Why You MUST be Born Again

"Are you a 'Born Again' Christian?" I remember when somebody asked me that question. I thought it was so weird. I mean, am I a born again Christian as opposed to what? Is there a difference between "Born Again" Christians and everyone else? According to Jesus Christ, if you are not born again, you are not a Christian.

Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.

                                               -John 3:3

Except a man be born of water and spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.

                                              -John 3:5

You should not be surprised by my statement; "you must be born again".

                                              -John 3:7

The New Testament authors also testified of the necessity of rebirth.

Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation. The old life has gone, and a new life has begun.

                             -2 Corinthians 5:17

This aside, there is a major theological reason why we "must be born again". We cannot receive God's salvation as we are because we are still sons of Adam. As children of Adam, we carry within us the curse and it's results. We have been cut off from God because of our sin, and alienated from Him due to our corrupt nature.

Even if we were to simply have our sins pardoned we still could not be redeemed.  In order to be granted salvation we needed a new nature and a new spiritual identity. In order to be redeemed our life as a son of Adam must end and our life as a son of God must begin. Children of Adam cannot inherit the Kingdom because Adam is the father of death. Only Children of God can inherit the Kingdom because He is the Father of life.

That was the purpose of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. If our sinful behavior was the only problem, God could have stopped with the death of Christ. In His death, the judgement and wrath of God for our transgressions was satisfied. Our debt was paid. He rose from the grave because not only did we need to be pardoned of our sins, we need a new life, a new heart. That is why Christ said, "you must be born again".

You Don't HAVE to Be Holy, You GET to Be Holy

I can't narrow down a date in history, but at some point, holiness became a bad word in the church. Somewhere along the line, encouraging people to live right before the Lord became a judgmental discipleship method. In the 21st century, preaching against sin, and exhorting people to turn away from a sinful lifestyle and abstain from immortality is seen as counterproductive and sending the wrong message. For some reason, we have adopted the mentality that not contaminating ourselves with the world, and living as a separate people is a self righteous world view.

If that wasn't bad enough, we question God's moral standard for our lives. Every time a minister encourages believers to stop living in a way that displeases God, someone responds, "But why?" Whenever people hear the Bible condemn behaviors and lifestyles that are pretty much normal and accepted today, they ask, "Should we still believe this?" or "Do I really have to obey the Bible like that?" Who do these people think they are? I don't know what makes people, especially Christians, think that they can question God Almighty! Who are we to say, "You know God, I'm not so sure that's appropriate anymore. That's just not how I feel about that". Who are we? How arrogant we have become!

Why did this happen? What in the world makes us think that this is an acceptable view of the Christian life? Don't get me wrong, I am all about grace. As long as the Lord lends me breath I will proclaim the message that we are not made right with God by religion or what we do or don't do, but solely by our faith in the finished work of the cross. We are not righteous before God by our own efforts, but because God declares us righteous based on our faith in His Son Jesus. Romans chapter 4 actually says that when we put our faith in Christ, God "credits" our faith as righteousness.

But that's the point! Holiness is not something we strive for, it is something we get to be! It is a gift from God. If holiness was something we had to work for, I could understand how it would be burdensome. It would be an obligation. But it's not. It is a life that we have the privilege to live. God by His grace has made us His chosen people. How cool is it that we get to live like that?

We need a return to holiness. Not only do we need to preach holiness we need to live and practice it. In Romans 12 Paul writes, "Be not conformed to this world..." We should not compromise the Word by aligning ourselves with the world's moral standard. We are not meant to fit in with society. We are a chosen people. Called out to live separate as a holy nation.

We should not shy away from this kind of rhetoric. It is not due to our own efforts or godliness. It is not through our discipline that we are a holy people. It is by the grace of God! We have been given the righteousness of Christ through faith. God has adopted us into His royal family. We are now co heirs of the Kingdom with Christ. We should take pride in the fact that we get to live differently than everyone else. We should take pride in the fact that because Christ has saved and liberated us from sin, we get to abstain from it. We don't have to be holy, we get to be holy!

Christians Belong on the Wrong Side of History

What do you do when you're on the wrong side of history? Has anyone ever thought to ask, who gets to decide which side is the "right" side? There seems to be a trend in society. If you take a biblical worldview on social issues such as gay marriage and abortion, you're on the wrong side of history. In this article I am not going to try and make the argument that we are not on the wrong side of history. I am simply going to ask the question, so what if we are?

What if thirty years from now, children are being taught in schools that we were the bad guys, that we were the ones in the wrong? Should that possibility cause us to reexamine our convictions. I want to challenge you to answer with an affirmative, "no!" I want to challenge you to stand your ground and defend the faith, but I also want to warn you, that you most likely will be on the wrong side of history.... Are you ready for that?

I can't put a date on the calendar, but somewhere in the course of Christian history in America, we adopted the belief that everybody should like us. That pretty much everyone should have a high opinion of Christians. We took on a mentality that if society ever started despising us and ever started treating us with contempt, we messed up somewhere along the way.

I have no clue where we got that crazy idea from when in fact, Jesus taught us that it should be the exact opposite! Over and over in the Gospels Jesus tells His followers that they would be persecuted, mistreated, taken advantage of, slandered, lied about, etc. In the Gospel of John, He even warns us that the world will hate us. In other places in the New Testament we are warned that persecution and being very unpopular come with the title, "Christian". Persecution is a way of life for the believer.

