PROPHETIC VOICE FOR THE "MBER" MONTHS.
In God’s agenda, there is a purpose for every person at each season. The greatest thing one can discover is the purpose of God for one’s life. This time of the year you are not left in the dark as far as God’s purposes are concern. The last quarter of the year 2008 that you are now in is pregnant with positive divine purpose for you. The year 2008 is prophetically significant, since it is the year that follows the sabbatical year. The Hebrew word translated eight in the Bible literally means ‘surplus beyond the perfect’. God says you are entering into your season of surplus and super abundance provisions.
The divine inspiration of this prophetic mandate will position you at the place to freely access your divine allocation. This divine inspiration will equally insulate you against expiration, for those who are not inspire will spiritually expire. I decree by God’s anointing that you will not expire. This is a prophetic blue print for the “mber months” of the year 2008. Your pain will give way for praise and your weeping for reaping. You are entering into an unprecedented supernatural encounter with God that will break open all doors of blessing previously wrongly locked against you.
You now have a divine decree to increase in supra-geometric progression. All your set backs shall become set ups for your breakthrough and greater glory. In this season, God will give a divine blow to all your woes and tread into extinction all of your trouble. Your problems are rebuked that you may proceed into your ordained destiny. You will be strengthen from within to achieve your divinely inspired desire. God will convert your disappointments into new appointments and anything that has left your life will create space for greater things to take over.
In this season, the Lord says “for thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited “Isa 54:3.
“For I will look on you favorably, and make you fruitful, multiply you and confirm my covenant with you” Lev 26:9
“In righteousness shall thou be established: thou shall be far from oppression; for thou shall not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee” Isa.54: 14.
“And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not” Isa. 58:11.
“The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, the city of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy one of Israel” Isa 60:14.
“I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gate of brass and cut in sunder the bars of iron: And I will give thee the treasurers of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel’’ Isa.45:2-3.
“As birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem (You); defending also he will deliver it, and passing over he will preserve it” Isa. 31:5.
“Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read, no one of these shall fail ……” Isa.34:16.
As you hook yourself to the words of this prophetic mandate, heaven will unleash on you uncommon favor and supersonic blessings that will take you beyond yourself and set you among kings and princes. Everything that belongs to you will locate you. You are fully covered and connected in Christ.
Friday, October 24, 2008
DISCOVER TO RECOVER, THE PROPHETIC VOICE
BAPTIST PROPHETIC VOICE
DISCOVER TO RECOVER ( I SAM. 30)
There is a prophetic mandate you are given in Christ to retract and retrieve all of your divinely ordained possessions wrongly and illegally confiscated by the enemies of your destiny. None of what belong to you can be taken by satanic cohort for they have God’s stamp on them specifically addressed to you. The scriptural text we are exploring this month gives us the detailed information as to how we are to go about recovering our lost portion from the hands of the enemies that has wrongly taken them.
If you are going to really recover your divine portion you must first come to term with the truth from I Sam. Chapter 30. There is a Davidic key that will supernaturally unlock your blessings in supra-geometric dimension to you but the prelude to your recovery is to first discover the truth in this text.
BATTLE FROM BEHIND ( VS 1- 2)
David and his men were more than shocked when they returned to their base only to discover they have been attacked and their properties and families taken away. There is a kind of battle that allows one to go forth and conquer but come from behind to pack all you have acquired away suddenly. Any power wishing to come against you from behind is rebuked and incapacitated in Jesus name. Any attempt of the devil to naked you is frustrated by anointing in Jesus name. I decree that God’s anointing build sure coverage for you, your family and possession. The first truth is for you to have clear understanding of the evil tactics of your enemy. You must not be ignorant of devil’s devices, for he always aim at attacking from behind. The enemy will never be successful over your life. God’s grace that will disgrace the enemy is coming upon you right now in Jesus name. Hold your head and prophesy “I am covered and protected from every demonic insurrection and arrow from behind in Jesus name”
BATTERED AND BITTER ( VS. 4- 6)
A beaten and battered man will surely be bitter. Your season of sorrowing can never make for the loss of your life. If you keep murmuring and grumbling you will further stumble and crumble. Blaming someone for your lost is not the solution. God say I should announce to you to stop complaining and start commanding. The company of David cried until they had no strength left to cry. Why do you waste your remaining energy analyzing and shifting blame because of what has happened to you?. The best such analysis will do is further paralysis. Concentrate your energy on the positive and not the negative for there is a way out for you. Bitterness is a baulk to your best.
BECKONING ON THE DIVINE ( VS. 6-8)
To get better instead of bitter you need to beckon on the Divine. When you encounter the divine power, every limitation associated with your humanity will simply phase out. In the midst of your trouble, if you are looking within, you will get depressed, and if you are looking around you will get suppressed, but if you look up you will be helped. You can not carry on when you are only crying, but if you cheer up in God you will surely go up. David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. If there is no encouragement around there is sure encouragement in Christ. In the midst of your trial and tension what you need is divine attention.
David sought the Lord and a divine decree was issued for him to pursue, overtake and recover all. A word is coming against your enemy’s wall, and an overtaking anointing is coming upon you in an accelerated manner that will take you a head of your enemy to retrieve and recover all that belongs to you. I see you ahead and fulfilled! You have to get going for you are meant to be a head ! You are the head and you must be ahead. Although the enemy fought you from behind but you are going a head and in fullness recover. David asked if he could overtake his enemies but God gave a reply that took David beyond his request. God said “You will not only pursue and overtake but you will also recover ALL”. I see God taking you beyond your dream and imagination. You will leave the company of fighters and become more than a conqueror. There are many gathering of Christians today ,all they do is to only fight- and truly they are pursuing and overtaking but they are not really recovering – but I decree by anointing that you will not only overtake you will surely recover ALL. It is the divine decree that can not be decreased!. As you beckon on the divine your beacon of victory will surface.
BEYOND BESOR (VS 9-10)
In overtaking and recovering there are bends to negotiate and rivers to cross. If you can not cross your Besor you can not crush your enemies. When David and his men got to Besor 200 out of the 600 men could not break through the brook. Besor separated “men” from “boys”. Where you are now is not your last stop – You must pass over the brook for your testimony is at the other side. If you give up you can not go up. Even if you are fallen, your fallen ground must not become your burial ground, but your lifting spot. When the battle seems toughest that is when the victory is closest. Do not step aside but step up, keep moving, there is breakthrough at the other side of Besor. The anointing for passing over be released upon you now in Jesus name !.
BREAKTHROUGH OF BENIGNITY (VS. 11-16).
Many of us are at the door of our great blessings but we are not using the right key to open the door. Prayer and fasting without right actions will only take you to the door of your destiny but can’t open the door for you. Don’t be too pre-occupied with your suffering that you don’t help others who are suffering. In helping others you will also be helped. If David never stop to help this dieing Egyptian with bread and drink he would have suffered more. The dieing man was the key to David’s full recovery.. There are people at strategic junctions of life that heaven want you to assist so that greater doors of blessings can be opened unto you, if you fail to assist you will also roam for long without finding your road to success. A stingy and selfish person can never reach his peak in life. Invest in others and you will be blessed. As David pursued, overtook, rescued and recovered all his lost people and properties, I decree this season and month to be your time of full recovery. As you have discovered, now RECOVER IN JESUS NAME!.
DISCOVER TO RECOVER ( I SAM. 30)
There is a prophetic mandate you are given in Christ to retract and retrieve all of your divinely ordained possessions wrongly and illegally confiscated by the enemies of your destiny. None of what belong to you can be taken by satanic cohort for they have God’s stamp on them specifically addressed to you. The scriptural text we are exploring this month gives us the detailed information as to how we are to go about recovering our lost portion from the hands of the enemies that has wrongly taken them.
If you are going to really recover your divine portion you must first come to term with the truth from I Sam. Chapter 30. There is a Davidic key that will supernaturally unlock your blessings in supra-geometric dimension to you but the prelude to your recovery is to first discover the truth in this text.
BATTLE FROM BEHIND ( VS 1- 2)
David and his men were more than shocked when they returned to their base only to discover they have been attacked and their properties and families taken away. There is a kind of battle that allows one to go forth and conquer but come from behind to pack all you have acquired away suddenly. Any power wishing to come against you from behind is rebuked and incapacitated in Jesus name. Any attempt of the devil to naked you is frustrated by anointing in Jesus name. I decree that God’s anointing build sure coverage for you, your family and possession. The first truth is for you to have clear understanding of the evil tactics of your enemy. You must not be ignorant of devil’s devices, for he always aim at attacking from behind. The enemy will never be successful over your life. God’s grace that will disgrace the enemy is coming upon you right now in Jesus name. Hold your head and prophesy “I am covered and protected from every demonic insurrection and arrow from behind in Jesus name”
BATTERED AND BITTER ( VS. 4- 6)
A beaten and battered man will surely be bitter. Your season of sorrowing can never make for the loss of your life. If you keep murmuring and grumbling you will further stumble and crumble. Blaming someone for your lost is not the solution. God say I should announce to you to stop complaining and start commanding. The company of David cried until they had no strength left to cry. Why do you waste your remaining energy analyzing and shifting blame because of what has happened to you?. The best such analysis will do is further paralysis. Concentrate your energy on the positive and not the negative for there is a way out for you. Bitterness is a baulk to your best.
BECKONING ON THE DIVINE ( VS. 6-8)
To get better instead of bitter you need to beckon on the Divine. When you encounter the divine power, every limitation associated with your humanity will simply phase out. In the midst of your trouble, if you are looking within, you will get depressed, and if you are looking around you will get suppressed, but if you look up you will be helped. You can not carry on when you are only crying, but if you cheer up in God you will surely go up. David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. If there is no encouragement around there is sure encouragement in Christ. In the midst of your trial and tension what you need is divine attention.
David sought the Lord and a divine decree was issued for him to pursue, overtake and recover all. A word is coming against your enemy’s wall, and an overtaking anointing is coming upon you in an accelerated manner that will take you a head of your enemy to retrieve and recover all that belongs to you. I see you ahead and fulfilled! You have to get going for you are meant to be a head ! You are the head and you must be ahead. Although the enemy fought you from behind but you are going a head and in fullness recover. David asked if he could overtake his enemies but God gave a reply that took David beyond his request. God said “You will not only pursue and overtake but you will also recover ALL”. I see God taking you beyond your dream and imagination. You will leave the company of fighters and become more than a conqueror. There are many gathering of Christians today ,all they do is to only fight- and truly they are pursuing and overtaking but they are not really recovering – but I decree by anointing that you will not only overtake you will surely recover ALL. It is the divine decree that can not be decreased!. As you beckon on the divine your beacon of victory will surface.
