I no longer felt like this was a teaching I could follow — the Holy Spirit led me away from it. Over the years, I continued to ask questions from time to time of people who I considered filled with the Spirit of God. Time and again, I would receive confirmation that tongues was an edification for the person, not God, and served no valid purpose in the way it is practiced by various Pentecostal and Charismatic churches. I also would encounter those that spoke in tongues. I would usually not react adversely in any way or judge that person, but I still did not feel at peace with it.
Are there people that speak in tongues today? Does the language always come from God? Over the years, I maintained a contact with this old Charismatic friend of mine. He is a pastor now, an author, a teacher, a mentor, a counselor and has a ministry in Africa. I have an Agape love for him. Regardless of our different beliefs in speaking in tongues — and he still does — he is a brother in Christ. Yesterday, the question came up again for me.
Even though I had sought answers and felt that I had found them, I asked God once more to show me the truth. I opened my Bible and went where God led me. He goes into great detail and spends a little extra time talking about the gift of tongues. He emphasizes that all are an important part of the Body of Christ but goes on to say that not all Spirit-filled Christians possess ALL the gifts but the Spirit apportions them as is the Will of God. Now, in 1 Corinthians 14 Paul goes into more detail about tongues. He is actually warning the Corinthians to NOT use the gift of tongues in a manner that would hinder the unbeliever.
The act glorified God and brought many to a believing faith in Jesus. It was also a sign in those early days of the ministry, so that the disciples would be assured that their message and the subsequent embodiment of the Holy Spirit was taking place. So, no sooner had I thanked God for finally giving me clear answers in His Word, then my Charismatic friend sends me a message. This led to an online discussion and finally a phone call conversation on the subject of tongues. He proceeded to lead me through scriptures that said again and again that there would be outward signs of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
One new one he shared was Acts This was a sign to Peter that the Holy Spirit was also for gentiles. He got the message. Jesus is for ALL. I admitted to my friend that I had faked it all those years ago. I stood on the message that God had given me that I did not have to speak in tongues to know that the Spirit is alive and working in me. I already know it. And as far as other spiritual gifts? Yes, I have them. But, tongues is not one of them. God has blessed me, protected me often from myself and humbled me over the years. I have experienced the presence of the Spirit for over 40 years.
My question is why do those that speak in tongues do so? John 15 I believe it is that we can do nothing of ourselves but if we abide in His Word and He abides in us, then we will produce fruit revealing that we are His and He is ours. Thanks for such a deep and revealing comment. I agree, Pastor Jack. I had reached a point of asking the big WHY?
Why are we here, why did you make me, what am I missing? I had been feeling distressed and anxious about my life for a while. In front of me the whole time, interwoven in my life and yet for the first time I really understood that God IS love, God created us because He loved us and He wants us to love Him. He never forces anyone though.
That was a break through moment in my faith walk. It was a deeper understanding of the nature of our loving God and every day I just keep falling deeper in love with Him. It was at that moment that I also understood the vitality of our relationships with one another, our family, our friends, and the love of our brothers and sisters in Christ as well as all humanity. Greetings Cynthia thank you for your reply let me start by saying tho I do speak in tongues some times it is not a massage with interpatation I find that when I am prazeing god or praying some times the holy spirit moves on me and I may utter words not in English but they allways help me to give god the glory and then I will keep prazeing and praying in English yes if we pray in tongues or English or any learned language god hears his children because he hears our heart you do not have to speak in tongues to be saved and go to heaven I find that they do edify me as I feel gods spirit moving in me and upon me reasureing me.
I will pray in the spirit tongues and I will pray with my understanding English I have never tried to fake tongues in any way. I don,t speak in tongues all the time I pray in English most of the time. The Holy spirit is a gift from the father and Jesus to every born again child of god. The gifts of the spirit are gifts from him to the church. Peter said you shall receive the gift of the Holy spirit if you repent and are babtized. Thank you Jerry for your comment.
Paul said that not everyone has every gift and so no, not all speak in tongues, and your experience you gave can not be more important than the Word of God. If all were the eye, then how could the Body of Christ, the church, walk in faith? If all were a hand, then where could the Body go without an eye? Brother Jack I didn,t mean to sound like I was saying that a person has all the gifts at one time and what I ment when I said that people have a hard time beleaving that god gives tongues today is there are so many people saying they are not for us today but they say the other gifts are for us today it seems they beleave in the other gifts but not in tongues.
I was not meaning it was necessary that all should speak in tongues but many people don,t want any thing to do with tongues even tho they are a gift of the spirit. Hi Jerry, Thank you for your great response. I have no doubt that the Spirit moves you in your prayer to speak in tongues.
Paul said he spoke in tongues more than all of them. I have some other gifts that are very strong, however, and I am prayerfully seeking His will. That is not to say that at some point God might bestow a gift of tongues upon me if it was His will and was for His glory. Paul was very clear about that point. Jesus is the only Truth. As long as we agree on that, brother, we agree. Cynthia, I think that you are on the right track with the topic of speaking in tongues.
