Is tongues a valid gift for today?

I normally don't write on these sort of issues but I must today. For the last 15 years there has been a religious movement that has swept the world. This movement is very organized and crafty to masqurade themselves as educated and professional. Their objective? Do everything you can to INSPIRE and INFORM the people from your pulpit. Most times inspiration, motivationa and information hide themselves so well that people mistake them for revelation.

The Apostle Paul prayed for "an abundance of revelations". You too should pray this way.

There are the critical voices who have said that tongues and the moving of the spirit is a lack of self control. This could not be any further from the truth. The spirit of error has fallen and decieved many, keeping them from what seperates us from every religion on the earth today: a true spiritual experience from Jesus.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit with speaking in tongues was foretold in the book of Joel. Thousands before us knew and practiced this "heavenly language" on a daily basis. Thousands of Born Again Christians from every denomination today practice this spiritual exercise known to some as "glossilalia".

I had to chuckle when someone once spoke of this Biblical manefestation as a "lack of self control." It would be humorous at best but sad when we look at all the details in the Holy Bible supporting the entire idea.

In fact, the Apostle Paul clearly was "in a trance". So was Peter. There are three instances of trances in the Bible all of which they were "sort of out of control".

Also, Jesus was clearly out of control when he drove the money changers out of the temple and Phillip was out of control when he was transported supernaturally and was later asked to, "come join thyself to this chariot". Self control is one thing but yielding to the Holy Spirit is quite another. The entire text of this self control is speaking of the love of God and is not refering to spritual gifts. So I would dare say that this brother, in his lack of teaching has taken something out of context.

In fact, the entire problem among the Corinthian Church; they yeilded to every thing and every wind of doctine. One day they yeilded to the Holy Spirit when Paul the Apostle came to town Be not deceived little children. God is not mocked. Mary, the mother of Jesus was in the upper room and she too "lost control" of herself as she yielded herself to the Holy Spirit. In fact, it says that they ALL were filled.

I heard a young lady challenge my position saying that God does not ask everyone to be filled with the spirit, speaking in tongues that it was only for certain people. My response to her is; God is not a respector of persons. That means HE has no favorites. He will not fill one and not fill the other.

In fact all the gifts are given to all believers to operate "AS THE SPIRIT WILLS", not as we will.

Don't let deception ruin what the Bible already stands behind. Jude verse 20 says, you beloved (Christians), build yourself up, on your most holy faith....how? By praying in the spirit.

Praying in the spirit or singing in the spirit is the highest level of worship. I would have to say that giving money to the work of God is the lowest form of worship and most of our song leaders today are taking people to a moderate place in worship. Why is speaking or singing in tongues the highest form of worship? It is your "heavenly language", not your earthly language.

When a man speaks in tongues, he does not speak to men, rather he speaks to God mysteries. When a man speaks in tongues he should ask God for the interpretation so that it may edify the hearer.

When a man speaks in tongues it is a sign for the unbeliever. When a tongue comes forth in a church service it is a sure sign to me as a minister that an unbeliever is present within the service and to go after their soul.

If the church begins to speak in togues together, it is not the gift of tongues in operation but rather their prayer language in operation to interceed together as one body fitly joint together

I was recently taking a United Flight out of Chicago coming home to Portland from a church meeting. My heart was sadened when I hear a young man say; "I don't believe that the Holy Spirit has his own language". At 35,000 feet in the air on the flight I heard in my spirit man respond, "it is the epetimy of pride in the hearts of mankind to acknowledge their own languages all over the world (thousands of them) but yet deny heaven it's own language. Wow what a comfortor we have.

Homeschooling is for who?

