The Spiritual Condition of America, Politics, Culture, and Current Events Analyzed Through the Lens of Scripture. Welcome to the Alex McFarland Show. What do you know about spiritual gifts? Hi, Alex McFarland here. We're going to talk about spiritual gifts because as I travel the country and preach on revival, spiritual awakening, people often ask me, you know, what are the keys to a move of God's Holy Spirit?
And there are a number of things, obviously prayer. If you want God to move, you want to see a revival, people saved, the church restored.
Well, we need to pray and ask God about that. But then additionally, there is unity in the body of Christ. That's why whenever we do our citywide meetings, we always ask people to link arms with churches of other denominations. Unity in the body of Christ and confession of sin, evangelistic urgency. And of course, one of the attributes of an authentic Great Awakening is a return to the authority of God's word.
But one of the keys, and this is what we're going to talk about today, is knowing and finding and walking in your spiritual gifts. And there are really four scriptures in the New Testament. You can learn all about spiritual gifts. They're pretty easy to remember. 12, 12, 4, 4.
What am I saying?
Okay, 1 Corinthians 12. Romans twelve Ephesians 4 and 1 Peter 4. And you'll learn all about spiritual gifts. And as we get there and talk about this, let me say: if somebody is a speaker or a teacher or a preacher, You know, people think, oh, well, they're gifted, they're a gifted speaker. And maybe some of the teaching gifts are more out front.
But we're going to also talk about the incredible value of the people equally gifted, anointed by the Spirit, empowered by God, that are absolutely essential. And maybe you're not out front in a pulpit or something like that. But let me say, if you're a born-again believer. Every believer is part of the church, and I hope you're a part of a church. And whether it be the small corner church or a mega church in an urban area or a ministry, the work of God, the body of Christ, the Great Commission, depends on believers walking in their spiritual giftedness.
Now, every believer, at the moment of salvation, you are imparted with some supernatural ability that you wouldn't otherwise have that the Spirit of God gives to you for the work of the gospel and the edification, that is the building up of the body, and of course, the honor and the glory. To Jesus.
Now, no believer has every gift, but every born-again believer has at least some spiritual gift. And let me give you an illustration about why this is so vitally important. You know, being from North Carolina, one of the things that North Carolinians really kind of pride themselves about, as far as our history, the airplane flights down on the coast by the Wright brothers. And I've been there so many times to preach at Nagshead and Kitty Hawk and Manteo. I really love the Outer Banks.
And yes, the Wright brothers came there in the early 1900s in December of 1903. And I've stood literally on the spot where flight was born. The Wright brothers developed the airfoil and the shape of the wing. You know, they prayed about it and they felt led to look at birds and they invented the wind tunnel and they tried to make airplane wings that were the Shape of a bird's wing, like God had made the birds, and they crack the code, the Wright brothers, how the wing splits the air, and the result is vacuum and lift, and pitch, roll, and yaw the movements of an airplane. I mean, they really were not just human genius, but led by God.
You've heard of the Wright brothers, but have you heard of the Wright sister?
Now, there's Wilbur and Orville, and they developed and invented and built the successful airplane. But have you heard of Catherine? their sister Catherine Wright. The brothers were famous way out front, and rightly so. They were called the Bishops' Boys.
Their dad was a minister, I think a Methodist minister. But equally key To their success was their sister Catherine.
Now, the Wright brothers had all these details and experiments, and they were really kind of scientists, but what did they do? You may know they had a bicycle shop, right? You know, every now and then on eBay, you'll see an actual Wright. WRIGHT bicycle. I'd love to have one, but they're very expensive.
An actual bicycle built by the Wright brothers. They're still out there, some of them. But their sister Catherine ran the bicycle shop. while they were down here in North Carolina building airplanes, and the bicycle shop, Wright Cycle, was their source of income. And their sister, she left her teaching job.
to help run their affairs. And then when Orville was injured severely in a crash of one of the planes, she looked after him. And as they got world famous, literally globally famous, they were world celebrities in their own lifetime, she really ran the office back there in Dayton, Ohio. And the reason I bring her up is, you know, she wasn't in the limelight. You've probably never heard of Catherine Wright, the Wright sister.