Those who babble like your friends are not speaking in tongues. If they were then there were be people listening who spoke a different language than theirs and those people would understand them. That it what took place on Pentecost. The reason for that gift was that there were people assembled from many areas and different languages. To be honest I have never met nor heard of anyone speaking in tongues. It is not needed in the current world in most situations. There may be a time in the future when it will again be a more common gift.
Today we have many people who can translate English and many who already speak or understand English around the world. Just my 2 cents worth. This is well said and is an accurate comment reflective of what the Bible actually teaches. I appreciate your coming here. I love the grace and humility you have my friend. You wanting to share the gospel is wonderful because only 1 in 20 believers have ever led more than one person to faith in Christ.
That is not good but I see you have a passion for the Great Commission. Your own personal testimony is a great way to do so. No one, as you say, can dispute this because it is objective testimony to the work of God in your life. Here are a couple of links that may help you, particularly if you do street evangelism or door to door:. Do Good People Go? Jerry, I so covet humble, contrite Christians like you and again, I must say I am so impressed by the evidence of the Holy Spirit in you my friend.
I so much appreciate and thank God that there are still believers like you and Cynthia that are desiring to bring glory to God and Jesus Christ specifically and that there are such men and women of faith like you two…you inspire me, encourage me, and build me up by such words. Hi Jerry…Okay if I am not misunderstanding what you are asking, wanting to know why so many Christians are against the modern practice of tongue while they easily accept the other gifts of the spirit, the simplest answer is that the time for tongues as a gift benefiting the church has past with pentecost.
As Pastor Jack said many time before, this was a signs gift given to glorify God and prove Christ deity! Just like so many big in your face miracles like the feeding of the loaves and fish. These things proved to the Jews and the gentiles that Christ was the son of God. It was also necessary for the spreading of the word and the formation of the new church. This is why it was never to be used in public without an interpreter…It was so that foreigners could understand what was being preached and to provide prophesy.
The reason we do not practice it today is because it is simply not needed in the modern church. The time of prophesy has ended and we are in the time of the fulfillment of prophesy for the coming of the end times. We can preach in any language needed either because we have ministers of all nationalities and in most every country, or we can use interpreters. Miracles do still happen and so they are still a valid church gift of the Spirit but even those have changed…We have miracles happen all around us if we open our eyes and accept God, we can see them.
However we no longer need the parting of seas,etc. The bible tells us that once the church was established and Christ had returned to his father, we are to believe by faith, not signs. When big churches tell people they must speak in tongues to show salvation, that is not biblical teaching. Also the fact they have no interpreters is not biblical. Finally the fact that many times they are in a frenzy and babbling in no actual language is not biblical, not of God, and sometimes possibly of the enemy not God!
God is never the Lord of confusion! With that said, the bible says if it is done in private such as in your own Prayer life , because it can not be translated, it is to remain between you and God! So as long as this is not happening in church without proper interpretation, than that is between you and God. I am sure that if you have tongues as a private gift, you still have one or two more gifts that fall into the catagory of Gifts of the Spirit which are still needed and used validly within the church today!
Greetings cat If you could please give me the scriptures that says that the time of tongues have passed and we don,t need them in the modern day church. Im not writeing this to sound mean but in love Im the type of a person that has to have bible proof. In acts chp 2 when they received the Holy Spirit peter said this is what the prophet joel said would come to pass in the last days so we must assume the last days started back then but he goes on to mention in the 20th verse all the way up to the great and notable day of the lord the second comeing of the lord so if I am understanding him he is saying he will pour his spirit out upon all flesh up until that time.
Im just a country man ive not went to a bible college and I am still in search of answers from the word of god so please don,t misunderstand what I have written it is in love and I am nothing and Jesus and his word is every thing. Maybe I can help Jerry.
No one was more charismatic than Paul, yet the Lord revealed to him that those sign gifts were going to cease:. In 1 Corinthians What biblical or theological evidence is there that tongues have ceased? First, the gift of tongues was a miraculous, revelatory gift, and the age of miracles and revelation ended with the apostles.
The last recorded miracles in the New Testament occurred around A. Miracle gifts like tongues and healing are mentioned only in 1 Corinthians, an early epistle. Two later epistles, Ephesians and Romans, both discuss gifts of the Spirit at length—but no mention is made of the miraculous gifts. Here Paul writes of the gift of tongues, the gift of prophecy and the gift of knowledge see 1 Cor. When you turn to the prison epistles, the four letters written shortly after the end of the Book of Acts, while Paul was a prisoner in Rome—Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon and Philippians…and we find that there is not one word about tongues, or the gift of healing.
The sign gifts were no longer operating at the time that Paul wrote the Prison Epistles. It is clear that the gift of healing has ceased because, as in Philippians, Paul was no longer able to heal, even his co-workers. Timothy was suffering stomach problems and frequent infirmities 1 Tim. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.