BEYOND BESOR (VS 9-10)
In overtaking and recovering there are bends to negotiate and rivers to cross. If you can not cross your Besor you can not crush your enemies. When David and his men got to Besor 200 out of the 600 men could not break through the brook. Besor separated “men” from “boys”. Where you are now is not your last stop – You must pass over the brook for your testimony is at the other side. If you give up you can not go up. Even if you are fallen, your fallen ground must not become your burial ground, but your lifting spot. When the battle seems toughest that is when the victory is closest. Do not step aside but step up, keep moving, there is breakthrough at the other side of Besor. The anointing for passing over be released upon you now in Jesus name !.
BREAKTHROUGH OF BENIGNITY (VS. 11-16).
Many of us are at the door of our great blessings but we are not using the right key to open the door. Prayer and fasting without right actions will only take you to the door of your destiny but can’t open the door for you. Don’t be too pre-occupied with your suffering that you don’t help others who are suffering. In helping others you will also be helped. If David never stop to help this dieing Egyptian with bread and drink he would have suffered more. The dieing man was the key to David’s full recovery.. There are people at strategic junctions of life that heaven want you to assist so that greater doors of blessings can be opened unto you, if you fail to assist you will also roam for long without finding your road to success. A stingy and selfish person can never reach his peak in life. Invest in others and you will be blessed. As David pursued, overtook, rescued and recovered all his lost people and properties, I decree this season and month to be your time of full recovery. As you have discovered, now RECOVER IN JESUS NAME!.
Monday, April 21, 2008
FORM FOR THE NEW MEMBER
GLOBAL DELIVERANCE TEAM (GLODET)
P. O BOX 1215 OYO TOWN NIGERIA
E-mail: kolade2002@yohoo.com
Website: www.delekolade.blogspot.com
Tel: 08059426557/08038565127
MEMBER’S BIO-DATA AND MINISTRY RESUME
SECTION A
FULL NAME …………………………………….
CURRENT ADDRESS……………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………………
PERMANENT HOME ADDRESS………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………
TELEPHONE & E-MAIL……………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………………
SEX…………………...DATE OF BIRTH………………………………………………
MARITAL STATUS (a) MARRIED (b) SINGLE (c) ENGAGED
NATIONALITY……………………CHURCH/DENOMINATION……………………
EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION……………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………..
NEXT OF KIN (NAME & FULL ADDRESS)……………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………..
SECTION B
GIVE A BRIEF & COINCISE DESCRIPTION OF YOUR SALVATION EXPERIENCE(add new sheet)
WHAT AREAS OF MINISTRY ARE YOU CURRENTLY INVOLVED IN AT YOUR LOCALCHURCH?................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
WHICH SPIRITUAL GIFT(S) DO YOU OPERATE IN?..................................................
………………………………………………………………………………………………
HOW WERE YOU INTRODUCED TO THIS MINISTRY (GLODET)?...........................
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
DO YOU CLEARLY UNDERSTAND THE VISION AND MISSION OF GLODET?.....
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
I,………………………………………………………………….wholeheartedly filled this form upon a firm conviction that the Lord will want me to represent, articulate, demonstrate and fulfill the vision and mission of the above named ministry. I will commit myself to actualising the vision of the ministry. I will always put Christ first, and commit myself to a life of purity. I desire to learn and apply the Word of God. I will commit myself to the programs of this ministry and lead others to as the Lord will direct me. God help me.
________________________ ________________________ Signature of the member
including date
P. O BOX 1215 OYO TOWN NIGERIA
E-mail: kolade2002@yohoo.com
Website: www.delekolade.blogspot.com
Tel: 08059426557/08038565127
MEMBER’S BIO-DATA AND MINISTRY RESUME
SECTION A
FULL NAME …………………………………….
CURRENT ADDRESS……………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………………
PERMANENT HOME ADDRESS………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………
TELEPHONE & E-MAIL……………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………………
SEX…………………...DATE OF BIRTH………………………………………………
MARITAL STATUS (a) MARRIED (b) SINGLE (c) ENGAGED
NATIONALITY……………………CHURCH/DENOMINATION……………………
EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION……………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………..
NEXT OF KIN (NAME & FULL ADDRESS)……………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………..
SECTION B
GIVE A BRIEF & COINCISE DESCRIPTION OF YOUR SALVATION EXPERIENCE(add new sheet)
WHAT AREAS OF MINISTRY ARE YOU CURRENTLY INVOLVED IN AT YOUR LOCALCHURCH?................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
WHICH SPIRITUAL GIFT(S) DO YOU OPERATE IN?..................................................
………………………………………………………………………………………………
HOW WERE YOU INTRODUCED TO THIS MINISTRY (GLODET)?...........................
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
DO YOU CLEARLY UNDERSTAND THE VISION AND MISSION OF GLODET?.....
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
I,………………………………………………………………….wholeheartedly filled this form upon a firm conviction that the Lord will want me to represent, articulate, demonstrate and fulfill the vision and mission of the above named ministry. I will commit myself to actualising the vision of the ministry. I will always put Christ first, and commit myself to a life of purity. I desire to learn and apply the Word of God. I will commit myself to the programs of this ministry and lead others to as the Lord will direct me. God help me.
________________________ ________________________ Signature of the member
including date
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
HASTING BRINGS WASTING !!!
PLEASE DON'T BE HASTE IN DOING THINGS THIS YEAR!(copied from my e-mail)
There is a legend of a woman who had a faithful dog. This
dog was so faithful that the woman could leave her baby
with it and go out to attend other matters. She always
returned to find the child soundly asleep with the dog
faithfully watching over him.
One day something tragic happened. The woman as usual,
left the baby in the "hands" of this faithful dog and went
out shopping. When she returned, she discovered rather a
nasty scene. There was a total mess. The baby's cot was
dismantled and his nappies and clothes torn to shreds with
bloodstains all over the bedroom where she had left the
child and the dog. Shocked, the woman wailed as she began
looking for the baby. Presently, she saw the faithful dog
emerging from the under the bed. It was covered with blood
and licking its mouth as it had just finished a delicious
meal.
The woman went berserk and assumed that the dog had
devoured her baby. Without much thought she clubbed the dog
to death. But as she continued searching for the "remains"
of her child, she beheld another scene. Close to the bed
was the baby who, although lying on bare floor was safe. And
under the bed the carcass of a jackal torn to pieces in
what must have been a fierce battle between it and the dog
which was now dead. Then the reality hit the woman who now
began to understand what took place in her absence. The
dog fought to protect the baby from the ravenous jackal. It
was too late for her now to make amends because in her
impatience and anger, she had killed the faithful dog.
How often have we misjudged people and torn them to shreds
with harsh words and even with physical assault before we
have had time to evaluate the situation? A little patience
can drastically reduce major life long errors.
Famous Sayings!!!
A ship in harbor is
safe, but that is not what ships are built for!
Intelligence is like underwear. It is important that you have it, but
not
necessary that you show it off!
If your dreams determine your future, why
not go to sleep now?
When the only tool you own is a hammer, every
problem begins to look like a nail !
Never test the depth of the water
with both feet.
This post was sent to my e-mail by a friend.
There is a legend of a woman who had a faithful dog. This
dog was so faithful that the woman could leave her baby
with it and go out to attend other matters. She always
returned to find the child soundly asleep with the dog
faithfully watching over him.
One day something tragic happened. The woman as usual,
left the baby in the "hands" of this faithful dog and went
out shopping. When she returned, she discovered rather a
nasty scene. There was a total mess. The baby's cot was
dismantled and his nappies and clothes torn to shreds with
bloodstains all over the bedroom where she had left the
child and the dog. Shocked, the woman wailed as she began
looking for the baby. Presently, she saw the faithful dog
emerging from the under the bed. It was covered with blood
and licking its mouth as it had just finished a delicious
meal.
The woman went berserk and assumed that the dog had
devoured her baby. Without much thought she clubbed the dog
to death. But as she continued searching for the "remains"
of her child, she beheld another scene. Close to the bed
was the baby who, although lying on bare floor was safe. And
under the bed the carcass of a jackal torn to pieces in
what must have been a fierce battle between it and the dog
which was now dead. Then the reality hit the woman who now
began to understand what took place in her absence. The
dog fought to protect the baby from the ravenous jackal. It
was too late for her now to make amends because in her
impatience and anger, she had killed the faithful dog.
How often have we misjudged people and torn them to shreds
with harsh words and even with physical assault before we
have had time to evaluate the situation? A little patience
can drastically reduce major life long errors.
Famous Sayings!!!
A ship in harbor is
safe, but that is not what ships are built for!
Intelligence is like underwear. It is important that you have it, but
not
necessary that you show it off!
If your dreams determine your future, why
not go to sleep now?
When the only tool you own is a hammer, every
problem begins to look like a nail !
Never test the depth of the water
with both feet.
This post was sent to my e-mail by a friend.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
EXPLORING THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
THE CHARISMATA
EXPLORING THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
GLOBAL DELIVERANCE TEAM (GLODET)
CENTER FOR SPIRITUAL WARFARE AND MISSIONS
P.O BOX 1215 OYO TOWN NIGERIA
TEL 08059426557/08038565127
WEBSITE – www.delekolade.blogspot.com
Written by – Rev Dele Kolade
This material is the sole property of the GLOBAL DELIVERANCE TEAM (GLODET). Unless special permission is given by the president, it must not be recopied by any means by anybody.
EXPLORING SPIRITUAL GIFTS
INTRODUCTION
The body of Christ primarily functions through the divers grace given gifts she is blessed with. The ministry role of believers in the church is rooted in spiritual gifts. The church cannot actively function according to the divine structure unless we acknowledge the spiritual giftedness of the members. The scope of this study is (therefore) to dispel ignorance concerning spiritual gifts and to help participants discover and rightly use their God’s given gift of grace.
As our working definition, spiritual gifts are special abilities given by Christ through the Holy Spirit to empower believers for the body ministry. Since the gifts are given by Christ through the Holy Spirit, we shall do well to locate the unfolding presence, power and actions of the Holy Spirit through ages:
HOLY SPIRIT IN THE OLD TESTAMENT ERA
1. His presence and action in creation – Gen. 1:1-2 “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form and void;…and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the water.” It is interesting that the Scriptures began with the fact of the active presence of the Holy Spirit right in creation. When the beginning began, it met the Holy Spirit already in existence and at work. In the episode of creation, He was actively present. He is indeed God in action.
2. He was the Old Testament Instructor of the saints. Neh. 9:20 “Thou gavest also thy good Spirit to instruct them…” Israel as a nation was distinct from any other nations in that they had divine instruction and direction through the Holy Spirit. Indeed, the Old Testament church had the Holy Spirit as her instructor.
3. Spirit’s unction for function – Jud. 3:10 “And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and he judged Israel…” The Holy Spirit enabled men and women in the Old Testament to function in various capacities. The anointing of the Spirit is not new, it has been active through ages in fulfilling divine counsel, through men and women of faith.
