Years ago Robert Stearns published a CD (The River 2 "Undiscovered Country"). It was and is for me a way of understanding the wooing of the Spirit into the things of the Spirit by a Believer to discovering increasing glory in God.
Most people don't even KNOW there is an undiscovered country. They go to church. Clap on cue. Stand. Sit. Pay their tithe and check the box "Christian" if it comes up on a survey about religious preferences. Shallow Christianity. Nothing beneath the surface. Never discovering anything. A mile wide and an inch deep.
There is another extreme however. Just as shallow. It has to do with the Baptism in the Holy Ghost. There is a fantastic country to be discovered in God. YET.. I hear so many evangelists who make a call for the Baptism in the Holy Ghost make it all about TONGUES. Let me be clear. I love to speak with tongues. I believe it is a great gift from God. One of the 9.
Yet, when I participate in a service where I help minister the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, I don't hear many people speak over them saying, FIND WISDOM, GET THE DISCERNMENT OF SPIRITS, PROPHESY... No, it's just about a fluid tongue.
When you see historical biblical events where people did get enter into the undiscovered country, they did all those things. The gifts were without any repentance. Peter said of his experience with the gentiles, "JUST AS IT DID ON US". What? He preached. He prophesied. AND they all spoke with other tongues as the Spirit gave utterance.
I love to speak in tongues but as an entry pointing to the gateway marked "Undiscovered Country Ahead".
I recently watched a PBS special on the Lewis and Clark expedition. It was fascinating. They went into the undiscovered country and cataloged, recorded, what they saw, heard and experienced. There were already people there. Indians we called them. Native folks. They had to show the way. The undiscovered to Lewis and Clark was known lands to them. The two year trek was arduous, dangerous and yet rewarding. It took faith and commitment.
That is very much like our foray into the undiscovered country spiritually. There are those who say to us, "God has MORE for you" or "You don't have to visit, you can LIVE like this". We have people in our lives telling us to come in to the deep. The promise is true.
When we with good intention lay hands on someone and allow them to believe them that tongues alone is the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, we are picking their pockets spiritually. YES, God in his grace will often lead them to go deeper. To explore the unexplored. All this in spite of our fumbling the ball.
That is not the case with all. Not everyone who speaks in tongues is an explorer. I know many tongue talking saints who are spiritually an inch deep and a mile wide. The problem many times is they are not being challenged to find that deeper place. That's more than teaching. It's leading. How do you exercise the gift of Prophecy? By Prophesying. Discernment? By discerning Spirits, Words of Wisdom and Knowledge, By speaking them out, OF Faith and Miracles? By stepping out of our boat called "Comfort Zone" and walking on top of the unknown. All the gifts come by doing.. not just tongues.
We were intended to discover the undiscovered. That is the great mystery yet to be found. We have had those who have gone before, mapped out some places, indicated others. Some actually live there. Let us follow them. There will be no fear of the undiscovered... if we know who created it and preserved it just for us.
"Follow me", HE said. LETS DO THAT.
6 comments:
An very refreshing observation. Although id do believe tongues is a sign of the Baptism, I can't honestly say I have ever sat in any church while they taught on the new birth and the creation of A blood bought temple of God.simply stated the gift of God and very seal we receive is himself. Maybe someday if I live the Lord would allow me to write on this for if I am understanding correctly it needs to be wrote about an indwelling member of the Godhead destined to be Lord and yet by some unknown and others ignored. How did Jesus make it. Well Isaiah 11 2The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. 3And He will delight in the fear of the LORD, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear;… THE SAME WAY THOSE OF US WHOM THE LORD SHALL BAPTIZE AS JOHN THE BAPTIST PROPHECIED. TO ME THIS TEACHING THIS UNDERSTANDING THIS DEPTH OF RELATIONSHIP IN PART MAY ONLY BE TAUGHT FROM RELATIONSHIP SO MANY ARE TEACHING AND DOING THINGS OF SO MUCH LESS IMPORTANCE TO ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISHING WHAT THE LORD WOULD HAVE US DO AND ORCHESTRATE IT'S TRAGIC.
Hello, you have a interesting blog.
Can I ask you a Christian question please? How did you become convinced in your belief that Jesus (3alayhi asalah wa asalam) is son of and God as well? Thank you if you do actual answer me.