For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. The most powerful use of the tongue today is to tell others about their sin and their need for a Savior, right? Also to edify and encourage one another. Thank you Jerry…you remind me of the Bereans…and I myself am often challenged to dig deeper myself. Hello brother jack as I haved studied on this subject I was tossed to and fro trying to have piece in my heart and mind. In ad Justin martyr made this statement that there were men and woman among them who possess the gifts of the spirit of god for the propetical gifts remain with us even to this present day.
At the end of the second century Irenaus made this statement. In like manner we all so hear many brethren in the church who possess prophetic gifts and who through the spirit speak all kind of languages. In ad Augustine made this statement after saying the gifts disappeared later changed his mind and wrote we still do what the apostles did when they laid hands on the samartians and called down the holy spirit on them in the laying on of hands it is expected that the converts should speak with new tongues.
This was after the bible was canonized. But doesn,t the bible teach of a former rain and a latter rain if im understanding that right its talking about an out pouring of the holy spirit. They are of god or there not of god. In my heart I have piece to say I beleave they are from god- tho I know that some of them can be faked. Thank you Jerry…yes, it is time to move on as we can agree to disagree and not be disagreeable as you have not been and you are not or have been disagreeable and I thank you for that.
Since not all, even in the early church, Paul wrote that not all speak with tongues, then clearly Augustine was wrong and certainly I must believe what is in the Bible over these early church fathers. What source did you find to say that these men talked about tongues as necessary? I have never found these sources. That is the real evidence of conversion, right? We can therefore move on to something else my friend. Im the type of person when I wrong I will admit it.
When I started checking out my sorce I found it not exactly like he said. I did find some of the things he said but I still have not found what he said Augustine said but if he did say that in ad it doesn,t answer the question why was the gifts seem to be so silent for hundreds of years until the late or early and then make an appearing again.
I am asking the holy spirit to give me the answers to the questions I have in my mind and heart and I beleave the bible has an answer to every question we just have to dig for it. May the lord Jesus Bless you. Oh that more Christians, me included, would have the humility that you are endowed with by the Holy Spirit and for which I thank God for you sir. And since these is the same God, what he did yesterday he can also do today and forever. Thank you Shirley for your comment. I am not saying in this article that healings still do not occur but the days of just having a shadow passed over someone would heal them.
Who do you know that can heal everyone in every instance like the apostles could? That is my point. God can heal anyone He wants and He can use anyone He wants but He never promises to heal everyone at every time, everywhere. It is not the person who heals but God who enables those to pray for or lay on hands for SOME to be healed but certainly not all.
I am not limiting God or putting Him in a box. God does still heal yes, but not everyone. That was the same then, and yesterday, remember Paul prayed three times and was never healed. Its been a while. My wife and I are doing so great! I pray all is well with you! I have a question about tongues. Is my perception of tongues correct, in that, it would only be used by God through the gifted person in a crowd of which the gifted person does not natively speak their language? I do not see how we can benefit from going into a church where all speak English, and yet, people are speaking a jibberish type language, with and without translation.
I love your write up on the gifts. My wife and I are studying it right now. Erick it is so awesome my friend to hear from you again…. Thank you Jesus and to Him be the glory. I do agree that services that do not focus on Bible preaching about Jesus and being clearly understood to me is worthless. I could just as well go to services at the Tower of Babel and make more sense of it. Good point you made brother. I was saved at the age of 4 and yearned to receive the gift of speaking in tongues since I was around I would ask God for it, but He had His own timing for me to receive the gift.
Many times I will pray in tongues for awhile and then it turns into beautiful worship songs. As it goes on my tears and crying calm down and I feel more and more calm and at peace. I came across your article on the gifts of the Spirit. It was an interesting article. It appears to me that you are looking through a glass darkly and trying to explain the gifts of the Spirit in a way that we can understand naturally. I find your take on the gifts such as tongues ceasing intriguing. His name is the name that is above every name: Now we look through a glass darkly, then face to face.
Very disappointed that my 13 yo used this website to help her prepare for a bible study. To be frank, to start off your comments on healing on a negative, cynical and unwise comment about fraudulent healing is totally unnecessary and even dangerous. Where did I say that God does not heal people today? God refused to heal Paul after 3 prayers for this but God said my grace is sufficient for you. Do you believe that God heals everyone that prays for healing? What is your thought. Do you believe God heals everyone in every circumstance?
I did not say I was angry. If you publish material on the web purporting to be representing the answers to what Christians want to know, then you have to be up for a bit of criticism, which these comments are full of, asking you to moderate or reconsider some of what you write. Or hold a position of humility that allows that there could be other views.
Does this mean we should not ask? Does this not mean that we are not to be expectant, obedient? Does this not mean we should start with the small headaches, aches and build into our lives an expectation that he is interested in our illnesses before we visit drugstores or look in our well-stocked medicine cabinets rather than knocking hard on his door when serious illnesses draw near? I am not advocating people stop taking their medication. I never do, if someone comes to me saying they have been healed; I always advocate that they consult their doctor for confirmation.