The Quick 10: 10 Famous Homeschooled People
by Stacy Conradt - November 17, 2008 - 3:59 PM

1. Agatha Christie. Agatha was a painfully shy girl, so her mom homeschooled her even though her two older siblings attended private school.
2. Pearl S. Buck was born in West Virginia, but her family moved to China when she was just three months old. She was homeschooled by a Confucian scholar and learned English as a second language from her mom.
3. Alexander Graham Bell was homeschooled by his mother until he was about 10. It was at this point that she started to go deaf and didn’t feel she could properly educate him any more. Her deafness inspired Bell to study acoustics and sound later in life.
4. If Thomas Edison was around today, he would probably be diagnosed with ADD – he left public school after only three months because his mind wouldn’t stop wandering. His mom homeschooled him after that, and he credited her with the success of his education: “My mother was the making of me. She was so true, so sure of me; and I felt I had something to live for, someone I must not disappoint.”
5. Ansel Adams was homeschooled at the age of 12 after his “wild laughter and undisguised contempt for the inept ramblings of his teachers” disrupted the classroom. His father took on his education from that point forward.
6. Robert Frost hated school so much he would get physically ill at the thought of going. He was homeschooled until his high school years.
7. Woodrow Wilson studied under his dad, one of the founders of the Southern Presbyterian Church in the United States (PCUS). He didn’t learn to read until he was about 12. He took a few classes at a school in Augusta, Georgia, to supplement his father’s teachings, and ended up spending a year at Davidson College before transferring to Princeton.
8. Mozart was educated by his dad as the Mozart family toured Europe from 1763-1766.
9. Laura Ingalls Wilder was homeschooled until her parents finally settled in De Smet in what was then Dakota Territory. She started teaching school herself when she was only 15 years old.
10. Louisa May Alcott studied mostly with her dad, but had a few lessons from family friends Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Can you imagine?

If the Antichrist was to manifest himself in our country or somewhere in the world, would you recognize him as the Antichrist?

For this reason, I believe that most of the church population would know as much about his characteristics as average "Joe" knows the highest form of mathematics called "Vector Calculus". Do you know?

Let me help you by telling you the characteristics within the Bible:

His popularity soars world-wide and he will understand law so well he would be versed in the law as much as or more so than a United States Senator. II Thes 2:8-9

He will lie about his religion and the scriptures says he "regards not the God of his own father." Dan 11:37

He will have very fierce facial features and a very powerful countenance? Daniel 8:23

He keeps company with sinister type of people? Dan 8:23

He will speak with power and eloquence. Daniel 8:24

He will deceive many. Dan 8:25

He will be passionate about tolerance to Homosexuals. Daniel 11:37

He will serve 3 and 1/2 years as a world leader solving the world's worst economic troubles that Europe idolizes him and embraces him and wants him to form a world-wide government. He continues serving 3 and 1/2 more years. Rev 11:8, and Chapter 13, II Thes 2:4

He will not have humility as a characteristic but will be proud and boastful. He will magnified himself above all others. He shall magnify himself above all
Dan 11:37

He will demonstrate himself to be an awesome visionary. Daniel 7:8, and 7:20

He will be extreme for change talking a great talk using lots of flattery. Dan 11:34, He will be a "Great Talker" Daniel 7:11, 25

He will head up his own organization. Non-profit or profit we do not know. Daniel 9:24-27.

He will stirs up his power and his courage against the leadership of the south. Dan 11:25

Takes over Jerusalem and there are so many homosexuals within Jerusalem, the Holy City of our Lord and Savior becomes known as Sodom. Rev 11:8

He will eventually become a persecutor to Christians. Daniel 7:21, 25.


Now the Antichrist will rise to power on a wave of world euphoria, as he
temporarily tries to save the world from its desperate economic,
military & political problems with a brilliant 7-year plan for world peace,
economic stability & religious freedom.

Now, I know, before you think I have flipped and fallen off the deep end.
Yahoo! is reporting more searches for both the terms "Antichrist" and "Obama".
It is setting record numbers of searches world-wide. Also, you should know the
Jews right now believe the end of the world is coming in 2012. No man knows the
day or the hour but we can know the seasons.

People have believed Nixon, Kissinger and Bill Gates to be the Antichrist and
they have been wrong. However, from my point of education I just had to run the
list and it could match up real close. If the person you see publicly seems to match up to the above list, don't get carried away just yet. One more thing happens that will for sure tell if this person on your mental list is really the Antichrist. What is that you say? He has a head wound that is fatal but then miraculously rises from the dead. The true believers in Christ will already be raptured or "caught away to be with the Lord" just as the previous raptures occurred. Which ones where those? Enoch and Jesus. Both were protected and taken out before judgment fell upon the people. Noah was also protected before judgment fell.

