One of the controversies in Corinth, and in modern churches is the ever-present spiritual gift of speaking in tongues. Praying in tongues was happening since the first Pentecost and is still very present in some denominations today. It has been, and still is a private gift not to be a badge of merit worn in Church.
Prophecy, in contrast, the forth telling of the plain truth of God is in fact a public gift. Prophets are not meant to be fortune tellers with a turban and crystal ball, although sometimes the truth includes what happens as a result of the actions described. They are the people that do not allow feelings or prestige to block the telling of God’s message. Prophets are rarely popular and often treated poorly. As the axiom says, “The truth hurts”.
Prophets have done amazing things, however, to change the world. Jonah changed an entire Empire. Isaiah foretold the future of Israel and all mankind. We cannot shrink away from God’s gifting, BUT we must attack our daily walk with God as if it is the most important thing. We are not about our spiritual gifts. We are about our humble surrender to the Lord. As we walk with Him, He will use us to accomplish great things. We cannot allow the enemy to distract us with the concern of what gifts we are displaying, instead we need to be focused upon living a life worthy of the Gospel.
Enjoy your life. Embrace your gifting and serve God and others with relentless passion. This will bring purpose, peace, and completeness in your daily journey with our Lord!
God Bless You
1-3 Go after a life of love as if your life depended on it—because it does. Give yourselves to the gifts God gives you. Most of all, try to proclaim his truth. If you praise him in the private language of tongues, God understands you but no one else does, for you are sharing intimacies just between you and him. But when you proclaim his truth in everyday speech, you’re letting others in on the truth so that they can grow and be strong and experience his presence with you.
4-5 The one who prays using a private “prayer language” certainly gets a lot out of it, but proclaiming God’s truth to the church in its common language brings the whole church into growth and strength. I want all of you to develop intimacies with God in prayer, but please don’t stop with that. Go on and proclaim his clear truth to others. It’s more important that everyone have access to the knowledge and love of God in language everyone understands than that you go off and cultivate God’s presence in a mysterious prayer language—unless, of course, there is someone who can interpret what you are saying for the benefit of all.
6-8 Think, friends: If I come to you and all I do is pray privately to God in a way only he can understand, what are you going to get out of that? If I don’t address you plainly with some insight or truth or proclamation or teaching, what help am I to you? If musical instruments—flutes, say, or harps—aren’t played so that each note is distinct and in tune, how will anyone be able to catch the melody and enjoy the music? If the trumpet call can’t be distinguished, will anyone show up for the battle?
9-12 So if you speak in a way no one can understand, what’s the point of opening your mouth? There are many languages in the world and they all mean something to someone. But if I don’t understand the language, it’s not going to do me much good. It’s no different with you. Since you’re so eager to participate in what God is doing, why don’t you concentrate on doing what helps everyone in the church?
Walking With God 
Living every day for Jesus as if my life depends on it, and if the lives of those unsaved around me depends on it! I want to rescue others by snatching them from the very flames of judgment! (Jude 23)
LikeLike