Showing posts with label prophesy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prophesy. Show all posts

Thursday, June 19, 2025

Home

In this blog, I provide training and instruction on Who the Holy Spirit is, why we need Him, and how to receive Him, as well as His holy fire.  You will learn about the new wine, the gifts of the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit, the biblical basis for the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, the role of the triune Godhead in drawing people to Himself, and the supernatural power available for all disciples.  I also discuss the importance of being led by the Spirit, correctly discerning the things of the spirit, and testing the spirits.

As the Scripture says:

"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. "For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. "Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? "Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" (Luk 11:9-13)

The Person of the Holy Spirit Baptized with the Holy Spirit Holy Fire Baptism
Gifts and Fruit of the Spirit: What's the Difference? Supernatural Power for All Disciples Discerning the Things of the Spirit
The New Wine Testing the Spirits of False Prophets The Holy Trinity
The Role of the Trinity in Drawing People to God The Bodily Form of the Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit Speaks
The Spirit without Limit  The Laying on of Hands International Impact of Pentecost
Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit False Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit The River of God
The Witness of the Spirit Judging Revelations, Visions, and Prophecies Led by the Spirit - Part I
Led by the Spirit - Part II The Baptism of Christ The Gift of Speaking in Tongues
Anointed by the Holy Spirit Have the Spiritual Gifts Ceased? The Bubbling Forth of the Spirit's new Wine
Ten Divine Expressions for Spirit Baptism


Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. "Receiving the Spirit" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist. 

Author's Note: You may also access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"
_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Baptized with the Spirit

When a person gives his life to Jesus Christ, he repents of his sin, asks the Lord to forgive him, and invites Jesus to come and live inside his heart. At that point, the Lord takes up residence within him by His Spirit. But God has more to give. He has a gift for the believer. That’s what I would like to explore together in Scripture today.

Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit

First of all, John the Baptist spoke about this. He said, "As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Mat 3:11; cf. Lk 3:16; Ac 11:15-16). John the Baptist also testified, "I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, 'He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.'" (Joh 1:33)  John made a clear distinction here between water baptism and the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

In Mark’s gospel, the two baptisms are even more clearly laid out as separate and distinct from each other. There we read of John the Baptist: “And he was preaching, and saying, ‘After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals. I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’" (Mar 1:7-8)

Some time after John made this statement, he baptized Jesus in water. Immediately afterward, the Holy Spirit descended like a dove upon Him in bodily form. Later “John testified saying, ‘I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, “He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.”'” (Joh 1:32-33). So the Father told John that Jesus is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.

Differences between the two baptisms
The word to baptize (Gr., baptizo) means to dip or immerse, to make whelmed, fully wet. It’s important to understand that it is not a sprinkling, but rather a dunking.

We should note that there are some similarities and differences between water baptism and Spirit baptism. Both baptisms are for believers, not for non-believers. They are both an immersion -- an action that makes the believer fully wet or whelmed. Yet the Holy Spirit baptism is distinctly different. Unlike water baptism, where the believer is immersed in water, now the believer is fully immersed or whelmed by the Holy Spirit. And this does not necessarily happen at the time of water baptism, as we will see.

In the case of the disciples, Jesus commanded them to wait for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. After he had risen from the dead and was about to ascend back up to heaven, He said to them, "And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high." (Luk 24:49) Here he said that He would send what He called the promise of the Father. So whatever He was referring to was a definite promise from the Father, which Jesus Himself would send. You can be assured that this is not something God has forgotten about or that He takes lightly. God keeps His promises.

And Jesus told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for this promise, until they were clothed with power from on high. When you receive the promised baptism with the Holy Spirit, you will be clothed with power. The word for power here is dunamis, which means a miraculous, mighty, and wonderful power from God. It’s where we get our English word for dynamite, which produces violent explosions. This power was so important that Jesus did not want the disciples to go anywhere without this. They needed to wait for it. And you also need to wait for the Lord to send the promise, so that you can be empowered for service.

Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit
At the time that Jesus was baptized in water, He was filled with the Holy Spirit. Here is the account of what happened: “Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, ‘You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.’" (Luk 3:21-22)

Immediately afterward, the Scripture tells us that “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness.” (Luk 4:1). This was the first time that Jesus was referred to as being full of the Holy Spirit. So it’s reasonable to say that from that point on, Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit. In fact, He testified of this Himself in the synagogue. He read the passage in Isaiah that says, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free…” (Lk 4:18)

As Jesus said, the reason the Spirit of the Lord was on Him was to empower Him to preach the gospel to the poor, proclaim freedom for the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind and to set the oppressed free. And we know from his life and ministry that He did just that.

Power is the distinct evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit
There is distinct evidence when you are baptized with the Holy Spirit. You don’t need to wonder if it has happened to you, because the evidence is always power in your life. After all, this is what Jesus promised when He said, “You will be clothed with power from on high.” (Lk 24:49b)

“Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, ‘Which,’ He said, ‘you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’ (Act 1:4-5) So while they had been baptized in water already, Jesus said they would soon be baptized in the Holy Spirit. And he explicitly said that this would be evidenced by power. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." (Act 1:8). The power they would receive would enable them to be His witnesses throughout the world.

When they were baptized on Pentecost, here is what happened. “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.” (Act 2:4). They had power to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

But it wasn’t a single occurrence. They were filled again later. “And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.” (Act 4:31). When this happened, the evidence was once again power to speak the Word of God with boldness.

Then there were the people in Cornelius’ household. He was a righteous and God-fearing Gentile man, who had invited his close relatives and friends to his home to hear Peter preach the gospel. “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God.” (Act 10:44-46).  As Peter recalled the incident, He said, "And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'" (Act 11:15-16).  The gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out on these people in the same way as it had been poured out on the disciples on the day of Pentecost. And the evidence was the same. They all spoke in tongues. And Peter said the Lord had referred to this experience as being baptized with the Holy Spirit.

Another example is when Paul first encountered the disciples in Ephesus. “He said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ And they said to him, ‘No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.’ And he said, ‘Into what then were you baptized?’ And they said, ‘Into John's baptism.’ Paul said, ‘John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.’ When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying. There were in all about twelve men.” (Act 19:2-7)

When Paul first found the Ephesian disciples, they had only been baptized into John’s baptism for repentance. He discovered this by asking them if they received the Holy Spirit when they believed. Amazingly they did not even know there was a Holy Spirit. So after Paul told them they needed to be baptized into Jesus, they did so. And then when he laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them. The power of God was evidenced there just as it was elsewhere. They began speaking in tongues and prophesying.