4. Holy Spirit equipped people in the Old Testament for vocational and creative abilities – Ex. 31:1-4 “And the Lord spake to Moses saying see I have called by name Bezaleel…and I have filled him with the Spirit of God…in all manner of workmanship.” The Holy Spirit is an expert in every field. Apart from “Spiritually” oriented functions, he also equipped people to variously function in other aspects of life sometimes considered secular.
5. Holy Spirit, the life changer – 1 Sam. 10:6 “And the Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee…and shalt be turned into another man.” There is no person in the scriptures who had encounter with the Holy Spirit that did not experience radical change of life.
From the New Testament era, the activities of the Holy Spirit has become pronounced. Many scholars of the scriptures has described this age as the age of the great manifestation of the Holy Spirit. Some of activities of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament include the following:
1. Holy Spirit, the revealer of divine mysteries. 1 Cor. 2:10 “But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit for the spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” It is clearly evident that the Holy Spirit unveils the counsel and the mysteries of God to the saints.
2. He convicts us of sin. Acts 2:37 “Now when they heard this they were pricked in their heart and said unto Peter and brethren, what shall we do? Jn. 16:8 “And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin.”
3. The Holy Spirit regenerates life. Titus 3:5 “…by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost.” 2 Cor. 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away, behold all this are become new.”
4. Holy Spirit is our witness. Rom. 9:1 “I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost.” Rom. 8:16 “The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.”
5. Holy Spirit adopts us unto God’s family. Gal. 4:6 “And because ye are sons, God hath senth forth the Spirit of his son into your hearts, crying Abba father” (Rom. 8:15).
6. He delivers us from the curse of law of sin and death. Rom 8:2 “For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath sep me free from the law of sin and death”.
7. Helps us in prayer. Rom. 8:26-27 “Likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought…” (Jude 1:20. Zech. 12:10)
8. He fills us with Joy Peace and boldness. Rom. 15:13 “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost.” (2 Tim 1:17).
9. Holy Spirit; our sanctifier. 1 Pet. 1:22 “Seeing ye have purified our soul in obeying the truth through the Spirit into unfeigned love of the brethren…” 2 Thess. 2:13 “…God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit…” (Rom. 15:16, Rom. 1:4).
10. He will quicken our mortal bodies. Rom. 8:11 “But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.”
11. He is our comforter. Jn. 14:26 “But the comforter, which is the holy Ghost whom the father will send in my name…”
12. He intercedes for the Saints. Rom. 8:27 “…because He maketh intercession for the saint according to the will of God.”
13. He teaches. Jn. 14:26 “…He shall teach you all things…”
14. He empowers believers. Lk 24:49 “…tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye be endowed with power from on High” (Acts 1:8).
15. He confirms the gospel. Heb. 2:3-4 “…God also bearing them witness, both with sign and wonders and with divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost according to His own will.”
16. Fills believers with love. Rom. 5:5 “…because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”
17. He justifies. 1 Cor. 6:11 “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God”.
18. He seals us till the day of redemption. Eph. 4:30 “And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption” Eph. 1:13 “…ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.”
19. Holy ghost commissions. Acts 13:2 “As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work where unto I have called them.”
20. Helps us to bear fruit. Gal. 5:22-23.
21. He inspires worship and adoration of God. Jn. 4:23-24, Phil. 3:3.
22. He puts Satan to flight. Jn. 4:7
23. He authored the scriptures. 2 Pet. 1:20-21
24. He interprets the scriptures. Jn. 16:14.
FOUNDATIONAL THOUGHTS ABOUT THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
It is necessary that we set the paradigm of understanding the gifts of the Holy Spirit right so us as to have sound and firm foundation. We should keep in mind that it is our understanding that determines ours standing. To have a right and strong standing, we must have a right understanding. The following truths are fundamental to a right discovery and use of the gifts that we are studying.
1. As you are born of the Spirit you must be filled with the spirit to be able to manifest spiritual gift. As it was necessary for the disciples to tarry at Jerusalem to be endued with the spirit power in order to be effective witnesses for Christ, you must also be clothed with the same power to be able to function effectively for Christ. Let’s explore the following scriptures together: Jn 14:17, Acts 2:38, Acts 8:14-17, Acts 19:1-6.
2. Spiritual gifts are “given” and not won. It must be well understood that the prerogative of whom to be given what gift rest solely on the Christ/the Holy Spirit Himself. 1 Cor. 12:11, Heb. 2:4. nevertheless, spiritual gifts can be desired genuinely by believers (1 Cor. 12:31). The place of impartation of the gifts by a spirit led minister can also not be ruled out (2 Tim 1:6).
3. Gifts operate at different levels depending on the unction given and the level of faith of the recipient of the gifts Rom. 12:6.
4. There are differences or varieties in spiritual gifts, meaning that we are variously gifted. No Christian is a carbon copy of another (Rom. 12:6-8, 1 Cor.12:7-11). There is no one who is a member of the body of Christ that does not have a gift. The use of the Greek word ‘hekasto’ really means ‘each’ of us is gifted.
5. Apart from the fact that there are diversity of gifts – that gifts differ from one another, they also fall into distinct categories. The Greek pronouns “allo” and “hetero” translated another in 1 Cor. 12:8-10 clearly shows the three categories of the listed gifts marked off by the twofold occurrence of “hetero” (“allo” – another of the same kind, “hetero” another of a different kind). In this sense, spiritual gifts can be categorized into groups like: power, utterance, revelation, and auxiliary.
6. The concept of differences in administration of the gifts must also be well understood and appreciated (1 Cor. 12:5-6). It is possible for two people to have the same kind of a gift of the Spirit but operate and administer it differently. That we have the same kind of a gift of the Spirit does not mean we must administer it exactly the same way. Nevertheless, all operations and administrations must be in agreement with the written word of God.
7. The manifestation of the gift of the spirit is what brings the profit to the recipient of the gift and the entire body of Christ at large. A gift that is discovered and developed but not deployed will soon be “destroyed” (1 Cor. 12:7).
The Greek’s noun “phanerosis” translated “manifestations” can literally render the text “To each one the Spirit – produced exhibition is given” especially if it is seen as subjective genitive of “tou pneumatos.” It can also be rendered as “Gifted individuals show forth the Holy Spirit through their charismatic acts.” If it is seen as objective genitive of “tou pneumatos.” The principal thought conveyed through the use of “phanerosis” is the element of display – an outgoing activity that touches other lives. The idea is that the manifestation must be seen, head or in some manner experienced by at least one person other than the gifted one. The manifestation is “of the spirit” and must be for the common good.
There is the possibility of having dormant spiritual gifts in some people and this is not the full counsel of God. We must bear in mind that spiritual gifts are not just for ‘knowing’ but also for ‘using’.
8. The believer has the responsibility to seek to develop and enhance his/her spiritual gifts. Through spiritual exercises, right association with other gifted people of God, service in the house of God, and faithfulness to God, the disciple can enhance him/herself in the particular area of giftedness. There is the need to “stir up” or “fan to flame” the gifts of the spirit that you have (2 Tim. 1:6). It will be improper to neglect the gift of God in one’s life (1 Tim. 4:14).
9. The under girding principle for using the gifts should be the motive of love. If we seek to discover gift without the motive of love, even our seeking will be hindered. Gift and ministries without love are worth nothing. ( 1Cor 13:1-3).
10. Gifts are better discovered and enhanced in the chamber of prayer. you do not have because you do not ask (Jam. 4:2). We should ask in prayer for good gifts (Lk. 11:13) and God is committed to answering us if we ask according to His will (1 Jn. 5:14).
Apart from the foundational thoughts about the discovery and use of the spiritual gift, the gifted believer must equally beware of the following pitfalls in the exercise of spiritual gifts.
1. Gift projection syndrome – This is a situation where Christians who think their particular gifts are more important project these gifts outwardly to make others feel inferior to them (1 Cor. 12:14-20).
2. Gift denigration – this is a “put him down syndrome.” Some members of the church that are regarded “weak” or “feeble” may be looked at like having no significant gift and the overly confident and overly independent members may fail to see how much they need to be ministered to by the so called weaker members (1 Cor. 12:21-25).
3. Over-Individualization – That the gifts are given to the individual does not mean they are given for private use. Gifts are given for the common good and the edification of the entire body of Christ. The community of faith must act as the controlling context for the exercise of spiritual gifts. The kind of spiritual maturity encouraged is maturity in community and not maturity in isolation (Eph. 4:12-13).
4. Consumer mentality syndrome – There is the danger of “parasitism” – a situation where some believers only think of receiving and never giving. There are contexts where only pastors are the performers and the members are spectators. This mentality must be discouraged and all members must see themselves as contributors and participants.
5. Institutionalism – One of the problems the church faced before the sixteenth century reformation was that some of the gifts became associated only with the clergy consequently rendering church members passive and uninvolved. Through leadership legalism in the church, the danger is still very much there today that some gift may be discounted by the leaders in the church.
6. Rationalism _ The liberalizing trends of the 18th century is playing down the supernatural elements of the Christian faith. The problem with many is that they equate spiritual gifts with natural aptitude and talents. This problem of rationalism has partly made some conclude that power and revelation gifts are no more in existence today.
7. Emotionalism – This is another extreme situation where the gifted person focuses attention more on personal experience rather than the objective dictates of the scripture. Charismatism and Pentecostalism face more problem of emotionalism than any other groups of believers.
For the purpose of clarity, the gifts of the Spirit shall be discussed under four categorizations. It must be well stated here that the identified gifts under these headings may not be exhaustive of all the gifts in the new testament but that there is no gift aside these can not fit into those so identified. In each of the gift observed, a definition of the gift will be given, scriptural explanation, characteristics of the user and potential pitfalls.
REVELATORY GIFTS 1COR. 12:4-11
A. WORD OF KNOWLEDGE – Bob Whitaker is right in describing this gift in the following words “Is not about intellectual ability or learning; it is an inner knowing or intuition such as was seen in Jesus ministry when he knew what his critics were thinking, feeling or plotting and then spoke in response as though he had read their minds” (Mk. 2:8, Lk 6:8, 7:36-47;9:47). The Greek word used to describe this gift literally mean “deep knowing.” It must be understood that this kind of knowledge is not parallel to that special revelation of the Bible. It is not intended to add to the scriptures. This is a divine, special, and supernatural revelation of facts through the Holy Ghost, about situation, people or thing which otherwise or depending upon carnal mind could not have been known. Lets examine the following scriptures to know the gift better: Gen. 2:21-23, Acts 5:1-4, Lk 4:17-19, 2 Kgs 5:20-27, 2Kg 6:32-33, Jn 4:17-18.
The pitfalls to beware of as a recipient of this gift is the tendency to become puffed up because of insights discerned and messages revealed. The other danger is communicating publicly a word of knowledge that was meant to be private. Some may even go the extreme by faking the word of knowledge when no revelation has come.
