Stir up the gift

S. Sekou. Abodunrin

Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands 2 Tim 1:6

Paul writes this when his ministry was close to its end. Usually folks say the important things then.

You need to remember that the instructions in the book of Timothy are quite unlike the other epistles of Paul. They give us a peep into the type of instruction that one minister gave to a younger minister by the Spirit of God. The things of the Spirit of God can be learned and we should endeavour to press into this knowledge and walk.

There is a growing number that believe that what transpired between Paul and Timothy was that a spiritual gift was imparted when Paul laid his hands on Timothy. However, while this is a sacred cow for many, you cannot really find an instance in scripture where spiritual gifts were communicated from one human to another. Some would even cite the things that Paul told timothy above.

I want you to notice that Paul did not say to Timothy …..stir up the gifts of the Spirit, which is in thee .. Did he? Look at it again - He didn't.

What he said is that Timothy should stir up the gift of God, which was in him. Whatever it was then that was communicated to Timothy by the laying on of hands is not the gifts of the Spirit, but the gift of God. This is not just semantics :)

The exercise of Spiritual gifts is really governed by the Spirit of God and not by man. It is not safe to exercise a gift just because you choose to. There is something about learning to wait for the timing of God for the exercise of that which is given to you by God through his Spirit. We get over into fleshly operations when we try to exercise gifts of the Spirit thinking that we just “stir it up” - if you are conversant with the flow of the Spirit you realise that you don't just “stir up a gift”, but that you wait on the Lord who governs the exercise of these gifts of the Spirit.
The instruction of Paul to timothy obviously implies that this “gift of God” could be stirred up by Timothy; the implication is that minister Timothy can do this whenever he chooses. This is scriptural and valid and more of us should practice this instruction.

Stirring up the gift is your responsibility; scripturally speaking, no other person can do it for you. So do not try to get another person to do for you that which the Spirit will teach you to do. You have no business sitting down there like you have nothing residing deep within for you do. You do not need hands laid again, what you must do is stir it up. Paul told timothy in effect that it is what he has within that counts. Do not go about chasing some extra anointing - use the one that you already have by firstly stirring it up. When we do not stir up the gift, we loose awareness of spiritual things and begin to think that what we need is some extra thing that's out there somewhere.

Some folks are always looking for someone to stir them. There is something not right about that. Timothy had a memory problem -he forgot some things. He forgot the important things and began to rest on his age and his inabilities in the natural. This tendency to forget the things that really mattered got him into timidity and fear and made him shy away from the development of that which God had committed to his charge. Paul says what you need is to bring these facts to your mind then get stirred up by stirring the gift of God within.

So what is this “gift of God” that Paul instructed Timothy to stir up?

17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost
18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,
19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost
20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money Acts 8: 17 - 20

The Apostles Peter and John laid hands because they had a ministry in this area. Phillip had stirred the whole city and he could have ministered the Holy Ghost to these Christians, but they recognised that Peter and John were “specialists” in this area and so Phillip opened the door for the expression of this ministry. The point I want you to see is that they ministered the Holy Ghost through the LAYING ON OF HANDS.

Simon recognised that there was a power by which the Apostles ministered the Holy Ghost. He wanted this power. He had watched the Apostles minister the Holy Ghost; he knew exactly how they ministered - through the laying on of hands.

There is a lot that we can glean from this passage. We have a scarcity of Peter's response in our day. People talk of a money-anointing connection. I guess in our day some would say he was sowing “into the anointing” or “plugging into the anointing” in the Apostolic office by sowing money! Apparently Peter 's theology didn't recognise such. He said - your money perish with thee :)

Peter linked this with the “gift of God”. Clearly then, the gift of God refers to what we know as the baptism of the Spirit.

We can then say that the “gift of God” that comes through the laying on of hands is the baptism in the Holy Ghost. Some could say that eternal life is the “gift of God”, while that is true, it cannot be what Paul had in mind because salvation is neither communicated nor received through the laying on of hands.

