Unwrapping the Gift of Mercy: Unwrapping Spiritual Gifts One by One; How to Use Your Spiritual Gift in the Body of Christ

Copyright © 2017 David Bennett.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

WestBow Press

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

ISBN: 978-1-9736-0681-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-0683-3 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-0682-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017918005

WestBow Press rev. date: 04/13/2018

CONTENTS

Dedication

Intention Of The Book

Epigraph

Acknowledgements Page

Foreword

Preface

Poetry - God Delighteth In His Mercy

Test Your Knowledge

SECTION I

INTRODUCING: THE GIFT OF MERCY

Chapter 1:     The Gift Of Mercy Exemplified

Chapter 2:     The Importance Of The Gift Of Mercy

Chapter 3:     The Gift Of Mercy Defined

Chapter 4:     Sympathy And Empathy Differentiated

Chapter 5:     Mercy’s Need Orientation

Chapter 6:     Mercy’s Joy And Satisfaction

Chapter 7:     Mercy Is A Serving Gift

Chapter 8:     Mercies Are Abundantly Needed

Chapter 9:     Examples Of Mercies In Scripture

SECTION II

WALKING IN THE SPIRIT WITH THE GIFT OF MERCY

Chapter 10:   Mercy–Givers Are Driven By Mercy, Love, And Compassion

Chapter 11:   Mercy–Givers Are Able To Share In Both The Emotional Pain And Joy Of Others

Chapter 12:   Mercy–Givers Both Attract And Are Drawn To People With Stress And Distress

Chapter 13:   Mercy–Givers Communicate With Much Fatherly Tenderness And Brotherly Love

Chapter 14:   Mercy–Givers Strive To Remove Things That Bring Emotional Stress And Distress

Chapter 15:   Mercy–Givers Are Attracted To People With Leadership Gifts

Chapter 16:   Mercy–Givers Seek And Need Strong Personal Relationships

Chapter 17:   Mercy–Givers Are Very Faithful And Extremely Loyal To Friends

Chapter 18:   Mercy–Givers Normally Prefer To Work Behind The Scenes

Chapter 19:   Mercy–Givers Are Drawn To Biblical Passages, Prayers, And People Focusing On Love, Charity, Compassion, And Mercy

Conclusion

Chapter 20:   Scriptural Exhortation From The Apostle Paul To The Mercy–Giver

SECTION III

WALKING IN THE FLESH WITH THE GIFT OF MERCY

Chapter 21:   Mercy–Givers May Be Very Indecisive When It Comes To Making Important Decisions

Chapter 22:   Mercy–Givers Often Have A Difficult Time Just Saying No!

Chapter 23:   Mercy–Givers May Take Up Offenses Aimed At Someone They Love

Chapter 24:   Mercy–Givers May Become Possessive Of Those They Love And Feel They Need The Most

Chapter 25:   Mercy–Givers May Disregard Truth For The Sake Of A Relationship

Chapter 26:   Mercy–Givers May Defend A Beloved Pastor, Mentor, Or Leader To The Detriment Of An Organization

Chapter 27:   Mercy–Givers May Be Gullible

Chapter 28:   Mercy–Givers May Refrain From Applying Discipline When It Is Needed

Chapter 29:   Mercy–Givers May Help Someone Escape The Disciplinary Hand Of God

Chapter 30:   Mercy–Givers May Follow Their Emotions Rather Than Biblical Truth Or Principles

Chapter 31:   Mercy–Givers May React To God’s Sovereign Purposes

Chapter 32:   Mercy–Givers May Cut Off Insensitive And Unreasonable People

Poetry - On Judgment And Mercy

Chapter 33:   Mercy–Givers May Defraud The Opposite Sex By Showing Too Much Emotional Attention

Chapter 34:   Mercy–Givers May Become Doormats For Their Spouses, Families, And Others

Chapter 35:   Mercy–Givers May Become Envious Of Believers With One Of The Leadership Gifts

Conclusion

Poetry - The Prayer Of Jabez

SECTION IV

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PEOPLE WITH THE GIFT OF MERCY

Chapter 36:   Recommendations For The Mercy-Giver To Keep In Mind When Dealing With Emotional Needs In The Body Of Christ

Chapter 37:   Questions A Mercy-Giver Needs To Ask Himself In Order To Protect Himself Spiritually And Emotionally

Chapter 38:   My Prayer As A Mercy-Giver

Chapter 39:   Ministry Suggestions For Those With The Gift Of Mercy

Chapter 40:   The Example Of Joseph Of Nazareth: Man Of Character & Gift Of Mercy

Poetry - Joseph’s Excellent Example

SECTION V

Epilogue

Appendices

Appendix A:  The Locative Of Sphere In Romans 12:6–8

This section is like a small key to a treasure chest that opens up the treasure inside. This little key really shows us the importance that the Holy Spirit of God places on our knowing and using our Spiritual Gifts!