So is it any wonder that we are now, even in "Christian" America, even in the "Bible Belt" we are called hateful, bigots, intolerant, and "on the wrong side of history"? It comes with the territory brethren. We keep hoping that one day, our name will be cleared. That one day, many years from now, history will set the record straight and show that we were right all along and society was out of step.

People of God let me tell you, that day will not come so quit holding your breath. If you take stand for a biblical worldview on social issues, this world system will describe you in history as one of the bad guys, like the politicians in the 60's who thought they were doing the right thing by opposing the ending of segregation.

THAT'S what you will be compared to in the history books. Are you ready for that? Are you ready to be "on the wrong side of history"? Let me assure you, if you want to follow Jesus, you will be. He warned those who wanted to follow Him by saying, "Count the cost". We should do the same. It seems, more often than not on social issues, Christians belong on the wrong side of history.

Casting Out Demons: Stages of Possession

Contrary to what the movies tell us, possession doesn't happen in this sudden dramatic instantaneous event to an unsuspecting victim. People are possessed by demons slowly and gradually a little bit at a time. It happens to people bit by bit, piece by piece until overtime they give Satan complete control over their lives. It starts off as something simple, ordinary and common to everyone. Then it spirals downward from there. Let's go over the seven stages of demonic possession.

Regression

Regression is when an individual begins to "back slide". They regress or fall back into old behaviors. Even if they are not Christians, they can still regress into a more sinful lifestyle. The devil does this to distract them from any spiritual progress they may have made. The signs to look for will be an acceptance or tolerance sin, and a lifestyle of said sin. When a Christian who formally took a stand against profanity, drunkenness, sexual immorality, etc now doesn't find these behaviors so distasteful, it's a red flag. When they shrug their shoulders or wink their eye at something they would have condemned, they need a caring brother or sister in Christ to pull them a side and have a talk. Something is happening in their spiritual life, and it most likely id regression caused by evil spirits. Likewise when someone starts falling back into old patterns of the flesh, red flags should go up.

Repression

After slipping back into their old ways, the next step toward possession is repressing everything that testifies to their new life in Christ. Where as regression is moving toward sin, repression is moving away from a relationship with Christ. One of the first things that begin to go away is their devotional life. Before they may have spent time regularly with God in His word and in prayer. Now, that has slowly disappeared over time. I can attest to this in my own life. My spiritual maturity and my closeness with God has always been proportional to the depth and regularity of my devotional life. When my devotional life was strong so was my spiritual walk. When I let that area of my life slip, my spirituality reflects that neglect. So it with a person under demonic influence. After the devotional life is repressed of course the next piece to be chipped off is their involvement in the local church. Not only regular church attendance, but involvement in the life of the local church is essential for personal growth. The Christian walk was never meant to be a solo walk.

Suppression

This is the last step of possession while simply under Demonic Influence. Remember this is not possession. The person is not under demonic control. Neither are they oppressed in such a way that they are being driven to further spiritual instability. Their thoughts and behavior are simply being influenced by demonic forces. Think of it like suggestion. During the suppression stage, the demon begins to assert control. During repression, the victim is choosing to neglect and suppress Christ in their life. When they reach suppression, the life of Christ is literally being suppressed in them. They stop talking about Jesus and His gospel. You will stop hearing the name of Jesus on their lips. Instead of saying Christ, or Lord, they will simply say, God or "The Man Upstairs". This is very dangerous stage. This is the turning point. IF the person in suppression isn't rescued, they are almost at the point on no return.

Depression

When someone reaches the depression stage, they are almost beyond reach. They are overcome with hopelessness. Most people can't even even pray at this point. They can no longer see who they are in Christ. This could also be called the deception stage because it is a stage where the victim is so vulnerable that they will believe any lie from the devil. Satan can tell them that they are weak, useless, unworthy, unlovable, dumb, etc and they will believe it. In fact, it is the lies that cause the depression!

People don't just enter into this stage under depression, they are under suppression. When Christ is completely suppressed in a person's life, the truth is suppressed. When the truth is suppressed, the devils lies can take root. If your life is defined by thoughts such as, "I'm unlovable, I'm unworthy, I'm a failure, etc" you need to do a self inventory. Those are Satan's lies bombarding your spirit, and it may be that the truth has been suppressed and the devil sees it as an opportunity to sow the seeds of depression. It is really important to immediately intervene in this person's life.

Oppression

This is the point of no return. Once a victim of demonic attack reaches this stage, they are so overwhelmed, a simple counseling or prayer session will not work. In the previous stages you don't need to cast any demons. At this stage however, you will need to take authority over the demons and cast them out. The lies that Satan have sowed into the victim have begun to chart a new course for the victim. It's as though they go from seeing themselves as worthless, unlovable, a failure, etc to now living a lifestyle that demonstrates that belief.

Obsession

This is the last and final stage before full blown demonic possession. Depression, the victim embraces the lies of Satan, in oppression, they start living the lies of Satan, in obsession they are a snow ball. The person they once were is completely gone at this point. What is left is this new person with an identity based on the lies they began to accept all the way back in the depression stage.

Possession

This is where Satan has completely taken control. You see, obsession is a bad stage. That's when good people turn bad. It's when the man you know who once was a good man, turns over a new leaf. Possession is when that downward spirals to the extreme where demons are controlling the victim. Their goal? To completely ruin the victim. To leave them broken beyond repair physically, mentally, and spiritually. If the victim is left in this stage too long, that will be the result.

