We’re starting to wind down our fall tour with another trip to Indiana this weekend. I have three more meetings to go, and then I get to return to my wife and family. The older I get, it seems the more I miss my loved ones when I am gone, I don’t know why it’s just something I’ve noticed over the last couple years.
Tomorrow we press on with our protracted series on the Holy Spirit, and begin to discover what the ‘gifts of healings’ is.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Sunday November 20, 2011 10:00 AM
Souls Harbor Assembly of God
3810 County Road #48
Auburn Indiana
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
The Holy Spirit: Power Presence and Purpose Part 105
The Gifts Part 10
Healings
1 Corinthians 12:7-11, “But the same manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.”
I wanted to include this scripture passage in today’s post for two reasons. First, because it is the start off point of the entire teaching on the gifts of the Holy Spirit and as such it is wise to reacquaint ourselves with it from time to time, and second because I wanted you to see the next gift we will be discussing for yourself, within the context of scripture, so that when I assert the following there would be no backlash.
The next gift we will be discussing is the ‘gifts of healings’ as Paul writes to the Corinthians. No this is not a typo, it is not a misspelling in my version of the Bible, what has been defined as the gift of healing within the household of faith for many a year, is actually ‘the gifts of healings’ the only gift, other than the gift of tongues, that has a plural connotation within Scripture.
It is doubtless that many a soul need healing in all its various forms. Whether physical healing, emotional healing, or psychological healing, being healed is in essence to be restored to soundness again.
Throughout the Word of God we are witness to various types of healings, performed through the hands of faithful servants of God, as well as by Christ Jesus the Son of God. It is only in our modern day and age, when it has become far easier to take a fistful of pills to mask the pain than beseech God for healing that the Congregation of God has minimized this awesome gift.
Don’t misunderstand me, I do not think doctors are of the devil, nor do I believe they are evil. In fact Luke the man who wrote the gospel according to Luke as well as the Acts of the Apostles was a physician, a doctor, a man of integrity and great wisdom. What I do find frustrating however, is that most believers would rather turn to men first rather than to God, seeking remedies or means by which they could dull the pain rather than believe for returned wholeness and soundness in their bodies. Yes, many believers today would rather seek the counsel of men than a touch from God, and it has become common practice throughout every denomination. Because we so readily run to men, because we never take the time to pray and ask God for restoration and healing, supernatural healing is rarely visible within the church, and because it is so rarely visible within the church many Christians have stopped believing in the power of God to heal, to restore, to make new, and to heal.
‘Well brother, God doesn’t do that anymore.’
How do you know? Have you asked? Have you come before God with sincerity of heart, believing that He is able to heal you, asking for a supernatural touch?
‘Well, no, but what would be the point, God doesn’t do that anymore.’
There is this vicious cycle that takes place within the hearts and minds of some believers, wherein because they do not believe that God is still a God of power, a present God, an active God, and an involved God, they do not ask Him for miracles, they do not ask Him for gifts, and because they do not ask, they do not receive.
It is the perfect definition of spinning one’s wheels, or being caught in the endless loop of a circular ideology from which one can never exit unless they break the cycle and begin to believe the Word of God.
Do I believe that God still heals? Yes, of course I do, if I didn’t I wouldn’t be taking the time to write about it. Do I believe that the gifts of healings are still available to the children of God? Yes, of course I do, otherwise what would be the point in discussing them?
Doubt limits the manifestation of God’s power in our lives, because as we discussed, we must have faith in order to receive from the hand of God those things reserved exclusively for His children.
If the enemy can sow a seed of doubt in your heart, if the enemy can get you to start doubting God’s ability to do miracles, His ability to heal, and His ability to speak to His children then the battle is all but lost, because what we’ve essentially done is erected doctrinal walls so high and wide around our hearts that the Word of God, and the truth of God can no longer penetrate them.
Too often, we are our own worst enemy, and the doubt that we allow to linger in our hearts keep the good things that God has for us perpetually out of our reach.
Because they’ve allowed doubt to worm its way into their hearts, there are men today, calling themselves preachers, and elders, and deacons who believe that the Word of God was exaggerated for effect, that all the miracles that took place weren’t really miracles but the result of some mass hypnosis, and in the end as logical reasonable people, living in the information age, we must do away with all the supernatural aspects of Christ, and embrace His morality, His teachings and His principles.
There was more to Jesus than His teachings, there was more to Jesus than His principles, He was, and is the Son of God, He walked this earth in power and authority, performing miracles, raising the dead, healing the blind, and He promised those who would believe in Him that they would do even greater things than those.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Healings
1 Corinthians 12:7-11, “But the same manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.”
I wanted to include this scripture passage in today’s post for two reasons. First, because it is the start off point of the entire teaching on the gifts of the Holy Spirit and as such it is wise to reacquaint ourselves with it from time to time, and second because I wanted you to see the next gift we will be discussing for yourself, within the context of scripture, so that when I assert the following there would be no backlash.
The next gift we will be discussing is the ‘gifts of healings’ as Paul writes to the Corinthians. No this is not a typo, it is not a misspelling in my version of the Bible, what has been defined as the gift of healing within the household of faith for many a year, is actually ‘the gifts of healings’ the only gift, other than the gift of tongues, that has a plural connotation within Scripture.
It is doubtless that many a soul need healing in all its various forms. Whether physical healing, emotional healing, or psychological healing, being healed is in essence to be restored to soundness again.
Throughout the Word of God we are witness to various types of healings, performed through the hands of faithful servants of God, as well as by Christ Jesus the Son of God. It is only in our modern day and age, when it has become far easier to take a fistful of pills to mask the pain than beseech God for healing that the Congregation of God has minimized this awesome gift.
Don’t misunderstand me, I do not think doctors are of the devil, nor do I believe they are evil. In fact Luke the man who wrote the gospel according to Luke as well as the Acts of the Apostles was a physician, a doctor, a man of integrity and great wisdom. What I do find frustrating however, is that most believers would rather turn to men first rather than to God, seeking remedies or means by which they could dull the pain rather than believe for returned wholeness and soundness in their bodies. Yes, many believers today would rather seek the counsel of men than a touch from God, and it has become common practice throughout every denomination. Because we so readily run to men, because we never take the time to pray and ask God for restoration and healing, supernatural healing is rarely visible within the church, and because it is so rarely visible within the church many Christians have stopped believing in the power of God to heal, to restore, to make new, and to heal.
