Your Gift from God the Holy Spirit Matters

By Charles Elias Mahlangu

Your Gift from God the Holy Spirit Matters (Book 1. This book is part of a 3 book series.)
In Your Gift from God the Holy Spirit Matters, Charles takes the reader on a hunt to explore how the individual believer is granted a supernatural gift. He persuades and convinces the believer to discover his individual strategic gifting. He defines and illustrates the gifts and tackles the controversial. Charles says Ministry gifts were given to prepare the saints for the work of service and not to do the work of the ministry.
He shows how Pentecostal Evangelicals, Charismatic Evangelicals and Traditional Evangelicals have been uniquely gifted and what must be discovered at the individual level according to the divine strategy of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
Spiritual Gifts: Welcome to the church. (Book 2)
In Spiritual Gifts: Welcome to the Church, Charles defines and describes each gift. He persuades the believer to connect with individual gifting, according to the will of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. He urges that every believer is entrusted with a gift that can be known and used to benefit many.
Spiritual gifts: Church Under Siege (Book 3)
In Spiritual gifts: Church Under Siege, Charles laments over how ministry gifts which were intended to prepare saints have been woefully neglected. He argues that believers are granted abilities and leaders are needed who are willing to invest in them. He moans that those with ministry gifts of the Lord Jesus Christ have behaved as if they are not committed to training individual believers. The Black pulpit has ignored the pews in the department of gift identification and developing. He pleads with the leaders as ministers of the Lord Jesus Christ to fulfil the number one functional dynamic in this life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing Africa
• Release date: Aug 22, 2016
• ISBN: 9781482861143

Charles Elias Mahlangu

The author holds a PhD from Talbot School of Theology in the USA. Charles was ordained by The Evangelical Church of Southern Africa and pastored Manzini Evangelical Church / Manzini Fellowship Church in Swaziland from 1980 till 2003. He trains men and woman in biblical counselling. He and Delores, his wife of 40 years, have been building marriages and counselling engaged and married couples since 1980.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Who Are the Black Evangelicals in Africa South of the Limpopo?

T hey are people of the evangel good news gospel salvation according to the New Testament. They believe the evangel good news announced by the New Testament writers. They believe that according to the scriptures human beings were born sinners needing redemption through salvation as announced by the writers of the New Testa ment.

They believe at the time any person of any age, gender, class, ethnic racial origin believes the message of the gospel; they become children of God born by believing in the gospel (evangel) as announced.

They are uniform in their doctrine of salvation (Soteriology). They believe if any man is in Jesus Christ, he is a new creature, old things have passed away and all things have become new.

They all affirm as rites of passage that salvation comes as a result of confessing by mouth and believing with the heart that Jesus Christ is Lord and that God has raised him from the dead according to the scriptures. They believe that salvation is a divine act between the believer and God and is immediate rather than a process.

They believe that there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, according to the scriptures.

They believe in the total prohibition of ancestral veneration, worship all cultic preoccupation with spirits regarded as the old kingdom of Satan. They believe in total prohibition of soliciting and participating in demonic activities through spirits mediums and witch doctors in a repertoire of direct and indirect ways. They associate participation with demonic activities as backsliding to the kingdom of Satan: when they are supposed to have passed from darkness to light through the gospel.

They believe that since Jesus Christ came to die for human beings, salvation is not based on works but based on grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone according to the scriptures.

They uniformly believe that the cross on which Jesus Christ was nailed and died is the source of redemption from the power of Satan and sin nature. The cross is the symbol of freedom from the power of sin.

They believe that the blood of Jesus Christ bought the salvation of mankind. They believe that the blood of Jesus Christ has power to cleanse and purify from all unrighteousness.

They believe that grace leads to salvation and works does not.

They uniformly believe that God will judge the unbelievers with permanent hell in the future lake of fire.

They all embrace the doctrine of Trinity: God is in three persons as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

They all believe that Satan, also called Lucifer and the devil, is a real created angel. They all believe that fallen angels are evil spirits who are demons that are operating in the spirit realm thwarting the purposes of God for human beings in the world.

They all embrace that according to the scriptures God created the heavens and earth as literally as recorded in the Genesis account. Evangelicals do not debate theories of the creation account. They all embrace that human beings were created after the image of God as literally as the Genesis account.

They uniformly embrace that according to the Genesis account and all of scriptures, marriage was instituted by God. Despite many African traditions, customs, and cultures of polygyny and polygamy, Evangelicals hold firmly to the teaching that the will of God for marriage and the human race is one man for one wife for life. Despite many Old Testament examples of biblical violation by multiplied wives by heroes of the Bibles like David, Solomon, Abraham, Jacob, and Isaac, Evangelicals scoff at the practice of polygamy as gross violation of the original model of one wife for one man for life of marital fidelity. Even as Africans coming from the culture of polygamy, Evangelicals uniformly affirm it is not the will of God for a man as husband to have sexual relations with more than one woman as wife.

They all embrace in different versions how Jesus Christ will return in his resurrected body and give new resurrected permanent bodies to the saints according to his own resurrected body.

They all universally embrace that salvation (that comes by faith to those who believe) must be made priority one of winning lost souls to the kingdom of God. They all embrace that evangelizing all unsaved lost souls must be carried out by each and every believer regardless of gender or age. New believers have won lost souls on the same day as their own salvation. What all believers have in common is the capacity to lead souls to become born-again believers. The most significant feature of evangelicals is their zeal to win others to the kingdom of God. The Evangelical movement depends entirely on its members to recruit new believers by introducing them to salvation experience. The only way for this Evangelical movement to thrive numerically is for any follower of Jesus Christ to introduce new believers to the Lord as a matter of life and death.

They universally embrace as Holy Scripture, the Bible, the word of God that is inspired of God and was written supernaturally by human beings and God the Holy Spirit. It is the official textbook of the Evangelical movement. They universally believe that scriptures are revelation from God to human beings.

They held fastidiously that the Bible is the only way for the follower of Jesus Christ to grow: Read your Bible and pray every day if you want to grow. They believe that God imparts through scriptures. They believe God has imparted to mankind through scriptures as Bible, as word of God: the believer must be intimately acquainted with scriptures for growth, development, and maturity. The supreme mark of evangelicalism is universal fastidious devotion to make the Bible the manual and textbook of life for life.