The same power was displayed when Peter and John were in Samaria. “Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit. Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, saying, "Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit." (Act 8:17-19) Just as had happened elsewhere whenever disciples had received the baptism with the Holy Spirit, so also there was evidence when the Samaritan disciples received this gift. That’s why Simon the sorcerer offered to pay money for this power. He was a magician who had supposedly given his life to Jesus. But when he saw and heard the powerful evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit that was given by the laying on of the disciples hands, he wanted this power also.

Scripture records that Peter rebuked him for this. But Peter said to him, "May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! "You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. "Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you. "For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity." (Act 8:20-23). The gift of God cannot be bought with money, as Simon tried to do.

It is possible to be born again without being baptized in the Spirit
In this same passage, aside from the laying on of hands, and the evidence of supernatural power, I want to draw special attention to one other very important thing about the Samaritans who received the gift of the Holy Spirit. That is the fact that they had already believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and been baptized by Philip, before Peter and John arrived. Luke recorded, “But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike.” (Act 8:12). It was after they believed and were baptized in water that Peter and John prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit. “Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” (Act 8:14-16).

Many people claim that when we believe in Jesus, and are baptized in water, that the Holy Spirit falls on us at that time. We cannot put God in a box. While this does happen in some instances where a person is baptized in the Holy Spirit when they are baptized in water or even beforehand, it is rather exceptional. The point here is that the Samaritan believers had “simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus,” and “the Holy Spirit had not yet fallen upon any of them.”

This is the same thing that happened in Ephesus, as I’ve already explained earlier. The Ephesians also received the Holy Spirit as a distinct and separate event that occurred subsequent to being baptized into Jesus Christ (Act 19:2-7). It proves that receiving the Word of God and being baptized into Christ does not necessarily mean you’ve received the baptism with the Holy Spirit.

In fact, you might even be a preacher or teacher who has been instructed in the way of the Lord. You may be speaking and teaching fervently about the Lord. You may be mighty in the Scriptures without ever having received the baptism in the Holy Spirit. That was true of Apollos. “Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John; and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.” (Act 18:24-26). My friend, please don’t assume you’ve been baptized in the Holy Spirit simply because you have become a disciple and been baptized into Christ, or because you are an effective Bible teacher. You will know when you have been baptized in the Spirit, because the evidence of supernatural power will accompany it.

Purpose of the Power
So what’s the purpose of this power that we receive, when we are baptized in the Spirit? It’s so that we can be witnesses for the Lord Jesus. Jesus told His disciples “that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.” (Luk 24:47-48). It was immediately after this that He told them to stay in the city until they were first clothed with power. So the power is needed to be His witness.

Jesus went on to say, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." (Act 1:8)

Being a witness for Jesus is not just a matter of talk but of power. Notice the way the believers prayed in the first church. They prayed, "’And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.’ And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.” (Act 4:29-31). As I mentioned earlier, Jesus said the same thing of Himself, after He was full of the Spirit, that He was anointed to preach, heal, and bring deliverance to those bound by Satan (Lk 4:18-19). He preached with authority and a demonstration of power. “And amazement came upon them all, and they began talking with one another saying, ‘What is this message? For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits and they come out.’" (Luk 4:36)

“Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people. The news about Him spread throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He healed them.” (Mat 4:23-24). Before you can be an effective witness for Jesus, you need to receive power from on high.

The outpouring is ongoing and for all mankind
On the day of Pentecost, Peter explained what was happening, when the disciples were baptized in the Holy Spirit. He said that this was a fulfillment of what Joel had prophesied that the Lord would pour out His Spirit. The Lord said that prophesying, dreams, visions, signs and wonders would accompany this outpouring (Ac 2:14-17). And He said the outpouring would be for all mankind, men, women, and children alike, not just a select few. It’s for every disciple of Christ.

At the home of Cornelius’, when the Gentiles received the Holy Spirit, Peter explained again what was happening. As he retold the event to the elders in Jerusalem, he said, "And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'” (Act 11:15-16). So Peter made a direct connection between what happened there and what Jesus meant when He said, “You will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Peter also said that what happened at Cornelius’ home was just like what happened on Pentecost. This proves that the outpouring would be ongoing, rather than a one-time event.

This ongoing outpouring for all mankind is in stark contrast to what happened under the Old Covenant. At that time certain people were filled with the Holy Spirit. But it was rather isolated and did not happen to everyone. For example, Elizabeth responded by crying out with a loud voice, when she was filled with the Holy Spirit (Lk 1:42). Likewise, her husband, Zechariah responded by prophesying, when he was filled with the Holy Spirit (Lk 1:67). And their son, John the Baptist responded by leaping for joy, when he was filled with the Holy Spirit (Lk 1:41).

Everyone responds when filled with the Holy Spirit
Just as Zechariah, Elizabeth, and John responded under the Old Covenant, when they were filled with the Holy Spirit, everyone who receives this power responds. Peter responded with great boldness when filled with the Holy Spirit (Ac 4:8). Stephen responded by speaking fearlessly of his ability to see the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God (Ac 7:55). Paul responded by regaining his vision. Immediately it was as if scales fell from his eyes when he was filled the Holy Spirit (Ac 9:17-18).

Subsequent fillings with the Holy Spirit
There were subsequent fillings after the initial baptism with the Holy Spirit. The apostle Paul taught the Ephesians, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit.” (Eph 5:18). He contrasted this filling with being drunk with wine. Just as a person can repeatedly be drunk with wine, we are to repeatedly be filled with the Holy Spirit. This is not for the purpose of dissipation or wasting our lives, but so that we can build one another up by sing to each other with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs that we sing to one another, as we make melody in our heart to the Lord (Eph 5:19).

The Greek word in Ephesians 5:18 is a continual action “to be”. Literally it means continually “be being filled” with the Spirit. This is consistent with what happened with the early disciples. When they prayed together after they had been filled with the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, they were filled again. These were the same disciples who were previously baptized in the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (Ac 2:4; Ac 4:23-24,31). Likewise, Paul was subsequently filled with the Holy Spirit and displayed power as well as boldness (Ac 13:9-11).

Given through the laying on of hands
One of the elementary teachings of the faith that the writer of Hebrews mentioned is the laying on of hands (Heb 6:1, 2). As I’ve mentioned previously, the Holy Spirit is given through the laying on of hands. We saw this when the Holy Spirit was given in Samaria (Ac 8:15-18) and Ephesus. “And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying.” (Act 19:6). In the same way, healing and miracles happen when believers lay hands on the sick, just as Jesus and the first disciples did. (Mark 1:16-18).  However, just as healing and miracles can happen without the laying on of hands, so can the baptism of the Holy Spirit happen without it.  In fact, sometimes people are baptized with the Holy Spirit when there is no one else present with them.

It's a gift
If you are a disciple of Christ, you shouldn't feel that God will give this gift to others and withhold it from you. A gift is free, and that means you cannot earn it. Jesus taught us to ask for it. He said, "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" (Luk 11:9-13). Jesus explicitly said that the heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him. So go ahead and ask. Then expect to receive!

Putting it All Together
Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit, and He is the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is given through the laying on of hands. The distinct evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit is power. The power we receive from the Holy Spirit is to be witnesses.

It is possible to be born again without being baptized in the Spirit. Under the Old Covenant, certain people were filled with the Holy Spirit, but it was rather rare and isolated and not common or widespread.

On Pentecost Day, Peter explained that this was the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy where the Lord promised to pour out His Spirit on all mankind in the last days. Peter also explained that the experience at Cornelius’ home was a fulfillment of Jesus’ promise to baptize in the Holy Spirit.

There are certainly subsequent fillings with the Holy Spirit after receiving the initial baptism. It's meant to be a continuous lifestyle, rather than a single event in your life.

So if you are a disciple of Christ, who has never been baptized with the Holy Spirit, I encourage you to ask the Lord for this gift. He promises to give this good gift to those who ask.

And if you have received the baptism with the Holy Spirit, but it's been a long time since then, and you need a refill, I encourage you to pray and ask the Lord to fill you once again. Take the time to wait upon the Lord to send you a fresh outpouring of His Spirit.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, copyright the Lockman Foundation, used by permission.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Main Directory for this blog at Home, such as Holy Fire Baptism, Anointed by the SpiritThe Gift of Speaking in TonguesHave the Spiritual Gifts Ceased?The New Wine, Led by the Spirit, Gifts and Fruit of the Spirit: What's the Difference?Ten Divine Expressions for Spirit Baptism, The Holy Spirit Speaks, The Bodily Form of the Holy Spirit, and Supernatural Power for All Disciples. I also recommend Restored Truth.  You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."  "Receiving the Spirit" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"
_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Monday, October 7, 2013

The Holy Spirit Speaks

Some people actually believe that the Holy Spirit does not speak.  Let’s see what the Scriptures say:

Jesus said, "For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.” (Mat 10:20)

Jesus said, "When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit.” (Mar 13:11)

Jesus said, "When they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."  (Luk 12:11-12)

Jesus said, "When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me,” (Joh 15:26)

Jesus said, "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.” (Joh 16:13)

"Brethren, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.” (Act 1:16)

“While Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, ‘Behold, three men are looking for you.’” (Act 10:19)

Peter said, "The Spirit told me to go with them without misgivings. These six brethren also went with me and we entered the man's house.” (Act 11:12)

In the Antioch church, “While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’”  (Act 13:2)

The apostle Paul said, "And now, behold, bound by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me.” (Act 20:22-23)

Paul said the Holy Spirit spoke through the prophet Isaiah. “And when they did not agree with one another, they began leaving after Paul had spoken one parting word, ‘The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers,’” (Act 28:25).

Paul said we cry out by the Spirit, who testifies with our spirit.  “For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a Spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,” (Rom 8:15-16)

The Spirit of Jesus is the One who cries out, “Abba, Father!” within the disciple of Christ.  Paul again said, “Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Gal 4:6)

Paul taught that it is the Holy Spirit speaking through us that Jesus is Lord. “Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, ‘Jesus is accursed’; and no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.” (1Co 12:3).  If you want to speak by the Spirit, begin saying with power and conviction, “Jesus is Lord!”

Paul said, “But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,” (1Ti 4:1)

The apostle wrote to the Hebrews, “Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, ‘Today if you hear His voice,’” (Heb 3:7)

He continues, “And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying, ‘This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws upon their heart, and on their mind I will write them,’ He then says, ‘And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.’" (Heb 10:15-17)

Luke records what happened on the Day of Pentecost: “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.”  (Act 2:4).  When people are filled with the Holy Spirit, they will speak, because the Holy Spirit speaks. 

If the Holy Spirit does not speak, how could he give the disciples utterance to speak in languages they never learned?

"For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day; but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel: 'And it shall be in the last days,' God says, 'that I will pour forth of my Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my bondslaves, both men and women, I will in those days pour forth of my Spirit And they shall prophesy.” (Act 2:15-18).

God said through the prophet Joel that in the last days He would pour out His Spirit on mankind, and they would prophesy, including both children and adults.  Once again, the Holy Spirit speaks through the people who receive Him when He is poured out.

Peter affirmed this fact when He said, “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” (2Pe 1:20-21)

“And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, ‘O Lord, it is You who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them, who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Your servant, said, “Why did the gentiles rage, and the peoples devise futile things?”’” (Act 4:24-25)

In their prayer, the disciples indicated that the Lord spoke the words of Psalm 2 by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of David. 

The apostle John said, “This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.” (1Jn 5:6)

Jesus continued to speak by the Spirit even after His resurrection.  Luke states: “The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen.” (Act 1:1-2)

In fact, even when He spoke to the apostle John on the Isle of Patmos, He spoke by the Spirit:

Jesus said, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.” (Rev 2:7)

Jesus said, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.” (Rev 2:11)

Jesus said, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.” (Rev 2:17)

Jesus said, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Rev 2:29; 3:6, 13, 22)

Here are the words of the apostle John: And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, "Write, 'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!'" "Yes," says the Spirit, "so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them." (Rev 14:13)

The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.” (Rev 22:17)

Putting it All Together
It's abundantly clear from the Word of God that the Holy Spirit definitely speaks.  This is how all the Scriptures were written, as men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. In fact, everything Jesus said was spoken by the Spirit, even after His resurrection.  Even after His ascension, He continues to speak by the Spirit, as He did to John on the Isle of Patmos.

The Spirit of God speaks to and through every true disciple of Christ, who has received the Spirit.  Whenever the Holy Spirit comes upon mankind, people will speak. They will speak in tongues and prophesy, as the Spirit gives them utterance.  In fact, a disciple cannot even say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Spirit.  So let's begin to declare it out loud.  Make it known in the heavens and on the earth that Jesus Christ is Lord. If you say to God, "Abba, Father," that is the Holy Spirit testifying through you that you are God's child.

