Isn't God a Good and Loving God?
Exodus 34:6 And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, God is merciful, gracious, longsuffering and abounding in goodness and truth. 7 keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.”
1 John 4:8 …for God is love.
God is love and He is good all the time. But there is much more to God than only these two characteristics and there's a lot more to Him in the fullness of all He is. This is where people make a grave mistake by not telling of all that God is but only one side of Him, the side that make everyone feel good.
God is holy and jealous, Joshua 24:19
God is a righteous judge, 2 Samuel 14:8
God’s ways are just and true, Revelation 15:3
God is a consuming fire, Hebrews 12:29
God is a God of wrath, Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
Now you have a fuller view and knowledge about what God is really like in all. He’s all of these all the time and more. His love, goodness and mercy do not preclude His anger, wrath and judgment. He’s all the good stuff we like and all the scary stuff we don’t want to hear about and especially experience. He’s the Lion and the Lamb both at the same time. It all depends on what we do with Him as to which of these characteristics and ways of God we experience first hand.
God is love and has wrath against all sin.
He’s merciful, gracious, longsuffering and good while at the same time a holy, righteous and jealous God who rewards us for all we do on earth in life and with Him.
Psalm 145:8 The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy.
Exodus 34:14 (for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God),
Deuteronomy 4:24 For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
Joshua 24:19 But Joshua said to the people, “You cannot serve the LORD, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. 20 If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you, after He has done you good.”
Isaiah 26:21 CEV The LORD will come out to punish everyone on earth for their sins.
Isaiah 59:18 According to their deeds, accordingly He will repay, Fury to His adversaries, Recompense to His enemies;
Isaiah 63:3 “ I have trodden the winepress alone, And from the peoples no one was with Me. For I have trodden them in My anger, And trampled them in My fury; Their blood is sprinkled upon My garments, And I have stained all My robes
Revelation 19:15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
Revelation 20:11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
Revelation 21:8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
2 Thessalonians 2:9 CEV When the wicked one appears, Satan will pretend to work all kinds of miracles, wonders, and signs. 10 Lost people will be fooled by his evil deeds. They could be saved, but they will refuse to love the truth and accept it. 11 So God will make sure that they are fooled into believing a lie. 12 All of them will be punished, because they would rather do evil than believe the truth.
Romans 1:18 NIV The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness,
You have only seen or heard of just a few Scriptures from the Bible of what God will do to those who have sinned against Him and would not receive the truth but lived their own way. God isn’t schizophrenic or on an emotional roller coaster. He is God and He is Love. He is Good and He is perfect. All He does whether we like it or not is done out of pure, holly, righteous and jealous love. We make the choices, He doesn’t. He only gives use what we ask for even if it’s not spoken by us verbally then it’s through or actions that speak louder than words He hears and sees.
Jeremiah 21:14 But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, said the LORD
He is who He is and will not change nor conform into our image which so many are doing in the world of the lost and the church of today. We don’t make Him to fit in our world and our form but we submit to His Word and will, are to be conformed into His image and fit into His world and His kingdom which lives forever and ever. He doesn’t do this because He’s a mean, angry, party pooping, buzz killing tyrant. He does it because of His love for us and it’s the only way to keep us from destroying ourselves, others and the world we live in and on. If you don’t believe this then look at the Godless world today and ask this question, “How is it all working out for humanity on this planet with out GOD right now? Any famine? Any murder? Any rape? Any natural disasters? Any wars? ANY TERRORISM KEEPING ANYONE IN FEAR? Watch the news; read the paper; surf the web. What do you see? What’s your answer? Is God running this world or are we with help of some obvious dark demonic forces.
1 John 5:19 and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.
2 Corinthians 4:3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
Ephesians 2:2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
Buy the way if you don’t know the Bible very well yet or at all because your not at the place in life where that has been possible because of your up bringing or you’ve never been to church; I’m speaking about the Devil, Satan who is the spiritual creature behind all of this mess on earth. He works through submitted ungodly mankind to do all his dirty work in an attempt to destroy God’s creation, themselves, man!
Have you broken any of God’s Commandments?
Is there any hope for you, a SINNER?
What will you do? HIDE?
Job 34:21 “For His eyes are on the ways of man,
And He sees all his steps. 22 There is no darkness nor shadow of death
Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
23 For He need not further consider a man,
That he should go before God in judgment.
Psalm 139:8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
Hebrews 4:13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
Hebrews 2:3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation,
which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed
to us by those who heard Him,
Are you trembling at His word or at least concerned?
If not, then there's no reason to read on. Your not yet at the place to where your ready to give up all your life, to escape God's wrath and come into a wonderful relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. You are dangerously gambling with your eternal life. Let me tell you what the Bible says about you who are rejecting God.
John 3: 18 AMP He who believes in Him [who clings to, trusts in, relies on Him] is not judged [he who trusts in Him never comes up for judgment; for him there is no rejection, no condemnation--he incurs no damnation]; but he who does not believe (cleave to, rely on, trust in Him) is judged already [he has already been convicted and has already received his sentence] because he has not believed in and trusted in the name of the only begotten Son of God. [He is condemned for refusing to let his trust rest in Christ's name.] 19 The [basis of the] judgment (indictment, the test by which men are judged, the ground for the sentence) lies in this: the Light has come into the world, and people have loved the darkness rather than and more than the Light, for their works (deeds) were evil. 20 For every wrongdoer hates (loathes, detests) the Light, and will not come out into the Light but shrinks from it, lest his works (his deeds, his activities, his conduct) be exposed and reproved.
Hebrews 10:26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The LORD will judge His people.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Simply put, the Bible says that you are evil and don't want to come to Jesus because you want to keep doing the evil that you love and you hate God and will be judged for it. Not a good place to be.
Please read on if you want to find out how to escape all this.
Part 3 http://ewpministry.blogspot.com/2010/12/anatomy-of-salvation-message-part-3-by.html
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
“The Anatomy of a Salvation Message” Part 1 by Pastor Steve
The most important message a Christian will ever speak to someone and the most important message a sinful unbeliever will ever hear is the salvation message of Jesus Christ. So everyone please read all of this which has taken me 20 years to compile this wisdom and knowledge of the word of God
The message used by much of Christendom has been whittled down to about 3 minutes, maybe a couple Scriptures and say this prayer and you will be saved. This is very unbiblical and is creating deception and a false since of security based on partial truths at the most.
This message I am giving you is very long and is as in depth as I can give but not all inclusive of course. All my messages on salvation when I preach here in the US and overseas will contain at one time or another all that is spoken of below and even more as I grow in God and a greater knowledge of His word.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
These three Scriptures are three of the most used when preaching about salvation and they are the word of God and good ones but there is so much more. Many people that don't know God have seen or heard these before but really don't have a full understanding of them. They have been used so many times that they have become possibly cliche like the WWJD has over the years.
Why are sinners going to perish and what did they do to deserve such a thing? Why do they need to be born again and what do they need saved from?
1 Timothy 1:15...that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners
The first question we must answer even before we can really explain what a sinner and sin is,
"Who is God?"
Since there are a mutlitude of Scriptures on this subject I will direct you to a few sites listing many of these to save room on this blog.
Genesis 1 is the first book of the Bible with the stroty of God beginning His creation.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=gen%201&version=NKJV
The Book of Job chapters 38 & 39 are two of the best chapters in the bible describing the Creator God.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=job%2038-39&version=NKJV
Jesus, Creator & God
http://acharlie.tripod.com/bible_study/jesus_creator.html
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’” 16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
Simply put, "Jesus is only true God."
What is a Sinner?
I hope to answer these and other questions through the remainder of this long message. So please be patient and you might learn something new or even have your life eternally changed.
We can no longer make the salvation message, “God has a wonderful plan for your life, confess you're a sinner and ask Jesus into your heart.” If you will read the Ray Comfort messages "Hell's Best Kept Secret & True and False Conversion you will see the travesty this can bring. http://www.raycomfort.com/
1John 1:4 CEV Everyone who sins breaks God's law, because sin is the same as breaking God's law.
Sin is when we break God’s law or commandments.
Romans 3:19 CEV We know that everything in the Law was written for those who are under its power. The Law says these things to stop anyone from making excuses and to let God show that the whole world is guilty. 20 God doesn't accept people simply because they obey the Law. No, indeed! All the Law does is to point out our sin.
The law, God’s commandments are to keep us from making excuses about our sins and to show us we are guilty because the law points to our sins.
Romans 3:23 All of us have sinned and fallen short of God's glory.
All! Means, ALL! Everybody! Everyone! You! Me! The neighbors! ALL HAVE SINNED! ALL ARE GUILTY AND WITHOUT EXCUSE BEFORE GOD BECAUSE THE LAW BUSTED US OUT & EXPOSED US FOR WHO AND WHAT WE REALLY ARE.
But you say, I'm a good person."
Romans 3:9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin.
10 As it is written: “ There is none righteous, no, not one;
11 There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
12 They have all turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one.”
13 “ Their throat is an open tomb;
With their tongues they have practiced deceit”;
“ The poison of asps is under their lips”;
14 “ Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”
15 “ Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 Destruction and misery are in their ways;
17 And the way of peace they have not known.”
18 “ There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
Romans 5:12 CEV Adam sinned, and that sin brought death into the world. Now everyone has sinned, and so everyone must die.
18 Everyone was going to be punished because Adam sinned. But because of the good thing that Christ has done, God accepts us and gives us the gift of life. 19 Adam disobeyed God and caused many others to be sinners. But Jesus obeyed him and will make many people acceptable to God. 20 The Law came, so that the full power of sin could be seen. Yet where sin was powerful, God's kindness was even more powerful. 21 Sin ruled by means of death. But God's kindness now rules, and God has accepted us because of Jesus Christ our Lord. This means that we will have eternal life.
We all have sinned but it is Adam that made us sinners. We have just followed what was in us when born, the sinful nature of Adam.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death.
Sin has a wage we all will earn. It’s not the death of when we die and are buried. In (Revelation 2:11) the Bible talks about a second death which is a death that damns us and eternally separates us from God with out hope of ever escaping from Hell.
Luke 16:24 “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. 26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’
This is the story called, "The Rich Man and Lazuras". The man who had been rich while on earth was in a place after his death where he was dying of thirst, tormented and with a great gulf separating him so there was no way of escape. The rich man had received all his good and wealth while on earth. Lazarus even though very poor and sick went to heaven where he receive his reward.
Mark 9:43 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched— 44 where ‘ Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched.’ 45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched—
This doesn't mean to literally cut something off but to show you hell is so bad that you need to remove from your life whatever is causing the sin. Hell is where the fire is never quenched and the worm never dies.
Go to this web site to hear a message called 23 Minutes in Hell by Bill Wiese.
To see this video and others look on this blog and the blog posted on Friday November 26, 2010 titled, The TRUTH! "People Without Jesus Will Go to Hell"
The Word of God says we are all sinners because of Adam and we all have sinned by breaking Gods commandments.
