Spreading the Saving Grace of Christ Jesus. Giving God the glory in all circumstances and allowing Him to transform lives and hearts through the atoning work on the Cross. "For we are saved by grace through faith...Ephesians 2:8-9. Love and praise Him with all your heart, mind, strength and soul. Love thy neighbor as thyself and these are the 2 greatest commandments. For even Christ Jesus came not to be served but to serve and sacrifice.
"And blessed is he who keeps from stumbling over Me."- Matthew 11:6
While teaching on Joshua 1, I realized that God clearly told Joshua that He fulfills His promises. God even clearly restates what those promises entailed. However, today, many people do not know how to get promises from God. And even if God is speaking to them, many Christians do not know how to wait it out, and so they fail to watch God work it out to completion. As a result, many Christians stumble over Jesus and the way He works in our lives. But that is not God’s intention as He desires to speak to us and reveal to us things that are to come.
My mom came over today and I asked her how she would teach someone to get promises from God. Immediately, she started giving me illustrations of when God gave her promises. So, I asked her again, “But how did you learn to get a promise from God?” She used another illustration of a promise God gave her to try to speak in the generalities of teaching someone else. I was thankful for the discussion because I had also realized that it is very difficult to come up with a “basic formula” in receiving a promise from God.
God’s Word is filled with promises He gave in the past which can be applied to my present circumstances. I can give a very simple way of how I get a promise from God. First, I start by praying to Him about a burden while asking for His will to be done in it. It is not God’s will for me to be stressed out and unsettled, so I start reading the Word, looking for a passage that addresses what I am praying about. If a verse pops out, I will start meditating over it, asking God about it and looking up the cross references for it. I know that it is a promise from God if it addresses the burden on my heart in future terms while giving me a present day peace. I also know that it is a promise and not a command if I can’t do anything to fulfill it by myself. God wants me to trust and have faith and He will accomplish the rest.
Today, try to read segments in the book of Isaiah. God has given me so many promises in that book. Keep seeking the Lord’s will until He gives you a verse. Then trust Him. He is more than able to address and accomplish all that concerns you today and every day!
Our mission is to evangelize the lost and awaken the saved to live empowered lives by the Work of God and His Holy Spirit. Daily Disciples Ministries makes a difference for the kingdom of God by teaching and training believers how to be in God's Word, how to pray and how to walk with Jesus every day, as His daily disciple. Daily Disciples Ministries, Inc.
What keeps us from doing what JESUS said to do in this short life?
What has kept Holy Fire from being in our lives?
I watched an elderly monk of one of the Eastern Orthodox Churches speaking to an interviewer at his little hermitage. He said that The LORD+ waits for men and women to be with HIM+, to spend time with HIM+, but everyone is too busy for that.
They have other more important things to do. Church on Sunday will be sufficient they say. Personal idols must be served. The LORD+ waits for close and intimate communion with us, but we are too busy.
Then the Church wonders why there is no Power within their Church or in their lives. It is the simple law of sowing and reaping. No discipleship, no obedience, equals no Power, no discernment, no sick ones healed, no dead ones raised, no demons cast out. A sad and sorry situation.
It is TIME to Learn to live in the presence of GOD, to hear HIS+ Voice, to see with the eyes of the MESSIAH+ and to hear with HIS+ ears. The SON of GOD did not call us to be religious or to be “churchians” but to follow HIM+ in the Straight and Narrow way that leads unto Life.
HE+ spent much time in prayer to HIS+ Eternal FATHER. If HE+ did that, we much more need to do that!
We have shrugged off spending quality time with HIM+ for too long, and it has weakened us immensely and made us vulnerable to satanic attack.
There are many USELESS things in our society that are designed to pull us away from our LORD+. The satan delights when we spend hours on activities and pastimes that WEAKEN us spiritually.
These activities become idols in our hearts that pull us away from being in the presence of our SAVIOR+.
It is time to pull down the idols!