B. WORD OF WISDOM
This is a special spirit given ability to see situations and issues from God’s perspective and to apply God-given insight to specific areas of need.
Genesis 41 presents a good example of the demonstration of this gift. In Jesus’ ministry, the word of wisdom shone through in the perspective answers he gave those who tried to implicate him (Matt. 21:23-27; 22:23-33, Lk. 20:20-26). The recipient of this gift is able to apply spiritual knowledge in practical ways. Solomon sorting out the quarrel between the two women fighting over the living baby is another good example of the demonstration of this gift. The recipient of the gift are usually good as a member of a counseling team and can guide the church through a troublesome time.
The dangers potentially inherent in the use of the gift is the tendency for the user to become over confident, think of himself more highly than he ought to or become impatient with those who do not listen to his/her sayings.
C. DISCERNING OF THE SPIRIT.
This is a special Spirit-ability to distinguish or differentiate between spirits. Put in a different way, it is the ability to know whether a particular word, action or motive has its source in God, sinful flesh or Satan. Let’s explore the following passages of the scripture to understand the operation of this gift better: Matt. 16:23, Acts 8:9-25; 16:16-18, 1Tim. 4:1, 2Pet. 2:1-2, 1Thess. 5:21.
The potential liabilities of this gift include tendency for the user to become overzealous heresy hunter, overcritical about everything or withdraw from church to church.
POWER GIFTS
A.GIFT OF FAITH 1 COR. 12:9 – The gift of faith is the first gift in the category of the power gifts and it provides the unifying factor in this new group. The gift of faith is not the same as the saving faith possessed by every Christian (Rom. 3:22; 5:1). It is a special Spirit-given ability to know with certainty that God wills to do something and is certain to do it. Simply put, knowing what God want to do, coupled with the utter confidence that He will do it. Let’s observe the manifestations of this gift from the scriptures: Gen. 22:8, Jn. 11:23, Matt. 14:29, Acts 27:21-26. the potential problem usually associated with people operating this gift is the tendency to exercise the gift without love (1 Cor. 13:2) or be impatient with those who are quite cautious.
B. GIFTS OF HEALINGS
It is a special ability given by the Holy Spirit to serve as an instrument to bring physical, emotional and spiritual healing in an extraordinary way. What should be specially noted in regards to this gifts is the plural words used, and this suggests a variety of abilities relating to various maladies and diseases, 38 recorded scenes of healing in Jesus’ earthly ministry is given in the New Testament and 17 in the book of Acts by Apostle Paul and others. It is epistemologically fraudulent for anyone to conclude that this gift has seized. Let’s explore the scriptures: Ex. 15:26; 23:25, Ps. 103:3, Matt. 9:35, Mk. 6:56, Acts 10:38, Heb. 2:4, 2Kg 20:1-7, 1Tim. 5:23, Jn 14:11-14. the identified liabilities of the person’s using the gift include:
• Trying to heal at any time without discerning spirit guidance
• Use of rigid methods not confirmed in the scriptures
• Making healing dependent on the sick person’s faith
• Becoming impatient when healing does not happen.
C.WORKINGS OF MIRACLES – 1 Cor. 12:10
This is a display of divine extraordinary power, overturning the law of nature to express the power and presence of God in the affairs of man. We are still very much in the age of the miraculous and there are men and women of faith so gifted in this display of God’s power. The following scriptural texts attest to the demonstration of this gift. Acts 13:8-11, Acts 2:22, Mk. 6:2, Lk. 10:13, Gal. 3:5, 2Cor. 12:12, Matt. 12:28, Jn. 2:1-10, Mk.. 4:35-41, Mk 5:21-43, Lk 7:11-17, Jn. 14:12-14, Heb. 2:3-4. exorcism of demons is within the context of the gift of workings of miracles.
The potential liabilities of the user of this gift include the tendency to want to operate without Spirit guidance and taking personal credit for what really belong to God
UTTERANCE GIFTS
A. GIFT OF PROPHECY – 1Cor 12, 1 Thess. 5:20, Matt. 7:15-16
This is a special spirit-given ability to receive and communicate a message from God so that believers may be edified, encouraged and convinced 1 Cor 14:3-5. prophecy has a dual nature of revelation and utterance. The Greek word for prophecy literally means “to speak forth.” There is the dimension of “forth telling” and the “fore telling” Acts 11:27-28; 21:10-11; 13:1-3, 1 Tim. 1:18, Rev. 1:3, Rom. 12:8. prophecy is in three dimensions of “edification,” “encouragement” and “consolation” (counseling) 1 Cor. 14:3,9. That you have the gift of prophecy does not necessarily mean that you are a prophet. The pitfalls to watch out for include:
• Pride
• Deviation from the scripture
• Being too blunt or ministering without wisdom
Prophecies must be tested using scriptural litmus Deut. 18:20-22
B. DIVERS KINDS OF TONGUES – This gift seems to be the most controversial among all the gifts of the spirit. If this gift is not put in the right perspective it can be disruptive and divisive. It can simply be put as a special spirit-given ability to speak in utterances previously unknown or unlearnt by the speaker. You should take a special look at the plural form it is put in 1 Corinthians 12. From the text of the scripture the following should be observed:
• 120 believers spoke in tongues on the Pentecost day Acts 1:15; 2:4.
• Family of Cornelius after responding to Peter’s sermon Acts 10:46.
• A group of Ephesians’ believers Acts 19:6
• Paul also spoke in tongues 1 Cor. 14:5,18
• There is the “tongue” that is solely ministering to God (private).
• There is the “tongue” that is meant for ministering to men. This seems o spoken of in 1 Corinthians 12 (public) study 1 Corinthians 14 very carefully.
• Observe the tongues of “men” or of “angels” in 1 Corinthians 13. The person with this gift must beware of:
• Exercising the gift without love
• Making tongues the norm for spiritual maturity
• Using the gift for self glory.
C. INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES 1 Cor. 12:10
This is a special spirit-given ability to interpret into known language a message spoken in tongues. The interpretation may be supplied by the tongue-speaking person (1 Cor. 14:5,13) or by another person (1 Cor. 14:27). When interpretation is given the tongue spoken edifies not only the tongue-speaker but also all who are present. The interpretation may not be word for word translation but rather giving sense of the message. Tongues, once interpreted, are basically equivalent to prophecy. The pitfalls to avoid is giving words not from the Holy Spirit, taking glory for the manifestation of the gift or feeling superior to others who do not have this gift.
AUXILIARY GIFTS
A. ADMINISTRATION/LEADERSHIP 1 Cor.12:28, Rom. 12:8
This gift consists of a special skill in administrative direction that enables the gifted one to steer the flock of God into channels of effective service. The Greed word translated administration in 1 Cor. 12:28 means “one who guides or directs towards a goal.” Through the leadership skill the user sees and sets the goals and through the administrative skills he devises the plans to accomplish the goals. Explore the following texts of the Bible: 1 Thess. 5:12, 1Tim. 5:17, 1Pet. 5:2-3, 1Tim. 4:14, Heb. 13:7,17,24. The user of this gift must beware of the tendency for “using” people and thinking of projects and programs more than people.
B. ENCOURAGEMENT/COUNSELLING (Rom. 12:8).
This is the spirit-given ability to effectively encourage, comfort, challenge, or rebuke others to help them live lives worthy of God. The Greek term “parakaleo”, translated encourage in Rom. 12:8 denotes “standing-alongside another person to encourage, support or console as well as to challenge, urge or rebuke, where necessary, for spiritual growth and to spur one another on toward love and good deeds (Heb. 10:24). For further insight, study: Acts 14:21-22; 4:36; 11:25-26; 13:5; 15:37-39, Lk. 22:32, 2Tim. 4:2 and Jn. 14:16.
The danger are that the user may:
• Create inappropriate dependencies by getting too involved in people’s lives
• Neglect his/her spiritual life in the bid to help others.
C. GIFT OF GIVING (Rom. 12:8)
This is contributing significant personal, and material resources to the Lord’s work. The Greek word used in Rom. 12:8 places emphasis on “giving or sharing of ourselves” as we give. Examples in the scriptures include the poor widow (Lk. 21:1-3), and Dorcas (Acts 9:36-39) 1 Thess. 2:8.
Possible liabilities include
• Being proud of giving
• Condemn those who do not give sacrificially
• Unduly critical of how others spend their money
D. HOSPITALITY
Spirit given grace to love, welcome and graciously serve guests and strangers so that they feel at home 1 Pet. 4:9-10, Acts 16:15, 1Tim. 3:2; 5:10, 3Jn 5_8, Rom. 16:23.
Potential dangers associate with this gift is the tendency for the user of the gift to allow people take undue advantage of him/her, and also not being able to say no when ought to.
E. SHOWING MERCY (Rom. 12:8)
Ability to feel genuine empathy and compassion for hurting people and translating that feeling into cheerful acts of service. Some dangers of the user include:
• Being over sympathetic without objective censoring
• Over protective of those cared for
• Guided more by feeling and emotion rather than facts and scriptures w.
With what attitude should this gift be used? Rom. 12:8.
Explore the use of this gift from Lk 4-8. what can we learn from Acts 9:36, Lk 6:36 and Jm. 2:15-16, Matt. 25:35-45
This material is the sole property of the GLOBAL DELIVERANCE TEAM (GLODET). Unless special permission is given by the president, it must not be recopied by any means by anybody.
Written by Rev Dele Kolade
EXPLORING THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
GLOBAL DELIVERANCE TEAM (GLODET)
CENTER FOR SPIRITUAL WARFARE AND MISSIONS
P.O BOX 1215 OYO TOWN NIGERIA
TEL 08059426557/08038565127
WEBSITE – www.delekolade.blogspot.com
Written by – Rev Dele Kolade
This material is the sole property of the GLOBAL DELIVERANCE TEAM (GLODET). Unless special permission is given by the president, it must not be recopied by any means by anybody.
EXPLORING SPIRITUAL GIFTS
INTRODUCTION
The body of Christ primarily functions through the divers grace given gifts she is blessed with. The ministry role of believers in the church is rooted in spiritual gifts. The church cannot actively function according to the divine structure unless we acknowledge the spiritual giftedness of the members. The scope of this study is (therefore) to dispel ignorance concerning spiritual gifts and to help participants discover and rightly use their God’s given gift of grace.
As our working definition, spiritual gifts are special abilities given by Christ through the Holy Spirit to empower believers for the body ministry. Since the gifts are given by Christ through the Holy Spirit, we shall do well to locate the unfolding presence, power and actions of the Holy Spirit through ages:
HOLY SPIRIT IN THE OLD TESTAMENT ERA
1. His presence and action in creation – Gen. 1:1-2 “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form and void;…and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the water.” It is interesting that the Scriptures began with the fact of the active presence of the Holy Spirit right in creation. When the beginning began, it met the Holy Spirit already in existence and at work. In the episode of creation, He was actively present. He is indeed God in action.
