The Prodigal son

The story about the prodigal son is very famous, I never forget, God is the Father who loves us. We know that the younger son returned to the Father, and the Father accepted him, but the elder son has a little problem to accept him. What happened next?

The two brothers must learn how to lived together, let the past be the past, we are not told how they lived together after the son returned, personally, I guess that the Father wanted them to live in peace, the younger son must behave like a younger son, and the elder must also take care of the younger son, three of them may live together happily, lets say, if they have quarrels, they eventually decided to reconcile because they respected their Father, they do not want to hurt their Father's feeling, they forgive each other, the ending is good, they live happily, joyfully, and as a family, the prodigal son must not forget he is forgiven for what he did, the Father gave chances for him, to learn, since the Father is kind and good, lovingly, the elder son must also accept the Father good will toward both of them. The elder son also must also behave in front of the Father, to love his younger brother.

Lets say, the younger son is a theologian, very eloquent, talkative, I know a theologian has great dignity, let say his personal view is not accepted by his elder brothers, so the younger son must behave like a younger son, for the sake of brotherhood, he has to reconcile with his brother, just say sorry, and lets reconcile, "I am sorry for being too harsh to you in defending my personal view, next time I will find a better view, I hope you can listen and accept my view ." Why he must give in? Because he respected and loved his Father, so he has to forget his personal view, he must see the Father is still living, he is in control, so one day the Father will honor him, the Father said, my son is a good prodigal son, he is not "Kia su or losing face" I am proud of him, he is like my son, they must see what the Father wanted from them, to see the unity maintained in His family, other is secondary things, not necessary to quarrel about personal view, the two brothers must put unity in the higher place than personal view. Jesus said, "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." (Matthew 22:37)



From

Pr Ice

The best Christian is still a poor Christian

“The best Christian is still a poor Christian” - R.B. Kuiper


The Sins of Babylon

Habakkuk 2:8-14

8 Because you have plundered many nations,
the peoples who are left will plunder you.
For you have shed man's blood;
you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.
9 "Woe to him who builds his realm by unjust gain
to set his nest on high,
to escape the clutches of ruin!

10 You have plotted the ruin of many peoples,
shaming your own house and forfeiting your life.

11 The stones of the wall will cry out,
and the beams of the woodwork will echo it.

12 "Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed
and establishes a town by crime!

13 Has not the LORD Almighty determined
that the people's labor is only fuel for the fire,
that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing?

14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD,
as the waters cover the sea.

Matthew Henry comments:

"All the remnant of the people shall spoil thee." The king of Babylon thought he had brought all the nations round about him so low that none of them would be able to make reprisals upon him; but though they were but a remnant of people, a very few left, yet these shall be sufficient to spoil him, when God has such a controversy with him, First, For men's blood, and the thousands of lives that have been sacrificed to his ambition and revenge, especially for the blood of Israelites, which is in a special manner precious to God. Secondly, For the violence of the land, his laying waste so many countries, and destroying the fruits of the earth, especially in the land of Israel. Thirdly, For the violence of the city, the many cities that he had turned into ruinous heaps, especially Jerusalem the holy city, and of all that dwelt therein, who were ruined by him. Note, The violence done by proud men to advance and enrich themselves will be called over again (and must be accounted for) another day, by him to whom vengeance belongs.

See what good God brings out of the staining and sinking of earthly glory; he thereby manifests and magnifies his own glory, and fills the earth with the knowledge of it as plentifully as the waters cover the sea, which lie deep, spread far, and shall not be dried up until time shall be no more. Such is the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ given by the gospel (2 Cor. iv. 6), and such was the knowledge of his glory by the miraculous ruin of Babylon. Note, Such as will not be taught the knowledge of God's glory by the judgments of his mouth shall be made to know and acknowledge it by the judgments of his hand.

Here is my prayer, "Lord, I am sorry, because I did not love my neighbor, I am selfish, I repent today, forgive me for all the hurt and troubles I had given to my neighbor, may God bless my neighbour in this hour, I promise to be good to my neighbour. Please help me, forgive me for all the sins I did, which purposely and intentionally hurting other, please search my heart. Pray in Jesus' name.

There will be wars and famines

Revelation 6:3-5, When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!" 4Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given the power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword. 5When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart[a] of wheat for a day's wages,[b] and three quarts of barley for a day's wages,[c] and do not damage the oil and the wine!"

That the sword of war is a dreadful judgment; it takes away peace from the earth, one of the greatest blessings, and it puts men upon killing one another. Men, who should love one another and help one another, are, in a state of war, set upon killing one another. A large sum to give for a quart of wheat The famine of bread is a terrible judgment; but the famine of the word is more so, though careless sinners are not sensible of it.