They believe that the one who has confessed Jesus Christ as Lord ought to stay away from sinful deeds. They believe that sin nature is not extricated from the believer at regeneration. They believe that one who is a follower of the Lord will do all he can to obey scriptures and stay away from sins. The Bible is the textbook that teaches the follower of Jesus Christ that sinful behaviour is totally unacceptable.

To be an Evangelical is not an affiliation; it is belonging to the church of Jesus Christ universally composed of all followers of Jesus Christ by conversion according to the scriptures. Anyone who converts to be regenerated according to the gospel becomes a member of the body of Jesus Christ regardless of church affiliation. There are people who are affiliated with Pentecostal Evangelical, Charismatic Evangelical, and Traditional Evangelical movements who are not genuine followers of the Lord Jesus Christ having not affirmed the Lordship of Jesus Christ. According to the scriptures, they are not members of the body of Jesus Christ.

Evangelicals uniformly believe the significant role of financial management and contribution to the church by tithes and offerings. They base their philosophy on the custom, tradition, and culture of the Hebrew worldview from Old Testament to the New Testament teaching based on the Apostles’ teachings and writings. They hold firmly to the view that God has ordered followers of Jesus Christ to establish the conduct or routine of regular giving towards ministries, needs of others, and advancement of the gospel in other parts of the world.

They hold firmly to the ordinance pronounced by the Lord Jesus Christ of water baptism as a physical symbol of spiritual regeneration: baptism is a public testimony of being follower of Jesus Christ. They hold firmly to the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper as pronounced by Jesus Christ. This is to be regularly observed to announce the new covenant in the blood of Jesus Christ and pronounce the hope of the return of the Lord by the physical participation in the Lord’s Supper by bread and wine.

They hold firmly the custom, tradition, and culture of regular church attendance as taught in the scriptures. Church attendance is one of the disciplines of the Christian faith according to Evangelicals. Bible reading, prayer, witnessing are pivotal disciplines of Christian faith according to Evangelicals.

They are not uniform on the doctrine of God the Holy Spirit (Pneumatology): there are Pentecostal Evangelical, Charismatic Evangelical, and Traditional Evangelical views on the work of God the Holy Spirit in the believer.

Chapter 2

Introduction: Universal Enfranchisement

T he genius of the Christian faith is granting of gifts individually to each and every newborn follower of Jesus Christ as member of the church of Jesus Ch rist.

The genius of Christian faith and religion is the uniqueness of individual followers of Jesus Christ being granted supernatural capacity by the Godhead Trinity Deity. According to the manual of Christian religion, the Bible, each believer is given a gift to be fulfilled in this lifetime. The Creator has given each believer a specific gift.

The genius of the Christian religion is ‘universal enfranchisement’ of each and every believer of any race, nationality, age, class, gender, or socio-economics by gift-giving by the Godhead Trinity Deity. Universal enfranchisement declares the divine ordained spiritual right of each and every believer to receive a supernatural gift to carry out in this life.

The genius of the Christian religion is ‘universal enfranchisement’ of each and every believer of any age by gift-giving by the Godhead Trinity Deity: be it 4 years of age or 120 years old. The genius of Christian faith is making gifts exclusive to the church age.

There is no granting of gifts from God the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament since gifts, ministries, and manifestations are the exclusive feature of church age. It is only in the church age that Deity, Godhead, and Trinity strategically impart supernatural capacity for the church-age believer.

Israel was under special covenant with God according to the Old Testament. God the Holy Spirit did not impart capacities to equip the Hebrews in the Old Testament since Hebrews enjoyed exclusive covenants that did not extend to an individual personal relationship with YHWH in the way the believer in the church of Jesus Christ does today. God dealt with Israel according to covenants with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. There was no expressed corporate relationship with Israel regarding tasks granted to individuals as a way of life for the individual Hebrew. Gifts are a church-age phenomenon between Godhead and the individual believer in ways individual Hebrews did not and could not have in a personal relationship with God the Holy Spirit. None of the benefits of the Abrahamic covenant included a personal relationship with God the Son in the normal pattern of the believer and his personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego were joined in the fiery furnace by the mysterious fourth man. There is no attempt to reveal the fourth man. There is no way of establishing beyond doubt whether the three realized the enormity of being joined by the miraculous fourth who was easily seen by all. The Hebrews did not have communion with Jesus Christ the way the church age provides for the believer to have intimate communion with Jesus Christ in the personal profound way. Even after Jesus Christ was supernaturally born, there would be no way for Jews to see him as the Messiah: He remained a carpenter until his inauguration at 30 years of age. How could religious leaders know the nature of the Messiah when the mission had been unknown for thousands of years? How could Nicodemus know the true mission of Jesus Christ when even the twelve disciples did not at that time realize the implications and enormity of the incarnation?

The Day of Pentecost (Acts 2) would be history-making: Jesus Christ would be revealed. The agenda of the Messiah would be disclosed in power. God the Holy Spirit would come in power. Redemption would be initiated by the gospel proclamation by Peter. He would reveal the plan of God through the coming of Jesus Christ to fulfil prophecies made by Hebrew Prophets. The plan of God for mankind would be revealed. The church would be born. God would now indwell people made new by redemption. God the Holy Spirit would baptize those who believe the gospel. God the Holy Spirit would indwell those who believe. A new divine relationship would exist between the individual and Godhead. Furthermore Peter would assure the Jewish gathering that the promise of God the Holy Spirit would extend beyond race, creed and social standing: God the Holy Spirit would be received by all who believe (Acts 2).

The Old Testament is not the textbook on gifts from God the Holy Spirit. God operated with Israel through covenants with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Judges, Kings, and Prophets to manifest his sovereign purposes according to his desire. God worked through chosen people to reveal his sovereign purposes.

