Spiritualism's Tools And The Last Days

Written by Hoyt W. Allen, Jr.


Spiritualism is a religion whose basic appeal is contactingrepparttar dead. Some ofrepparttar 141342 members ofrepparttar 141343 spiritualists attend séances, promote methods of healing and investigate psychic phenomena. Some people become involved in spiritualism because they seek excitement. Most people join into spiritualism due to losing a loved one and they are going through a period of grief. They feel lost and vacant andrepparttar 141344 idea of conversing withrepparttar 141345 dead is appealing. Also,repparttar 141346 idea of receiving direction from one inrepparttar 141347 spirit would be very assuring.

Spiritualists teach fromrepparttar 141348 Bible. They claim to haverepparttar 141349 nine miraculous gifts ofrepparttar 141350 Holy Spirit, which they claim to use during séances. They mention Jesus in their prayers, but they do not believe He isrepparttar 141351 Divine Son of God. The spiritualists teach that one can be "saved" by good works. However, they do not believe in a Death, Hell, or a Judgment.

The spiritualists have worship services. They sing and pray. However,repparttar 141352 service is not like that in which Christians are accustomed. For instance; during a séance a sacrifice may be offered, it may be an animal or a human being. During a communion service - one ofrepparttar 141353 spiritualists may be called upon to sacrifice a finger joint. The finger joint will be cut off andrepparttar 141354 blood collected in a cup. The cup andrepparttar 141355 finger will be distributed amongrepparttar 141356 spiritualists to siprepparttar 141357 literal blood and to take a bite ofrepparttar 141358 literal finger. This they say corresponds torepparttar 141359 Christian Communion Service. However,repparttar 141360 Christian Communion Service or Lord's Supper is notrepparttar 141361 literal body and blood of Jesus; butrepparttar 141362 unleavened bread and unfermented grape juice are only symbols ofrepparttar 141363 sacrificial body and blood of Jesus.

The spiritualists have Mediums, which arerepparttar 141364 mediators who supposedly contactrepparttar 141365 dead during a séance. The spiritualist sits in a circle in a darkened room and followsrepparttar 141366 directions ofrepparttar 141367 Medium. Ouija Boards (we ge) are very popular inrepparttar 141368 USA. However, even though there is not any power inrepparttar 141369 "we ge" board itself - it is feared by many that it is a "doorway" through which a person allows those ofrepparttar 141370 spirit world to control him. They have served as a "doorway" to occult practices. Thus, it is a form of Divination, which isrepparttar 141371 art of obtaining secret information fromrepparttar 141372 spirit world.

Spiritualism is very real. It is a tool used by Satan to delude and captivate people's souls. The Bible forbids God's people to deal withrepparttar 141373 spirit world inrepparttar 141374 following Scriptures: "Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I amrepparttar 141375 Lord your God..." (Leviticus 19:31); "Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter inrepparttar 141376 fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consultsrepparttar 141377 dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable torepparttar 141378 Lord, and because of these detestable practicesrepparttar 141379 Lord your God will drive out these nations." (Deuteronomy 18:10-12)

Jesus andrepparttar 141380 New Testament writers warned about false religious teachers, who possess miraculous powers: "For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive evenrepparttar 141381 elect - if that were possible." (Matthew 24:24); "The coming ofrepparttar 141382 lawless one will be in accordance withrepparttar 141383 work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to loverepparttar 141384 truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that all will believerepparttar 141385 lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believedrepparttar 141386 truth but have delighted in wickedness." (2 Thessalonians 2:9- 11); "And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men." (Revelation 13:13); "They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out torepparttar 141387 Kings ofrepparttar 141388 whole world, to gather them forrepparttar 141389 battle onrepparttar 141390 great day of God Almighty." (Revelation 16:14)

Why I Don't Speak In Tongues - Part I

Written by Stephen Kingery


The Pentecostal or Charismatic movement has as one of it central beliefs, that men and women speak in tongues today as they did inrepparttar New Testament. This "speaking in tongues" is a supposed manifestation ofrepparttar 141341 Holy Spirit inrepparttar 141342 individual's life. As some of my charismatic friends tell me, it is evidence (or proof) thatrepparttar 141343 individual has been baptized withrepparttar 141344 Holy Spirit. It is a supposed gift ofrepparttar 141345 Spirit. The conclusion is, then, thatrepparttar 141346 one who "speaks in tongues" is a true Christian, and all others are suspect!

Doesrepparttar 141347 Bible really teach this? Let's take a thorough look at this subject to see whatrepparttar 141348 Bible actually teaches onrepparttar 141349 subject of speaking in tongues.

(Forrepparttar 141350 purposes of this article, when it is given as - speaking in tongues -, I am referring torepparttar 141351 Biblical meaning; and - "speaking in tongues" -I am referring torepparttar 141352 Pentecostal/Charismatic meaning.)