In time like this, we are asked to do everything in Love,

1 Cor. 16:14. Let all your things be done with charity. Our zeal and constancy must be consistent with charity. When the apostle would have us play the man for our faith or religion, he puts in a caution against playing the devil for it. We may defend our faith, but we must, at the same time, maintain our innocence, and not devour and destroy, and think with ourselves that the wrath of man will work the righteousness of God, James i. 24. Note, Christians should be careful that charity not only reigns in their hearts but shine out in their lives, nay, in their most manly defenses of the faith of the gospel. There is a great difference between constancy and cruelty, between Christian firmness and feverish wrath and transport. Christianity never appears to so much advantage as when the charity of Christians is most conspicuous when they can bear with their mistaken brethren, and oppose the open enemies of their holy faith in love, when everything is done in charity, when they behave towards one another, and towards all men, with a spirit of meekness and good will.

What is the true religion in end time

James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Compassion and charity to the poor and distressed from a very great and necessary part of true religion: Visiting the fatherless and widow in their affliction. Visiting is here put for all manner of relief which we are capable of giving to others; and fatherless and widows are here particularly mentioned because they are generally most apt to be neglected or oppressed: but by them, we are to understand all who are proper objects of charity, all who are in affliction. It is very remarkable that if the sum of religion is drawn up to two articles this is one—to be charitable and relieve the afflicted. Observe, an unspotted life must accompany an unfeigned love and charity: To keep himself unspotted from the world. The world is apt to spot and blemish the soul, and it is hard to live in it and have to do with it, and not be defiled, but this must be our constant endeavor. Herein consists of pure and undefiled religion. The very things of the world too much taint our spirits, if we are much conversant with them; but the sins and lusts of the world deface and defile them very woefully indeed. John comprises all that is in the world, which we are not to love, under three heads: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life; and to keep ourselves unspotted from all these is to keep ourselves unspotted from the world. May God by his grace keep both our hearts and lives clean from the love of the world, and from the temptations of wicked worldly men.

Do you remember anyone needed your care? There was a principal, he worked in "Halfway home" in Singapore, he killed himself by jumping from a tall building, some people said that, before he committed suicide, he made a phone call to a pastor, maybe it is last chance for help, but the pastor is too busy to talk to him, he killed himself. Are you too busy with our doctrines and theological argument? And we have no time to visit someone? Are you, one of your brother's keeper? Please ignore this article if you have paid the visit.

Take note: Article 4.2.1 is like a time bomb, it explodes. Use your pen to write "1300177" on a piece of paper, , what it looks like? BOOM...run, run, run...

Prayers and New Song

Prayers and New Song

Revelation 5:5-10
And one of the elder's saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
In Revelation, there are records of elders, of total of 24 them in the heavens, worshipping the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, He has been slain ed, and resurrected and raised to the throne, all the elders and creatures bow down to worship Him, praising King of kings, Lord of lords. Forever and ever, Amen. There are golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of saints. All of the elders sung a new song and has made the elders to be kings and priests.

What are the necessary things:

Acts 15:28
For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;
That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.

The first Christian council in Jerusalem decided not to lay upon the believer greater burden than necessary things, what are the necessary things, meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication. The church has Jews and Gentiles. If you are Indian, you are not asked to live totally like the Jew after you receive Christ. It is not necessary.

Preservation of the Perfect Unity
Ephesians 4:1-7
I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
With all lowliness and meekness, with long suffering, forbearing one another in love;
Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.


In letter to the Ephesians, Paul wrote to them, advice them to be humble and be peace, so that they can live in unity,it is necessary the church recognizes its unity and strives more and more to preserve it, each member co-operating with all the others, will the gospel more mightily forward among the nations, will the church itself rejoice, will Satan tremble, and will the name of God be glorified. There are diversities of services, but the same Lord, and there are diversities of working, but it is the same God who works all in all. Do not overestimate our importance. We who are not so richly endowed we should not lose courage."Let the brother of low degree glory in his high estate and the rich in that he is made low.

The Same colored Uniforms
Once upon a time, there was a man, he likes to tell stories, he likes to tell this story to scare off that youngster who are sitting on the fence, those who heard this story ridiculed him, they said he is a crazy, inventing story to scare people, some people said he is a demoniac who tells demon stories, some people said he is lazy, one day he tells a story about 24 elders, they came from one great kingdom in the east,they had been living together for many years since the first world war, had trained themselves for the great warfare in the coming Armageddon. Under the command of the captain, the Knight of Darkness, they called him the Great prophet, son in law of Duke of the Waite, they were training in the field called "Militant Cemetery".

