Discerning Of spirits

From Joywell   Original Article A. WHAT IT IS NOT 1. NOT SUSPICION - The gift of discerning of spirits is not simply being suspicious of others. A person who has never had the Holy Spirit can be suspicious of everyone, and often they are. 2. NOT GIFT OF CRITICISM - This gift is not discerning of faults, but of spirits. It is the spirit of the devil which causes people to accuse the brethren. The devil is called the Accuser of the Brethren in the book of Revelation.  3. NOT SPIRITISM - This gift is not to be confused with spiritism, which is condemned in the Scriptures. The spirits of our dead relatives are not floating around in our houses or in the air outside. They are either with Jesus, or else they have gone to hell. As spiritism and demon-possessed people increase in number we need the gift of discerning of spirits more and more. B. WHAT IT IS 1. DEFINITION - Discerning of spirits is God's Spirit informing a spirit filled Christian, which type of spirit is being manifested. It is a supernatural look into the spiritual world. 2. APPLICATIONS - This gift can show the kinds of spirits which are working in people today; such as unclean spirits, deaf and dumb spirits, demonic spirits, oppressing spirits, or even the Holy Spirit. This gift is a requirement for all who are used of God in a deliverance ministry. Without it, those who seek to minister deliverance are simply left guessing at whether or not a demonic spirit is actually present and if so, what type of demonic spirit. This gift is also a requirement of all those who operate in a prophetic ministry, for without it they would not be able to sit by and judge the prophesies of others as they are called to do in 1Cor 14:29 which says, "Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge." 3. PURPOSE - This gift is given to keep the church safe from demonic presence and practices.

"Word of Wisdom" Manifestation

From Bible Teaching World Wide torej@btww.net This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it ) The word of wisdom is a supernatural wisdom you get from God in a situation where your own wisdom is not enough. It gives you, for instance, wisdom in a situation where you don't know what to say. Jesus operates a lot through word of wisdom. The Pharisees tried several times to “catch” Jesus in what he was saying so they could accuse him for false teaching. In John 8 we read about a woman the Pharisees had caught in adultery. They brought her to Jesus to test him. And they said: John 8:5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" If Jesus had said they should stone her to death they could have taken him to the government of Rome, because they were the only ones to summon a death penalty. If he had said she should not be stoned they could accuse him of breaking the Law of Moses. Jesus received a word of wisdom and said: John 8:7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." This led the Pharisees to go away, the elders first. They were probably the ones who knew they were not without sin. This word of wisdom defused the situation. You might find yourself in a situation where you don’t know what to do in the future. Then, you need a word of wisdom from God. One time I joined the prison ministry from my church, I talked to a person that believed in reincarnation. He had talked with several people that had experienced past life and he really believed in it. Two questions came to my mind. The first one I asked was: “Do you believe in a god and a bad force?” He gave a confirming answer. “How can you be sure that the experience these people have is not lies from the bad force?” He could not answer these questions. I know that the questions I gave him caused him to start thinking. In this situation, I received a supernatural knowledge from God. More on the "Word of Wisdom" CorrectBible.com Gifts of the Spirit A Quaker Study on Spiritual Gifts

Word of Knowledge

This is another one of the manifestations of the holy spirit.     Word of Knowledge  is a definite conviction, impression, or knowing that comes to you in a similitude (a mental picture), a dream, through a vision, or by a Scripture that is quickened to you.    The manifestation of the word of knowledge is the transcendental revelation of the divine will and plan of God. I have experienced this once or twice during my lifetime and I can tell you for sure that this is not something that you will soon forget! I was hardly into the Word when this happened the first time and it does make one trust in God very much when you are new to this sort of thing! It is a revelation of knowledge that man could not know of himself. It is knowledge only known to God and thereafter revealed to us through a gift of the Holy Spirit."    "Pentecostal Doctrine" by  W.R. Jones 1. DEFINITION - The spiritual gift of the WORD OF KNOWLEDGE is the bestowal of certain facts from the mind of God which He sees fit to reveal to one of His servants supernaturally by His Spirit. It is only a word, or a portion of God's endless storehouse of knowledge. 2. METHODS - God speaks in divers manners, such as dreams, visions, revelation, or sometimes even in an audible voice. It is always conveyed supernaturally as is any other spiritual gift. 3. ABILITIES - This gift can tell the whereabouts, conditions, nature, or thoughts of a person, animal, place, or thing even when it is impossible to learn it in the natural. 4. PURPOSES - It helps one to look into the heart, mind, or nature of a man and to know his secrets and intentions. It has helped find lost articles, as in 2 Kings 6, but its main purpose is to help find lost souls as in the book of Acts. JoyWell.org     You may want to pay close attention to that little voice in your head. It may not just be wishful thinking on your part.

Giving Thanks To God

There are many of us Christians who do not give thanks to God for all of the things which He has done for us or for providing for us on a daily basis.    We should be thanking God for everyday that we wake in the morning,for the food that we have placed on our tables, for our good health and for many others. We should thank Him for all that He has done, is doing and will do for us as His children.    Paul tells us about giving thanks in the New Testament. Colossians 1:3  Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you.                                                                Colossians 1:12-14 12)  Giving thanks to God the Father, who hath made us worthy to be partakers of the lot of the saints in light: 13)  Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love, 14) In whom we have redemption through his blood, the remission of sins 2 Corinthians 1:3,4 3) Blessed [be] God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;                                                      4)Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.    We are commanded to give God praise and thanksgiving. Hebrews 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of [our] lips giving thanks to his name. 1 Thessalonions 5:17,18 17) Pray without ceasing.                                                                              18 ) In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Philippians 4:6,7 6) Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.                  7) And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.                                               All Scripture  King James Version