We are living in VERY PERILOUS TIMES. These are the days that The HOLY SPIRIT has warned us about. It is totally necessary to be strong in the Strength of The Blessed HOLY SPIRIT.
Let us learn a lesson from the hermit monks of the Orthodox Christians and learn to spend hours in The LORD’S+ presence, both speaking to HIM+ and hearing from HIM+.
In the days ahead we will need to know HIS+ Voice and have HIS+ direction.
It is time to tear down ANY idol that gets in the way of spending holy time with our LORD+ and MASTER+, our Commander and Chief, WHO+ is seated at HIS+ FATHER’S Right Hand, making continual intercession for us.
To be in HIM+
and HE+ in us
is our ONLY Protection
for the days ahead.
Let us think about this: Which is harder… to tithe our pocketbook … or our TIME ? As Keith Green used to sing, ” I+ don’t need your money; I+ want your LIFE.”
You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.—Psalm 139:3
Our son and daughter-in-law had an emergency. Our grandson Cameron was suffering from pneumonia and bronchitis and needed to go to the hospital. They asked if we could pick up their five-year-old son, Nathan, from school and take him home. Marlene and I were glad to do so.
When Nathan got in the car, Marlene asked, “Are you surprised that we came to get you today?” He responded, “No!” When we asked why not, he replied, “Because I know everything!”
A five-year-old can claim to know everything, but those of us who are a bit older know better. We often have more questions than answers. We wonder about the whys, whens, and hows of life—often forgetting that though we do not know everything, we know the God who does.
Psalm 139:1 and 3 speak of our all-knowing God’s all-encompassing, intimate understanding of us. David says, “You have searched me, Lord , and you know me. . . . You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.” How comforting to know God loves us perfectly, is fully aware of what we will face today, and He knows how best to help us in every circumstance of life.
Our knowledge will always be limited, but knowing God is what matters most. We can trust Him. —Bill Crowder
Thank You, Lord, that You know everything about me and what I need. Learn how to enjoy the presence of God. For help, go to discoveryseries.org/q0718.
Knowing God is what matters most.
INSIGHT: God knows who we are (Ps. 139:1-6), who we are becoming (vv. 7-12), and how we got where we are (vv. 13-18). Consider praying Psalm 139:1 as both a confession and an invitation. Take comfort in the fact that God knows and loves you, and invite Him to take you to places of greater intimacy with Him. Dennis Moles
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Nevertheless, if we want to be faithful followers of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in this day and age, we must be alert and ready to boldly stand against the spirit of the age. (Public Domain)
Since that very moment in the Garden of Eden when a single bite shattered the harmony of the world, man has tried to make his own way, be his own master, and set up his own kingdom. It's nothing new.
Nevertheless, if we want to be faithful followers of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in this day and age, we must be alert and ready to boldly stand against the spirit of the age that seeks to modify the message of Christ, undermine His power to set us free from sin, repaint Christ's picture to make Him more acceptable to a wayward generation and rewrite the gospel to remove the offense of the cross.
For the last 2,000 years, the church has been plagued with heresy after heresy seeking to tame the gospel, and today is no different. Here are just a few of the popular beliefs in our current culture that threaten to infiltrate the church:
Universalism: the belief that all people will be saved or that all ways lead to God and eternal life. Many who subscribe to this theology claim that, for instance, Christians and Muslim worship the same God.
The Prosperity Gospel: the belief that God's primary concern is for believers to be healthy and wealthy. If Christians are sick, suffering or poor, it is because of sin or a lack of faith.
The New Age Movement: a belief system of Eastern influence that emphasizes universal tolerance and doing what feels good (moral relativism). It contends that man is divine and can create his own reality and identity.
Legalism: the improper use of the law described in Scripture to try to attain or maintain salvation. Legalism also fosters judgment of fellow Christians for not adhering to one's own ideas of holiness rather than encouraging them to imitate Christ, obeying God's standards as explicitly outlined in Scripture.
Hyper-grace: the overreaction to legalism, resulting in abuse of God's grace. Believers find themselves drawn to the modern hyper-grace movement because they are looking for freedom not just from legalism, but also from God's standards.
