Resurrection Life of Jesus Church

As a pastor, I am confronted with situations in which people seek advice about what they should do. Sometimes I rely on my past experiences, but there are many instances when I come up empty and one of two things happens at that moment:

1. The Holy Spirit tells me what to do and I act upon it.

2. I tell the person that I need time to pray and seek the Lord about the matter.

During 56 years of ministry, I have encountered people who could not forgive people for past hurts. Even though the offender was dead, it was as if they had built a house in the mind of the afflicted person. The victim hosted them at every meal and even their sleep was interrupted by the wrongdoer. This is the not the abundant life promised by Jesus, but one that is ravaged by the Devil.

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)

I counseled a man, whom I will call Larry, that could not forgive the enemies whot had hurt him so greatly. I told him to write down the grievances, and when we met next in my office, I read through the injuries and told Larry that we were going to have a funeral. I took him to an area outside the city, and with the help of a shovel, we dug a small hole in the ground. Larry put the papers with the grievances in the hole and then I led him in a prayer to forgive and release his enemies. Then I had him declare that the injuries were in a grave to rot. Then we covered the hole and I had him declare, “All my enemies are now dead and buried. I am not going to dig them up again. I am free of them.”

Where did I get the idea for a funeral ceremony? From the Holy Spirit. Yes, there are many things – invisible to the human eye – which take place supernaturally, but often there are physical things we can also do to facilitate healing. This act of writing down and burying Larry’s grievances helped to set him free from unforgiveness and grief.

MOSES
Jesus instructed Moses to manufacture a tabernacle (a tent-like portable temple) while they wandered around in the wilderness. The Son of God went so far as to tell Moses the color of the different canvases, the kind of stiches to employ, and what kind of vessels would be in this portable temple.

Moses was not a craftsman. He had been trained as a prince of Egypt on how to rule a nation, conduct military campaigns, deal with crime, etc. Those were the qualities he needed as leader of the Israelites. However, Jesus said He would impart talent and knowledge into select men that would serve as craftsmen for the project.

“And Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, the LORD hath called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah;

And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship;

And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,
And in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work.

And he hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan.

Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work.” (Exodus 35:30-35)

These men had attended a trade school. They had been born slaves in Egypt and knew what it took to make bricks. They were totally uneducated, except in making bricks from straw and mud.

The Holy Spirit downloaded a computer program into their minds and then programmed their hands to make tools for the construction of the tabernacle items. The Holy Spirit supernaturally made them into skilled craftsmen who were able to produce beautiful things.

GUTENBERG
I believe the Holy Spirit gave Johannes Gutenberg the blueprint for a printing press in 1440, knowing that Martin Luther would translate the New Testament into German in 1522 and the Old Testament by 1534. By the time the German Bible translation was finished, the printing press had been perfected and the translations of the German Bible were mass produced.

SUMMARY
The gift of wisdom is available for all believers in Christ who have been baptized in the Holy Spirit. I believe that if there is a need to fabricate something that will benefit the Kingdom of God, any man or woman can be shown by the Holy Spirit how to design it, how to build it, and how to use it.

If you need wisdom to navigate in life, the Holy Spirit will reveal it to you. Nothing is impossible for the Holy Spirit.

“For with God nothing shall be impossible.” (Luke 1:37)

Operating in this gift of the Holy Spirit – or any other for that matter – is exciting because it means you are in God’s will and He is choosing to use you for something particular. It is wonderful knowing that the path you’re on is sanctioned by God and receiving His blessing in the form of one of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit.