The Institute Of America: Exchanged Life

IOM Has A New Home

corporate@iomamerica.org (Dr. Stephen R. Phinney) — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 19:30:00 +0000

Our Purpose

IOM America's goal is to help members of the Body of Christ to experience, mature in, and communicate effectively the message of identification with Christ in His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension in their various spheres of influence. Our ministry comes by way of a 3-Fold Vision: Biblical Worldview, Discipleship & Training and the Exchanged Life Global Initiative. All three fold into the International Fellowship of Exchanged Life E-Community (IFEL). Read More ...

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EXCHANGED LIFE GLOBAL INITIATIVE

corporate@iomamerica.org (Dr. Stephen R. Phinney) — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 19:30:00 +0000

Exchanged Life Development

What is the Exchanged Life Global Initiative Project?

The ministry of IOM has adopted the proposal of the Exchanged Life Global Initiative, which has provided the ministry with a proactive pro-vision, in order to revitalize the worldview of uniting Exchanged Life workers throughout the entire world. In addition to our existing strong partnerships - we welcome the partnerships other ministries that focus on the message of the Exchanged Life to join our efforts!

Our efforts strongly hinge on the International Fellowship of Exchanged Life: an e-community that will provide Exchanged Life workers throughout the world with a single online community that will provide: promotions of member web sites, social networks throughout, a separate members’ Exchanged Life bookstore, chat room for members, class registration from member to member and much much more.

IOM America is in the process of outsourcing plans to design, develop, and host IOM America’s two websites (IOM’s general site & International Fellowship of Exchanged Life (IFEL). In fact, "story board" meetings are being conducted in several states with Exchanged Life ministries that are backing the vision. This will be a concept to completion production.

The existing IOM web site was originally designed and produced with the basic model and classic web site look but until our project is complete, our website is routed to Dr. Phinney’s blog spot, which is where you are reading this. We have been told that we are pushing the edges of Blog-spot and this site is not structurally sound enough to bear the weight of our Global Initiative. So - we have a need to work quickly. Here is a few details to our vision:

Purpose of New Websites

IOM currently has a web/blog presence that spans over 80 countries, translated in 50 languages and our e-service has close to 14,000 readers on a weekly basis - this does not count the 2,000+ views this Blog-site engages. With this level of exposure, the IOM site welcomes a new appearance, structure, and content presentation. An opportunity exists to redesign the site, to better reflect the updated and revised mission of IOM, and incorporate the latest web technology. Upon completion of the site’s development, IOM will assume full responsibility for web site content, maintenance, and administration – unless the contract states otherwise. All content, coding, and graphics will become the sole property of IOM America.

Description

Our team will create two flexible, informative web sites that are easy to maintain. We must develop two distinctive friendly sites that can deliver large amounts of constantly changing information to our targeted and key audiences. In addition to designing user-friendly sites with an intuitive interface, we must also develop a web-based, database-driven administration tool that allows key management personnel to easily update content, without directly accessing source code.

IOM will maintain ultimate editorial control of content, without burdening the hosting or maintenance company with such details or significantly delaying the publishing of new information on the sites. It is our objective to train our volunteers and staff with the basic administration to the site. The design and hosting company will efficiently manage web publishing processes, preferably by using a system with a browser-based user interface – if possible. Administration of web content will be based on the roles to control access and work flow (e.g. author, reviewer/editor, and publisher). Click here if you can help us accomplish this.

To be effective, our web sites must be:

1. Easy and intuitive

2. Visually pleasing

3. Informative

4. Safe and secure

5. Quick to load and operate

Objective

Our primary internet objective is to continue to build brand identity, awareness, and interest in the organization and the services it provides, while remaining on the cutting edge of web site technology.

These two web sites are to provide a schematic overview of a possible systematic process that will assist in advancing the vision and mission of IOM, particularly that of the Exchanged Life Global Initiative.

Pragmatic Objective for Web Sites

Reaching the Church (The Body/Bride of Christ) with a vision for co-crucifixion and the power of the cross, followed by the available materials and methods of implementations.

Broad outreach by making use of up-to-date technology and marketing venues.

Mapping out national and international strategies by regions, countries, and sites/zones or states.

As system of structure needs to be implemented that will unite Exchanged Life workers from all over the world – giving them an e-community flexible enough to work and partner with other workers of the cross.

Developing an operational model to simplify the complexity of materials in a progressive fashion.

Our Suggested Solutions

· To assist the local church in equipping their people in Exchanged Life Discipleship.

· Link/network pastors, counselors, and ministry leaders who practice the Exchanged Life.

Our Online Vision

· Maximize web-based technologies (social media, bookstores, etc.)

· Build member loyalty and enhance customer relationships

· Improve program delivery and service

· Outsource & partnership with an Exchanged Life online school

· Revise existing general ministry web site

· Provide focused web-based solutions

· Leverage internet traffic for potential donor base

· Increase and broaden X-Changed Life market share

Specific Strategies

Increase awareness of IOM mission and promote involvement through online programs, which will enhance activity in individual field productivity.

Retain current members and program participants and gain new ones.
Strengthen relationships with the Church at large, community partners, donors, members, program participants, staff, and volunteers.
Attract qualified and diverse volunteers and potential staff members.
improve nonprofit business efficiencies
Web Development – Summary Initiatives
Present comprehensive information and resources in an easy-to-use format
Increase site promotion activities
Integrate brand messaging – provided by IOM Corporate
Deliver a consistent image and branding throughout
Deliver a scalable, maintainable foundation

In short, we must tell our story through the use of compelling visuals, intuitive navigation, and concise messaging.

#12 Christ Consummates His Marriage

corporate@iomamerica.org (Dr. Stephen R. Phinney) — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 19:30:00 +0000

by Dr. Stephen R. Phinney

The Hebrew marriage ceremony is one of the most touching and powerful symbols of intimacy our Father has given His children. If you read through this information quickly, you WILL miss the important details. I, alone, have spent almost eight years researching, in order to write you these highlights. Learning about the Hebrew marriage needs to be taken as seriously as your relationship with Christ Jesus – for it is one and the same.

After the ceremony was completed and the Rabbi had blessed the marriage, the groom and his bride went into the room he had prepared (attached to his father’s house), closed the door, and consummated the marriage by going into her and depositing his seed, in order to form one flesh union (Matt. 25:1-10; Rev. 19:7). The groom would then come back out with a blood-stained sheet in hand and hold it up before the fathers, proving he had married a virgin. The fathers would agree, bless the son once again, and leave the groom and his bride for further intimacy.

Jesus Christ Coming for His Bride

When Christ comes to get His bride (the Rapture), we will be given perfect virgin bodies - taken, or formed, from the side of Christ. As with the body of Eve, this will make us one flesh from the moment of receiving our “glorified” bodies.

Our Lord corrected many false notions that existed on the subject of marriage (Matt. 22:23-30) and placed it as a divine institution on the highest grounds. The apostles clearly stated and enforced the nuptial duties of husband and wife (Eph. 5:22-33; Col. 3:18-19; 1 Peter 3:1-7). Marriage is said to be honorable (Heb. 13:4). The exclusion of it is noted as one of the marks of degenerate times (1 Tim. 4:3). We live in those degenerate times: women with women and men with men, all committing indecent acts that come against the holy and prophetic institution of marriage.

The Father gave us a commission to protect the Bridal members of the Groom. The enemy, the Antichrist, will work diligently to captivate the Bride into believing half-baked ideas, distracting her from living and preparing for the Groom. The enemy wants the Bride to cast a die. One example is opening the Bible at random to determine a point of duty or doctrine. This practice opposes the Truth. The phrase “the trickery of men” is understood to be by the mere chance of people or holding to opinions that match the way one feels on any given day. The enemy is a crafty and deceitful teacher, who lies in waiting to deceive - literally, “unto the method of deceit.” His teachers use plausible pretenses and would, if possible, deceive the professed Bridal members of Christ with ill-conceived ideas that match the role of the Antichrist himself. The Father gave us officers, equipping us to guard against such teachers, and living not by their opinions or ideas, but by the Word of God alone.

It is time to bring back the foundational and traditional roots of God’s ordained plan for marriage. It starts in our heart, our home, and in our community.

Reviewing the Stepping Stones of a Hebrew Wedding:

1. Go out and meet the bridegroom – After waiting at length (most commonly near midnight), the very words of Scripture were announced by someone in the community “‘Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him” (Matt. 25:6, KJV). The bride took a preparatory bath (Ezek. 23:40). "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless” (Eph. 5:25-27).

2. Lighting of the lamps – All of the persons engaged now lit their lamps, or torches, holding them in their hands while running to take their place in the procession. Some had lost their lights and were unprepared, but it was then too late to find or replace them.

3. Off to the bride’s house – Typically late in the evening, like a thief in the night (1 Thess. 5:2), the bridegroom came with his groomsmen ("companions" in Jdg. 14:11; "children of the bride chamber" in Matt. 9:15, KJV), singers, and torch/lamp bearers leading the way (Jer. 25:10). The bride, in the meantime, was with her maidens eagerly awaiting his coming.

4. The betrothed couple’s garments - The bridegroom was carried in by a magnificently dressed horse, flaunting all of his colors. The bridegroom wore an ornamental turban (Isa. 61:10 - "ornaments" or "a magnificent headdress") like that of the high priest, appropriate to the "kingdom of priests" (Ex.19:6). He had a nuptial garland or crown. Song of Solomon 3:11 states, "the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals (wedding)” [parentheses added] and was also richly perfumed (Song 3:6). It was not only tradition, but a requirement, for a bride to wear a white robe, sometimes embroidered with gold thread (Rev. 19:8, KJV; Psa. 45:13-14) and jewels (Isa. 61:10). White symbolized purity (virginity) and the gold thread was the statement of wealth of the bride’s father. With all of her dress readied and in order, it was now time for the groom. The bride’s father would then call his daughter out from his home to give her hand to the groom.

5. The groom sees himself – God called woman the "help meet (mate) for him” (Gen. 2:18, KJV, parentheses added). This means that in her preparation, she adorns herself in the groom’s image, so the groom may recognize himself when he sees her. I hope you understand this Hebrew clarity. For example, when Adam saw woman for the first time – he saw himself. When Christ looks at you, assuming you are saved, He sees Himself in you. Christ (or an earthly husband) is to love, honor, and cherish His(his) bride. The bride of Christ (or an earthly wife) is to be helpful, be in reverent subjection, and have a meek and quiet spirit. Together, the bride and groom are the fellow heirs of the grace of life (1 Peter 3:1-7; 1 Cor. 14:34-35).

6. Party time – Once the bride was brought to the groom, the father of the bride announced the “time of celebration – the feast of marriage.” In the pre-Mosaic times, when the proposals were accepted and the marriage price given, the bridegroom could come at once and take away his bride to his own house (Gen. 24:63-67). In general, the marriage was celebrated by a feast in the house of the bride's parents, to which all friends were invited (Gen. 29:22, 27). On the day of the marriage, the bride (concealed under a thick veil) was conducted to her future husband's home. (NOTE: In the case of Christ and the Church, the party will be held at the home of the Groom – heaven. This is because the Father of the bride is also the Father of the Groom. This concept and truth leads us back to the Garden of Eden, where sons married daughters. Adam’s children married Adam’s children to populate the earth.)

With the bridegroom having received his bride, his cloud of witnesses (Heb. 12:1) rejoiced and were fulfilled in hearing the bridegroom's voice of joy and triumph (John 3:29).

The feast lasted for seven days and was enlivened by riddles and stories (testimonies) of the bride and groom (Song 3:11; Jdg. 14:12).

Wedding garments were provided by the groom’s father and choosing not to wear the “garment of praise” was an insult to him (Gen. 24:53). This was a direct connection to God, the Father, covering Adam and Eve: “The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them” (Gen. 3:21). The garment, or robe, literally translates out as the covering of redemption, or the robe made by a righteous father. All wedding guests needed to be purified with the covering of the father. No impure person or thing could be part of the celebration.

Large water pots for washing the hands and for purifying ablutions (the ritual cleansing of a priest’s hands or body, or of sacred vessels, during a religious ceremony) were provided (Mark 7:3). As with Jesus, these had to be filled before Jesus changed the water into wine; the minor circumstances were in keeping with one another; the feast being advanced, the water was previously emptied out of the water pots for the guests' ablutions (John 2:7). An interesting point: The water Jesus turned into wine was the same water that had been used to purify the guests. This meant that the water was the symbol of “washing of the Word,” the voice of the groom’s Father, and the Word being transfigured (to transform the appearance of somebody or something, revealing great beauty, spirituality, or magnificence) to the wine, or “blood of Christ.” After being washed in the Word of the Father, we (His bride) had to drink from the same cup Jesus was required to fill with His own life source. When, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Christ asked His Father about “this cup,” He knew the cup required of Him to drink His own blood. Jesus had to be the first, once again, to drink from the wedding cup. Moreover, the Father needed wine (blood) to fill the wedding feast cup.

Jesus knew that the bent of man was to “clean the outside of the cup” while filling it with “robbery and self-indulgence” (Matt. 23:25). The cup itself symbolizes the Groom’s body (His bride), the cleaning of the cup is the washing of the Word, and the filling of the cup is the blood (identity of a life source) of the Husband, who was to lay His life down for His bride.

7. Groom takes his bride to his father’s house - To remove the bride from her father's house to that of the bridegroom, or his father, was an essential part of the ceremony.

Next: Divorce - Division by Force

All Scriptures, unless otherwise stated, are taken from the New American Standard Bible, © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scriptures marked KJV are taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version, public domain.

#11 The Hebrew Marriage

corporate@iomamerica.org (Dr. Stephen R. Phinney) — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 19:30:00 +0000

By Dr. Stephen R. Phinney

I cannot tell you how much fun it is to explore the laws, customs, and manners of a Hebrew marriage. It is probably one of my most favorite things to do!

As we learned earlier, the engagement period for the Hebrews was for one full year. When the year had passed and the room (normally an addition onto the father of the groom’s house) was finished, the groom would come for his bride – typically in the middle of the night. Neither the bride, nor her parents, were privy to either the day or the hour. She had to be ready at all times. The groom would announce to his father that he had finished his work; the father would inspect the work, give the approval, and off the son would go to get his bride. The parents of the groom would stay behind to prepare for the arrival of their son and his bride.

The groom would approach the home of the bride and call her out. The father of the bride had to submit to the hour and grant his daughter the rite of passage to her husband. The bride would come to the door dressed in her wedding attire and veil. At this point, the veil was taken off and laid on the shoulder of the bridegroom, and this declaration made: “The government shall be upon his shoulder” (remembering that, in Hebrew tradition, a patriarch’s authority was the same as government). The groom now accepted the responsibility of his new little kingdom.

A procession would set out from the bride’s home to the place the groom had prepared for their new little kingdom. The pathway to their new home would be lit with oil lamps held by wedding guests. In the story told by Jesus, the bride and groom were later than expected, so the oil in the lamps began to run low. Only those members who had brought a reserve flask of oil were able to refill their lamps and welcome the bride and groom (Matt. 25:1-13). There was singing and music along the way (Jeremiah 16:9) and sometimes, the bride herself would join in the dancing because of her excitement of the hour.

Jesus the Bridegroom

Matthew 25:1 - "Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.” The coming of Christ (to receive His people to Himself) is often represented by the likeness of a marriage, with the Church representing His spouse or bride. The marriage relationship is the most tender, firm, and endearing of any known on earth; and on this account, it rightfully represents the union of believers to Christ (Matt. 9:15; John 3:29; Rev. 19:7; 21:9; Eph. 5:25-32).

Ten virgins - These virgins, without question, represent the Church. Virgin is the name given because it is pure and holy (2 Cor. 11:2; Lam. 1:15; 2:13). These virgins took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom. The lamps used on such occasions were actually torches. They were made by winding rags around pieces of iron or pottery, sometimes hollowed to contain oil, and fastened to handles of wood. These torches were dipped in oil and gave out a lot of light. Marriage ceremonies in the East were conducted with great ritual and seriousness. Friends attended for both the bride and bridegroom. The betrothed were escorted in a seat carried on poles by four or more persons. After the marriage ceremony, there was a feast for seven days. This feast was celebrated in the father of the bride’s house. At the end of that time, the bridegroom escorted the bride, with great pageantry and splendor, to the home he had prepared for her during the engagement.

JESUS COMES FOR HIS BRIDE

As mentioned earlier, the bridegroom came for his bride at the most unexpected time of day, usually late at night (Jer. 7:34; 25:10; 33:11). The primary reason for this was as soon as the bridegroom finished the addition onto his father’s house, he came for his bride. In modern times, we would call this rude and selfish. In the days and times of God, it was by law; when the work was finished, the groom would come for his bride immediately.

Critical Note: All their gear was ready, from the day the bride's father gave his daughter in betrothal to the day the groom came to get her, because they didn’t know when the groom would be finished with the preparations of the household. It is noteworthy to mention that the groom did not associate with the bride during the time of engagement. Both parties spent this time preparing for the marriage. Compare this to our relationship with Christ: After He “proposed” to us, He left, we mourn and fast, and then He returns: “And Jesus said to them, ‘The attendants of the bridegroom cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast’ ” (Matthew 9:15).

Many friends and relations attended them. In addition to those who went with the couple from the house of the bride, another company came out from the house of the bridegroom to meet and welcome them. These were probably female friends and relatives of the bridegroom. These were known as the virgins mentioned in this parable.

The Wedding Feast

Once the bride and groom arrived at his house, they would enter under a canopy (symbolizing the covering or authority of the groom’s father). There, they had a wedding feast with eating, drinking, and celebrating, which took a great deal of time. No, the groom didn’t take her to the marriage bed – that typically didn’t happen for seven days. Once the ceremony was on its way, at the groom’s father’s house, a contract was prepared on a sheet of papyrus (a manuscript written on material made from the papyrus plant). The document was dated with the year, month, and day of the agreement. This document was signed by the fathers, the bride, the groom, and a specially chosen host of witnesses. The terms of the deed were extraordinary as to the dowry required on both sides, together with the clauses of requirements and payment for the privilege of the groom beholding the bride. In the case of Christ, that payment was by blood – His blood. Since the Abba Father is our Father as well, He paid the cost by giving up His only Son for the price of marriage.

Once the document was signed, the actual dowry was recited to include the specified sum and the rights of the children (which may, after the present time, come from the marriage). The payment was to benefit the mother of the bride directly. The father of the groom further proclaimed the eldest son birthed from the marriage to be the heir of all parental property, present and future.

After the signing and reading of the contract, a small and intimate ceremony occurred for joining the two in holy matrimony. Traditionally, the ceremony was attended by both parents, two witnesses (one from each family), and the bride and groom. After the “I do’s” were officially stated, it was time for the consummation of the marriage.

The guests were there to witness the consummation of the marriage (Gen. 29:22-23); the groom would come out of the bed chambers and show the blood-stained bed coverings, demonstrating the bride had been a virgin (Duet. 22:13-21). At that point the party was over, at least in most cases. The Hebrew people were known for celebrating beyond the seven day mark.

