My Writings. My Thoughts.
The Cup
// April 6th, 2012 // No Comments » // Posts
“My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26:39)
The cup that caused Jesus so much anguish was knowing that for the very first time in all of eternity, Jesus would endure complete separation and abandonment from The Father as “He who knew no sin became sin for us” when in a few hours he would cry out from the cross “my God, my God, why have you forsaken me!”
Jesus allowed himself to suffer this excruciating abandonment so that after his resurrection he could ensure that anyone who puts their faith in him would never know that spiritual separation and abandonment again.
His promise “I will never leave you nor forsake you” is anchored forever in his drinking that awful cup for us.
Bibliography
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Holy Bible: The New King James Version: Containing the Old and New Testaments. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.
no plan b
// March 28th, 2012 // No Comments » // Posts
Jeremiah 29:11 ‘For I know what I have planned for you,’ says the Lord.19 ‘I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you20 a future filled with hope. 12 When you call out to me and come to me in prayer, I will hear your prayers. 13 When you seek me in prayer and worship, you will find me available to you. If you seek me with all your heart and soul, 14 I will make myself available to you,’ says the Lord. ‘Then I will reverse your plight and… I will bring you back to the place from which I exiled you.’1
God has a plan for your life. There is no plan b. Are you suffering physically or financially because he has had to lock you down in a time out because you have not obeyed something he has told you to do? Examine yourself to see whether you are in the faith. What was the last thing he told you to do? Ask the Lord if you have failed to be obedient and how, then confess your disobedience, repent and go do what he has said. The sooner you do, the sooner he can resume his plan for your life. There is no plan b, and he will not change his plan around your disobedience. See Jonah.
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1 The NET Bible / New English Translation (NT, 1998; First Beta Edition, 2001; Second Beta Edition, 2003; First Edition, 2005) Web. 28 Mar. 2012. <http://bible.org/netbible/>.
Called by Name
// January 29th, 2012 // No Comments » // Posts
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you: I have called you by name; you are Mine!” Isaiah 43:1
My earliest memory of God was when I was about 5 years old. My father was in the Air Force, and my family and I lived in base housing (a three bedroom house provided for Air Force families) in San Bernardino, California.
The day I heard the call, my mom was outside watering her rose bushes, and my dad was at work on at the Air Force base.
I was in the house heading for my bedroom when I heard a voice call out to me (not loudly) “Dane.” As soon as I heard it I stopped, turned around expecting to see my mom or dad, and answered “yes.”
There was no one there.
But the voice was right next to me, and it was so familiar I definitely knew it had to be either my mom or dad.
I turned around and continued toward my bedroom. Again I heard “Dane. (pause) Dane.” I turned around again and said “Mom, dad, did you call me?”
No one answered.
I ran to the front door, outside and around the house to where my mom was and asked her if she was calling me. She said no and told me to go back and play. Then I asked her if dad called me, and told her what had happened. She said no one called for me, and again told me to go play.
I did as I was told, and went back to whatever it was I was doing. But the memory of that day was etched into my mind.
Years later, after I had walked away from following Jesus Christ and then repented at my dad’s deathbed, I was reading through I Samuel. When I read chapter 3, the memory of that moment was suddenly at the forefront of my mind, and I knew for sure exactly who it was that had called me that day.
Joh 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
Detour
// January 23rd, 2012 // No Comments » // Posts
In 1998, I was working as a Market Training Manager for Circuit City. My responsibilities included organizing and facilitating most of the training for 31 stores in Northern California. The training department was gearing up for the holiday selling season & was about to announce the introduction of DIVX.
My manager, who worked out of New Jersey, had arranged for all the trainers from California, Arizona, and the Northeast get together for a week’s stay at a cabin in New Jersey that belonged to a friend of hers. While there, we worked on the training agenda for the upcoming holiday selling season and the roll out of a new product designed by Circuit City called DIVX.
At the end of the week we visited a few stores and then all headed home. The company had paid for my round trip flight from Oakland to JFK airport and back, as well as a rental car. A coworker and I had flights at about the same time, so I dropped her off at JFK airport, returned the rental car, and boarded my flight.