Appendix B:  Outline Summaries From The Book

Outlines of the main sections in the book for easy reference.

Appendix C:  Typical Questions & Comments You May Expect To Hear From A Mercy

Appendix D:  Why Study Spiritual Gifts

Appendix E:  Spiritual Gift Identification Of Others

This page is to help you as you read through the book and identify the Spiritual Gifts of family, friends, and brothers and sisters in Christ.

Appendix F:  Test Your Knowledge – Key

Here is the answer key to the questions in the front of the book.

Appendix G:  Hypothetical Percentages Of Spiritual Gifts In The Body Of Christ

Appendix H:  Glossary Of Terms Related To Spiritual Gifts

All of the terms in this glossary are explained in detail with Biblical passages and real–life illustrations throughout this book series on Spiritual Gifts. Not all of the terms on these pages are used in this book about the Gift of Mercy. However, what is given here is given in the hope of answering some questions that inevitably arise in any material of this nature.

    A. Universal Gifts Defined

    B. General Gifts Defined

    C. Specific Gifts Defined

    D. Definition of the Spirituals (Pneumatikós)

    E. Purposes of the Spirituals (Pneumatikós)

1. The Gifts of the Spirit – Their overriding purpose

2. The Administrations of the Lord – Their overriding purpose

3. The Operations of God – Their overriding purpose

4. The Manifestation of the Spirit – Its overriding purpose

    F. Spiritual Gifts Defined

    G. Individual Spiritual Gifts Defined

    H. Speaking Gifts and Serving Gifts Defined

    I. Sympathy and Empathy Defined

Appendix I:  Unwrapping Spiritual Gifts: Future Titles In The Series

Bibliography

Author Bio

Footnotes

Lovingly Dedicated

To my Father and Mother,

William (Bill) and Ruth Bennett,

who taught me the Word of God,

who led me to personal salvation in Christ alone,

who raised me in a truly Christian home

and in a ministry–oriented, Biblical church,

who demonstrated a worldwide vision for missions,

who prayed for me, and my family,

and who loved me through thick and thin.

In Heaven and on earth,

I will love you, Mom and Dad,

Forever.

This book was written with the intention of

perfecting and equipping each member of the body of Christ

for the proper function and ministry of that member,

so that the body of Christ individually and corporately

may be edified, built–up, and complete;

that the body may become a perfect man, a mature body,

representing the fullness of Christ, the Head of the body;

that, as each body member functions as designed by His Spirit,

and in the power of the same Spirit,

understanding and fulfilling the purpose of his individual Spiritual Gift,

the member begins to work cohesively with the body,

supplying what other members lack,

that the body, fitly and firmly may edify itself

in unified faith,

in perfect knowledge of the Son of God,

and in mutual, sacrificial love;

for the sake of Christ, and His body,

and the sole glory of God.

Are you crippling your spiritual life?¹

"If you have turned a deaf ear to the discussion of Spiritual Gifts because of all the confusion that surrounds them today, you too, have fallen prey to Satan’s tactic. The last thing Satan wants is a healthy enemy. The last thing he wants you to know is that you, even as a brand new Christian, have a Spiritual Gift, a divine enablement. You have a gift that God has given you in order to nurture and maintain His body so that His body can be about His task. Do not let your reaction to the abuse of Spiritual Gifts rob you of the treasure that Jesus Christ designed and measured out personally, just for you, through His Holy Spirit. Open your package!

If you are not using your gift, you are hurting me. You are hurting and hindering the person next to you. You are hurting your family. You are hurting and hindering the body of Christ. You see, the real question is not, ‘What is my gift?’ The real question is ‘Do I want to use my gift?’ In most homes, the presents left under the tree for Christmas are all opened on Christmas day. We do not leave them around until April or May. We open them. Some of us may well be in the Septembers, Octobers and even Decembers of our lives, and we have not put our gifts to work in the body.

Rev. James P. Steel²

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS PAGE

First of all, I want to thank my wife, Vicki Bennett, for her encouragement to write this series of books on the subject of Spiritual Gifts. She believed in the importance of Spiritual Gifts, and believed that I was the person to write on the subject. She supported me in every way possible as I would go away for periods of two and three weeks at a time to dedicate to this project. She was a huge encouragement to me during the whole process.

