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WHY THINGS HAPPEN – CAUSE AND EFFECT

We love Him because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19 NKJV

You ask, He answers. You hunger and thirst, He fills. You show mercy, He reciprocates. You give, He multiplies His favor. You are always IN what you are giving OUT. The greatest advice ever given to any born again one – do justly, love mercy, walk humbly with your God.

With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful; With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless; Ps 18:25 NKJV

In prayer recently I went before the Lord to find out why I was not seeing the miracles that I had seen at other times in my life. Now, we are seeing miracles, especially among our students and others we have trained and released. But in my own life, I wasn’t seeing them to the degree and in the frequency that I had seen them from, say 1995 to 2006. What was happening?

But earnestly desire (Grk. ZELOO) the best gifts…1 Cor 12:31 NKJV

There was a simple answer – earnestly desire the best gifts. When I reflected on my life, I realized that when I first started to travel and teach, I was hungry for miracles. When I would return home from a trip, I wanted to be able to report genuine, as-verifiable-as-possible miracles. Cause and effect. What you ask for, you receive. Up until 2006, I was, in a sense, a one-man show. Except for when I traveled with Dr. Jack Tuls or others, I basically travelled alone. I asked for miracles and they came, wonderfully.

But in 2006, we launched the intern training, and Dr. Tuls had agreed that Lightbearers would oversee our schools in Africa, so there was a shift. I started to focus on asking that my students, not so much myself, would be doing miracles. Nothing validates a teacher like a student bearing fruit! This has continued up to this day. The answer now is obvious – ask for both!

ZELOO is translated in the KJV as ‘covet earnestly.’ Isn’t it wrong to covet? There is a passive spirit within churches and congregations that deadens the power of God. When it combines with a religious spirit it becomes almost impossible to teach those people about walking in the Kingdom. Colossians three says that covetousness is idolatry, yet many of the greatest men and women of God in the scriptures were wealthy. In fact, they seemed to grow in wealth as they walked with God.

What you learn is that it’s not about what you see on the outside, but what’s in the heart that matters. If you have poverty in your heart, even if you are given great wealth, you will soon have material poverty again (many professional athletes are financially penniless five years after leaving the professional ranks…and don’t even talk about lottery winners!). But if your spirit grows up in God, you will eventually have both great spiritual wealth and material abundance. The wealthiest believers I’ve ever known have always been humble people with deep spirits, dreamers who believed God well and increased in favor. Fruit always catches up with faith!

Pursue love, and desire (Grk. ZELOO) spiritual gifts…1 Cor 14:1 NKJV

ZELOO is used three times in reference to the gifts and ministries in the body here in this section of 1 Corinthians. It devastates me to realize how we have ignored God’s Word, or rationalized it away in our religious prejudice! Truly healthy born again ones are hungry for the things of God and His Spirit. In Uganda, in every diocese where we have gone to introduce the Holy Spirit to the pastors they have been zealously ready to receive. The only exceptions have been religiously prejudiced bishops and unsaved pastors…many of whom get saved and filled with a little gentle teaching! We are to zealously seek the things of the Spirit…

Now what are the best gifts?

For you and I as students of the Word, this becomes challenging, because different Greek texts give us two wholly different Greek words that we have translated here as the word ‘best.’ The Nestle Aland text uses the word MEIZON while the Textus Receptus text uses the word KREITTON. Which word should it be? Without understanding the gifts of the Spirit and their purposes and uses, in other words, the context of 1 Corinthians 12:31, we can’t find the right answer.

Another thing to consider is that the textual critic which is a researcher who compares differing Greek texts to develop what is called a critical Greek text, if they themselves do not personally know and understand the gifts of the Spirit, they will not be able to discern what the true words should be either. But you and I can…

The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Ps 12:6 NKJV

The word MEIZON, every other place it is used is translated ‘greater.’ If we translate MEIZON consistently, the verse should read, “but covet earnestly the greater gifts…” Tell me, are there ‘greater,’ and thereby ‘lesser’ gifts of God? Some people think so! Some undervalue and denigrate speaking in tongues as to say it is the least of all the gifts. Shame on them! All of God’s gifts are equally perfect, righteous and invaluable. Thank God there is a different word to look at…

KREITTON is translated ‘better’ in every other usage of it in the New Testament. If we stay consistent we will translate it as ‘better’ here as well; so that our verse would read ‘but covet earnestly the better gifts.’ Are there better gifts? NOT IN QUALITY OR VALUE, but there can be in application. Some times you just need the gift of a word of wisdom. You don’t need to speak in tongues, or have a gift of healing right then, but you need a word of wisdom. The word of wisdom would be the ‘better’ gift in that situation. Do you see it?

‘Covet earnestly the better gifts.’ These gifts would also include the ministries in the body, like pastors, miracle workers and apostles. For instance, when you put together a ministry team, let’s say for a three day outreach, or even an international trip, you DON’T put it together based on personalities, but rather in light of ministries.  You need an evangelist, a miracle worker and an administrative gift. So, you seek those gifts for your team. Now, a miracle worker may have such a bad personality that they disqualify themselves from the team. But the personality is a secondary consideration, not a primary consideration. Do you get it?

So…what do you need? What gift of the Spirit, or what ministry in the body do you need right now? Many people would say, I don’t know. I will tell you this…God expects you to think! You think through what you need, study it and work it out, then earnestly covet it from Him. Faith gets energized when in love we take responsibility for our fruit. Cause and effect. You see it?

Now, what about the rest of this verse? Grab another cup of coffee and let’s go to work!

And yet I show (Grk. DEIKNUMI) you a more excellent way. 1 Cor 12:31 NKJV

This sentence has been used to justify ignoring the first part of the verse, to our own detriment and shame. It is all God’s Word, dear one! Let’s work this sentence and see how it fits with the first part of the verse.

“Come up here, and I will show (Grk. DEIKNUMI) you things which must take place after this.” Rev 4:1 NKJV

The Greek word for ‘way’ is HODOS meaning like a highway or path. A highway is going to have signs or directions that in a sense control your movements so that you pass through it safely. It’s going to have written as well as unwritten rules, that must be observed. Americans especially are known internationally for breaking unwritten rules wherever they go which invariably offends the locals. You have to learn the rules of the road!

The road here is the love of God, the rules of which are laid out in 1 Corinthians 13. The unwritten rules of the love of God is the wisdom required to apply it in every situation. This is as important as the written rules, the breaking of which can disqualify you from ministering in that situation, and could even cost your life if you do something really dumb.

Now, the word that fascinated me when I studied this was the word DEIKNUMI. DEIKNUMI is first used in Matthew 4:8 of the devil showing Jesus all the kingdoms of the world by revelation. Imagine that! It is used in Revelation 4:1 of the angel that would show Heaven to the Apostle John by revelation.

When we apply that understanding here, we realize that the love of God is a spiritual reality that must be perceived and received by revelation. Just as you cannot soulishly study the Bible and become an apostle, neither can you soulishly study the love way and expect to walk in it. Study is great, but the Lord has to take you a huge step further and reveal it, ‘show’ it to you. That’s the only way you get it!

I know people who may not study the Word of God very much, but they have had great revelations from God, especially of the love way. But I’ve also known great students of the Word who have had great revelations as well. The challenge is to love God with both your soul and your spirit.

But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way. 1 Cor 12:31 NKJV

So, lets put this all together. We are to earnestly think through, desire and seek the gifts that are most appropriate for the situation we are facing, and even in that God will reveal to us that transcendent path of the love of God that takes us to victory in every situation. You got it? Love you!

Remember dear ones, we must be about our Father’s business…

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