“My God reached down from the heavens, dipped his finger into the depths of my being, and began to rouse in me a desire for a real relationship with him.” [Book “One in a Million: Journey to Your Promised Land” by Priscilla Shirer]
Yeah. I know.
Mrs Shirer explains that she became sad at the daily ‘chore’ of the spiritual disciplines such as prayer and bible study because “He just wasn’t knocking my socks off anymore, and I wasn’t sure why.”’ (source)
I’ll tell you why. When people rely on spiritual experience and not biblical knowledge to maintain their relationship with Jesus they always succumb to the law of diminishing returns. Art Azurdia spoke about this in the series by Todd Friel called Drive By Discernment. “A pastoral concern is that the spiritual development of well-meaning Christians easily falls prey to law of diminishing returns. Today’s enthusiasm becomes tomorrow’s bore. Today’s spiritual ecstasy this week will need to be out-done next week. You’ve seen it, the ordinary gives way to the unusual, the unusual gives way to the extreme, the extreme gives way to the ridiculous, and eventually it always leads to the same end: emptiness.”
What do you do when Jesus just doesn’t knock your socks off anymore? When salvation by His blood gets old? When His death on the cross for our sins just doesn’t rouse us like it used to? When His glorious resurrection isn’t feeling the way it did before? When the thrill is gone?
Oh, how sad that Jesus isn’t enough for so many women!
[Priscilla] “grants that the Bible is shot through with romantic language describing the relationship between God and his people (the church, after all, is the bride of Christ). Throughout Christian history, men as well as women have written erotically about their relationship with God — especially medieval monks, who wrote more commentaries on the Song of Solomon than almost any other book of the Bible.” (source)
I’ve written before of the ‘Jesus is my boyfriend‘ problem in evangelical female circles. With new generations of women bible preachers and teachers like Mrs Shirer wielding influence on a national stage, it doesn’t look like the problem isn’t going away anytime soon.
Sisters, Jesus is NOT your boyfriend or your lover. Learn about Him by reading His word. By knowing about Him, studying Him, and by living a Christian life full of love for brethren and good deeds in His name. And for all of our sakes and sanity too, let your husband do the socks knocking.
UPDATE: The officials at the local base, Camp Minden, say that the explosion was caused by a bunker exploding. They don’t know why the bunker exploded. They reassured residents that it was a “contained” explosion though. So there’s that.
In the wee hours of the morning, a loud explosion or boom was heard in northern Louisiana.
Last night KSLA 12 reported a huge boom. The boom or explosion shook homes and broke windows across a large swathe of the northern part of the state. Officials are investigating but are not sure what the shaking boom was from or why it happened. KSLA reported:
“1:15 a.m. Update: Webster Parish Sheriff Gary Sexton tells us they “definitely had something happen” in Webster Parish Monday night. Sheriff Sexton confirms all of the explosion manufacturing facilities and natural gas facilities in Webster Parish have been ruled out as the source. Sheriff Sexton adds that there is a “possibility that a meteor did hit the ground” in the area, but deputies have not pinpointed an exact location. He does suspect it happened in a secluded area between Minden and Dixie Inn. Sheriff Sexton said, first thing Tuesday morning, he will dispatch helicopters in the air to look for any damage.”
“KSLA News 12 viewer Shana Levick tells us she was driving on I-20 by Dixie Inn when she saw the sky light up a bright orange color. She said she could see what appeared to be small fire sparks above the tree lines. Another witness near Dixie Inn told KSLA News 12 photographer Cody Jennings that he saw something flash across the sky streaming from the west or southwest direction. That witness also reported seeing a bright flash that lasted for a while. Authorities are investigating a loud boom that shook homes across Northwest Louisiana Monday night.”
“We are getting reports that people heard an explosion just before 11:30 p.m. from areas including: Minden, Doyline, Haughton, South Bossier and Shreveport. Callers are also reporting seeing a bright light flash in the sky when they heard the boom. Officials with the Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office tell us they have crews searching for the source of the noise.”
The Shreveport Times reported,
UPDATED: Something shakes northwest La. “Northwest Louisiana authorities are investigating the source of whatever shook people’s residences and businesses about 11:40 p.m. Monday. The Webster sheriff’s office now is entertaining the possibility that it may have been a meteorite, possibly in the Dixie Inn area. There have been a large number of reports stating that they saw something come down instead of something blow up, a spokesman said. … helicopters are expected to be in the air this morning to survey the area along U.S. 80 and Interstate 20 for the cause of what caused the ground to shake. Reports of the shaking came in from Lake Bistineau, Springhill, Sibley and Barksdale Air Force Base.”
The explosion is at the north near Shreveport and the sinkhole/collapsing butane cavern in Bayou Corne, Assumption Parish is at the south.
Truly interesting times…I’ll find out more as the day goes on and post any new facts later.
More and more nations are preparing for unrest. Like the Swiss.
The Swiss? The nation of neutrality? The Swiss Confederation has a long history of armed neutrality—it has not been in a state of war internationally since 1815. But now it is handing out guns to all comers. Well, that’s hyperbole, but you get the idea.
Switzerland prepares for unrest “The Swiss Army is preparing contingency plans for violent unrest across Europe. A nation mostly famous for its banks, watches and chocolate fears it may face a massive influx of European refugees in the near future. One of the world’s richest nations openly expressed concerns over the possible outcome of Europe’s continuing financial troubles, and is currently conducting army exercises against the possibility of riots along its borders. … Minister Maurer, accompanied by whispers from the top uniformed leadership in Switzerland, is trying to raise awareness that Europe’s massive fiscal-cum-political crisis could get very unpleasant,” John R. Schindler, a professor of national security affairs at the US Naval War College wrote in an article for the XX Committee website.”
It is ironic that the European Union receives the Nobel Peace Prize the same week that Switzerland, sitting in the middle of all that peace, prepares for war.
Meanwhile Iran wonders if the US will lose it if Obama loses…
Threats of elections riots if Obama loses “Despite the issue receiving national media attention, Obama supporters continue to threaten to riot if Mitt Romney wins the presidential election, raising the prospect of civil unrest if Obama fails to secure a second term.”
Syria’s neighbours to watch airspace “The United States has called on all Syria’s neighbours to keep a careful watch over their airspace, after Turkey says it intercepted a Syrian plane from Russia carrying military equipment.”
Syria-Turkey tensions soar as clashes intensify “Syria banned Turkish flights from its airspace on Sunday and Turkey made a similar tit-for-tat move, as regime forces pressed their counter-attack against rebels to regain territory lost in northern battlegrounds. … Tensions from the conflict are also being felt in neighbouring Lebanon, and hundreds of people took to the streets of Beirut for two separate rallies, one supporting the Damascus regime and the other calling for its downfall.”
