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Archive for September 2016

The Heartache Caused By Your Own Family

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The Heartache Caused By Your Own Family
The Apostle James made this powerful statement:

3 John 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

If this knowledge brings the greatest joy… then the opposite is also true. There is no greater pain, when your family does not walk in truth.

Jesus looked at the people around Him in the Synagogue. Their curiosity had caused them to leave their homes and their daily duties to come and listen Him. He searched the crowd seeing many familiar faces, but not the ones He had hoped to see. None of His brothers were present.

Some of these people He had known from His youth. The Synagogue of Nazareth was full. His skeptical hearers wrinkled their brows as He spoke. In their minds they disqualified most of what He taught.

They had known Him all of His life. He was the carpenter’s son. He had not been taught at the feet of any learned scholars. Who did he think He was expounding these deep spiritual sayings? He was just an ordinary carpenter.

This was Nazareth. The four hundred or so inhabitants here knew each other well. There weren’t many secrets in this small town. Their personal opinions of His upbringing caused them to disqualify what He said. The sound of His voice echoed meaninglessly in their ears. There would be no hero’s welcome here today for Him.

Pain filled the heart of the Lord, as He perceived their unbelief. Yet, He felt even more pain when He realized who wasn’t there. His own family wasn’t there. It wasn’t an accident. His own brothers were boycotting Him.

John 7:5 For neither did his brethren believe in him.

More pain than we can ever know hid behind the next words of the Lord. Jesus focused His attention back toward those in the Synagogue as He said:

(Matt. 13:57-58)… “A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house. And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

It was bad enough that the neighbors and friends He had known all of His life, rejected Him. But to not have the support of one’s own family cut very deep. The lack of faith in the village that day placed a limit on His ability to help any of them. He grieved.

Not much is known about the residents of Nazareth, except that nothing spectacular had ever came from their town before. They seemed to be known only for their skepticism and unbelief.

But some from Nazareth finally did believe and it is almost hidden from the casual reader. It’s mentioned concerning those who gathered in the upper room after Jesus was resurrected.

Acts 1:13 And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.

Acts 1:14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

His brethren actually came to the upper room! Everyone in the upper room was filled with the Holy Ghost! The brothers of Jesus finally found enough faith to believe and receive the glorious Gift of the Holy Ghost! That was a miracle!

Most believers have some family members who are not in church. Remember that even some of the family of Jesus didn’t believe … for a while. But the Last chapter of their story finds them right smack in the middle of the upper room experience.

Do you have family that doesn’t live for God? Never stop praying for your family! Never stop believing for your family! What happened in the family of Jesus can happen in your family too!

Believe God for a Miracle for your Family!

 

 

Written by Martyn Ballestero

September 30, 2016 at 9:56 am

Posted in Believe, Family

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Gifts Of The Spirit Gone Awry

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Gifts Of The Spirit Gone Awry

 

I believe God still uses the gifts of the Spirit in His church today. Most Apostolic Pentecostals are familiar with those precious moments. Sadly, a few eager and Biblically uneducated have exerted more of their flesh than His Spirit in such moments.

That being said, it does not take away from the fact that God does speak to His church in very real and powerful manner.

Good pastors teach the importance of not saying ‘Thus saith the Lord,” unless they are certain that the Lord truly did speak to them. Punishment is upon those who use His name falsely and in vain.

 

Out Of Order

Almost every night of the revival the modest sized Southern church, a middle-aged woman gave a message in tongues after the sermon. She especially seemed to bring forth a message if there was conviction in the message.

After several weeks of nightly services one of the members brought their neighbor, an elderly woman of foreign descent. The visitor sat quietly with her hosts and seemed unemotional during the service and the sermon.

Everyone was standing while the invitation was being given, when the spiritual lady found a moment to give her message in tongues. While the message was being given, the old lady started to chuckle and covered her mouth to stifle her laughter. Her hosts were embarrassed that their guest would laugh at a time like this.

“Why are you laughing,” they inquired?

“Because I understand what she is saying.” She said with a knowing look.

“What is she saying?” They asked.

“She is saying, ‘I’m out of order and I need to sit down.’ Was her reply.”

 

Misinterpretations

Unverified stories such as these are told about messages being interpreted erroneously and have been heard by most of us:

  1. “Repent, or I will write Michelob over the door.”
  2. “Times are hard sayeth the Lord. Times are so hard I can barely make it myself, saith God.”
  3. “Thus saith the Lord unto Sister… ah, Sister… ah, I forgeteth thy name at the moment saith the Lord.”
  4. “Yeah, thus saith the Lord, Nay!”

 

God Lied?

The tall young West Virginia father actually stood up in the testimony service and spoke with great fervor about God speaking to him.

“I was at work today and the Lord spoke to me and told me that my little boy was choking to death. I ran out of the shop. I didn’t even take time to punch out from work.

“I jumped in my pickup and drove to my trailer as fast as I could. I ran up on the porch and nearly ripped the door off. There on the living room floor was my little boy playing happily with his toys.

“I looked at him and said, ‘Boy I’d rather have you dead than to have God lie to me like that!”

 

Good people can be zealous and sincere, yet be totally in the flesh and not the Spirit. Sometimes, their exhibitions can be injurious to the work of God.

 

Twenty-Six Messages In Tongues

While visiting a medium-sized church for the first time, I was amazed at the number of messages in tongues and interpretations. There were twenty-six messages in all in one service. More than a dozen of the messages that were interpreted appeared to be some church folks correcting other church folks. Several interpretations were even so bold as to criticize the pastor by name. All of this, plus several prophecies were included.

The guest evangelist wasn’t spiritual enough for them, because all he did was preach the Word. They closed the revival after the first night.

 

(Yes, even though some people are over-zealous, or unlearned, or even purposely misleading others, there is still the real Gift of Tongues. That is not even debatable. You will know and feel the difference when you hear it.)

 

 

Written by Martyn Ballestero

September 24, 2016 at 4:11 pm

Posted in Holy Ghost, Prophecy

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