Gifts For The Common Good Series

Back in the mid 1800's a light-colored moth was very common in the industrial city of Manchester,

England. When these moths landed on the bark of the trees they blended in so well that the moth eating

birds could not see them, and the result was that they multiplied rapidly. Some of the moths were born

with dark wings, however, and when they landed on the light bark they were easily spotted and devoured

by the birds. Then there came a change in the environment. The growing industry led to more and more

factories until they trees of the city began to turn dark with soot. Now it was the light-colored moth that

was in trouble, for the birds could see them, but the dark winged moths were hidden against the dark bark,

and they began to multiply and became the dominate moth in the area.

God has to so made nature that those living things that best adapt to their environment survive and

grow. That is why nature is so full of variety, for God has built into it the freedom of adaptability.

Explorers of the islands off the South American coast have discovered that each island has finches that are

just alike except for their beaks. Some have developed beaks for cracking nuts, while others have beaks

for eating fruits, and still others have beaks for probing into the cracks of bark to get insects. Each has

adapted to survive according to the nature of the food supply available to it. Adaptability is the key to

survival and growth. That is why we see variety in the human race as well. Each of the races has come

from common parents, but they have developed different colors and bodily features because these

variations were necessary in adapting to the environments in which they lived. The Lord made the world so jam-packed with variety that something can survive just about anywhere.

There is life on the mountaintops and in the lowest valleys. There is life on the driest deserts, and life in

the depths of the sea. God has so made nature that some form of life can adapt to any kind of

environment. Doesn't it stand to reason that if God wants His message of eternal life to go into all the

world, that the body that carries that message must also be very adaptable? Jesus needs a body where

some of the members can feel at home in the great cities of the world working with business people, but

others who feel called to work among natives living in huts and eating berries and snakes.

The reason the church has survived the changes of the centuries, and will continue to do so till the end

of history is because it is designed to be adaptable to all of the cultures of the world. Christianity can

grow anywhere because its Lord is not a dead hero but a living Leader and Head, who by his Holy Spirit

gives gifts to his body to adapt in fulfilling its purpose in any environment. When the Holy Spirit came

upon the 120 in the upper room at Pentecost, none of them were editors, mechanics, pilots, linguists,

librarians, nurses, bookkeepers, computer operators, or printers. Today the body has all of these and

many more varieties of skills, talents, and gifts to reach the kind of world the body lives in today.

The Holy Spirit will provide the body with whatever is needed to accomplish its task in a changing

environment. That is why we see a revival of interest in the spiritual gifts. We live in a world where

Satan has been able to open the door for the occult in civilized cultures like our own where for centuries

this type of supernatural evil was limited to pagan cultures. The church was able to grow and touch our

culture with the Gospel without the use of the showy and more supernatural gifts. Now that Satan has

spread occult influence all through our culture we see Christ reviving some of the supernatural gifts that

have been dormant for many decades. They are needed now for the same reason they were needed in

Corinth. The church today must compete for men's souls against the forces of darkness that work wonders

and appeal to the emotions of men.

In a culture where Satanic healing is common the Holy Spirit gives the gift of healing to some

members of the body of Christ. Where mediums and messengers of Satan are doing wonders the Holy

Spirit gives the gift of miracles to some members of the body of Christ. As in biblical days, the Lord

always gives His people the gifts necessary to counteract and defeat the counterfeit works of the devil. By

Satan's power the magicians of Egypt could turn their rods into serpents, but Moses by the power of God