Recently a member of the church asked me about the mystery found in Hebrews 6:4-6.
It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance...
This is what I said.
These verses are given in the context of moving on towards perfection (Hebrews 6:1) and growing up in the Lord. As it is a natural progression for a person to grow from infancy to adulthood, the same is also true in a spiritual sense.
In his language, the writer of Hebrews is admitting that it is possible to look like a Christian, behave like a Christian, and even be – or have been – a Christian when, in realtiy, the person is not a Christian. In essence, it is a sobering exhortation for all followers of Christ to, in Jesus’ words, “see to it that the light in you is not darkness.” (Luke 11:35)
This is one of the most difficult passages in Scripture – as it allows room for apostasy, or the breaking away from the faith. The idea of apostasy is common in both OT and NT. Remember the Israelites who were marvelously rescued from Egypt? Many of them turned away from Yahweh and worshipped other gods (and were consequently destroyed in the meantime). They were redeemed as “the chosen people” yet, over the course of time, turned away because of their own free will and intentional decisions to turn their backs on God.
In addition, the NT is filled with warnings about “false teachers” (2 Peter 2 and 1 Timothy 4) who were formally “one of us” (1 John 2:19) but strayed into the enemy’s camp. These Scriptures speak unequivocally to the fact that it is within a person’s fallen nature to choose another god and that, on some level, God chooses to honor that decision.
The difficulty in the passage lies in its allusiveness. It either says, “You can be a full hearted believer, make a mistake and/or intentionally throw it all away, and wind up in hell,” or it says, “’Christians’ who seemed to have had it all together can fall away from God - and that they could have only done that because they were never of God in the first place. God knew that so they were predestined for their particular [chosen?] fate.”
Either way, the passage raises considerable uneasiness among the faithful.
While the intent of the passage is to encourage us to press forward and not drift away, it serves a wonderful reminder that God is a holy, consuming fire. He is God; we ought to fear and revere him as the one who has the power to “destroy both the soul and the body in hell.” (Matt. 10:28)
Conversely, Jesus said that there is only really one sin that can lead us away from the bosom of the Father – only one sin that is unforgivable and, therefore, circles back around the punishment of eternal separation from God through one’s one deliberate rebellion – and that is the sin of Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. (See Matt. 12:32) In its most basic definition, the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is an intentional failure to recognize Jesus as the Son of God.
Whew!
You may say, “I love God. Sure I mess up, sin, and even succumb to years of addiction and intentional mistakes. Does that mean I’m out of the Loop?” Nope - not at all. Have you abandoned the faith? No. Are you concerned about your relationship with the Lord? Yes. That says it all.
If you weren't concerned about it you wouldn't have raised the issue. You wouldn't have raised the issue if you weren't fearful of loosing it. The fact you're fearful of loosing it says you still have it.
Sometimes even married people fight because they fear loosing what they have. Their fighting and wrestling, in a sense, proves their lifelong love for one another.
While we may never know why people backslide from Faith one thing is certain (and I couldn’t say this any better than Gerald Hawthorne in his Commentary on Hebrews, The International Bible Commentary, ed. F.F. Bruce, Zondervan Publishers): [This] is not the result of a quick decision in a weak moment, but of a gradual hardening process within the mind which has crystallized now into a ‘constant attitude’ of hostility towards Christ.”
The take-a-way here reminds us of the double-edged coin of God’s mysterious ways. At the same time wherein we are reminded of the tremendous rebellion and its eternal potential of our own humanness – and therefore stirred in our souls to press on in the Faith – we are simultaneously arrested with the revelation that the Blood of Christ’s Forgiveness runs deeper than any sin and that we are securely sealed by the Holy Spirit for the glorious Day of Redemption. (Ephesians Eph. 1:14)
Friday, June 12, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Mid-Wifing the World
When I teach people how to heal the sick I tell them to take on the role of a mid-wife. A mid-wife has a unique role in the birth of a child. The mid-wife didn't conceive the child, nor will he raise the child. His or her sole role is to bless - to encourage through the power of the Spirit - the person who is giving birth, right then and there, underneath the midwife's capable supervision.
Now God is birthing things all over the place - not only under the hand of the healing minister. People everywhere are birthing dreams, wrestling with God, and struggling to overcome life-long demons. You can find them at HEB, on the RTD, and even homeless in the streets. Everywhere you go, God is doing something in the people surrounding you.
Think of that.
Add to that your role and ministry of the mid-wife -- the one who blesses, who encourages, who loves others through their unique birthings in the power and grace of the Holy Spirit and you have an instant ministry that looks a lot like the ministry of Jesus.
Our healing teams have been taught to bless and birth. Alright, fair enough (and they do a magnificant job of it as well!). Yet, what would happen if we took that same role of blessing and birth into the streets, into the places where people need it the most?
Here's the challenge: As you relate to others - howbeit a waiter at Ruthie's or someone standing in line with you at Ritz's Camera - think of yourself as being a mid-wife THERE, with THEM, open to any opportunity the Lord may give to do those same beautiful things we do in the church, right there, in the world, with them, there and them.
In so doing you will bless others and glorify Jesus in real tangeble ways.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
There is No Relief for Love
I just read this poem, written by the Rev. Ted McNabb. I don't know who he is but he writes a profound poem!
Breath deeply....
Hesed
There is no relief for love.
It does not withdraw
From the tear in the eye
And the tear in the heart.
It does not vacate the dark night
While the trembling hand gropes in vain
For lack of sight and a door shut tight.
It stays
To share a cup of bloody sweat
That will not pass.
It stays
To hang upon a nail
The intolerable coat of shame
And the thorny cap of blame.
It waits
Past the time of hope
At the tomb surrounded
By the old undefeated guard.
It waits
Deeper than hope
For the dawn to break.
Open the door and take
The hopeless home.
Easter A.D.2009
Breath deeply....
Hesed
There is no relief for love.
It does not withdraw
From the tear in the eye
And the tear in the heart.
It does not vacate the dark night
While the trembling hand gropes in vain
For lack of sight and a door shut tight.
It stays
To share a cup of bloody sweat
That will not pass.
It stays
To hang upon a nail
The intolerable coat of shame
And the thorny cap of blame.
It waits
Past the time of hope
At the tomb surrounded
By the old undefeated guard.
It waits
Deeper than hope
For the dawn to break.
Open the door and take
The hopeless home.
The Rev. Ted McNabb
Published in The Anglican DigestEaster A.D.2009
Monday, March 2, 2009
10 FAQ'S
As we come to the end of this “teaching-slash-commentary” I’d like to close with a few questions and answers regarding the use of spiritual gifts. These are questions I’ve had through the years. Perhaps you’ve had them, too.
Here we go:
Q. How I can tell when I’m in my spiritual gift or when I’m working outside my gifts and skills?
A. When a person is in their gift the activity is accompanied with a rich sense of joy - a delight in doing what is almost too good to be true! There is also a certain keenness, of a sharpness of mind, that comes into play. It’s a “just knowing what to do and how to do-it-ness” about the activity.” Spiritual activities don’t get blurred – or ill-defined – they become crystallized.
Conversely, when a person is outside her gifts there will be a general sense of draining. Energy will dwaine and “ministry” may become synonymous with “chore.” That’s not to say that ministry can’t be draining even when a person is in her gift, only that there is disposition of fatigue and “work” when a person has stepped into someone else’s spiritual turf.
