Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/6551

6551 Striving for spiritual gifts.... Characteristic of the church of Christ....

May 20, 1956: Book 70

You should diligently endeavour to attain the gifts of the spirit, for they cannot be given to you; you will have to acquire them by preparing yourselves such that My spirit will be able to work in you. Don't think that you can receive them if you failed to do the work of improving your soul, if your nature has not sufficiently changed that it has become love.... Your soul must have reached a specific degree of maturity before My spirit can work in you, and this degree of maturity requires your firm will to live entirely in keeping with My commandments on earth, it requires self-denial, selflessly helping your neighbour, a complete turning towards Me.... Only then will I be able to pour out My spirit over you, and then will the human being be able to receive the gifts of the spirit for which he is particularly qualified and which will determine his future work for Me and My kingdom. All of you can partake in the gifts of the spirit, for all of you are called to diligently co-operate in the work for the kingdom of God.... But only a few are chosen.... Only a few fulfil the conditions which is followed by the working of My spirit, only a few take the work of improving their souls so seriously that they shape themselves into a receiving vessel for My spirit, and therefore I can endow only a few with the gifts of the spirit.... But anyone who is in possession of it is already blissfully happy on earth, for he knows himself to be in heartfelt contact with Me, he knows I Myself Am working in him and he will successfully work for My kingdom.

However, you humans cannot prove your affiliation to the church of Christ.... to the church I Myself established on earth.... in any other way but through the possession of a spiritual gift, for this is the characteristic of My church. Various gifts testify to the working of My spirit; but a seemingly extraordinary strength will always become evident, an ability will surface in the human being which he has not acquired through application or study or physical exertion but which was clearly 'given' to him.... be it, that he performs miracles, heals the sick, teaches with wisdom or has the gift of prophesy....

They all prove their membership to the church of Christ by their living faith which had arisen from love and thus they are in heartfelt contact with Me Myself, so that I can work through My spirit as I consider beneficial for their and their fellow human being's salvation of soul. Hence you humans need only seriously strive to attain a living faith.... and therefore live a life of love.... Then you will do whatever it takes to gain your soul's degree of maturity and also become aware of My presence in you and, as a result of this awareness, also have remarkable strength at your disposal which I allocate to you such that it will be conducive to you and your vicinity.... And anyone who thus has acquired an unusual gift of the spirit will also be a loyal labourer in My vineyard, for he will work with this gift in order to lead his fellow human beings into a living faith in Me in Jesus Christ.... For every person enlightened by My spirit will always testify to the divine Redeemer, because redemption through Him must have preceded before My spirit will be able to work, before the gifts of the spirit can be distributed.... and because only a person redeemed by Jesus' blood also has the strength to so work at improving his soul that it will attain the required degree of maturity to receive gifts of the spirit.... With the help of Jesus Christ all people can and will succeed.... And for that reason every spiritually-awakened person will proclaim the One Who promised His spirit.... And every person who can exhibit a spiritual gift bears witness to the fact that he found salvation through Jesus Christ from the night of death, for My strength is working in him, My light shines within him, I Myself Am in him and work through My spirit....

Amen

Translated by Heidi Hanna