IF I were to be PRESIDENT!

No one asked me to run for Public Office within the United States. My heritage is over 400 years in the United States going far enough back to 1775 when my fore-fathers, came over on the Mayflower AND fought alongside Gen George Washington himself. I have the right to run and I have finally reached the age to run.

However! In my opinion, the call of God upon your life is so much higher and important than the call to serve a Nation.

BUT, if I were elected to be President, here is what I think would work well to FIX the country. Our country does not need "change", it needs fixed.

At home within the United States I would gradually decrease Federal Income Taxes by a small percentage each year. I would reduce Federal Government Departments in size and help those who held jobs get new ones by educating government workers on "how NOT to become dependant but rather INDEPENDENT. It would be celebrated every INDEPENDENCE DAY. There would be an elimination of all public assistance for able-bodied recipients. Cut off all public assistance for illegal immigrants for five years. I would lose my popularity if I had any by now by immediately imposing taxes or tariffs on cars and trucks owned by foreign entities, even if they’re manufactured in America. I would build a technologically smart wall between the United States and Mexico. Active duty combat troops would be paid better and any adulterous military person who becomes pregnant while on active duty would receive a dishonorable discharge.

All homosexuals who choose the freedom to live together as same sex couples would be taxed 70% as a de-generate fee to our American Society. Anyone who refuses would be considered a 'dead-beat degenerate' and go to jail. Encourage child bearing among tax paying citizens. Create a marriage incentive, through lower taxes for married heterosexual couples. And a government subsidy for each child conceived and carried to birth. Increase the subsidies for each year the couple remains married. All persons committing murder upon the unborn would receive the death penalty. Abortion would be illegal, except when the physical survival of the mother is threatened, to be determined by three medical doctors.

Close all houses of sex and give more funding to increase the DEA.

Empty our jails and deport all mass murders to North Korea, Iran or Cuba.

Illegal immigrants caught working in the US would pay double taxes until they become Legal Citizens and impose stiff fines on employers of illegal immigrants.

What about overseas?

You don't even want to know now do you?

Sarah Palin for Vice President?

Some have said, "Can a woman take care of her children and help run the most powerful nation on earth?" I recall a powerful woman evangelist Kathryn Kuhlman who was once asked, "Why do you suppose that God called you, a woman, and not a man to do this healing ministry"? When Kathryn Kuhlman prayed, she felt impressed by the Lord that God had asked four men already and they had turned HIM down so God went to a Woman?

Weather or not that is true, there are many women who throughout the Bible and throughout history shook both Heaven AND Earth.

Please take a moment a look at the following video my Mother just sent me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0UQbA0ZmmM

Global Warming - Just what really is it?

As with every problem in life there are those who try and cash in on the problem by offering solutions. From Scientists to Politicians, we see so many folks trying to lobby governments, hold conferences and meetings world-wide to try and deal with a problem that is, what I believe, to be already addressed in scripture.

Hell hath enlarged itself. The scriptures say so. Hell is in the center of the earth and is a REAL place. Moulting Lava flows from the depths of volcanoes within the Asian Pacific Rim so it should not be hard for you or I to imagine that hell is there and it is a real place. It was not, however, created for human spirits. It was created for demon spirits. Human being spirits are not supposed to go there. It was not designed for Human Being Spirits, it was designed for the rebellious and fallen angels and demon spirits.

In the last days, God has promised to destroy earth with fire. He promised after Noah's flood to never again destroy the earth with water, thus placing his covenant rainbow in the sky everytime it rains.

The earth will burn up, everything within the earth will burn up and the only hope that a human being spirit has is THE RAPTURE. It is the great catching away of the Saints and is what Holy Scripture calls; the believers hope.

