Idols Hindering Gifts

Lesson 4

Remember, the Bible says that idols cannot see, hear, walk, or talk, so they’re making us blind, deaf, dumb, and crippled. But they’re also affecting our gifts. Gifts aren’t all spiritual. The condition of your soul is what causes your gifts to manifest. This is Paul speaking in 1 Corinthians 12:4 (AMPC). “Now, there are distinctive varieties and distribution of endowments (gifts extraordinary powers distinguishing certain Christians, due to the power (dunamis) of divine grace operating in their souls, by the Holy Spirit)…” Dunamis means, excellent of soul. So, it’s saying here that the extraordinary powers that certain Christians have, happen because of dunamis power, divine grace operating in their souls, making them excellent of soul by Holy Spirit.

The more excellent of soul you become, because of the Holy Spirit working dunamis power inside you, the more healed you are in your soul, the more you will demonstrate what scripture calls “the extraordinary powers”.

Your gifts aren’t all about the spirit realm. They’re about what’s going on inside of you. God’s not going to trust a high-level gift to somebody who’s still mouthing off. Your soul needs to be healed. And as your soul gets healed by the power of dunamis, which is a divine grace operating in your soul, then you are going to display the extraordinary powers – the big gifts.

Metal miracles did not happen when I first started my ministry. No, they happened when I got my soul healed more and more. This scripture was fulfilled, and now I’m demonstrating the extraordinary powers. Become healed in your soul and you’ll see metal disappear when you pray for people too!
1 Corinthians 12:1-2 (AMPC) “Now, about the spiritual gifts (the special endowments of supernatural energy), brethren, I do not want you to be misinformed. You know that when you were heathen, you were led off after idols that could not speak [habitually] as impulse directed and whenever the occasion might arise.”

Why does Paul bring idols into the picture? Having idols in your soul blocks your ability to see in the spirit, to hear the voice of the Lord, to speak the prophetic word, and to walk out your purpose with the Lord.

When you have an idol of your car, money, spouse, ministry, business, church, or whatever it may be, that idol is blocking you from having the special endowments of supernatural energy – the spiritual gifts.

You want the gifts; get rid of your idols.

Why do we follow after idols? Because our individual souls are wounded and we’re looking for comfort.

We’ve been wounded by a trauma we went through, the loss of a loved one, our kids running off, a divorce, or when we were abandoned or rejected. We are wounded in our soul and we’re looking for something to comfort that pain.

One of my many idols used to be food. Think about it. Every demon god like Baal, Moloch, or Ashteroth would have people worship them by ceremonially offering them food.

They brought food, and dedicated it to the idol. Then, they ate the food that was dedicated to the idol, because that’s how they became one with the demon god they were worshiping.

I don’t know about you, but my soul was so wounded that when I felt the pain, I’d run to a bag of tortilla chips and two cans of bean dip. What’s your favorite food idol? A bag of those miniature candy bars (those don’t count, they don’t have as many calories)? Eating the whole bag negates that theory!

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:19-20 (AMPC) “What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is [intrinsically changed by the fact and amounts to] anything or that an idol itself is a [living] thing? No, I am suggesting that what the pagans sacrifice they offer [in effect] to demons (to evil spiritual powers) and not to God [at all].  I do not want you to fellowship and be partners with diabolical spirits [by eating at their feasts].”
Whenever we have a wound in our soul and we use food to comfort that wound, we are fellowshipping and partnering with diabolical spirits, by eating at their feasts! We are inviting a demon to come and kick our butts! It’s okay to feast. It’s okay to have a good time, but not excessively or habitually.

You gauge whether or not something has become an idol by how you are feeling in your soul. Do you eat that food because you need to be comforted in some way?

Next time, we will continue to talk about other areas in our lives that we use idols for comfort!

Big Love,

Have you been blessed by this ministry? If so, consider Partnering with us or making a One Time Gift! I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers!