Recently, there has been much discussion regarding the baptism of the Holy Spirit including the fruit of the Spirit (and yes the evidence of speaking in tongues). If one thing is known of those that join themselves together at our church it is that hearing from God and being obedient to what He speaks will always outweigh being obedient to any man (God is not a man that He should lie, but is the One True God, the only Author and Finisher of our faith). You will never hear any that are with us say "go and ask of this man." You will always hear "go and ask the Lord." But then again, why should it be any other way?
During times of separation unto God, He does minister and speak many things to those who have caused themselves to be disciplined enough to be instantly in season (in the Spirit). Because we become accustomed to hearing from God the truth in all matters, seeing the end of a situation from the beginning (wisdom) becomes more and more common. It is true that the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy. This is why all of those who have truly received the Spirit of God (the full baptism of the Holy Spirit and all that comes with it) will prophecy. Don't let any man tell you anything different. Ask the Lord and He will surely confirm this to you. All of these things that we discuss whether it be a word from God, a vision, a dream, hearing a scripture, are all fruit of the Spirit (along with many other things) and every believer who has received the fullness of what the Spirit of God brings when He comes in knows that these things must follow.
But we must understand that signs and wonders will follow after them that believe. Believe what, you ask? Believe Jesus? Yes, but all of Jesus. Not another gospel, but rather the only true gospel. The one that Jesus preached and lived when He was hear on earth. Here is the difference:
Hebrews 4:2
For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
Many say, 'Amen'. Many say, 'I have faith'. But do you have faith to believe all of the gospel? All of what Jesus spoke? All that Jesus commanded His disciples (and more specifically His apostles) to do? He said to wait in the upper room. Wait for what? For Him to return, no. For another man to come and teach them what the Lord did not, no. He said to wait for when the Comforter comes, the Holy Spirit, He would lead you into all truth. He said that the Spirit of Truth would not speak of Himself, but whatsoever He hears that is what He will speak. As Dave posted, not 75% of truth, not 99.8% of truth, but all truth. So many today say that they love God, but when it comes down to choosing what they believe, they mix a little of what they have been taught out of the mouth of men with the word of God and say, I have truth. Listen people of God, the Lord would not have told His disciples to wait in the upper room for the baptism of the Holy Spirit and that you have need of no other teacher except the Holy Ghost if it wasn't true. Many are called but few are chosen. The difference is those who have heard the gospel preached, and those who have not only heard it but, being mixed with faith, have been moved to live in truth.
Ephesians 2:8-10
8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
It always amazes me how clearly these words are written. By the grace of God (God's favor on us) we are saved through faith (without faith there is no pleasing God) and that not of ourselves (not by the words of men). Salvation is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast (signs and wonders follow after them that believe, when God allows these things to follow after, it is so that He gets the glory and not any man. Do you think God is pleased with those who are haughty and think themselves something?). For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works (those who have been chosen by God before the beginning of the world, God alone knows a man's heart), which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them (He has made vessels unto honor and vessels unto dishonor).
God is not the author of confusion. There are no exceptions for any man because God is no respecter of persons. Therefore it is true that those who are hearers only of the word will suffer loss. Those who do not receive all that Jesus spoke of will be rejected in the day of judgment. He will say, depart from me you workers of iniquity (knowing what is right and choosing wrong anyways). The love of the Truth is not found in them (if you love the Truth, Jesus being the way the truth and the life, than you will love all of Jesus, there is no partiality in God). These will be like the five foolish virgins, at best. However, those who not only heard the word of God and everything that the Lord Jesus spoke, but also disciplined themselves to do everything He said, will be counted worthy to escape the wrath that is to come (to be protected, away from the noise of the archers and the sound of battle).
We must love the voice of God more than any other voice (or our own understanding). This is the only way to ensure that we are counted as one of His sheep.
God bless,
Ryan
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
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8 comments:
Triple times AMEN young brother, most excellent word. Your church is ministering to many people outside of your own wee congregation.
God Bless you all
Amen Ryan,
The Lord is good. What would He hold back from those who do not shut Him out by saying, I have enough.