We understand then that Paul is teaching timothy primarily that speaking in other tongues, which originates from the baptism of the Spirit, is the valid way to get stirred up. If you link this with 2 Tim 1.7 it means that as you speak in other tongues your mind will get past certain ministerial fears more quickly and a divine boldness will awaken out of you with power.
Getting past these fears and operating in a sound mind is what is called edification.

You do not need to run around town looking for extra anointing or extra hands laid on you. Now, I didn't say that it is wrong to have hands laid on you, but asides the case of healing, it seems laying on of hands is initiated by God and not man. What you need is edification - you can initiate this. Edification hands you over to boldness and fearlessness. Naturally, this means that you will be able to stand in your call more fully with precision. You see, that which stirs the gift of God will take you into the fullness of God and hand you over to the greater anointings that should be your walk.

If I place the word on my lips and boldly declare it, I will get stirred. The same is true of worship and recalling the private conversations you have had with the Lord.

…. To be continued

Giving what you have from God

S. SEKOU ABODUNRIN

I want to encourage you to read through 1 Corinthians chapters 12, 13 & 14. In 1 Corinthians 12 we have the manifestations of the Spirit, while in chapter 13 we have the great expose on love. The Apostle felt it important to discuss these two concepts before going onto chapter 14. Chapter 14 is in effect an application of chapter 12 and 13. Chapter 14 will not make any sense until you realise that it is an outline of how love will seek to bring the greatest possible benefit through the manifestation of the Spirit. It is seeking to describe love beings in fellowship. When you mix love and the manifestation of the Spirit together you have the local church in expression.

The local church is a place where love reaches out through one believer to bless another believer. This puts the supernatural in proper perspective. The supernatural manifestations of the Spirit are not a badge of spirituality in themselves, they only serve their purpose when we are well adjusted to our love nature. Love is spirituality. The manifestation is an aid to showcase this love. The manifestation will also as quickly showcase unlove and confusion if these lessons are ignored, the problem is not with the manifestation, but with unlove.

But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal 1 Cor 12:7

We see that the manifestation is given; it is given by the Spirit to our spirit so that we can receive it and give it on to others. It is easier to think that the problem is on the giving side so we plead with God to send manifestation whereas he is far more willing and able to manifest himself than our asking can ever express. He has given, but do we receive? Many dont receive, Then some that receive are unaware that God's intent was to bless others. The reason for the manifestation of the Spirit is to bring benefit or profiting to the believers around you. The implication of this is that there is a whole lot that the Spirit of God would pour out to you in your private life that is not really meant for you alone. Often the believer has been conditioned to expect this flow when he is in “meetings”, while it is true that there will be manifestation while gathered with other believers the real flow happens when you are not in a “spiritual” environment. This is the very reason why many Christians think that the Spirit does not flow through them when in reality he does but unlove stops them from pressing further to bring the manifestation out into the open where it can bless some other person. We are often expecting some “new” thing, when we already have his ministry within.

This is where 1 Cor 13 comes in. It is the prevalence of God’s love within you that will open you up to the fact that the manifestations of the Spirit that you often personalise are really meant for the edification of another person. We are often not sensitive to this because of the ceiling that the flesh imposes on our soul – things like sadness, depression and melancholy. So when the comfort of God flows out of our spirits we quickly appropriate it for ourselves and sadly it all ends there. The melancholy is reversed and we are now happy!! Yippee!! In reality if you weren’t sad to start with, it would have been obvious that the surge of encouragement that you can perceive must be for another’s benefit. The fact then is that until I learn to walk in God, I would unconsciously think every “word” or “prophecy” that comes to me in private is for me! We are the hand that Christ will use to extend comfort into the lives around us. Because we think this way we know that utterance manifestations will pour out of our spirits by God's Spirit to edify people.

Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 2 Cor 1:4

This teaches that in any trouble we can expect comfort. We receive from this comfort, but the comfort of the Spirit that is flowing in the midst of our tribulations is not primarily given for our benefit alone but that through us, as yielded vessels, God is able to convey his mercy to others. We are required to take this edification that we have in the midst of trials and tribulations and brood upon it until we become full of the ministry of God. When we get to the presence of other men, the Spirit reaches within this fullness that we have within and pours out tremendous blessing to others. This is only possible when love reigns in me. Otherwise it is all about me.

