I differentiate the gifts of God in 2 ways. Those that
come to us as revelation, dreams, visions...basically visitation. Or even a gift given to us from God from a brother or sister. And then there are the gifts that
come out of us from deep within. These are according to the Spirit's working in POWER. The gift of miracles is a good example of this.
The first kind help us to
become spiritual. They are stepping stone gifts because we are receiving them to be edified inwardly towards a more spiritual kind of growth. They are to
increase our faith. Mainly these are NOT meant to be shared unless for personal testimony. It may be a little known fact that by over speaking of what God is giving us, we limit further giftings from God. If we can keep a secret...God will reveal more of His secrets to us. (and this is a well kept secret in itself!
) If we submit all our faculties to Him then the Spirit will guide us when and what to share and what to do. Otherwise we may just be going off half-cocked and allowing the outer man to steal away the blessing from the inward man. (a classic case of having an uncrucified life)
Then there are the gifts that
come from us (through the inwardly abiding Christ) when we are truth BEING spiritual. In that case we are learning also from the gift that God is moving through us to others in that moment. But the source is now fully from within as opposed to coming to us from without.
So then a revelation gift in the general sense is a gift TO you...a prophetic insight, a vision, a revelation.
But there are gifts that come out of you to benefit others (not you) as God speaks from within to others...using you as His mouthpiece. So that could include a word of knowledge or wisdom. Or a rebuke...a judgment...a warning, an exhortation. But all this for the sake of truth and growth in the Spirit. All for edification of the inner man...not the outer man. (hence the difficulty for carnal men to hear it)
Now these inner promptings can easily be confused with a using of our own minds and ideas....but
a spiritual person is dead to their own ideas and opinions. If we maintain such things then we are in the way of God using us in this way. In that case we are still operating in the outer man and playing in spiritual puddles. Such a person can still receive a gift...but cannot be used to properly administer a gift to the Body..or to others in general. So we are learning to be like a river that brings spiritual blessings into the world for the sake of edifying the brethren in love. (without getting the carnal man involved in any way)