Moses did not have spiritual gifts. God set Moses apart for supernatural encounters. God set Moses apart for face-to-face meeting with YHWH. God revealed himself to Moses in ways no other people were privy to. Moses spent time alone physically with God in ways human beings would not be privy to even watch from a physical distance. God revealed himself to Moses. Moses was called in a supernatural way while shepherding livestock in the desert. God took Moses to a special mountain where Laws were given for Israel. God seemingly revealed himself to be made known by Moses in ways no mortals would remotely dream or conceive of. Moses was witness to signs, wonders, and miracles on a grandest scale. Moses saw the nation of Egypt experience miracles that would never again be repeated in the same measure. No mortal would again be privy to becoming the channel for the Red Sea to give way to Moses and Israel. The miraculous powers that became the norm for forty years for Israel would never again be repeated in this grand scale. God used Moses as appointed privileged person to be Prophet leader of millions of Israelites. Israel followed Moses without individually and personally having private encounters with YHWH.

The miracles that Israel was witness to would not necessarily transform Israel to experience a revival of divine power. The miracles performed by YHWH through Moses would not have special effect that would transform their personal lives to encounter YHWH intrinsically. While Moses performed what consisted of the greatest show of the power of God under the sun, the individual followers of God under Moses according to record did not have a personal relationship with YHWH to impact on relational accountability. For Moses alone has a recorded personal relationship with YHWH. Joshua watched from a distance. Moses communed with God in ways normal believers do not conceive. Moses was made to see what other mortals had not been privileged to experience. The sovereign God chose to have a supernatural relationship with a mortal through Moses. Whenever Moses went to the tent of meeting with God, the rest of the followers were excluded from the special bond.

Joshua would be used mightily by God to fulfil the purposes of God: he did not have a spiritual gift from God the Holy Spirit reserved for the church age and individual believer.

Gideon would be used mightily by God to accomplish the purposes of God: he did not have a spiritual gift from God the Holy Spirit. That would be reserved for the church age and the individual believer.

Samson would be used mightily by God to perform works of power that cannot be seen by any other Bible character to fulfil the purposes of God: he did not have a spiritual gift from God the Holy Spirit. That would be reserved for the church age and the individual believer. God set aside Samson for a Nazarite vow covenant. Samson would per covenant become channel of the most explosive works of God through a human being for as long as the covenant was kept by the Nazarite Samson. Few human beings on recorded history of human beings experienced the power of God the way Samson did. The personal intimacy with the Godhead would not be experienced by Old Testament followers of God the way the New Testament saints are graciously privileged to maintain personally.

David would be used mightily by God to perform powerful deeds. He did not have a spiritual gift from God the Holy Spirit. That would be reserved for the church age and the individual believer.

Elijah would be used mightily by God to perform supernatural tasks to fulfil the purposes of God: he did not have a spiritual gift reserved for the church age and the individual believer.

Elisha best known for the double portion of his master would be mightily used by God to fulfil the purposes of God: he did not have a spiritual gift from God the Holy Spirit reserved for the church age and the individual believer.

All the Hebrew Prophets like Jeremiah, Isaiah, Jonah, Amos, Joel, Obadiah, and Ezekiel were empowered by God to receive from God the Holy Spirit revelations that would be preserved in the scriptures: they did not have gifts from God the Holy Spirit reserved for the church age and the individual believer.

In contrast the church of Jesus Christ consists of individuals who are indwelt by the whole Godhead—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Unlike in the days of Israel, the individual believer has personal relationship with the whole Godhead. Unlike ages past, the individual believer is called to a life of contributing growth, maturity, and spiritual well-being to other members of the body of Jesus Christ. Unlike the pre-church age of Israel and YHWH, the whole Godhead does reside individually and jointly within every believer since every believer has been granted supernatural capacities to serve other members of the body of Jesus Christ.

In contrast to Israel in the old covenant, the believer has been given scriptures as record of prophetic writings that contain the revealed will of God for the body of Jesus Christ (consisting of called and assigned saints redeemed to fulfil a revealed plan of the whole Godhead). Each believer has been called to carry out specific tasks related to individual gifts and ministries. The masterstroke of the brilliance of Christian religion is the exclusivity with which the whole Godhead has privileged every believer with supernatural gifts and ministries to be carried out for the benefit of others.

Aaron did not have spiritual gifts. Miriam did not have spiritual gifts. Joshua did not have personal spiritual gift from God the Holy Spirit. David did not have a personal gift from God the Holy Spirit. The Hebrew Prophet who even wrote scriptures did not have the nature of personal relationship with gifts from God the Holy Spirit.

Joshua could not have experienced the supernatural gift from God the Holy Spirit since he was living according to the parameters of the covenants of Israel with YHWH. Joshua could not have sustained a personal unique relationship of personal level with God the Holy Spirit when this phenomenon would be restricted to the church inaugurated on the day of Pentecost. Samson could not have experienced the supernatural gift from God the Holy Spirit since he was living according to the pre-church covenant.

Jews living during times of Jesus Christ did not have personal gifts from God the Holy Spirit. Essentially God the Holy Spirit would officially inaugurate the church age on the day of Pentecost. Essentially John 14, 15, and 16 would give a prophetic view of the future Counsellor who would inaugurate the church age. Essentially Jesus Christ would give a prophetic utterance regarding the future inauguration of the ministry of God the Holy Spirit in John 7:37–39. Essentially Acts 1 gives a prophetic utterance of the future ministry of God the Holy Spirit at the inauguration of the church age on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2.

Gifts, ministries, and manifestations for each and every person in the body of Jesus Christ is the unique feature of the church composed of members of the body of Jesus Christ according to the scriptures. Gifts, ministries, and manifestations for each and every member of the body of Jesus Christ are exclusive feature of the church age alone.

It is the New Testament that contains the imagery of the body regarding all members of the church of Jesus Christ. The imagery of the body has enormous implications. The believer who belongs to the body depends on the body for his well-being. The believer relies on other members of the body for sustenance. The believer needs other members of the body. Each member has been placed strategically in the body to contribute well-being to others. No member of the body is independent from others. There is no gift that provides for spontaneous self-maturation: every believer needs the gifts of others. The very notion that one belongs to the body has enormous implications for spiritual gifts for the believer in this life since this believer is a cell member of the body with gifts that are necessary for spiritual well-being of other cell members. Possessing the gift has enormous responsibility towards other cell members. The body imagery suggests that like the human body no part of the body is irrelevant or inferior: every believer possesses what other cell members need in this life.