Yikes. Remember Isaiah 17, Damascus (Syria) will be destroyed. Maybe Turkey will fulfill that prophecy on behalf of the Lord. Turkey has the 2nd larges military in NATO after the US. WILL NETANYAHU TAKE ISRAEL TO FULL SCALE WAR? Excerpts from new ebook, The risks of going to war are enormous. But as Netanyahu sees it, so are the risks of not going to war. What if Israel waits too long? What if Washington continues to hesitate and fails to take action in time to prevent Iran from getting the Bomb? What if the Israeli people wake up one morning to the news that those running Iran now have operational nuclear warheads and both the will and eagerness to use them to annihilate Israel and hasten the coming of the so-called Islamic messiah known as the Twelfth Imam or the Mahdi? Worse, what if one morning most of the Israeli people never wake up at all because the mullahs in Tehran have—without warning—launched a nuclear strike and wiped out most, if not all, of the Jewish State?”
“As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.” (Matthew 24:3-8)
I’ve written about the encroachment of the Gnostics into evangelical churches. Also the intrusion of mysticism, ecumenism and seeker friendly liberal theologies. All these attacks on the Bride of Christ, His church, are foretold in many scriptures in the New Testament. (2 Peter 2:1; Matthew 7:15; Gal 2:4; 1 Timothy 4:1 to name a few). Colossians itself was a corrective epistle to the church at Colossae which was falling under the sway of the Gnostics. The Nicolaitans of Revelation 2 are mentioned as a group bringing liberal false teachings, also.
But those are the liberal teachings and heresies. Just as much, we need to be wary of the legalistic, conservative teachings of the end time. These teachings are the ones that the Pharisees, Scribes, and Sadducees brought in Jesus’s day.
The Pharisees were the original spiritual abusers. As Solomon said, there is nothing new under the sun. Their special kind of abuse which brings bondage is coming in again. The legalistic, oppressive teachings are coming into church of today like a tsunami. It has different vocabulary, but the same source. It has a variation of the old methods for oppression, but the same outcome.
The Pharisees were a sect of the Jews who were the strictest of those observing the Mosaic Law, (Acts 26:5). The Pharisees were the most zealous, (Galatians 1:14), the most outwardly moral, (Luke 18:11) but the most inwardly dead (Matthew 23:27). They were oppressive to those who needed grace the most, and bitterly cruel in persecuting those who opposed them. (Matthew 23:4, Acts 9:1-2). They had everything backward- calling Christ’s miracles of the devil (Matthew 12:24) but believing themselves to be of God. (Luke 18:9, Acts 22:3).
How did the Pharisees spiritually abuse their sheep?
“Examples of spiritual abuse are found throughout the Bible. God describes (and condemns) the “shepherds of Israel” who feed themselves rather than the flock, who do not heal those who are hurting, or seek to bring back those who were driven away but rather discard them, ruling with force and cruelty (Ezekiel 34:1-10). Jesus reacted with anger against the thievery of the money changers in the Temple as they misused God’s people for selfish reasons (Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-18; Luke 19:45-47; John 2:13-16). He was angry at those more concerned with rules and regulations than with human suffering (Mark 3:1-5). In Matthew 23, Jesus describes the abusive spiritual leader in great detail. In John 9 the Pharisees “cast out” the man born blind simply because the truth he told about his healing exposed their own corruption. In Acts 7:51-56, Stephen called the Jewish leaders to account over their spiritual abuse.” (Source)
Others were afraid they would be cast out: “Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue.” (John 12:42). Threat of dismissal or excommunication is a favorite tactic of abusive leaders. A shepherd’s job is to feed, nurture, care for and keep safe the flock. The abusive leaders of Jesus’s day were more content to simply throw people away.
So authoritarianism, oppression, and legalism was a characteristic of abusive leaders who were more interested in themselves than their flocks.
And so it is today with some.
I am not talking of the difficulty inherent in a proper cycle of church discipline. I am all for that. The bible is followed and Jesus is the invisible but very present overseer of the proceedings. If all is done biblically, prayerfully, and correctly, the best case is to restore a wayward one. For today’s purposes I am not talking of discipline but of abuse that perverts, uses, or simply ignores proper church discipline plan outlined in Matthew 18.
I am also not talking of not behaving well for your pastors, deacons, leaders and teachers. I honor those men highly, and pray for them because they are on the frontlines of satan’s targets for spiritual attack. I esteem them, pray for them, tithe for them, praise them, encourage them, speak well of them, but I do not follow them. I follow Jesus.
Even though we know there is nothing new under the sun, where did this latest iteration of legalistic abuse come from?
Though we can trace it back to the Pharisees, and indeed, all the way back to the Garden, of this generation we can see a heightening of the authoritarian tendencies emerge in the 1970s. Five Florida pastors in the Charismatic denominations (Bob Mumford, Derek Prince, Charles Simpson, and Don Basham) felt that the Charismatic movement was too loose and that there was not enough accountability. The five created an accountability system of hierarchical structure in the shape of a pyramid. The five pastors, of course, were at the top. They all claimed they had submitted to one another, and they made a national network of followers who formed pyramids of sheep and shepherds below them. Down through the pyramid went the orders, while up the same pyramid went the tithes. This was the beginning of the Shepherding Movement.
But between the Shepherding Movement of the 70s and today’s spiritually abusive pharisee, there is the book called Under Cover: The Promise of Protection Under His Authority, by John Bevere. It came out in 2001, and it is the answer to every Pharisee’s prayer. The book itself is widely held to be error-ridden, if not heretical, but that does not stop every would-be Pharisee from making it his manual.
The book brought a new theology, called “Covering Theology.”
“Covering theology is an erroneous doctrine that claims all Christians must be under the authority (covering) of a church leader to be protected from the warfare of the devil. It also claims this same covering is necessary to receive God’s blessings. However, there is no Scripture foundation for this doctrine. Covering theology is a leftover from the debunked Shepherding Movement that appeared about 40 years ago.” (source)
Lies Under Cover is a segment of a blog series exploring today’s apostasy by Blogos/GotQuestions. This part asks the question:
“Should believers allow pastors to rule over them? This posting is part 2 in an 8 part series about deception in the church addressing the Under Cover book by John Bevere, its teaching, its origination, why it is wrong, and its impact on the church.”
It is a very good essay and the series itself is good too. I recommend it. Here are some excerpts from the essay on the Covering Theology. The essay continues:
“Not too long ago I learned about a new question circulating in the evangelical circle asking “Who is your covering?” Soon thereafter the full meaning of that question became apparent. In the church I attended, its leaders announced they were adopting the Under Cover teaching by John Bevere. The central theme for the teaching is God guarantees protection for believers who submit to pastoral authority. On the flipside of the theme, failure to submit to the pastor places believers outside God’s protection, removing the protective hand of God. In other words, a believer who does not submit to and obey the pastor falls out from under the protective covering of God and that of the church. After researching the teaching, I found it to be pure heresy.”
“John Bevere’s heresy teaches that obedience to the pastor is on the same footing as obedience to God. To disobey the pastor, even when the pastor is wrong, is to disobey God because the pastor is always in authority and God the ultimate authority. In other words, the pastor stands in authority between Jesus and the body of believers, becoming the spiritual covering over his or her church.”
