Standing on the Shoulders of Giants (11 page)

As a humble Capuchin priest from San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy, he was chosen by God as a prophet and anointed with a ministry full of signs and wonders. Beautiful heavenly fragrances would often be released as Padre Pio ministered in the power of the Holy Spirit. The gift of prophecy and the gift of the word of knowledge operated with purity and accuracy throughout his long ministry. Many sick people were miraculously healed through his prayers, often of incurable diseases. There were even times when Padre Pio was carried away and translated to different locations by the Holy Spirit, just as Philip was in the book of Acts after he had baptized the Ethiopian eunuch. (See Acts 8:39.) However, Padre Pio was most widely known for the bleeding wounds in his hands, feet, and side that stayed with him for fifty years. These wounds, known as stigmata, were not a sickness nor a disease, but rather a supernatural sign and wonder pointing people to salvation in Christ Jesus. Padre Pio shared that when he first received these wounds in 1918, it caused him great embarrassment and humiliation, much like what Jesus felt and experienced while hanging on the cross as He suffered the rejection of men.
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There is such a thing as stigmata. That is when a person so deeply contemplates on something that it actually becomes a reality in his or her own life. Along with Padre Pio, another good example of this would be Saint Francis of Assisi. He contemplated the Cross of Christ with such intensity and was so moved by it that he said to his followers, “When I am dead, open my body, and you will find the impress of the Cross of Christ on my heart.” Sure enough, after his death they opened his body and there was the impress of the Cross of Christ on his heart. Saint Francis also experienced stigmata in his hands, feet, and side.

Some will say these marks that Paul is speaking of refer to the scars and marks left by the countless beatings and scourgings he suffered. While I’m sure this could be viewed as the primary application of this Scripture, I have also found the Word of God to be multi-layered. Before his salvation experience, Paul had murdered innocent people in his fanatical zeal for Judaism. Upon his acceptance of the Lord Jesus into his life, his sins were washed away by the Lord’s blood. I’m sure Paul focused often on the Lord’s blood and its marvelous cleansing power. He had to remind himself often that he was totally forgiven. Catholic tradition teaches that this Scripture also refers to Paul experiencing stigmata at times due to his meditating on the
cleansing blood of Christ while “forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead” (Phil. 3:13). The blood of Christ washes away our past sins and failures.

Padre Pio experienced the stigmata until just before he died at the age of 81. My point here is not to focus on stigmata but rather on the transfer of a remarkable mantle. However, in regard to the stigmata, I would suggest that believers focus on the ascended Christ and not see the Lord as One who is continually on the cross. He’s not on the cross anymore. He ascended to Heaven, and today He is seated at the right hand of God the Father in majesty. If a person can focus on the blood cleansing power of the cross and, through that deep meditation, experience stigmata of bleeding hands and feet, just imagine what kind of manifestations could be experienced when we constantly see ourselves as being seated with Christ Jesus in the heavenly places.

Maria Esperanza from Venezuela is anointed of the Lord as a prophet and seer. Widely known for her healing ministry and accurate prophetic words, her ministry is one of the most documented miracle ministries in the world. When Padre Pio was an aged man, he was quoted as having told others an extraordinary woman would soon visit him. “There is a young woman who is going to come from South America. When I leave, she will be your consolation.”

Maria was led of the Spirit to travel to San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy to meet Padre Pio. Upon arriving, there were throngs of people wanting to see Padre Pio, but, knowing in the spirit that his special visitor had just arrived, he cried out, “Esperanza!”

On September 23, 1968, Maria had a vision of Padre Pio. “Esperanza,” he said in the vision, “I have come to say goodbye. My time has come. It is your turn.” The next day, Maria and her husband saw in the newspaper that Padre Pio (whose funeral would be attended by more than a million people) had died. Maria’s life and miracle ministry bear a remarkable resemblance to the godly man whose mantle she inherited. Her close walk with God has manifested a life of unusual signs and wonders. There have been times when friends have volunteered to wash and dry her clothes to help free her up that she might have more time in prayer. Often when pulling her clothes out of the dryer, they would discover that hundreds of fresh rose petals had appeared in the dryer!
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In looking at these examples of mantles that were passed from one individual to another, there is a very important truth that I want you to see. This truth is that when a ministry is birthed by God, it is always His desire to see this type of ministry remain in the earth until the Lord returns. The individual that God started the ministry through can only remain for a limited time before his or her life on earth is complete. The Lord is looking for men and women who will be willing to take up the mantle that God has for them and run the course that He has charted for their lives.

Sadhu Sundar Singh (1889-1929) and Sadhu Sundar Selvaraj
—Sadhu Sundar Singh was India’s foremost Christian “Sadhu” (“Sadhu” means teacher) of the early 20
^th
century. Brother Singh was a man much like Enoch who walked very close to the Lord. He was affectionately known around the
world as the “apostle of the bleeding feet,” because the soles of his feet were often covered in bloody blisters from all the walking he did while spreading the Gospel.