I had been up about 18 hours when I boarded my flight, which was scheduled to have a short layover in Dallas / Ft. Worth, so I took a nap. When I awoke, the flight attendant was announcing “Thank you for flying American Airlines now arriving at Dallas/Ft. Worth. If you will be continuing on to Oakland and want to exit the plane, please remember to take your boarding pass.” She then proceeded to call out the gates for other connecting flights. I double checked my ticket to make sure I didn’t have to change planes, then went back to sleep.
About 35 minutes later, I awoke to passengers getting on the plane so I straightened up, checked my seatbelt, and prepared for takeoff. I noticed that the flight crew had changed, and while people were boarding, two women had entered the front of the plane complaining and frantically checking the overhead luggage bins for their bags. When they found them, one of the women mumbled a curse about the airlines and got off the plane.
Once all the passengers had boarded, the flight attendant announced that takeoff would be delayed another 15 minutes because the Captain hadn’t yet arrived. He was flying in from Rochester, and storms had delayed their arrival.
Finally the Captain arrived and we taxied out onto the runway. I was really tired, and glad to be getting home to my family. Just before takeoff, the flight attendant announced “Thank you for flying American Airlines, now departing for Denver, Colorado..”
What?! I thought, DENVER COLORADO?, This plane is supposed to be going to Oakland California… what’s going on?!
In a panic, I jumped up and quickly headed to the back of the plane towards the two flight attendants seated for takeoff. One of the flight attendants immediately told me to be seated and buckle in, that we were about to takeoff. I sat down next to here, buckled in and explained that something was wrong. My ticket said this flight was supposed to be going on to Oakland, not Denver. She didn’t know what I was talking about, but said she would find out as soon as we were airborne.
My mind was racing. What was going on. I was sure I was on the right plane. My ticket said so. When we landed the flight attendant said so. At that moment I heard the LORD say in a quiet voice, “Are you going to freak out, or are you going to trust me?” I thought, “Oh, uh, I guess I’m going to trust you LORD.” Immediately a supernatural calm came over me and I relaxed. Then I began to laugh. Cool! What does the LORD have planned?
After we got airborne, I took out my ticket and showed the flight attendant. She looked puzzled and said that according to the ticket, I was on the right plane but we were definitely going to Denver, not Oakland. I let her know that I didn’t have any money for another ticket, or hotel, car, etc. She reassured me that she would find out what happened and the airline would take care of it.
After making a call to the Captain, she asked if I wanted to call anyone to let them know what was happening. I told her I needed to call my wife (who really didn’t like when I was gone out of town for long periods of time). She gave me her personal credit card and I made the call. I was amazed at my wife’s reaction when I told her that the LORD was taking me on a detour to Denver Colorado and I wasn’t sure why yet. She simply said “Okay. Let me know when you’re on your way home so I can pick you up from the airport.” I seriously thought “Who was that on the phone?” The LORD reminded me He was in complete control.
I relaxed and enjoyed the flight, quietly rejoicing, wondering what was going to happen.
As we made our final descent into Denver, the flight attendant made the announcement “Thank you for flying American Airlines, now arriving at Denver International Airport…” At that moment, an older petite woman stood up in the middle of the aircraft and made her way back to where I and the flight attendants were seated. Puzzled, she asked in broken English with a thick accent “Why are we Denver Colorado?” The other of the two flight attendants (who by the way was very short with me the entire flight) proceeded to say something to the effect “Oh brother, we have another one. Didn’t you people hear the announcement before we took off?” She had known what was going on the whole time and didn’t tell us or the other flight attendant!
It turns out that because of the delays due to the storms at other airports, our flight had been moved to another plane – that’s the reason the lady was so upset looking for her carry on bag at the beginning of the flight. I hadn’t heard the second announcement after we had landed because I was asleep, and this woman barely understood English and had missed it too!
The nice flight attendant asked where the woman was from (because of her accent) and she said she was from Israel I laughed out loud and knew immediately why the LORD had me on that flight! He had me there to help her!
They made her sit down and buckle in until we landed. When we got off the plane we were supposed to have been met by a supervisor, who was going to get us accommodations and a flight out to Oakland the following day (we arrived at 10:30 pm and there were no more flights out that night.)
The supervisor took us to her office and made arrangements for a flight out the next morning on another airline, got us transportation to a hotel and proceeded to find us rooms at a local hotel. As she began to call the hotels, every single one in the greater Denver area was booked. I laughed and told her it would be the last one on the list. She looked at me, perturbed, and continued to call. When she got to the last hotel on her list (of about 20+ hotels), it was the only one that had rooms and it was about 30 minutes from the airport!
