Have The Gifts Of The Holy Spirit Ceased?

By Dan Lirette


I thought I’d throw a few thoughts out there on what I believe about the Gifts of the Holy Spirit as listed by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. 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. Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 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: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.”

There are plenty of Believers who teach that as soon as the Bible was completed that the Gifts ceased.

Is this a valid Biblical argument?

I do not believe it is, as Scripture nowhere supports such a view.
Here are 6 reasons why I believe the Gifts of the Holy Spirit are in operation today and will be in operation until the end of the age:

1- Nowhere in Scripture does it teach the Gifts have or would cease, but on the contrary:

1 Corinthians 1:3-8 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2- The Ministries of Apostle, Prophet and Evangelist all had the Gifts of the Holy Spirit in operation in the Scripture, as well as  the Ministry Offices of Pastor and Teacher, and nowhere does it state the Ministry Offices of Apostle, Prophet and Evangelist have ceased; on the contrary, the Scripture tells us that these Offices, along with Pastor and Teacher, have been set by God in the Church for the purpose of perfecting the Saints, the Work of the Ministry and the Edifying of the Body of Christ, and we know that we are still being Perfected and that we are called to continue doing the Work of the Ministry and that we are still called to Edify the Body of Christ:

Ephesians 4:8-13 “Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he 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.”

3- The Healing Ministry itself is taught as being ongoing in Scripture:
James 5:14-15 “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.”

4- The Ministry Of Healing, once again, is ongoing, as Jesus Christ took the stripes on His back, not so that Healing could come only until the completion of Scripture, but so that Healing, both physical and spiritual, could come until His Return; it’s unthinkable that Jesus Christ would suffer stripes on His back to provide Healing only for a short period of time, ie, until the completion of the Scripture:

Isaiah 53:5 “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

1 Peter 2:24 “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”

5- The Gifts of the Holy Spirit are nowhere taught in Scripture as ceasing upon the completion of the Scripture, but on the contrary, the Gifts of the Holy Spirit continually confirm the Word which is completed:

Mark 16:17-20 “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.”

6- The Gifts of the Holy Spirit are essentially and directly connected to the Preaching of the Gospel, as the Gifts of the Holy Spirit demonstrate the Power of the Gospel to save, and to heal and to deliver one from the power of satan:
Acts 8:5-8 “Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. And there was great joy in that city.” 

Many Believers would yet teach the Gifts of the Holy Spirit as being no longer available to those who are saved, and yet the above list is ample evidence enough to show, using Scripture as the basis for such belief, that the Gifts of the Holy Spirit have in fact not ceased and are in fact in operation today.
May we all come to the place where we see God’s Power as unlimited in scope
and duration.

Amen!

Unconditional Eternal Security?

By Dan Lirette


Some say you’re eternally secure in Christ no matter what while others say you’re eternally secure in Christ based on the condition of remaining in Him, or walking in obedience to His Word, ie, Holiness.

I’d say that the Doctrine of Unconditional Eternal Security is a dangerous Doctrine, as it states, just as the title implies, that Salvation is unconditional, which Scripture nowhere teaches.

Unconditional Eternal Security, if taken to it’s logical conclusion, does not require that you walk in Holiness.

Unconditional eternal security, due to it’s being “unconditional”, doesn’t require Holiness of Heart and Lifestyle, yet Scripture teaches:

Hebrews 12:14-17 ” Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. “

This is where I want to start and finish, with Holiness, because this is “where it’s at”, so to speak.

Apart from all of the other problems with the doctrine of unconditional eternal security, this is the most problematic of them all.

Advocates of this Doctrine are quick to say, “A true Believer will persevere in Holiness otherwise they were never truly saved.”

That argument sounds good to some, but it’s nonetheless false, because the doctrine is unconditional eternal security.

I must then ask, “Why do you believe in Holiness when your doctrine allows for un-Holiness?”

Unconditional is unconditional, no matter how you cut the cake, so exhorting Believers to walk in Holiness is nothing more than a noble suggestion with this Doctrine, because whether or not your heart-lifestyle is one of Holiness and Purity, you’re still saved, according to this doctrine, which is simply not validated, but, on the contrary, invalidated, by Scripture.

Eternal security is not unconditional but it’s 100% conditional on your love and obedience to Jesus Christ and His Word.

If one does not maintain a lifestyle of Holiness, which comes through the enabling Power of the Holy Spirit, then one will no longer be secure in Christ:

John 15:1-6 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.”

I don’t see the doctrine of unconditional eternal security taught here, nor in scores of other Scriptural references on the topic of Abiding in Christ.

All through Scripture we find warning after warning against falling away, turning from Christ, going back into the world, etc etc.

Why?

The answer is because your eternal life is conditioned on your love for Christ and obedience to His Word.

You may be a branch in Christ today, yet if you choose, by an act of your own will, to turn from God and His Son, the Lord Jesus, you’ll be a branch cut off from the Lord Jesus and cast into the fire; Christ Himself said do in the Scripture we just read.

“But”, you say, “A true Believer will never deny Christ/turn from Christ.”

That’s not so.

King Saul of the Old Testament was a Believer and he turned from God:

1 Samuel 19:9 “And the evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played with his hand.”

Now remember, King Saul was God’s Chosen Man at one time!

Saul decided one day that he’d break the Commandment of the Lord, knowing full well that what he was doing was an abomination in the sight of God; yet he did so nonetheless.

He went from God’s Chosen Man to God’s enemy!

His Salvation was not unconditional.

“But that’s Old Testament!” you say.

True enough; it is.

If the Old Testament is a shadow of the New, how much sorer shall be the punishment of those who turn from God in this day of Grace?

Take a look at the Book of Jude, New Testament, where Jude speaks of those who are twice dead…. twice dead, meaning they were spiritually dead and then became spiritually dead again.

This can only happen if they became alive in Christ at one point:

Jude 1:11-13 “Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.”

In order to be twice dead you must previously have been alive, and without Christ, all are dead, once, not twice; hence we see that being twice dead necessitates a previous experience of Repenting and being Born Again and then forfeiting that Salvation.

There’s no possibility of being twice dead unless you were previously alive in Christ.

Now, if Salvation is unconditional, how is it that Scripture speaks of being twice dead?

If Salvation is unconditional, how is it that the writer of the Book of Hebrews speaks of falling away and never being able to be restored to repentance again?

Hebrews 6:4-6 “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.”

I don’t see unconditional eternal security here either, Beloved. I see a warning, a stern warning, to live in Fear and Trembling before a Holy God; I see a warning against backsliding, as the writer here states that a point will come when restoration is not possible.

Again, the writer of the Book of Hebrews warns the Church earlier in the Book:

Hebrews 3:7-19 “Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.”

Notice here: “For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end

If it’s not possible to forfeit one’s Salvation, why was this entire Chapter written?

If it’s not possible to forfeit one’s Salvation, why does the writer warn us over and over again?

Once again, let’s take one more look at a Scriptural warning given to us by the writer of Hebrews:

Hebrews 10:26-27 “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.”

Note the writer says “if we sin”.

Who’s the “we” in that verse?

You and I and the writer, of course.

If I were to say to you, “We should go to such and such a place”, I’d be referring to myself and to you.

The writer was referring to himself and his readers.

Now, what does he say, under the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit, will happen to those who sin wilfully (deliberately and consistently)?

He tells us that there remains no more sacrifice for sins and only judgment and fiery indignation which will devour us!

That’s not the definition of Biblical Salvation, Beloved; that’s the definition of damnation.

Unconditional eternal security is not Scriptural and is contrary to Holiness.

I understand that some won’t like this writing, and yet I also believe that Scripture is clear on the issue and that we shouldn’t shrink back from declaring what we know to be the truth; here I write and stand and I can do no other.

Do I believe in eternal security? Absolutely!

I believe, however, as the Scripture teaches, that it is conditioned on our love for Jesus Christ and obedience to His Word, as Scripture clearly teaches.

May the Lord grant understanding on this issue to those who believe that Eternal Security is unconditional.

Fishers Of Men

By Dan Lirette


Many today, regardless of denominational affiliation, are looking for new ways and methods in reaching the lost, and yet very FEW understand that there is but ONE WAY ALONE, which can produce Biblical results in the area of Soul Winning.

Our Lord Jesus was very clear, plain and absolutely specific in His command to "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15)...however, the Body of Christ worldwide, though it HAS gone virtually into "all the world" it has NOT gone into all the world with the one and only method that our Lord has provided in reaching the lost for His Kingdom.

Simply stated, there is a RIGHT way to witness and there is a WRONG way to witness; either you're doing it RIGHT or you're doing it WRONG and there is no "in-between" in the area of seeing lost people come to the saving Cross of Jesus Christ.

In today's lesson we take our text from Luke chapter 5:

1 And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, 2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. 3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. 4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. 5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. 6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. 7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell d own at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. 9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: 10 And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. 11 And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

From these few verses in Luke chapter 5 Jesus gives His Church, the Body of Christ, the one and only method in Soul Winning, and if we seek to be wise then we will take note of, and appropriate, the lessons which our Lord gives in this chapter on being "Fishers Of Men".

Let us examine the above verses for their meaning and significance, beginning with verse 3:

3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.

Notice the word "SHIPS" and how Jesus entered into another man's ship, Simon Peter's....

Let us imagine that the SHIPS represent LOCAL CHURCHES and let us say that when Jesus requested that the ship be thrusted out a little from land that the water represents lost humanity.

(NOTE: When I say "churches", I am not referring to a visible building, but to a group pf Born Again Believers gathered together in New Testament Christianity for the purpose of Preaching, Prayer, etc etc)

With the above said, and keeping all that was just said in mind, let us now turn our attention over to verse 4:

4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.

Let us, in verse 4, picture the word DEEP as those in humanity who have been looked upon as the "worst of the worst"...

Staying with verse 4, let our eyes become fixed on the word NETS, and let us see the net as representing the ANOINTING.

Jesus, here in verse 4 of Luke chapter 5, tells us to cast the Anointing into the very dregs of society for a catch.

Talent, ability, might, positive thinking, etc etc has never caught much! Yet, when one looks to Christ and His Anointing, and when one realizes and applies the truth of the Power of God into the preaching of the Gospel, then there will be a GREAT CATCH, as verse 6 clearly points out:

“And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.”

Note that not only did they catch a great MULTITUDE of fish, but notice that they’re net BRAKE!

What exactly does this MEAN?

The net, being the Anointing of God upon our lives, needs to be CONSTANTLY and CONSISTENTLY sought after through prayer, fasting, Scriptural study and application by way of holiness! Without the constantly seeking after God, the net, or Anointing, will cease to be upon you and I!

Jude 20-21 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

When you and I begin to seek the Lord on a daily and consistent basis, the results will be absolutely astounding! When we fail to do so, the same will be true, yet in a light not favorable...the choice is our's to make because of God's rich Grace!

Before we go further, let us review some of what we have just learned concerning this command of Christ in preaching the Gospel:

1- SHIPS are LOCAL CHURCHES/FELLOWSHIPS

Whether you belong to a Pentecostal, Charismatic, Baptist, Freewill or Calvinist church, if you are truly Born Again and are living a Biblical lifestyle of Holiness, then you are called to preach the Gospel, and at the same time you are called to WORK WITH THOSE OF OTHER DENOMINATIONAL PERSUASIONS in seeing the Kingdom of God built up through Soul Winning.

Your "ship" may be bigger than another's "ship", or your "ship" may have slightly different non-essential beliefs than another "ship".... yet though there be differences in opinion with other "ships" (churches/Fellowships), there can be no in-fighting if there is to be a "great multitude" won to Christ!

Ships may look different in outward appearance and may have a different crew on board, yet one t5hing IS NOT different from one ship to another, and that one thing is that ALL ships, assuming they are built on the right foundation, FLOAT!

My ship and your ship have one thing in common:

BOTH ARE MEANT TO FLOT AND HOLD PEOPLE; BOTH ARE MEANT TO BE SAILED BY THE WHOLE CREW!

Forget about your issue on the Tongues topic! Forget about your issue on the "once saved, always saved"/"you can lose your Salvation" topic! Forget about your issue on whether or not female’s should/shouldn't cut their hair topic! Forget about your issue on whether or not owning a television set is sinful or not!

If the ship you're looking at believes in the Fundamentals of the Faith, and if that ship LIVES in holiness and relies on God and His Word, and if that ship is absolutely sold out to Captain Jesus....

THEN GET ONBOARD!

2- The word DEEP represents humanity, and the despised of humanity in particular:

There are a host of individuals "out there" in society who are quickly taking their last breaths!

Humanity is LITERALLY going to a devil's hell, and hell is eternal.

Prostitutes, drug addicts, homosexuals, fornicators, adulterers, whoremongers, thieves, liars, effeminates.... ALL ARE IN THE DEEP WATERS OF SIN!

Jesus isn't standing on the shore, ladies and gentlemen! Jesus Christ of Nazareth IS IN THE BOAT and He's asking you to launch out into the deep with Him!

No! You don't have to GET IN the deep, yet you DO have to get ON TOP OF THE DEEP! Only then can you look down to see the hands reaching up to you!

The world is quickly heading towards the waterfall of sin, death and destruction, and yet who will save them?

Handing out Gospel tracts door to door won't do you much good when you've just trashed, bashed, slandered and gossiped about the other ships in your neighborhood!

Deep waters mean frightening prospects!

You may not find many sharks on the shore yet neither will you find the beautiful dolphin on the shoreline either!

You must LAUNCH OUT into deep water!

People, at this very moment, are sticking drug needles into their arms! People, at this very moment, are beating their children! People, at this very moment, are slashing their own wrists and blowing their own heads off!

Are you willing to stand on the shoreline while MULTITUDES, who COULD BE a great catch for Christ, are instead lost to the devil through a host of reasons, one being YOUR unwillingness to reach out to them for fear of drowning yourself?!

May it not once be named among us!

3- The NET represents the ANOINTING:

The Anointing!

There are so many today who have no idea on which Scriptural verses prove the Trinity or the Blood or the Deity/Humanity of Jesus Christ, but just go to any one of their regular Sunday services and the word "Anointing" can be heard coming from their lips as fast as an AK-47!

So many among us, who claim to love Jesus and who claim to be filled with His Spirit, and who claim to have His Anointing.... most of these know NOTHING about the True Anointing of Almighty God!

People watch Pastor so-and-so on television knocking people down and they assume that THAT is the "Anointing"! No! No! No!

People watch as so called "prophets of God" give personal "words" and then teach that "God wants you rich".... they say that such a minister is "Anointed"! No! No! No!

People claim to be "drunk in the Spirit", actually ACTING as though they WERE drunk, staggering around, laughing and slurring their speech! They claim that this is the "Anointing", or a "move of the Holy Spirit"! No! No! No!