‘Well brother, God doesn’t do that anymore.’
How do you know? Have you asked? Have you come before God with sincerity of heart, believing that He is able to heal you, asking for a supernatural touch?
‘Well, no, but what would be the point, God doesn’t do that anymore.’
There is this vicious cycle that takes place within the hearts and minds of some believers, wherein because they do not believe that God is still a God of power, a present God, an active God, and an involved God, they do not ask Him for miracles, they do not ask Him for gifts, and because they do not ask, they do not receive.
It is the perfect definition of spinning one’s wheels, or being caught in the endless loop of a circular ideology from which one can never exit unless they break the cycle and begin to believe the Word of God.
Do I believe that God still heals? Yes, of course I do, if I didn’t I wouldn’t be taking the time to write about it. Do I believe that the gifts of healings are still available to the children of God? Yes, of course I do, otherwise what would be the point in discussing them?
Doubt limits the manifestation of God’s power in our lives, because as we discussed, we must have faith in order to receive from the hand of God those things reserved exclusively for His children.
If the enemy can sow a seed of doubt in your heart, if the enemy can get you to start doubting God’s ability to do miracles, His ability to heal, and His ability to speak to His children then the battle is all but lost, because what we’ve essentially done is erected doctrinal walls so high and wide around our hearts that the Word of God, and the truth of God can no longer penetrate them.
Too often, we are our own worst enemy, and the doubt that we allow to linger in our hearts keep the good things that God has for us perpetually out of our reach.
Because they’ve allowed doubt to worm its way into their hearts, there are men today, calling themselves preachers, and elders, and deacons who believe that the Word of God was exaggerated for effect, that all the miracles that took place weren’t really miracles but the result of some mass hypnosis, and in the end as logical reasonable people, living in the information age, we must do away with all the supernatural aspects of Christ, and embrace His morality, His teachings and His principles.
There was more to Jesus than His teachings, there was more to Jesus than His principles, He was, and is the Son of God, He walked this earth in power and authority, performing miracles, raising the dead, healing the blind, and He promised those who would believe in Him that they would do even greater things than those.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
The Holy Spirit: Power Presence and Purpose Part 104
The Gifts Part 9
Faith continued...
So what is the gift of faith, within the context of it being a gift of the Holy Spirit? The gift of faith is a passive gift, one that facilitates the manifestation and operation of other gifts, especially the gift of miracles. The gift of faith, simply put is the gift of believing that you have received from the hand of God that which you beseeched Him for.
When the gift of faith is poured out in a heart, and by using the gift of faith that heart believes for other gifts, they are received due to the gift of faith that was already there. The gift of faith is not an active gift, it is not a gift that does something, like the gift of prophecy or interpretation of tongues, but rather it is a gift that receives.
Hebrews 11:332-34, “And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.”
So how did these men quench the violence of fire, or stop the mouths of lions, or become strong in weakness? Did they grab a bucket of water and try to quench the fire? Did they go up and grab the lion’s mouth so it wouldn’t open its jaws? Did they dig deep down and remember all the lessons on positive thinking and positive affirmations and in their weakness become strong? No, these men used faith, they trusted God, and in their faith watched the God they trusted in do great and mighty things in them, for them, and through them.
When we speak of faith, even the gift of faith, it must be faith in God and His omnipotence. There is no greater fool than the man who has faith in himself, because if any man has faith in himself his faith has been placed in a fragile and impotent thing.
I know it’s popular nowadays to encourage people to have faith in themselves, I’ve even heard a couple preachers spout this infernal idiocy from behind pulpits, but the faith that can quench the violence of fire, and make us strong in our weakness, and shut up the mouths of lions will not be found in ourselves, but rather it will be found only in God.
Our faith must be tethered in the One that is substantive and lasting, in whom there is no shadow of turning, who can speak universes into being, who can calm the seas with one word, who can heal the sick with one touch, who can raise the dead with one whisper, not something as frail and fleeting as man.
There are many examples in the Word of God wherein the gift of faith is visible, and readily manifested. In fact, the eleventh chapter of Hebrews is a symphony dedicated to faith, and the heroes of the faith. Every time someone spoke a thing that as yet had not occurred, it was the gift of faith operating through them. One of the greatest examples of the gift of faith in action is the encounter between Christ, and Martha as she went out to meet Him after the death of her brother Lazarus.
John 11:20-24, “Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. Then Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give You. Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha said to Him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.’”
When Jesus spoke the words ‘your brother will rise again’ it was the gift of faith operating through Him that allowed Him to speak these words. Jesus believed that Lazarus would indeed rise again; He believed that once the stone would be rolled away and He would call to him, Lazarus would come out even though this as yet had not happened.
Martha however, did not perceive the full extent of what Jesus was trying to say, and in my mind’s eye I can see her shrugging her shoulders and hanging her head, and saying, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.’
It was not the last day Jesus was speaking of; it was not some time afar off that He believed Lazarus would rise again, it was for that moment, for that instant, and after He prayed, and called Lazarus, he who had died came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes.
Our faith must be immediate, and the gift of faith believes for immediate answers to prayer, for immediate answers to requests and to pleas that are brought before the throne room of heaven. God is able today, not tomorrow or a year from now, but today to do exceedingly beyond what we can imagine if only we believe.
All the great events of the Bible, all the miraculous occurrences, all the things that took place beyond human reason or comprehension had one common component, one common thread running through them all, and that was the gift of faith.
A man who possesses the gift of faith is never at a loss, he is never uncertain, he is never unsure, for he knows that when he bends his knee and prays to the heavenly Father, the heavenly Father hears that prayer and answers accordingly. Faith moves the heart of God, and He rejoices every time He sees His children come before Him in faith.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Faith continued...
