The Write Gifts: In His Spirit

 Hey #JustWrite!! It's that time again where we say good bye to the end of the year and prepare for the new year. Of course before we do that, we prepare to be with loved ones and live in the moment of giving tangible gifts for those who choose to. We all know that during this time, we also reflect on the greatest gift to mankind, the birth of Jesus Christ, born in a manger, presented with the tangible gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Most don't know but these gifts gave us insight into the identity of Christ. The gold represented the Kingship of Jesus (Daniel 7:13-14): “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man,[a] coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed." Simply put, Jesus reigns above all earthly rulers. He is to be worshipped.

The frankincense represents the deity of Jesus- extraordinary as a fully man and fully God. Colossians 2:9-10 says: "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority."

The gift of myrrh represents Jesus' death. Myrrh was commonly used to embalm bodies and this particular gift was a foreshadowing of Jesus' death. John 19:38-40 speaks on this gift and the big picture: Jesus came to the earth as a babe so that we would be saved. As a man, He bore our sins and died so we could have eternal life. His life, death, and resurrection encompasses the gift of the Gospel which we as believers are blessed to give to the world through our daily interactions.

This month's book club read is, "Releasing Spiritual Gifts Today" by James Goll, a selection that details how the Holy Spirit leads and guides us. The nine most known gifts are also discussed with many examples of how each gift was used within the Bible and how they apply to present day situations. 1 Corinthians  12:8-10 lists these gifts as the following:

Word of wisdom

Word of knowledge

Faith

Gifts of healings

Miracles

Prophecy

Distinguishing between spirits

Tongues

Interpretation of tongues

In addition to the book and devotion guide, there is also a website for Mr.Goll's ministry, God Encounters Ministries that provides more resources, articles, and classes. The Releasing Spiritual Gifts class is a 12 lesson class featured online that will walk you through the steps of being in the fullness of one's gifts. Join Just Write on Tuesday, December 27 for the final discussion of 2022. In exchange of a physical gift for a loved one during the holidays, this book selection is a great gift to share. 

Remember, Jesus is the reason for the season and our gifts always make room for us according to God's plan and Holy Spirit guiding us all.

See you all in 2023!!

In His service,

Lequvia Ousley