Under the hot sun, one afternoon, one the elder called Duke 0f Cannot Bury said, I did not see any reason why the new wine can burst the old wineskin since the new wine is not fermented, they are but plain water so far I am concerned. The second elder called Duke of Dusty Serangoon said, an Indian Raja, according to our book of conduct we are not allowed to drink any wine. Duke of Cannot Bury said, indeed, but the captain said in the wartime, all the elders are allowed to drink the blood of the living if they are thirsty and they cannot find any water in the war field."

One night they ventured out into the land of "Marah," one of the elders forget to wear the uniform for sword training, the emblem of their uniform is "a hand holding a heart." The captain became very angry, he broke the horses' neck and he commanded his assistance Duke of Nargish Wind,"Take heed, as a team, me must wear the same color uniforms, take the "sword of the truth," and come here, cut off his hands because he forget to wear the uniform, I told you to wear the purple cloak, as commanded him since the day one." So the elder's hand was cut off, and throw into the river Ganges. And the elder fell backward and cry for mercy.

And the captain opened the great white "Book of Conduct." I commanded all of you this day, remember this as well, that whosoever look at any women with the lust of eyes, his eyes will be plucked out and throw them away. Likewise, whosoever speak or pray in an unknown tongue, his tongue will be cut off, and the tongue will be trodden under our feet, and whosoever listen to or entertain himself or herself with any of the contemporary songs like "Hillsong" or "Mountain song," their right and left ears will be cut off, and whosoever does not bring along the shield of "Very Perfect Perfect VPP" their heads I will cut off and the body will be thrown into the valley of Bukit Timah. And command your people under you do not go to a church in the Southern sites, because it is a devil church! All of you must interpret "The Book of Jot and Title" according to my interpretation, search all the land if there are any books other than this King's Version, you must collect them and then you burn. I will pay you with the gold shekels from Duke of Busswell. A standard will be raised to fight against those who disobey my command. All these actions are necessary, temporary for the sake of quality control, we must be united once for all, in order to have the victory in the great war to come, we must have discipline, we will cut down the Baal along the way, those who have ears, hear these commands. Arise, let go out from this land of Marah, the day is breaking" And all the elders arise in the same accord said, "Yes, Yes, Yes, we will listen and obey your command." So they blew the trumpets, and the rooster crowed the third times. Then they sang a song, "this is my father world." Happily, they walk into the darkness of the cold night, where the all armies were waiting for them. The end. Young men listen with fears and fall down one by one from the fence.

Is there a hope?

1 Corinthians Chapter 14			歌林多前书 第14章
14:18 I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:			14:18 我感谢神，我说方言比你们众人还多。

Paul explained to everyone he was speaking in tongue, he spoke more than anyone in Corinthian. But in another place in the letter to Romans, he admits he has his struggles of life.

Romans Chapter 7			罗马书 第7章
7:15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.			7:15 因为我所作的，我自己不明白。我所愿意的，我并不作。我所恨恶的，我倒去作。
7:16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that [it is] good.			7:16 若我所作的，是我所不愿意的，我就应承律法是善的。
7:17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.			7:17 既是这样，就不是我作的，乃是住在我里头的罪作的。
7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but [how] to perform that which is good I find not.			7:18 我也知道，在我里头，就是我肉体之中，没有良善。因为立志为善由得我，只是行出来由不得我。
7:19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.			7:19 故此，我所愿意的善，我反不作。我所不愿意的恶，我倒去作。
7:20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.			7:20 若我去作所不愿意作的，就不是我作的，乃是住在我里头的罪作的。
7:21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.			7:21 我觉得有个律，就是我愿意为善的时候，便有恶与我同在。
7:22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:			7:22 因为按着我里面的意思。（原文作人）我是喜欢神的律。
7:23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.			7:23 但我觉得肢体中另有个律，和我心中的律交战，把我掳去叫我附从那肢体中犯罪的律。
7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?			7:24 我真是苦阿，谁能救我脱离这取死的身体呢。
7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.			7:25 感谢神，靠着我们的主耶稣基督就能脱离了这样看来，我以内心顺服神的律。我肉身却顺服罪的律了。

Here Paul wrote to the brethren in Romans, to tell them, about his personal life in Christianity, he had a great struggle in himself, the good and evil, and he sees himself, and he said he has to depend on the Lord Jesus Christ in order he can has the victory in Christian walk. Paul did not boast about his tongue speaking talent here, he already explained that speaking in tongue is a spiritual gift, but then there is still the struggle of sin, Paul explained only the Lord Jesus Christ can free him from the bondage of living in sin. I hope those who are praying in the tongue can see themselves as Paul sees his own self, we have the struggle of good and evil. We are not better than Paul, I think. We must pursue the freedom from the law of sin, speaking in tongue is not the measuring stick of our spiritual life, it may help us, or it may sometimes edify us like Paul told the Corinthian, but we thank God through the Lord Jesus, we have the ability to live a victor life, may God help us.