In the case of Christ and the Church, the “I do” will be a special point in the ceremony for God, the Father. Jehovah will finally be reunited with Israel and His earthly bride, the elect Church (Isa. 54:5; 62:4-5; Hos. 2:19; 2 Cor. 11:2; Rev. 19:7; 21:2, 9; 22:17).

Next: Christ Consummates His Marriage

Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

#10 Jesus Bethrothed

corporate@iomamerica.org (Dr. Stephen R. Phinney) — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 19:30:00 +0000

By Dr. Stephen Phinney

"He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. So this joy of mine has been made full” (John 3:29).

“Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready" (Rev.19:7).

“And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband” (Rev. 21:2).

“Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying, ‘Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb’ ” (Rev. 21:9).

“ ‘Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom’ ” (Matt. 25:1).

Covenant Prayer

Dear Father, I know that Jesus is our Husband. I accept the fact that we, as His bride, are called to hear His voice, so that His joy may be full. I rejoice and choose to be glad and give Him the glory He deserves as our Husband. For I know that we, the Church, are being prepared for the marriage of the Lamb and we are to make ourselves ready for Him. I thank You for comparing us to the likeness of the New Jerusalem, coming down out of Your heaven. I have decided this day to do what is necessary to adorn myself for Him. I will listen carefully for Your voice, as His Father, to say, “Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” You know my past much better than I do and You are fully aware of the choices I have made to “stain” my wedding garment. I accept Your forgiveness for not functioning as a pure virgin, like one who waits for their groom. I ask that You would purify me and make me as a virgin once again. Cause me to keep oil in my lamp, my garment clean, and my heart pure. These things I pray in the blessed name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Neither the Bible (in general), nor Jesus (in particular), treats the family from the point of view of an historian or sociologist, but solely from that of a teacher of the Father’s beliefs and morals. In short, their point of view is “Godological” (theological), rather than sociological. Moses and the prophets, no less than Jesus and His apostles, accepted marriage as a holy institution that gave rise to certain practical, ethical questions and they dealt with it accordingly. There is nothing in the record of the teachings of Jesus and His apostles to indicate that they “caved in” to marital social content, customs, or sanctions. They simply accepted it as God’s conventional civilized ways for His people. They also accepted its connected customs, which were for ethical and/or illustrative purposes. There is one exception to this general statement; Jesus acknowledged, because of the demands of social development, for Moses to modify the law permitting and regulating divorce. This clearly indicates, at the same time, that He regarded such modification as out of harmony with the institution as at first given to mankind by His Father. According to the original divine purpose, marriage was monogamous. Any form of polygamy, and apparently of divorce, was excluded from His Father’s divine idea and purpose. Many modern believers use Jesus’ words in Matthew 19 as an excuse or permission for divorce. This could not be farther from the Truth. His statement to the religious leaders of that day was correction of “straying from the beginning.” For if Jesus would have put a hardy approval on divorce that day, He would have subtly allowed a “cheap” doctrine of forsaking His bride.

Take Action -Your View

What is the reason for being engaged, or betrothed, to the one you desire to marry?
From your perspective, why would Christ “betroth” Himself to a bride who continues to go back to their sins of preference?
Do you believe Christ would ever divorce His bride? Why or why not?
Read Ephesians 5:26-27 and state what Jesus, as the Groom, is doing with His bride before He unites with her in marriage.

THE FATHER'S VIEW

The Father Chooses the Bride for His Son
Even though it is not a popular idea today, Hebrew tradition reveals the father of the groom played a significant role of “picking” the bride for his son. The father looked for economic, social, and spiritual qualities, as well as, a pure bloodline. These elements were important for the father because these qualities would preserve his investments. As it was back then, young men see the fact it took the wisdom of a father to look through the son’s desires of the flesh to marry and assist him in finding a bride who would be a suitable helpmate. The father was interested in protecting his investment in his son. A wise father understood that a woman could take all that away in a very short period. Since the purpose of a father’s life was to “set up” the next generation to responsibly manage his inheritance (rewards of his labor), he made sure his son had a wife who would not squander it (Exodus 34:16). For it was the father's responsibility to form his son’s future; then, teach him how to do the same with his sons.

Another significant point is a young man typically looked at the outward beauty of a woman as the primary qualification to marry her, while the father looked at the inward beauty. Because young men lack wisdom, they tend to look at women externally. Old men, men of wisdom, understand that external beauty quickly fades away, the man is left with the inward woman, and many times that wasn’t much. This is why the son had to have complete trust in his father to do the “picking.”

Let it be known that a son had the right to look and desire, but the father is the one who did the picking. Judges 14:2 shows us, “So he came back and told his father and mother, ‘I saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife.’ " The simple point here is that the son knew he had no ability to obtain a woman on his own – it required the fathers to “work the deal” for him.

To Be Betrothed

Betroth = be-troth (ארשׂ, 'āras) derives from the word “troth” or the Hebrew word for “trooth” (אמת, 'ĕmeth) or truth. The literal meaning here is to “be” engaged in “trooth”. This explains the critical reason why the parents worked diligently in the “negotiations of dowry” to discover the truth of the groom, his family, the bride, and her family. When you married, you married tribes, and tribes have traditions and beliefs that affected the couple for generations to come.

Another critical factor is once you were “betrothed,” according to Hebrew law, you were sealed for marriage. That means if you decided to “end” the relationship during the engagement, you would have to go through the divorce process. In the story of Joseph getting ready to “send her (Mary) away” (because of her pregnancy with Jesus), God had to send an angel to tell Joseph it was a supernatural conception by God.

Matthew 1:18-20 says: “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.’ ”

The parallel is this: when Jesus accepted us for Salvation, He was agreeing to becoming engaged or “betrothed” to us. The actual wedding has not occurred yet. This is what the Second Coming of Christ is for - to come and get His bride. During the engagement phase with Christ, He is “cleaning us up” and preparing us for His wedding. Ephesians 5:27 says, “That He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.” Our “betrothed” period with Christ is for the “working out of our Salvation” (Phil. 2:12).

Look up Philippians 2:12 and rewrite the verse using your name.

Here is the point: the engagement period is a promise “by one's truth” to fulfill the process of preparing for marriage. This usually took place a year or more before marriage. From the time of betrothal, the woman was regarded as the lawful wife of the man to whom she was betrothed (Deut. 28:30; Jdg. 14:2, 8; Matt. 1:18-21). This idea is figuratively representative of the spiritual connection between God and His people (Hos. 2:19-20).

As God illustrates this point perfectly in Hosea, look up Hosea 2:19-20 and make a summary statement regarding what you read.

Hosea, in his great parable of the prodigal wife (surpassed only by a greater Teacher's parable of the prodigal son), uses betrothal as the symbol of God (the Father’s) pledge of His love and favor to penitent Israel. Since we are grafted into the Hebrew (Jewish) blood lineage, this principle also applies to us (Romans 11:23). At the point of Hosea’s betrothal to Gomer, she was a whore (an unclean woman who gives herself away to “men of the covenant”). Like Gomer, we, too, are a “mess” when Christ decides to “betroth” Himself to us. However, the good news is that He takes the engagement period to “clean us up” by washing us with the Word – His Father.

The Negotiations of Betrothal

Genesis 34:6-17 – This passage is one of the clearest Hebrew pictures of the betrothal process. The situation here is Prince Shekem lusted after one of Jacob’s daughters (Dinah), took her to the field, and had sex with her. Her protective brothers found out about it and now we have the betrothal process. Note: Even though the situation here is grim, the process of betrothal is quite clear.

Read Genesis 34:1-31 before continuing on. Yes, I read this passage: ____

It all starts with a conference, as such, between the parental parties. As in the case with Hamor, the father of Shekem (son of lust), and Jacob (the father of Dinah), the parents on both sides are the principals of authority in the negotiation. The sons of Jacob, being brothers of the injured damsel, are present according to custom. The actions were to check out any deeds that were contrary to sanctity, which must characterize God’s holy people. Hamor makes his proposal of restitution; he proposes a political alliance or merger of the two tribes, to be sealed and actually affected by intermarriage. He offers to make them joint possessors of the soil (breath of the father) and of the rights of dwelling, trading, and acquiring property.

Shekem now speaks with respect and sincerity. He offers any amount of dowry, or bridal presents, and of gift to the mother and brothers of the bride. It must be acknowledged that the father and the son were inclined to make whatever amends they could for the grievous offense that had been committed. The sons of Jacob answer as a representatives of their father and they respond with the following conditions of giving Jacob’s daughter over to Shekem. They said that they cannot intermarry with the uncircumcised; only on condition that every male be circumcised will they consent. (see Gen. 34:14-15) On these terms, the father and son promised to “become one people” with the “bride’s” Hebrew race/traditions.

Even though Jacob’s sons used this dowry as a way to kill Shekem and his people, the negotiation process reveals the traditions of betrothal. The price for Shekem’s bride was death; he just didn’t realize it at the time. It is amazing how one of the most “fleshly” and deceptive stories in the Bible clearly reveals the ways of the Father – Hebrew traditions.

IN SUMMARY

God, the Father of the Son to be “betrothed”, had to negotiate with the “father of lies” to retain the bride for His Son. The price was His Son! Like Hosea, He had to come and take on the sins of the “bride to be,” take the punishment for those sins, then open His arms for “betrothal.” He, again like Hosea, had to “put up with” the “betrothed bride” going back to her sins of preference until the day of sanctification. God required Hosea, and Christ, to be the one responsible for the “cost” of “betrothal,” not the “betrothed” bride. God knows that the full price of dowry falls on the groom because He is the One who set the rules of engagement. In His case, the dowry was death! Secondly, He was responsible for making sure the bride was ready for the wedding day. Once the bride was purified and ready, He would come for her – i.e. the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

#09 Jesus and the Institution of Marriage

corporate@iomamerica.org (Dr. Stephen R. Phinney) — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 19:30:00 +0000

By Dr. Stephen Phinney

"For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven” (Matt. 22:30).

“Jesus said to them, ‘The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; for they cannot even die anymore, because they are like angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection’ ” (Luke 20:34-36).

“Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge” (Hebrews 13:4).

“Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready” (Rev. 19:7).

“Then he said to me, ‘Write, “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ “And he said to me, ‘These are true words of God’ ” (Rev.19:9).

Covenant Prayer

Dear Father, I know that You not only believe in the institution of marriage, but You gave it to us as a demonstration of Your Son’s marriage to the Church. I embrace the truth that You do not allow marriages in heaven, to preserve the one and only marriage of eternity – that of Jesus and His bride. I choose to honor marriage here on earth and keep the marriage bed undefiled. For I know Your judgment is strong for fornicators and adulterers. I do rejoice and am glad to give Jesus all the glory that He deserves for the design of marriage. I understand that the marriage of the Lamb has come and we are His bride. I pray You would show me how to ready myself as His bride. I look forward to our marriage with Christ, as well as the marriage supper with the Lamb, our Husband. I ask that You would assist me in preserving the institution of marriage here on earth, as well as in heaven. I accept Your forgiveness for all the wrong thoughts and deed I have supported that defile Your design of marriage. I claim Your healing for "staining" my virgin garments. I thank You for helping me see the reality and importance of Your covenant marriage with us through Your Son. These things I pray in the blessed name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Marriage

Hebrews 13:4 tells us: “Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.” Marriage is not only to be held in high honor by all, but its object in this passage is stating that “honor” is to be shown to marriage as an institution. It is not to be undervalued by the presence of the higher purity state of celibacy, as if marriage were improper for any class of people or any condition of life. It should not be dishonored by any violation of the marriage contract. This means, the “contract” established between a man and woman is a “covenant” sealed in heaven. What God joins in a union, no man or his laws can separate. Matthew 19:6 says: "So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together let no man separate." When mankind devalues the marriage institution, they are subtly attacking the “marriage of the Lamb.” For God the Father gave us the institution of marriage to demonstrate, by law and relationship, what is to come with His Son.

Take Action -Your View

As you reflect on your past, what has been your view of marriage?
Look up Matthew 19:4-6 and state what you believe Christ is saying about marriage.
What do you think polygamy and adultery have in common?
Make a statement about divorce.
Why do you think that God hates divorce? (Malachi 2)

THE FATHER'S VIEW

The History of Marriage

Marriage was instituted in the Garden of Eden when man was in his innocence (Geneses 2:18-24). Here we have its original contract, confirmed by our Lord, as the basis on which all laws and marital guidelines are to be framed (Matt. 19:4-5). It is evident that monogamy (one spouse until death) was the original law of marriage (Matt. 19:5; 1 Cor. 6:16). This law was violated very early on, when man’s problems with lust began to overflow into God’s ordinances of marriage (Gen. 4:19; 6:2). We meet the occurrence of polygamy (two or more wives) and concubinage (a wife of secondary rank) in the patriarchal age (Gen. 16:1-4; 22:21-24). Polygamy was recognized in the Mosaic Law, made its way into legislation, and continued to be practiced through Jewish history until their captivity to Egypt, after which there is no instance of it on record.

Why is all this significant? The lust of our forefathers wanting plurality of wives didn’t have the option of divorce, because divorce didn’t exist. Therefore, they instituted polygamy and concubinage in order to fulfill their appetites for trying out different women. The leadership of that day “buckled” under the pressure of the people and legislated their lust. Polygamy and concubinage were the entrance, or gateway, for divorce. Shortly after the legislation of polygamy, divorce was instituted in order to keep God’s laws of monogamy. In the eyes of our forefathers, this became the new and legal way to fulfill the lust of their hearts.

The History of Divorce

If we don’t understand the history of divorce, we will not be able to embrace the words of Jesus when the “religious leaders” were testing Him with the laws of Moses. Matthew 19:3, “Some Pharisees came to Jesus, testing Him and asking, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?’ " Jesus’ response was consistent with history. “And He answered and said, ‘Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE’, and said, ‘FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together let no man separate’ ” (Matthew 19:4-6). The statement “let no man separate” is translated out as “let no man’s law separate.” The other significant statement made here is “from the beginning.” Jesus was not caught by their reasons for satisfying their lust. He simply went back to His Father’s design of monogamy (one wife until death).

Satan’s Purpose for Divorce

Now the big question: Why would the enemy push so hard for legislating divorce? Another simple answer: Because if the enemy can break up the original design of “one woman + one man + one Father = one flesh,” he would then be able to ingrain into the hearts of man that just maybe, “One Father + One Son + One Spirit = One God” is a lie. Secondly, he would be able to convince the Bride of Christ that there is a possibility Christ would forsake (divorce) them. Divorce is the human tool used by the enemy to try to “break up” the Trinity in the hearts of man. Divorce needs to be viewed through the eyes of God first and secondly, through history. This is man’s futile attempt to legislate lust! God the Father ordained the institution of marriage to set in concrete (for mankind) the fundamental Truth of “One Father + One Son + One Spirit = One God.”

The Father’s View of Marriage

The charter of marriage is in Gen. 2:24, reproduced by our Lord with greater distinctness in Matt. 19:4-5. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are all separate individual beings, but are One as a whole. God the Father established the institution of marriage in the Garden to prepare the way for the original eternal design and union of Christ and the Church (Eph. 5:31; Mark 10:5-9; 1Cor. 6:16; 7:2). The point is this: A husband and wife, united in marriage, combine to form one perfect human being; the one is the complement and completer of the other. Therefore, Christ makes the Church a necessary appendage to Himself. He is the model from whom, as the blueprint, the Church is formed (Romans 6:5). He is her Head, as the husband is of the wife (1Cor. 11:3; 1Cor. 15:45). Death is the tool that severs the bridegroom and the bride, but death cannot separate Christ and His bride. Our death is what unites us to Him (Matt. 19:6; John 10:28-29; 13:1; Rom. 8:35-39).

“This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church” (Eph. 5:32).

In this passage, the phrase "this mystery is great" is the truth - hidden once, but now revealed. Christ's spiritual union with the Church is mysteriously represented by marriage. Not marriage in general, but the marriage of Christ and the Church. In Eph. 5:30, Paul says, "For we are members of His (glorified) body, (being formed out) of His flesh and of His bones" (NKJV, parentheses added). This statement should sound a bit familiar to you. When Adam was placed in a deep sleep, the Father “formed” Eve out of his opened side, symbolizing Christ's death, which was the birth of His spouse, the Church (John 12:24; 19:34-35). As Adam gave Eve a new name ('ishshah means "woman" or "wife" - the counterpart of 'iysh, meaning "man" or "husband"), so Christ gives the Church His new name: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it' (Rev. 2:17).

IN SUMMARY

God the Father established marriage to prepare the way for His Son to be united with His bride, the Church. Satan works to destroy the institution of marriage in order to attack the institution of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Satan cares not for you or the premise of earthly marriages. The enemy is out to do what he does best, challenge the Oneness of the Trinity of the first family.

Next time: Jesus Betrothed

#08 Jesus as the Son

corporate@iomamerica.org (Dr. Stephen R. Phinney) — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 18:30:00 +0000

By Dr. Stephen Phinney

“When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me” (John 8:28).

“For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel” (John 5:20).

"Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner’ ” (John 5:19).

“The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand” (John 3:35).

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit" (Matt. 28:19).

“But kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus” (Matt.1:25).

Covenant Prayer

Dear Father, I know that Jesus is Your Son and He was birthed from Your seed. I accept the fact He was born of a virgin woman (Mary), whom You selected to be the mother of our Savior. I understand He does nothing on His own initiative and speaks only the things that You give Him to say. Therefore, I join You in Your stated truth that I cannot speak, nor do anything on my own initiative. I know, without question, You love Your Son. You also love me with the same love You offer Him. I accept that You have given all things to Your Son, and in return, Jesus offers them to me. I accept my victory in Your Son and pray that any and all sins, which block me from experiencing the fullness of Your Gospel, will be removed from my life. I now proclaim all of who Your Son is - in and through my life. These things I pray in the blessed name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Matthew 1:25 reveals to us that Jesus was born of a virgin woman. The question begs to be asked, “How did that happen?” The doctrine of the virginity of Mary before the birth of Jesus is a truth in the Scriptures. It is very important that we accept this doctrine.

Matthew 1:20 tells us, “But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.’ ” This conception was a direct action of the Father. He placed His seed inside Mary through the work of His Spirit. Another question begging to be asked is, “Since Jesus was born of a human body that contained sin, why didn’t He have sin in is moral body?” Well, the answer is rather simple: God doesn’t have sin in His seed (1 John 3:9). Sin is passed through the seed, not through blood (Romans 5:14). Mary’s blood had no ability to pass on sin. There are certain religions that have had a hard time with this simple concept and have made Mary out to be holy. What a shame, because placing Mary in this predicament forces her to be of the same holiness as the Trinity. I think not! Before we can accept or even understand all the dynamics surrounding Jesus being the Son of God, we must first accept the truth that He was conceived of a perfect seed – that of the heavenly Father.

Take Action -Your View

What does it mean to you personally that Jesus was the Son of God?
Read Matthew 4:6 and state what technique Satan used to have Jesus question that He was the Son of God.
Look up Matthew 27:54 and state what caused these men to understand that Jesus truly was the Son of God?
Looking back over your own Salvation experience, what caused you to believe that Jesus is the Son of the Living God?

