It Is A Necessity - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

It Is A Necessity

Now Think On This

Steve Martin

“But know that the Lord has set apart the godly man for Himself; the Lord hears when I call to Him.” (Psalm 4:3 NASU

Usually if one writes a message on prayer, many won’t read too much further than the first paragraph, or even sentence. I think it is because we have heard many sermons already on the subject; have read more than one book about it over our adult life as we try to walk the talk; or we carry a guilt complex because we know we should. But don’t. Or not enough.

My sentiments exactly.

Taking the time to pray requires just that – taking the time to pray. But we get up 5 minutes late after hitting the doze button; rush out of the house with coffee and donut in hand; do the normal daily grind; drive the commute to and from work in traffic that grows in numbers daily; watch four hours of TV “to relax”; and then fall into bed hoping for a good night sleep. Maybe throw up a weak word to the Lord. Right?

There are several methods in praying. Some work for others. Some don’t. As for me, I have kept lists so I don’t forget those I really did promise to pray for. But they eventually get lost or forgotten about. My best friend Kevin diligently keeps with a prayer list. How do I know? He tells me, but also faithfully asks me six months later if a prayer request I had told him about was answered yet. And I have seen his spiral notebooks he has saved for decades. Now that is a commitment to pray!

In at least two churches that Laurie and I have been members with, New Covenant Christian Church in East Lansing, Michigan and also All Nations Church in Charlotte, North Carolina area, we have been on a 24/7 prayer team rotation (I got the 3 am shift on a Wednesday morning), and were founding members of a Friday night, 10 pm – 6 am “Watch of the Lord” for almost six years. The amount of literal hours spent in worship with a full team during those eight hours was the best part!

My current customary method of prayer is to take time in the early morning, when others are sleeping - when it is really quiet. That didn’t happen overnight (pun intended). It was a gradual intent and commitment on my part, knowing the necessity of doing it. Too much was happening in family and friends’ lives, the friends of the ministry of Love For His People who gave us prayer requests, the people of Israel, and beyond. I couldn’t honestly look my Lord in the face and say, “Yes, I pray” until I now actually do.

Because the Lord Jesus baptized me with His Holy Spirit, when I asked in 1973 as a senior in high school, praying in tongues is the way to go for me. As I think of those people and situations He reminds me of and leads me in, the prayer language gives me confidence that the best prayers are being said aloud. In several verses of Scripture, the apostle Paul says that he would pray in tongues often. After these many years of experiencing that truth, I see he was right as prayers are answered. Some responses to see evidence may take years to happen, but faith keeps me going.

Throughout the day, when I have a quiet moment at lunch, or as I walk the streets during a break, I pray in tongues. I may not see all that results now because of it, but I expect later to know the effect it was having. When I am in heaven and witness the testimony of those who were saved, healed, or had a supernatural move of the Lord in their life, as a result of my prayer, it will have been worth it.

If you are not baptized in the Holy Spirit, ask the Lord for His power to be given to you. He will give it. Others who know of this gift can help if needed to exercise the prayer language that will come.

We will need more of the Lord’s power in our life in the coming days. As evil becomes more abundant, the necessity of prayer will be more known. His people will pray. He will empower us through prayer, and we will see victory in our lives, and those He has given us the heart for.

Something to think about. And then do.

Love you,

Steve Martin

Founder

Love For His People, Inc.

P.S. I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. They might need it. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve

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In May, 2016, my wife Laurie and I will be traveling to Israel to spend time with our friends. We support them in word and deed. We have our plane tickets in hand. We love Israel.

Love For His People, Inc. is a charitable, not-for-profit USA humanitarian organization started in 2010 to share the love of the Father in the nations.

If these messages minister to you, please consider sending a charitable gift of $5-$25 today, and maybe each month, to help us bless families we know in Israel, whom we consistently help through our humanitarian ministry. Your tax deductible contributions receive a receipt for each donation. Fed. ID #27-1633858.

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Now Think On This #207 “It Is A Necessity” by Steve Martin 

Date: In the year of our Lord 2015 (11.16.15) Monday at 6:00 pm in Charlotte, NC

All previous editions of Now Think On This can be found on this Blog, and on the website: Now Think On This

Again, I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve

End-Time Prophetic Vision Reveals 'Satan and God Revival'

12/2/2014 BERT FARIAS   CHARISMA NEWS

Dr. Mark Barclay prophesied about a coming revival in both kingdoms of light and darkness. (Facebook)

The following is an end-time vision given to an established, seasoned minister of the gospel, Dr. Mark Barclay, and told in his own words. My heart was quickened when I read it and I thought: "This vision needs to be circulated to the body of Christ worldwide for we are seeing the increasing effects of it being unfolded in this hour, although it was given more than 25 years ago."

