How to Use Your Spiritual Gift
Spiritual gifts are your tickets into contexts of people that need what you bring. This allows you an opportunity to prophesy, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!’ (Matthew 10.7). This is intended to destroy the nest of demons that are attacking the defenseless sheep; Jesus’ picture in Matthew 9.35-38. You are a laborer He is sending in to deliver the sheep. You have what you need for the task; just do it! Here’s why and how.
A Brief Review of His-story of Overcoming satan
- Revelation 12.1-12 begins with an allegory of the nation Israel and the birth of Jesus. The passage ends with a statement of history: satan rebelled in Heaven and was cast from there to earth, which is a type of prison for him until he will be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20.10).
- The truth of the allegory was Israel’s bondage in Egypt, from which God saved His people and judged satan’s deceptions of the Egyptians, which had led to bondage. Exodus 12.12b quotes God’s declaration of intention to Moses.
- The Child of the allegory was Jesus, God’s Son, Who continued His Father’s work of overcoming satan’s bondage of people on earth. Two examples: Mark 9.25-27 and Luke 13.16.
- Jesus, even, deputized his apostles and disciples with His authority to overcome satan’s abuse of the sheep He saw everywhere, as is heard in Matthew 10.8 and seen in their actions of Luke 10.1-19. [Verse 18 is His remembrance of the events of Revelation 12.7-9.] Verse 19 continues today, explained in the following.
- After the ‘blood of the Lamb’ (Revelation 12.11) was shed for the remission of your sin (Hebrews 11.6; Mark 2.1-12; John 3.16, 14.6), Jesus ascended to be with God, and He sent the Holy Spirit (third person of the Trinity of God) to ‘abide with you forever’ (John 14.16-17). He, the Holy Spirit of God, continues to overcome satan’s abuses of mankind. The Apostle Paul was an example of this, as is seen in Acts 14.8-10. You can become such an example!
The ‘Scepter’ in Your Mouth
- Psalm 110.1-2 picture Jesus’ return to Father God. God proclaims His determined will to make Jesus’ enemies (John 3.18, 8.44) a footstool for His feet. It has not yet been done but will be done! How? Jesus’ ‘scepter’ will rule among His enemies until they are all defeated! Eaton’s Bible Dictionary identifies a scepter as properly a staff or rod; a symbol of authority; originated in the idea of a ruler as a shepherd of his people (Genesis 49.10).
- Jesus identified, in John 17.11-12, 6, 26, His scepter as God’s name that He gave to Jesus. Jesus’ authority was and is in His name, the name of God Himself, the greatest name and word above all names and words ever spoken, as Paul emphasized in Philippians 2.9-11! Then, in verse 12, Paul said to use this name, Jesus, to work out your salvation, deliver you, from whatever oppression satan uses to abuse you!
- The name Jesus is what is hated by His enemies (Matthew 10.22) because, through them, satan vents on mankind, made in God’s image (Genesis 1.27), his hatred of God for casting him from Heaven (Revelation 12.7-9) because of his rebellion (Isaiah 14.12-15)!
- Revelation 19.11-16 is allegory of the final battle with Jesus’ enemies. Verse 13: ‘…the name by which He is called is The Word of God’; understand this from John 1.1. The name Jesus was in the beginning! King Solomon built the Temple for the Name of God, which symbolized His presence, even though Solomon did not know that the name is Jesus; see 2 Chronicles 6.3-11.
- The ‘word of our testimony’ in Revelation 12.11 is one, powerful, greatest word and name ‘JESUS’! You are an ambassador for Christ (2 Corinthians 5.20) and operate with freedom in the foreign kingdom of satan (2 Corinthians 4.4) by using Jesus’ name.
- Remember that God, Whose name is Jesus, cast satan from Heaven to earth and sent His Son Who destroyed all of satan’s abuses of God’s ‘sheep’ while He was on earth (1 John 3.8b). Now, the Holy Spirit in you continues to do the same through you when you are willing to overcome satan and his demons by speaking the name Jesus in rebuke of them (James 4.7).
- It is not your cancer or whatever named other demon that has gained control of your body or mind (John 10.10a); it was not put there by God. If satan can steal God’s promise from you, he can destroy your faith to receive that promise, which will make you defenseless and him able to kill your body, mind, and/or to take your possessions.
- But, Jesus gives you abundant life (John 10.10b) when you use His scepter that He has given you for that purpose! As Paul wrote in Colossians 1.27: it is Christ in you that is the hope of glory (present and future)!
- Will you ‘work out your salvation’ (Philippians 2.12-13)?
Jesus, ‘the firstborn among many brothers’ (Romans 8.29)
- Paul explained ‘firstborn’ in Colossians 1.16-20. Jesus was with God at creation. But, Jesus had no ‘brothers’ originally. There was only God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
- No, ‘the firstborn among many brothers’ refers to all who become conformed to His image, not looking like Him but acting like Him. Christian means ‘little Christs’ means those who say the words and do the deeds of Christ Jesus, Himself (Who only said and did what He heard and saw God the Father say and do; John 5.19-20, 12.48-50). See 1 Corinthians 2.4-5 for an example of Matthew 10.7-8 and Mark 16.17-20.
- Acting like Jesus was God’s original plan for you, as Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 3.18 and in Romans 12.2. God predetermined this in His plan before He began creating. Jesus said as much in John 14.12.
- Paul wrote in Ephesians 2.10 that these are ‘good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them’, who are ‘created in Christ Jesus’. Created means conformed to His image; new creation, as Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5.17. He gives the process of transformation in 2 Corinthians 3.18.
- In light of this understanding, how does Jesus’ taking authority over the storm (Mark 4.39-40) instruct you about Romans 8.19-22? Does satan cause destructive storms? Does he gnarl trees? This happened after Creation, as Paul pointed out. What are the limits of faith? Remember that Paul wrote that God predetermined the roles of teachers and preachers to equip those conformed to Jesus’ image to mature them to the heights of Jesus’ knowledge and faith (Ephesians 4.11-13). He quelled the storm…and walked on water.
- Jesus showed you the way and gave you the authority. Will you act like Him?
God has never lost a battle to satan…and is not about to start now. He executed judgment on Egypt’s gods. He destroyed satan’s philosophies and works through His Son. He continues to destroy satan’s works through His Holy Spirit in believers willing to use His name and symbol of all authority. Read again what Jesus said in Luke 10.19. Yes, He gives this to you! If the battle is lost, it will be because His name was not spoken with faith in the victory He has promised (Hebrews 3.19; Romans 14.23).
Praise God!!! Copyright © by Maurice L. Painter, 2014. www.sozoclass.com
140629 Introduction: Matthew 6.10 gives God’s directive for His children. He has resourced this task with His name, Jesus (Philippians 2.9-11), and with His Holy Spirit (Romans 8.14). This was God’s history on earth and is His future for earth. You are part of His resources, ambassadors, for accomplishing this (2 Corinthians 5.20). The ‘body of Christ’ (1 Corinthians 12.27) carries on the work of Christ (John 17.18).
140706 Introduction: The life of a deceased friend was recently celebrated as we gathered for his funeral. The preacher discussed his accomplishments and anecdotes from family and friends. Then, he read some of Dan’s favorite verses, including Romans 8.29. My spirit was quickened by the word ‘firstborn’ in describing Jesus and believers who become ‘conformed to [His] image’. You are numbered after Jesus. How conformed are you to His image? Conformity to using the power of His name has been the takeaway of this study. You have been given this power to use for His and your good. Now is the time to start!