Flesh and blood cannot reveal to us that Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus wants us to know that man had not and cannot reveal this type of truth. It has to be a work of the Spirit by a choice of the Father. It is as if Jesus had said,

“This truth you have not learned from My lowly appearance, from My human nature, from My apparent rank, or from My standing in the world. You, Jews, were expecting to know the Messiah by His external splendor and His pomp and power as a man; but you have not learned Me in this manner. I have shown no such indication of My Messiahship. I even referred to Myself as the Son of Man. Flesh and blood have not shown this to you. In spite of My appearance, My lowly state, and My lack of resemblance to what you have expected, you have learned it from My Abba Father.”

To “reveal” is to make known, or to communicate something that was unknown or secret. Jesus purposed to keep this fact a secret in order for the work of His Father to be accomplished.

The Father’s View

God’s First and Only Born Son

His firstborn son…Her firstborn Son…Mary’s oldest son. The One who had the privilege of birthright by Hebrew law, as well as the rights of His Father, was born in humble circumstances of humanity. This does not of necessity imply that she had other children, although it seems probable. Jesus was the name given to the son who was born first, whether there were others or not.

His name is Jesus. This name was given by divine appointment (Matt. 1:21). It was conferred upon Him on the eighth day, at the time of His circumcision (Luke 2:21).

The Father Loves the Son

He traces this authority to the love the Father has for Him - that special, ineffable, infinite love, which only God has for His only begotten Son - a love which can be feebly and dimly illustrated by the love an earthly parent has for an only child. The love the Father has for His Son is directed solely toward His only Son (John 5:20). We are given the privilege to embrace the love of God because it was first given to His Son. Jesus was then given the commission to express that love toward us through the ministry to which His Father called Him. The love a parent has for a firstborn is not as significant today as it was back in Hebrew days. Nonetheless, God doesn’t alter His doctrines for the contemporary changes of mankind. God loved His Son first and that is what keeps Christ in first place for eternity.

“For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel” (John 5:20).

God Hides Very Little from His Firstborn

The Father shows Jesus all of His works and plans, outside of the date of the Second Coming (see Matt. 24:36). He conceals little from Him. For those who are apostles, prophets, and philosophers, etc., the doings of God are concealed, but not from the Son of God. By and through Hebrew tradition, the firstborn typically was given the prerogative to know and understand the mind of their father. This certainly was the case with God and His Son. God shows Him “all” that He needs to know in order to lead in perfect omniscience (knowledge of all things). Besides, no limited mind of man could contain or grasp the knowledge of “all” the works of God. For this “firstborn” was true evidence that He was the Son of God.

The Father Will Show Him Greater Works Than These

The greater works to which He refers are those He proceeds to specify, i.e. He will raise the dead and judge the world, etc. (John 5:21). Another example is healing the impotent man and commanding him to carry his bed on the Sabbath day (John 5:9-16).

The Son Has Full Control

This same doctrine is clearly taught often in the New Testament. It means Christ has control over all things for the good of His Church (His bride): the government and order of the universe is committed to Him “as Mediator, and He may redeem His bride and guide her to glory.

Take Action -Your View

Take a few minutes, look up each of the stated verses, and write an overview statement:

John 3:35
John 6:46
John 10:15
Ephesians 1:20-22
Colossians 1:16-17

Jesus said, “All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” (Matt. 11:27)

No Man Fully Knows the Son

This means that the supernature of the Son of God, the mystery of the union between the divine heavenly Father and human nature, cannot be fully understood. Since His exalted character is “divine,” no mortal being can fully comprehend the fullness of the Son of the Father. To know Jesus completely is to know all aspects of the Father. Just as it is in an earthly parent/child relationship, none but His Abba Father can fully know Him. Keep in mind that we will be given the privilege to get to know our Husband (Christ) as we walk with Him throughout eternity.

No Man Knows the Father

In the original, this is: neither no one knows the Father except the Son. This means that no man or angel clearly and fully comprehends the character of the infinite God the Father; none, but the Son - the Lord Jesus – unless Jesus decides to reveal His Father to man. This truth is significant! God rightly preserves anyone, man or angel, from knowing Him unless Jesus decides to reveal the Father. That, of course, will not happen unless they come to know the Son first. The heavenly Father placed His Son as a shield for Himself. No man can come unto the Father except by His Son. In order for us, as mankind, to have our hearts restored back to the Father, we must first give our hearts to His Son. For anyone who chooses not to do this gives their heart to Satan for eternity. Always remember: all of mankind (past, present, and future generations) will have their hearts owned by a father - either God the Father or the father of lies (Satan).

“Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner’ ” (John 5:19).

The Son Can Do Nothing of Himself

Here, Jesus states the extent of His authority. He proceeds to show the “source and nature” of this authority and also prove to the Jews what He has said is true.

The first explanation He gives is in these words:

“The Son” - Whom He had just implied affirmed to be equal with God
“can do nothing of Himself” – This means nothing without the appointment and directive of the Father; nothing contrary or out of the ordained will of the Father. It is meant that in the alive union between the Father and the Son, He (Christ) can do nothing “independently” or separately from His Abba Father. Such is the nature of this union that the Son can do nothing that the Father does not command. Since He is in the form of God’s nature, He must, from the necessity of His nature, act in accordance with the nature and will of His Abba. Such is the intimacy of their union, which proves “He” does all things in concurrence with the agency of God. There is no separate action - no separate existence; but both in being and in action, there is the most perfect oneness between Him and the Father.

Take Action -Your View

Look up John 17:21 (NASB) and fill in the blanks: “ ‘That they may all be ___________; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be _______ Us, so that the world may ___________ that You sent Me.’ ”

What He Sees the Father Do

Jesus Christ sees His Father in the works of creation, in divine intervention, in making laws, and in the administration of the universe. There is a special force in the word “sees” here. No person can see God acting in His works; but the Word certainly implies that the Son can see Him act, as we see our fellow men act, and that He has a knowledge of the Father, which no mere mortal could possess. This is the perfect illustration of a boy watching his father do to do! Jesus did only what he saw His Father “doing.” This is the ideal example of the parent/child in relationship, training, and obedience.

IN SUMMARY

The Word is without limit - all that the Father does, the Son likewise does. This is as high of a declaration as possible of His being “equal” with God. If one does “all” that another does, or can do, then there must be equality. If the Son does all that the Father does, then, like Him, He must be almighty (all powerful), omniscient (all knowing), omnipresent (everywhere at all times), and infinite (eternal) with all perfection. In other words, He must be God. Since He has “this” power, then He has the authority of His Father. Therefore, if upon our Salvation, we are in Christ and Christ is in us, we then are given all authority to live as He lives, yet without being God. Why? Jesus is like His Father, which is what makes Him God; we are like the Son of man, that is what makes us children of God – not God.

All Scriptures, unless otherwise stated, are taken from the New American Standard Bible, © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Next time: Jesus and the Institution of Marriage

#07 Jesus as God

corporate@iomamerica.org (Dr. Stephen R. Phinney) — Sun, 07 Oct 2012 18:30:00 +0000

By Dr. Stephen Phinney

"Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:5-7).

Covenant Prayer

Dear Father, I know that Your Son is our God. I reject any thought and idea that He is not. I choose, this day, to stand on the truth that Jesus exists because of You and by You. I accept that He is from Your seed, which makes Him perfect. I stand against the enemy’s lies of proclaiming Him “just a man.” I thank You for caring enough to send Him in the form of a man, emptying Himself of being God, in order for each of us to be able to relate to Him as God incarnate. I choose to believe what the Scriptures say about Jesus being equal with You as God, the Father. Your divine Truth and Wisdom regarding this sensitive subject is what I will stand on all the days of my life. I thank you for appearing to us in the form of Your Son. I will cling to His life and liberty with my very being. I now understand that since I am a servant of Your kingdom, You had to send to me Yourself in the form of a servant, Jesus Christ. Thank you for loving me enough to do such a humble act of kindness. These things I pray in the blessed name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

“Who, being in the form of God”

There is scarcely any passage in the New Testament that has given rise to more discussion. Many cults have been formed worldwide because of the fight of Jesus being God. The absolute importance of this passage on the question of the Savior’s divinity is no small part of the point of the appeal the apostle Paul depends on. This is clearly noted in the fact that Paul regarded the Redeemer as equal with God. If Jesus was/is truly divine, then His consenting to become a man becomes the most remarkable of all possible acts of humility. Why would He do such a thing? Why would God come in the form of a man – a servant man? We will explore these questions within this lesson.

Take Action -Your View

Have you ever struggled with the fact that Jesus is God?
Why or why not?
Look up John 17:5 and state what you believe is being said here.
In your view, why do you believe Jesus took on the role of becoming a “bondservant” if He was God?

Philippians 2:5 (KJV) states, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” The object of this reference unfolds the example of our Savior’s love for us and His desire to reunite us back to the heavenly Father. It also displays an example of humility for us as believers. This is the highest example that could be offered. Additionally, it illustrates and confirms the importance of why God would come in the form of a humble man – a bondservant of the kingdom of God. The principle in this particular case is we are to embrace the Truth that God had to come in the form of man, in order for man to embrace God. For God, in the minds of man, was too far-reaching for his own good. The point here is God left a state of inexpressible glory of being God; took upon Himself the most humble form of humanity; and performed in the lowliest position (a bondslave), in order that He might reconcile us back to Himself. He accomplished this by placing His own seed in an earthly woman (Mary), going through the humble process of being born as a human, and growing up under the conditions of man. This evidential proof of Jesus being God now becomes too much for man to comprehend.

After reading the above paragraph, express how you feel.

THE FATHER'S VIEW

Christ Being In the Form of God

The word rendered “form” - μορφή (morphē) occurs in only three places in the New Testament and in each place it is rendered “form.” In Mark 16:12, it is applied to the form which Jesus assumed after his resurrection and likewise, when he appeared to two of his disciples on his way to Emmaus. “After that he appeared in another form unto two of them” (KJV). This “form” was so unlike his usual appearance, that they “did not know him”. The word properly means: form; shape; bodily shape, especially a beautiful form; a beautiful bodily appearance; or a spiritual body. In Philippians 2:7, it is applied to the appearance of a servant - “took upon him the form of a servant” (KJV): that is, He was in the condition of a servant - or of the lowest condition. In Philippians 2:6, it is applied to the appearance of God.

Christ’s trinity of “forms” illustrates and demonstrates the power of the Trinity of God. Jesus reveals His form as the Father (John 10:30), a human “bondservant” (Philippians 2:7), and the “form” He took after the resurrection in a spiritual body (Mark 16:12). This word occurs often in the Hebrew in three significant ways:

As the translation of the word ציי – “ziyv” - splendor (Dan. 4:36; 5:6, 9-10; 7:28).
As the translation of the word תּבנית – “tabnîyth” - structure, model, pattern - as in building, a stone or a rock (Isa. 44:13).
As the translation of תּמונה - “tĕmuwnah” - appearance, form, shape, image, likeness, (Job 4:16; 18:1). [1]

As a man is known from the appearance of his form, so is the majesty that shines in God (His figure, Jesus Christ). Therefore, before the foundation of the world, Christ was in the form of God because He had glory with the Father before the world was formed (John 17:5). Keep in mind that before He put on our nature, there was nothing humble or earthy about Him - only the magnificence worthy of being God.

The second critical factor is the word “form” is equivalent to nature or being. That is, Jesus Christ was and is in the nature of God; His reason of existence was that of God; and He was and is divine. In support of this understanding, therefore, is why His power was seen in working miracles and in His divine appearances while on earth, i.e. “walking on water.”

LIKENESS OF MAN IS GOD

The “form” referred to in Philippians 2:6 is a “form” before He became a man, or before He took upon Himself the “form” of a servant. It was something from which He humbled himself by making “Himself of no reputation;” by “taking the form of a bond-servant;” and by “being made in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7, KJV). Please keep in mind that man was “created in the image (form) of God”. In God’s reality, Christ adopting the “form” of man didn’t move Him away from the design of the Father. The difference was the “being God” part. We were created in the image of God. He was and is God.

Write out Philippians 2:6-7. Replace the word “form” with the word “person” to see the true context of this passage.

THE POWER OF GOD IS GOD

When Christ deprived Himself of being God, He entered the humble state of “being” man. There was something He possessed, making it proper to say that He was “in the form of God,” which He laid aside when appearing in the form of a servant and in the likeness of human beings. This “something” was the Father; the Father was in Him. The Greek definition of “in” is “one” or same “being.” Jesus said in John 14:11, "Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves” (NASB).

In any case, be assured that His ability to perform “acts of the Father” is not of His moral qualities. Nor, is there any conceivable sense that He deprived Himself of the power of working miracles, so that He might take upon Himself the “form of a servant.” He maintained both elements of His humble state. All the miracles He performed when He maintained the form of a servant, or in His lowly and humble condition, were performed by the power of God (life of God), which was in Him.

Once we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, He implants the Holy Spirit (power of God) inside of us, then places us in Him, and hides Himself in the Father (Colossians 3:3). John 14:20 reveals this: "In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you” (NASB).

This is why, after Salvation, we are able to accomplish supernatural acts such as “casting out demons,” “healing the sick,” and other likeminded miracles. By going through the process in John 14:20, we inherit all the same attributes of Christ Himself, except one important quality - being God.

We, of course, cannot fully understand the manifestation of God’s glory that He may make in the heavenly world - at least on this side of Salvation. Nothing forbids us, however, to suppose that we are given partial visibility to the manifestations, i.e. some splendor and magnificence of God in the view of the Great Sovereign of the universe.

“He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen” (1 Timothy 6:15-16).

The Lord Jesus possessed God’s glory (visible manifestation or splendor), indicating the nature of God, before his incarnation and maintained it throughout His divine ministry. This is truly worthy of an Amen!

[1] “Strong’s Concordance,” e-sword® version 9.8.3. Copyright ©2000-2011 by Rick Meyers. http://www.e-sword.net (accessed September 25, 2012).

All Scriptures, unless otherwise stated, are taken from the New American Standard Bible, © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scriptures marked KJV are taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version, public domain.

Next time: Jesus as the Son

#06 Redeeming the Role of the Father

corporate@iomamerica.org (Dr. Stephen R. Phinney) — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 18:30:00 +0000

By Dr. Stephen Phinney

“As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth” (Job 19:25).

“Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me’ ” (Isaiah 44:6).

Covenant Prayer

Dear Father, I know and believe that You are God of the universe. I agree with Your stated Truth that Your peace is what crushes the enemy under my feet. I pray, this day, that you will impart Your peace to me in a great and mighty way. I choose to trust You in all of your ways. Your might and power is freely given to all Christians who ask for it. I ask for wisdom and strength, today, as I explore the Truth and reality of Your peace. I know there is nothing I can do in my own strength to abide in Your deliverance. I, therefore, call upon Your name to redeem Your rightful place in my heart as Father. These things I pray in the blessed name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Hebrew for redeemer is: - גּאל a primitive root, to redeem (according to the Oriental law of kinship), that is, to be the next of kin (and as such to buy back a relative’s property, marry his widow, etc.): - X in any wise, X at all, avenger, deliver, (do, perform the part of near, next) kinsfolk (-man), purchase, ransom, redeem (-er), revenger. [1]

One of the first things we need to understand is that God, the Father, needed to buy us back. Satan, the father of lies, stole us away from the Father. God, being the Redeemer that He is, bought us back. The price for a life is a life. And of course, that price ultimately would be His Son, Jesus.

One of the questions of old is, “Why would the Maker of the universe have to buy us back when all He had to do was take us back?” Well, the answer is quite simple. When we (mankind) chose to become enslaved to Satan, it placed ownership in the hands of Satan. God is a God of order and He Himself submits to the laws and dynamics of authority. If He didn’t, He would be a tyrannical leader. We became volunteer slaves when we ate from the tree of demonic slavery. God is righteous and bought us back. Since a slave cannot free himself, or buy himself back, it takes another master to do so. This is where the Father came in.

Take Action - Your View

Read Job 19:25 and decide on the two dynamic truths in this verse.
Matthew 20:28 reveals to us a significant truth about redemption. What is it?
Acts 20:28 gives us the buyout cost of being placed back into the Father’s family. Review the verse and state the cost.

When a slave is bought by a master, he/she becomes everything the master is. He adopts his master’s name and dominion. When one is bought back as a slave and adopted as a child, he receives the master’s inheritance, fortune, name, character, history, present, future, and his very life.

Read the following verses. Identify what you inherited when the Father bought you back.

Romans 3:24
1 Corinthians 1:30
Galatians 4:4-5
1 Timothy 1:15
Hebrews 9:12
Revelation 5:9

The Father’s View

Remember that the basic and primary Hebrew definition of redeemer is “next of kin”. We could not ask for better kin than God, the Father. Through the redemptive work of the Father, by offering up His Son to buy us back from the father of lies, God steps back into the role of the Father. The Father reestablishes the original design of the eternal order of the God of the universe. Now, from an earthly perspective, the roles of family can be firmly established for future generations. Satan doesn’t like this design much. It reveals the greatest blessing of mankind - being restored back to the Father of heaven. If you think that the enemy, or old man, is going to give up, you are being deceived. The enemy will attempt to destroy the earthly father. Satan knows that if the relationship between an earthly father and his child(ren) is broken or abusive, he (Satan) will have some guarantee that the next generation will have a problem connecting, or even wanting, to be close to God, the Father. He knows that children view the heavenly Father through the relationship (or lack of relationship) they have with their earthly fathers. This wormwood never gives up, does he?

The enemy certainly thought that he had the Father “over a barrel”. One must remember that the enemy is blinded to the basic Truth of the Gospel – he loses!

Satan successfully stepped into God’s plan to put him in his place. It appears he was able to embrace victory, but he was not. God created the earth; created Adam and Eve; formed the garden; placed angels at the gates of the garden; placed the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (the “know-how” of God and Satan) in the center of the garden; and placed Satan in that tree. Does this sound like an accidental plan? If you believe this, you are falling into the same deception into which the enemy stepped. God planned the whole deal.

At this point, it might be helpful to do a quick and simple overview of the pathway to redemption.

