💥 Podcast: The faith movement churches: "Word of Faith"

 

 

(This podcast was previously published on February 15, 2021) 

 

I was in the faith movement churches from 1977 to 1982.  I loved it.  Faith is one of my favorite subjects.  But in 1979, God gave me a terrifying dream and by that God brought me out of that church group.  This is the story of that which God showed me about the Faith Movement.

I love scripture.  I love the Word of God by the Holy Spirit.  Nothing is more exciting to me and nothing is as valuable to me on this present earth as is following God by HIS Spirit.

In 1975, I was born again.  Immediately God began teaching me to meditate on scripture and to do those instructions of specific scriptures!

Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

And God had taught me from the time I was born again to ask HIM for wisdom.

James 1:5   If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

I was applying the above scripture to everything in my life ... and it worked greatly.

*  When I read the Bible, I prayed for wisdom before reading and God was faithful to teach me scriptures as I read.  (I even wrote: "Pray for wisdom", on each book of the Bible so I wouldn't forget to do this.)

*  I owned a small business in Dallas, and I was careful to pray for wisdom before I bought merchandise and in running the business and making decisions.  (In the 4 years that I had the business after becoming a Christian and after learning to pray for wisdom, every item I bought for the business sold, and I never had a sale price to rid myself of unwanted items, for everything sold.)

And God taught me the following scripture:

John 5:30  Jesus said:  I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

I was quite sure that if Jesus, the Son of God, could do nothing without hearing from God, The Father, that I would not be able to do anything without hearing from God!  So I prayed for wisdom and prayed for God to stop me if I was going the wrong way.

I really thought that is what all Christians were doing.  I was wrong.

At one point, our Bible teacher at Word of Faith said to me, "You were never like the people at Word of Faith.  They talked about faith but you lived faith."

On this Podcast, I will share some of those things God taught me about the Faith Movement churches.

*****

The poison gas dream:  1979

I was asleep in the night when God gave me the following dream.

I went into a room where a man was speaking to a group of people.  I sat down and began to listen. 

A second man rushed in and said, "Stop ... It's too late ... Can't you see? ... It's already begun."  

He disappeared and the first man resumed speaking.

No one in the room showed any interest at all in seeing "what had already begun."  

But I was interested, so I looked out the windows and was very shocked at that which I saw when I looked.

There was a tall pole with a yellow civil-defense type speaker on top of the pole. 

Out of the speaker a poisonous gas was coming and it was coming directly toward those of us sitting in that room.  I knew it would kill us.

(The speaker that was supposed to warn us was being used to kill us.)

I looked at the man who was sitting next to me.  He had a big grin on his face and he was staring directly at the man speaking and he seemed to be paying attention.  But then I saw this man was a corpse.  He was already dead.

Then I looked at the other people sitting in the room.  They, too, were already dead.

And as I sat there among them, I began to feel drowsy and I knew the gas coming from the speaker was killing me also as I sat there.

I had no idea what this dream meant.

But in 1982, God showed me the meaning of this dream.

I went to church at Word of Faith on a Wednesday night.  Our pastor, Robert Tilton, was speaking.  I looked at the man who was sitting next to me and was very shocked to see this man was the dead man in the poison gas dream.  I looked around the room and the other people in the congregation seemed to be the people in that dream.  

I got up immediately and went into the ladies room and began praying.  I said to God:  "I believe YOU are showing me to leave this church so I am going to get in my car and drive away.  But if YOU want me to come back to this church, I will."  

God did not want me to come back to this church group and with that God began to show me problems with the Faith Movement.

***

The problems:

* No one talked about the will of God.  We were supposed to find a scripture to "claim" over that which we wanted and quote that scripture and "believe" by faith in that scripture and we would get that which we believed.

One of the founders of the movement was a man named Kenneth Hagin.

He based his doctrines upon the following scripture:  

Mark 11:22-24

22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

The above scripture is of course correct.

***

I wanted to marry.  I found the following scripture to "claim".  I wrote this scripture in the front of my Bible and every day I claimed that scripture for several years.  

