the Charismatic / Pentecostal preacher

[murjahel]

God's gifts are not hard to receive. Salvation was simple--you just asked God to forgive you of your sins, believed on Jesus Christ to have paid the price for your sins, and received salvation. The same is true for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Ask, believe that Jesus wants to give you the Holy Spirit's infilling, and then thank God for the baptism--for it is surely being given.

Mark 11:24
"WHAT THINGS SO EVER YE DESIRE, WHEN YE PRAY, BELIEVE THAT YE RECEIVE (have received) THEM, AND YE SHALL HAVE THEM."

Do we have to "tarry ?" In Luke 24:49, they were told to "TARRY YE..." This word - "tarry" - means "to sit, to remain." It referred to the fact that they were to remain in Jerusalem until the day when the Holy Spirit would arrive. The Holy Spirit was to arrive on the Day of Pentecost. He did arrive then, and now there is no need to remain, tarry, or sit waiting for Him to arrive. He is already on the earth--ready and willing to baptize you. Since that day, prolonged waiting is unnecessary. The only waiting is the waiting while God is filling us. He begins as soon as you ask, and if you allow Him to continue - the filling will be complete soon.

Sometimes God may have to cleanse certain areas of your life, and perhaps build your faith, and then the prayer language will arrive and thereby announce that God has finished filling you.

How do we receive the baptism ?

First, you must be saved. The Bible is clear that "THE WORLD CANNOT RECEIVE (John 14:16-17) the Holy Spirit.

Secondly, then, you must obey the Lord. The Lord gives the Holy Spirit to "THEM THAT OBEY HIM." What did He command us?

ASK
Luke 11:13
"FATHER GIVES THE HOLY SPIRIT TO THEM THAT ASK HIM..."

Matthew 7:7
"ASK AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN..."

BELIEVE

John 7:39
"THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHICH THEY THAT BELIEVE ON HIM SHOULD RECEIVE..."

THIRST (this means to desire, and push out other desires)

Matthew 5:6
"BLESSED ARE THEY THAT HUNGER AND THIRST AFTER RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR THEY SHALL BE FILLED."

John 7:37-39
"IF ANY MAN THIRST, LET HIM COME UNTO ME AND DRINK...THIS SPAKE HE OF THE SPIRIT."

DRINK (receive the infilling, it will take time)

Job 29:23
“AND THEY WAITED FOR ME AS FOR RAIN AND THEY OPENED THEIR MOUTH WIDE AS FOR RAIN."

SPEAK
The Holy Spirit will not force you to speak in tongues, nor to praise God with your present language. When He does give you a word, speak it. Sometimes the words in English that you are trying to speak will come out garbled. Don't stop speaking at this time, for it is the Holy Spirit beginning to change your language. Allow Him to change it by continuing to speak, even if the words are sounding funny. When you receive it, the new language will by pass your mind, and it will be as though you are listening to another pray. Yet it will be your voice and your lips praising in a new prayer language.

Charles Finney said: "I received a mighty baptism of the Holy Ghost. I wept aloud with joy and love... I literally bellowed out the unutterable gushings of my heart." (Autobiography)

You won't understand these new words, but speak them anyway. The devil will try to convince you that it is not you. Don't believe him, he's a liar. Speak in this new prayer language and it will become more fluent as you continue. Every day of your life, speak more in this language. You will feel edified more and more as you speak.

Stammering lips are often the first sign that the Lord is almost finished with your infilling. Begin to praise God more at this point for you are almost full of the Spirit and tongues, your prayer language is the part the Spirit is giving you at that point.

Don't demand fluency, babes learn simple syllables first.

Don't demand emotion, for some will have much emotion and others will have very little emotion.

Don't demand loudness, for there is no law on loudness.

Holiness is not the basis of receiving. If Satan reminds you of your faults while you are receiving, don't go on a guilt trip. Instead, use it as a reason to praise God. Thank God for the forgiveness that you have been given. Thank God that He is filling you with the Spirit even though you don't deserve it.

Acts 2:38
"...YE SHALL RECEIVE THE GIFT (unmerited favor) OF THE HOLY SPIRIT."


MANY GIFTS FLOW FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT THROUGH US


The Holy Spirit is still working to bring us the benefits of His power. He is the gift of Jesus to us, to be our ‘Comforter’ and Empowerer in this age. The empowerments that He brings us are many.

The Spirit:

1. draws saints together.

I Cor. 12:13,27
"...HAVE ALL BEEN MADE TO DRINK INTO ONE SPIRIT...NOW YE ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST, AND MEMBERS IN PARTICULAR..."

2. sends and operates the empowerments through the saints.

I Cor. 12:28
"GOD HATH SET SOME IN THE CHURCH, FIRST APOSTLES, SECONDARILY PROPHETS..."

Eph. 4:8, 11, 12
"WHEN HE ASCENDED UP ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVITY CAPTIVE AND GAVE GIFTS UNTO MEN...FOR THE PERFECTING OF THE SAINTS, FOR THE WORK OF THE MINISTRY, FOR THE EDIFYING OF THE BODY OF CHRIST, TILL WE ALL COME INTO THE UNITY OF THE FAITH..."

3. helps in the preaching of the gospel.

I Th. 1:5-6
"FOR OUR GOSPEL CAME NOT UNTO YOU IN WORD ONLY, BUT ALSO IN POWER, AND IN THE HOLY SPIRIT..."

Acts 10:44
"THE HOLY SPIRIT FELL ON THEM THAT HEARD THE WORD."

4. aids prayers.

Rom. 8:26-27
"LIKEWISE THE SPIRIT HELPS OUR INFIRMITIES, FOR WE KNOW NOT WHAT WE SHOULD PRAY..."

Ephesians 6:18
"PRAYING ALWAYS WITH ALL PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION IN THE SPIRIT..."

Jude 20
"BUT YE, BELOVED, BUILDING UP YOURSELVES ON YOUR MOST HOLY FAITH, PRAYING IN THE HOLY SPIRIT..."

5. gives gifts of miraculous power to help the saints do the work of the Lord.

I Cor. 12:4
"NOW THERE ARE VARIETIES OF GIFTS, BUT THE SAME SPIRIT..."


The Fruit of the Spirit are the graces listed in Galatians 5:22-23, that are given at the moment of salvation. These are:
"LOVE, JOY, PEACE, LONGSUFFERING, GENTLENESS, GOODNESS, FAITH, MEEKNESS, TEMPERANCE..."
These ‘graces’ are to be maintained, exercised on purpose, and are indicative of the Spirit’s continued work in us. We are to be recognized as a child of God by these signs. Like the fig tree that the Lord cursed after coming to it expecting to find figs, and found none; many today are supposed to have these fruit, and have ceased to bear the fruit that the Lord desires. ( Mark 11:12-14) As in the Old Testament, when Isaac returned to find the wells that Abraham had dug, he found they had been filled with stones. The fresh water seemed to be gone. Yet when the stones were all removed, the fresh water still was there in the well. In the same way, many Christians seem to have little of the fruit evident in their lives. If they remove the stones of unforgiveness, apathy, sin, doubt, etc, the wells are still able to produce a fresh flow of good water.

The Spirit’s divine endowments of special power for service in -the body of Christ are God-given abilities, strengths, and divine empowerments. They are not natural talents. Natural talents are given of God through genetics. Talents are received at birth. Talents should be dedicated to God for His use. However, the empowerments of the Spirit are independent of the parents. They are endowments of the supernatural, not owned or controlled by the recipients, but are worked through the recipient to be for the purpose of the glory of God, not the uplifting of the recipients. They are manifestations of the Spirit’s power as He works through the saint as His vessel.


There are several ways to classify the empowerments of the Spirit.

1. Those that impart the power to know:
word of wisdom
word of knowledge
discernment of spirits

2. Those that impart the power to act supernaturally:
faith
miracles
healings

3. Those that impart the power to speak supernaturally:
prophecy
tongues
interpretation of tongues

These gifts are distributed to every individual believer.

I Corinthians 12:7
"BUT TO EACH ONE OF US IS GIVEN THE MANIFESTATION OF THE SPIRIT FOR THE COMMON GOOD."

I Cor. 12:11
"BUT ONE AND SAME SPIRIT WORKS ALL THESE THINGS, DISTRIBUTING TO EACH ONE INDIVIDUALLY JUST AS HE WILLS."

I Peter 4:10
"AS EACH ONE HAS RECEIVED A SPECIAL GIFT, EMPLOY IT IN SERVING ONE ANOTHER, AS GOOD STEWARDS OF THE MANIFOLD GRACE OF GOD."

These gifts of the Spirit are dispensed on the basis of grace, unmerited favor. We do not deserve them. We cannot earn them. We do not possess nor own them. They belong the possession of the Lord, and we are but vessels of His power through which these are gifts to the church and to the world through us. We have the Holy Spirit as our Gift, and the gifts that He operates though us are for the benefit of the whole world.

We should acknowledge the reception of the gifts from God, and let ourselves be used in their application onto the needs of the world. We thereby humbly use them for the glory of God, not for our own glory.

Not one divine empowerment from the Spirit is higher that the others, for all are needed. The way in which chooses to use them, is regarding the current need. God rewards us for how we are available for His use in bestowing the gifts. The key is faithfulness with your use of the gift. The reward is for how faithfully you allow the Spirit to use you with His bestowments.

The purpose of the bestowments of the Spirit is to enable us to do the works of Christ. We need to carry on the work that He began. (Acts 1:1-2, 12-15, I Cor. 1:7, 12:4-31, 14:1-40, Rom. 12:3-8, Heb. 2:3-4) We do not possess the power, we are channels through which the power of the Spirit flows. The ministry which we are commanded to do is to be confirmed by the signs and wonders which emanate through the exercise of the gifts that the Spirit possesses and owns. (Mark 16:15-20, Romans 15:18-19, 29)

Where are the gifts today? Some churches find the subject of gifts to be strange. Some saints have not discovered or allowed the use of the gifts. Some do not even know that the Spirit would want to bestow such miraculous blessings. The church age is supposed to be the Age of the Spirit. We are to have the Holy Spirit working and manifesting power through us during this church age.

For many, the Holy Spirit is just the last part of the doxology. To know the Spirit in that way is like understanding the workings of all the parts of the car, except the starter and accelerator. The Holy Spirit and His bestowments have been neglected too much. We need to know Him as a Person, speak with Him regularly, and allow Him to work through us.

The fruit of the Spirit was given to us at salvation. We need to continue to develop and harvest these. However, to be used of Spirit is a blessing that needs to be coveted, and sought. The Spirit desires to use each of us. Don't feel, as many have, that "I'll take the fruit, others can have the gifts." If Jesus had felt that way, He would have had to tell the sick, blind, etc, - "I love you." Yet, He could do more than that - He could love them by exercising the power of the Spirit through His (then human) body.

Paul admonished us to learn about the gifts the Holy Spirit wants to exercise through us.

I Cor. 12:1
"NOW CONCERNING SPIRITUAL GIFTS, BRETHREN, I WOULD NOT HAVE YOU IGNORANT."

If we do not learn how to receive and operate these, we will fail to do the ministry of the Lord as He has planned. We need the bestowments of the Spirit operating in the church. If we are ignorant of these, we will find that the devil will have a "hay day" with his workings.

 

[murjahel]

GIFTS, SECTION ONE....
THE EMPOWERMENTS TO SPEAK SUPERNATURAL REVELATIONS


There are some empowerments of the Spirit that are known as the "vocal gifts," as the "gifts of inspiration," and as the "utterance gifts." These are perhaps the most discussed of ways the Spirit empowers us to give gifts of revelation to a congregation. There is much confusion and disagreement concerning these. In Corinth, Paul found much abuse of these,l and still, we find abuse of these vocal revelations from the Spirit.

THREE EMPOWERMENTS TO SPEAK GOD’S REVELATIONS

I Corinthians 12:10
"...TO ANOTHER PROPHECY...TO ANOTHER DIVERS KINDS OF TONGUES; TO ANOTHER THE INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES..."

1. PROPHETIC UTTERANCE

THE GIFT OF PROPHECY is a direct revelation from God that is given as one begins to speak. It does not necessarily pass through the thinking process first. Like the gift of tongues, it passes through the lips with direction from the mind of the Spirit.

The nature of the prophecy is described by Paul. He indicated that the gift should be validated by two or three prophets that confirm the same truth. He also said the gift needed to be judged. When another begins to speak, the first prophet should be quiet and allow the next to proceed. The purpose seems to be spelled out as a method to "learn," and a method for God to give ‘exhortation, edification, and comfort.’ The prophecy is subject to the prophet, meaning the prophet may speak it or not, he is not under some compelling force that makes him speak.

I Corinthians 14:29-32
"LET THE PROPHETS SPEAK BY TWO OR THREE, AND LET THE OTHER JUDGE. IF ANY THING BE REVEALED TO ANOTHER THAT SITTETH BY, LET THE FIRST HOLD HIS PEACE. FOR YE MAY ALL PROPHESY ONE BY ONE, THAT ALL MAY LEARN, AND ALL MAY BE COMFORTED. AND THE SPIRITS OF THE PROPHETS ARE SUBJECT TO THE PROPHETS."

Like the other gifts, this one also is bestowed by the laying on of hands.

I Timothy 4:14
"NEGLECT NOT THE GIFT THAT IS IN THEE, WHICH WAS GIVEN THEE BY PROPHECY, WITH THE LAYING ON OF HANDS."

This bestowments of the vocal revelations from God are not restricted to males. Philip had four daughters that were spoken though by the Spirit.

Acts 21:8-9
"ENTERED INTO THE HOUSE OF PHILIP THE EVANGELIST, WHICH WAS ONE OF THE SEVEN; AND ABODE WITH HIM. AND THE SAME MAN HAD FOUR DAUGHTERS, VIRGINS, WHICH DID PROPHESY."

Joel's prophecy said that "YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY." Many women are included in the list of church leaders given by Paul in Romans 16 (Phebe, Priscilla, Mary, Tryphena, Tryphosa, Persis, Julia). The Holy Spirit distributes these vocal revelations "AS HE WILL", fortunately, for many would like to limit them to one sex, or to the clergy, etc.

This vocal revelation from God is a foundation gift for the church. It must not be confused with the word of wisdom, or the word of knowledge. Those are for revelation to the mind of facts or the purpose of God. They may or may not be spoken by the person receiving them. The gift of prophecy, however, is spoken as it is received. It is not for guidance, but for edification, exhortation, and comfort. (I Cor. 14:3)

The gift of prophecy is a supernatural utterance in the known tongue of the speaker. It is a miracle of divine utterance that has nothing to do with human thought. The acid test for validity of this gift is the Word of God. All prophetic messages should be tested by the Word.

One should never misuse or suppress these utterances. Yet, false utterances should never be tolerated. A prophecy that is determined as unscriptural should be pronounced worthless, and repudiated, without fear.

A false utterance is detected by:

the wrong spirit of the speaker,
a rebuke or an unseemly utterance,
a message that glorifies man, and not the Lord,
an unscriptural utterance,
a message that attempts to establish or begin a new doctrine,
a message that produces "fruit" in the hearers that is unseemly,
the anger of the prophet if his message is not obeyed.

The purposes of the gift of prophecy are these.
1. God wants to speak to mankind supernaturally.
2. God wants to edify believers.
3. God wants to exhort the church.
4. God wants to comfort the distressed, and weak.
5. God wants to convict the unbeliever by speaking directly to him, and manifesting the secrets of his heart. (I Cor. 14:24-25)

We are instructed to greatly desire this gift.

I Corinthians 14:1, 39
"FOLLOW AFTER CHARITY, AND DESIRE SPIRITUAL GIFTS, BUT RATHER THAT YE MAY PROPHESY...COVET TO PROPHESY..."

The word "covet" is from the Greek word -zeloo. It means "to strive for, to be eager for, enthusiastically zealous." It obviously sounds as though God wants us to really want this gift. It is essential to the proper functioning of the church.

It takes faith to exercise this gift. To begin to speak forth a prophecy, not knowing what may be spoken forth takes a great deal of faith.

Romans 12:6
"LET US PROPHESY ACCORDING TO THE PROPORTION OF FAITH..."

We must be careful to give the proper respect to prophetic messages that are valid. Some do not listen to them, some ignore, some show disrespect during the message. These messages are given by the Spirit as a message from Jesus, or God, the Father. To hold them in low esteem is to insult the Trinity. If the Spirit is inspiring these messages, the disregarding of them will greatly grieve Him.


2. THE REVELATION FROM GOD VIA UNKNOWN TONGUES

THE GIFT OF TONGUES is the ability to give a message from God in an unknown language. It needs an interpreter to be understood. The purpose is to edify the church. This gift is different from the use of the prayer language that is received when one is filled with the Spirit initially. The prayer language is given for self-edification. It is given to be used for private prayer to God. The gift of tongues may be the same language, yet it is different gift to be used to edify a body of believers.

Since this is one of the most questioned of the gifts, it is the one we are most often compelled to discuss. It is a gift that is received by many people, and thus also is often discussed in Christian circles. It was the first gift questioned on the day of Pentecost - "WHAT MEANETH THIS ?" (Acts 2:12)

The languages of this gift are said to be the languages of men, or angels. The speaker does not understand the language, but the Holy Spirit uses the vocal cords, tongue, and lips of a Spirit-filled saint and speaks through that one a message from God or Christ. It does not come into the mind first, but flows though the mouth and the speaker listens to it as the others present do. It has nothing to do with linguistic ability, or with the mind, or with the intellect.

Some have incorrectly thought that the language is unknown to the devil. That is not true. In some foreign countries, where English is unknown, the recipients of this gift speak in tongues in perfect English. The devil does not forget a language due to locale. Some speak the language of the angels, and the devil knows that language as his original language. The ‘tongues’ are not to be unknown to him, but to us, so that the interpretation thereby is confirming the message is from God. Sometimes as we pray in our prayer language, we don’t know for what we pray, and are best not to know. This ignorance helps at times.

There are specific uses for the prayer language that all Spirit-filled believers receive. These are:

1.The tongues, or prayer language, is the initial physical evidence of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. As on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4), and at Caesarea eight years later when the Gentiles received (Acts 10:46), and at Ephesus, 23 years later, (Acts 19:6), the reception of the Holy spirit was climaxed with the unknown tongues.

2. The prayer language is given to allow Spirit-filled people to speak supernaturally to God. (I Cor. 14:2) On the Day of Pentecost, the people heard the 120 magnifying God in these tongues. We also will glorify God with this prayer language.

3.A third reason for the prayer language is that we may be edified by the worship. Our own spirits pray and request things that our conscience minds are unaware we need.

I Cor. 14:4, 14
"HE THAT SPEAKS IN A TONGUE EDIFIES HIMSELF...I WILL PRAY WITH THE SPIRIT, AND I WILL PRAY WITH THE UNDERSTANDING ALSO."