It's a process. Possession happens when people slowly and gradually give Satan influence over their lives bit by bit, piece by piece. Jesus commands us to help such people. He said in Luke chapter 10, "I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy." Authority over how much of the enemies power? ALL! As Christians, we have the authority to take control of demons, bind up their power, and cast them out of people's lives. Lets help our brother or sister that is sliding down this slow destructive path.

Casting Out Demons: Types of Demons and the Entry Ways

Some have taught that you can't cast out a demon if you don't know it's name. I don't know how much of that is true, but I do think it is important to know the different types of demons, how they operate, and how they enter our lives. Quite honestly, we let them in slowly and subtly by letting our guard down. Very rarely is there a full on instantaneous possession like the movies. Its a process by which we give up control a little bit over a period of time. Now, there is a difference between the types of demons and demon hierarchy. In this post we will mainly focus on the types.

Jealousy

The spirit of jealousy is a spirit that brings with it anger, rage, and hatred. This demon like many others grows like cancer. It starts with simple jealousy. Innocent, just a little envy. That's the door, the entryway. It is not necessarily evil or demonic, but it is a cracked door that if not shut, can let in a lot of evil.

A person with this demon will always talk about other people in a negative way. They make every effort to point out how the success of others will eventually lead to failure. Depending on how they let this demon influence their lives, simple jealousy will lead to anger, hate, and rage. If left unaddressed, this evil will consume the individuals life, typically leading to a tragic end. Murder is often a result of this demon

Lying

The lying demon, like all demons begins as a small deviation in behavior, which serves as an open door for our lives. People say once you tell one lie, you have make up other lies to cover up that lie, and so on. Lying will become a way of life. Being fake, hypocritical, and manipulative is a sign that this demon has been given significant influence in a persons life.

Familiarity

This demon should be obvious. It is brought in through dabbling in the occult, astrology, horoscopes, tarot cards, oiji boards, etc. Getting involved with these types of activities is dangerous and the quickest route to full blown demonic possession.

Perversion

This demon distorts the truth. When people start looking for ways to excuse their behavior or beliefs, that's an entryway. Compromise is also a sign of this demon. People with this demon will always be trying to twist morals, standards, right and wrong, etc. They are the ones always asking why the Bible speaks against a certain behavior as though look for a way around God's standard. This spirit also brings with it lust, adultery, pornography, and all other forms of sexual immorality.

Heaviness

The spirit of heaviness, is a demon of burden. It is a demon of hopelessness, rejection, and gluttony. People give this demon influence over their lives when they allow themselves to be a victim of their circumstances. Once again, not a big deal, but it is an entryway by which the devil can get a foot hold.

Whoredom

Contrary to what it's name implies, this demon doesn't mean sexually immoral. It is a demon that causes people to feel such an emptiness, such a missing piece of their lives, that they will try everything to fill the void. It starts out as simply looking for a way to fill the void, then downward spirals until the person is living every destructive lifestyle imaginable just to have a little fulfillment.

Infirmity

Obviously not all sickness is caused by demonic activity, but some is. In the same way that depression, stress, anxiety, etc can bring on sickness. When someone allows one form of evil in their life, it can eventually lead to sicknesses caused by demons.

Deaf and Dumb

This is not a deaf demon, nor a demon that causes hearing loss. It is simply the name that Jesus gave the demon that caused a young boy seizures. This demon causes insanity, suicide, mental instability, etc. It gets it's foot in the door when people start losing their mind by the life they are living.

Fear

This is a very common demon of influence in our society. It brings about anxiety, worry, insecurity, identity issues, phobias, paranoia, etc. People give this demon control through a false perception of themselves and their situation. The end result is a downward spiral to horrible possession. We must remind ourselves of who we are in Christ.

Pride

The one thing that got Satan out of heaven.... pride. This demon, really gets it's foot in the door not when someone starts having a puffed up ego, but out of insecurity. This insecurity leads to comparing themself to others, looking for every way to see others as inferior. This often manifests as gossip or mockery.

Bondage

This demon is very simple and straight to the point. When a person gives themselves to drugs, alcohol, pornography, etc, this will eventually lead to complete control and possession.

Antichrist

This demon wrecks more havoc and carnage on the Body of Christ than any other. It is also surprisingly, the most common in the church. It could also be called the demon of legalism. It is the demon that teaches acceptance by God, or attaining salvation through our own efforts and godliness and not solely through the finished work of the cross.

Churches that teach women should only wear dresses, no make up, no jewelry, no cutting of hair, etc.... Spirit of Antichrist. Churches that only allow one style of music, or don't allow certain expressions of worship..... Antichrist. Christians that focus on not celebrating birthdays, Halloween, holidays, Harry Potter, KJV being the only REAL Bible, etc.... Antichrist. The reason is because this is all these people talk about! They pride themselves in being "true" Christians living the way God really wants them to live. Their strict lifestyle is what makes them right with God, not Jesus. That's the demon of Antichrist at work.

If you have noticed, all these demons take control gradually. Very rarely do you see an instantaneous full blown possession like portrayed in the movies. It is a gradual process where a person lets the devil in a little bit at a time. In the next post, I will go into more detail on the process of possession.

Casting out Demons: Origin of Demons

Despite it's centrality to Christ's ministry, casting out demons has seemed to have taken a back seat in our society. I feel I must emphasize that is only in our society that it has taken a back seat. In the rest of the world, demons, their influence, and combating demons is a way of life for many Christians.

