What Makes Jesus Unique? No one else made the claims that He did, He is alive...............
All the great religious leaders of history have one thing in common: they are dead. Only one man has risen from a grave never again to taste death. Jesus Christ died, was buried, remained in the grave for 3 days, then was raised to life again.
Jesus is unique. He is the only one proven to be the Son of God because God validated His Kingship and accepted His payment for our sins all with one incredible stroke: He raised Jesus from the dead!
Paul opens his letter to the Romans with this evidence about who Jesus is:
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, which He had promised before by His prophets in the holy scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. Romans 1:1-4
Because Jesus Christ is very much alive, five things are true right now that wouldn’t be true if He were just another dead religious leader like Confucius, Mohammed or Buddha.
Because Jesus was raised from the dead and is alive…Prayers are answered, We can talk to Jesus 24/7
Comments (2,855)
Paul mentions that Epaphroditus is also a messenger from the Philippians. This means that he had served as an ambassador from Philippi to Paul in Rome, carrying both a message and a financial gift (Philippians 4) as part of his mission to minister to Paul and fill his needs in prison on behalf of the Philippians. Paul probably eventually sent this very letter to the Philippians back with Epaphroditus.
Epaphroditus longs for the Philippians, meaning that he had a deep, constant yearning for them, to the extent that he was distressed or emotionally depressed. The reason for the depression is that he fears that the Philippians are worrying about him unnecessarily, because they heard that he had taken ill since leaving Philippi and heading for Rome with their message and gift to Paul. Paul verifies that, indeed, Epaphroditus had been ill, to the extent that he almost died. However, God had intervened with His mercy to heal Epaphroditus and to spare Paul the suffering that he would have endured if Epaphroditus had died. This mercy implies God's feeling of sympathy and pity for Epaphroditus's misery, which caused God to reach down and heal him--a picture of grace in action.
Healing;
This story seems to verify a very critical doctrinal point about the spiritual gift of healing. Of course, some churches today still proclaim the gift of healing, while others believe that since this gift was a sign gift, it was only active during the time of the early church. The fact that Epaphroditus was deathly ill, and Paul was unable to heal him, seems to verify that, although Paul had previously possessed the gift of healing, he was now no longer able to exercise that gift. He simply had to stand by and see whether or not God would heal him in His mercy. Apparently, then, the gift of healing was already being phased out toward the end of Paul's ministry. Furthermore, this proves that physical healing was not included in the atonement of Christ on the cross, or else Godly men like Epaphroditus would not have been susceptible to illness. On the contrary, Epaphroditus, and Godly believers today, still get sick and die, and it is all a part of God's sovereign will.
Because Paul is concerned that the Philippians haven't yet learned that Epaphroditus has been healed, he is eager to return him to Philippi quickly. This will prove to the Philippians that Epaphroditus is well, and this should cause the Philippians to be glad. It will also free Paul from the anxiety and grief he is suffering simply due to the fact that the Philippians are still worrying unnecessarily about Epaphroditus.
All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.
Spiritual Maturity;
Now Paul tells us that his attitude which he has just described should be shared by all mature ("tel Christians. We should forget the past which we can't change, and anticipate the rapture and eternity in heaven. Then he tells us what we should do now, in the present. When we study God's Word, we may think differently than other Christians. We may have another point of view, and perhaps other points of view won't even make sense to us. We might even disagree with Paul on some points, but he explains how to handle such conflicts. We don't fight, argue, or complain. We don't stand against fellow Christians for the sake of defending our own point of view. Rather, we remain quiet and patient, because if we keep studying, God will eventually make clear what we don't understand. If we become argumentative, we should just set that particular subject aside, and study it later. God promises to eventually make the truth known to us. If we are wrong, God will correct us in time. If the other person is wrong, that is his problem! Naturally, this doesn't eliminate all discussion and dialog, but it does eliminate any arguments that will inhibit unity among believers.
Paul then follows up with a challenge. Rather than worrying about disagreements, we should live up to what we have already attained. We should walk our daily lives along the line of the Bible truths that God has already revealed to us--those about which we have no question, since we have already learned those principles, arrived at those truths, and comfortably agree that they are real biblical truths. We need to learn new things patiently, but once we have learned them, it is our Christian responsibility to put them into action! We will be held accountable for what we know, and we will be found lacking if we have not exercised the Word of God which we have proclaimed and believed.
Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
Paul commands his fellow Christian brothers to follow the example of his own life, as well as his comrades such as Timothy and Epaphroditus. They (and we) are to take note of Paul and be imitators of him. We are to observe these men intensely, notice what they do, and look for their behavior patterns . We can also learn much from watching our fellow Christians today, but we must remain discerning, since nobody is perfect.
Unbelievers;
They are receiving a great accumulation of abundance in God's eyes, and thus are receiving spiritual rewards to their credit. In the day of glorification, they will receive these rewards from Jesus Christ who is now storing their treasures in heaven. Theirs are fragrant offerings in the nostrils of God, not unlike the Old Testament sacrifices, and God promises to continue to meet their needs according to the endless riches of Christ.
Paul expands on the doctrine of rewards when he gives us a glimpse of the judgment Seat of Christ. Since he is writing to people who are already Christians, we know that the issue here is not that of salvation, since that issue has already been settled for Christians. Thus, we can conclude, that the issue is one of different degrees of rewards for Christians in Heaven. It also has nothing to do with any sins one commits or doesn't commit, since Christ paid for ALL sins when He died on the cross. Therefore, these rewards are earned by our divine good works--the exercising of our spiritual gifts through the power of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 explains that at the judgment Seat of Christ, all of our good works will be tested with fire. The ones that stem from our human good will be found to be destructible, just as hay, wood, and stubble are when exposed to fire. However, our good works which stem from the divine good leading of the Holy Spirit will be found to be indestructible, in the same way that gold, silver, and precious stones cannot be destroyed by a mere fire. Thus, both the work and the motivation will be judged, and consequently, some Christians will find themselves to be richer in heaven than others, who will be as mere paupers.
To God our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 21) Greet all the saints in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send greetings. All the saints send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar's household. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
Farewell;
Paul signs off by glorifying God the Father, and by sending greetings to the Philippians from himself and from all the other Christians with him at Rome, especially from those in Caesar's household who probably had to withstand tremendous persecution because of their close proximity to the royal family. He then ends the letter as he began it, with the hope of grace.
Philippians is a marvelous little book because it combines all the doctrines of the Christian life into four short chapters. It touches upon the doctrine of salvation, including grace, faith,
justification, sanctification, and glorification. It teaches Christians to be humble, patient, and kind, full of grace and love toward others. It teaches us to persevere through troubles and still reap the benefit of our own happiness and eternal rewards from God.
Happiness;
Above all, Philippians gives us the secret to happiness. Philippians shows us that we are to take our problems in stride, and not let anything get to us. People should not get to us, but we should try to understand them. Our happiness is not dependent upon people, circumstances, or things. Our attitude toward others should be one of forgiveness. We should maintain an attitude of grace orientation and love. We should exercise grace and freedom in our dealings with others. We should be free of any bitterness or ill will toward others, and we should be willing to actively pursue the wel being of others
It Is No Secret what God can do............
The chimes of time ring out the news, another day is through
Someone slipped and fell, was that someone you?
You may have longed for added strength your courage to renew
Do not be disheartened, I have news for you
It is no secret what God can do
What he's done for others he'll do for you
With arms wide open, he'll pardon you
It is no secret what God can do
…
There is no night for in his light you'll never walk alone
You'll always feel at home, wherever you may roam
There is no power can conquer you while God is on your side
Take him at his promise, don't run away and hide
It is no secret what God can do
What he's done for others he'll do for you
With arms wide open he'll pardon you
It is no secret what God can do
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Stuart Hamblen
Thank You, Father, that my mind is designed to pick up Your thoughts and that
my heart has been created to welcome the feeling of love, Your Spirit within.
Thank You, Father, that I can in this time of prayer, have the freedom to reach
out and let the thoughts that are in me come out.
Touch them, bless them, and ordain them to become the seeds of better living. Grace, mercy, and God's peace are with You now.
Amen.
Born again, doing nothing keeping it simple... Singing hymns in church on Sundays; not growing spiritually. Likely became spiritually dead.
Praying to God, but also praying to Mary and saints because "it doesn't hurt; the more the merrier". God rejects it all.
Calvinist - thinking God already decided, and it's not your call it's His. You don't really know God. And therefore He does not know you.
Not seeking God in the whole Bible. Only looking at parts that agree with their false theologies.
Not praying the Lord's prayer daily with the "Bread" meaning the spiritual Bread of life for the forgiveness of sins.
Not having a genuine love for, or faith in God, always skeptical.
Not having a genuine love for all people of all ethnic backgrounds, religions, and financial statuses.
