River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1912-05-30


united to the body of Christ, and
thereby becomes a member. Each
member has some function to per-
form, Just as the hand or eye has in
the physical body. ITO every man his
work"
AS each member has some function
to perform, so also he has some gift
for the great head of the church does
not expect the members to serve
without a capacity for service. THE
manifestation of the spirit is given
to every man." Il Cor. 12:O.
Every believer is bound to believe
that he has some spiritual gifts, even
if he has not discovered it, and even
if other people think and say that he
has none God says he has, and that
settles it, and the humblest believer
will find, if he is willing to wait, and
work, and pray, that Gods promise is
true.
When Dwight L. Moody was exam
lned for church membership one Of
the deacons went home and told his
family, that of all the people whom.
he had ever examined, young Moody
was about the most unpromising.
Events proved that Gods promises arc
more reliable than a deacons judg-
ment.
The spiritual gifts which believers
receive are not of their own selec-
ton, but are such as God chooses to
confer upon them. Dividing to ev.
cry man severally as he will" God
hath set the members every one Of
them in the body as it hath pleased
him" Il Cor. 1911, 49,.
Spiritual gifts are not conferred on
us for our own benefit, but "for the
perfecting of the saints, for the work
of the ministry, for the edifying of the
body of Christ (Eph. 4:12). Too Oft
en- this is forgotten, and many fee
BILE church has unemployed talent
enough in it's membership to make it
a mighty spiritual power, if only it's
members would exercise their gifts.
1. Many Christians question serious
" whether they have any spiritual
gift, and the devil encourages them
In this belief So long as he can keep
them inactive in the masters service,
they give him little trouble AS a
rule this notion arises from the fact
that they have never attempted any
kind of Christian work. They have
never tried earnestly to meet any
spiritual need, and hence they do not
know what they can do. A duck
would never know that it could swim
II it did not attempt it.
Gifts Are Different.
1t is a great mistake to suppose that
all spiritual gifts are necessarily gifts
Of speech. BY no means. What a
misfortune it would be IL the body of
Christ were all mouth! Let it never
be forgotten that the eye and the ear,
the hand and the foot are just as i'm
portaut as the mouth. Romans
12:6-t5 shows what a great variety of
GIFTS the spirit confers on the men,
bers of the body. Arnong them is
cheersulness, hatred Of evil, patience
LII SAllGlluS, III anu hOSp1-
tality. The fact is that many spirit
ual gifts are not recognized as such.
about two years ago [ was present
at a football game between Yale and
Princeton. On the grand stand were
nearly twenty thousand people. Di-
reotly back of me sat young lady
accompanied by gentleman. She
was one of those healthy, happy girls
that carry sunshine with them wher-
ever they go. Whenever a good play
was made, she gave vent to her en-
thussasm in the heartiest manner
Finally, a Yale man caught the ball
and, making a fine end play, he ran
down the field in triumph. Springing
to her feet. she threw up her hat, coat.
and everything about her that was
loose, and shouted, "Oh, | am so glad
was born
The young man seemed equally
glad, and ! am frank to confess that
shared his sentiments! Such splen-
did enthusiasm What would it be
worth to the cause of Christ? How
1t would inspire a church, or put new
life into a dead prayer meeting, or
make even drudgery seem delightful:
You may not have the gift of en-
thusiasm, but perhaps you have cour-
age to attempt hard things, or a pa
tience that never tires, or a cheerful
ness that is contagious. or the faculty
Of making others see things as you do
or the gift of approaching other peo-
pies good qualities, which is one of
the finest OF all. You certainly have
some gift, for God says so.
II. How can one ascertain what his
gifts are? BY going to work for
Christ. AS a rule no one knows what
gifts he possesses until he begins to
use them.
Unless we employ our gifts, they
will be taken from US, for the law
which governs all our faculties is this
use them or lose them. Mr. Charles
Darwin in early life was very fond OF
poetry. and passionately fond of mu-
sic. He became interested in natural
science, and eventually devoted his
life to it. In his last years he testi-
fed that his scientific studies mad so
completely changed his tastes that he
no longer. cared for poetry, and music
caused him positive torture. In other
words, he had lost certain gifts by
disuse.