No
Discernable Talent
When
I entered Pinecrest’s “gates” in the fall of 1976, I was introduced to many
concepts I have never heard before. The one in particular I wish to focus on
here is “The Lord’s Visit.” At that
time, the school seemed to be built around the school and individuals receiving
visitations from God. Staff members on numerous occasions pointed out
Brother Taylor as having been “a nobody” and because he
had a visitation from God, he was able to build
Every year of my five years at Pinecrest,
Wade Taylor would take the opening week of Chapels and give his testimony. He
would begin by saying: I sat where you sat . . . And then ruminate through a
preset line of: his experiences in Bible school of a revival or visitation that
came, beginning with a single student from Japan named Ellen Yamato, how it
overthrew the girl’s dorm, and then took over the whole school for two weeks.
Wade would then speak of the power of God’s visit and that it was life changing
– that people in such visitations were marked for life, they were spiritually
ruined and would never be able to go back to what they formerly
had.
Wade
never really spoke of his own no frills graduation, that he had been at the
“bottom of his class,” and that he had never received any accolades from his
mentor, Walter Beuttler, or any of the faculty at EBI. And while the cream of
the crop were whisked off to pastor churches or immediately went out mission
field, Wade Taylor and the bulk of EBI’s graduates were “No Talents” and thus
left to their own devices to fend for themselves.
Wade
would then pick up at this point and give his testimony: In 1959 I was on my way
to
Pinecrest in those days was run by the
Italian Assemblies of God. They taught students Italian, among other things, so
that they could preach and minister to inner city Italian Churches and/or go to
And
in his two year stint at Pinecrest, Wade Taylor did not distinguish himself to
any of the staff or faculty even though he knew all the subject matter, even
though he sat under Walter Beuttler, and dare I say even though he had been in a
powerful visitation at EBI. I can
not say that Wade ever really came to a realization that all that he experienced
in EBI was not sufficient for the task of his going into ministry, and it seems
that the staff and faculty at Pinecrest seemed to be well aware of
this.
Wade
would then pick up at this point and speak of the lone visitation that came to
Pinecrest while he was there and his having dove off the platform into the
chairs, the story of two students that had stood on the sidelines and mocked
what was going on, until they realized it was over and they had missed God --
how they tried to get something in the last day and it did not go well for them
at all.
Wade
would then speak in brief detail of how in late 1959, while praying he was
bodily caught up to the throne of God, and how God told him, among other things,
that He was giving Pinecrest to him, and how God wanted him to prepare a
prophetic people for the end time. Wade would then say he was so frightened that
most of what God said he lost and was never able to recover those
words.
After this visitation, Wade thought that
what God had spoken to him was imminent, and that the staff and faculty of
Pinecrest would surely hear and see what God had spoken and immediately hand
over the keys and presidency to him. But that did not happen. Wade would say
that at the time, he became so engrossed in trying to figure out how God was
going to go about giving him the school that he had a second visitation of the
Lord. He was working on maintenance as his work duty and was on a ladder
spackling the ceiling when the Spirit of God came. He had to hold onto the
ladder for dear life as the Lord began once more to speak and rebuke him. The
Lord spoke and said everything that you have figured out as to how I am going to
give you Pinecrest is automatically eliminated. – The Lord seeking to have Wade
return to pray and wait upon Him and to let Him fulfill
that which He had promised.
Wade
Taylor’s second graduation was as non-deplume as his
first was, again deemed as a student of “no discernable talent.” And as at EBI,
the cream of the crop where again whisked off to waiting churches and waiting
mission field assignments. This time after graduation, Wade and his wife and
family hung around the school waiting for the staff and faculty to “get the
revelation” which was not forth coming, and finally he was unceremoniously asked
to leave. It was some seven years later that the school was miraculously given
to Wade, and in his testimony he would conclude with his being at Pinecrest as
President.
In
the five years I spent at Pinecrest, I saw many graduations, and many
disappointed students that had done to some degree, all they had been taught.
