gifted with supernatural faith. They can believe God when every circumstance shouts, “All is lost!” They are the ones saying, “Look what God is doing!” when all the rest of us only see impending doom. We all have chosen to believe God for salvation: that is saving faith. We all are called to believe God for daily living, and we all are commanded to learn to use the “Shield of Faith.” But there is a gift of Faith, that shines beyond the common faith upon which we all have laid our hands.

Prophecy and Preaching

In 1^st Corinthians 14:3, God states that “he who prophesies speaks to Exhortation, to Edification, and to Comfort.” In our culture we call that “preaching.” The word translated as “prophet” is the Greek word “profete.” It means “One who speaks for God.”

The King James Bible only uses the word “preaching” in the sense of proclaiming, or announcing. (1^st Corinthians 1:23 “We preach Christ Crucified…”) The word translated as “preacher” is “keruka:” a “declarer.” 2^nd Peter 2:5 says Noah was a “preacher of Righteousness.” Both Jesus and John the Baptist “declared” or “preached” the Gospel of the Kingdom.

Today’s pastors are called to “speak to Exhortation, Edification and Comfort.” We try to limit ourselves to speaking the Word of God, thus offering ourselves as a conduit for His Word. We seek His Wisdom as to what portion of His Word to present at any given time. We are at His mercy for the results.

Many times, I have arrived here, very unsure that the message I brought is what He wanted for that day. But frequently I get confirmation, either from circumstances or from other people that it was right on target. I have no way to discern that ahead of time. All I can do is go to God’s “sheep-food bin,” the Bible, and seek to fill my “bucket” with food for His Flock. Ultimately, He has to fill the backet. I am simply privileged to “carry the bucket.” That’s it!

What About “Declaring the Good News of Christ?”

We call that “evangelism.” If the job of the “Evangelist,” in Ephesians 4:11 is to “declare the Gospel,” then I have probably known several in that category. Everywhere they went, they led people to Christ. I have tried to be faithful to share the Gospel but usually it has met with “I’m not ready for that right now,” or some similar rejection of the message.

Ministry

“Ministry” simply means “serving.” We have confused the word in modern times, thinking it is a title of honor. (In Government, there are various “ministries” and no one seem to remember that a minister is a servant.) The word for “menial,” meaning a low position of servitude, has the same root as the word “minister.” If you reject “menial servitude,” then you are not a minister.

Teaching

Teaching transmits spiritual understanding from God’s Word to the willing heart. Teaching has not been accomplished, until learning occurs. This is not just the ability to “recite.” Rather, it is the ability to make it clear to the listener. It means listening to the questions and discerning what the real “missing piece” may be, so as to supply the “missing piece,” and produce understanding.

Giving

Some are gifted to give, freely, without hesitation. They also must be gifted with the wherewithal: they cannot give what they do not have. But they have the spiritual freedom from covetousness necessary to give from a free heart.

Exhortation

Exhortation can also be called “encouragement.” Some people are gifted to encourage others and to defend against despair or discouragement. They are vital to a healthy church.

Helps

Some are gifted to see a need and meet it, before others even see the need. By the time the rest of us wake up to the need, it has already been addressed by the helper.

Mercy

This goes along with Helps, in a way, but it is perhaps more geared to meeting emotional needs and meeting those needs with compassion, and without judgment.

Government, or Ruling

The “Bishops, Overseers, Elders, Presbytery, Pastors or Shepherds, (plural) are the assigned governing body of each local church. 1^st Peter 5:1-4, Hebrews 13:17. We may dislike that concept, but it truly is one of the gifts, though difficult and sometimes stressful. Fortunately, in this church, it has usually been a blessing and a joy.

Love, Above All

I think you can see how all these gifts contribute to a healthy Church. What binds them all together? Romans 12:9 says “Let Love be without dissimulation…” Don’t be a “phony” where the agapé love is concerned.

Allow the Lord to Love through you, so that the gifts He has given will be what shines, and so that HE will shine through you!

Lord Jesus, let us learn to Love You above all else, so that we learn how You intend to use us in Your Work. Allow us to serve, as the true Body of Christ.