Q. Can’t natural abilities be the same as spiritual gifts?
A. When we come to Christ there is no doubt that God takes our “water” and changes it to “wine” – meaning everything/all that we are is crucified and raised to new life in Christ. If you were a teacher before you were raised with Christ, you will still be a teacher afterward – howbeit your teaching will no doubt take on the added element of the fragrance of Christ. So, in one sense, “wine happens.”
There is a strong body of belief which states our gift(s) actually lie somewhat dormant in our hearts until awakened with Christ, that we are born with everything we need and everything we need will kick in to play the moment we surrender our lives to Christ. Before Christ, they are exhibited in society, but in a far less influential way than they would have been (or could have been) through a converted heart.
For example, a person with the “dormant gift of evangelism” may turn out to be a very influential person - like an Elvis, Sir Paul, or a convincing spokesperson for a “Just Say Yes” campaign - someone with a culturally defined, "natural charisma." Then, when the soul of that person becomes a new creation in Christ, their semi-dormant gift then becomes all that God originally intended it to be and things really kick into gear. Until that time, the gifts are used, and the person may find some sense of fulfillment therein, but their use is far less than God’s potential. (It’s difficult to argue with that because no one knows if it’s really true or not.)
Unless otherwise informed, I still abide by the old Biblical view: our skills and natural giftedness become empowered when we become Christians and, at the same time, God gives us our spiritual gift(s) when we are filled with the Spirit. It’s not as nice and tightly defined as it could be hoped for. There are numerous variable that go into the seen giftedness of an individual. And - as we have seen, God has the right to call up any of his gifts/skills on as “as needed” basis.
Q. Can I use spiritual gifts outside “church”?
A. Absolutely. A dear friend of mine has the gift of administration – which she uses and is paid for at BP. Many who have the gift of service and helps find themselves in the food service profession. Others with gifts of compassion, and mercy find themselves in the medical profession. Behind it all – whether within or without the organized church – the function of our gifts is to evangelize and empower others for Christ, regardless of where ever you are.
Q. Are there lesser and greater gifts?
A. No. Paul is quite emphatic here: there are not. All gifts are given and based in the Holy Spirit. Some gifts, of course, are more “in the limelight” than others. But that has nothing to do with their power or potential of use. A person who serves, or those with the gifts of hospitality, mercy, intercession, or giving are on equal footing with the prophets and apostles.
Q. Sometimes in church I feel the Lord would have me share a vision, speak a prophecy, or deliver a message in tongues. My heart pounds, I break out in a sweat, and my hands begin to tremble. What do I do with that?
A. Take two aspirin and call me in the morning...
That’s a wonderful question. I believe that God’s desire is to always have a prophetic word when followers of Jesus are gathered. Perhaps this is why there is such a push for prophets to arise from among the people. – and relevant because, as the days wear on, God will be moving more and more in revelatory ways. If you have a gift - or even the stirring of a gift that is meant to edify and build up others - you need to talk to your priest, pastor, elder, shepherd about it. The operation of your gift needs to be done in order, in a way that “fits” with the blessing of your spiritual elder, and - most importantly - in a way that God gets the fame.
If the sharing of a revelatory gift at your church would be a bit out of the box, the Lord may grant you and your pastor wisdom in how to get the word out decently and in order. There are always avenues wherein a word from God can get into the congregation. It may be couched within the framework of a written prayer, creatively infused within the story-line of a a book, or poem, written into a song, or posted in the newsletter or on the church website.
Q. Is there a "growing curve" with spiritual gifts? Will it get better as I go along?
A. Most definitely. If you are in a small group, that is the best place to begin. Like crawling, toddling, walking, and running there is a real progression to one's maturity in his or her spiritual gift. Timing, wisdom, and - above all - love are key components in the operation of spiritual gifts. Once the gift is given there’s no need to rush it. You will always have it.
So go slow. Read about it, practice it in little places. As God sees you are faithful in the little things, he will raise you up to be a greater influence for him.
A big piece in the growing curve is one's personal character - his or her discipline to live/walk according to the light he or she has been shown. That means there is a relationship between the human health of the gifted person and the integrity of his or her corresponding public reflection of the Risen Christ. Many people are tremendously gifted but they also have besetting “intentional” issues in their lives. If a person is living in outright rebellion it creates a problem. God has a reputation to keep. If needed, he will wait until that person matures in Grace so that, when his gifts are made public, people will see both an inner and outer integrity of the minister and can receive the gift, giving full glory to God, with no reservations.
This is not to say we need to be completely sinless to minister in holiness. Noting could be further from the truth. God uses imperfect vessels to do his perfect work. Yet his perfect work arises from humble hearts, broken and fully reliant on his all sufficient grace. People may still fall short of their spiritual convictions. But they get up, receive forgiveness, and get back into God’s Life and work. That’s the difference, One cannot be in rebellion to the Lord and have a contrite heart.
Q. Do you have to have been “baptized in the Holy Spirit” to have a spiritual gift?
A. No. Your gifts were given to you by default when you became a follower of Jesus. At that time, the Spirit entered your heart and sealed you as one of his own, for eternal life. You have the gifts of the Holy Spirit because you have the GIFT of the Holy Spirit.
However, when a person is anointed in the Spirit, she is endowed with power from God. Everything about the spiritual life of that person is changed - including the potency of her gifts.
It’s hard to understand why a person would seek to avoid receiving the empowerment of the Spirit. God is good - so it doesn’t hurt. And he wants to see the Good News spread across the globe - so do most Christians - and has provided the supernatural means-with-all to do it, through the empowerment of the Spirit. Sounds like a no-brainer to me.
Q. Where else can I find information on the gifts?
A. The Internet, gift blogs, Christian book stores, or at by doing a search at CBD (Christian Book Distributors) online.
In your research you will find two general schools of thought on the gifts of the Spirit. First, there is a view that the gifts ceased when the Bible was written. That view is anchored in 1 Corinthians 13.8-9. These good folks would say that the gifts were imperfect – or that it was the best way God could speak to his people before the Bible (the perfect) came along. Obviously, I don’t agree with that. The other side would more/less express the views of the gifts as I have here: all the gifts are all around until Jesus (the perfect love) appears at the end of the Age. Theories vary about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. You’ll see.
Q. What do I need to believe about the gifts in order to have eternal life?
A. Nothing. Nothing at all.
Eternal life comes when you turn away from your sin, believe that God raised Jesus from the dead, and embrace the Faith with faith. People like to add other ingredients into that – like current moral/lifestyle issues, politics, theories of evolution, and even fallibility stances over the Scriptures themselves. While these things are important, they – like the gifts of the Spirit – have absolutely nothing to do with one’s eternal salvation in Jesus Christ. Salvation is one thing; how it’s lived out is quite another.
This is the final blog in A Primer for Spiritual Gifts. I hope it has all been helpful for you. The important thing is to discover your gifts and use your gifts for the glory of God.
Look around the church or community for a place for what God has given and get busy! We need you in the Body of Christ. We need to see the love of God in your gifts. More importantly, the world needs to see Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Here we go:
Q. How I can tell when I’m in my spiritual gift or when I’m working outside my gifts and skills?
A. When a person is in their gift the activity is accompanied with a rich sense of joy - a delight in doing what is almost too good to be true! There is also a certain keenness, of a sharpness of mind, that comes into play. It’s a “just knowing what to do and how to do-it-ness” about the activity.” Spiritual activities don’t get blurred – or ill-defined – they become crystallized.
Conversely, when a person is outside her gifts there will be a general sense of draining. Energy will dwaine and “ministry” may become synonymous with “chore.” That’s not to say that ministry can’t be draining even when a person is in her gift, only that there is disposition of fatigue and “work” when a person has stepped into someone else’s spiritual turf.