My point about seeking God in the small is that in the West we defer to medication for the little things BEFORE prayer, whereas believers in less developed parts of the world see regular and sustained physical healing because their point of reference if often God first. All of your points are well taken and it does me no harm, indeed good, to take a slice of humble pie. I am sorry and I do thank you. Thank you so much Kris. I tell myself that I must never be above reproach and that Lynn made points that I took to heart. May God richly bless you for you have a gift of mercy it appears.
Your replies are a great testimony to me of grace as you endeavor to set what the Word says before the reader for consideration. Understanding grows more godly by study and living what we learn from scripture than from just selecting our favorite teacher or doctrine. SO there is room for growth as you point out.
There are a lot of perspectives today which take an idea and go looking for scripture to support it rather than a concern to learn what the scriptures from the whole standpoint will reveal.
Those who are prone to cast disparaging remarks upon your efforts may eventually turn about and regret harsh words that lead nowhere but a ditch. These things teach and exhort.
Kris…it seems that your words always come as a fresh rain in a time of doubt. I still know that I have so very far to come and I am never going to have room for growth while still on this earth. You are the Barnabas-type if ever there was one and an encouragement which I believe is so desperately needed in the church, yes even in the unsaved world, today and is in such short supply yet in great demand.
Please allow me to covet your friendship and that of your support and so I pray to God to send such godly believers of faith like you in our church which I am the under-shepherd of and where my church is so too dying of thirst and hunger in a spiritually starved world. How you glorify the Lord with your speech and dedication to growing in the knowledge and faith we share. If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? There are thousands if not a million brothers who speak in an unknown language myself included who also have experienced miracles and or healing.
I have been delivered from a sleeping disorder I use to have a machine to breath or I would die now the machine sits in a drawer for the the last few years. Your understanding of the gifts and the understanding of apostles are incorrect and make the body weak. We have the same Holy Spirit as the first brothers and God does not change He said we would do greater works not less and we need His gifts and power today more than ever before. The Holy Spirit He is the One that is keeping me going. The Holy Spirit was responsible for me being a born again Christian.
About a couple of years ago I was sitting on the couch when all of a sudden I was talking something like the people have said on this post. I could see everything that was wrong,and I was talking like a Theologian. I was on another Christian site,and I did not like it because each one was trying to prove he or she knew better than the other.
Then the Holy Spirit dumped me off hear because I take it I would learn from this site. I have just learned something I now know that I was talking in Tongues that day. It made no sense,but it did? On the Healing side I was off on my holidays,but half way through my journey I took bad,and it was getting worse,and my mates dropped me off at a hospital. The surgeon came did a quick examination of me and said we will have to take you down to the operating theatre straight away. In short I made a full recovery and the medical staff were amazed at my recovery.
I know it was the Holy Spirit that made me better He was in me. Things are becoming clear every time I come to this site I get my answer. I did not want to come the Holy Spirit dragged me hear. I am truly thankful that you came here my brother and that God spared your life by the Holy Spirit and that you have a purpose still yet ahead…even if restricted to your home, your prayers are needed so badly my friend.
I thank God for you my friend. Great question my friend…and exactly the right question too. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Staying in prayer, in the Word, and in obedience to His Words helps significantly. God is everywhere, you may not see Him with your physical eyes Jer. Truly, once you determine in your heart that you really want to be close to Jesus, the Holy Spirit will start immediately to help you, guide you, train you to be following the prescriptions as found in the Holy Bible of God to live.
Even start to pray now that the Lord Jesus should help you to get close to Him, you will soon have testimonies to give, which will help others too.
Time and again, I would receive confirmation that tongues was an edification for the person, not God, and served no valid purpose in the way it is practiced by various Pentecostal and Charismatic churches. He was not the first created being but instead He created all things! There is also a third aspect of the voice we must look at. Instead of focusing on your gifts, focus on the fruits for Jesus said that they will know you by your fruits and not by your gifts. Those with this gift are truly amazing in how they see things. It is clear that the gift of healing has ceased because, as in Philippians, Paul was no longer able to heal, even his co-workers. King James Bible Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne:
I am not sure I answered your question well enough. I am heading to work shortly and so hope this helps somewhat my friend. To subscribe, just click on the link where it says get a free eBook and you can subscribe to inspirations and such. Please let me know if this helps. A lot of people to me at least, forget that Jesus came down to earth has a man. He was hurt in mind and body just like you and me. They think that he just came down worked a few miracles died on the cross back in to heaven job done? I was taught that you have to try and imitate Jesus. The last couple of days I wondered what He did every day one example if he joked with his Apostles.
He might have not used a miracle to to heal his foot. Certainly from the start of His crucifixion he felt real pain. The Romans nearly lashed Him to death. When they finished lashing Him it says that He was left with a very throbbing pain in His head.