Poppy
Jesus is God for hundreds of reasons:
He rose from the dead... no one else has done that
He Ascended into heaven in full view of hundreds.
He makes Himself Known to many, even now.
His Kingdom has no end and persists to this day.. without pressure from his followers, it comes as a matter of heart.
He lives in my Heart.. and I know HIM. HE speaks to me
MORE will follow
He is the only one who fits the hundreds of prophetic writings that described his coming:
1. Born of the seed of woman: Gen 3:15; Gal 4:4, Matt. 1:20
2. Born of a virgin: Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1;18,24,25; Lk 1:26-35
3. Son of God: Ps 2:7 (I Chron 17:11-14; II Sam 7:12-16), Mt 3:17; 16:16 (Mk 9:7; Lk 9:35)
4. Seed of Abraham Genesis 22:18 (12:2-3); Matthew 1:1; Gal 3:16
5. Son of Isaac: Genesis 21:12; Lk 3:23,34 (Mt 1:2)
6. Son of Jacob: (Num. 24:17 (Gen 35:10-12); Lk 3:23,34 (Mt 1:2; Lk 1:33)
7. Tribe of Judah: Genesis 49:10; Lk 3:23,33 (Mt 1:2; Heb 7:14)
8. Family line of Jesse: Isaiah 11:1, 10; Luke 3:23,32 (Mt 1:6)
9. House of David: Jeremiah 23:5 (II Sam 7:12-16; Ps 132:11); Lk 3:23,31 (Mt 1:1; 9:27)
10. Born at Bethlehem: Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:1 (Jn 7:42, Mt 2:4-8; Lk 2:4-7)
11. Presented with gifts: Psalm 72:10 (Isaiah 60:6); Matthew 2:1,11
12. Herod kills children: Jeremiah 31:15; Matthew 2:16
13. His pre-existence: Micah 5:2 (Isa 9:6-7; Ps 102:25); Col 1:17 (Jn 1:1-2; 8:58; Rev 1:17)
14. He shall be called Lord: Psalm 110:1 (Jere 23:6); Luke 2:11; 20:41-44
15. Shall be Immanuel (God With Us): Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23; Luke 7:16
16. Shall be a prophet: Deut 18:18; Matthew 21:11 (Luke 7:16; Jn 4:19; 6:14; 7:40)
17. He shall be a priest: Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 3:1; 5:5-6
18. He shall be a judge: Isaiah 33:22; John 5:30; II Timothy 4:1
19. He shall be a king: Psalm 2:6 (Zech. 9:9; Jer 23:5); Matthew 27:37; 21:5 (John 18:33-38)
20. Special anointing of the Holy Spirit: Isaiah 11:2; Matthew 3:16-17; 12:17-21 (Mk 1:10-11)
21. His zeal for God: Psalm 69:9; John 2:15-17
22. Preceded by messenger: Isaiah 40:3; Matthew 3:1-2; 3:3; 11:10
23. Ministry to begin in Galilee: Isaiah 9:1; Matthew 4:12,13,17
24. Ministry of miracles: Isaiah 35:5, 6a; 32:3,4; Matthew 9:32,33,35; 11:4-6 (John 5:5-9)
25. Teacher of parables: Psalm 78:2; Matthew 13:34
26. He was to enter the temple: Malachi 3:1; Matthew 21:12
27. He was to enter Jerusalem on a donkey: Zechariah 9:9; Luke 19:35,36,37a (Mt 21:6-11)
28. “Stone of Stumbling” to the Jews: Psalm 118:22 (Isa 8:14; 28:16); I Peter 2:7 (Rom 9:32-33
29. “Light” to Gentiles: Isaiah 60:3; 49:6; Acts 13:47,48a; 26:23; 28:28
30. Betrayed by a friend: Psalm 41:9; 55:12-14; Matthew 10:4; 26:49-50; Jn 13:21
31. Sold for 30 pieces of silver: Zechariah 11:12; Matthew 26:15; 27:3
MORE
32. Money to be thrown in God’s house: Zechariah 11:13b; Matthew 27:5a
33. Price given for potter’s field: Zechariah 11:13b; Matthew 27:7
34. Forsaken by His disciples: Zechariah 13:7; Mark 14:50 (Mt 26:31; Mk 14:27)
35. Accused by false witnesses: Psalm 35:11; Matthew 26:59-61