But she used her skills and abilities to help. Her brothers, Orville and Wilbur, the Wright brothers. And this is like how it is in Scripture, you know, when Christians, whether they be behind the scenes, they're operating in their spiritual gifts, and this is vital to the success of the church. And I will tell you, at the Bema seat, Where the crowns, the accolades, the laurels are handed out. For those that ran the race I will tell you, there are going to be many, many people there getting major, major crowns.
And maybe they didn't You know, get their name in the paper down here, but in God's economy, they were absolutely essential. I think about in our own ministry, as you're hearing this, it's because Michael Segovia edited this. And got it out there to all the stations and the platforms. And I think about Jennifer Dean running the bookkeeping, and Kim McMillan. And Amy Myers, and oh my goodness, Jeff Williams, our COO, and Jeff Hill producing our television show, Sean Morgan.
With web and IT, and then we have writers and editors and just volunteers. And you say, I don't know all these names. And there's a dear retired school teacher named Linda Keiger, who we call her the Truth for a New Generation ambassador.
Well, just as we're, and we're a small organization, although I give God the glory seven days a week. Radio TV online, you know, the gospel is going out to the world. Every year, thousands of books and pamphlets and printed material shipped out around the world.
Well, It's possible not because Alex McFarland is out on the road speaking. And Angie helps in a myriad of ways, but we have a team of people using their spiritual gifts humbly. uh very little if any Acknowledgement down here, but certainly in God's economy, it's vital, it's important. And so it is with you and your church and the work you're doing for the Lord, I trust.
Well, stay tuned. We're going to talk about spiritual gifts and your gifting and your calling, and how from 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, and other scriptures we'll learn more about this, that we can serve. The Lord with maximal impact. Don't go away. More about spiritual gifts.
After this. Fox News and CNN call Alex McFarland, a religion and culture expert. Stay tuned for more of his teaching and commentary after this. Hey, producer Mike here for the Alex McFarlane Show. You know, Alex just released his 21st book.
It just came out: 100 Questions on Prophecy and the End Times. And he's here with me in the studio. Alex, tell us about it.
Well, people everywhere are telling me they love this book. I want to ask a favor of the listeners. Folks, this will help, I assure you. Would you go into your local Barnes Noble bookstore? Find a Barnes Noble, and go in.
If they don't have my books, would you special order yourself a copy in the Barnes Noble store? The new book, 100 Bible Questions on Prophecy in the End Times, fresh research, published by Broadstreet. Please go into your local Barnes Noble and ask for this and all the other books I've written. It will help spread the word, grow our sales, and get the gospel in the hands of others. And I thank you for doing this to spread the gospel.
Uh He's been called trusted, truthful, and timely. Welcome back to the Alex McFarlane Show. Welcome back to the program. Alex McFarland here. We're talking about spiritual gifts because it is a beautiful thing when the body of Christ, believers, know their spiritual gifts and they operate in them.
Let me read a scripture from 1 Corinthians chapter 12. The Word of God says this about spiritual gifts. And maybe you know your spiritual gift. If not, Perhaps in this brief broadcast you'll learn more about that. But 1 Corinthians 12, 4 says, There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
That means varieties of gifts. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. The word administration is the word economy in the Greek, an arrangement, a structure. parameters and I love the Greek word oikonomai. God organizes his church.
And there are differences, but the same Lord. K the same Holy Spirit that put spiritual gifts, strengths, competencies, In Billy Graham. That's the same Holy Spirit that's working in your life. And the same Lord Jesus that saved. David Jeremiah, Fanny Crosby and Graham Lotts.
Well, that's the same Lord Jesus that saved you if you're a believer. And he orders and structures. And my dear friend, you have a role to play in God's economy. Verse 6 of 1 Corinthians 12. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
And it goes on, and it says, To one is given by the Spirit. The word of wisdom. To another, the word of knowledge by the same Spirit. To another, faith by the same Spirit. To another, the gifts of healing by the same Spirit.
to another, the working of miracles to another, prophecy. to another the discerning of spirits, to another divers kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But all these work that one and selfsame Spirit, dividing to every believer, Severally as he will. And the word severally there means individually. And I think it is a plurality.