Jesus has certainly set the bar high for us. The point I am trying to make say if God came down has a man with none of his power I wonder how He would fare. When you wrote about the meaning of being an apostle, which in most of the forms of its use means a person who follows an ideal, you said that there were none in this age of the church.
However aside from the eleven we know and the countless others Christ Jesus showed himself to after the resurrection, we see another example in Paul. He saw Christ and was ordained to be an apostle well after, Would it be strange to believe that something like this would occur throughout all generations until the return. I am no Biblical powerhouse, but this seems to me a more than reasonable thought. Hi Jack, I am confused please help me out. I attend a few different churches but the same, Pentecostal Christian. The first Church that I go to it is a small church and when someone has the holy spirit it is one person speaking and we can understand.
It usually is in a different language and my sister in law or husband translates for me. The second church I attend is a huge church. I have heard about some Churches that are Charismatic. I have no idea what that means. I am not sure if the second church I attend is Charismatic or not.
The second church I attend everyone is very friendly. Usually for 30 minutes the Church has songs and its beautiful songs. After the first 30 minutes the Pastor will talk. Then at the end music will be in the background and I have noticed the pastor really glamorizes about speaking in tongues and about the holy ghost.
At first I use to feel like I was not Christian enough because I have never spoken in tongues. At the end of Church some of us go to the alter, pray and repent. It is very nice and I usually cry of joy after, but I have noticed a group of people even the pastor speak in tongues and it all sounds the same like jibberish. Every time a women or man lays there hands on me forehead or my back they speak in tongues.
Is it really the holy spirit? Please help me I do not want to question the Holy spirit I just want an answer and the truth. I have asked my husband and in laws about it and all they said is thats just how some people pray. Should I talk to a pastor? Thank you for your question my friend. Is it the Holy Spirit? I do not think it is because the Holy Spirit always points to glorify Jesus Christ and focus exclusively on Him and never man or his gifts.
I would talk to a pastor of another denomination. If you speak to the pastor of this church you had this experience in, then he will likely support this. Do dreams come from God or Satan? Frequently, if you pray and read your Bible before bedtime, there is a tendency to have better dreams and more peaceful sleep. Instead of focusing on your gifts, focus on the fruits for Jesus said that they will know you by your fruits and not by your gifts.
The fruits of the Spirit are often overlooked and these found in Eph 5 among other places. Thank you Tam for your comment. Hello Tam, Dreams are as a result of what your mind dwells on. Dreams are your brain giving picture to your inner thoughts while you sleep. However, for a spirit-led individual, God often uses the medium to communicate a spirit can only communicate with one , so the Holy spirit communicates with our spirit and our brain that is led by the spirit , then responds to that communication.
On gifts, one thing is clear, you can desire a gift! However, it is meant for the body of Christ. Just as Jack says, we should reflect a life that attracts non-believers to the Kingdom. That life is largely judged by the fruits-Love, Joy, Peace, etc. Good write up, but I must quickly disagree with you that the days of a person being healed by the shadow of another is gone. We should be very careful what we teach people because a day of accountability is coming. If you know of someone that you know of or have heard of that a shadow of theirs can still heal by passing over them, I would love to have them come to our local cancer hospital for children.
Come, and let us see, and I will believe. Show me evidence that shadows of people passing over them are still healing people today. In the past, dead people were raised to life so also have I seen it in our time and generation amongst other signs and display of the Holy ghost. It would sound like I doubted what the Spirit could do. I believe God is the only One that makes miracles today weather they be big or small. The Holy Spirit has shown His works to me because they have happened.
Not all the time? I am going through a very bad patch at the moment but God guided me to this site which I did not intend to do. Since I have been coming to this site for about 3 years now,and I have learnt more in these 3 years but before when I was a Catholic I just knew the basics and nothing else. With help from the Team on this site,and I believe with a big help from the Holy Spirit mainly. I keep getting knocked down but the Holy Spirit lifts me up..
I think the same thing is happening to me? Jesus said blessed those who mourn for someday they will be comforted and God has said that He will wipe away every tear someday my friend. Ironically, God allows us to get knocked down and when we do get knocked down, it is quite convenient at times because then we are already in a position pray from our knees! You are loved Anthony.
You know that I pray. How right you are Jack about already being on our knees. I am going to this church which is closed all the time I pass,and it gets used for voting ballet for an election. I wished I was near your church then I would have no problems because you would cut my burden in half,plus you would explain things in more detail so I could understand. Again thanks a lot for your words of comfort Jack. God is with You. Thank you my brother.
I would think that if God is with me He might be corrupted by my company but I know what you are saying and you are, as always, more kind to me than I deserve.
