A few years ago, if anyone had told me that I would speak in tongues, dance around in church in front of all, weep when reading the bible or a story of someone overcoming hardship with grace, or hurting for others, or rejoicing when someone came into the Kingdom, or just having the peace that I have now in spite of some tough personal situations, I would have told them they were crazy.

But they would not have been, since all of these things and others have and do happen to me now.  They just do not happen as often as they seem to do to others.  I know that the Holy Spirit has come to live in me, guide me, comfort me, teach me, and love me.  I know that the ‘baptism of the Holy Spirit’ is real and for this ‘day’ and that Jesus has baptized me in Him. 

But what spirit is this we see all around us today? 

If you read any of these theological blogs or forums much at all you will find this topic being discussed.  This Holy Spirit baptism is misunderstood and much maligned.  Most Christians on the internet seem to vociferously denounce the workings and gifting that we, the Pentecostals, know as certainty.   And forget about the non believers ever accepting or attempting to understand what is going on. 

You might wonder why all this is so. 

I believe a lot of things lend themselves to this mind set.  But I believe it is mostly our own fault.  We sometimes in our zeal add to the unbelief.  We do this by presenting what I have termed false manifestations and manipulations of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  There is just no way that everything that is happening and being displayed is really from God.  Instead, I believe it to be another enemy tactic.  He just loves to take the things of God and pervert them, so we can be deceived and ultimately killed. 

I know this is harsh and it is not easy for me to write.  I have both friends and family that will probably get a little mad at what I am saying here.  But the truth has to be put forth if the enemy is to be defeated. 

Why do I think this is happening?  No, why do I know this is happening?

It is because I am inherently a skeptic.  I spent most of my life doubting or in unbelief, so one of the main things I have asked God for is to experience everything He is, does, and has for us to experience.  I also continuously ask for the wisdom and gift of discernment.  And He has given me these things. 

When I see a person that I know is not living for the Kingdom but at just the right moment manifests a gift, I know it is not the Holy Spirit.  Some are just deceived and some are probably fully aware of what they are doing.  Why would someone fake the gifts of the Spirit?

There are probably many reasons but, I believe at the top of the list is the need to be accepted, loved, part of something.  If someone is not saved then they are naturally not filled with the Spirit of God.  Still, there are a lot that, although not willing to submit to our Lords leadership, want desperately to belong. 

Then there are the deceived.  They have just never spent enough time with God or the Word to fully comprehend what is sent from Him and what is not.  They jump from one revival or movement to another; seeking a personal emotional experience that the enemy has them convinced is not only good, but good for them.

Those that are deliberately faking the things of God are the most detestable and will probably suffer the most someday for their alliance with the enemy.  If you do not believe they can easily deceive, then look up Marjoe Gortners younger days as a “healing evangelist’.  Then look up some of the modern movements and see if there was any fruit.  I am going to stop there and be nice, for now. 

So what are we to do?

Counter attack strategies against false manifestations and manipulations of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  The first step towards defeating this enemy tactic is something called discernment.  Paul told us to test everything and keep only the good. (1Th 5:21) Good is from God and bad is from our enemy.  A really simple test is therefore, the aroma and the flavor of the fruit coming from all spiritual manifestations.   If God is involved in any experience, some good should come from it. 

Gal 5:22-23  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…

Are any of these coming from those observed? 

For the second step we must go way back.  All the way to Mt Sinai.  We have been given a commandment to never covet what anyone else has.  (Exo 20:17)  This goes for spiritual gifts also.  Stop faking tongues because someone else has that gift.  Stop falling down because everyone else is.  Stop pretending to talk for God just because the prophet is getting all the attention.  God already has something special in mind just fro you, if you submit.

My third suggestion would be to never, ever exalt a man for doing the work that only God does.  No man heals.  No man prophesies.  No man imparts gifts.  God alone does these things.  Sometimes through a man.  But He doesn’t have to.  He can and will do it for you.  You do not have to chase a prophet, or an evangelist, or sell the car to get to a certain revival, to have God work the supernatural.  If He is going to do it for you, He will do it where you are.

I believe that there are probably many leaders today displaying bad fruit now but they didn’t always.  They started out with Christ like motives and pure Godly hearts, but we lifted them up on pedestals with our adoration so high that they couldn’t help but lose sight of the narrow way. 

Mat 7:22-23  “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?  And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’

Deceivers, deceived, and the improperly motivated are treading on dangerous ground.  Let’s do our part by not fueling ‘strange fire.’