If you are skeptical of these things I would encourage you to listen to your heart as you read it and allow the Holy Spirit to bear witness with you.

"But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. ... But the anointing which you have received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. For as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and just as it has taught you, remain in Him" (1 John 2:20, 27)

Here then is the vision told in the minister's own words:

"In 1987 I was a speaker at a camp meeting in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I spoke during the Thursday evening service. Dr. Kenneth E. Hagin spoke during the Friday evening service. I remember that I had just flown in from meetings in Paris, France. I mentioned to my wife how much I would like to stay and hear Dr. Hagin speak. She agreed.

As Dr. Hagin entered the pulpit, he began to pray in tongues. When he started, I started. A moment later, I was caught up in a vision (I was told later that it was probably more like a trance). As I went into this vision, I remember how Dr. Hagin's voice was getting quieter and quieter, until I could hear him no more. It was so quiet all around me I felt like I could hear my own heartbeat.

All of a sudden I felt evil, as if it were surrounding me. Anger rose up in me, and fear tried to get a grip on me. Suddenly, something caught my attention out of my left eye. I turned hard to the left to see what it was. I saw the circumference of the earth, from one edge to the other, and this horrible black, dark cloud was rising up over the horizon. Somehow I knew it would eventually fill the entire earth.

An alarm went off in me, screaming to me to run away from it as fast as I could. I felt like I should scream at it, to stop it in its tracks by using the name of Jesus. I began to rebuke it and started to say, "In the name of Jesus ... " I didn't quite get it out, and the Lord said, "That will do you no good."

"What?" I said.

The Lord said, "Son, you cannot use My name to stop what I prophesied. I am not causing this dark cloud, but I did prophesy it would happen in the last days."

I remember in the vision that I asked the Lord "What is this? What is this evil, tempestuous, dark cloud?"

The Lord said, "This is what I showed My prophet, Isaiah (Isa. 61:1-2). This is every evil thing you can name. It is every demon, it is every disease, it is sickness and bacterial attacks that haven't even been discovered yet. It will cause humans to do things to humans that aren't even human. It is filled with insanity, and many people will lose their mind and their faculties. It is murder, terror, rape, abuse, terrorism, torture and much worse. It is filled with deceptions, heresies, perversions and filth."

Some things the Lord showed me I have not had permission to speak.

I also saw people—many, many people. Some were running into the dark cloud, and some were being sucked into it. It reminded me of this very powerful Shop-vac I have. It will not only suck up the dirt but also my tools, if I don't pay attention.

I saw may people screaming with terror and actually being dragged into this cloud. Though they were refusing it and resisting it with all their strength, they still did not possess the power to stop it.

I was so disturbed when I saw a cross on someone's pocket or jewelry. I remember saying to the Lord, "Who are those people being drawn into this filth and terror, wearing the Christian symbol of the cross? Who are these people, not even resisting? And who are these people, resisting with all their might but it does them no good? They just keep disappearing into this horrible, evil cloud of gross darkness."

The Lord answered me and said, "Oh, these are those who do not have clean hands and a pure heart. They have been warned but ignored the warnings. Some even wanted this filth as their lifestyle."

I asked, "Well, who are these wearing the cross?"

"Oh," the Lord said, "These are the people who claim Me as Savior. Many of them have desired this filth and even fought for it. They make excuses but are not excused. The ones who are resisting thought My prophets were exaggerating and from the old school, and they denied the warnings. Now that this evil has come, they possess little to no power, and certainly not enough to resist and overcome this horrible onslaught of enemy power. Only those with clean hands and a pure heart will be able to totally resist this. It will cover the earth."

There was much more to this, but I began to come out of the vision and once again heard Brother Hagin speaking in tongues from the pulpit.

I asked my wife what had happened, and she said, "Nothing, he hasn't done anything but pray in the spirit."

I began to realize that nobody seemed to see this vision or get caught up into this trance but me. I held my wife's hand a little tighter and began to pray fervently in the spirit. As I did, I got caught up in the spirit again.

Just like before, Brother Hagin's voice got quieter and quieter until it was gone. I found myself alone again. It was so quiet I could hear my own heartbeat. Suddenly, a piercing light hit the corner of my right eye. It was so bright that I instantly shrouded my head with my hands and arms. It reminded me of the intense light that my optometrist uses to examine the back of my eyes. Actually, it was much brighter than that.