They had seen the Lord’s visit one or more times; they had entered into these
visitations, they had danced, fallen out under the power, been drunk in the
spirit, and even prophesied over. But upon graduation, they found that other
than their having bragging rights of having been in a visitation of the Lord --
they had not in fact been changed. Not at least in the perceptible terms that
they would have desired. So in terms of what they had been told time after time
by Wade: That if you have something in God, people will smell it and come for
miles around and beat a path to your door. They were
crushed.
When
they returned to their home church or home meetings, other than their having a
piece of paper in hand from Pinecrest, nobody sensed anything about them, nobody
smelling anything on them. They found that after having spent two entire years
in Bible school, they were able to articulate little of what they had seen in
any meaningful terms to their hearers. And instead of being embraced as
emissaries filled with all truth, they found themselves relegated to being among
the “no talents” of their church or fellowship.
When
we speak about the “Lord’s Visit” or “Revival” as it is termed most everywhere
else, certain connotations rise up within people: Souls being saved, the power
of God being made manifest, times of spiritual renewal, re-dedication of one’s
life, times of spiritual refreshing, and of course, all the ideas that are put
forth about the coming end time revival.
Genesis 6:3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is
flesh:
In
Genesis 6:3 we find the purpose of God in the visitation or moving of His
Spirit. We can clearly see this in the so-called revivals throughout the Old
Testament. They were all a coming or a visitation upon sinful flesh, a calling
or striving of the Spirit to turn the hearts of God’s children unto Him. In New
Testament, the coming of both John the Baptist and Christ were ministries of
reconciliation of a wayward people unto their God. It is only since perverted
Latter Rain Revival that the definition of God’s coming or visitation has been
redefined -- as one of approval and blessing people that they might feel good in
their sin and corruption, and not depart from it.
Galatians
5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against
the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye
cannot do the things that ye would.
Here in the Church of the
Galatians, Paul is not speaking this verse to the unsaved or to those of some
lower realm in some other church that he had not taught in – he is speaking to
believers that had come to Christ, been baptized in water, been baptized in the
Holy Ghost, prayed in tongues like Paul, operated in gifts like the Corinthians,
and yet were carnal corrupt unspiritual babes and “No Talents” like the
Corinthians – However he declares that this was due to their carnality, and
flesh was blocking, interrupting and nullifying – their part time service and
devotion to God so that they were pinned in babyhood, or in other words, stunted
and choked, so that this was as far as they could progress. This was as far as
they could enter in and because of this, the Lord and Paul were quite angry.
Exodus
4:10
And
Moses said unto the LORD, O my LORD, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor
since thou hast spoken unto thy servant:
but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. (Moses was a man keenly
aware of his limitations; he was not a gifted teacher filled with oratory
ability that would make men stand up when he spoke. The meaning of Moses words
here is that he had returned on more than one occasion to this burning bush but
“Neither heretofore [you first appeared unto me] Nor since thou hast spoken
[Neither after that visitation] – So Moses is declaring that he had seen God, He
had heard His voice, but when he went back to the house of Reuel, his
father-in-law, and tried to relate what God had spoken, he could not articulate
it in any meaningful way – he was still not eloquent, even after having this
personal visitation. He was slow of speech [literally speaking haltingly] so
that his hearers were not in the least moved by what Moses said. In other words
despite this great, great visitation of God, Moses yet remained a no talent)
Exodus
4:11-12 And
the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth?
or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the
blind? have not I the LORD? Now
therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt
say.
(God here shows some mild
annoyance and declares that He will take possession of Moses mouth so that Moses
need not fear his inadequacies in expression, his stuttering or halting speech.
or his long gaps and pauses as he would speak.)
Exodus
4:13 And
Moses said to the Lord I pray thee lord I have not
been sufficient in former times neither from the time that thou has began to
speak to thy servant I am weak in speech and slow tongued
From this sentence Moses
states once more that God has been speaking with him for an ongoing period of
time. And Moses is saying that even with God’s training,
he
has
still
found himself to be insufficient. This would seem to mean that God spoke
to Moses on perhaps two three or occasions at the burning bush. In these
manifold occasions of the Lord speaking to him, Moses then went out to test his
sufficiency in communicating what the Lord had spoken to someone other than
himself.