Very often believers are waiting for some mysterious force to shake them or make their teeth rattle before they move out in the spirit, but the truth is that you can rise up within and allow the activity of the Spirit in you to bless others.

How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying 1 Cor 14:26

According to the truths presented in 1 Cor 14 believers ought to go to church conscious of the fact that they already have something. You receive this in private. The emphasis in our day makes church largely a thing of “coming to get”, which is good in its own place, but there is something better – coming to give that which you have from God. He is talking of things that we had before the meeting and not because we came to the meeting to start with. Imagine what would happen when believers become so love-aware that they rush to meetings in order to give that which will edify another. The implication is that before the meeting you are meant to have something, and this is not about offerings, but about the release and operation of the Spirit through you!

Since you already have these things before the meeting, it shows that there is nothing magical about the venue that suddenly causes you to be spiritual. The meeting is not really where you come to get something to give “on the spur of the moment”; it is a place where you watch for the timing of when to give what you already have.

As we develop in love, we become so conscious of the people that God wants to reach out to that we become full of the answers. We carry these answers into the meetings. You realise that Paul just listed 5 broad categories – psalm, doctrine, tongue, revelation & interpretation. This would mean that a church of 50 Christians would have about 10 people each with about the same message to deliver! This is good. The thing to note is that you shouldn’t go for a meeting and everything spoken was over your head. You should have a witness. Everyone ought to know something before the meeting.

Paul said two or three should do the speaking in the general meeting. He is not saying only these should talk at all. This definitely means that the greatest blessing doesn’t happen in the general assembly, otherwise why did everyone come with things to minister and you allow only two or three? Love will teach you that there is timing for the delivery of what you have. Likely you belong to some unit or group in church, what do you do there? Talk about the size of the new church bus? Or the colour of Gordon brown’s latest shirt? These are powerful opportunities to deliver what you have. While hugging the folks at close of service the love-man doesn’t fume that he wasn’t called out to minister, he knows the people to hug, the ones to run after at the close of service so that he can release the ministry of God.

… to be continued.

Aggressive pursuit of His peace!

S. SEKOU ABODUNRIN

Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. Eph 2:3

Are you aware that all that most men will do in this life will be a fulfilment of the desires of the flesh and the mind? This is true both for believers and unbelievers. The origin of this is evidently Adam.

If language means anything, it implies that Adam was not acting out and fulfilling the desires of God. You see, Adam was the first to walk in the flesh. He gave birth to it. Then we are told that his mind was effectively dominated by the flesh, and then he fulfilled or acted on that which his mind and his flesh were agreed upon.

Adam was not deceived. It wasn’t something that Satan did to him, it was some deadly force, mightier that anything that the enemy could do. This force had seized control of the government of Adam’s life. Something had happened in Adam that made him eat of that tree in genesis. That is the origin of the flesh. Adam demonstrated a preference for the flesh, we can demonstrate a preference for the new nature.

I want you to see that the bible talks about the lusts or passions of the flesh and the desires of the mind. We are told that this is the effective summary of what the unbeliever calls life. Imagine what it means to have 80 or 90 years experience in the flesh. Paul is now writing to Christians and reminding them of this flesh walk. Majority of the men on earth today live all of their lives and die and never once walk away from the flesh!

Men effectively say “no” to the devil even when they were unbelievers, for it is evident that no sinner carries out all of the wild things that swim in his mind, yet according to the revelation conveyed through the apostle, no sinner has ever dominated the flesh in its passions, desirings and longings. In simple terms the flesh is a stronger opponent than the devil or the world.

The challenge mounted against your new nature in Christ Jesus will largely come from one or all of three sources: the world, the devil and the flesh. The greatest will directly come from the flesh. God has revealed in his word that both the devil and the world need the flesh in order to effectively challenge the new nature. In simple terms as I learn the secret of mounting an aggressive attack on my flesh, the devil’s foothold is reduced to zero.

