My heart is deeply troubled "in these end times", (let there be no doubt that they are upon us), and the passive condition of the Body of Christ in general. So as not to "blanket" all Christianity with a cover of "futility" I will state at this time that there has always been a "remnant" of believers who have not succumbed to the "doctrines of man" in other words the "lies of the devil". I will also state at this time that many, (most, except for the aforementioned remnant), have gladly and comfortably sat back and accepted these weakened doctrines and teaching do to the "lack of experiencing" the gifts of the Holy Spirit made available to all who believe. Those "promised" gifts which come from above, are given to PROVE that the Word of God is True, (the Gospel), and to do so Divinely so as to show the Supreme power and hand of God are not of man but of God Himself!!! This is His plan to prove the Truth of His Word both to the believer and non believer. To the believer so that he might be encouraged and convinced that the Gospel is Divine and True, and to the unbeliever so that He would be speechless to comment otherwise having "SEEN" the Divine manifestation of God.
For those who would argue in there heads right now let me make this clear:
Faith in the Gospel (Jesus's death and Resurrection) is the only way one can be saved. Period!
"And", like it or not "THESE SIGNS SHALL FOLLOW".
Mark 16:15-18
“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;b 18they will pick up snakes with their hands, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not harm them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will be made well.”
As we see in the Scripture above the Gospel is a finished work for Salvation but not a finished experience for the one who is saved. Hence the "practice" of "I'm saved so that's it" falls short of both the Truth and life experience of what is written and promised of those in His service. I have read the Bible and agree with all that it says, completely, questioning nothing, but embracing all of it's Words as the very Words of God.
When you strip away all the promises due us through salvation, you strip away all the "God given excitement" out of the Christian "EXPERIENCE" that was put there by our "all knowing Father", which was meant to make walking by faith a daily new experience. Giving us joy and expectation in our hearts of Emmanuel "God with us", watching and praying daily for Him to "glorify" His name locally and in all the earth. Faith is the key to keeping God alive in our hearts thereby keeping Christ alive in our lives, actions, words, motives and attitudes that are witnessed by all around us.
I again say Faith, not carnal understanding! Faith gives us the hope of experiencing God in the very real sense that He meant us to as shown in Scripture. We must "walk by faith", we must "live by faith", we must "season every conversation with salt by faith", in the hope of seeing the evidence of faith being manifested in it's "promised substance".
Faith is the fundamental "necessity" of our Christian experience, some having forsaken and by so shipwrecking their potential as "witnesses" for Christ.
It's by faith we are saved, it is by faith we embrace the Sovereign Truth of His Word, it is by faith we lay hold of every precious promise of God to us ward in Christ Jesus. Remember that anything outside of faith is sin! Sin! That element of Christian service that robs us of our precious intimacy with our Father in Heaven. Sin, which causes us to loose excitement about Emanuel "God with us" because it blinds us from the Truth "which sets free", free indeed.
God's design for "His people" was to experience and walk in the "full measure" of His Salvation, (Jesus Christ). The full measure, not partial measure, the distinct fullness and power of the "Living God" so we can be seen as "set apart", a "holy priesthood", a "peculiar people", a representation of faith, hope, and power like no other people exhibited before. So let me set this in stone: faith is the doorway to the most unimaginable joy and excitement that one can experience in this life. The word Salvation is not just limited to "a ticket to the golden streets", a guarantee of a heavenly home, it is a promise to receiving "ALL" that the Scripture holds for the believer. It is obvious that those who do not give Scripture full place in their hearts by faith, will struggle with what they base their beliefs on and try to find some other way to secure Scriptures validity. We are the "living" proof that God's Word is True because of the change He made in our lives through Salvation in Jesus Christ. And this is an effortless manifestation on our part as we "by faith" follow His commands written in His Word. If you lack the followup that God has promised by faith then what you believe about Scripture is wrong! Scripture is not wrong, you are wrong, you have believed a lie and will go searching for some other way to validate scripture.