It
would seem that Moses went home between these meetings and spoke these things,
at the very least to his wife Zipporah, and quite possible, while sitting at the
table with his father-in-Law, Reuel, being the Priest of God (Jehovah) in Midian. (The Midianites being direct descendents of Abraham were
also obedient to God’s covenant given to Abraham. And thus they had priests and
prophets just as the children of
Paul the apostle is referring directly to Moses in Exodus in
these verses
1 Corinthians
1:25-29 Because the foolishness of God is
wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling, brethren, how
that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are
called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the
wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things
which are mighty; And base things
of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things
which are not, to bring to naught things that are: That no flesh should glory in his
presence.
Moses’ inadequacies, his lack of any natural discernable
talent, his being rejected of men and cast aside to the most menial of tasks
caring for a small flock for a man of great wealth in the wilderness, his
remaining a dud, and a complete no talent, even after repeated visitations of
God at the burning bush – and his being painfully aware of all of this, was
precisely why God was calling unto him, and why God had chosen him above all of
those that were eloquent and had been at the top of the class, and cream of the
crop for such duties and honors in the eyes of men. God summarily rejected them,
rejected their natural gifts and talents, rejected their education, rejected the
diplomas and degrees and all the accolades of men they had received, and instead
chose a nobody, a no talent, a stone that had been rejected by the builders as
inherently flawed, a stone that was happy and satisfied after having lived in
wealth and power to live in utter poverty as a servant or slave in someone
else’s house. The Corinthians and Galatians were no doubt rebuked and told to so
examine themselves and their talents and personal ambition against Moses to see
where they stood before God.
And
Moses said to the Lord I pray thee lord I have not been sufficient in former
times neither from the time that thou has began to speak to thy servant I am
weak in speech and slow tongued.
From
this sentence it appears that Moses is saying that God has been speaking with
Moses for an ongoing period of time. And Moses is
saying that even with God’s training he has still found himself to be
insufficient. This would seem to mean that when God spoke to Moses,
Moses would speak it to Reuel, his Father-in-law,
Zipporah, his wife, or someone else. And as Moses would try to relate the
things that God had spoken to him to these other people, it appears that it did
not go over particularly well. And even with Moses trying this time and again,
he decided that he was not improving and more particularly, he was not
sufficient for the task that the Lord gave unto him.
We see this clearly stated in the calling of Moses. Moses was not called because he was wise; Moses was neither a scholar, nor one learned in either scripture or the ways of God.
Moses was not called
because he was mighty -- in either word of deeds. (Paul tells us that this, regardless of however it is
manifested, is a disqualification.)
Moses was not called
because he was “noble” in that he did not possess some righteousness or holiness
above all other men. (Paul tells us that this too,
regardless of however it is manifested, is a
disqualification)
According to Moses he was a slow learner, he was slow of
speech, and slow of tongue. In other words he would have been considered, at
best “The least among the brethren.” And by those who consider themselves
“learned,” “educated,” and “refined,” Moses would have been looked upon as a
fool. – And as such God chose Moses to confound the wise and notable men in
the church and their congregations. Despite all their teaching, all they had to
confess as the promises of God they had in that hour, none of that changed the
experience of man or household in their midst. From the top of their leadership
on down, they were all in bondage / slavery to
Instead of choosing the wise men of
One
might ask why does God do that? It is because these people will not brag
in His presence of their works, or brag before men about what they have in God
or of their accomplishments in God. Moses was great in selflessness. God says he
was the meekest man in all the earth. Whereas the ministers of our day are great
in selfishness and the spirit testifies against them that they are prideful and
stiff-necked.
I
see by the spirit also that when Moses said that he was weak in speech and
slow tongued, Moses was saying he in fact had a language barrier. Moses was
raised in the courts of
And
the Lord said who has given a mouth to man? And who has made the hard of
speaking and who has made the very heard of hearing and the deaf the seeing and
the blind? Have I not God? And go now and
I will lay open your mouth and will instruct thee in what you will say.
And
so God gave Mosses more than the gift of tongues. God spoke through Moses mouth.
