REFORMATION, RESTORATION, REVIVAL, OR RECOVERY?

Over the past 5 centuries western Christianity has seen a variety of movements that have spread around the world.  First, we see the Reformation led by Luther, Calvin, and others.  This movement gave rise to the oldest mainstream Protestant denominations.

Then, about two hundred years ago, two movements came up together.  One was Restorationism, and the other was revivalism.  I'm not sure which came first, but I suspect restorationism.

One element they have in common is an interest in end-time prophecy.  The core of restorationism is the view that God is restoring the church before Jesus returns.  Revivalism seeks to re-energize Christianity through displays of enthusiasm, and maybe even emotionalism.

These two merge with the belief that we must achieve a worldwide revival before Jesus can return.  The mis-named New Apostolic Reformation (which is neither new, nor apostolic, nor a reformation) seeks to make this happen with prayer, fasting, confession, healings, miracles, signs, wonders, and emotional, erratic behavior.  The danger here is that this puts pressure on people to appear to be spiritual, while they struggle to live up to an external standard, instead of walking in faith from their hearts.  The expectation is on us and not on Jesus.

Why do I say this is a danger?  The pressure over time leads to burn-out, leaving people exhausted, confused and hopeles as to why their efforts didn't produce revival.  This can cause people to lose their faith, and others to become resistant to the Gospel.

Adding to the danger is the fact that all the revivals of the past have died out and become an echo of history.  Present day revivals will do the same.  Future revivals will probably stay there in the future.  Evangelists have been predicting billion soul harvests since the Latter Rain Movement in the late 1940s.

I would love to see large numbers of people come to faith in Christ before He returns.  But, we don't need another revival that will just die out.  A reform movement that brings only superficial changes won't help either.  We need something else.

I propose that what we need, is a new way to view what has been going on since before Luther.  What we need is recovery.

Several years ago, I got curious about reform movements that happened before Martin Luther.  I was aware of several, but most had been eliminated by the Roman church.  I found three groups that had a lasting effect.  They were the Waldensians, the Lollards, and the Hussites.

A merchant in Lyon, France named Peter Waldo asked a priest to give him Scripture to help him live a more Christlike life.  That priest pointed him towards Matthew, chapter 10.  Waldo later began to encourage Bible reading by lay people, and paid to have the Bible translated into French.  His followers included lay Bible teachers.  The Roman church tried to use military force to eliminate them, but did confine them to one valley, where they stayed isolated for several centuries.

Around that same time, John Wycliff began to translate the Bible into English.  His followers sought to grow spiritually through Bible study and prayer at home instead of going on pilgramages to holy sites, and other religious observances, so their critics thought they were lazy.  Thus the name, Lollards.

One of Wycliff's followers was a Bohemian servant of a British noble woman.  That woman returned to Bohemia where she passed on Wycliff's ideas to a priest named John Huss.  Huss began to preach a message very similar to Luther's.  His reward was that the Roman church burned him alive.  Before they lit the fire, he said, "They think they are burning a heretic, but all they are doing is cooking a goose."  'Huss' means 'goose.'

Was God restoring truth to the Body of Christ through all this?  Maybe.  By saying that God started these movements, are we saying that people were just sitting around doing nothing unusual, and then, unexpectedly, God started doing something to get the people's attention?

Or, were people seeking God?  Were people seeking to recover something lost or forgotten?

I believe that is what has been happening all along.  From justification by faith and the priesthood of all believers, to the gifts and fruit of the Spirit, believers have been seeking and recovering truth.

But we do see problems.  Of course, the enemy is going to interject false doctrine and temptation whenever and wherever he can.  And these are the same lies and temptations he has always presented.  He might change the words, but they always point to the same target - death.

MIRACLES, SIGNS, AND WONDERS, OR WHY I AM A CHARISMATIC, NOT A CHARISMANIAC

Very early in my Christian experience, I became a Charismatic.  For those who don't know, a Charismatic Christian is similar to a Pentecostal in that they both believe in speaking in tongues.  For a long time, I believed the only difference was in the church organizations they came out of.  Now I know that is not the case.

Pentecostals separated from the traditional Protestant denominations in the early 20th century.  In the late 1940s a new movement emerged from  Pentecostalism called the Latter Rain.  Most Pentecostal dominations renounced the Latter Rain because they taught esoteric doctrines.  However, no new denomations formed within the movement.  Many new local congregations formed and stayed indepentent.  Then some of pastors began to form alliances and/or spin off new congregations from their original group.  These became cults, such as the Branham cult.

Then, in the late 50s, many traditional Christians started speaking in tongues, but they stayed within their denominations!  Because Pentecostals tended to be viewed as legalistic, these decided to identify as Charismatic instead.

Somehow, the Latter Rain and WOF movements got labeled as Charismatic as well.  So, in my opinion, two Charismatic movements may have been going on at the same time.

Today, we see another movement called the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR for short).  In my opinion, it is a resurgence of the Latter Rain, but this time, it's on steroids.

The major trait of the Latter Rain/WOF/NAR is the emphasis on miracles, signs, and wonders.  This often comes with emotionalism and sometimes strange behavior that has nothing to do with Christ.  Because of this, this new movement has been called Charismania.

What makes all this possible is a misunderstanding of miracles, signs, and wonders.  I am not going to claim to be an expert on these things.  I just want to give people a better understanding of them, so they won't be misled.

What is a miracle?

In general, a miracle is an event that someone can't explain, and that an invisible agent, such as a spirit or God must have made it happen.

But an unseen agent could be hidden instead of invisible.  When someone performs an act that appears miraculous, it is an illusion.  If done for the purpose of entertainment, we call it stage magic.  When they do the same same thing to persuade people that a real supernatural event has taken place, it is deception, no matter if anyone calls it a miracle.

A true miracle happens when God intervenes in the physical realm.  It is not just a supernatural effect.

False miracles can be performed by demons.  Consider the confrontation between Moses and the Pharaoh's priests.  All three serpents were physically real, but only one remained.

Sometimes things happen that someone can't explain how it happened, so they assume it was a miracle, especially after they prayed for it.  If some time passed between the prayer and the answer, the event could still be totally natural.  I once heard of an incident where someone wanted an air conditioner turned on, but it didn't start blowing until later.  They said it was a miracle, but I had my doubts.  I've had box fans that when they got old, the blades would turn slowly until speeding up to a full blow.  In the case of the delayed AC, the same thing could have happened, but because the people involved could not see the fan, they assumed a miracle.  They still had reason to be thankful - the AC wasn't dead yet.

Healing sometimes does occur naturally.  Let's say you get a small scratch on your arm without any redness or bleeding.  You don't even need a bandage, maybe just a little lotion, cream, or ointment.  You don't pay any more attention to it.  Then you notice it's gone a couple of days later.  God gave our bodies amazing ways to heal and fight diseases.

God also gave us the intelligence to discover and develop medical treatments.  But, our intellects are finite, so medicine is limited.

I believe that God heals through miracles as well as through medicine, and natural processes.  Sometimes, God speeds up the natural processes, and those instances are miracles too, because those processes can not speed up on their own.

What is a sign?

A sign is a miracle.  So, what makes a miracle a sign?  What makes anything a sign?  It has a message on it.

You drive down a main street and see a thing that is shaped like a cowboy hat.  It has a name on in, Arby's.  The message is, You can get roast beef and other kinds of sandwiches here.

So a supernatural sign is a miracle with a message attached.

What is a wonder?

A wonder is a sign, but you do not know or cannot figure out what the message is, so you wonder, What is God trying to say?

The best example of this that I know of is in Acts 2.  The crowd that gathered knew that the speaking in tongues they heard was a miracle.  They also knew it was a sign.  But they couldn't figure out what the message was, so someone asked, What does this mean?