January 17, 2026January 17, 2026

How to Understand the Gifts of the Spirit (Part One)

Gifts of the Spirit (Part One)

1^st Corinthians 12:7-18; Romans 12

Introduction

Over the last two weeks, we examined the Gifts of God, then the Gifts of Christ. Now we will begin to examine the Gifts of the Spirit. There is a partial list, here in 1^st Corinthians 12. There is another such list in Romans 12:4-8. The ones in 1^st Corinthians tend to be the “sign gifts,” or at least those that require divine manifestation. The ones in Romans are more given to service to God, and help to one another. We humans are far more interested in the “sign gifts,” and things that “smack of the miraculous.” But that may easily be from a wrong motive.

Remember that God gave the signs primarily for the Jews, and universally, he gave them to direct people’s attention to the Person of Christ and the Message of Christ. Jesus only healed one man at the Pool of Bethesda, though there were many there, seeking healing. He healed that one (on the Sabbath) to initiate a conflict between His message and that of the Pharisees and temple rulers: Theirs was a stance of 100% legal standing, and even that from wrong motives. His was a message of salvation, healing, rest, and redemption…Grace.

He was fulfilling the prophecies of the Messiah. The hearers and those who witnessed the healings had a choice to make: Embrace the Gospel of the Kingdom, and its King, along with His healings, preaching, etc. or cling to the traditions of the elders, and reject the Person who brought life. The miracle served to bring the message into focus.

A Personal Example

On numerous occasions, I have prayed, “Lord, if You would give me the gift of healings, I would empty hospitals!” (And the answer immediately came to me: “Right! That is why you don’t have it! That is not the purpose of the gift!)

Everyone eventually dies, often of some final disease. The miraculous healings never eliminated illness or death: they only drew attention to the message of Salvation! Jesus didn’t raise all the dead, during His earthly ministry: He raised three that we know of, or maybe four, thus demonstrating His authority over Death. So, what is the purpose of the Gifts?

What Does God Say About It?

⁷But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. ⁸For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; ⁹To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; ¹⁰To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: ¹¹But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

¹²For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. ¹³For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

¹⁴For the body is not one member, but many. ¹⁵If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? ¹⁶And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? ¹⁷If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? ¹⁸But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

The Purpose of the Gifts

⁷But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

Other translations say, “…for the common welfare.” The idea is that God gives every single believer one or more gifts by which the whole body of Christ is to profit in some way. In this chapter, we find that “there is one Body of Christ”, and every single believer is a part of that one Body, and every single member has a function. We are all designed to function. God calls no one to “just attend church,” but, rather, we are all called to personally serve the Lord Jesus, and to be a blessing to those around us.

We already learned elsewhere (Romans 8:9, John 14:16, 1^st Corinthians 6:19, etc.) that every believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, so the only question before us now, is, “What should I expect in terms of function, because I am indwelt by the Holy Spirit?”

Paul gives a list (again, not exhaustive), of types of “gifts of the Spirit.”

God Chooses The Gifts

Notice that God gives all the gifts as “He” (the Holy Spirit) wills. We do not get to “choose.”

¹⁵If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? ¹⁶And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? ¹⁷If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? ¹⁸But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

Paul’s Examples

Paul lists a number of gifts, as examples, with the intent of demonstrating that all are for the Body’s general health and function. They are not for the glory of the individual believer. God does not give the gifts for our own enjoyment: They are for the blessing and health of the whole Body of Christ. I am not attempting to give a “scholarly discourse” on the meaning and function of every gift, here, today, but I do want to use this same figure of a “body” in a slightly more graphic way.

A Modern Demonstration

Consider a single cell, taken from a living human body: From an athlete, an inventor, a teacher, a fashion model, or any other person, common or uncommon. But let’s say that it is a cell from the body of someone who is extraordinary in some way: the reason for their status is immaterial.

The point is that this single cell, examined under a powerful microscope, displays none of the characteristics of “greatness” that we saw in the tissue donor. It will simply look like a tiny, ugly, nondescript, essentially shapeless, and seemingly useless blob of tissue. That is a simple fact.

What is Inside is the Key!

But, it is also a fact, that, regardless of the location within the body, where you obtained the sample, whether from the brain, the nasal mucous membrane, the stomach lining, or whatever, every single cell from that same human body has, in its nucleus, the entire genetic code for the whole body. Ponder on that idea, for a moment, and consider how it might apply to the relationship between an individual believer and the whole Body of Christ:

God designed that particular cell (from a human body) for a single task: to produce a specific endocrine, perhaps, or, to help form one of the protective layers of the skin. But that cell, along with all the other cells, collectively made up the whole body from which it was taken, and, along with the collective experience of the whole body, together, they produced the person.