Q. Can’t natural abilities be the same as spiritual gifts?
A. When we come to Christ there is no doubt that God takes our “water” and changes it to “wine” – meaning everything/all that we are is crucified and raised to new life in Christ. If you were a teacher before you were raised with Christ, you will still be a teacher afterward – howbeit your teaching will no doubt take on the added element of the fragrance of Christ. So, in one sense, “wine happens.”
There is a strong body of belief which states our gift(s) actually lie somewhat dormant in our hearts until awakened with Christ, that we are born with everything we need and everything we need will kick in to play the moment we surrender our lives to Christ. Before Christ, they are exhibited in society, but in a far less influential way than they would have been (or could have been) through a converted heart.
For example, a person with the “dormant gift of evangelism” may turn out to be a very influential person - like an Elvis, Sir Paul, or a convincing spokesperson for a “Just Say Yes” campaign - someone with a culturally defined, "natural charisma." Then, when the soul of that person becomes a new creation in Christ, their semi-dormant gift then becomes all that God originally intended it to be and things really kick into gear. Until that time, the gifts are used, and the person may find some sense of fulfillment therein, but their use is far less than God’s potential. (It’s difficult to argue with that because no one knows if it’s really true or not.)
Unless otherwise informed, I still abide by the old Biblical view: our skills and natural giftedness become empowered when we become Christians and, at the same time, God gives us our spiritual gift(s) when we are filled with the Spirit. It’s not as nice and tightly defined as it could be hoped for. There are numerous variable that go into the seen giftedness of an individual. And - as we have seen, God has the right to call up any of his gifts/skills on as “as needed” basis.
Q. Can I use spiritual gifts outside “church”?
A. Absolutely. A dear friend of mine has the gift of administration – which she uses and is paid for at BP. Many who have the gift of service and helps find themselves in the food service profession. Others with gifts of compassion, and mercy find themselves in the medical profession. Behind it all – whether within or without the organized church – the function of our gifts is to evangelize and empower others for Christ, regardless of where ever you are.
Q. Are there lesser and greater gifts?
A. No. Paul is quite emphatic here: there are not. All gifts are given and based in the Holy Spirit. Some gifts, of course, are more “in the limelight” than others. But that has nothing to do with their power or potential of use. A person who serves, or those with the gifts of hospitality, mercy, intercession, or giving are on equal footing with the prophets and apostles.
Q. Sometimes in church I feel the Lord would have me share a vision, speak a prophecy, or deliver a message in tongues. My heart pounds, I break out in a sweat, and my hands begin to tremble. What do I do with that?
A. Take two aspirin and call me in the morning...
That’s a wonderful question. I believe that God’s desire is to always have a prophetic word when followers of Jesus are gathered. Perhaps this is why there is such a push for prophets to arise from among the people. – and relevant because, as the days wear on, God will be moving more and more in revelatory ways. If you have a gift - or even the stirring of a gift that is meant to edify and build up others - you need to talk to your priest, pastor, elder, shepherd about it. The operation of your gift needs to be done in order, in a way that “fits” with the blessing of your spiritual elder, and - most importantly - in a way that God gets the fame.
If the sharing of a revelatory gift at your church would be a bit out of the box, the Lord may grant you and your pastor wisdom in how to get the word out decently and in order. There are always avenues wherein a word from God can get into the congregation. It may be couched within the framework of a written prayer, creatively infused within the story-line of a a book, or poem, written into a song, or posted in the newsletter or on the church website.
Q. Is there a "growing curve" with spiritual gifts? Will it get better as I go along?
A. Most definitely. If you are in a small group, that is the best place to begin. Like crawling, toddling, walking, and running there is a real progression to one's maturity in his or her spiritual gift. Timing, wisdom, and - above all - love are key components in the operation of spiritual gifts. Once the gift is given there’s no need to rush it. You will always have it.
So go slow. Read about it, practice it in little places. As God sees you are faithful in the little things, he will raise you up to be a greater influence for him.
A big piece in the growing curve is one's personal character - his or her discipline to live/walk according to the light he or she has been shown. That means there is a relationship between the human health of the gifted person and the integrity of his or her corresponding public reflection of the Risen Christ. Many people are tremendously gifted but they also have besetting “intentional” issues in their lives. If a person is living in outright rebellion it creates a problem. God has a reputation to keep. If needed, he will wait until that person matures in Grace so that, when his gifts are made public, people will see both an inner and outer integrity of the minister and can receive the gift, giving full glory to God, with no reservations.
This is not to say we need to be completely sinless to minister in holiness. Noting could be further from the truth. God uses imperfect vessels to do his perfect work. Yet his perfect work arises from humble hearts, broken and fully reliant on his all sufficient grace. People may still fall short of their spiritual convictions. But they get up, receive forgiveness, and get back into God’s Life and work. That’s the difference, One cannot be in rebellion to the Lord and have a contrite heart.
Q. Do you have to have been “baptized in the Holy Spirit” to have a spiritual gift?
A. No. Your gifts were given to you by default when you became a follower of Jesus. At that time, the Spirit entered your heart and sealed you as one of his own, for eternal life. You have the gifts of the Holy Spirit because you have the GIFT of the Holy Spirit.
However, when a person is anointed in the Spirit, she is endowed with power from God. Everything about the spiritual life of that person is changed - including the potency of her gifts.
It’s hard to understand why a person would seek to avoid receiving the empowerment of the Spirit. God is good - so it doesn’t hurt. And he wants to see the Good News spread across the globe - so do most Christians - and has provided the supernatural means-with-all to do it, through the empowerment of the Spirit. Sounds like a no-brainer to me.
Q. Where else can I find information on the gifts?
A. The Internet, gift blogs, Christian book stores, or at by doing a search at CBD (Christian Book Distributors) online.
In your research you will find two general schools of thought on the gifts of the Spirit. First, there is a view that the gifts ceased when the Bible was written. That view is anchored in 1 Corinthians 13.8-9. These good folks would say that the gifts were imperfect – or that it was the best way God could speak to his people before the Bible (the perfect) came along. Obviously, I don’t agree with that. The other side would more/less express the views of the gifts as I have here: all the gifts are all around until Jesus (the perfect love) appears at the end of the Age. Theories vary about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. You’ll see.
Q. What do I need to believe about the gifts in order to have eternal life?
A. Nothing. Nothing at all.
Eternal life comes when you turn away from your sin, believe that God raised Jesus from the dead, and embrace the Faith with faith. People like to add other ingredients into that – like current moral/lifestyle issues, politics, theories of evolution, and even fallibility stances over the Scriptures themselves. While these things are important, they – like the gifts of the Spirit – have absolutely nothing to do with one’s eternal salvation in Jesus Christ. Salvation is one thing; how it’s lived out is quite another.
This is the final blog in A Primer for Spiritual Gifts. I hope it has all been helpful for you. The important thing is to discover your gifts and use your gifts for the glory of God.
Look around the church or community for a place for what God has given and get busy! We need you in the Body of Christ. We need to see the love of God in your gifts. More importantly, the world needs to see Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
9 Baptism in the Holy Spirit
Here’s a question: Can a person be an authentic follower of Jesus without ever being baptized in the Spirit? Can he or she still receive forgiveness, still be in ministry with Christ, still grow into a fruitful believer, and even go to heaven without being filled with the Holy Spirit?
Yes. Unequivocally, yes!