You might say you have never broken His commandments.
Exodus 20 lists God’s Ten Commandments which are His Laws He judges us by.
1. You shall have no other gods before Me. (Have you always loved God above all else?)
2. You shall not make yourself an idol. (Have you made a god in your mind that you're more comfortable with, a god to suit yourself?)
3. You shall not take God's name in vain. (Have you ever used God's holy Name as a cuss word?)
4. Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and mother.
6. You shall not murder. (God considers hatred to be as murder).
7. You shall not commit adultery. ("Whoever looks upon a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart" (Matthew 5:27-28); this is for a man looking at a woman, a woman looking at man and the same sex that might be looking at another with lust and also includes sex before marriage with anyone).
8. You shall not steal. (Have you ever stolen anything? the value of the item is irrelevant).
9. You shall not lie. (Have you lied even once? Including answering these questions).
10. You shall not covet. (Have you ever jealously desired what belongs to others?)
The Bible says that God will punish all murderers, rapists, thieves, liars, adulterers, etc. He will even judge our words and thoughts. On Judgment Day, will you be found to be guilty or innocent of breaking His commandments?
Perhaps you think that God is good, and will therefore overlook your sins. But it is His goodness that will make sure that murderers, rapists, thieves, liars, etc. receive justice. He would be a corrupt Judge if He turned a blind eye to injustice. Have you kept the Commandments?
The Bible says that the Law is perfect. It commands you to be perfect (Matthew 5:48). Are you perfect (in thought, word, and deed)? Will you make it to Heaven? You may say that you are still good, but God says you're not (see Psalm 14:2-3). So one of you is lying, and the Scriptures tell us that it is impossible for God to lie. Remember that all liars will be cast into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 21:8) . God's Law demands justice, and the penalty for sinning against Him is death and Hell. Continue to listen and read on carefully if you want to live.
* These last few writings on the 10 Commandments from Exodus 20 down to the last sentence are from a tract from http://www.raycomfort.com/
James 2:10 CEV If you obey every law except one, you are still guilty of breaking them all.
Part 2 http://ewpministry.blogspot.com/2010/11/anatomy-of-salvation-message-part-2-by.html
The message used by much of Christendom has been whittled down to about 3 minutes, maybe a couple Scriptures and say this prayer and you will be saved. This is very unbiblical and is creating deception and a false since of security based on partial truths at the most.
This message I am giving you is very long and is as in depth as I can give but not all inclusive of course. All my messages on salvation when I preach here in the US and overseas will contain at one time or another all that is spoken of below and even more as I grow in God and a greater knowledge of His word.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
These three Scriptures are three of the most used when preaching about salvation and they are the word of God and good ones but there is so much more. Many people that don't know God have seen or heard these before but really don't have a full understanding of them. They have been used so many times that they have become possibly cliche like the WWJD has over the years.
Why are sinners going to perish and what did they do to deserve such a thing? Why do they need to be born again and what do they need saved from?
1 Timothy 1:15...that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners
The first question we must answer even before we can really explain what a sinner and sin is,
"Who is God?"
Since there are a mutlitude of Scriptures on this subject I will direct you to a few sites listing many of these to save room on this blog.
Genesis 1 is the first book of the Bible with the stroty of God beginning His creation.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=gen%201&version=NKJV
The Book of Job chapters 38 & 39 are two of the best chapters in the bible describing the Creator God.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=job%2038-39&version=NKJV
Jesus, Creator & God
http://acharlie.tripod.com/bible_study/jesus_creator.html
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’” 16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
Simply put, "Jesus is only true God."
What is a Sinner?
I hope to answer these and other questions through the remainder of this long message. So please be patient and you might learn something new or even have your life eternally changed.
We can no longer make the salvation message, “God has a wonderful plan for your life, confess you're a sinner and ask Jesus into your heart.” If you will read the Ray Comfort messages "Hell's Best Kept Secret & True and False Conversion you will see the travesty this can bring. http://www.raycomfort.com/
1John 1:4 CEV Everyone who sins breaks God's law, because sin is the same as breaking God's law.
Sin is when we break God’s law or commandments.
Romans 3:19 CEV We know that everything in the Law was written for those who are under its power. The Law says these things to stop anyone from making excuses and to let God show that the whole world is guilty. 20 God doesn't accept people simply because they obey the Law. No, indeed! All the Law does is to point out our sin.
The law, God’s commandments are to keep us from making excuses about our sins and to show us we are guilty because the law points to our sins.
Romans 3:23 All of us have sinned and fallen short of God's glory.
All! Means, ALL! Everybody! Everyone! You! Me! The neighbors! ALL HAVE SINNED! ALL ARE GUILTY AND WITHOUT EXCUSE BEFORE GOD BECAUSE THE LAW BUSTED US OUT & EXPOSED US FOR WHO AND WHAT WE REALLY ARE.
But you say, I'm a good person."
Romans 3:9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin.
10 As it is written: “ There is none righteous, no, not one;
11 There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
12 They have all turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one.”
13 “ Their throat is an open tomb;
With their tongues they have practiced deceit”;
“ The poison of asps is under their lips”;
14 “ Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”
15 “ Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 Destruction and misery are in their ways;
17 And the way of peace they have not known.”
18 “ There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
Romans 5:12 CEV Adam sinned, and that sin brought death into the world. Now everyone has sinned, and so everyone must die.
18 Everyone was going to be punished because Adam sinned. But because of the good thing that Christ has done, God accepts us and gives us the gift of life. 19 Adam disobeyed God and caused many others to be sinners. But Jesus obeyed him and will make many people acceptable to God. 20 The Law came, so that the full power of sin could be seen. Yet where sin was powerful, God's kindness was even more powerful. 21 Sin ruled by means of death. But God's kindness now rules, and God has accepted us because of Jesus Christ our Lord. This means that we will have eternal life.
We all have sinned but it is Adam that made us sinners. We have just followed what was in us when born, the sinful nature of Adam.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death.
Sin has a wage we all will earn. It’s not the death of when we die and are buried. In (Revelation 2:11) the Bible talks about a second death which is a death that damns us and eternally separates us from God with out hope of ever escaping from Hell.
Luke 16:24 “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. 26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’
This is the story called, "The Rich Man and Lazuras". The man who had been rich while on earth was in a place after his death where he was dying of thirst, tormented and with a great gulf separating him so there was no way of escape. The rich man had received all his good and wealth while on earth. Lazarus even though very poor and sick went to heaven where he receive his reward.
Mark 9:43 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched— 44 where ‘ Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched.’ 45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched—
This doesn't mean to literally cut something off but to show you hell is so bad that you need to remove from your life whatever is causing the sin. Hell is where the fire is never quenched and the worm never dies.
Go to this web site to hear a message called 23 Minutes in Hell by Bill Wiese.
To see this video and others look on this blog and the blog posted on Friday November 26, 2010 titled, The TRUTH! "People Without Jesus Will Go to Hell"
The Word of God says we are all sinners because of Adam and we all have sinned by breaking Gods commandments.
You might say you have never broken His commandments.
Exodus 20 lists God’s Ten Commandments which are His Laws He judges us by.
1. You shall have no other gods before Me. (Have you always loved God above all else?)
2. You shall not make yourself an idol. (Have you made a god in your mind that you're more comfortable with, a god to suit yourself?)
3. You shall not take God's name in vain. (Have you ever used God's holy Name as a cuss word?)
4. Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and mother.
6. You shall not murder. (God considers hatred to be as murder).
7. You shall not commit adultery. ("Whoever looks upon a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart" (Matthew 5:27-28); this is for a man looking at a woman, a woman looking at man and the same sex that might be looking at another with lust and also includes sex before marriage with anyone).
8. You shall not steal. (Have you ever stolen anything? the value of the item is irrelevant).
9. You shall not lie. (Have you lied even once? Including answering these questions).
10. You shall not covet. (Have you ever jealously desired what belongs to others?)
The Bible says that God will punish all murderers, rapists, thieves, liars, adulterers, etc. He will even judge our words and thoughts. On Judgment Day, will you be found to be guilty or innocent of breaking His commandments?
Perhaps you think that God is good, and will therefore overlook your sins. But it is His goodness that will make sure that murderers, rapists, thieves, liars, etc. receive justice. He would be a corrupt Judge if He turned a blind eye to injustice. Have you kept the Commandments?
The Bible says that the Law is perfect. It commands you to be perfect (Matthew 5:48). Are you perfect (in thought, word, and deed)? Will you make it to Heaven? You may say that you are still good, but God says you're not (see Psalm 14:2-3). So one of you is lying, and the Scriptures tell us that it is impossible for God to lie. Remember that all liars will be cast into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 21:8) . God's Law demands justice, and the penalty for sinning against Him is death and Hell. Continue to listen and read on carefully if you want to live.
* These last few writings on the 10 Commandments from Exodus 20 down to the last sentence are from a tract from http://www.raycomfort.com/
James 2:10 CEV If you obey every law except one, you are still guilty of breaking them all.
Part 2 http://ewpministry.blogspot.com/2010/11/anatomy-of-salvation-message-part-2-by.html
Monday, November 29, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Friday, November 26, 2010
The TRUTH! "Without Jesus People Will Go to Hell"
One of the most popular pastors of today and probably the most famous evangelist of the twentieth century both have a struggle to speak the truth about the truth and the Christ of the Bible. I must say I love and respect these men especially the later and God does so much more than I and love covers a multitude of sins. But when there are ministers who millions follow and they speak great error, the truth must be told. Lord, in Jesus name I pray that You may bring these men back to the truth and that You would keep all who read this blog and see these video from the extreme error and deception of our day. That You would give us the grace to preach the truth without compromise no matter what the results. Let us all take heed least we be decieved and fall.
Matthew 10:33; 2 Corinthians 11:1-4; Galatians 1:8-9; John 10:1-9
Let me say emphatically that anyone who doesn't have Jesus as Lord of their life will go to Hell. After watching the 2 videos above I was horribly grieved in my spirit so I thought even though I'm an unknown no-name preacher I must speak the truth of God's word of which I believe. Even if I didn't believe His word sinners without Jesus go to hell. That's the main reason over 20 years ago I got saved. I met the Devil face to face and as he was trying to kill me I cried out to Jesus and He saved me from the Devil, sin , the wrath of God and eternal damnation. This is the main reason I preach with so much fire. This is why so many Christians have been killed preaching the Gospel all over the world because they believed people would go to hell without Jesus so they gave their own lives trying to keep that from happening. The Gospel isn't the good news of love and freedom unless people first know why Jesus came. They must know what they are being saved from before they can really surrender all to Jesus. There are two main reasons I see Jesus died on the cross and there are more than I am mentioning in this blog.
First Jesus came to save us from our sins.
Romans 5:8; Luke 19:10; 1Timothy 1:15; Galatians 5:19-21; 1Corinthians 6:9-10; Revelation 21:8 & 22:14-15: Romans 1:16-32
Secondly, Jesus came to reconcile, to bring us back to God, the Father.