As God spoke through Moses mouth, He would instruct the prophet by speaking to
him “mouth to mouth.” This is the Nabu Spirit of
God. I want to draw your attention to that fact that Moses was not
the first in scripture to experience this –Adam was. And later scripture records
the Nabu Spirit of God fell upon Abram,
the father of faith. This is no small thing – what small thing am I referring to
- God inhabiting ones mouth and speaking in the
tongues of men and angels. This NABU EXPERIENCE is what Peter cited
when he said This
Is That.
– This is the hallmark of
Adam, Abram, Moses, and the Prophets. – This is the
sign of the covenant when men shall speak in tongues of men and angels
proclaiming the mighty works of God. When Peter said in Acts, chapter
2, This Is That, no prophecies were given. No one was
healed. No devils were cast out. No water was turned into wine, and yet,
everyone understood what was wrought in their midst that day. The seventy elders
that had been with Moses, had the Spirit of Moses fall
upon them. The Jews that were outside the upper room that day understood that
the 120 elders had been with Christ, and had the Spirit of Christ fall upon
them. And with the 120 elders speaking in tongues and proclaiming the mighty
acts of Christ in the tongues of men and of angels proclaiming the glories of
God to the invisible and the visible, 3000 believed that
day.
Isaiah 50:4 The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the
learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that
is weary:
Isaiah testified that he knew of this
same Nabu experience, this same experience of God using his mouth and
tongue to speak to the people of
(God Said to
Moses)
And go now and I will lay open your mouth
and will instruct thee in what you will say.
The words “Go Now” are in the wrong tense. In the Septuagint, these words
are in the present imperfect tense and as such would be translated “to go and go
and go.”
Is there another passage in
scripture where this NABU
experience is described?
1
Samuel 10:1-12 Then Samuel took a flask of oil and
poured it on his head, and kissed him and said: "Is it not because the LORD has
anointed you commander over His inheritance?” -- And it
will happen, when you have come there to the city, that
you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with a
stringed instrument, a tambourine, a flute, and a harp before them; and they
will be prophesying. 6Then the Spirit of the LORD will come upon
you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into
another man. 7And let it be, when these signs come to you,
that you do as the occasion demands; for God is with you. 8You shall
go down before me to Gilgal; and surely I will come down to you to offer burnt
offerings and make sacrifices of peace offerings. Seven days you shall wait,
till I come to you and show you what you should do." And all those signs came to pass that day. 10When
they came there to the hill, there was a group of prophets to meet him; then the
Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them. 11And it happened,
when all who knew him formerly saw that he indeed prophesied among the prophets,
that the people said to one another, "What is this that has come upon the son of
Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?" 12Then a man from there
answered and said, "But who is their father?" Therefore it became a proverb: "Is
Saul also among the prophets?" 13And when he had
finished prophesying, he went to the high place.
Here, we have no less than
Samuel saying, Saul is the man that God has chosen. He anoints him with a horn
of oil. Saul is prophesied to and given instructions to do certain things. Saul
walks alone to serve God, Saul gives the word of God to strangers and is given
food and drink by strangers. – Saul is told to meet up with the prophets and
God’s Spirit falls upon Saul and he is taken over by God for hours, if not days.
During which time, Saul rants, raves, shakes, falls out, barks, groans, sings,
and weeps, while proclaiming the glory of God and his mighty works in the
tongues of men and of angels. Saul makes a complete spectacle of himself, so
much so that people that knew him came out and seeing him being overwhelmed by
the Spirit of God, along with the prophets, they made a running joke of
it.
Had Saul humbled himself
under the mighty hand of God, and took no offense at the NABU Spirit of God
coming upon him and inhabiting his mouth and body, Saul would have become a
great king and leader. Instead he turned unto his flesh, his own natural talents
and abilities and sought through those to build his own house that God had given
to him by prophecy, visitation, and the word of the Lord. What was begun in the
Spirit, Saul sought to perfect by the flesh, as the flesh and his carnality and
personal vanity was offended by the movings and operations of God. Saul’s’ not
being able to pray, to wait upon and submit himself unto the Spirit of the Lord,
was in the end the cause of his destruction and God stripping away his household
from rulership over Israel.
Carefully consider these
words, and your life as the Lord reveals to you your walk and life before him in
the woof and weave of these words.