Christ told His followers to cast out demons as part of their ministry. He himself delivered many people from demons. He said in Mark 16:17 that casting out demons would be one of the signs of a believer. After Jesus' resurrection, the book of Acts records the casting out of demons as a major ministry of the early church.... Why should it be any different today?

I believe that one of the enemies most effective tactics, is to convince us that he and his evil forces do not exist, or are of no significant threat. It would be a grave mistake for us to buy into this deception. Just as it was a mistake for America to not believe that Osama Bin Laden and a few nomads living in the desert could "declare war" on the most powerful nation in the world....  So I am doing a blog series on demons, and I would like to start with their origins. After all where did demons come from?

First off, I would like to correct the misunderstanding that demons are fallen angels. They most certainty are not angels of any kind. There are two main reasons for this. For one, the Bible says that the fallen angels have been locked up in "prison"(2 Peter 2:4, Jude 1:6). Secondly, Jesus tells us that demons need a physical body to inhabit(Matthew 12:43-45). Angels, whether fallen or not, have no such need.

Many people believe that demons are actually disembodied spirits. There are basically two different theories for this. The first one suggests that demons are the disembodied spirits of the pre-flood Nephelim(Genesis 6). This would be plausible since although the Nephelim were half angel, they were also half human. So likewise, their immortal soul would be a half angel half human hybrid. After the Nephelim perished in the flood, their souls lived on as what we know today as, demons.

Another theory suggests that demons are the disembodied spirits of a pre-adamic race... weird, I know. Genesis 1:2 plays into this theory in a big way. Genesis 1:2 says that at some point after the earths creation, before God said, "Let there be light!" the earth became barren, empty, and a desolate wasteland. There are additional verses that suggest this was a result of God's wrath on the "inhabitants" of the earth(Jeremiah 4:23-26)...... What inhabitants? This was all between, Genesis 1:1 and 1:2.

Since the Bible tells us that the earth was perfect on the day God created it, Genesis 1:2 declaring, "The earth became formless and void" makes sense. How could the earth be a barren desolate wasteland as described in Genesis 1:2, if it was "perfect" on the day God created it? Something happened in between the earths creation and its desolate state described in Genesis 1:2. Something cataclysmic happened that brought this destitute state on the earth. Some believe that Satan was in charge, the "anointed cherub" over the Pre-Genesis Earth. Since he is described in Eden, walking, and ministering on the earth before his "fall"(Ezekiel 28). This theory suggests that Satan's rebellion and war in heaven is what caused this cataclysmic event. It also killed the pre-adamic race but their souls lived on as demons.

These are all just theories. Regardless of their origin, there is a troubling trend in the Body of Christ to ignore demons. Some consider demons, and the casting out of demons as irrelevant for our times. How does that even make sense? If Satan and his demons are real, and if they desire to wreck havoc on the human race, and if they seek to influence people, families, communities, governments, nations, and even churches then they are very relevant.

But we need not fear. Jesus has given us the power to cast out demons and over all the power of the enemy. God's Word promises that greater is He that is in us, than he who is in the world!

How to Receive the Spirit's Baptism with the Evidence of Speaking in Tongues RIGHT NOW!

God wants you to be a world changer. He wants you to make a difference, to advance the Kingdom of Heaven, and push back the Kingdom of Darkness. He wants you to take His saving Gospel to the ends of the earth starting in your local community. But He doesn't expect you to do this on your own. He knows it's hard, and challenging. He wants to empower you to live out the calling He has placed on your life. He wants to equip you to share the Gospel to the nations, and impact this world for Christ. Jesus called this "empowerment" the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:5, 1:8, 2.4, 10:44-46,19:7)

Maybe you have been seeking and searching for the Spirit's Baptism. You have a longing to be filled up with His Spirit and overwhelmed with His presence in your life. Well if that describes you, that congratulations, today is your day! There is no need for you to wait any longer for a gift that God so desperately wants to give you. I have seen Christians seek the Baptism in the Holy Spirit for years, only to be disappointed. This doesn't have to be the case.

If you have not yet received this blessing which God gives to empower and equip you to live out His calling on your life, then now is the time. You can be Baptized in the Spirit right now, if you will only reach out and receive His gift. Jesus said, "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone. If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who asks" (Luke 11:10-13). 

We can know that if we ask God for the Holy Spirit, He will not give us a counterfeit. You have no need to feel as though you have not experienced the "Real McCoy". As far a speaking in tongues. It isn't about repeating what someone told you to repeat. That is not right. God will give you to words. Well are you ready to be filled with the Spirit? Then let's get started! 

Get alone with God, and start thanking Him and worshiping Him. Praise Him and thank Him out loud with your mouth, with your words. I have not seen one person receive the Spirit and start speaking tongues with their mouth closed. Just be in His presence praying, worshiping, and thanking God out loud, asking Him to fill you with the Spirit. Tell Him that you receive the Spirit by faith in the name of Jesus. Continue talking to God out loud and when you feel the presence of God, you will feel something stirring and rising up from within you. Just let go and let God do whatever He wants to do in your life. You will feel this rising feeling prompting you to speak new words, or new words may come to your from nowhere. Let go! Start speaking those new words that you feel rising up within you. Continue speaking by faith. It is about letting go, and speaking what is coming to you.

