“Repent and be baptized, every one of you,
in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.
And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

~ the Apostle Peter, Acts 2:38 ~

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Back when the great evangelizer Paul (1) was traveling about while preaching the Good News (2) of Jesus Christ (3), not a whole lot of our Savior's teachings were written down. This led to confusion, false teachings (4) and more. In order to correct abuses concerning the spiritual gifts taking place within the church at Corinth (5), Paul devoted much attention to this topic in his first letter (6) to them as evidenced by 1 Corinthians 12-14.

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1 Corinthians 12:1-11 (NIV): "Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God (7) says, 'Jesus be cursed,' and no one can say, 'Jesus is Lord,' except by the Holy Spirit (8).
 
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
 
Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of Wisdom (9), to another a message of Knowledge (10) by means of the same Spirit, to another Faith (11) by the same Spirit, to another gifts of Healing (12) by that one Spirit, to another Miraculous Powers (13), to another Prophecy (14), to another Distinguishing between Spirits (15), to another Speaking in Different Kinds of Tongues (16), and to still another the Interpretation of Tongues (17). All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines."

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In baptism (18), we receive an infusion of all of the Gifts but- similar to presents tucked underneath the Christmas tree- they must be unwrapped, opened and utilized for their full potential to be realized. Otherwise, they operate on half speed, accomplishing a mere fraction of what God intended them to fulfill.

~ BIBLE VERSES ~
 
THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Gifts Nehemiah 9:20, Luke 11:13, Acts of the Apostles 2:38-39, Acts of the Apostles 10:44-45, Romans 1:10-12, Romans 5:5, Romans 12:3-8, 1 Corinthians 1:7, 1 Corinthians 2:12, 1 Corinthians 12:1-31, Hebrews 2:4, 1 Peter 4:10-11.
 
Wisdom 1 Kings 3:28,  Job 28:28, Psalms 111:10, Proverbs 1:7, Proverbs 23:9, Proverbs 23:23, Proverbs 24:3-4, Proverbs 24:14, Romans 11:33, 1 Corinthians 3:19-20, James 1:4-5.
 
Knowledge Proverbs 1:7, Proverbs 9:10, Proverbs 12:1, Proverbs 12:23, 1 Corinthians 8:1-8, 1 Corinthians 13:1-8, Ephesians 4:11-16, 2 Peter 1:1-8.
 
Faith Mark 11:22-24, Romans 10:17, 2 Corinthians 5:7, Ephesians 2:8, Hebrews 11:1, Hebrews 11:6, James 2:14-16.
 
Healing Mark 5:1-20, Mark 5:21-43, Luke 6:17-19, Luke 9:1, Acts 5:16, Acts 19:11-12, 1 Corinthians 12:9, 1 Corinthians 12:28-31, James 5:14-15.
 
Miraculous Powers Exodus 14:13-22, Psalms 77:14, Matthew 10:1, Mark 16:17, Luke 9:1-2, John 4:48, John 14:12, Acts 2:22, Acts 19:11.
 
Prophecy Deuteronomy 18:18-22, Joel 2:28, Amos 3:7, Luke 22:64, Romans 12:6, 1 Corinthians 14:1, 1 Corinthians 14:12, 1 Corinthians 14:37, 2 Peter 1:21.
 
Distinguishing between Spirits Mark 16:20, Acts 16:16-18, 1 Corinthians 14:29, Ephesians 4:11-13, Hebrews 4:12, 1 John 4:1, Revelation 19:10.
 
Speaking in Different Kinds of Tongues Isaiah 28:11-12, Mark 16:15-18, Acts 2:1-4, Acts 10:45-46, 1 Corinthians 12:28-31, 1 Corinthians 13:1, 1 Corinthians 14, 1 John 4:1-3.
 
Interpretation of Tongues Romans 8:26, 1 Corinthians 12:10, 1 Corinthians 12:30, 1 Corinthians 14:13, 1 Corinthians 14:27.

THE IMPORTANCE OF CHRISTIAN UNITY

While there are pockets of Christian folks who focus more intently on the differences between their own religious denomination and that of their neighbor, we make every effort to reconcile what Christians do agree on- which is an overwhelming majority of the Bible. Amen? However, delving into the Gifts of the Holy Spirit can be one of those thorny areas, as some Christian denominations do not believe in some of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned in the Bible. Their view is that those Gifts died out in first century Christianity and are no longer in operation.
 
As our primary Mission at The Marion County Manna Project is to bring unsaved souls to Jesus Christ (The Great Commission (19) in Matthew 28:16-20), we offer what the Good News tells us in its entirety. Our belief, first and foremost, is that we are to bring others to the Banquet Table by way of preaching and teaching the whole Gospel, without leaving parts of it on the side of the spiritual roadway while on our journey to God's Kingdom.
 
James 1:17 tells us that all gifts are from the Father, Who does not change; 1 Peter 4:10-11 beseeches us to share those gifts with others. Do these verses (or any others) have an expiration date? We leave that for you to decide.
 
Our Christian Unity (20) webpage offers dozens of Bible verses exhorting the critical nature of us Christians being united with another.

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If you're seeking additional info about Christianity on a more personal level, consider visiting a Christian Church here in Marion County (21). Introduce yourself to members and ask to speak with someone to learn more about Jesus. Surrendering your life to Christ (22) (c) is the most rewarding, everlasting decision you'll ever make, and it's comforting to have someone guide you as you begin your new life as a child of the Most High! May God shower you with great favor in this endeavor!

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Footnotes, Page Credits and External Resources appear below. Consider printing and sharing the offered PDF narrative and other listed resources with family, friends and strangers alike for use in Bible Studies (23), Home/Church Faith Sharing Groups (24), Discipleship Encounters (25) and/or Personal Faith Enrichment!
 
Modifications are welcome at goodnews@marionmannaproject.com.
 

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FOOTNOTES:
  (1) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/saul-of-tarsus
  (2) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/the-good-news
  (3) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/jesus-christ
  (4) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/false-teachers
  (5) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/corinth
  (6) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/1-corinthians
  (7) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/God-of-the-Bible
  (8) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/the-holy-spirit
  (9) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/wisdom
(10) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/knowledge
(11) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/faith
(12) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/healing
(13) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/miraculous-powers
(14) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/prophecy
(15) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/distinguishing-between-spirits
(16) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/speaking-in-different-kinds-of-tongues
(17) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/interpretation-of-tongues
(18) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/baptism
(19) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/the-great-commission
(20) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/christian-unity
(21) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/listing-by-city
(22) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/the-gracious-visitor
(23) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/bible-studies
(24) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/christian-education
(25) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/discipleship
 
PAGE CREDITS:
  (a) Videos, Milestones, Blogs & Poster, BibleProject, accessed September 29, 2020,
https://www.bibleproject.com/terms/#use
 
  (b) Bible Gateway, New International Version (NIV) Bible, accessed September 18, 2020,
https://www.biblegateway.com/
 
EXTERNAL RESOURCES:
  (c)  How Do I Convert to Christianity?, Got Questions Ministries, accessed January 12, 2020    https://www.gotquestions.org/convert-to-Christianity.html