What about the Body of Christ? Each individual believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and, in fact, according to John 14:15-23, we can safely say that we are each indwelt by the entire Trinity, in the Person of the Holy Spirit. We each, then, individually possess the key (the code) to what makes the entire Body of Christ what it is…we have Christ! (See Ephesians 3:17)

And collectively, we are the Bride of Christ, (though incomplete, as yet) and collectively, we are being built into the Temple of God, though, for now, we are scattered across time and space.

What Do I Need to Know?

I don’t need to know how all the gifts work together: a single cell, which, along with others like it, comprises a hair follicle, for example, knows nothing about the function of the neurons to which it is connected. But those neurons connect it to the brain, and if a tiny weight, even a fruit-fly, lands on the hair that follicle has produced, the brain will sense it, and make a decision as to whether the touch is a threat, an irritant, or something which may safely be ignored.

**Is It Fun to Have the Gift of the Spirit?**

Not always! The prophet Jeremiah had an incredibly unsatisfying ministry: He knew God selected him as a prophet (though he embraced the gift very reluctantly, as he didn’t feel qualified.) He was a “mouthpiece for God,” to speak to the unbelieving, backsliding house of Judah. But, as far as we know, during his ministry, only two people believed his messages.

Did that mean he was ineffective, or even a “failure,” perhaps? No, it just means that humanity, as a whole, rejects the word of God, on a habitual basis. The false prophets of his time were quite popular, by comparison. (Give that some thought! Do you think that might be true today?)

Consider Ezekiel’s case: he always brought only what God said. But, it turned out that the people came to him for the entertainment value, not because they were receptive to the Word of God. (Ezekiel 33:30-32) They had no television, so they went to listen to Ezekiel!

Your gifting may not be particularly obvious, and may not result in human praise. Our calling is to do what God calls us to do: be a blessing to one another in ways that will profit the body of Christ, which will help or bless those in our circle of associates, and which, above all else, will honor God.

Sometimes it will be very satisfying, sometimes less so. Some of the gifts are fairly obvious, some are not. If you commit yourself to honoring God, and serving Him with your life, then He will reveal how he intends for you to function at your best. That does not mean that you will only do that one thing.

Consider Paul

Paul was an Apostle, and a teacher, and a prophet, I suppose we could say; but he was also a tentmaker; and when God required it of him, he served in that capacity.

Did people honor him, in that capacity? Well, I suppose we could say so; at least enough so that he earned enough money at it, for himself and his entourage to proceed with their journey. But, did they honor him as an apostle?

Sometimes…But sometimes they physically and verbally attacked him: they savagely beat him, stoned, whipped, and imprisoned him. Nearly everywhere he went, they verbally abused him, and, eventually, they executed him! Was he faithful to God? Yes, absolutely!

Was he always happy and comfortable in the process? I don’t think so! He suffered physical pain, and mistreatment many times, and he was grieved at the misbehavior of other believers, and sometimes of other apostles. He wept for the ones not obeying the Lord, just as Jeremiah did, and he asked to be relieved of a particular physical ailment, and was denied.

God told him that the ailment made it clear that God was the source of the power and life-changing message, not the messenger. Paul accepted God’s decree and he chose to rejoice in the ailment, knowing that it brought greater glory to God and made his own ministry stronger.

We will continue to examine the spiritual gifts, next week. Until then, if you want to read ahead, read Romans 12:4-8, and review 1^st Corinthians 12:7-18

Lord Jesus, focus our attention on You, the Giver, instead of the gifts themselves, as being of primary importance. Help us to understand Your Word, and to apply it to our own lives in a manner that honors You.

January 10, 2026January 10, 2026

Learn How to Understand the Gifts of Christ

How to Understand the Gifts of Christ

Ephesians 4:11-16

**Gifts given by Christ**

These are “Office Gifts”, or “Ministry Gifts” to the Church

Introduction:

Jesus gave some gifts to the Church (as opposed to individuals.) His gifts are not exhaustively listed in this passage, but this particular type of gift is exhaustively listed here. The “ministry gifts” or “office gifts:” These gifts are people who have been gifted to serve. They serve either the universal church (the church-at-large) or the local assembly, each in a particular way.

The gifts named here, under the title, “the gift of Christ” are all ministry gifts, and specifically, “office” gifts. This is in the sense that, the person holds that “office” within the church. He is there for the benefit of the whole church. The four gifts are not a “hierarchy” of church authority: they simply have different functions.