What IS the Anointing?

First, as noted, the Anointing is the NET, and the net is the ANOINTING!

Did our Lord desire that the net stay within the confines of the ship?

Of course not!

The crew, instead of handling the net for the length of their sailing, CASTS IT OUT in order to CATCH!

NEVER does a fisherman keep his net in his ship when his entire LIVLIHOOD depends on that net drawing in a great number of fish!

Such an act of going out to fish and then NOT casting out your net would make you the world's most foolish fisherman!

What fisherman goes out into the deep and refuses to throw his net into the water?

Today, we have those among us who seek to catch fish by every means possible EXCEPT by casting their net into the deep!

Worse yet, most who claim that they know what the Anointing is have no idea what the Scripture teaches on the subject!

Isaiah 10:27 And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.

Isaiah 61:1The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; 3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. 4 And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations. 5 And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. 6 But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall call you the M ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.

1 John 2:20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.

1 John 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

Acts 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

From these verses on the Anointing, taken DIRECTLY from the Word of God.... where does one find staggering around? Or laughing uncontrollably? Or shaking violently? Or falling down "under the power"?

Not once in these verses is there even a small HINT of what most today believe falsely that the True Anointing of God is!

The Anointing:

Heals the sick! Casts out devils! Raises the dead! Cleanses the lepers! Destroys bondages! Destroys the power of the devil itself!

There's only one catch.....

Are you ready?

THE ANOINTING IS NOT MEANT TO STAY IN THE SHIP!

What does this teach us?

This teaches us that there is a lost and dying humanity out there whose ONLY hope is that the Church, those on the shorelines and those in the ships, would cast out it's NET!

There may be many ships and many crewmembers.... but there is only ONE NET!

THE DEEP!

The hookers need Jesus! The homosexuals need Jesus! The backbiters need Jesus! The liars need Jesus!

THE DEEP NEEDS TO BE REACHED!

How can this be done?

The Anointing, and NOTHING IN YOU, is the ONLY MEANS WHEREBY GOD HAS MADE AVAILABLE EVERY RESOURCE IF HEAVEN IN REACHING THE LOST!

Man's efforts are absolutely F-I-L-T-H-Y to the eyes of God and to His nostrils when man attempts to do righteous deeds APART from God's Anointing, which is the Holy Spirit HIMSELF, the very member of the Blessed Trinity whose PRIMARY WORK is to convict lost man of his lostness!

THE ANOINTING! THE NET! DEEP WATER!

There can be NO COMPROMISE on this issue!

It matters NOT what some denominational leader or statement of creed declares about the Anointing of God!

The Anointing is the only power available to you, dear friend and Beloved in Christ!

THERE ISN'T A DENOMINATION IN THE WORLD TODAY, NOT EVER, THAT HAS HAD ANY TYPE OF MONOPOLY ON THE ANOINTING!

Each ship is different, yet each must have a solid foundation and ALL must have a net!

Evangelism is the call of God on EVERY Born Again Believer's life, and we MUST take each word of Jesus Christ as THE Word of God...because it IS!

Beloved, do you desire to see souls saved and brought into the Kingdom of God?

Do you have a heart desire to see the Power of God overtake the lost in conviction and sorrow, godly sorrow, over personal sin?

Cast the Net, the Anointing of God, in the deep waters of humanity, where all manner of vice, evil and wickedness dwell….

Cast the Net into the “dregs of society” where no one else dares to tread!

The Bible calls you and I fishermen!

Let us now take up the Great Commission and reach the lost with the uncompromising Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Let us now call men and women to Repent and to place their Faith in the Only Begotten Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ!

The Word of Faith Movement

By Dan Lirette

Ok, so the teaching goes that Jesus Christ wants every one of His Children to be “healthy, wealthy and wise”.

This is commonly known as “Word of Faith” theology and it’s permeated into masses of lives across denominational walls.

I’d like to be very blunt on what I think of the Word of Faith (WOF) Movement: It’s a devilish cancer eating away at Believers all across the board!

WOF proponents teach that no Believer should be sick or poor or in financial need; they actually emphasize financial wealth more than anything, with Healing coming in second (in my perspective).

Very little is taught about the Character, Nature and Attributes of God or of Jesus Christ; very little sound Biblical Doctrine is taught and very very very little Discipleship and Practical Living (Holiness) is taught; everything is about how much “I” can “receive” from God with “my Faith”.

Don’t get me wrong! Faith is important!

Also, God blesses His People and He certainly still Heals today!

That isn’t the issue.

The issue is that the WOF Movement has as it’s official statement the implication (usually not directly stated, but only implied) that if one isn’t financially well off or if one is not continually in constant Health, then one “lacks faith” or is “not blessed”.

Men who teach these twisted doctrines would include such names as “Brother” Kenneth Copeland or the late “Dad” Kenneth Hagin.

Benny Hinn is also another who espouses WOF Teaching.

I can almost feel the tension now that I’ve “named names”…. nonetheless, the Truth must be told.

