ListenDaily - 19 February 2009; To see and hear you have to speak!
AN INVITATION!
Come join the First Church of Facebook (no, this isn't a joke!)
Go here: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=63164484154
"While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, "Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have."
Acts 10:44-47 (find these or any other passages at www.Biblegateway.org)
Much of the debate and discussion about tongues and other Spiritual gifts seems to center around details of what they sound like, what they mean, when and where they are appropriate. All good stuff to discuss. But can we pause here, with this passage, to consider another perspective?
Everything we can know about the Father, Son, and Spirit, will never be all there is to know. We cannot understand it all...though we should pursue understanding. While the Scriptures may seem less than clear on some subjects, others are crystal clear. In today's passage, for example, exactly what the 'tongues' were like, we do not know. Were they speaking in a Spirit language, or were they enabled with foreign tongues so that others could understand, like in Acts 2?
I don't know.
This I do know...unbelievers heard and believed. The Holy Spirit came upon them and there was evidence of His presence.
Regardless of our definitions of the Gifts, the believers we know should show some evidence of the Holy Spirit.
If we are believers, we should know the presence of the Spirit, and show evidence of it.
How are we doing with that?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions:
1. What evidence of the Holy Spirit do you displayed in your church?
2. What evidence of the Holy Spirit do others see in you?
3. Does your church teach, preach, or encourage the use of Spiritual gifts and fruit?
INTERESTING THOUGHTS FROM BILLY SUNDAY:
"Trying to run a church without revivals can be done
when you can run a gasoline engine on buttermilk."
"Enthusiasm is as good a thing in
the Church as fire is in a cook stove."
"If you are strangers to prayer you are strangers to power."
"We have a God who delights in impossibilities."
No comments:
Post a Comment