Spiritualism's Tools And The Last Days

Written by Hoyt W. Allen, Jr.


Continued from page 1

May we all strive to be better Bible students and to realize that God has spoken and encourages us to heedrepparttar following warnings: "The Spirit clearly says that in latter times, some will abandonrepparttar 141342 faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who knowrepparttar 141343 truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated byrepparttar 141344 Word of God and prayer." (1 Timothy 4:1-5) "But mark this: There will be terrible times inrepparttar 141345 last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God - having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them."(2 Timothy 3:1-5) "First of all, you must understand that inrepparttar 141346 last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, 'Where is this "coming" He promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has sincerepparttar 141347 beginning of creation.' But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's wordrepparttar 141348 heavens existed andrepparttar 141349 earth was formed out ofrepparttar 141350 water and byrepparttar 141351 water. By these waters alsorepparttar 141352 world of that time was deluged and destroyed. Byrepparttar 141353 same wordrepparttar 141354 present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept forrepparttar 141355 day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men." (2 Timothy 3:3-7)

If we will all accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, then we do not need to fear Satan or his "drawings" upon us (demons, mediums, witches, and etc.) "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome then, becauserepparttar 141356 one who is in you is greater thanrepparttar 141357 one who is inrepparttar 141358 world." (1 John 4:4)

The Holy Spirit, which one receives when he or she is baptized "into" Christ, is greater (more powerful) thanrepparttar 141359 power of Satan, which is inrepparttar 141360 world.

May everyone of us commit ourselves torepparttar 141361 Lord Jesus Christ and follow His ways. It was Jesus who said, "I amrepparttar 141362 way,repparttar 141363 truth, andrepparttar 141364 life, and no one comes torepparttar 141365 Father, except through Me." (John 14:6)



Brother Hoyt W. Allen Jr. is a Restoration author, preacher and director of the KYOWVA Evangelistic Association in Ironton, Ohio. You may visit his website at www.kyowva.com.

Brother Allen's article is courtesy of the The Home Bible Study Institute - www.james1-22.org.

Permission to use is granted if attributed to author, his website and the website of The Home Bible Study Institute.


Why I Don't Speak In Tongues - Part I

Written by Stephen Kingery


Continued from page 1

We see then thatrepparttar speaking in tongues was functional - it had a purpose. It made it possible forrepparttar 141341 apostles to be able to speakrepparttar 141342 Word of God torepparttar 141343 people assembled in Jerusalem from all overrepparttar 141344 world in their -repparttar 141345 people's - own language. The benefit was that all those assembled heardrepparttar 141346 word of God; "Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them." (Acts 2:41) Can those who "speak in tongues" today claim any such benefit?

"While Peter was still speaking these words,,repparttar 141347 Holy Spirit fell on all those who heardrepparttar 141348 word. And those ofrepparttar 141349 circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, becauserepparttar 141350 gift ofrepparttar 141351 Holy Spirit had been poured out onrepparttar 141352 Gentiles also. For they heard them speak in tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered, 'Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have receivedrepparttar 141353 Holy Spirit just as we have?'" (Acts 10:44-47)

Those inrepparttar 141354 Charismatic movement claim thatrepparttar 141355 above passage proves that "speaking in tongues" is for today. However, please note what is said in verse 45: "And those ofrepparttar 141356 circumcision who believed were astonished..." In other words, "those ofrepparttar 141357 circumcision who believed" (or Jewish Christians) were astonished that this event had happened. Why? Because it was only natural forrepparttar 141358 Jews to accept that Gentiles were not part ofrepparttar 141359 Christian kingdom just as they had not been fully accepted byrepparttar 141360 Jews. This event made it very clear that God consideredrepparttar 141361 Gentiles just as much eligible to be sons of God through Jesus Christ asrepparttar 141362 Jews were. This event prompted Peter to say, "Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have receivedrepparttar 141363 Holy Spirit just as we have?"

Again,repparttar 141364 speaking in tongues was functional - it had a purpose! Can those ofrepparttar 141365 Charismatic movement today claim any such benefit for "speaking in tongues" today? No! Why? Because we today fully accept thatrepparttar 141366 Gospel is for anyone who believes.

Briefly, there are two other events of speaking in tongues which we need to address. First in Acts 19:1-7 we see some disciples of Johnrepparttar 141367 Baptist speaking in tongues. Again, speaking in tongues had a specific purpose. It was necessary for these followers of Johnrepparttar 141368 Baptist to see that Jesus Christ wasrepparttar 141369 one that Johnrepparttar 141370 Baptist spoke of. These twelve would then be able to witness torepparttar 141371 other followers of Johnrepparttar 141372 Baptist that Jesus wasrepparttar 141373 Christ,repparttar 141374 Son ofrepparttar 141375 living God.

In 1 Corinthians 12-14 we have a long treatise aboutrepparttar 141376 gifts ofrepparttar 141377 Spirit, including speaking in tongues. This treatise was given forrepparttar 141378 purpose of confirmingrepparttar 141379 apostleship of Paul so thatrepparttar 141380 people would know that Paul spoke with authority. "If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge thatrepparttar 141381 things which I write to you arerepparttar 141382 commandments ofrepparttar 141383 Lord." (Acts 14:37)

Once again, we see in both of these cases thatrepparttar 141384 ability to speak in tongues was given for specific purposes. In every case of speaking in tongues - as well asrepparttar 141385 other signs, gifts, etc. - that we find inrepparttar 141386 New Testament,repparttar 141387 purpose was to confirmrepparttar 141388 Word of God, and/or to establishrepparttar 141389 authority ofrepparttar 141390 apostle. Can those inrepparttar 141391 Charismatic movement today genuinely show that their "speaking in tongues" hasrepparttar 141392 same purpose or benefits thatrepparttar 141393 speaking in tongues ofrepparttar 141394 New Testament had. If they can, then their "speaking in tongues" is genuine; if they cannot, then their "speaking in tongues" is not Scriptural and therefore subject to perversion.

I am sure that there are many people inrepparttar 141395 Charismatic movement who really believe that "speaking in tongues" is a sign from God. I do not doubtrepparttar 141396 sincerity ofrepparttar 141397 vast majority of those people. (I do doubtrepparttar 141398 sincerity of many of their leaders because they are supposed to be Bible scholars, and as such should know better.) I do not write this article to offend them or belittle them. If they are truly trying to live a Christian life and dorepparttar 141399 will of God, then I love them as a brother or sister in Christ. However, I feel that they should be careful and examinerepparttar 141400 Scriptures to see whatrepparttar 141401 Bible really teaches on this subject. If any church leader can be this incorrect in Bible teaching, then that same leader can be wrong on other subjects. If one is teaching incorrect doctrine as it relates to salvation, then that person is keeping people who follow their teaching from realizing salvation through Christ. The Bible does not give points for being sincere! One receives salvation through obedience torepparttar 141402 Gospel, period!

Part 1 of this subject has dealt withrepparttar 141403 Scriptural aspects of why I don't "speak in tongues." In part 2, I will give some personal reasons - apart fromrepparttar 141404 Scriptures - that I do not "speak in tongues."

All Scriptures quoted are fromrepparttar 141405 New King James Version unless otherwise noted.



Stephen Kingery is an author, preacher, teacher and founder of The Home Bible Study Institute.

Visit our site at http://www.james1-22.org

Permission to use is granted if attributed to author and his website.


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