John 14:6; 2Corinthians 5:18-21
Jesus Describes Hell
Matt 23:33 Jesus says, "Snakes! Sons of vipers! (Pharisees) How will you escape the Judgment of HELL?"
Matt 25:29-30 Jesus says, "To those who use well what they are given, even MORE will be given, and they will have an ABUNDANCE. But from those who do NOTHING, even what little they have will be taken away. Now throw this USELESS SERVANT into OUTER DARKNESS, where there will be WEEPING & GNASHING OF TEETH."
Matt 25:41 Jesus says, “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the Eternal Fire (HELL) prepared for the Devil and His Demons."
Matt 25:46 Jesus says, “And they will go away into Eternal Punishment (HELL), but the Righteous will go into Eternal Life.”
Mark 9:43-48 Jesus says, "If your HAND causes you to SIN, Cut It Off. It’s better to enter Eternal Life with only ONE HAND than to go into the UNQUENCHABLE FIRE OF HELL with TWO HANDS ... If your FOOT causes you to SIN, Cut It Off. It’s better to enter Eternal Life with only ONE FOOT than to be THROWN INTO HELL with TWO FEET... And if your EYE causes you to SIN, Gouge It Out. It’s better to enter the Kingdom of God with only ONE EYE than to have TWO EYES and be THROWN INTO HELL, where the MAGGOTS NEVER DIE and the FIRE NEVER GOES OUT."
Luke 6:24-26 Jesus says, “What SORROWS AWAITS YOU who are RICH, for you have your only Happiness now. What SORROWS AWAITS YOU who are FAT & PROSPEROUS now, for a time of AWFUL HUNGER awaits you. What SORROWS AWAITS YOU who LAUGH NOW, for YOUR LAUGHING WILL TURN TO MOURNING AND SORROW. What SORROWS AWAITS YOU who are PRAISED BY THE CROWDS, for their Ancestors also Praised FALSE PROPHETS."
Luke 12:5 Jesus says, "I’ll tell you whom to Fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then THROWN INTO HELL. Yes, he’s the one to Fear."
Matt 10:28 Jesus says, “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both SOUL AND BODY IN HELL."
Luke 16:19-31 Jesus says in (Luke 16:23-24 only), "His Soul (Rich Man) went to the place of the dead. There, in TORMENT, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side. “The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some Pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames...."
Matt 13:41-43 Jesus says about Himself: "The Son of Man (Jesus) will send His Angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes Sin and all who do Evil. And the Angels will throw them into the Fiery Furnace, where there will be WEEPING AND GNASHING OF TEETH. Then the Righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom."
Matt 13:49-50 Jesus says, "That is the way it will be at the End of the World. The Angels will come and separate the Wicked people from the Righteous, throwing the Wicked into the FIERY FURNACE, where there will be WEEPING AND GNASHING OF TEETH."
Jesus Describes Hell
Why Preach the Reality of Hell?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiUEdt40pUQ
Matthew 10:33; 2 Corinthians 11:1-4; Galatians 1:8-9; John 10:1-9
Let me say emphatically that anyone who doesn't have Jesus as Lord of their life will go to Hell. After watching the 2 videos above I was horribly grieved in my spirit so I thought even though I'm an unknown no-name preacher I must speak the truth of God's word of which I believe. Even if I didn't believe His word sinners without Jesus go to hell. That's the main reason over 20 years ago I got saved. I met the Devil face to face and as he was trying to kill me I cried out to Jesus and He saved me from the Devil, sin , the wrath of God and eternal damnation. This is the main reason I preach with so much fire. This is why so many Christians have been killed preaching the Gospel all over the world because they believed people would go to hell without Jesus so they gave their own lives trying to keep that from happening. The Gospel isn't the good news of love and freedom unless people first know why Jesus came. They must know what they are being saved from before they can really surrender all to Jesus. There are two main reasons I see Jesus died on the cross and there are more than I am mentioning in this blog.
First Jesus came to save us from our sins.
Romans 5:8; Luke 19:10; 1Timothy 1:15; Galatians 5:19-21; 1Corinthians 6:9-10; Revelation 21:8 & 22:14-15: Romans 1:16-32
Secondly, Jesus came to reconcile, to bring us back to God, the Father.
John 14:6; 2Corinthians 5:18-21
Jesus Describes Hell
Matt 23:33 Jesus says, "Snakes! Sons of vipers! (Pharisees) How will you escape the Judgment of HELL?"
Matt 25:29-30 Jesus says, "To those who use well what they are given, even MORE will be given, and they will have an ABUNDANCE. But from those who do NOTHING, even what little they have will be taken away. Now throw this USELESS SERVANT into OUTER DARKNESS, where there will be WEEPING & GNASHING OF TEETH."
Matt 25:41 Jesus says, “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the Eternal Fire (HELL) prepared for the Devil and His Demons."
Matt 25:46 Jesus says, “And they will go away into Eternal Punishment (HELL), but the Righteous will go into Eternal Life.”
Mark 9:43-48 Jesus says, "If your HAND causes you to SIN, Cut It Off. It’s better to enter Eternal Life with only ONE HAND than to go into the UNQUENCHABLE FIRE OF HELL with TWO HANDS ... If your FOOT causes you to SIN, Cut It Off. It’s better to enter Eternal Life with only ONE FOOT than to be THROWN INTO HELL with TWO FEET... And if your EYE causes you to SIN, Gouge It Out. It’s better to enter the Kingdom of God with only ONE EYE than to have TWO EYES and be THROWN INTO HELL, where the MAGGOTS NEVER DIE and the FIRE NEVER GOES OUT."
Luke 6:24-26 Jesus says, “What SORROWS AWAITS YOU who are RICH, for you have your only Happiness now. What SORROWS AWAITS YOU who are FAT & PROSPEROUS now, for a time of AWFUL HUNGER awaits you. What SORROWS AWAITS YOU who LAUGH NOW, for YOUR LAUGHING WILL TURN TO MOURNING AND SORROW. What SORROWS AWAITS YOU who are PRAISED BY THE CROWDS, for their Ancestors also Praised FALSE PROPHETS."
Luke 12:5 Jesus says, "I’ll tell you whom to Fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then THROWN INTO HELL. Yes, he’s the one to Fear."
Matt 10:28 Jesus says, “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both SOUL AND BODY IN HELL."
Luke 16:19-31 Jesus says in (Luke 16:23-24 only), "His Soul (Rich Man) went to the place of the dead. There, in TORMENT, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side. “The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some Pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames...."
Matt 13:41-43 Jesus says about Himself: "The Son of Man (Jesus) will send His Angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes Sin and all who do Evil. And the Angels will throw them into the Fiery Furnace, where there will be WEEPING AND GNASHING OF TEETH. Then the Righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom."
Matt 13:49-50 Jesus says, "That is the way it will be at the End of the World. The Angels will come and separate the Wicked people from the Righteous, throwing the Wicked into the FIERY FURNACE, where there will be WEEPING AND GNASHING OF TEETH."
Jesus Describes Hell
Why Preach the Reality of Hell?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiUEdt40pUQ
Leonard Ravenhill Interview (FULL)
God, where are the preachers like Leonard Ravenhill today?
Lord by your grace, faith and word my I be one as well as my spiritual sons and daughters
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
What is The True Church Of Jesus Christ by David Wilkerson
Paul admonishes us in, 2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Danmark! Er du klar til Revival?
English to Danish translation
Danmark! Er du klar til Revival?
Her til morgen da jeg kiggede på statistikkerne fra bloggen jeg så, at det daglige folk fra Danmark kommer til webstedet. De har den tredje højeste antal på lande besøger. Så Herrens ord kom til mig for Danmark.
Danmark, Er du klar til vækkelse? Jeg ser sult Mit folk der eskalere til store højder, siger Herren. Jeg vil komme til dig meget snart du har fået al den opmærksomhed af himlen. Vi kommer ned til Dem med stor kraft og majestæt og bryde løs over hele dit Land som en brusende mægtig vind og indvarsle den største høst, du nogensinde har set, siger Herren. Genoplivelse udstrømning vil være som at aldrig har set i landet, og den holder, som aldrig vil blive set igen. Så skrige. Forbered jeres hjerter for min tid for ankomst nærmer sig, og du skal være klar for mig at komme og tage over. Kirkerne vil ikke være stor nok, så forbered dig på at gå ud i gaderne og fjorde for Min tilstedeværelse skal mætte hele landet i Danmark, siger Herren.
Så så jeg, at genoplivningen og tilstedeværelse af Hans herlighed ville sprede sig ud til hele Skandinavien og dele af Europa fra Danmark som centrum for det hele.
Der har været en lille bøn kerne af mennesker dunkende himlen i mange år, men fra sidst det har øget i det højeste og nåede himlen og greb himlens opmærksomhed. Kulden i folkets hjerte i landet vil smelte som voks med ild Gud og mange mange sjæle vil blive gemt, og det vil nå ud og op, selv i regeringen og befolkningen i centrale stillinger vil blive gemt og blive fortalere for genoplivelse. Ingen kan stoppe ham og han vil holde kommer og hvile på jorden, indtil de mennesker holder op at bede og hungrer. Jeg tror, at dette vil begynde i 2011 og vil forblive, så længe folk gør det muligt. Der behøver ikke at nogensinde en ende. Så Danmark kan du høre Herrens ord pressen i dag som aldrig før og aldrig stop, når han kommer, fordi han ikke "bare søger en visitation, men en beboelse. Må Guds herlighed hvile over dit land, indtil han vender tilbage.
Til slut ser jeg en vision af Herrens herlighed hvilende på Danmark og de omkringliggende regioner som en tidlig morgen tåge, tyk og tung.
Pastor Steve
Danmark! Er du klar til Revival?
Her til morgen da jeg kiggede på statistikkerne fra bloggen jeg så, at det daglige folk fra Danmark kommer til webstedet. De har den tredje højeste antal på lande besøger. Så Herrens ord kom til mig for Danmark.
Danmark, Er du klar til vækkelse? Jeg ser sult Mit folk der eskalere til store højder, siger Herren. Jeg vil komme til dig meget snart du har fået al den opmærksomhed af himlen. Vi kommer ned til Dem med stor kraft og majestæt og bryde løs over hele dit Land som en brusende mægtig vind og indvarsle den største høst, du nogensinde har set, siger Herren. Genoplivelse udstrømning vil være som at aldrig har set i landet, og den holder, som aldrig vil blive set igen. Så skrige. Forbered jeres hjerter for min tid for ankomst nærmer sig, og du skal være klar for mig at komme og tage over. Kirkerne vil ikke være stor nok, så forbered dig på at gå ud i gaderne og fjorde for Min tilstedeværelse skal mætte hele landet i Danmark, siger Herren.
Så så jeg, at genoplivningen og tilstedeværelse af Hans herlighed ville sprede sig ud til hele Skandinavien og dele af Europa fra Danmark som centrum for det hele.