There are large pockets of believers in Christ all over the world who maintain that the the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not relevant in this day and age. Some even preach against it. They may say the Spirit no longer needs to be made manifest in that capacity because we have the Bible. They may say we are all filled with the Spirit and don’t need a second (third, fourth, fifth, etc.) experience in the Spirit, or they may even say that the whole pentecostal experience is of the devil.
Perhaps the clearest examples of not needing the baptism in the Holy Spirit and still being a bionafied follower of Christ comes from the New Testament itself. The twelve disciples, for example, were “hands on” with the ministry of Christ. They partook in the ministry of Christ, performed miracles, and even went on mission trips where they cast out demons and healed the sick. They were powerful witnesses of Jesus Christ. And they all that - and probably many other things as well - before the Spirit fell at Pentecost.
Were they Christians before they had experienced Pentecost? Sure. Were they disciples? Yup. Did they have the Holy Spirit with them? You bet. If they had died before receiving the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost would they still go to heaven? Of course.
Similar situations happened throughout the book of Acts. Paul would come across “disciples” of Jesus – real, authentic, believers in the Lord – but, all the same, disciples who had were operating the outside the fullness of the Spirit. When they heard God had more for them, they received the Spirit and experienced the same manifestations of the Spirit the original disciples received at the Feast of Pentecost, there in the upper room, which would have included the gift of tongues.
Having said all that it would be terrible thing just to say all that without completing the picture. While the experience of the Spirit was not a prerequisite for salvation, or even essential to be a disciple of Christ, it had - and still has - an essential role in the life of the church.
Jesus attested to the importance of Pentecost when he emphatically told his disciples to cease doing ministry until they had been empowered with the Spirit of God. Apparently he thought it was pretty important. In addition, all the disciples experienced and ministered in their newfound empowerment. So, while not essential, they readily received the Spirit as the fulfillment of the Promise. The Holy Spirit is a most important aspect of the Life for many, many reasons. He is a Gift that Jesus died to give us.
In fact, the resurrected Christ is the one who baptizes people in the Holy Spirit. I don’t know about you. But, if he’s doing it, I want to be a part of it!
Just what is the baptism in the Holy Spirit? The baptism of the Spirit is an added experience (in addition to Salvation) wherein the full love of the Father is poured into our hearts. It is not meant to be a once in a lifetime experience but the beginning of limitless infilling within each follower of Jesus Christ. It is meant for the empowering and anointing of the followers of Jesus in order to fulfill the mission of Christ.
Some Christians look at the baptism of the Spirit as an anointing, or calling, into ministry that comes down from above, like how it happened to Jesus when he was baptized by his cousin John. Others see the infilling of the Spirit more akin to a "releasing" of the power residing within the heart of the convert. Among those who subscribe to this phenomenon, most everybody leans into the experience as a God-given provision to walk the walk and talk the talk, victoriously in Christ. It’s interesting to note that people coming in from cults and/or the occult tend to find themselves in “Spirit-filled,” or “Pentecostal,” or “charismatic” churches. I believe this is because they’re used to dealing with spiritual powers and need the fullness of the Spirit as grace-given counterbalance to maintain a life of spiritual victory before a holy God.
In Scripture, the Greek behind the word, “baptism” has to do with a full immersion, or total saturation, into the same substance that resides within. Here’s an example of that: My brother once gave me a picture he took of an old wooden canoe carved by Native Americans. In the photo, the canoe is filled with water and, in turn, the canoe is sunk under, or within, the water as well. That is a good picture of what it means to be baptized in the Spirit. We are baptized into the same Spirit that dwells within our hearts.
When a person comes to Christ he receives the Holy Spirit. It is a deposit placed within the heart which serves as a seal of adoption into the family of God, a guarantee of the future life in heaven, and an avenue wherein the love of the Father is poured out. That all happens when a person repents of the old life, turns to Christ, and he comes to dwell in the heart of the new believer.
But the baptism of the Holy Spirit is very different than that.
When I was first baptized in the Spirit I had been a Christian for a couple of years. I was hitchhiking around, sharing Christ with about everyone I met. All in all, it was pretty awesome. Previous to my conversion, I had been involved with activities that were quite dark and powerful and, although content in my walk with Christ, I often experienced the devil's reside in my life. As a Christian, I had not yet experienced the supernatural power I needed to walk victoriously in Christ.
One evening a friend of mine invited me to a gathering of Christians. When I arrived it happened to be in a large conference room where a band was leading everyone in worship - which was a new experience for me. As the worship intensified I received a vision of a cracked-open door that had intensely-white light beaming in from the around the sides and top. It was glorious.
It was then when I heard the Lord say, “Now, Bill, you know I love you right?” I nodded. “And you know I will never love you any more, or any less than I love you now – you know that, right” Again, I nodded. Then he said, “But I have more for you... Do you want more of me?” “Oh, yes Lord... you know I want everything you have for me.”
And, with that, that the door flew open and I was immediately saturated with the all-consuming realized presence of God. It was an overwhelming moment wherein I experienced the holiness of God up and against my sinful wretchedness - which seemed to be particularly highlighted during that time. Then, as I watched, His holiness completely swallowed up my sin and shame. A couple of things happened at that time. I was washed cleaner then ever before. It was then when he also exchanged my callused heart of stone for a heart heart of flesh.
I cried for a long time that night – tears of gratefulness, to be sure. I rose from that seat knowing - and experiencing the power and fullness of God. It was then when the verse, "Greater is he (Jesus) that is in you than he (satan) who is in the world” really became something I could believe in, something that had been firmly anchored and set as a seal over my heart.
Additionally, it was after that experience when I began to minister in the revelatory gifts of the Spirit. Everything about witnessing, worship, Bible study, personal holiness – all things Spiritual, including my heart for those outside the Faith – changed for me that evening.
So, in summary, we’ve learned that a person does not need to be baptized in the Spirit – overwhelmed and saturated in the holiness of God – in order to be a Christian, or even in order to have a ministry. Yet, Scripture recognizes the additional experience of a personal Pentecost which cannot be overlooked.
Jesus himself is the one who baptizes people with the power/fire of his love. When this happens, a person’s orientation on life (her call, gifts, passion, and heart for the things of God) dramatically come to focus and that person’s life is, by the grace of God, forever changed.
Yes. Unequivocally, yes!
There are large pockets of believers in Christ all over the world who maintain that the the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not relevant in this day and age. Some even preach against it. They may say the Spirit no longer needs to be made manifest in that capacity because we have the Bible. They may say we are all filled with the Spirit and don’t need a second (third, fourth, fifth, etc.) experience in the Spirit, or they may even say that the whole pentecostal experience is of the devil.
Perhaps the clearest examples of not needing the baptism in the Holy Spirit and still being a bionafied follower of Christ comes from the New Testament itself. The twelve disciples, for example, were “hands on” with the ministry of Christ. They partook in the ministry of Christ, performed miracles, and even went on mission trips where they cast out demons and healed the sick. They were powerful witnesses of Jesus Christ. And they all that - and probably many other things as well - before the Spirit fell at Pentecost.
Were they Christians before they had experienced Pentecost? Sure. Were they disciples? Yup. Did they have the Holy Spirit with them? You bet. If they had died before receiving the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost would they still go to heaven? Of course.
Similar situations happened throughout the book of Acts. Paul would come across “disciples” of Jesus – real, authentic, believers in the Lord – but, all the same, disciples who had were operating the outside the fullness of the Spirit. When they heard God had more for them, they received the Spirit and experienced the same manifestations of the Spirit the original disciples received at the Feast of Pentecost, there in the upper room, which would have included the gift of tongues.