Anyone who says the Holy Spirit doesn't speak needs to read their Bible.  He still speaks today.  The only question is whether you hear what He is saying. You need to receive the Holy Spirit after you become a believer.  Have you received the Holy Spirit?  Let Him who has ears hear what the Spirit says to the Church.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. The "Receiving the Spirit" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's note You can access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."  Also see the following posts:

The Person of the Holy Spirit
Baptized with the Spirit
Holy Fire Baptism
The Bodily Form of the Holy Spirit

Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"
_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Testing the Spirits of False Prophets

Jesus warned us that in these last days there would be false prophets, who would come to us in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.  Now more than ever, we need to be on our guard against false prophets. So I'd like to examine this important task with you from Scripture, and also explain the difference between lies and L.I.E.S., both of which are dangers to the flock.

Shepherds Are Responsible to Guard the Flock
First of all, the Lord gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers (Eph 4:11 NASB).  They are to prepare God's people for works of service.  And those who are in oversight of the church must guard the flock against these wolves.

I simply mention that, because it is not really the responsibility of the newborn babe in Christ to be able to determine who is a false prophet or not.  The responsibility primarily lies with the shepherds, not the sheep to defend the flock. So if you are in such a role in the church, whatever title you wear, then the onus is on you to test false prophets, who come into range of the flock you are tending.  You cannot ignore the false prophets or neglect this duty of your ministry.  God will hold you accountable.

That said, each sheep does have a responsibility to grow up into the fullness of Christ, who is the head, so that they will no longer be tossed about by every wind of doctrine.  If the ministry gifts are doing their duty, then the members of the church will mature in this way.  Then the sheep will learn to detect potential wolves themselves.

Culinary fruit. Picture by Bill Ebbesen
Fruit Testing
Jesus did not tell us to focus so much on the doctrine of these false prophets, although that is also very important.  He taught us to test the messengers themselves, not just their message, because you cannot separate the message from the messenger!  And the method He gave us for doing so is to test their fruit.

Right after He warned us to beware of false prophets, He said, "So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit."  (Mat 7:17-18 NASB).  What He meant here is that the false prophets are like bad trees, which cannot produce anything but bad fruit.  Conversely, the true messengers of God are like good trees, which can only produce good fruit.  So in order to determine if someone is a false prophet, examine their fruit. Jesus said He would cut down all the bad trees.  And He also assured us that we would be able to identify them, when He said, "So then, you will know them by their fruits. (Mat 7:20 NASB)

To check someone's fruit, look at their ways, their actions, and the results of their actions.  Look at their lifestyle, their children, their disciples, their church, and their other works. Find out what the fruit of their works are.  If you see good fruit coming forth from their life, then you can be sure that they are not a false prophet.  On the other hand, if you find bad fruit, then you can be sure they are not a true prophet.

Does that mean this person never makes a mistake?  No!  Even true men of God make mistakes.  The difference is that they correct themselves immediately when they realize they've been mistaken.  And when they realize they've sinned, they repent immediately. They don't go on living that way.

The apostle Paul's credentials were questioned by false apostles, who were disguising themselves as apostles of Christ (2Co 11:13-15). Paul's response was to show to the Corinthians his good fruit, which were his labors for Christ, imprisonments, beatings, near death experiences, whippings, being stoned, shipwrecked, being on frequent journeys, in dangers of many kinds, as well as his hardships, sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, going without food, in cold and exposure. (2Co 11:23-27). By showing his fruit, he felt he was able to prove his true apostolic calling. Likewise, if someone is loving God with his whole heart, soul, mind and strength, and loving his neighbor as himself, then that's the kind of good fruit you want to find!

Fruit testing is essential and cannot be bypassed.  Yet so many times I see people rejecting a message without bothering to check the fruit of the messenger.  My friend, if you are a shepherd over a flock or actively serving the Church as one of the five ministry gifts, you cannot skip the fruit test!  You cannot say that you didn't have time or any personal interest in checking the fruit.  You have to do it.

As the apostle John wrote: "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world." (1Jo 4:1 NASB).  Notice he said, "test the spirits."  He then went on to explain by saying that every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God.   Conversely, every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.  It's pretty basic.

Peter gave examples of some of the bad fruit that accompanies false prophets and false teachers. For example, they often "deny the Master who bought them," while others are involved in sensuality or greed. (2Pe 2:1-3). Paul also described some aspects he had seen, like pushiness, pride, control, and physical abuse (2 Cor 11:20). Those would be the kind of things you're looking for when testing fruit.

But people prefer to simply go strictly on their knowledge of the Bible and what they believe it says, and if someone's message does not agree with that, then they don't accept it.  This is not what Jesus taught. If you don't do what He says to do, and you simply call Him "Lord, Lord," you will be cast away from His presence in the end into everlasting destruction.  All you have to do is follow Matthew 7 to the end of the chapter and you will see what I mean.  Obey Jesus' command on how to test for false prophets, and don't rely solely on your own understanding of the Bible.

Likewise, Jesus wants us to check and see if a messenger obeys the words of Jesus, or whether he only calls Jesus "Lord," but does not do what He says.  That is the true test of a false prophet, in my opinion.  It is not simply making an intellectual evaluation of doctrine (information), analyzing only what a man teaches, and comparing that to your own interpretation of Scripture. It is also not simply a matter of evaluating his gifts.

Now to underscore what I've just said about fruit testing, I'd like to show (in the table below) what Jesus said, by comparing how Matthew and Luke recorded his teaching about dealing with false prophets:

Gospel of Matthew Passage Gospel of Luke Passage
(Not in Matthew) "Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets." (Luk 6:22-23 NASB)
(Not in Matthew) "Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way. (Luk 6:26 NASB)
(Not in Matthew) And He also spoke a parable to them: "A blind man cannot guide a blind man, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit? (Luk 6:39 NASB)
"Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye? "You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.
(Mat 7:4-5 NASB)
"Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? "Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye. (Luk 6:41-42 NASB)
"Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves." (Mat 7:15 NASB) (Not in Luke)
"So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit."  (Mat 7:17-18 NASB) "For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit." (Luk 6:43 NASB)
"Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. (Mat 7:19 NASB) "Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." (Luk 3:9 NASB)
"So then, you will know them by their fruits. (Mat 7:20 NASB) "For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. (Luk 6:44 NASB)
(Not in Matthew) "The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart." (Luk 6:45 NASB)