Romans 8:26-27
"...THE SPIRIT ALSO HELPETH OUR INFIRMITIES; FOR WE KNOW NOT WHAT WE SHOULD PRAY FOR AS WE OUGHT; BUT THE SPIRIT HIMSELF MAKETH INTERCESSION FOR THE SAINTS ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF GOD..."

The bestowment of a message from God via these tongues has a separate purpose. And it is given for that reason to specific ones who are Spirit-filled. A message from God or Jesus is conveyed by the Holy Spirit to a body of believers in an unknown tongue through some saint with this gift. Then a person with the gift of interpretation is given the meaning of the message in the language of the hearers and tells the people what the Spirit is conveying to them. (I Cor. 14:12-13,5,26) This method of God speaking to believers is meant to be a sign to unbelievers that are present.

Can speaking in tongues be counterfeited? All the gifts of the Spirit can be counterfeited. There are certainly strange utterances and sounds that are made by those who worship other gods. They are counterfeits of the true gift of the spirit. Anything that God does, the devil will try to counterfeit. God has promised that he will not allow a counterfeit to take a Christian. (Lk. 11:11-13)

Even though there are counterfeits out there, we are told to desire this gift. We are also commanded to not forbid the speaking in tongues. Many churches are guilty of breaking this command.

I Cor. 14:39
"COVET TO PROPHESY, FORBID NOT TO SPEAK WITH TONGUES."

The test for the use of the gift of tongues is EDIFICATION. Is the gift used at a time that edifies the service? Does the message edify the meeting of believers? Is it done decently and in order?

I Cor. 14:26,40
"LET ALL THINGS BE DONE TO EDIFYING...LET ALL THINGS BE DONE DECENTLY AND IN ORDER."

SEE PART 2

 

[murjahel]

3. INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES

THE INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES is a supernaturally given interpretation (not translation) of the message from God that was given in the unknown language. This gift gives sense and meaning to the message given in tongues. Therefore it is closely related to, and dependent upon -the gift of tongues. This gift does not necessarily use the mind of the speaker. The one with the gift may be given a few words that begin the interpretation, or may be given a mental picture that God is about to describe to the hearers, but most often, begins to speak without knowing what is about to come through their lips. The one with the gift listens to the message as the other hearers listen.

There are some regulations for this gift that need explaining.

1. Do not despise one's message for being less eloquent than another's message. The Spirit uses the vocabulary of the person speaking. The person may put the interpretation in the "King James' English" with all the "thee's and thou's", or it may come in the coarse language of the common person, or anywhere in between the two extremes. The message is still from the Lord. Judge the message, not the vocabulary, accent, intonation, etc.

2.Those who speak the message in tongues are to pray for the gift of interpretation also.

I Cor. 14:13
"WHEREFORE, LET HIM THAT SPEAKETH IN AN UNKNOWN TONGUE PRAY THAT HE MAY INTERPRET."

3. There is to be no more than one interpretation for each message in tongues.

I Cor. 14:27
"IF ANY MAN SPEAK IN AN UNKNOWN TONGUE...LET ONE INTERPRET."

4. Don't expect monopolies. There should not be only one person who can interpret a message within the church. This gift should be had by a great many people within the local church. If the only interpreter were absent, could God not speak in this manner? If, there is no interpreter present, and the one about to give a message in tongues is sure they cannot interpret, then the utterance in the unknown tongues must be for personal edification, and not for the church. The person speaking in the unknown language should not interrupt the service by speaking aloud.

I Cor. 14:28
"...IF THERE BE NO INTERPRETER, LET HIM KEEP SILENCE IN THE CHURCH; AND LET HIM SPEAK TO HIMSELF, AND TO GOD."

5. A common regulation given for interpreting tongues is found in I Cor. 14:27:
"LET IT BE BY TWO, OR AT THE MOST THREE..."

This is commonly thought to mean that two or three messages and interpretations are allowed during any one service. Perhaps this is the correct understanding. Yet there is only one verse to back up this idea, and the understanding of its meaning has been questioned. Having been raised in a fellowship that taught this idea, I, for a time, found it almost impossible to interpret a fourth message. I felt hindered due to my upbringing.

Occasionally, I have heard a fourth interpreted, and felt nothing was wrong with the message and interpretation. If there were not to be four, then how do we know out of order" and not that the first, second, or third were "out of ordedr?" Then, also, what if a message in tongues and interpretation is given in a Sunday School class, does that limit the worship service to only two more? Do we start over with the worship service being a new beginning?

Finally, I found a more Biblical answer, that explains this passage. According to Rabbinic teachings in those days, when the Hebrew Scriptures were being read in the synagogues where people did not understand Hebrew very well, the targum (or paraphrase) of the Scripture could be also read. The rule that was to be observed in such cases was taught that the Hebrew was to be read two or three times, and then one could interpret in the paraphrase. This was done to keep the emphasis on the original Hebrew text, lest any should misunderstand the paraphrase.

Paul was instructing the Corinthian church, to help correct their misuse of tongues and interpretation, that two or three people could give the message in the various languages chosen by the Spirit, and then another could interpret the message of all three. This would allow more people to be involved in the process. The Corinthians had a zeal to all be used, and they all wanted to bring a message or interpret. To use as many as possible, and to encourage the congregation to realize the divine origin of the message, the use of three or four in the supernatural revelation from God would help.

Some people, including myself, think this is the teaching of that passage. This would be a local instruction, that does not need to be followed by every church, and in every situation. Paul was handling a local misuse problem. That may be why there are no further Scriptures on the subject. Any important doctrine that is for all churches to observe always has at least two or three passages to confirm the teaching. Therefore, I am leaning more and more to this latter interpretation of I Corinthians 14:27.

6. The interpretation of tongues takes more faith than the giving of the message in the unknown tongues. The devil will try to tell you that you are making it up. Pray for more faith whenever you pray for this gift. Your ultimate goal should be to be given the gift of prophetic utterance. This gift is the ultimate of the speaking, vocal gifts. It requires the most faith, and is not dependent on another gift, as the gift of tongues and the gift of interpretation of tongues are.

I Cor. 14:1
"FOLLOW AFTER LOVE, AND DESIRE SPIRITUAL GIFTS, BUT RATHER THAT YE MAY PROPHESY."

I Cor. 14:39
"WHEREFORE, BRETHREN, COVET TO PROPHESY, AND FORBID NOT TO SPEAK WITH TONGUES."

7. These vocal gifts are to be commonly expected within a service. If they are not common, they are to be "STIRRED UP."(II Tim. 1:6) Yet they are to be controlled and "JUDGED."

I Cor. 14:29-40
"LET THE PROPHETS SPEAK TWO OR THREE, AND LET THE OTHER JUDGE...THE SPIRITS OF THE PROPHETS ARE SUBJECT TO THE PROPHETS... GOD IS NOT THE AUTHOR OF CONFUSION... LET ALL THINGS BE DONE DECENTLY AND IN ORDER..."

The basis of judgment of the tongues, interpretation, or prophetic utterance is the Word of God.
(Deut. 18:10-12, 20-23, Isa. 8:19-20, Rev. 22:18-19, Ezek. 13:2-3, Jer. 23:25-29, 32, I Cor. 13:1-3, Deut. 13:1-9)

The speaker of God’s revelations is responsible for its use or misuse. Much prayer and Bible study is necessary. The making sure of our love for the Lord and the brethren is absolutely necessary. Don't take these gifts lightly. They are not "inferior" gifts in any way. That they be used properly and scripturally is vital to the proper functioning of the church.

I Thessalonians 5:20
"DESPISE NOT PROPHESYINGS."

 

[murjahel]

THE THREE POWER ENDOWMENTS
OF THE SPIRIT FOR THE PENTECOSTAL PREACHER



I Corinthians 12:9-10
"TO ANOTHER FAITH BY THE SAME SPIRIT; TO ANOTHER THE GIFTS OF HEALING BY THE SAME SPIRIT; TO ANOTHER THE WORKING OF MIRACLES..."

I Corinthians 14:1, 12
"...DESIRE SPIRITUAL GIFTS...YE ARE ZEALOUS OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS..."

These endowments with power are given to be used, not neglected, not buried, and certainly not forgotten. We cannot afford to be ignorant of these gifts. They are vital to the functioning of the church. If we are to be the kind of church that Jesus wants, we must have this power from God to be in operation. Yet, we find that in many churches, they have considered these to be so unreachable that they have become apathetic to the very thought of them ever being in their church.

The church is told to seek the best gifts. The best gifts are the ones that are needed at that very moment. When a miracle is needed, the gifts of tongues is not the best gift. When you need an answer of direction in God's will, the gift of the word of wisdom is needed. It would at that time be the "best gift." The dividing of the gifts in the church is done by the Spirit so that we can all find dependence upon one another. As we find our gifts that the Spirit will use through us, we find where we fit into God's church.


1. THE ENDOWMENT OF DIVINE FAITH


THE GIFT OF FAITH is a special impartation of faith to believe in what God wants done.

Hebrews 11:1 "now faith is the assurance of things hoped for,the conviction of things not seen."

Faith is the mark of all Christians. We cannot please God if we do not have faith. (Hebrews 11:6) Yet, the gift of faith is a supernatural impartation of this faith for special, unique situations. There must first be a trial. For without a trial, there is no faith needed. Therefore if Christians were not to go through any troubles, etc. then no faith would be needed. We need faith for the time when we are going through troubles. Until a miracle, healing, or deliverance from the trial arrives, we need a special impartation of faith.

God has told us that He will deliver us from all our troubles. He has promised to make all things to work together for our good. Yet, sometimes the trial seems to be so long, and the miraculous answer seems to take so long to come. During this waiting time, we need a special impartation of faith. It is the greatest of the gifts of power.

It is different from saving faith, for saving faith comes before salvation, and this gift of faith can only come after salvation. It is different from natural faith. Natural faith is like positive thinking. Some nod their heads to belief in a report. This kind of faith is found in the world. The devil and his angels believe and tremble, yet they insult God and work evil. The gift of faith is to believe God's Word in such a way that honors God and helps one endure the trial until a miracle comes.

The gift of miracles, and the gifts of healings are active, the gift of faith is a passive power. If Daniel had slain the lions with a word, that would have been a miracle, yet he endured the night by a gift of faith. His passive power was an impartation of faith. If the disciples in the storm-tossed boat had received the gift of faith they could have endured a stormy crossing of the lake. Yet, their lack of faith required a miracle to be done by the Lord. The gift of faith does not provide deliverance from the trial, as does miracles or healing, but it provides the courage and endurance for the trial. The faith imparts a burst of belief, and enables one to continue, until the miracle comes.

The divine endowment of faith is equally miraculous to miracles and healings, but its duration is longer. God wants to meet every need in the body of believers. In every trial, sickness, problem, He wants to give a miracle, healing, or the faith to endure until the answer comes. Sometimes, God considers faith to be what is best. As in the case of Mary and Martha, Jesus sought to have them exercise the gift of faith for the four days of Lazarus' sickness and death, and then have the miracle. Too often the impatience of Christians demands the miracle now and doesn't want a gift of faith.

The prayer lines in churches often have the same people in them, service after service. The Lord obviously isn't giving the miracle or healing yet. He is trying to operate the gift of faith in their lives, for now. This gift can be a great witness too. The world can see us endure our "lion's den", and our bed of affliction, and still be rejoicing in Jesus. When the world sees this type of faith, they marvel.

The lack of this faith is evident when Christians go about demanding that the walls of their Jericho's fall on the first day, not the seventh. Many want to strike the lion's dead, not spend the night with them to exercise the gift of faith. In Hebrews chapter 11, the great list of heros of faith are praised for enduring their trials, and awaiting the fulfillment of the promises God gave them, by the exercising the greatest of the power gifts--the gift of faith. Some of the heros of faith even died while exercising the gift of faith and never in this life saw the miracle or healing.

Hebrews 11:13
"THESE ALL DIED IN FAITH, NOT HAVING RECEIVED THE PROMISE, BUT HAVING SEEN THEM AFAR OFF, AND WERE PERSUADED OF THEM, AND EMBRACED THEM..."

This exercising of faith is not the popular Christianity. Most would rather see the miracle. The desire for the miracle is not wrong. The willingness to patiently endure the trial, and await the miracle is what God wants to see in His saints. The persuasion of the validity of God's promises even though we have not yet seen the fulfillment of the promises is greatly rewarded by God. To the great heros of faith, it is recorded in Hebrews 11:16 that -
"WHEREFORE GOD IS NOT ASHAMED TO BE CALLED THEIR GOD..."

God is probably ashamed to be called the God of those who complain, moan, and gripe about their trials, storms, lion's dens, that they are supposed to patiently endure. God will demand that we exercise the gift of faith, even if we try to make it clear that only the healing or miracle will satisfy us. God is greatly displeased when Christians refuse to pray for this gift of faith.

Hebrews 11:38
"NOW THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH; BUT IF ANY MAN DRAW BACK, MY SOUL SHALL HAVE NO PLEASURE IN HIM."

We need the word of wisdom, and the word of knowledge to know which gift God wants to exercise upon us when we are in trials. If in healing lines, the word of knowledge is to be exercised so that the minister can know how to pray for those in trials. The ones who are to receive the gift of faith do not need to go home feeling that since they did not receive the gift of miracles, or the gift of healings, God must not want to give them anything. The greatest gift God can give at that time is the gift of faith. That, when properly received, will bring greater glory to God that the miracle or healing. It is still a sign and wonder. The world marvels at the faith of a Christian enduring the trial with the gift of faith.

There are uses of the gift of faith that need to be explained. Though the gift of faith is the greatest of the power gifts, it is the least understood, and the least desired. We are told to seek the best gifts, and this is the best gift of the power gifts. It is to be used:

1. for personal protection in perilous trials. (As Daniel during the night in the lion's den, and the long walk of the three Hebrew children to the fiery furnace, we are to seek to have an impartation of faith during our trials. Can you imagine the friends of Daniel saying, "If you had real faith you'd be able to speak a word and the lions would fall dead."? Too often the church of today has become like Job's comforters, and find fault with those who have to endure and have the gift of faith instead of a miracle or healing.)

2. for supernatural sustenance in famine or fasting.(In the life of Elijah, he did not have a miracle of great supply of food, but had to exercise a constant faith as God supplied his sustenance was given on a daily basis. Too many of today's "faith" people would berate such a man as Elijah for not being rich, and having to live one day at a time waiting for God to supply.)

3. for receiving the astonishing promises of God. (Abraham had to believe the promise of God that he would have a son, and seed as the sands of the sea, even though the promise seemed to never even have a beginning of fulfillment. In this day of "prosperity" religion, many would have criticized Abraham for believing a promise that never was fulfilled even at his time of death. But Elijah believed in faith, and though he was blessed with some material blessings, his search was for a "CITY WHOSE BUILDING AND MAKER IS GOD.")

4. for courage when the trial is long. (On the mountain top, Moses stood with his arms uplifted. As long as his arms were lifted up, Israel would be winning the battle. As he lowered his arms the battle would turn, and the enemy would begin to win. His long standing, and holding up of his arms was an exercise of the gift of faith. Exodus 17:11 Some would have told Moses, "Why not speak a word and have a miracle! Have the earth swallow them up! Today, many are not desirous of exercising the gift of faith, they want the miracle only. This is often not God's way.)


2. THE ENDOWMENTS OF HEALINGS

THE GIFTS OF HEALINGS is the special abilities to heal diseases. The plural form of the words "gifts" and "healings" indicate the varieties of ways in which God heals. These gifts are the impartation from God to heal, cure, repair, and make whole the physical body, and deliver it from demons or disease.

Three times in I Corinthians 12 (vss. 9, 28, 30), the gift is mentioned and each time it is "gifts of healings". Each of the other gifts is mentioned in the singular. This is because God has many methods of working healings. These include:

1. The pressing through of the individual for healing, as the woman who touched the hem of Jesus' garment...

2. The calling for others to pray the prayer of faith, as we are instructed to call for the "elders" to pray...

3. The rebuking of the devil or demons who are obsessing the individual...

4. The commanding of the sick to do certain deeds to obtain the healing, as Naaman had to dip seven times in the Jordan, and the lame man had to "take up" his bed...

5. The giving of a point of faith, as the shadow of Peter, or the prayer cloth, or the anointing oil...

6. The repetitive prayer, as Elijah's seven-time prayer for rain...

Another reason for the plural of these words may be that God provides some with the gift to heal certain diseases, and to another provides the power to heal other diseases. This teaches a congregation to depend upon each other, for all are needed to exercise their gift as needed.

There are many reasons God will choose to exercise the use of the gifts of healings. These include:

1. To deliver the sick and destroy the works of the devil in the human body.

Acts 10:38
"...WENT ABOUT DOING GOOD, AND HEALING ALL WHO WERE OPPRESSED OF THE DEVIL..."

2. To authorize the gospel that has been preached.

Acts 8:6-7
"AND THE PEOPLE WITH ONE ACCORD GAVE HEED UNTO THOSE THINGS WHICH PHILIP SPAKE, HEARING AND SEEING THE MIRACLES WHICH HE DID. FOR UNCLEAN SPIRITS, CRYING WITH A LOUD VOICE, CAME OUT OF MANY THAT WERE POSSESSED OF THEM; AND MANY TAKEN WITH PALSIES, AND THAT WERE LAME, WERE HEALED."

3. To draw people to Christ.

John 6:2
"AND A GREAT MULTITUDE FOLLOWED HIM, BECAUSE THEY SAW HIS MIRACLES WHICH HE DID ON THEM THAT WERE DISEASED."

4. To inspire faith and courage in God's people.

Luke 13:17
"ALL THE PEOPLE REJOICED FOR ALL THE GLORIOUS THINGS THAT WERE DONE BY HIM..."


3. THE ENDOWMENTS OF MIRACLES

MIRACLES have to do - with more than recovery from illness - and could include restoration of limbs, raising the dead, etc. Moses exhibited it in Egypt and in the wilderness. Elijah exercised the gift of miracles on Mt. Carmel, and at the widow's home. Jesus exercised the gift of miracles when He fed the 5000.

The endowment of miracles is one of the gifts that those who have the ministry gift of apostleship are to have.

II Corinthians 12:12
"TRULY THE SIGNS OF AN APOSTLE WERE WROUGHT AMONG YOU IN ALL PATIENCE, IN SIGNS, AND WONDERS, AND MIGHT DEEDS."

The power to intervene in the course of nature, when the work of the Lord may be furthered thereby, is the gift of miracles. There is much confusion to the meaning of "miracle." A miracle is a supernatural act in the physical realm. A miracle is the temporary suspension of accustomed order. A miracle is a sovereign act of the Spirit, irrespective of laws or systems.

