A lot of people believe what they believe because its how they were taught growing up. They believe what their parent’s or grandparents or other respected associates believe.

What if my beliefs are wrong? What if your beliefs are wrong? What do we do when we realize that what we believe really isn’t what the Bible says is true?

Last Wednesday night was the first week in a seven week series at our church on what the bible has to say about “Tongues, Healing and the Charismatic Movement”.

My friend had guests with her who were from a Pentecostal Church. She shared with me the surprise her guest exhibited to hear what the bible really says about Tongues, Healing and the Charismatic Movement. Here he was, from a Pentecostal Church and never heard the clear teaching of scripture on such things. He wanted to talk to Doug, who was leading the study.

I’m going to give you the entire study sheet in my post because I don’t think the church puts the Wednesday services online like they do the Sunday services.  Where you see a word underlined, that is where we had to fill in a blank on our sheet.

You can copy/paste my post into something so you can print it off if you’d like.

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FBCJ Wednesday Evening Elective Study  Summer 2011

WEEK 1 – July 20, 2011 : Tongues, Healing, and the Charismatic Movement

Context Matters

Before we begin our series, we must make something very clear. We are not mad at Charismatics. We do not have an axe to grind with them. We do not believe that all Charismatics are lost- just like not all Baptists are saved. We know that there are good, godly Pentecostals/Charismatics that love God, hate sin, and desire for the lost world to be saved. Some of you had this testimony in the past.

This study is designed for the First Baptist Church of Jackson so that its members are properly equipped to discern activities in “Christianity” happening around us today.

This study will not just inform us about these “titled” issues, but also cause us to understand God’s Word and to love Him more. Every disciple-making church should “major” on preaching and teaching “What the Bible Says!”

Introduction

Acts 2 : 1-36 – Acts 2 opens with what has become perhaps one of the most controversial issues in the religious world. There is much division among individual Christians and local churches concerning “tongues” and its biblical purpose. The Pentecostal and Charismatic movements have put an intense emphasis on the gift of speaking in unknown tongues, a phenomena they refer to as “speaking in tongues.” This has turned in to a very controversial subject throughout all Christianity. This series will help us to identify this issue of “speaking in tongues”; it will address other surrounding issues of modern day apostolic healing, and basic information about the activities and history of the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements. We will answer the question: Are these signs and wonders for us today?

Everyone, from time to time, has some unusual spiritual experience develop. It is at this time that we must compare our situation or experience to the infallible standard which God gives us… the Bible. It is then that we can determine exactly how God wants us to respond through his revealed truth.

How To Judge All Signs, Wonders, and Spiritual Gifts

1.   Laying a biblical foundation for discerning truth

a.   John 7:24 – Jesus is involved in a controversy with the Jews. The controversy began as Jesus taught the scriptures in the temple. They marveled at the authority that he demonstrated as he taught the scriptures. They also became angry with him because of the way He was teaching and the things He was doing. He draws the controversy to a conclusion by directing them back to the source of their faith, the scriptures. They should not judge according to what they thought, but according to what the Bible says.

• How else can you make a “righteous judgment”?
• We have the mind of Christ – I Corinthians 2:16

b.  John 17:17 – Jesus desires that we be set apart (sanctified) from this present world system through the truth. That “truth” is the Word of God.

NOTE: Because the signs and wonders of the Charismatic Movement do not (as we will see) withstand the scrutiny of the Holy Bible, they cannot be sanctifying. Therefore, they are of this world!

c.  Psalm 119: 105, 130 -  When things are dark (hidden) and not clear to us, we must hold the Word of God up to those situations and let the Bible enlighten us.

NOTE: Anyone that would first witness a Charismatic meeting would question its validity.

For example:

• Why only in  church meetings are people healed?
• Why not go to a cancer ward at the Children’s hospital right now?
• Why are they speaking in unknown words?
• The answer to these questions is hidden without the Bible.

d.  Proverbs 22: 20-21 – God’s Word does, in fact, have specific and detailed answers.  [... If we will search it].

2.  Judging all experiences

a.  We must judge every experience by the infallible standard which is greater than any experience.

• 2 Peter 1: 16-21 – Peter heard the audible voice of God, but said that the prophecy or scripture is a “more sure word”.  This was in comparison to the real, valid event he experienced on the “Mount of Transfiguration” (Matt. 17:1-4).
• 2 Timothy 1:13 -  When confronted with the truth of the Bible vs. a seemingly real and valid experience, the experience must be judged in the light of the Bible. If the experience does not line up with the Bible, we are faced with a decision.  One must go in order to “hold fast” to the other.  The experience must be the one to go.  We must always “hold fast” to the Bible – no matter what!!  (2 Thessalonians 2:9).

b.  Habits must be developed – we must always ask the following questions:

• What does the Bible say?

NOTE:  This is not the same as “show me a verse”.  A verse can be taken out of context.  A verse can be used to prove just about anything!  It does not matter what we think.  It does not matter what we experience in regard to the truth or what is true – the Bible supersedes these things!  Consider this – man makes decisions based on his immediate needs…and the Devil is in the deception business…

• Am I willing to change what I think and feel in light of what the Bible clearly says?