These are found at this link Anthony and thank you sir. I already clicked on your link to YouTube,and it looks promising. Do you record them every week? You have hit the nail on the head when you say those who live in doubt and fear. I really appreciate this concern for me or should I say for my soul. This proves to me that God is in you to help me Jack. I would be a lost sheep with out you Jack. Anthony…my friend, you are giving me more credit than I deserve. Yes, it would be like you being there with us in church.
I like that thought. I record almost every Sunday when our tech guy is there anyway and he and his wife are only there about 2 out of every 4 to 5 Sundays about which I am concerned for their trying to follow Christ seriously and taking Matt 6: By the way, the enemy loves our terror but God is the God of all comfort but even longtime Christians battle this fear and doubt and times of lack of faith so you are not alone my brother.
The Holy Spirit maybe? Take care Anthony my friend. I fully understand about the guy and his wife and you are concerned about them. The Holy Spirit will see to me. I burst out laughing when you told the story about the guide dog taken a walk and the passengers thinking the plane was piloted by a blind person. I was watching the video about how to forgive yourself and it really helped. I am trying to download them,but my downloader is not working.
Thanks for the information Jack. The Leper king had died and after that their was chaos,he eventually took Jerusalem. Thanks again jack for the info. Thanks Brother…that being a true story made it all the more humorous. God definitely does have a sense of humor. I would have loved to have been there to watch the passengers reactions. I think I would have made inquires on who was flying the plane. I think I better change that to smiled. Dear Pastor Jack, God has shown me the reason there are so many denominations and different forms of doctrines is because believers are not taught to learn from the Holy Spirit.
I know that I have the gift of teaching and God has proven that to me on many occasions. I did not know I had this gift until others started telling me they saw it in me. For instance I use to attend a church where the pastor and I were friends before he had been ordained. When we were only friends, we would be discussing the Bible and he saw that I had certain insights on Biblical subjects that He had never heard before.
When he began to work as a pastor, he would often ask me to present the message for the following Sunday. I would go through the whole week trying to figure out what I would speak about. However each time I would be asked to this. The Holy Spirit would wake me up at 3: Everyone would be blessed in the church and be encouraged.
But to listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying through me. Because I am just a vessel He is using, and i being a human just like them, I could easily insert my own two cents into what is being taught. Jesus told us the Holy Spirit would teach us all things. He can speak through anything, including a donkey, as described in the book of Numbers. I believe that when we learn from the Holy Spirit, we will also be given the power to be doers of the word and not just hearers only Ezek.
Jesus said the Holy Spirit would teach all things. I can appreciate pastors who have gone to seminary to learn the Bible, but I have heard some strange teachings from many of them. But I believe that they are trusting in their education instead of believing in the Spirit to use them in teaching. I have often heard some teachings that I did not understand or agree with. Then the Holy Spirit would let me know it is the truth, then lead me to scriptures to prove it to me.
I am not trying to judge you, because only God knows your heart. God Bless You, my Brother in Christ. I do agree that seminary alone is not enough and too many have attended liberal seminaries. I still believe seminary is crucial because there are lessons on interpreting scripture, hermeneutics, exegesis, and so on that help us put into the cultural context and look at the genre and to see whether Scriptures apply to us today. For example, all Scripture is written to us but not all Scripture is written for us. That is, many verses are prescriptive and some are descriptive.
Tell me by the way what things am I wrong in teaching? Can you be specific? Please clarify that if you can. Yes, the Holy Spirit teaches us but the Holy Spirit, when He speaks to you, or to me, or to anyone, must always agree with Scripture, right? Hi Roger, I would like to talk to you on Skype or yahoo messenger if possible. I have not been on here for a while but postings on here automatically comes to my mail and i read some of your postings which are really Spirit inspired.
We might be able to talk and encourage each other.
If you get this posting and writes back to me that is a good sign, however, if you are not able to, that is fine because Jesus is in charge. My email is williberk yahoo. Hope to hear from you. You can add me on Skype or yahoo messenger or something. Because I was being taught by people who were very sincere in what they were teaching, but often very sincerely wrong in their understanding of the word of God. This caused much confusion. And I confess that even with the gift of teaching upon my life I can fall into the same category.
That is why I always encourage people to not just blindly listen or receive what I have to say, but to hear what the Spirit is speaking through me. I advise them to pray for God to give them ears to hear what He is speaking through me or any other teacher. He also states His words are Spirit and they are life.
The Lord has shown me through Romans 8: Where we will receive the life and strength to walk in it, by the grace and power of the Holy Spirit. Or we will receive it as the law of sin and death where are trying to understand it with our own carnal understanding and try to walk in it by our own strength. This will put is the position that Paul saw himself as described in Romans chapter 7.
I tell them that the Spirit may speak to them through the whole message I have to share, by one paragraph, by one sentence, or by one word. The words we receive by the Spirit will be life changing. The Spirit has shown me that a word received from Him will produce more love for God, more love for our Brothers and Sisters in Christ, and more love for our neighbors as we love ourselves, where we fulfill all the law of God Mt All Christians will stumble and fall in their walk with God.