The Gift Of Healing

It has been a very hectic week this past week! That is one reason that there has been nothing new at this site as of late.     Another reason is that God and myself have been at odds with each other over a few things going on in life right now, in which I am not pleased. I should probably say that I am at odd with Him, I think. I'm not really to sure, as it seems as if the phone line to God has gone down lately. There are things which need to be done and to me it seems as if God is not listening to me, or either, I am not hearing Him!    Anyway, we will work it out! I will work it out, I should say.     Now, on to the gift of healing from Joywell.org FIRST ASSEMBLY OF GOD Bosque Farms, NM I. HEALING 1Cor.12:7-10 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; A. WHAT IT IS NOT 1. NOT SIMPLY MEDICAL SCIENCE Let me first say that I believe in medical science, and I encourage sick people to visit a medical doctor. However, this gift cannot simply be medical science because any sinner can learn medical science without the leading or the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, there is sometimes a supernatural element at the root of some diseases which cannot be dealt with by medical science. Such disease cannot be cured by any natural knowledge, natural treatment, or other method of natural man. 2. NOT CHRISTIAN SCIENCE This gift is not Christian Science (so called). Christian Science is a misnomer. It is neither Christian nor scientific. It is similar to a guinea pig which is neither a guinea nor a pig. It is similar to Grape-Nuts which is neither grapes nor nuts. Christian Science is not Christian because it denies the deity of Christ, denies the fact of sin, and denies the blood atonement of Christ. Christian Science is not scientific because it employs a system of mind cure in which a happy frame of mind is supposed to cure sickness. There is no doubt that worry, fear, hatred, and other negative emotions can cause physical problems and may prevent a person from the natural recovery from an illness. Many times, removing these negative emotions can have a healing effect on a person if the illness is psychosomatic. However, this method does not work on real sickness and disease. It is not the gift of healing. 3. NOT SPIRITISM The gift of healing is not spiritism which sometimes seems to cure the sick. When spiritism is used, the trouble only moves around the body leaving the patient possessed with many other troubles than at the beginning. Spiritism often brings a patient to an early death. Spiritism is of the devil and according to John 10:10 the devil's motives are to steal, kill, and destroy. The devil may give one the feeling or the idea of being healed, but it is only temporary and it opens the door to something worse. Matt.12:26 tells us that Satan does not come to cast out himself. 4. NOT EXTREME UNCTION The Roman Catholic Church practices a sacrament known as Extreme Unction in which a priest visits the sick just before death and anoints the dying with oil. This sacrament is never given to bring healing but to prepare the sick for death. The pretense for this "unction" of dying men is supposedly taken from James 5:14-15, but when this passage is quoted it becomes obvious that the sacrament of Extreme Unction does not find its roots in the scriptures. The passage reads, "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." Now, it is evident that this prayer and anointing were intended for the RECOVERY of the sick and not merely as a preparation for death. The "Extreme Unction" of Rome is not intended for healing or recovery but for preparation of death when all hope of recovery is supposedly gone, and death is seen as imminent. There is no expectation of healing when the Roman sacrament of Extreme Unction is administered. It is not in the least bit associated with God's gifts of healing. B. WHAT IT IS 1. DEFINITION The Spiritual gift of healing is the supernatural manifestation of the Spirit of God that miraculously brings healing and deliverance from disease and infirmities whether functional, organic, or nervous. It is the power of God that destroys the work of the devil in the human body. 2. PURPOSE The purpose of this gift is to prove the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Acts 3:15-16, Heb.13:8), to prove His power to forgive sins (Mark 2:10), to build faith and save souls (John 6:2), to confirm the Word of God (Mark 16:17-20), and to bring glory to God (Mark 2:12). 3. OLD TESTAMENT EXAMPLES 2Kings 5 records the prophet Elisha telling Naaman to go and wash 7 times in the Jordan River. Afterwards he was to receive healing. When Naaman complied, the Lord healed him. Isaiah 38:1-6 tells how Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and besought God alone for healing. The Lord sent Isaiah the prophet with a healing balm which God used to heal Hezekiah and add 15 more years to his life. There are other accounts of healing in the life of Moses, Elijah, Elisha, and others in the Old Testament. 4. NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES Acts 28:1-7 gives the account of Paul on the island of Melitus laying his hands on Publius who was very sick with a fever and a bloody flux, and he was healed. This caused the people to bring many others for healing. Notice that it was a spiritual gift and not Luke's medicine kit that healed the people on this island. Acts 3:1-10 gives the account of Peter taking a lame man by the hand and leading him to be healed in the name of Jesus. It was Luke the physician who stated the man's condition both before and after the healing. He gave all praise and glory to God for this marvelous work. Acts 9:32-35 reveals Peter speaking to a man who had been bedfast for 8 years and saying, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: Arise and take thy bed." This caused the people of two cities to turn to the Lord. Acts 8:6-7 reveals the ministry of a deacon in the early church named Philip. He was not an apostle or a prophet, he was just a deacon, a servant of God. The lame and those who were sick with palsy were healed under his ministry. Biblical Basic Topics by Frederick E. Lewis ©2006          For more on the gift of healing click the following: Gifts of the Spirit Healing       The authors featured at this site are not necessarily representative of this site's beliefs nor are they affiliated with Christian's Bible & Beliefs (truthtoldtoday.blogspot.com)     As with all things, the reader is encouraged to search the Scriptures and make his/her own conclusion based on prayer, conscience and study of the Word of God.

Miracles

Today we are all going to get educated on the subject of 'Miracles'.     We have all had a few experiences where it seemed as if some of the things which have occurred in our lives could not have happened unless it was a 'Miracle" from God.     But what exactly is a 'Miracle'?    We will go to Christian Answers for that. A true miracle is an event in the external world brought about by the immediate agency or the simple volition of God, operating without the use of means capable of being discerned by the senses, and designed to authenticate the divine commission of a religious teacher and the truth of his message (John 2:18; Matt. 12:38). It is an occurrence at once above nature and above man. It shows the intervention of a power that is not limited by the laws either of matter or of mind, a power interrupting the fixed laws which govern their movements, a supernatural power. "The suspension or violation of the laws of nature involved in miracles is nothing more than is constantly taking place around us. One force counteracts another: vital force keeps the chemical laws of matter in abeyance; and muscular force can control the action of physical force. When a man raises a weight from the ground, the law of gravity is neither suspended nor violated, but counteracted by a stronger force. The same is true as to the walking of Christ on the water and the swimming of iron at the command of the prophet. The simple and grand truth that the universe is not under the exclusive control of physical forces, but that everywhere and always there is above, separate from and superior to all else, an infinite personal will, not superseding, but directing and controlling all physical causes, acting with or without them." God ordinarily effects his purpose through the agency of second causes; but he has the power also of effecting his purpose immediately and without the intervention of second causes, i.e., of invading the fixed order, and thus of working miracles. Thus we affirm the possibility of miracles, the possibility of a higher hand intervening to control or reverse nature's ordinary movements. In the New Testament these four Greek words are principally used to designate miracles: Semeion, a "sign", i.e., an evidence of a divine commission; an attestation of a divine message (Matt. 12:38,39; 16:1, 4; Mark 8:11; Luke 11:16; 23:8; John 2:11, 18, 23; Acts 6:8, etc.); a token of the presence and working of God; the seal of a higher power. Terata, "wonders;" wonder-causing events; portents; producing astonishment in the beholder (Acts 2:19). Dunameis, "might works;" works of superhuman power (Acts 2:22; Rom. 15:19; 2 Thess. 2:9); of a new and higher power. Erga, "works;" the works of Him who is "wonderful in working" (John 5:20, 36). Miracles are seals of a divine mission. The sacred writers appealed to them as proofs that they were messengers of God. Our Lord also appealed to miracles as a conclusive proof of his divine mission (John 5:20, 36; 10:25, 38). Thus, being out of the common course of nature and beyond the power of man, they are fitted to convey the impression of the presence and power of God. Where miracles are there certainly God is. The man, therefore, who works a miracle affords thereby clear proof that he comes with the authority of God; they are his credentials that he is God's messenger. The teacher points to these credentials, and they are a proof that he speaks with the authority of God. He boldly says, "God bears me witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles." The credibility of miracles is established by the evidence of the senses on the part of those who are witnesses of them, and to all others by the testimony of such witnesses. The witnesses were competent, and their testimony is trustworthy. Unbelievers, following Hume, deny that any testimony can prove a miracle, because they say miracles are impossible. We have shown that miracles are possible, and surely they can be borne witness to. Surely they are credible when we have abundant and trustworthy evidence of their occurrence. They are credible just as any facts of history well authenticated are credible. Miracles, it is said, are contrary to experience. Of course they are contrary to our experience, but that does not prove that they were contrary to the experience of those who witnessed them. We believe a thousand facts, both of history and of science, that are contrary to our experience, but we believe them on the ground of competent testimony. An atheist or a pantheist must, as a matter of course, deny the possibility of miracles; but to one who believes in a personal God, who in his wisdom may see fit to interfere with the ordinary processes of nature, miracles are not impossible, nor are they incredible.    If you wish to see many of the miracles recorded in the Word of God, then click here and scroll down to the bottom of the page.