They did not ask if it was a miracle.  They could tell that it was because they could understand what the tongue-speakers said.

Since nothing like this had happened to them before, they saw that it was also a sign.

Too many reports are coming out about staged 'miracles' performed by big name leaders in Charismania and it's predecessor movements.  Many of their practices come from Spiritualism, and their doctrines come from Gnosticism.

People need to be aware of the deception and the deceivers out there.

NEW TESTAMENT TITHING

Tithing is commonplace in the Body of Christ today.  Is it supposed to be that way?  Yes, and no.

Yes, if done according to the New Testament.

No, if done according to the way it is commonly taught by many, especially in the HAW-WOF (Health And Wealth - Word of Faith) circles. You know, you have to tithe, or you will be cursed.  That is legalism, trying to put people under the Law of Moses that don't belong there.

Well, what is the New Testament way?  I am glad you asked me that... Let's see what the NT says about tithing.

What Jesus said about tithing

In the accounts of the Widow's Mite, the texts incidentally mention that Jesus watched as people placed tithes and donations into the collection box in the Temple.  This was a normal practice at the time, under the Old Covenant.

But this passage gives us a more meaningful glimpse:

Luke 11:37-44 Legacy Stantard Bible

Now when He had spoken, a Pharisee asked Him to have a meal with him.  And He went in and reclined at the table.  But when the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first aceremonially washed before the meal.

But the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but inside of you, you are full of robbery and wickedness.  You foolish ones, did not He who made the outside make the inside also?  But give that which is within as charity, and then all things are clean for you.

“But woe to you Pharisees!  For you pay tithe of mint and rue and every kind of garden herb, and yet disregard justice and the love of God, but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.

"Woe to you Pharisees!  For you love the best seat in the synagogues and the respectful greetings in the marketplaces.  Woe to you! For you are like concealed tombs, and the people who walk over them are unaware of it.”

Jesus tells us the Pharisees went to painstaking extremes to fulfill their obligation to tithe, but neglected the more important issues of the heart.

Tithing under the Law of Moses applied mostly to crops.  The Pharisees, whether or not they owned farms, orchards, or vineyards from which they would tithe, they might also have grown herbs in their homes the way many do today.  They made sure to keep track of how much their herb gardens produced, so they could give a tenth of their "crop."

Jesus just pointed out that in going to such extremes to keep the Law, they forgot more important issues, like justice and love.  So, if a "pastor" talks more about "tithes and offerings" than he does about heart issues, you should probably wonder about who he is following, the Pharisees, or Jesus.

What the Apostles said about tithing

The Acts of the Apostles does not mention tithing.  I am sure the first disciples tithed, if the Old Testament tithe applied to them, because they were Jews who still saw themselves as Jews.  But even when Gentiles began to believe in Jesus, the Apostles never said anything about them having to tithe.

Paul's letters do not say anything about tithing, not even when the issue about Gentile disciples keeping the Law came up.

No one knows for sure who wrote the letter to the Hebrews.  Many say Paul wrote it.  I can see Paul being involved, because the next to last verse in the book mentions that Timothy was just released from jail.  My personal view is that it was written by a committee, and Paul was on it.  Any speculation about who the other contributors are is just that: speculation, conjecture, guesswork.

I go into that because Hebrews was written to Jewish disciples who were beginning to experience persecution from the Roman government.  They could escape the persecution by rejecting Jesus and claiming to be just Jews.  Judaism was protected by Roman law.

The writers wanted to encourage the Jewish disciples to stay faithful to Jesus while facing persecution, whether it came from government or religious authorities.

The writers focused on showing that Jesus is better than elements of Judaism: angels, Moses, the Old Covenant, the temple, the priesthood, etc.  When it came to the priesthood, they wrote this:

Hebrews 7:1-8 LSB

For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace.  Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest continually.

Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the spoils.

And those indeed of the sons of Levi, who receive the priest’s office, have a commandment in the Law to collect a tenth from the people, that is, from their brothers, although these are descended from Abraham.  But the one whose genealogy is not traced from them had collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed the one who had the promises. But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater.  And in this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives on.

That passage shows us that the Levitical priests, while still in the loins of Abraham, tithed to a priest of a superior order, the one Jesus belongs to.  When did this happen? Before the Law!  This even happened before God changed his name from Abram to Abraham:

Genesis 14:17 - 24 LSB

Then after he came back from striking down Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).  And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of aGod Most High. Then he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram of aGod Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.”

Then he gave him a tenth of all.

And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give the people to me, but take the possessions for yourself.”

Then Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to Yahweh God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, so that you would not say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’  I will take nothing except what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their share.”

So, disciples of Jesus are not obligated to tithe.  If you desire to tithe on your income, you can do so.

If you choose to tithe, don't follow the model of the Law, as if you have to continue tithing forever. I recommend the model of Abram:

1. Abram tithed voluntarily.  He did this only once that we know of.  Even if you make tithing your regular practice, you still have the option to not tithe.

2. Abram's tithe was an act and a statement of faith.  His exchange with the king of Sodom shows his mindset in this event.  He saw himself as one bound to God in a covenant, and God was his provider, not man.

THE RICH YOUNG RULER - A STUDY IN HUMILITY.

If you have been in Christian circles for a while, you have probably heard this episode in the life of Jesus as an example of someone who didn't make it to heaven.  I've had a problem with that interpretation, and, after considering factors that no one else presents, I now have a different view.

Luke 18:18 - 30 Legacy Standard Bible

And a ruler questioned Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good?  No one is good except God alone.  You know the commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery,  Do not murder, Do not steal,  Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’ "

And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.”

And when Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack: sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven. And come, follow Me.”

But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.  And Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!  For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

And those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?”

But He said, “The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.”

And Peter said, “Behold, we have left all that is our own and followed You.”

And He said to them, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more at this time and in the age to come, eternal life.”

I recommend you also read the other accounts in Matt. 19: 16 - 30 and Mark 10:13 -16.  They contain valuable information that I will mention in this article.

Mark's record said the young ruler knelt before Jesus.  That is an act of submission and humility.  How many of us started our relationship with Jesus that way?  (Those crickets are getting loud, aren't they?)

The deeper meaning of the initial exchange between Jesus and the young man is something we often miss, because we don't consider the cultural context.  Jesus and the man were Jews.  They thought, talked, and acted like Jews.

The young man called Jesus good.  Jesus replied that only God was good.  Was Jesus correcting him, or was He implying something?

Deuteronomy 6:4 - 5 LSB

“Hear, O Israel! Yahweh is our God, Yahweh is one!  You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might."

These two verses are central to the Jewish faith.  They are to the Jews what John 3:16 is to Christians.  The Jews call them the Shema, from the Hebrew word for "hear."

That statement that "Yahweh is one," not only means not only one being, but the only One Being!  Jesus was asking the rich young ruler, "By calling Me good, are you calling me God?  Are you recognizing my divinity?"

Well, did he?  Did he recognize Jesus as God?  Did he really humble himself?

I believe he did.

Why do I think he did?  Geography, and chronology.  In other words, where and when this took place says a lot about this event.

 Map of Judea Province

I confess,  I like to look at maps, even Bible maps.  Not too often do preachers or teachers refer to maps or terrain or locations but some do like to organize, promote, and conduct tours of the Holy Land.  I wish more people paid attention to the the layout of the area.  They don't have be as nerdy about maps as I am.  I just want people to know and understand truth.

In the map I linked above, locate the region of Galilee towards the top.  Now picture a line starting on the east (right) side of the Sea of Galilee going south (down) to just above the north end of the Dead Sea.  Now imagine the line going west (left) across the Jordan River to to Jericho.  Continue the line to Jerusalem.

