What are your gifts making room for?

I have always had a problem with the interpretation of this scripture by some believers I’ve met over the years:

Proverbs 18:16 NKJV, “A man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before great men.”

As an Apostle in the Worship Arts, I meet people daily who worship their gifts and sabotage their own purpose and destiny. In context with how this scripture is often used and taught, men are pressed into places of worshiping their “gifts” instead of focusing on the one who released the gifts to them. It brings forth a wrong spirit, one of entitlement. One in which people believe that they are entitled to something simply because they “have or they work” a gift well. (Oh come on now, some of you know this is the truth. We have believers among us who are in PURSUIT of fame, notoriety and fortune in the name of God. THEY are making things happen verses waiting on God. Then, when they get to where THEY think they need to be, they do not have the character, intergrity or maturity in the Spirit to keep them there. They fall silently, unaware of their condition.)

Father said this to me this morning: “

I am not shallow that I would base the merit of my Word on the operation of a gift alone. All gifts, beloved, are only attributes of the whole man and my eternal purpose.”

People of God, take a moment this morning to ask yourself this question: “What does Proverbs 18:16 mean to you?” Be truthful. I had to... and I didn't like what I saw in my heart. Father showed me HOW DESPERATELY I needed humility... and Holy Spirit placed me on a solid road to grasp hold of it in my daily walk. No matter the gift, let me PLEASE my Father...

You see, for many people in the congregation of the Lord this scripture has an intensely carnal or flesh-focused meaning. They see their gifts from a perspective of being “recognized” by MEN and brought into places of human-focused respect, popularity, power, fame, fortune and influence. It is an opportunity to “FINALLY” get out there and finally make it as MEN SEE IT – to be heard and seen. It is a place of GREAT lust and desire. It is at the very seat of being validated by men.

Even now, some who read this will quickly say, “Hey, this isn’t me.” I challenge you today to consider that it very well could be you, and Father is calling YOU into a place of repentance. Truly, the interpretation of this scripture that we often hear is a far cry from what Father intended.

Never forget that as Sons of God, our primary purpose in the earth is two-fold: (1) To fulfill Matthew 28:18-20 which is to preach the Gospel and make disciples; and (2) To administer the ministry of reconciliation according to 2 Corinthians 5:15-17.

PURE MINISTRY (meaning ministry without motive) is born out of the pursuit in Yahshuah our Messiah to fulfill these objectives alone. No matter how you SPIN IT -- this will be the bottom line until our Lord returns. People of God, EVERYTHING must spring up out of this place – the very center of our Lord’s pursuits.

Father is asking: “Are you IN HIM? ARE YOU REALLY IN HIS SON or are you really in the world…. deceived by your own heart?” (Acts 17:28)

I am really enjoying studying the word of God from a Hebraic mindset versus that of the Greek and the Westernized influence of this generation. You see, from a Hebraic perspective – that place in which all scripture was originally inspired – the correct translation of Proverbs 18:16 in the Complete Jewish Bible actually says this:

A person's gift clears his way and gives him access to the great.

You see, THIS SOUNDS LIKE our God. This SOUNDS LIKE our Matthew 28:18-20 and 2 Corinthians 5:15-17 destiny. This gives clarity to 1 Peter 4:10 which says, “USE whatever gift you have been given to ADMINISTER the Gospel of Jesus Christ…”

In other words people of God, your gifts CLEAR THE WAY for you TO HAVE ACCESS to people who are CONSIDERED GREAT IN THE EYES OF MEN to share this wonderful Gospel message and to propel the name of the LORD in every possible way. By saying "propel His name" -- I'm not just speaking of SAYING IT or SPEAKING OUT how much you love the Lord, but I am speaking of LIVING THAT LIFE OF HOLINESS and sanctification in such a way that God's heart for reconciliation just OOZES from all that you do.

God needs impact, influence and change to take place in the midst of those WHO HAVE INFLUENCE IN THE HEARTS OF MEN. (Note: This is one aspect of having access to the great. There are other levels to this, but today... I was led to discuss this specific area.)