Every believer has a couple of gifts. There is your predominant spiritual gift, and then there are maybe some secondary gifts, some strengths. And let me also say that your spiritual giftedness is generally going to be. in accord with something you you like or care about. Or have an interest in.
I heard one speaker say at one time that you're gifting and your calling, because with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit comes assignments, a calling. It's where, listen to this, where your deepest desire. intersects with the world's greatest need.
Now, in First Corinthians twelve, four through eleven are really the miraculous revelatory gifts. the word of wisdom. The word of knowledge. Faith, healing, miraculous powers, prophecy. and that is forth telling the word of God.
I really don't think we still have prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezekiel foretelling the future. But really, to prophesy is to foretell, proclaim. Unpack, explain what God's Word says. One is the distinguishing of spirits, speaking in tongues, and interpretation of tongues. And let me just say this: yes.
All the gifts that you read about in the New Testament, still are happening in the church today. I do not believe in what is called cessationalism, that certain gifts have ceased. And let me just say this, traveling to twenty two hundred churches in the Western Hemisphere, Traveling to the foreign mission field, developing nations, third world countries. There's a saying that God's level of blessing rises to our level of expectation. And I know I've had many People say, well, you know, um Things like healing and tongues.
Aren't for today. Yes, they are. Yes, they are. Folks, if ever we, listen, we the church, we need to rediscover the supernatural. And I know people get nervous, and I don't mean to.
I'm not advocating craziness or being wild or just reckless at all. But when I read 1 Corinthians 12, I mean, I don't see any caveat. That the Holy Spirit of God will give uh various gifts. Oh, up until You know, the Reformation in 1517. No, the very same Holy Spirit that is operative in the book of Acts and the gifts.
And I've seen it. That's I'll share some testimonies later. But there are people that have miraculous supernatural wisdom. There are believers, they do get a word of knowledge from God. And I've depended on some of these.
I've had ideas to Go off and do this or that, and wise spirit-led believers have had to rein me in sometimes and say, Alex. Right before COVID, I felt like I was supposed to go to India. And uh I had an invitation from a governor of a province. and three different listeners. absolutely independent of each other, sent me letters, and said, Alex, I listened to you, I pray for you, you are not to go to India, you are in danger.
Then these people independently of each other and I began to pray, and I said, Lord, if this is not of you, may this door shut. And the door did shut. And that was just one of those times that I felt like people that had a word of knowledge from God. reached out to me. And so there are still you know the spirit supernatural Workings of the Holy Spirit, just like you read in the book of Acts.
Now let me read from Romans 12. 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, 6 through 8. says the following. having then gifts differing According to the grace that is given to us, whether now listen, Romans 12:6 prophecy. Let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith.
Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering, or he that teacheth. On teaching. He that exhorts, on exhortation, that's encouragement. He that gives, let him do it with simplicity. And he that ruleth with diligence, he who shows mercy with cheerfulness.
Now these are really service oriented gifts for the body of Christ, prophesying Again, I believe some have the absolutely supernatural ability to unpack the Word of God so people can understand and benefit. Teaching, serving. encouraging. Have you ever been around certain believers and you just feel better being around them? That's the gift of exhortation.
Then there is the gift of giving. I have said this many times.
Some believers can make more money by accident. than the rest of us could on purpose. And God blesses that we can be a blessing. And leading and showing mercy.
Well, we've got to take a break. We're going to come back. We're going to talk more about spiritual gifts because God wants you. to know your areas of giftedness.
so that you can serve the body, and glorify the Lord. and play a part in Christ's great commission. Stay tuned, we're back after this. Fox News and CNN call Alex McFarland, a religion and culture expert. Stay tuned for more of his teaching and commentary after this.
Hi, Alex McFarland here. You know, I was at a college speaking, and I guess we ministers get too wordy.
Somebody said, Can you describe Christianity in only two words? And instantly, this came to me, and I said it: loving substitution. And students raised their hand and they said, What does that mean? Loving substitution. Here's the thing: because Jesus Christ loves you, He was our substitute on Calvary's cross.