You can pray in tongues whenever you want. You don't have to wait for the Holy Spirit to come upon you. Acts 2:4 does not say that the Spirit possessed the apostles and forced their mouths to move. The Bible says they spoke in tongues as the Spirit gave them the ability/utterance. They were the ones speaking in tongues, God's Spirit just enabled them to do so. Once you have been Baptized in the Holy Spirit, you already have the ability to speak in tongues, it is then up to you to begin speaking and using that gift.

Go ahead, receive all that God has for you today, so He can empower you to change your world! Once you have received, please comment or message me back telling me the good news! Let's rejoice together in the infilling of the Holy Spirit!

Speaking in Tongues and Evangelism

I have already shown how the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a gift given so that we can be empowered to witness to the lost. For those who missed that post...

For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.                                                                                          -Acts 1:5

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
                          
                                                                                                  -Acts 1:8

If you read my last post on the Spirit's Baptism you will also remember that Speaking in Tongues is the initial physical evidence of being baptized in the Holy Spirit. In the book of Acts, whenever people were filled with the Spirit, they spoke in tongues, but why? Why did God choose something so strange as speaking in tongues to be the initial sign of the Spirit's baptism?

Before I answer that, I should point out that there are three different types of "tongues" recorded in the New Testament. The first kind of tongue we find in Acts 2:4

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. 

                                                                                               -Acts 2:4

Now in this instance, if you keep on reading, they crowd that had gathered understood what these 120 Christians were saying as they were speaking in tongues. This might be the weirdest kind of tongues. The Greeks heard the believers speaking in Greek, the Arabs heard them speaking in Arabic, the Jews heard them speaking Hebrew, and so on and so forth. Each person in the crowd heard what was being said in their own native tongue.

There are reports of this happening today. I have heard of people from different countries coming to a Charismatic service and heard people speaking in tongues, only to find out that they people were speaking the foreigners native language and didn't know it! So this first kind of tongue is man ward.

The second kind of tongue is what many Pentecostals call prayer language. This is when a Spirit-Filled believer prays in tongues in their private devotional time. The Bible says that when we pray in this kind of tongue, we speak "mysteries" unto God. That we are personally build up and edified through this kind of prayer life.

For he who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit.
                                                                                                -1st Corinthians 14:2

The one who speaks in tongues builds up himself.....

                                                                                               -1st Corinthians 14:4a

So the second kind of tongue is God ward. The third kind of tongue is the gift of tongues accompanied with the gift of interpretation. This is a form of prophecy. It is when someone gives a public proclamation of tongues in a service, and another or that same person gives and interpretation so everyone can understand and be edified.

Therefore one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret.

                                                                                            -1st Corinthians 14:13

So now we see the three kinds of tongues. Two of them are man ward, one is God ward. But what does all this have to do with evangelism? The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is given to empower us for evangelism, so why do we need tongues to evangelize? Jesus told us not to worry about what to say because we would be given the right words at the right time. That it would not be us speaking but the Holy Spirit speaking through us. (Luke 12:12,13)

So when we speak in tongues, it is a sign that we are willing to submit our mouths to God in order to be used by Him. As I have said before, God does not want us to share the Gospel by our own might or power, but by His Spirit. He does not want us to win the lost through reason, arguing, strategies, training, etc. He wants us to win the lost through a demonstration of the Spirit's power. We are to evangelize in the power of the Holy Spirit.

When you speak in tongues, that means you are a place in your walk with God, that you will let the Holy Spirit use you and speak through you. So when you do encounter the lost, the idea of God given you the words to say by the power of the Spirit, will not be so new and foreign to you. That is why it is the initial evidence of the Spirit's Baptism. It is a sign! It is a sign that the Spirit Baptized individual speaks not of the own accord, but by the power of the Spirit of God!

What Does Divine Healing Have to do With the Gospel

The ministry of Jesus was a healing ministry. The Gospels mention many times Jesus healing people everywhere He went.

That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. And the whole city was gathered together at the door. And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

                                             -Mark 1:32-34

And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.

                                                     -Mark 6:36

Jesus also performed many miracles, which are a separate gift from healing. These included feeding the five thousand, turning water into wine, walking on water, etc. Interestingly, Jesus operated in the gift of healing a lot more than He did the gift of miracles. Why is that? Why not perform more miracles than healings? Surely events such as the feeding of the five thousand would have convinced more people of His divinity than healings.

We also see more healings than miracles in the life of the early church recorded in the book of Acts. Why not more miracles than healings, or at least an even balance between the two? Indeed when Christ sends the 12 and the 72 ahead of Him, He commands them to, "heal the sick" (Luke 9:1, 10:9). Why was healing so important to the Gospel?

The Bible tells us that when Jesus suffered and died for us, He bore our sicknesses and diseases just as much as He bore our sins.

This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”

                                         -Matthew 8:17

Healings then, are a demonstration of our redemption found in the cross. They show the world, "This is an example of what Christ has done for us. This shows the effects of redemption." Healings prove and confirm that humanity has a resurrected savior. We tell people that Christ will restore them. That He will remove their sin, and make them new and whole. Healings paints a tangible picture of what that looks like as an example. In addition, it backs up this Gospel that we proclaim.

That's why divine healing is so central to the Gospel. That is also why it must be central to our witness and evangelism. We should heal the sick as Christ commanded us. Not for popularity, not to grow our church, not so we can feel important, but so we can give the world an example of what redemption looks like, and a demonstration of the power of the cross.