The Bible records many miracles. These include:

1. Elisha made an axe head to swim. (II Ki. 6:1-7)

2. Aaron cast a rod before Pharaoh, and it became a serpent. (Ex. 7:10)

3. Jesus raised the dead to life. (John 11:1-47)

4. Peter raised Dorcas to life. (Acts 9:40)

5. Paul restored Eutychus to life. (Acts 20:10)

Miracles are used of the Lord to:

1. Miraculously deliver God's people (as Moses leading the nation across the Red Sea on dry ground.)

2. Provide for those in need (as the widow's handful of meal, and the feeding of the thousands by Jesus with 5 loaves and 2 fishes.)

3. To carry out divine judgments (as the plagues on Egypt.)

4. To confirm the Word preached (Acts 13:11-12).

5. To deliver from danger (as the calming of the storm.)

6. To raise the dead (as Lazarus was raised by the Lord.)

7. To display God's power and magnificence (as the miracles of Jesus drew the attention of John the Baptist's disciples.)

Divine miracles are not pointless spectacles to grasp peoples's attention. The main emphasis is to show the grace and love of the Lord on a world of need.

Miracles can occur today. Miracles were not explosions of Almightiness for just the apostolic age. Modernists have mocked at the idea of miracles. Yet God is the same today as He has always been. If miracles were needed in Jesus' day, they are even more needed in our day of sin and rebellion to catch the attention of this world. God's plan is for many miracles to occur. The apostles saw many miracles done (Acts 2:43). In these last days, we too should have the endowments of miracles in operation.

 

[murjahel]

THE THREE REVELATION
GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
THAT PENTECOSTAL PREACHERS CAN HAVE


I Corinthians 12:8,10
"FOR TO ONE IS GIVEN BY THE SPIRIT THE WORD OF WISDOM; TO ANOTHER THE WORD OF KNOWLEDGE BY THE SAME SPIRIT...TO ANOTHER DISCERNING OF SPIRITS..."

The Holy Spirit still wants to operate in the church. He wants to supply us with supernatural gifts - "AS HE WILLS." Divine energies are implanted in the Christians. These "gifts" are unmerited bestowments from the Lord. The gifts that are divine implantations of knowledge, understanding, and discernment from the mind of God, are some of the most neglected of the gifts.

Paul longed to impart to the Romans some spiritual gift.

Romans 1:19
"FOR I LONG TO SEE YOU, THAT I MAY IMPART UNTO YOU SOME SPIRITUAL GIFT, TO THE END THAT YE MAY BE ESTABLISHED."

The revelation gifts are vitally important to the church today, so that it may be established and stable. These gifts are often the "best gifts" since they are so often needed.

What are these gifts ?

1. WORD OF KNOWLEDGE is the supernatural revelation of facts in the Divine Mind. The Word of knowledge gives us a bit of knowledge that is needed either as a sign, or as guidance. This does not come by logic or analysis, it comes by divine bestowment. We must beware lest we mistake intuition for this gift. This gift is God's way to guide and teach in special circumstances.

2. WORD OF WISDOM is the supernatural revelation of the purpose of God. The Word of Wisdom is God's method of helping His church understand His purpose in events that are happening. We need to know why some things happen. The Word of Wisdom tells us what God has in mind. By this revelation, we can know what we can do to fit into God's plan.

3. DISCERNMENT OF SPIRITS is the supernatural insight into the realm of the spirits. Discernment of spirits is God's way to reveal whether the agent at work is the human spirit, a demonic spirit, or God's Spirit.


1. THE REVELATION OF WISDOM

THE GIFT OF WISDOM is the special, supernatural revelation, from God to the believer's mind, of the purpose and reason for the workings of God. Paul describes this gift in some detail in I Corinthians 2:6-12:


"HOWBEIT WE SPEAK WISDOM AMONG THEM THAT ARE PERFECT: YET NOT THE WISDOM OF THIS WORLD, NOR OF THE PRINCES OF THIS WORLD, THAT COME TO NOUGHT: BUT WE SPEAK THE WISDOM OF GOD IN A MYSTERY, EVEN THE HIDDEN WISDOM, WHICH GOD ORDAINED BEFORE THE WORLD UNTO OUR GLORY: WHICH NONE OF THE PRINCES OF THIS WORLD KNEW; FOR HAD THEY KNOWN IT, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE CRUCIFIED THE LORD OF GLORY. BUT AS IT IS WRITTEN, EYE HATH NOT SEEN, NOR EAR HEARD, NEITHER HAVE ENTERED INTO THE HEART OF MAN, THE THINGS THAT GOD HATH PREPARED FOR THEM THAT LOVE HIM. BUT GOD HATH REVEALED THEM UNTO US BY HIS SPIRIT; FOR THE SPIRIT SEARCHETH ALL THINGS, YEA, THE DEEP THINGS OF GOD. FOR WHAT MAN KNOWETH THE THINGS OF MAN SAVE THE SPIRIT OF MAN WHICH IS IN HIM? EVEN SO THE THINGS OF GOD KNOWETH NO MAN, BUT THE SPIRIT OF GOD. NOW WE HAVE RECEIVED NOT THE SPIRIT OF THE WORLD, BUT THE SPIRIT WHICH IS OF GOD; THAT WE MIGHT KNOW THE THINGS THAT ARE FREELY GIVEN TO US OF GOD."

Since the Spirit knows all the things in the mind of God, and He dwells in us, we can freely be given fragments of that wisdom to use. We are not tapping into a great computer, but into the very mind of God who knows - not only all the facts, but also all the wherefore's and reasons behind all the facts. This gift is the receiving, knowing, and presenting of the wisdom of God, and the purpose of God behind His doings. It is the insight into the divine acts as to how and why God is working. It is the unfolding of the purpose of His dealings.

It is the greatest of the revelation gifts. Wisdom presupposes knowledge. To just know what God is doing, or what the facts or events are, is not enough. We must also know why, and the purpose of God in these facts. The gift of discernment tells us "WHO" is at work, whether it is God, or not: the gift of the word of knowledge tells us "WHAT" God is doing: but the gift of wisdom is ultimately needed then to tell us "WHY" God is doing these things.

In I Kings 21:18, Elijah is told a word of knowledge- i.e. - to meet Ahab in the vineyard. Then, he is given a word of wisdom:
"WHERE HE IS GONE TO POSSESS IT..."

This wisdom told Elijah the purpose of Ahab. Then God instructed Elijah with more knowledge and wisdom as to God's purpose in sending Elijah there. The revelation gifts are needed to be received as a package. To have all of them is ideal. There are occasions in the church, where one is given the discernment to know that God is at work in a certain situation. As that discernment is given, another may be given the facts from their gift of knowledge of what is about to transpire. Then God may use a third to reveal the word of wisdom, and tell why God is doing these things. God can use the different revelation gifts in this way to teach us to depend on each other, as a body of believers. It also helps us to realize the source of the information is God, not some super-gifted person. Yet at many times, because we have not allowed God to use us with these gifts as He would like, God must use one person with all three of these gifts at once. So it is wise to seek all three as a package, so you may be available to use all three at once, or if God can find two more with these gifts, to be used in conjunction with them with one of the three gifts.

The gift of wisdom is often confused with deep spiritual insight. It is sometimes confused with administrative wisdom. Others may confuse it with prudence or discretion. Yet, it is none of these. It is a revelation from God's mind to us about His purpose to help us understand why He is working out certain events.

How do we recognize the true word of wisdom? One sure test is "THE FEAR OF THE LORD." Wisdom and knowledge are given to those who have a "FEAR" of God.

Proverbs 1:7
"THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS THE BEGINNING OF KNOWLEDGE..."

Proverbs 9:10
"THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM..."

Thus, to have the proper respect, and awe for the greatness of the Person of God, is necessary before the Spirit will begin to reveal the thoughts, purposes and facts from the mind of God to us.

2. THE REVELATION OF KNOWLEDGE

THE WORD OF KNOWLEDGE is the supernatural revelation of certain facts in the mind of God to a Christian. Man has nothing to do with it, except to receive that bit of knowledge that God chooses to reveal. The knowledge will help make a scholar, but being a scholar will never help one to obtain this knowledge.

God does not impart all knowledge, only a fragment that is needed for a temporary need. This knowledge is not acquired by study, but it is a miraculously conveyed knowledge. It is a mental impression, or picture, or vision in which the Spirit discloses some hidden fact or circumstance.

This is not a vocal gift, it may be spoken, but it is received in silence. The gift of prophetic utterance is a similar gift, but the one who speaks the prophecy listens to it as the other hearers. The word of knowledge is given to the mind first, and the use of that knowledge varies. It may be held in silence, as Mary pondered in her heart the facts told to her about Jesus by Gabriel. It may be spoken, as Noah preached about the flood that he was told about.

Why does God give us a word of knowledge? There are many reasons, these include:

1. It may be given to tell us to pray for someone's need, that we wouldn't know naturally. Sometimes God will tell someone what is in the mind of yourself through someone else having a word of knowledge. This will show you that God is aware of your thoughts.

I Samuel 9:19
"I WILL TELL THEE WHAT IS IN THINE HEART."

2. A word of knowledge may be given to help us recover lost property.

3. It may reveal causes of sickness, or demonic possession. The Lord revealed to Peter that Satan had inspired Ananias and Sapphira to lie to the Holy Spirit. So Peter knew the source of the trouble was satanic suggestion. Sometimes in the lives of people today that are troubled by the demons, there is an underlying reason that needs revealed. For Ananias and Sapphira it was their greed and selfishness that allowed the devil to make them lie.

4. A word of knowledge may reveal facts in the lives of others for spiritual correction or profit. John wrote to the seven churches and revealed their spiritual condition to them. Elijah exposed the hypocrisy of Gehazi by knowing from God what he had done. Through a word of knowledge the hiding place of Saul, amidst the baggage, was revealed. David's sin with Bathsheba was revealed to the prophet Nathan.

5. It may reveal facts for us to use in our witness. Ananias was told of Saul's conversion and blindness. Peter was told in a word of knowledge about the fact that Jesus was the Son of God, and was told to not use it in his witness until later. Jesus knew about the past of the woman at the well, and thereby could witness better.

6. A word of knowledge may tell us facts to enable us to know what to do. The location of the Syrian camp was revealed to Elisha. Peter was told of the soon arrival of the men from Cornelius' household.

7. It may be revealed to enlighten and encourage us. Elijah was told by God that he was not the only one left, there were 7000 more.

8. A word of knowledge may be used to take away the arguments of opponents.

Luke 21:14-15
"SETTLE IT THEREFORE IN YOUR HEARTS, NOT TO MEDITATE BEFORE WHAT YE SHALL ANSWER: FOR I WILL GIVE YOU A MOUTH AND WISDOM, WHICH ALL YOUR ADVERSARIES SHALL NOT BE ABLE TO GAINSAY NOR RESIST."


3. THE REVELATION OF DISCERNMENT OF SPIRITS

DISCERNING OF SPIRITS is insight into the spiritual realm to reveal which type of spirit is at work in and through a person. Discernment of spirits outside the spiritual realm is the word of wisdom, and the word of knowledge. This gift is the ability to determine whether someone is speaking or acting under the influence of the Holy Spirit, or under the influence of their own spirit, or under the influence of a demonic spirit.

The word, "discerning", comes from the Greek word - "diakrisis." It means - "judging through." This refers to a seeing through of that which is outward. God sees the heart of man, and man looks on the outward appearance. The Spirit, through the gift of discernment, helps us see through the outward, and into the inner being.

There are three kinds of spirits. There is the Divine, the satanic, and the human. To know which of these is at work in a situation is very difficult. Sometimes, if on our own, we would only be able to guess. The Holy Spirit can enable us to pinpoint the source.

There are many instances whereby we can see this gift in action. Elisha perceived a lying spirit in Gehazi. Peter exposed a demonic influence on Ananias and Sapphira. Peter also exposed the evil condition of Simon. Paul exposed the woman who praised Silas and himself, as being demonically inspired.

There is a definite need for this gift today. We have been warned often in the Bible that in the last days, there would be many false prophets, many who would sneak into the church to disrupt the work of the Lord, and many who would fall away from the grace of God. Satan will attempt to deceive the very elect, if possible. The doctrines of devils will flourish in the last days. If we are to stop these false doctrines, and seducing spirits that are so evident in the last days, we need the gift of discernment to alert people to the problem.

The gift of discernment is to be used to:

1. help in delivering those afflicted by demons...
2. discover a servant of the devil...
3. expose plausible error...
4. unmask demonic miracle workers. (II Thess. 2:9)

There are different methods by which people receive the gift of discernment. These include:

1. Sight - The person actually sees the demonic spirits.
2. Hearing - The person hears God speak a word to them concerning the spiritual activity.
3. Spiritual insight - The person has a kind of knowing, an intuition about the situation.
4. Physical sensation - Some have experienced the hair on the back of the head to stand up whenever the demonic influence is near. For others, the ears burn. Many have reported a sick feeling in the stomach whenever a human or demonic spirit is doing an evil work.


The revelation gifts are best to be sought as a package. When out on the work of the Lord, it is most often necessary to need all three at one time. We need to "COVET EARNESTLY" (I Cor. 12:31) these gifts, because they are vital to the church. We would see more healings and miracles if the word of knowledge were more in use to tell us what God wanted done, and how, and if there were a reason for the healing not coming yet. All of these revelation gifts need to be in operation daily in the church body. These are not gifts that are only needed several times a year. There are church problems, doctrines, attacks of the devil, etc. that come daily to a congregation.

The operation of these gifts in one's life should not be used as an excuse for not studying the Word of God. Bible study is commanded, and to neglect that command, yet still expect the Lord to give a word of knowledge is presumption. These words of wisdom, and words of knowledge, and the discernment of spirits, come to those who "FEAR" and reverence the Lord. If we reverence Him, we will reverence His Word. If one does not study the Word of God, he cannot adequately test the revelations given to see if they are scriptural and valid.

 

[murjahel]

THE ANOINTING on the PENTECOSTAL PREACHER


There are many bestowments of power to be received from the Spirit in our age. We will examine a number of these, and show the Biblical instruction for the bestowments.

The act of anointing someone was done for one who is consecrated to employ a separated to God life. The king, the prophet, the priest, high priest (Ex 29:29; Lev 4:,3 1Kings 19:16 1Chronicles 16:22; Ps 105:15), and the sacred vessels (Ex 30:26) were anointed to be therein available to be used by the Lord in His work. The high priest and king were called "the anointed" (Lev 4:3, 5, 16; Lev 6:20; Ps 132:10). Anointing a king was tantamount to crowning him (1Samuel 16:13; 2Samuel 2:4). Jesus, the coming Messiah, is called the "Anointed" (Ps 2:2; Daniel 9:25, 26). Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit (Isa 61:1). Jesus Christ means “Jesus the Anointed One” (John 1:41; Acts 9:22; Acts 17:2, 3; Acts 18:5, 28).


ANOINTED WITH OIL


Leviticus 8:1-12 (KJV)
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, and the anointing oil, and a bullock for the sin offering, and two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread;
3 And gather thou all the congregation together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
4 And Moses did as the LORD commanded him; and the assembly was gathered together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
5 And Moses said unto the congregation, This is the thing which the LORD commanded to be done.
6 And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water.
7 And he put upon him the coat, and girded him with the girdle, and clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod upon him, and he girded him with the curious girdle of the ephod, and bound it unto him therewith.
8 And he put the breastplate upon him: also he put in the breastplate the Urim and the Thummim.
9 And he put the mitre upon his head; also upon the mitre, even upon his forefront, did he put the golden plate, the holy crown; as the LORD commanded Moses.
10 And Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that was therein, and sanctified them.
11 And he sprinkled thereof upon the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all his vessels, both the laver and his foot, to sanctify them.
12 And he poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron's head, and anointed him, to sanctify him.



The anointing oil represents the Holy Spirit. Aaron was to do the work of God, and therefore needed an anointing of power and authority from the Spirit. We also, in this age, need the anointing of the Spirit. The anointing comes as part of the consecration. Consecration is the ‘setting apart’ from other things, to do the work of the Lord. Do not expect the anointing, if you are not consecrated yourself, the anointing will not come. If you lose your consecration, the Holy Spirit is grieved, and a refilling of the Holy spirit becomes necessary. Those who do not have their hands full, do not need an anointing. The ‘anointing’ is the ‘authority’ to do the work of the Lord. He authorizes us to share in His ministry to this world by the anointing upon us.


Exousia authority is the anointing.

Two words are often translated ‘power’ in the New Testament. The word ‘dunamis’, means miraculous power over the situation. The other word is ‘exousia’ means ‘authority’. We were told to ‘tarry until’ there was an ‘enduing’ with ‘power’ (dunamis). This power is the gifts of power of the Holy Spirit. Healings, miracles, revelations from God, etc are this dunamis power.

The ‘exousia’ kind of power is the authority that comes with the ‘anointing’ from the Spirit. It is the power over the spirits of this world, over the voices that rise against the Lord. This authority is more like the General of the army, who gives a command, and it happens. He speaks and soldiers listen to his authority. The soldiers may have the weapons, and exert another kind of ‘power’ with them. Yet, the ‘authority’ of the commander is that he speaks and people hear and heed. The anointing power (authority) does not give us ability to lord or command others, but with the anointing, one speaks the rhema of God with authority. God’s Word directs, and when an anointed preacher preaches, the message is heard as God’s Words, and devil’s flee, sinners feel the pricking of the Spirit upon their souls.



This anointing authority is something we should exercise. The exercise of this authority is chained to the gifts and offices that we are given by God. When we have a particular gift—whether administration, preacher, evangelist, prophet--we already have authority in that area because we have a gift and calling of empowerment in that area. The ‘anointing’ authority is a right to speak with the rhema power that prophetic words would have. God speaks with authority through the anointed one.


Luke 10:18-19 (KJV)
18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
19 Behold, I give unto you power (exousia) to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

This power to tread over the serpents and scorpions is a delegated authority from God to command them to leave, to be bound, to be taken to the abyssed. They are subject to the words of one who is anointed, as they would be to the voice of Jesus Himself. The anointed one has the right to use the authority of God to destroy Satan's works.

The words "to tread on" means to have complete supremacy over the evil spirits. This ‘anointing’ authority is like the ‘shadow of the Almighty’, and like the ‘feathers’ and the ‘wings’ of God that come upon us, to protect us from the works of devils.

Psalm 91:1-9 (KJV)
1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
9 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

Anointed Christians are to have power over all power of the devil, "and nothing shall by any means hurt" them. This does not mean none of us shall ever die, nor get sick. The ‘serpents and scorpions’, i.e. the demon and evil spirit powers have no power over the anointed. Rather, the anointed has authority over them, can cast them out, defeat their lies to others, by speaking words that explode their lies.