God establishes his rule in the church through people he has delegated to be his authority
The 5-fold ministry (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers) represents God’s authority on earth
Obedience to the Lord requires obedience to God’s delegated authorities (employers, church leaders, civil authorities)
Rebellion against God’s delegated authority is rebellion against God
Rebellion to authority opens one up to the demonic realm resulting in deception
People should live by the principle of obedience rather than reason
People should always obey authority [usually the pastor] unless they are clearly instructed to violate scripture [but he is the final interpreter of scripture, so…]
Spiritual authority and blessing flows to those who suffer under authority
God does not judge people on the fruit of their life but on how faithfully they followed authority
Those outside the local church and the covering of its leaders are at serious risk of spiritual attack
The key is submission to an authority figure who presumes to be standing in the stead of Jesus. It is similar to the Pharisees’s presumptions, who thought they were the final decision-maker of interpeting what were really their own rules rather than themselves submitting the Word of God and to Jesus the Messiah when He arrived.
If you are in a church where the pastor has set himself up as the sole or final arbiter of spiritual matters, interpretations, or church or financial decisions, you may be in a spiritually abusive church.
If you have a palpable feeling, or have had an overt threat of excommunication, unless you blindly follow the pastor in all he says and does, with no questions asked, you may be in a spiritually abusive church.
If you have been told that performance/work/submission is the indicator of faith, you may be in a spiritually abusive church.
If you have been told to leave a church or fired from a ministry because you were told you were divisive, critical, a hazard to the brethren etc., but have NOT been through the steps for church discipline outlined in Matt. 18:16-18, you may be in a spiritually abusive church.
If you have been threatened with the phrase “You will be out from under my covering” you ARE in a spiritually abusive church.
R.C. Sproul writes, “The church is called not only to a ministry of reconciliation, but a ministry of nurture to those within her gates. Part of that nurture includes church discipline…” but the key words are nurture and reconciliation. The man who was healed by Jesus and went to the Pharisees was not nurtured nor reconciled to leadership. They tossed the man out summarily. Read John 9:13-38 and see if you don’t weep at the terrible grilling the abusive Pharisaical authorities put the man under, and their abuse of him who had the Light come into His life but instead who wanted to put him back in the dark!
Across the country, parishioners are now being challenged to legalistically take oaths, perform vows and sign covenants. People who question the legitimacy of these activities or even ask for a biblical foundation for them are attacked, dismissed from ministries, and/or told to leave the church, all without benefit of biblical standards for reconciliation or even proper discipline. It is bewildering, devastating, and causes much harm to the body of Christ.
It happened to me.
Of all that occurred, what captured my attention the most was threat that “you no longer have our support or covering.” Though I was told I was negative, immature, led by the devil, divisive, critical, and more, I knew I was not those things. I was surprised that the bible was not opened, consulted or interpreted for my wayward behalf in pursuit of reconciliation for whatever wrong I had committed. Nor I was corrected in grace and love. I was confused as to what was happening because it didn’t jibe with the outline in Matthew for church discipline. It was simply an attack and a dismissal.
But what intrigued me was the phrase ‘no longer have the covering.’
It immediately rang bells in my spirit, and seemed ‘off.’ What covering? Where was this covering? Why didn’t I know about it before? What will happen if I don’t have this covering? Where is it in the bible? It all seemed so vague and somehow…wrong. Now that I’ve read the theology behind the Bevere book Under Cover, I know why. Things clicked, finally. It is a false theology used and wielded by hyper-authoritarian pastors and leaders and teachers who seek to control rather than share and worship on the same blood-soaked ground that Jesus died on for us all.
I grieve so deeply for churches that do this to the lambs and the sheep. I mourn for people who are withering under leadership that oppresses rather than shepherd rightly. I lament the loss of time and spiritual growth for people who, when threatened with dire events should they be loosed from some artificial pastor “covering”, stay in a church where the vine is withering.
I’m passionate about the Christian life. I am a sinner and not perfect, to be sure, but I strive so hard to live up to what He wants us to be for the lost world’s behalf. I want to do my part in the Spirit’s work of shining the light in me brighter and the church I’m in to be blessed by me and not embarrassed by me. I know a bit of the bible enough to understand some of the standards of what Jesus wants the church to be, and when it isn’t that, it is a grief. When it is deliberately wrested away from His holy ground for abusive purposes it is a woe that cuts my heart in two.
Far from the dire threats that were leveled against me in having some unbiblical covering removed, coming out from ‘under cover’ is a praise to the Lord, who is the Great Shepherd! Finding a good church with leadership one can trust is a heaven-sent gift! However through the praises, I will not diminish the toll. It is a devastating thing to happen. Ask the Petry family, formerly leaders in Mark Driscoll’s Mars Hill Church. Jonna Petry wrote, “Seeing your loved ones abused, their hearts broken, their emotions heavy and dark, and their faith nearly destroyed, is the greatest pain of all.”
I shudder to think of this happening as frequently as it does – and it does. When it happens to families, or employees, or people who are new in the faith, or tossed from a church where they had been for a long time, I absolutely grieve just thinking about them!
Jonna’s story and mine and I am sure, many others, has a redemptive ending. The Lord Jesus is trustworthy and He knits together broken hearts, opens eyes to see, allows for time to heal, and supplies with deeper faith than ever before. I love the Lord even more now that I did before and I never thought my love for Him would have deepened so beautifully, but it did. He is faithful in trials and all you need to do is trust Him.
I wanted to bring you this information for several reasons:
–The watchful who are on guard against liberalism might miss the legalism creeping in, –You are not crazy, spiritual abuse is real, –Watch out for talk of ‘the covering‘ !!!!!!!!! It is a huge red flag! –JESUS IS LORD and He is love. Rest in Him even through trials. He has a reason for all that He does, even if you can’t see it through the tears.
The mystery of how the Holy Spirit works is fascinating. He has an incredible ministry, and does amazing work. He empowers us to do the work of God. He indwells us and helps us resist sin. He is a deposit of the guarantee. He restrains sin in the world. And so much more!
Yet He is often overlooked. James R. White wrote a book called “The Forgotten Trinity”. It is a well-regarded book on the unfortunate fact that so many Christians have little understanding of the doctrine of the Trinity, and examines ministry and the work of the Holy Spirit, the oft-overlooked member of the Triune God. If you have an hour, here is Pastor White preaching it.
Any discussion of the Spiritual Gifts should begin with an understanding of the member of the Trinity who delivers the gifts, the Holy Spirit. In part 1 I posted links to the collected verses which speak to who He is and what He does. Here is another link to a different source listing the verses where it speaks to the Spirit’s ministry.
Understanding who He is and what He does is important, because misunderstanding how the gifts are supposed to be used dishonors Him. It grieves Him, as a matter of fact. And one can go so far to blaspheme the Holy Spirit. How?