What Are the Gifts?

¹¹And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets, and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

He Gave Some Apostles

The Apostles are named first, but it cannot mean just the original eleven apostles, nor even Paul and the Eleven. There are other apostles named in the book of Acts, including Barnabas, Apollos, and possibly Aquila and Priscilla. So, it has a broader meaning than we may like.

The word “Apostle,” (“apostolos”) means, “sent one.” It is a specific office in the Universal church (all the believers within the church age.) Most people believe this gift to have ended sometime soon after the book of Acts was completed. (Or, perhaps, whenever the last original Apostles finally died, about the end of the first century.) From my experience alone, I might tend to agree. I don’t know of anyone in history, after that time, who was “clearly identifiable” as an apostle.

Some teach that, “Only the Apostles could write down the Word of God.”

That is false teaching: Only four of the Apostles (Matthew, Peter, John, and Paul) even wrote scripture. All the other writers of the New Testament were not called Apostles, in scripture. The “James” of the epistle was evidently Jesus’s physical half-brother, not “James, the Apostle,” who was martyred much earlier. And Jude was another of his brothers. Mark is the same young man (John Mark) who was rejected for ministry by Paul. But he was salvaged, and taught discipleship by Barnabas.

The Time-Clause

However: Verse 13 gives the “time-clause,” the service period for all four of the “gifts of Christ” . It says, “till we all come in the unity of the faith…etc.”

I don’t think anyone suggests that we already have “all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”

So, there’s a possibility that apostles exist today. If they do, I would suggest that they are among the missionaries “sent” by God to reach people who have never heard the Gospel. Is there authority attached to that office? If you restrict it to the original twelve (including Paul) then, yes, there was. There did seem to be an “Apostolic Authority” given to the Eleven, and to Paul.

If “apostles” includes church-planters throughout the 2000 years following the death of Christ, then I would guess it does not carry special authority, unless there is some sort of a “hidden authority” that we don’t see. I have known many church-planters and missionaries, and none of them claimed any such authority.

And, of course, it is possible that the “until” in v.13 does not actually indicate a time period, but rather a directive, only meaning “to the effect that.” But the Greek word translated “till” or “until” is “mechris,” and every single time it is used in the New Testament, it is translated “till, until, or up to”, in a “time” sense. As the things attached to it in this passage have not yet happened, I have to conclude that, in the sense Paul meant it, it has yet to be completed or fulfilled. You can make of that what you will….

Some Prophets

Prophets are a little easier, as a concept. The word “prophet” only means “someone who speaks for God:” a “mouthpiece, or spokesman, for God.” In the Old Testament, and through the book of Acts, it usually also carried the idea of predicting the future. But that was only a small part of the work of a prophet:

In 1^st Corinthians 14:3 and other places, Paul states that the current ministry of prophecy “…speaks to exhortation, edification and comfort.” That is called “preaching,” in our culture. Those who are called by God to encourage, build up and comfort the believers from the Word of God, thus, speaking for God, are the usual New Testament prophets. There are definite instructions given to them, as to how they are to carry out their work. There are also definite instructions given to others, as to how to respond to them.

Some Problems

Some have declared, on the strength of 1^st Corinthians 13, that prophecy has also ceased to exist. They say the phrase “when the perfect comes” means the completed scriptures, and that prophecy has therefore ceased. There is nothing in that passage (or any other) to suggest that this is what is in view. My first guess would be that the “perfect” is not the scriptures, but the Church—when the church is complete, there will be no further need for that gift. But the problem with that is that there will be a huge flock of prophets that arise during the Great Tribulation, after the completion of the Church. So that doesn’t really fit either. So, what is left?

Take a look at the rest of the passage: it says, “…now we know in part and prophesy in part, but when the perfect is come, then that which is imperfect shall be done away…Now we see through a glass, dimly, but then face-to-face! And, Now I know in part, but then shall I know (fully) even as also I am (fully) known.”

Does anyone today really think they have seen Jesus face-to-face? Or; do they know Christ as completely as He knows them? If not, then I would say that the “Perfect” has not come. What is that “Perfect”? I think it has to be Christ, returned in the flesh, and reigning on earth, or possibly the completion of the Church, the Bride of Christ.

Some Evangelists

Notice that the gift is not “evangelism” but “Evangelists.” Evangelism, the job of carrying the Gospel to others, belongs to the whole church: that is our stated task, for life. But an “evangelist” seems to be a person with a special gift for evangelism. Unfortunately, there is very little said about such people in the Bible.