That is the route that Galilean Jews would take to Jerusalem.  They went that way to avoid passing through Samaria.

This matters because Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem...for the very last time!  He met the young ruler before He crossed the Jordan.  We know this because in the next two events we see Jesus at Jericho, then He enters Jerusalem.

Back to the story.  We know Jesus tells the young man to keep the commandments.  He says BTDT, however they said that in first century Aramaic, but still no tee-shirt.  Jesus says more and the man leaves.

This is where the typical assumption is made, that the guy failed to make heaven because he LEFT.

But, what was the first thing Jesus said?  In the other accounts, the very first thing Jesus said was "go."  So, when he left, was he intending to do what Jesus said?

I believe he was.  Why do I think that?  Because of HOW he left.

Again, Matthew and Mark add information.  M&M (now I got you thinking about candy, don't I) say the man went away grieving.  Why does that matter?

Grief isn't just sorrow, it is sorrow felt at a loss.  Let me illustrate...

Let's say you are driving down a busy street or highway, and you approach a traffic accident.  You pass by, and you can see signs that someone has been injured.  You feel sorry for them.

Now imagine that you recognize a car that was in that accident.  Close to that car is a coroner's vehicle, and responders are loading a body into it.  You realize you know the deceased, and you start to grieve.

Back to the story again.  Why would someone grieve over property he intended to keep?

Another argument made for the traditional interpretation is that the rich young ruler is not mentioned again in the New Testament.  Well, we need to consider the time factor again, along with some cultural background.

The man had a lot to sell, and that included land.  He most likely held an appointed position in the government.  They usually gave official posts only to landowners.  That was a common custom throughout history until the last couple of centuries.  We have no idea how much time he would need to sell everything, then give the money to the poor, then come back to follow Jesus.

This encounter probably happened 2 or 3 days before the Triumphant Entry.

As the man left, Jesus compares the entry of the rich into the Kingdom of God to the passing of a camel through a needle's eye.  I'm not going to rehash that statement.  All it means is that getting the rich to have a relationship with God will be very difficult.  The major moral problem for rich people is not greed, but pride.  Pride in what they own, what they have accomplished, what they can do with their wealth.

Jesus didn't say it was impossible, just extremely difficult.  Difficult enough to require God's grace.  Another way to say it is, true repentance requires humbling yourself as you recognize not only God's immense power, but His vast love and grace.

A PHARISEE, A PUBLICAN, CHILDREN, AND A RICH YOUNG RULER

What do these have in common?  First of all we find them in Luke 18:9 - 30. These verses all have a common theme: humility.

This article will deal with the first three, as the last one will require a post of its own.

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican

And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood and was praying these things to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’  But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other, for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Luke 18:9 - 14. Legacy Standard Bible

Who were these men?

If you haven't heard, the Pharisees were a sect within Judaism that put an emphasis on keeping the law of Moses.  This emphasis goes back to when the Jews returned from the Babylonian Exile.

Before the Exile, the Jews saw themselves as God's people; living in God's land; their capital, Jerusalem, was God's city; and within that city was God's house, the Temple.  They saw the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, and the Exhile as God's judgment on them for not keeping the law.

Tax collectors were called pupblicans under the Roman Empire, but they were not on the government payroll.  They were contractors.  They would pay the tax for a given jurisdiction, a city or a district, and then recover that plus a little bit extra from the people.  They got to keep that extra for their pay.

The Roman government would specify how much that extra was.  But, the tax collectors would tell the people a larger amount than what the government specified.

That was fraud, but the people couldn't do much about it.  The tax collectors would be granted Roman citizenship, and so they had the backing of the Roman Army.

Most of the tax collectors in the province of Judea were Jews.  The taxes they collected financed the government operations in the region, from the army to building projects, including pagan temples.  The other Jews didn't like seeing their money go to pagan temples, so they saw the tax collectors as traitors to God and His people

What did these men have in common, besides being Jews?

They most likely were rich.  The Pharisees made a show of their religion, and people supported them for it, having been deceived into believing these "holy men" deserved to receive money.  The publican took his by force of law.

Rich people like to spend money on nice things.  The best food, housing, clothes, furniture and furnishings.  Also entertainment, including the proverbial wine, women, and song.

What was the major difference between these men?

Pride, humility, and how they saw God.

The Pharisee saw God as a God of Judgment.  When he looked into the Old Testament, he saw God acting in judgment, from the Garden of Eden, to the Babylonian Exile.  When he looked at himself, he thought he was safe from judgment not just because he kept the law, but because his "devotion" to God went beyond the law and even the Jewish traditions.  When he "prayed" he didn't talk TO God, he talked AT God.  That is, he assumed God would hear him because of his righteousness.  Self-righteousness is spiritual or religious pride.

The tax collector knew God was a God of Judgment, but he also saw God as a God of Mercy.  When he looked into the Old Testament, he saw God acting in mercy every time he saw Him acting in judgment.

His view of God caused him to humble himself, and ask God for mercy.  And he received mercy!

I see these two men in the Temple.  The Pharisee is standing up, ramrod straight, nose up in the air, and speaking in a loud voice, not because he wants God to hear him, but so he would impress the people.

The tax collector is probably leaning up against one of the pillars at the edge of the Temple.  His eyes are bleary, his head is pounding from a hangover, and his stomach is doingsomersaults, back flips, cartwheels, and pirouettes all at the same time.  He knows he can't  deny what he has done, or what he is.  But he also knows God will hear him! That is why he cried out for mercy.

What about the children?

In verses 15 through 17, Jesus rebukes His disciples for preventing people form bringing their children to Him.  He goes on to use children as an example of humility.  Notice, the children did not come on their own.  Their parents brought them.  The parents wanted blessings for their children, and so the children submitted to their parents first.  Jesus implies that as children in humility submit to loving parents, so we must humble ourselves to God as our loving 

Father to be part of His Kingdom.

Most false religions, doctrines, and practices have a false view of God.  A true view of God leads to humility.

THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND CULTS

I keep hearing about how cult leaders use the phrase, "The Kingdom of God" to manipulate people.  They often claim that what the cult is doing is for the Kingdom.

When someone questions a leader's doctrine or directives, or they indicate a desire or plan to leave, the leader's response often points towards the questioner "leaving the Kingdom!"  This is nothing more a fear tactic of destructive, high-control groups to manipulate followers into remaining in the cult, so they can be exploited.  These cult leaders crave control, and many of the cults active today seek control, not just religiously, but economically and politically as well.

Obviously, these people are misusing the Kingdom of God for their own gain.  They do this because they misunderstand the Kingdom.

The best definition of a kingdom I have ever come across is this: a kingdom is a realm where the king's will is law.

So, since then, unless I forget for a while, whenever I read or hear someone mention the Kingdom, I think of the will of God.

Of course, the will of man presented under the guise of the Kingdom is not the will of God.

How can we know what our King's will is?

First, we have the Bible.  The Bible is God's written Word.  His Word expresses His will, just as your word expresses your will, unless you are lying.  God doesn't lie.  Ever.

But His Word does contain the lies of men and Satan, so we can see what those are.

Knowing the Will of God is not just a matter of reading the Bible.  Romans 12: 2 says we are to have our minds renewed so we "may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." NASB95

We must let the Bible change us as we read it.  My first pastor, a Baptist, once said, "It doesn't matter how many times you have been through the Bible; what matters is how much the Bible has been through you."  As you read, let the Bible speak to you about your thoughts, attitudes, actions, patterns of behavior, but also see what it says about who you are and who God is.