The Emerging Church: a movement that claims to be Christian but employs culturally sensitive methods to make the gospel more palatable to a postmodern culture. Jesus' life is treated more as an allegory or narrative rather than a true event. Of particular concern is the inclusive approach to various belief systems, an emphasis on emotions over absolute truth and the notion that there is no hell, judgment or need for forgiveness. The Emerging Church movement also glorifies honesty and confession, but without repentance.
Behind all these false ideologies is the belief that Scripture is not infallible and truth simply changes with the times. A 2014 Gallup poll revealed that:
22 percent of Americans believe the Bible is the actual Word of God and should be taken literally
28 percent believe it is the actual Word of God, but with multiple possible interpretations
28 percent believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God but should not be taken literally
18 percent believe it is an ancient book of legends, history and moral precepts written by man
How do we respond to such false teachings as they arise within the church? We preach Christ. We reinforce biblical doctrine, clinging to the highest authority—the Word of God. For "The god of this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord" (2 Cor. 4:4-5a).
We preach Christ who was promised by God back in Genesis. We preach Christ, who was born of a virgin. We preach Christ, who healed the sick, raised the dead, made the lame to walk and set the captives free. We preach Christ, who chose to die a criminal's death on the cross in order to set us free from sin. We preach Christ, who rose victoriously from the grave, never to die again, thus assuring everyone who places their trust in Him of eternal life with Him in heaven. We preach Christ, who will come again to judge the living and the dead.
So we can say:
To the universalists: No one will be saved apart from Jesus Christ. Only those who choose to repent and call on the name of Jesus will have eternal life (see Acts 4:12, Matt. 25:46, Heb. 9:27, John 14:6).
To heralds of the prosperity gospel: Jesus promised us that we will suffer, but that He is with us and has overcome the world (see John 16:33, Rom. 5:3-5, 2 Tim. 3:12, Luke 14:27).
To legalists: If righteousness were attainable through the law, Christ would not have had to die (see Matt. 7:22-23; Gal.2:21; Rom. 3:10-12, 28; James 2:10). We are justified by faith in Jesus Christ's singular work on the cross, and even this faith is a gift from God not achieved by our own efforts (see Rom. 4:5, Eph. 2:8). And we are not to judge our brothers and sisters in Christ on debatable issues (see Rom. 14:1-12).
To proponents of hyper-grace: God's grace has freed us from the bondage of sin, but we should not receive His sacrifice in vain (see Rom. 6:23, Heb. 10:26-29). We must repent and seek to live under the lordship of Christ, seeking holiness through the power of the Holy Spirit (see 1 Pet. 1:13-16, 2:11-12, 16; Rom. 5:20-6:18).
Brothers and sisters in Christ, arm yourselves with the Word of God. Know your Bible and speak the truth in love. In this way, may we remain faithful by the power of the Holy Spirit.
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BY BRENDA ALEXANDER (EXCEPT FOR VIDEO AND PICTURES My words or this post has been freely given; freel give. You need no permission
I listened to this and while I'm not sure if he is right but COULD he have a very valid point? I like open and honest dialogues but unless we're willing to look at other's thoughts and get out of our doctrinal boxes, stop being so dogmatic you miss something major but...mostly risking to step out in faith. Otherwise I fear false teachings can be spread or just as bad, truth can be overlooked. I am not endorsing him but nor am I dismissing his point of view (POV) either. We must be good Bereans and search the scriptures to see if these things are true but to do that, we MUST hear what is being taught. We can't remain ignorant. The Bible foretold that in the end times, there would be an explosion of knowledge. I feel quite confident that the internet was at least the very beginning but it not only means "secular" or "worldly" knowledge but Spiritual knowledge and previously misinterpreted or unclear prophecies would no doubt become obvious. What IS prophecy? Is it a crystal ball we look into to see the future? Yes, in many cases it obviously is, especially Daniel and and NT books such Matthew, Luke, most of Paul's books and, of course the big one...Revelation. We must admit some are vague and can apply to many historic books. I either heard a sermon or read a very informative article on what is, and what is NOT, prophecy really given for. Rarely do I find YHWH does something for just one reason. It said that it is given for one reason so that each generation will see fulfillment of prophecy and thus prove the infallibility and accuracy of God's word. That makes sense. But, of course, especially in Daniel, we are told to seal up the book, that until this prophecy is starting, we are blinded to it. Now that is just an opinion and God wants us to seek His Word and to watch. The closer we come, the more insights we will be given. John used words only he knew how to use. He could not imagine the U.S.A., nuclear weapons, airplanes, rockets, helicopters, the evils of the world, maybe even chemical warfare. He used the word "like" many times.