God created the heavens with His perfect will.
God formed the FIRST FAMILY in His heaven.
Lucifer attempted to take the role of the Father of heaven.
Lucifer, now Satan, is removed from heaven like a flash of lightning
God created the earth; the Garden of Eden; the Tree of Life; the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil; and Adam and Eve.
God gave Adam a mandate not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, knowing full well he would.
Satan tempted Eve, Eve fell, Adam fell, and Satan became a temporary father – the father of lies.
God came into the garden in the cool of the day and disciplined Satan, Eve, and finally, Adam.
Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden, just as Lucifer was cast out of heaven.
God established His system of restoring the hearts of the children to their Father through the covenant of sacrifice.
Adam and Eve regained God as their Father through sacrifice and obedience. Satan lost again.
Satan appealed to the children of God, through the seed of sin within their mortal bodies, to offer sacrifices that were not acceptable to God (Genesis 4:3-6).
God set the stage for man to realize that he has no ability to keep the Law (i.e. the established Covenants, Old Testament living).
God prepared for sending His Son to break the curse, as well as the hold Satan had over the children of disobedience. He wrote the Gospel of Jesus Christ into all illustrations, stories, and testimonies recorded by the prophets of old.
God put His seed into a woman who had the pure bloodline of Abraham – Mary. (Remember, sin enters into man through the seed, not the blood.) God’s seed had no sin in it; therefore, no sin entered into Jesus’ body.
The Savior was born and trained up in the ways of His Father.
Satan tried to steal the role of the Father in Jesus’ life (Mark 1:13).
Jesus demonstrated perfect obedience and chose His Father. This was a bigger victory than most Christians realize. Satan once was perfect and without sin, but fell when he became filled with pride. He manipulated the fall of Adam and Eve, who started out perfect. The Son of God resisted temptation in the form of created man and chose the Father. This was a significant mark in Satan’s social history. Now it was time for Jesus to bring this same victory to man.
Jesus gave His life for all of mankind and used the Cross to permanently put Satan in his place, by putting him under man’s feet (Romans 16:20). Bummer for him!
Jesus went to hell to pay for all of man’s sins of disobedience to the Father (Eph. 4:9; Matt. 12:40).
Jesus offered the resurrected life to all mankind (Luke 20:36).
Jesus ascended and offered mankind the gift of the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13).
A new testament, a new covenant, lived out (Luke 22:20).
Satan will be given permission by the Father to rule the earth for 7 years – the great tribulation (Mark 13:19).
The battle of the Armageddon will occur – the war between God, the Father, and the father of lies (Rev 16:16).
God wins the battle.
Satan will be bound to the bottomless pit for a thousand years (Rev 20:2-3).
The New Jerusalem will descend from heaven for the thousand years of Judgment (Rev. 3:12).
God, the Father, will judge all of mankind – men and angels (Rev. 20:4).
God, the Father, will open up the pit of hell and send Satan, his angels, and all the children of disobedience to this place (Ezek. 31:16). Satan will be punished for attempting to steal the role of the Father while in heaven. God has made His point!
This present earth will be destroyed and we, the redeemed children of God, will be taken to our new home – the new earth (Isa. 65:17; 66:22; 2 Peter 3:13; Rev. 21:1).
All the children of the Father will live for eternity in the original design of the FIRST FAMILY!

Keep in mind that one day is as a thousand years to God (2 Peter 3:8). If that is the case, and it is, this 32-step progression will only take about six days of the Father’s time – for He will rest on the seventh day. We tend to think this process is never ending. In God’s timetable, it happens in a chapter’s time. By the way, that puts us in about the sixth day. So be encouraged, we are on the last leg of things here on earth. I am looking forward to seeing my Father put the enemy in his final place of torture.

I hope you can now see the importance of why Satan works so diligently at stealing the role of the Father and attacking our earthly fathers – so that the children will be embittered to God, the Father. Satan wants as many “takers” to go with him to this place of torment as he can get, because his ultimate fear is isolation and loneliness.

Redemption means “deliverance from some evil, by payment of a price.” It is more than simply deliverance. Thus, prisoners of war might be released on payment of a price, which is called a “ransom.” The word, from the Greek, was formed specifically to convey this idea of release on payment of ransom. In this circle of ideas, Christ’s death may be regarded as “a ransom for many.”

How do you feel spiritually about being bought back with the blood of Jesus?

[1] “Strong’s Concordance,” e-sword® version 9.8.3 .http://www.e-sword.net (accessed August 29, 2012).

Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Next time: Jesus as God

#05 Satan Becomes Fatherless

corporate@iomamerica.org (Dr. Stephen R. Phinney) — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 18:30:00 +0000

By Dr. Stephen Phinney

“And He (Jesus) said to them, ‘I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning’ ” (Luke 10:18, parentheses added).

“And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him” (Revelation 12:9).

Covenant Prayer

Dear Father, I ask that You would give me the power and the strength to understand the deeds and tricks of the enemy. I know that Satan attempts to play the role of a father in my life and I choose this day to reject every way he attempts to deceive me. I claim Your Truth as my heavenly Father and stand on all of Your promises as Your child. I believe in the power of the Holy Spirit in my life. I accept the fact that You are the only Father, Leader, and Rabbi who can be trusted. I embrace Christ as the one and only Teacher whom You have sent to train me up as Your child. These things I pray in the blessed name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Take Action - Your View

Why do you believe it is so important for Satan to “play” the role of a father in your life?
Look up each Scripture and see if you agree with my summary statements:

Isa. 14:13 Lucifer, son of the morning
Matt. 4:3 A tempter of God’s children
Matt. 13:19, 38 Wicked one
Matt. 13:39 Enemy of the children of God
John 8:44 Father of lies
John 12:31 Prince of the world
2 Cor. 4:4 A god of this world
Eph. 2:2 The power of the air
1 Peter 5:8 Adversary
Rev. 9:11 Hebrew name of Satan = Abaddon A destroying angel
Rev. 12:10 An accuser of the brethren
Rev. 20:2 He is a devil = evil one

The Word of the Father came to the prophet, Ezekiel, communicating an accurate description of the enemy (Satan). When reading about the leader of Tyre, you’re actually reading about Satan. Tyre means “rock in Palestine”. In Hebrew, “leader” means commander. Satan was and is the commander of the Palestinians (Ezek. 28:2a). All we have to do is listen to the news and we can see that this battle to harm God’s chosen people, the Jews, is still going on. Satan’s heart was lifted up and he said, “I am a god, I sit in the seat of gods in the heart of the seas” (Ezek. 28:2b). He tried to make his heart like the heart of the Father. Satan simply used his wisdom and understanding to acquire power and riches. The Scriptures reveal to us that Satan is a god of wealth and materialism. Because of his great wisdom, he became lifted up; but only to be destroyed (Ezek 28:7-8).

Since God, the Father, does not share His throne with anyone, Satan had to be thrown from heaven immediately after he lifted himself up. Pride – exalting oneself – is the original sin. Contrary to most teachings, the original sin did not take place in the Garden of Eden. It occurred in heaven when Lucifer, now Satan, attempted to take the role of the Father. God’s punishment of Satan was to make him fatherless. There is no suffering worse than being fatherless. This is why God promises to be a Father to the fatherless (Psalm 68:5).

Take Action – Your View

Look up Ezekiel 28:12-13 and state how God the Father describes Satan.

When Satan was in heaven, he was an anointed (stretch out) cherub (a winged angel who stood over the mercy seat / throne of God) who covers. He was originally blameless in all of his ways until unrighteousness was found in him (Ezek 28:15). Because of the abundance of his trade (merchandise), violence filled his heart. With this violence in his heart, he decided to pull his wings back to expose the Father. This was not a bright thing to do. What was he thinking? As a result of this act of exposing God, the Lord profaned him and removed him from the mountain of the Father. Satan became fatherless.

Knowing that pride means being lifted up, in what ways do you exalt yourself on a day-to-day basis?

When you stand in front of a mirror, what do you see?

Why is it a sin to look down upon yourself?

The Father’s View

One of the great mysteries has always been who replaced the vacancy Lucifer left open after he was removed from heaven? The answer is simple: Adam and Eve. Since the primary role of Lucifer was to cover the mercy seat of God and sing praises unto His holy name, Adam and Eve became the new instruments of praise for the Father (1 Chron. 16:9, 2 Samuel 22:50). Keep in mind that God designed just three objectives for heaven: 1) praising His holy name, 2) spiritual warfare, and 3) securing the message or Word of the Father. God did not put extra responsibilities on Michael or Gabriel. He created a new being to fulfill the first role of the archangels, which was to sing praises and thanksgiving unto the name of the Father. Mankind was formed by the hand of God to do exactly that. Therefore, Adam and Eve were created in perfection, placed in a perfect environment (the Garden of Eden), and were commanded to lift up the Father in all they did. God did not miss a heartbeat in acting upon the rebellion of Satan. This clearly communicates our purpose for being here on this earth.

God took the design of heaven and mirrored it here on earth, by setting up the order of heaven through Adam and Eve. God took His perfect model of the FIRST FAMILY and designed, or formed, the first earthly family. In heaven are God, the Father; God, the Son; and God, the Holy Spirit overseeing the “sons of God” – His angels. On earth, He (Trinity) oversees the three parts (trinity) of His earthly family - Adam, Eve, and their children.

Adam represents the role of Christ (1 Cor. 11:3). Woman was formed to be a representative of the role of the Holy Spirit. By the way, all the adjectives used to describe woman just happen to be the same adjectives used to describe the Holy Spirit. A surprise? Not really. Adam and Eve were created in the image of the “Us” (Gen 1:26). God took His image from heaven and established it here on earth, continuing to fulfill His commitment to being a God of order. Satan’s act of rebellion did not throw God off from being worshipped and the center of the universe. Adam and Eve became a significant part of God’s instrument to punish Satan. Yes, we are vessels of punishment for the enemy (Ezek. 28:7-8). Now our part in this world has expanded; we are created to worship the Father and bring punishment to the evil one.

I wish I could say it all stopped there, but it didn’t. Satan was not about to give up on taking the role of the Father. Not knowing the mind and will of the Father, he was about to fall into God’s plan again. Isn’t it interesting that God removed Satan from heaven, placed him in the Garden of Eden, in a tree formed by Him, knowing Satan was about to tempt Eve with the same sin he (Satan) had fallen into? It’s also important to understand that when God created Adam and Eve, He gave them freedom and a command to eat from all the trees in the garden except the “Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.” It sounds to me like God knew what Satan was about to do. What would have made more sense to me would have been to place Satan on a planet in another solar system! But you see, that wasn’t God’s plan. God was using all of creation to put Satan in his place, once and for all. We were created for a specific mission that includes all the key players who were in the Garden of Eden that day.

Since Satan had/has no ability to know the mind of the Father, he does what was/is predicted. He attempts to steal the role of the Father in Adam and Eve’s life. He knew the only way he could function in this role was to break the connection between God and His children. He also knew he couldn’t go directly through Adam to get this job done. Therefore, he went through the weakness of Adam, his helpmate. In order to break the connection between Adam and his Father, Satan needed to get Adam to listen to a voice other than God. Ultimately, Satan wanted Adam to listen to him, but knowing Adam’s design, he knew he had a better chance of accomplishing his mission if he went through a vessel Adam was commanded to be one with, Eve. The plan worked and Adam chose to harken to the voice of his woman instead of the voice of his Father. Now the enemy was able to move into position of father of lies (John 8:44). Adam and Eve, and all subsequent generations, would be subject to the father of lies and be bound to carry out the desires of the enemy (Romans 5:19). Because sin entered into Adam’s seed, every man and woman born of Adam would be born into the slavery of Satan. The enemy knew that man was created by the Father to carry out the desires of a father. By stealing the role of father, he was guaranteed to have children of disobedience and have the Father’s wrath come upon man (Colossians 3:6). Satan is no longer alone in his rebellion.

Satan may be the father of the sin nature (flesh) of your mortal body, but if you are a “born-again” Christian, he cannot father you as a daddy!

Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Next time: Redeeming the Role of the Father

#04 Satan's Attempts to Steal the Role of the Father

corporate@iomamerica.org (Dr. Stephen R. Phinney) — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 18:30:00 +0000

By Dr. Stephen Phinney

“How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! But you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly, in the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.' Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, to the recesses of the pit” (Isaiah 14:12-15).

Covenant Prayer

Dear Father, I ask that You would give me the power and the strength to discern the ways of the enemy and what to do about his attacks. I believe in Your divine interventions and Your ability to use his lies to tell me the Truth. I choose to appropriate Your ways within my life. I stand with Your Son, Jesus Christ, in renouncing the tactics of the enemy. I thank You for giving me the help and guidance I need in walking the walk and not just talking the talk. I ask that You would use this lesson to reveal to me the Truth that will set me free from the lies of the evil one. These things I pray in the blessed name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Take Action – Your View:

Satan, the name of the prince of evil, means adversary.

Read Numbers 22:22. Answer the following question: Why was God angry?

By reading Job 1:6-12, we find Satan presenting himself before God among the “sons of God.” It appears that the enemy needs permission to attack the children of God. Read this passage and describe the role Satan must play with God, the Father.

Read 1 John 3:8 and meditate on its Truth.

Read Isaiah 14:12 and think about what God did to Satan because of his sin.

Now read Isaiah 14:13-14. What violation did Satan commit?

In your opinion, why do you believe it was so important for Satan to steal the role of the heavenly Father?

The Father’s View

The original family is not about to be broken up by an angel who thinks himself to be a father. God’s role is not “up for grabs”. He will not offer His seat to anyone - angel or man. God, the Father, considers it a major violation for any being to attempt to be like Him or to take on the role of the heavenly Father. Preserving the original family is a top priority for God. His perfect model is a clear demonstration of perfection regarding spiritual, relational, and physical relationships. God is pleased to announce that His heaven is secure and free from all forms of rebellion.

It is unclear to us why God allows “self-will,” even in the heavens. We can only assume that God created men and women with the same design of heaven. God created the angels with a will to choose whom they would serve. Satan (named Lucifer at the time) chose to be an adversary to the Father of heaven and paid a stiff penalty because of this act of declaring, “I will make myself to be like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:14). No one is to take on the role of Father except the One who is the Father. Authority is the key to accomplishing a significant work, good or bad. Satan knew that he was unable to accomplish his work unless he had the authority to do it.

Satan knows that God’s order of conducting business is the only way. He understands that God is the supreme Father and Christ is the Son. The Son only says and does what the Father tells Him (John 8:28). The Word of God is God and Christ spoke only His Father’s Words. Even Christ did not speak on His own initiative, but spoke as His Father taught Him. The Holy Spirit’s role was to bring the Words of Jesus to remembrance to the disciples/Christians (John 14:26). Angels are designed by God to carry out the business that God, the Father, orders. Gabriel leads in the deliverance of God’s messages and Michael leads in spiritual warfare. Lucifer was in charge of the “harp” - worship (Isaiah 14:11).

For whatever reason, Satan was not content with the role in which God placed him. He asserted himself by attempting to take on the heavenly Father in the role of the father. His attempt at a “hostile takeover” placed him in eternal damnation. Just as Adam and Eve were removed from the Garden of Eden, Satan was removed from heaven (Isaiah 14:15). In heaven, attempting to take the role of the Father is a serious and unforgivable offense. Thanks to Jesus, when we attempt to do this, we can be forgiven and made whole again. This is not the case for Satan. When a heavenly host attempts to take the throne of the Father, the consequences are irreversible.

One can only imagine how hostile Satan was when he was cast from heaven like a lightning bolt. I’m sure he hit the dirt with a revenge that shook the foundation of the world. His consequences for the attempt of takeover put him in his place; but he was not about to stop there. In the next lesson, we will explore what began to unfold regarding Satan’s attempt to take the role of Abba Father.

The term authority comes from the word “author.” God is the Author and Perfecter of the universe. His Son is the Author and Perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before the heavenly Father endured the cross, despised the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of His author, the Abba Father. When Satan, or anyone else, attempts to claim ownership of the Book of Life, he is attempting to forge the name of the living God. The one who does this has a problem with submitting to authority. Satan does not like what is written in the Book of Life about him. It spells “doomsday.”

Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Next time: Satan Becomes Fatherless

#03 - Heavenly Father - Trinity of the "Us"

corporate@iomamerica.org (Dr. Stephen R. Phinney) — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 18:30:00 +0000

By Dr. Stephen Phinney

“Then God said, ‘Let Us (God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit) make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth’ ” (Genesis 1:26, parentheses added).

Covenant Prayer

Dear Father, I pray this day that You would unfold your Truth to me, as I learn to discover more of who You are in and around my life. I choose to reject all the lies and false accusations the enemy brings my way, as I seek to discover more of who You are. May your rich blessings be poured upon my mind, will, and emotions as I open myself up to You. I pray that you would protect my loved ones while I am doing this series and stepping out to bring practical application to what I learn. These things I pray in the blessed name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

TAKE ACTION – YOUR VIEW:

Read the following verses:

Genesis 1:26
Genesis 3:22
Genesis 11:7
Isaiah 62:11
Matthew 12:32
John 5:1
2 John 1:3

What does Genesis 3:22 have to say about you becoming like the Us – the Trinity?
From your point of view, why was God so concerned about Adam and Eve taking from the Tree of Life?
Which one of these verses blessed you the most?

The Father’s View

The original family did not start with Adam and Eve. The first family was established in heaven – God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, and the Father’s angels. The angels were organized into three primary arenas: Lucifer (in charge of worship); Michael (in charge of warfare); and Gabriel (in charge of delivering the messages of the Father).

The first family unit provided the Father with His central relationships, nurture, and support. God gave us an earthly model to live by through the order and preexisting relationships He had/has in heaven. His creation was based upon an order and flow that He was most familiar with – His own.

According to Hebrew studies, family is based upon several factors: a place of residence, a tribe, descendants, property, dependency on a father, authority, and of course, the firstborn son getting married.

God, the Father, holds His residence in heaven; His tribe is the children of God and His angels. His descendants were created through Adam and spiritually through His Son’s marriage to the Bride of Christ, the Church. God’s property is heaven and the earth that He created is His footstool. He created man to be completely dependent on Him as his Father, which gave Him authority over everything. This makes up the perfect plan for the development of God’s family unit – His tribe.

Many modern views of “family” completely rape the world of the true reason and purpose of a godly family. Because of mankind’s sin, we have made serious modifications to the original design. The design of heaven is not restrictive, but freeing and perfect. God has never modified His view of family here on earth. If He did so, it would be giving in to the plan and plot Satan has to take over the order of heaven. Satan was removed from heaven because God wouldn’t adjust His order to accommodate the views of a follower. We will spend more time talking about this in later lessons, but know that mankind’s guilt and disorder does not tempt God to change the order of the FIRST family.

TAKE ACTION - YOUR VIEW:

In your view, why would it be so critical for Satan to attempt to destroy the order of the FIRST Family?

The view the world has adopted of family is a result of sin – being independent of God. God, the Father, has established a system of family through His divine order, birthed in His kingdom. The pain and bitterness caused by a father or mother gives no one right to attack or attempt to change the order of family life here on earth. By attempting to do so, one would be joining the original plan of Satan!

Next time: Satan Attempts to Steal the Role of the Father

#02 Who Is Your Father?

corporate@iomamerica.org (Dr. Stephen R. Phinney) — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 18:30:00 +0000

by Dr. Stephen Phinney

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8).

The Father makes it clear that He is the beginning and the end. If we were able to find all the spoken and inspired words describing God in the Word of God, we still would not come close to describing the Father of heaven. It will take eternity for us to discover all the attributes of God. This is the primary reason why we should be so excited about going to the Father and spending eternity with Him. I have my order in for multiple interviews myself!