So what is the gift of faith, within the context of it being a gift of the Holy Spirit? The gift of faith is a passive gift, one that facilitates the manifestation and operation of other gifts, especially the gift of miracles. The gift of faith, simply put is the gift of believing that you have received from the hand of God that which you beseeched Him for.
When the gift of faith is poured out in a heart, and by using the gift of faith that heart believes for other gifts, they are received due to the gift of faith that was already there. The gift of faith is not an active gift, it is not a gift that does something, like the gift of prophecy or interpretation of tongues, but rather it is a gift that receives.
Hebrews 11:332-34, “And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.”
So how did these men quench the violence of fire, or stop the mouths of lions, or become strong in weakness? Did they grab a bucket of water and try to quench the fire? Did they go up and grab the lion’s mouth so it wouldn’t open its jaws? Did they dig deep down and remember all the lessons on positive thinking and positive affirmations and in their weakness become strong? No, these men used faith, they trusted God, and in their faith watched the God they trusted in do great and mighty things in them, for them, and through them.
When we speak of faith, even the gift of faith, it must be faith in God and His omnipotence. There is no greater fool than the man who has faith in himself, because if any man has faith in himself his faith has been placed in a fragile and impotent thing.
I know it’s popular nowadays to encourage people to have faith in themselves, I’ve even heard a couple preachers spout this infernal idiocy from behind pulpits, but the faith that can quench the violence of fire, and make us strong in our weakness, and shut up the mouths of lions will not be found in ourselves, but rather it will be found only in God.
Our faith must be tethered in the One that is substantive and lasting, in whom there is no shadow of turning, who can speak universes into being, who can calm the seas with one word, who can heal the sick with one touch, who can raise the dead with one whisper, not something as frail and fleeting as man.
There are many examples in the Word of God wherein the gift of faith is visible, and readily manifested. In fact, the eleventh chapter of Hebrews is a symphony dedicated to faith, and the heroes of the faith. Every time someone spoke a thing that as yet had not occurred, it was the gift of faith operating through them. One of the greatest examples of the gift of faith in action is the encounter between Christ, and Martha as she went out to meet Him after the death of her brother Lazarus.
John 11:20-24, “Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. Then Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give You. Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha said to Him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.’”
When Jesus spoke the words ‘your brother will rise again’ it was the gift of faith operating through Him that allowed Him to speak these words. Jesus believed that Lazarus would indeed rise again; He believed that once the stone would be rolled away and He would call to him, Lazarus would come out even though this as yet had not happened.
Martha however, did not perceive the full extent of what Jesus was trying to say, and in my mind’s eye I can see her shrugging her shoulders and hanging her head, and saying, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.’
It was not the last day Jesus was speaking of; it was not some time afar off that He believed Lazarus would rise again, it was for that moment, for that instant, and after He prayed, and called Lazarus, he who had died came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes.
Our faith must be immediate, and the gift of faith believes for immediate answers to prayer, for immediate answers to requests and to pleas that are brought before the throne room of heaven. God is able today, not tomorrow or a year from now, but today to do exceedingly beyond what we can imagine if only we believe.
All the great events of the Bible, all the miraculous occurrences, all the things that took place beyond human reason or comprehension had one common component, one common thread running through them all, and that was the gift of faith.
A man who possesses the gift of faith is never at a loss, he is never uncertain, he is never unsure, for he knows that when he bends his knee and prays to the heavenly Father, the heavenly Father hears that prayer and answers accordingly. Faith moves the heart of God, and He rejoices every time He sees His children come before Him in faith.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Monday, November 14, 2011
The Holy Spirit: Power Presence and Purpose Part 103
The Gifts Part 8
Faith continued...
Although saving faith is a gift from God, we cannot confuse with the gift of faith which comes via the Holy Spirit. Saving faith is a gift from God in the sense that it is facilitated and enabled of God, but it comes via the hearing of the Word of God, or the hearing of the Holy Scriptures. The hearing of the Word of God is the vehicle, or the delivery system, by which the gift of saving faith is given to man, because as the selfsame word tells us, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
Romans 10:17, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Saving faith cannot be birthed in anyone’s heart independently, or in and of itself, it must be the result of having heard the word of God. What is born independently within the hearts of men, that which can appear in and of itself in those who have as yet not heard the word of God, is a vague and abstract notion of a divine force, but not an understanding of the one true God. Only by the hearing of the word of God can saving faith be birthed in men’s hearts, and this is why we must preach the word of God to those who are lost and dying.
We are not doing anyone any favors by omitting the word of God from our sermons; we are not doing anyone any favors by obfuscating what our responsibilities as children of God are and thereby rejecting the mandate to preach the gospel of Christ. In our ceaseless quest to spare feelings and make people feel comfortable and at ease within the house of God, we have ceased doing the one thing that is able to birth saving faith in their hearts, namely preach the word of God that they might hear it. No amount of self-esteem, no amount of self-worth, no amount of feeling good about one’s fallen state will bring a sinner to repentance or to the foot of the cross, only the hearing of the word and the stirring of saving faith in their hearts.
Our God gives us a living faith, He gives us a saving faith, it is the gift He gives to those who hear the Word and turn to Him with all their heart. It is in the word of God that we discover the Christ, it is in the word of God that we discover what Jesus did for us on the cross, it is in the word of God that we discover that we were bought with a price, and we are no longer our own.
It is also interesting to note that not all are given the same measure of faith, but that God deals to each one the measure of faith that He sees fit.
Romans 12:3, “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.”
So what does this mean? It means that the same message, the same exact word, the same exact scripture reading will have a different effect on every individual. One might not react to the word in the same way, with the same passion, with the same brokenness, as his neighbor, or as someone sitting three rows behind him. To each is dealt a measure of faith, not because God is unjust, because He is not, but because everyone receives the word of God differently, even though the same word is spoken to all.
God gives to all in like manner, the abundance of His word is the same for everyone, but He cannot force you to receive more than what you are willing to receive, and in the end the measure of faith we are dealt is directly proportional to how much we are willing to receive.