God delivered the righteous out of the Flood. Noah and his family were the only righteous ones upon the earth but God was faithful to keep them safe. Are you going in the rapture? There already has been several raptures in the New Testament. Jesus was raptured up into heaven. The Old Testament patriarchs were raptured up into heaven after Jesus resurrection. What about Enoch. He walked with God and was no more. He was raptured. Rapture is not a NEW thing like so many people suppose. I am glad it is coming quickly and as I looked at an ice berg in Anchorage at a recent revival meeting, the Pastor showed me a before photo and I was stunned to see how small it has become in such a short time.

There is nothing human science, politicians or religious leaders can do. It is in the scheme of God's plan to 1. Rapture out all the believing righteous saints who are righteous because of their belief in the Blood of Jesus making them righteous. 2. The World is going to burn. Everything in it, on it or about it. It will burn. 3 Jesus will come back and the Father will create a new heaven, a new earth and a new Holy City built foursquare. Hallelujah. Do you believe? I am excited. Let it melt. Although I recycle. Although I drive a Hybrid. Although I use paper not plastic. It is in vain to try and SAVE THE EARTH. The earth is going to be destroyed in fire and I am excited that I have a heavenly hope called...THE RAPTURE!

Thoughts on Public Schools vs Christian Schools

Mat 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot, serve8 God and mammon.

If you allow the government to pick up your children. The public school spends years training and teaching your precious ones to serve the public system as their master. Is it any wonder that when they graduate they hate the other? Now this is not always the rule, and I am sure there are exceptions. I am sorry to say that this is more the case than not.

Although many values-minded parents ultimately choose to send their children to public schools, it’s occasionally worth a side-by-side comparison between public and Christian schooling just so you know what you’re getting for your educational dollar. Discover Christian Schools (the public-relations arm of the Mid-Atlantic Christian Schools Association) recently released such a comparison.

The contrast is presents as follows…

Purpose

Public Schools: To prepare citizens for a humanistic society that tolerates all lifestyle.

Christian Schools: To prepare citizens for the Kingdom of God who are equipped to spread the Gospel.

Content of Education
Public Schools: Humanism – no values are absolute and no truth is final.

Christian Schools: All of life is studied in submission to the Word of God and its precepts.

Control of Education
Public Schools: The State determines the content and methods of education.

Christian Schools: The schools functions in loco parentis, reinforcing and supporting parental values.

Science
Public Schools: Naturalism - everything comes from matter, time, and chance.

Christian Schools: God is the Creator and Sustainer of all things; science involves knowing God through knowing His world.

History
Public Schools: Controlled either by autonomous man or by an impersonal process.

Christian Schools: Controlled by an omnipotent God who knows the end from the beginning.

Math
Public Schools: A tool that is useful because it seems to work in manipulating the natural world.

Christian Schools: A reflection of the mind of an orderly God who has made us in His image to understand His world.

English
Public Schools: Literature must be representative of all cultures, which are seen as having equal value, and has no inherent meaning.

Christian Schools: Students are exposed to a variety of quality literature, which is appreciated as a demonstration of common grace and interpreted in the light of God’s Word.

Teachers
Public Schools: Varied backgrounds - Christianity or some other religion, humanism, atheism; may be straight or gay.

Christian Schools: Born-again, committed believers seeking to model Christ before their students.

Rules
Public Schools: Determined by state and federal laws and guidelines.

Christian Schools: Determined by God’s Word and its moral standards.

Peers
Public Schools: Varied religious backgrounds, often receiving little moral instruction or values at home or church.

Christian Schools: Students from Christian homes who are there because their parents support Christian values.

While this comparison may be helpful, there are many other factors that go into parents’ decision making, such as the availability of local Christian schooling. Furthermore, not all Christian schools should be considered quality just because there’s a cross and steeple on the roof. Some parents, such as ourselves, even choose to home school. My home state Senator and friend, Senator Star recently said regardng the Portland Public School system that parents should "run and not walk" away from the public school system to private and homeschooling. He came under fire for saying this but many know how disfunctional the schooling system has become.


Research your educational options. It’s the child’s parents who know what’s best for the child — not politicians, bureaucrats, teacher labor unions, corporations or even supposedly wise college professors.