The Manifestation of "Faith"

The manifestation of faith is one of eight manifestations of the Spirit. Many teachers call these 'gifts'  but if you look at the Word of God correctly, there is only one gift and that is the gift of healing. 1Cr 12:1 "Now concerning spiritual [gifts], brethren, I would not have you ignorant."   The word gifts is an added word and it should not even be there in this instance. Matters or things would be a more accurate placement. 1Cr 12:4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 1Cr 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 1Cr 12:9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;       All verses from King James Version (KJV)         " FAITH"  article at  Joywell.Org 1) FAITH is not natural courage or confidence.  It is not ambition or natural business ability.  These are very important and they keep people going, but they should not be confused with the gift of faith.  Even those who deny the Spirit of God may possess courage and confidence.  There are many things that a person can do in the natural to build one's confidence, but the gift of faith is not built up by natural means.  It is a manifestation of the Spirit of God(1Cor.12:7).                                                                             2) It is not saving faith, which every Christian must have in order to truly be a Christian. The gift of faith is a supernatural manifestation of the Holy Spirit to help someone who is already a Christian.                                       3) The gift of faith is not simply trying to have faith. It doesn't come from gesturing, screaming, yelling, jumping, or supposing.  It is not guess-work, predicting, or positive confession.  Simply hoping something will happen may keep a person working towards a goal, but it is not a manifestation of the Spirit of God.  A person doesn't necessarily need the Holy Spirit to hope something good will happen.                    4) It is not a doctrine, a theory, a dogma, a theological principle, a disciplined prayer life, a conviction, a creed, or any man-made policy.  It is a supernatural manifestation of the Holy Spirit.                                                                         5) It is not someone up before an audience at a church, or speaking over the radio begging for money, and claiming they have a "faithwork."  It is not someone who claims the call of God to go but demands a certain amount of money before he goes.  That is not the Holy Spirit manifesting a gift of faith, that is a man manifesting a demand for cash.           B. WHAT IT IS 1. DEFINITION The Spiritual gift of faith is the supernatural manifestation of the Spirit of God that miraculously drops the assurance of the answer to one's prayers into his heart, even BEFORE he sees it come to pass with his natural eyes.  It is believing you have it WHEN you pray (Mark 11:24). It is knowing the roots are cursed before you see the tree die.  It ceases to be faith the minute you see it come to pass.                                      2. OLD TESTAMENT EXAMPLES It was the gift of faith that caused Abraham to claim that God had given him a son even before he saw any natural evidence.  He understood that God "...calleth those things which be not as though they were." Through the gift of faith, the children of Israel marched around the city of Jericho claiming that God had given them the city (past tense) before the walls ever fell.  Elijah had the assurance that there would be no rain for three and a half years. By the gift of faith, he had assurance that it would rain when he asked for rain, even though he couldn't see the rain. By the gift of faith, Elisha had the assurance that the victory would be won in the camp the day before the natural eyes saw it come to pass. No wonder he could tell the man so (II Kings 7:1). He had already won the victory for them! He had it in his soul!                                                                                   3. NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES By the gift of faith Jesus rested his head on the pillow DURING the storm. He already had the assurance they. were going over to the other side (Mk.4:35). Ananias had the assurance, even before he went to see Paul, that Paul would receive the Holy Ghost (Acts 9). Paul knew by a divine revelation that no man would lay hands on him to do him harm. He acted accordingly. (Faith is an act, faith without works is dead). Real faith is trust. You will walk out on it. Since that was an answer to prayer it must have been faith before he saw it. It is usually best not to tell your assurance to others before you see the answer and have natural evidence that natural man can understand.     You may wish to check out Joywell     The authors featured at this site are not necessarily representative of this site's beliefs nor are they affiliated with Christian's Bible & Beliefs (truthtoldtoday.blogspot.com)  As with all things, the reader is encouraged to search the Scriptures and make his/her own conclusion based on prayer, conscience and study of the Word of God.

Manifestation's Of The Holy Spirit

This is not a study of the nine manifestation's of the Holy Spirit. That will come later.    I am presenting this article as an example of very bad teaching when it comes to this subject.     In the article,which you must click the link to, the author makes the claim that these manifestations were withdrawn back in the early church and the author states that:   "There is evidence that these gifts were already being withdrawn before the end of Paul's ministry.    It is worth noting that only " the gift of healing" was called a gift. the rest of the powers are called  manifestations.     The author uses the verse below for his argument.  I Corinthians 13:8-10 “Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.”     I am referring to the last sentence in particular. As the last verse above states, “when that which is perfect (Gr, teleios: complete)2 is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.” It makes sense that when God was through inspiring the Scriptures to be written, there would no longer be a need to have more parts coming with the gifts of the Spirit.          Article Here in PDF    I submit to the reader that this passage is speaking on Christ's final return when he comes back to reign forever more!     Why do I say this? Because for better than 20 years I have been speaking in tongues on a very regular basis. I believe that it is the best way to feel God in your presence and that it is perfect prayer. I have also been blessed a few times with the power of a few of the other manifestation during my lifetime.    God would not tell us to speak in tongues or to prophecy,or to have faith or heal if it was no longer available! In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weaknesses, for we don't know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which can't be uttered. He who searches the hearts knows what is on the Spirit's mind, because he makes intercession for the saints according to God. -- Romans 8:26-27 (WEB) "Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us..." (Romans 8:26). The Holy Spirit will guide you into all the truth (John 16:13) and He will teach you to pray. Sometimes we do not know what to pray for, and so we can pray in the Spirit (Romans 8:26). We can pray in tongues without understanding, even for hours, according to the will of God. However, Paul stated that he prayed with the spirit and with the understanding (1Corinthians 14:15). Our whole being, including our minds, should be involved in praying. Our minds should understand what we are asking God for. However, we can pray with the spirit (in tongues) when our minds need a rest (Isaiah 28:11,12)    In the near future I will deal with the manifestations on a single basis.   Technorati tags: Holy Spirit, Manifestations

Speaking In Tongues

This has been an on-going topic of argument for many Christians. Some denominations believe in doing it and many others do not.     Pentecostalism and the Charismatic movement practice this manifestation on a regular basis.     Many other Christian denominations do not believe in 'speaking in tongues' and a few even claim that it is of the devil. So, who is right? What does the Word of God have to say about it?    All Verses are from the (KJV).     Let us look at 1 Corinthians 12 shall we? 12:3 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. (KJV)     "speaking  by the Spirit" is in speaking in tongues  4) Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5) And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6) And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. 7) But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 8) For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9)To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10) 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: 11)But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.    Verse 10 tells you that we have been giving the manifestation of different kinds of tongues and the interpretation of tongues. So this is obviously not from the devil.     My problem with those who teach this in the Pentecostal church and in others is that they are not doing what God has instructed them to do. I am speaking of the church leader(s) who stand up in front of the congregation doing their sermon and then suddenly they break out in tongues! nothing wrong with that except God says to have it interpreted. You can not possibly  be edifying the church if you or someone else cannot tell the church what God has just given to you for the edification of the church! If you do cannot have the words interpreted, then keep your mouth closed! Save the speaking in tongues for your own private prayer later on. 1 Corinthians 14 2) For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. 5) I would that ye all spake with tongues but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying. 6) Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine? 7) And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? 8) For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? 9) So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air. 10) There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification. 11) Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me. 12) Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church. 13) Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret. 14) For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15)What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. 16) Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest 17) For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified. 19) Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue. 20) Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men. 21) In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord. 22) Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe. 23) If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad? 27) If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. 28)) But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God. 32) And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. 33) For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. 39) Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues. 40)Let all things be done decently and in order.     I think that God pretty much covers the rules when it comes to speaking in tongues!    One other thing. Speaking in tongues when you are communicating with God one on one is also called perfect prayer. When you do not know how to pray for something or what to pray for, speaking in tongues will help you out. You may not understand what is being said but that is okay because you don't need to know. In these instances, it is God speaking with the spirit that is within you. They know what is going on and that is all that matters! You just have the faith and the belief!   Technorati tags: Speaking in tongues, Tongues