As we left the airport, the older lady proceeded to give me a piece of paper and was trying to ask to call the number on the paper. When I looked at it, I was awestruck again. It had writing in Russian on it. I immediately asked her where she was from again. She said Tel Aviv. I asked her “Where were you born.” She said Russia!
Here I was standing in front of a woman who was a fulfillment of God’s promise to Israel! He promised that He would gather Israel from the nations to which He dispersed them and bring them back into His land in the last days!
My mind raced.
I traveled on a missions trip to St. Petersburg, Russia in 1996 and learned a few sayings in Russian. So I looked at her and said “Хвалите Бога” which means “Praise God!” She raised her hands in the air and said “Хвалите Бога.”
I laughed outloud with joy! Then I said “Хвалите Господа” which means “Praise the Lord!” Then I said “Иисус является спасение” which means “Jesus is Salvation!”
I paused for her reaction.
She said “Well, maybe.”
I wanted to shout praises! Ha Ha!
The next day she got on her flight to Oakland to visit her friend and was gone.
I took a later flight home. The following day I called my boss and told her the whole story. After listening quietly, her only words were “Wow.” Then she hung up.
Glory to God in the Highest. He is so wonderful and I thank Him immensely for the privilege of being allowed to participate in the things He does.
Jer 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Eph 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Short Essay on Satanology
// January 19th, 2012 // No Comments » // Posts
Most people today commonly accept the concept of good vs. evil. This concept is known as Ethical Dualism, and is accredited to an ancient Persian religion called Zoroastrianism. Unfortunately the idea of two equal opposing forces locked in an eternal struggle for supremacy has been misapplied to Christianity, in the concept of God vs. Satan.
The Bible teaches that God is supreme. In Isaiah 44:6, God states that He is the first and the last, and besides Him there is no God. Again in Isaiah 45:5 God states: “I am the LORD, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me.” Beginning in Genesis, God is called “God Most High.” He is “the Creator of heaven and earth, and all that are in them.” God is supreme and the Creator of all things, Satan, His created being, cannot be His equal in person or opposition.
The Bible also teaches that Satan is a created angel, and inferior to God. According to Isaiah 14:12-17 and Ezekiel 28:12-15 we learn that Satan, originally named Lucifer or “Bearer of Light” was created by God as an anointed angel in the order of the cherubim, a special group of angels attached to the throne of God who guard the holiness of God. We read that Satan was “the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.” And according to the Genesis account of creation, everything that God created, including Satan, was originally good.
So how did Satan become evil if he wasn’t created evil? The answer is found in the following verses: “You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you… for you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God… I will be like the Most High God.’” It impossible for God, who is Holy and good, and in whom there is no evil or shadow of turning, to create evil. Therefore it is reasonable to conclude that Satan, who was originally created by God as good, corrupted himself and become evil through his own choice in turning inward, away from God.
There are some who object to the verses found in Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 as not referring to Satan, but only to the King of Babylon and the King of Tyre. This limited interpretation of the text does not account for the following statements. First, in Isaiah 14:12, God states that the person He is speaking of is Lucifer, and that he is fallen from heaven. It doesn’t make sense for God to make that statement about the King of Babylon, whose name was not Lucifer, and who had never been in heaven. Second, in Ezekiel 28:13, God states that the person He is speaking of was in Eden, was covered with every precious stone, and was the anointed cherub who covers, on the Holy mountain of God. Since it is impossible for God to lie, the person he is speaking of cannot simply be a human king, but the principality behind that king, Satan himself.
What I find encouraging in all this is that while Satan is a powerful and very cunning adversary to mankind, God is far superior to Satan in power, wisdom, and presence. Satan is a created being who has limited power, limited resources, limited knowledge, and can only be in one place at a time. In fact, we discover when reading the book of Job, that God has complete authority over Satan’s actions, and that Satan can’t do anything without God’s sovereign permission. So by faith in Jesus Christ, obedience to God and His Word, and by the indwelling Holy Spirit, Christians have ultimate victory over Satan and his followers.
