The Gifts of the Spirit and the Characteristics of Those Who Have Them

By Steve Rogers

As a sergeant in the United States Marine Corps, it was my sworn duty to guide, teach, and protect those who served in subordinate positions. In this role, it was critical to provide clear and concise information so that those who trusted my leadership would not be ignorant to the mission or threats. The apostle Paul gives a clear warning to Christian believers pertaining to the gifts of the Spirit: "I would not have you be ignorant." His first-century warning is quite relevant in this twenty-first century, where doctrinal literacy is lacking and knowledge of the Holy Ghost obtained through the Word of God and experience has been replaced with choreographed programs. Without clear and concise teaching, the warrior in Christ is left with a butter knife rather than a sword to cut through the traditions, customs, and church politics that leave a believer paralyzed in ignorance. The Gifts of the Spirit and the Characteristics of Those Who Have Them is a book written to be a field infantry manual for the believer that is clear and concise. It provides the believer with definitions of the gifts of the Spirit and examples of how they operated both in the first-century church and this present age. Lastly, this book will provide the believer with the information needed to examine oneself and answer the question "What gift do I have?" This is done by describing the effect the gift has on a believer's character and behavior while operating in and out of the church.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 10, 2019
• ISBN: 9781644161906

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The Gifts of the Spirit and the Characteristics of Those Who Have Them

Steve Rogers II

ISBN 978-1-64416-189-0 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64416-190-6 (Digital)

Copyright © 2019 by Steve Rogers II

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

All scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible, unless otherwise noted.

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Foreword

On September 11 , 2001 , nineteen militants associated with the Islamic extremist group Al-Qaeda hijacked four airplanes and carried out suicide attacks against targets in the United States. Two of the planes were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, a third plane hit the Pentagon just outside Washington DC, and the fourth plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. Almost three thousand people were killed during the 9 / 11 terrorist attacks, which triggered major US initiatives to combat terrorism.

At that time, I was on active duty as a staff sergeant in the United States Marine Corps stationed at Picatinny Arsenal, Dover, New Jersey, as a part of an Inspector and Instructor Staff working with Golf Company 2nd Battalion 25th Marines. Many Marines in Golf Company personally felt the pain of this horrific attack firsthand as they mourned the loss of loved ones that died when the towers fell, so when Golf Company—a reserve unit—was activated with orders for deployment to Iraq in 2003 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Steven L. Rogers II, a lance corporal with G. Company at the time, enthusiastically packed his gear. Unknowing to the both of us, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ had marching orders and a mission of His own to be carried out, an unlikely friendship would be forged, and Promised Land Pentecostal Church would be born.

In a war-torn country, while accomplishing our daily task, I was asked to teach a Bible study one evening, and a Bible fellowship was formed serving the Marines of our infantry company three times a week. On the date of our country’s independence, July 4, eighteen Marines were baptized in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Euphrates River. Lance Corporal Rogers was one of those Marines. The deployment in Iraq came to an end, and both us returned to our homes being separated by location but not by spirit. Three years later, we became burdened by the Lord to continue the work which began in Iraq and to establish a church that would serve both those in and out of uniform.

Our worship includes the preaching and teaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ concerning His death, burial, and resurrection so as to enlighten the conscience to the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, and to open the heart to receive the infinite grace of God. It is essential that the church encourages, nourishes, cultivates, and equips the believer to live a fulfilled life in Jesus Christ. To this endeavor, the Holy Ghost inspired now-elder Steven L. Rogers II to write Spiritual Gifts and the Characteristics of Those Who Have Them, a book that gives an in-depth understanding of the weapons in our spiritual arsenal that are used to combat the demonic terrorist that attacks the body of Christ.

Determination and attention to detail do not leave a Marine when he leaves the military. He approaches tasks in the civilian world with the same self-discipline that he acquired years back as a nervous young recruit. Elder Rogers has done his due diligence and reveals an unbiased truth with Spiritual Gifts and the Characteristics of Those Who Have Them.

This book is unique. In the known history of books written on spiritual gifts, this education did not exist until now. You are given a definition, scriptural reference, testimony, and revealing insight concerning the deportment of the Christian that is the vessel for the gift/s and how they affect those in the church who minister with them.

It was an honor to serve with Elder Rogers on the battlefield and a continuing gift from God to serve with him in our church as we press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

God bless you,

Courtney L. Johnson

Senior Pastor

Promised Land Pentecostal Church

Introduction

Inside the realm of Pentecostalism the subject of the gifts of the Spirit is one of the most misunderstood, misinterpreted, and misapplied spiritual subject matters within the scope of doctrinal teaching. On the other hand, denominations outside Pentecostalism proclaim that the gifts of the Spirit have ceased and are no longer in effect in this present church age. In fact, some would say that if you speak in tongues you are possessed by a demon! How quick are some to disregard spiritual gifts given by the Holy Ghost, yet at the same time are willing to accept demonic possession.

It is clear that Christianity is under attack in this current generation on all fronts. Hence, the importance of understanding and operating in spiritual gifts under the anointing of the Holy Ghost is ever more important in order to thwart the enemy’s attack, as well as to minister to God’s people.

The belief that the gifts of the Spirit have ceased comes from a misapplication of 1 Corinthians 13:8: Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. From a single verse, denominations that have not received the baptism of the Holy Ghost and do not operate in the gifts of the Spirit justify their lack of biblical experience with doctrinal incorrectness. Just because one may have not experienced something does not mean it does not exist.