2. He was the Old Testament Instructor of the saints. Neh. 9:20 “Thou gavest also thy good Spirit to instruct them…” Israel as a nation was distinct from any other nations in that they had divine instruction and direction through the Holy Spirit. Indeed, the Old Testament church had the Holy Spirit as her instructor.
3. Spirit’s unction for function – Jud. 3:10 “And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and he judged Israel…” The Holy Spirit enabled men and women in the Old Testament to function in various capacities. The anointing of the Spirit is not new, it has been active through ages in fulfilling divine counsel, through men and women of faith.
4. Holy Spirit equipped people in the Old Testament for vocational and creative abilities – Ex. 31:1-4 “And the Lord spake to Moses saying see I have called by name Bezaleel…and I have filled him with the Spirit of God…in all manner of workmanship.” The Holy Spirit is an expert in every field. Apart from “Spiritually” oriented functions, he also equipped people to variously function in other aspects of life sometimes considered secular.
5. Holy Spirit, the life changer – 1 Sam. 10:6 “And the Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee…and shalt be turned into another man.” There is no person in the scriptures who had encounter with the Holy Spirit that did not experience radical change of life.
From the New Testament era, the activities of the Holy Spirit has become pronounced. Many scholars of the scriptures has described this age as the age of the great manifestation of the Holy Spirit. Some of activities of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament include the following:
1. Holy Spirit, the revealer of divine mysteries. 1 Cor. 2:10 “But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit for the spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” It is clearly evident that the Holy Spirit unveils the counsel and the mysteries of God to the saints.
2. He convicts us of sin. Acts 2:37 “Now when they heard this they were pricked in their heart and said unto Peter and brethren, what shall we do? Jn. 16:8 “And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin.”
3. The Holy Spirit regenerates life. Titus 3:5 “…by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost.” 2 Cor. 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away, behold all this are become new.”
4. Holy Spirit is our witness. Rom. 9:1 “I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost.” Rom. 8:16 “The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.”
5. Holy Spirit adopts us unto God’s family. Gal. 4:6 “And because ye are sons, God hath senth forth the Spirit of his son into your hearts, crying Abba father” (Rom. 8:15).
6. He delivers us from the curse of law of sin and death. Rom 8:2 “For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath sep me free from the law of sin and death”.
7. Helps us in prayer. Rom. 8:26-27 “Likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought…” (Jude 1:20. Zech. 12:10)
8. He fills us with Joy Peace and boldness. Rom. 15:13 “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost.” (2 Tim 1:17).
9. Holy Spirit; our sanctifier. 1 Pet. 1:22 “Seeing ye have purified our soul in obeying the truth through the Spirit into unfeigned love of the brethren…” 2 Thess. 2:13 “…God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit…” (Rom. 15:16, Rom. 1:4).
10. He will quicken our mortal bodies. Rom. 8:11 “But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.”
11. He is our comforter. Jn. 14:26 “But the comforter, which is the holy Ghost whom the father will send in my name…”
12. He intercedes for the Saints. Rom. 8:27 “…because He maketh intercession for the saint according to the will of God.”
13. He teaches. Jn. 14:26 “…He shall teach you all things…”
14. He empowers believers. Lk 24:49 “…tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye be endowed with power from on High” (Acts 1:8).
15. He confirms the gospel. Heb. 2:3-4 “…God also bearing them witness, both with sign and wonders and with divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost according to His own will.”
16. Fills believers with love. Rom. 5:5 “…because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”
17. He justifies. 1 Cor. 6:11 “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God”.
18. He seals us till the day of redemption. Eph. 4:30 “And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption” Eph. 1:13 “…ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.”
19. Holy ghost commissions. Acts 13:2 “As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work where unto I have called them.”
20. Helps us to bear fruit. Gal. 5:22-23.
21. He inspires worship and adoration of God. Jn. 4:23-24, Phil. 3:3.
22. He puts Satan to flight. Jn. 4:7
23. He authored the scriptures. 2 Pet. 1:20-21
24. He interprets the scriptures. Jn. 16:14.
FOUNDATIONAL THOUGHTS ABOUT THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
It is necessary that we set the paradigm of understanding the gifts of the Holy Spirit right so us as to have sound and firm foundation. We should keep in mind that it is our understanding that determines ours standing. To have a right and strong standing, we must have a right understanding. The following truths are fundamental to a right discovery and use of the gifts that we are studying.
1. As you are born of the Spirit you must be filled with the spirit to be able to manifest spiritual gift. As it was necessary for the disciples to tarry at Jerusalem to be endued with the spirit power in order to be effective witnesses for Christ, you must also be clothed with the same power to be able to function effectively for Christ. Let’s explore the following scriptures together: Jn 14:17, Acts 2:38, Acts 8:14-17, Acts 19:1-6.
2. Spiritual gifts are “given” and not won. It must be well understood that the prerogative of whom to be given what gift rest solely on the Christ/the Holy Spirit Himself. 1 Cor. 12:11, Heb. 2:4. nevertheless, spiritual gifts can be desired genuinely by believers (1 Cor. 12:31). The place of impartation of the gifts by a spirit led minister can also not be ruled out (2 Tim 1:6).
3. Gifts operate at different levels depending on the unction given and the level of faith of the recipient of the gifts Rom. 12:6.
4. There are differences or varieties in spiritual gifts, meaning that we are variously gifted. No Christian is a carbon copy of another (Rom. 12:6-8, 1 Cor.12:7-11). There is no one who is a member of the body of Christ that does not have a gift. The use of the Greek word ‘hekasto’ really means ‘each’ of us is gifted.
5. Apart from the fact that there are diversity of gifts – that gifts differ from one another, they also fall into distinct categories. The Greek pronouns “allo” and “hetero” translated another in 1 Cor. 12:8-10 clearly shows the three categories of the listed gifts marked off by the twofold occurrence of “hetero” (“allo” – another of the same kind, “hetero” another of a different kind). In this sense, spiritual gifts can be categorized into groups like: power, utterance, revelation, and auxiliary.
6. The concept of differences in administration of the gifts must also be well understood and appreciated (1 Cor. 12:5-6). It is possible for two people to have the same kind of a gift of the Spirit but operate and administer it differently. That we have the same kind of a gift of the Spirit does not mean we must administer it exactly the same way. Nevertheless, all operations and administrations must be in agreement with the written word of God.
7. The manifestation of the gift of the spirit is what brings the profit to the recipient of the gift and the entire body of Christ at large. A gift that is discovered and developed but not deployed will soon be “destroyed” (1 Cor. 12:7).
The Greek’s noun “phanerosis” translated “manifestations” can literally render the text “To each one the Spirit – produced exhibition is given” especially if it is seen as subjective genitive of “tou pneumatos.” It can also be rendered as “Gifted individuals show forth the Holy Spirit through their charismatic acts.” If it is seen as objective genitive of “tou pneumatos.” The principal thought conveyed through the use of “phanerosis” is the element of display – an outgoing activity that touches other lives. The idea is that the manifestation must be seen, head or in some manner experienced by at least one person other than the gifted one. The manifestation is “of the spirit” and must be for the common good.
There is the possibility of having dormant spiritual gifts in some people and this is not the full counsel of God. We must bear in mind that spiritual gifts are not just for ‘knowing’ but also for ‘using’.
8. The believer has the responsibility to seek to develop and enhance his/her spiritual gifts. Through spiritual exercises, right association with other gifted people of God, service in the house of God, and faithfulness to God, the disciple can enhance him/herself in the particular area of giftedness. There is the need to “stir up” or “fan to flame” the gifts of the spirit that you have (2 Tim. 1:6). It will be improper to neglect the gift of God in one’s life (1 Tim. 4:14).
9. The under girding principle for using the gifts should be the motive of love. If we seek to discover gift without the motive of love, even our seeking will be hindered. Gift and ministries without love are worth nothing. ( 1Cor 13:1-3).
10. Gifts are better discovered and enhanced in the chamber of prayer. you do not have because you do not ask (Jam. 4:2). We should ask in prayer for good gifts (Lk. 11:13) and God is committed to answering us if we ask according to His will (1 Jn. 5:14).
Apart from the foundational thoughts about the discovery and use of the spiritual gift, the gifted believer must equally beware of the following pitfalls in the exercise of spiritual gifts.
1. Gift projection syndrome – This is a situation where Christians who think their particular gifts are more important project these gifts outwardly to make others feel inferior to them (1 Cor. 12:14-20).
2. Gift denigration – this is a “put him down syndrome.” Some members of the church that are regarded “weak” or “feeble” may be looked at like having no significant gift and the overly confident and overly independent members may fail to see how much they need to be ministered to by the so called weaker members (1 Cor. 12:21-25).
3. Over-Individualization – That the gifts are given to the individual does not mean they are given for private use. Gifts are given for the common good and the edification of the entire body of Christ. The community of faith must act as the controlling context for the exercise of spiritual gifts. The kind of spiritual maturity encouraged is maturity in community and not maturity in isolation (Eph. 4:12-13).
4. Consumer mentality syndrome – There is the danger of “parasitism” – a situation where some believers only think of receiving and never giving. There are contexts where only pastors are the performers and the members are spectators. This mentality must be discouraged and all members must see themselves as contributors and participants.
5. Institutionalism – One of the problems the church faced before the sixteenth century reformation was that some of the gifts became associated only with the clergy consequently rendering church members passive and uninvolved. Through leadership legalism in the church, the danger is still very much there today that some gift may be discounted by the leaders in the church.
6. Rationalism _ The liberalizing trends of the 18th century is playing down the supernatural elements of the Christian faith. The problem with many is that they equate spiritual gifts with natural aptitude and talents. This problem of rationalism has partly made some conclude that power and revelation gifts are no more in existence today.
7. Emotionalism – This is another extreme situation where the gifted person focuses attention more on personal experience rather than the objective dictates of the scripture. Charismatism and Pentecostalism face more problem of emotionalism than any other groups of believers.
For the purpose of clarity, the gifts of the Spirit shall be discussed under four categorizations. It must be well stated here that the identified gifts under these headings may not be exhaustive of all the gifts in the new testament but that there is no gift aside these can not fit into those so identified. In each of the gift observed, a definition of the gift will be given, scriptural explanation, characteristics of the user and potential pitfalls.
REVELATORY GIFTS 1COR. 12:4-11
A. WORD OF KNOWLEDGE – Bob Whitaker is right in describing this gift in the following words “Is not about intellectual ability or learning; it is an inner knowing or intuition such as was seen in Jesus ministry when he knew what his critics were thinking, feeling or plotting and then spoke in response as though he had read their minds” (Mk. 2:8, Lk 6:8, 7:36-47;9:47). The Greek word used to describe this gift literally mean “deep knowing.” It must be understood that this kind of knowledge is not parallel to that special revelation of the Bible. It is not intended to add to the scriptures. This is a divine, special, and supernatural revelation of facts through the Holy Ghost, about situation, people or thing which otherwise or depending upon carnal mind could not have been known. Lets examine the following scriptures to know the gift better: Gen. 2:21-23, Acts 5:1-4, Lk 4:17-19, 2 Kgs 5:20-27, 2Kg 6:32-33, Jn 4:17-18.