"God's plan" is when true believers ask God for something, and He does not give it to them, but instead He gives them something much better. For the rest of the people on earth, it is a world in random motion - good and bad things happen randomly to unbelievers.
Why Did We Choose to be Christians?
?We did not choose to be Christians. We're Christians because our parents are Christians.
I have heard this question asked often, usually by non-Christians who may be unhappy or suffering where they are and want to try something different, seeking blessings from a real God. I have genuine respect for all people and their beliefs; I don't condone criticizing other religions. And I feel for the atheist, who thought it was so cool when they chose to become atheists, but when tragedy hit they didn't know what to do. They get the urge to get on their knees to pray but find themselves in a dire dilemma. To this person I say, there is nothing wrong with turning back to the only true God of the Bible.
Why do we Feel so Strongly about a Religion we Inherited? And what if we weren't Born to Christian Parents?
?Let's face it, most Christians today are Christians because their parents are Christians. They did not research the subject or look at other religions, then decided to choose Christianity. Obviously, it is the same with all other religions; they all follow their ancestors’ choices. Then the next question becomes, how is it that we feel so strongly about a religion we inherited? And what if we were born to non-Christian parents, what would be our position then? Very valid question. Here's my answer:?
Most Christians are actually not true Christians as I detailed in my link Are we True Christians? They're mostly there for the social aspect of it, not truly seeking God. Therefore, one answer to this question is that these people are there as in a social or political group - with an "us and them" attitude. So they'll defend their parents' choices regardless.
?As for the few truly genuine Christians, the Bible says God foreknew true believers. Romans 8:29, For those God, foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, as in, He foresaw our hearts and our attitude towards Him before we were born. Then placed us in the right environment to nurture our tendency toward Him. This Bible verse says God first "foreknew" us before we were born, then He acted accordingly, He did not mysteriously choose us. I have a page on How to Be True Christians.
?This does not mean all Christians are souls placed there by God. Remember, not all Christians are genuine Christian believers nor will they all go to heaven later! In fact, only a small percentage of them will -
What does it take to begin a relationship with God? Wait for a spiritual experience? Devote yourself to unselfish religious deeds? Become a better person so that God will accept you? NONE of these. God has made it very clear in the Bible how we can know Him. This will explain how you can personally begin a relationship with God, right now…
Principle One: God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life.
God created you. Not only that, he loves you so much that he wants you to know him now and spend eternity with him. Jesus said, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."1
Jesus came so that each of us could know and understand God in a personal way. Jesus alone can bring meaning and purpose to life.
What keeps us from knowing God? …
Principle Two: All of us sin and our sin has separated us from God.
We sense that separation, that distance from God because of our sin. The Bible tells us that “All of us like sheep have gone astray; each of us has turned to his own way.”2
Deep down, our attitude may be one of active rebellion or passive indifference toward God and his ways, but it’s all evidence of what the Bible calls sin.
The result of sin in our lives is death -- spiritual separation from God.3 Although we may try to get close to God through our own effort, we inevitably fail.
find God - know God - God helpThere is a distance, a gap between us and God. The arrows show our efforts to reach God...doing good for others, doing religious rituals, trying to be a good person, etc. But the problem is that none of these good efforts actually cover up our sin or remove it.
Our sin is known by God and stands as a barrier between us and God. Further, the Bible says that the penalty for sin is death. We would be eternally separated from God.
Except…for what God did for us.
So, how can we have a relationship with God? …
cont.
Jesus was clear, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one can come to the Father except through me.”7
Instead of trying to reach God, he tells us how we can begin a relationship with him right now. Jesus says, “Come to me.” “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink...out of his heart will flow rivers of living water"
It was Jesus’ love for us that caused him to endure the cross. And he now invites us to come to him, that we might begin a personal relationship with God.
Just knowing what Jesus has done for us and what he is offering us is not enough. To have a relationship with God, we need to welcome him into our life…
We must individually accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
The Bible says, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”9
We accept Jesus by faith. The Bible says, “God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”10
Accepting Jesus means believing that Jesus is the Son of God, then inviting him to guide and direct our lives.11 Jesus said, “I came that you might have life, and have it more abundantly.”12
And here is Jesus’ invitation. He said, “I’m standing at the door and I’m knocking. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in.”13
How will you respond to God’s invitation?
The precise words you use to commit yourself to God are not important. He knows the intentions of your heart. If you are unsure of what to pray, this might help you put it into words:
“Jesus, I want to know you. I want you to come into my life. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sin so that I could be fully accepted by you. Only you can give me the power to change and become the person you created me to be. Thank you for forgiving me and giving me eternal life. I give my life to you. Please do with it as you wish. Amen.”
If you sincerely asked Jesus into your life just now, then he has come into your life as he promised. You have begun a personal relationship with God.
The Shroud of Turin: 7
The controversial shroud that is claimed to have once covered the body of Jesus first appeared in the 1350s and is now available for online viewing.
BECKY LITTLEUPDATED:MAR 25, 2021ORIGINAL:APR 9, 2020
The Shroud of Turin is a 14-foot linen cloth bearing an image of a crucified man that has become a popular Catholic icon. For some, it is the authentic burial shroud of Jesus Christ. For others, it is a religious icon reflecting the story of Christ, not necessarily the original shroud.
More than 600 years after it first appeared in historical records, the Shroud of Turin remains an important religious symbol for Christians around the world.
The shroud first surfaced in medieval France.
The earliest historical records of the Shroud of Turin place it in Lirey, France during the 1350s. A French knight named Geoffroi de Charny allegedly presented it to the dean of the church in Lirey as Jesus’ authentic burial shroud. There’s no record of how de Charny got his hands on the shroud, nor where it was during the 1300 intervening years since Christ’s burial outside Jerusalem.
The pope soon declared it was not an actual historic relic.
After the church of Lirey put the shroud on display, the church began to draw a lot of pilgrims, and also a lot of money. However, many prominent members of the church remained skeptical of its authenticity.
Around 1389, Pierre d’Arcis—the bishop of Troyes, France—sent a report to Pope Clement VII claiming an artist had confessed to forging the shroud. Furthermore, d’Arcis claimed the dean of the Lirey church knew it was a fake and had used it to raise money anyway. In response, the pope declared the shroud wasn’t the true burial cloth of Christ. Still, he said the Lirey church could continue to display it if it acknowledged the cloth was a man-made religious “icon,” not a historic “relic.” Today, Pope Francis still describes it as an “icon.”
De Charny’s granddaughter was excommunicated for selling it to Italian royals.
In 1418, when the Hundred Years’ War threatened to spill over into Lirey, Geoffroi de Charny’s granddaughter Margaret de Charny and her husband offered to store the cloth in their castle. Her husband wrote a receipt for the exchange acknowledging that the cloth was not Jesus’ authentic burial shroud and promising to return the shroud when it was safe. However, she later refused to return it, and instead took it on tour, advertising it as Jesus’ real burial shroud.
In 1453, Margaret de Charny sold the shroud in exchange for two castles to the royal house of Savoy, which ruled over parts of modern-day France, Italy and Switzerland (the house later ascended to the Italian throne). As punishment for selling the shroud, she received ex-communication.
Indeed, there seems to have been a will of Providence to preserve this cloth as a testimony to the world. What is really amazing is the way it has escaped destruction several times and two fires, the last one in 1997, when the cathedral of Turin burned down. Mario Trematore, the firefighter on site, was moved by a particular grace and an inner voice that told him “Strike here, on this side, not here.” He was driven, driven by a feeling that was perhaps divine. He took a sledgehammer, broke the glass protection to save the relic, and admitted himself that if it had been a work of a great Italian Renaissance painter, he would not have taken so many risks.
The authenticity of this shroud is not a truth of faith as you have pointed out, but the long-term work that you have carried out over the last decades will necessarily have had an impact on your life of faith.
I was incredibly struck by the beauty and serenity of Christ’s face. It is touching and striking, it is something very strong. The words of Claudel always come to my mind: “more than an image, a presence...”
I am deeply marked by this Shroud but I am not the only one. It has also converted many Christians; it made them understand that the Resurrection was not simply a symbol, as many unfortunately think, but a historical reality. Christ is risen, body and soul.
.
I have always believed that it was real.
The Shroud shows exactly where the nail wounds were.
Christians don't need the proof of this Shroud but as the above article tells,
other formerly unbelievers, became believers after seeing the Shroud this is why
it is so very important.
The saved will not be in heaven forever! According to Scripture, Christians will be in heaven with Christ for a short period of time (The wedding feast?) and then return with him to earth. Christians will then be involved with the responsibilities of Christ’s earthly Kingdom.
In the future Kingdom, there will be different positions and responsibilities. At the Judgment, each person will “receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10). Therefore, every person will not receive the same reward or assume the same responsibilities. So, the question is not, “What will we be doing in heaven,” but, “What will we be doing in our future life on earth?” The answer to this question can be found in the Word of God.