I also recommend a practice called assimilating the Word.  You pick a book in the Bible and read it 10, 20, 30, times or more before moving on to another book.  This allows you to see the entire context of a verse that you probably have never heard quoted in context before.  Not only that, you will start to see that one context will be nested within larger context, and that whole book itself is a context that fits into the entire context of the Bible.

We have one other way to find God's will - prayer.  Fortunately, we all have access to our King!  Hebrews 4, James 1: 5 - 8.

DOOMSDAY URGENCY OF CULTS

A common feature of many of the abusive and dangerous cults is a belief in some sort of doomsday event or period.  The leaders of these cults use these beliefs to create a sense of urgency in their followers, to pressure them to prepare for the event.  This added artificial pressure often leads to stress, and can also produce depression based on a sense of failure to meet expectations.  Sometimes a cult will destroy itself, sometimes the leader engages in abusive behavior, and sometimes the abusive and destructive behavior gets directed outward.

Here is a list of doomsday teachers that founded groups or movements that are known to have become abusive or destructive:

Joseph Smith - Latter Day Saints (Mormons)

Ellen G. White - Seventh Day Adventist

Charles Taze Russell - Jehovah Witnesses

John Alexander Dowie - Divine Healing

Charles Fox Parham - Pentecostalism

Roy E. Davis - Ku Klux Klan

Wesley Swift - Christian Identity

William Branham - Latter Rain Healing Revivals

Jim Jones - People's Temple

David Koresh - Branch Davidians, offshoot of SDA

Marshall Applewhite - Heaven's Gate

This is not a complete list.  It does not include all the offshoots of the more widespread groups, smaller groups that affected only a handful of people, and groups outside the US.

Now, major faiths such as Christianity, Judaism, and Islam do have doomsday-like beliefs, but the major emphasis of those faiths in not on the apocalyptic doctrines.  If you belong to a group that focuses on end-times, destruction, plagues, catastrophes, and such, look for other signs that it might be a cult.

COLOSSAE AND GNOSTICISM

Paul had never been to Colssae, so why did he write a letter to the disciples there?  From his comments at the end of the letter, several people who were with him when he wrote it very likely knew the Colossians, as well as the disciples at Laodecia and Heirapolis.  Apparently, they must have told Paul something that caused him to write.

The Colossian Heresy

A doctrine had spread through the assembly that Paul saw as dangerous to the faith of the disciples.  For years, scholars thought it was Gnosticism, but it didn't have all the essential elements of Gnosticism, so they now call it the  Colossian Heresy.

To sum up the Colossian Heresy, it was the belief that one could grow closer to God by learning the secret knowledge of the spiritual world contained in the teachings of religious leaders other than Jesus.

In this heresy, they saw that between God and man there existed beings that emanated from God, and the role of these beings was to help us learn this secret knowledge.  Those beings included lesser gods, angels, and other spirits.  Some of these emanations took on human form, and these included prophets, gurus, and other mystics.

I think you can already see one red flag right there.  This heresy says that Jesus is not enough, that we can elevate ourselves by adding on to Jesus.

This approach further diminishes Jesus by saying that He was one of those emanations that took on human form, He never had a flesh and blood body, He only appeared to be born, grow up, die, and resurrect.

Also, this heresy spoke about the "fullness," that is, all the emanations and all the mysteries (hidden knowledge), and having the fullness leads to oneness with God.  Paul knew he needed to answer this right away.  He does so in the first two chapters.  Notice how often he uses the word or the concept of fullness, and he refers to the body and blood of Jesus.

How did this start, and how did it become Gnosticism?

Okay, here we have to go way back in the history of Colossae to see how geography contributed to the development of the heresy.

Colossae sits in the Meander River valley, along one of the major east-west trade routes between Asia and Europe.  At one time, it was a major stop on that route because of the cold springs located there.  By the birth of Christ, the trade route shifted to nearby Laodicea.  But Colossae did not shrink too much from the loss of traffic.  It became a resort city instead.  People went there for recreational and remedial reasons.

As people travel, they not only carry with them luggage, they carry their religions, beliefs, and ideas.  People from the Far East and Europe spending time at Colossae would discuss those beliefs and ideas with each other. Some would go away with blended beliefs.  I'm sure the locals joined in on those discussions and so they too combined beliefs.

The Colossians took the framework of the Greek mystery religions, and combined them with Eastern mystic beliefs to create the Colossian Heresy.

By the early Second Century, the heresy was refined into Gnosticism.

One of the major differences between Gnosticism and the Colossian Heresy is the addition of the Demiurge.  The Demiurge was an evil and lesser god who created the world, and was the god of the Old Testament.   Neither Jesus or Ultimate Supreme Transcendent God were the creator, for the Gnostics saw them as spirit and good, and therefore unable or unlikely to create evil matter.

Today we see Gnostic influences in the New Thought and New Age movements, and in Spiritualism and some Pentecostal and Charismatic cults.

I am not going to do a complete exposé of Gnostic doctrine and influences here, but I will recommend a deeper study of Colossians plus the Gospel and letters of John, and a closer examination of your beliefs.

JOHN ALEXANDER DOWIE - THE CORNERSTONE OF CULTS

You might not have heard of John Alexander Dowie, but you have probably seen his influence in operation in many modern cults.  This article is not going to rehash his history, but analyse his behavior and his personality.  Most of this is based on a book: Militant Christian Extremism: A Critical Examination of John Alexander Dowie, by John Andrew Collins.

For those who don't know much about Dowie, I will summarize his history.

He was born in Scotland in the middle of the 19th century.  His family moved to Australia when he was in his preteens.  In his late teens, he did return to Scotland for Bible studies.  Back in Australia, he became a Congregational minister, and pastored a few churches.  He split with that organization, and became totally antidenominational.  He also began preaching a "Gospel of Divine Healing."

As a faith healer, he gained more fame and influence.  But pressure from the press and local government officials led him to come to America.

First, he settled in Los Angeles.  The newspapers supported him, until they received reports about his behavior in Australia.  He soon moved up to San Francisco, where the same process repeated itself.

He arrived in Chicago just as the city was beginning to prepare for a World's Fair.  He set up a tent right beside the entrance to the fair as an easy way to pull in new followers, and money.

Conflicts with the press and city leaders caused him to move again, but this time he didn't go far.  He established the Chicago suburb of Zion, sandwiched between Waukegan and Wisconsin.  He was ousted from ministry, but stayed in Zion until his death in 1906.

Several well known leaders in early Pentecostal circles came from Dowie's commune:  Charles Fox Parham, F. F. Bosworth, John G. Lake, and Gordon Lindsay.  Bosworth and Lindsay were close associates of William Branham.

My analysis of Dowie is that he was a narcissist.  Narcissists always want to be the center of attention, they are always right, they are never to be blamed even when they are caught doing wrong.

I don't think he was born a narcissist, but I can see how he might have become one.

His exposure to ministry began in Scotland during his childhood.  Dowie wrote tracts and gave speeches for the Temperance Movement.  I'm sure the attention he received then boosted his confidence, and his ego.

He probably worked with the Salvation Army then because they were a major part of that movement.  Later, in Australia, he led several Salvation Army style marches.  When Dowie was criticized for the noisy spectacles, he publicly condemned the bar owners, the press, and even other ministers who didn't like his tactics.

Dowie seemed to have an appetite for controversy as a way to draw attention to himself.  He would often attack Spiritualists, Catholics, denominations and their ministers before they would say anything about him.  He even criticized a popular Civil War hero upon the man's death.  After he started his healing ministry, he added doctors, nurses, and government health officials to his list of targets.