Der har været en lille bøn kerne af mennesker dunkende himlen i mange år, men fra sidst det har øget i det højeste og nåede himlen og greb himlens opmærksomhed. Kulden i folkets hjerte i landet vil smelte som voks med ild Gud og mange mange sjæle vil blive gemt, og det vil nå ud og op, selv i regeringen og befolkningen i centrale stillinger vil blive gemt og blive fortalere for genoplivelse. Ingen kan stoppe ham og han vil holde kommer og hvile på jorden, indtil de mennesker holder op at bede og hungrer. Jeg tror, at dette vil begynde i 2011 og vil forblive, så længe folk gør det muligt. Der behøver ikke at nogensinde en ende. Så Danmark kan du høre Herrens ord pressen i dag som aldrig før og aldrig stop, når han kommer, fordi han ikke "bare søger en visitation, men en beboelse. Må Guds herlighed hvile over dit land, indtil han vender tilbage.
Til slut ser jeg en vision af Herrens herlighed hvilende på Danmark og de omkringliggende regioner som en tidlig morgen tåge, tyk og tung.
Pastor Steve
Denmark! Are You Ready For Revival?
This morning as I looked at the stats from the blog I saw that daily people from Denmark are coming to the site. They have the third highest numbers on countries visiting. Then the word of the Lord came to me for Denmark.
Denmark, Are you ready for revival? I see the hunger of My people there escalating to great heights says the Lord. I will come to you very soon as you have got all the attention of heaven. We will come down to you with great power and majesty and break loose all over your land like a rushing mighty wind and usher in the greatest harvest you have ever seen, says the Lord. The revival outpouring will be like that never seen in the land and of the likes that will never be seen again. So cry out. Prepare your hearts for My time of arrival draws near and you must be ready for Me to come and take over. The churches will not be big enough so prepare to go out into the streets and fjords for My presence shall saturate the whole land of Denmark, says the Lord.
I then saw that the revival and presence of His Glory would spread out to all of Scandinavia and parts of Europe from Denmark as the heart of it all.
There has been a small prayer core of people pounding heaven for many years but as of lately it has heightened in it's peak and reached heaven and grabbed heaven's attention. The coldness of the hearts of the people in the land will melt like wax with the fire of God and many many souls will be saved and it will reach out and up even into the government and people in key positions will be saved and become advocates of the revival. No one can stop Him and He will keep coming and rest upon the land until the people stop praying and hungering. I believe this will begin in 2011 and will stay as long as the people allow. There doesn't have to ever be an end. So Denmark please hear the word of the Lord press in now like never before and never stop when He comes because He doesn't' just seek a visitation but a habitation. May the Glory of the Lord rest over your land until He returns.
In closing I see a vision of the glory of the Lord resting upon Denmark and the surrounding regions like an early morning fog, thick and heavy.
Christians in Denmark please e-mail me with what you think about the prophecy enduedwithpower@gmail.com
Pastor Steve
Denmark, Are you ready for revival? I see the hunger of My people there escalating to great heights says the Lord. I will come to you very soon as you have got all the attention of heaven. We will come down to you with great power and majesty and break loose all over your land like a rushing mighty wind and usher in the greatest harvest you have ever seen, says the Lord. The revival outpouring will be like that never seen in the land and of the likes that will never be seen again. So cry out. Prepare your hearts for My time of arrival draws near and you must be ready for Me to come and take over. The churches will not be big enough so prepare to go out into the streets and fjords for My presence shall saturate the whole land of Denmark, says the Lord.
I then saw that the revival and presence of His Glory would spread out to all of Scandinavia and parts of Europe from Denmark as the heart of it all.
There has been a small prayer core of people pounding heaven for many years but as of lately it has heightened in it's peak and reached heaven and grabbed heaven's attention. The coldness of the hearts of the people in the land will melt like wax with the fire of God and many many souls will be saved and it will reach out and up even into the government and people in key positions will be saved and become advocates of the revival. No one can stop Him and He will keep coming and rest upon the land until the people stop praying and hungering. I believe this will begin in 2011 and will stay as long as the people allow. There doesn't have to ever be an end. So Denmark please hear the word of the Lord press in now like never before and never stop when He comes because He doesn't' just seek a visitation but a habitation. May the Glory of the Lord rest over your land until He returns.
In closing I see a vision of the glory of the Lord resting upon Denmark and the surrounding regions like an early morning fog, thick and heavy.
Christians in Denmark please e-mail me with what you think about the prophecy enduedwithpower@gmail.com
Pastor Steve
Friday, November 19, 2010
The Prophetic Message the Whole Church Worldwide Needs to Hear
Bay of the Holy Spirit Revival
November 18th
Duration: 2h 59min
Enjoy anointed worship led by Lydia Stanley, and experience the presence of God at the Bay Revival in Mobile, AL. Then watch Evangelist Nathan Morris as he shares a passionate message entitled “Cities of Refuge.” The Lord is raising up cities of refuge throughout the nations so stay tuned and believe God for His fire to fall in your city. Pastor John Kilpatrick has also been preaching about cities. The two leaders are clearly in one accord concerning the direction and timing of the Revival and where it is going, spreading from city to city. Trust God to become a “canopy of His glory” in your own life and believe for the impossible. Nathan calls out a word of knowledge for the healing of multiple sclerosis in Jesus Name and the anointing is strong as he prays for people with terminal illnesses.
http://www.god.tv/node/868?r=1290211573322 (copy & paste)
November 18th
Duration: 2h 59min
Enjoy anointed worship led by Lydia Stanley, and experience the presence of God at the Bay Revival in Mobile, AL. Then watch Evangelist Nathan Morris as he shares a passionate message entitled “Cities of Refuge.” The Lord is raising up cities of refuge throughout the nations so stay tuned and believe God for His fire to fall in your city. Pastor John Kilpatrick has also been preaching about cities. The two leaders are clearly in one accord concerning the direction and timing of the Revival and where it is going, spreading from city to city. Trust God to become a “canopy of His glory” in your own life and believe for the impossible. Nathan calls out a word of knowledge for the healing of multiple sclerosis in Jesus Name and the anointing is strong as he prays for people with terminal illnesses.
http://www.god.tv/node/868?r=1290211573322 (copy & paste)
Why I Believe That Mark 16:15-20 Is A Part of The Original Manuscripts
Why I Believe That Mark 16:15-20 Is A Part of The Original Manuscripts
By Troy J. Edwards
1. The Ancient Manuscripts - 7 Proofs Why Mark 16:9-20 Is True And Are For Us Today.
Some "scholars" challenge the authenticity of Mark 16:9-20. They claim that these passages were not a part of the original manuscripts and therefore are not for us today.
While a few manuscripts omit the passage, many with great authenticity include it. There are over 4200 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament and only TWO do not contain these verses.
The Vatican manuscript, which is the one most often cited as leaving out this passage of scripture has a blank space between Mark 16:8 and the book of Luke as if the copier were not sure whether to include it or not.
The vulgate version prepared by Jerome in an early century includes the disputed verses. Many of the early church fathers in their writings quote from the passage, thus further indicating it's genuineness.
If we are going to use the TWO original manuscripts as proof that these signs are not for us today, then we must remember that other very important (and accepted) portions of scripture are also left out of the original manuscripts. Examples: First 46 chapters of Genesis, Psalm 105-137, Hebrews 9:14-13:25.
Satan has always attempted to cast doubt upon the Word of God (Gen. 3:1-5). He has continued to use this method to keep the supernatural power of God from operating through the church. This has been ammunition in the hands of those who oppose the supernatural in the church today.
Even if Mark 16:9-20 were not part of the original manuscripts, other passages of scripture display these same signs being manifested and therefore proves that God's people can have them.
These signs are being done in this day and age amongst believers and should be proof enough that they are for the church today.
2. Our Mandate Is To Preach The Gospel To Every Creature - Mark 16:15-16.
This is Mark's version of the great commission that Jesus gave which is recorded in Matthew 28:18-20.
We have been made ambassadors for Christ to the world - 2 Cor. 5:17-21.
3. As We Begin To Fulfill The Commission That God Has Given Us Then Signs Will Follow - Mark 16:17-20.
These signs were not to follow the Apostle, prophet, and evangelist only. They were to follow THEM THAT BELIEVED.
Notice in verse 20 that the signs followed AFTER they began to preach everywhere. Don't wait for the signs and then preach. Preach and the the signs will follow. God ALWAYS confirms His Word with signs following.
Examples:
Matthew 10:7-8.
Luke 9:1-6, 11.
Acts 8:5-8.
Acts 14:7-10.
Romans 15:19.
There are five signs specifically mentioned in Mark 16:17-18 that should follow every believer. These are casting out demons, speaking in tongues, taking up serpents, protection from poison, and healing of the sick.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-mail: victoryword@yahoo.com
Back to Home
Go to the Links page
(c) Copyright 2001 by Troy J. Edwards and Victory through the Word Ministries
By Troy J. Edwards
1. The Ancient Manuscripts - 7 Proofs Why Mark 16:9-20 Is True And Are For Us Today.
Some "scholars" challenge the authenticity of Mark 16:9-20. They claim that these passages were not a part of the original manuscripts and therefore are not for us today.
While a few manuscripts omit the passage, many with great authenticity include it. There are over 4200 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament and only TWO do not contain these verses.
The Vatican manuscript, which is the one most often cited as leaving out this passage of scripture has a blank space between Mark 16:8 and the book of Luke as if the copier were not sure whether to include it or not.
The vulgate version prepared by Jerome in an early century includes the disputed verses. Many of the early church fathers in their writings quote from the passage, thus further indicating it's genuineness.
If we are going to use the TWO original manuscripts as proof that these signs are not for us today, then we must remember that other very important (and accepted) portions of scripture are also left out of the original manuscripts. Examples: First 46 chapters of Genesis, Psalm 105-137, Hebrews 9:14-13:25.
Satan has always attempted to cast doubt upon the Word of God (Gen. 3:1-5). He has continued to use this method to keep the supernatural power of God from operating through the church. This has been ammunition in the hands of those who oppose the supernatural in the church today.
Even if Mark 16:9-20 were not part of the original manuscripts, other passages of scripture display these same signs being manifested and therefore proves that God's people can have them.
These signs are being done in this day and age amongst believers and should be proof enough that they are for the church today.
2. Our Mandate Is To Preach The Gospel To Every Creature - Mark 16:15-16.
This is Mark's version of the great commission that Jesus gave which is recorded in Matthew 28:18-20.
We have been made ambassadors for Christ to the world - 2 Cor. 5:17-21.
3. As We Begin To Fulfill The Commission That God Has Given Us Then Signs Will Follow - Mark 16:17-20.
These signs were not to follow the Apostle, prophet, and evangelist only. They were to follow THEM THAT BELIEVED.
Notice in verse 20 that the signs followed AFTER they began to preach everywhere. Don't wait for the signs and then preach. Preach and the the signs will follow. God ALWAYS confirms His Word with signs following.
Examples:
Matthew 10:7-8.