Think how boring it would be if we were told everything about a friend or spouse at the very first meeting. One of the key elements of finding intimacy is in the search for it. The more time we take to get to know a friend, spouse, child or God, the richer and more intimate the relationship becomes. So much of mankind’s sinful flesh wants everything right now. God is a God of perfect timing and it will be in His timing that we come to know Him completely. This is not something I fight and battle for any longer. I am learning to enjoy each moment of truth in the moment and portion that it is given to me.
Before beginning today's lesson, consider praying this prayer out loud.It will assist you in staying focused on the Truth and train you to pray doctrinal prayers (prayers filled with scriptural Truth).

Covenant Prayer

Dear Father, who is in heaven, and in the center of my heart. I ask this day that you take my mind, will, and emotions and yield them to the Holy Spirit for discipline. I ask that You cause me to focus on You today and not on my circumstances. I tend to be selfish and centered on my problems. I reject this selfish way of thinking and yield to You as my Father. I pray that You would use this lesson today to renew my mind and move me to take actions on all that Your inspired Word reveals to me. I pray that you will post angels at the door of my heart, keeping me centered on the way, truth, and life of your Son. As You reveal Your attributes and characteristics, I ask that I will not view them as just words, but that I become transformed as a result of hearing them. I thank you this day for hearing Your humble servant and I choose to pray in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Jesus, the son of the Father of heaven, made it quite clear that the heavenly Father keeps profound truths from the earthly wise and intelligent, and gives His understanding of the Scriptures to the simpleminded. Why would this be? Well, it simply takes a child to understand the things of a child. The Hebrew language gives us 27 primary adjectives to help us understand the role of the heavenly Father.

Take Action - Your View

Before we look at the descriptions of God the Father, please describe your view of the heavenly Father.

Now that you have stated your view of the heavenly Father, write a brief description of your earthly father. If you were adopted, give the description of your adoptive father. If you were adopted and you know enough about your natural father to describe him, describe both. If a group home, mother, grandmother or surrogate parent raised you, describe the “father figure” who had the biggest influence in your life.
Look up the following Scriptures:

Exod. 34:7
Deut. 24:16
2 Chron. 6:25
2 Chron. 25:4

The Father's View

The Hebrew word picture for “father” is strength or leader of a house. This Hebrew word includes that of a natural father. It also is used for the founder or the first ancestor, as well as an author or maker of anything. “Father” applies to the one who provides care, like a father to the needy, as well as a master or teacher. “Father” is also for the god that we choose to follow.

This word comes from two primary ancient pictures, 1) Alef – ox, strong or first, and 2) Bet – house. The first letter of the Hebrew alphabet (beginning of the house) is Alef. This word also means the leader of a family or tribe. This is where the English speaking descendants get the letter A. Aloof is a derivative of Alef, it means gentle or to tame an ox.

Bet is the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The ancient word picture of Bet is tent, a house, or a family. The word Bet is also used as the number 2 in the Hebrew numeric system. The reason this is a significant factor is that Alef, first strong leader, and Bet, house or family, clearly reveals the importance of a father embracing his strength (first priority) and applying his strength within his home (second priority).

Read 1 Timothy 3:5

Twenty-seven primary Hebrew words clearly describe the heavenly Father, as well as the role of an earthly father - allow me to share 17 of them with you. Review the list and place a check in the box to the left if you find/found that particular trait in your earthly father.

Review these words and their definitions:

Advisor: Authoritative leader who assists in guiding followers in finding their way
Ancestor: Parent who keeps family beliefs intact from generation to generation
Author: The one who writes the book or law for others to follow
Begetter: One who brings for life by way of a seed
Benefactor: A patron, supporter, or backer of those who follow him
Bond: One who keeps a tribe together at all costs – particularly between generations
Chief: A principled leader who is in command of a tribe
Counselor: Assisting followers in overcoming personal problems that block them from success
Creator: One who forms life or originates ideas for practical prosperity
Forefather: Father who leads his son(s) in the ways of true beliefs
Founder: A leader who establishes a tribe for future generations
Patriarch: A known and respected forefather who has left a legacy for others to follow
Protector: A leader who puts into place “guards of protection” for those he loves
Respect: A leader who has earned his honor by tenderly caring for those around him
Ruler: A leader who establishes reasonable rules for daily living
Senior Male: A respected father who has honor and respect of those around him
Teacher: Educator, helper, or communicator of practical truths for daily living

Did you know that if your earthly father has 20 or more of these traits, your heart has already been prepared for a legacy?

The view we carry in our hearts regarding the role and life of a father directly affects our view of God as a heavenly Father. When we perceive God to be like our earthly father, we covertly accuse God of being filled with sin. Earthly fathers are to radiate the characteristics of the heavenly Father. Satan wants us to view God through the lives and behaviors of our fleshly fathers.

All Scriptures, unless otherwise stated, are taken from the New American Standard Bible, © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Next time: Trinity of the “Us”

#01 Faithful Father: Introduction

corporate@iomamerica.org (Dr. Stephen R. Phinney) — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 18:30:00 +0000

“He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse” (Malachi 4:6).

Welcome to the series Faithful Father – Restoring Hearts of Children to the Father! I am excited that God has led you to be one of our readers. This series is designed for fathers, mothers, children, and all those interested in understanding the characteristics of God, the Father. By making use of the ancient Hebrew word pictures, Greek texts, and a splash of modern application, Faithful Father will explore the following topics:

Defining the role of the heavenly Father

Satan’s attempts to steal the role of the Father
The role of an earthly father
Detailing the father/child relationship
The importance of restoring father/child relationships
The dynamics of viewing the heavenly Father through earthly fathers
The cost of living in a “fatherless world”
Outlining the traits of a “great” father
The promise of God being a Father to the fatherless
Detailing how to love mothers, wives, and daughters with the unconditional love of God
Understanding the importance of authority
And much more

This series focuses on the role of the heavenly Father and how He uses earthly fathers and mothers to establish His love for mankind. Men, women, and young adults are encouraged to go through this write. Faithful Father reveals life changing truths regarding our role with God, the Father, through our earthly spiritual, adoptive, step, and natural fathers.

Each lesson will contain a practical tool from the Scriptures to assist you in summarizing the lesson of the day. Sometimes these tools will be Scriptures and other times they will be practical suggestions to apply the principle of the day. These tools are designed to make your journey through this series practical and multipliable. It is my desire that you utilize these tools from the Father’s toolbox to assist you in finding deliverance and hope.

Learning Activities
Throughout the series, you will be encouraged to apply what you have learned in a “real-time” setting. An example of this would be for you to call an individual to seek their forgiveness for an offense you have committed against him or have a “sit down” with an individual to gain more insight as to how they view you as a friend or family member. These learning activities are what many call the “rubber meeting the road”. There is nothing more powerful and practical than living out what you are learning. Therefore, I encourage you not to omit these activities. They will have a significant impact on your ability to retain and apply what you are learning.

Writing Out the Scriptures
A style of learning I have come to love and respect is writing down what I am reading. Statistics prove that we retain over 80% more of what we are learning if we write out what we hear or think. This is why I am so supportive of the practice of rewriting Scriptures or journaling our thoughts. By following this technique, you will find it easier to remember Scriptures and where they are found, as well as obtaining a greater ability to share verses with others. There will be times that you will be encouraged to personalize the verses. Allow me to share an example with you:

Actual Verse:
“He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children so that I will not come smite the land with a curse” (Malachi 4:6).

Personalized Verse:
“God will restore the heart of Stephen to his children, and the hearts of his children back to Stephen, so He (God) will not come and smite Stephen’s land with a curse.”
Not only is this one of the primary techniques I use in discipling others, but I use this style of learning in my own daily walk with God. Out of all the ideas God has given me through the years, this is my favorite because it has brought the most freedom in my relationship with the Abba Father.

Hebrew Word Pictures
I am a lover of God’s original language, Hebrew word pictures. You will not need to understand Hebrew in order to understand what I will be communicating using this language. When Hebrew was first written, each letter represented both a sound and a picture.

So what is a word picture? Languages like Chinese, Egyptian, and Hebrew, are formed by adding pictures together to draw the meaning of the word. It is simply a word that is described by making use of a series of pictures placed in a specific order.

To most Christians, the Hebrew language (and many times the Old Testament), may seem “old fashioned” or even outdated. Jesus Himself used and quoted from the Hebrew. In Matthew 5:18, “Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law, till all be fulfilled (KJV, italics added). The pictorial Hebrew is basically made up of jots and tittles. The jot refers to the smallest of the Hebrew letters, the letter Yood. The tittle is the smallest element of a Hebrew letter, which often distinguishes one letter from another. In my experience, a Christian who does not understand his/her Jewish (Hebrew) roots and heritage will miss much of the legacy of the Father.

Challenge from the Father

You will find questions at the end of each daily lesson. I encourage you to respond to these questions and write the question and answer in a notebook. The heavenly Father wants you to hear Him, know what you heard Him saying, and what you plan to do with His Words. This exercise will help and assist you in applying “works” to your faith. The Word tells us “faith without works is dead” (James 2:26).

Covenant Prayers

Throughout the series, you will find prayers written out for you. It is vital that you pray these prayers aloud. Praying aloud will accomplish two things: (1) put the enemy in his place and (2) help you stay focused in gaining confidence in your prayers. These prayers will either “set the stage” for your series or assist you in bringing deliverance in areas of personal struggle that apply to the lesson. In my experience as a discipler, most Christians are clueless about how to appeal to God or even ask for deliverance. This certainly is one of the enemy’s techniques for stopping a believer from being set free.

Moving Forward
Please know that our team is committed to praying for you and assisting you in any way we can to make this study a spiritually rewarding experience. We have asked God to fill your study time with the power of His Holy Spirit and the knowledge of His Word. Now commit yourself to God as you go through this series. Pray before you start each lesson. I consider it a privilege to walk with you through the Faithful Father series. I hope you will be blessed in using it as much as I was in writing it. Let’s move forward and discover the heart of the heavenly Father in commissioning us to restore our hearts unto Him.

Please feel free to contact me personally at any time: sphinney@iomamerica.org

All Scriptures, unless otherwise stated, are taken from the New American Standard Bible, © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scriptures marked KJV are taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version, public domain.

Next: Definitions of the Heavenly Father

#62: GOD’S INVESTMENT COMES WITH WARNINGS

corporate@iomamerica.org (Dr. Stephen R. Phinney) — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 18:30:00 +0000

By Dr. Stephen Phinney

Knowing and discovering our spiritual gifts is a fun and exciting journey. Always know that there may be many different types of gifts and manifestations of the Holy Spirit, but it is one Spirit that works all these together. He is the one who distributes them. It is not something we can pray in, practice having, or even study to attain. God gives each of these gifts as He desires. It works that way!

If others have gifts that we believe are not as important, know this: God uses the lesser parts of our human body to support the major parts. For without the lesser parts, the major parts could not function at all. Can you imagine your body without the hypothalamus (one of the smallest parts of the body); for without it, your whole body would be unmanaged and short circuit itself within hours? God places each human body part in its place in order for the whole body to function under His loving command. All of our body parts work for doing what we are being told to do. God’s order is for obedience. Obedience is for fulfilling the Great Commission of the Lord. We are gifted for His divine purpose and not our own (1 Cor. 12:11-21).

We need to give special honor – higher honor – to those we see as not as gifted as others (1 Cor. 12:22-23). For God Himself gives more honor to the lesser than the greater. In fact, He says he gives abundant honor to those who have smaller or behind-the-scenes gifting that lack honor (1 Cor. 12:24-25). We should do the same.

The Body of Christ is gifted in such a way that when one member of the Body suffers, the whole Body suffers. We are to respond by using our gifting to help and comfort the suffering Body member, restoring him back to functioning within the Body of Christ.

We can perform all the works of God, such as speaking in tongues of men and angels, casting out demons, healing the sick, leading thousands to the Lord, or even moving mountains with our faith. However, if we do not have a strong love life with God and man, these gifts are simply a lot of noise to God (1 Cor. 13:1-2). In fact, the Word goes as far as to say that if we do not have love when using these gifts, we are nothing. Our love life with God and man is probably the most important item on God’s agenda.

The only way these gifts profit us is if we are filled with love and are giving unto God and man for His common good. We should desire a profit or a return on all our gifts, as this profits God. When it profits us nothing, we function as nothing.

Don’t Act Unbecomingly

When functioning in our gifting, we are to be patient with people, kind, tenderhearted, and full of compassion (1 Cor. 13:4). Remember, many of the people who are on the other end of our gifting are oftentimes threatened by what the Lord is revealing in their lives. This is why we need to function in the fullness of His love.

We shouldn’t ever brag or boast about our gifts, as if we have something better than the other Body members do. People who understand the purpose of their gifting do not seek their own with their gifts. Seeking their own would be using their gifting to benefit themselves, a common problem in the church today.

Evidence that you are functioning in your gifting correctly is that you are NOT easily provoked and you are not taking an account of the wrong done to you. Body members who are dysfunctional in their gifting rejoice in unrighteousness, instead of rejoicing in TRUTH. Those who rejoice in the Truth bear all things people are giving to them, believe all things others are telling them, hope for the best in others at all times, and endure all things that God in His sovereignty gives to them (1 Cor. 13:5-7).

The key here is: LOVE never fails. The gifts will cease and knowledge will end, but the Lord of God will go on forever and ever (1 Cor. 13:8-10).

GOD’S PRIMARY INVESTMENT & GIFTING

The Scriptures do speak to us about a gift that stands out above them all. God has His reasons for this. Keep in mind that people who have this gift (love) do not receive any special blessing. Prophets are given the same command to pure love (1 Cor. 14:1). Remember, without love, it is all for nothing. Therefore, we can conclude that the purpose of the gifts is to introduce the unsaved or Body members to the LOVE of God.

If we are to desire gifts, we should desire above all to prophesy. For the people who speak prophecies speak to people for edification, exhortation, and consolation. In general, the one who prophesies edifies the church.

Many Body members put the emphasis on the manifestation of speaking in tongues. But God says that the one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues (1 Cor. 14:5). The goal is to edify the church and not an individual. Prophecy is focused on the edification of the Body members within the church, as well as the church as a whole.

Tongues are a sign not to those who believe, but to the unbelievers. Prophecy is a sign not to the unbelievers, but the believers (1 Cor. 14:22). For when unsaved people come to the church and can’t understand what is being spoken (speaking in tongues with a manifestation of interpretation), the visitor will know that God is doing something supernatural. The unsaved person will truly know that God has given a sign (or will think that the people are simply crazy).

On the other hand, prophecy is for the believers, Body members who are familiar with the ways and wonders of the Lord (1 Cor. 14:22). When a visitor hears and sees that the secrets of the heart are being exposed in the lives of the believers, the visitor is more apt to fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among the members of the church.

When prophecy is delivered in a gathering, it is to be done one by one, so that everyone who attends may hear what God is revealing to each person. When prophecies are given in shotgun fashion, the Body does not have time to process what God is saying (1 Cor. 14:30-31). The attitude should be, God is speaking here and I need to listen – even if it is not directed at me.

God is not a God of confusion, but of peace and order (1 Cor. 14:33). If you are in a gathering and it sounds confusing, noisy, and out of order, then God is probably not the One doing the manifesting.

NOT TO BE CHILDISH CHILDREN

We need to grow up in Christ and not act like childish children. When we were children, we thought like children, spoke like children and responded like children. Now that we are men and women of God, we need to put away the reactions of a child. We need to have the mind of Christ, allowing Christ to think through us. We need to reason with the logic of heaven, not with what makes sense to the desires of man. For we will not live and breathe in the miraculous if we function through the walls of man’s logic. Finally, we need to speak with the voice of God through the indwelling Holy Spirit. God can and will speak through each of us, if we set our flesh (self-life) aside and let Him do what He does best – be God (1 Cor. 13:11).

We are not to be children in our thinking; but at the same time, we are to be like babes in our responses to evil (1 Cor. 14:20). Evil often hides itself in the church under the cover of spiritual gifts. We need to be mature in our thinking, to protect ourselves against the subtle workings of the enemy in spiritual gifts.

If anyone thinks he/she is prophet or functioning in spiritual things, let him recognize that the Lord writes by way of command regarding our spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 14:37). If no one accepts the Word’s guidelines on spiritual gifts, then God does not recognize the gifts (1 Cor. 14:38). Ouch!

IN CONCLUSION:

Each of us should desire earnestly to prophesy and not forbid speaking in tongues. However, all things need to be done properly and in an orderly manner (1 Cor. 14:39-40). Have fun using all of what God offers you. Enjoy with the fullness of His life in you.

#61: GOD MANIFESTS HIS INVESTMENT IN THE BELIEVER (Part 2)

corporate@iomamerica.org (Dr. Stephen R. Phinney) — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 18:30:00 +0000

By Dr. Stephen Phinney

The Holy Spirit manifests Himself within the believer to enable him to discern the spirit behind certain actions or words (whether the spirit operating is the Holy Spirit or demonic). The person with this manifestation has been given a supernatural ability to see into the spiritual realm for the protection of the Body of Christ.

DISCERNING OF SPIRITS

Purpose:
This manifestation is used in the testing of prophets and prophesying (1 John 4:1-6). Most of a prophet’s words are to convince the Body members around them. The manifestation of discernment is used by God to keep prophets in line. This manifestation can unmask a body member who is an evil worker and expose his deception to the Body of Christ. The Spirit often uses this manifestation to expose a source of error in a believer or expose the source of one’s “revelation.” This manifestation becomes a protection agent for the gifts God has provided.

This gift will determine immediately if there is demonic activity going on in a group or in an individual. The Body member will have an overwhelming sense that spiritual warfare is going on around him. This manifestation gives a special insight into a person’s physical sickness, whether it is spiritually or physically based. Paul experienced this in Acts 16:16-18. Paul was able to discern what spirit was speaking through the slave girl.

HEALING

God uses this manifestation to cure human illnesses. The Greek definition of healing is “to cure”. This manifestation does not mean to "Band-Aid" or to bring relief, but literally to cure. The Greek leaves us with the understanding that once the person has been healed, the illness is completely gone – cured.

Purpose:

The purpose is to bring permanent healing to physical, psychological, and spiritual disease. Many think that once the Spirit manifests through them with this gift, they have the power to heal the sick anytime they choose. This is not the way this gift works. When the Holy Spirit is directed by the Heavenly Father to bring a cure to someone who is sick, then the power is released in the Body member to do the work.

We do not know why God leaves certain people with illness and heals others. We do know that God has His reasons and lessons for His suffering children (2 Corinthians 12:7-9). When God does choose to heal, He does it so all mankind will know His glory.

Healing is a result of God releasing His power. Paul was so filled with the power of God that when people would take handkerchiefs from his body, they would be healed. Body members who are filled with the power and presence of God are more likely to see healings, because they have the power of God powering through them.

MIRACLES

The manifestation of miracles reveals how the Holy Spirit conducts powerful acts of God through a Body member. The Greek definition is “power”. This includes parting water, walking on water, turning water into wine, and everything in between.

Purpose:

The purpose of miracles is for God to bring what is in the unseen world (God’s world) into the seen world (man’s world). Many Americans believe God can and will perform miracles in the third world, but not here in America. If the people don’t believe by faith that God can and will manifest this way, He probably won’t. It takes faith and works to activate this manifestation. In many third world countries, people don’t have the prerogative to trust in science and modern inventions. They simply have to rely upon the Holy Spirit in and around them. God's natural way of living is our supernatural way of living.