Love you all

Tags: Discernment, Fruit of the Spirit, Holy Spirit, Miracles, Spiritual Gifts, Spiritual Warfare, Strategy and Tactics, Supernatural

It’s time to get back to our discussion on warfare strategy that I started a few posts back.  I have been busy redesigning my page and in discussion, more than normal, in the comments on the last post.  Thanks everyone for your input.   

I originally talked about how it is time for us, the Church, to reassess our warfare tactics to bring them in line with the increasingly effective tactics of the enemy.  Then we looked at seven major strategies that our enemy seems to be using in this nation at the present time. 

Then I decided to expand the thought on our response and what is needed to combat each area specifically.  I hope some of you actually got something from it.  To date there are no comments, so maybe I am way off base.  I hope not.

This brings us to the next topic in this discussion.

Entertainment.  Let me start by just reiterating what I said before.  What we need here is a return to personal introspection and Godly reflection.  These seem to be from another era for most.  I believe we must constantly look at God and to God to appreciate who He really is, and who we really are.  Then we can look at ourselves and actually begin to like ourselves.  When we actually truly like ourselves, we won’t need as much outside entertainment. 

Boredom.  We all need something to do.  We work hard in jobs we despise.  We spend time with people we do not like, for various reasons.  We go places for our loved ones that we really can’t stand.  We poke and we plod through most of life and we get bored. 

So we go for it whenever we can.  Entertainment.  Something to take away the dull pain that is existence itself.  Football, baseball, basketball, pro, college, little league, even t-ball.  Races, boxing, wrassling and wrestling.  All types of sports at all levels.  And if you think the enemy is not involved, just look at how popular women’s beach volleyball is getting. 

Let’s go on some more.  Movies, television, DVDs, music, 15 different gaming systems that we just must have.  Bowling leagues.  Game nights.  Parties.  Dancing.  Dining.  Internet.  Blogging.  And a whole lot of things that people do that I would never mention here, just to pass the time.

I could go on and I am sure you could also.  We are all just looking for something to do.  Why is life so dull and painful that almost all of us succumb to this enemy tactic that is simply designed to keep us from our God? 

The enemy wants us to be occupied with anything but the things of God.  Even when we do not have a thing to do or that we can do, where do our thoughts go?  Usually they become preoccupied with finding something to do. 

Our strategy is simple.  We need to send that demonic boredom away and make doing the work of the kingdom a constant driving force in our lives.  If we will truly grab hold of what God has done for us and the enormity of the task He trusts us with, we will see the urgency and realize how little time we have to accomplish our work.  And if doing His work does not bring joy to you, then maybe you are not where you should be.  I actually hate to say what I just said.  But it needs to be done. 

True joy comes from helping someone see the need for salvation.  True joy comes from spending time with our Father.  The angels in Heaven throw their parties every time someone gets saved.  (Luk 15:10) 

Now that’s entertainment!!

All the rest is just wasting time. 

Love you all

***Your comments are welcome***

Tags: Boredom, Entertainment, Strategy and Tactics, warfare

I served this nation for five years in the US Army.  Thankfully, it was during a time of peace.  The mission of a peacetime army was to be properly equipped, trained, and ready to defend this nation.  This is what combat readiness meant. 

As a soldier you got used to inspections.  They happened quite frequently in artillery units, which is what I was stationed in.  Inspections were sometimes announced, so we could prepare.  Most of the time they were not.  We really hated surprise inspections.  No matter how many there were, the hatred of them never dissipated. 

But these inspections were designed and executed, to teach discipline, and to determine our state of combat readiness.  If a soldier had a torn gas mask, worn out socks, and only one pair of boots; he was not combat ready.  A torn gas mask would not only allow you to get killed, but it could put a whole platoon at risk because everyone depended on each other. 

Another aspect of combat readiness was training.  This training consisted of the proper use and maintenance of our weaponry, our military tactics and strategy, and the tactics and strategy of our enemy.  As these things changed on the enemy’s side we had to respond with effective change ourselves. 

I have written about the spiritual warfare we are all in and the tactics of our enemy here and here.  In this post I want to take up the task of putting forth some ideas for change, in the area of our own tactical response.  As I have been discussing, our enemy is constantly changing tactics, and I have used as examples seven areas I believe he is currently working in.  Here is the first of them again, but with my thoughts as to how we may be able to defeat him.  

Acceptance.  As I said, we all want to be accepted.  Pentecostals were not accepted in the beginning but now we go out of our way to explain away some of our gifting to the world.  Just so we will not be looked at as too weird.  Other denominations attempt to be accepted in their own ways also.  Just look at what we sometimes call seeker sensitive churches.

These churches proclaim themselves to be beacons of light for the lost.  Safe havens where no one will ever be judged.  Cool, and in touch with the culture.  Jesus loved the sinner and we have to also.  And all of this would be fine, if it was about the sinner. 