The appropriate measure of God's wrath that you and I deserved was put onto Jesus. You don't have to die and suffer for your sins because He was the substitute who died for you.
So, if you call out to Christ, He will save you, He will forgive you. I urge you to do that today because Jesus Christ has a plan for your life, and it begins with you putting your faith in Him. Thank you for listening. Thank you for your support. Learn more about this at alexmacfarland.com.
Uh He's been called trusted, truthful, and timely. Welcome back to the Alex McFarlane Show. Welcome back to the program. We're going to continue our look at spiritual gifts so that we can begin to identify what ours are and serve the Lord with them. I do want to remind everybody about the Cove.
You know, we are well into 2026 and I'm so excited. Listen very carefully, if you would. I'm going to be back at the Billy Graham Training Center, The Cove, and I'll be there July 17 through 19, teaching the brand new book that we just put out: 100 Bible Questions and Answers on Prophecy and the End Times.
Now, the website is thecove.org. You can go there and register, and it is filling up very, very quickly. July 17 through 19, Angie and I will be there. We want to meet you. We can't wait to see you.
And I'll be teaching Daniel and Revelation and the Question: Are we living in the last days? But then, very shortly thereafter, July 27 through 31, I'll be there with Gary Habermas, the world expert. On the resurrection of Christ, the ancient evidence for the life of Christ. He is just an amazing man of God, a close, close friend for 30 years, Gary Habermas. And it will be a deep dive on apologetics.
And probably your church could benefit from this. You might want to send some staff members and learn how to share your faith confidently in any situation. Also, as summertime comes along, the Equip Retreat camps that we've done for years and years, the website of that is equipret.org. And maybe you want to sponsor a teenager to come and learn how to stand strong for Christ, the camps, the conferences, the broadcast. I'm on the road constantly preaching revivals around America.
And so we value your prayers. Our growing staff and I are deeply grateful. You know, we spend a lot on postage, we spend a lot on airplane tickets. Spend a lot on printing, and it's all to evangelize people of all ages, to equip the church, and to fulfill Christ's great commission. We're doing in Myrtle Beach more of the conversations that matter.
The speaker series, we're going to be doing a major national conference this fall about reaching Muslims for Christ.
So, if you feel led, and we certainly do need it, would you make a tax-deductible financial contribution to Alex McFarland Ministries? You may give securely online at alexmacfarland.com, or you could mail a check to AMM, as in Alex McFarland Ministries, P.O. Box 485, Pleasant Garden, North Carolina, 27313. And we are deeply grateful. We're not afraid of hard work.
But we value your prayers and your support as we go forth to fulfill Christ's great commission.
Well, before the break, we were talking about in Romans 12, 6 through 8. Among the gifts It says, the one who rules, rules with diligence. Do you know God entrusts? To different people authority. There are people in positions of authority, and they may not even realize the authority that God has entrusted to them.
You know, and we think about presidents and governors and leaders. I would say the teacher in the classroom has authority entrusted to them by God. the police chief. the parent Certainly, I'm very cognizant of the fact that God has entrusted some platform and authority to me. very much with prayer and humility and the leading of the Holy Spirit.
I want to be a good steward of that. And you, my friend, have influence and authority. There is mercy. This is so beautiful. The word mercy there is the word oleo, which is oil.
You might remember oleo margarine. Do you remember that? That's a Greek word for mercy showing. And there are even brand names of oleo, butter, and it really means the word mercy showing in Romans 12.8 means the applying of oil. And so let's go over these again just to summarize.
And you think where you are in this. You've trusted Christ. You're a believer. Wonderful. I hope so.
Hope you've trusted Christ.
Well, faith. Proportioned out by the Holy Spirit. There are some people, and you can believe God for great things. You've got the gift of faith, prophecy, to speak forth God's message. That's Romans 12:6, 1 Corinthians 12:10.
healing. And the word really means curing effect, 1 Corinthians 12. Yes, there are believers. that can pray over the sick, and certainly it is no human doing the healing, but believers. can lay on hands and pray, and they are a conduit.
of God's power. Do you know 1 Peter 4, 9 talks about showing hospitality? 1 Peter 4, 9 through 11 mentions speaking and serving as ways to glorify God. And there's the gift of hospitality. And very often that comes along with the ability to cook.
and minister, and there's just something so blessed about the breaking of bread together. That's a spiritual gift. First Corinthians twelve eight, there's a gift of wisdom. knowledge. teaching.