"The people were astonished at His (Jesus’) teaching,... for He taught them as one having exousia." The ‘authority’ of Jesus made His words to astound and befuddle the evil ones. The ‘wisdom’ of others was made to be shown to be foolishness by the words of Jesus. There was power in His words, not only when miracles were done by them, but even the hindrances and walls of devils could not keep the words of Jesus from reaching the hearers.

Jesus taught on a wholly different plane.

John 12:47-50 (KJV)
47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.
48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
49 For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.
50 And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.

When words that are ‘anointed’ words are spoken from an anointed one, they may be rejected, but the rejection of those words brings judgment.

John 17:14 (KJV)
14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
John 14:10 (KJV)
10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

John 14:22-24 (KJV)
22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.

God needs ‘anointed ones’ who with authority speak what God gives them to speak.

The sermons that are anointed have results, and the ‘word’ does not ‘return void, but accomplishes’ its divine goals.

Jesus, because of His words of authority, was “despised and rejected of men". Rejected, despised, but still, the anointed words have great authority.

 

[murjahel]

Fake Imitations of the anointing

There is a danger of mistaking the indulgence of self-conceit to be a movement of the Holy Spirit. This dishonors the Spirit. Beware of false spirituality. It is found in many, many religious circles. The big Bible, the spiritual looking smile, the fake "Amen", and the shouting, dancing, and arm waving that is not inspired by the Spirit's anointing, easily fool some to think that the Spirit's anointing is present. Too many congregations are filled with false spirituality, and not a true anointing of the Spirit.

Some have claimed an anointing that makes them the impregnated glory of God, with the authority to restore power to all others. They think they are Christ Himself, and want more than an ‘anointing’ to be used, but rather want to replace the Lord as a ‘lord’ themselves. No! The anointing gives one authority to speak God’s loving message to others. We do not control nor rule the ministries of others. Apostles are not rulers of the prophets, prophets are not rulers of the pastors, pastors are not rulers of those with other ministries. We never rule as King or as Lord, but we can be anointed to have the authority of God to speak His Word.

JESUS’ ANOINTING

The anointing oil was poured upon the head of Aaron, and over the mitre. This was Aaron's anointing to minister. Jesus had an anointing like this.

Luke 4:18
"...the Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor..."

The anointing is for only the consecrated. It is for those who have filled their hands with the work of God. The Holy Spirit is willing to anoint any who thus come and ask. Yet, their goal must be to be doing the work of the Lord, not seeking acclaim, popularity, nor self glory. They must be set apart to be a blessing to the Lord. This brings an anointing.

Our righteousness, our authority to stand before God, and before mankind, comes from the ‘blood’ that our Lord shed, and the oil of anointing, i.e. the authority of the Holy Spirit.

Blood and Oil

Exodus 29:21 (KJV)
21 And thou shalt take of the blood that is upon the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him.

The sprinkling of the blood and anointing oil together onto the bodies and clothes was a fitting finale for their consecration. Blood had been put on the bodies earlier (Lev. 8:23-24). So this new part did not cleanse from sin except to show a continued confidence in the blood and the continued anointing of the Spirit. The outward anointing with oil stood for the choice of God to bestow authority upon one was called to do His work.

David was anointed.

David was not baptized in the Spirit, for that ‘infilling’ began on the day of Pentecost after Jesus’ ascension. Yet, David was blessed with an authority of the Spirit, to stand as a King, having the authority of God upon him.

1 Samuel 16:13 (KJV)
13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

Psalm 89:19-29 (KJV)
19 Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people.
20 I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him:
21 With whom my hand shall be established: mine arm also shall strengthen him.
22 The enemy shall not exact upon him; nor the son of wickedness afflict him.
23 And I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him.
24 But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him: and in my name shall his horn be exalted.
25 I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers.
26 He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.
27 Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.
28 My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him.
29 His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.

This is the authority of God, put upon David, via that anointing. We can also be anointed to do the work of God, having authority from Him.

“Christ” is a Greek word, Christos, signifying ‘anointed’.

The Hebrew word mâshîyach meaning the same as ‘Christos’ refers to the Messiah. Jesus is called either “Messiah”, or “Christ”, for they mean the same thing. Jesus was the Person anointed come and do the work of God in the salvation provision. To anoint means to consecrate, to set apart to any office. Those set apart are said to be anointed by God. So, Jesus is given the name ‘Messiah’, Christ, Anointed One. He was set apart by God to be the King, High Priest, and Prophet. Anointing with oil was, symbolic of the authority of the Holy Spirit. God gave him the Spirit without measure, (John 3:34) so Jesus is Divinely appointed the Anointed of God.

We have been told to carry on the work of Jesus, and to thereby, do greater works than even Jesus did in His first coming.

"Jesus," was a name of His humanity. Christ, Messiah, was added to His name when He became anointed of God thirty years after He was called Jesus.




It was prophesied that God would make Him the "Anointed".

Isaiah 61:1(KJV)
1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek;

Jesus became the "Anointed" of God was at His baptism (Matt. 3:16-17; 12:15-20; Luke 3:21-22; Acts 10:38). Jesus confirmed the time He became God's "Anointed".

Luke 4:16-21 (KJV)
16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit, not with oil as in the Old Testament.
We, in this age now, do not depend on the ‘oil’ of the Old Testament, we have the real ‘oil’ of the Spirit Himself to anoint, and authorize our ministries.

We can receive the bestowment of the ‘anointing’ also.

I Corinthians 1:21 (KJV)
21 Now He which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;

The ‘Us’ are we who are Christians. It was customary to anoint kings, prophets, and priests, on their entering into their work that needed God’s authority. We can thereby be consecrated, set apart, to the service of God by the Holy Spirit.

 

[murjahel]

COMPOSITION OF THE ANOINTING OIL of the Old Testament

Exodus 30:22-33
"Moreover, the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Take thou unto thee three principal spices, of pure myrrh 500, of sweet cinnamon - one half so much- 250, and of sweet calamus 250. And of cassia 500, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of olive oil a hin. And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary; it shall be an holy anointing oil. And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle... the ark,... the table and all his vessels... the candlestick and his vessels... the altar of incense... the altar of burnt offering with all his vessels... the laver and his foot... and thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy; whatsoever touches them shall be holy. And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them that they minister unto Me in the priest's office. And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be an holy anointing oil unto Me throughout your generations. Upon man's flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any other like it, after the composition of it, it is holy and it shall be holy unto you... whosoever compoundeth any... shall be cut off..."

Thus, the anointing oil consisted of:

a hin of olive oil mixed with...
500 shekel weight of myrrh...
250 shekel weight of cinnamon...
250 shekel weight of calamus...
500 shekel weight of cassia...​

Each of these has a message for us, our anointing from the Holy Spirit consists of certain elements.

The olive oil is a healing and soothing agent. The Holy Spirit is called the "Comforter." He will comfort and give us peace and love as we are anointed. He will minister through us that same soothing and healing peace and love to others.

The myrrh flowed freely from the plant from which it is extracted. It is very bitter in taste. The Holy Spirit gives, or allows some bitter things to happen to the anointed, and it is sometimes something we wish would not flow so freely. Yet, these bitter events come, but we must remember we are on the battle field, not at a summer resort.

The cinnamon is an aromatic spice. The Holy Spirit anointing gives a fragrant aroma to our lives as we serve the Lord.

The sweet calamus is a spice that comes from a cane (as sugar comes from a cane). This is the new sweetness that comes to our lives as we are anointed by the Spirit.

Cassia is a word that means "to cleave", "to stoop", or "to bow down". This indicates that the anointed life is a life of humility, not pride. The truly anointed do not lift up themselves, seek praise and adoration from others... The truly anointed are bowed down in worship and adoration of the Lord Jesus.

The anointing oil is typical of the Holy Spirit resting upon the priest. No imitation of the anointing oil was to be made. Likewise, no human imitation of the gifts or unction of the Spirit is to be attempted. Some have tried to imitate what happens when one is truly anointed. Some preach their sermons without the anointing, but continue to shout, wave arms, show emotion. This is a fake of the real anointing, and it is sinful to imitate the true anointing of the Spirit.

This fake anointing grieves the Holy Spirit. If we have the anointing, but add to it, something different than the original ingredients, as lifted up rather than the humbled, bowed down, or as bitterness rather than the sweetness of the Spirit, or as the non-fragrant aroma of a fleshly life, rather than the fragrance of the a Spirit-led walk, or if we fight the bitter hurts of the anointed ministry, then we lose the anointing. The Spirit withdraws from the person who does not show the acceptance of the real ingredients of the anointing oil.

The anointing needs to remain.

1 John 2:20-28 (KJV)
20 But ye have an unction (chrisma, anointing) from the Holy One, and ye know all things. ...
27 But the anointing (chrisma) which ye have received of him abideth (meno, remains) in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. 28 And now, little children, abide in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.

We are to seek to have an anointing that remains. We are to have it at the time of His coming. It is supposed to be used now, and continue to be used.
The anointing is designed to be emblematic of the empowerments of the Holy Spirit. These empowerments are to continue until the rapture of the church.

This is a bestowment of power that the Holy Spirit wants to put upon those who consecrate themselves to God, separating themselves to God and His work.

 

[murjahel]

MANTLES of Pentecostal Preachers
part 1

2 Kings 2:9 (KJV)
9 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.
2 Kings 2:13-14 (KJV)
13 He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;
14 And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.



WHAT IS THE MANTLE?

The outer garment in Bible times, was a large robe which served the purpose of an overcoat. It is made of sheepskin with the wool still on it, of goat's hair, or of cotton. It was dark brown, different shades and having whitish stripes.

The robe or loose mantle was thrown over the other parts of the dress. It served as shelter from wind and rain, and as a cover at night. It was common sight to see a man walking even on a hot day with his heavy mantle. For the mantle that kept out the cold of winter, kept out the heat of summer.

This mantle with which Elijah smote and parted the waters of Jordan became the property of Elisha (2Kings 2:8-13). The three young men who were cast into the fiery furnace were clad in their mantles as well as their tunics and other garb (Dan. 3:21).

The act of Elijah, conveying a double portion upon Elisha, by throwing his mantle upon him, has made the subject of ‘mantles’ to be of spiritual discussion for centuries since. Even the popes of the Roman Catholic church have borrowed the ceremony in the ordaining of archbishops, seeking to invest them with church authority, by sending him what is called by them, a pallium, pall, or cloak.

This pallium was not much like the mantle, actually, for in Zechariah 13:4, and 2 Kings 1:8, we see that the original mantles were rough or hairy garments. The pallium or pall was made of white wool. The nuns of St. Agnes, annually, present two white lambs on the altar of their church. The lambs are later to the pope's sub-deacons, who send those lambs to pasture till shearing time. They are then shorn, and the pallium is made using their wool. The pallium is then placed on the high altar on the supposed bodies of Peter and of Paul. This becomes to them, like the mantle of Elijah, only to them this having been upon what is supposed to be the body of Peter, is supposed to pass the power they afforded Peter, and feel it is invested into the successors.

No, that is not the teaching of the ‘gift’ of the mantle. There is a mantle that God can share with us, and we can gain blessing from its bestowment.

JESUS WORE A MANTLE.

Did Jesus wear a literal mantle? Famous artists have painted pictures of Jesus, and have not always given an letter-perfect view. Upon His head He must have worn the turban. It was probably white, and fastened under the chin by a cord, and came down to the shoulders over his tunic.

His tunic, His underneath apparel, was of one piece without seam. It was of value, This tunic had probably been given to Him by one of those women who "ministered to Him of their substance."

Over this He wore the mantle which was unsecured and flowing. This mantle was not white, for it became white during the transfiguration. It was not red, for that was only the military color, It may have been blue, if it were of the cotton type, or it may have been white with brown stripes if it were sheepskin.

John 13:4 (KJV)
4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.

Jesus laid aside his garments, i.e. His outer garment. (Matthew 5:40) This was his mantle, which is also said to have been without seam. It was customary to lay this aside when they worked. So, this mantle was even worn by our Lord. The significance of the mantle, and of its typical meaning should be discovered, so as to understand what this gift of the Spirit is.

THE DOUBLE PORTION MANTLE IS NEEDED TODAY.


Christians have a promise of a ‘double portion’. Elijah and Elisha took a long walk. Elijah was preaching his last set of sermons, to some ‘schools of prophets’ in various communities. The lessons taught teach us yet today. There was a double portion blessing that Elisha wanted to have, and he needed a teaching to illustrate to him how one gets a double portion of God’s power.

When they walked through Gilgal (II Kings 2:2) Elijah told Elisha, ‘tarry here, I pray thee, for the Lord hath sent me to Bethel.’ But Elisha told Elijah ‘I would not leave thee.’

When they walked through Bethel, a bit more advanced group of prophetic students, Elijah also told Elisha to remain there (II Kings 2:3-4). Elisha would not, but continued on with Elijah, for Elijah had prophesied that he would be taken up, and Elisha wanted to be there when that happened.

When they came to Jericho, (II Kings 2:4), Elisha would not stay there either, though requested to do so. The ones there were a bit more spiritual, and also knew that Elijah was to be raptured. A group of 50 of them followed a bit far off, just wanting to see what happened. When Elijah parted the Jordan, they were a bit far off to cross over with them, so they had to wait there, and did not see the rapture of Elijah.

Elijah then had the one prophetic student of the groups, that was the hungriest, most desirous of more. So, Elijah asked:
‘Ask what I shall do for thee... I pray thee a double portion of thy spirit be upon me...’

So, Elisha asked for a double portion, and had already proven, he was not satisfied with what others had, but he wanted more.

The last day revival is a time when a double portion will be available for all, but some will not want it desperately enough. Many have not learned the key to receiving a double portion. The key is the ‘mantle’.

How many Elisha’s are there out there in this day? How many are like the ‘sons of the prophets’ that are apathetic, or at best curious enough to just stay close enough to see what is happening?

Elijah told Elisha, that if he were near when Elijah would be raptured, and caught his mantle, he would have as he desired. That would take some courage, for as the chariots of fire came near, and a whirlwind caught up Elijah, the normal human tendency would be to run and be safe. But, Elisha was courageous, and stood there, probably hoping he would get taken up too.

Some are like the prophets at Gilgal and Bethel, who did not even know about the rapture of Elijah that was to happen. Some like those in Jericho, knew, but only were interested enough to follow afar off. But Elisha wanted to be empowered, and the mantle represented that empowering.

The mantle was a blanket like garment. It was often shared by two as they would walk together, for it could be cold, and the two that were in fellowship together, would share the mantle for warmth, and be able to fellowship easily. The mantle therefore represents ‘fellowship with God’. And God let Elijah pass on that ‘fellowship’ to Elisha. It became a double portion blessing to him.

It was not till Elisha had refused to stay at Gilgal, Bethel, Jericho and at Jordan’s edge, that the offer was made. There are some today, in Christianity, around the world, that are pushing past the snares of the devil, the false doctrines of demonic doctrines, the lures of false prophets, the concerns of the cares of life, the lust for things and carnal mammon. These ones are being offered a garment of clothing beyond the normal blessings of all saints. This mantle experience, this double portion, is a closer fellowship with God. It is a walking daily in fellowship with the Lord.

Elisha was the only one who ventured to stay with Elijah. Some want to press on, and seek in the Word, study with the Spirit, pressing on through all the distractions, and come to a place where God is offering a mantle experience for the last days. We can see great examples of the faith, in the present, and in the past, and we can desire to have more. The key is a ‘mantle’ walk with the Lord.

Elisha knew of the great ministry of Elijah, and wanted more. Others were satisfied, complacent, apathetic, or at best, curious. Yet, Elisha was hungry, anxious, and requested this mantle experience. Some give up in trials, some ‘stay put’ when told to, some refuse to get so desirous of blessing and power, that they do not press on. This is still a request, when we ask for the mantle. But it is a request that shows by action that it is wanted desperately.

God wants us to be ‘thoroughly furnished’... ‘that the man of God may be perfect.’ (II Timothy 3:15-17) The mantle experience is not just for an elite few, but for an anxious many. God would like if it all would desire it. God would have loved for all 50 on the other side of Jordan had the same desire as Elisha. God would have loved the others in other towns to have followed, and requested the double portion. It was not God’s will they were excluded, it was their lack of earnestness that lost their possible blessing.

Are you willing to be dishonored, despised, de-valued, hated, shunned, by others? Are you willing be the ‘off-scouring of all things’ (I Cor. 4:3) to others? If you have no ambition for self, no reputation to try to build, and are willing to just want to do more for God, to be more useful for Him, then you are able to ask and receive the mantle clothing.

David was a man ‘after God’s own heart.’ This means that David wanted to know God’s thoughts. Elisha wanted a double portion experience. What do you want?

Elisha was bent on getting that double portion, he was not indifferent. He had faith and labored toward that goal. He refused to be told ‘no’ by Elijah. He was patient, bold, and determined.

God’s blessing upon the person of Elisha was great, but add to that the mantle experience he was given, and it became an awesome wardrobe to wear. What are you wearing in this battle? We have the armor, we have the sword, and now, we can receive the the double portion mantle, and watch God work. Yet, few have the spiritual ambition that Elisha had.
Isaiah 64:7
“There is none... that stirreth up himself to take hold of Thee...’

Too often this is still the case. God calls us all to a double portion, and few step up to claim His gift. We can walk closer to the Lord, than we ever imagined. We can see God work miracles for us, and through us, if we are determined to keep closer fellowship with the Lord. He offers this mantle of fellowship, and that mantle allows the double portion blessings.

The day of Pentecost came as people had ‘tarried until’. If you had to ‘tarry until’ the mantle experience would come, would you? Some cannot ask God twice for the same thing. They ask once, and if the answer is not there immediately, they cease trusting God, and look to do what they can for themselves. God wants us to seek, request, and keep on wanting great things from Him. He commanded that we ‘ask largely’.

It is a lonely walk in walking past all the others who are not so inclined, as it was for Elisha. He passed by many other prophets who did not have the desire he had. God will not give the mantle to ones like those. But He stands ready to give out mantles to all who will push toward that goal, and claim the offered mantles.

Elijah cast his mantle upon him. The ‘mantle’ was used to be in fellowship with another walking along the same path. We are in fellowship with God, when He casts the ‘mantle’ experience upon us. Elijah and Elisha walked in fellowship as they walked toward the Jordan River. As we walk this pathway with Jesus, carrying our cross, we will be able to have this ‘mantle-fellowship’ with Him.

 

[murjahel]

THE POWER OF GOD IS AVAILABLE
WHEN WE HAVE THE MANTLE.

2 Kings 2:13-15 (KJV)
13 He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;
14 And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.
15 And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha.

The fellowship with the Lord, that the mantle represented, was obvious to others. He walked with God, had double the recorded miracles of Elijah. The fellowship he had with God provided many bestowments of power.