Here are some of my observations from this comparison:
  1. Just because a person is hated and men ostracize them, insult them, and scorn their name as evil, it does not mean they are a false prophet.  The true prophets of God were treated this way.   Don't assume without checking the person's fruit! If they have good fruit, truly living in a way that is pleasing to God, and they are hated, ostracized, scorned for the sake of their devotion to Christ, then they are blessed.
  2. Just because a person is well-liked and everyone speaks well of him, it does not mean he is a true prophet.  False prophets are usually treated this way, so you still need to check fruit. And ask yourself if all men speak well of you. If so, then woe to you!
  3. If you yourself are blind, you cannot lead others who are blind.  So first be sure that you are not blind.  If you say you can see, when in fact you are blind, the Lord will consider you guilty. Don't attempt to test a false prophet without first testing yourself for possible blind spots.
  4. If you've got a log in your own eye, then all you will see will be logs in the eyes of others.  So don't try to test for false prophets until you first get the log out of your own eye!  I call this L.I.E.S., which stands for "Log In Eye Syndrome."  Would you want to have an eye doctor or friend trying to remove something from your eye, if they were blinded by a log in their own eye?  The Pharisees and other religious leaders of Jerusalem had logs in their eyes, and whenever they looked at Jesus, all they could see was logs or specks. In the end, they said, "He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy; what do you think?" They answered, "He deserves death!" (Mat 26:65-66 NASB).  I've seen people jump to conclusions like this about true messengers of God, or about their messages.  Beware of this and don't repeat the same mistake!
  5. The final destiny of anyone who does not produce good fruit is the same as that of a bad tree -- thrown into the fire (Mt 7:19; Luk 3:9; Jn 15:6).  This is very serious!  It's not your job to burn them.  God will take care of that. First make sure you are not the one who's failing to bear good fruit.  And then if you test someone else and discover bad fruit, don't follow them or their message.
  6. You will know them by their fruits. (Mt 7:20; Lk 6:44).  Bad fruit = bad tree = false prophet.  Good fruit = good tree = true messenger. Their fruit includes everything that comes forth from their life, including attitudes, deeds, and words. 
  7. Do not disregard what someone says with their mouth.  That's part of their fruit. Their prophecy, vision, dream, teaching, or message will overflow out of the abundance of their heart, so you should check it for evil. They must preach what is in accordance with sound doctrine. Anything they say that contradicts the teachings of Christ and His apostles is bad fruit and is evil. However, the definition of evil is NOT simply anything you disagree with theologically. If you find any evil, then don't receive the messenger. And listen to their words outside the message they give for the Lord.  If they speak evil, then you know their heart is full of evil also.
Two Attitudes
There are basically two, possible attitudes you could have when testing false prophets.   One is the "Zechariah attitude" and the other is the "Mary attitude." You can find these in Luke 1.

When the angel Gabriel told the elderly Zechariah that his wife, Elizabeth would have a baby, he doubted, saying, “How can I be sure of this?" (Lk 1:18a).  As a result, Gabriel struck him with muteness until the prophecy was fulfilled. 

Conversely, when Gabriel told the virgin, Mary that she would conceive a child, she said almost the same words as Zechariah did.  She initially said, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?” (Lk 1:34). Yet her attitude was not one of doubt like Zechariah.  It was one of faith and obedience, because she later said, "may it be done to me according to your word." (Lk 1:38).  The angel and the Lord saw the difference, and she was blessed by God.

When you listen to or read a message, and you are unsure whether it is true, approach it with a "Mary attitude" not a "Zechariah attitude."

Shouldn't We Search the Scriptures?
When Paul preached to the people of Berea, they checked what he said against the word.  The Bible says, they were "examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so."  So shouldn't we do the same? Yes, but again, your attitude in doing so must be the same as the Bereans. Their attitude was that they "they received the word with great eagerness." (Ac 17:11).

When you listen to or read someone's message from the Lord, until your test has proven them to be false, receive the word with great eagerness and definitely examine the Scriptures to see whether the things they are saying are truly so.

Testing the Spirits
As I wrote in The Rise of Antichrists, the apostle John warned us that there would be many antichrists.  He warned us to test the spirits, and not to believe them all.  He gave us a simple way to test them, saying, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world." (1Jn 4:1-3).  According to this simple test, the way you know whether the spirit by which a person speaks is from God is that it confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.  On the other hand, every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God.  This is a helpful test.

However, even then we must be careful, because plenty of false religions confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, such as the Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses.  The Mormons do not believe the Bible to be inerrant, complete or the final word of God; therefore, they have accepted false doctrines that nullify the Word of God.  Likewise, the Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus Christ came in the flesh, and they consider themselves devoted followers of His. However, they too hold to false teachings, such as their belief that Jesus Christ was Michael, the archangel, who came in the flesh!  They do not believe that Jesus Christ is God. Therefore, while John's simple litmus test of the spirits is helpful, it alone will not expose all false prophets.  We should view it as a basic, first-level test of the spirits.  That is why we also need the "fruit test" given to us by our Lord Jesus, as well as the "Berean test," which I have already explained earlier.

When Does Unity Take Priority?
Oftentimes people want to maintain unity in the Body at all costs.  But that is not biblical either.  Jesus said He did not come to bring peace, but division.  "Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division; for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. "They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law." (Luk 12:51-53 NASB). So when is it appropriate to set aside differences for the sake of unity?

In the fifth century, Augustine said, “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.” This really sums it up well, so please allow me to explain what it means.

In Non Essentials, Liberty
If two parties have differing views or practices that are non-essential, and they either cannot come to agreement, or they see no need to be in agreement on those matters, then they should overlook their differences. This is a case where they need to give liberty to one another.

Perhaps one party prefers a choir at their church, and the other prefers a worship team.  Or one prefers pews to cushioned chairs.  Or one likes to shout when he preaches and the other prefers to speak calmly.  Or they differ on whether Matthias or Paul replaced Judas as the twelfth apostle.  Unity takes priority over these differences.

In Essentials Unity
On the other hand, when at least one party believes that the matter is an essential one in the Christian faith, and that it cannot be any other way, then they must work to resolve the difference.  There is no other option.  One party cannot counsel the other to stop focusing on the matter, and expect to silence them on something they believe is essential.  Doing so would violate the person's conscience and deeply held convictions.

One example would be if one party believes that Jesus did not come in the flesh.  Anyone who does not believe that Jesus came in the flesh is not from God. We cannot compromise on this.  So the person who does not believe that Jesus came in the flesh must either get into agreement with the Word or lose the relationship with the other party. The same goes for anyone who does not believe that Jesus is God's Son, or that there are many ways to be saved through other religions apart from Christ.