Second of all, I want to thank my host of prayer warriors who continually prayed for me during this project, and who would regularly ask about the progress of the project.

Thirdly, I want to thank those who have sat under my teaching on the subject of Spiritual Gifts for their encouragement as well to take on this project. Thank you for your questions and comments along the way which have made this series of books richer and more complete.

Fourth, I want to thank Ralph and Rita Wiseman for allowing me to use their three cabins at The Refuge in Fort Payne, Alabama. I want to thank Jim and Judy Tinker, as well, for allowing me the use of their cabin at Antler’s Ridge in Menlo, Georgia. These two couples showed me great hospitality in allowing me to use their places in order to get away into isolated places where I could dedicate myself to writing. I would hibernate at these cabins for weeks, spread out my books, papers, 3 x 5 card notes, and other materials and go to work. This also allowed me more freedom to pray out loud to God as I was begging His Spirit for divine assistance in this project. It also allowed me great liberty as I dictated many of these notes to my computer program, without distractions or disturbances.

Next, I want to thank several people who helped to edit these materials. Thank you to Melinda Wright (missionary to Great Britain,) Eric Chapman (missionary to Lithuania,) Amanda Stuart (missionary to Gabon, Central Africa,) Michelle Tao (disciple and friend,) Buster Cook (disciple and friend,) Russell Stockman (retired missionary to Africa,) and to my wife, Vicki Bennett. Besides correcting my grammar, vocabulary spelling, and punctuation, I was also challenged by questions and comments regarding doctrinal statements and practical application in the area of Spiritual Gifts. I thank God for the insights that were shared with me during the editing process. Surely, iron sharpeneth iron.

Lastly, I want to thank the Holy Spirit of God for His wisdom and direction throughout the studying, writing, and editing processes.

FOREWORD

Although an evangelist for 15 years and a pastor for 12, I never seriously studied the subject of Spiritual Gifts until I met David Bennett. His Biblical teaching and writing on Spiritual Gifts has enhanced my relationship with my family, improved my pastoring abilities, been a valuable help in my counseling ministry, and has helped me to grow in my relationship with Jesus Christ.

Learning about my own Spiritual Gift has also been very valuable because it has helped me to better understand myself: how I think, what motivates me, and why I feel compelled to respond to certain situations the way I do. This book lays out practical, Biblical truths that can change your life, help you improve your personal walk with Jesus Christ, and make you more effective in every aspect of your relationships. I’m very thankful for my friend David Bennett, his love for Jesus Christ and his service in the furtherance of the Gospel.

Dr. Don Woodard

Isaiah 61:3

Dr. Woodard has a Masters degree in Biblical Counseling and an earned Doctor of Divinity degree. He is the author of such books as Marrying the Right One, Blessings from Parenthood, Teenager, You Can Make It! When the Will of God is a Bitter Cup, and Hope for Hurting Hearts.

RECOMMENDATION TO THE READER

As you begin to read this book, I would like to make the following recommendation to you. I strongly suggest that during the timeframe in which you are reading this book that you also put aside whatever Biblical passage you are using for your personal devotions in order to read the Gospel of John, the three epistles of John, as well as the books of Jeremiah and Lamentations. This book will help to shed new light on the authors of these Biblical books as well as on their inspired writings. I suspect that it will take you a few days to read this book, and it would do you well to read the prescribed reading selections during your personal time with God each morning as you progress in your reading of this book. I can honestly affirm that you will benefit in both the reading of these Scriptural passages and of this book if you read them alongside of each other during the day; that is, reading the 6 books of the Bible prescribed above in your morning devotions and reading the pages of this book at other times during the day. May Jesus Christ be glorified and may your heart and mind both be edified in the reading of these books simultaneously.

PREFACE

The subject of Spiritual Gifts literally changed my life, my family life, my church life, and my ministries. The only thing that has made more of a difference in my life than learning about Spiritual Gifts has been learning to walk with Jesus Christ in an intimate way.

I first learned about Spiritual Gifts in 1986, in São Paulo, Brazil. It was in a citywide seminar taught by a man named Larry Coy. Although this was not the only subject that he dealt with during the week, it is by far and wide the one that made the greatest impact on my own personal life and ministry. However, I had no idea how much of an impact it would have over the rest of my life.

When I returned to the United States, I attended a different seminar where the subject was brought up once again, but by a different speaker. I was blessed to be able to go deeper into the subject, and leave with a much better understanding of how to use my own Spiritual Gift to a greater extent. Besides that, I began to understand my wife much better.