Isaiah 34:16   Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for MY mouth it hath commanded, and HIS spirit it hath gathered them.

The prayer group which I attended "agreed" with me and prayed for me to marry.

One woman in the prayer group said, "Of course it has to be the will of God for Joan to marry."  Then she went on to say, "But of course it is the will of God."

My best friend heard a word from God.  "MY grace is sufficient for her."

She told me.  I didn't want to hear that.

***

Concerning the will of God when we pray:

I John 5:14-15 And this is the confidence that we have in HIM, that, if we ask any thing according to HIS will, HE heareth us:  And if we know that HE hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of HIM.

***

*  Another thing we were being taught in that Faith Movement church is that all good is from God and all bad is from the devil and that we had "authority" over the devil and could stop any harm that tried to come to our family or our property.

They taught us to "exercise our authority" as believers and stand against the devil.

The problems:

This assumes that we are capable of knowing what is "good".

The devil said to Eve:  And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

People want to be "as gods", thus controlling their own lives without calling on God!

This is antichrist:

II Thessalonians 2:3-4  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day (of the Lord) shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

The will of God in the matter at hand is not considered when you are "as gods."

Now, 40-years later, I am delighted to trust in God, knowing that God knows that which is best for me and God will show me what to do in this present life and choose for me!

(I really trust in God more than I do in myself!  I would hate to try to decide on my own what I should do.)

***

Another major problem with the doctrine that all good is from God and all bad is from the devil:

We would consider an earthquake to be bad because it destroys property and kills people.

But here is what God showed me.

Matthew 17

50 Jesus, when HE had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.

51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept (were dead) arose,  53 And came out of the graves after HIS resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

Because of the earthquake, the centurion and the men with him believed in Jesus.

***

After God brought me out of the Faith Movement church in 1982, God showed me a significant point.  I was taught by God to pay attention to that which was brought to my mind by HIS Spirit, whether scripture or concepts.  Basically I was being taught by God to meditate on that WORD given to me by HIS Spirit and to follow the instructions of that Word.

I didn't realize what I was doing was different from what we were being taught in the Faith Movement.

Robert Tilton was pastor of Word of Faith which I attended between the years 1977 and 1982.

Bob was teaching the following concept:  "If you want a red pickup truck, then cut out a picture of that pickup and put it on your refrigerator door where you will see it several times a day.  In time you will figure a way to get that pickup."

(I never heard any one at Word of Faith mention seeking the will of God.  We were taught to take authority by scriptures over everything in this life and claim scripture.)

Also we were taught that we have authority over the devil and the devil could not touch us or our family or our property if we stood against the devil.

If you failed, you were taught you had weak faith.

During the time I was at Word of Faith church, a hurricane hit in the Houston area of Texas.  (I lived in Dallas.)  I wondered why some of those great men of faith, such as Robert Tilton and Kenneth Copeland, didn't take authority over the devil and stop the damage and death caused by that hurricane.

We were being taught "all good is from God and all bad is from devil."

Sometime during that period, I came across the following scripture in the Bible:  

Isaiah 45:6-7   I am the LORD, and there is none else.  I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

***

And in the Bible, through the coming years, I saw the following scriptures concerning "good and evil"  and that which God will do.

God says:

Psalm 18:13  The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave HIS voice; hail stones and coals of fire.

Psalm 148:8  Fire, and hail; snow, and vapour; stormy wind fulfilling HIS word:

Isaiah 30:30   And the LORD shall cause HIS glorious voice to be heard, and shall shew the lighting down of HIS arm, with the indignation of HIS anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones.

Ezekiel 13:13 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even rend it with a stormy wind in MY fury; and there shall be an overflowing shower in Mine anger, and great hailstones in My fury to consume it.

Ezekiel 38:22   And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.

Revelation 16:21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

(God does as HE wills.  We do not have control over the weather.  It is of God.)

Isaiah 45:6-7   I am the LORD, and there is none else.  I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

Exodus 10:1  And the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these MY signs before him:

Exodus 10:27   But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he (Pharaoh) would not let them go.