The pitfalls to beware of as a recipient of this gift is the tendency to become puffed up because of insights discerned and messages revealed. The other danger is communicating publicly a word of knowledge that was meant to be private. Some may even go the extreme by faking the word of knowledge when no revelation has come.
B. WORD OF WISDOM
This is a special spirit given ability to see situations and issues from God’s perspective and to apply God-given insight to specific areas of need.
Genesis 41 presents a good example of the demonstration of this gift. In Jesus’ ministry, the word of wisdom shone through in the perspective answers he gave those who tried to implicate him (Matt. 21:23-27; 22:23-33, Lk. 20:20-26). The recipient of this gift is able to apply spiritual knowledge in practical ways. Solomon sorting out the quarrel between the two women fighting over the living baby is another good example of the demonstration of this gift. The recipient of the gift are usually good as a member of a counseling team and can guide the church through a troublesome time.
The dangers potentially inherent in the use of the gift is the tendency for the user to become over confident, think of himself more highly than he ought to or become impatient with those who do not listen to his/her sayings.
C. DISCERNING OF THE SPIRIT.
This is a special Spirit-ability to distinguish or differentiate between spirits. Put in a different way, it is the ability to know whether a particular word, action or motive has its source in God, sinful flesh or Satan. Let’s explore the following passages of the scripture to understand the operation of this gift better: Matt. 16:23, Acts 8:9-25; 16:16-18, 1Tim. 4:1, 2Pet. 2:1-2, 1Thess. 5:21.
The potential liabilities of this gift include tendency for the user to become overzealous heresy hunter, overcritical about everything or withdraw from church to church.
POWER GIFTS
A.GIFT OF FAITH 1 COR. 12:9 – The gift of faith is the first gift in the category of the power gifts and it provides the unifying factor in this new group. The gift of faith is not the same as the saving faith possessed by every Christian (Rom. 3:22; 5:1). It is a special Spirit-given ability to know with certainty that God wills to do something and is certain to do it. Simply put, knowing what God want to do, coupled with the utter confidence that He will do it. Let’s observe the manifestations of this gift from the scriptures: Gen. 22:8, Jn. 11:23, Matt. 14:29, Acts 27:21-26. the potential problem usually associated with people operating this gift is the tendency to exercise the gift without love (1 Cor. 13:2) or be impatient with those who are quite cautious.
B. GIFTS OF HEALINGS
It is a special ability given by the Holy Spirit to serve as an instrument to bring physical, emotional and spiritual healing in an extraordinary way. What should be specially noted in regards to this gifts is the plural words used, and this suggests a variety of abilities relating to various maladies and diseases, 38 recorded scenes of healing in Jesus’ earthly ministry is given in the New Testament and 17 in the book of Acts by Apostle Paul and others. It is epistemologically fraudulent for anyone to conclude that this gift has seized. Let’s explore the scriptures: Ex. 15:26; 23:25, Ps. 103:3, Matt. 9:35, Mk. 6:56, Acts 10:38, Heb. 2:4, 2Kg 20:1-7, 1Tim. 5:23, Jn 14:11-14. the identified liabilities of the person’s using the gift include:
• Trying to heal at any time without discerning spirit guidance
• Use of rigid methods not confirmed in the scriptures
• Making healing dependent on the sick person’s faith
• Becoming impatient when healing does not happen.
C.WORKINGS OF MIRACLES – 1 Cor. 12:10
This is a display of divine extraordinary power, overturning the law of nature to express the power and presence of God in the affairs of man. We are still very much in the age of the miraculous and there are men and women of faith so gifted in this display of God’s power. The following scriptural texts attest to the demonstration of this gift. Acts 13:8-11, Acts 2:22, Mk. 6:2, Lk. 10:13, Gal. 3:5, 2Cor. 12:12, Matt. 12:28, Jn. 2:1-10, Mk.. 4:35-41, Mk 5:21-43, Lk 7:11-17, Jn. 14:12-14, Heb. 2:3-4. exorcism of demons is within the context of the gift of workings of miracles.
The potential liabilities of the user of this gift include the tendency to want to operate without Spirit guidance and taking personal credit for what really belong to God
UTTERANCE GIFTS
A. GIFT OF PROPHECY – 1Cor 12, 1 Thess. 5:20, Matt. 7:15-16
This is a special spirit-given ability to receive and communicate a message from God so that believers may be edified, encouraged and convinced 1 Cor 14:3-5. prophecy has a dual nature of revelation and utterance. The Greek word for prophecy literally means “to speak forth.” There is the dimension of “forth telling” and the “fore telling” Acts 11:27-28; 21:10-11; 13:1-3, 1 Tim. 1:18, Rev. 1:3, Rom. 12:8. prophecy is in three dimensions of “edification,” “encouragement” and “consolation” (counseling) 1 Cor. 14:3,9. That you have the gift of prophecy does not necessarily mean that you are a prophet. The pitfalls to watch out for include:
• Pride
• Deviation from the scripture
• Being too blunt or ministering without wisdom
Prophecies must be tested using scriptural litmus Deut. 18:20-22
B. DIVERS KINDS OF TONGUES – This gift seems to be the most controversial among all the gifts of the spirit. If this gift is not put in the right perspective it can be disruptive and divisive. It can simply be put as a special spirit-given ability to speak in utterances previously unknown or unlearnt by the speaker. You should take a special look at the plural form it is put in 1 Corinthians 12. From the text of the scripture the following should be observed:
• 120 believers spoke in tongues on the Pentecost day Acts 1:15; 2:4.
• Family of Cornelius after responding to Peter’s sermon Acts 10:46.
• A group of Ephesians’ believers Acts 19:6
• Paul also spoke in tongues 1 Cor. 14:5,18
• There is the “tongue” that is solely ministering to God (private).
• There is the “tongue” that is meant for ministering to men. This seems o spoken of in 1 Corinthians 12 (public) study 1 Corinthians 14 very carefully.
• Observe the tongues of “men” or of “angels” in 1 Corinthians 13. The person with this gift must beware of:
• Exercising the gift without love
• Making tongues the norm for spiritual maturity
• Using the gift for self glory.
C. INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES 1 Cor. 12:10
This is a special spirit-given ability to interpret into known language a message spoken in tongues. The interpretation may be supplied by the tongue-speaking person (1 Cor. 14:5,13) or by another person (1 Cor. 14:27). When interpretation is given the tongue spoken edifies not only the tongue-speaker but also all who are present. The interpretation may not be word for word translation but rather giving sense of the message. Tongues, once interpreted, are basically equivalent to prophecy. The pitfalls to avoid is giving words not from the Holy Spirit, taking glory for the manifestation of the gift or feeling superior to others who do not have this gift.
AUXILIARY GIFTS
A. ADMINISTRATION/LEADERSHIP 1 Cor.12:28, Rom. 12:8
This gift consists of a special skill in administrative direction that enables the gifted one to steer the flock of God into channels of effective service. The Greed word translated administration in 1 Cor. 12:28 means “one who guides or directs towards a goal.” Through the leadership skill the user sees and sets the goals and through the administrative skills he devises the plans to accomplish the goals. Explore the following texts of the Bible: 1 Thess. 5:12, 1Tim. 5:17, 1Pet. 5:2-3, 1Tim. 4:14, Heb. 13:7,17,24. The user of this gift must beware of the tendency for “using” people and thinking of projects and programs more than people.
B. ENCOURAGEMENT/COUNSELLING (Rom. 12:8).
This is the spirit-given ability to effectively encourage, comfort, challenge, or rebuke others to help them live lives worthy of God. The Greek term “parakaleo”, translated encourage in Rom. 12:8 denotes “standing-alongside another person to encourage, support or console as well as to challenge, urge or rebuke, where necessary, for spiritual growth and to spur one another on toward love and good deeds (Heb. 10:24). For further insight, study: Acts 14:21-22; 4:36; 11:25-26; 13:5; 15:37-39, Lk. 22:32, 2Tim. 4:2 and Jn. 14:16.
The danger are that the user may:
• Create inappropriate dependencies by getting too involved in people’s lives
• Neglect his/her spiritual life in the bid to help others.
C. GIFT OF GIVING (Rom. 12:8)
This is contributing significant personal, and material resources to the Lord’s work. The Greek word used in Rom. 12:8 places emphasis on “giving or sharing of ourselves” as we give. Examples in the scriptures include the poor widow (Lk. 21:1-3), and Dorcas (Acts 9:36-39) 1 Thess. 2:8.
Possible liabilities include
• Being proud of giving
• Condemn those who do not give sacrificially
• Unduly critical of how others spend their money
D. HOSPITALITY
Spirit given grace to love, welcome and graciously serve guests and strangers so that they feel at home 1 Pet. 4:9-10, Acts 16:15, 1Tim. 3:2; 5:10, 3Jn 5_8, Rom. 16:23.
Potential dangers associate with this gift is the tendency for the user of the gift to allow people take undue advantage of him/her, and also not being able to say no when ought to.
E. SHOWING MERCY (Rom. 12:8)
Ability to feel genuine empathy and compassion for hurting people and translating that feeling into cheerful acts of service. Some dangers of the user include:
• Being over sympathetic without objective censoring
• Over protective of those cared for
• Guided more by feeling and emotion rather than facts and scriptures w.
With what attitude should this gift be used? Rom. 12:8.
Explore the use of this gift from Lk 4-8. what can we learn from Acts 9:36, Lk 6:36 and Jm. 2:15-16, Matt. 25:35-45
This material is the sole property of the GLOBAL DELIVERANCE TEAM (GLODET). Unless special permission is given by the president, it must not be recopied by any means by anybody.
Written by Rev Dele Kolade
Friday, February 01, 2008
A VAST ARMY; AN EXEGESIS OF EZEK 37
A VAST ARMY, AN EXEGESIS OF EZEKIEL 37
Introduction – Ezekiel, the priest prophet in this chapter had a dramatic encounter with God, a record of which we want to carefully examine in the light of our contemporary situation. The chapter can be described as a prophetic excursion that reaffirms the fact that with God nothing is impossible and that there is not right off or hopeless situation. As we wait on God for a radical revival, let’s be guided by the prophetic, panoramic principles set forth in this great chapter.