Sadly, Dowie criticized his victims.  Many people with serious medical conditions came to him for healing, but no one could confirm any healings happening under his ministry.  He opened up healing homes, where people would pay good money to stay in order to receive healing.  But many were carried out the back under cover of darkness to be taken to funeral homes.  People who came to his services and didn't get healed, he would accuse them of not having enough faith.  Towards the end, he claimed that some were not worthy of healing!

One other thing I need to cover about Dowie - his financial abuse.  He would take up multiple collections during a service.  He would neglect or refuse to pay suppliers or contractors.  He built his commune by buying up land, then lease lots to his followers, or if they wanted to buy the lot, they could borrow money from the bank he owned.  He left behind a huge fortune. I believe the gathering of wealth also fed his ego.  He sometimes bragged about his business skills.

Well, I hope you can see how many cult leaders, false teachers, false prophets, false apostles, and false messiahs, etc. operate and fit this pattern.  Chances are, Dowie wasn't the first preacher to work this way, and he definitely wasn't the last, either!  But, I believe that preachers who followed Dowie copied his pattern, and it spread through various movements and revivals.

If you want to read John Collins' book, or just to find out more about Dowie, check John's website:  William Branham Historical Research

FIVE-FOLD? AGAIN??

Yep, I'm going to talk about the Five-Fold Ministry doctrine once again, and I hope for the last time.  I've been mulling over the name of that doctrine, what people have done with this, and what the Scripture say that people are missing in their understanding, and how we should describe the ministries listed in Eph. 4:7 - 16.

For a quick review, the ministries are: apostles, prophets, pastors, evangelists and teachers.  Leaders have twisted these into a hierarchical structure, like a pyramid, with apostles and prophets at the top, with everyone else subject to their authority.  Anyone questioning their teaching, prophecies, or authority is disfellowshipped, defamed, and depressed.  This authoritative structure has led to destroyed marriages and families, and even death.

I believe the word "Five-Fold" gives these ministries authority they were never intended to have.  When you fold something like cloth or paper, you create layers, or levels.  Levels indicate structure, and authority is often organized along levels.  So you can see how the abuse entered the picture.

Speaking of pictures, look at your hand with the fingers spread out.  I have seen preachers use this to illustrate the doctrine.  Now, fold your fingers in.  What do you have?  A fist.  You can see how this doctrine has led to aggressive, even militant, behavior.

We should all agree, we need to rethink the pyramid image, maybe clarify it, or replace it with something more suitable.

I believe the pyramid image reflects two-dimensional thinking.  Having worked as a drafter, I have learned about 2- and 3-dimensional images.  Most of the time, when people think of a pyramid with 4 visible sides, like the ones in Egypt, they forget about the fifth side, the base.  Out of sight, out of mind. So, such pyramids have five sides, 4 triangles, and one square.

A 2-dimensional figure with five sides is called a pentegon.  Definite military connection there, so let's go back to 3-dimensional solids.

A five sided solid is called a pentehedron.  The pyramid I described above is just such an object.  Now if you extend the peak along the central axis far emough from the base, you have a squared spire.  If you tilt the central axis, you have something like a spike or tooth.  Again, inappropriate images to associate with ministry.

As we are often told, don't take verses out of context.  If we look elsewhere in Ephesians, we see some verses that apply.

Ephesians 2:19-22 LSB

So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner the castone, in whom the whole building, being joined together, is growing into a holy sanctuary in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

Well, this passage knocks out the pyramid as a suitable illustration for the five ministries.  According to the standard hierarchical model, apostles and prophets are the capstone of the pyramid, not down at the bottom, in the foundation.

This image then is not one of a pyramid, but a temple

Something else to consider is what Jesus said in John 15, about He is the vine, and we are the branches.

So, instead of saying five-fold, we should say five branches of ministry.

MORE ABOUT THAT FIVE-FOLD THING

Since the post about Paul being a pioneer for the Gospel by opening up new areas, I have come to consider the implications for the Five-Fold Ministry.

One aspect of this is the chronological appearances of these ministries within a given geographic or demographic area.  Once an apostle opens up the area, prophets then appear to support the Apostles' doctrine to give direction to the new disciples' assemblies.

Once a sufficient number of disciples have been trained, elders are appointed, or recognized, to shephard, or pastor the flock.  All the elders are pastors, and not a board that rubber stamps the actions of a single leader.

Of course, other people in the given area still need to hear the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus.  So, comes the need for evangelists.  I am not a Greek scholar, but I have looked into the meaning of evangelist.  The English word is taken directly from the Greek word.  The best I   can determine is that an evangelist is a Good Newser, someone who is full of good news, and not just a travelling preacher.

The new disciples need a foundation of sound doctrines.  The elders may not be able to explain the truth of Scripture to every new disciple, possibly because of the number of new disciples.

This might have been the pattern of the early disciples of Christ.

This chronological view might also apply the list of gifts at the end of 1 Cor. 12.

PAUL THE PIONEER?

Was Paul a pioneer?  We often think of pioneers here in America as those who moved into uninhabited places and settled there to start new farms or ranches and communities.  They could be those who landed on the east coast, and using hand tools, they built houses and tilled the land.  They also hunted and fished until they could establish livestock herds or flocks.  They could also be those who moved away from those early settlements in covered wagons to repeat what the earlier pioneers had done.

Well, Paul never wore a tricorn hat, or travelled in a covered wagon, built a log cabin, or grew crops, but he was a pioneer.

Pioneers open up new territory.  That's what Paul did for the Gospel.  But we don't call him a pioneer, and maybe we should.  Then, we might also gain a better understanding of what an apostle is in the New Testament.

Before Alexander expanded the Greek empire to the east, the Greeks had already established a commercial and cultural empire of sorts acound the Mediterranean Sea by sending out groups of people to start colonies on the islands and shores.  These groups would have a leader called an apostle.

So, apostles in the Body of Christ are pioneers.  Their job is to take the Good News of Jesus to areas where it hasn't gone before.  They are not only to proclaim the Gospel, but to make converts into disciples.  Then, when the local assemblies of disciples has grown in both size and maturity, he appoints elders and moves on to pioneer another area.

In Hebrews, Jesus is called the Apostle of our confession (3:1).  Could the Father have sent apostles before Jesus?

Abraham is a possibility.  So is Moses, and Joshua.  I'll leave it up to you to study out.

I believe apostles are needed today. Maybe not to open up new geographic areas, but demographic areas.

I don't see many apostles in action today.  Those who strut around calling themselves apostles probably aren't apostles after all.  The real apostles will be operating in areas unknown to the larger Body of Christ.

I Believe In UFO's

Surprised by the title?  Well, hang on.  I do believe in Unidentified Flying Objects.

What is a UFO?  First, it is something that appears solid, so we call it an object.  It also appears to move through the atmosphere, so we say it is flying.  We can't tell what it is, so it is unidentified.  That's why we call them UFO's.

Unfortunately, people use that term to mean alien spacecraft.  They do that because saying UFO is quicker and easier to say than "alien spacecraft."

UFO's are real.  They have  been, seen photographed, filmed and videoed, so they are not just something someone made up.

But are they alien spacecraft?  I don't know for sure.  I believe some sightings can be explained.

I believe some are experimental aircraft.  Some could be atmospheric in nature, such as lenticular clouds, ball lighting, thunderstorm sprites, or the result of electromagnetic interactions we don't yet understand.

I recently thought of another possibility:  holograms.  Holograms are projected images.  The military could have tested holographic equipment over large cities to measure their effectiveness and range.  Holograms could then be used as a weapon to deceive enemy forces or spies.  This could also explain why some UFO's seem to enter mountains, ridges or cliffs.  Some appear to move faster than man-made aircraft.  A projected image can be made to do the same.