Chapter 3

The Genius of the Christian Faith, Every Believer Has a Spiritual Gift

T he genius of the Christian faith, according to the scriptures alone, is the Godhead, Deity, making abundantly certain that each and every believer is given the gift, the ministry, and the manifestation as long as they live on planet E arth.

The genius of the Christian faith, according to the scriptures alone, is making certain each and every believer in the body of Jesus Christ, most unambivalently, most unequivocally, and most unambiguously receives the gift along with ministry and along with manifestations from the Godhead.

The genius of the Christian faith, according to the scriptures, is that each and every believer has received a supernatural gift, ministry, and manifestation from God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The implications for supernatural gift mean regardless of one’s intelligence quotient, one has been granted a supernatural capacity from the Godhead. The implications are that regardless of one’s attainment academically, one has already been granted a supernatural capacity to carry out a divinely ordered prescription for strategic purposes of serving others on earth. The implications are that regardless of one’s gender, one has already been granted a supernatural capacity to carry out a God designed assignment on earth and in the body of Jesus Christ. The implications are that regardless of one’s age, one has already been granted a supernatural capacity to fulfil a specific assignment in the body of Jesus Christ as long as one has breath. The implications are that regardless one’s spiritual state, condition of spirituality, one has already received a supernatural capacity to carry out a God-ordained assignment. The implication is regardless of purity or impurity in one’s life, one already has been granted a supernatural capacity from the Godhead. The implications are that regardless of whether one is filled with God the Holy Spirit or not, one already has been granted a supernatural capacity to fulfil a specific assignment in this life. The reception of the spiritual gift is not contingent upon the fullness by the control of God the Holy Spirit: the believer has already received the gift by virtue of belonging to the body of Jesus Christ.

The implications are that in the body of Jesus Christ there is no such thing as a gift that is still waited upon from the Lord: this supernatural capacity was given at regeneration. The supernatural gift is a birthright of every follower of the Lord Jesus Christ by regeneration. The implications are that regardless of one’s state of spiritual maturity, one already has been granted supernatural capacity to serve in some specific area in this life. The implications are that regardless of whether the believer is abiding by the scripture to walk by God the Holy Spirit or not the supernatural gift to serve has already been granted to the believer as a birthright.

The implications are that regardless of whether one is quenching God the Holy Spirit or not, one already has been granted a supernatural capacity to serve in a specific particular way in this life. Regardless of whether one is grieving God the Holy Spirit or not, one already has been granted a supernatural capacity to serve others in this life. The implications are that regardless of how knowledgeable one is about scriptures, one already has been granted a supernatural capacity to serve in this life.

When this male or female became a follower of Jesus Christ by redemption regeneration, the Godhead gave a personally prescribed surprise gift inside this special package: for the believer to be excited enough to begin opening the present to find out what the huge divine present was. The implications are with each believer there is a package already received from Godhead waiting to be opened. The implications are that beyond a shadow of doubt one already has the specially wrapped surprise gift waiting to be opened with anticipation.

The implications are that regardless of what type of church one attends, one already has been granted a supernatural capacity by God the Holy Spirit to fulfil in this life.

The genius of the Christian faith, according to the scriptures, at regeneration on the day of salvation, the believer received a spiritual birthday gift from God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. God saw to it that every one of his children received a divine gift wrapped especially for each believer. The gift was wrapped personally by the Godhead. The gift was designed specifically for the believer. The gift was inscribed personally for the believer by Deity or Godhead of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The gift was masterminded by the Godhead for each believer.

The implications are that unlike earthly fathers who sometimes have favourites among their children, the Godhead does not have limitations of finite mortals: each and every believer was not left out. Each and every believer did not come second or third since there are no favourites with God. It is God alone who gives gifts. It is God alone who selects what gift to give gift-wrapped. It is God alone who designs the nature of the gift. It is God alone who determines what gift to give each and every believer. It is God alone who chooses the gift that is gift-wrapped. It is God alone who strategizes how the gift is going to be used.

The genius of the Christian faith, according to the scriptures, is that it is a Big Deal for the Deity, Godhead, and Trinity to see to it that each and every believer receives the divine package specifically gift-wrapped for the believer to enthusiastically open up. It is a Big Deal to God the Holy Spirit to give the gift-wrapped present that has been individually and strategically designed for the believer. It is a Big Deal to God the Son to give the gift-wrapped ministry associated with the gift that has been individually ad strategically designed for the believer. It is a Big Deal to God the Father to give each believer the manifestation that has been individually and strategically designed for the believer.

The notion that the subject of spiritual gifts is best possessed by a particular Evangelical camp is horrifying at best and grossly misleading at worst. The notion that Pentecostal Evangelicals hold a position on spiritual gifts that is more Spirit-filled than Charismatic Evangelicals and Traditional Evangelicals is horrifying at best and grossly misleading at worst. The notion that Charismatic Evangelicals possess a more special dispensation on the teaching of spiritual gifts than Pentecostal Evangelicals and Traditional Evangelicals is horrifying at best and grossly misleading at worst. The notion that Traditional Evangelicals with a reputation of being custodians of sound doctrine are necessarily better in their grasp of spiritual gifts than Pentecostal Evangelicals and Charismatic Evangelicals is horrifying at best and grossly misleading at worst.

The pulpits of Black Evangelicals as Pentecostal, as Charismatic, and as Traditional Evangelical remain uniformly mute on how God the Holy Spirit has granted specific and particular gifts to each and every believer as royal priests. Preachers, Evangelists, and Shepherds of Black Evangelicals as Pentecostal, as Charismatic, and as Traditional Evangelical share a uniform dysfunction: they thunder about their own anointing more than they thunder with excitement in equipping each believer according to their own gifts, ministries, and manifestations as royal priests.

The podiums of preachers in Black Evangelicalism as Pentecostal, Charismatic, and Traditional Evangelical thunder with testimonies of how great God has used them in their ministries requiring saints to listen to them diligently since they alone are called ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Black leaders show their devoted fans how God the Holy Spirit has anointed them uniquely so that the devoted fans can spend their lives following after the only one with official authority to speak on behalf of God.