Everything within me said, "Turn and look into it. Turn now, and run into it." Yet there was this hesitation because it was so bright it seemed to shine through me. Finally I gave in to it and looked directly at it. With both eyes I saw the depth of this bright cloud. Just like the dark cloud I had seen before, it was coming up over the horizon of the earth. I could tell that it was going to cover the planet. I just knew that I knew that nothing could stop it.

I remembered asking the Lord, "What is this? What is this massive, earth-consuming, bright cloud?"

The Lord answered me and said, "Oh, this is My glory. This is the glory cloud that I showed My prophet Isaiah (Isa. 61:1-2). This is what I promised, that My glory will fill the whole earth."

"Well," I asked, "what is inside the cloud?"

"It is filled with the greatest miracles humans have ever seen. It is filled with healing for every disease, and a cure for every sickness. It is power to overcome sin and filth—to receive the truth and reject error, heresy and doctrines of demons. It is a full manifestation of My Spirit. It is the full anointing of Jesus Christ and more, much more."

He showed me other things that I have no permission to speak at this time.

Unless otherwise specified, the opinions expressed are solely the author's and do not necessarily reflect the views of Charisma Media.

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5 Ways That Praying in Tongues Will Change Your Life Forever by LARRY SPARKS

5 Ways That Praying in Tongues Will Change Your Life Forever

3/20/2014 LARRY SPARKS  CHARISMA MAGAZINE

One of the most controversial and, sadly, most misunderstood gifts of the Holy Spirit is praying in tongues. I am convinced that there is so much antagonism aimed at this gift because of the incredible power it releases into our lives. In the same way that many reject the prophetic ministry because of abuses, misuses and bad experiences, the same approach has been taken—perhaps in greater extremes—toward praying in tongues.

Tongues Is a Controversial Subject That Requires Our Attention

At the end of the day, we need to be honest with ourselves and honest with the biblical text. This unique gift of the Holy Spirit actually announced the birth of Christianity on the Day of Pentecost. It was highly prized by the man who wrote the majority of the New Testament (Paul). It equips believers to communicate with God on a unique level and empowers us to effectively live the supernatural life. In short, it would make a lot of sense that the enemy would tirelessly fight against something that has such strong potential to pillage his expansion of darkness in our lives and on the earth.

Corey Russell, a senior leader at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, wrote the book and curriculum The Glory Within not simply as a teaching on the subject of tongues, but as a summons to experience the power of a Person—the Holy Spirit. In the past, many books and teachings have emphasized tongues in almost a robotic way. What was intended to be a source of supernatural power and a catalyst for deep intimacy with God has been reduced to a mere theological position in many charismatic churches.

Speaking in Tongues Is More Than a One-Time Experience

The Glory Within makes the powerful point that tongues is not some spiritual merit badge we receive when we are baptized in the Holy Spirit, use it for a season, and then put it out to pasture. Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke comments on the gifts of the Spirit, emphasizing that “they are not badges of honor but tools for the job.” The gift of tongues is something that the apostle Paul deeply cherished, and he provided nearly an entire chapter of instruction on it in 1 Corinthians 14. This is not a call to place an inappropriate emphasis on tongues, as many have done in the past; it is, however, an invitation to re-evaluate where we stand on its purpose, relevance and present-day power in our everyday Christian lives.

In fact, Corey took the additional bold step and developed a DVD-based Bible study focusing on how a lifestyle of consistently praying in tongues significantly benefits your Christian life. It is not spooky. It is not exclusive to the super-spiritual. It does not even signify elevated spiritual maturity. Tongues is a gift. It is a tool. It is powerful, available and absolutely life-changing. However, many receive this gift at one point in their lives and taste its power, but they never actually make it a part of their normal Christian lives. This is why Corey invites all readers and participants to “throw their badges in the trash.” Yesterday’s encounter with God cannot sustain us for today. Yesterday’s touch is insufficient for today’s trials.

Do You Really Know Who Lives Inside of You?

In these powerful resources, Corey takes you on a journey, revisiting some of the most familiar and yet misunderstood topics on the Holy Spirit: Do we really understand that God lives inside of us? In the introductory sessions about the Person of Holy Spirit—who He is, what He does, and His purpose in the life of the believer—you will be absolutely awestruck. I am convinced that if we really get a clear revelation of the fact that the Genesis 1:1 God—the One who said “light be” and light was—lives inside of us in the Person of Holy Spirit, it would become impossible for us to change the subject. We would devote our lives to discovering how to see the living God accurately represented in the earth through our lives. You will be inspired and encouraged as you discover who it is that decided to take up residence in your spirit—and what He wants to do through you!