The most disturbing of WOF Teaching is what they teach about Christ, God and the Atonement… it’s literally blasphemous (not all WOF proponents agree on all points of WOF doctrine, though the majority do).

Ok… before I get ahead of myself, let me summarize what the WOF officially teaches:

The following read is by the Watchman Fellowship/Watchman Expositor; be sure not to skip over it, but read through it:

Word-Faith Movement

by Clete Hux

Founder/Founding date: As a movement rather than an organized group, there is no founder or founding date, per se. The philosophical roots extend to Gnosticism. E.W. Kenyon (1860-1948) was perhaps the earliest modern exponent to blend the movement’s eastern mystical and New Age elements with Christian teaching.

Official Publications: None. Two prominent publications are Kenneth Copeland’s “Believer’s Voice of Victory” and Kenneth Hagin’s “The Word of Faith” magazines. There are scores of books, newsletters, pamphlets by various authors Hagin, Kenyon, Copeland, Capps, Price, etc.

Organizational Structure: Has no key universally acknowledged leader or central headquarters. The teachers of the movement all have their own churches and followings.

Unique Terms: The God-kind of faith; the force of faith; the Anointing; spirit-man; spiritual death of Christ; born-again Jesus; authority of the believer.

Other Names: Word-of-Faith, Positive Confession, Faith-formula, Health & Wealth Gospel.

HISTORY

Born in 1860, E. W. Kenyon is generally recognized as the founding father of the modern Word-Faith Movement. Beginning as a Methodist, he became quite ecumenical, associating with the Baptists. Some of his work even resulted in the founding of a few Primitive Baptist Churches. Late in life, Kenyon moved into Pentecostalism. At the same time, he combined elements of the metaphysical cults, such as Christian Science, New Thought theology, and Unity School of Christianity (D.R. McConnell, A Different Gospel, pp. 31-35). “The doctrines of correct thinking and believing accompanied by positive confession, with the result of calling a sickness a symptom (denial of reality supported by a Gnostic dualism) are not found in Christian writings until after New Thought and its offspring had begun to develop them. Therefore, it is not unreasonable to state that the doctrine originated and developed in these cults, and was later absorbed by Christians in their quest to develop a healing ministry” (H. Terris Neuman, An Analysis of the Sources of the Charismatic Teaching of Positive Confession, p. 43).

Though obviously not the movement’s originator, some have also called Kenneth Hagin the “grand-daddy of the faith teachers” (Sherry Andrews, “Kenneth Hagin ‹ Keeping the Faith,” Charisma, October 1981, p. 24). In a survey of readers of Charisma (a major Charismatic magazine) concerning those ministers that influence them the most, Kenneth Hagin was 3rd, ranked behind only TV evangelist Pat Robertson, and the heir apparent to the Word-Faith movement throne, Kenneth Copeland (Kenneth Hagin, Jr., Charisma,”Trend Toward the Faith Movement,” August 1985, pp. 67-70).

DOCTRINE

God

Word-Faith teachers claim that God operates by spiritual law and is obliged to obey the faith-filled commands and desires of believers. He not only reveals prosperity teaching supernaturally to the Word-Faith teachers, but personally and verbally confirms their unique interpretations of Scripture (Copeland, Laws of Prosperity, pp. 60-62).

They say the Abrahamic Covenant is the basis for commanding God to do His part in the covenant. Robert Tilton says, “we make our own promises to do our part, then we can tell God, on the authority of His word, what we would like Him to do. That’s right, you can actually tell God what you would like His part in the Covenant to be” (God’s Miracle Plan for Man, p. 36). Kenneth Copeland says, “as a believer, you have a right to make commands in the name of Jesus. Each time you stand on the Word, you are commanding God to a certain extent, because it is His Word” (Our Covenant with God, p. 32). Copeland goes so far as to say that “God was the lesser party and Abraham was the greater” in the covenant between them (Copeland, Legal and Vital Aspects of Redemption, 1985, Audio Tape #01-0403).

The Faith teachers also make God into a big man. Copeland says, “God is…a being that stands somewhere around 6′-2,” 6′-3,” that weighs somewhere in the neighborhood of a couple of hundred pounds, little better, and has a hand span of nine inches across” (Spirit, Soul, and Body, 1985, Tape #01-0601). Morris Cerullo, in an alleged out-of-body experience, describes God: “Suddenly, in front of this tremendous multitude of people, the glory of God appeared. The form that I saw was about the height of a man 6 feet tall, maybe taller, and twice as broad as a human body, with no distinguishing features such as eyes, nose, or mouth” (The Miracle Book, pp. x-xi).