Another example would be if someone receives a revelation from God, such as the Lord speaking to him or taking him to heaven or hell to witness something first-hand. Such a person would have a testimony about his experience and would speak about the revelation God gave to him.  If someone else has a reservation about his experiences and his message, they cannot simply dismiss it as not from God, unless it clearly contradicts plain Scripture.  Otherwise, they cannot simply say it's not what the Bible says.

The person who is confronted with this other one, who's had the revelation, dream or vision from the Lord must do due diligence to test the fruit of the one they suspect could be a false prophet.  If they find the fruit to be good, and the message does not contradict Scripture, then they need to come into unity with the person receiving the revelation.

In All Things, Love
Regardless of whether the matter is one of essentials or non-essentials, we have to always treat people with love.  We need to treat them the way we would like to be treated (Luk 6:31).  So in the process of checking fruit and making a determination, our attitude and behavior must be a loving one.  The apostle Paul said,

"Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." (1Co 13:4-7 NASB)  That's how we should handle someone we suspect could be a false prophet. Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the forces of darkness.

When Paul said love believes all things, I think there are at least a couple different applications.  We should believe all things the person is saying, until we have proven them false. Don't begin with the assumption that what they say is a lie. If you do so, then you yourself may have L.I.E.S. Secondly, assume they are innocent until proven guilty.  The US justice system is based on this principle.  Give them the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise, lest you find yourself rejecting one of God's true messengers.

You need to love the Truth (2 Thes 2:10). However, bear in mind that we all know just a part of the truth, and we prophesy in part. "For we know in part and we prophesy in part;" (1Co 13:9 NASB).  This means that no single individual or church has a corner on the Truth.  The Lord has given part of it to various members of the Body, so that we are dependent upon each other.  Therefore, don’t just love the part of the truth that you or your church group subscribes to.  Ask the Lord to show you the whole truth and nothing but the truth.  And remember that the Truth is a Person, whose name is Jesus Christ, and who speaks through His mufti-faceted Body.

Rejecting Jesus
You need to be very careful you don't reject Jesus in the process of testing for a false prophet.  If the person is a true messenger of God and you reject them, then you are rejecting Jesus.  He told His disciples, “He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects Me.” (Lk 10:16). He also said that whatever you do to the least of these brothers of His, you do it to Him.

The way to avoid possibly rejecting Jesus is to prepare your own heart through repentance.  Those who had been baptized with the baptism of repentance, by John the Baptist, acknowledged God's justice. (see Luk 7:29).  John's calling was to preach that people should prepare the way for the Lord through repentance (see Mk 1:3-4). Those who did so were well positioned to receive Jesus.

"But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God's purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by John." (Luk 7:30 NASB).  Beware you are not like the Pharisees and lawyers, who did not repent.  It is possible to repent and to know you have repented, yet, have no fruits of repentance. In that case, you have repented with no evidence. There is no broken heart, no sincerity!  If you are like that, then you are positioned to reject God's purpose for yourself.  You could easily end up rejecting one of God's messengers, and thereby rejecting Jesus.

You’ve got to receive the kingdom like a little child, or you will not enter it at all (Mk 10:15; Lk 18:17).  So have a childlike attitude in the way you receive kingdom messengers.  Remember that Jesus came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. He also told His disciples, "He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. (Mat 10:40). This means that when you receive a true messenger of God, you receive Him.

Therefore, you’ll receive a prophet’s reward, if you receive a prophet in the name of a prophet, and you’ll receive a righteous man’s reward, if you receive a righteous man as a righteous man (Mk 10:40). Conversely, if you do not listen to the prophet of God or righteous messenger, it will certainly not bode well for you.  Jesus told His disciples to shake the dust off their feet against the town of those who would not listen to them, as a testimony against them.  And He said it would be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for such a town.

Listening to Input
It’s important to always remain accountable, correctable, and teachable, as I have written about in another blog.  Appolos was like that.  Although he was eloquent, mighty in the Scriptures, fervent in spirit, instructed in the way of the Lord, speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, he was only acquainted with John's baptism of repentance.  "But when Priscilla and Aquila...took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately," he received their input and made the adjustment. 

So does that mean that we do everything that people counsel us to to or believe everything they tell us to believe?  No.  Each of us must ultimately determine through prayer, the Word, and the leading of the Holy Spirit what the Lord is saying

There will be times when someone holds fast to what they are firmly convinced of in God's Word to be true, and they don't waiver from it.  They sincerely believe the Lord has made it clear that this is an "essential."  If they do not back down from their position, when you try to give them input or share your concerns, you should be careful not to assume they are closed to input or refusing to listen. Consider the other possibility that it could be you who is unwilling to listen.

Even Appolos, once he made the adjustment, went on to "powerfully refute the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ." (Act 18:28 NASB). He stood firm against them in debate.

Martin Luther
Peter and John are also good examples.  The religious leaders of Jerusalem ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. "But Peter and John answered and said to them, 'Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard." (Act 4:19-20 NASB). The Council members could easily say that the apostles were not listening to them or not receiving their counsel.  I only use this as an example to show that there are situations like this when we disciples need to stand our ground, because we must always obey God, even if it means disobeying man.

Stephen was like this, too. Some men from a synagogue rose up to argue with him, "but they were unable to cope with the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking." (Act 6:10 NASB).  He didn't go looking for an argument, yet when they brought one to him, he didn't compromise, but spoke boldly for the Lord.

The Lord did promise to give us words and wisdom that none of our adversaries would be able to resist or contradict (Lk 21:15).  This means there will be times when you need to stand up for what you believe and not back down.  Just be meek and humble about it.

Martin Luther, the reformer that preached against abuses and false doctrines in the Catholic Church, was given the opportunity to recant some of his statements: “Do you defend them all or do you care to reject a part?”

He replied without horns or teeth, “Unless I am convicted by Scripture and plain reason—I do not accept the authority of popes and councils because they have contradicted each other—my conscience is captive to the word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me God. Amen.” There before the Diet of Worms, Germany in 1521, he took his stand for the truth, knowing he could be burned at the stake like his predecessor, Jan Hus.

Jan Hus
About a hundred years earlier, Hus had preached against the doctrines of the Catholic Church, such as indulgences.  His opponents displayed bad fruit in the way they handled it.  They also failed to check his fruit.  They based their test solely on the fact that he didn't agree with their official position.  When given the chance to recant his teachings, he refused to do so.  He cried out to God for help, and they silenced him.