I can still remember the first time that I applied what I had learned about my wife’s Spiritual Gift to a situation where she was going to do the typing of a major document for me. Vicki, my wife, has the Gift of Serving. I had learned that people with the Gift of Serving enjoy serving more when they have details explained to them about how the serving is to be done. Unlike at other times when I had simply handed her a document and asked her to type it without any instructions, this time was different; this time I gave her detailed instructions as to how I wanted all of the margins, footnotes, and other details. I was surprised to see how much faster she worked on the project this time for me and how much more joy she received out of doing so. It seemed so simple, but it was so effective, and ended up being a blessing and joy for both of us.

As our children came along and began growing up, I found that I was able to identify their Spiritual Gifts. I was then able to relate much better to them because of my understanding of the personal motivation that came from their Spiritual Gifts. Those benefits have only increased through the years as my children have gotten older and more mature. I have, literally, been able to benefit from the Spiritual Gifts of my children for the sake of our home and ministries.

Soon, I was teaching on the subject myself. I was surprised to find that most people were like I had been, ignorant of the subject. As I taught on Spiritual Gifts, I began to see lives of Christians changed as they too began to understand how to work and serve better as they understood their own Spiritual Gift, and the Spiritual Gifts of others. The more I taught, the more changes I saw in my own life and in the lives of others. The more changes I saw, the more I wanted to teach.

I have taught on the subject of Spiritual Gifts to everyone that I have discipled through the years. I have also taught it to resident interns in our ministry apprenticeship programs, both in the USA as well as in Brazil.

As the years rolled by, more and more people begin encouraging me to write on the subject. Audio lessons were recorded in live teaching situations. These have been passed around so that many folks have listened to them and learned. I began hearing that people that I don’t even know have listened to those recordings and are asking this question, When is his book on Spiritual Gifts going to be published?

You may ask, Aren’t there enough books out there on the subject of Spiritual Gifts already? Well, in spite of the number of books on the market regarding the subject, I have discovered that most of them deal with the subject we know as Sign Gifts. On the other hand, very few deal with the personal Motivational Gifts of the Holy Spirit and actually explain how the Gifts are used by individual Christians for the sake of the local church and the body of Christ.

This series of books on the subject of Spiritual Gifts will not be dealing with the Sign Gifts, nor trying to argue for a position of cessationism or continuationism.

Beginning with this book, this series seeks to use Scripture and scriptural examples to show how each Spiritual Gift was demonstrated in the life of men in Scripture. It also seeks to show how certain motivations are connected to specific Gifts, and can be identified through a series of characteristics that are motivated specifically by one’s individual Spiritual Gift. I have also sought to relate many illustrations from real life situations in order to help you to visualize each Spiritual Gift in today’s world.

I trust that you will greatly benefit in many ways from reading, Unwrapping the Gift of Mercy and the sequels in this series.

"What pyramids of books have been written upon the Bible,

and yet we who are students find no portion over–expounded,

but large parts which are scarcely touched!"

– Charles Spurgeon

Indeed, in the area of Spiritual Gifts we have a Bible that is full of displays and examples of the spiritual motivations of men and women of God, but find very little of it expounded upon, even in the 21rst century! I have sought to be thorough in the examination and explanation of each Spiritual Gift in order to, 1) make up for the lack of material on the subject, 2) answer most questions even before they are asked, and 3) to persuasively remove ambiguities, confusion, skepticism, and doubts regarding this vital Biblical subject. Since this subject has been scarcely touched in our pulpits, lecterns, and reading materials, I have sought to be accurate, comprehensive, inspiring, and convincing, thus, making up for the great lack of material regarding Spiritual Gifts.

GOD DELIGHTETH IN HIS MERCY

God delighteth in His mercy,

        Anger He will not retain;

And though men deserve His justice

        Still His mercy He’ll maintain.

God delighteth in His mercy

        And He shows it every day

By forgiving His dear children

        Of their stubborn sinful way.

God delighteth in His mercy,

        It’s a stream that ne’er runs dry;

It’s a spring that ever floweth

        From the Mercy Seat on high.

God delighteth in His mercy

        And He proves without a doubt

That His mercy’s everlasting

        For it never does run out.

God delighteth in His mercy,

        So He’ll surely turn again;

His compassion is unbounded,

        Thus He pardons every sin.

God delighteth in His mercy

        Which to sinners all is free;

It’s available to any

        Who will humbly bow their knee.

God delighteth in His mercy,

        He’ll perform what He has vowed

To our fathers in the Scriptures:

        He’ll forgive the fool and proud.

God delighteth in His mercy

        Thus He’ll gladly fill the sea

With the sins He has forgiven

        Through the blood of Calvary.