No one of us is perfect. Where God enables us to get up after we fall and get back on the path with Him. His thoughts and ways are so much higher than our own, will accomplish what He pleases, and prosper in the purpose for which He has sent. Our problem as humans is that we often receive the word according to what we think it says, trying to get it to accomplish what we please, for our purposes. But when we are learning from the Holy Spirit in reading the word, or are taught by a vessel being used by Him, we will be able to go out with joy and be led forth with peace. But pray for ears to hear what, if anything, God wants to speak to you.
I can think of no better place for the great commission to start than with the obedience to the first commandment and to then be enabled to carry out the second by way of a man loving his wife as Christ loved the church. Our marriages are falling prey to the world , the flesh and the devil at an unprecidented rate and society is suffering greatly as a result of children raised in loveless families. Early in my walk I used to go with a friend of mine upon her invitation to a fellowship she raved about because the word was being taught…. This did not deter my love for the Lord but I could not help but wonder about this kind of ungodly treatment of wives within the ministry as time went on.
I think also that the lack of the demonstration of godly love between a husband and wife TEACH their children either as boys to mistreat their wives …and for girls to accept this as normal in marriage. I often struggled with how to respect and honor my husband but to keep my walk after the Lord healthy. I soon found it difficult to please both my husband and the Lord.
He did not like to include me with his activities unless it was advantageous to his image with his co workers. I felt the weight of the responsibility to raise our children and to serve the Lord in ways that would bring them up in the Word. I know that many times I tried to get him to realize the importance of his own influence among others and especially his family. He usually fell asleep whenever I talked to him because he was often only home a few hours in the evening and off very early in the morning.
Yesterday I was looking at all of his many custom made Italian suits and wondering what he wears these days to work since he left our home last November. Seven years ago I discovered quite by accident materials from his relationship with the OW of his adulterous arrangment of 14 years. The testimony of a man who truely loves his wife as Christ loves the church is so vital and powerful the devil has aimed very carefully at the vulnerable proud man who does not believe he has any need to be taught anything. My husband was so excellent at posing as a godly man but denying the Lord throughout our lives that his testimony is now fully flesh and he is hard in his heart.
Only the Lord is able to know how to deal with him. He is bitter and angry and has no love for anyone. He is possibly ashamed but has taken the route of leaving rather than pushing INTO the healing process. He has no love for the OW who he says he hates because she led him into this. He , like some other men who I have met who cheated on their wives blame the wife…. I tried to follow the Lord before we married and learn all I could and asked the Lord to help me obey. I DO believe what you have pointed out about reading the Word with the Lord as guide and teacher to be very important as a state of our attitude and heart.
Men may teach and share much but it is the Lord and the Holy Spirit who are our best teachers and will provide us with insight that will surpass fleshly understanding and that is indeed worthy of our attention here. I think that a man who believes he can love his wife only by his flesh will find it nearly impossible and most likely he will be unsatisfied. The flesh is ill equipped NOT to take offense and it is self oriented. To love as Christ loved is to become equipped daily by the spirit of the word and to allow GOD to show us all the ways we might love this way.
A natural man or one who has rejected the council of the Word is going to be open to the whispers of the enemy of our soul to take offense at things that very well may not even be offensive. To the unbeliever the spirit of God IN someone may be all it takes to cause an attitude that will build up and promote unthankfulness, resentment and rejection. In the time we tried to deal with the discovery of my husbands adulteries…he admitted he could not name any offense or area that I was guilty of.
He simply would not deal with any of the things which I might have done to displease him. The ONE thing he did not want me to do after he stopped going to fellowships and stopped reading his Bible was to speak to anyone about Jesus Christ! I was in ministry for some 15 years before we married and during our first couple of years. His turning away was very difficult for me yet I kept praying for him and kept asking the Lord for wisdom in how I might serve Him while respecting my husband. Even with the deep sorrow and pain that the discovery of his adultery and his deliberately planning and having children with the OW who did not want marriage OR even children for loves sake but only for the support money as we see her not keeping her responsibilities to them now ….
My husband has refused to study anything about being a husband or father from the time he entered his newer career two years after our wedding. His meteoric rise in the financial industry ripped him away from his growing in the Lord. Marriage to anyone who is not able to testify to their having walked through some trials for the sake of the Lord might be the wisdom I could offer to those unmarried. My daughters are in their late twenties and never dated , having moved often and not found time or opportunity to gain any depth of relationships over their entire lives as we followed my husband for his career.
He has now left and they feel a great loss of his strength and help. He has demonstrated that he is willing to let others take up the responsiblities of a husband and father in terms of helping , and hands on relating. I know that the Lord will continue to provide for us but the love of a husband and a marriage that COULD have and SHOULD have provided not only satisfaction and maturity for my husband but demonstrated what a real marriage is has been lost. HE missed it but he also caused so many to have lost what he could have now seen as a much better legacy as well as impacting the society with children who have known the true example of the love of Christ in daily living.