Although saving faith is given to each one, in the measure that God chooses, the gift of faith, is given to some, or as Paul writes in Corinthians, ‘to another faith by the same Spirit’. By this distinction, by the fact that saving faith is given to all who receive the word of God, and the gift of faith is given to some, we realize that these are two different aspects, two different works of faith, one being general, the other being a gift imparted by the Holy Spirit to those whom He so chooses.
Although God deals to each one a measure of faith, it is possible to grow in faith as one matures and progresses in their walk with the Lord. Paul even went so far as to praise the church of Thessalonica, and thank God for them, because their faith was growing exceedingly.
Yes, we can grow in faith, we can grow in God, and we do so by hearing His word continuously, by cementing our relationship with Jesus, by spending time in prayer, and by walking on the narrow path that He has set out for us.
Saving faith not only grows us in God, it gives us the boldness and courage to knock on the doors of heaven with the expectation of receiving the promises of God.
Some time ago we discussed Jesus cursing the fig tree, and the disciples marveling at what He had done, and looking at them Jesus assured them that they would be able to do far greater things if only they had faith, and did not doubt. The faith, of which Jesus spoke, was not the gift of faith which comes from the Holy Spirit, but the saving faith which is given to all who hear and receive the word of God. So yes, there is great power in saving faith, there is great power in believing and not doubting, in standing on the promises of God, and living with the expectation of receiving all that He promised His beloved.
Matthew 21:22, “And all things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
These were not the words of men, but the words of Christ Jesus, who assured us, that whatever we ask believing we would receive.
At this juncture some might ask why I rail against the prosperity doctrine so often if Jesus promised that we would receive whatever we ask in prayer believing, and the answer is a simple one. If we are of Christ, we have been born again, renewed of mind and heart, renewed in our desires and wants, and when we pray believing, that which we pray for will not be material in nature, it will not be money and jewels and boats and cars, but rather that which we pray for believing will be the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the power of God, and the greater things to which the children of God have access to. The reason I rail against the prosperity doctrine is because due to its popularity a great many of God’s children settle for scraps, for worthless, trivial, passing things that do nothing to mature and grow them in the faith.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Faith continued...
Although saving faith is a gift from God, we cannot confuse with the gift of faith which comes via the Holy Spirit. Saving faith is a gift from God in the sense that it is facilitated and enabled of God, but it comes via the hearing of the Word of God, or the hearing of the Holy Scriptures. The hearing of the Word of God is the vehicle, or the delivery system, by which the gift of saving faith is given to man, because as the selfsame word tells us, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
Romans 10:17, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Saving faith cannot be birthed in anyone’s heart independently, or in and of itself, it must be the result of having heard the word of God. What is born independently within the hearts of men, that which can appear in and of itself in those who have as yet not heard the word of God, is a vague and abstract notion of a divine force, but not an understanding of the one true God. Only by the hearing of the word of God can saving faith be birthed in men’s hearts, and this is why we must preach the word of God to those who are lost and dying.
We are not doing anyone any favors by omitting the word of God from our sermons; we are not doing anyone any favors by obfuscating what our responsibilities as children of God are and thereby rejecting the mandate to preach the gospel of Christ. In our ceaseless quest to spare feelings and make people feel comfortable and at ease within the house of God, we have ceased doing the one thing that is able to birth saving faith in their hearts, namely preach the word of God that they might hear it. No amount of self-esteem, no amount of self-worth, no amount of feeling good about one’s fallen state will bring a sinner to repentance or to the foot of the cross, only the hearing of the word and the stirring of saving faith in their hearts.
Our God gives us a living faith, He gives us a saving faith, it is the gift He gives to those who hear the Word and turn to Him with all their heart. It is in the word of God that we discover the Christ, it is in the word of God that we discover what Jesus did for us on the cross, it is in the word of God that we discover that we were bought with a price, and we are no longer our own.
It is also interesting to note that not all are given the same measure of faith, but that God deals to each one the measure of faith that He sees fit.
Romans 12:3, “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.”
So what does this mean? It means that the same message, the same exact word, the same exact scripture reading will have a different effect on every individual. One might not react to the word in the same way, with the same passion, with the same brokenness, as his neighbor, or as someone sitting three rows behind him. To each is dealt a measure of faith, not because God is unjust, because He is not, but because everyone receives the word of God differently, even though the same word is spoken to all.
God gives to all in like manner, the abundance of His word is the same for everyone, but He cannot force you to receive more than what you are willing to receive, and in the end the measure of faith we are dealt is directly proportional to how much we are willing to receive.
Although saving faith is given to each one, in the measure that God chooses, the gift of faith, is given to some, or as Paul writes in Corinthians, ‘to another faith by the same Spirit’. By this distinction, by the fact that saving faith is given to all who receive the word of God, and the gift of faith is given to some, we realize that these are two different aspects, two different works of faith, one being general, the other being a gift imparted by the Holy Spirit to those whom He so chooses.
Although God deals to each one a measure of faith, it is possible to grow in faith as one matures and progresses in their walk with the Lord. Paul even went so far as to praise the church of Thessalonica, and thank God for them, because their faith was growing exceedingly.
Yes, we can grow in faith, we can grow in God, and we do so by hearing His word continuously, by cementing our relationship with Jesus, by spending time in prayer, and by walking on the narrow path that He has set out for us.
Saving faith not only grows us in God, it gives us the boldness and courage to knock on the doors of heaven with the expectation of receiving the promises of God.
Some time ago we discussed Jesus cursing the fig tree, and the disciples marveling at what He had done, and looking at them Jesus assured them that they would be able to do far greater things if only they had faith, and did not doubt. The faith, of which Jesus spoke, was not the gift of faith which comes from the Holy Spirit, but the saving faith which is given to all who hear and receive the word of God. So yes, there is great power in saving faith, there is great power in believing and not doubting, in standing on the promises of God, and living with the expectation of receiving all that He promised His beloved.
Matthew 21:22, “And all things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
These were not the words of men, but the words of Christ Jesus, who assured us, that whatever we ask believing we would receive.