We remember Phillip as “the evangelist.” We can see that he did take the Gospel everywhere he went, with great success.

Titus and Timothy

But in 2^nd Timothy 4:5, Paul told Timothy to “do the work of an evangelist.” The specific things he was also told to do, were to “strengthen the churches” and “to ordain elders (plural) in every church (singular.)”

He and Titus were given nearly identical tasks. But only Timothy was told to “do the work of an evangelist.” If the instructions to Timothy and Titus are characteristic of an Evangelist, then perhaps our modern-day view of an “evangelist” is somewhat skewed by our cultural viewpoint.

Present Day Contrast

Possibly men like Billy Sunday and Billy Graham, etc. are not what God calls evangelists. Perhaps an evangelist is supposed to have an itinerant ministry, going from area to area, preaching, teaching and ordaining leaders in local assemblies as needed. A person who trains up leaders within the local assembly, and then moves on, might be what is called an evangelist, in God’s Word.

So, What is an Evangelist?

Notice that both Timothy and Titus were told to get the job done and to report back to Paul. They did not have a stationary ministry. The Elders, on the other hand (See Acts 20:28) were told to stay put, and to feed that flock! I won’t quibble over someone being called an evangelist: there simply isn’t enough information to be certain: But if the work of (and the gift of ) an evangelist is just to “excel at evangelism,” then I have no problem with that definition being applied to anyone who seems to fit that description.

I have actively shared the Gospel of Christ with those around me for many years, but very few have responded in faith. So, I would guess that I am not an Evangelist. However, that does not release me from the job of evangelism: It is still the stated life-purpose of all believers.

Think: Of all the things we are to do as believers, what is the only thing which could not be “better done in heaven,” after we no longer have our earthly flesh and our old sin natures? We will certainly love more fervently, and we will worship from a purer heart, and we will obey perfectly. But we will never again share the Gospel with an unbeliever after we leave this earth. Only the living members of the Body of Christ have that privilege: Even the angels can’t do that work, in this age: (See Acts 10:1-6 the Angel said “…send for a man…”)

Some Pastors and Teachers

There seems to be “one office” meant by the joint term, “pastor and teacher.” The words for pastor, elder, and overseer, (alternately translated as “shepherd, presbyter, and bishop”) are all applied to the same group of men. The Ephesian elders (Acts 20:17, 28) are called all three: Paul called the elders (same word as presbyters…always plural) of the church (singular) at Ephesus (v. 17), and told them (v.28) that the Holy Spirit has made them overseers (same word as “bishops”), and then he told them to “feed” the flock of God. (the Greek word is “poimaine:” shepherd) Finally, he says they are to protect the flock against “wolves”—false teachers).

In 1^st Timothy 3:1-8, where Timothy is given instructions about ordaining elders, he is told that an elder has to be a teacher. There is no “office” of “teacher” in the local assembly: The elders are all supposed to be gifted to teach, whether they do so every week or not. Therefore, I see this as a joint gift, though there are teachers who are not called to shepherd the flock, but just teach.

Jesus used two different words when he confronted Peter about his ambivalence toward the job he had been assigned. He said “feed” my sheep, and “tend” my sheep. The word “bosko” is translated as “feed” and means just that. The word “poimaine” is translated as “shepherd, or tend”, and, as we saw earlier, it includes the entire skill-set of shepherding a flock, as laid out in Ezekiel 34:1-10.

The Seven Tasks Are:

Feed the Flock
Strengthen the diseased
Heal the sick
Bind up that which is broken
Bring back that which was driven away
Seek the Lost, and
Protect from predators (implied, here; spelled out in Acts 20:28)

It is a tough job…and it is always to be carried out by a team of two or more: never just one man. Diotrephes (See 3^rd John 9, 10) is the only counterexample in scripture…and a bad one.

Shepherds and Teachers

Interestingly, it is possible for a “shepherd” to not be an elder, or an overseer. A shepherd feeds the flock, and cares for the flock. Usually, that person is also an overseer, but not always. But an overseer must also be a shepherd: and an elder must be a teacher.

These people are the “gifts of Christ” to the church, and their job is to equip the believers for the work of the ministry. They are called to lead by example (1^st Peter 5:3), and not to simply “dictate” what the believers are to do. If a shepherd wants to see the flock behave in a certain way, then he and his team had better behave that way, themselves!

