When do we get to do the stuff?

John Wimber was a beer-guzzling musician who eventually signed with the Righteous Brothers. In 1963, at age 29, he was a drug-abusing pop musician who was converted while chain-smoking his way through a Quaker-led Bible Study.

He became a voracious Bible-reader and, after weeks of reading about life-changing miracles while simultaneously attending lackluster church services, John finally asked his church leaders, "When do we get to do the stuff? You know, the stuff here in the Bible; the stuff Jesus did, like healing the sick, raising the dead, healing the blind - stuff like that?"

When he was told they didn't do that anymore - only what they did in their weekly services - he replied, "You mean I gave up drugs for THAT?" 

Wimber may as well have asked, "You mean Jesus DIED for THAT?" He went on to establish the Vineyard churches all over the world.

Many years ago, while attending a Baptist Bible Study, I recall a young woman asking - no, BEGGING - the group, to help her develop a prophetic gifting she believed she had. I was certainly unqualified to respond at that time but I recall the deer-in-the-eadlights look on all the faces in the group, including the pastor. She sobbed desperately yet no one did or said anything. They weren't equipped any more than I was. After a few awkward moments of silence while she wept, we moved on with our study.

The poor woman only wanted to do "the stuff." The rest of us were content to merely read about it.

I could write volumes regarding similar situations where people got tired of drinking milk and were ready for some meat. Unable to find what they were seeking, they moved on to another church, joined a cult or abandoned Institutional church - at times Religion itself - all together. In my own life, because I've never been a quitter, I have found myself in similar situations where I had mastered the 1st grade education I was receiving from a particular group, was unwilling to look elsewhere out of loyalty, but God used circumstances to get me to move along and take the steps He had ordered for me. 

As I traveled this spiritual journey, I have been privileged to have taken part in doing "the stuff" on numerous occasions. One church I attended was filled with people who were actively trying to discover their spiritual gifts - jostling for position - and whenever I was asked what my gifts were, my response would be, "My gift is the Holy Spirit and He will give me whatever gift I need at any given time." See, it didn't make sense to me that, if I were to come across a man who'd been shot, that I would say, "Hang in there, buddy! My gift is hospitality... let me go find someone with the gift of healing!" 

Nonsense!

I have found that, as I grew in my faith and actually BELIEVED I had received power when the Holy Spirit came upon me, the next step was to PRACTICE - with little baby steps - and watch myself develop this gift or that. I laid hands on sick people until one actually got well and I couldn't wait to do it again. I always seemed to be around when a demon manifested itself and I learned by watching others minister deliverance and have been given many opportunities to do likewise. I have swallowed my pride and audibly spoken what I felt Father was saying to me to bless others. When I saw them responding positively, I asked God for more and He has responded in a big way. When I read about visions and dreams, I asked for that and receive them regularly. After reading that Father would bless me with Wisdom if only I asked, I asked!

Hear this: ALL the spiritual gifts mentioned in Scripture are able to be DEVELOPED. For example, the "school of the prophets" is referred to in 1 Samuel 10 and 19 and in 2 Kings 2, 4 -6. Obviously, anyone being schooled is being trained and is, therefore, developing. Problem is, far too many Christians are trapped within an institutional environment where developing Spiritual Gifts is frowned upon or the manifestation of these gifts holds a back seat to rituals and traditions. Obtaining any training OUTSIDE a particular church edifice or beyond certain denominational walls is not seen as an acceptable practice either. 

So, what is the result? We wind up presenting to the world an enormous army of swordless soldiers. We're big and weak with a form of godliness but no power to speak of (2 Timothy 3:5). We aren't turning our communities upside-down. Lives aren't being radically changed. For multitudes, their version of Christianity can be summed up with two phrases:

1. Going to church and 2. Trying to be good.

We can find Spiritual Gifts in four portions of Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12-14, Romans 12, Ephesians 4 and 1 Peter 4. In addition, Spiritual Gifts are mentioned elsewhere throughout the Bible . Obviously, these gifts are seen as important by the Holy Spirit who inspired their inclusion, important pieces required for the advancement of God's Kingdom.

Are YOU developing YOUR spiritual gifts? Has the Holy Spirit "come upon" you - the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead - enduing you with power to accomplish the works of the ministry God has given you? If you're doing anything for which you don't find yourself leaning upon and trusting God for HIS power, frankly, your God is too small. If what you are doing can be done under your own power, any time you needed it, I would question whether or not I was operating by way of any Spiritual Gifting at all.

The first step, of course, is receiving the Holy Spirit as He comes upon you. Ask for this. Seek it. Don't be afraid or entertain any thoughts such as, "What would my pastor think?"  That's not important! We're trying to build a Kingdom here, right? Father wants us ALL in the game, doing "the stuff."

Let's get busy!

Every blessing,

Michael Tummillo

Founder, The Church @ Work