Spiritual Gifts

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

 4 Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit.
 5 There are different ministries, but the same Lord.
 6 And there are different activities, but the same God
      activates each gift in each person.

 7 A demonstration of the Spirit is given to each person to produce what is beneficial: 

 8. to one is given a message of wisdom through the Spirit, to another, a message of             knowledge by the same Spirit,

9  to another, faith by the same Spirit, to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit,
10  to another, the performing of miracles, to another, prophecy, to another, distinguishing between spirits, to another, different kinds of languages, to another, interpretation of languages.
11 But one and the same Spirit is active in all these, distributing to each person as He wills.

Years ago I heard a Sunday school teacher talk about Spiritual gifts. I did not have a clue what the woman was talking about. Later I asked her. Don’t ask these things if you aren’t willing to hear the answer. I sat patiently trying to absorb the meanings of words that were foreign and irrelevant to me. Distinguishing between spirits? In the neighborhood I grew up in, I figured it must mean whether they bought Jack Daniels or Kentucky Gentlemen. No, seriously . . . I had no reference for “holy matters”.

The class teacher gave me a “Spiritual Gifts” test. I’m ashamed to say this, but I was truly bummed out about that test. Reading Corinthians, I hoped for something huge and magnificent, like performing miracles or healing. Dummy me thought as soon as that test was over I’d miraculously receive a dart from heaven. Wham! Gift applied!

As it turned out, the teacher sat down with me and explained the Holy Spirit had blessed me with the gift of hospitality. HOSPITALITY! You gotta be joking!!!! It was all I could do to contain my rotten self.

It took me years to understand the enormous gift I possess. And, I must admit, the Holy Spirit got me dead-on. I love doing for others, from fixing meals to being a caretaker.

In Cries of Innocence, there is a lot of talk about Spiritual gifts.

Romans 12:6-8  “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.”

I hope you will embrace your Spiritual gifts. And I hope you enjoy reading about the characters in the book who struggle with their gifts, some not understanding, some fully embracing them.

God be with you always!

Creation Declares God's Glory

 

While writing Cries of Innocence, I researched scriptural references on creation. I wanted to incorporate the symbiotic relationship between creation and humans, expressly in how creation often mimics our emotions. I’ve always been sensitive to how creation seemingly shares my emotions, causes emotions, and complements emotions.

“The heavens declare the glory of God;

 the skies proclaim the work of His hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they display knowledge.

There is no speech or language where

their voice is not heard.” Psalm 19:1-3

In the book, the characters are constantly in contact with nature, heaven, and earth. Gray clouds, lightning, dirt, flowers, and temperature are all reflected in situations the characters are seeing, feeling, and hearing. Their relationship is often defined by creation’s temperament. Sometimes it is the stabilizing force needed to move forward or be cautious. There’s no doubt we are intended to have a relationship with God’s creation since we are part of it.

What a beautiful thing to understand that we bear witness to the glory of God through His creation.

“For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky,

Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible

qualities—His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no

excuse for not knowing God.” Romans 1:20

There is nothing more soothing than to be outside, to close your eyes and feel the presence of God . . . in the wind or the pounding of the waves or in the floral tones of blooming Gardenias.

When we were at the Grand Canyon and Sedona, I was deeply affected by the beauty and energy in the valleys, ragged cliffs, bluffs, and vortexes. I talked to many locals who were eager to share stories about the restoring properties in the area. I spent hours researching these aspects of nature. We’ve been back many times, and I feel the manifest presence of God stronger each time I go.

There is nothing more magnificent than the beauty of our Mighty Creator! In my heart, I feel it is his love letter to humanity. The whisper of the wind, the gray-purple froth of morning clouds, and the turbulence of a raging storm often mimic our emotions. Nature’s qualities can be found in human nature.

Anger                          seas, storms, earthquakes, volcanoes, tornadoes

Loneliness                   gray skies, expanse of universe, horizon

Loss                             darkness, night, thunder, lightning

Healing                        rain, new green sprig of grass, blue skies, freshness of morning, light, sun

Brokenness/hurt           erosion from waves, trickle of water etching side of mountain, hurricane

 

Some of my favorite songs we sing in church declare God’s glory, His mighty Being, showcased in all of creation.

“At Your name, the mountains shake and crumble. At Your name, the oceans roar and tumble. At Your name, angels will bow, the earth will rejoice, and Your people cry out.” (“At Your Name” by Phil Wickham)

“Precious are You, Lord, Most High above the Earth. I want to sing Your praises, until the day has ended. How can I not worship You? You’re the wind in my wings, the strength I cling to. You hold the stars in Your hand. Creation cries out at Your command.” (“All Creation Cries” by Joe Henschel)

I hope you will enjoy the interaction between the characters in the book and God’s creation. David sang, “Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do His bidding, you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds.” (Psalm 148:7-10)

Creation is alive, twisting and turning, tilting and energizing. It’s the breath of God stimulating us to fully enjoy His anthem to life.

God bless you!

First Review for Cries of Innocence

This week I wrap up the final preparations for releasing my Christian Fictional novel, Cries of Innocence. Over the next few blogs, I want to expose the things that drove me to write the book. I won’t give away so much you’ll refuse to read it, but enough to entice you to pick it up.

This is the first review from Reader’s Favorite. It got a five out of five rating. Yes, I cried and thanked God, not only for His support, leading me to the perfect scripture, but also keeping my strength up for the seven months it took to write the book.

 Reader’s Favorite Review:

Angela Beach Silverthorne writes an exceptional Christian novel in Cries of Innocence. Bren is seventeen, a senior in high school, and she just made cheerleader! Life should be good. However, Bren faces tremendous life challenges. Her father is abusive and the town drunk. Most believe that her grandmother, GG, is stranger than strange – possibly a witch. To top it off, her boyfriend is a jerk! She can’t wait to escape her life, small town, reputation, and go away to college. In an instant, everything goes crazy. Bren finds herself running for her life, into a life she never knew existed. Hiding out at “The Haven,” she is exposed to the Truth. “The whole idea of God is a fantasy,” right? Bren has a lot to learn. Before she can stop and even ponder it all, Bren gets a crash course in her family’s mysterious history. All that she thought she knew soon proves to be wrong. Evil has raised its ugly head. The battle rages. Hearing the cries of the innocent, Bren discovers she is a part of something much bigger than herself. She must become a beacon of light in a very dark world.

Cries of Innocence takes you on a mysterious journey into the world of the warring believer. Angela Beach Silverthorne pens a story that reveals the power of prayer against the despotism of evil. Her writing style is profound, the word usage is rich and meaningful. At times, the imagery is deeply poetic. The characters are not self-righteous, flowery or pious. They are depicted as real people, trying to live and understand their God-given gifts. Likewise, the villainous characters are legitimately diabolical. With patience and intrigue, Silverthorne nudges the reader, enticing you into the plot. As the plot’s action ascends to its climax, the pace increases. Then at the precise pivotal point, Silverthorne plunges the reader into an adrenaline surging battle and slaps you in the face with a few shocking surprises. Cries of Innocence undeniably reveals the realities of spiritual warfare. However, it leaves the reader feeling victorious, knowing the truth - light always dispels darkness.

 

God bless you all!