Having said all that it would be terrible thing just to say all that without completing the picture. While the experience of the Spirit was not a prerequisite for salvation, or even essential to be a disciple of Christ, it had - and still has - an essential role in the life of the church.
Jesus attested to the importance of Pentecost when he emphatically told his disciples to cease doing ministry until they had been empowered with the Spirit of God. Apparently he thought it was pretty important. In addition, all the disciples experienced and ministered in their newfound empowerment. So, while not essential, they readily received the Spirit as the fulfillment of the Promise. The Holy Spirit is a most important aspect of the Life for many, many reasons. He is a Gift that Jesus died to give us.
In fact, the resurrected Christ is the one who baptizes people in the Holy Spirit. I don’t know about you. But, if he’s doing it, I want to be a part of it!
Just what is the baptism in the Holy Spirit? The baptism of the Spirit is an added experience (in addition to Salvation) wherein the full love of the Father is poured into our hearts. It is not meant to be a once in a lifetime experience but the beginning of limitless infilling within each follower of Jesus Christ. It is meant for the empowering and anointing of the followers of Jesus in order to fulfill the mission of Christ.
Some Christians look at the baptism of the Spirit as an anointing, or calling, into ministry that comes down from above, like how it happened to Jesus when he was baptized by his cousin John. Others see the infilling of the Spirit more akin to a "releasing" of the power residing within the heart of the convert. Among those who subscribe to this phenomenon, most everybody leans into the experience as a God-given provision to walk the walk and talk the talk, victoriously in Christ. It’s interesting to note that people coming in from cults and/or the occult tend to find themselves in “Spirit-filled,” or “Pentecostal,” or “charismatic” churches. I believe this is because they’re used to dealing with spiritual powers and need the fullness of the Spirit as grace-given counterbalance to maintain a life of spiritual victory before a holy God.
In Scripture, the Greek behind the word, “baptism” has to do with a full immersion, or total saturation, into the same substance that resides within. Here’s an example of that: My brother once gave me a picture he took of an old wooden canoe carved by Native Americans. In the photo, the canoe is filled with water and, in turn, the canoe is sunk under, or within, the water as well. That is a good picture of what it means to be baptized in the Spirit. We are baptized into the same Spirit that dwells within our hearts.
When a person comes to Christ he receives the Holy Spirit. It is a deposit placed within the heart which serves as a seal of adoption into the family of God, a guarantee of the future life in heaven, and an avenue wherein the love of the Father is poured out. That all happens when a person repents of the old life, turns to Christ, and he comes to dwell in the heart of the new believer.
But the baptism of the Holy Spirit is very different than that.
When I was first baptized in the Spirit I had been a Christian for a couple of years. I was hitchhiking around, sharing Christ with about everyone I met. All in all, it was pretty awesome. Previous to my conversion, I had been involved with activities that were quite dark and powerful and, although content in my walk with Christ, I often experienced the devil's reside in my life. As a Christian, I had not yet experienced the supernatural power I needed to walk victoriously in Christ.
One evening a friend of mine invited me to a gathering of Christians. When I arrived it happened to be in a large conference room where a band was leading everyone in worship - which was a new experience for me. As the worship intensified I received a vision of a cracked-open door that had intensely-white light beaming in from the around the sides and top. It was glorious.
It was then when I heard the Lord say, “Now, Bill, you know I love you right?” I nodded. “And you know I will never love you any more, or any less than I love you now – you know that, right” Again, I nodded. Then he said, “But I have more for you... Do you want more of me?” “Oh, yes Lord... you know I want everything you have for me.”
And, with that, that the door flew open and I was immediately saturated with the all-consuming realized presence of God. It was an overwhelming moment wherein I experienced the holiness of God up and against my sinful wretchedness - which seemed to be particularly highlighted during that time. Then, as I watched, His holiness completely swallowed up my sin and shame. A couple of things happened at that time. I was washed cleaner then ever before. It was then when he also exchanged my callused heart of stone for a heart heart of flesh.
I cried for a long time that night – tears of gratefulness, to be sure. I rose from that seat knowing - and experiencing the power and fullness of God. It was then when the verse, "Greater is he (Jesus) that is in you than he (satan) who is in the world” really became something I could believe in, something that had been firmly anchored and set as a seal over my heart.
Additionally, it was after that experience when I began to minister in the revelatory gifts of the Spirit. Everything about witnessing, worship, Bible study, personal holiness – all things Spiritual, including my heart for those outside the Faith – changed for me that evening.
So, in summary, we’ve learned that a person does not need to be baptized in the Spirit – overwhelmed and saturated in the holiness of God – in order to be a Christian, or even in order to have a ministry. Yet, Scripture recognizes the additional experience of a personal Pentecost which cannot be overlooked.
Jesus himself is the one who baptizes people with the power/fire of his love. When this happens, a person’s orientation on life (her call, gifts, passion, and heart for the things of God) dramatically come to focus and that person’s life is, by the grace of God, forever changed.
8 Tongues
Perhaps the most misunderstood gift of the Spirit is “tongues.” Let’s talk about that.
Paul wrote the Corinthians and thanked God that he spoke in tongues more than anyone else in their church, which indicates not only its authenticity but its viable place in the life of a follower of Jesus. Tongues of men and and tongues of angels are everywhere in the Bible. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit manifested himself through “tongues of men” - known languages from that current day and age. Many times afterward, when the Spirit showed up, tongues also showed up.
Just to clear the air: A person exercising the gift of tongues doesn’t go into a zombie-like trance with white foam oozing out from the sides of their mouth anymore than a bilingual person does when speaking in their second language.
The language of the Spirit is... well, a language. And, just like any other language, it comes with its own vocabulary, dialect, expressions, grammar, in-fluctuation, syllables, and so on. A person with the gift of tongues can speak, pray, or even sing their gift almost anywhere they please - at church, in the car, or even at the gym. Some can even use their gift in their mind - like you do when you talk to yourself. It’s use is solely at the discretion of the user.
What is the value of the gift of tongues. Scripture says a person who has the gift of tongues builds himself up in the faith. That means the strength of the Lord may be magnified, lifted up, or encouraged in the heart of a person when they praying tongues - perhaps something akin to taking a spiritual vitamin.
In addition, tongues is useful in situations when your unclear exactly how to pray, or when you’re prayed out over a situation and running on empty. This can be especially useful when passing the scene of an accident on the freeway, or pulling over for an ambulance racing to the hospital. I have personally noticed that my spiritual discernment seems to sharpen after I have spent time praying in “the Spirit.” This is especially helpful just before I lead worship or pray for others.
The first time I prayed in tongues it happened in a far-a-way field near the college I was attending and under the cloak of darkness...
At that time I didn’t believe in the gift of tongues but did believe, if tongues were real, that God was big enough to give them to me if I asked.
As mentioned earlier, I had also had substantial Bible teaching telling me that the gifts of the Spirit had died out when the Bible had been written. So, by asking God for the gift of tongues, I was fearful that I would get a gift of satan instead. It was all a bit spooky for me. So, with no one around (and when the airy cloud moved mysteriously crossed over the face of the full moon), I prayed. “God, I’m going to try this. But, if it’s not your will, I pray you will shut my mouth. Guide my tongue because here I go.” Then I started talking in make-believe.
Within a milli-second two distinct things happened. First, my mind was barraged with all manner of thoughts of personal condemnation, telling me I sounded like a full-fledged idiot - and that I was a “lousy, illogical witness for the cause of Christ.”