Some Basics About Prophecy

From TruthorTradition What is Prophecy? The answer to the question, “What is prophecy?” is of utmost importance, and so for clarity it is answered in four parts below. 1. Prophecy is speaking, writing, or otherwise communicating a message from God to a person or persons. When God or the Lord Jesus Christ gives a message to a person to deliver to an individual or group, and he delivers that message, it is prophecy. Although prophecy is usually spoken, it may also be delivered by writing it out and then delivering the written message, or it may be given another way, such as sign language. The point is, when a message from God or the Lord Jesus is delivered from one person to another, that is prophecy. When the message comes to the one who is charged with delivering it, it is “revelation” to that person. [2] It becomes prophecy when it is communicated to others. Because it is the communication of a message, prophecy can occur in many outward forms as an action or utterance. It is an outward expression of the inner move of the spirit of God. When God communicates a message through people, we describe what the people do as “prophetic.” For example, when God inspires a dancer to dance such that a message from God is communicated to His people, that is called “prophetic dancing.” If a painter paints a picture as God directs or inspires, and that picture communicates a message from God’s heart, that would be “prophetic.” It is sometimes the case that prophets are asked to act out the prophetic message. God commanded Hosea to marry a prostitute to communicate how He felt being “married” to Israel (Hosea 1:2). God commanded Jeremiah to put a yoke on his neck and wear it to communicate that Judah should not rebel against Babylon, but come under their yoke (Jer. 27:1-12). Agabus bound his own hands and feet to illustrate that Paul would be bound when he got to Jerusalem (Acts 21:10 and 11).                                                                          To fully understand prophetic action, it is important to realize that “messages” from God can be very subtle, sometimes relating only His love for us, or His greatness. For example, when God inspires a dancer or a painter, there may not be a specific directional message from the Lord that the audience is supposed to understand and act on, although there certainly could be. The message might be more along the lines of God communicating His glory to us.    From the book:       Prophecy   Understanding and Utilizing the Manifestation of Prophecy         By: John W. Schoenheit     If you wish to read/study more on this subject, then click the above link. There are many chapters which may interest you.     The authors featured at this site are not necessarily representative of this site's beliefs nor  are they  affiliated   with  truthtoldtoday.blogspot.com  As with all things, the reader is encouraged to search the Scriptures and make his/her own conclusion based on prayer, conscience and study of the Word of God.

Casting All Your Care Upon Him...

1 Peter 5:5-7 1Pe 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 1Pe 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.  (KJV)     This letter was written to a group in Northwest Asia that were being persecuted in many ways. Because of all of the harassment and such, they were becoming scared and were filled with alot of anxiety and worry.    In the New Testament, it is stated over and over that Jesus Christ is the is the source of sufficiency for all of our needs, problems, desires,demands, and so forth. Jesus is enough to take on all of our ups and downs in this life! Jesus is our peace to all of God's people.A peace that "passes knowledge and understanding."    How do we get this peace which flows out from Jesus? Peter says that it is by casting all of our care . . . our anxiety . . . our worry, upon the Lord, for He cares for us.     How do we do this? By humbling yourself under God's hand."Cast"  your care upon the Lord. "Care" in this passage means anxiety, worry, concern, or even fear. To "cast" means to throw something upon someone else. The same verb is used in Luke 19:35 where the disciples toss (or cast) their cloaks over a donkey to make a saddle for Jesus.    This falls under the "Let Go,et God' phrase. Your action is to take your many concerns that surround you and to give them up to the Lord. Let God worry about how to fix your problems and other anxieties. If God himself is not worried about them, then why should you be?    We are Christians and as such we have been made free from anxiety and worry! We have inherited peace from both of these things and many more. "Do not worry about anything" Philippians 4:6-7. Jesus Himself had a lengthy discussion on why His followers have no need to worry Matthew 6:25-34 Psalm 55:22 " Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved."    So the next time that you start to get worried or anxious about the concerns in life that are trying to overwhelm you, take your stand as a child of God and give those problems to Him, along with some praise!   Technorati tags: Casting, Care

The Worldly Business of Church

The Worldly Business of Church By Paul Howey Article copied exactly as printed from source: http://www.factnet.org/cgi-bin/discus/show.cgi?3/16794 NOTE: The following article was originally posted (Thursday, January 12, 2006 - 12:28 am) in a discussion forum on FACTnet.org and has been copied here for review. Source information appears above and at the bottom of this page. It’s far worse than most professing Christians have imagined. Because the church is incorrectly thought of as a place, a service, a building, etc, and not the called out people of God that it really is (the Ekklesia), most people assume that a church needs to be organized and managed by a CEO (disguised as a shepherd). They end up with a worldly business disguised as a church fully equipped with a worldly military chain-of-command hierarchy (Senior Pastor, Executive Associate Pastor, Associate Pastors, Music Pastor, etc,). This is pure rubbish as it is nowhere to be found in the Bible. It is impossible to “go” to church or “have” church. That is because Christians ARE the church. We can only BE the church. This is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is not something that we can turn on and off like a light switch. Popular Sunday “once-a-weekism” is absolute nonsense. The church is to meet daily wherever they can, usually house-to-house. Anywhere we go, to our jobs, to the store, wherever, there the church is because we as Christians are the church. Christianity is far simpler than most professing Christians try to make it seem. In so many words, Paul the Apostle said that he was concerned that as Eve was deceived by the serpent that some have departed from the simplicity that is in Christ. Today the church jumped out of a van on the way to work to help a little old lady who was shivering in the cold. This is because a Christian jumped out of his van to help that dear woman with her needs and to preach the Gospel to her, showing the love of God in action in tangible reality. This is the church in action. Theatrical stage shows, pulpit-pew lectures, music concert churches and Broadway-like productions passed off as the real church assembling are ludicrous at best. The popular yet monumental misunderstanding of authority in the church is probably the biggest problem driving the false church system. The main problem is with the Nicolaitans, those who the people ALLOW to conquer and suppress God’s people (nico means suppression and laos is where we get the word laity which means people). In Revelation 2:6 and 2:15, Jesus said that He hates the practices and teachings of the Nicolaitans. There is no shortage of those who want a counterfeit Saul to be king over them and there is no shortage of Nicolaitan antichrists who want to be that king in the place of Christ. (An antichrist is one who opposes Christ and/or stands in His place). At least God told Samuel to appoint Saul as king. Even though God was displeased with the fact that Israel wanted a man as king instead of Him, he still authorized Saul’s appointment. Today’s multitude of counterfeit “Sauls” have no such authorization from God. They are self-appointed and people powered. Here’s why we know that they are counterfeit leaders (they may be real Christians but they are false pastors): All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus (Matt 28:18). Jesus alone is the Head of the church (John 5:26-27, Eph 1:22-23, Col 1:18). God does not permit Christians to have controlling authority over other Christians in the church (see Matt 20:25-28, Mark 10:42-45, Luke 22:24-27, 1Pet 5:3, Matt 23:8-12, etc.). We do not have multiple special high priests over us. There is only One High Priest, Jesus Christ (see Hebrews 3:1, 4:14). We have One Master Christ and we are all brothers (see Matt 23: 8-12). You cannot obey two masters; you will love the one and hate the other (Matt 6:24, Luke 6:13). You simply cannot obey Jesus as master and a pastor as master at the same time. There is a big difference between genuine behind-the-scenes loving elders who stand firmly for sound doctrine and admonish the Body of Christ to obey the Bible compared to a Nicolaitan antichrist one-man show who teaches his own agenda and draws men away to himself through manmade teachings and traditions. For there to be any hope for any church to navigate through the ever worsening apostasy that is upon us, now more than ever, Jesus alone must be recognized as the One solely in charge and His Word the Bible must reign supreme. That is how it was always supposed to be, at all points in church history, but that is not how it has been, and that is certainly not how it is today. Paul Howey paulhowey@yahoo.com   The authors featured at this site are not necessarily representative of this site's beliefs nor are they affiliated with truthtoldtoday.blogspot.com As with all things, the reader is encouraged to search the Scriptures and make his/her own conclusion based on prayer, conscience and study of the Word of God.