NOTE: I always qualify any debate or controversy with this question.  You should think about this point for the rest of your life!

Matthew 7: 21-29 – Jesus explains that just because a person uses His name and acts religious does not mean that the person knows Him. He then likens a man that hears his words and doeth them to a wise man.  In contrast, he likens a man who hears his words and doeth them not to a foolish man.  This study will be explained by using the best, most accurate text book — the Holy Bible!  Let’s be wise!

This was the first week in a 7 week series on Tongues, Healing and the Charismatic Movement. Tomorrow night, Wednesday at 7:15pm  is Week 2 in this series.

Visit FBCJ.com for more information.

*I don’t plan on typing out each study sheet so if this is something you want to follow be sure to make plans to attend or ask the church if they will have sheets and recordings available.

*Also linking up with Thought Provoking Thursdays.

I must receive … His gift.

His gift of …forgiveness (because I have sinned).

His gift of eternal life (eternal life starts now in knowing Him and goes on for eternity with Him in heaven). John 3:16

I do believe that NO one,   n.o. o.n.e.,    can make ANYone , a Christian. If you’ve succeeded in making someone a “Christian” – you’ve probably just made them “religious”.

And there’s a difference.

Being religious is not the same as being a Christian, though there are alot of people who think that way. Being a Christian is to have been redeemed by God through the blood of Jesus Christ (God in flesh who humbled himself to be born as a human so he could live a perfect, sinless life and then die for our sins on the cross only to rise again having conquered death and sin). The bible says that God is not only loving and merciful but that He is a judge of  justice and holy. Look at it this way. If someone killed your child and stood before the judge in court to answer for his crime and  said…”well, I’m sorry. I won’t do it  again, I promise.” And the judge said…”I believe ya. Your free to go.”  What would you think about that judge? Was he “just”? Was justice served?  I’ll answer that for you…NO. That would not be a “just” judge.

God is loving and merciful but He does require that justice be served because we have all broken His law, the 10 commandments. The bible says that if we have broken just one of them- we are as guilty as if we’d broken them all.  Jesus Christ paid for our sins by dying on the cross. If we don’t accept that by repenting of our sins and trusting in what Christ did for us on the cross then we are left with one other choice. To pay for our sins – ourself. And that means being separated from God forever, for eternity in a place called Hell.

And so, I do believe that it is “my” responsibility as a believer in Christ to tell everyone I can that Jesus died for you and conquered death and sin and that through faith in Him you will…

1.   Be forgiven of all your sins…past, present, future.
2.   Become a new creature in Him. Old things are past, all things become new…
3.   Have access to God, Himself! No such thing as having to go through a priest or anyone else. You can talk to him whenever, where ever, about whatever…and He hears and answers prayers!
4.   Spend eternity in heaven with God after death.

Whatever you decide to believe doesn’t change the fact that I care about you, my readers. I don’t ask you to become a Christian for me…I just want you to know that real hope lies in the truth and that truth has a name…Jesus Christ.

I care about what people believe, but then again, I don’t in that I accept my friends  just the way they are…whatever you believe is your business. You believe in what you want. I’m not trying to force anyone to become a Christian. But keep this in mind…some people think as long as we all sincerely believe in “whatever” that everything is ok. Truth is…if we lined up everything we all believed, we’d see there are a ton of contradictions and my God and some of those other gods couldn’t coexist.

I just want to share these free resources with you so you can do some checking for yourself. You owe it to yourself to do so.  You know, statistics show that 10 out of 10 people will die.

If you don’t know God personally, or have doubts, click here to take The Good Test and see where you stand before Him now.

If you just have questions about eternity, maybe you can’t get over the “theory” of evolution or there are some other “reasonings” that you have that you just don’t have answers for how about requesting your free copy of Mark Cahill’s book One Heartbeat Away by clicking here. I’ve already received my free copy and have started reading it- and they don’t bug you with emails. I got my book in just a couple days or so and don’t think I’ve ever received one email from them. I found out about this book after I started reading his other book One Thing You Can’t Do In Heaven. Another very good book.

Finally, if you are wanting to learn more about the bible I would encourage you to click here to take advantage of the free mp3 downloads and study notes from First Baptist Church of Jackson. You can listen to the exact sermons we are sitting in on Sunday mornings.  This is the church we go to so I can really verify for you that you will be getting the goods from this place! Click on “messages” and see whats being offered online. As I type this out we are studying through Ephesians on Sundays mornings.

I want to leave you with these final thoughts. I know where I’m going when this life ends, do you? I know the God of the universe, personally. He’s heard me, answered my prayers (not always giving me “my” way, though). Every day I can experience real peace inside that only He can give. I trust Him to guide me and He does through His Word and His Spirit… do you have this? You can.

I welcome questions too. I can provide more scripture to back up what I believe. Just ask

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