He later fell upon his knees and asked God with a low voice to forgive all his enemies. His last words were, "Christ, son of the Living God, have mercy on us!"  This is another great example of someone who didn't back down from the truth, and whom the Church viewed as a false teacher.  Consequently, in 1415 they burned him at the stake for it.

Putting it All Together
I have written about this today, because I believe these are widespread issues in the church.  This is not about one isolated incident, but a pattern I have seen in various places.  Let's not be ignorant of the enemy's schemes.

We live in the last days when deception from false prophets is on the rise.  If we were to count all the false prophets in the world today, I suppose it would number in the hundreds or thousands.  They are wolves in sheep's clothing.

The Church needs to watch out for them, and the shepherds are responsible to identify them.  But the Church needs to stop using merely the intellectual test of doctrinal correctness (although that is certainly still needed), and return once again to the true test of the false prophet that Jesus commanded -- the fruit test.

Otherwise you could end up rejecting God's purpose for your life and treat true messengers like false prophets.  This would be a symptom of having a condition known as L.I.E.S.  The Lord knows that this is the evil generation, and that even many Christians are not believing correctly.  So in His mercy, He is giving prophecies, visions, dreams, and revelations to many people on an unprecedented level, in order to warn the Church to wake up.  But you have a choice to either disregard them all, and throw out their message, or test the fruit of these messengers.

There are two dangers affecting the Church -- lies and L.I.E.S.  And you need to do your part to guard against both.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. The images of John Hus and Martin Luther are faithful photographic reproductions of original two-dimensional works of art. The works of art are in the public domain and images were taken from Wikimedia Commons.The portrait of Luther was done by Lucas Cranach the Elder, a German Renaissance painter.

Author's note Also see Judging Revelations, Visions, and Prophecies, Discerning the Things of the Spirit, Exposing Heresy, A Warning to the Nay Sayers, Scripture Alone, The Rise of Antichrists, Sequence of Signs Preceding the Coming of Christ, and Gifts and Fruit of the Spirit: What's the Difference?  And I invite you to visit Eternal Destinations, where you will find many testimonies of people claiming to have a revelation from God, a vision, or a dream.  You can find the Main Directory for this blog at Home, and also access my complete blog collection of blogs at "Writing for the Master." Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"
_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Supernatural Power for All Disciples


Peter and John Healing the Lame Man
Have you ever noticed that some Scriptures seem to indicate that in the early church only the apostles functioned in the supernatural? And then there are other Scriptures that show that all believers can do so. Let’s examine those in order to determine whether they are limited to the apostles or for all.

First we will look at the ones that show how God’s supernatural power seemed to be limited. Then we will look at the ones that show us how all believers can function this way.  Let me encourage you to put aside all your existing ideas, as well as anything you have been taught, and just let the Word speak for itself.

Power limited to the apostles
Jesus told the apostles gathered with Him just before his ascension, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."  (Act 1:8)

Luke’s account of the early church reveals that the apostles were functioning in the supernatural.  “At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon's portico.” (Act 5:12)  However, we do not see any record that signs and wonders were taking place at the hands of the thousands of other disciples in the early church – just the apostles.  

Although at least 5,000 people believed in Christ in Jerusalem during the early days of the church, it was the apostles who were giving testimony with great power.  “And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all.” (Act 4:33)

Peter Healing the Sick with his Shadow
In those days, there were constantly multitudes of people added to the church.  Yet did they bring their sick to any one of the thousands of disciples for prayer and healing?  No, they looked to Peter.  Luke states, “And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number, to such an extent that they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on any one of them.” (Act 5:14-15).  It was Peter’s shadow they were hoping would fall on one of the sick, so that they would be healed.  This seems like a unique sign that followed His apostolic ministry.

Luke states the general sense of awe in the church at that time.  “Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.” (Act 2:43).  Again, notice how there were many signs and wonders taking place specifically through the apostles. No mention is made that these were taking place through every member of the church. In fact, in this passage, no mention is made of signs and wonders taking place through anyone else but the apostles.

Paul Healing the Cripple at Lystra
In the accounts of the apostle Paul’s missionary journeys, we find that he performed many miraculous signs and wonders.  In addition to healings, miracles, and casting out demons, there was even miraculous power connected with articles that belonged to him. Luke write, “God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out.” (Act 19:11-12). It’s amazing what God did through Paul.  Yet throughout the biblical accounts of his ministry, we don’t find similar accounts about such things happening through his companions. We never read about the apostle Barnabas, nor Silas, nor Priscilla and Aquilla, nor Apollos, nor Timothy, nor Titus performing signs and wonders.

Paul taught the Corinthians about the gifts God has appointed in the church. He wrote: “And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.”(1Co 12:28)  It was obvious from the context that these gifts were given to individuals, and they are not all given to every believer.

In this same context, Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they? All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they?” (1Co 12:29-30). These were rhetorical questions, and the answer was obviously negative.  Everyone is obviously not an apostle, and neither is every believer a prophet, a teacher, or a miracle worker.  Not every member of the Body has gifts of healing, speaks in tongues, or interprets tongues either.

Luke records in his account how the baptism of the Holy Spirit was bestowed at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, and Simon the sorcerer’s response to seeing this.  Luke wrote: “Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit. Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, saying, ‘Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.’” (Act 8:17-19)

It was the apostles who laid hands on the servants chosen to distribute food to the widows in the early church community. “And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.” (Act 6:6)

The Lord initially spoke the message of salvation Himself.  But those, who heard Him speak, later confirmed the message to others by signs, wonders, various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit that God did through those people.  The writer of Hebrews stated, “For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.” (Heb 2:2-4).  This passage could be used to show how the Lord gave signs and wonders to confirm His Word spoken by the apostles, the ones who initially heard Jesus.

Paul explained that all the members in the Body do not have the same function.  He wrote to the Romans, “For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.” (Rom 12:4-8).  He explained that each one has different gifts, and he mentions some of them given to the members of the Body, including prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, giving, ruling, and showing mercy.  God did not paint us all one color. He did not make every member of the Body to have the same gifts. 

These signs will accompany those who have believed
Up to this point, if we had only read the Scriptures I cited above, we might believe that the supernatural power was limited to the first apostles.  But if the Lord had limited the spiritual gifts, signs and wonders to the first apostles, then the Great Commission would have also been limited to them.  When Jesus told them that they would be His witnesses, He also told them to first wait until they baptized with the Holy Spirit, so that they could be endued with all power they would need. Receiving power must precede being His witnesses.  