1 Thessalonians 4:17

" Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." 1 Thessalonians 4:17    (KJV)     The Evangelicals use this verse as their foundation for  the doctrine of the "rapture of the church", that when Christ returns he will gather up his saints, take them to Heaven and rule over the earth, but not on the earth.    There is a problem with that! 1) The verse does not say that we are going up into Heaven. In fact, that should be turned around  since "the Lord shall descend from heaven" (vs. 16). 2) "And so shall we ever be with the Lord." Where? On the earth, not in heaven. This is the testimony of the Apostle Paul elsewhere in his writings. (Rom. 4:13 cf. Gen. 13:15 and Gal. 3:27-29) and the teaching of scores of Biblical references (E.g. Dan. 7:18-27esp. verse 27; Psalm 38:11.22, 29; Matt.5:5; Rev. 5:10.)   (KJV)) The Greek word, "harpazo" translated "caught up" does not in itself denote direction (either up or down). It simply means, "to snatch away."1 Its usage is illustrated in the following references where the same verb occurs: "The spirit of the Lord caught away Philip." (Acts 8:39). "The wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep." (John 10:12). "No man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." (John 10:29).      (WrestedScriptures)

Human Nature

The Wonderful World Tomorrow: What It Will Be Like by Herbert W. Armstrong (1892-1986) 1979 Just what is human nature? I define it as vanity, lust and greed toward self -- and as jealousy, envy, hostility and resentment of authority against others. The Bible defines it thus: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked" (Jeremiah 17:9) -- and: "The carnal [natural] mind is enmity [hostile] against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be" (Romans 8:7). You cannot ascribe that attitude or nature to the dumb animals. Does it make sense to suppose a God of love, mercy and great outgoing concern for His human family, deliberately created us to be naturally hostile toward our Maker -- not subject to His law, deceitful and desperately wicked?   Satan Not Created with It Look at the biblical account of human creation. Before Satan got to Adam, God brought to Adam "every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air" (Genesis 2:19), asking Adam to give them names. Did Adam rebel? Did he say, "Go do it yourself?" Did Adam refuse to obey God's command? The answer: "And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field ..." (verse 20). Adam at once did as God instructed. But from Genesis 3, all through the Bible to Revelation 20, much is said repeatedly about Satan. Isaiah 14 identifies him as the former archangel Lucifer. And Ezekiel 28 affirms that he was a created super being, perfect in all his ways until by his own free choice, iniquity was found in him. The former Lucifer turned to rebellion against God, to deceit, hostility, becoming cunning, subtle and desperately wicked. He came to be filled with vanity, lust and greed. He turned from God's way of love -- which is outflowing concern and desire to help and share, the way of giving -- to the way of getting.   Resurrected Saints As the resurrected Christ ascended to heaven in clouds, so He shall return to earth in clouds (Acts 1:9-11; Matthew 24:30). Just as He is returning (I Thessalonians 4:14-17), the dead in Christ -- those who have received and been led by God's Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11, 14), will rise in a gigantic resurrection, made immortal -- including all the prophets of old (Luke 13:28). Those who have the Spirit of God, then living, shall be instantaneously changed from mortal to immortal (I Corinthians 15:50-54) and, together with those resurrected, shall rise to meet the descending glorified Christ (I Thessalonians 4:17) in the clouds in the air. They shall be with Him, where He is, forever (John 14:3). They shall -- with Him -- come down out of the clouds, and stand With Him, therefore, that very same day, on the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4-5). These changed, converted saints, now made immortal, will then rule the nations -- nations of mortals -- under Christ (Daniel 7:22; Revelation 2:26-27; 3:21). © 1966, 1973, 1979 Worldwide Church of God © 1979 Worldwide Church of God    Read the entire article at TrueGospel.org