Exodus  11:10   And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh: and the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go out of his land.

II Thessalonians 2:10-12   And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:  That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.  

Romans 1:25-27   Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

Romans 1:28-32   And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;  29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Jesus speaking to the church at Sardis:

Revelation 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before MY Father, and before HIS angels.

 

 

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💥 Scriptures:

Romans 6:23  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

*** 

 

John 3:14-17  (Jesus speaking to Nicodemus)  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

15 That whosoever believeth in HIM should not perish, but have eternal life.

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave HIS only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in HIM should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not HIS Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through HIM might be saved.

 

*** 

 
Romans 13:12-14  The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 

14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

 

 ***

 

Romans 8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

 

*** 

 

Psalm 119:133  Order my steps in THY word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.

 

 ***

 

1Thessalonians 5:21  Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

 

*** 

 

Psalm 121:1-2  I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

 

*** 

 

Psalm 18:30  As for God, His way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: He is a buckler to all those that trust in Him. 

 

 

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💥 Luke 7 (Reading through the Bible)

 

Now when He had ended all His sayings in the audience of the people, He entered into Capernaum.

² And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die.
³ And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto Him the elders of the Jews, beseeching Him that He would come and heal his servant.

⁴ And when they came to Jesus, they besought Him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom He should do this:  ⁵ For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue.

⁶ Then Jesus went with them. And when He was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying unto Him, Lord, trouble not Thyself: for I am not worthy that Thou shouldest enter under my roof: 

⁷ Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto Thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.

⁸ For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

⁹ When Jesus heard these things, He marvelled at him, and turned Him about, and said unto the people that followed Him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

¹⁰ And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole that had been sick.

¹¹ And it came to pass the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and much people.

¹² Now when He came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.

¹³ And when the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.

¹⁴ And He came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And He said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.

¹⁵ And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And He delivered him to his mother.

¹⁶ And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited His people.

¹⁷ And this rumour of Him went forth throughout all Judaea, and throughout all the region round about.

¹⁸ And the disciples of John shewed him of all these things.

¹⁹ And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou He that should come? or look we for another?

²⁰ When the men were come unto Him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto Thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?

²¹ And in that same hour He cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind He gave sight.

²² Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.

(By their fruits you will know them.)  Is that minister of God?  Is that person of God?  Does he speak of God and tell what God says to him?

²³ And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in ME.

²⁴ And when the messengers of John were departed, He began to speak unto the people concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
²⁵ But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings' courts.

²⁶ But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet.
²⁷ This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before Thy face, which shall prepare Thy way before Thee.
²⁸ For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.

²⁹ And all the people that heard Him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John.
³⁰ But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of HIM.

³¹ And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like?

³² They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept.

(They always react in an inappropriate way.)

³³ For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil.

³⁴ The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!

³⁵ But wisdom is justified of all her children.

³⁶ And one of the Pharisees desired Him that He would eat with him. And He went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.
³⁷ And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,
³⁸ And stood at His feet behind Him weeping, and began to wash His feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed His feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

³⁹ Now when the Pharisee which had bidden Him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.

⁴⁰ And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee.

And he saith, Master, say on.

⁴¹ There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.
⁴² And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?

⁴³ Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most.

And He said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.

⁴⁴ And He turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest Me no water for My feet: but she hath washed My feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. (Making Jesus, the Word, very personal to her.)

⁴⁵ Thou gavest Me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss My feet.

⁴⁶ My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed My feet with ointment.

⁴⁷ Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.

⁴⁸ And He said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.

⁴⁹ And they that sat at meat with Him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?

⁵⁰ And He said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.

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💥 Podcast: If you had known Donna was divorced, would you have chosen to date her?

 

 

(This podcast was previously published on February 14, 2021)

 

My best friend, after I was born again, was a woman who had been raised Baptist.  She married a man whose wife had died.  He was looking for a woman to date at their church group, with the intention of possible marriage.  He picked out two women to date.  And he chose Donna.  