Finally, based on what the Bible teaches about God’s supremacy and Satan’s inferiority, the idea of Ethical Dualism cannot apply to Biblical Christianity. God is and always has been the victor, and Satan’s futile attempts to overthrow God will be silenced once and for all when he, by the power of the victorious Lamb of God, Jesus Christ will be cast into the lake of fire along with all his companions and followers, never to be seen or heard from again.
Bibliography
Elwell, Walter A., Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House Company, 2001.
The Holy Bible, New King James Version. Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1982.
Towns, Elmer L., Theology for Today. Mason, Ohio: Cengage Learning, 2008.
Joyful Giving
// January 14th, 2012 // No Comments » // Posts
In 1999 I was driving home from a business trip in Sacramento California. While I was driving, I was listening to a Bible study on a local radio station.
The topic was “Joyful giving.” The Pastor giving the study commented that when we give, God looks at the condition of our heart. Whatever we give, whether it’s our time, money, effort, or help, He desires for us to enjoy giving with the right attitude. God doesn’t want us to do things or to give with a bad attitude.
The word the Pastor kept using was “hilarious,” be a “hilarious” giver. I confessed to the LORD that I really didn’t understand what that meant. A few minutes later I realized I was hungry and decided to get off the highway and stop at Burger King.
As I pulled through the drive through and ordered, the LORD spoke to me. He told me to pay for the person behind me in the drive-thru. My heart started racing, and I was suddenly gripped with fear. “What, that’s crazy.” “What’s the guy gonna think?” “What’s the person in the drive-thru gonna think?”
“Who cares? Just do it and see what happens.”
So I did. When I got to the window to pay, I asked the clerk how much it was for the car behind me. The drive-thru clerk got a really puzzled look on her face and said “What??” Again I nervously asked how much it was for the person behind me and explained that I wanted to pay for their food.
She told me how much it was and I paid for both and gave her a Bible tract to give to the guy behind me. I got my food and left as quickly as possible. Without looking back, I quickly got back on the highway going home. After a few minutes I settled down, and it hit me what just happened. I began to laugh out loud. “That was awesome. I wonder what happened when that guy got to the window and found out that his food was already paid for!” “What’s he gonna do, refuse it? No way!”
It was hilarious. A random act of kindness for someone else when they least expected it. For a total stranger! Ha ha!
It’s what Jesus does for people all the time.
To this day, at random when I go through a drive-thru to get something to eat, the LORD will remind me of that day, I’ll laugh and buy the food for the car behind me (sometimes 2 or 3 if I have the money), leave a few Bible tracts, and leave without fanfare.
How has the LORD taught you about being a joyful giver?
Out With The Old In With The New
// January 3rd, 2012 // No Comments » // Posts
Our Sin nature (being born spiritually disconnected from God and in rebellion to Him and predisposed to disobey) is passed on from Adam through every male to all humankind. According to God’s Word it’s because Adam was not deceived when he consciously disobeyed God’s 1st command not to eat the fruit of the knowledge of good & evil as Eve was. That act brought the curse of rebellion & death on all mankind and put us all at enmity with God.
Since there can’t be any human being without a father’s DNA, all humans from Adam on are born with this nature, except for Jesus who was formed in Mary’s womb by the Holy Spirit, making Him a human man without our Sin nature. That did not mean that He couldn’t sin though. Like Adam before he chose to disobey, Jesus could freely choose to obey or disobey, and He chose to always obey the Father even to the point of death on the cross as a willing sacrifice, hence He was sinless by choice. Through that sinless death He was able to do what Adam should have done for Eve, but didn’t.
When Jesus willingly sacrificed Himself, he fulfilled the law of God’s just nature and not only freed all of us from our Sin nature, he also overcame death in order for us all, through faith in Him, to be able to receive both His righteousness and His eternal life. These are imparted to each person when they repent of their rebellion against God and accept Jesus Christ and are born of God’s Holy Spirit, giving us a new nature – God’s Holy nature, so we are now able to choose day by day to be obedient like Jesus, or disobedient like Adam.
Harvest Crusade 2011
// August 9th, 2011 // No Comments » // Posts
Know someone that doesn’t know the LORD Jesus Christ? Invite them to watch Greg Laurie’s Harvest Crusade live. Right here or at http://harvest.org on August 12-14th
Jesus the God|Man
// May 2nd, 2011 // No Comments » // Posts
While there are some that believe that Jesus was a great teacher, a good man, and even a prophet of God, to deny that Jesus is God is in direction opposition to what the Bible teaches. It is also in direct opposition to what the Lord Jesus Christ claimed about himself, and proved through his actions during his earthly ministry, his death, and his resurrection. If Jesus was just a man and not God, as some would argue, then he would not have the power to save sinners from the just judgment of God, and there would be no hope for salvation for anyone.