Luke 9:1-6, 11.
Acts 8:5-8.
Acts 14:7-10.
Romans 15:19.
There are five signs specifically mentioned in Mark 16:17-18 that should follow every believer. These are casting out demons, speaking in tongues, taking up serpents, protection from poison, and healing of the sick.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-mail: victoryword@yahoo.com
Back to Home
Go to the Links page
(c) Copyright 2001 by Troy J. Edwards and Victory through the Word Ministries
Speaking In Tongues FAQ 2-Are Tongues For All?(New Expanded Verson)
Speaking In Tongues FAQ 2-Are Tongues For All?(New Expanded Verson)
My first experience speaking in tongues came on April 27, 1988. I was 20 years old, and still a member of a denominational church, but out of curiosity, I had also been visiting a Pentecostal church on occasion. One day, I responded to an invitation to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit. I had been a Christian for about five years, and loved God very much, but at the same time, I knew that I needed a deeper presence of God in his life. As I was prayed for, I suddenly "felt" strange, unknown words well up inside me. As I began to speak them out, a gigantic tidal wave of God's love and power flooded into me, changing my life forever.
Next to my salvation, this has been THE key event of my walk with Jesus. In the years since then, it has became a richer and deeper part of my life than I could ever have imagined. It is as natural to me as breathing. Since this experience changed my life so dramatically, I have a deep desire to share it with others. In this second part in our series of messages on tongues, I wanted to devote the entire article to dealing with questions about the availability of this wonderful experience to all believers.
I. ARE TONGUES AVAILABLE TO ALL CHRISTIANS?
In 1 Corinthians 12:30, Paul asks the hypothetical question "Do all speak in tongues?" This has led some to the conclusion that tongues as a whole are only for a select few Christians.
However, as we discussed in our last message, there are three different manifestations of tongues. The context of Paul's above mentioned statement is a discussion of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, tongues being one of them. He is giving instruction for the proper use of the gifts in a church service. When Paul speaks of tongues in this setting, he is referring to the ministry gift of tongues, which, as previously stated, is only one of the three, and is only given by the Holy Spirit in certain situations. This type of tongues is a sign to unbelievers. However, we read other instances in Scripture where people spoke in tongues, and no unbelievers were present (see Acts 10:46; 19:6, as well as note 1 below), giving further proof that this is not the exclusive purpose for tongues.
As for the other two manifestations of tongues, however, there are a number of Scriptures that clearly teach that they are for all Christians:
1. Jesus said "These signs shall follow THEM THAT BELIEVE...." one of them being "they shall speak with new tongues." (Mark 16:17)
2. At the initial outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, ALL spoke with tongues. (Acts 2:4)
3. Throughout the Book of Acts, there is a consistent pattern of tongues being the initial evidence when someone is baptized in the Holy Spirit. See Acts 2:1-4;Acts 10:44-46;Acts 19:2-7. (more on this next question.)
4. Paul desired all Christians to speak in tongues (1 Corinthians 14:5)
5. The exhortations to "Pray in the Spirit" (Ephesians 6:18 )and "in the Holy Ghost" (Jude 20,) terms synonymous with praying in tongues (1 Corinthians 14:14-16,) are directed to all Christians.
I compare it to this :All Christians are to have faith (Mark 11:22; Ephesians 2:8,) but some have a special GIFT of faith (1 Corinthians 12:9.) All Christians are to be merciful (Matthew 5:7; Luke 6:36,) but some have a special ministry gift of mercy (Romans 12:8.) Likewise,the wonderful experience of praying in tongues is available to all Christians, but some have a special public ministry gift of tongues.
For futher comparison, here is a chart summarizing and contrasting the different aspects of tongues:
Public Gift of Tongues
Personal Prayer Language
Spoken with interpretation to the church (Equal to prophecy-1 Corinthians 14:5)
Spoken privately to God (1 Corinthians 14:2)
To be interpreted (1 Corinthians 14:5)
No interpretation necessary (1 Corinthians 14:28)
Edifies the church (when interpreted-1 Corinthians 14:4-5)
Edifies the individual believer (1 Corinthians 14:4)
A sign to unbelievers (1 Corinthians 14:22)
Can be manifested when no unbelievers are present (Acts 10:46; 19:6)
Not given to all believers (1 Cor. 12:30)
Should be desired and practiced by all Christians (Mark 16:17; 1 Corinthians 14:5; Ephesians 6:18; Jude 20 ).
II.WHAT IS THE CONNECTION BETWEEN TONGUES AND THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT?
The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a supernatural empowerment from God into the Christian's life. It can happen at the moment a person is first saved, but as the following verses point out, it is normatively an event subsequent to salvation. (For more on this, see our message on The Baptism in the Holy Spirit
Since the baptism is a supernatural experience, it would stand to reason that it would by accompanied by a supernatural sign or evidence. Looking at the Biblical pattern, we see that this sign is speaking in tongues.
There are five recorded instances in the Book of Acts of people receiving the baptism. Each time, it either says the people spoke in tongues, or at least strongly implies that they did. Let's look at each case on an individual basis:
PENTECOST-Acts 2:1-4-As we stated earlier, the Holy Spirit was first poured out on the day of Pentecost. Of the 120 people who received the Spirit, every one of them, without exception, spoke in tongues (including, interestingly, Mary, the Mother of Jesus-Acts 1:14.) Note particularly the impact this experience had on Peter.In chapter 2, verses 14-41, we see the same disciple who had three times denied he even knew Jesus now stood in the face of a hostile crowd and boldly proclaimed the Gospel, resulting in 3000 people coming to Christ!
THE BELIEVERS AT SAMARIA- Acts 8:14-24-Here the apostles receive the wonderful news of the Gospel spreading into Samaria. Upon hearing this, they immediately sent Peter and John to pray for them, so that they could receive the Holy Spirit. While they are ministering to these believers, a sorcerer named Simon sees this miraculous event, and offers Peter and John money for the ability to impart the Holy Spirit to others. Of course, Peter sharply rebukes him, telling him he has no part or lot in this matter (verse 20.) Although this account does not specifically mention tongues, it is important to notice two things:
1. Simon SAW that the Holy Spirit was being given (verse 18,) therefore, there must have been some sort of tangible evidence of the Holy Spirit's impartation.
2. In verse 20, when Peter tells Simon that he has no part or lot in this matter, it is interesting to note that the word "matter" in the Greek can also be translated "utterance!" Simon had no part or lot in the UTTERANCE that he saw.
Keeping these two things in mind, as well as comparing this event with others like it in Scripture, I believe it is perfectly safe to say that the evidence that Simon saw was the utterance in tongues of those who whose lives were being transformed by this marvelous work of the Holy Spirit.
PAUL AND ANANIAS-Acts 9:17-18-After his dramatic encounter with God on the road to Damascus, Paul receives a visit from a man named Ananias, who was sent by God so that Paul, who had been blinded during the Damascus encounter, might "receive his sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost ." Although this particular passage does not state that Paul spoke in tongues, we know he did because he later wrote to the Corinthian church "I thank my God I speak in tongues more than you all ." ( 1 Corinthians 14:18) .
PETER AND THE FAMILY OF CORNELIUS-Acts 10:44-46-Cornelius and his family were the first Gentiles (non Jews) to ever become Christians. In the dramatic account of their conversion, we see Cornelius seeking God, who sends an angel to tell him to seek out the Apostle Peter, who, at the same time, was told by the Holy Spirit that Cornelius' men were looking for him. Peter obediently goes to visit Cornelius, and shares the Gospel with him and his family. While Peter was preaching to them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues . The Jewish believers were astonished at this, because this Gentile family had received the Holy Spirit just like they had. Notice that when they witnessed this wonderful event, THE evidence that they recognized was that "they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God." ( verse 46) .
PAUL AND THE EPHESIAN BELIEVERS- Acts 19:2-7- While passing through the city of Ephesus, Paul encounters a group of disciples and quickly asks them "Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed?" They responded that they had never even heard of the Holy Spirit. Paul then gives them some further instruction, baptizes them in water, and lays hands on them to receive the Holy Spirit. When they do, they speak in tongues, as well as prophesy.
One of the basic rules of Bible interpretation is that it takes a minimum of two or three Scriptures to establish a doctrine ( Matthew 18:16; 2 Corinthians 13:1.) So with these five examples, we can see that the doctrine of tongues as initial evidence is solidly Scriptural. Receiving the baptism has been humorously compared to buying a pair of shoes- Tongues come with it!
III. I KNOW MANY WONDERFUL CHRISTIANS WHO DON'T SPEAK IN TONGUES.IF TONGUES ARE AVAILABLE TO ALL CHRISTIANS,WHAT ABOUT THEM?
I also know many great Christian people who have never uttered a word in tongues. I have also known a few Christians who did speak in tongues who were downright mean! The issue here is the FRUIT of the Holy Spirit vs. the GIFTS of the Holy Spirit.
When a person is Born Again, the Holy Spirit comes to INDWELL him. All Christians have the Holy Spirit indwelling them. As the Christian yields to the indwelling Holy Spirit, the Spirit produces His fruits- love, joy, peace, etc. (Galatians 5:22-23) in the believer's life. However, when he is baptized in the Holy Spirit, the Spirit comes to EMPOWER him. This produces the Spirit's supernatural power and gifts in the believer.(Acts 1:8).
This being said, it is possible to operate in the fruit of the Spirit, but not the gifts of the Spirit. At the same time, it is possible to operate in the gifts of the Spirit, but not the fruit of the Spirit. This was a problem in the Corinthian church, who in spite of lots of spiritual manifestations such as tongues, were still chastised by the Apostle Paul for being carnal (1 Corinthians 3:3.) Paul also said that without love, tongues are less than worthless (1 Corinthians 13:1.)
It is not my intention to in any way imply that Christians who don't speak in tongues are any less saved, or are any less in love with Jesus than Christians who do. Possibly, because of there background, denomination, or some other factor, they simply haven't been taught about tongues. Like the Ephesian believers Paul encountered in Acts 19:2-7, they simply are not aware that such an experience is available to them.
God wants us to operate in both the fruit and the gifts of the Spirit. We must keep a balanced, focused view on this. I don't claim that speaking in tongues has made me a better Christian than anyone else, but I do know this-It has made me a better Christian than I was before!
IV. IF IT IS GOD'S WILL FOR ALL CHRISTIANS TO SPEAK IN TONGUES, THEN WHY DO SOME HAVE TROUBLE RECEIVING THEIR PRAYER LANGUAGES?
When properly instructed, most Christians receive their prayer language quickly and easily. However, there are very sincere believers who, for whatever reason, struggle in this area. For some, it becomes a source of frustration and discouragement. Why does this happen? While I can't address every possible scenario, here are a few of the most common:
Religious tradition-If you come from a church background that is hostile to speaking in tongues, I realize that old prejudices can be hard to overcome. Nevertheless, we cannot allow religious traditions to make God's Word ineffective to us (Mark 7:13). Thank God for the Bible truths you may have learned from your denominational church, but keep in mind that speaking in tongues will not nullify any of them! The Holy Spirit is also called the Spirit of Truth (John 14:17), and the prayer language He gives you will both reinforce the truth you already know, as well as prepare your heart to better receive truth you may not yet know.