I am going to be sharing many Bible studies from Bible.org on Revelation and when you link the 4 horsemen of the Apocolypse, read OT prophecy, it will bring on a very clear, concise and amazing POV and true knowledge of what John is saying. What it does not do is link it to world events of today. It simply tells you what the horses and their colors signify. You are then free to look at today's world and see what you believe. Each day we're closer. Also, I watched a great secular/faith combined video, very positive for a change even though it was political, he said something that instantly made clear a verse I'd struggled with and that's when the veil of the temple was torn into at the death of Jesus. I didn't get it. Nor did I spend much time thinking about but God knows our needs. I also was told to listen for "prophetic slips" in videos of all kinds. I don't know if it was intentional but I'm hearing these said a lot, even and especially in worldly or secular videos, especially in news, including the far left lying and deceptive media. Pay attention. It's quite amazing to hear. It's especially awesome in worldview videos because God is making His Word known and unblinding as many as will. Many Christians feel we shouldn't get into the political world and it's nasty but the Second Advent has everything to do with politics and powers, kingdoms and oppressive governments. If you ignore what is going on, you are going to be overtaken by the "thief in the night." Listen, see if you think he may be on to something or can we prove by scripture he is wrong so that false teachers are exposed and no one is lead astray. We will hear things and others will hear something different. We MUST come together. Stay grounded in God's Word, learn to discern and we be ready and our lamps full of oil. Be blessed and listen. It's only about 18 minutes long. We gotta be in the know and ready at all times. Comments are welcome.
SPREAD THE GOSPEL OF SALVATION BY YESHUA AH MESSIACH
First Corinthians 15:1-11
John 3:16-17
Ephesians 2:8-9
Romans 3:23 and 6:23
ISAIAH 53 - SHOULD BE A 5TH GOSPEL
Be full of God's love and grace forever until forever!
If anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.—1 John 2:1
From a Florida prison cell in June 1962, Clarence Earl Gideon wrote a note asking the United States Supreme Court to review his conviction for a crime he said he didn’t commit. He added that he didn’t have the means to hire a lawyer.
One year later, in the historic case of Gideon v. Wainright, the Supreme Court ruled that people who cannot afford the cost of their own defense must be given a public defender—an advocate—provided by the state. With this decision, and with the help of a court-appointed lawyer, Clarence Gideon was retried and acquitted.
But what if we are not innocent? According to the apostle Paul, we are all guilty. But the court of heaven provides an Advocate who, at God’s expense, offers to defend and care for our soul (1 John 2:2). On behalf of His Father, Jesus comes to us offering a freedom that even prison inmates have described as better than anything they’ve experienced on the outside. It is a freedom of heart and mind.
Whether suffering for wrongs done by us or to us, we all can be represented by Jesus. By the highest of authority He responds to every request for mercy, forgiveness, and comfort.
Jesus, our Advocate, can turn a prison of lost hope, fear, or regret into the place of His presence. —Mart DeHaan
Father in heaven, please help us to know what it means to have the freedom of Your love and presence. May we experience this freedom even in places that we have only seen as our confinement!
The one who died as our substitute now lives as our advocate.