The Lord is going to make a new earth that will literally be an “Eden” or “Paradise” and, just as God gave Adam and Eve work to do in the Original Paradise, there will be work to do in the coming Paradise. In fact, looking back at what God gave Adam and Eve to do in the Garden of Eden provides a prototype or a snapshot of what life will be like in the future Paradise. Genesis 2:15 speaks about two tasks that Adam and Eve had to perform. God put them in Eden “to work it and take care of it.” The NASB says, “to cultivate it and keep it.” Like any farm or garden, Eden required work or “cultivation.” Adam and Eve had to cultivate the garden just as any farmer has to cultivate and work the soil and take care of the plants.
Eden was a garden with wonderful fruits and vegetables, and therefore the second part of Adam and Eve’s job was to “take care of” or “keep” it. The Hebrew word translated as “take care of” is shamar, which means, “oversee, protect, keep, have charge of, tend (for flocks and herds), guard, watch, preserve.” The world was full of animals and, in the Original Paradise, all of them were plant eaters (Gen. 1:30). Part of Adam and Eve’s work was to guard the garden and keep the wild animals from grazing in the Garden of Eden. Imagine Eve looking out the window of her house and shouting; “Adam, the lions are eating my favorite shrubbery. Adam! Get them away from my bushes!” Remember, lions will again eat plants in the future, so you may end up shooing them away from your bushes or your vegetable garden.
God gave Adam and Eve authority and responsibility in the Garden of Eden. He gave them work to do. It should, therefore, be no surprise that various types of work will be part of life on the new earth. The types of works mentioned below are almost always found in the context of the Millennial Kingdom, not the Everlasting Kingdom. Some types of work, like “gravediggers,” could not be available in the Everlasting Kingdom because there will be no death. Likewise, because there will not be a temple in the Everlasting Kingdom, all the duties associated with the Temple will be eliminated. Some types of work are clearly stated, while others are only implied.
6. The destruction of the earth does not mean its obliteration.
The Bible talks of the total destruction of the earth twice: once in the flood in the days of Noah and the other in the final destruction of the earth by fire. Both of these events are mentioned in 2 Peter 3, a chapter of the Bible that is sometimes cited as proof that all will be destroyed. But this raises the question, What do we mean by destroyed? The flood in Noah’s time certainly destroyed the world, but it did not obliterate it.
2 Peter 3:10 states: “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.” The image is that of a purifying fire which removes the dross of imperfections. The dross of sin will be removed and the purity of the gold will be exposed. What we do on earth matters.
7. The Holy Land expands to be a Holy Earth.
God’s intentions for one land, Israel, have ramifications for the future of the whole earth. Within an understanding of God’s ownership of the entire earth, God elected one nation, Israel, to be his chosen people. They were to live in a Promised Land (Ex. 3:8, 17; 13:5; 33:3) that is compared with the Garden of Eden (Isa. 51:3; cf. Ezek. 36:35). When the Old Testament closes, the people of Israel had returned from the Babylonian captivity and were reestablishing themselves in the land, but they were still awaiting a messiah who would accomplish God’s purposes.
As the New Testament opens we are introduced to this Messiah. Jesus fulfills all the promises of God. God’s purpose in the choosing of one nation was that all the nations of the earth would be blessed; God’s purpose in choosing one land was that all the earth would be blessed. In the wake of Jesus’s fulfilment of all that Israel stood for, the New Testament begins the transition from a holy land to a holy earth, from Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). The ultimate realization of this will be seen in “new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Pet. 3:13).
8. Away from the body and at home with the Lord.
The Apostles’ Creed asserts belief in both “the life everlasting” and “the resurrection of the body,” but immortality and resurrection are not the same thing. Immortality means that our life will not be interrupted by death, but resurrection means the raising of our physical bodies. What will be the state of those who die before the general resurrection at the return of Jesus?
The ultimate hope for the Christian is “a new heaven and a new earth” (Rev. 21:1) within which our resurrected bodies will live. But should we die prior to this, death will not be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:38–39). As we await the general resurrection, we will be “away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:8). Questions abound at this point, but what we know should give comfort in the face of what we don’t know. We will be with Jesus, and that will be sufficient.
The great part realdeal is that one day we will have lots of animals with us on the new Earth .
We can pet the lions.....................
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pentecostal flame; ............Azusa Street Revival;
The Azusa Street Revival was a historical series of revival meetings that took place in Los Angeles, California. It was led by William J. Seymour, an African-American preacher. The revival began on April 9, 1906, and continued until roughly 1915. On the night of April 9, 1906, Seymour and seven men were waiting on God on Bonnie Brae Street, "when suddenly, as though hit by a bolt of lightning, they were knocked from their chairs to the floor," and the other seven men began to speak in tongues and shout out loud praising God. The news quickly spread; the city was stirred; crowds gathered; services were moved outside to accommodate the crowds who came from all around; people fell down as they approached, and attributed it to God; people were baptized in the Holy Spirit and the sick were said to be healed. The testimony of those who attended the Azusa Street Revival was "I am saved, sanctified, and filled with the Holy Ghost" in reference to the three works of grace of Holiness Pentecostals, the original branch of Pentecostalism. To further accommodate the crowds, an old dilapidated, two-story frame building at 312 Azusa Street in the city's industrial section was secured. This building, originally built for an African Methodist Episcopal church, had more recently been used as a livery stable, storage building, and tenement house. In this humble Azusa Street mission, a continuous three-year revival occurred and became known worldwide. Stanley H. Frodsham, in his book, "With Signs Following", quotes an eye-witness description of the scene: The revival was characterized by spiritual experiences accompanied by testimonies of physical healing miracles, worship services, and speaking in tongues. The participants were criticized by some secular media and Christian theologians for behaviors considered to be outrageous and unorthodox, especially at the time. Today, the revival is considered by historians to be the primary catalyst for the spread of Pentecostalism in the 20th century.
Discarded lumber and plaster littered the large, barn-like room on the ground floor. Nonetheless, it was secured and cleaned in preparation for services. They held their first meeting on April 14, 1906 Church services were held on the first floor where the benches were placed in a rectangular pattern. Some of the benches were simply planks put on top of empty nail kegs. There was no elevated platform, as the ceiling was only eight feet high. Initially, there was no pulpit. Frank Bartleman, an early participant in the revival, recalled that "Brother Seymour generally sat behind two empty shoe boxes, one on top of the other. He usually kept his head inside the top one during the meeting, in prayer. There was no pride there.... In that old building, with its low rafters and bare floors..."
The second floor at the now-named Apostolic Faith Mission housed an office and rooms for several residents including Seymour and his new wife, Jennie. It also had a large prayer room to handle the overflow from the altar services below. The prayer room was furnished with chairs and benches made from California Redwood planks, laid end to end on backless chairs.
By mid-May 1906, anywhere from 300 to 1,500 people would attempt to fit into the building. Since horses had very recently been the residents of the building, flies constantly bothered the attendees. People from a diversity of backgrounds came together to worship: men, women, children, Black, White, Asian, Native American, immigrants, rich, poor, illiterate, and educated. People of all ages flocked to Los Angeles with both skepticism and a desire to participate. The intermingling of races and the group's encouragement of women in leadership was remarkable, as 1906 was the height of the "Jim Crow" era of racial segregation, and fourteen years prior to women receiving suffrage in the United States.
Services and worship;
Worship at 312 Azusa Street was frequent and spontaneous with services going almost around the clock. Among those attracted to the revival were not only members of the Holiness Movement, but also Baptists, Mennonites, Quakers, and Presbyterians. An observer at one of the services wrote these words:
No instruments of music are used. None are needed. No choir- the angels have been heard by some in the spirit. No collections are taken. No bills have been posted to advertise the meetings. No church organization is back of it. All who are in touch with God realize as soon as they enter the meetings that the Holy Ghost is the leader.
Meetings are held in a tumble-down shack on Azusa Street, and the devotees of the weird doctrine practice the most fanatical rites, preach the wildest theories and work themselves into a state of mad excitement in their peculiar zeal.
Babel Reversed;
With the coming of the Spirit and the forgiveness of sins being proclaimed in at least fifteen languages (Acts 2:9–11), Pentecost was essentially a reversal of what had happened at Babel, when human languages were confused and the nations were scattered (Genesis 11:1–9). On that unforgettable day in Jerusalem, the language barrier was supernaturally overcome as a sign that the nations would be gathered together in Christ.
Instead of assimilating all of God’s people under a common tongue, Pentecost makes clear that every language is an appropriate vehicle for the praise and the proclamation of Jesus. This is one reason we have groups like Wycliffe Bible Translators: so that the heart language of men and women may be able to receive this fantastic news, just as at Pentecost. We don’t want people to have to learn English in order to discover “the mighty works of God” (Acts 2:11). We want even the most remote, unreached people groups to rejoice in God with us in their own unique languages.