Within a milli-second of the first milli-second, the Spirit of God got a hold of my tongue and I took off - speaking be in a new, heavenly language! Just like that.
It wasn’t nearly as difficult, or strange, as I had made it out to be. In a distant way, it seemed almost normal. It was quite a powerful experience, though. I experienced a immediate sense of the presence of God and a corresponding surge of joy. In fact, the presence of God became so intense that I had to ease back on it. I had never had such an intense physiological experience with the the Lord before then. I got up from the field, looked up at the stars and said, “Wow, I guess tongues are still around.”
After an experience like that one would think I’d become fluent in the language and use it every day. But that wasn’t the case. In fact, in the years to follow I rarely revisited the gift and pretty much forgot all about it. Indeed, within a short period of time, I essentially talked myself out of the gift of tongues altogether.
About two years later found myself living on a kibbutz in Israel. One particular Saturday morning, I was in church when the pastor led the congregation into of time of “free-form singing in the Spirit.” It was beautiful. The entire place turned into a most holy place. The presence of God was all over the place - not unlike that night in the field. As the praises increased I heard a particular someone singing a magnificent praise to the Lord. Though I couldn’t make out the language, I knew it was glorifying God in an almost angelic language. It was so beautiful that I had to open my eyes to see who it was singing these beautiful song. I opened my eyes, traced the melody with my ears and – lo and behold – it was coming from me. It was a hallelujah moment.
That did it. From that day since (some 28 years) I have used this gift almost every day - when praying for others, when worshipping, or when simply clearing the pipes in my head before I teach. It’s never led me astray and - quite to the contrary - it has blessed others.
While tongues can build up an individual in the faith, they can also serve to edify a church, or a gathering of people. I believe there are at least two types of tongues. The first are those that are angelic, or other worldly. This is the type I was singing that day in Jerusalem. It is an intimate expression of praise, worship, intercession, and/or prayer, said in faith, mixed with love, and directed to God. These languages can be said simultaneously with others who have this gift in corporate settings because they are directed to God and are not intended as a prophetic gift for the gathered.
A second type of tongues manifest as actual languages of the world - like Spanish, Dutch, Finnish, or Indian. They are unknown to the user but are understood by anyone in the general vicinity who could understand what’s being said. These are given to impart a prophetic message - a word of encouragement and (sometimes direction) - to the people gathered. This type of gift is readily understood because it is heard from natives of the country of the tongue. When non-believers hear the words of the Lord in their own language, and additionally see that the tongue-talkers aren’t even from their own country, it is a tremendous testimony to God.
There is a use of the gift of tongues which is also prophetic in nature. They sound like angelic tongue - a language that is not of this world - yet their application takes the on the form of a prophetic word to those gathered. In these situations another spiritual gift must come into play - the interpretation of tongues - so that everyone can know what the person with the gift of angelic tongues is saying.
There is a danger in tongues. Tongues are fun. It’s the kind of gift that can be abused. Paul really came down hard on the church at Corinth because, each time they gathered, they did nothing but speak in tongues. The danger was that no one understood what was being said. So, if you have the gift of prophetic tongues, ask the Lord to give you an interpretation so you can follow your pronunciation in a known language – or ask the Lord to give someone else the interpretation. Or else, don’t do it at all.
What about the gift of tongues? Is it for you? As I mentioned a few chapters back, the big gift is the Holy Spirit himself. And, as I said, if you have the Holy Spirit in you then you have the potential for all the gifts of the Spirit - including tongues.
Could you speak in tongues? Most likely. I believe God would have Christians speaking in tongues much, much more than they do now. we are currently doing. Can you imagine that - waiting for a bus somewhere and speaking the marvelous praises of God in the precise language and dialect of the Muslim standing there next to you? The gift of tongues is a powerful form or prayer, intercession, spiritual warfare, and prophecy – and boy, in our day, do we need it.
If the Holy Spirit is in you – which He is – why not try it? Why not place this blog aside, sit back right now and ask Him to release the gift of tongues in your life? You don’t have to sneak away somewhere under the cloak of darkness. You can ask him to release the gift in your heart right here, right where you are now.
After you ask for it, give it a moment of silence and, when you feel the peace of the Lord resting upon you, simply start talking. It may sound like gibberish at first - no, let me correct that... It will sound like gibberish at first - and you will have your sincere doubts. But within a milli-second, the Spirit will get a hold of the water of your words and change them into the wine of a holy, heavenly language.
He may not do it - not now, anyway. But he just may. You’ll never know, until you ask.
Paul wrote the Corinthians and thanked God that he spoke in tongues more than anyone else in their church, which indicates not only its authenticity but its viable place in the life of a follower of Jesus. Tongues of men and and tongues of angels are everywhere in the Bible. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit manifested himself through “tongues of men” - known languages from that current day and age. Many times afterward, when the Spirit showed up, tongues also showed up.
Just to clear the air: A person exercising the gift of tongues doesn’t go into a zombie-like trance with white foam oozing out from the sides of their mouth anymore than a bilingual person does when speaking in their second language.
The language of the Spirit is... well, a language. And, just like any other language, it comes with its own vocabulary, dialect, expressions, grammar, in-fluctuation, syllables, and so on. A person with the gift of tongues can speak, pray, or even sing their gift almost anywhere they please - at church, in the car, or even at the gym. Some can even use their gift in their mind - like you do when you talk to yourself. It’s use is solely at the discretion of the user.
What is the value of the gift of tongues. Scripture says a person who has the gift of tongues builds himself up in the faith. That means the strength of the Lord may be magnified, lifted up, or encouraged in the heart of a person when they praying tongues - perhaps something akin to taking a spiritual vitamin.
In addition, tongues is useful in situations when your unclear exactly how to pray, or when you’re prayed out over a situation and running on empty. This can be especially useful when passing the scene of an accident on the freeway, or pulling over for an ambulance racing to the hospital. I have personally noticed that my spiritual discernment seems to sharpen after I have spent time praying in “the Spirit.” This is especially helpful just before I lead worship or pray for others.
The first time I prayed in tongues it happened in a far-a-way field near the college I was attending and under the cloak of darkness...
At that time I didn’t believe in the gift of tongues but did believe, if tongues were real, that God was big enough to give them to me if I asked.
As mentioned earlier, I had also had substantial Bible teaching telling me that the gifts of the Spirit had died out when the Bible had been written. So, by asking God for the gift of tongues, I was fearful that I would get a gift of satan instead. It was all a bit spooky for me. So, with no one around (and when the airy cloud moved mysteriously crossed over the face of the full moon), I prayed. “God, I’m going to try this. But, if it’s not your will, I pray you will shut my mouth. Guide my tongue because here I go.” Then I started talking in make-believe.
Within a milli-second two distinct things happened. First, my mind was barraged with all manner of thoughts of personal condemnation, telling me I sounded like a full-fledged idiot - and that I was a “lousy, illogical witness for the cause of Christ.”
Within a milli-second of the first milli-second, the Spirit of God got a hold of my tongue and I took off - speaking be in a new, heavenly language! Just like that.
It wasn’t nearly as difficult, or strange, as I had made it out to be. In a distant way, it seemed almost normal. It was quite a powerful experience, though. I experienced a immediate sense of the presence of God and a corresponding surge of joy. In fact, the presence of God became so intense that I had to ease back on it. I had never had such an intense physiological experience with the the Lord before then. I got up from the field, looked up at the stars and said, “Wow, I guess tongues are still around.”