“[I]n this contemporary sort of Christian evangelical church world, people are a little less reluctant to bring dishonor on the name of God, and the name of Christ, but they think they have a free run at dishonoring and abusing the Holy Spirit apparently, because so much of that goes on. I’m not here to defend the Holy Spirit, He can defend Himself. But I am here to say that reproaches that are falling on His holy name are falling on me as well, and mostly this comes in the professing church from Pentecostals and Charismatics who feel they have free license to abuse the Holy Spirit and even blaspheme His holy name. And they do it constantly.”
“How do they do it? By attributing to the Holy Spirit words that He didn’t say, deeds that He didn’t do, and experiences that He didn’t produce, attributing to the Holy Spirit that which is not the work of the Holy Spirit. Endless human experiences, emotional experiences, bizarre experiences and demonic experiences are said to come from the Holy Spirit … visions, revelations, voices from heaven, messages from the Spirit through transcendental means, dreams, speaking in tongues, prophecies, out of body experiences, trips to heaven, anointings, miracles. All false, all lies, all deceptions attributed falsely to the Holy Spirit.”
What does the bible teach about the Trinity? How can we not blaspheme Him? Know this: 1. There is one True God. (Monotheism). (Deuteronomy 4:35, Deuteronomy 6:4, Malachi 2:10a, 1 Corinthians 8:6) 2. There are three Divine Persons. (Father-Son-Holy Spirit) (Genesis 1:1, 26; 3:22; 11:7; Isaiah 6:8, 48:16, 61:1; Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14). 3. The three Persons are co-existent and co-eternal. (Psalm 90:2, Romans 1:20)
That is the monotheistic faith of Israel and of the Church.
So what about being baptized with the Holy Spirit? Even though the ‘baptism of the Spirit’ is not a sign gift per se, I include the answer here because those who believe in the second dose of a separate Spirit Baptism often use several of the miracle gifts as their basis. They call the Baptism of the Spirit a ‘second blessing’
“Most Pentecostal and Charismatic people believe that the baptism with the Holy Spirit is a second blessing – one received in addition to salvation. They believe that you can be saved, and be indwelt by Christ — but that this is not ALL that God has for us. You must go on to receive POWER, gifts, and an overflow. This, to them, is the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the so-called, “second blessing.” Notice what, by default, is wrapped up in this teaching. If you must receive a second blessing to receive ALL that God wants to give us, then you do NOT receive all when you receive Christ. The answer from scripture is clear: There is NO second blessing. There is NO additional experience we must have after we receive Christ. When we receive Christ, we receive everything God has for us. We are COMPLETE IN CHRIST.” (source)
So, is what they say true? IS the second blessing, or baptism of the Spirit, a separate event?
No. No. No. NO. It is not separate. The indwelling of the Spirit at justification (born again belief) is not different from the baptism of the Spirit. It is the same thing.
We all receive the Spirit at conversion. All. Matt. 3:11, Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16, John 1:33, Acts 1:5, Acts 11:16). That is the baptism.
Some Pentecostals and others teach a notion of a two-tiered regeneration, the lesser having the first dose of the Spirit and the more advanced believer having been blessed by a second dose. People who believe these things are confused and anxious over their salvation! Of those who teach these things what a stumbling block they put on the fellow believer! What an anxiety they needlessly instill!
John MacArthur tells of the despair and then the rejoicing of a man who had come from that background, who learned the truth–
“Understanding what you have in Jesus Christ is really essential. I was talking to a…a gentleman in our church yesterday and he was saying to me, “You know, the study of Ephesians is so very important.” “Because,” he said, “I was raised in a family where I was told and in a church where I was told that when you get saved, when you come to know Jesus Christ basically nothing happens. The only thing that takes place is sort of a judicial act on God’s part where He forgives your past sins and that’s it. There’s no empowerment, there’s no gift of the Holy Spirit, there’s no nothing, just the matter of past sins forgiven. And then when you get the second blessing,” quote “Then you get all the goodies that go with it.” And it would be a horrible thing to think of but that’s the way most of those people have to exist, somewhere in the limbo between believing though they’re saved they have nothing and, trying to find that second thing that you finally get that can give you the power that you need.”
Ephesians teaches this most pointedly. If you are not sure where to start in learning the truth of the one Spirit baptism, please start there.
“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:4-6 RSV).
And also 1 Corinthians:
“For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body” (1 Corinthians 12:13).
“The baptism of the Holy Spirit does two things, 1) it joins us to the body of Christ, and 2) it actualizes our co-crucifixion with Christ. Being in His body means we are risen with Him to newness of life (Romans 6:4). We should then exercise our spiritual gifts to keep that body functioning properly as stated in the context of 1 Corinthians 12:13. Experiencing the one Spirit baptism serves as the basis for keeping the unity of the church, as in the context of Ephesians 4:5.” (source)
So there is one baptism. The baptism of the Spirit is the mark of Christian unity! However some churches have made a division by claiming that there is a separate baptism given to some and not others. This is a doctrinal error and a misinterpretation on their part. John MacArthur:
“So when somebody comes along and says – Well, I’m sorry if you haven’t had the second work, if you haven’t had the special baptism, if you haven’t had this little special thing, you don’t have the power. I say to them – garbage.”
Yesterday I wrote the beginning of a look at the question “Are the miracle spiritual gifts for today?” I noted that a controversy exists. People who say that the miracle sign gifts have stopped with the deaths of the Apostles are cessationists (miracle gifts have ceased). People who say that miracles and prophecies and tongues and healings happen today, and that they have never stopped, are continuationists.
I also noted that the controversy is based on a biblical belief that’s not a part of the essential doctrines of saving faith, so we need to have grace when discussing these.
I have friends who are in or who came from circles where it was taught or demonstrated that the miracle gifts are a normal part of Christian walk. As I explore whether the miracle spiritual gifts have stopped or not, I plan to make it a biblical exploration. Please do not consider this an attack on any person’s particular faith or denomination. I want to soberly take a look at the question, but I know that in so doing, the fact that so many people have had an experience which is tied to their emotions, they may react emotionally. Let’s just put Jesus in the center and discern His word, with full assurance from me that this discussion is from the heart and not a jab at any person’s salvation or any particular denomination’s legitimacy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the last post I posed the question and offered scriptures that indicate that the sign gifts of ‘tongues’, interpretation of tongues, healing, miracles, and prophecies healing, seemed to have the strongest biblical position as having stopped with the death of the Apostles. Most discussions about the miracle gifts center around a misunderstanding of the ministry of the Holy Spirit’s ministry, and a misunderstanding of why the miracle gifts were given in the first place. You can refer back to that part for the biblical discussion for more information. Personally I do not believe the sign gifts are continuing in the church age.
Yet so many people today wonder about being Spirit-filled, or being “baptized with the Holy Spirit” and if it is a separate event from the regenerating work.
Others wonder about “praying in the Spirit”?