THEY WANDERED IN SHEEPSKIN AND GOATSKIN MANTLES,
BUT SOME COUNTERFEITED THE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
THAT THEY PROCLAIMED.

Hebrews 11:37-40 (KJV)
37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
38 (Of whom the world was not worthy) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

“They wandered about in sheepskins” What this refers to are the sheepskins dressed with the wool still on. This was like the mantle that Elijah wore, and which was afterwards used by Elisha. In the Septuagint, in 2 Kings 2:8-13, it says: “and Elijah took his SHEEPSKIN (mantle.)” “And he (Elisha) took the SHEEPSKIN of Elijah which had fallen from off him.”

Many of the false prophets imitated this, in order that they might gain the greater credit.

Zechariah 13:4 (KJV)
4 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive:

The mantle of Elijah and of Elisha represented the walk of fellowship that we can and should have. In that time, some wore a hairy mantle to be perceived as a prophet. Today, many claim a fellowship walk with the Lord, but they do so to imitate the real. Some claim to be told things from God that are not from God, do not harmonize with the written Word of God. They tell people what to give to them, promise blessings that God never spoke for them, and pretend to be a real prophet of God. This is the same kind of pretense that many claimed in those past days, by wearing a mantle.

THE REAL MANTLE CANNOT BE PASSED ON,
NOR TAKEN FROM ANOTHER.

Exodus 22:26-27 (KJV)
26 If thou at all take thy neighbour's raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by that the sun goeth down:
27 For that is his covering only, it is his raiment for his skin: wherein shall he sleep? and it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious.

If ever one would take another’s neighbor’s garment in pledge, or if one ever enjoys the presence of the Lord felt via another who has a mantle fellowship with the Lord, they will find that the mantle experience is not to be gained by taking another’s. The experience must be from God, must be a personal walk with the Lord. Another’s walk can be shared for a short time, but when one leaves that person, the feeling they had of God’s presence is gone. One must obtain the mantle fellowship from the Lord Himself to make it be a permanent possession.

Going to bed was an uncomplicated issue for the people of that day. Mats were used to lie upon, but the innkeeper did not provide any covering. Each person provided his own covering, i.e. his mantle. It was warm for even the coldest of nights. If he were sleeping outdoors, this covering was waterproof, and therefore far superior to our blankets of today. It was this outer garment, the mantle, that was a person's covering that the law did not allow anyone to keep this pledge or surety, for this would deprive him of his means of keeping warm while sleeping. Such a garment if taken, for a surety, had to be returned by sunset.

In the same way, the circumstances of life require that we keep our fellowship with the Lord, stay close to Him to warm us from life’s cold, to shelter us from life’s storms. We need the mantle fellowship. This mantle relationship with the Lord is something we should all desire. We need to walk closely with Him, fellowship with Him, stay close for His power, and His comfort, to be available as we need it in our ministries.

 

[murjahel]

rod of power, part 1

THE BURNING BUSH

This bush in the dry desert pictured the ungodly, Hebrew people who were in bondage. The thorns of the bush are typical of the consequence of sin (Genesis 3:17-18). Fire symbolizes their suffering and tribulation. The bush was unharmed by all the persecution, and the trials could not eradicate them. The voice of God from that burning bush shows the presence of God amidst them, preserving them for a day of deliverance.

God startled Moses with this revelation, and the teaching that Moses received that day, needs to be re-spoken today and always. God has not forgotten those who have become in bondage to sin, He is still working out His plan to try and deliver them. He calls for prophets, pastors, evangelists, to go to ones in bondage, and lead them to deliverance in God.

Today we have Scriptures to direct us, and we have the Holy Spirit to guide us, but occasionally God still must use "burning bush" experiences to make sure we definitely know His will. His calling for ministers is to have direction, and power to do His will. In this case, Moses realized he had a ‘rod’, one that God had provided, and God would overcome all of Moses’ inabilities and weaknesses, with the power of God that could work through him.

Psalms 37:23
"The steps of a good man are ordered of the Lord..."

Moses had been led by circumstance and design to this place of the burning bush. God wanted to lead him from the burning bush, to the people it represented, and to deliver them with the power of God.

GOD'S MINISTERS NEED THE CALL OF GOD.

Too many of today's ministers feel that the ordination of a denomination is sufficient to indicate a calling and ministry. There is a greater credential authority that is mandatory for any ministry. Moses knew that if he appeared before the elders of Israel, they would not accept him, or believe him. They would not accept the words and direction of Moses as the message from God. Therefore, Moses felt unprepared, afraid, inferior, and unworthy.

Moses then, and many ministers today feel an inferiority in God’s work. This inferiority comes from two fears:

1. Fear of failure
This is the fear that one cannot do what is required of him. This fear of losing even self-respect by lack of ability is devastating. The fear of failure is taking a wrong estimate of God's promises and provisions. The secret is to learn that it is not what can we do, but what can God do!!! We can "do all things through Christ..."

2. Fear of man
There are always people who will disapprove. No one will get 100 % approval. Christ even had a "Judas" in the twelve disciples. Christ was perfect, but His critics were many. If we are in a perfect harmony with the Lord, many will think we are not in harmony, because they are not in harmony. Criticism must not be used to defer us from doing right, for we would never get anything done for God if we await 100 % agreement from those whom we know.

These fears needed to be settled, cleansed from Moses. The fears inside mankind crowd out God and His peace. They blind from truth, they deafen spiritual ears from faith. Moses had fears that had to be discussed, and replaced.

THE EXCUSES OF MOSES

1. LACK OF CAPABILITY
In Exodus 3:11, Moses said: "...Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh...?
God answered in Exodus 3:12: “Certainly, I will be with you." Walking alone in our calling is a recipe for disaster. Walking with God in our work for Him, we are assured of victory.

2. LACK OF MESSAGE
Moses said in Exodus 3:13: "...what shall I say unto them???" God answered in Exodus 3:14: "Thou shalt say, 'I AM' hath sent me." We do not need to know what to say. The Bible has it all written out, the Holy Spirit is in us to inspire us. We are but to trust His message.

3. LACK OF AUTHORITY
Moses tried again, with the excuse found in Exodus 4:1: "...behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken to my voice." God promised multitudes of miracles in His answer in Exodus 4:2-9: "What is in thine hand?" ("A rod") "... put hand into thy bosom..." ("leprous")... "If they will not hearken to the voice of the first sign, they will believe the voice of the latter sign..." God showed and promised miracles to confirm that Moses was called and chosen for the work. We can have miracles, which are the ‘signs following’ that we are to have for ministry.

4. LACK OF ELOQUENCE
In Exodus 4:10, Moses tried another excuse: "I am not eloquent..." God answered in Exodus 4:18-19: ‘Who hath made man's mouth? ...I will be with thy mouth..." God dwells in us, speaks rhema words through us. We do not need ‘eloquence’ or training to be articulated in speech. We will have God’s message of rhema, and those words have power.

5. LACK OF A HELPER
Moses tried another excuse, found in Exodus 4:13: "Send, I pray thee, by the hand of him who thou wilt send..." God's anger was ignited by this excuse, and His answer is found in Exodus 4:14-16: "The anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses... Is not Aaron, the Levite, thy brother? ...he shall be thy spokesman..." We have God Who is offering to work through us if we minister for Him, why would we need a human assistant to help Him get done what He wants us to do?

6. LACK OF PREVIOUS SUCCESS
Moses reminds God of his previous failures in Exodus 5:23: "For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Thy name, he hath done evil to this people, neither hast Thou delivered Thy people at all." Moses wanted to share the blame for the failures with God, but God had never failed, only Moses had. God is not intimidated by powerful people. We may have fled them in the past, but with God we can march forward toward sure success. God answered in Exodus 6:1"Now thou shalt see what I will do to Pharaoh."

7. LACK OF PREVIOUS ACCEPTANCE
Moses thought the people needed to give him authority to minister, but God did not think that way. Moses said in Exodus 6:12: "Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me..." People do not ordain God’s ministers, only God can call a person. God does not seek, nor want man’s approval. He is sovereign, and knows who He wants to call into ministry. God answered Moses in Exodus 6:13: "...the Lord spake unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and gave them a charge..." God gives us our orders, our calling, our ministry.


God can get angry at our excuses, and out lack of trust in Him as our answer. Many think God sits in heaven, immovable, uncaring. God does have emotions, feelings. He shares His sorrows, He pities His children, He loves, He can regret, He can be jealous, He can get angry, He can be touched. The many excuses of Moses are being re-used over and over yet today, but God’s answers are still the same. He is our Lord, our Empowerer, our Guide. We have no excuse, nor did Moses, that will ever have God exempt us from our calling and ministry.

God has a rod of power to give the Pentecostal preachers, and undo the effect of all those excuses... stay tuned... part 2 cometh...

 

[murjahel]

GOD HAS POWER FOR US TODAY, A ROD

God always gives anyone that is called to ministry the might and miraculous power that is needed. Moses here is promised the power, with the rod of God, to do miracles that are needed. Ministerial badges, denominational licenses, or robes with turned around collars, do not give us authority nor success in ministries.

We need the miraculous power of God, with signs and wonders following, in order to succeed in any of our callings from God. The people could not say: "The Lord did not appear to you..." for the Lord was bestowing miraculous signs to indicate that He was still appearing to Moses. God gave Moses signs to show that he was not inferior to the magicians of Pharaoh. The signs showed that Moses had greater powers from God than the Pharaoh's had from their demonic impersonators of God.

The miracles accompanying Moses, were symbols of divine power. The Pharaoh wore a diadem, and upon it were the symbolic signs of divine power. Moses had no diadem. He had a ‘rod’, and with that ‘rod’ came the power of God to show that His God was greater than the gods of Pharaoh. Our God will still back up His chosen, His elect, His called, His anointed, and His witnesses.

Mark 16:17-18
"And these signs shall follow them that believe; in My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover..."

John 14:12
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works that these shall he do; because I go unto My Father."

Why should a person claim a divine call or mission without the power and miraculous anointing to demonstrate the calling of God. Moses had a ‘rod’, and we have the promises of Jesus, and the infilling of the Spirit, to give us the greater power now, than even Moses had with that rod.

Christ told the disciples:

Acts 1:4-8
"...commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, Which, saith he, ye have heard of Me... Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto Me..."

The disciples were to have a Holy Spirit anointed ministry, with signs and wonders following. These were to be their credentials, and they were to await this empowering before beginning their ministries. God desires to give us credentials before the world. They may not listen or recognize the credentials of God's power, but God still gives them.

WHAT WAS THE ROD OF GOD?

Exodus 4:2 (KJV)
2 And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.
Exodus 4:17 (KJV)
17 And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.

This rod mentioned in the Bible many times is called "the rod of God..."

Exodus 4:19-20 (KJV)
19 And the LORD said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life.
20 And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.

A rod, but one called the ‘ROD OF GOD’. It was made the tool of working many miracles. The rod of God, a sign of God’s power, by which Moses was to perform all his miracles.

In mythology, the devil used the idea of a rod, to counterfeit God’s power. The rod of Mercury in mythology was said to have wrought many miracles. It was even said to kill and to make alive, to send souls to an invisible world and bring them back. But those kind of counterfeits cannot denigrate the real rod of God. The devil’s imitations, his fictional copies, are mere illusions of power. God has for Moses and for us, the real ‘rod’ of power. Moses was told to take this rod, and hold it up, to secure victory for God’s people in the battle.

Exodus 17:9 (KJV)
9 And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.

Moses took his position on the top of a hill, holding in his hand, the rod of God. As long as the rod was held up, Israel dominated the battle. Yet, when Moses' hands became limp, Amalek triumphed. Aaron and Hur stayed the hands of Moses until sunset, and Amalek was defeated.

The reason that the holding up the hands was effective, was not typical of enduring prayer, but it was the unity of claiming the power given by the rod of God. All of Israel had that promise of God, that His power would be with them, and as they looked upon the hill, they saw the rod of God promising them

With this the name of the memorial-altar, which Moses built there, called Jehovah-nissi, "the Lord my banner" agrees. The rod of God was the banner of God -a promise of God’s power that was given to the one who was to lead them to deliverance.

Amalek opposed Israel journey to the promised land of victory. Moses held the rod of God in the hand of faith. The rod must ever be uplifted in faith, to secure its promised blessing. God’s rod, in the hands of God’s children, is a powerful tool and weapon in this battlefield of today.

TRADITIONAL ROD, OR SPECIAL GIFT?

The traditional idea of a rod is a piece of a tree limb used for support or as a weapon. It became a symbol of authority. The reason this rod was a symbol of authority, and the reason it is called "the rod of God" is because its origin is not simply a branch Moses used to aid his support.. Its origin is from God, and the book of Jasher tells us the needed details to understand why it became the symbol of authority to Moses, and to all the Hebrew people.

This rod, we have assumed was a piece of a tree limb, like other ‘rods’ of the day. Those kind of rods were used as a weapon, to protect oneself, or the sheep that the shepherd was protecting. Yet, according to Jasher 77:39-51 , it was a "sapphire stick" that had the name of the Lord God of Hosts written upon it. It is the same sceptre which God held as He created the earth and the universe.

It was given to Adam to till the ground after his expulsion from the garden, and represented the authority and dominion over the earth given to Adam.

It was passed down. First, Noah, then successively to Shem, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and finally to Joseph. Then following the death of Joseph, some in Egypt kept it until it came to Jethro (Reuel). Jethro left Egypt with it, and placed it within his garden. It became impossible for anyone to remove it from the place wherein it was planted. Jethro knew that only the worthy person to have it would be able to remove it. Mythology took this story from Jasher, and incorporated it into some of the fiction of the devils.

Moses walked up to this rod of God, read God’s name, and removed it. Jethro offered Zipporah to Moses in marriage, to bring favor from Moses. This is how Moses came into possession of the "rod of God..."

Some may not accept Jasher’s account of the rod. Some may choose to think of it as a short branch from a tree. Either way, this ‘rod of God’ had power from God flow through it.

With this rod:
was brought hail and lightning (Exodus 9:23),
locusts (Exodus 10:13),
a rock was smitten and water came forth (Exodus 17:5-7, Numbers 20),
it was changed into a serpent (snake) (Ex 4),
It was held over the waters and the waters parted...
etc.

NOBODIES CAN HAVE THE ROD OF GOD

When God called Moses, He asked him, "What is in thine hand?" Moses answered, "A rod." Then God told Moses, "Thou shalt take this rod in thine hand wherewith thou shalt do signs..." (Exodus 4:2-17) Moses was a ‘nobody’, a criminal, one hiding in the desert, unwanted by his own people, a criminal to his enemies. He was a ‘nobody’. But God had a rod of power for him to use.

This rod represented the great power of God that God bestows as a gift upon us. We have been promised to be able to do greater works than Christ did when He walked this earth, because of an enduement of Power from on high, that we would be given.

The Holy Spirit was shown in type by this "rod of God..." As a gift to the men of God in the Old Testament, this rod was thrown down, when the situation required a miracle. We too can call on the Holy Spirit when the situation calls for a miracle, a gift of the Spirit is always available to God's chosen people, the church. The church are ‘nobodies’ in this world. We have no power, no great authority, no miraculous strength. Yet, the Holy Spirit fills us with power, His power.

Moses was about to face the great struggle to free God's people from Egypt. He needed the power of God to help him. We, the nobodies of today, are now engaged in the struggle against the devil to free the saints from this earth via the rapture, and we are struggling against the sin, and the demonic cohorts of the devil who try to ensnare sinners so they cannot escape with us. The Holy Spirit, His power, His miraculous workings are needed by us, especially in these last days.

"Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me...” (Psalms 23:4). The Holy Spirit is the "Comforter..." The ‘rod of God’, i.e. the Holy Spirit of power, is with us, to show forth the power of God.

God took what Moses, a nobody, having only a the rod in his hand. God showed that nobody, that is all he would need. God can use the weakest nobody to accomplish the greatest ends.


All the wisdom of Egypt could not prepare him for the work of God.

Acts 7:22
"And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians..."

Yet, the attempts of Moses were carried out in the flesh, without the guidance, and direction of the Lord.

Acts 7:25
"For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them; but they understood not."

Therefore, God took Moses from the scene of Egypt to drain him of all self-sufficiency. These next years drained him from "somebody" to a "nobody" that God could use. Finally, Moses qualified, by realizing that he was "nobody".

Exodus 3:11
"And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?"

Why did God decide that this was the correct time to deliver the Hebrews? God heard the "groaning" of His people, He remembered His covenant of promise to them, and He loved this people...

Exodus 2:24-25
"And God heard their groaning, and remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them."

Exodus 3:7
"And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of My people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows..."

Moses was fully prepared, educated, but drained of all self-sufficiency. He had become a ‘nobody’ that the rod of God could be then available to him. The power to part waters, bring victory, was the rod of God, not Moses’.

 

[murjahel]

ANOTHER ROD THAT PENTECOSTAL PREACHERS ARE TO CARRY:
Aaron’s Rod that Budded



The name ‘Aaron’ means ‘enlightened, rich, fluent. He was the eldest son of Amran. Miriam was his sister, and she was several years older. Aaron was three when Moses was born.

Moses took Aaron as his assistant. While Moses was slow of speech, Aaron was fluent and a ready spokesman. He is called Moses’ ‘mouth’ (Ex. 4:16).

Aaron became a ready assistant to Moses. He had some failures, as the ‘golden calf’ fiasco. Yet, Aaron repented, and was a good brother to Moses in the end.



THE DEAD BRANCH MADE ALIVE

The ‘rod of God’ was carried by Moses. Aaron had a rod too. It was a ‘branch’, it once had been growing as part of a tree of this earth. It was now a dead branch. This rod was far different in type from the ‘rod of God’ that Moses carried. Moses held a ‘rod’ that had power, the power of God. Aaron had a rod that was a dead stick.

This dead branch represents our lives. We are of this world, but we are not sustained by this world any longer, we are dead in sins. There needs to be a new life in us, we need to have a supernatural healing of the dead branch that we are.

The Lord told Moses to take the branch that was used by Levi, several generations before, and to write Aaron’s name upon it. This was to be laid in the tabernacle, in the presence of God.

Numbers 17:3-6 (KJV)
3 And thou shalt write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers.
4 And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you.
5 And it shall come to pass, that the man's rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you.
6 And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers' houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.

The others took their rods and put them there with Aaron’s, to see which one would supernaturally blossom. The one that would blossom, was to be the lineage of the priesthood. We come to God and want to have supernatural, cathartic healing of our dead, hurting from the removal of life in us.

The other rods continued as they were. Aaron's rod became a living outgrowth from a life outside of itself. We are outgrowths of a life that comes to us from God, we have no life of ourselves, this body is mortal, and the spirit without God is dead. There were buds, blossoms, and fruit, and this was all miraculous.