Note: Scripture needs no validation because it is Truth, Truth so powerful that it sets free. Free from the need of our help to prove it's True. Free from the need of our explanation. God said it and that should be enough. Needing to add more to prove it outside of "more Scripture" weaken's "Who" it is; the very deity of God. Paul said something like "in that our gospel did not come to you merely in words, but in power and in the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction", and "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power." Just speaking the Word of God by faith is all that is needed to bring God's power to witnesses. By saying this lets make it clear that the Word of God can be preached without faith even doubting that it will have any effect at all. This is why God set it's redeeming power with this Word: "my Word will not come back void until it has accomplished what I have sent it to do." (Paraphrased). How does this happen? When a preacher doesn't "wait on the Holy Spirit" for a "Word" for that time, instead he looks up someone else's sermon that sounds good. The Scriptures say "today is the day if you hear my voice harden not your hearts". Yesterdays messages were meant for yesterday, "today is the day" to hear His voice and speak the given Word to the people given for them that are present. We are to "walk by faith" today! We are to "season every conversation with salt" today! We are to "speak as though speaking the very Word of God" today! "Today is the day, "IF"you hear my voice". I find it very challenging that word "if". Do you think that the "all wise Father" knew the slim possibility that we would want to hear? Never a word so powerful as the way this "if" is used. Explains a lot doesn't it? Reveals a lot doesn't it? Says a lot, yes?
The deception and lie in many church's today is that half truths and incomplete Scriptures used in doctrines are a standard now in many cases. Why? Because as society has become more sensitive to being offended so has believers. Many believers today are contentious about what the Scriptures say about the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. They believe that they have received it as part and parcel with Salvation but argue about the proof that it has taken place. Like it or not there are proofs that you have received the baptism in the Holy Spirit: Tongues is one of them, prophesy is another, gifts of healing is another, being endued with "power from on high" is another, great boldness is another, and yes mighty rushing winds or tongues of fire have happened too. Whether you like it, accept it, believe it or not, your thoughts don't count here. Jesus said: “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you?" and this to His disciples! Are we looking in a mirror here? God's Word commands us but we debate as to whether or not we should do it. Sorry brothers and sisters. No I'm not! Wake up. If we claim Salvation through Christ then we have claimed the entire Word of God to be as True as the Salvation we claim. In fact the very Word which opens the door to our salvation is the same Word that became flesh for our Salvation. If we claim one, by nature we claim it all. God cannot be divided. He is whole, complete, True. If you are saved then you have already received every precious promise that God has for us in Christ all we have to do is embrace them. Doing so "glorify's our Father" and proves the power of His redemption. To not embrace and employ them is to embrace a "half truth" and makes us liars by our incomplete lives. To not preach these gifts is to rob believers of the God ordained power promised them. To not challenge their activity in the believers lives is to encourage lethargy over time and lack of excitement, even failure, in their walk/faith. For we "walk by faith" brings a looking/excitement for God manifesting His promises in our lives so that we will "ask for things above what we can think or imagine", knowing that God has the power and heart to answer those seemingly impossible prayers. We seem to forget that it was mentioned in the OT that God told "His people" that when the peoples of other lands see the great provisions that God has given them they will say: "who's god is like unto their God"? Nothing has changed. We are still his people and He is still God like no other only needing a chance to "manifest" that Truth. We either give or deny this longing for God to "call all men unto Himself. That's His purpose isn't it? "That none should perish" is His goal? If that be so lets "lay aside" all vain jangling and old wives tales along with weak or false doctrines of man, then once again pick up the "joy of our salvation" with the expectation of actually seeing God move in and through us that others will believe with hope also inspired by our faith.
Stick to the Word. Prove everything that is said to be Scripture by searching the Word itself. Don't let anyone deny you the experience, joy, and expectation that are promised you "with power" from the Scriptures.
These are evil days, but rejoice that Jesus has already given us the victory if we walk by faith. Only by faith can these be the best time to live in.
"Redeem the time for the days are evil!"
Love
J&E
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