I think that it is unfortunate that whenrepparttar 141353 Bible was originally translated into English thatrepparttar 141354 Greek word which really means "languages" was translated "tongues." However, we who live today have enough information available to us to determinerepparttar 141355 difference. No serious Bible scholar would deny that this word really means languages. The apostles were givenrepparttar 141356 ability to speak in unknown (unknown to them) languages. This ability was given to them for specific purposes. Let's examinerepparttar 141357 purposes forrepparttar 141358 apostles to be able to speak in tongues.

God gaverepparttar 141359 apostlesrepparttar 141360 ability to speak in tongues forrepparttar 141361 following purposes:

Signs - as credentials from God, "A man approved of God." Wonders -repparttar 141362 effect onrepparttar 141363 witnesses, "They were amazed." Powerful miracles -repparttar 141364 energy manifested, "He healed them." Gifts ofrepparttar 141365 Spirit - The source ofrepparttar 141366 energy. They establishedrepparttar 141367 authority ofrepparttar 141368 sign worker. Speaking in tongues, as well asrepparttar 141369 other gifts - healing etc., were given so thatrepparttar 141370 people being taught about Christ would know thatrepparttar 141371 men spoke with authority. Think for a moment how much we today are caught up inrepparttar 141372 recognition of authority. When someone does something that we do not think they should be doing, our common reaction is, "Who gave yourepparttar 141373 authority to do that?" If someone was to come to your home today and start teaching you a different doctrine (or gospel), you may ask, "By what authority do you teach these things?" In other words, who sent you, and why should I listen to you? The same is true back inrepparttar 141374 New Testament days. People were naturally skeptical. There were many people professing to berepparttar 141375 Christ at that time. God wantedrepparttar 141376 people to know, beyond a doubt, that these men spoke with authority - His authority! "Trulyrepparttar 141377 signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds." (2 Corinthians 12:12)

It confirmedrepparttar 141378 Word ofrepparttar 141379 Lord. Not only did these gifts prove thatrepparttar 141380 apostles spoke with authority, but they confirmed that Jesus was speakingrepparttar 141381 truth. Becauserepparttar 141382 apostles (withrepparttar 141383 exception of Paul) had been with Jesus during His earthly ministry, and were taught by Him, they (the apostles) taught othersrepparttar 141384 truths that Jesus had taught to them. These truths then, were confirmed to be such byrepparttar 141385 miracles - including speaking in tongues - thatrepparttar 141386 apostles performed. "How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which atrepparttar 141387 first began to be spoken byrepparttar 141388 Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts ofrepparttar 141389 Holy Spirit, according to His own will?" (Hebrews 2:3,4)

Thus we see that these signs, wonders, and miracles were forrepparttar 141390 expressed purpose of showing by what authority -repparttar 141391 authority of God -the apostles spoke; and to confirm thatrepparttar 141392 teachings of Christ - throughrepparttar 141393 apostles - were trulyrepparttar 141394 Word of God.

The authority ofrepparttar 141395 apostles being established, andrepparttar 141396 Word of God being confirmed,repparttar 141397 New Testament writers have given us a written record of these events and teachings. This written record has been preserved by God and passed down from generation to generation so that we may have it today. Therefore, is it necessary for God to confirm againrepparttar 141398 authenticity of His word? Is it impossible for us who are living today to accept by faith thatrepparttar 141399 Bible isrepparttar 141400 Word of God? Is anyone who "speaks in tongues" today denying thatrepparttar 141401 Bible isrepparttar 141402 Word of God? If not, then why must they feel compelled to confirm it again to us?

Let's look atrepparttar 141403 sign of tongues specifically to see how it confirmedrepparttar 141404 Word of God.

"And they went out and preached everywhere,repparttar 141405 Lord working with them and confirmingrepparttar 141406 word throughrepparttar 141407 accompanying signs." (Mark 16:20) This passage isrepparttar 141408 last verse ofrepparttar 141409 book of Mark, and is really a summation of whatrepparttar 141410 apostles did after Jesus ascended into heaven. It plainly - and truthfully - states thatrepparttar 141411 signs performed byrepparttar 141412 apostles confirmedrepparttar 141413 Word of God.

"And they were all filled withrepparttar 141414 Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, asrepparttar 141415 Spirit gave them utterance." (Acts 2:4) "And when this sound occurred,repparttar 141416 multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language." (Acts 2:6) "And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born." (Acts 2:8) "... we hear them speaking in our own tonguesrepparttar 141417 wonderful words of God." (Acts 2:11) (To save space we have selected just these passages. Please read Acts 2:1-13) This ability - to speak in languages unknown torepparttar 141418 speaker - was fulfillment ofrepparttar 141419 promise which was made in Acts 1:8: "But you shall receive power whenrepparttar 141420 Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and torepparttar 141421 end ofrepparttar 141422 earth." In other words, in Acts 1:8 Jesus promisedrepparttar 141423 apostles that they would receive power to witness of and for Him in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and torepparttar 141424 end ofrepparttar 141425 earth. This power is given to them in Acts 2 inrepparttar 141426 form of being able to speak in languages and dialects that they -repparttar 141427 apostles - had never been trained or schooled in.

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