CHARISMATIC

char·is·mat·ic

ˌkerəzˈmadik/

Occasionally - perhaps too often - I 'open up my chest' to folks in order to be vulnerable about something I'm thinking, feeling, believing, etc.  The downside of that is that I have the privilege of pastoring a decent-sized church and that's a lot of people who get to view my open chest.

But . . .

There's something that's always bothered be about the Charismatic church - and I can say this because I are one ----

Down thru the years we've had a history of saying: 'The most important thing about life with the Holy Spirit is a particular few of the gifts found in I Corinthians' - then we'd go on to fill in the blank with whatever gift or gifts we thought most important --- prophecy --- tongues --- (insert your favorite Holy Spirit gift here).

We have been guilty of saying - or at least non-verbally communicating - that we Pentecostals had a corner on the market when it came to those 'best' gifts, almost as if the other gifts given by the Holy Spirit were fine, but somehow less spiritual - less anointed - less desirable - than the Big Two or Three.

So not true.

'God can really do something with that.'

Before the apostle Paul even starts talking about spiritual gifts he says know that you'll only get them when you walk in humility.  That's in Romans 12, before he starts speaking about 'gifts given according to the grace given to each of us.'

Then, before he gets to the rest of the stuff we think so all-fire important he says:  'You need each other.  You're part of a body, every one with different gifts critical to the health and life of the church.'  We aren't made up of some professional clergy and a few spiritual rock stars.  We need each other.

The reason God gave us gifts wasn't so you could say, 'Look what I have - I'm the prophet ... Look what I have - I put my hands on people and they get better.'  That isn't how it works --- at all.  The gifts are given so we can encourage each other - bless each other - continue the work of God in the earth today.

When Jesus left, He passed the baton to twelve people.  He said:  'I'm going away, but the Holy Spirit will come and ultimately you'll do greater things than I.'

So ... are you willing to accept that challenge from Jesus today - for our time - for our generation - as Jesus passes the baton to us ... will you accept the challenge to continue the work of Christ in the greater Kenosha and Burlington areas?

Will you?

Good.  I think God can really do something with that.

And be blessed.