The leaders who have seen mega manifestations enough to be viewed as spectacular channels of God already have devoted fans who adore them to the neglect of their own undiscovered and unknown specific gift from God the Holy Spirit. In this context those who embrace salvation to follow the Lord for life, they will do so in the neglectful environment where they are not told that God the Holy Spirit has given them their own gift, how the Lord Jesus Christ has allocated ministries and services as placement of using their gifts.

Black Evangelicals (as Pentecostal, as Charismatic, and as Traditional Evangelical) have joined forces with leaders of movements to make sure that ministry is restricted to preachers, church-planters, and Shepherds, they alone are the sole ministers. Consequently, followers are mere devoted fans whose greatest ambition is to see the Lord when he returns.

It is the scandal of Black Evangelicals (Pentecostal, Charismatic, and Traditional Evangelical) to see pulpits conduct a successful coup d’état. They have taken dominion of the church over followers who will never discover their own gifts from God the Holy Spirit, ministries from the Lord Jesus Christ, and manifestations from God the Father.

It is the scandal of mega scale in Black Evangelicalism as Pentecostal, as Charismatic, and as Traditional Evangelical to see the leaders manipulate the organization so efficiently that they use pulpits to invite each other as luminaries that enthral crowds perpetually thereby to keep the power of the ministry in the hands of leaders in antithesis to the teaching of the New Testament. By making the pulpit a centre for inviting other brilliant speakers, the pews of plain ordinary saints remain abysmally uninformed about how God the Holy Spirit gave in his own way gifts, and how the Lord saw to it that ministries or services emerge from gifts so that God the Father could manifest himself to each and every believer according to the New Testament.

It is the scandal of mega dimension in Black Evangelicalism that Pentecostals, Charismatic, and Traditional Evangelical that many believers are not comprehensively taught about their own individual gifts from God the Holy Spirit.

It is a scandal of major dimension in Black Evangelicals as Pentecostal, as Charismatic, and as Traditional Evangelical that many leaders as founders, Evangelists, speakers of distinction and miracle workers do not personally know how to teach about gifts, ministries, and manifestations for individual discovery. They are obsessed with their own anointing. They are obsessed over their power over the flocks of God. They are obsessed about busy engagements that have little to do with equipping boys and girls, adolescents, teenagers, and young adults about their own gifts, ministries, and manifestations. Religious leaders are obsessed over wealth breakthrough rather than showing individuals that God the Holy Spirit has made certain they receive their own ministries as long as they have breath. They are compulsive about multiplying their own numbers of followers rather than being obsessed, possessed, and neurotic about gifts being known individually so that ministries would be discovered individually by all males and females under their charge.

It is a scandal of major dimension that even the theologically educated Shepherds, Evangelists, and church-planters do not demonstrate the appetite to be enthusiastic about what the New Testament teaches about gifts, ministries, and manifestations in the body of Jesus Christ. It is as if there is a competition among church leaders, Evangelists, and Shepherds to be mute about how Deity, Godhead, Trinity has purposely given each woman and man a particular gift. It is as if there is a competition among church leaders to steer away from comprehensive teaching of gifts to all believers. It is as if there is a competition to be vague about the teaching that each and every believer was entrusted with gifts, ministries, and manifestations.

It is as if among Black Evangelical (Pentecostal, Charismatic, and Traditional Evangelical) spiritual leaders there exists a mood of uniformity on staying away from effective comprehensive exposition of gifts, ministries, and manifestations for all saints. There seems to some agreement among Black Evangelical leaders to make certain the treatment of gifts, ministries, and manifestations remains superficial and irrelevant.

It is a scandal of major dimensions that Black Evangelicals (as Pentecostal, as Charismatic, and as Traditional Evangelical) are generally not specifically enlightened about the significance of spiritual gifts in their own lives. It is disturbing in Black Evangelicalism (as Pentecostal, as Charismatic, and as Traditional Evangelical) that leaders are generally not bothered about understanding the gifts of the flocks of God they lead. It is disturbing in Black Pentecostal, Charismatic, and Traditional Evangelical churches that those chosen to serve in any sphere of leadership are generally not excited about the subject of equipping the believers about their gifts from God the Holy Spirit.

It is disturbing in Black Pentecostal Charismatic Evangelical camps that while people are called to speak in tongues, even altar calls for this manifestation, the same speakers are not showing evident fastidious devotion to connect each believer with their own spiritual gifts.

It is disturbing that in Black Pentecostal Charismatic movements where many are urged to receive the baptism of God the Holy Spirit with evidence of tongues, the same speakers are not showing evident fastidious devotion to connect each believer with their own spiritual gifts. There is no Black Evangelical camp that is the champion of teaching what scripture has revealed about gifts from God the Holy Spirit to each and every believer.

The notion that Holy Spirit movements of Black Pentecostal Charismatic Evangelicalism have a decisive edge in grasping the priesthood of believers more than Traditional Evangelicals is a horrifying myth. The notion that Pentecostal Evangelicals and Charismatic Evangelicals have enormous edge in modelling pulpits that ignite pews with individual gifts and ministries more than Traditional Evangelical pulpits is a disturbing myth. All Black Evangelical camps share the same fate: the royal priesthood of believers remains a future kingdom of priests in the ‘neverland of neglect’ since all camps share the common misery of gross neglect of specializing in teaching all believers about their gifts and ministries. Since identifying gifts for each and every believer is not made a matter of life and death, a significant percentage of Black followers of the Lord are clueless about their own gifts. Females are clueless about how they were specifically given particular gifts from God the Holy Spirit. Males are clueless about how they were specifically granted specific gifts by God the Holy Spirit.

Where Black Pentecostal Evangelicals are proud about their encounter with the baptism by God the Holy Spirit and evidence of tongues, many do not know their own spiritual gift that God the Holy Spirit gave them on the day of salvation. Even those who speak in tongues do not have a clear grasp of their specific gifts that are listed in Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12, 14; and Ephesians 4:11–16. The Pentecostals who have at least experienced the tongues do not have a lucid grasp of what the New Testament teaches about gifts from God the Holy Spirit.