Of, course, another possibility is demons.

Whenever a UFO sighting is investigated, I believe a complete environmental data set should be compiled before analysis begins.  Weather conditions (including space weather), geological background (seismic, topographical, mineralogical), RF (tv and radio broadcast stations in the area), and demographic (population, industrial, and commercial profiles) are the types of information needed beyond date, time, location, and visual evidence (witness accounts, pictures).   Without this, investigations will continue to go round and round, and never come to a conclusion.

MUFON, are you listening?

FIVE-FOLD WHAT??

That title refers to a doctrine known as the Five-Fold Ministry.  This doctrine was first spread through Pentecostalism by a movement known as the Latter Rain.  Today it is a major part of the New Apostolic Reformation.

The major emphasis is on the restoration of apostles and prophets to the Body of Christ, along with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, in order to produce a revival that will bring Jesus back to Earth.

Seems legit doesn't it?  Well, hold on to your Bible belts, muh frens...

But first, let's start with some Scripture:

But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.  Therefore it says,

 “When He ascended on high, 

He led captive a host of captives, 

And He gave gifts to men.”

(Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also descended into the lower parts of the earth?  He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.) And He Himself gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ, so that we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming, but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, that is Christ, from whom the whole body, being joined and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the properly measured working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

Ephesians 4:7 - 16, Legacy Standard Bible

Hmmm, that passage does mention apostles and prophets, but it doesn't say anything about restoration or revival or bringing Jesus back to Earth.  Well, those other parts are taken from cherry-picked verse elsewhere in the New Testament.  I might cover those later if I see a need.  That last part is actually very dangerous, as we shall soon see.

Now, let's break down this passage.

First we see that we have received grace "according to Christ's gift."  Thank God!  We often forget, or we don't know, that Christianity is by His grace.  We don't deserve it, and we can't do anything to earn it, or to make ourselves worthy to receive it.  It's all Him!

You should be able to see why I said that part about us bringing Jesus back is so dangerous.  It shifts the responsibility for His return onto us and off of Him.  As if we were capable of doing that!  No, the only contribution we can make is to trust and obey.

The verse that mentions apostles, prophets, pastors, evangelists, and teachers, says He gave "some as..."  What does that mean?  Did He give men as gifts, or did He give men the gifts they needed to serve in the roles He called them to fulfill?  Which is more consistent with His grace?

Also, notice this passage doesn't contain the words five-fold or ministry.  We do see five roles, so that part is okay.

But, when we read or hear the word "ministry," we often think of clergy.  But ministry means service.  Not every member of the Body of Christ is called to one of the five roles mentioned, but we are all called to serve.

In the Gospels, Jesus said several times that "many are called, but few are chosen."  Sounds mysterious, doesn't it?  But to someone who worked in recruiting, it makes perfect sense.  A nation goes to war, and recruiters hit the streets, looking for bodies.  The branches of service compete for those bodies.  Young men and women sign up, and they go through a screening process.  Not everyone passes through the "screen." Many have been called, but few are chosen to continue in military service.

One thing I need to add here about the doctrine.  The proponents of the Five-Fold Ministry have labelled these roles as "offices."  They turn the whole concept into an authoritarian structure, with apostles at the top.  The ministers then become intermediaries between the people and God.  You need them to tell you what to believe, what to think, what to say or not say, who to marry, etc.  This just opens the door to abuse.

Contrast that with the rest of the passage.  The last phrase can tell if a congregation is lining up with this Scripture: "building itself up in love."

That's all I have for now.  I will post more about the "offices" later.

A WORD ABOUT CHURCH

That word, "church," gets thrown around a bunch.  It has come to have many meanings.  In its broadest meaning, we use it as a synonym for religion.  We also use it to designate a building dedicated for the instruction and practice of a religion.  A worship service is also called church.  

Those are okay uses for the word, but I  need to point out that we also use the word to mean the people who follow a religion, whether it's a local or worldwide group.

Do those other uses match what the Bible means when that word appears on its pages?  No.  Not at all.

When ever "church" appears in the English Bible, it is always a translation of the Greek word "ekklesia."  Ekklesia refers to people, especially citizens, that have been called out to assemble for a purpose.  At no time does it refer to a building or a religion.

You might be thinking, "So what?  Why is this information important?"  It is important so that we don't misinderstand God's Word.

So, why do we use "church" to mean so many different things?  Some of the words in Christianity have been taken from the Greek New Testament and transliterated into English, such as "baptism" and "Christ."  Why didn't that happen with Ekklesia?  Where did "church" come from?

The English word "church" does come from a Greek word, but not "ekklesia." The original Old English word was "chirchon." It came from the Greek, "kyriokos.". That word comes from two root words that mean "lord" and "house." So, it means "lord's house."

I surmise that once Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire, the government let Christians use government facilities, or even gave them buildings. Some of those buildings where called "basilicas" in Greek. That word means, "king's house."

Since Greek was the predominant language of early Christians, they changed basilica to kyriokos.  Then any building used for Christian worship became kyriokos.  The word then migrated through other European langues, including German, "kirche."

GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT AND THE BODY OF CHRIST: PART THREE

If you haven't read my posts on prophecy and the gifts, please read them now.  I'll wait.

I see confusion in the Body of Christ concerning discernment.  Some of it could be a confusion of terms, but it could also be a lack of understanding.

Discernment works two different ways in a believer.  One is a gift, the other is an ability that a believer develops as they mature in Christ.

The gift (1 Cor. 12:10) is often called discerning of spirits because of the KJV.  The New American Standard uses the word "distinguishing" instead.  I like that better.

The discerning of spirits has been defined as being allowed to see a demon with one's physical eyes for a time so that it could be driven away.  I don't see where seeing a demon is necessary before dealing with it.  Especially if a believer is tasked with casting it out of a person.  The demon will show itself by its behavior.  More likely, the gift occurs when a demon is not showing itself, and the believer needs to know it is there so it can be handled.

Distinguishing of spirits would go beyond learning that a demon is present to learning what kind of demon it is, or what its intentions are.  It could also apply to determining the state of someone's spirit. This might explain Peter's response when Simon Magus offered him money for the ability to make people speak in tongues.

In Hebrews 5:13 - 14, we read, For everyone who partakes only of milk is unacquainted with the word of righteousness, for he is an infant.  But solid food is for  a the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to distinguish between good and evil (NASB).  No need for a gift of the Spirit here.  All that is required is to become acquainted with the word of righteousness (READ YOUR BIBLE!) and put it into practice.  Then, as you grow in Christ, you will develop discernment.

I haven't covered all the gifts mentioned in the Bible.  I haven't studied all of them in depth.  But, I can tell you this: If you wish to learn more about them, especially how they are to be used, the best place to start is the Gospels, because Jesus is our pattern.  Then, look into the Acts of the Apostles for other examples.

GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT AND THE BODY OF CHRIST: PART TWO

If you haven't read my previous articles on prophecy and signs, please read them now.  I'll wait...

Now, in this article, I will continue this discussion by focusing on areas where I have seen misunderstanding of certain gifts.

TONGUES

Might as well start at the deep end...

All you have to do is read the read the Acts of the Apostles to see that speaking in tongues was part of Christianity.  I'm not going to get into the controversy over whether or not tongues are for today.  I have already studied and researched that issue for my myself, and decided that they are for today.  Not only that, they are needed.

The first thing I need to point out is the tongues I am speaking about are languages that are unknown to the speaker.  How can someone say something in a language they know nothing about?  Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:1 mentions tongues of men and angels.  We are well aware that humans have thousands of languages.  Apparently, angels have multiple languages too, but we don't know how many.  We don't need to know that.  What we do need to recognize is that the ability for someone to speak an unknown tongue does does not come from one's own mind, but it happens through a miracle.  Before I discuss this miracle, I need to address other issues.