Codemnation-Some Christians feel that they are not "worthy" to speak in tongues. However, if we were perfect, we wouldn't need it anyway! The only prerequisite to being baptized in the Holy Spirit is that you be born again. You do not receive it through your performance. You receive it through faith in God's grace (see Galatians 3:2). If Jesus is your Lord and Savior, then you are ready to receive! You are no longer unworthy in His sight. You are forgiven and accepted by Him. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ (Romans 8:1). Claim this wonderful promise as yours, and determine to never again allow condemnation to rob you of God's blessing.
Fear-Although we discussed this in the previous message, it bares stating again: Jesus promises in In Luke 11:9-13 that if we ask Him for bread, He will not give us a stone. Verse 13 assures us beyond any question that if we ask God for the Holy Spirit, that is exactly what we will get. For more on this, see question VIII of Tongues FAQ 1.
Not understanding what to expect-A common misconception is that when we speak in tongues, the Holy Spirit "grabs" our mouths and forces words out of us. This is not true at all. In Acts 2:4, notice that the people "...began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." It was the Spirit who gave the utterance, but they were the ones who had to the speaking. In addition, Paul's instruction on when it is and is not appropriate to speak in tongues (see 1 Corinthians 14:6-13; 16-17; 23-25, 27-28) further shows us that the response is an act of our will.
Getting your prayer language is not difficult. It is a simple matter of asking and receiving. Just ask God in faith to baptize you in the Holy Spirit, then open your mouth and speak whatever He gives you. At first it may just be a syllable or two. You didn't learn to speak English all at once, so you needn't expect a complete, fluent language to come all at once. Use what you get, and more will come. Yes, it is that simple! (1)
V. DO I HAVE TO SPEAK IN TONGUES?
No,you don't HAVE to, you GET to! As we discussed in the previous message, Scripture exhorts us to covet, or as the literal Greek puts it, to "pursue with passion" the gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:31.) Being filled with the Spirit, and operating in this realm is an awesome privilege!
You can be genuinely saved, love Jesus with all your heart, and go to Heaven when you die, and never speak in tongues. At the same time, however, you will miss out on many of the wonderful blessings and benefits that God has for you that are directly linked to speaking in tongues.
God is a Spirit, and He wants to relate to us on the spirit level (John 4:24.) The natural person can't receive the things of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14.) We must go into the Spirit realm to draw them out. Without tongues, we will never fully enter into that spirit realm in our prayer lives. We can, and should pray to God in our natural language (1 Corinthians 14:15.) He understands English perfectly well! However, we are still very finite, limited creatures, with only three and a half pounds of brain with which to communicate with the vastness of the creator of the universe! When we pray in tongues, our spirit prays (1 Corinthians 14:14,) and we communicate with God Spirit to spirit, speaking mysteries (1 Corinthians 14:2) to Him. (The word "mysteries" in the Greek means "divine secrets, knowledge unrevealed to the uninitiated.") We will further explore this, as well as the many other benefits of praying in tongues, in the next message. One of the reasons Jesus died was so that we could experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit in our lives (John 16:7.) Don't miss it!
© 1999, 2003 JHB
(1) See the book Concerning Spiritual Gifts by Donald Gee, chapter 9, "Tongues and Interpretation".
(2) For those needing further help in this area, I recommend John Osteen's book "Overcoming Hindrances to Receiving the Baptism In the Holy Spirit", as well as Harald Bredesen's video presentation "How To Receive the Baptism In the Holy Spirit and Share It With Others."
E-mail: rhema6@juno.com
Comments and feedback are always welcome. E-mail us at: rhema6@juno.com
My first experience speaking in tongues came on April 27, 1988. I was 20 years old, and still a member of a denominational church, but out of curiosity, I had also been visiting a Pentecostal church on occasion. One day, I responded to an invitation to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit. I had been a Christian for about five years, and loved God very much, but at the same time, I knew that I needed a deeper presence of God in his life. As I was prayed for, I suddenly "felt" strange, unknown words well up inside me. As I began to speak them out, a gigantic tidal wave of God's love and power flooded into me, changing my life forever.
Next to my salvation, this has been THE key event of my walk with Jesus. In the years since then, it has became a richer and deeper part of my life than I could ever have imagined. It is as natural to me as breathing. Since this experience changed my life so dramatically, I have a deep desire to share it with others. In this second part in our series of messages on tongues, I wanted to devote the entire article to dealing with questions about the availability of this wonderful experience to all believers.
I. ARE TONGUES AVAILABLE TO ALL CHRISTIANS?
In 1 Corinthians 12:30, Paul asks the hypothetical question "Do all speak in tongues?" This has led some to the conclusion that tongues as a whole are only for a select few Christians.
However, as we discussed in our last message, there are three different manifestations of tongues. The context of Paul's above mentioned statement is a discussion of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, tongues being one of them. He is giving instruction for the proper use of the gifts in a church service. When Paul speaks of tongues in this setting, he is referring to the ministry gift of tongues, which, as previously stated, is only one of the three, and is only given by the Holy Spirit in certain situations. This type of tongues is a sign to unbelievers. However, we read other instances in Scripture where people spoke in tongues, and no unbelievers were present (see Acts 10:46; 19:6, as well as note 1 below), giving further proof that this is not the exclusive purpose for tongues.
As for the other two manifestations of tongues, however, there are a number of Scriptures that clearly teach that they are for all Christians:
1. Jesus said "These signs shall follow THEM THAT BELIEVE...." one of them being "they shall speak with new tongues." (Mark 16:17)
2. At the initial outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, ALL spoke with tongues. (Acts 2:4)
3. Throughout the Book of Acts, there is a consistent pattern of tongues being the initial evidence when someone is baptized in the Holy Spirit. See Acts 2:1-4;Acts 10:44-46;Acts 19:2-7. (more on this next question.)
4. Paul desired all Christians to speak in tongues (1 Corinthians 14:5)
5. The exhortations to "Pray in the Spirit" (Ephesians 6:18 )and "in the Holy Ghost" (Jude 20,) terms synonymous with praying in tongues (1 Corinthians 14:14-16,) are directed to all Christians.
I compare it to this :All Christians are to have faith (Mark 11:22; Ephesians 2:8,) but some have a special GIFT of faith (1 Corinthians 12:9.) All Christians are to be merciful (Matthew 5:7; Luke 6:36,) but some have a special ministry gift of mercy (Romans 12:8.) Likewise,the wonderful experience of praying in tongues is available to all Christians, but some have a special public ministry gift of tongues.
For futher comparison, here is a chart summarizing and contrasting the different aspects of tongues:
Public Gift of Tongues
Personal Prayer Language
Spoken with interpretation to the church (Equal to prophecy-1 Corinthians 14:5)
Spoken privately to God (1 Corinthians 14:2)
To be interpreted (1 Corinthians 14:5)
No interpretation necessary (1 Corinthians 14:28)
Edifies the church (when interpreted-1 Corinthians 14:4-5)
Edifies the individual believer (1 Corinthians 14:4)
A sign to unbelievers (1 Corinthians 14:22)
Can be manifested when no unbelievers are present (Acts 10:46; 19:6)
Not given to all believers (1 Cor. 12:30)
Should be desired and practiced by all Christians (Mark 16:17; 1 Corinthians 14:5; Ephesians 6:18; Jude 20 ).
II.WHAT IS THE CONNECTION BETWEEN TONGUES AND THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT?
The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a supernatural empowerment from God into the Christian's life. It can happen at the moment a person is first saved, but as the following verses point out, it is normatively an event subsequent to salvation. (For more on this, see our message on The Baptism in the Holy Spirit
Since the baptism is a supernatural experience, it would stand to reason that it would by accompanied by a supernatural sign or evidence. Looking at the Biblical pattern, we see that this sign is speaking in tongues.
There are five recorded instances in the Book of Acts of people receiving the baptism. Each time, it either says the people spoke in tongues, or at least strongly implies that they did. Let's look at each case on an individual basis:
PENTECOST-Acts 2:1-4-As we stated earlier, the Holy Spirit was first poured out on the day of Pentecost. Of the 120 people who received the Spirit, every one of them, without exception, spoke in tongues (including, interestingly, Mary, the Mother of Jesus-Acts 1:14.) Note particularly the impact this experience had on Peter.In chapter 2, verses 14-41, we see the same disciple who had three times denied he even knew Jesus now stood in the face of a hostile crowd and boldly proclaimed the Gospel, resulting in 3000 people coming to Christ!
THE BELIEVERS AT SAMARIA- Acts 8:14-24-Here the apostles receive the wonderful news of the Gospel spreading into Samaria. Upon hearing this, they immediately sent Peter and John to pray for them, so that they could receive the Holy Spirit. While they are ministering to these believers, a sorcerer named Simon sees this miraculous event, and offers Peter and John money for the ability to impart the Holy Spirit to others. Of course, Peter sharply rebukes him, telling him he has no part or lot in this matter (verse 20.) Although this account does not specifically mention tongues, it is important to notice two things:
1. Simon SAW that the Holy Spirit was being given (verse 18,) therefore, there must have been some sort of tangible evidence of the Holy Spirit's impartation.
2. In verse 20, when Peter tells Simon that he has no part or lot in this matter, it is interesting to note that the word "matter" in the Greek can also be translated "utterance!" Simon had no part or lot in the UTTERANCE that he saw.
Keeping these two things in mind, as well as comparing this event with others like it in Scripture, I believe it is perfectly safe to say that the evidence that Simon saw was the utterance in tongues of those who whose lives were being transformed by this marvelous work of the Holy Spirit.
PAUL AND ANANIAS-Acts 9:17-18-After his dramatic encounter with God on the road to Damascus, Paul receives a visit from a man named Ananias, who was sent by God so that Paul, who had been blinded during the Damascus encounter, might "receive his sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost ." Although this particular passage does not state that Paul spoke in tongues, we know he did because he later wrote to the Corinthian church "I thank my God I speak in tongues more than you all ." ( 1 Corinthians 14:18) .
PETER AND THE FAMILY OF CORNELIUS-Acts 10:44-46-Cornelius and his family were the first Gentiles (non Jews) to ever become Christians. In the dramatic account of their conversion, we see Cornelius seeking God, who sends an angel to tell him to seek out the Apostle Peter, who, at the same time, was told by the Holy Spirit that Cornelius' men were looking for him. Peter obediently goes to visit Cornelius, and shares the Gospel with him and his family. While Peter was preaching to them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues . The Jewish believers were astonished at this, because this Gentile family had received the Holy Spirit just like they had. Notice that when they witnessed this wonderful event, THE evidence that they recognized was that "they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God." ( verse 46) .