Sundar Singh was raised a devout Sikh, and was consecrated from his youth to become a Hindu Sadhu. His mother admonished him to become a Hindu Sadhu, saying, “Do not be selfish and materialistic like your brothers, but seek for your peace of mind and hold steadily onto your faith. Be a sadhu.” From the age of seven and onward Sundar Singh devoured the teachings of the Sikh and Hindu teachers. He learned the Hindu teachings of yoga, mastered Vedas (the ancient Hindu teachings) and also studied the Qur’an. He was often taken by his mother into the rainforest to be instructed by a Hindu Sadhu. Yet having studied so diligently he still felt a great lack of inward peace which he hoped his religion would offer.

Sundar’s mother died when he was 14 years old. This was very difficult for him. His mother had previously placed him in a school run by British missionaries. It was here that he was first exposed to the Bible. Upon his mother’s death he reached a great despair, often reflected in angry outbursts. He publicly tore and burned a Bible page by page, and even threw stones at local missionaries and preachers. He even contemplated suicide, hoping that he would somehow find true peace through the Hindu teaching of reincarnation.

Shortly after he had burned the Bible, he awoke at 3:00 A.M. for his ritualistic bath in the courtyard observed by devoted Hindus and Sikhs. Upon returning to his room he had a dramatic
encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ through a vision. The experience was so overwhelming it completely changed his life. He had finally discovered the source of all true peace and joy. Brother Singh dedicated his heart fully to the Lord. Despite tremendous opposition from his father and family members he was soon baptized and became a Christian Sadhu.

Brother Singh wisely chose to make his lifestyle identical to the Hindu Sadhus of his day, including the same style of dress, spiritual discipline, and method of teaching in order to relate to the Indian people. However, unlike the Hindu Sadhus, he refused to allow himself to become dirty and was very neat and clean, and he did not torture his body with the ascetic rituals that Hindu Sadhus practiced.

Despite suffering tremendous persecution for preaching Christ, Brother Singh always prayed for his enemies and he blessed those who cursed him. Men who knew him said he was more like Christ than any other man they had known.

Each day Brother Singh would spend two hours reading the Word of God, meditating on the Word of God, and praying. On certain days he would pray all day long. Often, during times of prayer and meditation of the Scriptures, he would enter into visions and would be caught up into Heaven. This occurred more frequently during the latter years of his ministry, often as much as ten times a month. Concerning these experiences he said:

“I never try to go into ecstasy; nor do I advise others to try. It is a gift to be accepted, but it should not be sought; if given, it is a pearl of great price.”
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Brother Singh’s encounters with the Lord through the visions he experienced relate the glories and wonders of Heaven, and answer many questions regarding God’s plan for man. In his book titled,
At the Master’s Feet
, Brother Singh shares with us the messages the Lord gave to him during his visions.
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The lessons shared by the Lord were given to Brother Singh in the traditional Asian style of teaching, which is in the form of parables, and this style is still prevalent in many parts of the world today.

Brother Singh’s ministry work eventually took him to Europe and America. Wherever the Lord led him to minister, many people were drawn to hear his revelatory Bible teaching. While in Europe, a young teenage girl named Corrie Ten Boom (from the World War II story of
The Hiding Place
), wanted so badly to hear Sundar Singh minister that she came to his conference with a blanket and was prepared to sleep out in a field. God intervened and a kind student found a room for her. Corrie was deeply touched as she heard Brother Singh’s testimony of how he had seen the Lord Jesus during his conversion experience when he became a Christian. This disturbed her that as a Christian she had never seen a vision of Christ nor performed miracles. She met Sadhu Singh on a walk and was able to ask him why this never happened to her. Sundar responded that
she
was the real miracle. He believed in Christ only
after
seeing Him. On the other hand, she had simply heard and believed.
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He then quoted to her the words of Christ:

Just as God delivered Brother Singh from the deception of false religion and gave him a worldwide ministry, it was also God’s plan to continue this apostolic work after Brother Singh went to be with the Lord. In similar fashion, God called a young man named Sadhu Sundar Selvaraj out of Hinduism into the light of Truth. Brother Sadhu, as he is now affectionately known, gave his life to the Lord at the age of 16 after hearing a Christian teacher of science talk about the differences between the Theory of Evolution and the Creation account as told in the Bible. The work that God had planned for Brother Sadhu to accomplish would be revealed to him at the age of 21 through an encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ. His account of this experience is recorded as follows:

It is interesting to note the similarities between Brother Sadhu and the prophet Elisha whom we studied earlier. The Lord never wants someone to rush into something without that person knowing what he or she is getting into. I believe the Lord does this because He is not only looking for obedience, but also is looking for a willing heart. It’s one thing to do what God said, but it’s another thing to do it under difficult circumstances and maintain a positive attitude. God spoke the following statement through the mouth of Isaiah the prophet concerning this:

Some people are
obedient
to do what God instructs them to do, but they lag on the
willingness
. The Lord will only transfer mantles to those who are both willing
and
obedient. By His grace we are going to please the Lord in every area of our lives and do whatever He asks of us with a joyful and thankful heart!

The examples we have looked at of mantles being transferred and ministries being supernaturally continued in the earth are just a few of the many that take place in the Kingdom of God. Are you willing to receive the mantle that God has for you? Will you be obedient to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit? If yes, then be prepared because you are now standing on the front line to receive your mantle from Heaven.