If our logic, reasoning, and doctrinal correctness is based on the statement If I haven’t experienced it then it must not exist, then Christendom is in dire straits. There are many atheists out there that have not experienced the redemptive work of Jesus Christ; does this mean it doesn’t exist? There are those who have not felt the warm embrace of love; does this mean love does not exist? This is why the apostle Paul asks in Acts chapter 19, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since you believed? The apostle is attempting to identify with certain disciples of John the Baptist by a similar doctrinal experience: the Pentecostal experience.

It does not take much reading to understand that in 1 Corinthians 13:8 the apostle Paul is speaking about the future return of Jesus Christ and having perfect fellowship with Him. Actually, in two verses (10), the apostle Paul lets us know that the gifts will cease upon our perfect communion with the Lord: But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

There will be no need for the gifts of the Spirit when we are in glorified bodies basking in the manifested presence of Jesus Christ. At this time, the gifts of the Spirit are being used to minister to others. However, in the future, when we are in the presence of Jesus Christ, the need for anyone to minister will no longer exist.

As a result of the lack of clear, correct teaching on this subject and/or no teaching at all on it, the individual believers are limited in their personal relationship with God. It can be likened to the analogy of having a wedding ceremony but not having the wedding night of consummation to follow. God is more than a God of I do. He is the God of action, embrace, and presence—qualities that enable us to experience His fullness.

Furthermore, the congregation that remains ignorant to spiritual gifts and fails to receive correct teaching that will birth discernment will lack pure, spiritual exploits by the Holy Ghost and will become vulnerable to demonic victimization through familiar spirits. Familiar spirits are demonic spirits that appear in word, operation, and by traditional manifestation as the Holy Ghost, yet they are impostors! They are the wolves in sheep’s clothing and the clouds without water.

To get a better idea of a familiar spirit’s deception, visualize a glass of water and a glass of Bacardi rum side by side. Both liquid substances appear to be clear, and the texture of each seems to be smooth in the glass. From a distance you would not be able to recognize the difference between them.

Similarly, believers drink from the cup of devils being intoxicated with familiar spirits because their sense of smell (discernment by the Word of God and the Holy Ghost) is dulled by emotionalism and incorrect teaching. Thus, an intoxicated congregation now becomes vulnerable to seducing spirits that creep in unaware because the congregation and ministry are no longer sober.

This type of activity was the same problem the apostle Paul recognized and remediated in the Church of Corinth. He opens his discourse to the Church of Corinth on the subject of spiritual gifts. Chapter 12 verse 1 states, Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. The ignorance in Corinth led to false doctrines, abuse of the Lord’s Supper, discord, demonic manifestations, soothsaying, and a church completely out of order.

For every chapter in 1 Corinthians, the apostle Paul addresses a spiritual problem ranging from division, arrogance, immorality, litigations, sexuality, abuse of freedom, drunkenness, sorcery, witchcraft, abuse of communion, authority issues, abuse of spiritual gifts, and doctrinal issues. It would appear in this twenty-first–century contemporary church with all our technology, amenities, and programs that we are facing first-century spiritual problems. As a side note, it will take first-century steadfastness, holiness, tenacity, determination, and doctrinal experiences and operations of the Spirit to solve the problems we have today.

The gifts of the Spirit are just that, gifts of the Spirit. The word gifts found in Paul’s exposé on spiritual gifts in Corinthians 12 and Romans 12 comes from the Greek word charisma. This word refers to a divine gratuity, a spiritual endowment. They are not talents, abilities, or natural skills that an individual has perfected. Such raw talents and abilities have been given to every child of God by the breath of life that was passed to mankind’s representative Adam. It is by the breath of life that mankind’s DNA took on the characteristics that the Divine possessed in order to make him a living soul.

The breath of life gave man the ability to think and to create wonderful masterpieces of craftsmanship, art, song, and dance. If we take but a moment and consider the craftsmanship of the hands of man, we can be overwhelmed by the abilities we possess. From the pyramids of Egypt, the ancient coliseums of Rome, to the skyscrapers, of today mankind has crafted some of the most aweing structures imaginable, causing us to scratch our heads and say, How did they do that? Yet none of these accomplishments should surprise us when we take into account that our Heavenly Father has crafted the entire universe down to the minutest detail and has passed that nature on to us.

Unfortunately, what has occurred in many churches of Christendom is that talent has been mistakenly labeled the anointing of God, and due to the lack of distinction between the natural ability and divine gifts, church leaders have appointed devils behind the pulpit and choir stands to minister to the pews. What can be observed in churches today is the flesh attempting to minister to the spirits of the people. As a result, there is only a temporary emotional experience and not an eternal transformation.

There is no question that those who are blessed with such gifts (especially those who can sing) possess a beautiful ability that can emotionally move an individual from helplessness to hope. For this reason, television shows such as American Idol and the X-Factor draw very large audiences. Yet just because someone can sing extraordinarily well, preach with a hoot and holler, or possess great organizational skills, it still remains the duty of the ministry to discern whether it is a gift of the Spirit or a natural ability.

The gifts of the Spirit directly come from God Almighty according to the grace that is given to us (Rom. 12:6). They are not passed down horizontally through the generational lines, but are received vertically as Jacob saw on his ladder from the heavens. Once a believer is indwelled with the Holy Ghost (i.e., the baptism of the Holy Ghost), he/she receives and is endued with power from on high.

Luke writes the words of Jesus in Acts 1:8, But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you. The Greek word for power is dunamis, which is the English word for dynamite, which refers to force, miraculous power, ability, and strength, mighty. In other words, you will receive spiritual abilities after you have been indwelled with the Holy Ghost.

We must and refrain from labeling those who have such natural talents as receiving a spiritual gift from God. Furthermore, we should no longer suggest that people receive spiritual gifts based on belief alone. The Bible clearly exhibits that spiritual gifts are given to those who are indwelled with the Holy Ghost.

The question, however, that