Confusing Giftedness with Personality or Weaknesses

A person becomes a spiritual leader when his life lines up:

• Passion
• Life Experiences
• Giftedness
• Calling
• Style

When all those come together at the same time it's a wonderful thing. Add to that an anointing beyond simple giftedness and you have a man or woman who are ready and able to be used by God in a big way.

The problem we as Christians have is we decide somehow that the Gifted and Anointed person must be perfect. WOW. There's a stretch.

Pastor Phil spoke today from Chapter 7 of Romans. The long and short of that Chapter is Paul the Apostle was gifted of God but weak. That's me. That's probably you.

If the Apostle Paul confesses that he is subject to weakness in his flesh how much are you or your pastor or the man you respect as a prophet, evangelist, teacher or apostle weak? How is it that we developed this idea that we as ministers of Jesus must be perfect?

In the Lutheran Church many wear robes to cover their weak flesh to show that it's the office that's strong and not the person. I doubt very seriously that Paul former of Tarsus wore any such robes. In fact I suspect he was pretty human.

For that reason I am against the wearing of robes. It assigns unhuman qualities to a very still human man or woman serving God.

I believe that God is now using Todd Bentley with lip studs, earring, and way more tattoos and rings than any human should have to confuse the wise. It's too much for me sometimes. He's overweight, has the dunlop waistline. He is imperfect in every way. Yet he is gifted beyond measurement on a human scale.

Last Sunday after evening service in Rockford Peggy and I were stopped in the parking lot. I had spoken briefly a word of Prophecy. I made an impact. They wanted to know more about the Prophet. How did I become a prophet? When did I realize that the gift of Prophecy was on me? How did I cultivate it? What's it like for Peggy to be married to a prophet? That last one (which we get fairly often) is humorous. Being married to a prophet is like any other marriage. I had a couple women come to Peggy once after a Meeting I conducted under the anointing. They said, "It must be wonderful to be married to such a gifted man of God like your husband is". She was gracious and said it was. If they only knew.

I tried very hard to dissuade the people in Rockford of the whole idea that the gift and the man are somehow at any level equal. They aren't. I am a gift, wrapped in human flesh given by God to the Body of Christ and open to anyone who will unwrap it. I know many pastors, teachers, evangelists and apostles who are as flawed as I am. Certainly as weak. Certainly as prone to humanity. Yet the gift is without repentance. I am studying Romans 11 right now and the gift of God without repentance factor is big in that chapter.

I know where I am weak. I'm not going to list them all here. Anger is one. Pugnacity is another. I'm sensitive to being marginalized more than I should be. I'm impatient sometimes. And I can be petty. Many would say human. Yep, that's me.

I have a good friend who is a pastor who says to me, "If you were in my church you would scare me to death". Not the gift or who I am. The fact that I could cause uproar. I try not to. But I could. I try very hard to keep the up to a low roar.

So, my dear friends, relatives and associates, please understand that the gift of the office of Prophet is a gift wrapped in human and flawed flesh. Just like every prophet in the Old Testament was. They were all unusual in some ways. They were all a pain in the butt to many in leadership. But they were essential to the health of the Body.

Just as are the Apostle, Teacher, Evangelist and Pastor. Please, Please, apply the same principles of judging character to the Prophet that you would to any other five fold ministry gift carriers. They are human, flawed and just like you. They just happen to carry a gift. Don't make the mistake of rejecting a great gift because it comes in a badly wrapped nasty looking (and sometimes acting) package. Like me.

Every Apostle, Teacher Evangelist and Pastor on the earth if you were to hang out with them 24-7 would start to show scars and flaws that might cause you to question the call of God on their life. That would be a big mistake. Romans 11.

Many would and in fact did reject the Apostle Paul's giftedness for others who came with a better pin striped suit. Read 2 Corinthians 11

Discernment would be very important here. Fear God and you will be established, listen to the Prophets and you will Prosper. That's Bible.