Ultimately, this is why Pentecost happened, why God has left us His Spirit: so that we can continue the great work of proclaiming the good news of the Gospel to the ends of the earth. One day, we will see with the apostle John “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages.” And these people of every tongue will be singing the same song together: “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Revelation 7:9–10).
This article was adapted from the sermon “Pentecost” by Alistair Begg.
Christianity wouldn’t be what it is if not for several men who labored faithfully to lay the foundation and build the pillars of the Church. To remember and appreciate their legacy, I have compiled a list of twenty-five men whose works still influence us today. This list is neither exhaustive nor comprehensive, so I encourage you to check out the sources in the footnotes for more information.
Onward we go with the leaders of the great awakening!
The Great Awakening and beyond (1700 – 1900)
Throughout this series, we have traveled through significant eras of Church history and identified some key figures starting with our Lord Jesus. We learned more about the lives of some of the apostles, the Church fathers, the reformers, the puritans, and lastly, we are going to look at the revivalists and a couple of modern history makers.
The revivalists ushered the First Great Awakening or Evangelical Revival, a period marked by several revivals in Britain and the colonies of America between 1730 and 1740.
20. Jonathan Edwards (1703 – 1758)
Jonathan Edwards was a pastor, theologian, and revivalist of the new world. Many consider him as America’s greatest theologian and philosopher.
Edwards was born in East Windsor, Connecticut, seventy years after the first Puritan settlements in New England. His father was a pastor, and his mother was the daughter of Solomon Stoddard, pastor of the largest church in New England.
When Edwards was thirteen, he attended Yale College and graduated top of his class. He decided to remain at Yale to obtain his Master’s, and a year into his program, a significant event happened. Edwards experienced a “delightful conviction” while meditating on 1 Timothy 1:7.
He said, “As I read the words, there came into my soul, and was as it was diffused through it, a sense of the glory of the Divine Being; a new sense, quite different from anything I ever experienced before.”
After that watershed moment, Edwards began to delight in God’s sovereignty and became highly concerned with expanding God’s kingdom. Hence, he interrupted his studies to work at a Presbyterian church in New York. But he stayed there for only eight months before returning to Yale.
In 1726, Edwards was invited to preach at his grandfather’s church in Northampton and got ordained in 1727. That same year, he married Sarah Pierrepont, whom he met during his studies at Yale. His grandfather died two years later, and Edwards assumed the full leadership of the church.
Edwards quickly became concerned about the spiritual state of the congregants. Consequently, he began preaching sermons to bring them to repentance.
His fiery sermons caused a multitude of revivals in his church and the new world that saw hundreds of people come to saving faith. It is said that his sermon, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God (his most famous sermon and one of the most famous sermons in history), convicted many members of the congregation with holy fear.
Edwards faithfully pastored his grandfather’s church for over twenty years. But his fruitful ministry came to an end when the board of his church discharged him in 1750. He found employment a year later in a small church in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. He then became the president of the College of New Jersey (Princeton University) in February 1758. But he died from a fever the following month.
Jonathan Edward’s legacy lives on through his multitudes of writings and sermons still available today. Some of his most popular works include The Sermons of Jonathan Edwards, Charity and Its Fruits, The Religious Affections, and Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.
21. John Wesley (1703
He was born in Epworth, England, and was the fifteenth child of Samuel Wesley, a nonconformist priest and poet, and Susanna Wesley. John’s mother oversaw his education until he went to Charterhouse when he was eleven. Six years later, he attended Oxford University and graduated in 1724. And following his father’s footsteps, he was ordained in 1728.
A year later, he returned to Oxford to fulfill some requirements for his fellowship. During that time, he joined a small student group started by his younger brother Charles. They regularly met to pray, study the Scriptures, and take communion. Other students mockingly called them “the Holy Club,” and “the Methodists” due to their method of spiritual discipline and strict, self-imposed schedules.
In 1735, John left Yale and went on a missionary trip to the American colonies in Savannah, Georgia.
During the trip, a storm came upon them, and John feared for his life. But when he noticed that the Moravian preachers who accompanied them remained perfectly calm, he realized he lacked something.
John’s ministry in Savannah didn’t go well, and he returned to England after only one year. Upon his return, he met Peter Böhler, a Moravian minister, who taught him more about faith. And on May 24, 1738, while listening to a reading from Martin Luther’s preface to Romans, John came to saving faith in Christ.
He said, “while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation, and an assurance was given me that he had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.”
After his conversion at age 35, John wanted to preach the gospel. However, several churches closed their doors to him due to his enthusiastic way of preaching. Consequently, he held outside meetings and went to religious societies to preach, and it led to several revivals within the church in England.
John also partnered with George Whitfield, but they eventually parted ways due to their conflicting doctrinal views (John was Arminian, while Whitefield was a Calvinist).
John remained an Anglican throughout his life and never intended to create a new denomination. But his followers eventually became one, and today there are over thirty million Methodists worldwide.
22. Charles Wesley (1707 – 1788)
Charles Wesley was a poet and hymn-writer who co-founded the Methodist movement with his brother John Wesley. He is hailed as the most excellent hymn writer in Church history and has written 8, 989 hymns.
Charles was the eighteenth child and the youngest son of Samuel and Susanna Wesley. Nine of his siblings died in infancy, and Charles almost didn’t make it due to his premature birth and weak health as an infant. But he prevailed.
Charles’s mother also oversaw his education and taught him Greek, Latin, and French. In 1716, he attended Westminster School in London and studied there for thirteen years. Afterward, he went to Oxford University for nine years and obtained his Master’s degree there.
While at Oxford, Charles and a few of his classmates created a group later dubbed as the “Holy Club,” by other students. Charles’s elder brother John then joined the club, took over the leadership, and helped increase their numbers and activities.
After he graduated from Oxford, Charles became an ordained priest and joined John on a missionary trip to Georgia in 1735. But the mission was marred with so many hardships and setbacks that Charles returned to England the following year.
Upon his return to England, Charles taught Peter Böhler English, and under his influence, Charles self-examined his faith.
Stephen J. Nichols
This concludes the series of 25 Influential Figures in Church History. I chose not to include famous contemporary Christians though they are already leaving their marks in history. Time will show the full impact of their ministry, and another generation will commemorate their legacy.
Learning the stories of these men, and their faithfulness despite their tremendous adversity deeply inspired me. I didn’t expect it would impact me that much. If you followed along, I hope it blessed you too.
Grace and peace to you!
It can be that one man does not like another man for certain reasons.
It may have been going on for some time.
One man wishes this was not the case any longer. He goes to the other man and says;
I am sorry, we had a disagreement but It does not matter to me anymore. Can we just forget it?
The other man is glad the other man came to him and the two now embrace each other.
When an open confession is made in a church like that, it often happens that others follow suit.
There is a cleansing in the church going on............
Yes, Christians can hold grudges towards each other that need to be confessed and forgiven.
When that happens this can lead to a Revival..............
U.S. Geological Survey scientists reported in May 2008 that a 7.8 magnitude quake along the San Andreas Fault would likely result in more than 50,000 injuries, thousands of deaths, and $200 billion in quake-related damage (“The ShakeOut Scenario,” U.S. Geological Survey Open File Report 2008-1150). That is in a region where for decades there has been extensive warning about, and extensive preparation for, earthquakes. Yet human nature often leads people to ignore warnings. In the wake of China’s devastating May 2008 earthquake in Sichuan Province, Chinese scientists have been quick to point out that they have for decades known the risk of a potentially catastrophic quake along the very fault that gave way. “But they say preparations for a quake there were cursory at best, and building codes remained well short of the codes that have become standard in other well-known earthquake zones” (“Experts Warned of Quake Risk in China,” New York Times, June 5, 2008).
In the near future, there will be more earthquakes even in places where they are not normally expected. A report by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in September 2000 warned that while California is at greatest risk of severe economic harm from earthquakes, cities across the U.S. are also at risk of heavy damage—yet are not doing enough to prevent or prepare for such harm. Earthquake expert John Nance put the matter into perspective: “‘The Eastern Seaboard is in more danger than the West because they are abysmally unprepared,’ with building standards far less stringent than California’s” (“Superquake May Lie Ahead Almost Anywhere in U.S.,” Los Angeles Times, March 26, 1989).
In recent years, scientists have come to a better understanding of the immensity and magnitude of the tremendous fault systems that trace themselves underneath the whole earth. However, not all the earthquakes of the near future will be natural disasters—the usual groans and strains of planet earth’s crust. Some will be directly induced by God as a sign of His power and will be designed to help people wake up. God will take a direct hand in the affairs of men. The earthquakes specifically mentioned by Jesus Christ as a foreshadowing sign of His return will be unusual by their location or unparalleled magnitude.