36 Dumb before accusers: Isaiah 53:7; Matthew 27:12-19
37. Wounded and bruised: Isaiah 53:5 (Zech 13:6); Matthew 27:26
38. Smitten and spit upon: Isaiah 50:6 (Micah 5:1); Matthew 26:67 (Luke 22:63)
39. Mocked: Psalm 22: 7,8; Matthew 27:31
40. Fell under the cross: Psalm 109:24-25; John 19:17; Luke 23:26; Mt 27:31-32
41. Hands and feet pierced: Psalm 22:16 (Zech 12:10); Luke 23:33 (John 20:25)
42. Crucified with thieves: Isaiah 53:12; Matthew 27:38 (Mk 15:27,28)
43. Made intercession for His persecutors: Isaiah 53:12; Luke 23:34
44. Rejected by His own people: Isaiah 53:3 (Ps 69:8; 118:22); John 7:5,48; 1:11 (Mt 21:42,43)
45. Hated without a cause: Psalm 69:4 (Isa 49:7); John 15:25
46. Friends stood afar off: Psalm 38:11; Luke 23:49 (Mk 15:40; Mt 27:55-56)
47. People shook their heads: Psalm 109:25; 22:7; Matthew 27:39
48. Stared upon: Psalm 22:17; Luke 23:35
49. Garments parted and lots cast: Psalm 22:18; John 19:23-24
50. To suffer thirst: Psalm 69:21; 22:15; John 19:28
51. Gall and vinegar offered Him: Psalm 69:21; Matthew 27:34
52. His forsaken cry: Psalm 22:1; Matthew 26:46
53. Committed Himself to God: Psalm 31:5; Luke 23:46
54. Bones not broken: Psalm 34:20; John 19:33
55. Heart broken: Psalm 22:14; John 19:34
56. His side pierced: Zech 12:10; John 19:34
57. Darkness over the land: Amos 8:9; Matthew 27:45
58. Buried in rich man’s tomb: Isaiah 53:9; Matthew 27:57-60
59. Resurrection: Psalm 16:10; 30:3; 41:10; 118:17 (Hosea 6:2); Acts 2:31(Lk 24:46; Mk 16:16)
60. Ascension: Psalm 68:18a; Acts 1:9
61. Seated at right hand of God: Psalm 110:1; Heb. 1:3 (Mk 16:19; Acts 2:34,35)
No one else in history ever came near to fulfilling these, and no one ever can since the birth records and tribal records of all Jews were destroyed in Jerusalem in 70 AD. The fulfillment of these prove the authenticity of the Bible as God’s Word as well as the fact that Jesus is God.
AND HE SAID HE IS GOD!!
Claimed Equality With God
Matt. 28:19; John 5:17-18; 12:45; 13:20; 14:1, 9
Claimed Oneness With God
Matt 4:7; Luke 4:12; 8:39; John 10:30, 36-38; 17:11, 21-22; 20:28
Claimed To Be Sent By God
John 4:34; 5:37; 7:16, 28-29; 8:16; 9:4; 11:42; 14:24; 16:28; 17:18, 23
Claimed To Be The Son of God
Matt 16:17; 22:42-45; Mark 12:35-37; 14:61-62; Luke
20:41; John 9:35-37; 22:69-70
Claimed To Be From Heaven
John 6:33, 35, 51
Claimed Attributes of God
John 8:42; 16:15
Omniscience Matt 11:21-22; Luke 10:13
Omnipresence Matt 18:20; 28:20
Omnipotence Mark 14:61-63; Luke 22:69-70; John 2:19, 10:18; 11:25-27
Forgive sin Mark 2:5,9,10; Luke 5:20-21; 7:48-49
Divine Authority Matt 7:21-23; 28:18
Honor John 5:22-23
Pre-Existence John 8:58; 17:5
Either He was a liar, a fraud and a charlatan or He is GOD. He is GOD.. but that you must ask Him yourself. IF you sincerely ask Him, just talk to Him, He hears you, if you ask HIM to reveal Himself to you supernaturally, He will.
I hope you will.. many have come to realize that He is who He said He is... and despite religions that deny this... find themselves drawn to the truth. Bless you as you investigate.
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