I am thankful for the men who have seen this …I spoke with a man yesterday at church …one we found that teaches bible without the new age stuff…He told me that he left his wife and the new wife had gotten cancer and felt guilty because she felt this was because of her sin. I think this indicates the way that society has bought the lie and even in churches to soothe the consciences of adulterers that marriage is nothing more than how the world sees it. To many who study the word it is the responsibility of those who claim Christ to enter into it knowing it is a covenant between man and GOD and the man and the woman and a covenant which JESUS said was unbreakable until death.
If it is broken by adultery the adulterer is not to marry someone else because they make that person commit adultery. I know I have read many who debate this within the church but the scriptures seem to confirm that divorce in order to marry another person when there spouse has not commited adultery result in the new marriage being adultery! I believe thus far in my understanding of this issue that the way marriage in Christ is to work is to be fulfilling , challenging in order to grow us up. It is to provider illustration for our children on a daily basis of how they too may enjoy the life IN Christ while in marriage.
Walking in the way the Word teaches by His Spirit IS the necessary state by which we will find fulfillment and satisfaction in any situation. I had hoped in this being the case with being a companion with my husband in all areas of life. So it is while I was endeavoring to raise up children in the Word …so they could make good choices..
My husband was busy opposing every aspect of life in Chrsit , marriage and family. How strange it seems that so able a man would fall for this wicked ploy…but he is proud, and arrogant even in the face of having been exposed. Thus we pray for our Lord to open his eyes and understanding even now. Over the years I have sat in many churches and heard a sermon HEAVY on the responsiblities of the wife to respect her husband and thus women who love the Lord and their husbands do so …and make every effort to be obedient to this charge.
When will the husbands hear the things written to them from scripture with the same urgency? The lauch of media expanded this along with advertising fanning the fleshly desire for MORE of everything …not just necessities but what used to be regarded as lusts. I so appreciate what you wrote….
Dear Pastor Jack, I agree with you. When all is said and done, The most important thing is people knowledge of who Jesus is and what He has done for mankind. I have experienced the reality of this salvation when I came into a knowledge of His salvation while planning to commit suicide. The Bible is more than just ink written on pages. I am not just waiting to just die and go to heaven. I have seen them reality of it. I know we are to live by faith no by sight. This is my hearts desire fo myself and every other Christiann.
I have been able by the grace of God, to preach the gospel according to 1Cor 2: All this can only come about by the Holy Spirit at work in us by His grace so on that great day we will have nothing to boast of but the grace of God. Roger, I love your zeal for the Word of God and that you are a rare man this day in the church.
Let me tell you that I thank God for you my brother. I was reading what was said about healing and the ability of healing. It is very real and something i have experienced first hand. When i was around the age of 13 i was struck by a car,i was under the car and i was covered in white snow which contributed to me being here today speaking of this well i was pulled out by my brother and i stood up from the fright shook myself off as if nothing ever happened. The person that hit me was so scared and looked as if he was about to have a coronary of his own, i assured him that i was fine and not to worry, that he could go home.
Well the next day i go to get up from bed and i feel an immense pain in my hip when i went to move my legs. I yelled for my parents and let them know that i could not walk. They got me dressed with allot of pain and yelling from me and took me to the doctor. The doctor exams me, sends me for x-rays more movement,more yelling from me ,the results show that a bone in my hip had been dislocated,and that it was where all my pain was coming. My parents where informed by the doctor that it could go back into place by itself in a couple of days, or that i would have to be operated on,and correct the problem,at the tune of about I was taken home and we hoped and prayed for a miracle.
Well at around this time i had a friend named Richie,he lived across the street from me and he had heard what had happened. It was day two and the pain had not gotten any better,everything i did was extremely unpleasant. My friend Richie was over and he saw what i was going through and suggested i go to his church and have the congregation pray over me. At the time i thought this was a little crazy,but i was also curious because my friend had mentioned this to me and i found it odd that he believed this could help.
I waited two more days,decided i would take him upon his offer and go to his church, i was carried into his car driven to the church,and carried to the front of the pues by the pulpit. I was introduced to the pastor, they asked him if he could have the congregation pray over me,he agreed. We had the service and before it was over we get to the point where we pray for the sick. Well when they get to me the pastor tells everyone if they would kneel, and direct all their prayers to the Lord for me, i have always been christian, and a believer, but have never witnessed anything like this before the pastor lays his hand on my head ,and my hip and they pray.
The truth of this story is that i felt an energy of happiness, and a tingling sensation in my affected area,my whole body felt this incredible feeling. The next step is to choose a monthly or yearly subscription, and then enter your payment information. You can cancel anytime during the trial period. To manage your subscription, visit your Bible Gateway account settings. Upgrade to the best Bible Gateway experience! Try it free for 30 days! Psalm Psalm Enrich your faith and grow in spiritual maturity with the incredible Bible study and devotional books listed below.
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