The Word of Knowledge

 

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Holy Spirit & Spiritual Gifts: All Who are Skillful & Wise-hearted

Bazelel was the first person specifically mentioned by God as having been filled with His Spirit. Bazelel was also granted a myriad of gifts and skills to fulfill his role as Chief Architect of the Tabernacle. But, he did not complete this work alone, and was blessed with a godly assistant and many talented artisans to work beside him. Even today, the Church cannot be built up but a few, but by the many hands, talents, and contributions of the Body of Christ.

Before construction of the Tabernacle began, God commanded Moses to take contributions from all those who had a “willing heart”. The necessary materials included valuable metals, dyes, skins, weaving material, wood, oil, spices, and precious stones. Every one whose heart stirred him, and whose spirit made him willing, brought their freewill offerings (ref. Exodus 35:4-29). There was such an outpouring of generously donated materials that the people had to be restrained from giving more (ref. Exodus 36:5-7).

God instructed Moses to appoint Bezalel, as Chief Architect, over the construction of the Tabernacle. He was filled with the Spirit of God, in Wisdom, in Understanding, in Knowledge, and was a master craftsman in carpentry, metalworking, weaving, stone cutting, dying, and incense blending. His Deputy Architect, Oholiab, was also a skilled artisan, but most importantly, both he and Bazelel were blessed with hearts filled with the desire to teach.

Though there was undoubtedly other talented workers amongst the Israelites, it would be the previous brick makers, imbued with wise hearts desiring to give additional gifts of their work to the construction of the Tabernacle who would be taught the skills of “the engraver, and the cunning workman, the embroiderer, in blue, purple, and scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, to work in gold, silver, and copper, cutting and setting of stones, carving of wood, and of any of those that devise cunning and artistic works” (Exodus 35:32-35).

Bazelel and Oholiab, and every wise-hearted man, in whom the Lord put Wisdom and Understanding to know how to do skilled work, and every one whose heart was stirred to come help with construction, worked together to build the Tabernacle’s structure, the holy furniture and instruments, the priestly robes, the oil and incense for offerings, amongst all the other things God had instructed them to craft (Exodus 36:1-2).

After the assembly was completed on the first day, of the first month, the Glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle (ref. Exodus 40: 34-35). The Tabernacle was constructed by the freely given gifts and talents of the people of Israel and served as a physical space for God’s Glory to dwell. Likewise, the Church Body must be built up by our spiritual gifts so the Holy Spirit can dwell amongst us.

Just as there was a variety of materials and artisanal talents required to construct the Tabernacle, “there are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Each one is a manifestation of the Spirit and given for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:4-7).

Though Bazelel was an extremely impressive and gifted man and filled with the Holy Spirit, it took donations of physical materials and artisanal skills from all God’s People to construct the Tabernacle. Today, each member of the Body of Christ, whom should all be filled with the Holy Spirit, must contribute to His Kingdom through the application of our individual spiritual gifts. It is only then, that our families, ministries, and communities can fully experience the Glory of the Lord.

 

Prepared by, Kent Simpson, Apostolic Prophet & Eric Sepulveda, PMT Administrator

 

Spiritual Word of Wisdom

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Holy Spirit & Spiritual Gifts: From Prisoner to Prime Minister

Joseph, son of Patriarch Jacob/Israel, was the first person definitively mentioned in the Bible as having the Spirit of God in him. Though his spiritual gifts were emerging in his youth, they were not fully realized until God had placed him in many unique circumstances, which allowed him to demonstrate and develop his gifts, so he would be ready for the grand plan God had for his life.

Joseph was the son of “Rachel, who was shapely and beautiful and Jacob loved Rachel” (ref. Genesis 29:17-18). Even though Jacob had ten other sons, it was only after Joseph’s birth, that Jacob insisted on moving the whole family from where they grew up, back to his homeland in Canaan, so that Rachel’s son, Joseph, had the opportunity to collect his portion of inheritance (ref. Genesis 30:25-31-18). When Jacob came across his blood-thirsty brother Esau, with 400 men, Jacob strategically placed Joseph and Rachel towards the safety of the back of the caravan, with the rest of the family upfront, just in case violence erupted (Genesis 33:1-2, 7), so his favored son and wife had a greater chance of escape. Jacob was open about his favoritism towards Joseph and the presentation of his beloved son with an ornate coat (Genesis 37:3) cemented his brothers’ jealousy and hatred towards Joseph because “his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, [and] they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him” (Genesis 37:2).