Most of the confusion I see about tongues relates to their uses.  Not many realize that tongues have more than one or two uses.  But they are there in black and white in the Bible, 1 Corinthians 14.

In verses 2 and 13 through 17, Paul talks about tongues used in prayer.  First, he states that one speaking in tongues speaks to God.  Later, he talks of one blessing or thanking God in tongues.  But people around him won't be able to understand what is said.  As a matter of fact the one speaking in tongues doesn't know what he is saying.  Paul said that when he speaks in tongues this way, his spirit is edified, but his mind is unfruitful.  Why is his mind unfruitful?  Because his mind doesn't know what he is saying.  But he decides to pray with both his mind and his spirit.  This is why Pentecostal and Charismatic people talk about tongues as a prayer language.

So the first use of tongues is for a private prayer language.  The other uses of tongues are public.

The next use of tongues is to deliver a message to a local gathering of believers.  These messages need to be interpreted so the hearers will be able to understand what was said.  A message in tongues with interpretation equals a prophecy.

The next use of tongues is provide a sign to unbelievers (1 Cor. 14:20 - 25).  We see an example of this in the Acts of the Apostles in chapter 2, on the day of Pentecost.  The disciples had gathered in the Upper Room for the feast when they began to speak in tongues.  A crowd heard them outside, and they wanted an explanation of what and how this was happening.  Peter preached a short sermon, and 3 thousand got saved!  If you read Peter's message carefully, he pointed out how the speaking in tongues was a fulfillment of prophecy, and Jesus was able to fulfil the prophecy because He was risen from the dead.

Now, most of the remaining confusion I see concerning tongues relates not to what they are used for, but how to use them.  When it comes to prayer, the choice is yours when to start and when to stop.  For the other two uses, the choice is mainly up to the Holy Spirit, but you still have a choice.

In 1 Cor. 14:26 - 33, Paul gives practical instructions for the use of the gifts during disciples' meeting.  His emphasis is on orderly conduct so that all may be edified.  Towards the end, he indicates that those who speak, can still choose not to speak, in the interest of the benefit of all present.

I have more to say, so I will have to save that for Part Three.

ABOUT THAT TEN COMMANDMENTS THING...

I was thinking about that the other day, the move to put copies of the Ten Commandments in courtrooms, school rooms, and other public places.  I know many people got behind it because they are concerned about crime and the "moral breakdown of society."  They think that putting the Ten Commandments up in public view would remedy that.

Others opposed it because they saw it as an attempt to impose religion on people through government effort.

While I can see truth on both sides, I have often considered other aspects of this issue.

Of course, the Ten Commandments are found in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible, which is the Bible of the Jews.  The Ten Commandments have been at the heart of Judaism for thousands of years.

Most of the people backing the Ten Commandments have been Christians.  But, I wonder how the Jews feel about having God's word to them posted by government institutions...

The earliest Christians were Jews, but since the Second Century, most have been, and are, Gentile.

As Paul pointed out in his letter to the Christians in the Roman province of Galatia, Gentile Christians are not under the Law of Moses.  So, why do Gentile believers want the government to post Jewish commandments in government institutions?

Moses received the Commandments while on a mountain.  Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount early in His ministry.

The letter to the Hebrews tells us that Jesus is better than Moses, the angels, and the Law.  He brought us a better priesthood, a better covenant, and made a better sacrifice for our redemption.

In light of this, what if the Body of Christ focused on the Beatitudes instead of the Ten Commandments?

GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT AND THE BODY OF CHRIST: PART ONE

If you haven't read my article on prophets and prophecy, please read it now.  I'll wait...

Now read the following Bible passages:

1 Corinthians chapters 11 - 14

Romans 12:1 - 14

Ephesians 4:1 - 14

Ok, now that you have the proper background, let's get started.

A major reason we see a large number of false teachers and false prophets in American Christianity today is a lack of understanding about the purpose of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers, both individually and collectively.

The Purpose of the Gifts

The core of Paul's teaching on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit is in 1 Cor. 12.  But the context begins in chapter 11, where he gives instructions for the house gatherings they held.

In the first century, disciples did not have worship services like we do today.  They didn't own buildings for worship and instruction.

They met in homes instead.  They would have a community meal, much like a potluck dinner, have a time of worship, and then a teaching from an elder.  The elder could be the host, but could have been any other elder from the congregation.

Sometime during the meeting a time would come for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

I capitalized the word 'gift' there because Paul in Romans mentions other gifts, and he says nothing about those gifts coming from the Holy Spirit, I wanted to draw some distinction between the two.  I'm sure the HS has a role in them.

Paul does say that we are to exercise them according to the grace given to us (Rom. 12:6).  What is the grace given to us?  The New Birth!  So, maybe we can call these Grace gifts...

No matter how we receive these gifts, Paul is clear about one thing: the gifts are for the benefit of the Body of Christ (Rom. 12: 4 - 5; 1 Cor. 12: 12 - 31; Eph. 4: 12 - 17).

In contrast, today we see too many "ministers" using gifts to exalt themselves in the eyes of others.

I have more to say, but I have given you enough to ruminate on while I prepare part two.

The Latest Rumor out of Hollywood

Some screenwriters are planning on quiting their union, and starting up a street gang instead.  They plan to call themselves the 'Scripts.'

Hmmm, Martians?

If there were marshes on Mars, and people lived in those marshes, would they be called marshian Martians, or Martian marshians??

PROPHETS, PROPHECY, AND PROPHESYING.

I see a lot of confusion about these topics.  While this article is not going to go in depth, I hope it brings some clarity.

Throughout history, prophecy is the speaking or delivery of messages from the supernatural realm.  It mostly has been redarded a form of divination, a means to gain information about future events, or the outcome of planned events.  When one was curious about such things, they would seek out a prophet, a seer, a fortune teller, or a shaman, or some other kind of mystic.

Prophets in Christianity

We do see prophets in the Bible, in both the Old and the New Testaments.

Are prophets in the Bible the same as they are outside the Bible?  Yes and no.  In the early OT books, people viewed all prophets the same.  But the further we look forward through the Scripture, the more we see God speaking through His prophets, men who spoke only for Him. Those who spoke their own thoughts, or thoughts of unclean spirits, were exposed as false prophets.

Now, I am speaking in generalities here, because to provide chapter and verse for every act or word of an OT prophet would require a book.  We already have that Book; we just need to read it and pay attention.

God used the OT and NT prophets primarily to provide direction to His people.  Sometimes that meant information about upcoming events, but it often came down to one word: REPENT!

In the NT, things start out the same.  John the Baptist came preaching a message of repentance.  He preached it to the people.  He preached it to priests and Pharisees.  He preached it to King Herod.  The only one he didn't preach it to was Jesus.

After Jesus rose from the dead, things changed, even for prophets.  God still uses them to give direction.  However, the Holy Spirit, speaking through Paul has given clarity.  After the Gospels, the prophets spoke to the body of Body of Christ.  When prophesying to believers, the guideline is now this:

But the one who prophesies speaks to people for edification, exhortation, and consolation.  1 Cor. 14:3 NASB.

So, if you hear someone prophesying, or preaching, and their messages do not edify (build you up), exhort (tell you to do the right thing), or console (remind you of God's grace when things go wrong) anybody... Well, I'm not going to say they are a false prophet, but you will be right to not believe what they say, no matter what title they may hold, or how many visions, dreams, or angelic visits they claim to have had.

PROPHETS TODAY?

