Standing on the Shoulders of Giants (8 page)
Read Standing on the Shoulders of Giants Online
Authors: Steven Brooks
An interesting story demonstrating Samson’s great strength is found in the sixteenth chapter of the Book of Judges. Samson found himself trapped inside the city of Gaza with armed men set in ambush to take his life. Gaza was the primary stronghold of the Philistine nation and was well fortified with an enormous wall that encircled the city and it had two huge gates that were kept closed at night to protect the city. Some biblical scholars say the two gates of the city could have been as high as 65 feet and could have weighed as much as 100 tons! Yet Samson tore down the two massive gates with his bare hands. In doing so he also ripped the wooden posts and metal bars away that fastened the gates to the walls. Then, he put the two giant gates on his shoulders and carried them uphill almost 40 miles away toward the city of Hebron, which had an increased elevation of almost 3,000 feet, before putting them down near the top of a mountain. (See Judges 16:1-3.)
Believe me, there is no hairstyle in the world that will give you that kind of strength. This phenomenal act accomplished by Samson was actually the Holy Spirit moving upon him through the supernatural gift of the working of miracles. Oh, how we need to work in harmony with the Holy Spirit so that we might see the power of God manifested in our lives today!
HE
A
NOINTING FOR
S
UPERNATURAL
P
OWER
The same Holy Spirit that anointed Elisha’s bones, which raised a man from the dead, also anointed Samson to be a real life super-man, and He can also anoint you with supernatural power. This is why the Holy Spirit who anointed a believer in times past can still anoint a child of God with the
same
anointing today. Mantles can be transferred because the Holy Spirit can transfer the anointing of God.
A close friend of mine who is a mature Spirit-filled believer shared with me how a seasoned prophet once gave him a prophetic word that the spirit of Samson would come upon him at times. My friend later did experience a Samson type of anointing when he was assisting in an exercise weight workout. My friend lives in Southern California and is 5′7″ tall and weighs around 155 pounds. He was spotting a very huge man who was performing leg squats with multiple repetitions of exactly 550 pounds. This man was an accomplished power-lifter and bodybuilder who was tall and weighed over 300 pounds with a highly developed muscular frame. My friend was there simply to give him a
spot
, which is when you give someone a slight amount of assistance on their lift to help them move through a possible sticking point.
The large power-lifter would squat the weights without a safety rack because he was confident of having no problem with the lift, having done this amount of weight many times before. He placed his huge shoulders beneath the bar to lift the massive weight off the rack. He then pushed out the first few reps as his gigantic legs strained under the heavy load. Suddenly, as he squatted down to do another rep he grimaced in pain as something in his back had just gotten pinched or strained. The unexpected pain caused him to lose his ability to lift the weight and now the weight was driving him downward without any support bars to break the fall.
Quickly my friend, without even thinking, reached down and grabbed the weight off of the man’s shoulders and curled it up as if doing a biceps arm curl. He then extended the weight out and upward with his arms as he safely placed the weight back on the tall squat rack. The huge power-lifter looked up and said, “Did you just do what I think you did?” He answered, “Yes, I guess I did!” The same Holy Spirit who came upon Samson came upon my friend in a time of need right in the middle of the gym. This miracle strength has not been a one time event for him. He has actually had this type of anointing happen to him several times where he was able to lift a heavy weight in an emergency situation by the power of the Holy Spirit.
At another time he was asked by some friends to help and try to move a car that had gotten stuck in an ice hole. At this particular time my friend’s back had been injured and he had trouble even moving because of the pain. However, at his friend’s insistence he hobbled out of his car and endeavored to give what little help he
could. He noticed that the stuck car had one tire completely sunk down into a hole. The car was actually resting on the bottom axle, which now lay on the ground because of the depth of the hole. As my friend reached down to grab the bumper and pull it upward, he fell over on the car with his hand still on the bumper because of the severe pain in his back. Now he wasn’t pulling but was actually adding more weight because he was pushing down on the car with his own body weight. When that happened, the car was instantly lifted up out of the hole and pushed forward. The other men stepped back and said to my friend, “How did you do that?” He said, “Don’t look at me, I wasn’t even pulling. It was the power of God that moved the car.” The same Holy Spirit who came upon Samson is in the earth today and His power is more than enough to see us through to victory.
IND
Y
OUR
P
LACE OF
A
NOINTING
Basically, under the Old Covenant, a mantle was an outward representation of a specific anointing of the Holy Spirit. As a New Covenant child of God, you can be anointed by the Holy Spirit to accomplish the work that God has prepared for you to do. Find your place of anointing and do whatever it is with all your heart that God has called you to do.
So, even though we do not see the term “mantle” or “mantles” directly mentioned in the New Testament, we know that the Holy Spirit is actively involved in the Church today, in anointing God’s people for service and ministry. I’ve always liked a well known verse in the Book of Hebrews that most Christians have memorized by heart.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever
(Hebrews 13:8).
This verse sends a clear message to New Testament believers that God is still a God who performs miracles today when His people reach out to Him in faith. God has never changed. Through His Church He still heals the sick and casts out demons. Miracles are for today. But there is also another clear implication of this verse, which when taken in context gives us a deeper appreciation for mantles. Hebrews 13:8 says;
Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever
(Hebrews 13:7-8 NIV).
Jesus Christ who anointed Paul is still the same Jesus today. Jesus Christ who anointed Charles Finney is still the same Jesus today. Jesus Christ who anointed John Wesley is still the same Jesus today and will continue to be so forever. God has not changed. He is still anointing His people and He will continue to. We are to remember our leaders in the Christian faith. Their mantles are available for the end-time church.
Paul and Timothy were two men who understood the concept of spiritual impartation and the importance of passing on a mantle.