5 Ways Praying in Tongues Will Change Your Life Forever

Based on The Glory Within, here are five ways that praying in tongues will change your life forever. 

1. Praying in Tongues Gives You Supernatural Understanding of God’s Mysteries

"For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries" (1 Cor. 14:2, NKJV).

Corey describes the Holy Spirit as the Google, or “search engine of heaven.” God is mysterious, yes, but the Spirit who knows everything about the mysterious, expansive, glorious God is the same Spirit who lives inside of you! And furthermore, He wants to reveal mysteries to you about God, His will, your life and the circumstances you are facing.

How do we access this revelation? Communion with the Holy Spirit on His level—in His language. Remember, Paul defines Holy Spirit as the One who “searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets” (1 Cor. 2:10, NLT). As you pray in the Spirit, you will discover things that were previously mysterious and unknown will start coming into greater focus and clarity.

2. Praying in Tongues Grants You Access to Other Revelatory Gifts of the Holy Spirit

"For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit ... to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues" (1 Cor. 12: 8, 10, NKJV).

Praying in tongues actually unlocks other revelatory gifts of the Holy Spirit in your life, namely the word of wisdom, word of knowledge, prophecy and discerning of spirits. Remember, you are not praying on a natural dimension, but rather engaging on a purely spiritual one. Don’t be surprised if, while praying in tongues, the Holy Spirit gives you supernatural insight about something, leads you to pray for people and unlocks clarity over people, situations and even regions, enabling you to effectively pray for and break off the spiritual strongholds that are influencing them.

3. Praying in Tongues Opens Up the Bible in a New, Living Way as You Read It

"However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak" (John 16:13).

For some modern believers, reading the Bible can feel like a life-draining experience. It’s not just history. It is not a mere record of facts. Scripture isn’t just stories. The same Holy Spirit who inspired the writing and assembly of the Holy Scriptures lives inside of you. He wants to guide you through the Bible, make the words jump off the page, give you understanding on confusing matters, empower you to apply God’s Word to your everyday life, share prophetic promises with you and help you discover your role in God’s unfolding story. Corey describes praying in tongues as a way the Holy Spirit “shines a flashlight on Scripture.”

4. When Praying in Tongues, You Are Speaking Directly to God

"For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God" (1 Cor. 14:2).

As you pray in tongues, you have a direct line to the president of the universe. Sometimes while praying in our native languages, we have the tendency to veer off and get distracted. We may start complaining. We may start going through the routine laundry list of prayer requests—and by the time we are finished reading them off to God, we feel more burdened than refreshed (because we actively thought of every single one of those circumstances as we listed them off in prayer). Tongues keeps us talking directly to God, praying in agreement with His perfect will (Rom. 8:26-28).

5. Praying in Tongues Empowers You to Engage Spiritual Warfare From the Position of Victory

"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit" (Eph. 6:18).

Praying in tongues is not some magic formula that guarantees us some free and easy lifestyle of health, wealth, prosperity and all of those fixings. Jesus assured us that in this life, we will experience tribulation (John 16:33). In the same passage, the same Jesus declared that He has overcome the world. Victory has already been secured at Calvary.

In times of trial and assault, it is easy for us to become weary in the place of prayer, often not knowing what or how to pray. Praise God for the Holy Spirit! Paul reminds us "for we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us" (Rom. 8:26). When in the heat of spiritual combat, it is easy to start praying prayers that agree with the size of the attack, emphasizing the problem rather than focusing on the size of the blood-bought victory that Jesus purchased at the cross. Praying in tongues empowers you to agree with God’s victorious battle plan for your life and your circumstances, no matter what is going on around you. It does not deny reality; it simply positions you to agree with the higher truth of Scripture: Victory has been purchased, and it is yours through Jesus Christ.

Tongues Reveals the Wisdom of God

Again, praying in tongues does not make you a better Christian. It does not instantly elevate you into spiritual superstardom. There are many believers who speak in tongues but live like the devil. However, tongues is a relevant and available gift to believers today. Why tongues—something that seems so foolish, uneducated and ungraspable to our natural human minds?