When Joseph began having prophetic dreams and interpreted them to signify that he would be glorified over his family, his brothers and father rebuked him angrily, accusing “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us? What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?” Despite demonstrating a rare gift, they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said and were jealous of him (ref. 37:3-10).

Joseph first demonstrated his other gifts of organization and management as a young man of seventeen, when he was tending his father’s flocks. Joseph’s brothers were not thoughtful in how they kept the animals, carelessly moving from one region to another, without informing their father. Their mismanagement was recognized by their father Jacob, who sent Joseph, the youngest of his sons, to check in on the rest of the older brothers and the flocks, fearing something was amiss, since Joseph had previously brought a “bad report” possibly concerning how they conducted their shepherd duties. These critiques and possible suggestions on how to do their job better, especially coming from someone so young and comparably inexperienced, infuriated Joseph’s brothers and filled them with a murderous rage.

This hatred for Joseph led to his brothers initially planning on killing him, before deciding that selling him into slavery would at least benefit them with some silver.

Joseph was brought to Egypt and sold to Potiphar, the Captain of Pharaoh’s Guard, who saw that “the Lord was with Joseph and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, so Potiphar put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned [and] the Lord blessed…everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care.” When Joseph is approached by Potiphar’s adulterous wife, he responds that “With me in charge, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am” (ref. Genesis 39:1-9).

After being falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife, Joseph was thrown into prison where “the Lord was with him; and granted Joseph kindness and favor in the eyes of the prison warden [who] put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there…and all that he did, the Lord made it to prosper” (ref. Genesis 39:10-23).

While Joseph was in prison, he was put in charge of two of the Pharaoh’s officials, the Chief Cup-bearer and the Chief Baker, who both had a dream the same night and were dejected when there was no one who could interpret their dreams. When they shared their concerns with Joseph, he replied “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me” before explaining that the Chief Cup-bearer would be restored to his position in three days, while the Chief Baker would be executed in three days, on Pharaoh’s birthday.

Two years later, Pharaoh had disturbing dreams two nights in a row and told the reinstated Chief Cup-bearer how he had “sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt, but no one could interpret his dreams” (Genesis 41:8). The Chief Butler remembered Jacob who had interpreted his own dream, while in prison, and “Pharaoh sent for Joseph [explaining that he] had a dream, and no one [could] interpret it, but [Pharaoh had] heard that when [Joseph] heard a dream, [he] could interpret it”. Joseph correct Pharaoh, “I cannot do it, but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires”.

After Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams, which predicted seven years of good harvest before seven years of intense famine, Joseph shrewdly suggests that Pharaoh “look for a discerning and wise man and put him charge of the land of Egypt, appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance, collecting all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in cities for food. This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by famine”.

Pharaoh recognized Joseph as “being filled with the Spirit of God [and] since God made all this known to [him], there [was] no one so discerning and wise as [him], so Pharaoh put [Joseph] in charge of the whole land of Egypt,” (Genesis 41:37-41). It was the first day, of the first month, the same day Christ would later start His Ministry, that Joseph is elevated to Prime Minister over Egypt.

Joseph first began managing his father’s flocks, before taking over Potiphar’s household, then the affairs of the prison, and finally, the whole administrative system of Egypt. Likewise, Joseph started by first interpreting his own dreams, then those of Pharaoh’s officials, before finally explaining Pharaoh’s prophet dream, having developed so much in his gifting, that he recognized that “the reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter [had] been firmly decided by God, and God [would] do it soon” (Genesis 41:32). But Joseph realized that he was successful in his efforts because the Lord made them prosperous, just as his interpretations came from God.

Joseph’s chronicles, which began with tending sheep in the pastures, saw him falsely thrown into prison, and ended with him saving Egypt as Prime Minister, is a reminder that God gives us opportunities through each of our stages in life to not only grow deeper in our trust in Him, but also develop our spiritual gifts and prepare for the next responsibilities and positions He has planned for us.

Prepared by, Kent Simpson, Apostolic Prophet & Eric Sepulveda, PMT Administrator

Angels & Gift of Prophecy

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Holy Spirit & Spiritual Gifts: Restore & Refine

The Holy Spirit is the source of our spiritual gifts and their operation mirrors how the Spirit works in the world. Just as the Holy Spirit’s purpose is to restore God’s People to Him and refine them to be more like Christ, our spiritual gifts also are designed to refresh the quenched spirits of our Brothers and Sisters in Christ and work together to build up and edify the Church.