Why? Most of us understand. But remember that Jesus Christ directly predicted, “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places” (Matthew 24:7). Have there not always been earthquakes? Of course. So Jesus must have been speaking of more earthquakes than usual—and more powerful earthquakes. And certainly that is exactly what has been happening over the past several years!
In Isaiah 29:6, God says of Jerusalem, “You will be punished by the Lord of hosts with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with storm and tempest and the flame of devouring fire.” God says, “I do not change” (Malachi 3:6). He did punish ancient Jerusalem with earthquakes and storms. Now, He is beginning to punish modern Israel in the same way.
Dear readers, please watch for increasing earthquakes as a sign that Christ is coming soon. And if you would like to know more about God’s intervention in natural phenomena, write for your free copy of our booklet Who Controls the Weather?
4. DISEASE EPIDEMICS
A plague of disease epidemics and pandemics is beginning to worry public health officials all around the world.
The Bible indicates clearly that future disease epidemics will be, in part, spread by wild animals (Revelation 6:8). Some of the worst plagues of humanity have been animal-borne, like bubonic plague. Bubonic plague is a naturally endemic problem among wild animals in certain regions. It is only due to society’s diligence in maintaining sanitary standards that such problems stay at the fringes of civilization.
People are aware that whenever society is disrupted due to war or natural calamities, there is always the threat of disease. But these disease problems are just a small foretaste of the deadly contagious pandemics that are prophesied to sweep the earth. “I heard the fourth Living Being say, ‘Come!’ And now I saw a pale horse, and its rider’s name was Death. And there followed after him another horse whose rider’s name was Hell. They were given control of one-fourth of the earth, to kill with war and famine and disease and wild animals” (Revelation 6:7–8, The Living Bible).
The Greek word translated as “pale” is chloros, which signifies the pale green or sickly yellow-greenish color of severe disease. Jesus Christ predicted that great “pestilences” would be one of the signs to mankind to warn of His imminent return (Matthew 24:7).
Would God afflict the earth with lethal disease plagues? Moses was inspired by God to write this: “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you on high above all the nations of the earth” (Deuteronomy 28:1). God, speaking directly through Moses, is saying that if His people today would obey Him, and diligently observe to do His commandments, He would set us on high above all the nations of the earth. That is exactly what God did for the ancient Kingdom of Israel at the time of King David. When King David turned to God with all his heart, He began to bless and prosper Israel magnificently.
But what happened when “the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel” because they were disobeying? (2 Samuel 24:1). “So the Lord sent a plague upon Israel from the morning till the appointed time. From Dan to Beersheba seventy thousand men of the people died. And when the angel stretched out his hand over Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented from the destruction, and said to the angel who was destroying the people, ‘It is enough; now restrain your hand’” (vv. 15–16). We, whatever our descent or ethnicity, are no better than those ancient Israelites.
The Old Testament Israelites, who accepted a relationship with Almighty God, promised to live by His word. They praised His name with their mouths and thought of themselves as God’s people. The great God of the universe, however, is not impressed with hypocrisy—mere words of loyalty and love—but requires us to back up our words with action, genuineness, and honesty.
“What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?
There are numerous end-time prophecies that reveal to the American and British-descended peoples exactly what God Almighty says will happen to them—if they do not turn from their present wayward course of disobedience to Him and His commandments.
THE PIVOTAL OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY;
The pivotal scripture for understanding end-time prophecy is found in the Old Testament, in chapter 26 of the book of Leviticus. When we rightly understand our national identity, this prophetic chapter takes on new, urgent meaning. Here is basic, foundational information for modern Israel—among whom are to be counted the American people and British-descended peoples of the Commonwealth nations. Those peoples are among the descendants of the so-called “Ten Lost Tribes of Israel.” This prophecy is talking about ancient Israel, and it is also speaking of their children and grandchildren at the end of this age!
We should watch for the fulfillment of those prophecies that foretell the downfall of the United States and Great Britain, insofar as their national prestige and power are concerned, even before their cities are totally demolished in a future round of world war—World War III—which will be the most deadly time humanity will ever experience.
Speaking of the coming end-time Great Tribulation, God says that “if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all these commandments, and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant, I also will do this to you: I will even appoint terror over you, wasting disease and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. I will set My face against you, and you shall be defeated by your enemies. Those who hate you shall reign over you, and you shall flee when no one pursues you” (Leviticus 26:14–17). God Almighty says He will bring us down very low. If we continue transgressing His commandments, He will discipline us in more ways than we can begin to imagine. He goes on to say, “And after all this, if you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more [or “sevenfold more” as many versions render it] for your sins. I will break the pride of your power” (v 18–19).
Our competitors for global power and influence are looking down on us with increasing glee as we stumble in resolving domestic and international problems. These things are happening to us because we have turned aside from God. We have not obeyed the God of our fathers.
Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 are powerful prophetic warnings for us today because God does not change (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8). God promised that if we would obey Him, He would set us “high above all nations of the earth” (Deuteronomy 28:1). However, if we do not obey God and keep His commandments, “Cursed shall you be in the city” (v. 16). Are we cursed in our cities? Think about it. Millions of Americans are afraid to go out of their own homes at night. Elderly people and women and others all over this land are afraid to venture out in the evening—in this “land of the free, and the home of the brave.” We are locked in our homes like prisoners!
“The reason I wrote to you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything.”? - 2 Corinthians 2:9
When God spoke to Sister Chang, a house church leader from Henan, he told her to do something that made no earthly sense at all. He told her to go and preach the gospel on the steps outside the local police station. Such action may lead to arrest even in Western nations, and in Communist China, it is a sure way to invite severe punishment. But the more Sister Chang prayed about it, the more clearly the inner voice of God continued to tell her to do it. Finally, she saw no option but to obey God.
Standing on the top step outside the police station, she boldly proclaimed the gospel to astonished onlookers. Within a few minutes, several officers dragged her inside and placed her under arrest. To the human eye, her obedience looked foolish, but God can see things that we can’t.
Sister Chang was sentenced without a trial and sent to the local women’s prison, where she was placed alongside thousands of spiritually lost souls. She boldly and lovingly proclaimed the gospel to her fellow prisoners. The light of the gospel spread like wildfire. Within just three months, 800 women believed in Jesus! The entire atmosphere of the prison changed, and new sounds of praise and worship were heard echoing down the prison hallways and in the courtyard.
The prison director was greatly impressed at the change in the atmosphere and was able to trace it to the preaching of Sister Chang. He brought her into his office and said, “You have made my job easy! There is no more fighting between the prisoners and the women have become gentle and obedient. We need more people like you working here. From today, we have decided to let you go free. We want to give you a full-time job here in the prison, and we will pay you 3,000 Yuan per month” (about US$ 375, a fortune in rural Henan). He continued, “We will also give you a car and your own driver, and will find you comfortable housing.”
Sister Chang briefly considered the offer, and then replied, “Twenty years ago I became a disciple of Jesus Christ and he has been wonderful to me. I don’t believe your offer of a car, driver and salary is in line with what Jesus wants to do with my life, and I belong to him. All I want to do is preach the good news.”
Despite her rejection of his offer, the director released her from prison that day, and she continued her ministry for the Lord.
It always pays to do what the Lord tells us to do. Don’t argue, don’t fight it, and don’t try to work out all the details with your mind. Just do it. That is one mark of a true disciple of Jesus Christ.
At the end of the sixth week, he says, “I was abiding now, without being called to abide, walking in the position, and the Lord told me that I could now expect to see this woman make a move.” That very night she was in the open air meeting. Then she started to come to the cottage meetings, but there was no sign of repentance. Holy Spirit told him not to pray for her. Then after six weeks, on Christmas morning, Howells knew that victory had been won. At the Christmas service, the woman fell on her knees crying out for mercy and she never went back. On making a mistake Howells asked the Lord to forgive him and come by His Presence into the meeting, in return for which he promised the Lord anything He wanted. As a result, Holy Spirit asked him to be a steward and not an owner of the money. He had to promise that he would not spend a penny on anything, but essentials and only spend money as directed; he could not even give away money without permission. He would no longer have the joy of giving as it was not his money to give. Having made the promise, the Lord told him that he was now grafted into the Vine.