To understand the biblical basis for Jesus humanity and deity, we must first understand that the Bible itself is the inspired Word of God, inerrant, and authoritative in what it proclaims. In 2 Timothy 3:16 it is written “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God,” which means that God breathed His Holy Spirit into the words of the Bible, making it living and active. He also inspired who would write it, incorporating even their personalities and writing style, including the punctuation used. Since God is ultimately the author of the bible and it is impossible for Him to lie, the things that the Bible teaches us about Jesus are absolutely true, without error, and worthy for us to accept and put our faith in for our salvation, and for a right relationship with God.
The Bible teaches us that Jesus was 100 percent God and 100 percent man at the same time. In Christianity, we refer to this as Jesus being the God-man. Concerning his humanity, Jesus often referred to himself as the Son of Man. He was not only fully human, but also the Jewish Messiah, and the second Adam, representing human race before God. As a man he was subject to temptation, weakness, pain and suffering, and was limited to being in one place at a time. However, Jesus was not any ordinary man. According to the Gospel of John chapter 1, Jesus was God who became flesh and dwelt among us. In order for Him to be able to redeem us from the just penalty of our sin, he had to be sinless. According to Hebrews 4:15, Jesus can relate to our weakness and give us victory over temptation because “he was tempted in every way that we are, yet without sin.” By subjecting himself completely to the will of God the Father in humility, the man Christ Jesus demonstrated to us the perfect example of what a person should be when governed by the Holy Spirit of God.
Concerning his deity, the Bible teaches that Jesus is the Son of God, fully equal in nature with his Father. Jesus’ deity was proclaimed by Jesus himself in the seven “I am” statements referred to in John’s gospel, and in his claim to pre-existence to the Jews when he said “before Abraham was, I am.” Jesus’ deity is proven through the testimony of God himself when He stated: “You are my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased,” and through the very works that Jesus did. As God, Jesus had the authority to forgive sin, which he demonstrated in the life of the woman caught in adultery, the paralytic man, and the woman at the well. Jesus had power over his creation, which demonstrated by calming the storm on the lake and walking on water. Jesus had power over illness, which he demonstrated by giving sight to the blind, giving hearing to the deaf, making the lame walk again, and healing incurable leprosy. As God, demons were completely subject to his authority. And finally, Jesus had power over death, which he demonstrated by raising Jairus’ daughter, the widow’s son, Lazarus, and even himself from the dead.
Jesus stated that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever would believe on him would not perish but have everlasting life.” For this salvation to be possible, and available to every human being, Jesus had to be both God and man. God’s holy and just nature demands perfect obedience in order to maintain a right relationship with Him. Any disobedience requires just judgment and atonement. If we as sinners try to atone for our own disobedience, the result is eternal separation from God in eternal punishment. Therefore, our only hope for salvation is for a perfect and sinless human being to be our substitute and suffer the penalty of death on our behalf. Since every human being is a descendant of Adam and born a sinner, our only hope for salvation is for God himself to become a sinless human being and as a prefect representative for the entire human race, suffer and die as our substitute in order to pay the price once and for all for our disobedience to God. That is exactly what Jesus did, and the reason that each person who puts and keeps their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ has the assurance from God that their sins are forgiven, their relationship with Him is restored, and their salvation is complete.
Bibliography
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Elwell, Walter A. Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House Company, 2001.
The Holy Bible, New King James Version. Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1982
Towns, Elmer L. Theology for Today. Mason, Ohio: Cengage Learning, 2008
Pneumatology: The Gifts of the Spirit
// April 13th, 2011 // No Comments » // Posts
When God works through man to accomplish His will, He adheres to a consistent principle which is recorded for us by the prophet Zechariah as spoken to Zerubbabel, when God commissioned him to complete the seemingly impossible task of rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. That principle is: “not by power, nor by might, but by my Spirit, ‘says the LORD of hosts.’”
