LIVING WATERS from Lightbearers

It was 1976, and I was on a flight from Houston to Dallas Texas. Having no inflight entertainment system, I picked up a copy of TEXAS AIR magazine to help take my mind off the rough air we were experiencing. There I read an article that captured my attention! One enterprising Texan had built a carburetor for a Ford Galaxy 500 vehicle that enabled it to get 114 miles to a gallon of gas. I knew the Galaxy’s. My parents had one with the big block engine like the one in the article and it drank a gallon every four to five miles. Here was one that could get over 100 miles to a gallon on the highway! Interestingly, we had just gone through our first gas crunch in ’72-’73 and every American became aware of the middle east and OPEC. Sadly, the inventor sold the patent to an oil company and it was never heard of again. But genius had been manifested and one of the great problems in the world, even today, could have been solved!

TWO TYPES OF GENIUS

…The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 1 Cor 15:45 NKJV

Adam was a genius. Adam named the animals. The genus names of the different species goes back to the most ancient antiquity, back to Adam, and they were brilliantly named. Jesus, as the last Adam, has restored to us Adamic authority over the earth and among others, the gifts of wisdom and genius to do that job with great virtue and excellence. I am continually amazed by the Spirit of God. I have been pursuing the Spirit for the last forty-five years, and I can say I’ve learned more in the past 5-6 years than the previous fifteen before that, even though that was a time of great learning as well. The potential we have in Christ is experientially limitless!

We are going to look at some of the great geniuses in the Word, and my thesis is that they are not outliers but rather types that can be held up by faith as potential for all believers. God is not a respecter of persons but He is a respecter of conditions, and when we meet those conditions in our own individual way, He can and will release the potential of His promises. Remember that in our previous article we talked about the principles of imagination, curiosity, passion and pureheartedness. We’ll see how those work in these lives as well!

As I see it there are two types of genius – genius that comes up in man in general as a descendent of Adam, and divinely inspired genius. The first would explain Shakespeare, Einstein, Fermi, Lennon and McCartney, among others – one in a million genetic outliers. Albert Einstein alongside Enrico Fermi, and the two Beatles, John Lennon and Paul McCartney, may be examples of synergy that takes genius to another level – 1+1=3. But the genius that you and I can tap into, divine inspired genius, is not an outlier but a gift coming from God that is available to every born again one.

EXAMPLES OF DIVINELY INSPIRED GENIUS

Let’s start to see some these guys in the Word. One of my favorite characters in the OT is a guy who never says a word, but he produces amazing works…Bezalel. Read this slowly and carefully. This is divinely inspired genius…

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship.

“And I, indeed I, have appointed with him Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and I have put wisdom in the hearts of all the gifted artisans, that they may make all that I have commanded you:  the tabernacle of meeting, the ark of the Testimony and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furniture of the tabernacle —  the table and its utensils, the pure gold lampstand with all its utensils, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the laver and its base —  the garments of ministry, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, to minister as priests, and the anointing oil and sweet incense for the holy place. According to all that I have commanded you they shall do.” Ex 31:1-11 NKJV

Then Moses called Bezalel and Aholiab, and every gifted artisan in whose heart the Lord had put wisdom, everyone whose heart was stirred, to come and do the work. Ex 36:2-3 NKJV

Bezalel and Aholiab may be examples of divine inspired synergy that produces far more than each could produce individually. Their heart was stirred indicating this is something they were passionate about, their curiosity and imagination enabling the Lord to take them to new heights. Remember that these things had never been built before! B and A had a team of Spirit filled artisans. My uncle, a born again one, was a physicist and he and his team of Army scientists patented night vision technology back in the ‘60’s. Curiosity may be the single greatest indicator that someone has the ability to learn, or continue to learn, so stay curious, my friend. I’ve met two people that I feel have Bezalel anointings, and when you enable them and loose them, they will produce something that is magnificent!

Remember Daniel and his buddies? You could write a whole book about the genius of these guys. These men were not outliers, but men of God under terrible circumstances, who probably had their genitals ripped from them, and yet they persevered, saved lives, influenced kings, prospered and pointed hearts to the coming Messiah!

As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. Now at the end of the days, when the king had said that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. Then the king interviewed them, and among them all none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore they served before the king. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm. Dan 1:17-21 NKJV

Solomon was another one… this is so sweet, so deep, that if you don’t stop and really contemplate what is said here, I haven’t gotten your attention yet!

On that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask! What shall I give you?”

And Solomon said to God: “You have shown great mercy to David my father, and have made me king in his place. Now, O Lord God, let Your promise to David my father be established, for You have made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude. Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of Yours?”

Then God said to Solomon: “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches or wealth or honor or the life of your enemies, nor have you asked long life — but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king —  wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; and I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like.” 2 Chron 1:7-12 NKJV

Talk about a pure heart! Think if the ‘kings’ of our culture – the businessmen, the entrepreneurs, the athletes, politicians and ‘influencers’ – had a heart like Solomon! Carl and I have been slowly wrapping our heads around the idea of not just reaching poor people but reaching the people who make rich and poor people, the people who shape culture, and leading them to Christ. How many could AOC influence, were she saved? Lebron James? Even Osama bin Ladin before he met the SEALS? How much good could be done if Soros really got saved? It may take a genius to reach a genius, but YOU can be that one, as we will see!

THE KEY TO THE GENIUS GIFT – THE WORD OF WISDOM

For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Cor 2:16 NKJV

Everyone knows that I am a big advocate of speaking in tongues. But the thing you must realize is that Adam, Bezalel, Aholiab, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshack, Abednego and Solomon received the gift of the word of wisdom, but never spoke in tongues. Prophecy, and the revelation and power gifts were all in operation before Pentecost, albeit on a limited basis in terms of who could receive them. Now, for you and I, speaking in tongues will help you to receive the word of wisdom – how so is a story for another day – but it is not necessary for you to receive. Solomon received because he asked. And therein lies the key to the genius gift…

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. James 1:5-6 NKJV

The context seems to imply wisdom in overcoming trials, which is great in itself, but what we’ve seen in the Word and in life is that the application is much broader, to include all that you are passionate about, have curiosity concerning or imagine, as you walk in Christ. It seems that, once you get it, as you walk it out the wisdom becomes more fuller, broader and richer as you walk into the fullness of why God gave you that wisdom and that desire in the first place. God becomes so shockingly GOD as you behold more and more of His glory! He wants to do this in every part of your life – even to build a better carburetor – and not just the ‘holy things’ that we think He only works in. Genius, just like Adam in Eden! It’s available to you. Just ask! But ask with passion, curiosity and imagination, with a pure heart. The whole creation waits for the manifestation of the sons of God, and this is part of it. Love you!

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