Do NOT Share the Gospel... Until You Have Been Empowered

You know, I could provide a really good argument for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. I could point out how in all of the synoptic Gospels, John the Baptist says, "I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come one greater than I.... He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.." (Matthew 3:11, Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16, John 1:33). Even Jesus talks about the Baptism in the Spirit in Acts 1:5 "For John baptized with water, but in a few days baptized you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

I'm sure I could provide a solid case that the Spirit's Baptism is an experience that takes place after salvation/conversion. For instance in Acts 8.

"When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because they Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them. They had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit."

                                                                                         -Acts 8:14-17

Here we have people who were most certainly saved and baptized. They were Christians. Go ahead all who doubt, open the Bible yourself, read the verses leading up to the passage, and do your own research. These people were born again, baptized Christians. Yet... they had not received the Spirit. That is just ONE example.

I am also very confident that I could back up the teaching that Speaking in Tongues is the initial physical evidence of the Spirit's Baptism. When the apostles received the Spirit they spoke in tongues (Acts 2:4), the disciples in Ephesus spoke in tongues when Baptized in the Spirit (Acts 19:7). But notice Acts 10: 45-46....

"The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God."

Take another look at that passage... How did the "circumcised believers" know that the Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles? They heard them speaking in tongues.

Like I said, I could provide a pretty decent argument for all of this, but it won't mean much to you if you don't place a high priority on evangelism. If you are not of the Pentecostal/Charismatic tradition, chances are all of this will be interesting, challenging, but mostly irrelevant information to you, if you don't put a high priority on witnessing to the lost.

You see, Jesus wants us to share the Gospel. He wants us to "make disciples of all the nations" but He doesn't ask us to carry out this "Great Commission" by our own abilities and talents. He wants us to share the Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit. To seek and save that which is lost by His power, not our own.

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

                                                                                                -Acts 1:8

 Many believers know the Great Commission, but few are aware of what Jesus said before He gave it.

"And repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."

                                                                                                    - Luke 24:47-49

"Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift you heard my Father promised, which you heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

                                                                                                   -Acts 1:5

If however, you are passionate about winning the lost for Christ, this teaching is very relevant. Jesus doesn't want you to get frustrated by reading "soul winning" classes, or by buying thousands of Gospel Tracts, or memorizing every rebuttal to the Christian faith. He doesn't want you to live with the frustration of trying, on your own, to get through to those you care about every day. He wants to empower you. He wants you to share the Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit. That is what makes this relevant.

After the day of Pentecost, Peter stood up and explained to the bewildered crowd what had just happened. It was much more than the "birthday of the church". It was God supernaturally empowering His servants to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. So I leave you with his words, and encourage you to seek out the Spirit's Baptism, and be empowered to live out the calling that God has placed on your life.....

"Fellow Jews and all who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These men are not drunk as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! No this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

'In the last days God says, "I will pour out my Spirit on all people, your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy""

                                                                                            -Acts 2:14-18

Can We Lose Our Salvation?

"Do you believe in 'once saved always saved?'" I can't tell you how many times I have been asked this question. Once Saved Always Saved is a belief that once you accept Christ, it is impossible to fall away. Your "saved" forever regardless of how you live or what you believe. This has led to a popular question; can a Christian lose his/her salvation?

To me, it seems like a rather ridiculous question. I mean, sure it's possible. If a Christian were to completely renounce Christ, reject the Gospel, reject the Word, and deny God, then yeah, they could lose their salvation. But who in their right mind would do that? The question just seems way too theoretical for me with almost no practical value to warrant such a debate.

Now, I have noticed when I respond this way people say, "well, what I mean is can you lose your salvation by sinning?" In other words, how much sin is too much sin before you stop being saved? That's a very dangerous question. The moment you begin to answer that question, you are automatically talking about a works based, performance based Gospel.

There's no way around it. If there is an affirmative answer to the question" how much sin is too much sin before you lose your salvation?" then our salvation is dependant if only by a small portion, on our own goodness. We know that salvation by works is the greatest heresy in the New Testament. We know that claiming to made right with God by our own goodness is harshly condemned ins scripture. That's why this is such a dangerous question.

What people really want to know is, can a person get saved, go and live their life how they want too, and still be saved. I think this is another ridiculous question. There's no merit to it because no Born Again Christian is going to accept Christ, then go out and just live it up, party like rock star and sin like heathen... Now I know that raised some major doubt eyebrows and I'm sure many of you wonder whether I live in the real world, but let me explain.

When you are born again, there is a change that takes place. You receive a new heart with new desires. Your going to want to live for Christ. It's just part of your new identity. Sure, you may do some things you shouldn't do, get involved in things you shouldn't get involved in, even go down a road that you shouldn't go down.... maybe two or three times. But at the end of your life, the sum of who you are, is a person perusing Christ. Despite your failures and wanderings, you never said, "Forget it, I'm done. Forget God, forget Christ, forget the Word. I reject it all want nothing to do with it."

That's what  I mean. No human being, is going accept Christ as the savior then immediately Turin around and say, "Okay, got that over with. Now let's ditch this stupid Jesus stuff and go live it up!" If someone ever did, they clearly never were saved to begin with and therefore couldn't lose their salvation since they never had it to begin with.

Like I said, it's a ridiculous question. Can a Christian lose his/her salvation? Sure... in theory, but why would they?

"Pro-Life", and Supporting Capital Punishment

If your confused by the title of this blog then we have something in common. I have always been in favor of the death penalty. I really don't know why, I just always have been. I figured it was a just thing. You know, a life for a life. I'm also very pro life. As I get older I am seeing more and more, a contradiction between being pro-life, and supporting capital punishment.