It took several months for Howells to become dead to money, but he succeeded. Chapters 10 and 11 give an account of Howells’s theology on healing and intercession. If I included them here I would have to do so fully, and this would make this account of his life much too long. I urge you to read the book. Suffice it to say here that for Howells intercession involved identification, agony, and authority. At this time the Lord taught him how to pray for the sick; take on their burdens, identify with them until a breakthrough came or not. He prayed for a consumptive woman for six months, but she died in the end. However, she died in victory. As Howells interceded for the sick he began to hear God’s voice more clearly, and he came to know that God’s will for the sick person was life or death. After the death of the consumptive woman, some people who were dying lived as a result of his intercession. The Lord used him a lot to pray for the sick during this time, and he said he believed a new era of healing would break out in the Church. The consumptive woman had four little children whose father deserted them soon after she died. The Lord directed Howells to move in with them and be their father, but this was something he had no inclination to do. He felt that he had no love for them and that looking after them would severely restrict his ministry; he told God that he would only do it if He changed his heart so that he could love the children as a father. This the Lord did, pouring His love into Howells in such a way that Howells felt he loved every orphan in the world. At the last moment, three of the children’s aunts came forward to look after them, but there remained in Howells a love of orphans.
The Lord needed Howells to be a pure vessel if He was to be able to use him effectively as an intercessor. One evening he was to speak in the open air after his friend had spoken. His friend was being used so powerfully by Holy Spirit that Howells wondered if he would ever be called upon to preach. Howells was not a gifted open-air speaker and a small amount of jealousy rose up inside him. Holy Spirit really convicted him and told him that he had to repent to a friend and that if it ever happened again he would have to repent publicly.
There had been much success in the village where Howells had ministered for so long and the mission was growing.
A week before leaving for Africa they received money for their expenses to London. However, another need came up for the money. No money came to enable them to buy tickets to London, so they bought tickets to Llanelli which was as far as the money they did have would take them. At Llanelli station, they were waiting when Holy Spirit told Howells to stand in the queue for tickets. When there were only two people in front of him, a man stepped out of the crowd and gave him the money he needed. They had everything they needed for the journey except watches, raincoats, and fountain pens, and on meeting their benefactor in London he had the three items ready for them.
They left for Africa n July 10th, 1915. On arrival, they joined another missionary couple who had labored in the area now called Zimbabwe for several years. On hearing that the Howells were from the land of revival they were asked if they had brought the blessing with them. For six weeks Howells spoke on revival and then Holy Spirit began to stir. The Lord told him that revival was coming and two days later, on October 10th, He came. They had two revival meetings every day for fifteen months and hundreds were converted. The station where they were was founded in 1897, and several had died establishing it. They had prayed for years and now they were reaping the harvest. On hearing the news of revival an American station forty miles away invited them to speak. At the first meeting, revival came. The news spread and they were asked to go down to a missionary conference in Durban. It was then suggested that they go around all the mission stations in South Africa. Revival touched that conference and the missionaries went home to prepare for their visit and the hoped-for revival. They returned to their station after a two-year revival tour. They arrived back in Wales on Christmas Day 1920.
Until the Llandrindod Conference of 1922, Howells traveled around taking the revival anointing with him. The power of God at the Conference was very great. At a prayer meeting the question of training the young converts was discussed, and Howells suggested asking the Lord for a training college. While they were at prayer the Lord told him that he was the one that was going to build the college. This meant giving up the one thing that Howells had always wanted to have - a worldwide revival ministry, so it was hard for him to accept. The Howells left for a private visit to America, where they saw the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. Seeing the Institute gave Howells a vision to start something similar in Wales. He believed that God would provide the funds. They resigned from the Mission and set their faces toward their new task.
While holidaying in Mumbles near Swansea they were walking near the Bay and came across an empty house named Glynderwen. As they stood by the gates the Lord said, ‘This is the College.’ Howells asked God for proof of the ‘call’; to meet someone who knew the owner within two days. On the second day, a local came by to invite them to tea and it turned out that he knew the owner very well. Howells went to see the owner and visited the property again. He was told that the Catholics were after the property, but God told him to kneel down and claim it for his College. Howells felt a little despondent because he knew the weight that would be on him to bring this project to completion. The owner offered to sell the house, eight acres, and a public house for £6,300 although he had had an offer of £10,000. Howells was keen to accept, but God said he could not pay more than £6,150, so he wrote to the owner explaining what God had said. The owner replied by offering £5,800.
When it came time to pay the deposit he was still £140 short, so he decided to go to the solicitor anyway.
We aren’t to worship or crave the lampstand. No, we are to crave the light. We need the light. We can get so caught up in the lampstand, which is simply the thing that showcases the light, that we start worshiping the lampstand. The problem with making the lampstand the big thing is that it brings no light to the house. Your talent and your platform are just the stands that the light goes on. What people need is not one more performance, one more song, one more sermon, or one more book. What they need is for the light to be placed back on the stand to bring light to the entire house.
I learned this firsthand. My lampstand was the gift of creativity. I had done everything and then some. I tried every creative idea that my young mind could think of, yet all failed. What I saw with my heart, and what I saw with my eyes were two different things. The journey of a pioneer, while it sounds romantic, is daunting. It’s full of upsets and frustrations as you trek on the road less traveled, or maybe even the one never traveled. If you can relate, hang in there. Keep moving forward. You’re not alone. I have hit many walls along this journey, and I’m sure I will hit many more. I have now found that it’s who you listen to at the wall that determines if you settle there or press on.
I hit a wall. It wasn’t my first time in ministry, but this time was different. I’ll never forget walking out to speak that night. I was ready to close worship, and as I looked at the crowd, I was disheartened. The room was filled with empty seats. and although a few leaders at the front of the stage were giving all their praise to God, the rest of the crowd looked uninterested, bored, or focused on something outside the room. I walked right back off the stage and went into my office. I burst into tears, full of anger and frustration. I had done everything I could imagine, yet I couldn’t grow this ministry. I longed to set it on fire as I’d seen in my dreams. Maybe I just wasn’t the guy. Maybe God got mixed up. I fell to my knees in my office and heard the drums beating through my wall. It felt as though I was beating on God’s chest. It took a minute, and then I heard God say as clear as day, “Are you done yet?” I cried out, “God, I am so done! I have nothing left. I can’t do this.” Then God said, “Good, this was the place I wanted you. Are you sure you’re done with all your big ideas, all your catchy phrases, all your clever sermons, all the ways it will work for you?” I screamed out, “God, I’m so done!” “Good,” He said. “Now I can begin. The first thing I want you to do is ripping up your sermon. It’s not yours anyways.” He was right. I had gotten it online from one of my favorite preachers. I ripped up my sermon, and then God said, “When you go out to the mic, I’ll tell you what to say.” Well, this should be interesting, I thought.
I walked back onto the stage with nothing in my mind to say. Sure enough, when I grabbed the mic, words began to come out. The first thing God had me do was ask everyone who was sick in the room to come to the stage. After I said it, I thought, No big deal. This is youth ministry. There won’t be a bunch of sick kids. Boy, was I wrong. The whole stage was packed with kids I’d never seen before—one guy in a wheelchair, three with crutches, others just holding up a part that was in pain. I thought, Oh great. I didn’t know God was going to put me on the spot like this. However, the tables were turned, and He was challenging my faith to put Him on the spot. With my shallow faith, I turned to the first person. Good thing all it takes is a mustard seed to move mountains. With that, I began to pray. Never before and never since have I experienced something so supernatural. One by one, the teenagers began to get healed. As I prayed, the first guy just began yelling that his leg was hot. Instantly, I realized it was working.
Hunger is a terrible thing, people have been known to eat leather belts, wallpaper, and tulip bulbs.
Prior to the 1700s, few believed in an old earth. The approximate 6,000-year age for the earth was challenged only rather recently, beginning in the late 18th century. These opponents of the biblical chronology essentially left God out of the picture. Three of the old-earth advocates included Comte de Buffon, who thought the earth was at least 75,000 years old. Pièrre LaPlace imagined an indefinite but very long history. And Jean Lamarck also proposed long ages.11
However, the idea of millions of years really took hold in geology when men like Abraham Werner, James Hutton, William Smith, Georges Cuvier, and Charles Lyell used their interpretations of geology as the standard, rather than the Bible. Werner estimated the age of the earth at about one million years. Smith and Cuvier believed untold ages were needed for the formation of rock layers. Hutton said he could see no geological evidence of a beginning of the earth; and building on Hutton’s thinking, Lyell advocated “millions of years.”
From these men and others came the consensus view that the geologic layers were laid down slowly over long periods of time based on the rates at which we see them accumulating today. Hutton said:
The past history of our globe must be explained by what can be seen to be happening now. . . . No powers are to be employed that are not natural to the globe, no action to be admitted except those of which we know the principle.12
This viewpoint is called naturalistic uniformitarianism, and it excludes any major catastrophes such as Noah’s flood. Though some, such as Cuvier and Smith, believed in multiple catastrophes separated by long periods of time, the uniformitarian concept became the ruling dogma in geology.
God's Word is Truth;
Thinking biblically, we can see that the global flood in Genesis 6–8 would wipe away the concept of millions of years, for this Flood would explain massive amounts of fossil layers. Most Christians fail to realize that a global flood could rip up many of the previous rock layers and redeposit them elsewhere, destroying the previous fragile contents. This would destroy any evidence of alleged millions of years anyway. So the rock layers can theoretically represent the evidence of either millions of years or a global flood, but not both. Sadly, by about 1840, even most of the Church had accepted the dogmatic claims of the secular geologists and rejected the global flood and the biblical age of the earth.