The Holy Spirit is seen at the beginning of Creation, when “the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters” and the “earth was formless and empty, and darkness was over the surface of the deep” (Genesis 1:2) and “by His Spirit, He beautified the Heavens” (ref. Job 26:13). When the Spirit is poured out on God’s People, He also pours “water on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground” (ref. Isaiah 44:3) and “the desert becomes a fertile field” so rich it “seems like a forest” (ref. Isaiah 32:15).

The Spirit’s ability to construct and repair is not limited to the physical world, but was also seen in the deepest parts of men.

When Prophet Nathan scorned King David for his affair with Bathsheba, David cries out “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.” (ref. Psalm 51: 10-11). When confronted with Israel’s idolatry, Prophet Ezekiel is told that God will give Israel “a new heart and a new spirit”, that God would “take away [their] stony heart” and “give [them] a heart of flesh” and put His Spirit in them (ref. Ezekiel 36:26-27).

Throughout His Ministry, Christ demonstrated how we are to use our spiritual gifts for the restoration of the afflicted.

After being baptized by John and filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus is led into the wilderness where He is tested by the devil. Afterwards, Jesus returned to Galilee in the Power of the Spirit, and declared at the Nazarene synagogue that He was fulfilling Isaiah’s Prophecy (ref. Isaiah 61) that “The Spirit of the Lord [was on Him]” and anointed Him “to proclaim good news to the poor”. Christ explained that the Spirit had sent Him “to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recover sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (ref. Luke 4: 1-19). And “God anointed Jesus with the Holy Ghost and with power: and He went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil, for God was with Him” (ref. Acts 10:38).

Apostle Paul explained the purpose of the spiritual gifts is to perfect and equip the saints for the edification of the Body of Christ. By speaking Truth in Love and the effective operation of our gifts, we can join together through the unity of Faith, and the Knowledge of Christ, developing towards the measure of maturity and fullness of Jesus (ref. Ephesians 4:12-15).

Though there are a variety of gifts, their manifestation through the Holy Spirit is for the benefit of the whole Church (ref. 1 Corinthians 12:7), but we should still “earnestly pursue love and eagerly desire [the best] spiritual gifts,” (ref. 1 Corinthians 12:31; 14:1) and especially “strive to excel in gifts that build up the Church”. Paul specifically desired that all could prophesy, because it served to edify, encourage, comfort others, which strengthened and built up the Body (ref. 1 Corinthians 14:1-5, 12).

Paul writes extensive thanks to the Churches of Asia because he and his companions “were comforted in [their] comfort” and that their “spirit was refreshed by you all” (1 Corinthians 16:18; 2 Corinthians 7:13; Philemon 1:7, 20; 2 Timothy 1:16). Paul simplifies these two major roles of the spiritual gifts in his letter to the Thessalonians and Corinthians, urging them to continue to “comfort/restore and edify one another” (ref. Thessalonians 5:11; 2 Corinthians 13:11).

The Holy Spirit fell upon men to renew them when they needed to be re-tuned with Him and sought to bring them towards the fullness of God. Likewise, our spiritual gifts must focus on restoring those God has placed under our care and refine the Body of Christ to be built up in His Likeness. By understanding these two major responsibilities, we can better operate and mature in our gifts and fulfill our purpose within His Kingdom.

Prepared by, Kent Simpson, Apostolic Prophet & Eric Sepulveda, PMT Administrator

Gifts of the Holy Spirit

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Fruits of Spiritual Harvest: Seven Species

As the Israelites marched towards the Promised Land, God eased their fears about what kind of country they would be inheriting by describing the land filled with the Seven Species. These agricultural crops (Wheat, Barley, Grape Vines, Figs, Pomegranates, Oil Olives, and Date Honey) not only blessed the Israelites pantries but served as Prophetic Signs of Christ’s future relationship with those who would be part of His Spiritual Kingdom.

Wheat
Wheat harvest began with the Feast of Weeks/Pentecost, which all the Jewish males from around the world were required to observe. Christ explained to His Disciples that true Christians would be separated based on their fruits, alluding to the distinguishing between wheat and weeds during harvest. Likewise, those who bore good fruits would be collected and protected in the barn, while the weeds would be burned in the fire. Christ clarified that like a wheat kernel’s “death” before its production of fruits, so too would Christians need to cast off the physical to produce spiritual fruits. After Christ’s Ascension, it was during the wheat harvest/Pentecost when the first of Christ’s Followers were filled with the Holy Spirit.