Christ Jesus our Lord is the perfect example of this principle, and the perfect pattern for us to follow. Jesus, being completely God chose to veil his glory, and limit himself as a man. As a man, he submitted himself to the leading of the Holy Spirit to accomplish God the Father’s will. This is recorded for us at his baptism. Upon coming up out of the water, the Holy Spirit descended upon him and remained with him. He was then led by the Spirit to be tested. Having overcome every temptation by Satan, he returned in the power of the Holy Spirit to do the work that God the Father had prepared for him to do. Nearing the conclusion of his earthly ministry, he prepared his disciples for his bodily departure, and commissioned them to continue the work of preaching the gospel, making disciples, and instructing and strengthening all those who would come to faith in him until his bodily return.
Jesus instructed his disciples on how this would be accomplished, as recorded in the Gospel of John chapter 14 and Acts chapter 1. “I will pray the Father, and He will give you another helper, that he may abide with you forever – the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; but you know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you…you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses of me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” He also promised: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to my Father.”
In these statements, Jesus outlines the work of the Holy Spirit. First, the Holy Spirit “dwells with” people, convicting us of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). Second, when a person repents and believes on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, the Holy Spirit comes “in” a person, and seals them as a guarantee of their inheritance. Jesus referred to this as being “born again” and “born of the Spirit.” When the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in a person, he imparts spiritual gifts to them in order for the person to accomplish what God has prepared for them to do as part of His ongoing work of redemption and restoration in the lives of people. The Holy Spirit also begins to produce fruit in the person’s life, the greatest of which is God’s love. Finally, the Holy Spirit comes “upon” a person, empowering them to be a witness of Christ Jesus. This is sometimes called the “Baptism of the Holy Spirit.” The Scriptures also refer to this as being “filled” with the Holy Spirit. While some people think that this is a one-time occurrence, the Bible teaches us in Acts 2:4, Acts 4:8, Acts 4:31, Acts 9:17, Acts 13:9, Acts 13:52, and Ephesians 5:18 that this is something that can occur multiple times, and that should be ongoing.
In 1 Corinthians 12 we learn that there are many members within the body of Christ, and although we have the same Holy Spirit, God has chosen to distribute various gifts, ministries, and activities to each person according to His will. One of the more controversial gifts is the gift of speaking in tongues. According to 1 Corinthians 13:1 there are tongues of men and tongues of angels. On the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples, they “spoke with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.” This exercise of the gift of tongues seems to be the tongues of men, since we further read that the Jews that were gathered in Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost were “from every nation under heaven,” and they heard the disciples speak “everyone in their own language.” We see this again when Peter preaches the gospel to the Gentile Cornelius and his household. Unfortunately, the gift of speaking in tongues has become controversial because rather than being properly exercised as a “sign to unbelievers,” some have put undue emphasis on it, and use it to cause division rather than edification within the church. However, Paul, in writing the letter to the Corinthians and instructing them on these things imparts godly wisdom concerning the spiritual gifts. He exhorts believers to “pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.” Paul puts the emphasis on love, and the speaking of God’s Word, rather than on speaking in tongues. His argument is that love and prophesying edify, exhort, and comfort others as well as the church. Speaking in tongues only edifies the person speaking, and can even cause problems when not exercised properly within the church.
Finally, concerning the question of whether some of the gifts of the Holy Spirit have ceased, I suggest the answer is no for three reasons. First, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and what the Holy Spirit inspired the writers of the New Testament to write for the instruction of the church is as valid today as it was during the early church. Second, I myself have seen the proper exercise of many of the gifts of the Holy Spirit among believers in Bible teaching churches, including the gift of tongues and interpretation, the gift of healing, the discerning of spirits, and especially the gift of prophesying (both forth telling of God’s Word, and foretelling of future events.) And finally, until the church is called up into heaven to be with the Lord Jesus Christ prior to His bodily return to establish His kingdom on earth, the Holy Spirit will continue to work in the lives of every believer through the distribution of spiritual gifts, ministries, and activities “till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”
Bibliography
———–
Elwell, Walter A., Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House Company, 2001.
Smith, Chuck, Living Water. Santa Ana, CA: The Word for Today, 1996, 2001, 2007.
The Holy Bible, New King James Version. Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1982.
Towns, Elmer L., Theology for Today. Mason, Ohio: Cengage Learning, 2008.