INSIGHT: John encourages us to be honest about ourselves. Actually, his words are more of a warning than they are encouragement. Writing to a struggling church, John reminds his readers that we all struggle with sin and the claim that we don’t struggle has several drastic consequences: We deceive ourselves, the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8), we make God out to be a liar, and His word is not in us (v. 10). But John’s point is not a downer. Those warnings surround a very familiar promise. Our sins do not keep us from God—because when we acknowledge (confess) them, we are forgiven for them (v. 9). What do you need to confess as sin and then trust that God has forgiven? J.R. Hudberg
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Should we say God or YWVY? In today's world, I hear God being used by many different religions. First, I don't view being a Christian as being "religious" in any way. So when we say "God," the world (unbelievers) don't have much of an issue with this because God's name is thrown around like, well, the word "like." Muslims call their god God. Should we, as Christians, use the word God when talking about the Most High? I use to and in my home I do but more and more I find myself using the Name of God as YWVY and Jesus Christ as Yeshua ah Messiach. I doubt seriously it matters to Him but as for me, I have found using His Name draws me closer to Him. I also like others knowing to whom I am referring. I want to be "set apart." Now I realize that Jehovah's Witnesses will say I'm only to use the name "Jehovah" but there is a major problem with that name. To my knowledge, there is no "J" sound in any form of Hebrew or Aramaic, the most ancient form of Hebrew which was spoken by Yeshua, Jehovah is a combination of Elohim and Adenoi OR it is just another spelling of Yah or Yahwey (which we really do not know exactly how to pronounce) which is actually spelled YWVY OR YWYW. So by that should we even use the American name "Jesus" with a "J" sound? I'm not a Jehovah's Witness nor align myself with either the Sacred Name or Hebrew Roots Movements. This is a dark world with the vast majority of it being secular or atheists. I'm seeing things today that sure seem to be fulfilling prophecy. 2016 was the first year in history where Christians were the most martyred group of people. That doesn't include the tortured, imprisoned or persecuted but only those killed. Is this dangerous? It could be, I won't lie but I do believe in today's world we should be very specific on Who we stand for. So as for me and my house, I will serve YWVY! May He bless all as salvation is for everyone, not limited to sex, race, creed or national origin. Everyone on earth can be saved by trusting and belief that Yeshua ah Messiach (Jesus Christ) is Lord and our God and Messiah. BTW, Yeshua means "salvation."
YWVY bless you all. I hope you're having a blessed weekend and safe. Be full of grace and show mercy and compassion. I've worked very hard on my blog but in December, I began to doubt that I was being of any use to anyone. It feels as if I'm doing this in vain. No one ever makes comments nor is it ever shared. I stopped because I needed a break from the computer for Spiritual and personal reasons. It had nothing to do with me falling away but more to grow closer to Jesus Christ one-on-one without man. I am happy to say it has worked out well for me but I'm not sure if I should continue doing this blog if it's not helping anyone. I want to spread the Gospel to the world or at least to as many as will receive it and also to have some fun and to support and encourage my brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. I also, of course, like to have fun and laugh. Laughter is a good gift from God I fear today we have few chances to use. So, do you guys want me to continue my blog? Are you willing to share it or to put a link to mine on yours or your website; recommend it on other social media sites or to people looking for answers or a place to enjoy and learn? If not, then maybe I should find another way. I love doing it but if it's just for my own edification, no. If you want me to do it and are willing to help me spread it cos I cannot do it without you, then comment or say yes but don't just 1+ it. I need to hear from you that you are reading it. Also, I'm more than willing to post your writings on here if you want me to as long as they are Biblical and go by the Gospel of Grace and GRACE alone. It must line up with the Gospel According to Christ Jesus in First Corinthians 15:1-11. This is not nor will ever be a "works oriented" blog ("For ye are saved by GRACE and not of yourselves. It is a gift of God. Not of WORKS NOR DEEDS lest any man should boast - Eph. 2:8-9). Now this is not to say I do not encourage and believe in good works cos I do, very much so. I also encourage people to get baptized as it IS an act of OBEDIENCE but not for salvation. If you preach a different Gospel, you are not teaching the RIGHT Gospel and if your Gospel includes you must speak in tongues, I fear you may be turning people away. I've heard this from many who have gone to these churches, seen people running around, convulsing in the floor and have left, saying they won't no part of that. Here is my belief...lead people to Jesus Christ and then let the Holy Spirit do what He does best and lead that person on their journey. If given any gift of the Spirit, they will know it. I also believe that if the gift of tongue is needed, it will be given but only if needed as the Gospel and languages are learned today. It was given so that the Gospel could go out but today, we have that ability. If gifts are given, maybe they're given to each as needed at various times in their life as the Holy Spirit gives. Besides, it's not us that has the ability to heal, prophecy, perform miracles, it is the Holy Spirit. I want to continue my blog but I'd rather do something to edify the Church and bring honor and glory to YWVY and Christ Jesus than for it to be for my enjoyment. It is up to you. If I get no responses to this post, I have my answer. I hope and pray I get many. Much love to all in Yeshua Ah Messiach!