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh        Gal 5:16

You are aware that Jesus has not killed our flesh. A fellow who participates in the new nature of God in his spirit still has to face the challenge that the flesh will throw at him. Sometimes this challenge is subtle, and at other times blatant, but make no mistake – the flesh is the greatest challenge that can make mockery of the wealth resident in your spirit man this very hour.

The flesh imposes its regiment upon your soul in the form of desires. It is this desire or longing that is referred to as lust. There are tendencies in your soul today that are as old as you are, you grew up knowing that characteristic as true of you. Nothing could be farther from the truth though. Much of what we call our personality today is actually flesh-inspired tendencies of moodiness, gloom, sadness, worry and the likes. You even hear some Christians confidently refer to themselves as gloomy or melancholic – beautiful language for the supremacy of the flesh over the powerful force we know as the human emotion. Your soul is a gift from God. It is designed to express your new nature, just like your body was designed to be the house and dwelling place of God through your spirit.

As you read this, perhaps your flesh is already staging a protest, you think that gloom or some "5 minutes of daily madness" describes you for you have known these to be true all of your life, but it is not you, it is a gift from Adam through the fall. Do not take your emotions and your mind for granted – your soul has the capacity to transform every aspect of your life to whatever it is that you expose it to continually! If you expose your soul to the flesh, you will transform to and fulfil the lusts of the flesh! Experience after experience will confirm to you that it is your personality at work, but it is a lie. You must learn to resist the flesh’s hold on your spirit. In your new nature there is calm and boldness - the type that abounds in God's very nature.

Paul tells us in Galatians that there is an answer to this Adamic dilemma called the flesh. The answer is to walk in our new nature. Your true personality is expressed through your new nature. This true personality will not showcase itself by some overpowering force whether you like it or not, no! you are required to cooperate by yielding to your new nature.

It tells us a profound truth – if I walk in the spirit, I will not fulfil the lusts of the flesh. This truth also implies that if I walk in the flesh I will not fulfil the lusts of the spirit. You see, the word “lust” simply means intense desire. There are things that your new nature wants fulfilled in your world today, just like there are things that your flesh wants fulfilled. It is up to you, which you choose to walk in.

Flesh will inspire you to say “I am a moody person” or “I am depressive by nature” when you say that, you are acknowledging the flesh. Your tongue is being used as the bucket to draw out of the wrong river, and its water can be very very bitter!! It is actually the flesh at work because mood swings or depression are not listed amongst the fruit of the spirit in Gal 5:22.

Take back your emotion today! Dig your foot in the sands of life and refuse to allow the flesh dictate how you feel any longer. The flesh is contrary to the new nature in your spirit. You see, just like salvation for your spirit is a gift, there are feelings of wellness in the river within you. You must receive these also by faith. Feelings are powerful, do not submit it to the forces of nature around you, for that exposes you to fleshly manipulations that will strip your emotions bare and cut you down. The hostility has been raging for as long as you have been born again. Now you must recognise that there is a war, then boldly fight to win! You dig your foot by taking a stand in the word. Only the word of God contains the blue print of your true emotion and mind. The more you know of yourself through God’s word, the less effective the flesh’s aggression on your life becomes.

Do all things without murmurings and disputings:        Phil 2:14

Paul penned those lines with his hands and feet chained, treated like a common prisoner of Rome. He was standing waist deep in the fluid flow of the sewage system of Philippi! This man through whom God brought forth a large chunk of the New Testament was literally standing in dung. He wasn’t going to allow the flesh use this to seize the government of his emotions. He lifted his eyes and locked in on his new nature and wrote that all things can be done without murmuring! What a salvation we have in God.

I discovered in my own life that sadness and gloom have gradually lost their appeal to me. There used to be an intense war in keeping my soul away from gloom and sadness, but I have realised that the war is only as intense as the ignorance that my soul walks in. As the light of God’s word has shown me my true feelings and my true emotions, the intensity of the war has reduced! The flesh hasn’t given up, but the intensity is largely gone in this area. We can aggressively walk in the new nature taking territories of our emotion and mind back one stand at a time …..


…To be continued