AUL AND
T
IMOTHY
Paul and Timothy had a father and son type relationship. Writing to the Philippian Christians, Paul had this to say about Timothy:
But you know his proven character, that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel
(Philippians 2:22).
Here again we see a common way in which a mantle or anointing is transferred. Paul mentioned in the above Scripture that Timothy had served with him. Serving allows you to come into close association with a person, which in turn causes what is on that person to get over on you. One may reason that if Timothy had some of the anointing that was on Paul rub off on him, then why wasn’t his ministry as well known as Paul’s? The answer is that the ministry calling is different for each individual. God doesn’t call every minister to have an international type ministry. For instance, not every pastor will have a large church with thousands of members. There are pastors whom God has called to shepherd a small flock of 100 members; yet they are still in the perfect will of God. Having a successful ministry is all relative to the specific assignment given to one by God.
Paul also speaks very highly of Timothy in the following statement:
To Timothy, my dearly beloved son…
(2 Timothy 1:2 KJV).
For Paul to address Timothy so affectionately indicates to us the depth of their relationship. Only the Holy Spirit can form this kind of relationship. In your entire lifetime, you may have many friends, but you will only have a few spiritual fathers. It is not always the case, but often mantles are transferred from a spiritual father down to a spiritual son.
HAPTER
6
Examples Throughout Church History
Now let’s look at some more recent examples of mantles being transferred from one individual to another.
Prophet Bob Jones
—The prophetic ministry of Bob Jones is known around the world. Bob Jones is esteemed as a prophet of the Lord and he also fits the Old Testament description of a Seer. Angelic visitations and heavenly experiences are regular occurrences for Bob. Examples of his visions such as, “The Baseball Game,” and “The Bill of Rights,” have blessed the lives of many people around the world. In 1987, Bob even spoke about a second space shuttle disaster (which occurred on February 1, 2003) and the spiritual implications that this event would entail. He has also accurately prophesied other major
world events. Bob Jones’ close friend and fellow minister of the Gospel, Paul Keith Davis of White Dove Ministries, describes in his January, 2003, ministry newsletter how Bob received the prophetic mantle he now walks in:
Bob had three supernatural encounters as a young boy while living on a cotton farm in rural Arkansas. The first one occurred one August afternoon on a dusty road close to his home. As he was walking along this hot road, he saw something strange take place. He watched as a man riding on a white horse began galloping toward him from Heaven. Upon seeing this unusual sight, his mind could think of only one thing he heard often sung in the Baptist churches of Arkansas. He had always been taught that the angel Gabriel would someday appear and blow his trumpet signifying the end of the world. That was the first reaction he had upon seeing this supernatural being.
The angelic messenger was carrying a unique silver trumpet that had one mouthpiece but two double horns which he blew. Even as a young boy, he knew this was the angel Gabriel. This identification has since been confirmed to him in subsequent experiences. Needless to say, he was quite terrified at the sight. Nothing was spoken at that time, but the messenger did carry, draped across the saddle, a mantle that looked very similar to the hide of an animal. It was something that appeared like a cowhide that Gabriel threw at Bob’s feet. With that, the angel and horse vanished.
Bob has since discovered that this spiritual “mantle” was worn by a prophet from South Africa who formerly walked the rivers from village to village with a powerful ministry of truth and deliverance. Bob has also met the grandson of this man and discussed the ministry that he carried to his generation.
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Dr. Peter Tan
—Dr. Tan’s international teaching ministry demonstrates remarkable depth and revelation that has come forth out of a life devoted to prayer, fasting, and the study of God’s Word. In 1994, Brother Tan was taken in the Spirit to Heaven and shown its glories and wonders. The amazing account of his visit entitled, “
Visitation to the Throne Room of God
,” is very uplifting and inspiring. The following is an account from Dr. Tan concerning how he received an impartation from a former saint who is now in Heaven.
When I went on a three-day full fast (without food and water) in the early days of my ministry, on the third day of the fast I had a dream-like vision. I was not conscious whether I was awake or asleep. I was taken to a place where there were two mountains. Between the mountains were a valley and a huge building, which I understood represented the Church. Only the pillars were ready; the walls and other things were not up yet. The pillars were so big that you could drive three cars on them. High up on the building were some people I recognized. They were John Sung, Watchman Nee, and a few other people, some I recognized, and some I didn’t. They had all gone to be with
the Lord and they were beckoning to me to go and join them.
I didn’t know what it was, but in the spirit it was like I was going to them. And then I got out of this visitation. At that time I knew the two mountains represented the first and second coming. The pillars represented the pillars of prayer that build the church, the foundation. And these were men of God who had built some of these things. But a few years ago, God said to me: “Son, do you understand what that vision means?” I said, “No, Lord.” The Lord said, “I have called you to continue the work which Watchmen Nee, John Sung, and the others have done. I have put an anointing on your life to do that work and I’m calling you to finish that which they have started.” When I saw that, I wept. Of course, like everyone else, I said, “Lord, I will do your will, I just want to do your will. I don’t seek for fame, I don’t seek for fortune, and I don’t seek for anything. I just want to do your will and then go home.
And then some time after that, Watchman Nee came in two dreams and talked with me and imparted something. Later on, when the Lord was teaching me about the anointing, I met Kathryn Khulman in the spirit world and she said some things to me and imparted something. As I progressed spiritually, I met different people and I said, “Lord, I don’t understand these things theologically.” But through time the Lord began to show me: This is the communion of
the saints that still goes on. Now, I didn’t ask for it, I didn’t pursue it. I was just seeking God and praying, meditating on the Word. I didn’t seek to meet anyone of them at all. But the Lord showed me that there were some things in their lives and their spirits that they had harnessed and gathered and imparted into my life in some way that my mind doesn’t comprehend or understand.
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