Jesus did reach out and go out of His way to reach that lost soul.  And He did it for them.   So, while I sympathize with the thought behind these types of churches, I have to ask, is it about the lost being accepted into our Kingdom, or is it about the church wanting to be accepted into the ungodly kingdom of this earth.

Just ask yourself who we want to be accepted by.  The world would seem to be the answer.  When a nationally recognized pastor gets on a TV interview and says he does not preach about abortion because it is a “political issue”, I have to ask, when did that happen?  Since man is so divided on the issue, is God confused also.  It seems, according to His word, at one time He was against the murder of innocent children.   

Do we really want to do as God says, or man?

This brings me to a couple of questions I have about about this concept of acceptance. Do you think the Pentecostals are concerned with Baptists accepting them?  What about Methodists and Catholics? How many times have you heard a Calvinist call an Armenian a brother?  We want acceptance from the world but not our own family.   Within the family of God the names called are usually heretic, apostate, miscreant, unbeliever.

Where is the concern we have for what the other denominational brothers think of us?

Jesus said the world hates us because we are like Him (Joh 17:14) and for His names sake.  (Luk 21:17)  Yet He said that we owe each other, those other adopted family members we have, love.  (Rom 13:8)

The world will never really accept us.  They may pretend, but if we are who we are supposed to be, they have, I repeat, they have, to hate us. 

So our new strategy has to be, to do everything possible to become who we are supposed to be, to start accepting our adopted brothers and sisters of faith instead of the world, and to once again declare our allegiance to our King and His kingdom only.

So I ask…Who loves ya baby?  For Christ’s sake and our own, it better be Jesus and the other denomination down the street.

Who loves ya baby?  I do.

Love you all

Tags: Acceptance, Combat Readiness, Enemy, Love, Pentecost, Spiritual Warfare, Strategy and Tactics

In my last post I mentioned some things I believe the enemy has corrupted or even brought about to use in our destruction.  I also intended to develop some practical ways to change our strategy and tactics that I believe would help us in this fight to the death.  Instead, I ended up with one of my longer articles that took me on a slightly different path. 

So this time I am going to try again to go where I intended to then.  I made the statement that our enemy slowly seduced us from the original attitudes that brought about the modern Pentecost.  He used some of the following tactics to do this. 

Acceptance by the rest of culture, entertainment, false manifestations and manipulations of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, pharisaical legalism, a false gospel of the pursuit of happiness and wealth, academics and the pursuit of knowledge, and finally a misperception of relevance.

I see these as the main areas of corruption but not necessarily all.  As I said then, I do not believe all of this is bad, just corrupted.  After all, our enemy is so good at taking the good and the true and twisting it into the bad and the false, in a way so subtle, so diabolical, that it is hard to recognize the evil. 

Let’s look a little closer. 

Acceptance.  We all want to be accepted.  We want to be asked to the party.  We want to be included in the program.  We love it when our ideas are implemented.  It is great when our words are the ones others seek to hear or read.  Most bloggers do look at their hit counters.  And this is okay.  But it does not usually fuel the drive that got us to that place of acceptance. 

At first it does keep us on our toes.  We must strive to stay on top.  But once we get accepted, we usually tend to find the comfortable.  We coast.  We lose the distinction of being the outsider with something to say.  With a new, relevant message.  This is what has happened to us.  We, as Pentecostal soldiers, who originally had a new weapon that scared the enemy and dealt him a lot of defeat, have been marginalized because we are now just one of the guys.  Playing that religious game.

Entertainment.  I hate the words, “I’m bored.”  My kids used to say this.  Often.  I also hear a lot of adults say it too.  I have thought about this more than most would believe and I don’t think I have ever said this about myself.  I don’t ever remember being bored.  Even when there was absolutely nothing to do outside myself, I still had the capacity to think and imagine.  And I say this as one who has spent a lot of time alone, as one who sought to spend that time alone.  Maybe I am just blessed that way. 

But the enemy has also cultivated the need for the individual to be constantly entertained.  Movies, TV, music, sports, internet.  Hunting, fishing, hobbies, games.  Parties, dates, meetings, reunions.  All of these things that take us over or outside ourselves have grown into giant entities of wasted time.  The days of personal introspection and Godly reflection are gone.  We must, instead spend massive amounts of time, energy, and money to feed the monster called Boredom.  I wonder if he is a principality or a power.

False manifestations and manipulations of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  I really don’t want to go here.  But I believe I must.  I love the Holy Spirit and the Pentecostal church.  I have experienced things that at one time I was the most vocally against.  The Holy Spirit is real and alive and active in all Christians that allow Him to be.  The gifts of the Spirit are real and powerful and for today.  And I won’t even bother to argue about them because I understand the hesitancy of those who don’t believe to accept this. 