Man

Word-Faith teachers say that not only is God a big man, but man is a little god. Kenneth Hagin has asserted, “man…was created on terms of equality with God, and he could stand in God’s presence without any consciousness of inferiority…. He made us the same class of being that He is Himself…. He lived on terms equal with God…. The believer is called Christ, that’s who we are; we’re Christ” (Zoe: The God Kind of Life, pp. 35-36, 41). “God’s reason for creating Adam was His desire to reproduce Himself…He was not a little like God. He was not almost like God. He was not subordinate to God even” (Copeland, Following the Faith of Abraham, 1989, Tape #01-3001). He also proclaims, “You don’t have a God in you ‹ you are one!” (Copeland, The Force of Love, 1987, Tape #02-0028). Morris Cerullo says “the whole purpose of God was to reproduce Himself. …you’re not looking at Morris Cerullo, you’re looking at God, you’re looking at Jesus” (The End Time Manifestation of the Sons of God, Audio Tape 1, Sides 1 &;2).

Christ

The deity of Christ is compromised. Kenneth Copeland, in relating what Christ supposedly told him, says, “don’t be disturbed when people accuse you of thinking you are God…the more you get to be like Me, the more they are going to think that way of you. They crucified Me for claiming that I was God. But I didn’t claim I was God. I just claimed I walked with Him and that He was with Me” (Copeland, “Take Time to Pray,” Believer’s Voice of Victory, #15, 2 February 1987, p. 9). “Jesus was on the earth just a man, not the son of God” (Frederick K.C. Price, Tape #RP 19, May 1993). And Kenneth Hagin says, “You are as much the incarnation of God as Jesus Christ was” (The Word of Faith, December 1980, p. 14).

Atonement

The very important doctrine of the atonement of Christ is distorted. Frequently Word-Faith teachers unduly over-emphasize the spiritual death instead of the physical death of Christ. “Physical death will not remove sins” (Hagin, The Name of Jesus, p. 29). In other words, it took the spiritual death of Jesus to atone for sins. “Do you think that the punishment of our sins was to die on the cross? If that was the case, the two thieves could have paid our price. No, the punishment was to go into hell itself and to serve time in hell separated from God” (K. C. Price, Ever Increasing Faith Messenger, June 1990, p. 7).

According to Word-Faith teachers, when Adam rebelled, or “committed high treason,” he not only betrayed God by turning over to Satan what God had given him, he also took on the nature of Satan. So, to redeem mankind and creation from Satan’s legal control, Jesus, as the second Adam, had to die not only physically but spiritually. This may be acceptable among some evangelicals. But where it has led Word-Faith teachers is not. They say Jesus not only bore our sins on Calvary, but also took on the actual nature of Satan himself. “Just as Adam died spiritually, Jesus died spiritually. The spiritual death He suffered caused His physical body to die…. When Jesus accepted the sin nature of Satan into His Spirit He cried ‘My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?’ He was separated from God… He was ushered into the bowels of hell” (Kenneth Copeland, Classic Redemption, p. 13; emphasis added). “Spiritual death means having Satan’s nature” (Hagin, The Name of Jesus, p. 31).

Just a man on earth, and taking on the nature of Satan at the cross, Jesus becomes just a sinner in need of redemption. At the resurrection Jesus is a born again man from the pit of hell. “Jesus was born again in the pit of Hell….The Church started when Jesus was born again in the gates of Hell” (Charles Capps, Authority In Three Worlds, pp. 212 13).

Other Doctrines

1) Positive Confession: The Theology of the Spoken Word (Rhematology), or thought actualization, is commonly known as positive confession. It stresses the inherent power of words and thoughts. Each person predestines his own future by what he says verbally and by how well he uses spiritual laws. As such, it is as if we live in a mechanistic universe instead of a personal one (see, Kenneth Copeland, Laws of Prosperity, p. 15; Charles Capps, The Tongue A Creative Force, pp. 117-118; Releasing the Ability of God, pp. 98-99, 101-104).

2) The Gospel of Health: Isaiah 53 is used to justify blanket coverage for the physical healing of every Christian who has enough faith. “…it is the plan of our Father God in His great love and His great mercy that no believer should ever be sick, that every believer should live his life full span down here on earth and that every believer should finally just fall asleep in Jesus” (Hagin, Seven Things You Should Know About Divine Healing, p. 21). Hagin also denies having a headache for forty-five years, labelling such as “simply symptoms rather than any indication of a headache” (In the Name of Jesus, p. 44).

3) The Gospel of Wealth: A central tenet of the prosperity gospel is that God wills the financial prosperity of every Christian. If a believer lives in poverty, he/she is living outside God’s intended will. “You must realize that it is God’s will for you to prosper” (Copeland, Laws of Prosperity, p. 51).

BIBLICAL RESPONSE

1) God is the unique, Sovereign of the Universe (1 Timothy 6:15). God is pure spirit (John 4:24). There is no biblical basis for teaching that God has His own body, as an essential part of His nature or being. This would be more in line with Mormonism than orthodox Christianity.

2) Man is unique from the rest of Creation, but is not Divine. He was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26, 27; 9:6), but bearing God’s image does not make him a “little god.” By definition, God is an “uncreated” or self-existent Being. Obviously, humans were created and therefore are not self-existent or divine; only God has a divine nature (Galatians 4:8; Isaiah 1:6-11, 43:10, 44:6; Ezekiel 28:2; Psalms 8:6-8).