Shepherds as Sheep

The fact that they are to train the saints for the work of ministry does not release them from the work of the ministry, themselves; but it definitely means that they are not the only ones called to the work. The work of the ministry is the calling of the whole body of Christ, and we will talk more thoroughly about it later. In the meanwhile, the overall result of all of the “gifts of Christ” is as follows in verses 12-16. The office gifts are given,

¹²For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: ¹³Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

(Why?)

¹⁴That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; ¹⁵But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: ¹⁶From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

The rest of the gifts (plural, usually) named in the New Testament are given by the Holy Spirit, to all born-again individuals: Those who have received Eternal Life from God, through Jesus Christ.

Next week we hope to begin examining those gifts.

Lord Jesus, draw us along as Your followers, to be true disciples walking with You and earnestly desiring to be taught by Your Word. Guide us by Your Holy Spirit, and keep us from sin. Allow us to serve as Your hands and Feet, speaking as You speak, Loving as You love, and seeing the fallen World through Your Eyes,

How To Understand the Priorities of God

What are God’s Priorities? How do Mine Compare?

Introduction:

To Unbelievers:

For Believers

What is the Problem?

That Was Then:

Look at Ephesians 4:16 —

While we are there, look back at Ephesians 2:19-22:

One Temple

The Church—the Body of Christ—is the Temple.

One Priority

Jesus’s Priorities

How Can We Do His Will?

One Hope to Offer

One Job; Many Tasks

One Calling; Many Gifts

So, What Can I Do?

Conclusion:

Jan Larsen’s Graduation

1st Thessalonians 5:16-19; 1st Corinthians 15:22; Numbers 21:5-9; John 5:24, etc.

Introduction:

Rejoice Evermore

Pray Without Ceasing

In Every Thing Give Thanks

For This is the Will of God, in Christ Jesus, Concerning You!

Jesus Explained It

Jesus’s Promise

Quench not the Spirit

Introduction:

What Would Be the Results if the Resurrection Never Happened?

BUT! Christ IS Raised from the Dead!

So, What Do We Do With All That Information?

Point One

Point Two

Point Three

Two Positions, Two Heads of a Race

Point Four

How Does All This Truth Affect Us?

The Hope of the Resurrection

Introduction:

So, What Is The Gospel? What is the Good News?

Here is the Gospel in outline form:

Point by Point

Why Will We Be Raised?

When Will We Be Raised?

2nd Corinthians 5:1-10 is our answer:

Resurrected or Replaced?

How Will We Be Raised?

What Will Our New Bodies Look Like?

Paul’s Reply

Fulfilling the Pattern

What about Tongues? (Part 1)

1st Corinthians 14:1-28, 39-40

Non-living Examples

How Did Paul Use Tongues?

Speaking With Understanding

A Sign

Introduction:

The Continuing Question: Have Tongues Ceased?

Test the Spirits

We See Several Things In 1st Corinthians 14:

Tongues Were Real Languages

So, How Do We Proceed?

A Biblical Example:

1st Corinthians 13:1-3, 8-13

Introduction

Value of the Gifts, without God’s Love

Aren’t those Gifts Important?

The Gifts Themselves are Not Eternal

What Is the “Perfect” that Shall Come?

“Growing Up” Issues

“New Testament Completion” Problems

Church Completion problems

“Second Coming” Answer

So, What will Remain?

So, What Should We Do With This Information?

What is the Agapé Love?

1st Corinthians 13:4-8

Introduction:

1^st Thessalonians 5:16-19; 1^st Corinthians 15:22; Numbers 21:5-9; John 5:24, etc.

**What Would Be the Results if the Resurrection Never Happened?**

2^nd Corinthians 5:1-10 is our answer:

1^st Corinthians 14:1-28, 39-40

We See Several Things In 1^st Corinthians 14:

1^st Corinthians 13:1-3, 8-13

**The Gifts Themselves are Not Eternal**

1^st Corinthians 13:4-8

1^st Corinthians 13:4-8

**So, What DO we see in 1^st Corinthians 13:4-8 as the Descriptors for Agapé love?**

**So, How Has God Forgiven us?**

1^st Corinthians 12:8-10, 28-31; Romans 12:4-9

1^st Corinthians 12:8-10

1^st Corinthians 12:28-31

**So, What Gifts Really Need Defining?**

1^st Corinthians 12:7-18; Romans 12

**Is It Fun to Have the Gift of the Spirit?**

**Gifts given by Christ**