L,J,P&HG
Dave
Thanks Ryan, I really do agree with you...and I do hear from the Lord and am directed by Him on a daily basis, otherwise I could not live this life. I know the Shepherd's voice, and in fact, if I didn't, I would not be reading or receiving from your blog, which I really enjoy and appreciate deeply. I thank you brothers for your obedience to the Lord in sharing what He gives to you. So often it is alive in my spirit also because the Lord has been imparting the same things to me, and probably to much of the true remnant of believers around the world. I was in no way speaking against the baptism in the Spirit - God forbid that I should do that - which would negate not only the Scriptures but my own experience!!! It is obvious that the brothers at Elm Street test everything in line with the Word, and that I also trust and appreciate. (I was only trying to make the point that fruit are important because they are the character of Jesus in us, and I re-iterate that I have sat under many so-called prophets and leaders who manifest gifts but sadly there is no Christ-like character...and it makes a mockery of the baptism if there is no changed life)
God bless,
Bonny
Bonny,
I agree with your statements regarding those who make a mockery of the baptism. We must remember that the gifts are given without repentance. However, we must also know that they day will come when men will say to the Lord "Didn't we cast out devils in your name" and He will answer "depart from Me you workers of iniquity for I never knew you."
Bonny, it's not that we (us at the ESC) want anyone to get hung up on any certain thing, but without the full truth, without completely dying to ourselves that Christ may be fully formed in us, we are still falling short. The words that Dave, Chad, Austin, and myself have written here do so only because we feel led of the Lord. As Dave mentioned, we would never want anyone (including ourselves) to Lord over any of God's people. We are to instruct one another in righteousness and truth, and speak that truth in love (the love of God).
I just know that many at our church (including those I have mentioned above, with the exception of my little brother Chad possibly) have been offended when attending other churches by those who are supposed to be God's. They knowingly deny truth because the word that God speaks didn't come out of the pastor's mouth and they condemn those who God has spoken to, because of the leader's fear of losing the spotlight. We have come out of places that mix even a little flesh with the truth of God's word, because being led into all truth is that important to us. It is the difference between the 5 wise and 5 foolish...the foolish will be denied by God while the wise will be accepted. If by staying in a place that God has called us out of empowers the very man or woman who all look at as their shepherd (when we know what the Lord speaks against a lot of the shepherds of these days and that He will be our shepherd), then we are not being obedient to what the Lord has told us to do. Not to mention, if those who are deceived look at you as someone spiritual and see that you are accepting, how much more comfortable does it make them feel with the words of men that they are hearing.
Simply put: The Spirit of God is clearly calling all who have ears to hear out of the traditions of men, out of what they have been taught by men. It does get lonely, as Dave said, but allowing ourselves to live in that mindset causes us to doubt that God is with us. The Lord wants us to receive of Him truth, judgment, discernment all by His Spirit. And as we know, where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. He is saying this day, "Come out and be free My people. Draw close unto Me and learn of Me and My ways. I am not a man that I should lie. Will I not give you all that you need? Will I not speak to you even as I speak to you this day? I am perfect in all of My ways and I say to you, let not doubt or fear keep you from the fullness of My Spirit. Repent of dead works and come before Me in humility that I may lift you up. I love those who love truth."
You are good, Lord. Have Your way in all of us that we may be counted worthy to stand in the days to come. Let Your people come out unto You this day, deny ourselves, and follow You. You alone have the words to eternal life.
What is given to those who read this blog (and those who write posts) is given only because the Lord has made it possible. Our prayer is that those who don't have ears to hear would get ears to hear, those who have accepted traditions of men would cast them down and let the Lord heal the wounds, and those who share hear would eat their own words that we ourselves do not become castaways.
God be with us all,
Ryan
Your comments are always made with a thread of God's grace running through them, which is much appreciated Ryan. Knowing that we all shall be judged by the same measure we use to judge another, we all need to have our speach seasoned with God's grace. I know the sincerity of your people it shows itself in your obedience to share the Truth of God's Word. continue to be patient in love toward us all, and we shall all see Jesus!
It seems that when it comes to talk of the baptism in the Holy Spirit, the speaking in Tongues issue is a sticking point for many. Many believe they have received the baptism in the Holy Ghost, and seem to manifest certain gifts of the spirit, apart from the gift of tongues, or the ability to pray in tongues. This I don’t personally find in the Word. In most all instances where people received the baptism in the Holy Ghost, the initial evidence was that they spoke with other tongues.
Having been on both sides of the issue I know how it is to be afraid of such a manifestation of the Holy Spirit, to be apprehensive that you may have no control over your body. I also know what it is like to come to the end of myself and my fears and apprehensions, and just want all God has to offer. I know what it is, to then be in the act of verbally praising the Lord, and suddenly be speaking in another language, a language that was not coming through my brain and my thought process, but rather upwards from my belly out of my inner most being.