After Lyell, in 1899, Lord Kelvin (William Thomson) calculated the age of the earth, based on the cooling rate of a molten sphere, at a maximum of about 20–40 million years (this was revised from his earlier calculation of 100 million years in 1862). With the development of radiometric dating in the early 20th century, the age of the earth expanded radically. In 1913, Arthur Holmes’s book, The Age of the Earth, gave an age of 1.6 billion years. Since then, the supposed age of the earth has expanded to its present estimate of about 4.5 billion years (and about 14 billion years for the universe).
"Really what is a few billion here and there"..........
How old is the earth? The question of the age of the earth has produced heated discussions on Internet debate boards, TV, radio, in classrooms, and in many churches, Christian colleges, and seminaries.
Get equipped with biblical answers to questions about Noah's ark and the global flood.
Young-earth proponents (biblical age of the earth and universe of about 6,000 years)1
Old-earth proponents (secular age of the earth of about a 4.5billion years and a universe about 14 billion years old)
The difference is immense! Let’s give a little history of where these two basic calculations came from and which worldview is more reasonable when answering the question, "how old is the earth?"
Where Did a Young-earth Worldview Come From?
Simply put, it came from the Bible. Of course, the Bible doesn’t say explicitly anywhere, “The earth is 6,000 years old.” Good thing it doesn’t; otherwise it would be out of date the following year. But we wouldn’t expect an all-knowing God to make that kind of mistake.
God gave us something better. In essence, He gave us a “birth certificate.” For example, using a personal birth certificate, a person can calculate how old he is at any point. It is similar to the earth. Genesis 1 says that the earth was created on the first day of creation (Genesis 1:1–5). From there, we can begin to calculate the age of the earth.
Let’s do a rough calculation to show how this works. The age of the earth can be estimated by taking the first five days of creation (from earth’s creation to Adam), then following the genealogies from Adam to Abraham in Genesis 5 and 11, then adding in the time from Abraham to today.
Adam was created on day 6, so there were five days before him. If we add up the dates from Adam to Abraham, we get about 2,000 years, using the Masoretic Hebrew text of Genesis 5 and 11.3 Whether Christian or secular, most scholars would agree that Abraham lived about 2,000 B.C. (4,000 years ago).
So a simple calculation is 5 days + ~2,000 years + ~4,000 years ~6,000 years.
At this point, the first five days are negligible. Quite a few people have done this calculation using the Masoretic text (which is what most English translations are based on) and with careful attention to the biblical details, they have arrived at the same time frame of about 6,000 years or about 4000 B.C.
"As you can see, many opinions, many explanations"
How to solve a marital dispute.
How to start up a new business.
Where to look for that next new job if you have just been laid off.
Who God wants you to marry in this life.
How to counsel someone who has just had an impending tragedy hit them full force.
What your specific calling in the Lord is going to be in this life?
Word of knowledge that God wants to heal someone of a specific illness.
As you can see from these kinds of examples, there is literally nothing that the Holy Spirit cannot get into in your own personal life where He can then give you a word of knowledge on how to properly handle something that you are currently dealing with, or give you a word of knowledge to help someone else out with what they may be dealing with on their end.
With our own knowledge levels being so limited, so imperfect, and so incomplete, we all need words of knowledge from the Lord on some kind of regular basis in this life so that we can make it through this life in one piece and get to where we need to go in our divine destinies with Him.
How exactly does the Holy Spirit transmit an actual Word of Knowledge to us? I believe the number one way that He will communicate a Word of Knowledge to us is through inner knowing.
The Bible says that the Holy Spirit will bear “witness” to our human spirits.
This inner witness is what I call inner knowing. All of a sudden, you will receive a without-a-doubt type knowing the knowledge that He is trying to transmit to you. It can come in the form of a thought or an impression on your mind, or possibly come in the form of a vision or a picture in your mind’s eye.
I have found from personal experience that the Holy Spirit loves to communicate knowledge through these pictures, which are really visions in your mind’s eye. These pictures can be used to give you quite a bit of information and knowledge on what He is trying to give you knowledge on.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and sometimes much more information and knowledge can be conveyed to you by way of a simple picture rather than Him trying to give you all words or sentences, depending on exactly what you are dealing with.
The only problem with these pictures in your mind’s eye is that you have to learn how to discern the difference between when a vision is coming in from the Holy Spirit and when a vision is coming in from your own natural imagination, as your own natural imagination has the power and the ability to conjure up their own mental pictures in your mind’s eyes.
Over time, the Holy Spirit can teach you how to do discern the difference between the two if you would really like for Him to do this for you. This is something that you can learn how to do with Him through a process of trial and error.
Think of the ramifications and the possibilities with just this one special gift alone – that the Holy Spirit Himself can transmit His own divine knowledge to you on something that you cannot solve or figure out on your own.
This is why this particular gift is so important and so needed in this day and age, as most of us are always facing some kind of roadblocks or obstacles on a regular basis in our daily lives.
As such, we all need the knowledge of God flowing through us so we can make it through all of these obstacles, and then get to where we need to go with the Lord and fully accomplish everything that He will like for us to do for Him in this life.
Again, if you would like the Lord to manifest this gift through you from time to time so you can be a direct messenger for Him to someone else, just go to Him in prayer and tell Him that you would be more than happy to be a willing and yielded vessel for Him to manifest this particular gift through if He would like to do so.
And then keep your radars up, always being open and sensitive to the Holy Spirit if He will want to start manifesting this gift through you so He can use it to help build others up and bring some comfort, joy, peace, or direction into their lives.
The Gift of Faith – The 9 Gifts of the Holy Spirit
This next gift, the gift of faith, is something that comes directly from the Holy Spirit.
The Bible tells us that we all have a certain measure of faith that has already been given to us by the Lord. God has to give each person a certain measure of faith or we would not be able to get saved, as the Bible tells us that we are saved by “faith” through grace.
And then over the course of our walks with the Lord, our faith will continue to grow to higher levels as we continue to draw closer to the Lord in our own personal relationship with Him and increase our knowledge levels about Him through the study of Scripture.
However, there will be times when our own levels of faith in the Lord will not be enough to get the job done with what He may be asking us to do for Him. Here is an example:
Say God has been manifesting the gift of healing through you from time to time to heal a few minor ailments or illnesses on a few people.
Your confidence and faith levels are then starting to build up because God is now starting to use you in this manner and you now have had a few good successes on these smaller illnesses.
But then all of a sudden God tells you to walk up to a paraplegic, lay hands on him, and then command him to get out of his wheelchair and start walking.
All of a sudden you can immediately sense in your mind and in your spirit that your own levels of faith are not going to be good enough or high enough to try and do this, as you have never tried to heal someone of something this heavy before.
And this is where the Holy Spirit will now be moving in big time so this miracle can be fully accomplished for the Lord.
The Holy Spirit will then manifest His own divine faith right up into you so you can now believe and operate on that faith – so you will now have the actual courage to walk up to this person, lay hands on him, and then tell him to get out of that wheelchair and start walking.
Sometimes it will take higher levels of faith to pull down a major miracle from the Lord, and where our faith levels will not be high enough or good enough to be able to do this, this is where the direct faith of the Holy Spirit Himself will then move up in us and pick up the slack with our own imperfect faith levels so God can then manifest the miracle that He will be looking to do through us.
Sometimes God may ask you to do something that will be out of your comfort zone. Fear and panic will immediately set in because you have never done what He is now asking you to do.
If and when this should ever happen to you, just ask the Holy Spirit to manifest His faith, courage, and boldness up in you so you will have His faith, strength, and courage to do what God is asking you to do for Him.
This next gift, the gift of faith, is something that comes directly from the Holy Spirit.
The Bible tells us that we all have a certain measure of faith that has already been given to us by the Lord. God has to give each person a certain measure of faith or we would not be able to get saved, as the Bible tells us that we are saved by “faith” through grace.
And then over the course of our walks with the Lord, our faith will continue to grow to higher levels as we continue to draw closer to the Lord in our own personal relationship with Him and increase our knowledge levels about Him through the study of Scripture.
However, there will be times when our own levels of faith in the Lord will not be enough to get the job done with what He may be asking us to do for Him. Here is an example:
Say God has been manifesting the gift of healing through you from time to time to heal a few minor ailments or illnesses on a few people.
Your confidence and faith levels are then starting to build up because God is now starting to use you in this manner and you now have had a few good successes on these smaller illnesses.
But then all of a sudden God tells you to walk up to a paraplegic, lay hands on him, and then command him to get out of his wheelchair and start walking.