At this juncture some might ask why I rail against the prosperity doctrine so often if Jesus promised that we would receive whatever we ask in prayer believing, and the answer is a simple one. If we are of Christ, we have been born again, renewed of mind and heart, renewed in our desires and wants, and when we pray believing, that which we pray for will not be material in nature, it will not be money and jewels and boats and cars, but rather that which we pray for believing will be the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the power of God, and the greater things to which the children of God have access to. The reason I rail against the prosperity doctrine is because due to its popularity a great many of God’s children settle for scraps, for worthless, trivial, passing things that do nothing to mature and grow them in the faith.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
The Holy Spirit: Power Presence and Purpose Part 102
The Gifts Part 7
Faith
We continue our discussion on the gifts of the Holy Spirit, with the gift of faith since it is third on Paul’s list in his letter to the Corinthians. No, these gifts were not itemized by Paul by order of importance, since all gifts which come from the hand of God are good and work together for the building up and the edification of the Body of Christ.
Paul does say that we ought to desire earnestly to prophesy, but he never implies or infers that the gift of prophesy is better than all the other gifts.
1 Corinthians 14:39, “Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues.”
Every gift of the Holy Spirit has a place and a purpose within the Congregation of God, every gift of the Holy Spirit has a place and a purpose within the household of faith and each one operates as the Holy Spirit sees fit, and as God wills.
Faith is a unique gift in that all the children of God can possess and must possess faith, we are even instructed to build ourselves up in our most holy faith, but it is also a gift of the Holy Spirit that can be poured out upon believers.
The word of God does an excellent job at defining faith, what it is, and how it has served the servants of God throughout the ages. It shows us that there is true power in faith, and that once we begin to build up our faith, once we begin to mature our faith, once we begin to grow our faith, we will begin to see the power and presence of God more thoroughly than ever before.
I realize this is a teaching on the gift of faith, but I would be remiss if I did not include the definition of faith as well, if only for those who are unaware of it.
Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
So now that we know what faith is, or at least what the Bible defines it as being, the obvious question is what is the gift of faith, and how is it used within the Body of Christ.
Galatians 3:2-5, “This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Have you suffered so many things in vain – if indeed it was in vain? Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”
I wanted to begin our discussion on the gift of faith with this scripture passage, because it would seem we are reliving the times of the Galatians wherein men who began in the Spirit are reverting back to the flesh, believing as Paul suggests that they are being made perfect by the flesh. I also wanted to include this scripture passage because it highlights the fact that the hearing of faith is what activates the gifts of the Holy Spirit within a congregation, working miracles among the brethren.
Today I want to discuss the gift of faith, that faith that comes from God, that faith that is pure and righteous, although there are two other kinds of faith that we could talk about. The two other kinds of faith I am referring to is of course futile faith, a fruitless and purposeless faith in the most general sense, as well as the natural faith that men have concerning certain outcomes if they take a particular course of action.
As far as true faith is concerned, it takes on three distinct aspects that the Bible speaks of, three ways in which faith works among believers, which are in reality three branches of the same three, or three works of the same gift.
The first aspect of true faith that the Bible speaks of is what Paul refers to in Ephesians as saving faith.
Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
What we readily understand from this passage in Ephesians is that both grace, and faith are gifts from God, and we obtained both faith and grace not of ourselves, but from Him. We have been saved by grace, through faith which comes from God as a gift that no man might boast, that no man might lay claim to that which God freely gives.
So what is saving faith? In essence, at its core, saving faith is the certainty that no one can free us from the shackles of sin, no one can free us from the prison of death, and no one can free us from the pit of despair but for Christ Jesus the Son of God.
Having saving faith is paramount for all believers, of such import that although Jude desired to write the brethren concerning their common salvation, he found it necessary to write and exhort them to contend earnestly for the faith because of those who had crept in unnoticed, those ungodly men who turn the grace of God into licentiousness and deny the only Lord God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jude 3-4, “Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Faith in anyone or anything other than Jesus is futile faith, it is vain faith, it is empty faith, it is a faith that will produce no results, because it is not anchored in Christ. Only faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is saving faith, and this is a truth that we must contend for, and earnestly so, because those who have crept in unnoticed, those who attempt to turn the grace of God into licentiousness are more numerous than we first imagined.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Faith
We continue our discussion on the gifts of the Holy Spirit, with the gift of faith since it is third on Paul’s list in his letter to the Corinthians. No, these gifts were not itemized by Paul by order of importance, since all gifts which come from the hand of God are good and work together for the building up and the edification of the Body of Christ.
Paul does say that we ought to desire earnestly to prophesy, but he never implies or infers that the gift of prophesy is better than all the other gifts.
1 Corinthians 14:39, “Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues.”
Every gift of the Holy Spirit has a place and a purpose within the Congregation of God, every gift of the Holy Spirit has a place and a purpose within the household of faith and each one operates as the Holy Spirit sees fit, and as God wills.
Faith is a unique gift in that all the children of God can possess and must possess faith, we are even instructed to build ourselves up in our most holy faith, but it is also a gift of the Holy Spirit that can be poured out upon believers.
The word of God does an excellent job at defining faith, what it is, and how it has served the servants of God throughout the ages. It shows us that there is true power in faith, and that once we begin to build up our faith, once we begin to mature our faith, once we begin to grow our faith, we will begin to see the power and presence of God more thoroughly than ever before.
I realize this is a teaching on the gift of faith, but I would be remiss if I did not include the definition of faith as well, if only for those who are unaware of it.
Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
So now that we know what faith is, or at least what the Bible defines it as being, the obvious question is what is the gift of faith, and how is it used within the Body of Christ.
Galatians 3:2-5, “This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Have you suffered so many things in vain – if indeed it was in vain? Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”
I wanted to begin our discussion on the gift of faith with this scripture passage, because it would seem we are reliving the times of the Galatians wherein men who began in the Spirit are reverting back to the flesh, believing as Paul suggests that they are being made perfect by the flesh. I also wanted to include this scripture passage because it highlights the fact that the hearing of faith is what activates the gifts of the Holy Spirit within a congregation, working miracles among the brethren.