PAUL AND THE EPHESIAN BELIEVERS- Acts 19:2-7- While passing through the city of Ephesus, Paul encounters a group of disciples and quickly asks them "Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed?" They responded that they had never even heard of the Holy Spirit. Paul then gives them some further instruction, baptizes them in water, and lays hands on them to receive the Holy Spirit. When they do, they speak in tongues, as well as prophesy.
One of the basic rules of Bible interpretation is that it takes a minimum of two or three Scriptures to establish a doctrine ( Matthew 18:16; 2 Corinthians 13:1.) So with these five examples, we can see that the doctrine of tongues as initial evidence is solidly Scriptural. Receiving the baptism has been humorously compared to buying a pair of shoes- Tongues come with it!
III. I KNOW MANY WONDERFUL CHRISTIANS WHO DON'T SPEAK IN TONGUES.IF TONGUES ARE AVAILABLE TO ALL CHRISTIANS,WHAT ABOUT THEM?
I also know many great Christian people who have never uttered a word in tongues. I have also known a few Christians who did speak in tongues who were downright mean! The issue here is the FRUIT of the Holy Spirit vs. the GIFTS of the Holy Spirit.
When a person is Born Again, the Holy Spirit comes to INDWELL him. All Christians have the Holy Spirit indwelling them. As the Christian yields to the indwelling Holy Spirit, the Spirit produces His fruits- love, joy, peace, etc. (Galatians 5:22-23) in the believer's life. However, when he is baptized in the Holy Spirit, the Spirit comes to EMPOWER him. This produces the Spirit's supernatural power and gifts in the believer.(Acts 1:8).
This being said, it is possible to operate in the fruit of the Spirit, but not the gifts of the Spirit. At the same time, it is possible to operate in the gifts of the Spirit, but not the fruit of the Spirit. This was a problem in the Corinthian church, who in spite of lots of spiritual manifestations such as tongues, were still chastised by the Apostle Paul for being carnal (1 Corinthians 3:3.) Paul also said that without love, tongues are less than worthless (1 Corinthians 13:1.)
It is not my intention to in any way imply that Christians who don't speak in tongues are any less saved, or are any less in love with Jesus than Christians who do. Possibly, because of there background, denomination, or some other factor, they simply haven't been taught about tongues. Like the Ephesian believers Paul encountered in Acts 19:2-7, they simply are not aware that such an experience is available to them.
God wants us to operate in both the fruit and the gifts of the Spirit. We must keep a balanced, focused view on this. I don't claim that speaking in tongues has made me a better Christian than anyone else, but I do know this-It has made me a better Christian than I was before!
IV. IF IT IS GOD'S WILL FOR ALL CHRISTIANS TO SPEAK IN TONGUES, THEN WHY DO SOME HAVE TROUBLE RECEIVING THEIR PRAYER LANGUAGES?
When properly instructed, most Christians receive their prayer language quickly and easily. However, there are very sincere believers who, for whatever reason, struggle in this area. For some, it becomes a source of frustration and discouragement. Why does this happen? While I can't address every possible scenario, here are a few of the most common:
Religious tradition-If you come from a church background that is hostile to speaking in tongues, I realize that old prejudices can be hard to overcome. Nevertheless, we cannot allow religious traditions to make God's Word ineffective to us (Mark 7:13). Thank God for the Bible truths you may have learned from your denominational church, but keep in mind that speaking in tongues will not nullify any of them! The Holy Spirit is also called the Spirit of Truth (John 14:17), and the prayer language He gives you will both reinforce the truth you already know, as well as prepare your heart to better receive truth you may not yet know.
Codemnation-Some Christians feel that they are not "worthy" to speak in tongues. However, if we were perfect, we wouldn't need it anyway! The only prerequisite to being baptized in the Holy Spirit is that you be born again. You do not receive it through your performance. You receive it through faith in God's grace (see Galatians 3:2). If Jesus is your Lord and Savior, then you are ready to receive! You are no longer unworthy in His sight. You are forgiven and accepted by Him. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ (Romans 8:1). Claim this wonderful promise as yours, and determine to never again allow condemnation to rob you of God's blessing.
Fear-Although we discussed this in the previous message, it bares stating again: Jesus promises in In Luke 11:9-13 that if we ask Him for bread, He will not give us a stone. Verse 13 assures us beyond any question that if we ask God for the Holy Spirit, that is exactly what we will get. For more on this, see question VIII of Tongues FAQ 1.
Not understanding what to expect-A common misconception is that when we speak in tongues, the Holy Spirit "grabs" our mouths and forces words out of us. This is not true at all. In Acts 2:4, notice that the people "...began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." It was the Spirit who gave the utterance, but they were the ones who had to the speaking. In addition, Paul's instruction on when it is and is not appropriate to speak in tongues (see 1 Corinthians 14:6-13; 16-17; 23-25, 27-28) further shows us that the response is an act of our will.
Getting your prayer language is not difficult. It is a simple matter of asking and receiving. Just ask God in faith to baptize you in the Holy Spirit, then open your mouth and speak whatever He gives you. At first it may just be a syllable or two. You didn't learn to speak English all at once, so you needn't expect a complete, fluent language to come all at once. Use what you get, and more will come. Yes, it is that simple! (1)
V. DO I HAVE TO SPEAK IN TONGUES?
No,you don't HAVE to, you GET to! As we discussed in the previous message, Scripture exhorts us to covet, or as the literal Greek puts it, to "pursue with passion" the gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:31.) Being filled with the Spirit, and operating in this realm is an awesome privilege!
You can be genuinely saved, love Jesus with all your heart, and go to Heaven when you die, and never speak in tongues. At the same time, however, you will miss out on many of the wonderful blessings and benefits that God has for you that are directly linked to speaking in tongues.
God is a Spirit, and He wants to relate to us on the spirit level (John 4:24.) The natural person can't receive the things of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14.) We must go into the Spirit realm to draw them out. Without tongues, we will never fully enter into that spirit realm in our prayer lives. We can, and should pray to God in our natural language (1 Corinthians 14:15.) He understands English perfectly well! However, we are still very finite, limited creatures, with only three and a half pounds of brain with which to communicate with the vastness of the creator of the universe! When we pray in tongues, our spirit prays (1 Corinthians 14:14,) and we communicate with God Spirit to spirit, speaking mysteries (1 Corinthians 14:2) to Him. (The word "mysteries" in the Greek means "divine secrets, knowledge unrevealed to the uninitiated.") We will further explore this, as well as the many other benefits of praying in tongues, in the next message. One of the reasons Jesus died was so that we could experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit in our lives (John 16:7.) Don't miss it!
© 1999, 2003 JHB
(1) See the book Concerning Spiritual Gifts by Donald Gee, chapter 9, "Tongues and Interpretation".
(2) For those needing further help in this area, I recommend John Osteen's book "Overcoming Hindrances to Receiving the Baptism In the Holy Spirit", as well as Harald Bredesen's video presentation "How To Receive the Baptism In the Holy Spirit and Share It With Others."
E-mail: rhema6@juno.com
Comments and feedback are always welcome. E-mail us at: rhema6@juno.com
Speaking In Tongues FAQ 3-Benefits of Tongues
Speaking In Tongues FAQ 3-Benefits of Tongues (New Expanded Verson)
The subject of speaking in tongues has always aroused a great deal of curiosity among Bible students. Sadly, it is often seen through the eyes of negative stereotypes of people swinging from chandeliers, foaming at the mouth, and playing with rattlesnakes. In any movement, there are extremists, of course, but as a rule, this is not true at all. Christians from all races, denominations, and nationalities have had their lives totally transformed by praying in tongues. In fact, you probably know some of them!
In this series of messages, I have attempted to answer some of the most commonly asked questions about speaking in tongues. In this, the third and final installment, I will deal with the question that all the others have been leading up to:
WHY SHOULD I SPEAK IN TONGUES? HOW WILL IT BENEFIT MY CHRISTIAN LIFE?
The Bible gives a number of reasons why every Christian should pray in tongues, and many ways that praying in tongues will tremendously benefit any Christian who practices it.
1. Praying in other tongues will edify you (1 Corinthians 14:4.) To edify means to build up, strengthen, recharge.
2. Praying in other tongues is evidence that the Holy Spirit resides in you. (Acts 10:45-46)
3.Praying in tongues builds up your faith, and helps you trust God more fully. (Jude 20)
4.Praying in tongues is a great way to give thanks to God. (1 Corinthians 14:15-17)
5.Praying in tongues helps us to yield our tongues, as well as the rest of our bodies, to the control of the Holy Spirit. (James 3:8)
6.Praying in tongues helps us to pray God's perfect will, even when we don't know what or how to pray. (Romans 8:26)
7.Praying in tongues brings us into God's rest and refreshing. (Isaiah 28:11-12; 1 Corinthians 14:21)
Praying in tongues has been humorously compared to Popeye eating a can of spinach! Just like the spinach gives him an immediate boost of strength, so will our prayer language strengthen and build up our spiritual lives. We are only beginning to discover the wonderful benefits that come through communicating with God in our Heavenly languages. In fact, if we are going to receive the fullness of God's promises for our lives, then it is absolutely essential.
For example, lets look at one of the most beloved promises in the entire Bible, which is found in Romans 8:28: "...And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." This passage has been a source of comfort and encouragement to countless believers facing trials in their lives. However, in order to fully grasp the impact of this verse, it is vitally important that we read it in its proper context. In order to attain the benefits of Romans 8:28, we must first look ahead two verses at verse 26: "...we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself (Himself) maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered" (literal Greek, "Uttered in articulate speech.") In other words, God will take the things that we pray out in our prayer languages, and turn them around to our good. Once I learned this truth, I gained a new appreciation for just how wonderful this promise is. No matter how tough or complex life may seem, God will work through our prayer languages to bring it all into focus and bring good out of even the most difficult circumstances.
Even medical science is beginning to take notice. I recently read about a fascinating study done by Dr. Carl Peterson, a brain specialist at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In his research, Dr, Peterson discovered that as people pray and worship God in tongues, the brain releases two chemical secretions which give our imune systems a 35-40% boost, and promotes healing in our bodies! As amazing as this seems, the secretion comes from a part of the brain which has no other apparent activity in humans. The only way to activate it is by praying in the Spirit(1)! As more and more people come to discover the power of praying in tongues, it is awesome to think about the things we may learn next.
As we complete this study, I will now ask that you take some time and reflect on what you have read here. You may have seen some concepts that are very new to you, and coming from a denominational background myself, I can certainly understand that. I honestly do not know where I would be spiritually if not for my prayer language. It is as natural to me as breathing. I encourage you to get your Bible and carefully review the Scriptures we have shared. As you will recall, the underlying them of this teaching has been "How intimate with Jesus do you want to be? Now, it is time to personalize that question even more. Consider the wonderful possibility that there is an avenue to greater intimacy with our God, an avenue which will build your faith, increase your awareness of God's presence, and make you a more joyful, productive Christian than you've ever been before? Best of all, what if it is only a prayer away? a simple matter of asking and receiving? Wouldn't you want it? Is there anything that is worth missing out on it for? May God richly bless you in your journey toward this new adventure in Him.