KINDS OF TONGUES

The word “tongues” comes from the Greek word glossa. There are three findings of the word “tongue” in the New Testament: two kinds of tongues of man and one kind of tongue of angels.

Purpose:

God gives the first tongue to man when he is born (Mark 7:33-34). The family and friends in the culture the child grew up in helps develop this language (tongue) in the child. God gives the second kind of tongue of man when God deems it necessary. This tongue is a supernatural manifestation of God giving to man a language he has never learned (Acts 2:4, 11).

This occurred in me when I was on a mission trip to Uganda. I was on a stage waiting to speak when I began singing out in a “strange” language. After the service, the worship leader approached me saying, “I didn’t know you could speak Ugandan?” I didn’t, of course, but God had his reason for me manifesting in this way.

The third type of tongues is a language of angels. When this Spirit manifests in a Body member, the person is not speaking to men, but to God. “For no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries” (1 Cor. 14:2).

The First Tongue

The first tongue is simply the tongue you and I learned as we were trained up as children. Many families teach their children several languages. This is because children notice multiple languages more quickly than adults do. No matter how many languages children are taught, they are all of this type of tongue.

The Second Tongue

An example of the second tongue was the fiery tongues appearing upon the apostles on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:3). It was a tongue and earthly language. The apostles were given tongues of other men so foreigners in the room could understand (Acts 2:5- 6). This language is a foreign or strange language that one did not learn, but was enabled to speak because of the supernatural intervention of the Holy Spirit. This type of manifestation, like all manifestations of the Spirit, does not occur until a person is saved.

These were languages foreign to the speaker, which he never learned, but was enabled to speak at that time. Rarely is someone given a foreign language and then able to speak it from then on (although God can do what pleases Him).

This gift is never to be used unless there are ears to hear. Why would God manifest in this way if there were no listeners to hear what God had to say (Acts 2:5-6)?

The Third Tongue

The third tongue was used for private/personal reasons, like prayer, unless God was sending a message to His people through a body member acting as a messenger. People who speak in tongues of angels edify themselves (1 Corinthians 14:4). This is because of the overwhelming feeling it gives the person when the angelic tongue is spoken through them. The Body member is given the privilege of joining the Holy Spirit in communicating with God. This is certainly a supernatural privilege.

This type of tongue, when spoken publicly, needs an interpretation (1Cor. 14:5). When God manifests Himself this way, He is delivering a message to the Body, or in some cases, to the unsaved world. If a body member speaks in tongue when there is no interpretation, this person is seeking to edify him or herself publicly. Correction is needed in this case. Body members who use speaking in tongues are often selfish and controlling. Many who are “extreamamatics” (a word I made up) use this manifestation to cause division. If they cannot convince their church/ministry that everyone needs to speak in tongues or have the “baptism of the Holy Spirit” as a second blessing, they leave the church and find one that supports their self-proclaimed beliefs. All of God’s gifts and manifestations are practical and God uses them not to build self, but to build the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 14:4)

Most believers who can be categorized as “extreamamatics” do not understand authority. They believe they are to hear from God directly and not from the leadership that God has placed over and around them. It they don’t like what their authorities are saying, they fall back on what they “heard from the Lord”. Who is to argue with that? This is why many, if not most, go uncontested. This reinforces what they believe and that their way is the right way. In reality, they are gaining more uncontested supporters and soon they have started a movement of self-willed, self-proclaimed prophets who use the name of the Lord to bring division to the established church of God. The deceptive thing is they do not believe they are divisive. They move quietly and are very deceiving, gathering their own and plotting to gain more members who will believe as they do. They believe God has them on a mission. This group of “extreamamatics” is almost cultish. I consider them a threat to the Body of Christ.

The bottom line is this: Unless a person utters by the tongue speech that is clear, how will it be known what is spoken? These people are speaking into the air, if it is outside the order of God (1 Cor. 14:9). There are many kinds of languages in the world and no kind is without meaning (1 Cor. 14:10). If we don’t know the meaning of the language, we are the foreigner and the ones speaking in tongues will be foreign to us as well (1 Cor. 14:11).

If anyone does speak in a tongue in the church, it should be by two or three at the most. Each should be in turn (God is a God of order) and each and every tongue needs an interpretation. If there is not an interpreter, the Body member is to keep silent in the church and use this gift manifestation in his prayer closet before God Himself (vv. 27-28).

Therefore, those who seek to be zealous with the gifts and manifestations of God should seek to abound in the gifts that edify the church, not themselves (1 Cor. 14:13).

"I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all; however, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue" (1 Cor 14:18-19).

#60: GOD MANIFESTS HIS INVESTMENT IN THE BELIEVER

corporate@iomamerica.org (Dr. Stephen R. Phinney) — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 18:30:00 +0000

By Stephen Phinney

Since the very beginning, the Spirit of the Living God has been seeking to find where believers would be willing to allow the Holy Spirit to manifest Himself. In referring to Eldad and Medad (not your dad) Moses writes in Numbers 11:26-30, “Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them” (v. 29). In Acts 2:14-21, Peter says that the day prophesied by Joel has arrived. We now live in that day and God is manifesting in those who desire His manifestations.

Please know that God works in all of His children, but God pours Himself through willing vessels. Many Christians do not like the idea of God healing people through them, casting out demons, performing miracles, speaking in tongues, or speaking words directly from God’s mouth. God desires to manifest Himself through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit in any way He deems necessary to further the work of the kingdom of God.

These manifestations are not to be thought of as residing gifts (gifts that stay with us 24 hours a day, like occupational gifts). Manifestation gifts are the inward and outward signs of the Holy Spirit welling up in a believer to do a powerful and mighty work of God. These manifestations belong to God. They are God’s personal tools in the Holy Spirit to do His work of service in and through the believer.

These manifestations are delivered by the sovereign hand of God (1 Corinthians 12:11). All Christians receive manifestations. The more willing the Christian, the more manifestations there are for him. The less willing the believer, the more a manifestation passes on to another who is saying: “Lord, here am I, send me.” This is why it appears that God is picking favorites. God is not picking favorite vessels; He simply is picking willing vessels. God is interested in getting His work done (1 Corinthians 12:7). In general, manifestations are given by the moment, for the ministry moment. Manifestation gifts are at the disposal of the Holy Spirit, not the believer, whereas occupational gifts are at the disposal of the believer (1 Corinthians 12:4-11). Each of these Holy Spirit manifestations is for the common good of the body of Christ. The Spirit will never use theses manifestations in a believer to bring division and fear. God uses them for the good of the Body of Christ.

When do we see these manifestations? When God chooses. One time we will see God manifest through someone to bring healing to a sick, blind, or distressed person. However, the next day we may see someone who is worse off than the person is the day before and God will do nothing. This is why the Manifestation Gifts are truly a manifestation of the sovereignty of God.

A place we see God manifest consistently is in worship. This seems to be a time that the Holy Spirit relates the most to God.

How do we know a manifestation is real?
Satan is the great deceiver! He loves duplicating the work of God. Since he cannot create or invent something on his own, he steals from God and signs his own name to it, trying to deceive others into believing he created it. This is for the sole purpose of vain self-glory. He uses his “manifestation” to bring division, whereas, God uses His manifestations to bring unity. When we you the “manifestation gifts” bringing division and fear, be assured that Satan is at work pretending, duplicating, and stealing more of God’s glory.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when watching for true manifestations:
1. Fruit (Galatians 5)
2. Character (Matthew 5)
3. Submission (Ephesians 5:18-21)
4. The presence of God

Use this guideline: If a person is claiming a manifestation and ALL of the fruit of the Spirit are not present, the question needs to be asked, “Is this of God?”

When studying the manifestation passage (1 Corinthians 12:4-11), notice the number of times God mentions the terms: same Spirit, same Lord, and same God. God is stressing the importance of unity in the manifestations of the Spirit.

It is time to take each manifestation and look at the definition and purpose of each.

WORD OF WISDOM

A Word of Wisdom is seen as the “instant insight” that comes through a revelation - a special manifestation of the Spirit that God gives to deliver His message to the saved and unsaved. It is best applied to a specific situation or need that has arisen in the Body of Christ.

Purpose:
Through a Word of Wisdom, the Spirit of God indicates how to apply His insight and knowledge to a person’s life or situation. God is able to get to the heart of the problem quickly. When this kind of wisdom is spoken, the receiver typically knows he or she has heard from God. It is as if the person delivering the message has read the mail of the person being ministered to. When this type of manifestation occurs, the whole Body knows that God has spoken. Jesus used this with the woman at the well (John 4:16-18).

This gift is also used by the Sprit to warn people of dangers. Jesus tells us that He will give us utterances that others cannot refute. These utterances are the Words of God, Himself (Luke 21:15).

WORD OF KNOWLEDGE

A Word of Knowledge is a supernatural revelation of facts about a person or situation, facts that have not been acquired through any means except by the mouth of God. It is the Spirit of God revealing the mind of God.

Purpose:
This manifestation is often used by the Lord to reveal hidden SIN. Some examples of this are when God revealed to Nathan, David’s adultery (2 Samuel 12:1-7); to Jesus, for the Samaritan woman’s secret sins (John 4:7-25); and to Peter, Ananias’ deception (Acts 5:1-6).

This manifestation can be used to locate lost items. For example Samuel spoke to Saul regarding his lost donkeys (1 Samuel 9:15-20).

Another purpose would be warning and providing safety, such as Elisha’s word to the king of Israel about the plans of the king of Aram (2 Kings 6:8-23).

God also uses this manifestation to reveal thoughts of others in time of need or warning (1 Corinthians 2:10-14). This is how Jesus knew the thoughts of the scribes in Matthew 9:1-7.

A Word of Knowledge often occurs just before a healing takes place (Matthew 9:1-7, Mark 9:17, 25, John 4:45-54, John 5:1-9).

The overall purpose of the manifestation of Word of Knowledge is to bring healing into the hearts, minds, and bodies of God’s children.

FAITH

The manifestation of faith is a supernatural surge of confidence (the confidence of the Lord Himself) flowing from the Holy Spirit within the believer, when faced with a specific God-ordained circumstance. In this manifestation, God is taking action on a stated Word of Knowledge or Word of Wisdom. It is the act of the Holy Spirit being obedient to the Heavenly Father’s commands through the believer. This manifestation is a “mountain moving” response of God to which both Jesus and Paul refer – a movement of God, stimulated by God, to bring what is in the unseen world to the world we live in. The manifestation of Faith is what brings the effects of God (Matthew 17:19-20; Matthew 21:18-22; 1 Corinthians 13:2; James 5:15; Hebrews 11:32-34).

Purpose:
Faith comes during times of danger (Daniel 6:23). God uses this manifestation to remind His children of His Holy protection He uses it to remove evil spirits from indwelling or oppressing people, although then it is usually accompanied by a Word of Knowledge or Word of Wisdom, and even Discerning of Spirits (Acts 16:16-18; Mark 9:14-29; Luke 9:41-42).

Faith is often used by the Lord to display God’s power and presence (i.e. Peter walking on the water). Water walking is just one of the many ways God calls out believers to join Him where He is at work. To join God where He is at work requires a manifestation of Faith, because we cannot join Him without His initiation.

Faith is required where healings are required. Without the manifestation of Faith, people would not experience miracles, such as physical, emotional, or spiritual healings (Luke 5:17-26; 7:1-10; 8:43-48; 8:48-56; 17:15-19).

Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

#59: UNDERSTANDING GOD’S INVESTMENT & GIFTS (Part 6)

corporate@iomamerica.org (Dr. Stephen R. Phinney) — Sun, 20 May 2012 18:30:00 +0000

By Stephen Phinney

Givers have a strong tendency to be seriously concerned about financial matters. People with this gift also seem to have a special ability to obtain things. Not only do they love giving, but they also love being resourceful in obtaining more resources in order to give more. Givers are typically sensitive to how much they spend. They have the ability to manage a budget and stay with it over a long period. Making money is easy for many with this gift, although this is not always true. They tend to be conservative and careful in how they, as well as others, spend their money.

GIVING

Definition:
The gift of giving is a supernatural gift that God gives to contribute material and relational resources to the work of the Lord freely and cheerfully. This gift is not limited to money or possessions. It is best described as a person who gives of himself and everything he has to further the work of the Lord.

Purpose:
God has called all of His children to give of all of their resources. The giver has a supernatural ability to tune into the needs of the Body. Many other Body members must be told what the needs are. Not the giver! The giver is aware of needs in the body because of a special revelation from the Lord Himself.

Liabilities:
If walking after the flesh, the giver may give more than God is asking him to give, putting his personal responsibilities in jeopardy. Givers also have the tendency to bail people who are irresponsible with their finances; whereas, God wants these individuals to suffer the consequences of their poor choices.

The giver can become perfectionistic, judgmental of those who are unwise in finances, overly sensitive about other givers, manipulative (thinking all Christians should be as wise as he is with finances), and extremely vulnerable (people taking advantage of him materially).

The giver has very little time for people who waste resources, are stingy, lack in self-discipline and direction, and are poor stewards.

Some Guidelines for Giving:1. Giving should be done generously, not for recognition.
2. The use of the gift does not necessarily involve money.
3. Direction on how the rich should spend money is found in 1 Timothy 6:17-19.
4. Givers should not give grudgingly.
5. Seek God’s guidance and don’t necessarily give to everyone who asks.
6. We are all commanded to tithe; giving is beyond tithing.
7. If you have this gift, don’t be offended when Body members lean on you for help.
8. People with this gift may find “great deals” on things that will be given to those who have need. The Body of Christ needs to rely on people with this gift.

Some possible examples:
1. Barnabas sold land to alleviate a need, Acts 4:34-37.
2. Macedonian churches, 2 Corinthians 8:1-5.
3. Philippians church, Philippians 4:14-16.
4. The poor widow, Luke 21:1-4.

Place of Service:
1. Financial committees
2. Board of Directors
3. Elder

4. Deacon
5. Church supplies coordinator

6. Church treasury

7. Benevolence ministry

8. Financial planning classes

The giver needs to be more flexible and patient, take more risks, be more understanding with the irresponsible, and be forgiving of those who take advantage of him.

Next, we will be reviewing the manifestation gifts, which are delivered by the sovereign hand of God (1 Corinthians 12:11). All Christians receive manifestations. The more willing the Christian, the more manifestations there are for him. The less willing the believer, the more a manifestation passes on to another who is saying: “Lord, here am I, send me” (Is. 6:8). This is why it appears God is picking favorites. God is not picking favorite vessels; He simply is picking willing vessels. God is interested in getting His work done (1 Corinthians 12:7). In general, manifestations are given by the moment for the ministry moment. Manifestation gifts are at the disposal of the Holy Spirit, not the believer; whereas, occupational gifts are at the disposal of the believer (1 Corinthians 12:4-11). Each of these Holy Spirit manifestations is for the common good of the Body of Christ. The Spirit will never use these manifestations in a believer to bring division and fear. God uses them for the good of the Body of Christ.

#58: GOD’S INVESTMENT & GIFTS (Part 5)

corporate@iomamerica.org (Dr. Stephen R. Phinney) — Sun, 06 May 2012 18:30:00 +0000

By Stephen Phinney

Christians who truly have this gift feel compelled by the Lord to lead lost souls to Him. It does not matter where they are; they constantly are sharing and attempting to lead strangers, family, and friends to Jesus. They seem to have the supernatural ability to communicate the Gospel. Even the verses they remember are “Salvation” Scriptures. Their concern for the lost and dying generation is evident to all those around them. They typically support ministries that are involved in soul winning. Those with the gift of EVANGELISM desire to have the message of the Gospel mentioned in every message they hear.

Those with this gift are mission minded. They are always ready to give an answer regarding the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When talking with them (even socially), their conversations usually turn to eternal things. From their perspective, the most important thing in life is seeing people come to know the Lord as their Savior.

EVANGELIST

Definition:
The Christian blessed with the gift of evangelism has a God given ability to share the Gospel with unbelievers in such a way that people come to know Christ Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

Purpose:
Many Body members seem to believe they have this gift because of their excitement of leading people to the Lord. This is another misunderstood gift. All believers are given the desire to see others come to know the Lord. The Holy Spirit desires all men to come unto Jesus for Salvation. Surveys have determined that about 10% of the Body of Christ actually has this gift; although, there is a far greater percentage who believe they have the gift.

Evangelism is a very important part of church growth. This is why so many Body members put such an emphasis on evangelism. Many members believe that discipleship cannot start unless the person is saved. This is not true. Evangelism is a part of the discipleship process. Most Christians believe the “Great Commission” is going into the world to get people saved; this is not the great call.

Some Possible Examples:
- Philip, Acts 21:8
- Timothy is told to do the work of an evangelist, 2 Timothy 4:5

Liabilities:
When an evangelist is walking after the flesh, he or she is known for being judgmental. They become hyperactive, too talkative, poor listeners, pushy, insensitive, and give off an attitude that what they are doing is the only thing that matters.

They typically don't have much time for the exhorters. Exhorters take the time to grow people up on the Lord. Exhorters also do the follow-up work on the salvations that come from the evangelist. Evangelists are normally irresponsible with follow-up. The ongoing day-to-day growth of the believer is not something they want to involve themselves with. It is too “messy” for them.

Place of Service:
1. Street witnessing
2. Door-to-door ministry
3. Visitation
4. Missions
5. Evangelism training classes
6. Backyard Bible clubs
7. Altar call counselor
8. Preaching
9. Inner city outreach

People who are apathetic, indecisive, lazy, and “all talk and no action” agitate them. Since they are able to talk to strangers anywhere, anytime, they think others should be able to do the same. Therefore, they become impatient with those who are shy and not socially active (Luke 24:45).

MERCY

Those with this gift love one-on-one ministry. They seek out those who are in need. They are drawn to hurting people. They enjoy hearing and seeing hurting people receive comfort. The love and compassion they give to others is very practical. Kindness and tenderness flow from them like raindrops from heaven on a rainy day. The mercy person takes the exhorter’s words of love and turns them into deeds of love.

The mercy person is compelled to rid people of their pain. They are far more interested and concerned with the person than the reason for their suffering, which is why a mercy person is not good at confronting others. The mercy person is the one you send in to do the cleanup after a prophet or exhorter has confronted someone. The mercy person needs special counsel and training to work with members of the Body who have strong gifting, such as prophets and exhorter. If mercy is not working and submitting to others gifts, mercy will attempt to bail the one being confronted and being disciplined by the Lord. The person with this gift needs special prayer and training to stay in tune with the other gifts of the Spirit. They have the ability to put a monkey wrench into the works. Someone being confronted is quick to look for the mercy person, sometimes for the wrong reasons.

Definition:
The gift of mercy is a supernatural ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to experience true empathy and compassion for individuals, both in the Christian world and in the non-Christian world.

Purpose:
This gift is used not only for people who suffer from distressing physical and psychological problems, but with people in general. The mercy person notices the relational and emotional issues related to what the person is going through. There doesn’t have to be a problem at hand. This person will major on the compassion and love expressed by Christ.