Thus Aaron was shown there was in his ‘rod’ a life, with this special life blessing of God. Fruitfulness is the evidence of a Divine call.

This rod was made to live, with evidence, with fruit of life, to prove to the murmurers, the doubters, that life was within. Moses carried the ‘rod that represented the ‘power of God’, but Aaron had the rod that represented the fruit of the Spirit, that is the evidence of the new life within.

The design of God is to take away sin, and provide us with power and a change of heart, a life that is bearing fruit for God. But the dry rod revived and blossomed to the confusion of the others, and proved that the presence of God, indwelling the dead, the lifeless branch, can make alive and fruitful.

The people cried out: “Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish!” Without the life of God in us that comes when we yield to the Lord in repentance for our sins, remove our own pride and self centeredness, we are but perishing, dead branches.

If we die, if we perish, it is because of our own selves. We bear the blame for our own ‘deadness’. Yet, we cannot take credit for our salvation. The buds and blossoms, the fruit of life, has to come from without ourselves, as it did in Aaron’s rod.

BY THE FRUITS WE ARE KNOWN

Numbers 17:5-11 (KJV)
5 And it shall come to pass, that the man's rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you.
6 And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers' houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.
7 And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness.
8 And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.
9 And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod.
10 And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron's rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not.
11 And Moses did so: as the LORD commanded him, so did he.

The Aaronical priesthood was never after disputed, after that, for the ‘life’ was proven in that rod, by the fruit it produced. The rod of Aaron budded, and produced buds, blossoms0, and ripe fruit. The life of a Christian bears fruit. We may fail, we may sin, but the life within us brings us over and over back to repentance, back to bearing again the fruit of the Spirit. The fruitfulness, the buds of good desires, the blossoms of holy resolutions, the ripe fruit of faith, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, kindness, all spring from the High Priest, our Lord Jesus.

Aaron's staff, perhaps the rods of all the tribes, were out of the amygdala communis, the almond tree. In that soil and climate, it grows to twenty feet in height: The blossoms of this tree are delicate red, coming early in March, having begun to bud in January. In Hebrew it is “shaked” from shakad, to awake, because it buds and flowers sooner than most other trees. So, the rods borne by many of Israel were made of this tree.

To see a dead branch long ago cut off from the tree, without bark or moisture remaining, put in a dry place for one night, produce not only buds, but also the flowers and fruit, was a demonstration of the peculiar intervention of God into the persons who come to Him in humble repentance.


THE MIRACLE OF PROOF TO THE WORLD


Exodus 7:8-12 (KJV)
8 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
9 When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent.
10 And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.
11 Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.
12 For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods

When the ‘rod of God’ that Moses carried turned into a serpent, it is the Hebrew word “nachash”, a term that refers to normal snakes. The word for ‘serpent’ in the case of the rod of Aaron is different, it is the Hebrew word ‘tanninim. The word refers to a ‘sea serpent’ (Job 7:12; Psalm 91:13; Isaiah 27:1; 51:9; Jeremiah 51:34; Ezekiel 29:3; 32:2, Lamentations 4:3).

As the rod changed into the sea monster, the magicians of Egypt turned theirs into crocodiles, and then the sea monster ate the crocodiles.

The pharaoh’s challenge, "Shew a miracle...’ brought the miracle proof, beyond doubt, that Jehovah is God, and that God had commissioned His servants. The question in the minds then, and stll now, is whether the gods of this world are equal to our God. There are many religions, many other gods that are worshipped, but our God is far superior.

The inferiority of their power was proven when" Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods." The hardness of the heart of pharaoh made him still resist this proof, and he refused to admit God to be the only God of poower.

When he cast down his rod, and it became a sea serpent, and "the magicians of Egypt" "did cast down theirs too, the superiority of Aaron appeared when his "rod swallowed up their rods."

All the false gods, the false religions are of no power over our God, and He put life into the rod of Aaron to show forth His great power and life in us.

The magicians' rods had become crocodiles but Aaron's rod, suddenly a sea serpent, swallowed them up, proving that God's power is greater than Satan's power.

The miracles of the magicians were that their rods were changed to crocodiles (Ex. 7:11-12), the turning of water to blood (Ex. 7:22), and their bringing up frogs (Ex. 8:7). These were astounding to the persons of that day. Yet, they were no match for the power of God. The devils have only limited power. In the future, the power of the devil through the false prophet and the antichrist will call fire down from heaven, and do some miracles to deceive (Mt. 24:24; 2Th. 2:8-12; Rev. 13:2,4,11-18; 16:13-16; 19:20). Yet, then again, the power of God will be shown to be far superior, when God works through the two witnesses.


When the power of God changes our dead branch into a rod of budding, flowering, fruitful rod, we have new power within that is superior to all the power of the devils.


THE ALMONDS ON OUR RODS

Galatians 5:22-25 (KJV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

The fruit of the Spirit is the almond that the Holy Spirit produces. It is with purpose that Paul uses the word "Spirit", to denote that these fruit do not flow from our own nature. The virtues which he enumerates are produced only by the person of the Holy Spirit. Hence Paul does not let it be thought that they can come from our own hearts, even when regenerated.

1. love
This love is one that is for God and for other persons. On the meaning of the word love, 1 Corinthians 13:1 was written, and embodies far more than mankind could ever create.

2. Joy
In the love of God there will be joy. By the pardon of salvation from our sins, there comes a communion with the Redeemer. As we begin to serve Him, the joy continues.

3. Peace
This comes with realization of the reconciliation with God.

Romans 5:1 (KJV)
1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

4. Long-suffering
When we are in affliction and trial, and when injured by others, we choose now to suffer long, and not to seek to retaliate.

1 Corinthians 13:4 (KJV)
4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

5. Gentleness
The word means goodness, kindness, benignity; unlike the harsh, mean temper. It is a mildness of temper, calmness of disposition, a politeness. The Holy Spirit sweetens the irritable; makes the heart kind; disposes us to make those near to us as happy as we can. This is a kind of politeness which is only authored by the Spirit.

6. Goodness
This is the disposition to benefit others.

Romans 15:14 (KJV)
14 And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.

7. Faithfulness

This is a fidelity, a faithful person to his word and promises, a person who can be trusted. The Holy Spirit makes a person faithful to neighbour, to friend, mate, to child. All pretensions to being Spirit filled and to not have fidelity are deceitful.


8. Meekness
This is the taking of offences as though they were not cumbersome. It is the accepting of the troubles in life, as though they are all going to ‘work together for good.’

9. Temperance
This is self-control. It is derived from strength; and has reference to the power evil passions of all kinds. It speaks of self-rule of a person over the evil desires of his nature. We often think of abstinence from intoxicating drinks, but the word is much more extended in meaning. Temperance is dominion over all evil desires, a moderation to all indulgences, as well as abstinence from alcohol. Temperance makes a person moderate in all indulgences; teaches that person to restrain his passions, and to govern and to control his evil tendencies.


There is no law of God against these fruit. These things in a person should never be condemned. Law condemns sin and sin only. Those with the fruit of the Spirit are not sinning when they have the fruit of the Spirit.

They have crucified the flesh, have yielded to the Spirit’s control. The Spirit has therefore put these fruit upon the ‘dead stick’ that is our life. We now have life in the dead rod.

If we live in the Spirit, we are under the influence of these ‘fruit’ from the Spirit. Let our sins of intention cease, and if we fail, let it be unintentional, and be quickly repented. We profess not to be under the influence of the flesh; and to not be controlled by its appetites. Let us yield ourselves to his influences, and show that we are controlled by that Spirit.

The rod of Aaron spoke of this fruit, and this fruit should take over and change the dead branch we once were.

 

[murjahel]

Inside the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle, and later the temple, there was a rectangular golden box. This ark symbolized several things. In the Biblical days, it was a visible sign of the invisible God. By night, the fire dwelt above it, and by day, a cloud was above it.

It was Israel’s most valuable possession. Like we would have the flag, Israel had the ark. Battles were won, with this ark being carried by a choir to the battle.

This ark has been hidden away, and God will see it is returned in time for the end time events of the tribulation. Someday, the Temple will be rebuilt.

The Orthodox Jews pray three times a day this prayer:
"May it be Thy will that the Temple be speedily rebuilt in our day..."

The preparation of the ritual implements (ceremonial vessels, musical instruments, vestments to be worn by the priests, etc.) are prepared and ready. The building materials are prepared, and only await the site, and assemblers.

Perhaps it will be built on the Temple mount. This original site for the Temple consists of 35 acres. On this site now sits the Al Aqsa Mosque. Islamic people consider it the holiest site in the world after Mecca and Medina.

No Jew will walk on any part of the Temple site for fear of walking on the Holy of Holies site. The Islamic world is also anxious to keep all Jewish people off this mountain site. The thought of a Temple being rebuilt there, is the dream of the Jewish world, and the nightmare of the Islamic world.

To inspire the rebuilding of the Temple, there first must be something to put into the Holy of Holies. The ARK OF THE COVENANT is the first piece of furniture originally made for the Temple. There is no reason for the Temple, other than the ARK. The ARK represented God's effort to reach mankind.

The ARK was an oblong box, 3 3/4 feet by 2 1/4 feet by 2 1/4 feet. It was made of achaia wood, overlaid with gold. This ARK represents Christ as our security. The lid upon the top was solid gold, and was called the "mercy seat." The crown around the top of the mercy seat, is a symbol of sovereignty of Jesus the King of Kings. Two golden cherubim, symbols of God's holiness, were atop the mercy seat. God's shekinah glory dwelt between these cherubim. Blood was sprinkled upon the mercy seat by the High Priest every Day of Atonement.

The ARK contained:
1. Manna
The pot of manna, from the 40 years that the Jewish people wandered the wilderness, represented Christ as our Bread of Life. He is the true food of the saints. Christ is our all-sufficient supply.
John 6:51
"I am the bread of life..."

2. Budding Rod
The rod of Aaron budded and yielded almonds. The rod symbolized the resurrection power of God that brings us the fruit of the Spirit, and soon, eternal life. Christ's resurrection guarantees ours.

3. Tables of law
God wants the law to be written on our hearts, and the tables of law symbolize that.

DURING THE FIRST ADVENT, JESUS WAS THE ARK


Jesus was the visible Representation of God. He represented God the Father, and to see Jesus was like unto seeing God the Father.



John 14:8-11 (KJV)
8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.

PRESENTLY, WE ARE THE ARKS OF GOD

John 17:18 (KJV)
18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.

The priesthood of believers are the present day arks. God dwells in us, we present Him to the world.

John 14:17 (KJV)
17 Even the Spirit of truth; Whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

We, the children of God, are the dwelling place of God.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (KJV)
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

Where we go, God goes. He is ever with us, dwelling in us, and we represent Him to the world, as did the ark of the covenant.

The priesthood of the old covenant, carried the original ark.

1 Chronicles 15:2 (KJV)
2 Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever.

In these days, we carry the presence of God with us. It is vital to make sure we carry God’s presence with honor and with dignity. When people meet us, do they sense the presence of God with us? Do you have an answer from God’s Word for them? Do you find yourself surrounded by God’s presence? You should, for you are the ark of God. The Levites carried about the land, the ark of the old covenant.

We are the ‘arks’ of the new covenant. The covenant that God wants to make is one where sinful man can become the bearer of the very presence of God. Reconciliation of mankind with God is the new covenant. The ark contained the tables of the law, and God wants the law written upon our hearts and minds. The ark contained the bowl of manna, and God wants us to feast on the Living Bread of life. The ark contained Aaron’s rod that budded, bloomed, and bore fruit. God wants us to bear the fruit of the Spirit. The cloud led the ark about the wilderness, and God wants the Spirit to be our Guide. The ark symbolized victory, and as the ark was carried about Jericho thirteen times, we are to walk in victory with the Lord.

THE ARK SYMBOLIZED GOD’S POWER

Psalm 132:8 (KJV)
8 Arise, O LORD, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength.

Here, the ark is seen as that seat of the powerful and glorious presence of God. It is from that ‘ark’, His heavenly home, that He manifests His strength to mankind. We are the bearers of the power of God in this time. We are to have ‘signs following’. We are to do the ‘works that’ Christ did, and even ‘greater works.’ The ‘power’ was received on Pentecost, for the arks of God in this age to have mighty works. If we ‘ask anything’ in Christ’s name, He promises to do it.

THE MERCY SEAT

The mercy seat is from a Greek word meaning ‘propitiation’, which is ‘atonement, covering’. It was a covering to come between God’s shekinah glory above the ark, and the law below the mercy seat. Like the blood of Jesus that covers for the broken law, this mercy seat represents Jesus as our covering, our atonement, that makes God able to dwell upon us. Jesus is our intercessor, so when God looks into us, instead of just the broken law, He sees the blood covering for those sins. The High Priest took blood on the Day of Atonement once a year, and sprinkled it upon the mercy seat on the ark. Jesus applied His blood, once and for all, upon us, His current arks.

THE TABLES OF LAW IN THE ARK

Hebrews 10:16 (KJV)
16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;

The first set of stones with the law upon them were broken. In our lives, we have broken the laws of God too. The Lord wants the Word written upon our hearts, in obedience to Him, we are to live.

The Word is to abide in us, with us. We are told to ‘abide in Him, and His Word is to abide in us.’ We are told to keep the Word ‘hidden in our hearts, that we might not sin against Him.’ The law is to be carried in our hearts and minds.

MANNA IN THE ARK

John 6:51-58 (KJV)
51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.

The Lord wants us to feast on Jesus, and His Word. This feast promises us eternal life.




AARON’S ROD THAT BUDDED, BLOSSOMED, AND BORE FRUIT

This is symbolic of the fruit if the Spirit that are to a part of the life of those who are the arks of this day. When we are seen by this world, we are to be the love, joy, peace, etc. that is like unto our Lord Himself.

To the Israelite in the Old Testament, the ark was the most valued possession. The world today does not realize the value of the priesthood of believers today, who are the arks of this time. We not only secure blessing from God upon this world, we are the hindering force that keeps the devil from bringing the next horrid thing to this world, i.e. the revelation of the Antichrist.
2 Thessalonians 2:7-12 (KJV)
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Just as Sodom and Gomorrah were judged after Lot and his family exited, so the presence of the ‘arks’ in this world keep God from allowing the devil to wreak his havoc upon the earth. When the rapture occurs, the ‘arks’ will depart, and God will allow the tribulation to ensue.

.

 

[murjahel]

PENTECOSTAL PREACHERS ARE
RE-CLOTHED SPIRITUALLY
by the Lord for Ministry


SIGNIFICANT GARMENTS FOR MINISTRY

The clothing of the priesthood had great significance. Today, we, in Christianity, have paid too little attention to it. But it is to be our ‘spiritual clothing’. The typology of the garments of the priesthood shows us much of what the Lord wants us to know about our spiritual dress.

The High Priest, Joshua, spoken of in Zechariah, had to have his ‘filthy garments’ removed, and priestly garments put upon him. We too, in these last days, need to remove our soiled, inappropriate garments removed, and re-dress into the garments, prescribed in shadow, in the Old Testament.

To have effective ministries, we need the gifting of the Holy Spirit in our re-clothing. We must remove our filthy garments, and replace them with the garments of the priesthood, each having spiritual typology to illustrate how the Lord wants us to be.


TYPES OF CLOTHING

The types of clothing of the priests of that day were, breeches, broidered coats, girdles (belts or sashes), ephods, robes of the ephod, and mitres.

OUR SPIRITUAL GARMENTS ARE TO GIVE GLORY AND BEAUTY, BUT ALSO INDICATE POWERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

Exodus 28:2-4
“And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty. And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise-hearted, who I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office. And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle; and they shall make holy garments for Aaron, thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto Me in the priest’s office.”

The garments dignified Aaron’s person with glory and beauty. The office they represented gave dignity to Aaron. The office of a priest is glorious and beautiful.

The garments of the priest typify the various powers, responsibilities, and qualities of a priest. A number of meaningful garments were used by the priest.

1. The embroidered coat...

Exodus 28:39
‘And thou shalt embroider the coat of fine linen...”

This was really a tunic, the innermost garment, completely hidden by the other garments. It was placed on the priest first, after his cleansing wash (Lev. 8:7). It was interwoven, as a net. Fine twined linen was linen that was twisted into a strand of many threads, to give it strength. That material was interwoven to make this garment.

This tunic, in type, showed the purity of the ministry. He had to cleanse himself, before putting on this garment. We, the saints, cleanse through repentance, and then put on the righteousness of Christ. As coats were made for Adam and Eve, to hide the shame of their nakedness, there is a need for a personal cleansing, and a clothing of righteousness to be put upon us.

2. The ephod...

Exodus 28:5-6
“And they shall take gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen. And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work.”

There were two materials, gold and fine twined linen, and three colors of the linen, blue, purple, and scarlet. The method of using the gold is described in Exodus 39:3:
“And they did beat the gold into thin plates, anc cut it into wires, to work it in the blue.... the purple..., the scarlet, and the fine linen, with cunning work.”

The blue represents the heavenly nature of our ministry. The purple represents the fact that we are to rule and reign with Jesus. The scarlet represents the blood of Jesus that must cover our lives, to atone for our sins. The gold wires represent the fact we have been adopted into the royal family of God. These are all wonderful endowments of the Spirit upon us in our ministries.

3. The ephod girdle...

Exodus 28:7-8
“It shall have the two shoulder pieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof, and so shall it be joined together. And the curious girdle of the ephod which is upon it shall be of the same, according to the work thereof, even of gold, of blue, of purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.”

The ephod was made of two pieces joined together at the shoulders and bound to the high priest by a girdle or belt. The girdle was like a belt of our day, holding the garments tight to the body, so work could be done without the garments interfering with movement.

Exodus 28:4, 39
“A broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle... and thou shalt make the girdle of needlework.”

This girdle was made of the same materials as the vail. The girdle represents ‘TRUTH”...

Isaiah 11:5
“Righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins, and faithfulness (truth) the girdle of His reins.”

Jesus girded Himself with a towel and washed His disciples’ feet, and then wiped them with that towel. That towel was like a ‘belt’ or ‘girdle’ to Him, and it represented the cleansing nature of ‘truth’ to our lives. The girdle bound other garments to the body, as a belt, and the towel-girdle wiped away the defilements of the earth by the righteousness and truth of Jesus.

In the Biblical description of the armor we are to wear in our spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:13-17), we find mention that we should have our ‘loins girt about with truth.” The armor with which the Lord clothes us spiritually, helps us ‘stand’ and ‘withstand’ the attacks of our enemy, the devil. Truth of God is what keeps our other garments from interfering with our battle, without truth, the garments of life would hinder ius. Without truth, the other armor is invalidated, made useless, and worthless. If the armor is not snug, it is hard to fight, truth keeps our armor snug.