All of a sudden you can immediately sense in your mind and in your spirit that your own levels of faith are not going to be good enough or high enough to try and do this, as you have never tried to heal someone of something this heavy before.
And this is where the Holy Spirit will now be moving in big time so this miracle can be fully accomplished for the Lord.
The Holy Spirit will then manifest His own divine faith right up into you so you can now believe and operate on that faith – so you will now have the actual courage to walk up to this person, lay hands on him, and then tell him to get out of that wheelchair and start walking.
Sometimes it will take higher levels of faith to pull down a major miracle from the Lord, and where our faith levels will not be high enough or good enough to be able to do this, this is where the direct faith of the Holy Spirit Himself will then move up in us and pick up the slack with our own imperfect faith levels so God can then manifest the miracle that He will be looking to do through us.
Sometimes God may ask you to do something that will be out of your comfort zone. Fear and panic will immediately set in because you have never done what He is now asking you to do.
If and when this should ever happen to you, just ask the Holy Spirit to manifest His faith, courage, and boldness up in you so you will have His faith, strength, and courage to do what God is asking you to do for Him.
This particular gift could be a lifesaver, depending on what God may be asking you to do for Him. If God is asking you to go into a burning building to rescue a child, there will be a very good chance that the Holy Spirit will immediately manifest His faith and courage right up in you so you can take on this dangerous assignment.
Firemen, policemen, and our military especially need this particular gift to help them do heroic acts, as many of them could easily let fear and panic set in on them, which would then keep them from being able to perform a major rescue operation.
Again, there are just a wide variety of situations and circumstances where you will need this gift to be manifested up in you by the Holy Spirit. That is why the Holy Spirit is called the Helper in the Bible, so He can help you with a lot of different areas in your daily life where you will have trouble dealing.
The Gifts of Healings – The 9 Gifts of the Holy Spirit;
Per the article we just did titled, “The Great Commission – Save, Heal, Deliver and Disciple,” one of the things that Jesus is wanting all of us to do for Him to is pray for the sick.
Per the article we just did titled, “The Great Commission – Save, Heal, Deliver and Disciple,” one of the things that Jesus is wanting all of us to do for Him to is pray for the sick.
And if we do, then many of the times they will “recover,” which means that He is going to heal them. So it should come as no surprise that we have the gift of healing as one of the 9 gifts of the Holy Spirit.
What this means is that at anytime the Holy Spirit can manifest this special gift through any believer so He can then heal someone of any kind of disease, illness, or sickness.
You do not have to have the gift of healing as any kind of a full time ministry to be able to have the Holy Spirit do this through you. Again, this can literally happen to any single believer at any time with the Lord.
As such, this is another gift that you will definitely want to try and stir up with the Lord because there are just so many people who need some kind of healing due to the fact that we still have to deal with all kinds of diseases, sicknesses, and illnesses on a regular basis as a result of the Adamic curse that is still in full operation on this earth.
Not only can the Holy Spirit directly heal you with your own personal prayers to the Lord, but He can also use you as an anointed vessel to manifest His healing power through to help heal someone else – if you will only have the courage to speak out what He wants you to say to that person, and then lay hands on that person for the healing power to be transmitted into their body to the affected body part that will need the healing.
Also, notice that the wording being used in this verse is that this is the “gifts” of healing. The word “gifts” is plural, which means there are different kinds of healings the Lord will want to do.
What people who walk with this kind of anointing on a regular basis have found out is that some people will be more gifted and anointed in some areas than they will be in other areas.
For instance, some people may have more success with healing bad back cases, where another may have a stronger anointing to heal cancer cases. In other words, the Lord will sometimes specialize in the kinds of healing He will want to do through an individual believer.
Your part is to just tell the Lord that you would like to have a big part in this special gift, and then let Him decide how He will want to use you in this area and what areas you will be stronger in than other areas.
In the Spiritual Warfare section of our site, we have an article titled, “Healing Verses of the Bible.” In this article are 89 of the best healing verses in all of the Bible.
If you would like the Lord to use you in this specific area, it would be our recommendation that you study and meditate on the verses that are in this article, as it will show you that both God the Father in the OT and Jesus Christ in the NT were constantly healing people on a regular basis.
And if God does not change, and He is the same today as He was yesterday, then that means He will still want to continue His healing ministry in this day and age, and thus will anoint His believers with His healing power through the Holy Spirit from time to time when they will either need it for themselves or someone else they may be praying for.
The Working of Miracles – The 9 Gifts of the Holy Spirit
This next gift from the Holy Spirit is where you can get into some real heavy, jaw-dropping, knock-your-socks off type of supernatural activity from Him.
Some of the different Bible Dictionaries describe the word miracle as the following:
An intervention in the natural universe by God
A phenomenon that transcends natural laws
A divine act by which God reveals Himself to people
Good examples of actual miracles from the Bible are the following:
Jesus and the apostles healed and cast demons out of people.
Jesus turning water into wine.
God parted the Red Sea for Moses and the children of Israel.
Daniel is not being eaten by the lions in the lion’s den.
Peter walking on water.
If you study the Bible very carefully from start to finish, it is literally one miracle after another with both God the Father and Jesus Christ. Our God is a miracle-working God and He still loves to do them for His people.
The Bible says that God does not change, and if both He and Jesus were constantly doing miracles in both the OT and NT, then God will also be wanting to do miracles in our day and age.
And with this specific gift being listed as one of the 9 gifts of the Holy Spirit, then you know that God is trying to tell all of us that He still wants to do them, even in the jaded and skeptical times that we are now currently living in.
Again, do not be afraid of this heavy gift from the Lord, and do not quench the Holy Spirit with any lack of faith or belief if He ever wants to try and do one for either you or for any other people you may be working with.
Remember, the Bible tells us that absolutely nothing is impossible with God, which will include any divine miracle that He will want to perform.
The Discerning of Spirits – The 9 Gifts of the Holy Spirit;
This next gift is one that is really needed in the dangerous and perilous times that we are now living in.
The first thing to notice about this gift is that the “s” in the word “spirits” is with a small “s.” This means that it is not referring to the Holy Spirit. The only other spirits that are out there that this gift is referring to are the following three kinds of spirits:
The gift of tongues is simply the Holy Spirit giving you the supernatural ability to speak in a foreign tongue that you have no knowledge or ability to speak out on your own.
There are two types of tongues He can give you. One is a tongue of this earth. For instance, if your native language is English, then He can give you the ability to speak in Chinese, Japanese, or Spanish.
The other type of tongue that He can give you is a tongue direct from heaven, a heavenly language that is not of this earth. The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 13 that there are “tongues of angels.”
But in either event, it will be a foreign language that you will not be able to speak out on your own, and only the Holy Spirit’s supernatural transmission of this language out of your spirit will give you the ability to be able to speak this language out.
And whatever tongue the Holy Spirit will give you, you will be able to use it 24/7, whenever you want. It will be your own personal, private, prayer language between you and the Lord.
The only problem with this gift is that for the most part, you will never know or understand what you are praying about when you go into this gift.
The Bible tells us that we will be speaking out “mysteries,” and only God the Father and the Holy Spirit will be knowing exactly what the prayer will be about on any given occasion when you are actually doing it.
So if we will not know exactly what we are praying about when using this gift, then why would God even want us to have this kind of gift in the first place? I believe the reason is in the verse where it says that sometimes we will not know how to pray as we ought to.
Sometimes we will not be able to find the right words to use in our own personal prayers to the Lord due to our own natural imperfections in being able to properly communicate with Him.
Here is the verse that will show us that sometimes we will not know how to pray as we ought, and that we all need the Holy Spirit to come and help us out in our own personal prayer life with God the Father:
“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 with groanings which cannot be uttered.” (Romans 8:26)
I believe the Holy Spirit is the Master Prayer to God the Father and as such, He is allowing us to have direct access into His own personal prayer life with God the Father. In other words, He is asking us to play a part of and to share with Him on His own direct, personal prayers to God the Father.
Even though you will not know what you are praying about when you do go into your gift of tongues, at least you will have the honor and privilege of being able to pray direct to God the Father with the Holy Spirit.
And since the Holy Spirit knows how to present a perfect prayer to God the Father, then you can actually play a part in that perfect prayer to God the Father.
Another reason that you will want this gift is for emergency type situations.
I cannot tell you how many testimonies I have seen or read where the Holy Spirit will all of a sudden prompt someone to start praying in tongues, and then later on that person finds out that the prayer they were just doing in tongues was just used to save someone else’s life.
Since the Holy Spirit is God and Lord Himself, this means He can perfectly see into the future.
And if He sees a fatal accident getting ready to occur, He can prompt you to start praying in tongues to God the Father to stop the impending tragedy from occurring.
You have no idea how many lives you may be instrumental in saving if you will only allow God to give this gift to you and then go into it whenever the Holy Spirit will prompt you to do it.