Still others wonder about praying in tongues?
We see a lot of external manifestation of these on television and at revivals of different sorts. This is confusing people. They wonder what is real and what is not.
Let’s take a look at “tongues.”
My understanding of the biblical meaning of speaking in tongues is that the sermon at Pentecost miraculously delivered unto the disciples an ability to speak in the same language as the multitudes that had gathered from the nations for Passover. The annual pilgrimage swelled the walls of Jerusalem because so many people came from so many nations. They all spoke different languages. The disciples didn’t have time to go to a mission college and take two years to learn Arabic, the Lord delivered to them an ability to speak in Persian, and Cyrillic and Greek and all the other languages of the day- instantly. It was NOT a baby talk gibberish! Look at the verses:
“And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” (Acts 2:6-11 ESV).
The Lord opened up their mind so they would be able to preach to the Gentiles who had traveled there from far places for the Passover. They spoke each in their own language so the visitors could hear the Gospel message. It could not be clearer. It means native language, not a gibberish language.
So what did Paul mean in 1st Corinthians when he said,
“Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.” (1 Corinthians 14:5)
The same thing. The word for tongues is glossa, and it is defined by Strong’s in the Greek as, “a language, a nation (usually distinguished by their speech).”
How could all those people who spoke other languages understand and be saved if it was in gibberish??? Did the Lord deliver gibberish unto Peter and to Thomas an ability understand Peter’s gibberish and to translate? And to translate into what language? The Acts verse states there were people from at least 15 different countries present. It was not gibberish.
Let’s take a look at the history of languages and the Lord. Before Nimrod built the tower at Babel, the world had one language. “Now the whole earth had one language and the same words.” (Genesis 11:1)
Note that they not only had the same language, but the same words. Same words means same vocabulary. Britons and Americans share a language today but not the same vocabulary words. Boot/trunk, roundabout/rotary, queue/line, like that. But in the early days of history all people understood each other perfectly, with no linguistic variations, no dialects, and no difference in vocabulary.
Then the LORD confused the languages as the men built the tower, and dispersed them over the world. “Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” (Genesis 11:7).
He will reverse that in the end. Zephaniah 3:9 prophesies: ““For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call upon the name of the LORD and serve him with one accord.”
The word in Genesis for “confused language” and the word in Zephaniah for “same language”, is the same: language=saphah.
He confused the languages at Babel… so why can’t he make those languages understandable at Pentecost? He did. And it seems that Zephaniah 3:10 speaks to the possibility of one language again at the very end.
So the Lord opened up their mind to give them instant ability to speak and interpret languages. That is so wonderful!
Tongues means language. It cannot be clearer. Now that we have a biblical understanding of tongues, does the spiritual gift of instantly understanding another’s language remain in force today? It does not seem so. We can understand that the miracle of speaking instantly in other languages is ceased for now by implicit position because missionaries aren’t given that miracle. They go to school and learn the language the regular way, lol. I know of one missionary who is in Jordan right now wishing she could be instantly delivered into an ability to speak Arabic! But no, she is slogging through the old fashioned way.
The Pentecostals in particular have perverted the notion of “tongues”. The proper understanding of tongues is languages, but they take it to mean something completely unbiblical. They have created a Gnostic approach to the faith by instituting a multi-leveled maturity. The Gnostics claim that they have special wisdom and understanding that is higher than the regular Christian. Not so. But Pentecostals say, “You’re not really a Christian unless you demonstrate tongues…” This is false. (1 Corinthians 12: 29-30, 1 Cor 14:23). You are saved by grace when you repent and believe on the name of the resurrected Jesus. No tongues necessary.
Justin Peters has a multi-part discernment series titled “A Call For Discernment“. In his updated lesson from July 2012, he notes the verse in 1 Corinthians 14:20-22, “Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature. In the Law it is written, “By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.” Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers.”
In the OT, the way the Hebrews knew the hammer judgment of God was about to come down would be when they looked up and saw many foreign people speaking to them foreign language. Paul referred to it when he said’ it is written in the Law’, it is found in Isaiah 28:11. When the men in Acts at Pentecost began to speak in foreign tongues it was the same indicator, that judgment was here. God’s salvific gaze shifted from the Jews to the Gentiles, where His gaze remains to this day. One day, His salvific gaze will return to Israel. But back then and up to today, His judgment is that the Jews remain in judgment, hardened to his salvation offer.
If a person says they speak in tongues as a private prayer language, that has no biblical support either. The gifts are given by the Spirit for the edification of the body, not for personal, private use. The gifts are for the common good. (1 Cor. 12:7; 1 Pet. 4:10).
“If the gift of speaking in tongues were active in the church today, it would be performed in agreement with Scripture. It would be a real and intelligible language (1 Corinthians 14:10). It would be for the purpose of communicating God’s Word with a person of another language (Acts 2:6-12). It would be in agreement with the command God gave through the apostle Paul, “If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God” (1 Corinthians 14:27-28). It would also be in accordance with 1 Corinthians 14:33, “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.” … The vast majority of believers who claim to practice the gift of speaking in tongues do not do so in agreement with the Scriptures mentioned above.” (source)
So they misunderstand it to begin with and then apply it incorrectly, thus continuing the error.
It always goes back to the Holy Spirit because He is the One who distributes the gifts, and the gifts are supposed to testify to Jesus. Art Azurdia speaking at a Discernment Conference said he has seen an evolution in things said about the Holy Spirit:
40 years ago: Come and get a ‘second blessing’ 35 years ago: Come and get baptized with the Holy Spirit 25 years ago: Come and get slain by the Holy Spirit 20 years ago: Come and get blasted by the Holy Spirit 15 years ago: Come and laugh in the Holy Spirit 10 years ago: Come and vomit in the Holy Spirit Today: Come and get punched in the Holy Spirit
The “Charismatic Chaos” that the misapplication of the continuation of the miraculous gifts has bestowed is confusion, doubt, mockery, and just plain silliness. These in turn have raised concerns. Azurdia said, “A pastoral concern is that the spiritual development of well-meaning Christians easily falls prey to law of diminishing returns. Today’s enthusiasm becomes tomorrow’s bore. Today’s spiritual ecstasy this week will need to be out-done next week. You’ve seen it, the ordinary gives way to the unusual, the unusual gives way to the extreme, the extreme gives way to the ridiculous, and eventually it always leads to the same end: emptiness.”
Azurdia said a doctrinal issue arises after the pastoral issue. The gifts have become Christian-centered rather than Christ centered.
Azurdia said, “It’s about meeee, and getting those goosebumps on the back of my neck. And yet, it is as clear as can be. The Holy ambition of the Spirit of God is to reveal and glorify Jesus Christ.”
Arthur Johnson, in his excellent expose of mysticism, entitled, “Faith Misguided”, a very good book, calls the Charismatic movement, “The zenith of mysticism,” and he does so with good reason, because there is the desire, in some cases and through some experiences, to switch off the mind and disconnect yourself from what is rational, and reasonable, and logical.” (source)
If the miracle gift of tongues is ceased, and if it was a language and not gibberish anyway, what is all this flailing around in tongues?