4. Robe of the ephod...

Exodus 28:31-32
“And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod, all of blue. And there shall be a hole in the top of it, in the midst thereof, it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of a habergeon (a breastplate of armor), that it be not rent.”

This is the first occurrence of the word ‘robe’ in the Bible. The robe is a special garment, showing special dignity, a robe indicating ‘office’. It was to be ‘blue’, the color of the heavens, typifying the heavenly nature of the priestly office given to saints. It covered the priest from head to foot. It was all of one piece, woven, and the top was reinforced so it could not be torn. It was tradition in that culture that when blasphemy, or terrible tragic news was heard, one would rend their garment by grabbing the garment at the neckline, and tearing. This was not to be possible, for the ‘heavenly nature’ was not to be spoiled or denigrated by unpleasant events. Despite failings, wanderings, sins all about us, the nature of the priesthood is still of God, His nature clothes us. The robe of the ephod represents the heavenly peace that is to clothe us, it often passes understanding. Jesus’ first words said after the resurrection to the disciples, was ‘Peace be unto you”.

Once we were enemies of God, now forgiven, and at peace with God, so all the lack of peace in the world cannot disturb that peace we have from God.

At the hem of this robe, were golden bells and pomegranates.

Exodus 28:33-35
“And beneath, upon the hem of it, thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, of purple, of scarlet, round about the hem thereof, and bells of gold between them round about... his sound shall be heard when he goeth into the holy place before the Lord, and when he cometh out, that he die not.”

The only adornings of the robe were these pomegranates, and golden bells.

Pomegranates were fruit of the promised land.

Numbers 13:23 “land of vines, fig trees, and pomegranates...”

Springing from the peace of heaven is the fruit of the Spirit. It is due to the peace with God that we have fruit. Fruit is the spontaneous manifestation of life within us. The works may be a result of a servile nature, but fruit demand inner life to bud forth.

The bells were between the pomegranates. The sound was to be heard as testimony to the priest’s work. The sound was to be heard, so that he ‘die not’. It was not just proof of life, it was to insure life. The bells speak of testimony, speaking forth the praises and worship of the Lord. We cannot approach God without worship; if we would try, we would die in failure.

If you notice, in the verse, the sound of the bells was to be heard, ‘that he die not’. Silence would bring death. To keep the bells ringing, movement was necessary. The High Priest could not nap, rest, or become immobile. He had to keep moving, working. Our testimonies also, need to be constant, not a re-telling of old things, but a constant testimony of what work we are sharing with the Lord, and what blessings are being received due to our constant service to Him. The bells speak of a heavenly ring. Out in the camp, there were the rebellious, the stiff-necked, the murmuring people, but in the holy place, there was to be the sound of ‘golden bells’, testimony of the deity of God.

In the vision of Revelation, the Son of Man is seen clothed in a priestly robe of blue. The ‘robe’ is the Greek word ‘podeerees’, which is a garment down to the foot, and is the name given the robe of ephod by the translators of the Septuagint in Exodus 28:31. So, Jesus is ministering still today as our High Priest.

5. Mitre

Exodus 28:39
“And thou shalt make the mitre of fine linen.”

This word ‘mitre’ is the Hebrew word ‘mitznepheth”, meaning to roll and wind around. It is like a turban, a soft linen cloth that was rolled about the top of the head. It identified a person of that time, as one who had authority to judge. This is a position not often given to mankind. It is reserved for the High Priest, our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Upon this mitre, was put a ‘golden plate’.

Exodus 28:36-38
“And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet— HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD. And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be. And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things... shall always be upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord.”

If we were to judge or be judged for sin, without the ‘golden plate’ upon the head, it would be disastrous. We deserve judgment, we minister to sinful people... but the ‘holiness’ of the Lord is upon the mitre. The word ‘plate’ when speaking of the ‘golden plate’, is the Hebrew word ‘Tzeetz’, meaning “flower”. The holiness of the Lord is upon us, as a flower blooms in the garden, so the ‘holiness’ of God is blooming in the lives of the saints of God.

We could not stand before God in our own holiness... but with the holiness of God, we can stand before God, even at the time of judgment.

Revelation 22:4 speaks of this golden plate, and its message, for it says of the servants of God, in the holy city, ‘HIS NAME SHALL BE IN THEIR FOREHEADS’.

The high priest wore the mitre, with the golden plate, but the priests wore ‘bonnets’.

Exodus 28:40
“And bonnets shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty.”

The headdress of the priests were rolls of fine linen, folded like a turban around the head. Instead of the position of judgment, as the mitre indicated, the common bonnets were indications of subjection. We are subject to the High Priest, we are subject to the Lord. The covering of the head, without the ‘crown’ or plate attached, indicated subjection. But our subjection to the Lord is beautiful and glorious. We should remember that the High Priest has the mitre for judgment, but we have the bonnet for subjection.

6. Linen breeches...

Exodus 28:42-43
“And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness, from the loins even unto the thighs shall they reach. And they shall be upon Aaron and his sons, ... that they bear not iniquity and die... it shall be a statute forever unto him and his seed after him.”

These ‘breeches’ seem to have been like aprons, wiping towels. They were to be used in certain service, while ministering in the holy place. Blood, incense, oil, bread were handled... and dust of the earth, dust that accumulates upon articles of furniture could defile and dirty the hands of the priest. The laver was to be used to often wash, but in between washings, some dirt and soil could be wiped with the breeches. We need frequent wipings and washings from the defilements of this sinful world.

These represent something added after salvation. There are additional cleansing that we need for failures that follow salvation. God wants continuous cleansing, especially when we notice the defiling caused by being in the midst of a sinful world.

In Zechariah 3:1-10, we read of a vision that speaks of the priesthood of the last days (of which we are). Joshua, the High Priest of that day was seen in the vision to be clothed in ‘filthy garments’. The priesthood of the current days, has lost the purity of vesture as shown to be necessary to properly do our priestly ministry. The filthy garments are removed, and the proper garments and mitre are placed upon the priest.

Today, we need to ‘re-dress’,. and every morning awaken, re-cleanse, and put on the garments provided for us by our Lord.

We need the ‘righteousness of the Lord’ (broidered coat), we need the ‘deity of being the family of God (robe of the ephod).

We need to remind ourselves of our royalty, sonship of relationship, the sacrifice of Christ for us (ephod).

We need to remind ourselves of the intercessory work we need to share with the Lord (breastplate).

We need to remember we are ‘subject’ to our Lord, and are judged by our High Priest (bonnets and mitre).

The pomegranates should remind us to be fruitful, the bells should remind us of our necessity to be testimonies for the Lord.

The breeches should be reminders of the necessity of frequent cleansing.

It is time the priesthood of the current times, remove, or have removed by our Savior, the ‘filthy garments’, and then let our Lord, our High Priest, re-clothe us in the proper garments.

 

[murjahel]

The Bestowment of a Crown for Pentecostal preachers



Jesus said He ‘took captivity captive, and gave GIFTS unto men.’ We are in that time of Him now gifting His disciples with gifts to minister better. All the gifts are meant to be used in ministry. Ministers need many gifts, to do the ‘works’ that are ‘greater’ than Christ’s works in His first coming.


The ‘crown’ that He offers us to wear,
is a gift we desperately need.



Psalms 8:3-9
“When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained, what is man, that Thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that Thou visitest him? For Thou hast made him a little (while) lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet; all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passes through the paths of the sea. O Lord our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth.”



We may, like the psalmist, wonder... “What is man? Why is God interested in sinful mankind?” Note, that God is not only concerned about man, but He has made ‘all things’ to be subject and lower in importance to mankind. We are a “‘little’ (word indicates talking of time, not distance) lower than the angels.” Mankind has been crowned with glory and honor by the Lord. God has stationed mankind very high in this creation.


‘Crowned’ means that authority, ability to rule, and to lead, has been given mankind. God has placed all of creation in Adam’s dominion. Adam was king of the earth and his crown was the glory of God. Something spoiled Adam’s place, satan took the crown that belonged to Adam. The moment Adam failed, he committed high treason against God, and satan became the ‘god of this world’. (II Corinthians 4:4).

John 10:34
“Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods.?”

This is a quote from Psalms 82:6
“I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the Most High.”

It is not that we are equal with God, but we are created to be ‘sons of God’, children of God, and as His children, we have a godly nature, glory, and authority. We live far below our privileges, and many have lost our crowns.

This teaching here is not meant to sound like I condone the ‘dominion’ theology out there in many circles today. I do not. Their teaching is one of trying now to rule this world, claim millennial blessings far before the millennium, and is focused on things and power, not on Jesus and winning souls to the kingdom.

We do, though, have a crown to wear, we are called to have a rightful dominion over the powers of the devil, over the things of the world. We are in the time of waiting for Jesus to come, where He will claim all this world and He will then rule. Till then, it is not ‘ruling’ we are seeking, but in deposing the devils from their pretend thrones in the lives of sinners.

Job felt stripped of his crown.

Job 19:6-9
“He hath stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown from my head.”

Satan tries to wear the crown meant for you and I. Jesus kept His crown, but the devil tempted Him, and attempted to get the crown of Jesus. The devil has taken the crown of many, and we are here, as ministers, to get that crown away from the devil. We are to wear a crown.

John 14:30
“The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me.”

Jesus called the devil, ‘prince’ because satan wore the crown meant for man. But satan could not get the crown of Jesus. Jesus resisted the devil in the wilderness and retained His crown. Jesus had authority, dominion, and exercised such rule over sickness, elements, etc. God intends for mankind to have this authority and dominion also. Jesus is called the ‘second Adam’, for the first had lost his crown, and Jesus came and reclaimed it.

Hebrews 2:5-9
“For unto the angels hath He not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak. But one in a certain place testified, saying ‘What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? Or the son of man, that Thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; Thou crownest him with glory and honor, and didst set him over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. But we see Jesus, Who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor.... that though death, He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil, and to deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage...”

Thus, Jesus came and took from the devil, the crowns he had claimed from us. We need no longer subject to death, but should be eternal beings, and should rule, being no longer in bondage.

Crowns are available to us...
John 17:22
“The glory that Thou gavest Me, I have given them.”

The sin that took our crowns, is made nil, by Jesus Christ. If sin left your head bare of the crown, then repent, and let Jesus put the crown back upon your head.

Jesus has His crown, and offers it back to :

Matthew 28:18-19
“All power is given Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore...”

The power and glory that Jesus exhibited in His first coming are promised to be available to us. But we ‘hold fast’ that crown... or we can be without it...

Revelation 3:11
“Behold, I come quickly, hold that fast that thou hast, that no man take thy crown.”

Satan wants to strip your crown from you, He will instigate men to try to get you to yield your crown.

The wise will wear the crown.

Proverbs 4:7-9
‘Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom, and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she (wisdom) shall promote thee; she shall bring thee to honor, when thou dost embrace her. She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace; a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.”

The unwise and the unlearned will miss the crown.

Hosea 4:6
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”

Not many talk about this crown. Some who do, pervert its teaching by ‘carnal-prosperity seeking’. Many are struggling saints, without the wisdom to wear the crown. Religious traditions, and faulty teaching, trains many saints to not wear the crown.

Matthew 15:6
“Thus have ye made the commandments of God of none effect by your traditions.”

Satan would like us to yield our authority and glory. Through many of the “doctrines of demons” the faith of many is simply form, ‘denying the power.’ The church of many is just cushioned pews, where ‘hearers only’ do not have training to be ‘doers of the Word.” The church, without its crown, is helpless.

There is no need to stay helpless.

Romans 5:17
“For if by one man’s offence, death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace, and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by One, Jesus Christ.”

In heaven, all saints will finally realize that God wants them to reign. Look at the song the saints sing in heaven:
Revelation 5:10
“And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof; for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God, kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth.”

We are a royal priesthood. We are made priests, like unto the tribe of Levi... but we reign, like unto the tribe of Judah, so we are a royal priesthood. We are a priesthood, that wears a crown. The High Priest pre-figured Jesus, with a crown on the mitre, and now that Jesus has come, we can wear a crown too.

I Peter 2:5, 9
“Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable unto God by Jesus Christ.
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of Him Who called you out of darkness into marvelous light.”

The world may call us fanatics, extremists. Yet, we are just claiming what God wants us to have. We are a royal priesthood, and we are to be wearing the ‘crown’.

The mitre of the High Priest was linen, and rolled, or wound around the head.

Exodus 28:39
“And thou shalt make the mitre of fine linen.”

A golden plate (Hebrew word was ‘tzeetz’ meaning ‘flower’) was upon the mitre.

Exodus 28:36-38
“And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave on it, like the engravings of the signet- ‘HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD’. And thou shalt put on it a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre, upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be. And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things... shall always be upon his forehead, that he may be accepted before the Lord.”

The crown on the mitre represents the glory and honor and power given to the children of God.

We do not deserve it, we have not earned it. It is ours, due to the ‘holiness of the Lord.’ As High Priests, we claim the crown to wear.

In the New Jerusalem, the children of God wear the crown. For it says of such ones... ‘His name shall be in their foreheads’ (Revelation 22:4). The name on the golden plate, i.e. the crown, is God’s name.

We need to preach this as a renewed doctrine. It has been lost over the ages. It has been perverted and adulterated by the carnal serving of the dominion theology of this day. We need to know there is power in the faith. We have authority over the demons, the sicknesses, the battles of life. Many have a ‘form of godliness’ but are ‘denying the power thereof...” The power and authority of Christ Jesus is offered to us, and it is our crown to wear. We are not defeated, we are beggars, fools, paupers. No, in truth, we reign. No matter what the devil throws at you, you still have that crown... Exercise your authority. Do not give the crown away. Battle the devil with authority. Do not try to use the crown to claim a mansion here, or a Mercedes to drive to your yacht. No, this crown is now to be used to claim authority over the devil and to win this spiritual battle.

Kings issue decrees, settle things, bind and loose. We too can decree the will of God, and see things happen!

 

[murjahel]

THERE ARE 'COALS OF FIRE' IN THE MINISTRY OF A PENTECOSTAL PREACHER...


One symbol or type may represent more than one thing. For instance, the lion is a metaphor of Jesus and of the devil.

Jesus is the ‘Lion’.
Revelation 5:4-5 (KJV)
4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

The devil is also seen as a ‘lion’.
1 Peter 5:8 (KJV)
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

There are lessons that the lion can teach us that illustrate the greatness of God. Yet, there are also lessons in the lion that illustrate the prowling, vicious nature of a hungry lion. The lion can illustrate many truths, applicable to a number of situations.

Fire is a symbol, that can illustrate many truths.

It enlightens, it warms, it destroys, it purifies, it judges. Therefore, fire can teach multiple truths from its natures. God chooses to teach us much by typology.

God, Who in His foreknowledge, has always known the plan and revelation of the new covenant with all its details. So, in the Old Testament, He shows in picture form, in types and figures, what would soon come to pass in reality.



When Jesus came, the lamb, though a beautiful picture, is not preferred to the reality of Jesus. Yet, the picture of the lamb, is a beautiful way to teach the reality of Jesus’ nature and work for us. We can view in clearness, His way and manner of approaching the sacrifice He gave for us. Typology should not replace the reality, but should make the reality more clear, more understood.

The symbol of fire therefore can teach us much. God offers ‘fire’ to many in the Bible. The message to Isaiah is one time fire is bestowed.

A LIVE COAL OF FIRE

Isaiah 6:5-7 (KJV)
5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

When Isaiah confessed his uncleanliness in words spoken, a seraphim brought from God a ‘coal of fire’ to put upon Isaiah’s lips. The fire removed the sin of Isaiah, cleansing the filth that had flowed from his lips previously.

Isaiah’s sin was a lip and tongue sin. There is no other member of the body that is easily encouraged to sin.


Peter had a self assertive tongue. He listened to the Lord’s description of how he would fail the Lord, and Peter proclaimed ‘not I’. That lie was unintentional, but was a prideful, and was blasphemous to assert that Jesus had told an untruth.

Nebuchadnezzar had a proud tongue, and proclaimed ‘Is not this the great Babylon which I built.” (Daniel 4:30)

Paul spoke of the gossiping tongues of some. “And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not. (1 Timothy 5:13)

Gideon had a questioning tongue of doubt. “And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour. And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of...?” (Judges 6:12-13)

Jonah had a fiery tongue of temper. “But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. And he prayed... I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God,... Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live...” (Jonah 4:1-3)

We are commanded to ‘put off’ the filthy talk from our lives.

Colossians 3:8-10 (KJV)
8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

Isaiah had probably had filthy words, lying words, blasphemous words, doubting words, angry words, etc. He felt unclean due to the horrible words that had flowed through his lips. It took the fiery coals, to spiritually cleanse his lips so he would be able to be the prophet that God wanted him to become.

We want to be prophetic for the Lord, spokespersons for the Lord in these last days, so that many would come to the Lord. We need a fiery cleansing. What do the fiery coals symbolize?


Fire reveals the presence of the Lord.

Just as fire does many things, good and seemingly bad, so the symbol of fire is mainly a symbol of the presence of God that does all those things.

1. God revealed Himself in the form of a smoking furnace and a burning lamp when He renewed His covenant with Abraham.

Genesis 15:17-18 (KJV)
17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.
18 In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:

2. The burning bush revealed the presence of God to Moses.

Exodus 3:2 (KJV)
2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

3. The fire by day over the tabernacle revealed the presence of God leading the children of Israel.

Exodus 13:21-22 (KJV)
21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:
22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.

4. On the day of Pentecost, ‘tongues of fire’ came and sat upon all of those who were filled with the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:3-4 (KJV)
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Sometimes the presence of God reveals His approval.

1. At the Tabernacle, fire showed God’s approval. The fire consumed the offering, and showed that God had approved and had accepted the repentance of the people.

Leviticus 9:24 (KJV)
24 And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.

2. Fire showed God’s approval of the Temple at its dedication.

2 Chronicles 7:1-3 (KJV)
1 Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house.
2 And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD'S house.
3 And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.

3. Fire on Mt. Carmel showed acceptance of Elijah’s sacrifice.

1 Kings 18:37-38 (KJV)
37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.
38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

Sometimes the presence of God brings God’s judgment.

1. God’s presence at the site of Sodom and Gomorrah’s sin brought judgment.

Genesis 19:24 (KJV)
24 Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;

2. Nadab and Abihu, sons of Aaron offered strange fire on the altar of incense, and fire from God, showing His presence brought judgment.

Leviticus 10:1-2 (KJV)
1 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.
2 And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

Sometimes the presence of God brings testing and purification.

1. Fire purifies as a refiner’s fire purifies the metal.

Malachi 3:1-3 (KJV)
1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.
2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:
3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.

2. As Jesus looked over the seven churches, His eyes were as a ‘flame of fire’ in His work of discussing their purification.