Barley
Barley harvest began on the Feast of First Fruits which coincided and overlapped with the celebration of Passover. All men were required to present the first designated sheaths of barley to the Temple to perform a wave offering. As their households had been emptied of all un-sanctified grain before Passover, this presentation of the first fruits of their field was a display of faith that God would provide for all of their physical needs. Barley was the food of the poor but God performed several miracles to feed the faithful through this grain. Because Christ rose on the Feast of First Fruits, we too can be assured that we will not only have our physical needs provided for, but also conquer Death.

Grape Vines
Christ proclaimed that He was The True [Grape] Vine and His Disciples were The Branches. Apart from Him they could nothing and would become a Useless Vine like Jerusalem, which would be thrown into the fire for its unfaithfulness, like a grape vine which had cross-pollinated with a wild variety and was now producing only stinking rotten berries. But, if they instead abided in Him, whatever they wished would be done for them and whatever they asked in Christ’s name, The Father would give them to empower them in their charge to bear much fruit that would last. The Father was the Husbandman who would cut away any unproductive branches, but those which bore fruits would be pruned and purified so that they could bring forward even more fruits.

Figs
Fig trees were first mentioned when Adam and Even sewed aprons/tunics to cover their nakedness. Though figs were symbols of prosperity, they also represented the decadent religiosity that Israel fell into when they were flourishing financially. Christ likened Jerusalem to the barren fig tree which had hid its nakedness and lack of fruit with leaves. The cursed fig tree served as a warning to believers that He did not want useless presentations of pious displays and that all trees which lacked fruits would be cut down and thrown into the fire. The unique nature of fig trees to put out immature unfertilized fruits before developing leaves was also a reminder to focus on the production of spiritual fruits ahead of anything else.

Pomegranates
Pomegranates were prominently displayed along the hem of the High Priest’s ministerial robes interspersed between golden bells. This coupling of pomegranates and Lilies of the Valley was mirrored in the decorated crowns of the copper pillars at the entrance of the First Temple. The ironic pairing of pomegranates whose juice is known to stain nearly anything it touches and pure white Lilies of the Valley, were prophetic symbols of Christ’s blood which would conceal our blemishes and wash us white as snow. The hundreds of fruits within the pomegranates also serve as an intense reminder of the spiritual fruits we are capable and responsible for developing.

Oil Olives
Olive Oil was one of the key ingredients in many aspects of the Tabernacle and Temple worship services, but raw olives could not be used to create this ever important oil. They had to be heavily processed through pulverization before they could have their oil extracted and then go through a filtration process to create the “clear/pure oil of beaten olives” required to fuel the Tabernacle’s Lamp. The Early Church was likened to a wild olive branch that had been grafted into the domesticated trunk of Israel, giving them access to Christ’s Spiritual Kingdom. Believers would no longer be limited to anointing by olive oil, but could now be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Date Honey
Dates were the first fruits that the Israelites encountered after crossing the Red Sea, and the succulently sweet fruit of the 70 glorious date palms and 12 springs of Elim would have been seen as a source of salvation while wandering in the desert. This connection to salvation was seen in the waving of the date palm frond during the Festival of Sukkot/Tabernacles, as each year the Temple of Jerusalem was surrounded by tens of thousands of Israelite men waving date palm frond bouquets while chanting (transliterated: “Hosanna!”) asking God to save them and to send them prosperity. When Christ made His Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem for Passover, the adoring crowds recognized Him as the Messiah and instinctively found palm branches to throw before His path while chanting “Hosanna!” amongst His praises. Just as their forefathers gazed upon the high hanging fruits of the date palms in the wilderness as a source of rescue, Christ also wound hang to provide salvation and eternal life.

Though the Israelites understood the Seven Species to describe the richness of the Promised Land, we can fully comprehend how God provided them as prophetic emblems of what He would do through His Beloved Son. Just these fruits were the only acceptable offerings in the Tabernacle, only our spiritual fruits will be considered and accepted by God. Through Christ’s Sacrifice we need not fear Death, as we are guaranteed forgiveness of sin and Eternal Life. By Baptism of the Holy Spirit, we can instead dedicate our lives which were bought by His Blood towards the development of spiritual fruits.

 

Prepared by, Kent Simpson, Apostolic Prophet & Eric Sepulveda, PMT Administrator