Fakery. Self-delusion. Satanic trickery. Misplaced emotion. Whatever you would like to call it, it does not glorify God because it is not biblical, orderly, edifying, or Jesus honoring.
How can I say that so definitively? Because we’re told in many passages the Holy Spirit testifies about Jesus. The gifts are given to bear witness of Jesus, to build His church. Not to sow confusion, spread doubt, or create second class citizens separated from from each other by man-made, artificial levels of maturity.
“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.” (John 15:26)
Do you think the Spirit is bearing witness about Jesus in the clip below?
If you have been told that you are not saved until you pass some man-made benchmark of maturity, or not until you demonstrate a man-made level of holiness, or not until you show you have an insider track on tongues or being slain or getting a second blessing, then I am sorry. I grieve for you, but we can rejoice now in knowing that the bible declares you saved when you repent and believe.
“From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” (Matthew 4:17)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Here is a good series on the Gifts and the Ministry of the Holy Spirit:
EDITED to add this link: it is a short, clear, concise essay demonstrating the original purpose for speaking in different languages, and scripturally showing how and why tongues have ceased. “The gift of tongues“
I thought I’d take a break from encouragement and theological stuff for a minute and ponder the important question of TV dads. LOL 🙂
How men have been presented to us via the television broadcast is an important topic, because satan has co-opted Hollywood and TV and seeks to instill discontent, present a skewed version of the Godly family, and generally to wreak havoc.
TV is a way to present reality back to the society and when we watch enough of it, even the most outlandish presentation will seem to become normative.
I bring this up because TVLand has begun showing The Cosby Show reruns. I’m old enough to remember the show when it first came on. I had forgotten how wholesome it is. Bill Cosby is married to his first love, he works, he loves his children, he goes to church, he prays, and he is affectionate. He is not made to look like a doofus, or stupid or non-essential. He is undeniably the final arbiter of decision-making in the show.
It was a rare oasis in the midst of the inevitable decline in the institution of fatherhood as shown on television.
Below are some thoughts, and certainly are not comprehensive. I did not mention all the families on tv at the decade listed, of course. Maybe some of your faves were left out. I just want to give an overview of the progression of how fatherhood is presented and remind us of what the bible expects from dads.
50s Father Knows Best: (1949-1960). This show is representative of the best kind of family entertainment. The dad was “a thoughtful father who offered sage advice whenever one (or more) of his children had a problem.” (Wiki). He was a professional man, and his stay at home wife was common-sense and supportive. Today, would tv producers even allow the show’s title?
60s My Three Sons (widower), Bonanza (widower), Andy Griffith (widower), Courtship of Eddie’s Father (widower). Bachelor Father (single, raising his orphaned niece). This decade began a troublesome trope in television: the motherless family. Was this due to feminism’s appearance? Societal discontent that was bubbling under the surface which exploded in the latter part of the decade in the sexual revolution? In Andy Griffith’s world spinster Aunt Bee helped raise the son and in My Three Sons, the grandfather and then the Dad’s brother helped in the household. However, despite the lack of a mom in the household the father was presented as solid, loving, manly, involved, and in charge.
70s Brady Bunch, 1969-1974. Mike Brady is shown as an involved dad, respected community member, and successful professional. In one episode he was named Father of the Year after his step-daughter submitted an essay. Mike Brady is considered the best TV dad of that decade, but his family situation differed from the earlier nuclear family of the fifties such as Ozzie & Harriet and Leave it to Beaver. We now have a blended family, three of the children are his and three are his second wife’s. Carol Brady was originally intended to be a divorcee, but the network objected, and in a compromise of sorts, they never mentioned why her first marriage ended. Remarriage was now presented as a norm.
Good Times: 1974-1979. This was the first show to depict an inner-city apartment dwelling impoverished black family. The family was nuclear, though (but the neighbor was a divorced single mom with an adopted daughter). The dad of the household was James Evans and worked at whatever he had to in order to provide for his family. He loved his wife and was warm and loving toward her as he was to his children. Both the series’ main characters, John Amos as the dad and Esther Rolle as the mom, initially approved of the show’s direction because it had a strong father figure and a loving nuclear family. However as the show’s eldest son’s character became more stereotypical (bufoonish, illiterate, and lazy) and both actors became vocal about the negative direction, first the dad was written out of the series and then the mom. Despite the loss of both parents, the show continued to do well in the ratings. The next door divorcee became the main parent.
70s All in the Family (1971-1979). Opposite Mike Brady’s successful handling of his home and professional life, tv dad Archie Bunker is presented as a bumbling, gruff, bigoted, ignorant dad the family must suffer through living with. His advice was always wrong, and his ways were always out of step. He berated his wife in front of his child and in front of others by telling her to stifle herself and calling her a dingbat. I remember this being the first tv dad I would not want as my dad. During its initial run the show was a huge success and after its cancellation it was listed as one of the ‘greatest tv shows of all time”. Part of the set is now in the Smithsonian Institution. In my opinion this character began the decline of the tv dad. It was shown that it was OK to make the dad an ignorant buffoon and the show would still be highly rated. The rest is history: dad’s authority vanished.
80s Cosby (1984-1992) vs Roseanne. (1988-1997) This was the decade of the rise of the subverted patriarchal authority. Either overtly or covertly, women took over. Cosby Show’s Cliff Huxtable was an exception, but other dads such as Dan in Roseanne, Homer Simpson in The Simpsons, cede territory to the wife where the bible clearly says is the husband’s/dad’s. And Homer is just dim-witted and lazy.
In Who’s The Boss (no more ‘father knows best’, now we’re not so sure…) a retired major league baseball player named Tony Micelli relocates to Fairfield, Connecticut to work as a live-in housekeeper for a divorced advertising executive who was the household’s sole breadwinner. Talk about patriarchal authority’s diminishment! And not surprisingly the show was one of the most popular sitcoms of the mid-to-late-1980s, consistently placing in the top ten throughout most if its run. To be fair, the reason for the dad’s decision to become a live-in housekeeper was to provide a better environment for his daughter after the mom died, but to take a job as a housekeeper was consistent with the 80s push for men to be presented as subservient to the woman of the house. The blended family in this case included the mom’s mother as a slut. (Oops, sorry a “sexually progressive older woman.”)
In the 80s the pace picked up of moms who were absent from the show, many of whom unlike in the 50s and 60s were not depicted dead, but had abandoned their kids. Diff’rent Strokes, Punky Brewster, My Two Dads, Gimme a Break, Silver Spoons, Full House, Who’s the Boss?, Blossom, Empty Nest are just a few examples. The disruption of the family as presented to society via television was in full swing. What was happening in society at that time: No-fault divorce.