Now when I say that I am pro-life, I mean very pro-life. I consider abortion murder, believe it should be outlawed, and put the death of these unborn children on the same level of the holocaust. I make no apologies for that. My reasoning behind this extreme conviction? Pardon my language but, because their human freaking beings!

It's sad that I have to elaborate further than that statement but I will. All humans, regardless of their stage in life, are sacred creatures created in the image of the Living God. We have been given an eternal mind and spirit just like our creator. Each and every human being, regardless of how insignificant or lowly we think they are, has been called and chosen by God for a special divine purpose. As you can see, being pro-life, goes much further than opposing abortion. It is treating all human life as sacred with sanctity and reverence.... Which brings me to the death penalty.

I understand from a financial sociological standpoint the reasoning for capital punishment. These criminals are a very real danger to society. Killing them would insure without a doubt that they will never endanger anyone again. I suppose life sentences would do that too, but that would also drain our resources and tax payer dollars. There's just one problem with that logic.... A human being is not A number. People are not cells on a spreadsheet. They are not lines on a budget sheet, gears in a machine, or logistical variables. You cannot use the, "it saves money" argument when talking about a person's life.

A person who has a family. A person who has a mother that will fall to the floor in horrific cries as her son is put to death. A person who has children. We have the right to end that life? Who are we? Some may say, what about self defense and war? Any rational person will understand the huge difference between killing some because we think we should, and killing someone because they are trying to kill us.

Still there is the question, what about the mother, children, spouse, and family of the person that was murdered? Killing the murderer will not bring the murdered back, nor will it take away the pain. You cannot expect a clean, neat, well planned execution of one life to equate as an adequate trade for the gruesome murder of another.

I must digress. The purpose of this blog was not to argue for or against capital punishment. It was to ask a question to the pro life crowd... Take a hard look at your convictions. If your really so pro-life, how do you wrestle with the apparent contradiction of treating all human life as sacred, while supporting the execution of another sacred, divinely called human being, bearing the image of God Almighty?

The "church": Christianity's Greatest Persecutor

Persecution is a way of life for the Christian. Across the globe, Christians face oppression. Many are killed for their faith. This should not surprise us considering Christianity was started by a man who was persecuted and killed Himself. It's only natural that His followers would receive the same fate. Jesus Himself warned us that we would be persecuted for our faith. But it wasn't the "world" that Jesus warned us about. It was the religious people.

He told His disciples that their persecutors would "drag you into synagogues" not secular courts. Even at His own trial, the crowd yelling" Crucify Him!" was not nonbelievers, it was the Jews, the Sanhedrin. The religious establishment. When the apostles first started their ministry who were the main persecutors?

The religious establishment. Yes, the Romans stepped in, but only to keep the peace. They could care less about some new Jewish sect. It was the religious crowd in the book of Acts that persecuted the Christians. Today we know them as "the church crowd". The religious establishment.

A good litmus test to reveal who's in the church crowd is to start reaching out to the lost. Start bringing the "outsiders" in the sanctuary, and those who are part of the religious establishment will take their masks off. Jesus called it the "yeast of the Pharisees". Throughout history they have been the greatest persecutors of Christians. They persecuted the Apostolic Church who preached salvation to the Gentiles when others said only the Jews can be saved.

They persecuted the reformers who preached salvation by grace and not by woks in the 1500's. They persecuted the Pentecostals who preached the power of the Spirit not tradition and dogma in the 1900's. And now they are persecuting the church that is branching out of the systems and institutions of religion as a living breathing community of life change.

They tolerate single moms so long as they don't bring up the "single" part of their motherhood. They like young people, just don't ask provoking questions or color outside the lines. The occasional recovering addicts are motivational, just don't bring too many or you will scare away they big tithers. Prostitutes and strippers should be brought care packages and tracts not brought into "The House of God".

They love Gay people, just stop being gay... How about you stop being straight! Then there are the poor... They have their place, so long as they are not "repeat offenders" on the benevolence list and are actively enrolled in a Dave Ramsey class.

Now I know this is not a reflection of the whole Church. I will even agree that it may not even reflect the majority of the Church. It is a reflection of the establishment. That's why I  put the word "church" in quotation marks in the title. God's true Church has always sought the lost. She has always been a reflection of mercy and grace. Let's be the remnant not the establishment.

The Dark Side of Christ pt 3: Jesus the Demoniac

For His theology Jesus was called a heretic. For His ministry He was called a criminal. In the final part of this blog series we will learn that because of who He called Himself, Jesus was called demon possesed. A demoniac.

The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me.

                                   -John 8:48-49

In this passage Jesus is called demon possessed because He claimed equality with God. At the end of the chapter Jesus says to His critics, "Before Abraham was born, I Am". While we may not claim to be equal with God (and we shouldn't) we Christians claim to have an intimate relationship with The Almighty. The world and society around us have a hard time seeing this as anything but delusional and a need for psychiatric help. If you go back and read John 8, you will see that they had the same opinion of Christ.

And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons”

                                      -Matthew 12:23-24

In this passage, Jesus is accused of being possessed not because He claimed to be God, but because He acted as though He was God. It was one thing to claim equality with The Father, behaving as though He had authority to act on His behalf was something completely different. Jesus was casting out demons, healing the sick, and raising the dead. He was disarming the darkness that had power over people's lives, and restoring the rule of God's Kingdom. To the religious establishment, this was pure blasphemy.

