Testimonies of Impartation

I have a good friend who has a strong gifting in words of knowledge. He laid hands on me to impart this gift because Jesus taught freely we have received, freely we can give (cf. Matthew 10:8). Since that time, I have noticed a dramatic increase in the frequency and accuracy of my words of knowledge. Just recently I was having lunch with another friend who knew the owner of the restaurant. The owner came out to talk with us and as she was speaking I asked God if there was anything she needed prayer for. He highlighted the back of her shoulder. During a break in the conversation I inquired if she had any pain or problems with her shoulder and pointed to the specific area on my own shoulder. She exclaimed, "You have no idea!" and then proceeded to tell us how she had recently fallen on that exact spot and was experiencing severe pain. She allowed my friend and I to pray for her shoulder and all the pain went away!

Last week I had an opportunity to pray for people after a church service. Before heading up to the front to pray, I asked God to show me what He was going to heal. He told me shoulder and lower back. The first person who came up for prayer had problems with his lower back. I told him God had just told me about a shoulder and lower back. He responded by telling me that he also could not lift his arm over his head because of shoulder pain. Why he didn't mention this issue to begin with I don't know but after praying he was able to lift his arms over his head without any pain! God is good!

"As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give." Matthew 10:7-8

Impartation Continued

There is a curious story in Genesis 27 when Jacob steals the blessing from his older brother Esau by tricking their blind father Isaac. Apparently Esau was as hairy as a goat because Rebekah placed goat skins on Jacob's hands and neck to fool Isaac into giving Jacob the blessing reserved for the first born son. Although Isaac is suspicious at first, he eventually releases a blessing on Jacob. Esau later goes to see his father for the blessing and both of them are dismayed when they realize Jacob had deceived them.

Isaac says to Esau, "Behold, I have made Jacob your master, and all his relatives I have given to him as servants; and with grain and new wine I have sustained him. Now as for you then, what can I do, my son?" Why couldn't Isaac simply give the blessing back to Esau after he realized the deception? The key to understanding this story lies in the principle of impartation. When Isaac blessed Jacob, and in all likelihood laid hands on him, something was transferred into Jacob that couldn't be undone. A spiritual transaction took place between Isaac and Jacob that was irreversible. This is the power of impartation. In Genesis 48, Jacob would be the one laying hands on Joseph's children releasing a blessing. Somehow many Christians do not know much about this special principle. It is time to restore this basic teaching of Christ so that the Church may be strengthened to advance the Kingdom!

So the LORD said to Moses, "Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay your hand on him". Numbers 27:18

Impartation

The writer of Hebrews admonishes people to leave the elementary teachings about Christ and then proceeds to identify what these are (6:1-2). These foundational Christian principles are repentance from sin, faith in God, baptism, laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. Out of these six basics, five of them are very familiar to most believers. The salvation message is that we must believe in God (Jesus), repent from our sins, and get baptized so that when we die we will be resurrected and avoid eternal judgment. Unfortunately, many churches provide little to no teaching or experience on the laying on of hands.

This passage in Hebrews is not necessarily referring to the laying on of hands to pray for the sick. It is about impartation. Paul refers to this principle in Romans 1:11 when he tells the believers in Rome that he desires to see them in order to impart some spiritual gift. The Church must restore this elementary teaching of Christ in order to maintain a strong foundation for higher level truths. I will talk more about this idea in the next post.

"You are to bring the Levites before the LORD, and the Israelites are to lay their hands on them." Numbers 8:10

Shadows

Shadows are fascinating phenomena. As we all know, they occur when light hits an object and casts an image of the object in the area where the light is blocked. Shadows are wonderful especially on hot, sunny days because they provide protection from the heat. But they do more than offer respite to the sun scorched. Shadows are a sign that something greater exists than what is necessarily visible.

The shadow of a tree is not greater than the tree itself. It simply reflects the reality of the tree. In the same way, many of the things we experience in our world are merely shadows of a greater reality- the spiritual realm. Birth, marriage, having children, death are all signs of a superior existence that the world is longing for but has yet to grasp. It is the Church's responsibility to demonstrate and teach about this revelation so that people will not feel content in the shade but hunger for what is casting the shadow.

"The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves." Hebrews 10:1

Waiting

Waiting is usually not an enjoyable endeavor for many people. We like speed, green lights, fast food, quick entry, and no delays. We are pressured to perform and produce in a short amount of time. Our pace of life is definitely faster than previous generations and yet there still seems to be not enough hours in the day to do everything we would like. Waiting is a godly principle and holy attribute. It is associated with rest, trust, peace, and security. When we choose to wait on God we are holding fast to faith to allow His best for our lives.

One of the most important examples of waiting comes in Acts when Jesus tells his disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is interesting because Jesus already breathed upon them the Holy Spirit in John 20:22. Why did they need to wait for it again? On Pentecost the disciples received a baptism of the Holy Spirit in wind, fire, and power. Just as Jesus was "full of the Holy Spirit" in Luke 4:1, he went through his 40 days of testing in the desert and returned in the "power of the Spirit" (Luke 4:14). May we wait on God to receive a fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit so that we will walk in power as we advance the Kingdom!

"Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles." Isaiah 40:31