Dan Conner in Roseanne often battled wills with his forceful and outspoken wife (I’m being generous here). Dan was often unemployed while his wife was the sole breadwinner, and later he was depicted as an adulterer.
90s Everybody Loves Raymond, (1996-2005). Father Ray Barone was dominated by his stay at home wife, and dominated worse by his mother- who lived across the street. He was shown as a mama’s boy caving in to his mother’s demands while often throwing his wife’s needs under the bus, often in front of the family or in public. He was selfish as a husband and a dad and was never shown as sacrificing for his family or wife. The family dynamic was depicted as political one-upsmanship, gamesmanship, or conspiratorial ploys to get one’s way. The wife was not supported or nurtured but was someone to either have sex with or serve dinner-both of which he often complained about the lack thereof. The dad was shown as working for a living and providing a nice home for his family but at the same time disparaging his wife’s contribution to the house as stay at home mom. The dad was shown as lazy and uninvolved, even ignorant of having fatherly abilities. (Books were given, classes were taken).
2000s Family Guy (1999–2002, 2005–2010). I have never seen this show and I never will. Wikipedia describes it: “The show revolves around the adventures of the family of Peter Griffin, a bumbling blue-collar worker. Peter is an Irish-American Catholic with a prominent Rhode Island and Eastern Massachusetts accent. He is married to Lois, a stay-at-home mother and piano teacher who, as member of the Pewterschmidt family of wealthy socialites, has a distinct New England accent. Peter and Lois have three children: Meg, their teenage daughter, who is awkward and does not fit in at school, and is constantly ridiculed and ignored by the family; Chris, their teenage son, who is overweight, unintelligent and a younger version of his father in many respects; and Stewie, their diabolical infant son of ambiguous sexual orientation who has adult mannerisms and uses stereotypical archvillain phrases. Living with the family is Brian, the family dog, who is highly anthropomorphized, drinks martinis, and engages in human conversation, though he is still considered a pet in many respects.” It has been nominated for 13 Emmy Awards and has won four.
I have no words. We went from Father Knows Best to father knows nothing.
I bring this up because in watching the Cosby Show last night, there was a scene of great tenderness. Cliff comes down the stairs in the middle of the night, searching for his wife who is absent from the bed. He finds her at the desk, working. He gently asks her if anything is the matter, and she says she couldn’t sleep and decided to work. He asks if he has been snoring again and she admits he was. “Why didn’t you turn me over?” he asks, and she laughs and said she had turned him every which way but his snoring didn’t abate, so she came downstairs. Cliff asks her to come back to bed and she says she wants to work a while longer. He looks lovingly at her for a moment and then gently picks her up and dances with her up the stairs. Her low laughter echoes in the room as the light is turned off.
This scene remained with me because it is tender. Where is the tender, selfless care by tv fathers and dads these days? Husbandly and fatherly tenderness is absent from tv today. I am not speaking of a tenderness that is effeminate, but of a strong, loving, tenderness. Most of the time today we see that if a husband (or lover) awoke in bed alone he’d smile and grab all the covers, never mind actually get up to see if his bride was all right.
The bible says a husband/father is to leave his mother and father and cleave to his wife. (Genesis 2:24). That leaves Ray Barone out.
Husbands are to have authority over their wives. (1 Corinthians 11:3). That leaves Dan Conner out.
Husbands are to respect their wives. (1 Peter 3:7). That leaves Archie Bunker out. In one Everybody Loves Raymond episode, Ray calls his wife Debra a “smelly tramp.”
Husbands are to consult with their wives. (Genesis 31:4-7). That leaves Ray Barone out.
Husbands are to love them. (Ephesians 5:25-33). That leaves Dan Conner out.
Fathers are to love their children. (Psalm 103:13). That leaves Family Guy out.
Fathers are to discipline their children. (Hebrews 12:7). That leaves Ray Barone & Homer Simpson out.
Fathers are to train their children in the way they should go. (Proverbs 22:6; Eph 6:4). In the one episode in Everybody Loves Raymond I saw that showed some kind of faith, Debra asked Ray why he didn’t go to church, and his response was typically selfish. He was pressured into going and then spent the entire episode envying his father and brother’s ‘escape’ into the vestibule to count the offering money, when he wasn’t daydreaming or nodding off, that is. Except in the Cosby Show, I never have seen positive portrayal of prayer, church or the Lord mentioned on a sitcom. (above, Ray in bathrobe eating cereal out of the box while his nicely dressed family leaves for church)
One show that I do enjoy for presenting Godly men in Christian households is Duck Dynasty. Every episode ends with a prayer (though editors chop out the part where they say “In Jesus’s name”). The men are caring, involved, patriarchs, Godly men who do not swear, love their wives and run their households according to biblical standards. When the son was wrestling with a big decision he had to make his father offered the following advice: “Anytime I make a decision, I take a walk in the woods and talk to the Almighty.” Satan must hate this show.
Brethren, please consult your bible to see how fathers and husbands are shown and try to keep your children from watching shows that are contrary to it. If you do watch shows or movies that vary with the biblical presentation of dads, then talk to your older children about the difference, and emphasize what the bible expects from men in those roles. It makes a difference what we show to our kids. Even better, strive to BE that husband and father that God enables you through the Spirit to be.
If you know of some good and Godly shows where the men are presented biblically, please do share.
Above, patriarch Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty prays over the family before dinner
Do you wonder about being Spirit-filled, or being “baptized with the Holy Spirit” as a separate event from the regenerating work?
Do you ponder whether whether the miracle gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians have ceased?
And what about “praying in the Spirit”? What is that all about?
I was asked these questions this week and I answered in an email but decided to bring the issue to the blog also. I had an interesting conversation this summer with a person who attends a Pentecostal church and the issues that were raised then are still on my mind. So when the email came…
Disclaimer: I have friends who are in or who came from circles where it was taught or demonstrated that the miracle gifts are a normal part of Christian walk. As I explore whether the miracle spiritual gifts have stopped or not, I plan to make it a biblical exploration. Please do not consider this an attack on any person’s particular faith or denomination. I want to soberly take a look at the question, but I know that in so doing, the fact that so many people have had an experience which is tied to their emotions, they may react emotionally. Let’s just put Jesus in the center and discern His word,with full assurance from me that this discussion is from the heart and not a jab at any person’s salvation or any particular denomination’s legitimacy.
The question is discussed in various circles and it is an ongoing discussion. It is called “Cessationism versus non-cessationism” or in other words, if the miracle gifts have ceased or have not ceased. Sometimes the discussion gets heated. However, it is not a salvation issue nor it is something that impacts the essential doctrines of faith, so in discussing the issue here or anywhere let’s have grace and remember not to bring division. This isn’t a hill to die on, but it does call for discernment. The bible does tell us the miracle gifts are foundational, and the foundation has already been laid by the Apostles. So we must be careful when we see what someone claims is a miracle or says they are speaking for God with a word, just as we are told to test all things.