After an experience like that one would think I’d become fluent in the language and use it every day. But that wasn’t the case. In fact, in the years to follow I rarely revisited the gift and pretty much forgot all about it. Indeed, within a short period of time, I essentially talked myself out of the gift of tongues altogether.
About two years later found myself living on a kibbutz in Israel. One particular Saturday morning, I was in church when the pastor led the congregation into of time of “free-form singing in the Spirit.” It was beautiful. The entire place turned into a most holy place. The presence of God was all over the place - not unlike that night in the field. As the praises increased I heard a particular someone singing a magnificent praise to the Lord. Though I couldn’t make out the language, I knew it was glorifying God in an almost angelic language. It was so beautiful that I had to open my eyes to see who it was singing these beautiful song. I opened my eyes, traced the melody with my ears and – lo and behold – it was coming from me. It was a hallelujah moment.
That did it. From that day since (some 28 years) I have used this gift almost every day - when praying for others, when worshipping, or when simply clearing the pipes in my head before I teach. It’s never led me astray and - quite to the contrary - it has blessed others.
While tongues can build up an individual in the faith, they can also serve to edify a church, or a gathering of people. I believe there are at least two types of tongues. The first are those that are angelic, or other worldly. This is the type I was singing that day in Jerusalem. It is an intimate expression of praise, worship, intercession, and/or prayer, said in faith, mixed with love, and directed to God. These languages can be said simultaneously with others who have this gift in corporate settings because they are directed to God and are not intended as a prophetic gift for the gathered.
A second type of tongues manifest as actual languages of the world - like Spanish, Dutch, Finnish, or Indian. They are unknown to the user but are understood by anyone in the general vicinity who could understand what’s being said. These are given to impart a prophetic message - a word of encouragement and (sometimes direction) - to the people gathered. This type of gift is readily understood because it is heard from natives of the country of the tongue. When non-believers hear the words of the Lord in their own language, and additionally see that the tongue-talkers aren’t even from their own country, it is a tremendous testimony to God.
There is a use of the gift of tongues which is also prophetic in nature. They sound like angelic tongue - a language that is not of this world - yet their application takes the on the form of a prophetic word to those gathered. In these situations another spiritual gift must come into play - the interpretation of tongues - so that everyone can know what the person with the gift of angelic tongues is saying.
There is a danger in tongues. Tongues are fun. It’s the kind of gift that can be abused. Paul really came down hard on the church at Corinth because, each time they gathered, they did nothing but speak in tongues. The danger was that no one understood what was being said. So, if you have the gift of prophetic tongues, ask the Lord to give you an interpretation so you can follow your pronunciation in a known language – or ask the Lord to give someone else the interpretation. Or else, don’t do it at all.
What about the gift of tongues? Is it for you? As I mentioned a few chapters back, the big gift is the Holy Spirit himself. And, as I said, if you have the Holy Spirit in you then you have the potential for all the gifts of the Spirit - including tongues.
Could you speak in tongues? Most likely. I believe God would have Christians speaking in tongues much, much more than they do now. we are currently doing. Can you imagine that - waiting for a bus somewhere and speaking the marvelous praises of God in the precise language and dialect of the Muslim standing there next to you? The gift of tongues is a powerful form or prayer, intercession, spiritual warfare, and prophecy – and boy, in our day, do we need it.
If the Holy Spirit is in you – which He is – why not try it? Why not place this blog aside, sit back right now and ask Him to release the gift of tongues in your life? You don’t have to sneak away somewhere under the cloak of darkness. You can ask him to release the gift in your heart right here, right where you are now.
After you ask for it, give it a moment of silence and, when you feel the peace of the Lord resting upon you, simply start talking. It may sound like gibberish at first - no, let me correct that... It will sound like gibberish at first - and you will have your sincere doubts. But within a milli-second, the Spirit will get a hold of the water of your words and change them into the wine of a holy, heavenly language.
He may not do it - not now, anyway. But he just may. You’ll never know, until you ask.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
7 Listening
The revelatory gifts have got to the most misunderstood gifts of the Holy Spirit – and rightfully so. They can be misused. They can be manipulative. They can be creepy, unpredictable, abusive, and downright rude. In short, they can ruin a life.
Yet, in spite of all that, Jesus used them, the apostles used them, and the church fathers used them. They’ve been the centerpiece of every revival in history, and – as I mentioned in an earlier chapter – a vast majority of the worldwide Body of Christ in this day and age actively engages in the gifts of the Spirit - all of the gifts of the Spirit, including the revelatory/supernatural gifts. Why? The revelatory gifts are powerful avenues wherein God blesses, heals, equips, and anoints his followers to shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation.
So how do they work? How does a prophet hear God’s word so he can share it with the gathered? How does a vision come, a word of knowledge, a dream, or a healing? In short, how does God speak?
Variety is the Norm. For starters, it is a very individual thing. Different people get it different ways. That’s the beauty of our God. In addition, different ways can be made manifest in the same person. And to raise our faith, no ministry situation is the same as the last ministry situation.
Physical pain. One way people have heard the “voice” of God is though physical pain in the body. Sounds weird, but it’s true. It’s almost as if God allows them to feel what the ailing person is going through as a form of prayer, or intercession.
That happened to me once. I was speaking on the subject of healing at an ALPHA course in Switzerland, Florida, and, as I was asking the Lord how he would minister that evening, I felt an intensely sharp pain in my lower gut – like a needle. It was very painful and, after a second thought, I concluded it must be a word of knowledge for someone in the group. So I said, “I believe the Lord would like to minister to a person having trouble with a gallbladder.”
Just then a slight stirring happened at the back of room and, within a few minutes, I found myself praying for a woman who came forward at the urging of her husband. She told me she didn’t believe in healing and I mentioned that it may not be for her healing – only that God singled her out for prayer of any nature. We prayed, she left, and I went home.
A few weeks later I saw this woman at a party and learned that, since the prayer, she had been completely healed. (She also mentioned she still didn’t really believe in healing, but couldn’t argue with the medical results.) She was slated to have surgery when we met but didn’t need it when she went in to the doctors’ offices later that week. All that happened as a result of me getting a pain in the place where I thought a gallbladder should be.
The mind. God shares his will for us and gives revelatory insight through thoughts, as well as other normal operations of the brain. Visions, for example, come through one’s imagination, sort of like dreams. Visionaries actually see a segment of something notable, describe what they’re seeing, and pray into it. Words of knowledge can flow from verses that we have memorized. Not everything that comes to our imagination is of the Lord, of course. The point here is that visions appear on the same “screen” that everything else in our imagination appears on.
Emotional Feelings and the Past Memories. Other ways God can reveal himself are within the avenues of emotion and memory. If, for example, you are praying with a person and a certain memory emerges from somewhere out of the blue, don’t discount that. It very well may be a word of knowledge for that other person. With that memory you’ll need to ask for wisdom on what to do with what God has just revealed. Just because a person gets a vision doesn’t mean it’s an automatic shoe-in. It could go any number of directions - all of which demand the ongoing discernment and reliance upon the the Spirit. Do you share your vision? Do you share the learning experience you gleaned from the experience, perhaps couching it in a prayer, or full-blown exhortation? Does the memory include the name of a person? If so, is that a name of someone in the life of the person within you’re praying? Should you voice this name? The year of your memory’s conception? You see what I mean? All these questions are open turf and demand the wisdom of the Spirit before you step into articulation of the word.