For Further Reading:
Concerning Spiritual Gifts by Donald Gee-Scholarly and edifying, Dr. Gee's classic works are an ideal starting point for denominational Christians who want to learn more about Spiritual gifts, including tongues. For a more detailed work, see Pentecostal Experience: The Writings of Donald Gee
Who's Afraid of the Holy Ghost? by Stevan Williamson-Pastor Williamson's book is a very helpful resource in explaining the fullness of the Spirit to Christians who have been frightened or intimidated to their initial exposure.
How To Receive the Baptism In the Holy Spirit and Share It With Others (Video) by Harald Bredesen-A Spirit filled Lutheran, Mr Bredesen gives a thorough, step-by-step teaching on the different facets of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues. Ideal for group study.
© 1999, 2003 JHB
(1) See The Physical Benefit of Praying or Speaking in Tongues
"Tongues FAQ 1" "Tongues FAQ 2:: Are Tongues For All? "
E-mail: rhema6@juno.com
Comments and feedback are always welcome. E-mail us at: rhema6@juno.com
The subject of speaking in tongues has always aroused a great deal of curiosity among Bible students. Sadly, it is often seen through the eyes of negative stereotypes of people swinging from chandeliers, foaming at the mouth, and playing with rattlesnakes. In any movement, there are extremists, of course, but as a rule, this is not true at all. Christians from all races, denominations, and nationalities have had their lives totally transformed by praying in tongues. In fact, you probably know some of them!
In this series of messages, I have attempted to answer some of the most commonly asked questions about speaking in tongues. In this, the third and final installment, I will deal with the question that all the others have been leading up to:
WHY SHOULD I SPEAK IN TONGUES? HOW WILL IT BENEFIT MY CHRISTIAN LIFE?
The Bible gives a number of reasons why every Christian should pray in tongues, and many ways that praying in tongues will tremendously benefit any Christian who practices it.
1. Praying in other tongues will edify you (1 Corinthians 14:4.) To edify means to build up, strengthen, recharge.
2. Praying in other tongues is evidence that the Holy Spirit resides in you. (Acts 10:45-46)
3.Praying in tongues builds up your faith, and helps you trust God more fully. (Jude 20)
4.Praying in tongues is a great way to give thanks to God. (1 Corinthians 14:15-17)
5.Praying in tongues helps us to yield our tongues, as well as the rest of our bodies, to the control of the Holy Spirit. (James 3:8)
6.Praying in tongues helps us to pray God's perfect will, even when we don't know what or how to pray. (Romans 8:26)
7.Praying in tongues brings us into God's rest and refreshing. (Isaiah 28:11-12; 1 Corinthians 14:21)
Praying in tongues has been humorously compared to Popeye eating a can of spinach! Just like the spinach gives him an immediate boost of strength, so will our prayer language strengthen and build up our spiritual lives. We are only beginning to discover the wonderful benefits that come through communicating with God in our Heavenly languages. In fact, if we are going to receive the fullness of God's promises for our lives, then it is absolutely essential.
For example, lets look at one of the most beloved promises in the entire Bible, which is found in Romans 8:28: "...And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." This passage has been a source of comfort and encouragement to countless believers facing trials in their lives. However, in order to fully grasp the impact of this verse, it is vitally important that we read it in its proper context. In order to attain the benefits of Romans 8:28, we must first look ahead two verses at verse 26: "...we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself (Himself) maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered" (literal Greek, "Uttered in articulate speech.") In other words, God will take the things that we pray out in our prayer languages, and turn them around to our good. Once I learned this truth, I gained a new appreciation for just how wonderful this promise is. No matter how tough or complex life may seem, God will work through our prayer languages to bring it all into focus and bring good out of even the most difficult circumstances.
Even medical science is beginning to take notice. I recently read about a fascinating study done by Dr. Carl Peterson, a brain specialist at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In his research, Dr, Peterson discovered that as people pray and worship God in tongues, the brain releases two chemical secretions which give our imune systems a 35-40% boost, and promotes healing in our bodies! As amazing as this seems, the secretion comes from a part of the brain which has no other apparent activity in humans. The only way to activate it is by praying in the Spirit(1)! As more and more people come to discover the power of praying in tongues, it is awesome to think about the things we may learn next.
As we complete this study, I will now ask that you take some time and reflect on what you have read here. You may have seen some concepts that are very new to you, and coming from a denominational background myself, I can certainly understand that. I honestly do not know where I would be spiritually if not for my prayer language. It is as natural to me as breathing. I encourage you to get your Bible and carefully review the Scriptures we have shared. As you will recall, the underlying them of this teaching has been "How intimate with Jesus do you want to be? Now, it is time to personalize that question even more. Consider the wonderful possibility that there is an avenue to greater intimacy with our God, an avenue which will build your faith, increase your awareness of God's presence, and make you a more joyful, productive Christian than you've ever been before? Best of all, what if it is only a prayer away? a simple matter of asking and receiving? Wouldn't you want it? Is there anything that is worth missing out on it for? May God richly bless you in your journey toward this new adventure in Him.
For Further Reading:
Concerning Spiritual Gifts by Donald Gee-Scholarly and edifying, Dr. Gee's classic works are an ideal starting point for denominational Christians who want to learn more about Spiritual gifts, including tongues. For a more detailed work, see Pentecostal Experience: The Writings of Donald Gee
Who's Afraid of the Holy Ghost? by Stevan Williamson-Pastor Williamson's book is a very helpful resource in explaining the fullness of the Spirit to Christians who have been frightened or intimidated to their initial exposure.
How To Receive the Baptism In the Holy Spirit and Share It With Others (Video) by Harald Bredesen-A Spirit filled Lutheran, Mr Bredesen gives a thorough, step-by-step teaching on the different facets of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues. Ideal for group study.
© 1999, 2003 JHB
(1) See The Physical Benefit of Praying or Speaking in Tongues
"Tongues FAQ 1" "Tongues FAQ 2:: Are Tongues For All? "
E-mail: rhema6@juno.com
Comments and feedback are always welcome. E-mail us at: rhema6@juno.com
A Prodigal Comes Home
To God be all the Glory! Last night I, Pastor Steve spoke with Keith from Canada who had walked away from God and gone back to the world. Only by God's great mercy, love and grace Keith came back to God through humility, Godly sorrow, repentance and received some deliverance and healing. Below are the testimonies of Keith and his mother, Brenda about want God did for them.
Keith's Testimony
For at least one year I have been struggling to walk with God. I thought my life would be better if I did it on my own. When I turned my back on God the enemy got a hold of me. I became involved in pornography, marijuana, unhealthy relationships and I disobeyed my mom. I realized that I was in over my head, I was scared and I didn't like who I had become. I realized I needed help. My mom asked if I wanted help and if I wanted prayer from Pastor Steve. I told her I did. When Pastor Steve called he was honest with me and asked me who I wanted to serve I told him Jesus. When Pastor Steve prayed for me I felt a huge weight lift off of my chest and my shoulders. I felt joy and peace again instead of pain and hatred. I want to say thank you Pastor Steve for helping me. For being a spiritual father to me. I will always be praying for you. I love you bro.
Your spiritual son Keith.
This is who I am now-
Jesus = obsession
Jesus= addiction
Jesus = my life
I'm a Jesus freak
Keith's Mom's, Brenda's Testimony
I want to speak to all those parents out there that feel like you have lost your child. Please do not give up on them, do not give up on God's mercy and love for them, do not give up praying. Because of all my tears and prayers God in His faithfulness brought Pastor Steve into our lives. Pastor Steve is God's extended hand on this earth. After my son received prayer from Pastor Steve the hardness of his heart was gone and was replaced with gentleness and joy. My son has a calling on his life and now because of his renewed relationship with the Lord and his friendship with Pastor Steve I trust that he will meet the calling on his life. Thank you Pastor Steve that you have the heart of Father God in your heart. Thank you so much and may God forever bless you.
Brenda
These testimonies are copied and pasted from their orginal e-mail. If you would like to contact Keith's Mom, Brenda to see how she prayed or if you need Pastor Steve to pray for you please e-mail me at enduedwithpower@gmail.com
Keith's Testimony
For at least one year I have been struggling to walk with God. I thought my life would be better if I did it on my own. When I turned my back on God the enemy got a hold of me. I became involved in pornography, marijuana, unhealthy relationships and I disobeyed my mom. I realized that I was in over my head, I was scared and I didn't like who I had become. I realized I needed help. My mom asked if I wanted help and if I wanted prayer from Pastor Steve. I told her I did. When Pastor Steve called he was honest with me and asked me who I wanted to serve I told him Jesus. When Pastor Steve prayed for me I felt a huge weight lift off of my chest and my shoulders. I felt joy and peace again instead of pain and hatred. I want to say thank you Pastor Steve for helping me. For being a spiritual father to me. I will always be praying for you. I love you bro.
Your spiritual son Keith.
This is who I am now-
Jesus = obsession
Jesus= addiction
Jesus = my life
I'm a Jesus freak
Keith's Mom's, Brenda's Testimony
I want to speak to all those parents out there that feel like you have lost your child. Please do not give up on them, do not give up on God's mercy and love for them, do not give up praying. Because of all my tears and prayers God in His faithfulness brought Pastor Steve into our lives. Pastor Steve is God's extended hand on this earth. After my son received prayer from Pastor Steve the hardness of his heart was gone and was replaced with gentleness and joy. My son has a calling on his life and now because of his renewed relationship with the Lord and his friendship with Pastor Steve I trust that he will meet the calling on his life. Thank you Pastor Steve that you have the heart of Father God in your heart. Thank you so much and may God forever bless you.
Brenda
These testimonies are copied and pasted from their orginal e-mail. If you would like to contact Keith's Mom, Brenda to see how she prayed or if you need Pastor Steve to pray for you please e-mail me at enduedwithpower@gmail.com
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Monday, November 8, 2010
Sunday, November 7, 2010
What Does a Real Christian Look Like?
http://apps.sebts.edu/president/wp-content/uploads/old%5CResource_584%5CRomans%2012.9-21%20What%20Does%20A%20Real%20Christian%20Look%20Like%20Manuscript.pdf
Signs of a True Christian- Are You One? By Paul Washer
http://www.biblestudyspace.com/profiles/blogs/signs-of-a-true-christian-are
(copy & paste)
Signs of a True Christian- Are You One? By Paul Washer
http://www.biblestudyspace.com/profiles/blogs/signs-of-a-true-christian-are
(copy & paste)
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Monday, November 1, 2010
What the Holy Spirit is Emphasizing in this Generation by Mike Bickel
http://www.ihop.org.edgesuite.net/mikebickle/dl/20101014_What_the_Spirit_is_Saying_About_the_Church.pdf
(copy & paste)
*See video teaching at bottom of page
(copy & paste)
*See video teaching at bottom of page
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