Where Black Charismatic Evangelicals encounter tongues, many believers do not have a lucid grasp about what the New Testament teaches about spiritual gifts nor do they know their own personal gifts from God the Holy Spirit. The subject of individual gifts remains frighteningly elusive in the Charismatic Evangelical churches. Black Charismatic Evangelicals remain content with great worship, great intercession, and tongues. Black pews in the Charismatic Evangelical movement are ignorant about what the New Testament teaches about how each believer was granted a gift from God the Holy Spirit. In the movement that extols itself as the bastion of spiritual vitality and passion (the Charismatic Evangelical movement), a significant per cent is absolutely clueless about their individual gifting and how God has granted those gifts and ministries. In the movement that extols itself as the movement of the word of God, a significant per cent of believers is clueless about what the New Testament teaches about spiritual gifts in general and their own individual gifts in particular.

The Traditional Evangelicals who are not Pentecostal remain largely ignorant about their own gifts from God the Holy Spirit. This Movement which extols itself as defender of Evangelicalism has pews that are clueless about their own specific gifts from God.

To put it blunt: it is no big deal among Black Evangelicals to be ignorant about spiritual gifts. To put it in perspective: gifts for individual believers are no big deal at all in all of Black Evangelicalism. To put is blunt the big deal in Black Evangelicalism is in song and dance and lots of noise during all forms of prayers. There is no adventure of individual gift teaching and gift discovery for each believer.

To put it very blunt: if it is an incredibly big deal for God to manifest Himself through ministries from the Lord and gifts from God the Holy Spirit, then for Black Evangelicals teaching about what epistles have revealed about gifts for each and every believer is no big deal at all.

To put it blunt: if the Godhead has seen to it individual gifts are of great importance for each one in the body of Jesus Christ for this period on earth, then Black Evangelicals see nothing to be excited about. There is no Evangelical camp that is excelling in liberating women and men on fundamental essentials on what scriptures have revealed for each and every believer on spiritual gifts.

Despite the fashionable cultural song, dance, and emotional exhibitionism that defines Black Evangelicals as Pentecostal, as Charismatic, and as Traditional, they all share similar trends: their leaders are not neurotic with obsessive-compulsion to lead them individually and jointly to exciting gift discovery as New Testament royal priests who are left on planet Earth to fulfil their calling.

The pulpits of Black Pentecostal Evangelicals are thundering with silence on how God the Holy Spirit at regeneration has given a spiritual gift to each male and female believer in this present life. The pulpits of Black Charismatic Evangelicals are thundering with silence on how God the Holy Spirit has seen to it that at regeneration each male and female believer was given a gift from God the Holy Spirit in this life. The pulpits of Black Traditional Evangelicals are thundering with chilling silence on how God the Holy Spirit has at regeneration given to each female and male believer a gift. All Black born-again Evangelical pulpits as Pentecostal, as Charismatic, and as Traditional have one thing in common: those who lead have no apparent passion to make the doctrine of spiritual gifts a compelling mark of their ministries as Shepherds, as Evangelists, as Prophets, as Shepherds, and as Apostles.

Fittingly, the normal believer in Black Evangelical church as Pentecostal, as Charismatic, and as Traditional will go through life without ever being compellingly taught how they have been uniquely gifted strategically to build other members up to grow up to spiritual maturity. Fittingly, the average Black believer in Pentecostal Evangelical, in Charismatic Evangelical, and in Traditional Evangelical church denomination or ministries will go through life attending church faithfully without ever being shown accurately how each believer has been given a supernatural gift and ministry and manifestation for the benefit of the individual growth of others saints here on planet Earth. Fittingly, pulpits that are Black Evangelicals as Pentecostal, Charismatic, and Traditional have made the individual gift distribution to each and every believer have made gift discovery a non-essential for boys and girls and men and women who are regenerate. For this reason, the normal Black Evangelical believer as Pentecostal, Charismatic, and Traditional is going to leave this planet without ever being diligently and passionately taught about their own gifts, own ministries, and own manifestations. For without diligent teaching on what scriptures teach about gifts believer are clueless all of their lives about how Deity capacitated them specifically and individually. For without diligent teaching on what scriptures have revealed about the gifting of every believer, believers will be uninformed about their own gifts for as long as the tyranny of pulpit amnesia on gifts prevails. For without diligent teaching on what scriptures have revealed about the will of Godhead for the believer about specific gifting, believers are bound to remain oblivious about their gifts on account of pulpit amnesia on gifts.

No debate: every believer has been granted a gift.

While there is debate about matters of baptism by water throughout church history, there remains no debate that each believer has been given a gift. There is debate concerning the baptism of God the Holy Spirit by Jesus Christ through God the Holy Spirit. There is no debate that scriptures say each believer has been given a gift.

There is debate about the doctrine on the filling of God the Holy Spirit. There is debate about Spirit baptism in the body of Jesus Christ, whether baptism takes place once for all or whether there is baptism by God the Holy Spirit resulting in the evidence of tongues. There is no debate about what scriptures says that each believer has been given a gift.

There is considerable debate about the teaching on last things. There is debate on when the Lord is coming back and how he will return. There is no debate that scriptures teach that each believer has been given a spiritual gift. There is debate on how the Lord is going to establish his kingdom on earth. There is debate on whether there is going to be a physical 1,000-year earthly reign of Jesus Christ. There is no debate that each believer was given a supernatural spiritual gift according to the scriptures. There is debate about whether there is going to be a literal man of sin as anti-Christ who will rule the world during the Tribulation period. There is debate on whether believers will go through the Tribulation period during the last days. There is no debate that scriptures say each believer was given a gift. There is debate about whether the Book of Revelation should be taken literally on the last days. There is no debate that scriptures conclude that each believer has been given a gift. There is debate about the future judgments concerning the last days. There is no debate that scriptures say each believer has been given a gift. There is no debate that scriptures say each believer has been given a spiritual gift. There is debate about who the 144,000 proclaimers are according to the Book of Revelation. There is no debate about what scriptures says about each believer receiving a spiritual gift. There is considerable debate on the Book of Revelation. There is no debate that scriptures teach that each believer was given a spiritual gift. There is no agreement on the security of the believer: some believe in the teaching on eternal security and other hold to the teaching that the believer can lose his salvation. There is no debate that scriptures say each believer has received a spiritual gift. There is debate in the church of Jesus Christ on the teaching on marriage, divorce, and remarriage. There is no debate that scriptures say each believer has been given a spiritual gift.