First, we look at the Holy Spirit and what He does for His church. These are links to all the bible verses collected on the topic of the Holy Spirit in each of His ministries–
Second, what are the spiritual gifts the Spirit gives, and where are they in the bible?
GotQuestions answers that one: “The three main passages describing the spiritual gifts are Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; and 1 Corinthians 12:28. The spiritual gifts identified in Romans 12 are prophesying, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leadership, and mercy. The list in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 includes the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, healing, miraculous powers, prophecy, distinguishing between spirits, speaking in tongues and interpretation of tongues. The list in 1 Corinthians 12:28 includes healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.”
The essay goes on to define each gift a little more.
The Holy Spirit delivers spiritual gifts to all believers. (1 Corinthians 12:7-11). All people have at least one gift, and some have two or more. For example all pastors are teachers but not all teachers are pastors. Some of these were gifts of revelation from God and others were gifts of miracles, like healing or languages.
Third, what are the miracle gifts, specifically?
Bible.org states: “On any given day of the week, Christians can be found debating with one another over the “sign gifts”–that is, the spiritual gifts of tongues, prophecy, miracles, and healings. [emphasis mine]. The debates center on a simple issue: Are they for today or not? There is no debate about whether these gifts were a part of the first-century Church. That part is assumed by all who embrace the Bible as the Word of God. Rather, the debate is whether these gifts have continued or have ceased. There is no debate that certain spiritual gifts have continued to today, such as teaching, mercy, administration, service, etc. But whether the more overtly supernatural gifts continued is a different matter. Again, the issue is not whether God is still powerful enough to work such miracles. Rather, the issue is whether he does so through individuals as special emissaries of his power.”
Why were these gifts given as described in the book of Acts?
The purposes of spiritual gifts given to the Apostles was to reveal and confirm God’s will for man. The miracle gifts were given to authenticate that these men were indeed from God and their words and deeds could be trusted as coming from the Divine source. The miracle gifts were to authenticate His men who proclaimed His will. And cessationists say that authenticating work was completed during the lifetime of the original apostles when the bible was closed.
Painting: Peter raising Tabitha, Acts 9:40,
Pierre-Jacques Cazes, Louvre.
Others say no, they are not finished, that the normal Christian life is, or can be, full of miracles and healings and supernatural knowledge and “tongues” just as actively as it was in the immediate post-resurrection time. The question is not whether God CAN work this way. His power is perfect and His will is His will. The question is, does He still work this way, and as a result, does the Spirit still distribute these miracle gifts to believers today?
“Jesus invested supernatural authority in his own apostles (Matt 28:16-20) to bring this good news to the world. These apostles and certain others in the early church had a measure of some of these gifts. Whether they represent all Christians of all time or whether theirs was a special time and a special gift is the question.” (source)
The folks at CompellingTruth.org wrote: “The early church did not yet have the full revelation of Scripture. The Scripture was revealed to the apostles – the same apostles who by signs and wonders were proven to be authentic messengers of God. Their gifts of prophecy, knowledge, wisdom and inspiration were now added to the list alongside healing and miracles, and were given in order for the early believers to know God’s will and plans. But these “revelatory” gifts, now that the Bible is finished, are obsolete. The Bible is a supernaturally-inspired book, given to the apostles, God’s proven messengers. We are commanded not to add to or take away from the Word of God as revealed to the apostles (Revelation 22:18-19). Because the revelatory gifts have ceased, and the sign gifts were given to give credence to those receiving God’s message, it is safe to assume that the sign gifts have also ceased.”
People who hold to the stance that the miracles still continue today point to the fact that Jesus is the same yesterday and today and tomorrow (Hebrews 13:8) so He would certainly still continue to distribute gifts via the Spirit. However, the bible shows us that some miracles He performed will never be repeated. (source)
Creation – Gen. 1,2 (cf. 2:1,2)
The flood of Noah’s day – Gen 6-9
The virgin birth – Matthew 1:18,20; Luke 1:35
Jesus’ resurrection
The work of apostles living on earth (Acts 1:21,22)
So does that mean Jesus is different today than He was yesterday? No.
I am of the opinion the miracle gifts of languages, healings, prophecy, interpretation of languages and sundry miracles have mostly ceased- in believers. I believe that God still performs them or at least he can still perform them. I hold this opinion because of my high regard for the closed canon of the bible. It is God’s word and in it He said that no one is to add to it nor take away from it. Additional revelation, such as when Beth Moore says she was lifted up into another dimension, shown things by Jesus through His eyes, and sent back down to teach them, I believe are false.
If we believe Moore, and the myriad other people who claim to have a prophecy or a revelation or a miracle, where does it stop? It doesn’t. It is chaos. These modern “revelations” have the exact characteristics of false prophecy, not true prophecy. Falsity brings chaos, and that is exactly what we have today in the believing church. Chaos. [Here is a good series on the topic: Miracles and Spiritual Gifts]
John MacArthur is a cessationist who wrote a book called Charismatic Chaos, based on a preaching series he did. I recommend it.
So what about all the hubbub we see in the church of hearing a word from God, or the tongues, or miracles of healing we see on TV and in charismatic or Pentecostal revivals?
Benny Hinn crusade, Nashville?,people “slain in the Spirit”
Do you wonder about being Spirit-filled, or being “baptized with the Holy Spirit” as a separate event from the regenerating work? And what about “praying in the Spirit”? What is that all about? And what is it to speak in tongues? More on that next. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Part 2: Tongues Part 3: Baptism of the Spirit
“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1:6-7)
“Untested faith may be true faith, but it is sure to be small faith, and it is likely to remain little as long as it is without trials. Faith never prospers so well as when all things are against her: Tempests are her trainers, and bolts of lightning are her illuminators.”
“When a calm reigns on the sea, spread the sails as you will, the ship does not move to its harbor; for on a slumbering ocean the keel sleeps too. Let the winds rush and howl, and let the waters lift themselves, though the vessel may rock and her deck may be washed with waves and her mast may creak under the pressure of the full and swelling sail, it is then that she makes headway toward her desired haven.”
“No flowers are as lovely a blue as those that grow at the foot of the frozen glacier; no stars gleam as brightly as those that glisten in the midnight sky; no water tastes as sweet as that which springs up in the desert sand; and no faith is so precious as that which lives and triumphs in adversity.”
“Tested faith brings experience. You could not have believed your own weakness if you had not been compelled to pass through the rivers; and you would never have known God’s strength if you had not been supported in the flood. Faith increases in quality, assurance, and intensity the more it is exercised with tribulation. Faith is precious, and its trial is precious too.”
“Do not let this, however, discourage those who are young in faith. You will have trials enough without seeking them: The full portion will be measured out to you in due course.”
“Meanwhile, if you cannot yet claim the result of long experience, thank God for what grace you have; praise Him for that degree of holy confidence you have now attained: Walk according to that rule, and you will still have more and more of the blessing of God, until your faith will remove mountains and conquer impossibilities.” ~by Charles Spurgeon
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