© Written by WDB on May 18, 2000.

See Micah 7:18–20. Meter: 8.7.8.7.

THE GIFT OF MERCY

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

INTRODUCTION

The following quiz is designed to test your knowledge regarding the Gift of Mercy. How much do you already know about the subject? There are only 20 questions intended to make you think, encourage you in some ways, and to challenge you in other ways.

There will be some easy questions and there will be some questions which will probably stump you, depending on the amount of exposure you have had to the subject in the past. The quiz was designed in this way to encourage you with what you may know about the subject already but also to challenge you to pay close attention to the pages ahead in order to learn more thoroughly about those saints in the church who have the Gift of Mercy. I will speak specifically to the subject of the importance of the Gift of Mercy in chapter 2.

The reason you picked up this book was probably to learn about this Motivational Gift, whether it is your Joy Gift or that of someone else. Therefore, do not be discouraged in any way if you do not do very well on the Test Your Knowledge quiz below. You have a whole book ahead to learn all you can about the Spiritual Gift of Mercy. Dig in.

THE GIFT OF MERCY

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

1. What is the Gift of Mercy?

2. How does one recognize the Gift of Mercy being demonstrated?

3. What is the Need Orientation of the Gift of Mercy?

4. Is the Gift of Mercy a Serving Gift or a Speaking Gift?

5. To what other Spiritual Gift is the Gift of Mercy most attracted?

True or False

Circle one

6. T        F        Mercies have a need for strong personal

                     friendships.

7. T        F        Mercies like to hurry home to get chores done

                     around the house.

8. T        F        Mercies are very sentimental.

9. T        F        Mercies are very judgmental.

10. T        F        Mercies are very loyal friends.

11. T        F        Mercies can sense true, genuine love in others.

12. T        F        Mercies tend to be reserved in relationships.

13. T        F        Mercies are great public communicators.

14. T        F        Mercies tend to be soft–spoken.

15. T        F        Mercies have a hard time empathizing with

                     others.

16. T        F        Mercies are motivated by serving others.

17. T        F        Mercies prefer working behind the scenes.

18. T        F        Mercies can easily cut off insensitive and

                     unreasonable people.

19. Can you think of any Bible character whom you think had the Gift of Mercy?

20. Who do you know personally that has the Gift of Mercy? Name them.

SECTION I

INTRODUCING: THE GIFT OF MERCY

CHAPTER 1

THE GIFT OF MERCY EXEMPLIFIED

Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us……he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

Romans 12:6, 8

M y father, Bill Bennett, while pastoring for forty–eight years, was the epitome of someone with the Gift of Mercy! During my formative years, we lived in DeBary, Florida, and my father pastored there. The church was full of elderly folks, and besides my father and mother, and three small boys, for a long time there was only one other lady under sixty–five years of age in the church. Everyone else in the church was over sixty–five. Although the church did grow, and younger people were added to the church little by little, my father’s main ministry was to care for those people in DeBary, a retirement community. It was an ideal situation for a pastor with the Gift of Mercy!

My father spent a lot of time in hospitals and nursing homes as well as in the homes of several shut–ins. Many of them were far from their children and grandchildren, but my father treated them all as if they were his own parents or grandparents. Mercy was what these people needed more than anything else. Everyone knew that my father loved them dearly, and he demonstrated that with much emotion.

When anyone had a need, no matter what it was, Pastor Bill Bennett was on top of the situation as quickly as possible. I made many visits to the homes of those people with my father through the years. I learned from him what it means to care for people, I mean, to really care for people. No one could have been any more merciful, kind, gentle, tender, and loving than my father. His Specific Gift of Mercy was used every day in a big way.

There was a hospital in Sanford, Florida to the south of our home, and another hospital in DeLand, Florida to the north. It would be impossible to tell you how many trips to these hospitals, and to others in Orlando and Daytona Beach, that my father made during his years in ministry there. Besides that, he also started a nursing home ministry. He would take his three boys, and other young people who began attending the church later, and they would minister in the nearby nursing home. We would watch him as he would patiently listen to the many stories that those people shared. What an example of showing mercy and of being kind and gentle. My father, who was also my boyhood Little League baseball coach, and an avid fisherman, had the softest shoulder in the world, and many people relied on his soft shoulder for comfort and relief.

Pastoring in a retirement community not only required many visits to hospitals, nursing homes, and shut–ins, but also required many visits to funeral homes. Dad held many funerals through the years of his ministry. Interestingly enough, the funeral home directors knew who to call whenever they had a bereaved family who needed some type of religious comfort and help. My father was the