Keep in mind that you are dealing with the King of the universe who arrived on Planet Earth in a manger surrounded by farm animals. He is the holy God who died the death of a criminal on a Roman cross to make atonement for the sins of the world. Our God is the One who deals in wisdom that is so infinitely superior to what our natural minds can comfortably wrap around that, at first glance, such methods appear downright foolish. Birthing His church with wind, fire and speaking in tongues would be another such demonstration of God’s otherworldly wisdom. But consider the words of the apostle Paul"

"But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence" (1 Cor. 1:27-29).

Just because our minds cannot understand the whys of God’s ways, that does not give us permission to ignore them. Tongues is surely a mystery, but at the same time it is a powerful gift that will not only enrich your personal prayer life but will bring you into deeper intimacy and communion with the Holy Spirit.

If you are looking for a solid, biblical approach to the topic of praying in tongues, I encourage you to look into Corey Russell’s The Glory Within curriculum. It is ideal for Bible studies, small groups and church classes. Corey’s approach is fresh, nonthreatening and completely motivated by love. Whether you are looking to go to the next level in developing a lifestyle of praying in tongues or you would like to have more clarity about the topic, The Glory Within will be a blessing to you.

You can visit Corey Russell's website at www.coreyrussell.org.

Larry Sparks is the author of Breakthrough Healing (Destiny Image, 2014). He is a conference speaker, blogger, columnist and host of the weekly radio program Voice of Destiny (www.thevoiceofdestiny.org). Featured in Charisma magazine and on CBN’sSpiritual Gifts webcast, Larry is also founder of Equip Culture—a ministry that equips believers with the tools and resources to live victoriously through the supernatural power of God. Subscribe to his blog at www.lawrencesparks.com. Follow him on Twitter @LarryVSparks.

"Weary But Not Quitting" - Ahava Love Letter (Steve Martin)

                    

                                      “Weary But Not Quitting”

“So let's not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don't give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith.” (Gal. 6:9-10, THE MESSAGE)

Dear family of friends,

Doing good is often going to be going against the grain. Living in a culture of complainers, selfishness abounding and people pursuing their own entertainment will drain the heart and soul of those who still seek His purposes. Watching as many head one way, while you are trying to press on in the other direction, certainly takes energy and perseverance. It is not easy. It will take its toll on our soul if we do not continually get replenished.

Whether living and working in an environment that consistently pushes the ungodly attitude of the current tide, or standing as a lone sheep in the midst of surrounding wolves, the pressure and constant onslaught against the Lord’s truth will wear us out. How do we keep on keeping on, as the river current tries to sweep us along?

Paul writes about not getting fatigued doing good. Or as it says in the New American Standard version, “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.” (Gal. 6:9-10) When we see our position not being the popular one, or in many cases being the lone one in our increasingly ungodly society, our stance in upholding the truth will tempt us to give up and keep quiet. But that is not what we have been called to do.

Spending daily time with the Lord will encourage our souls. Continuing to give Him the opportunity to embed His perseverance in us, during those quiet moments at the start and throughout the day that we set apart for Him and with Him, will strengthen our inner man. These times will help to keep our head up and press on for the goal we know will ultimately be fulfilled. Looking into His face, rather than those that oppose the eternal truth, will stoke the hope burning in our hearts to stand strong.

Praying daily in our spiritual prayer language does strengthen us. As it is written in His Word, “I'm grateful to God for the gift of praying in tongues that He gives us for praising Him, which leads to wonderful intimacies we enjoy with Him.” (1 Cor. 14:18, THE MESSAGE). Strengthening our inner man will give us the fortitude to stand strong. It will replenish the drain on our spiritual man, which occurs daily as we walk through the grind.

Entering into worship with believers on a regular basis will also strengthen the resolve needed to press on. Hearing the Word shared in our weekly gatherings will continue to grow the faith that our foundation is built on. We must be an active part of His Body growing together.

I encourage you not to give up doing good. Being a living member in the building of His Kingdom, and seeing His purposes fulfilled, isn’t for the weak and faint hearted. We need daily input through His Holy Spirit, and our fellow soldiers, to stay strong in the fight, to hold the line, and press forward as He leads us on together.

The eternal reward is great, and we will see Him glorious and victorious. As we join with Him, getting daily strength through Him, the journey forward as one will prove His faithfulness to keep us doing good.

Ahava to my family of friends,

Steve Martin

Founder, Love For His People

Love For His People, Inc. is a charitable, not-for-profit USA organization. Fed. ID#27-1633858.

Please consider sending a charitable gift of $5-$25 today, and maybe each month, to help us bless the known families in Israel, whom we consistently help through our humanitarian ministry. 