Some possible examples:
- Onesiphorus visited and refreshed Paul in prison, 2 Timothy 1:16-17
- Jesus healed the blind and sick
- Jesus died on the Cross for us
- Believers sold property to care for the poor, Acts 2:44-45
- Tabitha (Dorcas) helped the poor, Acts 9:36

Liabilities:
Mercy people do not want others to suffer; therefore, if walking after the flesh, they will have the tendency to help the hurting person escape the consequences of sin. They also have the liability to be overcommitted and overly involved in people’s problems. This sets them up for being gossips. They give themselves permission to speak too openly about trusted issues. Asking for prayer can become gossip sessions.

Mercy people can have problems with sleeping at night. They lay in bed thinking and caring for those who are hurting. If walking after the flesh, they will carry the burden for those who are hurting instead of giving it directly to the Lord. Of course, this will rob them of their joy and peace. A person robbed of his joy is robbed of his strength (Nehemiah 8:10).

Other liabilities are: struggling with feeling subservient, insecurity, fearful, embarrassed, bailing when confronted, and being embittered at people with strong gifting, such as prophets and exhorters. People who are pushy, loud, confrontive, inflexible, unfair, and proud offend them.

Place of Service:
1. Hospital visitation
2. Visiting the elderly
3. Follow-up calls after church confrontations
4. Homeless ministry
5. Outreach to the physically and mentally challenged
6. Widow ministry

The mercy person needs to become strong, courageous, challenging, aggressive, assertive, confrontational, and supportive of those who have strong gifting.

#57: GOD’S INVESTMENT & GIFTS (Part 4)

corporate@iomamerica.org (Dr. Stephen R. Phinney) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 18:30:00 +0000

By Stephen Phinney

The person is known by the world as the reverend, minister, rector, parson, or preacher. None of these words clearly communicates the gift of pastoring. In fact, very few senior pastors today actually have the gift. Many prophets, leaders, and apostle-types carry on the role of a pastor, but few are blessed with the gift itself. This is why many “pastors” leave the ministry due to “burnout”. Pressure is on them to pastor the flock when they are gifted with gifts that don’t support this role. Those who carry the title of Senior Pastor and are not gifted with this gift need to hire pastor-types to work for them. If they don’t, the flock will feel neglected and will scatter.

The word “pastor” comes to us from the animal kingdom, particularly sheep raising. A pastor is someone who works directly for the Shepherd. He works to minister to the needs of the flock. The pastor is mainly concerned about one thing: relationship with the Shepherd (Jesus). He will teach, feed, heal, develop unity, help people find their gifts, and do whatever it takes to help the people follow the Shepherd Jesus.

Contrary to popular opinion, pastors are not always gifted teachers, preachers, and communicators, although there are pastors who have these gifts. Pastors with the gift of pastoring are simply good at pasturing or caring for the needs of the flock. Whatever it takes, that’s what they do. They feel the hurts and needs of their people deeply. They are concerned about what the flock thinks and feels about things, sometimes to a fault.

PASTORING

This gift is obvious in those who really enjoy leading and caring for the needs of others. They are compelled to encourage other to work together for the Body’s (flock’s) sake. Influencing others to work together is top priority to them. Team participation is what keeps the flock together – following the same Shepherd, completing the same tasks.

Definition:
The Christian blessed with the gift of pastoring has a God given ability to provide long-term care for the Body members within the flock assigned to him or her by God.

Purpose:
The purpose of a pastor is to keep the flock unified with Christ, one another, as well as, the Body of Christ as a whole.

Liabilities:
The pastor is not to do everything. This is one of the biggest liabilities for the pastor. He often functions as the church janitor, secretary, deacon, teacher, departmental supervisor – the list goes on and on.

When a pastor is walking after the flesh, he/she will have the tendency to become too intense, insensitive, overly concerned, nosey, controlling, and will even carry slight traits of a dictator. They are hypersensitive to people who are continuously weak, indecisive, immature (lacking in self-discipline, plans, vision, direction, or consistency).

Pastors can assume too much responsibility. In fact, they have the tendency to believe (overly or covertly) that they are the Master Shepherd, thinking that the church focuses on their leadership. Some think that without them, the church wouldn’t be able to go on. Many pastors fall into the “Senior Pastor” deception. Many churches today are built on this deception; therefore, the church is built around one man instead of a group of leaders who are operating in their calling and gifting.

Place of Service:

1. Teaching pastor

2. Discipleship coordinator/director

3. Pastoral leader

4. Visitation pastor

5. Supplemental food coordinator

6. Counselor

7. Small group leader

8. Women's ministry leader

Jesus is the Master Shepherd (Senior Pastor) of the church and the elders are to use their gifts to point the people to the Master Shepherd. The elders with the gift of pastor become the “point man” to get this job done.

SERVICE

The literal Greek translation for the word service is “ministry”. Since the term ministry typically describes the use of gifting as a whole, many English translations use the word “service” instead of ministry. Going beyond the American view of ministry, we find ministry to be “one who serves another.”

To look at the literal interpretation of the Greek word diakonos (minister or servant), we find the Bible’s word for deacon.

This gift is not one that necessarily ministers to the heart of people; it is a task-directed gift. The gift of service is directed primarily toward an institution and secondarily to a person. The gift of service is to better the ordained institution of God and the Church. People with this gift have a wide variety of skills and talents and are typically good at doing multiple tasks. They thrive on seeing others progress because of their efforts. When others succeed, they succeed.

These individuals normally like being behind the scenes. They are uncomfortable with having their “name in lights”. They are more interested in blessing others so they can better serve the Lord. They find themselves doing the very things that others do not like doing.

The gift of service is essential for the completion of the Body of Christ. Other gifts cannot work correctly without this gift. The service person oftentimes cleans up the “mess” of the prophet, exhorter, teacher etc. They also spend a great deal of time and energy in getting the “people-to-people” ministers ready to do their jobs.

The service gifted person is a Biblical example of the Good Samaritan.

Definition:

The Christian blessed with the gift of service helps identify the unmet needs of the Body of Christ and is willing to help meet the goals that the ministry leader establishes.

Purpose:

The purpose of a service person is to assist other Christians in areas they are weak in or areas they are unable to assist themselves.

Liabilities:

Persons with the gift of ministry, or service, often feels abused and taken advantage of by others. They become selfish, overly committed, weak willed, and overly sensitive. They can become indecisive and immature: lacking in discipline, planning, vision, or sense of direction, and too intense about the details.

People with this gift need to delegate more, be more assertive, bold, expressive, creative, confident, and learn to hear God regarding their day-to-day tasks. The service gifted person invariably takes on too much. Saying “no” can become difficult for them.

Place of Service:

1. Deacon

2. Facilities management

3. Food services

4. Nursery

5. Usher

6. Office worker

7. Secretary

8. Church correspondent

9. Program assistants

“Burn out” is their greatest threat. Since humans can only accomplish so much, they are pushed to their limits on a regular basis. The reason they come back for more “abuse” is many times they find personal significance in “doing”. Service oriented people need a leader or administrative type to help them become more focused and not over commit themselves.

#56 GOD'S INVESTMENT AND GIFTS (PART 3)

corporate@iomamerica.org (Dr. Stephen R. Phinney) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 18:30:00 +0000

By Stephen Phinney

Some possible apostles, other than the first 12, could include Matthias (Acts 1:26), Paul (Romans 1:1), Barnabas (Acts 14:14), Andronicus and Junias (Rom 16:7), and Timothy and Silas (1 Thess. 2:6).

Many times, the pastor of the church is given this gift. This person is quick to give counsel to those who are starting new programs or attempting to establish a new work. They have the tendency to be peacemakers, troubleshooters, and certainly enjoy problem solving.

They are quick to accept others and their gifts. They see the need to use every Body member in order to establish the work of the kingdom of God, here on earth, as it is in heaven.

In summary, apostles transplant the Christian faith to new areas/cultures; they simply get things started. They are pioneers for the Church, laying the roadwork for preachers and teachers to go into all the world and makes disciples. Apostles pave the way for the Body of Christ to function in their original design.

APOSTLESHIP

Definition:
This person carries a special ability to recruit people, start projects, and then assert the leadership necessary to train and equip leaders to take over the project. This person is used by God to start churches and ministries that edify the Church body.

Purpose:
Apostles normally have a blend of the gifts of leadership and apostleship. Look at the 12 apostles, the 12 church starters. They have a unique place in Church history. In fact, they will have a special place in the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:14). When the first 12 apostles died, the gift did not. Many have been assigned to this job throughout the generations (1 Cor. 15:5, 7). Most missionaries have this gift. We cannot have the organized structured Church without the apostles. Apostles lay and pour the foundation for the local Church. Without this foundation, we would not be meeting to discuss this topic.

Liabilities:
Apostles can be fleshy, like all other workers in the kingdom of God. The apostle can be carried away with their “position” - desiring others to look on them in a special way because of their “special revelations” (2 Cor. 12:7-10). In other words, they have the tendency to boast, be caught up in the prestige of the job, and enjoy the personal politics a little too much.

Since followers make the mistake of looking at the apostle instead of Christ, as the foundation of the Church, they have a fleshy tendency to enjoy the attention of being “the man with the plan.”

Overall, the apostle has the same liabilities of the leader - that of using the flock for their own goals, tasks, and personal gain.

Place of Service:

1. Church planting

2. Cell churches

3. Program promotions

4. Educational/Training opportunities

5. Elder

6. Community leaders

7. Civic placements

8. Political activists

ADMINISTRATION

Definition:

The administrator has a special ability to organize and manage what the apostle has laid out as a foundation for the local church or ministry.

Purpose:
The administrator understands the immediate and long-term goals of the ministry, as well as, how to execute the plans needed to keep these goals on target.

Characteristics:
The description of the gift if found in found in 1 Corinthians 12:28. Romans 12:8 clearly communicates the difference between the gift of administration and the gift of leadership. Many Christians confuse the two; they are very different in function and outcome.

The Greek word for administration is the word helmsman (a person who steers the ship). The helmsman is the person in charge of getting the ship to its destination and organizing the details that are to be given to the captain. Then the captain can give the orders necessary to get the ship from point A to point B. The helmsman sees details the captain and the crewmembers do not see. They are quick to see all the angles in each decision to be made. The captain and crewmembers expect the helmsman to make sure they are fed the right details throughout the journey.

God appears to give the gift of administration to apostles, pastors, and ministry leaders when they are left to start the ministry alone. Ideally, they (as well as prophets) have an administrator in order to stay organized and focused. In smaller ministries, a secretary may assume this position because he or she has this gift. Larger ministries actually hire a full, or part-time, administrative pastor.

Administrators have the supernatural ability to recruit, train, and manage people in order to accomplish the goals laid out by the leadership team. Someone with the gift of administration will either organize himself or delegate to others who are good at organizing. They are compelled by a strong sense of duty; they like to find things for people to do. The administrator focuses on team participation. They see the big picture, work to keep the details together, keep the team on track, enjoy systems, action lists, and telling people what to do.

Liabilities:
Administrators are known for being moody, critical, contemplative, negative, and worrisome. Details can and often do overwhelm them. Inconsiderateness, inactivity, anger, disloyalty, lack of volunteers, and laziness agitate them. Administrators need encouragement to be assertive, bold, enthusiastic, and expressive. They often need encouragement to delegate responsibilities.

Administrators have the tendency to be perfectionists; therefore, they take on jobs they could be delegating but don’t, because “no one can do it like they can.” Others seem to drop or forget details the administrator believes are important.

They tend to be judgmental with folks who don’t remember or refuse to do what they have been assigned to do. The administrator is quick to discontinue relationships with people who consistently “drop the ball” when asked to serve in a given area. They tend to have strong relationships with people who are faithful, loyal, and diligent at completing tasks assigned to them.

Place of Service:
1.         Conference coordinator
2.         Church/ministry administrator
3.         Secretary
4.         Personal assistant
5.         Church service coordinator
6.         Ministry coordinator
7.         Facilities manager
8.         Finance committee
9.         Special programs coordinator
10.       Clerk
11.       Department head

Administrators have the vulnerability to put task before relationship. This is why they have the tendency to be performance oriented, as well as, need constant encouragement to maintain and build quality relationships.

#55: UNDERSTANDING GOD'S INVESTMENT AND GIFTS (PART 2)

corporate@iomamerica.org (Dr. Stephen R. Phinney) — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 18:30:00 +0000

By Stephen Phinney

Prophets tell the Truth, teachers clarify the Truth, and exhorters tell us what to do with the Truth. They usually are very practical and life application oriented. They bless people with a keen sense of care and concern.

The exhorter can work with complete strangers, but pastors have a harder time with this. In the Bible, Barnabas is a great example of this (Acts 4:36). Like Barnabas, the exhorter loves picking up people right where they are and molding them into an instrument of the Lord .

All Christians have been ordered to exhort one another, but exhorters have a special ability to do it well (Heb. 3:13). Exhorters have a wonderful ability to communicate using their supernatural insights given to them by God.

An exhorter is an ideal person to work in the church discipleship center. As an occupation, they often end up with jobs such as acting, sales, community relations, promotions, and like-minded jobs. These Christians have a strong sense to help the Church grow and oftentimes struggle between leaving the “work world” and joining “full-time ministry”.

As you can most likely tell, we are talking about the investment of…

EXHORTATION

Definition:
This gift offers special abilities to minister words of comfort, encouragement (to put courage into), confrontation, and clarification on revelations from “prophets.”

Purpose:
This gift is oftentimes confused with the gift of pastoring. This is primarily a one-on-one gift. Exhorters love encouraging people around them. They are compelled to give advice. Many look at them as “counselors.”

Fleshly Liabilities:
Exhorters can become “wired” or “hyper” about what they believe and can be overly optimistic in presenting their ideas. They can be convinced that “their way “is the only way for the people they are helping.

If walking after the flesh, they can take on the appearance of being immature, emotional, irrational, silly, wordy, and simply selfish.

These types of people tend to irritate or frustrate exhorters: those who don’t appear interested or excited about what they are saying, pessimists, and those who are “too detailed.”

If not hearing the Lord, they live by their own schedules, meaning they are usually late. The exhorter becomes "phobic" when having to live under heavy structure.

Places of Service:
1. Discipleship ministry (counseling)
2. Altar call ministry
3. Follow up ministry for the evangelism team4. Marriage discipleship (counseling)
5. Pre-marriage work
6. Preaching
7. Small groups
8. Sunday school teaching
9. Nursing home ministry
10. General visitation
11. Comforting the sick
12. Reconciliation meetings

The exhorter needs to keep in mind that he should listen more, count the cost before taking action, yield his emotions to Christ moment-by-moment, and stay humble before the Lord. He needs to avoid being caught in the rejection cycle. Exhorters need to stay disciplined, be punctual, hear the Lord’s words (not their own), and respect those who don’t agree with them.

LEADERSHIP

Definition:

Those with the gift of leadership have a spirit-given ability to guide and motivate God’s people in the ways of the Lord to accomplish His purpose. This person is able to gather the Body together, aid them in setting and revealing God’s goals, and help fulfill those goals (Rom. 12:8).

Purpose:

Many Christians are confused with the use of this gift—particularly the ones with the gift. In order to be an effective leader, the leader must be an effective follower or servant leader. The primary role of Jesus was that of a servant (Mark 10:45), but He still was the greatest leader of all. Leadership without servanthood (love) equals dictatorship (fear). The overall purpose of this gift is to lead the flock, through serving the flock.

Characteristics:

Leaders must have followers. True leaders do not have followers because they are recruiting them; they have followers because people want to join them in their special ability to lead and serve. Men and women with this gift never have to manipulate or force people to listen or follow. They generate a supernatural confidence that reveals God’s direction and plan.

People who truly have this gift are relaxed in their leading. They are confident in what needs accomplished and know they need a team of people to get the job done. Therefore, they work with the Body to develop the right skills in the people to accomplish the plan. Those with the gift of leadership understand the importance of multiplication. Leaders oftentimes have problems with the details, particularly administrative ones. They have the tendency to delegate responsibilities.

There are certain qualifications a leader needs to have that do not come with most gifts. Longevity is one of them! It takes time to establish leadership in a flock. Many are attracted to strong leaders, but with this attraction oftentimes come people who are rebellious against authority. Many followers are new to the idea of submitting to authority. Due to this challenge, the leader needs a heart of long-suffering. A Christian who has this gift understands it takes time to bring a flock to the point of being willing to submit to his leadership.

An example of this is the Israelites grumbling against Moses because he was a leader. God called His people to obey the men and women He appointed to lead them (Heb. 13: 7, 17). When we obey God’s leaders, we obey God (Rom. 13:1-7).

Some of the possible leaders in the Scriptures are Jesus (Mark 10:45, Phil 2:7, John 13: 14-16), Moses, Nehemiah, and Church officials (Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5). The Apostles were also recognized as leaders (Acts 4:37; 9:27).

Liabilities:

Leaders can sometimes become too intense about the people who are following them. They have an ongoing passion to make sure that people submit to them. They are quick to notice rebellion. One of their biggest liabilities is that they have the tendency to be too regimented and overbearing. A true leader is a servant; but a leader who loses sight of this expects followers to serve him/her. Another liability is they are prone to have a problem with authority. This is why many of them become dictators instead of servant leaders.

Places of Service:
1. Elder
2. Cell group leader and/or intern
3. Zone pastor (leader overseeing several cell groups in a designated area)
4. Group leader
5. Children’s ministry coordinator
6. Finance chairman
7. Community spokesperson
8. Fund-raising
9. Community projects
10. Event coordinator

If walking after the flesh, leaders have the tendency to use the flock for their own goals, tasks, and personal gain. In other words, they take advantage of people. This has been a noted problem for generations. Look at the life of Solomon (book of Ecclesiastes).

Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

#54: UNDERSTANDING GOD'S INVESTMENT AND GIFTS

corporate@iomamerica.org (Dr. Stephen R. Phinney) — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 18:30:00 +0000

By Stephen Phinney

There are 25 Spirit gifts found in the Word of God. There are two primary distinctions regarding these gifts. First, are the Diakonai (or Charismata), the functional ministry gifts, which are found in 1 Corinthians 12:28 and Romans 12:3-8. Secondly, are the Phanerosis, the manifestation of the Spirit gifts (1 Corinthians 12:8-10).

The third element is Domata - the anointed-gifted men and women of God - assigned by the Lord Himself. Therefore, it is very important that we accept the stated three elements of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit: Diakonai, Phanerosis and Domata (the ministry, the manifestation of the Spirit, and the anointing).

If we expect God to use us, He will be ready and willing to do so. God knows who needs ministry and whom He needs to use to get the job done. When you are in line with the above three items, God is bound to use you. It is important not to set standards on God. Be careful not to tell Him how you want to be used and what gifts you want Him to put in you. Fear of the unknown is a big problem with many Christians in allowing God to do anything He wants with and through them. In any case, the important thing is being willing and expectant of God to do a great and mighty work by using His gifts in you.