3) Christ is Eternal, the Only Begotten Son, and the Only Incarnation of God (John 1:1, 2, 15; 1:14, 18; 3:16; 1 John 4:1). In Him dwelt the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9). By receiving the limitations of humanity (Philippians 2:6-7) Jesus forwent the exercise of some of His prerogatives as God. But He did not cease to be God. It is also impossible for the natures of God or man (Christ was both on earth) to cease being what they are.

4) The nature of the atonement had to do with Jesus’ physical death on the cross being the payment for sins (Hebrews 9:22). Christ said, “It is finished” (John 19:30), which translates tetelistai meaning “paid for in full.” Payment for our sins took place on the cross (Matt. 26:28; 1 Pet. 2:24; Col. 1:20-22; Heb. 10:10, 12, 14, 19 20). There was nothing more to pay beyond the cross (Heb. 10:18).

5) God is the only One who ever created reality by the power of His Word (Genesis 1:3). He does not have or need “faith.” Faith is depending on something outside ourselves. If God depends upon something outside Himself, He is not Supreme and therefore not God. Man, not God, is in need of faith. The faith referenced in Mark 11:22 and Hebrews 11:3 is clearly “the faith which has God as its object,” not “the kind of faith that God has.”

6) The use of words for Positive Confession ‹ One may help or hurt another by words of encouragement or condemnation, by telling the truth or misleading, etc. But to treat words as if they were some “star wars” type weapon by which reality is manipulated or altered is not biblical, but occultic.


Ok, I realize that was a nice sit through of reading, but I posted it purposely, to show you what the WOF Movement teaches, and what it teaches about God, Jesus, the Atonement, Healing and such issues as these.

Now I agree that not everyone is 100% correct in their Doctrine, but I also have no problem making the statement that your Doctrine on Christianity’s essentials better not be off, because there are some Doctrines, such as the Atonement, that are non-negotiable.

If one doesn’t believe in the Blood Atonement as presented in Scripture, then one cannot then claim to be Regenerated by the Blood of Jesus Christ which he or she publicly denies as Saving.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to come to that conclusion.

Denial of the Blood Atonement equals denial by God of Salvation.

Plain and simple.

So then why are people flocking by the multitudes to listen to men who teach these things, men such as Benny Hinn or Kenneth Copeland?

Why are Believers swallowing, hook, line and sinker, the doctrines of these men?

They claim to perform miracles and do great signs and wonders, and I suspect…no, I firmly believe, that Believers go to these charlatans because of their apparent miracles and signs and wonders; and they aren’t paying any attention to their doctrines, and most times are turning a deliberate blind eye to the heresy coming out of these “ministries”.

When you come against the devilish doctrines of Benny Hinn, for example, people will immediately “turn off” to anything further that you have to say.

Why?

Is Benny Hinn, or anyone for that matter, above testing?

1 John 4:1 “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”

The Scripture clearly warns of false prophets…many false prophets, being among us, and it specifically gives you and I the opportunity of putting to the test of Scripture anyone who claims authority with God.

We’re also told beforehand by Jesus Christ that one of the marks of a false prophet would be signs, wonders and miracles:

Matthew 24:4-5; 23-25 “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. ..Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before.”

yes, I’m one who most certainly believes in the Gifts of the Holy Spirit as being in full and complete operation among us today. I’m one who most certainly believes that God still works in signs, wonders and in miracles. Amen!

I also see here that false prophets also have signs, wonders and miracles in their “ministries”… and it’s for one singular purpose, according to Christ:

“For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”

What is deception?

Deception is believing things concerning God and His Word that have nothing to do with God or His Word.

Deception is when we cling to a false doctrine that teaches, as WOF Leaders teach, that the Blood of Jesus Christ does not atone for sin.

Beloved, that is deception, and Believers are being deceived to these doctrines through what? “great signs and wonders”!

Think about this for a moment.

The devil is using these charlatans to send God’s people into deception, and, ultimately, into hell itself!

Once a Believer swallows the lie that the Blood of Jesus does not atone, that Believer ceases to be a Believer, and only a cloud of darkness lingers and looms over that now “twice dead’ individual.

Scary.

So while men like Copeland, Hinn, the late Kenneth Hagin and others spew their spiritual poison on multitudes of unsuspecting Believers, we have no choice but to blow the trumpet and sound the alarm against these wolves in sheep’s clothing.

Friend, do some research on these men; you’ll find that their “miracles” are the devil’s means to deceiving you into ultimately denying the Blood Atonement of Jesus Christ!

That’s unthinkable, but it’s nonetheless correct.

satan is the master of deception, and he would love nothing more than to have you awed at the sight of Benny Hinn making masses of people fall down, apparently “slain in the Spirit” in order to have you swallow whatever Hinn is cooking up in doctrinally corrupt mind.

The same goes for men such as Rodney Howard Browne, Frederick K.C Price, Joyce Meyer and a host of other well known WOF teachers; all of these individuals are leading multitudes of God’s People down a path of eternal damnation; that’s the ultimate goal of the devil as he uses these people and this Movement to deceive the very Elect of God!