What Is Hell

I have covered this topic once before but I feel that it is necessary to explain it once again, as many people are still into the church teaching that sinners will burn in hell for eternity    Her is a shortened explanation on what most people think that hell is. Original Article © 1977 Worldwide Church of God    From the Encyclopedia Americana: "As generally understood, hell is the abode of evil spirits; the infernal regions...whither lost and condemned souls go after death to suffer indescribable torments and eternal punishment.... Some have thought of it as the place created by the Deity, where He punishes, with inconceivable severity, and through all eternity, the souls of those who through unbelief or through the worship of false gods have angered Him. It is the place of divine revenge, untempered, NEVER ENDING. This has been the idea most generally held by Christians, Catholics, and Protestants alike. It is also the idea embodied in the Mohammedan's conception....The main feature of hell as conceived by Hindu, Persian, Egyptian, Grecian, and Christian theologians are essentially the same" A few prominent religious leaders of the Middle Ages left writings and teachings which were so universally believed that they became the accepted doctrine of the Christian-professing world. One of the most important of these influential writers was Augustine (345-430 A.D.). Augustine reasoned that there should be a temporary cleansing of imperfect souls in purgatorial fire. He, like other influential men of the Christian-professing church, were influenced by "pre-Christian doctrine"—the doctrine of the ancient pagan philosophers and other early church fathers (see Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed., article "Purgatory"). So the world's concept of "hell" is admittedly a product of human thinking—of pagan speculation—as men puzzled over the eventual fate of the wicked. Before we examine the Bible to see whether the common ideas about hell could be true, let us consider where this concept of hell, if true, would lead us. On this earth there are more than three billion people. The most populous lands are China, India, and others parts of Asia. But in spite of the efforts of Western missionaries, more than half of all the people on the earth have never so much as heard the only name by which men may be saved (Acts 4:12)—the name of "Jesus Christ"! Literally billions of people on this earth have lived and died without having known anything about "salvation"—without ever having seen a Bible. Now think what that means. If all the "unsaved" go immediately to a fiery hell at death, then more than half the people who have ever lived on this earth have been consigned to this terrible punishment without ever having had a chance to escape it! Can you really believe that is the method an all-wise, all-merciful loving God is using to work out His purpose here below?          WHAT IS THE TRUTH? We face these alternatives: Either the Creator reveals the TRUTH on this subject in His inspired Word, or else we must fling up our hands and confess we just don't know. Either we believe what the Bible says, or we must—if we are rational and honest—admit ignorance. What does God say about "hell" in the Bible? You may be surprised! So be sure to read all of the scripture references given in this lesson, and PROVE the truth from the Bible with your own eyes. LESSON 6 Christ Spoke of "Hell Fire" 1. In His parable-like illustration, what punishment did Christ warn would ultimately befall those who refuse to quit sinning—refuse to stop using (obviously not literally "cut off") various of their members to commit sin? Mark 9:43. COMMENT: "hell" is an English word. When Mark recorded Christ's words, he wrote them in the Greek language. The Greek word translated "hell," which Mark was inspired to write down, is gehenna. Since in this verse Christ says the sinner is "to go into hell, into the fire," it follows that those who go to gehenna will receive punishment by fire. Keep in mind then that Christ associated the Greek word gehenna with fire. 2. What did Christ say in Mark 9:45 to emphasize what He said in verse 43? COMMENT: Mark wrote down the same Greek word gehenna here in verse 45 that he used in verse 43. The translators of the Authorized or King James Version of the Bible of A.D. 1611 selected the English word "hell" to represent this Greek word gehenna. We will learn more about the real meaning of this word later. 3. How did Christ re-emphasize what He said about "hell fire"? Verse 47. COMMENT: Again, the Greek word which Mark used in this verse is gehenna. Gehenna clearly refers to fire! But there are other words in the Bible also translated "hell." English Word "Hell" Misapplied Let's read what A Dictionary of the Bible, edited by James Hastings, says about the use of the word "hell" in the Old and New Testaments. Keep in mind, as you read this, that the Old Testament was originally written in the Hebrew language, and that the New Testament was originally written in the Greek language. Hastings says: "In our Authorized Version the word hell is unfortunately used as the rendering of three distinct words, with DIFFERENT IDEAS [Or meanings]. It represents, 1) the 'sheol' of the Hebrew Old Testament, and the 'hades' in the New Testament.... It is now an entirely misleading rendering, especially in the New Testament passages. The English revisers, therefore, have substituted 'hades' [going back to the original Greek word] for 'hell' in the New Testament.... In the American revision the word 'hell' is entirely discarded in this connection.... "The word 'hell' is used 2) as equivalent to [the Greek word] 'tartaros' (II Peter 2:4)...and, 3)...as the equivalent of [the Greek word] 'gehenna'...." So we see that the real meanings of three different Greek words—hades (equivalent to the Hebrew sheol of the Old Testament), tartaros and gehenna —have been confused with each other because translators have attempted to make the one English word "hell" cover the definitions of all three words! No wonder confusion has reigned in the minds of millions. What do these words really mean? The original Old Testament Hebrew word sheol and the New Testament Greek word hades mean the same thing—simply the grave. These original words have been translated "grave" in many places in the Bible. "Hell" is an old English word, and over 350 years ago when the Authorized Version was translated, the people of England commonly talked of "putting their potatoes in hell for the winter"—a good way of preserving potatoes—for the word then meant merely A HOLE IN THE GROUND which was covered up—a dark and silent place—a grave! But pagan teachings gaining popular acceptance have caused people to misapply the old English word "hell" to the lurid imaginations of Dante. The second Greek word, tartaros, which has also been translated into the English word "hell," occurs only once in the New Testament, (II Peter 2:4) and does not refer to humans, but to the restrained condition of fallen angels. Its meaning, translated into English, is "darkness of the material universe," or "dark abyss," or "prison." But what about gehenna? This Greek word, as all authorities admit, is derived from the name of the narrow, rocky Valley of Hinnom which lay just outside Jerusalem. It was the place where refuse was constantly burned up. Trash, filth, and the dead bodies of animals and despised criminals were thrown into the fires of gehenna, or the Valley of Hinnom. Ordinarily, everything thrown into this valley was destroyed by fire—COMPLETELY BURNED UP. Therefore, Christ used gehenna to picture the terrible fate of unrepentant sinners! Two Different "Hells" In most of the passages of the New Testament where we see the word "hell," the original Greek word is not gehenna. Most often it is hades—which does not refer to fire at all, but to a grave—a hole in the ground. Yet the translators have confused and obliterated the two entirely separate meanings of these words by indiscriminately rendering them both by the same English word "hell." Let's study the proof. 1. What can we learn from Luke 12:5 about "hell"? COMMENT: If you were to look up the original Creek word that is here translated into the English word "hell," you would find it is gehenna. Gehenna, then, is plainly a place where bodies are thrown and, as Christ indicated, DESTROYED BY FIRE! 2. But now notice the same English word "hell" in Acts 2:31? COMMENT: The original Greek word which is translated by the English word "hell" in Acts 2:31 is hades. Hades means the "grave," as its usage in this verse clearly shows! We can plainly see that the English word "hell" can have different meanings! So when we come to the word "hell" in the New Testament, we must keep in mind these two vastly different meanings and carefully determine by the context whether it refers to destruction by fire, or the grave where the dead lie buried. Whenever you're in doubt about the intended meaning of the word "hell" in the New Testament, look it up in an exhaustive concordance, such as Strong's or Young's, to see which Greek word it was translated from, and hence its true meaning. Where to After Death? In the preceding lesson we learned that when a person dies and is interred in his grave, he knows absolutely nothing (Ecclesiastes 9:5). He merely lies quietly and silently there as in a "sleep," totally oblivious to everything. Let's briefly review this important truth. 1. What one thing befalls both men and beasts? Ecclesiastes 3:19. Do they all go to one place—the same place—when they die? Verse 20 and Genesis 3:19. COMMENT: Have you ever heard of beasts going to "hell" to be tortured? 2. What place does God say man goes to when he dies? Ecclesiastes 9:10. Did Job realize he would go to the grave after death? Job 17:13. 3. Was the One who became Jesus Christ "made flesh"? John 1:14. Did Christ take upon Himself the same mortal flesh of which we are composed? Hebrews 2:14. And didn't He also have to go to the grave as other mortal men do? Turn to Acts 2:31 once again. COMMENT: The original Greek word in Acts 2:31 is hades which, as you now know, means the "grave." Jesus' "soul" (body) did not see corruption (did not decompose in the grave) because He was resurrected after three days! Some theologians, however, maintain the tradition that Christ was preaching to departed human "spirits in prison" (I Peter 3:19) while He was in "hell." That idea is absolutely false. Verse 20 makes it plain that those to whom Christ preached (concerning their rebellious activities on earth) were demon spirits, and that He preached to them during the days of Noah! This verse is not talking about the three days and nights Jesus was dead in the grave at all! Resurrected to "Judgment" You may have heard ministers preach that sinners go directly to the fiery tortures of "hell" when they die. But this would mean they are condemned to "hell" before they are formally judged and sentenced! Let's notice when the wicked dead are judged by God. 1. When will the dead be judged? John 5:28, 29. COMMENT: Christ said the judgment of the wicked dead, who are now in their graves, is yet in the future. "The hour is coming," said Jesus. Then how could they now be receiving punishment when they have not, as yet, even been judged? The two ideas clearly contradict each other! When will the dead be judged? Obviously after they come up from their graves in a resurrection! 