Today I want to discuss the gift of faith, that faith that comes from God, that faith that is pure and righteous, although there are two other kinds of faith that we could talk about. The two other kinds of faith I am referring to is of course futile faith, a fruitless and purposeless faith in the most general sense, as well as the natural faith that men have concerning certain outcomes if they take a particular course of action.
As far as true faith is concerned, it takes on three distinct aspects that the Bible speaks of, three ways in which faith works among believers, which are in reality three branches of the same three, or three works of the same gift.
The first aspect of true faith that the Bible speaks of is what Paul refers to in Ephesians as saving faith.
Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
What we readily understand from this passage in Ephesians is that both grace, and faith are gifts from God, and we obtained both faith and grace not of ourselves, but from Him. We have been saved by grace, through faith which comes from God as a gift that no man might boast, that no man might lay claim to that which God freely gives.
So what is saving faith? In essence, at its core, saving faith is the certainty that no one can free us from the shackles of sin, no one can free us from the prison of death, and no one can free us from the pit of despair but for Christ Jesus the Son of God.
Having saving faith is paramount for all believers, of such import that although Jude desired to write the brethren concerning their common salvation, he found it necessary to write and exhort them to contend earnestly for the faith because of those who had crept in unnoticed, those ungodly men who turn the grace of God into licentiousness and deny the only Lord God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jude 3-4, “Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Faith in anyone or anything other than Jesus is futile faith, it is vain faith, it is empty faith, it is a faith that will produce no results, because it is not anchored in Christ. Only faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is saving faith, and this is a truth that we must contend for, and earnestly so, because those who have crept in unnoticed, those who attempt to turn the grace of God into licentiousness are more numerous than we first imagined.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
The Holy Spirit: Power Presence and Purpose Part 101
The Gifts Part 6
The Words of Wisdom and the Words of Knowledge continued...
The gift of the words of wisdom differs from the gift of the words of knowledge in that it anchors itself in future time. The gift of the words of wisdom, are divine messages, delivered via the Holy Spirit concerning the future, whether immediate or far off.
Via the gift of the words of wisdom, there are two important things that the Holy Spirit transmits to the faithful, those two things being the plan of God, and the purpose of God in any given situation.
Although there are many scriptures within the Bible that show us the working of the gift of the words of wisdom and the gift of the words of knowledge individually, there is one particular passage that combines the two, and shows us these two gifts working simultaneously. There is nothing in the Word that even alludes to or insinuates that more than one gift of the Holy Spirit cannot be in operation at the same time, and as we discover in the Word of God, the gifts working in tandem or simultaneously are biblical.
Acts 9:10-12, “Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, ‘Ananias.’ And he said, ‘here I am, Lord.’ So the Lord said to him, ‘arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus for behold, he is praying. And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.’”
As I said, this is a fascinating passage, because we see the operation of the gift of the word of knowledge, wherein the Lord is telling Ananias what Saul of Tarsus was doing at that exact moment, namely praying, as well as the gift of the word of wisdom, wherein the selfsame Saul is seeing something that will occur at some point in the future.
There was no way that Ananias could have known that on the street called Straight, in the house of Judas, Saul of Tarsus was at that moment praying. No, there were no webcams, there were no cell phones, there were no instant messages, Ananias was unaware of Saul, of his presence in Damascus, or what Saul was doing at that particular moment. Saul was praying, God knew that Saul was praying, and via the gift of the words of knowledge, the Holy Spirit revealed this to Ananias.
The same gift was operating in Saul, who had been converted on the road to Damascus, and at the moment that the Lord was revealing Saul’s location, as well as what he was doing to Ananias, Saul was seeing this selfsame man named Ananias, who would come in and put his hand on him that he might receive his sight.
Acts 9:13-16, “Then Ananias answered, ‘Lord I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name. But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.’”
At first, as any man would be, Ananias was reluctant to go and meet with Saul of Tarsus, because he had heard many things about Saul, he knew him by reputation alone, and by the fact that he had caused much harm to the saints of Jerusalem.
It’s as if Ananias was asking ‘are you sure Lord? Are you certain that this is the man I’m supposed to go see, are you certain that this is the man that You want to heal by my hand? He’s not a nice guy; in fact he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name. Maybe you can pick someone else?’
It is at this moment that the gift of the words of wisdom begins to manifest, and God begins to reveal His future plans for Saul of Tarsus, informing Ananias that indeed, this persecutor of the brethren, this man who hunted the followers of Christ even as far as Damascus, was indeed a chosen vessel, one who would bear God’s name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.
None of this these had as yet occurred, at that moment Saul was nothing more than a blind man sitting in the house of Judas on the street called Straight praying, but the gift of the words of wisdom revealed what the future held for Saul, and via the Holy Spirit, God revealed the reality of what Saul would become to Ananias.
The gift of the words of wisdom is a practical gift, one that gives much comfort and encouragement, especially when God sets us on a course, or directs us toward a path that seems counterintuitive and even illogical to human reasoning. It is in such times, and in such circumstances that the gift of the words of wisdom is best utilized, because although we might not see the plan of God in its totality today, God knows the end from the beginning and He knows our destination long before we’ve taken the first step. In His goodness, He oftentimes reveals the reality of what the future holds for us if we remain in obedience, just as He revealed to Ananias what the future held for Saul of Tarsus, who we now know as Paul the Apostle of Christ.
Everything that God foretold concerning Saul came to pass, he truly bore the name of God and the saving grace of Christ to the Gentiles, to kings as well as to the children of Israel, and if we read all that he endured throughout his life, we also come to realize that truly he suffered many things for God’s sake.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
The Words of Wisdom and the Words of Knowledge continued...
The gift of the words of wisdom differs from the gift of the words of knowledge in that it anchors itself in future time. The gift of the words of wisdom, are divine messages, delivered via the Holy Spirit concerning the future, whether immediate or far off.
Via the gift of the words of wisdom, there are two important things that the Holy Spirit transmits to the faithful, those two things being the plan of God, and the purpose of God in any given situation.