Discover to Recover – Vs 1 “The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the Spirit of the Lord….” The prophetic restoration in this chapter of the Bible began with a revelation and the fact that discovery is the first principle to experiencing revival or a positive change in life. If a situation will change, the change will start with a new vision. Revelation precedes liberation and restoration. God gave Ezekiel a prophetic projection of the divine intension for the house of Israel. In life, if you don’t discover you can not recover. A true and holistic discovery must begin with epistemological humility, an admission of the fact that what you know is far less than what you don’t know. This vision shown to Ezekiel, I belief must be beyond his human imagination. There are so many things you don’t know about what you are going through unless God reveal them to you. As human being, you are limited to the existential realities around you but God can unveil the metaphysical truth that is beyond you to you. There are things you don’t know and you know that you don’t know them, but greater ignorance is in things you don’t know and you don’t even know that you don’t know them. You need a connection and prophetic excursion with the Holy Spirit like Ezekiel to be able to have a broader and clearer perspective of life. May the hand of the Lord rest on you today to take you beyond yourself.
From the Familiar to the Unfamiliar – Vs 1 “…and carried me out…and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones.” There is no bigger obstacle to having revival or experiencing positive change than the problem of ‘sameness’ or indifference. Exposure brings expansion, so a man this is not positively exposed is caged. When you are exposed you will begin to appreciate new things but men who have nothing new to appreciate will eventually depreciate. You must pray for a release from the cocoon of indifference you are into. Get familiar with the godly unfamiliar. The emphasis here is the ‘carried out’ of the prophet. Note the word ‘out’; it has a sense of beyond and newness. Ezekiel was taken from where he was to a new place he never dreamt of. God is intending to take you out of somewhere and set you down in a new setting. For your prophetic change to be translated to real testimony, you need a corresponding transition from where you are to where you ought to be.
The Site – It will interest you to know that there is no way you can fully understand a situation if you don’t understand its attendant connection with its location. There is a connection between where you are and who you are. The description of the blessed man in Psalm one centers first on where he does not walk, stand, or sit all describing location. You can not fully understand a situation when you do not first investigate the location. The first recorded question God ever asked man borders on location – ‘Adam where are you’. The setting of this vision is as important as the situation described in the revelation that ensued. It was a ‘valley’ setting. This, I must say does not surprise me because after all God created the place before He created the people. I think David will have to be consulted to better understand the significance of being in a VALLEY. David, in Psalm 23 recounts his valley experience. I must also say that the situation at hand in Ezekiel vision is superlatively different from that of David in Psalm 23. David walked through the valley but the bones in Ezekiel’s account describe those who could not walk through it. What David experienced or saw was a shadow of death but what Ezekiel saw was REAL DEATH and not a shadow. All the same David has helped us to discover that valley is a picture of danger and evil and this was where God led Ezekiel the prophet into. Where are you now? May be in the valley, but wait, all hope is not lost for there is hope even for the obituary.
The Situation – Vs 2 “…there were very many in the open valley; and lo, they were very dry.” The emphasis here is on the population of those involved and the propensity of the problem at hand. Can you imagine seeing in a dream very many human dried bones; I guess you will simply force to wake up from such a dream. What Ezekiel saw was terribly ugly and from the human point of view HOPELESSNESS IN CAPITAL LETTERS. The valley was full of decayed, disintegrated, and widely dispersed human bones. When human dead body is left unburied in the open, the site of it must be terrible. The prophet was given a full picture of the valley by making him to move all around the place. There is a need for a clear understanding of what is going on before a solution can be sort for. A problem you do not understand well you can not deal well with. Someone said ‘Jesus is the answer’, and someone asked him ‘what is the question?’ The issue is that we seem to have many answers when we do not even understand the questions. Ezekiel had a clear picture of the situation. May the Lord open your eyes to understand the situation you are in, and may He empower you to deal with it with His anointing.
The Question – Vs 3 “…Can these bones live?....” What a multi million Dollars’ question? The Immortal was asking the mortal if the rotten, stinking, disintegrated and widely dispersed human bones could come back to life. Ezekiel, I believe, was still grappling with the shock of the site when the unexpected question came. The question was too much for the prophet and his response was simply an expression of epistemological humility. Ezekiel’s response that only God knows is recognition of God’s sovereignty and omnipotence. You need to allow God to take the lead and show the way.
The Solution – If you allow God to show the way you will see tremendous and great results. We need to observe the process of the recovery and restoration in this passage.
Divine – Human Collaboration – We must not loose the sight of the fact that Ezekiel was divinely assigned a role in the process of the recovery. He was the mouth piece of God who was doing the commanding. In this project of your total emancipation and full restoration you have an active role to play. God has anointed you to take charge and to do exploit in life.
Divine backing – You must be aware than you are not going in your own strength or ability, there must be a divine decree backing you. Going all out without God will spell a doom but following divine order will bring victory and testimony. Ezekiel was acting on specific divine instructions. He was not speaking his own words, but that which he received from God. You need a specific, divinely directed word and mandate from God on what you are currently going through. No one can decrease what God decrees.
The shakings, trembling, and rattling – At the voice of the anointed man of God, there was an aggressive demonstration and reactions on the scattered bones. Sometimes when God set into our situation, there may be the initial shakings, trembling and the rattling. The shaking is for your making. It is a response to the order of restoration and not a signal of destruction. You need to differentiate the shakings engineered by God from the tearing organized by the devil.
Bone to its bone – The concept of ‘fitly joined together’ captured in Eph 4:16 can best be appreciated in the wonders of human skeleton. God brought bone to its bone in the process of restoration in this passage. Can you imagine if the bones were wrongly fitted, the site would have been very ugly. Many of us need a re- ordering of our lives because bones are not to the right bones in our lives. Some are suffering from what I call orderly disorder and they need an urgent reordering of their lives.
Sinew, flesh, and skin – As wonderful as the human skeleton is, without flesh it may be very frightening. The beauty of life is better seen through the addition of flesh and skin to the human body. You need the sinew, flesh and skin in your life. You need the beauty of the Lord in your life for you to attract success and breakthrough.
Breath/Spirit – The peak of the dramatic, prophetic, spirito-surgical operation at this valley was the coming of the Spirit upon the fresh but lifeless bodies. No matter how fresh and well looking dead body may be, it is still as useless as rotten bone. What some of us need is the coming of the Spirit of God into our lives. It is one thing to be existing and another to be living, just as being well is not the same as well being. You must not just be existing, you must start living and fulfilling your destiny in Christ. You can only do this by the power of the Spirit. You can not stand up unless you are filled up by the Spirit of God. What a great thing to discover that the once scattered, shattered, useless dried bones are now ‘A VAST AND EXCEEDING GREAT ARMY’ Rev. Dele Kolade
E-Mail : kolade2002@yahoo.com
Website: www.delekolade.blogspot.com
www.glodetmission.blogspot.com
Introduction – Ezekiel, the priest prophet in this chapter had a dramatic encounter with God, a record of which we want to carefully examine in the light of our contemporary situation. The chapter can be described as a prophetic excursion that reaffirms the fact that with God nothing is impossible and that there is not right off or hopeless situation. As we wait on God for a radical revival, let’s be guided by the prophetic, panoramic principles set forth in this great chapter.
Discover to Recover – Vs 1 “The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the Spirit of the Lord….” The prophetic restoration in this chapter of the Bible began with a revelation and the fact that discovery is the first principle to experiencing revival or a positive change in life. If a situation will change, the change will start with a new vision. Revelation precedes liberation and restoration. God gave Ezekiel a prophetic projection of the divine intension for the house of Israel. In life, if you don’t discover you can not recover. A true and holistic discovery must begin with epistemological humility, an admission of the fact that what you know is far less than what you don’t know. This vision shown to Ezekiel, I belief must be beyond his human imagination. There are so many things you don’t know about what you are going through unless God reveal them to you. As human being, you are limited to the existential realities around you but God can unveil the metaphysical truth that is beyond you to you. There are things you don’t know and you know that you don’t know them, but greater ignorance is in things you don’t know and you don’t even know that you don’t know them. You need a connection and prophetic excursion with the Holy Spirit like Ezekiel to be able to have a broader and clearer perspective of life. May the hand of the Lord rest on you today to take you beyond yourself.
From the Familiar to the Unfamiliar – Vs 1 “…and carried me out…and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones.” There is no bigger obstacle to having revival or experiencing positive change than the problem of ‘sameness’ or indifference. Exposure brings expansion, so a man this is not positively exposed is caged. When you are exposed you will begin to appreciate new things but men who have nothing new to appreciate will eventually depreciate. You must pray for a release from the cocoon of indifference you are into. Get familiar with the godly unfamiliar. The emphasis here is the ‘carried out’ of the prophet. Note the word ‘out’; it has a sense of beyond and newness. Ezekiel was taken from where he was to a new place he never dreamt of. God is intending to take you out of somewhere and set you down in a new setting. For your prophetic change to be translated to real testimony, you need a corresponding transition from where you are to where you ought to be.
The Site – It will interest you to know that there is no way you can fully understand a situation if you don’t understand its attendant connection with its location. There is a connection between where you are and who you are. The description of the blessed man in Psalm one centers first on where he does not walk, stand, or sit all describing location. You can not fully understand a situation when you do not first investigate the location. The first recorded question God ever asked man borders on location – ‘Adam where are you’. The setting of this vision is as important as the situation described in the revelation that ensued. It was a ‘valley’ setting. This, I must say does not surprise me because after all God created the place before He created the people. I think David will have to be consulted to better understand the significance of being in a VALLEY. David, in Psalm 23 recounts his valley experience. I must also say that the situation at hand in Ezekiel vision is superlatively different from that of David in Psalm 23. David walked through the valley but the bones in Ezekiel’s account describe those who could not walk through it. What David experienced or saw was a shadow of death but what Ezekiel saw was REAL DEATH and not a shadow. All the same David has helped us to discover that valley is a picture of danger and evil and this was where God led Ezekiel the prophet into. Where are you now? May be in the valley, but wait, all hope is not lost for there is hope even for the obituary.
The Situation – Vs 2 “…there were very many in the open valley; and lo, they were very dry.” The emphasis here is on the population of those involved and the propensity of the problem at hand. Can you imagine seeing in a dream very many human dried bones; I guess you will simply force to wake up from such a dream. What Ezekiel saw was terribly ugly and from the human point of view HOPELESSNESS IN CAPITAL LETTERS. The valley was full of decayed, disintegrated, and widely dispersed human bones. When human dead body is left unburied in the open, the site of it must be terrible. The prophet was given a full picture of the valley by making him to move all around the place. There is a need for a clear understanding of what is going on before a solution can be sort for. A problem you do not understand well you can not deal well with. Someone said ‘Jesus is the answer’, and someone asked him ‘what is the question?’ The issue is that we seem to have many answers when we do not even understand the questions. Ezekiel had a clear picture of the situation. May the Lord open your eyes to understand the situation you are in, and may He empower you to deal with it with His anointing.