I understand their hesitancy for two reasons.  The first and simplest is that it is impossible to convince anyone of my personal experiences.  But the second reason is the more insidious of the two.  I believe the enemy has convinced some to portray the gifts in a way that is extra biblical. Some of these gifts are esteemed so highly they misplace others, which are possibly more effective as weapons against the enemy.  Some gifts become so sought after that good people are willing to go to any length possible to be seen as having them. 

Paul said he wished all would speak in tongues but he would rather them prophecy. (1 Cor 14:5)  But he also let us know we all had various gifts and different roles in the body in order to be effective.  (1 Cor 12:7)  The enemy has convinced us that we need the most popular gifts so much that some of us are willing to deceive others and, I believe, even ourselves, in false displays of these gifts.  This is the very reason an unbeliever often has a lot of ammunition against us.  False tongues, prophecy, healing, resurrections and many other manifestations that don’t even have scriptural backup, do not bring glory to our Lord and King.  They do nothing really but fuel the flame of unbelief.

Pharisaical legalism.  This had its strongest force in an earlier day.  I was not a part of this body when a person would have the state of their sanctification judged by the length of their hair or skirt, the amount of jewelry they wore, or many other outward rules and regulations that had no effect on the cleansing of anyone’s heart.  But we have grown past this.  Our new motto is come as you are.  Wear shorts and a t-shirt and even come barefoot in some churches, that’s okay. 

But is legalism gone or has the enemy just given it a facelift.  A whole lot of churches that say come as you are really do not mean this.  They really mean wear what you want.  But our Lord would certainly not mean to allow them in with a sinful lifestyle.  So we should certainly expect them to change first.  Doesn’t our attitude sometimes reflect the need for sanctification before salvation?

 A false gospel of the pursuit of happiness and wealth.  I believe this to be one of the most dangerous of all the weapons the enemy has unleashed against us to date.  God wants us above all else to be happy and prosperous.  Not full of joy and taken care of.  That would not be enough.  God is my friend and my father and there is just no way He would want me to suffer.  The enemy has a large contingent of people in his employ spreading this nefarious lie.  I believe some of them are deceived but there are a lot that have to know who they are serving.

What happens to that person who buys into this and continues to suffer?  What happens when the wealth never comes?  Some turn from the faith.  Some hang on as bitter, weaponless soldiers, battered even more intensely.  Some even hang tough and it doesn’t affect their relationship with Christ, but their lost loved ones see the deceit and will never come to faith.  I believe we have lost a lot of battles to increase the Kingdom where this doctrine is concerned.

 Academics and the pursuit of knowledge.  It is amazing that this could be corrupted.  Shouldn’t knowledge and the pursuit of it lead to a better understanding of God?  Not if the enemy can get his hands, paws, claws on it.  There is an abundance of scripture declaring God’s pleasure at our pursuit of knowledge. (Pro 8:10, Pro 24:5, Ecc 7:12, Dan 2:21, Mal 2:7)  But there are also some warnings.  (Luk 11:52, 1 Cor 8:1, 1 Cor 13:2)  If knowledge is not shared, if it brings about pride, or if it is presented with no love, it becomes a deadly weapon to be exploited by the enemy. 

Some of our most intelligent, intellectual theologians have reached a place where they are no longer teachable.  And in their arrogance they do a lot of harm to the body of Christ thru division and debate.  They have become prideful and unloving in their exposition of truth.  The more some learn about God the less they look like Him. 

A misperception of relevance.  The church must be relevant in whatever culture it is in.  It simply must matter and should be able to impact any area, age or culture.  Paul said he would be all things to all men so that some might be saved.  (1 Cor 9:22)  But unlike Paul, who meant it as a servant, (1 Cor 9:19) we seem to go to the extremes. 

We take the idea of relevance and seemingly throw it away by saying we will not reach out, we will not bend, we will not mix, or; we go to the opposite extreme and throw away all the rules, all the truths, all the peculiarities of servant hood to Christ and bring the culture into the church.  We must live in the world without being part of the world.  The enemy has successfully made this very hard to understand or apply. 

I hope you can see what I am saying here.  This has become a long read and for that I am sorry.  I hope you can take it and learn something and once again I apologize for not getting to where I intended to get.  Hang with me, please.  I will get there.

Love you all

Tags: Academics, Acceptance, Culture, Ending, Enemy, Entertainment, False manifestations, Happiness, Holy Spirit, Knowledge, Manipulation, Pentecost, Spiritual Warfare, Strategy and Tactics, Wealth