In closing, let us pray for those caught up in this demonic deception called the Word of Faith Movement.

Let us engage the Lord in prayer for the souls of those who have been swept into this delusion due to satanic influence and covetousness for material wealth.

Our God is able to deliver His People!

Amen!

Absolutely!

Torrents are small files which contain informatiopn about the files yuo have on your site or computer...

People download that small file and connect directly to the file you are offering, then downloading it into their system.

Once they get it, that makes two who have the file and so on and so on until hundreds of people are offering that file!

About an hour ago I posted about 16 torrent files and all are being downloaded as I type... people eat these up liek candy!

Once about 5-10 people have downloaded my torrents, it's all history from there; they'll spread like peanut butter all across the globe!

Send me an email on which files you want sent through the net and I'll create the torrents and I'll offer them on my torrent client!

I wrote this about one week ago

I have never heard a man speak with such passion (in person) as Gerhard Du Toit!

A humble man who's life is Prayer, his teaching on the coming under the burden of God in Prayer is astounding!

Not only teaching, but he has seek the Lord in small groups... last night he had us bow on our knees to seek the Lord.

His Teaching and Practical Example is amazing!

Too bad he's not on the revival Conference List; after all the teaching, thsi man would EASILY be used of God to lead the Church in individual and corporate revival.

I have never in my life met in person a man such as this one.

The Presence and ANointing of God are very real in this man's Life and Ministry.

I do believe his messages are being recorded!

Hey brother!

I'll give you a shout on the phone today and I'll get your address! It's always a pleasure chatting with you!

One thing as well, Yuo shoudl add a torrent section; so much pirated material is online that a few Christian Torrents floating around would be awesome! Torrents are like computer viruses in that they spread from computer to computer rapidly!

With a small text file in the torrent saying where your site is, your traffic and the blessing of the material in others' lives would oncrease 100 fold!

Brother Gerhard is at our church this week until the 20th, I believe, teaching on Prevailing Prayer.

Please pray that our memebrs attend and that the Lord causes our church as a whole to get on fire for Prayer!

Bump 

If you love compilations you'll definately love these!

http://icminternational.org/documents/38.html

Beloved, many today, though much in love with Jesus and with His Word, lack the Power to Witness that has been Promised and made available to all who ask, seek and knock.

Regardless of you denominational affiliation, we need the Power to Witness that Christ Himself Promised to all of His Followers who have been Born Again.

Have you received this Blessed Power to Witness, which is none other than the Holy Spirit of God Himself?

Have you received the Promise of the Blessed Holy Spirit to lead men and women into Repentance and Faith in Jesus Christ through the Preaching of the Gospel?

I firmly believe that there is an ongoing Ministry which flows out of our being Filled with the Fullness of God, and that this Ministry’s initial and ongoing manifestation is one of Power, and this Power is the Power to Witness the Death and Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus Christ.

I firmly believe that this Power is made available to all who ask, seek and knock; have you received this Power to Witness?

Acts 1:8 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.

Note here that the distuinguishing mark of one’s being Filled with the Holy Spirit is Power To Witness.

We all speak of having power to cast out devils… power to raise the dead…power to heal the sick… etc etc

Yes, these things are a part of the Ministry, however, the primary trait of one’s being Filled with the Holy Spirit is, again, Power to Witness; the Mighty Gifts of the Holy Spirit may be seen as the Fruit growing on the Tree of Power which is in the lives of those who have received the Filling of the Holy Spirit.

Let’s talk, for a moment, about this Power to Witness.

Let’s see what this Power to Witness is and let us take note if the following three Traits have taken place and are ongoing in our own lives as Servants of the Lord:

1- In Acts 2:1-4 we see the Experience and Demonstration of the Promise of Power, which is when the Upper Room Company received the Power of God so as to speak with other Tongues as the Holy Spirit gave them utterance:

Acts 2:1-4 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

2- In Acts 2:12-21 we see the Confirming Prophecy of the Promise of Power, which shows that the cloven Tongues like as ofFire, as well as the Rushing Mighty Wind, were a Biblically Based Manifestation that this group of Believers had received the Promise of God as foretold in the Book of Joel Chapter 2:

Acts 2:12-21 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

3- In Acts 2:22-47, we see the the Reason and the Result of the Promise of Power, which was to Preach the Gospel with Power and Authority to the effect of seeing dead men come to life by Repentance and Faith in Jesus Christ:

Acts 2:22-47 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

Are these three traits above present in both your personal and public life? Do you sense a need for more Power to Witness? Do you long for this same Power to Witness?

Note the words of our Lord Jesus Christ to all who seek to be endued with Power from on High:

Verse 39: “For the promise is unto you…”

Today, Beloved, will you not tarry in Jerusalem until ye be endued with Power from on High?

Will you not seek the Lord in Prayer and in Fasting for the Power of God that alone can set men free from the bondage of sin and the power of the devil?

Matthew 7:7-11 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?