At first Donna didn't tell Hal that she was divorced.  Hal fell in love with Donna.  

 

At some point before they married, Donna told Hal she was divorced.  Hal married Donna anyway. 

After I met them, I asked Hal, "If you had known Donna was divorced, would you have dated her?" 

 

Hal thought about this and then replied, "No ... I don't believe I would have."  

In the days that Hal was a young man, the churches were still teaching that the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery, as Jesus says in the Bible.

Matthew 5:32  But I (Jesus) say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

I've been a born again Christian since 1975 and I've never heard Matthew 5:32 taught at any church that I have attended.

Both the Catholic and Protestant churches taught against divorce and remarriage, in most cases, in the 1940's, but this doctrine was changed in many of these churches in the future generations.

Edward, king of England, renounced the throne of England in order to marry a divorced woman in 1936.  The people in the church of England were being taught against marrying a divorced woman.  They would not permit a divorced woman to be queen of England at that time.  Now they have eliminated that scripture in their doctrine in England.

Once a man who identified himself as a pastor came to me to talk about his divorce and his desire to remarry.  

I asked him if his wife, whom he divorced, was unfaithful.  He said no.  I told pastor the only scriptural reason for a man to divorce his wife was if she was unfaithful.  If the faithful wife remarries after her husband divorces her, she will commit adultery and the husband who divorced the faithful wife will be the "cause" of her adultery, and the man who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.  (according to Matthew 5:32)

A few weeks later, this pastor called me and asked me if there had been any change in doctrine concerning divorce and remarriage.

I said to this pastor, "So far as I know, the Bible has not been rewritten."

In the Bible, God's rules differ for men and for women.  

In this Podcast, I will share these scriptures showing these differences.

The only thing that matters about this is what God says.

*****

Matthew 5:32  Jesus says:  But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

* A faithful wife who is divorced commits adultery if she remarries while her husband lives.

* The husband who divorced a faithful wife will be the cause of her adultery if she remarries.

* The man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

***

I Corinthians 7:10-11  And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:  But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.

I Corinthians 7:39  The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.

***

Mark 10

2 And the Pharisees came to HIM (to Jesus), and asked HIM, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting HIM.

3 And HE answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?

4 And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.

5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.

6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.

7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;

8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.

9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

10 And in the house HIS disciples asked HIM again of the same matter.

11 And HE saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.

12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.

***

Romans 7

1 Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?

2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.

3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.

(We do not go by the Law of Moses in the New Testament church, where animals were sacrificed for sins, but we do go by the laws of God as presented in the New Testament Bible.)

***

I Corinthians 6  (at the time of sexual intercourse, the two become one flesh)

15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.

16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith HE, shall be one flesh.

17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.

(Even if you have sex with a prostitute, the two become one flesh.)

 

 

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💥 Scriptures:

 

1 Thessalonians 5:24  Faithful is He that calleth you, Who also will do it.

 

***

 

Zephaniah 3:19  Behold, at that time I (God) will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame.

***

 

Psalm 50:23  Whoso offereth praise glorifieth ME: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.

 

 ***

 

Ecclesiastes 7:3  Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.

 

 ***

 

Galatians 3:23-26  But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.

24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

 

 ***

 

Romans 12:12  Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;

 

*** 

 

John 3:17-18   For God sent not HIS Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through HIM (the Word) might be saved.

18 He that believeth on HIM (the Word) is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 

 

 

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💥 Luke 6 (Reading through the Bible)

 

And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that He went through the corn fields; and His disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands.

² And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days?

³ And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was an hungred, and they which were with him;
⁴ How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the shewbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone?
⁵ And He said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

⁶ And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that He entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered.

⁷ And the scribes and Pharisees watched Him, whether He would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against Him.

⁸ But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth.

⁹ Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?

¹⁰ And looking round about upon them all, He said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand.

And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

¹¹ And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.

¹² And it came to pass in those days, that He went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

¹³ And when it was day, He called unto Him His disciples: and of them He chose twelve, whom also He named apostles;

¹⁴ Simon, (whom He also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,
¹⁵ Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes,
¹⁶ And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.