Let me make it perfectly clear here and now, speaking in tongues is not a sign that you’re holier than someone else. It is merely a sign that you have been granted power from on high, it is up to you whether and how you allow it to move through you. It is not given you for your glory, but rather for the Glory of God Almighty, and for the furtherance of His kingdom. It is not a mini blessing for you to consume and bask in, it is a tool from your Heavenly Father, to encourage, exhort, and bring you into a higher place in your walk with the Lord, to lead you into the fullness of His Truth.
What is it that prevents people from seeking the Baptism in the Holy Ghost?
Many people have sat under denominations that have indoctrinated them against being open to receiving such a gift. Should we openly condemn these people for their beliefs?
Many have witnessed those filled with the Holy Spirit behave in a disorderly un-Christ like manner within the church setting, and without, and have decided that this is not the way the Word of God instructs that the gift of tongues should be used. Many have been put off you might say, from what they have witnessed and it has driven them further away from seeking such a gift for themselves.
Then there are a couple of cases of my own experience where in a particular church in town the preacher stands up and tells everyone to start speaking in tongues. After witnessing this several times, I gave him the scriptures in Corinthians that lay out the scriptural example of how tongues are to be handled within a church setting. The reply I got was “Well we will just have to agree to disagree”. Yes folks, the Word of God it seems is not the rule book for us, our own opinions count more.
There are many examples of tongue talkers who have put Christ to an open shame and have turned many off to the Baptism in the Holy Ghost, with the evidence of speaking in tongues:
Jimmy Swaggart, is a Holy Ghost filled tongue talker, and in the midst of his walk with the Lord was an adulterer, and put Christ to an open shame. He has done good works in his walk with the Lord and has born fruit. I would personally say that his sin has not deterred me from my walk with the Lord, nor has it made me to think that the gift of the Holy Ghost is not for today. Why? Because my faith has never been in men but in Jesus Christ, God will judge Jimmy, just because men fail God, is no reason to cast out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Billy Graham, not a tongue talker, but denies that Jesus is the only Way to Heaven, in so doing he has denied Christ. He has done good works, has born fruit. Now some may have always believed him to be a great lover of God, (one who never encouraged anyone to receive the baptism in the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues), however by his act of denying Christ he has shown he is not a child of the living God.
Jim & Tammy Baker tongue talkers, Put Christ to an open shame, have done good works have born fruit. However by their worldly works they to have denied Christ.
Ted Haggard, not a tongue talker, but is an adulterer, put Christ to an open shame, has done good works has born fruit, but all that is of no account in the light of his ruin.
Therefore it is not by our fruit, not by the speaking in tongues that we know the children of God, it is rather by their total walk with the Lord, by their continued obedience to His word, their love for one another, and their love for God, that we know truly who the children of God are, and who are the children of the devil. The devil comes but to kill to steal and to destroy. Jesus came that we might have life eternal.
Hebrews 4:1
Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. 2For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
Colossians 4:6
Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
God Bless
Helen,
You bring up some very true and valid points. Deceiving ones self when ones own heart and desires are involved is far easier than most can imagine, or even want to believe. Being caught away by our own lusts is as easy as a momentary lapse, a simple nod, a truth not spoken, a correction not made, desiring the approval or acceptance of man more than God, never good.
Honest, open sincerity before God is the only way the walk in the Spirit. Any hint of pride will pervert truth, any sin will compromise judgment. A thousand will fall on the side, ten thousand at our right, but the perfect man will stand. Then again that is the beauty of being responsible for ones own salvation. One cannot stand before God and blame another. That’s were judging everyone and everything comes into play, many fall way short of the glory of God. That’s why we die to self that the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit can and will live in us. That is how we can tell who is and who is not a brother; the witness of God is not in them. That is the fruit of the Spirit, not some measurable by mans standard acceptable way of acting or buzz words spoken.
The proof of the acceptance of God is the presence of God. The presence of God is the Godly qualities of God. Doing what God does. Searching the heart of man. I by the Holy Spirit allow my heart to be searched to purge myself of any and all uncleanness. I allow the Holy Spirit to rule over my flesh to the point of faithful submission in speaking in an unknown language that is the proof or evidence that the Holy Spirit is present. The evidence to the onlooker is that I do line up with scripture and the Holy Spirit tells you the same, or not. Point being you get to judge, you must judge all things. The foolishness and errors of others should not have an effect on our walk. If we are blameless, which we should be, we will be able to stand. Those who have deceived themselves will suffer loss or rejection.
Unfortunately we all use the same lingo. Knowing the difference is the difference. Those who are, do.
L,J,P&HG
Dave
Yes Dave, truly faith without the works is dead, we can say we have faith, but it's better to show our faith by our works.“The servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;” 2 Timothy 2:24-25 Amen
Have a Blessed Christmas!
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