We should all have this passion for Jesus Christ! Be blessed and watch. Prepare to be amazed at this little boy. And a little child shall lead them......
Question: "What does it mean to have the fear of God?"
Answer: For the unbeliever, the fear of God is the fear of the judgment of God and eternal death, which is eternal separation from God (Luke 12:5; Hebrews 10:31). For the believer, the fear of God is something much different. The believer's fear is reverence of God. Hebrews 12:28-29 is a good description of this: “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ’God is a consuming fire.’” This reverence and awe is exactly what the fear of God means for Christians. This is the motivating factor for us to surrender to the Creator of the Universe.
Proverbs 1:7 declares, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.” Until we understand who God is and develop a reverential fear of Him, we cannot have true wisdom. True wisdom comes only from understanding who God is and that He is holy, just, and righteous. Deuteronomy 10:12, 20-21 records, “And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Fear the LORD your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes.” The fear of God is the basis for our walking in His ways, serving Him, and, yes, loving Him.
Some redefine the fear of God for believers to “respecting” Him. While respect is definitely included in the concept of fearing God, there is more to it than that. A biblical fear of God, for the believer, includes understanding how much God hates sin and fearing His judgment on sin—even in the life of a believer. Hebrews 12:5-11 describes God’s discipline of the believer. While it is done in love (Hebrews 12:6), it is still a fearful thing. As children, the fear of discipline from our parents no doubt prevented some evil actions. The same should be true in our relationship with God. We should fear His discipline, and therefore seek to live our lives in such a way that pleases Him.
Believers are not to be scared of God. We have no reason to be scared of Him. We have His promise that nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39). We have His promise that He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Fearing God means having such a reverence for Him that it has a great impact on the way we live our lives. The fear of God is respecting Him, obeying Him, submitting to His discipline, and worshipping Him in awe.
Just wanted to say a quick hello and tell you all I hope you have a happy, safe and blessed weekend. I'm working on a special project for next week that is taking up a lot of my time but I'm hoping will be a blessing and helpful to you. It's going to take up a lot of time reading, listening, asking questions and getting real and true answers so that I can be more effective in spreading the Gospel and help by supporting you who are able to get out there and do the hard work. Right now I am in more of a "supportive-type" situation but am a warrior for the Gospel-in-training situation too. I am going to get out there and really spread God's Word by learning, praying and crocheting scarves and blankets for the homeless and those who are in need. Today, we are all in need, be it physical, mental or Spiritual.
So, while I may not seem very active, I am even more active than before. I plan to start writing my own articles, finding and sharing awesome videos and also just simply honoring Jesus Christ in every single thing I do and say. I will be addressing what some issues and you may not always agree on my position and that is fine! We don't have to agree on the rapture, how God created the earth, and so many of the things that are dividing the one TRUE church, the Body of Christ. For instance, is baptism NECESSARY for salvation? No but should you be? I would definitely do it again and I may, I haven't decided yet. It's not necessary to be saved but it is an act of obedience and it's just my personal opinion that if you're not willing (notice I did not say unable) to do this simple commandment that is so safe and an awesome experience, then you may not be as willing to obey the harder ones. However, the Gospel of Christ Jesus in First Corinthians 15:1-11 specifically says (and upheld in Ephesians 2:8-9) that all that one must do is believe and trust that Jesus Christ is God, that He died for us, was buried, resurrected and rose again. He ascended into Heaven and we were given the "Comforter" which is better known as "the Holy Spirit" on the Day of Pentacost, a one-time event, never to have occurred again.