Your tax deductible contributions receive a receipt for each donation.

Go here for safe ONLINE GIFT GIVING THROUGH  OUR WEBSITE using major credit cards: Love For His People

If you don't have a PayPal account you can also use your credit card or bank account (where available). 

Contribution checks can be sent to: 

Love For His People, Inc.  P.O. Box414   Pineville, NC 28134

Todah rabah! (Hebrew – Thank you very much.)

I hope you read my first two books The Promise (CreateSpace/Amazon 2013) and Ahava Love Letters (Xulon Press, 2013). Both available through Amazon.com Xulon Press.com, plus other website book stores.

You can also order both books, The Promise (on Amazon.com for $7.19 plus $3.95 S/H) and Ahava Love Letters Xulon Press for$14.90, plus $3.80) or you can get both from our office for $29. Send check to the address above. I will autograph all copies ordered through our office. (Hey, and please include a contribution for Israel too!)

Please share this Ahava Love Letter with your friends.

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Ahava Love Letter #97   “Weary But Not Quitting”   Steve Martin 

Date: In the year of our Lord 2014 (01.04.14) Saturday at 8:30 am in Charlotte, NC).

All previous editions of Ahava Love Letter can be found on this Blog, and our other website: Ahava Love Letters

Pray in Tongues. Persecuted?

When You’re Persecuted for Praying in Tongues

12:00PM EST 12/6/2013 JENNIFER LECLAIRE, Charismanews

 

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When I sent my daughter on an inner-city mission trip in another state, I was shocked to later learn that her temporary home church did not believe in miracles or some gifts of the Spirit.

Indeed, this revelation was more shocking to me than the Hawaiian church where parishioners believe that a painting and a cross miraculously produce myrrh or the fake miracle scandal that rocked a church in Uyo recently.

In other words, it’s more surprising that a Bible-believing church that claims to fully embrace the Trinity would shun the miraculous than it is to read about people who believe questionable miracles or even downright scams.

When it comes to miracles, it seems we have at least four camps in Christendom: those who believe the Word of God at face value, including the gifts of the Spirit; those who are easily deceived by gold dust, gemstones and miracle soap; those who want to believe in the miracle-working power of God so much that they see miracles where there are no miracles; and those who believe God stopped being God at the conclusion of the book of Acts.

For all my writing about merchandising prophets who seek to fleece the sheep with hyped-up prophecies and fake miracles, those who don’t believe in the power of God to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers and cast out demons (Matt. 10:8) also grieve my spirit. That’s because although the motives of a cessationist are not dark and deceptive like a false prophet or false teacher, these highly vocal nonbelieving believers are nevertheless doing damage to the church.

My daughter was actually persecuted by some leaders and members of this non-miracle-believing church, which argues that some of the Holy Spirit’s gifts, including speaking in tongues and the gifts of healing and miracles, were temporary and intended for confirmation in the early church before the New Testament was completed. The pastor had unkind words to say to my daughter—and at least one mother wouldn’t allow her daughter to come near to mine because I believe in praying in the Spirit, casting out devils, waging spiritual warfare and all the rest of what mainstream Pentecostals and charismatics believe.

The Holy Spirit offers nine gifts, and Paul wanted to make sure we weren’t ignorant of them. Let’s review Scripture:

“There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills” (1 Cor. 12:4-11).

You can’t pick and choose which gifts of the Holy Spirit you want to believe in any more than you can pick and choose which Scriptures to live by: “The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times” (Ps. 12:6). Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8). The gifts of the Spirit did not cease when Luke crossed the last t and dotted the last i in the book of Acts. It’s the spirit of religion that denies the power of God. Indeed, Paul warned Timothy:

“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” (2 Tim. 3:1-5).

I am witnessing a disturbing trend, and it goes beyond miracle soap sellers, gold dust and gemstone collectors. I’m seeing more people who have a form of godliness but deny the power of God. As we move deeper into the end times, we need to build more faith in the supernatural power of God to provide for our needs, keep our bodies strong, keep our minds free from deception and the like. But it seems the enemy has already deceived many into thinking God isn’t who He says He is and can’t do what He says He can do. It seems many in the church are already deceived. And none of us are immune to being deceived.

God, open our eyes—all of us—to our wrong thinking and wrong believing so that we can see You rightly and respond to Your Spirit quickly in the name of Jesus!

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including The Spiritual Warrior's Guide to Defeating Jezebel. You can email Jennifer at jennifer.leclaire@charismamedia.com or visit her website here. You can also join Jennifer on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.

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