¹⁷ And He came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of His disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear Him, and to be healed of their diseases;

¹⁸ And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed.

¹⁹ And the whole multitude sought to touch Him: for there went virtue out of Him, and healed them all.

²⁰ And He lifted up His eyes on His disciples, and said, 

Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.

²¹ Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.

²² Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.

²³ Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.

²⁴ But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.

²⁵ Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.

²⁶ Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.

²⁷ But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,
²⁸ Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
²⁹ And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also.

³⁰ Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.

³¹ And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

³² For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.
³³ And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.
³⁴ And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.

³⁵ But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for HE is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

³⁶ Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

³⁷ Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

³⁸ Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

³⁹ And He spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?

⁴⁰ The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.

⁴¹ And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

⁴² Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye.

⁴³ For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

⁴⁴ For every tree is known by his own fruit. 

For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.

⁴⁵ A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

⁴⁶ And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

⁴⁷ Whosoever cometh to Me, and heareth My sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:

⁴⁸ He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.

⁴⁹ But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

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💥 Podcast: What is blasphemy against the Holy Ghost?

 

 

(This podcast was previously published on January 31, 2021)

 

To attribute the works of God and the Holy Spirit to being works of the devil would be blasphemy against the Holy Ghost.

Jesus said:  Matthew 12:31-32  All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. 

And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

As a new Christian in 1975, I went to the church my best friend and her husband attended.  The pastors of that church group were professors at Dallas Theological Seminary.

When I began attending this church, Believer's Chapel, the head pastor was teaching a seminar on the subject, "Tongues are of the devil."

One day, I was reading the Bible and saw the following:

The apostle Paul said, Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.  

(1 Corinthians 14:39)

But at Believer's Chapel the pastor was teaching tongues to be of the devil.

The church I was attending at that time was teaching something exactly opposite to that which I was reading in the Bible!

I never went back to that church group.

I believe this pastor was committing blasphemy against the Holy Ghost.

A Baptist woman told me this story:  She went into her neighborhood grocery and saw a young man and she said to the grocer, "Who is that?"  He told her the name of the young man.  She said, "I'm going to marry him."  They did marry and they were married approximately 60-years until Jerry died.

I thought this was such a wonderful story and I said to my friend, "OH, that was a word of knowledge from God!"

My friend seemed frightened while I rejoiced.

I suspect she had been taught at her church group against the spiritual gifts of God.  (I Corinthians 12, Romans 12, I Peter 4:11)

Some churches teach against the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

On this podcast, I will give examples of some of the great works done in the church by the Holy Spirit and some of the blasphemy against God and the Holy Spirit as presented in the Bible.

*****

The gifts of the Holy Spirit:

I Corinthians 12

1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.

2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.

3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.

6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.

7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;

9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;

10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:

11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as HE (God) will.

***

Romans 12

5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;

7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;

8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

***

I Peter 4:11   If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

***

At the end of the great tribulation, we read this:

Revelation 16:21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

(I suspect this form of blasphemy was cursing God.)

***

After the crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus set up the New Testament church from heaven by HIS Spirit.

We are born again by the Holy Spirit of God convincing us of our sin.

In 1975 the Holy Spirit spoke to me by bringing the following thought to my mind:  "Joan, you know those mistakes you've been making all these years?  Those weren't mistakes.  Those were sins."

I was born again with that Word!

***

My neighbor told me he had hated his stepmother all his life.  One day he went out on his porch and all of a sudden all that hatred was gone.  It was a miracle!  He no longer hated her.  He said "something" told him all this hatred he had carried against her was no good.  (Holy Spirit)

***

Jesus said:

John 14:16   But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, HE shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

John 16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, HE will guide you into all truth: for HE shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever HE shall hear, that shall HE speak: and HE will shew you things to come.

***

And the Holy Spirit searches the heart of God to reveal to us the will of God in the specific issues of this life.

I Corinthians 2:9-14   But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love HIM.