OCCUPATIONAL GIFTS

When we use the term “occupational gifts”, we are referring to the gifts the Holy Spirit uses to manifest Himself. Occupation is a job or profession - the action, state, or period of occupying or being occupied by the Holy Spirit. The fact that the Holy Spirit comes into our bodies when we become born-again puts us in a position of being living vessels for God. God designs this vessel for a specific purpose and “calling” in mind. Your occupation is your calling.

Let us look at the list of occupations of the Holy Spirit:

PROPHECY

Definition:

Prophecy is a reception and declaration of a Word from the Lord, through the direct prompting of the Holy Spirit and the human instrument He uses.

Purpose:

True prophecy builds up and edifies. It builds up because God is always building up the Body of Christ. This person may bring encouragement to the church using strong words (1 Corinthians 14:3). This individual is used by God to bring rebukes to Body members, as well as the Church as a whole (1 Corinthians 1:9-10). The person blessed with this gift oftentimes functions under direct revelations of God (1 Corinthians 14:29-31). Prophets shed new light on the fullness of our Salvation. This person will have the tendency to “preach to the nations.”

Prophets build up because they are an overt picture of what a believer is all about (1 Corinthians 14:22-25). Prophets oftentimes reveal whether God is present in an assembly, thereby confirming the believer in his faith, and even causing the unbeliever to confess God’s presence (v. 24).

Prophets also build up because they lay bare the secrets of the heart (1 Corinthians 14:22-25). This is why they intimidate many Body members. Prophets are usually loved or “hated” due to this. Prophets normally prevent people from hiding behind masks or pretending to be righteous when they are not. Where prophets are, honesty and integrity are indispensable (Ananias and Sapphira - Acts 5).

Bottom line: Prophets are used by God to show the people there is a God!

Fleshly Liabilities:

People with the gift of prophecy (if walking after the flesh) can become dictatorial, domineering, demanding, troubled when things don’t go their way, intense about things that don’t matter, be too forceful, be too direct, and oftentimes are accused of being bossy.

They can be afflicted with weaknesses (to keep them humble before the Lord) and have a problem tolerating weak or sick people. When walking after the flesh, they have problems accepting indecisive and/or lazy people. They are tough on people who do not understand authority or those who won’t accept challenges.

Prophets expect people to think and gain understanding quickly, as well as, assume that most people will keep up with them (Isaiah 30:30).

Places of Service

1. Offer personal prophecies to individuals

2. Offer church wide prophecies to the Body of Christ as a whole

3. Church promotions

4. Message to the Body of Christ

5. Sunday school teachings

6. Church activist in the political arena

7. Evangelism campaigns

TEACHING

Definition:

This gift gives special ability to communicate the Word of God in such a way that it is organized and the Body of Christ learns easily.

Purpose:

Christians with this gift have an overwhelming desire to explain the Truth to those around them. A prophet declares Truth, while a teacher logically explains it. Oftentimes prophets and teachers do not get along; although in God’s eyes, prophets and teachers make great working partners. Their gifting brings balance to one another.

Teachers are interested in searching things out. They love details and better yet, love presenting the details they have uncovered. Teachers love to study and usually encourage others to be men/women of the Word. Many times, they think education equals transformation, through studying the Word of God. At times, they forget that transformation only comes through the Spirit.

The gift of teaching is mentioned in all three scriptural references listed regarding spiritual gifts: Romans12, 1 Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4. Scripture often confirms that many Body members receive this gift. This gift is needed for most areas of the local church and the church worldwide. For example: the morning message, Sunday school, special electives, children’s church, day care, training classes, the music ministry, and many others.

People who have the gift of teaching oftentimes use their gifts as an occupation: schoolteacher, professor, learning institutes, sales education, etc.

Teachers are normally patient with their students. They like to come up with new ideas on how to reach their students and to help them better understand what is being taught.

God uses the teachers to communicate His day-to-day points of living (Ephesians 4:11). They are often seen as pastors, motivational speakers, or trainers. In fact, many people with the gift of teaching think they are pastors. As we will learn later, pastors are very different in the way they care for people.

Fleshly Liabilities:

It is common for teachers to have a difficult time establishing and maintaining friendships. If they are walking after the flesh, they have the tendency to be too serious, haughty, high-minded, critical, contemplative, oftentimes judgmental, moody, and tend to analyze everything. People who are trying to establish relationships with them get frustrated at times. When they are with the teacher, the teacher seems to communicate by teaching. Many teachers do not know the difference between teaching and just communicating with someone.

Teachers have the tendency to be bothered by “shallow” thinkers, people who state things that are not supported by the documented Truth, people who do not present Truth in an organized fashion or who simply do not prepare properly before they teach. This is why a teacher oftentimes has difficulty relating to the prophet-type – who hears the Truth directly from God.

Many times, teachers have a problem with authority because they believe what they are saying is the authoritative way.

Places of Service

1. Sunday morning messages

2. Sunday school teacher

3. Children’s ministry

4. Small groups

5. Radio/TV ministry

6. Community Outreach

7. Conduct Bible studies

8. Preaching

9. Elective classes

10. Mission work

Teachers need to remember to rest in Christ, focus on building their existing relationships, build new friendships, ask more questions of people, allow for more group discussions, and spend more time being practical (application). Overall, the teacher needs to be more fun loving, lighthearted, and animated.

#53: THE BODY OF CHRIST IS LIKE A TOOLBOX

corporate@iomamerica.org (Dr. Stephen R. Phinney) — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 19:30:00 +0000

By Stephen Phinney

The Word says that we are the very Body of Christ. We also are to understand that we are all individual parts who make up this Body (Romans 12:4). Christ is the head over the Body, just as our head is in charge of our body. Our body does what the head decides to do – that is why our mind needs daily renewal. Our thoughts need to be yielded to the Holy Spirit.

Let’s take a look at Romans 12:4-8: “For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. And since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let each exercise them accordingly.”

Picture the Body of Christ as a toolbox and the tools within the toolbox as the members of the Body of Christ. God is the Owner of the “Fix and Repair Shop,” Jesus is the manager, and the Holy Spirit is the mechanic. Individual members of the Body of Christ are the tools the Holy Spirit uses. The Owner determines the project and all those who work for the Owner use all of their very being to carry out the commands and desires of the One who owns all things.

I would think it would be critical for the Holy Spirit to know everything there is to know about the tools within the toolbox. The Holy Spirit does know the design and function of each tool in order to carry out the will of the Owner (Heavenly Father). Therefore, it now becomes quite important for the tools to be who they are and not attempt to be anything other than themselves.

Imagine one or more of the tools trying to be another tool instead of being who they are, i.e. a screwdriver tries to do the job of a pair of pliers. Sounds silly, huh? Not really! This is exactly what the Body of Christ has the tendency to do; tools trying to be like the tools they admire. Tools want to be like tools that seem to have greater importance and rewards. Tools want to be in the hands of the mechanic more than not. If I were a tool, I certainly would want to be in the hands of the mechanic as much as possible. In fact, it would be fun to be the mechanic’s favorite tool!

Also, imagine these tools having legs, arms, mouths, and minds of their own. Now we have some potential problems. When the mechanic reaches into the toolbox to get the right tool to do the Owner’s will, one or more of these tools is running around the shop doing its own thing, making it challenging to get anything done. What is the mechanic to do? Well, He will use the tools that are willing and waiting, for the waiting tools are secure in their design. They will wait on the mechanic as long as it takes to do the part of the job they were designed to do.

Think of the work the mechanic could get done if every tool accepted who he was, understood his purpose, and was willing and ready to be used by the mechanic. Wow! We could have the world “fixed” in no time.

I certainly hope you are seeing the parallel. God has many members to His Son’s Body. Within each of these members, God has carefully and methodically placed His gifts to accomplish the work assigned to His Son and the Holy Spirit. Having each member exercise his gifting when the Holy Spirit calls upon him would pull the Body of Christ together, unifying the Church in such a way that the world, the flesh, and the devil would be in serious trouble.

Don’t get me wrong; God is in control and He is accomplishing all of what needs to be done, fully knowing He doesn’t have full cooperation with His Son’s own Body. However, God certainly is calling us to join Him where He is at work. The Body members joining Him where He is at work will add to the proving of the will of the Father to the world, all of flesh, and even to the enemy, Satan.

WHO GETS THESE GIFT INVESTMENTS?

The Lord has not given everyone a gift(s), only those who have accepted the Lord into their lives. Once a person has accepted Christ, the Holy Spirit delivers the gift, so to speak. 1 Peter 4:10 tells us: “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” The Holy Spirit also gives a manifestation. Let’s look at 1 Corinthians 12:7: “But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” It is for the good of building up the Body of Christ.

The Church’s growth is dependent upon God causing the growth (1 Corinthians 3:6). However, the Lord is also clear that we are to plant and water. The planting and watering is done through the very gifting He has placed within each Body member.

GOD NOT ONLY GIVES GIFTS, BUT THE HOW-TO IN SPENDING

Once a person gains an understanding regarding his gifting, he needs to have a ministry of “a calling” to have the gift to function within. When a person functions in a gift that is not his, he ends up laboring to do the work. He seems to “run out of energy” in doing good. If a person is using his gift but it is being used within the wrong “calling,” it usually causes more work for the people he is working alongside. He ends up giving the appearance of “doing his own thing.” Therefore, understanding the calling can be equally as important as understanding the gifting.

There is a general calling and a specific calling. General calling is the Body of Christ, as a whole – being called to serve one another. Specific calling is like an occupation or a job. Specific calling determines a particular way or a particular setting in which the person uses his gift, i.e. Sunday school teacher, worship team, clean up duty, secretarial work, or preaching from the pulpit.

IMPORTANT POINT: God does not give a gift without giving a calling. If the person does not have a calling with the gifting, the person will spend the gifting on himself/herself, which is self-abasement. More like self in the basement!

WHAT IS A SPIRITUAL GIFT INVESTMENT?

A spiritual gift is a God given ability planted within our soul by the Holy Spirit, given upon the day of our Salvation. Every member of the Body of Christ receives at least one.

The Greek word used for spiritual gift is “charisma,” which means “grace.” Each member of the Body is given a special measure of grace – unmerited favor (Ephesians 4:7). In this unmerited favor, God moves through this measurement to accomplish His will.

Grace means God does the work and law means man does the work for God. When grace is motivating us, we know that God is doing the work through us. When the law motivates us, we can be certain that it is self who is doing the work, which means we are using our gifting to do what we want. Understand this: grace and gifting have the same meaning. God is the One using the gifts.

In conclusion: spiritual gifts are supernatural or God breathed abilities to empower believers to do His work for the common good of the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:7).

GIVING MANIFESTING AS WE COME TOGETHER

The time God moves the most significantly is when the Body is gathered together. When two or more gather together in His name, He will be there ready to move within the Body. It could happen in a one-on-one discipleship setting or in a group dynamic. The fact that we are looking to a God who is alive and ready to reveal Himself to us, puts us in a position of expecting God to do a work.

First, we need to come empty-handed. If you have any thing(s) you need to hand over to the Lord (acts of rebellion), now is the time to drop those before the feet of Jesus. God, most likely, will not fully use us if we are struggling with present acts of rebellion. If we do decide to use our gifting with rebellion in our hearts, the gifting will promote self, mixed with flesh. That spells PROBLEMS. We certainly will end up hurting someone and/or ourselves.

Secondly, when we gather, come to listen. Watch your leader! God moves through leaders. Be listening inside for the Lord’s prompting and be watching in the group as to what might be going on in the lives of the people. God will often prompt one Body member to help another member to use his gifting. For example: “I am noticing, Jim, that you might have something to say; would you like to share with the group? Are you receiving a Word from the Lord?”

Be watching for pain. The eyes never lie. Constantly be on the alert for people’s facial responses. Many times, newcomers do not feel comfortable sharing unless they are prompted to do so.

Thirdly, it is important to be transparent when coming together. We need to be willing to share our life openly with everyone in the gathering. Transparency is what communicates trust. If we are willing to be open and transparent, then the person(s) God wants to minister to will be more apt to receive the help God has for them.

#52: SPIRITUAL GIFTS AND GOD'S MIRACULOUS ECONOMY

corporate@iomamerica.org (Dr. Stephen R. Phinney) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:35:00 +0000

By Stephen Phinney

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). The Holy Spirit is just as much alive today as He was when the New Testament was written. Before we move forward in exploring the dynamics of our spiritual gifts and God’s miraculous economy, we need to accept all the work of God through the Holy Spirit in modern times, just as the disciples were called to accept the work of the Holy Spirit over 2000 years ago.

IGNORANCE IS NOT BLISS

Understanding and knowing what God says about spiritual gifts is the starting place of our conclusion of Finances & the End-times. Even though man has many opinions about the topic, God has plenty to say about His gifts to us – after all, He is the giver of these gifts.

Many Christians choose to “stay in the dark” as to the full understanding of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Ignorance is not bliss! If I were to give you a gift and you chose not to open it, you would never have the privilege of using the gift for its intended purpose. The same thing goes for our spiritual gifts; we were given these gifts upon the day of our Salvation and God expects us to open the package and use the gift to accomplish His purposes.

A FEW THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND

There are four requirements presented in the Scriptures that each of us will need to embrace before we can discover the fullness of His gifting in us:

We must have the Holy Spirit living within us (be a born-again Christian).
Do not to be afraid of having the Holy Spirit live and operate through us in the capacity He desires to manifest through us.
We should desire to have the Body of Christ function in the capacity it is intended and designed to operate – being willing to allow God to use us to edify one another.
We should join God where God is at work, not following our flesh or using God’s gifts to benefit ourselves.

USING YOUR ELDERS FOR UNDERSTANDING

The Lord Jesus reveals to us in 1 Timothy 4:14: “Do no neglect the spiritual gifts within you, which was bestowed upon you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery (church leadership)” [parentheses mine].

It is my desire for each person going through this series to experience the fullness of His gifting within him. It is the responsibility of your church leadership to help you discover your gifting. Do not hesitate to contact your pastor to get your questions answered. This series is to start the process of you embracing all that God has for you regarding His spiritual gifts.

DO NOT LOOK DOWN ON YOUR YOUTHFULNESS

Many people do not think they are mature enough to use their gifting or they think that they have not been saved long enough to be used by God fully. Nothing could be further from the truth! Once a person has received the Holy Spirit upon Salvation, he is qualified to be used by God.

1 Timothy 4:11-16 tells us: “Prescribe and teach these things. Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. Do not neglect the spiritual gifts within you, which were bestowed upon you; through the prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress may be evident to all. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; preserve in these things; for as you this you will insure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.”

God wants us to be prescribing and teaching these things. This means: prescribing (writing them down) and then teaching them to the Body of Christ. We are being called by God to know our gifting. We are not to look down on our youthfulness. He wants us to speak with the power of God, allowing the Holy Spirit to speak through us. He allows the fruit of the Holy Spirit to show through our conduct, His love, the appropriation of the measure of faith He has put within us, and our walk in the purity of His light while we live. In fact, we are to be examples to those who are Christians, teaching them by example how to walk after the Spirit and operate in the fullness of His gifting within us.

How do we accomplish this? It is accomplished by being devoted to the Scriptures. Since the Word of God is alive and sharper than a two-edged sword, by teaching what God’s Word says, we will exhort one another to function in our God given gifts.

God wants us to take pains with these things – take this matter on as a burden. He desires for us to be absorbed in them, soak them up like a sponge. This is how we reveal our progress in our walk with Him to the world around us. When people see God’s gifting flowing through us, they see God!

Lastly, God wants us to pay close attention to our teachings regarding this topic; it needs to be handled by God through us. Many churches have been divided over the topic of spiritual gifts. The gifts are for unity, not to bring more division.

DISCOVERING GOD’S ECONOMY OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS

You have just begun the process of discovering your spiritual gifts. Some of you have known for many years and some may be just “looking into it.” In either case, God knows you are interested in knowing your spiritual gifts. Here is a list of items to keep in mind as you explore the realities of God’s gifts:

Be willing to explore what God has for you. Read each of the Scriptures stated in these articles and use this series as a Bible study. Pray through each Scripture. Learn what the gifts are, how they are used, what characterizes them, and how they function within the Body of Christ.
Don’t lean upon your feelings. Many look to their feelings to label their gift. God will reveal your gift(s) through the presbytery (elders) of your church. The Spirit will bear witness with the process and the location of the gift if it is of God. It is true that when you are functioning in your gift, you will “feel” like you have found your “niche.” When, or if, you are functioning in a task that is not your gifting, you will “feel like a fish out of water.” You just won’t be able to function in a comfortable and free manner. It is a true statement that God does not strap you with a gift you will not enjoy.
When functioning in your gifting, you will see the positive results. Since spiritual gifts are designed to benefit the Body of Christ, not yourself, you should see the fruit developed in the lives of the people you are helping. You will not see a positive result if you are using your gift to exalt yourself or by using a gift you really don’t have.
Expect confirmation from the Body of Christ. It is a good idea to allow the Body of Christ to be a part of the process of confirming your gifting. God speaks through the Body. People observing us are equally as important as the Spirit’s revelation in our prayer time. That’s because it is the same thing. If you believe you have particular gifts and no one else agrees with you, then you should go to the presbytery (church leadership) for confirmation.
The Lord is the One to lead you to discovering your gift. Even though God uses the above process, God reveals His gifts in you. Remember that He is the gift Giver and He knows what is in His “gift bag.”
As God reveals more of His supernatural ways, you openly accept His manifestations of the Spirit in a manner that is worthy of His calling. Do not limit God to your human reasoning – let God be God even in your gifting.

FIRST THINGS FIRST

Before you can move forward in knowing your spiritual gifts, you need to be willing to be sacrificed. Allow me to explain. Romans 12:1 tells us: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this work; but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.”

Before God moves through us mightily, He needs to know that you and I are willing to be used in any way He desires. We must be holy (walk after the Spirit) and acceptable to God (in His Son). When we are doing things of the world (walking after the flesh), we can pretty much forget about our gifting being manifested within us by the Lord. God will not use His precious gifting to better the world. He only uses His gifting to better the kingdom of God.

Of course, that leaves us with a small problem; what if the mind is worldly? Then it is time for renewal. Our lives are transformed into the image of Christ through the process of having our minds renewed. There is nothing we can do to renew our minds; reading, praying, talking, listening, or having hands laid on us will not renew us. This renewal process is a Spirit work. As we set our minds on heavenly things, we then are allowing the Holy Spirit (who lives within us if we are saved) to renew our minds. When we set our mind on worldly things, we act worldly. When we set our mind on the Spirit within us, we then experience being spiritually minded, having spiritual thoughts, and then spiritual words (1 Corinthians 2:13).

When we lay our lives down as a living sacrifice and then allow the Holy Spirit to renew our worldly minds, then we can prove to the world (and fellow Christians) what is good, truly acceptable, and what the perfect will of God is. This is accomplished by and through God using His gifts within His children.

THINGS TO COME

Here are a few topics to look forward to:

Discovering your spiritual gifts
The Body of Christ is like a toolbox
Who gets these gifts?
What is a spiritual gift?
Understanding the Occupational Gifts
Understanding the Manifestation Gifts
Spiritual testing