Matthew Chapter 7			马太福音 第7章
7:3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?			7:3 为什么看见你弟兄眼中有刺，却不想自己眼中有梁木呢。
7:4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam [is] in thine own eye?			7:4 你自己眼中有梁木，怎能对你弟兄说，容我去掉你眼中的刺呢。
7:5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.			7:5 你这假冒为善的人，先去掉自己眼中的梁木，然后才能看得清楚，去掉你弟兄眼中的刺。

The Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ commanded his disciples not to judge, it is not good to judge, but if you judge, the measurement we use to judge other must be used on ourselves first. Before we can judge others. The Lord warned us, that we may not see our own weakness, because of our spiritual blindness. Most of the time, we presume we are better than others, MORE SPIRITUAL THAN OTHERS, we are more spiritual because our doctrine is right and better, and look down on other, but we forget we also have the same spiritual struggles like other, sometimes we are worse than an unbeliever, in our daily act and behavior, we are not living as the light and salt in the world. For examples, those who spoke in tongue like to judge those do not speak in tongue. And likewise, those who read books more will judge those who do not read as much as they would. There is division because of tongue speaking and so on. They mock each other because of what they know, they can not get together because of the head knowledge.

2Corinthians Chapter 11			歌林多后书 第11章
11:13 For such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.			11:13 那等人是假使徒，行事诡诈，装作基督使徒的模样。
11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.			11:14 这也不足为怪。因为连撒但也装作光明的天使。
11:15 Therefore [it is] no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.			11:15 所以他的差役，若装作仁义的差役，也不算希奇。他们的结局，必然照着他们的行为。

This is what I look into the mirror and I see myself, sometimes an angel of light, yes, having the head knowledge, and able to judge others, but what about my walk the Lord, as I had told you before, the glory has left me, you can see how I am living in bitterness, may God give me peace and grace, in Christ, may God pick me, I am not any capable preacher, neither a not good Christian, I cannot compare myself with Paul or any one of the full-time pastor, but I can tell you many had been greatly disturbed because of the struggle to whether to speak in tongue or not, and also the VPP perfect underlying text, both of them have caused us much pain and labors days and nights without ceasing.

Life may be full with bitterness and sadness, I had face to face with the devils and demons before and also facing the attack from them, but then sometimes in my life, in my depression and tension I roared and shouted like one of them, is there a hope to become a better Christian? Who can heal and save me from this kind of emptiness and weakness, no one, except the Lord Jesus, sometimes I feel great, sometimes I feel down. Even though, there are visions from heaven, and voices from above to us, but life did not stop there, there are times I did not take up the cross and follow Jesus Christ, did not let the old man die, and yet He lived in me. Because of living in falsehood, one will become a false apostle one day. I do not have the authority to teach you but the Bible is my authority to teach myself, may the Lord keep us from big and small errs.

Matthew Chapter 24			马太福音 第24章
24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.			24:12 只因不法的事增多，许多人的爱心，才渐渐冷淡了。
24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.			24:13 惟有忍耐到底的，必然得救。
24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.			24:14 这天国的福音，要传遍天下，对万民作见证，然后末期才来到。

The Lord told his disciples about the coming events, because of iniquity, the love of many shall wax cold, endurance is the need in order to be saved in the end, and the Gospel is to be preached in all the world, the end will come.

Lin Lao Peh and Ling Lao Peh

One day, my friend in the college, made fun of me, he is from a very conservative background, I am not as spiritual as he is. One day I was in the room, I heart someone next door is calling me, so I asked, "Who is it?" And he answered me, I heard something like either "Lin Lao Peh." or, "ling Lao Peh." That is Hokkien, but what are the differences? Until today, I still cannot understand what he meant? Lin and Ling, which is used in that sentence? Why a Christian brother answered me like that? I remember God is our Father, "Lao peh," is there another one? No, I do not think so.

The light I never forget

Many years ago, when I was serving in a church, the congregation did not believe in present signs and wonders. Since I was serving with them, I did not preach anything about signs and wonders. I did preach about how we should taking care of those with the same faith. Weekly I taught in Sunday School and preaching on Sunday.