Although there are many scriptures within the Bible that show us the working of the gift of the words of wisdom and the gift of the words of knowledge individually, there is one particular passage that combines the two, and shows us these two gifts working simultaneously. There is nothing in the Word that even alludes to or insinuates that more than one gift of the Holy Spirit cannot be in operation at the same time, and as we discover in the Word of God, the gifts working in tandem or simultaneously are biblical.
Acts 9:10-12, “Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, ‘Ananias.’ And he said, ‘here I am, Lord.’ So the Lord said to him, ‘arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus for behold, he is praying. And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.’”
As I said, this is a fascinating passage, because we see the operation of the gift of the word of knowledge, wherein the Lord is telling Ananias what Saul of Tarsus was doing at that exact moment, namely praying, as well as the gift of the word of wisdom, wherein the selfsame Saul is seeing something that will occur at some point in the future.
There was no way that Ananias could have known that on the street called Straight, in the house of Judas, Saul of Tarsus was at that moment praying. No, there were no webcams, there were no cell phones, there were no instant messages, Ananias was unaware of Saul, of his presence in Damascus, or what Saul was doing at that particular moment. Saul was praying, God knew that Saul was praying, and via the gift of the words of knowledge, the Holy Spirit revealed this to Ananias.
The same gift was operating in Saul, who had been converted on the road to Damascus, and at the moment that the Lord was revealing Saul’s location, as well as what he was doing to Ananias, Saul was seeing this selfsame man named Ananias, who would come in and put his hand on him that he might receive his sight.
Acts 9:13-16, “Then Ananias answered, ‘Lord I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name. But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.’”
At first, as any man would be, Ananias was reluctant to go and meet with Saul of Tarsus, because he had heard many things about Saul, he knew him by reputation alone, and by the fact that he had caused much harm to the saints of Jerusalem.
It’s as if Ananias was asking ‘are you sure Lord? Are you certain that this is the man I’m supposed to go see, are you certain that this is the man that You want to heal by my hand? He’s not a nice guy; in fact he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name. Maybe you can pick someone else?’
It is at this moment that the gift of the words of wisdom begins to manifest, and God begins to reveal His future plans for Saul of Tarsus, informing Ananias that indeed, this persecutor of the brethren, this man who hunted the followers of Christ even as far as Damascus, was indeed a chosen vessel, one who would bear God’s name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.
None of this these had as yet occurred, at that moment Saul was nothing more than a blind man sitting in the house of Judas on the street called Straight praying, but the gift of the words of wisdom revealed what the future held for Saul, and via the Holy Spirit, God revealed the reality of what Saul would become to Ananias.
The gift of the words of wisdom is a practical gift, one that gives much comfort and encouragement, especially when God sets us on a course, or directs us toward a path that seems counterintuitive and even illogical to human reasoning. It is in such times, and in such circumstances that the gift of the words of wisdom is best utilized, because although we might not see the plan of God in its totality today, God knows the end from the beginning and He knows our destination long before we’ve taken the first step. In His goodness, He oftentimes reveals the reality of what the future holds for us if we remain in obedience, just as He revealed to Ananias what the future held for Saul of Tarsus, who we now know as Paul the Apostle of Christ.
Everything that God foretold concerning Saul came to pass, he truly bore the name of God and the saving grace of Christ to the Gentiles, to kings as well as to the children of Israel, and if we read all that he endured throughout his life, we also come to realize that truly he suffered many things for God’s sake.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Friday, November 11, 2011
The Holy Spirit: Power Presence and Purpose Part 100
The Gifts Part 5
Words of Wisdom and Words of Knowledge continued...
So what are the gifts of the words of wisdom and that of the words of knowledge, and why are they relevant for us today?
The first and most obvious answer is that these gifts are relevant for us today because they are indeed gifts of the Holy Spirit which He distributes as He sees fit. There is no such thing as a bad gift from God, there is no such thing as a bad gift from the Holy Spirit, and so whatever gift He chooses to impart we receive it with gladness of heart and with joy. What we must realize is that all the gifts of the Holy Spirit are reserved exclusively for the children of God, and although they are freely given to believers, there is no amount of money an unbeliever could offer that could purchase any of the gifts. There is something comforting in knowing that God reserves His best for His children, there is something reassuring in the fact that God will not sell for treasure to unbelievers what He freely gives His own.
Both the gift of the words of wisdom and that of the words of knowledge are revelatory gifts, and along with the gift of discerning of spirits they aid the Body of Christ in keeping themselves pure and undefiled from the various snares and deceptions the enemy places in our path.
The gift of the words of knowledge is a gift of insight, wherein God reveals something of an individual’s past or present, something that they must either be rebuked of, corrected of, or warned of.
When you hear the words ‘the Lord showed me that you are struggling with such and such a thing, or the Lord showed me that you need to repent of such and such a thing’ it is the gift of the word of knowledge that is operating through the individual at the time.
Too often we confuse the gift of the words of wisdom and the gift of the words of knowledge with the gift of prophecy, blending them all together in an unrecognizable hodgepodge wherein we label everything prophecy even though it might be the gift of wisdom or the gift of knowledge.
The gift of the words of knowledge operates in the past, and in the present. This gift reveals events, deeds, mysteries that have already taken place, or reveals the secret of one’s heart in the present.
My grandfather was a man that operated in the gift of the words of knowledge, and as his interpreter throughout his ministry in the United States I can readily tell you it is not an easy gift to carry with you and operate in.
There were countless times when my grandfather would point out someone in the audience for either smoking, abusing their spouse, or adultery, other times when he would pray for individuals and reveal to them the secrets of their heart, and all these were attributed to the gift of the words of knowledge.
One thing is certain, you must be bold to operate in this gift as it will most likely offend some, and outright anger others, because it strips them of any disguise they might attempt to keep on, or any hidden sin they might still be clinging to.
In essence the gift of the words of knowledge is knowing certain aspects of one’s life that the Holy Spirit reveals to you, it is seeing beyond the veil of the Sunday dress or the Sunday suit, beyond the niceties of singing from the choir book and reading the weekly scripture passage, to the heart of the individual, to those things which they’ve tried long and hard to hide and to mask.
