Recently after talking with someone about speaking in tongues sharing a number of Scriptures with him, I received the following response: “Well, I am not sure about this; and there are many pastors who do not believe in speaking in tongues; so I guess I will have to search the Bible on the subject to see if speaking in tongues is for me.”
Mark 16:17: And these signs shall follow them that believe; …they shall speak with new tongues; [Jesus speaking].
I Corinthians 14:5: I would that ye all spake with tongues…
I Corinthians 14:2: For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God:…
I Corinthians 14:39: …and forbid not to speak with tongues.
I Corinthians 14:4: He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself;
As you can see the Scriptures encourage everyone to do it and commands no one to forbid it! And really how many Scriptures do you need to realize how wonderful and acceptable speaking in tongues is to our Heavenly Father. (And there are many more!).
It gets down to this: Do you believe God’s Word or man’s word?
God used speaking in tongues to usher in the Church age that started on the Day of Pentecost. All through the book of Acts, speaking in tongues was the evidence of the reality of the gift of holy spirit living in the believer.
Once the Heavenly Father declares a truth, that should be it for us to believe it and walk out on it.
Agape,
Bob
It does not take much insight to realize our beloved United States of America is suffering. The problems are too many to list, but there is a solution that we can participate in that will make a difference – Prayer.
Today, March 5th 2024, is my state’s (California) primary election day. I pray Americans, especially Christian Americans, will vote today. Our votes really matter!
Recently I received an article about a guest minister opening the U. S. Congress with the following prayer. His name is Pastor Jack Hibbs of Chino, California. Prior to his prayer he was handed a bunch of rules he was not to do. The one key rule was not to mention the name of Jesus. Here is his prayer:
“Almighty God and Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, together we come before You in humility as a people in need of Your forgiveness, Your mercy, Your goodness, and Your grace.
For these 250 or so years, our fathers in this Congress have prayed guidance and protection. We stand here in humble petition that You today might do the same, that this Nation and its unparalleled Constitution––Your great gift to all freedom loving people––might be renewed here and across this land as a beacon of hope to all who seek peace.
I ask You today, Father, to bring to us a great awakening of righteousness and confidence in You who alone are mighty to save.
Hear my cry in this hour of great need that we might be humbly blessed before You in repentance of our national sins.
You, Almighty God, are the source of all wisdom, and there is no wisdom but that which comes from You.
So please come upon those here who are the stewards over the business of our Nation with Your wisdom which comes from above and with Your holy fear knowing that Your coming day of judgment draws near when all who have been and are now in authority will answer to You, the great judge of heaven and of earth.
For the decisions that they make here in this place, I offer this prayer to You, Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, Your Son, and our crucified Savior and resurrected Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Here is one man who did not back down, taking a stand for the Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ. What our country needs are more true heroes who will stand on the truth.
Agape,
Bob
Recently I picked up a wonderful Bible based book that had a certain study I knew existed in it. The one particular study I was interested in was, “Fellowship is the Secret” which on its own reveals truths that will lead the reader to living a successful Christian life.
There are 15 other studies that I have read at different times through the years and have benefitted me immensely. As I was reading this remarkable book, something caught my eye that I probably knew before, but never considered deeply. It was the way each study was organized and fit together producing an engaging whole work.
This small, roughly 8 X 5 inch in size book was published in 1973 containing a series of Bible teachings that are exceptional in content than perhaps found in any other Bible study book. These studies will bless your understanding of your walk with the Father and for Him in the Body of Christ.
It became clear to me there was something very profound, especially in the way it was organized and laid out into five parts that produces a phenomenal whole. This became evident as I reviewed the two studies before “Fellowship is the Secret,” which are: “Your Power of Attorney” and “Key to Power.” The three studies following, “Fellowship is the Secret” which are: “What is True Worship?”, “The Believer’s Responsibility” and “Speaking in Tongues” added to the big picture.
What is this hidden treasure of knowledge contained in one small green book? Some of you probably have guessed it already: The New, Dynamic Church by Dr. Victor Paul Wierwille. Many of you, more than likely, have this gem buried on your bookshelf. Dig it out and read it in order of the presented studies and prepare to witness how important and powerful God has prepared your life to live and give in the Church today!
Agape,
Bob
CONFIDENT BUILDERS
Thankfully through the years I have had confident builders in my life.
No matter what fields of interest I pursued, there was always someone teaching me or guiding me, or building me up so that I had an opportunity to succeed.
In school there were dedicated teachers I could rely on to keep me on task and provide positive influences to help me learn and grow.
In athletics I had trustworthy coaches who would make sure I was skilled enough to play my best and win games.
In the military there were officers making sure I was well trained to carry out successful missions.
While working for IBM I had managers who built me up to succeed in business.
In all these different avenues of life pursuits, I had confident builders that had my best interest in mind.
Yet the most important aspect of my life is my fellowship with my Heavenly Father. My awesome God was so much better and more committed to working with me. He far and away provides resources and day to day contact to build my ability to help and serve in the Body of Christ.
Philippians 1:6: Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
As a wonderful Christian man or woman, realize in the depth of your heart that our Heavenly Father is constantly working within you to will and to do of His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13).
Agape,
Bob
Perhaps the most precious sense we have is our eyes. What we see, we tend to believe. But, as we grow older, we realize our eyes can fool us sometimes. For example: Looking down a railroad track, it appears that they join together in the distance.
In the Bible, the significance of eyes are reflected in their use in various figurative ways. For example: Ephesians 1:18: “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened…”
One of man’s incredible challenges is seeing with spiritual eyes. Physically we do not visually see God, yet we still believe on Him. We do not see the gift of holy spirit in us, but thankfully we see the manifestations of the spirit, such as speaking in tongues.
We remain faithful in our believing of God even though we do not see Him. God’s Word makes all the difference realizing the truth of the Heavenly Father’s existence. Moses realized God even not seeing Him visually. Hebrews 11:27 “…for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.”
1Peter 1:8 & 9: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
This is seeing with spiritual eyes. As born again believers we want to utilize our spiritual eyes so we can walk incredibly strong for our Father.
We have been called to minister to the family of God like Paul. We are called to be like spiritual optometrist!
Acts 26:18: 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.
We help people focus on the truth by seeing the extraordinary Words of Life. We promote spiritual vision so that the light of the Gospel of Christ shines fully in their hearts.
Agape,
Bob