The Question – Vs 3 “…Can these bones live?....” What a multi million Dollars’ question? The Immortal was asking the mortal if the rotten, stinking, disintegrated and widely dispersed human bones could come back to life. Ezekiel, I believe, was still grappling with the shock of the site when the unexpected question came. The question was too much for the prophet and his response was simply an expression of epistemological humility. Ezekiel’s response that only God knows is recognition of God’s sovereignty and omnipotence. You need to allow God to take the lead and show the way.
The Solution – If you allow God to show the way you will see tremendous and great results. We need to observe the process of the recovery and restoration in this passage.
Divine – Human Collaboration – We must not loose the sight of the fact that Ezekiel was divinely assigned a role in the process of the recovery. He was the mouth piece of God who was doing the commanding. In this project of your total emancipation and full restoration you have an active role to play. God has anointed you to take charge and to do exploit in life.
Divine backing – You must be aware than you are not going in your own strength or ability, there must be a divine decree backing you. Going all out without God will spell a doom but following divine order will bring victory and testimony. Ezekiel was acting on specific divine instructions. He was not speaking his own words, but that which he received from God. You need a specific, divinely directed word and mandate from God on what you are currently going through. No one can decrease what God decrees.
The shakings, trembling, and rattling – At the voice of the anointed man of God, there was an aggressive demonstration and reactions on the scattered bones. Sometimes when God set into our situation, there may be the initial shakings, trembling and the rattling. The shaking is for your making. It is a response to the order of restoration and not a signal of destruction. You need to differentiate the shakings engineered by God from the tearing organized by the devil.
Bone to its bone – The concept of ‘fitly joined together’ captured in Eph 4:16 can best be appreciated in the wonders of human skeleton. God brought bone to its bone in the process of restoration in this passage. Can you imagine if the bones were wrongly fitted, the site would have been very ugly. Many of us need a re- ordering of our lives because bones are not to the right bones in our lives. Some are suffering from what I call orderly disorder and they need an urgent reordering of their lives.
Sinew, flesh, and skin – As wonderful as the human skeleton is, without flesh it may be very frightening. The beauty of life is better seen through the addition of flesh and skin to the human body. You need the sinew, flesh and skin in your life. You need the beauty of the Lord in your life for you to attract success and breakthrough.
Breath/Spirit – The peak of the dramatic, prophetic, spirito-surgical operation at this valley was the coming of the Spirit upon the fresh but lifeless bodies. No matter how fresh and well looking dead body may be, it is still as useless as rotten bone. What some of us need is the coming of the Spirit of God into our lives. It is one thing to be existing and another to be living, just as being well is not the same as well being. You must not just be existing, you must start living and fulfilling your destiny in Christ. You can only do this by the power of the Spirit. You can not stand up unless you are filled up by the Spirit of God. What a great thing to discover that the once scattered, shattered, useless dried bones are now ‘A VAST AND EXCEEDING GREAT ARMY’ Rev. Dele Kolade
E-Mail : kolade2002@yahoo.com
Website: www.delekolade.blogspot.com
www.glodetmission.blogspot.com
2008'S PROPHETIC X-RAY
THE PROPHETIC X-RAY AND DECLARATION FOR 2008
To know others takes intelligence, to know about an issue or event takes insight, to know about yourself takes wisdom but to know about the future requires metaphysical foresight. Your vision about the future will define your direction, location, association, function, destination and situation (condition). For this year, you are not left in the dark for God has a prophetic package for the saints in the year 2008. You need a clear vision of God’s agenda to be able to access the prophetic package for 2008.May the Lord grant you a divine placement in this great agenda. God has a covenant budget for each year, and every child of His has a portion in that budget. I will surely get my own share of the budget this year 2008. 2008, being a leap year is a very strategic year. I will enjoy divine surplus this season. Every thing good will come my way in excess this year. Any location I am I will get my own divine allocation. The Lord will connect me with the right people that will help me achieve my divine mandate in life. I will be strengthened from on high to achieve my divinely inspired desire. The divine inspiration will insulate me against expiration. I will be lavished with grace and bombarded with blessings. May you have a clear vision of His days in 2008 in Jesus name.
Every purpose (agenda) of God is married with His timing. A purpose without a direction leads to infection. A life without a clear direction is surely in confusion and when there is confusion there will be frustration and failure. A life void of divine vision will settle down for imitation, but imitation brings limitation and intimidation.
God says the year 2008 is MY YEAR TO EXPERIENCE GOD’S FAVOUR AND SKYROCKETING INCREASE. The mandate unlocking this is in Lev.26: 9- “For I will look on you favorably and make you fruitful, multiply you and confirm my covenant with you”.2008 is the beginning of my season of “breaking forth” (Isa.54: 3). In this season, God will give a divine blow to all of my woes, and tread into extinction all of my troubles. Your problems are rebuked that you may proceed into your ordained destiny. Mathematically speaking, eight is a representation of justice. Eight (8) is the first cube after one (1)and its seen as a number of justice because it divides evenly into 4 and 4, which in turn divides into 2 and 2, which in turn divides into 1 and 1. This year, the Lord will fight for me and I will have divine justice. My pains will be translated into gains. God says all my setbacks will become setups for my breakthroughs. I have a divine decree to increase and be all-round fruitful. All I see this year is high fecundity and prolificacy.
In fully accessing God’s entire blessing in 2008, you need to personally apply these eight divine principles.
You must fear not for dread will drown you. Fear is a weapon to sabotage your vision and mandate. Flush out your fear with the word of faith. “Thus says the Lord who made you and formed you from the womb, who will help you: ‘Fear not, O Jacob my servant; and you Jeshurun whom I have chosen”(Isa.44: 2)
“Fear not, for I am with you; be note dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isa.41: 10).
Look “up”, not down and not around. When you are under tension what you need is a divine attention. Ps.121: 1-2, Isa.6: 1-3, Josh.5: 13, 2Cor.3: 18
Step out of your “convenient zone” for new attempts will bring new attainments. Every disappointment must be converted into new appointments (Matt.14: 29, 1Chro.28: 20)
Stop crying and complaining, start commanding and claiming. (Gen.14: 15)
Walk through your problem, not around or away from it. There is no progression without aggression. Walking through your opposition will bring you into your desired position. This year 2008, God says, “…go forward” (Exd.14: 13-15, Phil.3: 12-14).
“Go in and possess” (Deut.1: 6-8). There are people who pursue but don’t possess. Chasing is not the same as taking. In this year, you will not only overtake but will also take, and as you pursue you will possess. God is saying that as you discover you will equally recover. 1Sam.30: 8.
Expand your mind and free yourself from tyranny of self limitation. If you don’t see beyond yourself you have not started to see. Tune to the divine frequency where there is no limitation. Isa.43: 18-19, Phil.4: 1-6
This year 2008 you must not be a duplicate. You are created an original. You must not follow the “crowd” but the “cloud” (Num.10: 34-35)
As you anchor yourself to the words of this prophecy, you will experience a major shift that will bring your desired lifting.
’Dele Kolade
E-Mail : kolade2002@yahoo.com
Website: www.delekolade.blogspot.com
www.glodetmission.blogspot.com
To know others takes intelligence, to know about an issue or event takes insight, to know about yourself takes wisdom but to know about the future requires metaphysical foresight. Your vision about the future will define your direction, location, association, function, destination and situation (condition). For this year, you are not left in the dark for God has a prophetic package for the saints in the year 2008. You need a clear vision of God’s agenda to be able to access the prophetic package for 2008.May the Lord grant you a divine placement in this great agenda. God has a covenant budget for each year, and every child of His has a portion in that budget. I will surely get my own share of the budget this year 2008. 2008, being a leap year is a very strategic year. I will enjoy divine surplus this season. Every thing good will come my way in excess this year. Any location I am I will get my own divine allocation. The Lord will connect me with the right people that will help me achieve my divine mandate in life. I will be strengthened from on high to achieve my divinely inspired desire. The divine inspiration will insulate me against expiration. I will be lavished with grace and bombarded with blessings. May you have a clear vision of His days in 2008 in Jesus name.
Every purpose (agenda) of God is married with His timing. A purpose without a direction leads to infection. A life without a clear direction is surely in confusion and when there is confusion there will be frustration and failure. A life void of divine vision will settle down for imitation, but imitation brings limitation and intimidation.
God says the year 2008 is MY YEAR TO EXPERIENCE GOD’S FAVOUR AND SKYROCKETING INCREASE. The mandate unlocking this is in Lev.26: 9- “For I will look on you favorably and make you fruitful, multiply you and confirm my covenant with you”.2008 is the beginning of my season of “breaking forth” (Isa.54: 3). In this season, God will give a divine blow to all of my woes, and tread into extinction all of my troubles. Your problems are rebuked that you may proceed into your ordained destiny. Mathematically speaking, eight is a representation of justice. Eight (8) is the first cube after one (1)and its seen as a number of justice because it divides evenly into 4 and 4, which in turn divides into 2 and 2, which in turn divides into 1 and 1. This year, the Lord will fight for me and I will have divine justice. My pains will be translated into gains. God says all my setbacks will become setups for my breakthroughs. I have a divine decree to increase and be all-round fruitful. All I see this year is high fecundity and prolificacy.
In fully accessing God’s entire blessing in 2008, you need to personally apply these eight divine principles.
You must fear not for dread will drown you. Fear is a weapon to sabotage your vision and mandate. Flush out your fear with the word of faith. “Thus says the Lord who made you and formed you from the womb, who will help you: ‘Fear not, O Jacob my servant; and you Jeshurun whom I have chosen”(Isa.44: 2)
“Fear not, for I am with you; be note dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isa.41: 10).
Look “up”, not down and not around. When you are under tension what you need is a divine attention. Ps.121: 1-2, Isa.6: 1-3, Josh.5: 13, 2Cor.3: 18
Step out of your “convenient zone” for new attempts will bring new attainments. Every disappointment must be converted into new appointments (Matt.14: 29, 1Chro.28: 20)
Stop crying and complaining, start commanding and claiming. (Gen.14: 15)
Walk through your problem, not around or away from it. There is no progression without aggression. Walking through your opposition will bring you into your desired position. This year 2008, God says, “…go forward” (Exd.14: 13-15, Phil.3: 12-14).
“Go in and possess” (Deut.1: 6-8). There are people who pursue but don’t possess. Chasing is not the same as taking. In this year, you will not only overtake but will also take, and as you pursue you will possess. God is saying that as you discover you will equally recover. 1Sam.30: 8.
Expand your mind and free yourself from tyranny of self limitation. If you don’t see beyond yourself you have not started to see. Tune to the divine frequency where there is no limitation. Isa.43: 18-19, Phil.4: 1-6
This year 2008 you must not be a duplicate. You are created an original. You must not follow the “crowd” but the “cloud” (Num.10: 34-35)
As you anchor yourself to the words of this prophecy, you will experience a major shift that will bring your desired lifting.
’Dele Kolade
E-Mail : kolade2002@yahoo.com
Website: www.delekolade.blogspot.com
www.glodetmission.blogspot.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