YOUR GIFTS --- ARE KEYS! THEY UNLOCK DOORS THAT CHRIST DESIRES TO WALK THROUGH WITH YOU IN HIM! ONCE YOU GAIN ACCESS – YOU ARE TO USE THAT GIFT TO BRING CHRIST FORTH HOWEVER HE LEADS! YOU ARE TO POUR THE SALT AND RELEASE THE SAVOR OF THE KINGDOM!

Father is asking you TODAY: “What does Proverbs 18:16 really mean to you? What desire is really at the bottom of your heart?” Can you be REAL with Holy Spirit today and confess and repent that you’ve made this scripture ALL ABOUT YOU, YOUR SUCCESS and YOUR GIFTS! Can you confess that you've seen this as a way to say to others: "Look at me now! I am somebody!" Can you confess and repent today that your MOTIVES may have been about stature in the natural and not in the spirit?

When your motives are PURE, your ministry will never be about YOU being great. When your MINISTRY is pure, your motives will never be about meeting people. It will ONLY BE ABOUT getting that message Father has placed on the inside of you INTO the ears and gates of the receiver.

Watch out for people who BRAG about who they know and where they’ve been! If you face one of them, ask them this question: “What message did you DELIVER to those people once YOUR GIFT gave you access?” You know, God is still sending Jeremiah's to Kings in this hour. He's still sending Christ into the marketplace to heal the sick, recover sight to the blind and cause the lame to walk.

You see, people of God, when Father opens a door like that… it isn’t just to PROSPER YOUR POCKET BOOK! It isn’t JUST to GROW YOUR MINISTRY! It is to RELEASE HIS WORD! It is to STRENGTHEN HIS KINGDOM IN SOME WAY! It’s not all about you… and your thing….

• Daniel’s gift CLEARED THE WAY and GAVE HIM ACCESS to the great… King Nebuchadnezzar
• Joseph’s gift CLEARED THE WAY and GAVE HIM ACCESS to the great… King of Egypt
• Moses’ gift CLEARED THE WAY and GAVE HIM ACCESS to the great… Pharaoh
• David’s gift CLEARED THE WAYA and GAVE HIM ACCESS to the great… King Saul

We can go on and on. Now, look at WHAT THEY DID when they GOT TO THOSE PLACES! Take a look at HOW GOD was GLORIFIED! You see this phrase “the great” is referring to MAN’S MEASUREMENT of what “GREAT IS.” It is referring to a measure of earthly greatness that isn’t attainable by everyone. OH BUT WHEN… the humbled SERVANT and SON OF GOD comes forth… the GREATNESS THAT MEN SEE IS CRUSHED under the greatness of our God…

While Daniel, Joseph, Moses, David and others may have seemed to be NOBODY before their GIFTS cleared the way and gave them access to men of great influence. Not one of these patriarchs pursued their own. Yet they shifted nations doing all that was required when they GAINED access for godly purposes, with pure motives….

I do not write this to be hard or to hurt anyone -- but to BEAR WITNESS to Father. I had to learn this. I also had to REPENT for failing to follow through with MY ASSIGNMENTS when these opportunities have presented themselves. But even in this, they brought me to a point today where -- I seek to OBEY GOD. He wants that from all of us...

I pray that you hear what Father is saying today. So many among the congregation are ON THE WRONG PATH… and they don’t even know it. Lord God, PULL THEM BACK ... pull them back on the right path. Father help them see that the rewards of this world are temporal, and not worth the cost of their souls. Cause them to HEAR AND SEE YOU in everything that they do. BRING THEM BACK to the foundations of your Word dear Lord… where their greatness is measured by this:

Matthew 3:17 CJB, “"This is my Son, whom I love; I am well pleased with him."

Are your giftings making room for Father to be GLORIFIED and for His Word to be fulfilled? Or are they making room for idolatry, prostitution of the Gospel and adultery? Come on, let your alignment with Father be true....{jcomments on}