The previous paragraph brings up a point of controversy: Does the Body of Christ have prophets today.  Many believe not, but I do.  I could go into the Scriptures predicting restoratation, but I will leave that for another article.

I will address one question relating to this issue: do we need prophets today?

Jesus served as a prophet.  During his life, the Old Covenant was still in effect.  Through His life, death, burial, and resurrection, He fulfilled the requirements of the Old Covenant to establish the New one, which granted access to everyone, and not just the Jews.

In the time between His resurrection and ascension, He served as a prophet of the New Covenant.  So, He was the last OT prophet, and the first NT prophet.  Since Christ has the preeminence in all things (Col. 1:18), some say He is the last prophet they need.

But, the real question is: Is He the last prophet His Body needs?

Remember (or go back and read for yourself in John 13:26 - 17:26), what Jesus said about sending the Holy Spirit:

I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now...  John 16:12 - 15 NASB

We do see prophets in the Acts of the Apostles.  So the ministry of prophets was a real thing back then.  The early saints must have needed them.

But do we need them today?  Look at the news and social media.  Preachers accused of, and even arrested for, sexual or financial offences. False doctrines proclaimed from pulpits and over the airwaves, allowing for occultic practices to come into worship services and the personal lives of believers.  Shrinking attendance and donations lead to staff layoffs.  Even popular Christian singers have become embroiled in scandal.  Scandal has even touched a church related university.

Quite a number on ministers today claim to be prophets.  I doubt the validity of most of them.  WHERE ARE THE TRUE PROPHETS?

In The Very Early Days of Rock & Roll...

Many bands that later became famous started out playing in nightclubs.  Some of those clubs were owned by the Mafia.

Also, some of those bands changed members, so the lineups they became famouswith were not always the lineups they started with.  So, some musicians never became famous, even though they were once part of a famous band.

This one band had put on an awful show at one mob owned club, due to the antics of a couple of members.  The manager of the club swore to get them.

But, he didn't want to use any of his own hitmen.  He heard that one member of a rival band had a reputation as a tough guy.  So, the mob boss hired him to do the job.

The mob boss also had connections with the police and the press, so it never got reported.  If it had, the headline would have read, MOB KILLS TWO BYRDS WITH ONE STONE!

WHY TALK ABOUT CULTS?

The answer is quite simple.  Cults usually don't draw in a large number of people, as in a large portion of the population, so they might not seem to be a big threat.  But, these groups might promote false doctrines that could be adopted by other groups.  Those other groups might or might not become a cults, but the ones that don't become cults could still develop cultish traits.

Today, church scandals make the news almost every day.  Scandals are nothing new in Christendom, but they have become more common.  When you look at the history of cults, you can see how they can be a breeding ground for scandalous behavior.

Some time ago, a video popped up on my YouTube feed that caught my attention.  It was about William Branham.  I had heard that Branham had operated in miracles, but had taught false doctrine towards the end of his ministry.  The truth about this man turned out to be much worse.  In short, he started a cult that still exists.

That video was a podcast, part of a series on William Branham.  The host had grown up in the cult, but left as an adult.  He had questions, and began to research.  The result of his research was not just the podcast, but some short documentaries, a website, and a few books.  If you want to know more -

William Branham Historical Research

THOUGHTS ON CULTS

After watching a considerable number of videos about cults, | have decided to record a few thoughts on the subject. 

If you have paid attention over the last few decades, you might be thinking of cults that have turned destructive enough to make national or international news, such as Jamestown, the Branch Davidians, or Heaven's Gate. But many cults share similar characteristics as these, so knowing about their commonalities can be helpful. 

Doctrines of Cults

Many cults claim to be Christian, but you can tell if they are Christian in name only by looking at what they do with Jesus. If a group identifies Jesus as anyone other than the virgin born, God become flesh, Son of God, Son of Man, prophesied Messiah (Anointed One, Christ) of Israel who died for the sins of the whole world, rose from the dead on the third day, ascended to the right hand of Father God, and reigns as Lord and Savior, then that group is a false cult. 

You still need to be careful. Some groups might use the same words as orthodox Christianity, but they change the definitions. You could say they are using a different dictionary. Examine their teachings in depth, and consider how their doctrine reflects how they see Jesus. 

Practices of Cults 

Authoritarian leadership is a common aspect of false cults. The founder or current leader will claim to speak as the only one chosen to speak for God, or even to speak AS God. They often place restrictive rules or burdens on their followers, while they often violate those rules in their private lives. Such a leader might even replace Jesus with himself as the only mediator between Father God and man. 

Authoritarian leadership often leads to another characteristic exclusivity. The leader will claim that his message and he himself are the only key to eternal salvation. 

His followers see themselves as the only ones worthy of blessings. They rarely engage in outreach activities, for too many followers might dilute the group's “purity.” Actually, more followers will only dilute their sense of superiority. 

This sense of superiority can cause the leader and the followers to engage in abusive behavior. 

The group will often mentally abuse “violators” who fail to show proper devotion to the leader and his message. The victim feels dirty, ashamed, impure, condemned, and hopeless. 

The group will also extend mental abuse to people who leave the group. 

Physical abuse can get as extreme as torture. 

Leaders and followers might sexually abuse weaker members because their sense of superiority makes them feel entitled to use the vulnerable for their own pleasure. 

I know this is not a complete list of the characteristics of false cults, and | could have gone into more detail. This is a summary, and | hope it is enough to make you more aware of the dangers of cults. 

Dealing with Cults

How we deal with cults depends on if we are dealing with a group or an individual. In either case, we need to consider how Jesus would handle them. 

Group  --  If you are aware of a false cult in your area, your first action should be payer, because God can go places where you can't, and He can do things that you can't. 

Don't expect the group to shut down, unless the authorities get involved. Even so, the group might reappear in another place using another name. Most of the exclusive cults tend to die out as their members age and pass on. 

Pray for the entire group to finally see Jesus as He really is. Ask for protection for those being abused, and for those who could be subject to abuse. Ask for healing those who have been abused. 

Individuals --  God might lead people out individually, or by families. Ask Father God if He wants you to help them. If so, then ask for wisdom, not just for your own actions, but for wisdom to pass on to those you help. 

How should someone deal with a cult member who doesn't want to leave? Again, pray for them specifically. Ask Father God to open their eyes to the truth, and to help them accept it. 

Next, be patient with them. They might argue with you. Don't engage. Just stick with the truth you know. Getting them to change will take some time. Listen to them carefully. They could give you a clue to what they are thinking or feeling. 

When someone is ready to leave a cult, they still need you to be patient with them. Healing will take time. Completing the process might require therapy or counseling, and maybe some de- programming. 

Wrapping Up

I am not an expert on cults.  I have not done extensive research into their doctrines and practices,  not do I have much experience in dealing with people who are involved in cults.

I now see where my family and I have been exposed to cult teachings.  So I face the necessity of re-examining some of my beliefs.  To a smaller degree, I understand what former cult members are going through.

I offer these thoughts for what they are worth.

1482025

WELCOME TO MY BLOG!

   I hope you enjoy it. Sometimes, I might post jokes, but mostly, I will put up Scriptural teachings, or commentary on anything.

   Who am I? Douglas D. Lee. Obviously, I am not famous, or you would recognize my name.

   I currently live in Tulsa, Oklahoma. But most of my life I lived in towns to the southwest of Tulsa.

   In 1970, I became born again and baptized in the Holy Spirit. But I had joined a Southern Baptist congregation several years earlier, and soon thereafter, I began to study the Bible.

   You could say that I am a communicator. Writing, amateur and military radio operating, and drafting are my main areas of communications experience.

   If this blog doesn't educate or entertain you, at least it should make you think.