There is debate on which gifts are operational in the church of Jesus Christ today. There is no debate that scriptures teach that each believer has been given a spiritual gift. There is debate on church polity: who should run the church and how should the church be governed. There is no debate that scriptures say each believer has been given a spiritual gift. There is debate about the qualification of a female as Shepherd Teacher of local congregation. There is no debate that scriptures teach that every believer has been given a spiritual gift.

Is it spiritual warfare?

Is it spiritual warfare that inhibits this teaching of gifts by leaders? Is it spiritual warfare that inhibits the thorough teaching of gifts and ministries to men and women as matter of life and death before they leave planet Earth? Is it spiritual warfare that inhibits Shepherds from making certain that plain ordinary saints are thoroughly initiated to their own gifts, ministries, and manifestations while they are still alive? Is it spiritual warfare that inhibits the Evangelist from thoroughly teaching plain ordinary saints about their own gifts, ministries, and manifestations while they are still alive? Is it spiritual warfare that inhibits Teachers from thoroughly teaching plain ordinary saints about their own gifts, ministries, and manifestations while they are still alive? Is it spiritual warfare that inhibits Prophets from teaching plain ordinary saints about their own gifts, ministries, and manifestations while they are still alive? Is it spiritual warfare that inhibits biblically qualified elders from teaching plain ordinary saints about their own gifts, ministries, and manifestations? Is it spiritual warfare that restricts the majority of saints who have a lucid personal grasp of teaching on gifts and ministries that have been unconditionally imparted to each and every believer? Is it spiritual warfare that blocks believers from connecting with their own gifts and ministries while they attend church regularly for two, five, ten, or even twenty years? Is it spiritual warfare that has trivialized the importance of the believer and their own gift from God the Holy Spirit? Is it spiritual warfare that reduces the glory of gifts from God the Holy Spirit for each believer on planet Earth? Is it spiritual warfare that prohibits the work of the shepherding ministry from ensuring every believer is correctly taught about what scriptures teach about the believer and gifts, ministries, and manifestations? Is it spiritual warfare that makes pulpits promote unscriptural truths about the calling of each believer to fulfil their own ministry as long as they are on planet Earth? Is it spiritual warfare that promotes anti-scriptural teachings on spiritual warfare instead of demonstrating how each believer was strategically placed to serve other believers through their own gifts, ministries, and manifestations? Is it spiritual warfare that makes elders to have no appetite to see all believers come to full understanding of their own gifts, ministries, and manifestations? Is it spiritual warfare that makes church elders see no value in teaching all gifts to all saints so that eventually all come to the personal grasp of where they fit in the divine strategy?

Is it spiritual warfare that makes ladies neglect discipling younger saints on their own gifts from God the Holy Spirit so that the will of God can be specifically and precisely carried out strategically as long as they have breath? Is it spiritual warfare that makes men neglect discipling younger saints on their own gifts from God the Holy Spirit so that the will of God can be specifically and precisely carried out strategically as long as they have breath? Is it spiritual warfare that contributes to grand pastoral malfeasance by gross neglect of teaching all believers to arrive at their proper understanding of their specific and particular gifts? Is it spiritual warfare that contributes to grand pastoral malfeasance by gross neglect of teaching all believers to begin using their own gifts and ministries as long as they live on planet Earth? Is it spiritual warfare that contributes to grand pastoral malfeasance by gross neglect of teaching all believers to begin practicing their own gifts and ministries as exuberantly? Is spiritual warfare contributing to the believer failing to know his or her specific proper place by gifts and ministries for many years on earth? Is it spiritual warfare that contributes to believers failing to understand where they fit in the body of Jesus Christ by gifts and ministries for many years on earth? Is it spiritual warfare that contributes to believers engaging in activities deemed ministries that are not specifically connected to their own gifts?

Is it spiritual warfare that contributes to church leaders as Shepherds and Evangelists who allocate to believers gifts that God the Holy Spirit did not give or assign to them personally and individually? Is it spiritual warfare that contributes to church leader as elders who assume authority to allocate as gifts to believers when God the Holy Spirit did not personally give individually? Is it spiritual warfare that contributes to elders, preachers, speakers claiming to give spiritual gifts to believers when scriptures consistently teach that it is the Lord alone who gives some as Apostles, as Prophets, as Evangelists, as Shepherds, and as Teachers (Ephesians 4:7–16) to be equipping ministers, and gifts of God the Holy Spirit to the church? Is it spiritual warfare that contributes to believers ignoring gifts the God has given strategically for the church to grow? Is it spiritual warfare that contributes to the believer assuming to have the gift he was not granted by God the Holy Spirit? Is it spiritual warfare that contributes to believers envying other gifts rather than discovering the glory of God through their own specific gifts? Is it spiritual warfare that contributes to believers settling for claiming gifts and ministries they have never been entrusted by Deity when they have their own unidentified gifts, ministries, and manifestations?

Is it spiritual warfare that Black leaders would speak of a kingdom of priests when it is the laity as plain ordinary saints who are not shown how they are royal priests saved to fulfil their own individual gifts and ministries in this life? Is it massive spiritual warfare that leaders would consistently refrain from arming individuals through blood, sweat, and tears of labouring?

Chapter 4

Introduction: Examination of Details on Gifts

A t regeneration God made certain each believer is immediately invaded by the indwelling settlement by God the Father who comes to reside within the believer. God the Son comes to settle within the believer. God the Holy Spirit comes in to reside as permanent resident within the believer. This act of Deity residing in the believer is called Indwelling. There is no believer in the body of Jesus Christ who is not resided by indwelling of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Indwelling is active residency of Deity to live the divine life in the believer from the moment of regeneration. At regeneration the believer does not make individual application for Deity to reside as permanent active resident within him. At salvation all members of the Deity come to reside actively as the Father, as the Son, and as the Holy Sp irit.