Also, another doctrine that claim one must speak in tongues to prove you've received the Holy Spirit is also another misinterpreted and misunderstood part of scripture. The Holy Bible tells you that the gift of the Holy Spirit is free and given upon salvation. Baptism would mean you have to "do" something or "work" to receive a free gift. Then it could not ever be considered free but earned and that's where Ephesians 2:8-9 should clear that up nicely. You must understand how to rightfully divide the Word of God and understand that the Book of Acts is a transitional book and so full of information, confusion,change and finally agreement when Peter is given the vision that it was time for the Gospel to be spread to the Gentiles and when Jesus Christ Himself chose Paul to Apostleship. Peter was the main minister to the Jews, whereas Paul was the main minister to the Gentiles. One MUST understand when either are talking to Jews or Gentiles. Many of the signs were for the Jews only, such as speaking in tongues, signs and wonders, the other Spiritual gifts given to those on that day, including healing.
I am a cessationalist and believe that in First Corinthians 13:10 it is clear that the Spiritual gifts will cease when the Holy Scripture was written when John wrote Revelation. Paul refers to it as an 'IT" rather than "HE" so Paul is not speaking of a person or, as some believe, the return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. That does not mean I don't believe that the Spiritual gifts are never given, as I do believe that if needed, the are given but may not always be present. I may be given the gift of healing through prayer by the Holy Spirit on a certain day but does not mean I can heal anyone. It is as God chooses to use to show His presence and power to this really unbelieving generation.
However, if you believe in your heart you have the gift of speaking in a secret language, who am I to say you are wrong? I've said a few words I didn't understand but did I speak in tongues? Only God knows and if I was found worthy for Him to show Himself to me in that way, I am truly blessed. However, I do not have that gift. I have a discerning spirit though but it sort of comes and goes but the more I pray for strength in that gift, the greater it becomes. I've made statements I thought "where did that come from" that happened but am I a prophet? No. Did God give me this information? I would not ever say that. I also know I am not what some call "psychic." I have never and never will dabble with the occult. Maybe at various times, when needed, the Holy Spirit gives us the Spiritual gifts as He sees need.
My point is, why part of this gospel is not true, it does contain the entire Gospel of salvation but adds to it. The Gospel is simply that you trust and believe that Jesus Christ is God and He DID IT ALL. IT IS FINISHED. You are saved if you believe this. Do good works, speak in tongues if you feel you have that gift, get baptized, do whatever you want to do but just rely only on Jesus Christ for your salvation and realize there is nothing you can do, say, feel or think of yourself that will ever "save" you. Only our Messiah, Jesus/Yeshua, can do that. However, the worst thing we can do to another person is to add to that. Lead them to the Cross and let go and LET GOD. He is the author and finisher of our salvation.
I've talked to many people who have been to Pentacostal churches and loved the fire, the Spirit and love the people exhibit BUT when they feel confused, scared and think if they get saved they'll convulse on the floor, talk incoherently, and even some bark like dogs, it turns them away. IF God chooses to give them that gift, they will get it. He gives as He gives utterance. Speaking in tongues is the least of the Spiritual gifts so you are to pray for the better gift and as Paul says in First Corinthians 13, LOVE IS THE GREATEST GIFT. Lead them to the Cross and Jesus Christ takes over. Your job is done! You are saved because we are saved by grace!!! Let us never again be divided or turn others away from the love of the One and Only Living God...Father, Son and Holy Spirit! Be blessed and FULL OF GRACE!