In the same manner, I have prayed for people and have been overwhelmed by emotions - sometimes grief; other times joy. Chances are, whatever you’re experiencing is something that God is doing, or wanting to do, under your humble hands.
As I close this chapter two things come to mind. First, is the increasing trend on multiple ministers in this area. Gone are the days where one super-Christian knows it all. God likes it when a couple of people get together and decipher what God is up to.
Just last week a woman and I were praying with someone else. In a time of silence I saw the exoskeleton of an insect that had recently discarded its “shell.” It was beige in color and transparent, left hollow on a gravel mound. At the same time, the woman with whom I was ministering saw this person dancing, twirling with delight. We apparently received the visions at about the same time because we interrupted each other when sharing what we were getting from the Lord! After hearing both sides of the same reality, the woman broke into joy and said that’s exactly what the Lord was doing in her life! She had recently made a define decision to leave the past behind and, in her newfound joy and freedom, was now dancing for the Jesus. This completely affirmed what was going on this woman’s life! Sometimes it takes more than one person to decipher what the Lord is doing.
The other thing that comes to mind as we close out the chapter is this: Remember - it’s all about faith. Faith is needed in every situation (whether revelatory or not) with ministry is happening. Even a famous faith healer is, on some level, working on faith - the same the same level of faith that we normal people work on when we’re praying for lesser things. Without faith it is impossible to please the Lord. To be sure, different people have different levels of faith. One person could never have the faith to raise the dead, but - for them - it takes all their faith to pray aloud at Outback. Either way, a person raising the dead is operating in the same proportionate “challenging vacuum of faith” as the person grace. Same faith, same challenges - and sometimes the same nervousness associated with stepping out for God. Sure, the pros may make it look easy but don’t be fooled, they are trucking along, riding the highways of faith, just like the rest of us.
So, in summary, we’ve seen the way God speaks to a person is as varied and as magnificent as the Person we serve. Our minds, emotions, and bodies are all fair game - fair avenues wherein the Spirit can reveal the will of the Father in order to evangelize and equip the followers of Jesus.
The walk-a-way here is to know that God is always working, always speaking, always up to something. And he uses us to get it out into the mainstream.
Of all people - us.
Yet, in spite of all that, Jesus used them, the apostles used them, and the church fathers used them. They’ve been the centerpiece of every revival in history, and – as I mentioned in an earlier chapter – a vast majority of the worldwide Body of Christ in this day and age actively engages in the gifts of the Spirit - all of the gifts of the Spirit, including the revelatory/supernatural gifts. Why? The revelatory gifts are powerful avenues wherein God blesses, heals, equips, and anoints his followers to shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation.
So how do they work? How does a prophet hear God’s word so he can share it with the gathered? How does a vision come, a word of knowledge, a dream, or a healing? In short, how does God speak?
Variety is the Norm. For starters, it is a very individual thing. Different people get it different ways. That’s the beauty of our God. In addition, different ways can be made manifest in the same person. And to raise our faith, no ministry situation is the same as the last ministry situation.
Physical pain. One way people have heard the “voice” of God is though physical pain in the body. Sounds weird, but it’s true. It’s almost as if God allows them to feel what the ailing person is going through as a form of prayer, or intercession.
That happened to me once. I was speaking on the subject of healing at an ALPHA course in Switzerland, Florida, and, as I was asking the Lord how he would minister that evening, I felt an intensely sharp pain in my lower gut – like a needle. It was very painful and, after a second thought, I concluded it must be a word of knowledge for someone in the group. So I said, “I believe the Lord would like to minister to a person having trouble with a gallbladder.”
Just then a slight stirring happened at the back of room and, within a few minutes, I found myself praying for a woman who came forward at the urging of her husband. She told me she didn’t believe in healing and I mentioned that it may not be for her healing – only that God singled her out for prayer of any nature. We prayed, she left, and I went home.
A few weeks later I saw this woman at a party and learned that, since the prayer, she had been completely healed. (She also mentioned she still didn’t really believe in healing, but couldn’t argue with the medical results.) She was slated to have surgery when we met but didn’t need it when she went in to the doctors’ offices later that week. All that happened as a result of me getting a pain in the place where I thought a gallbladder should be.
The mind. God shares his will for us and gives revelatory insight through thoughts, as well as other normal operations of the brain. Visions, for example, come through one’s imagination, sort of like dreams. Visionaries actually see a segment of something notable, describe what they’re seeing, and pray into it. Words of knowledge can flow from verses that we have memorized. Not everything that comes to our imagination is of the Lord, of course. The point here is that visions appear on the same “screen” that everything else in our imagination appears on.
Emotional Feelings and the Past Memories. Other ways God can reveal himself are within the avenues of emotion and memory. If, for example, you are praying with a person and a certain memory emerges from somewhere out of the blue, don’t discount that. It very well may be a word of knowledge for that other person. With that memory you’ll need to ask for wisdom on what to do with what God has just revealed. Just because a person gets a vision doesn’t mean it’s an automatic shoe-in. It could go any number of directions - all of which demand the ongoing discernment and reliance upon the the Spirit. Do you share your vision? Do you share the learning experience you gleaned from the experience, perhaps couching it in a prayer, or full-blown exhortation? Does the memory include the name of a person? If so, is that a name of someone in the life of the person within you’re praying? Should you voice this name? The year of your memory’s conception? You see what I mean? All these questions are open turf and demand the wisdom of the Spirit before you step into articulation of the word.
In the same manner, I have prayed for people and have been overwhelmed by emotions - sometimes grief; other times joy. Chances are, whatever you’re experiencing is something that God is doing, or wanting to do, under your humble hands.
As I close this chapter two things come to mind. First, is the increasing trend on multiple ministers in this area. Gone are the days where one super-Christian knows it all. God likes it when a couple of people get together and decipher what God is up to.
Just last week a woman and I were praying with someone else. In a time of silence I saw the exoskeleton of an insect that had recently discarded its “shell.” It was beige in color and transparent, left hollow on a gravel mound. At the same time, the woman with whom I was ministering saw this person dancing, twirling with delight. We apparently received the visions at about the same time because we interrupted each other when sharing what we were getting from the Lord! After hearing both sides of the same reality, the woman broke into joy and said that’s exactly what the Lord was doing in her life! She had recently made a define decision to leave the past behind and, in her newfound joy and freedom, was now dancing for the Jesus. This completely affirmed what was going on this woman’s life! Sometimes it takes more than one person to decipher what the Lord is doing.
The other thing that comes to mind as we close out the chapter is this: Remember - it’s all about faith. Faith is needed in every situation (whether revelatory or not) with ministry is happening. Even a famous faith healer is, on some level, working on faith - the same the same level of faith that we normal people work on when we’re praying for lesser things. Without faith it is impossible to please the Lord. To be sure, different people have different levels of faith. One person could never have the faith to raise the dead, but - for them - it takes all their faith to pray aloud at Outback. Either way, a person raising the dead is operating in the same proportionate “challenging vacuum of faith” as the person grace. Same faith, same challenges - and sometimes the same nervousness associated with stepping out for God. Sure, the pros may make it look easy but don’t be fooled, they are trucking along, riding the highways of faith, just like the rest of us.
So, in summary, we’ve seen the way God speaks to a person is as varied and as magnificent as the Person we serve. Our minds, emotions, and bodies are all fair game - fair avenues wherein the Spirit can reveal the will of the Father in order to evangelize and equip the followers of Jesus.
The walk-a-way here is to know that God is always working, always speaking, always up to something. And he uses us to get it out into the mainstream.
Of all people - us.
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