2. While they are in their graves—until the day of their resurrection—are those who have already proved themselves to be unjust "reserved" for a future time of formal sentencing and punishment? II Peter 2:9. 3. Does Revelation 20:13 also prove there is to be a future resurrection to judgment? COMMENT: Notice that those who are in watery graves (the sea) are to be resurrected; and those who were killed by other means and left unburied ("death") are to be resurrected; and those who are in earthy graves ("hell"—the Greek word here is hades which means the grave) are also to be resurrected at this time. So all the wicked dead on land or in the sea, wherever they may be, are to be resurrected to "JUDGMENT" in the future. That is when God will formally sentence them! No one is, or ever has been, down in a fiery "hell" dancing around on hot coals, shrieking in terror and torment! God's time for judging and condemning the wicked has not yet arrived! How clear! The whole question of "judgment" is thoroughly dealt with in supplementary reading material offered in conjunction with this Correspondence Course. Suffice it to say here that the Bible clearly shows that the time the wicked are condemned to their fate is IN THE FUTURE. The idea that wicked "souls" are right now suffering torments in a fiery hell is a pagan myth! Death By Fire What is the ultimate penalty—the "wages," or reward—of sin? Is it eternal life in torment? Or is it eternal oblivion? What is the ultimate FATE of the wicked? The Bible makes the truth very clear. 1. What is the "wages of sin"? Romans 6:23. COMMENT: The "wages of sin is DEATH." "Death" is the opposite of "life"! The final wages the incorrigible wicked will receive, then, is simply the complete cessation of life! 2. What does Paul warn will be the judgment or sentence of those who, knowing God's commands and having tasted of His way of life, willfully sin against Him? Hebrews 10:26-27. Will such persons live on in torment in fire—or will they be "devoured" by it? Verse 27. Notice that this judgment comes on people because they sin willfully. 3. Does Jesus compare false ministers who don't bring forth good works to trees that don't bring forth "good fruit"? Matthew 7:15-19. What did He say would happen to such people? Verse 19. Is wood put into a fire to be tormented-or to be burned up? Did Christ clearly indicate that all people who do not bring forth good fruit will likewise be cast into fire? Matthew 7:17-19. 4. What did Christ say to the unrepentant scribes and Pharisees of His day? Matthew 23:33. COMMENT: The original Greek word translated here as "hell" is gehenna—meaning the Valley of Hinnom. Christ used the fire that burned up refuse in the Valley of Hinnom as a type of the final fate—complete destruction—of the wicked by fire. Those rebellious and stubborn religious leaders could well understand Christ's analogy. They knew they were being threatened with complete destruction as just so much trash! 5. What did Christ warn would happen to those who will not repent of their sinful ways? Luke 13:3. COMMENT: "Perish" means to cease existing. It does not mean to continue living. Life in eternal torment is not what God has decreed for incorrigible sinners! The punishment revealed in the Bible is death—cessation of life forever. Eternal life is something we were NOT born with. It is a gift of God which He will bestow at the resurrection to those who obey Him. Eternal Life and death are contrasted all through your Bible! 6. Did Christ show by His parable of the tares that there is to be a future harvest? Matthew 13:30. Did He say the evil people—the "tares"—will afterward be BURNED? Same verse. COMMENT: In this parable Christ likened the earth to a "field" (verse 24), the obedient people to "wheat" (verses 25, 29), and the disobedient to "tares" (verses 25, 29, 30). 7. Does Psalm 37:20 also show the ultimate fate of the wicked will be destruction by fire? Is there coming a time that will be extremely hot—so hot that it will burn up—CONSUME—the wicked? Malachi 4:1. What will be left of the wicked? Malachi 4:3. Who will burn the wicked up—Satan and his demons, or the Eternal God? Same verse. COMMENT: The "hell fire" that the Bible speaks of will be thousands of degrees HOTTER than the imaginary "hell fire" of most preachers—which is only hot enough to torment. The Biblical "hell fire" will totally consume the disobedient! Never will they exist again. The Bible plainly shows that those who have known God's truth and still refuse to obey it, or willfully disobey, will reap the wages of sin—eternal death! (Romans 6:23). This scripture means what it says. The attempts of many theologians to "explain away" death and to "interpret" it as mere "separation from God" cannot be reconciled with Scripture. Death clearly does NOT mean "eternal life" in the horrifying torments of an eternal "hell." The author of this pagan deception is none other than the father of lies—Satan the devil! (John 8:44). If you have innocently believed his doctrine and have suffered mental torment because of it, thank God that He has opened your mind to understand the TRUTH! What Is the "Lake of Fire"? And now comes a most interesting revelation! Exactly what is the gehenna fire that will consume the wicked? When and where will it occur? Forget all the ideas you may previously have been led to believe. Read now in your own Bible what God reveals. For "hell fire" does not even exist yet! 1. Are all who stubbornly refuse to repent and persist in breaking God's commandments ultimately to find themselves in a lake of "fire and brimstone"? Revelation 21:8. COMMENT: We've already seen that the fate of the wicked is gehenna fire. So gehenna and the lake of fire are the same. A very large fire would have the appearance of a fiery lake, hence its description. 2. Will it cause the death of the wicked? Notice Revelation 21:8 once again. Which death will it cause? Same verse. COMMENT: Mortals naturally die once, because we just "wear out" (Hebrews 9:27). But if anyone dies the second death, that individual will have been judged by God to be guilty of persistent disobedience and incorrigible rebellion. The second death will be for all eternity! 3. Does Revelation 20:13-14 verify the fact that all who are incorrigible will be cast into this future lake of fire—not now, but after the coming judgment? Will all mortals whose names will not have been written in the book of (eternal) life be cast into the lake of fire? Verse 15. 4. When does the lake of fire actually begin—at Christ's second coming? Revelation 19:20. Will the two chief enemies of Christ be cast into it at that time? Same verse. 5. How long will this fire last? Matthew 25:41. COMMENT: The word "everlasting" is aionion in the Greek. Aionion comes from the root aion which often means "age." In this case, the correct translation into the English language should be "AGE-LASTING fire." This "lake of fire" is going to be burning all during the Millennium—the "age" of Christ's rule. During the millennial reign of Christ and His saints, the Valley of Hinnom will once more be kept perpetually burning—and the incorrigibly wicked ones who set their WILL to persist in rebellion against God's laws will be THROWN INTO this fire as a stern witness to all the rest of the world! (Isaiah 66:24). 6. Much later—after the Millennium—will the flames of the "lake of fire" purify the earth's surface, burning in one vast worldwide holocaust? II Peter 3:10. Will all the things man has created be burned up, as well as the rest of those People who will not have received salvation and eternal life because of willful rebellion against God? Same verse and Revelation 20:15 once again. COMMENT: Here is God's—not man's—description of what the final "hell fire" will be like! It is yet in the future. It has not yet occurred. Nothing is said anywhere in the entire Bible about "souls" descending beneath the earth into "hell fire," or of torture for all eternity! Rather, the Bible shows that all incorrigible human beings and their works will suffer destruction once for all eternity. All other teachings to the contrary have come to us from paganism! 7. Are the wicked to be reduced to ashes by the fire which will consume the earth's surface? Turn to Malachi 4:3 once again. Can ashes be tormented forever and ever? Of course not! The death they will have suffered will be an eternal, everlasting punishment, not an everlasting punishing by torment. There is a big difference between punishment and punishing! The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23), not eternal life in hell fire! 8. What is meant in Revelation 20:14 by the words, "death and hell were cast into the lake of fire"? COMMENT: The original Greek word here translated "hell" is hades. Only unrepentant sinners—those who refuse to obey God—will still be mortal at the time of this resurrection. There will be no one else who could die. Therefore, death and the grave will both cease to exist when the lake of fire engulfs the entire surface of the earth. 9. What will Satan's part be in this coming "hell fire"? Revelation 20:10. COMMENT: Satan will be cast into the same conflagration that will destroy all incorrigible mortals. But since he is a spirit being, he will not be destroyed by the flames (see Luke 20:36). Notice that Satan himself will be in "hell fire." He will not play the role of torturing people as he is often represented by the doctrines of this world. Revelation 20:10 shows Satan himself is to be TORMENTED unto the ages of the ages—"FOREVER AND EVER"! His torment will last forever. But not this fire. It will last only as long as combustible material remains to be consumed. Satan's torment, however, will continue forever as a mental anguish resulting from seeing all that he has striven toward, worked for, plotted for, burned up as the earth is purified by fire! 10. Will the "beast" and "False Prophet" still be in this fire? Revelation 20:10. COMMENT: Some Bibles use italics to show that the word "are" in this verse was supplied by the translators. It is not found in the Greek manuscripts. The phrase should read, "where the beast and the false prophet were"—the unwritten verb being understood to be in the same tense as the verb in the first half of the sentence. The Amplified Bible has it correct. These two mortal individuals will have been destroyed over 1,000 years before the time Satan is put into these flames. Hell Fire "Never Quenched"? 