Emasculating God Jesus said “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” Mark 16:15-19 (NIV) At some point the word or concepts of supernatural and spirituality got hijacked from the Christians. What’s the big deal with this? Several things now people who believe all kinds of things are flaunting their beliefs and being absorbed into the fabric of the church while biblical Christian beliefs are considered crazy. If you tell someone you’re a psychic it’s a little unusual but no be deal. But tell them as a prophet God gave you a message for them, even Christians will avoid from you. The fear is so great that even when the gifts of the spirit are explained few will step up to claim the gift that God has given them. They are more concerned about what people think of us than what God may require of them. The word Supernatural is defined as unable to be explained by science or the laws of nature, relating to, or seeming to come from magic, a god, or relating to an order of existence beyond the visible observable universe; Whenever God requires you to do something he gives you the tools and ability. So when Jesus said “Go into all the world and preach he also said … signs will accompany those who believe: they will drive out demons; speak in new tongues; pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them, place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” Mark 16:15-19 (NIV) The signs or tools were specifically so that people would see them and believe. Instead we are saying to the world “hey guys God doesn’t talk, he don’t heal in fact he doesn’t do much of anything so give us money and believe in Him because we say so. Bottom line to deny God’s supernatural gifts is to emasculate the gospel and reduce it to an interesting bedtime story. Much like failing to study the word opens you up to all sorts of heresies. Many are open to anything a good movie has to offer. For example when I say “demon” to the average person, if they don’t consider them all powerful [they’re not] the ways they think of to get rid of them are based on their favorite scary movie. Likewise “angels” have wings or according to recent movies in rebellion against heaven and not to be trusted. The examples are too numerous to mention. And most of us think of TV representations as the “reality”. Even when so called “Christians” are represented they are as likely to be insane, violent, irrational and trying to cast spells as the villains. 1 Corinthians 12: 8-10 The Living Bible says the Gifts of the Spirit are • the ability to give wise advice; • especially good at studying and teaching, • special faith • the power to heal the sick. • power for doing miracles • power to prophesy and preach. • the power to know whether evil spirits are speaking through those who claim to be giving God’s messages—or whether it is really the Spirit of God who is speaking. • to speak in languages he never learned; • power to understand what he is saying. (verse 11) It is the same and only Holy Spirit who gives all these gifts and powers, deciding which each one of us should have. We need all of it Why? Well when you start discounting sections of the bible, especially those scriptures that empower us to carry on the great commission you have the effect of discrediting the presence of the living god. After all if he is invisible, does not heal, deliver or speak, does not affect the behavior of his people then what? Then we fall into our present situation where we are trying to convince people of the presence of the Living God with no behavior changes on our part, no gifts or talents hence the progress of apologetics trying to logically explain God which is pretty much impossible.
Posted on: Wed, 18 Sep 2013 03:12:05 +0000