I’ll be the first to admit that having this gift will not garner you many friends, especially if you operate in it consistently, but I believe with all my heart that it is a gift that ought to be more visible within the household of faith because the Christ is soon returning, and He is returning for a bride without spot or wrinkle.
I often wonder how empty many churches would be if the gifts of the Holy Spirit operated in them consistently. How many mega-churches would have to close down if the gift of the words of knowledge were embraced by the congregation, and if God would reveal the sins of their hearts on a regular basis?
One thing is certain, whether a great majority would leave, or a great majority would repent and turn from their wicked ways the church would be the better for it, and the righteousness of God would shine in it as it should.
The household of faith has been bathing in the pool of compromise and dining at the table of political correctness for so long that ‘men of God’ today are expected to be mealy mouthed appeasers, tolerant of every proclivity and perversity, going out of their way to be non-confrontational, non-offensive, and non-judgmental.
If anyone dare stand for truth, if anyone dare preach the unadulterated word of God, they are quickly marginalized and labeled as hateful, unloving, and unmerciful not by the world but by those who ought to have been laborers in the same harvest field, who by having defined themselves as Christians ought to have been standing on the same truths.
The grim reality is that a great majority do not want the gifts of the Holy Spirit in their churches because they would upturn the apple cart, they would upset the status quo, they would reveal what lies beneath the surface of manicured lawns, marble foyers, velvet pews, and gold leaf pulpits.
The Holy Spirit is not in the business of sparing feelings; He is in the business of equipping and preparing the Bride that it be ready for the Groom’s imminent return. The Holy Spirit is not in the business of cozying up to politicians, of garnering influence or power, He is in the business of imbuing true believers with power from on high that they might stand and fight and overcome the darkness that is encroaching upon the light.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Words of Wisdom and Words of Knowledge continued...
So what are the gifts of the words of wisdom and that of the words of knowledge, and why are they relevant for us today?
The first and most obvious answer is that these gifts are relevant for us today because they are indeed gifts of the Holy Spirit which He distributes as He sees fit. There is no such thing as a bad gift from God, there is no such thing as a bad gift from the Holy Spirit, and so whatever gift He chooses to impart we receive it with gladness of heart and with joy. What we must realize is that all the gifts of the Holy Spirit are reserved exclusively for the children of God, and although they are freely given to believers, there is no amount of money an unbeliever could offer that could purchase any of the gifts. There is something comforting in knowing that God reserves His best for His children, there is something reassuring in the fact that God will not sell for treasure to unbelievers what He freely gives His own.
Both the gift of the words of wisdom and that of the words of knowledge are revelatory gifts, and along with the gift of discerning of spirits they aid the Body of Christ in keeping themselves pure and undefiled from the various snares and deceptions the enemy places in our path.
The gift of the words of knowledge is a gift of insight, wherein God reveals something of an individual’s past or present, something that they must either be rebuked of, corrected of, or warned of.
When you hear the words ‘the Lord showed me that you are struggling with such and such a thing, or the Lord showed me that you need to repent of such and such a thing’ it is the gift of the word of knowledge that is operating through the individual at the time.
Too often we confuse the gift of the words of wisdom and the gift of the words of knowledge with the gift of prophecy, blending them all together in an unrecognizable hodgepodge wherein we label everything prophecy even though it might be the gift of wisdom or the gift of knowledge.
The gift of the words of knowledge operates in the past, and in the present. This gift reveals events, deeds, mysteries that have already taken place, or reveals the secret of one’s heart in the present.
My grandfather was a man that operated in the gift of the words of knowledge, and as his interpreter throughout his ministry in the United States I can readily tell you it is not an easy gift to carry with you and operate in.
There were countless times when my grandfather would point out someone in the audience for either smoking, abusing their spouse, or adultery, other times when he would pray for individuals and reveal to them the secrets of their heart, and all these were attributed to the gift of the words of knowledge.
One thing is certain, you must be bold to operate in this gift as it will most likely offend some, and outright anger others, because it strips them of any disguise they might attempt to keep on, or any hidden sin they might still be clinging to.
In essence the gift of the words of knowledge is knowing certain aspects of one’s life that the Holy Spirit reveals to you, it is seeing beyond the veil of the Sunday dress or the Sunday suit, beyond the niceties of singing from the choir book and reading the weekly scripture passage, to the heart of the individual, to those things which they’ve tried long and hard to hide and to mask.
I’ll be the first to admit that having this gift will not garner you many friends, especially if you operate in it consistently, but I believe with all my heart that it is a gift that ought to be more visible within the household of faith because the Christ is soon returning, and He is returning for a bride without spot or wrinkle.
I often wonder how empty many churches would be if the gifts of the Holy Spirit operated in them consistently. How many mega-churches would have to close down if the gift of the words of knowledge were embraced by the congregation, and if God would reveal the sins of their hearts on a regular basis?
One thing is certain, whether a great majority would leave, or a great majority would repent and turn from their wicked ways the church would be the better for it, and the righteousness of God would shine in it as it should.
The household of faith has been bathing in the pool of compromise and dining at the table of political correctness for so long that ‘men of God’ today are expected to be mealy mouthed appeasers, tolerant of every proclivity and perversity, going out of their way to be non-confrontational, non-offensive, and non-judgmental.
If anyone dare stand for truth, if anyone dare preach the unadulterated word of God, they are quickly marginalized and labeled as hateful, unloving, and unmerciful not by the world but by those who ought to have been laborers in the same harvest field, who by having defined themselves as Christians ought to have been standing on the same truths.
The grim reality is that a great majority do not want the gifts of the Holy Spirit in their churches because they would upturn the apple cart, they would upset the status quo, they would reveal what lies beneath the surface of manicured lawns, marble foyers, velvet pews, and gold leaf pulpits.
The Holy Spirit is not in the business of sparing feelings; He is in the business of equipping and preparing the Bride that it be ready for the Groom’s imminent return. The Holy Spirit is not in the business of cozying up to politicians, of garnering influence or power, He is in the business of imbuing true believers with power from on high that they might stand and fight and overcome the darkness that is encroaching upon the light.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
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