The apostles had already walked with Jesus for over three years, seen Him with their eyes perform miracles, and heard Him teach. They ate with Him and prayed with Him.  He had previously commissioned them along with the seventy disciples, while he was with them, to go and preach.  They had already cast out demons and healed the sick.  They even saw Him after He was resurrected from death!  So if those, who were privileged to have such prior experiences, needed to be endued with power to be His witnesses, you can be sure that every other disciple without such experiences must also receive the power of the Holy Spirit. If it was necessary for the first apostles to receive power in order to be His witnesses, then it is certainly necessary in order for anyone else to be His witness.   If Jesus limited that power to the first apostles, then how could He expect the successive generations of people in the church who came after them to fulfill the Great Commission?

We can be certain that there was no such limitation of power. Mark’s gospel ends with the following words of Jesus: “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.’ So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed." (Mar 16:15-20)

In this passage, Jesus said that those who have believed will be accompanied by signs that include the following:  in Jesus’ name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.  This shows us that it is the Lord’s will to confirm His word by signs that follow it whenever it is preached. It proves that signs and wonders are essential in order to fulfill the Great Commission, and those who have believed will perform these, not just apostles.

One Scriptural example of this is Philip.  He went to Samaria to preach Christ, when the church was scattered through Saul’s persecution.  “Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming Christ to them. The crowds with one accord were giving attention to what was said by Philip, as they heard and saw the signs which he was performing. For in the case of many who had unclean spirits, they were coming out of them shouting with a loud voice; and many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed. So there was much rejoicing in that city.” (Act 8:4-8).  The Bible tells us that he was a man full of the Holy Spirit.  The one connection we can make between Philip and the apostles is that they had laid their hands on him when they appointed him as one of the seven to distribute food to the widows.  However, he himself was not an apostle.  Yet when he preached, he also performed signs and wonders that included miracles, healings, and casting out demons. 

In one situation, Philip was even supernaturally transported through space.  After he had led the Ethiopian eunuch to Christ on the desert road to Gaza, and baptized him, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away and carried him to Azotus.  “When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he kept preaching the gospel to all the cities until he came to Caesarea.” (Act 8:39-40).  So we can clearly see from Scripture that the Lord performed signs and wonders through others besides the apostles.

Jesus said He would send the Holy Spirit after He went to the Father, and that the Spirit’s power would be given, so that believers could do the works that He did.  He said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.” (Joh 14:12).  This promise is for those who believe in Jesus, just as Jesus said when He gave the great commission as recorded in Mark’s gospel.  It’s not limited to apostles only.

In Paul’s epistle to the Corinthians, he gave a more complete list of spiritual gifts that are given to the various members of the Body: “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware. You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus is accursed"; and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.” (1Co 12:1-11) Paul referred to these supernatural signs and wonders as both gifts (Greek, charisma) and manifestations (Greek, phanerosis). It is very clear from this passage that the Lord has distributed these among the various members of the Body, and they are not all given to one person or even to a select few. 

After explaining the spiritual gifts in detail to the Corinthian church, and teaching that some gifts are greater than others, because they build others up, Paul exhorted them to earnest desire the greater gifts.  He wrote: “But earnestly desire the greater gifts.” (1Co 12:31a).  The words in the original language reflect that all believers should covet these greater gifts and should be very zealous to function in them, even with a white-hot passion in their hearts.  He repeats this exhortation again a second time, saying, “Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.” (1Co 14:1).  Paul acknowledged that the members of the Corinthian church were all zealous for spiritual gifts, and he encouraged them in that pursuit.  Paul repeated his exhortation to them yet a third time, saying, “So also you, since you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the edification of the church.” (1Co 14:12) Since this is repeated three times, we can assume it is important for us.  The Lord wants each disciple to passionately desire the spiritual gifts in our lives, especially prophecy, which is so important for edifying others.   Paul’s message to the Corinthians is still the same for us today.  We should seek to abound for the edification of the church, and ask the Lord for the specific gifts we would like to have in order to do so.  That’s a godly pursuit the Lord will surely honor!

Putting it All Together
It’s clear from Scripture that the Lord desires to confirm the message of salvation with signs and wonders, whenever it is preached.  These manifestations of power are essential, in order to be a witness for Christ to the ends of the earth and complete the Great Commission.  The Lord also desires to give gifts to members of the Body, so that they can build themselves up, but especially so they can build up the rest of the Body. 

Initially all one hundred twenty disciples in the upper room, which included the apostles, received the gift of the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.  However, as I have explained more fully in my previous post, called “Baptized with the Spirit,” whenever disciples anywhere were baptized with the Holy Spirit, they received the same kind of power as the apostles and other disciples did initially in the upper room on the day of Pentecost.  They experienced manifestations of God’s power, such as speaking in tongues and prophecy. 

The gift of the Holy Spirit was clearly not limited to the apostles, although the early accounts highlight how they were the ones who primarily functioned in the supernatural. Jesus promised that he who believes in Him will do the works He did! While not all members of the Body have the same gifts, and not everyone functions in all the gifts, these gifts are available to all believers.  In fact, not only are they available to us all, but we are also exhorted to earnestly seek the greater spiritual gifts that lead to the edification of the Body. 

Let me encourage you today to do this.  First of all, if you have never been baptized with the Holy Spirit, then you have not yet received a very important gift that God wants to give you. Begin by praying to be baptized in the Spirit.  If you want to understand this gift better, you can read my above-mentioned blog on the topic.

Once you have been baptized with the Spirit, go before the Lord in prayer with a burning, passionate desire in your heart to edify the Body.  There may be specific gifts that you would really like to have in order to bless others.  Ask Him specifically to give you those gifts, and tell Him why you want them.  Then wait expectantly for the Holy Spirit to manifest them in you with all His omnipotent and enabling power.  And don’t forget to have faith.  When you ask, believe that you have received what you asked for, and it will be given to you. I assure you that you will not be disappointed. 

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. The image of Peter and John Healing the Lame Man is an Oil on canvas painting done by Nicolas Poussin is France.  The picture was painted in 1655 for a Monseur Mercier of Lyons. This artwork is currently on display in Gallery 620 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  The image of Peter Healing the Sick with his Shadow is a fresco painted in 1426-27 by Masaccio, who was originally named Tommaso Cassai and born in San Giovanni Valdarno.  The fresco is located at a chapel called Cappella Brancacci, in the church of Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence, Italy. The image of Paul Healing the Cripple at Lystra is an oil on canvas painted by Karel Dujardin around 1663. The artwork is on display at Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. 

Author's note:
If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar. I recommend reading Have the Spiritual Gifts Ceased? and The Name of Jesus.  You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."
___________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.