There is no classification of Indwelling by Deity to each believer: the 4-year-old or the 100-year-old who becomes regenerate are indwelt by Deity to actively generate divine life in the believer, as God the Father, as God the Son, and as God the Holy Spirit.

At regeneration each believer receives eternal life: whoever believes in him will not perish, he will have eternal life (John 3:16).

At regeneration each believer is immediately anointed by God the Holy Spirit, according to these references from scriptures.

At regeneration each believer is ‘made to drink’, receives God the Holy Spirit, according to these references from scriptures (1 Corinthians 12:13; 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20).

According to these references from scriptures, every believer is made a temple in which God resides.

At regeneration each believer is placed into the body of Jesus Christ by an act of baptism by God the Holy Spirit.

According to these references from scriptures, every believer is baptized into the body of Jesus Christ by God the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13).

At regeneration each believer is sealed for the day of redemption according to these references from scriptures (Ephesians 1:13, 14; Ephesians 4:30).

At regeneration each believer is given a gift from God the Holy Spirit (Greek term is charismaton for singular and charismata for plural of grace enablement, charis. Salvation is by grace, charis, and not by works lest any man should boast, according to Ephesians 2:8, 9, and 10).

According to these references from scriptures, it is inconceivable for any believer to not have a gift, a ministry and a manifestation from God:

Ephesians 4:7–16 is the most crucial reference regarding Christians living within the body of Jesus Christ:

‘To each one of us Grace (charismaton, see transliteration from Greek in your PC Bible software) was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift’ (verse 7).

When he ascended on high he led captives in his train and gave (edooken) gifts (domata) to men (verse 8).

It was he who gave some as Apostles, and some as Prophets, and some as Evangelists, and some as Pastors and he gave some as Teachers (verse 11).

To prepare (katartismon) God’s people for works of service or ministry (diakonias), so that the body of Christ may be built up (oikodomeen) (verse 12).

Until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of Go and become mature (teleion), attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (verse 13).

This is the only passage in scriptures that refers to gifts (domata) of men or people: he gave gifts to men. It was he who gave some as Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers. This is the only reference regarding ministering gift, or gifts as people given by the Lord Jesus Christ as ministers (domata), and not manifestations gifts of God the Holy Spirit spiritual gifts: it was he who gave gifts (domata) as ministers to fulfil a particular assignment.

The master plan of the Lord Jesus Christ, upon completion of earthly ministry, was to give as gift (domata) to the church Apostles as men, Prophets as men, Evangelists as men, Shepherds as men, Teachers as men.

This is the only passage that assembles all the five ministering gifts (domata) as uniquely called, assigned to equip the saints for the work of the ministry to the building up of the body of Jesus Christ.

The primary equippers of the master plan was gender specific: they were men.

This is the only passage in the New Testament that describes vividly the assignment of the equipping minister: for the equipping of the saints for their work of building up the body of Jesus Christ. This is the only passage that explains the reason for Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers: they have one thing in common with one another. The Apostles in their uniqueness have one thing in common with Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers: they are all equippers of the saints to fulfil their individual calling.

This is the only passage in the New Testament that vividly describes the outcomes of not fulfilling the divine strategy: when equipping ministers default by gross negligence of equipping the saints the consequences are dire. When the called ministers fail to honour their calling to prepare by training plain ordinary saints, the body will malfunction. When saints are not diligently equipped they are bound to be ignorant of the plans of God for their lives individually and corporately. If they are not shown why they were regenerated, no miracle will reveal the plans of God outside the blueprint detailed in this text. If no prescribed equipping by teaching of the word of God takes place, the untaught will be rootless. If no prescribed teaching is taking place the untaught will be vulnerable to false teachings. The doctrinal rootlessness will cause the untaught to be blown by all kinds of teachings.

It is not an accident that saints do not coherently specifically know their own gifts, ministries, and manifestations. It is not an accident that believers stay for years failing to correctly identify what gift God the Holy Spirit has given them. It is not surprising that pulpits see it as no compelling matter to ensure that every believer under their charge comes to a comprehensive grasp of personal discovery of own gifts, ministries, and manifestations.

This is the only passage in the New Testament that uniquely demonstrates how the Lord Jesus Christ determined the ultimate development of the believers in the body of Jesus Christ: it is through designated ministers that the divine strategy is to be realized. To put it bluntly: the Lord assigned ministering equippers so that all the parts of the body of Jesus Christ are guided to their rightful places. It is these ministering equippers who are given the awesome task of making the eye realize its function in the body. It is the equipping ministers who show the leg how to be useful in the body. It is the ministering equipper who convinces the foot of its rightful place in the body. It is the ministering equipper who guides the hand to realize its usefulness in the body. It is the equipping ministers who convince the ear that the whole body is impaired without the sense of hearing. It is the ministering equipper who convinces the particular part of the body: the body desperately needs you to be precisely where the Lord arranged for you to be. It is the ministering equipper who logically persuades the believer to think rationally: if the whole body is the nose, then who would be the sense of hearing for the whole body?

The Apostles will be conspicuously noted for their calling while fulfilling the task of building up the saints for their individual ministries of building up the body of Jesus Christ. Whatever else the Apostle is chiefly noted for, he will also be equipping the saints for the work of their ministry. This Apostle has not fulfilled his ministry in this world when he defaults in discharging the assignment to prepare the saints for their business on earth as members of the body of Jesus Christ. When the Apostle sees the saints, he sees the mission to prepare by equipping for individual service for the common good of the benefit of others saints to eventually fulfil their own calling in this life. The Apostle is appointed as a gift of Jesus Christ to the church to minister to equip the saints, according to Ephesians 4:11–16.

The Prophets will be conspicuously noted for their individual calling while fulfilling the task of building up the saints for their individual ministries of building up the body of Jesus Christ. Whatever else the Prophet is chiefly noted for, he will be equipping the saints for the work of their ministry. This Prophet has not fulfilled his ministry in this world when he defaults in discharging the assignment to prepare the saints for their business on earth as members of the body of Jesus Christ. When the Prophet sees