1. Did John the Baptist ever speak of "unquenchable fire"? Matthew 3:12; Luke 3:17. 2. Did Jesus say that hell fire will never be "quenched"? Mark 9:43-48. (Recall the Greek word for "hell" in verses 43, 45 and 47 is gehenna.) COMMENT: Jesus repeated this statement five times for emphasis. From this, people have carelessly assumed the "fire that never shall be quenched" (verse 43) is a fire of torture which has been in existence for centuries, and will continue to exist for eternity. We have proved that this idea is absolutely false! Notice God's own inspired explanation of unquenchable hell fire. 3. Did God (over 2,500 years ago) warn the inhabitants of Jerusalem that He would kindle a fire in Jerusalem's gates that would not be quenched? Jeremiah 17:27. But what would that fire do to the city's palaces? Same verse. COMMENT: This fire occurred a few years later, and it destroyed all the houses of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 52:13). Since God said this fire "shall not be quenched" and since it is not burning today, it obviously went out by itself after accomplishing its purpose—after devouring all combustible material! 4. What punishment befell the notorious cities of Sodom and Gomorrah? Genesis 19:24. Was it literal fire that destroyed human beings? Luke 17:29. What do we read in Jude 7 about this event? Is there still a fire burning in those cities which God destroyed long ago? Of course not! COMMENT: The expression "eternal fire" used in Jude 7 means a fire whose results are permanent or everlasting—obviously not a fire that burns forever! Sodom and Gomorrah were utterly destroyed centuries ago—they are not burning today. The fires which burned these cities simply died out after consuming all combustible material. These scriptures prove the "fire that shall not be quenched" will NOT torment people forever and ever! Christ, as we have seen, often referred to the fires that burned in the Valley of Hinnom at the edge of Jerusalem to illustrate the final "hell fire" or gehenna which is to consume the wicked. But did those fires ever go out? The fact is, they were kept burning as long as there was refuse to burn. Then they burned themselves out! They were never quenched or put out prematurely by anyone! The flames merely died out when they had nothing more to consume. Even so it will be with the FINAL gehenna fire. It will be unquenched—but it will finally burn itself out! "Worm That Dieth Not" A startling statement is found in Mark 9:44, 46 and 48. In these verses, Christ spoke of a worm that "dieth not. " Are there really immortal worms? Some people think Jesus referred to people as worms, and that He was trying to say that these "people" never die but live on forever in agonizing torment. However, those who believe this fail to notice that what Jesus spoke of was "their worm." So the wicked themselves are not the "worm." What is this mysterious "worm" that does not die? Notice what Jesus really meant. Jesus clearly had reference, as the marginal notes of many Bibles show, to Isaiah 66:24, where a similar statement is made about "their worm"—the worm of dead "carcasses." (Be sure to read this verse in your Bible.) Now what is the "worm" of a dead , decaying carcass? If you have ever seen a putrefying carcass, the answer should be obvious. To put the matter beyond all doubt, we find that the lexicons define grub or maggot both the Greek and the Hebrew words translated as "worm" in Mark 9:44 and Isaiah 66:24. When a dead body occasionally lodged on one of the rocky ledges above the garbage fires of the Valley of Hinnom, it was soon infested by many worms or maggots which hatched out of eggs laid by flies. It was simply these worms to which Christ referred when He said, "their worm dieth not." But Jesus didn't mean that each individual worm continued to live forever! Actually, the larvae—maggots—would hatch from eggs, eat the flesh, continue in the larval form only a few days, then go through pupation or metamorphosis and finally emerge as flies! The worms didn't die—they became flies! Later, the flies died. These are facts known by any student of biology! And Christ was not ignorant of them. By contrast, the misunderstanding of Christ's simple statement by some people should be an object lesson to always be careful to use wisdom and common sense in studying God's Word. The Holy Spirit is the spirit of a sound mind (II Timothy 1:7). The Bible is one book that makes good sense! Let's always study these perplexing scriptures carefully and not jump to hasty, erroneous, weird conclusions. The Story of "Lazarus and the Rich Man" Jesus' story of Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:19-31) is perhaps one of the most outstanding texts used by those who attempt to prove there is an eternal hell fire. What lesson did Jesus intend to illustrate by this strange story? Let's carefully study this story word by word, comparing it with other crystal-clear scriptures. 1. Did Lazarus—a poor but righteous beggar—die? Luke 16:22. Was he later carried by angels to "Abraham's bosom"? Same verse. COMMENT: If we are Christ's, God considers us Abraham's "seed"—descendants or children—and we become heirs with Abraham to receive the promises God made to him (Galatians 3:29). Through faith we may all become "children of Abraham" (Galatians 3:7). This is an intimate relationship—a close or bosom relationship, spiritually speaking—with Abraham. We are to be in close contact with him in sharing the promises. This is the sense in which righteous Lazarus was taken to "Abraham's bosom." When, then, will Abraham and the Lazarus of our story actually receive the fulfillment of the promises? The answer of the Bible is that Abraham and the saints—his "seed"—will inherit the promises at the resurrection of the just when Jesus Christ returns to earth to establish the Kingdom of God! (We will study more about the subject of the Christian's inheritance in the next lesson.) 2. And what about the sinful rich man of Jesus' parable? Did he also die? Luke 16:22. And do we next see him lifting up his eyes, indicating his having been resurrected, and calling to Abraham for a few drops of water to cool his tongue, being in mental torment? Luke 16:23-24. COMMENT: The word "hell" used here is translated from the original Greek word hades, which we know means the "grave." It is not from the Greek word gehenna, which represents the future lake of fire that will DESTROY the wicked forever. The rich man is pictured at the very moment of his coming up out of his GRAVE in a resurrection! Abraham and Lazarus will have already inherited eternal life in God's Kingdom (Matthew 25:34). They will have been immortal for over 1,000 years BEFORE the wicked rich man is resurrected to be burned in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:4-5, 15). Until then, the rich man will have been dead in his grave, having no consciousness of the passing time (Ecclesiastes 9:5). At his resurrection, the rich man will see the flames of the lake of fire beginning to surround him. He knows these flames will destroy him forever. Being in great mental agony, he asks for just a little water to cool his tongue, which has become dry from his mental anguish. He does not ask for buckets or oceans of water to put the fire out. He knows such a request would be denied. 3. What did Abraham then answer the rich man? Luke 16:25-26. COMMENT: The great "gulf" between the two will be the difference between mortality and immortality. Those who will have been made immortal shall never die because they will have been born of God (Revelation 20:6). Abraham and the beggar will be on the immortal side of this gulf—the mortal rich man on the other side, facing imminent eternal death by fire! Many of the condemned, like the rich man, will want their relatives warned (Luke 16:27-28), not realizing how much time has passed since they died and that all other people will already have had their chance to receive salvation. The story or parable of "Lazarus and the rich man" does not prove eternal punishing by God in hell fire. Rather, Christ used this short illustration to picture to His listeners the REALITY of the resurrection from the dead of both the righteous and the wicked. He was picturing the resurrection to ETERNAL LIFE as contrasted with the ultimate fate of the wicked—the resurrection to ETERNAL DEATH! God Is Love—and Justice! Why do so many people have a false concept of "hell"? Because they fail to understand God's overall purpose in putting man on this earth. God's purpose for man is to develop holy, righteous character which will make him fit to receive the precious gift of eternal life. But God created man of the dust of the ground, subject to death, so that if he failed to develop right character he could be released from his misery by death. God has no desire to torment or to torture anyone. God is love (I John 4:8). He created us mortal for our own good. He will condemn no one because of ignorance, and will see to it that every single one will ultimately learn the truth and have a real chance for salvation. But if God granted eternal life to those who persistently rebel and fail to develop righteous character, they would simply bring misery on themselves as well as others for all eternity! Certainly the kindest thing God can do, for all involved, is not to allow such a rebel to continue living. So God will simply put the incorrigibly rebellious to DEATH-not mercilessly torture them forever! God is also a God of justice. The obedient will be given the free gift of eternal life. But the disobedient must also be paid the wages they have earned. The final or second death—eternal death in the lake of fire—will be the penalty there own sins have incurred. This truth should inspire no unreasoning terror such as the pagan, satanic doctrine of eternal hell fire has caused to so many innocent people. On the other hand, the lake of fire should stand as a FEARFUL WARNING to all who know God's truth and still stubbornly refuse to obey it! Only those who obey God—those who become and remain Christians in the true sense of the word—will inherit eternal life (John 3:16). All others who willfully live in disobedience to God will die the second death. Those are the two alternatives God places before each of us—eternal life on the one hand, and everlasting death on the other. The idea of an ever-burning "hell" is clearly a pagan myth and superstition. It is merely a fable that has crept into professing Christianity. But the Biblical hell fire—the one Christ spoke of—will be VERY REAL! It will consume the incorrigible wicked, reducing them to mere ashes. Let's strive to qualify for eternal life so we will not have to pay the penalty of eternal death—extinction in the lake of fire. © 1977 Worldwide Church of God As with all things, the reader is encouraged to search the Scriptures and make his/her own conclusion based on prayer, conscience and study of the Word of God.