As followers of Christ, we have been charged and empowered with the responsibility of chasing away the influence of evil in our society, and replacing it with God's utopia of peace, equality, and justice. He has called us to cast out fear, and bring peace. To cast out depression, and make way for a river of joy. To dismantle the hate, and create a culture of love. When we do this, we will be accused of grossly overstepping our bounds, and maybe a little possessed ourselves.

This is what will happen if you truly want to follow Christ, if you really want to live as He did. Although He was neither, they accused Him of being a heretic, a criminal, and a demoniac. Not to mention a rebel, drunk and glutton. This is the Dark Side of Christ. His reputation. We claim we want to live as He did, but Christ's reputation made Him an outcast and got Him killed! By who, the Romans? No, the "religious establishment". Let me put it in modern terms, the "church crowd" killed Jesus. Still want to be like Christ? You may be surprised who rejects you, and who embraces you as a bearer of Good News... I know I have.

The Dark Side of Christ pt 2: Jesus the Criminal

Not only did our Lord get accused of being a blasphemous heretic, He was also accused of being a common sinner, a drunk, friend of prostitutes, glutton, rebel, reprobrate, and a criminal. The religious establishment considered Him to be a low life party animal. In my neck of the woods, Jesus would have been referred to as "white-trash". Not because He actually was any of these things, or because He did anything immoral, but as we will see, because of those He associated with, and how He ministered to them.

He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. And the scribes of  the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

                                   -Mark 2:13-17

The "tax collectors" that the author of Mark is referring to are not like the IRS we think of today. They were hired Jews who collected taxes and debt for the Roman Empire. They were more like money launderers, mob bosses etc. They had a reputation for being unfair, abusive, and corrupt. More importantly, the Jewish people regarded them as traitors to their own race. Yet, there was Jesus, eating dinner with them, not to mention othere "riff raff".

Jesus pointed out, that these were the people that He came for. How could He not be around them? Why do Christians forget that the very people we often disassociate ourselves from, are the ones we have neen called to reach? The sinner nor his sin is not our enemy. Who are the "tax collectors and sinners" of our day? Are they drug dealers? Are they strippers or those in the sex industry? Maybe their the gangsters, drunks, addicts, etc. Like Christ, we should seek out the scum of the earth who are the farthest from God, and "eat with them".

But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”

                                      -John 8:1-11

And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

                                      -Mark 2:1-12

What a lot of people don't realize is how Jesus actually broke and even usurped the law in these passages. These two passages show us how Jesus responded to these sinners that He was accused of being a friend of. He reached out to them, pardoned their guilt, and gave them hope. Our response should be the same. Reach, pardon, and give.

WWJD... Are we really prepared to live up to that? For His theology Jesus was called a heretic. For His ministry He was called a sinner and a criminal, a drunkard and a glutton. Are you sure you want to have a reputation like Jesus had? It will require you to Reach into the filth of peoples lives, Pardon them for their waywardness, and Give them the hope that is found in Christ. That's what Jesus did, and it cost Him. Are you ready for it to cost you?

"Neglect the Poor, You're Going to Hell" -Jesus

It has been said that Jesus talked more about Hell, than Heaven. Scholars have pointed out that Jesus taught more on the subject of Hell, than all of the authors of the Bible combined. Some people believe that by today's standards, Jesus was a "Hell Fire and Brimstone Preacher". I would have to agree. After all, if Hell is real, and if the majority of people are headed that direction, for Jesus to NOT place a major emphasis on Hell would be cuel and unloving. But the two times that Jesus got really graphic about Hell, He was describing it as a consequence for neglecting the poor. Let's take a look at Jesus' description of the final judgment.

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’  Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’  And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

                             -Matthew 25:41-47

Jesus speaks of, "the least of these". Those who have been marginalized or those less fortunate. He goes on to say that the way we treat the "least of these" is a direct reflection of how we treat Jesus. While I agree that faith in the savior is necessary for eternal life, notice how being "born again", saved, etc are not mentioned in Christ's description of the last judgment. He sends people to "eternal punishment" for neglecting the poor. Jesus describes Hell as a consequence for neglecting the poor in another familiar passage.

“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house—for I have five brothers —so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”

                             -Luke 16:19-31

Here Christ speaks of two men... A rich man, and a poor man named Lazarus. Notice how the poor man is named and the rich man is not. This rich was condemned to an eternal hell because of his neglecting of the poor man Lazarus. Although it makes me cringe to admit, it would appear the Jesus is implying in this story that Lazarus goes to paradise as a form of justice for his suffering on earth NOT because of his goodness or his faith.

These two teachings on Hell are most compelling. Why does Christ connect eternal punishment with the poor? It goes back to the goal of the Gospel: Restoration. From creation, our reason for existence has been to represent God, and govern on His behalf. We lost that leadership ability at the fall. As a result of our failed leadership, we have war, poverty, and suffering.

The broad goal of the Gospel is to restore us back to the position of rulers and priests so that we may in turn bring God's reign of peace, equality, and justice to earth. So, when we neglect our responsibility to bring restoration and justice to the poor, it is an abandonment of the divine mandate given to us from creation. That's why Christ connects our neglect of the poor with Hell. He came to restore humanity. Those who contribute to the degeneration of humanity by ignoring the poor and marginalized, have no share in the kingdom.