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.