Revelation 1:14-16 (KJV)
14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

Fire purifies the dross of pride. It burns the rags of self-righteousness. Fire burns the leaves of empty profession. The stubble of doubt is burned by God’s fire of purification. The thorns of a prickly temper are burnt by God’s presence in fire. The filth of an unholy life are to be burnt from us. The useless chaff is said to someday be burnt. The roots of bitterness are to be burnt away. Fire is often used to describe the purification process. When God approaches the sinful and unclean, like a fire, He purifies or judges. He prefers to purify.

3. The trial of our faith, done by the presence of the Lord, is done by fire.

1 Peter 1:7 (KJV)
7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

4. God’s presence brings a shaking, a fire of judgment of sin. He consumes sin in His presence.

Hebrews 12:29 (KJV)
29 For our God is a consuming fire.

The presence of God, in our words quoted from God, are like a fire.

1. The words of God were like fire when they His word flowed through Jeremiah’s lips.

Jeremiah 5:14 (KJV)
14 Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make My words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

2. Jeremiah confirmed that there was a ‘burning fire’ inside him, demanding to flow out of his lips.

Jeremiah 20:9 (KJV)
9 Then I said, I will not make mention of Him, nor speak any more in His name. But His word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.

The presence of God illuminates, as does a fire.

1. God led Israel by the ‘fire’ over the Tabernacle. We need to be led by the Lord too, and He gives His presence, to lead us thereby.

Psalm 78:14 (KJV)
14 In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.

2. Moses’ face was illuminated by the presence of God.

Exodus 34:35 (KJV)
35 And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.

3. The presence of the Lord is in the Word of God, for it is His living Word. His Word illuminates us, giving us insight to the why, how, when, of the events of our lives. His Word illuminates with answers and directions.

Psalm 119:105 (KJV)
105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

So, what were these burning coals that Isaiah received upon his lips?

The passage says that ‘mine eyes have seen the King’, so the presence of the Lord was there. The presence was accompanied with fire, fire to cleanse the unclean lips of Isaiah.

This fire was God’s approval of Isaiah as chosen to be a prophet for the Lord. He was to receive great visions of God’s messages for all the ages. The fiery coals were showing God’s choice of a vessel, i.e. Isaiah, to bless.

This fire was God’s judgment on the sins of the tongue that Isaiah had committed. God did not approve of the sin, though He approved of the choice of Isaiah for His work. Sin needed judged, but Isaiah received mercy and the calling of God. The purification of the vessel chosen by God was necessary, so that the words that would flow from him would be God’s holy and pure words. The fiery coals typified the purification and judgment of the impure words.

Isaiah was going to be quoting words from God, writing a prophetic book for the ages, and those words would burn then like fire, and down through the ages have continued to burn like fire. The fire upon his lips typified that.

Isaiah was illuminated by those coals of fire, for when God then called for a volunteer, Isaiah jumped for the opportunity to serve this God.

Isaiah 6:7-8 (KJV)
7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

The fiery coals, the presence of God brings judgment, purification, approval, and illumination. From that day forward, the words of fire from God’s presence, flowed from Isaiah.

 

[murjahel]

God gives Pentecostal preachers a Hedge for protection...



God wants to bestow many gifts to His own. He wants us to do great things for Him. He wants us empowered and authorized to have signs and wonders following our ministries. God knows that the devil will be our enemy, and oppose us at every opportunity. We need gifts to enable us to withstand the devil, and to take what he is claiming is his.

One thing we need, and it is offered as a bestowment of God to us, is a hedge of protection.

Job needed one, and when it was temporarily removed, we can see in his life’s events what the devil would like to do to us. The devil complained about this hedge.

The devil said to God:
Job 1:10
"Hast not Thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land."

God gave Job a hedge of protection. It was a bestowment of protection, that the devil, without permission, could not breach. We need protection for we battle evil spirits, we live in a world hostile to Christians, and we have to be attentive to our work, not to finding a safe locale in which to hide.

Vineyards were sometimes fenced with a wall of stone, or thorny plants. Sometimes it was a combination of both. Sometimes, they used mud bricks that were three foot by three foot, and six foot long. On top of these mud bricks were planted thorny bushes. This wall of mud and thorns kept intruders outside. The little foxes could not squeeze through the thorns without doing major damage to their bodies.

This hedge is described with the Greek word - "phragmos." This is the word for "a fence, a wall, a hedge."

God is a good husbandman, Who lovingly tends and cares for His vineyard. Jesus said that "I am the vine, and ye are the branches". In this way, He identified us as part of the vineyard with which God is now concerned. Israel had been that vineyard, but at least temporarily, they are "cut off", and the Gentile church has been "grafted in".

Romans 11:22-23
"Behold, therefore, the goodness and the severity of God, on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in His goodness; otherwise, thou also shalt be cut off... if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in..."

He does all that He can for His vineyard (which we are a part). He is a good husbandman. He lovingly tends and cares for His vineyard. He does all He can to protect His vines. As ministers in these last days, God knows that His vineyard will need protection. The hedge about His vineyard is necessary, and we should ask Him for it. After receiving it, it is necessary to make sure we don’t allow breaches in it, due to sin.

Zechariah 2:8
"He that touches you, touches the apple of His eye."

Isaiah 54:17
"No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment Thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of Me, saith the Lord."

Romans 8:28
"All things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose."

Psalms 91:1-2
"He that dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress."

The enemy that we face is the devil and his forces. They go about "as a roaring lion, seeking ... to devour." (I Peter 5:8) God puts hedges about His saints. These hedges can be gapped or broken down by our sins, and the devil may send in attacking forces to devour and destroy.


So this ‘hedge’ is limited to those who do not put gaps in it by choosing to allow the devil access inside this hedge about us. God freely wants to give this hedge, but we must be sure we don’t fail to keep it. After the rapture, those saved then, will not have a hedge. God wants all saints in heaven, and new saints will then be allowed to be killed, so that they will go to heaven.

Sin lowers or makes an opening in the hedge called a "gap". Our loved ones, our children, our mates, our associates, our relatives, our church friends, our neighbors may lower the hedge and play with sin. They don't realize how dangerous it is. Wicked demonic forces await outside the hedge for opportunities to get through and devour the vineyard of God.

So what can we do to protect ourselves from losing our hedge, or to keep those we love from losing theirs? How do we protect our church congregations when gossip, backbiters, critics, spiritual abusers, hypocrites, are at work creating gaps in the hedge about the church? We pray, intercede, and supplicate to God.

We are definitely told that we have power over the enemy. Wicked spirits attack Christians, Jews, Jerusalem, church leaders, as much as they can. The spiritual hedges about these are the protection that God wants. Praying a hedge about these ones the devil wants to attack will give protection.

James 4:7
"Resist the devil, and he will flee from you..."

God wants us to keep ourselves, and our loved ones within hedges. This is why God tells us to intercede for our leaders, for our loved ones, for Jerusalem and Israel. Intercession builds up the hedges, and fills the gaps caused by sin in the hedges.

Isaiah 26:1-3
"We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks... Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee."

Isaiah 60:18
"Violence shall no more be heard in the land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls salvation, and thy gates praise."

 

[murjahel]

The devil complained of the hedge. Job was protected by the hedge about him, for he was a great intercessor. The devil did not like it.

Job 1:10
"Hast not Thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land."

God is "no respecter of persons." We too have, or can have, a hedge of protection about us and our loved ones. However, a gap can appear in the hedge, A gap was made in Job's hedge for testing purposes. Gaps can come to our hedges also.

There are three reasons for gaps in the hedges.

a. A test which God is allowing for a time.

b. A sin which put a gap in the hedge.

c. Fruitlessness, which causes God to put a gap in the hedge since the vineyard proved worthless and fruitless.

God desires fruit from His vineyard. He is greatly desirous of fruit, and if it does not come, He will "take away the hedge."

Isaiah 5:5
"I will tell you what I will do to My vineyard; I will take away the hedge thereof, and it (the vineyard) shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down."

Sin gaps the hedge, so the enemy, the devourer, can get inside to do the destruction. God has provided the hedge to protect what He loves.

Isaiah 5:4
"What could have been done more to My vineyard that I have not done in it? Wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, it brought forth wild grapes."

Much sickness, trouble, and suffering is unnecessary. Not all sickness is from sin. Some is a result of a test, as was Job's. But much sickness is a result of the lowering or gapping of the hedge. This unnecessary sickness is caused by sin or fruitlessness in the lives of Christians.

Israel sinned and the hedges were gapped.

Psalms 89:40
"Thou has broken down all his hedges."

Our prayer lives do have an effect. We are told that our prayers are not meaningless sound. Our prayers can keep a hedge about us, and about our loved ones.

James 5:16
"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man, availeth much."

The prayers and intercession of David was still availing much many years after his death. In the years of Jeroboam, when God should have judged Jerusalem for its sins, He withheld judgment for "David's sake." Intercession will have its impact.

I Kings 11:12
"Notwithstanding, in thy days, I will not do it, for David thy Father's sake."

The intercession of Jesus for His disciples in Gethsemane had its effect. The eleven disciples that were left did survive the great trial. Even though they met temporary defeat, they all came back and were victorious after the resurrection.

Stephen interceded for those who were killing him. His intercession put a hedge about Saul of Tarsus, and this hedge protected Saul. Saul met Jesus on the road to Damascus. He became the great apostle to the Gentiles, Paul, because a deacon named Stephen interceded for him. If the intercessor had not done his loving praying for his stoners and the coat holder, the Lord would have judged Saul with death on the road to Damascus, and not blessed him with mercy. Intercession is vital.

Barnabus is called "the son of consolation." This word "consolation" is the Greek word - "paraklesis", which means "exhortation, comfort, advocate, or intercessor for..." Barnabus was the advocate, or intercessor for John Mark. He was also the intercessor for Paul in Jerusalem.

Moses interceded for Israel and they were not destroyed as the Lord had intended, but were allowed to die of old age in the wilderness. If it were not for the intercession of Moses, the children of Israel's history would have been drastically altered. What is altered in time, because of our intercessions?

Walls of the hedges are constantly being broken down. It is the mission of each Christian to build hedges about ourselves and our loved ones, and to keep the gaps filled with our intercessory prayers. One of the sins which often puts gaps within the hedges is a condemning spirit. To be a condemner tears down hedges.

Matthew 7:1
"Judge (condemn) not, that ye be not judged (condemned)."

Proverbs 18:8
"The words of a talebearer are as wounds."

Words are a spiritual attack by a critic. The criticism of another injures the hedge of the one criticized also. That is why, we need to often intercede for those with ministries that keep them in battles that invite criticism. Those who do the criticizing will face loss of their hedge, but their critical words will gap the hedges of the saints whom they criticize. We must pray for pastors, evangelists, prophets, and leaders who are frequently criticized.

When we are the one that is criticized, the way God teaches us to keep our hedge ungapped, is to pray for those who have criticized us. This is difficult, and yet, if undone, will hurt us... more than them.

Matthew 5:44
"Pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you..."

Any willful sin will break down a hedge.

Hebrews 10:26-27
"For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins (i.e. no more hedge), but rather a fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries."

The willful sin of not interceding for our loved ones, and the church congregation, etc. destroys the hedge they should have had. We need our own hedge, and they need us as intercessors to fill the gaps in their hedges. We had need beware of willfully sinning. Surely, we are saved by grace, but we should not choose to sin, just because salvation is so easy. While we are in the willful sin, the hedge is broken; and the enemy, the devil, will come through the gaps to devour and destroy.

Broken hedges are a crisis. Hedges broken by sin, by failures of our intercessors, by sins against us, and by demonic attack, need constant repair and attention.

Sometime the devil tries the "Trojan horse trick." We may welcome some within the hedge, because we do not see the danger within them. The devil comes within most churches that way. He comes within the "tares" that he has sown in the church. These hypocrites, spiritual abusers, and false prophets may seem to have a "form of godliness." They may be respected, hold church offices, and give abundantly in the offerings. The devil uses them to hurt young Christians, and offend any who would protest their abuse. He will use them to start arguments on the choice of brick, the color of the carpet, etc. They will hinder and destroy any revival God tries to give to the church congregation.

God offers the ‘hedge’, it is available for those who are His own. We maintain His gift by intercession, by repenting of our own sins. We can request hedges for our loved ones, for sinners who have none, so that God can keep them safe till they have more opportunity to be saved themselves.

 

[murjahel]

PENTECOSTAL PREACHERS PREACH INSPIRED BY The SPIRIT of TRUTH




Pentecostal preachers need to preach a message of truth, and the Holy Spirit wants to 'gift' them with an endowment of truth... we are enriched to speak, to utter 'all knowledge' via the revelations of the Holy Spirit in the written Word, and via His gifts of inner speakings to us.

1 Corinthians 1:5-8 (KJV)
5 That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; 6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:
7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:
8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.


We are not to ‘come behind’, i.e. lack, ‘no gift’ (charisma, bestowment, miraculous faculty). All of us are to be serving, ministering for the Lord. We need endowments of power in order to do all that the Lord would want us to do. As we approach the ‘coming of the Lord’ we are to have endowments, gifts from the Lord.


The ‘gift of the Holy Spirit’ is given to them who ask, and the Spirit has many, many bestowments to share with us. The ‘Spirit of Truth’ bestowment is one we definitely need in this world of lies.

The names that we are given in Scripture for the Godhead, reveal much to us. Jesus is given nearly 200 names in Scripture, as Jesus, Savior, Lord, Christ, Messiah, Emmanuel, etc. Each one reveals an office, a service, a trait, or a fact about our blessed Lord. God revealed many names for Himself, as Elohim, Jehovah, Jehovah-nissi, Jehovah-rohi, etc. Each of these reveal to us facts about the nature of God.

The same is true for names given to us for the Holy Spirit. Each name is designed to describe something to us about the Spirit.

Often, we also use titles to substitute for names. If the car needs fixed, we need a mechanic. If we are sick, we need a physician. If our teeth need attention, we go to a dentist. The name indicates the work which the person can do for us, and is really a title.



The Spirit is called many names or titles:

HOLY SPIRIT

The emphasis is on "holiness", and our Lord is a holy God. If we come into contact and relationship with the Holy Spirit, we will come into a new holy relationship with the Lord. Holiness is found by relationship and fellowship with the Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 6:3 "Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty..."
Because of His holiness, you can expect Him to uncover, expose, and condemn sin. We need the Holy Spirit.

John 16:8
"And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin..."

The Holy Spirit reveals, and emanates, holiness. Without the Spirit's working, the convicting, the revealing, etc., we would not become HOLY. We will not develop holiness, apart from the works of the Spirit in our life.


THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH

This brings me now to a name that has been ignored, misunderstood, or neglected for too long. The Holy Spirit is about to do a work which will bring back into eminent position, the ministry of the Spirit of giving us His glorious TRUTH. Often in Scriptures, the Holy Spirit is called the "SPIRIT OF TRUTH..."

John 15:26
"...when the Comforter is come, Whom I will send unto your from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth... He shall testify of Me..."

There is a grave need of the TRUTH in Christianity today. There have been false prophets, false doctrines, errors of doctrine, hypocrites and hypocrisy galore, deception and half truths pervading the congregations of these last days. God has never desired to have Christianity floundering in the midst of such lies and liars. He wants us to know the truth, live in the truth, and be in relationship with the Spirit of Truth.

I Timothy 2:4
"Who (God our Savior) will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth..."

Where the Lord is, in strength and power... there will be truth. Wherever God is in power and revival, truth will prevail. God will show forth the truth, the Spirit will reveal in His way the truth, and condemn the lies and false doctrines of the false prophets.

An Endowment of Truth

To have an endowment of the Spirit of Truth, is an endowment to be shown truth from error, the real from the deceitful, the pretend from the actual. Too much deception is in this world. We see it in the ‘advertising’ of the world, where products are claimed to be the ‘best’, the ‘cheapest’, and the ‘real’, when often they are far from best, overpriced, and counterfeit. This lying creeps into the churches, into the congregations, and the Spirit of Truth is necessary for ministries, to detect truth, to avoid error.

Psalms 89:14
"...mercy and truth shall go before Thy face..."

Psalms 57:3
"...God shall send forth His mercy and His truth..."

When the truth of God prevails in the church, the power of God will also be manifest. If the truth of God is marred and leavened by the hypocrites of the church, the power of God will be hindered. It is the presentation of the truth to the sinful of this world, and the power of God that accompanies such proclamations, that makes the consciences of mankind be sparked toward acceptance of the gospel.

II Corinthians 4:2
"...by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God..."

To bring TRUTH back into the ministry of the church, we need the SPIRIT OF TRUTH. He must minister TRUTH to us, and He alone can guide us to the truth. The neglect of this ministry of the Spirit has hindered, yes - even devastated - the church and its proclamation of the gospel.

John 16:13
"Howbeit, when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth..."

This is why the endowment of the Spirit of Truth into our ministries, is so vital, we need to be ‘guided into all truth.”

Jesus says that He is the "truth" (John 14:6), and the Holy Spirit will reveal Him, and the truth to the church. The Spirit of Truth has been trying to do such, and will increase His efforts in these last days. We have seen Him bring a revival of intercessory prayer to the church of the last days, we have seen the Spirit bring a revival of charismatic gifts to the church. Both of these revivals are necessary.

The perversions of truth, the hypocrisy of the false prophets, and the deceptions of so-called Christians have devastated the church, and kept the revival of the last days from its true impact, and kept it from its glorious power that God wants to send.


Revival of Truth Is Needed to Bring Revival

It will take a judgment and a spiritual revival of the ministry of the Spirit of Truth to effect the latter rain revival as we desire it.

Isaiah 42:3
"He shall bring forth judgment unto truth..."

Zechariah 8:16
"...execute the judgment of truth and peace..."

Proverbs 16:6
"By mercy and truth, iniquity is purged..."

II Peter 2:2-3
"Many shall follow their pernicious ways (false doctrines that bring destruction), by reason of whom, the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you; whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not..."

This judgment upon the deceit, hypocrisy, lies, and false doctrines of the church in these last days - must come, in order that sanctification and revival might arrive in strength.

John 17:19
"And for their sakes, I sanctify Myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth..."

We cannot even truly hear the voice of God, be instructed by Him as we should, until we receive the truth as the Spirit of Truth seeks to impart to this last day revival.

John 18:37
"...Everyone that is of the truth heareth My voice..."

We have been spiritual garments to wear in our spiritual warfare against the devil, and if we are not in truth, as we should be, we are missing a very important part of that battle garb.

Ephesians 6:14
"having your loins girt about with truth..."

The church of these last days has much untruth, many lies, abundant false prophecies, and terrible wrong doctrines. The church has had a self-deception about such. Just as those who say they love God but hate their brother are in a self-deception that such is possible, so many other deceptions are in the church.

I John 1:8
"... we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us..."

The church is encouraged to get truth into our midst.

I John 3:18
"let us not love in word but... in truth..."


more to come...