Precious. Thank you. LOVE IN HIM, purple mari At 02:38 PM 3/21/2007, you wrote: >Do you know your spiritual gifts, that is, concerning serving the Lord? Do >you know if you have been called, or otherwise, assigned to a ministry? I >personally have believed for 30 years or more that everyone has a gift in >the body of Christ, if not more, and that the job of every pastor, if he >truly is one called of God to the office of a pastor, is to assist others in >seeing their gift, or gifts, and assisting them in learning how to use their >gift in the church. I am not referring to any talents or gifts that come >naturally or with which you are born. Shoot, come to think of it, I don't >have a single one of those and wish I did. What I mean is, just because you >can play the juice harp, doesn't mean that is your gift to bring glory to >God in bring strength to the Body of Christ. It will help and should be >recognize by a pastor in order that it could be used in the church but it >doesn't mean that is your spiritual gift. Shoot, when I pastored a >different church here in Denver, we had a truck driver who played the kazoo. >Isn't that what they call a piece of cellophane or wax paper stuck between a >couple of pieces of cardboard or something? You know what I'm talking about >I think. Anyhow, he had no talents but he asked me before church one Sunday >if he could talk with me. He told me this was the only instrument he could >play but he wanted to worship the Lord with it. He showed it too me. It >was a miniature cardboard trumpet and when you blew through it, you hummed >through it to get that goofy weird sound. Some other people were standing >around, a couple of elders, and I said, "Bob, if that is the way you worship >and you are sincere, you can blow that thing until you have no air left as >far as I am concerned." Bob said, "Well, I'll play it respectfully, Pastor, >and I won't play it at any weird times or nothing; just when we are >singing." I said, "Blow away, Brother." You know why I said ok to his >request? Because, I knew Bob's heart and how much He loved Jesus. I knew, >when I heard his little horn, of sorts, that Jesus would be listening, too, >because Jesus loved Bob as much as anyone else. As we sang that morning, >Bob blew away on his make shift horn and it was more beautiful than any >angel's horn, I guarantee you that. So, where are you? What do you feel? >Does your pastor know your gift yet? > >Phil.