"The Power of Impartation and How it Affects
YOU"
by Francis Frangipane
I know a man who, as a young
teenager, endured a violent outburst from his father. The incident had to do
with a style shirt that other teens were wearing. First, his dad told him not
to buy the shirt and then, after the young man showed up wearing it anyway, his
father told him to take it off. When the boy resisted his dad exploded,
actually ripping the shirt while it was still on the young man's body.
For whatever damage the violence did to the young man's psyche, there was a
deeper side effect. Later in life, my friend married and had his own children.
As life would have it, his oldest son wanted to wear a certain
"hip-hopper" shirt, to which my friend objected. Later that day
his son tried to sneak out of the house wearing the shirt but was
caught. Just as his dad before him had done, my friend exploded and, while
the shirt was still on his son, he ripped it in several places.
A "Time Released" Curse
My friend was not an evil or violent
man, but something wrong, like a "time released curse," had been
imparted to him 25 years previous. This enraged behavioral pattern had
incubated in his spirit until the right circumstances arrived; then it repeated
itself identically.
My friend was shocked by his
unpremeditated action. However, he was also amazed as he pondered the
power and mystery of impartation. His father's deed was a seed that, apart
from my friend's conscious choice, bloomed on its own in the garden of his
life. It was true: the "sins of the fathers" are
"visited" upon the children.
Human Relationships: Channels for Good or Evil
Of course, my friend's dad
had imparted many good things into his life as well. My point is that the
principle of impartation shows itself in a thousand ways during our lives.
There are things we are doing and ideas we defend, not because we thought them
through, but purely because they were imparted to us by others around us.
The fact is,
the unfiltered human spirit is very much like a sponge that absorbs into our
soul the substance of the world around us. Thus, scripture warns
"bad company corrupts good morals" (1 Cor
Yet, God's word also promises
"he who walks with wise men will be wise" (Prov
Divine Truth Creates Boundaries
The human soul must not become an "unwalled village"; we cannot exist spiritually without
guards and boundaries. Plainly, we need rules and standards of God's word;
divine truth creates a wall that keeps out the enemy. We must be selective
and wise in walking in this world for it is, in truth, a war zone.
It is also why Jesus warned,
"Therefore take care how you listen; for whoever has, to him shall more be
given" (Lk
He Who Receives a Righteous Man, Receives
Yet, the good news is that
impartation can be a wonderful and positive influence in our lives. A
life-giving church can fulfill and support your spiritual journey. Prayer
partners can stand before God with you and for you, encouraging you by the holy
and impartable influences of their faith. We can also
receive impartation from our pastors, mentors and Christian authors.
As a spiritual leader, my
goal is not just to inform you, but to conform you to
Christ. This involves not only instruction, but impartation as
well. If you are reading a certain author that God is using right now in
your life, believe God for the best that ministry can supply. There's no reason
you cannot receive of the grace given to that person for you.
Jesus was specifically
talking about the value of godly impartation when He taught, "He who
receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me
receives Him who sent Me. He who receives a prophet in the name of a
prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he who receives a righteous man
in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward"
(Matt
Impartation through People
Of course, God may meet you sovereignly, and we should covet and pursue times alone
with the Holy Spirit, in prayer or study of God's word. But, often the Holy
Spirit will have something to impart to you through a righteous man or
woman. You say, "I don't need men, I have the Bible and a
relationship with the Lord." The Bible did not fall from heaven, untouched
by human hands; it was written my men inspired by God. Imagine if the
early church shared that attitude! Of course, today there is much
deception in the church and we must each personally know the written word of God. Impartation
does not take the place of our personal relationship with our Father.
Simply, Jesus says that God will "reward" us just by our ability to
"receive" from those He sends.
Indeed, there is no limit to
how much our spirits can absorb from other leaders. Over the past weeks I
have been preparing Level Two materials for our In Christ's
Moses and Joshua
The Bible supplies many
examples of impartation: Elijah and Elisha, Saul prophesying among the prophets
and, of course, Jesus and His disciples (1 Kings; 1 Sam 10:5-11; Jn
"Now Joshua the son of
Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him .
. ." (Deut 34:9).
The laying on of Moses' hands
imparted the spirit of wisdom to Joshua. Joshua, apart from Moses,
possessed personal character; yet through Moses' hands, God gave Joshua the
"spirit of wisdom." Joshua received Moses in the name of a
prophet and received a prophet's reward.
Not only did Joshua receive
by impartation, through his unique ministry God would impart great faith to
Joshua didn't just lead the Israelites, he would cause
them to inherit God's promises! I am struck by this verse. Just as
my friend's dad imparted something that caused him to temporarily fail, so
there are people God has given us whose faith, example and encouragement will
"cause" us to succeed. That individual may be your mentor,
pastor or a leader in your church; he may be a national leader whose messages
seem perfectly timed for your needs.
Either way, God
has placed people in your life whose influence will "cause" you to
inherit His promises! Beloved, even as you hold fast to Christ as your
head, may you also understand the gift and power of spiritual
impartation.