And th this is not only in Romans 12:7, but Ephesians 4:11. God gave pastors, teachers, evangelists. for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry. And the teaching gift didasco, from which we get the word did, the teachings. Perhaps you have that gift.
and you need to be helping lead Bible study or teach Sunday school. Then there are service gifts, ministry, meeting practical needs. That's Romans 2. twelve seven And the word there about The gift of helps or service is diaconos from which we get deacons, which are servants and helpers. There are administrative and leadership gifts, Romans twelve eight.
uh the gift of ruling. And by the way, the wording there appears a hundred and fifty times in the New Testament. It means presiding over something. And fascinating stuff that it's related to the word histamae, which is the word from which we get the word tissue. You know, tissue is woven together.
Well, it comes back from the word for Roman Christians, they would have understood histamae, that it is sometimes rendered as a word about 600 to 700 AD. The word tissue, just as Our muscles and our body is tissue woven together. God weaves together. His body of believers, exhortation. to call forth the good.
It's to lift people up and speak love and truth, words that build up, not tear down. there is the gift of giving, Romans twelve eight.
some of you God has abundantly prospered. That's wonderful. But God blesses you to be a blessing. And then there's mercy showing that we talked about, and that's like God's W D forty. you know, to lubricate and smooth things out.
And then 1 Corinthians 12, 10. tongues and interpretations.
Well, all of these gifts they originate from the Holy Spirit of God, distributed as God wills, to help the Church function together, And folks, I want you to evaluate, as we are almost out of time, the spiritual talents. or tools that you have in your toolkit. For you personally, you To grow in the Lord, to serve the Lord for the church corporately. And when we're operating within our gifts, it's not draining or it doesn't deplete us, it builds us up. You know, there's an old story about a man that bought a chainsaw.
And they said, Look, get one of these power saws, a chainsaw, because you use the chainsaw, it'll go so much easier. And he brought it back to the hardware store. They said, How did you like your chainsaw? He said, Oh, this made wood cutting harder than ever. This didn't help.
and the man said, Well, let me see, and he pulled the cord and cranked it up, and the engine roared to life. the motor on the chainsaw and the the old farmer said, What's that noise?
Well, trying to cut wood without the engine running, that's pretty laborious.
Well, trying to walk with the Lord, serving the church. Be a part of your family. When you're not tapping into the power source, it's pretty exhausting. But when you pray and you say, Lord, Show me my spiritual gifts. And you learn this in a number of ways: reading God's Word, walking with the Lord, serving.
Just experiencing the circumstances along the journey. You'll find out what your spiritual gift is if you don't know already. And when you walk in that gift, and you're serving Jesus joyfully, effortlessly. It doesn't drain you, it charges your batteries, it fills you up. Let's walk in our gifts.
and give glory to God. And help fulfill his great commission. We're here to the best of our ability to help you do that. May God bless you as you go forth with Him. Alex McFarlane Ministries are made possible through the prayers and financial support of partners like you.
For over 20 years, this ministry has been bringing individuals into a personal relationship with Christ and has been equipping people to stand strong for truth. Learn more and donate securely online at alexmacfarland.com. You may also reach us by calling 1-877-YESGOD and the number 1. That's 1-877-YESGOD1. Thanks for joining us.
We'll see you again on the next edition of the Alex McFarlane Show. Producer Mike for the Alex McFarlane Show, listen to this. Alex is the Christian voice we need right now. I love listening to him, and the guests he has on the show are just amazing. I highly recommend his podcast.
Great words, Alex.
Well, we give God the glory. We thank the listeners for kind sentiments like that, but we give God all the glory. But, folks, please listen in, spread the word. You're spreading the gospel. Tell others about our programming, and we sincerely thank you.