10 But God hath revealed them unto us by HIS Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

***

Jesus, from heaven, sets HIS ministers into the New Testament church:

 Ephesians 4:11-12   After Jesus arose into heaven, HE (Jesus) gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;  For the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:  

Acts 26  Paul tells king Agrippa what happened to him on the road to Damascus:

I heard a voice (from heaven) speaking to me in the Hebrew tongue. 15 I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. 16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;

Jesus speaks today to those ministers whom HE has called by HIS Holy Spirit and instructs us by HIS Spirit.

***

Jesus speaks directly to us today from heaven by HIS Spirit:

Hebrews 1:1-2  God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,  Hath in these last days spoken unto us by HIS Son, whom HE hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also HE made the worlds;

In the Old Testament the people of God were not given the Holy Spirit of God and they had to go to a prophet of God to find out what God wanted them to do.

But in the New Testament church, all believers are given the Holy Spirit of God and that Spirit of God lives in each believer to show him the will of God by bringing scripture, thoughts, ideas to the mind of the believer.  (I Corinthians 3:16; I Corinthians 6:19; II Corinthians 13:5)

***

We are born again by the Holy Spirit of Jesus when HE (Jesus) speaks to us from heaven:

John 3:3, 5-6  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

4 Nicodemus saith unto HIM, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Acts 1:8  Jesus said:   But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto ME both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

***

In 1975, the Holy Spirit spoke to me by bringing the following to my mind:  "Joan, you know all those mistakes you've been making all these years?  Those weren't mistakes.  Those were sins."

I was very shocked!

I thought I was a Christian.  I had gone forward at Church of Christ and had been baptized in water.  But at that time I didn't know of my sins.  I just didn't want to go to hell.

I was 37 when the Holy Spirit revealed sin to me and I certainly was in agreement and I was born again by agreeing with the Holy Spirit and I was instantly changed.

II Corinthians 5:17   Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

My mother was born again when I read Deuteronomy 18:9-13 aloud to her.  She had always love horoscopes and we had gone to town monthly where my mother bought the latest horoscope magazine which she read to me daily when I was a child.

After I read Deuteronomy 18 to her, she was very quiet for a few minutes, then she said:  "Well ... I guess we'd better not do that any more."

She was born again instantly as she turned from evil and agreed with the Word of God.

(The Holy Spirit was there to convince her of her sin.)

The apostle Paul was born again as Jesus spoke to HIM from heaven.  

Acts 9

1  And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,

2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:

4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou ME?

5 And HE said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

The Holy Spirit speaks to us to reveal Jesus to us, and we are born again by that Word delivered to us by Jesus's spirit.

***

Jesus sets HIS ministers into HIS church today as HE calls from heaven by HIS Holy Spirit to those ministers who are called as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers:

Acts 26, Paul speaks to king Agrippa:

20 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. 

Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself:

2  I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews:

3 Especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

4 My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;

5 Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.

6 And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers:

7 Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.

8 Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?

9 I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

10 Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.

11 And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.

12 Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,

13 At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.

14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou ME? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And HE said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.

16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;

17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,

18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in ME.

19  Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: 

***

Ephesians 4:11-13 And HE (Jesus) gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

***

The New Testament Bible is given by Jesus from heaven by the Holy Spirit after the crucifixion and resurrection:

And the New Testament Bible was given to the church from heaven as apostles were inspired by God to speak and write the books of the New Testament.

II Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

The early church had no New Testament Bible.  The apostles wrote on "parchments" and sent these letters to the churches in various cities and countries, and these epistles are now in the New Testament Bible as the instructions from God came to them and they sent these "epistles" (letters) to be circulated among the various churches in their areas.

Colossians 4:16  And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.

So they passed these epistles, which we know today in the New Tesatment Bible, from church to church.

These writings were inspired by God by HIS Spirit just as God inspires us today to write the blog and to record the words presented on Podcasts.

***

To deny the Spirit of God when HE speaks is death.

Jude

3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

17  But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;

18 How that they told you there should be mockers (copiers/imitators) in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.

19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.

 

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