One day, in the middle of late night, when I was sleeping in the church, a small room with my wife, suddenly I was awake, and I opened my eyes, I saw the whole room, is filled with a kind of bright light, I never saw that kind of light before, and never after that, only once in my whole life, whitening light, everything in the room was as white as snow, table, lamp, wall and bed, window, everything in a the sea of white light, like the snow covering everything in the room. I cannot see any differences among the things in the white light, they equally share the same light, and there was peace, silent peace, from looking into the light. I was happy about the presence of the unexpected light, were those shepherd also saw this light in the field late night in the Gospel? Was I in a dream? No, I was 100% awake, I was surprised, few seconds later, the light withdrew from the room, it left us, the room returned into darkness and silent, and then I awake my wife, and I asked her, did she see what I saw She said no, in my heart I had this whisper that moment, the Glory of God has left me, the night this thinking came to me, I was greedy, that is the reason, the glory has left me, why because I decided to leave the parish not long after the incident, to go to another parish, because of comfort and better paid.

Since then I did see not that kind of glory anywhere again, but sometimes at the end of my sermon in the Sunday Morning, only a very small spark bright light, came and shine on me from above, in between my finishing prayer, before the threefold amen, the small light came and goes, I am happy the present of this small sparking light, shining on, as the blessing from above, but it still withdrew from me, I hope the light will stay on me forever. But it comes when it like to, and goes when it likes to, may God forgive me because of my sinfulness, the glory of God has left me, I knew it is because I am sinning, in darkness now I left, Lord, let your face shine upon me again, I pray.

New Testament Tongue Speaking

The Apostle Paul commands church brethren, "Do not forbid speaking in tongues" (1 Cor 14:39), and that he wishes those to whom he wrote, "all spoke with tongues" (1 Cor 14:5). He further claims himself to speak with tongues more than all of the church at Corinth combined, though indicates in the church more value is found in understandable teaching so that the church may receive edifying, saying that with speaking in tongues, only the individual is edified (1 Cor 14:18-19). Paul discourages simultaneous speaking in tongues in the presence of unbelievers or the unlearned; believers are to prophesy and be understood rather than speak unintelligibly. As 1 Corinthians 14:22-25 says, "Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth, not for them that believe not, but for them which believe. If therefore the whole church come together into one place, and all speak with tongues and there come in those that are unlearned or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad? But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth." In 1 Cor 12:7-11 and 1 Cor 12:28-30 some find that Paul indicates that not all believers speak in tongues, although some state that Paul was talking about a gift of "diverse tongues", not all tongues, as the gift of "faith" is also here mentioned, and all believers must have faith by definition. There are some who believe that many followers have the ability to speak in tongues (Mark 16:16-17) as a form of prayer, based on 1 Cor 14:14, Eph 6:18 and Jude 20. Paul also refers to the prophecy of speaking in tongues written by Isaiah (Isa 28:11-12).

Glossolalia γλωσσολαλιά

Church History (A.D. 30 to 1900)

Twentieth-century Pentecostalism was not the earliest instance of "speaking in tongues" in church history; rather, there were antecedents in several centuries of the Christian era, e.g.

• 150 AD - Justin Martyr wrote "For the prophetical gifts remain with us, even to this present time." ^[2] and "Now, it is possible to see amongst us women and men who possess gifts of the Spirit of God;" ^[3]
•  
• 156-172: Montanus and the women that followed him - Maximilla and Priscilla - were speaking in tongues and were trying to prove that they were true prophets. For this purpose they used a list with prophets from the times of the New Testament. But anti-montanists declared that no prophet ever had such attitude and that Montanists were moved by the spirit of deception.^[4]
•  
• 175 AD - Irenaeus in his treatise Against Heresies speaks (positively) of those in the Church "who through the Spirit speak all kinds of languages."^[5]
•  
• circa 230 AD - Novatian said, "This is He who places prophets in the Church, instructs teachers, directs tongues, gives powers and healings, does wonderful works, often discrimination of spirits, affords powers of government, suggests counsels, and orders and arranges whatever other gifts there are of charismata; and thus make the Lord’s Church everywhere, and in all, perfected and completed." ^[6]
•  
• After the 1st, or 2nd century there is no record of "speaking in tongues" in any Eastern Orthodox source.^[7]
•  
• circa 340 AD - Hilary of Poitiers wrote, "For God hath set same in the Church, first apostles…secondly prophets…thirdly teachers…next mighty works, among which are the healing of diseases… and gifts of either speaking or interpreting divers kinds of tongues. Clearly these are the Church’s agents of ministry and work of whom the body of Christ consists; and God has ordained them." ^[8]
•  
• circa 390 AD - Augustine of Hippo, in an exposition on Psalm 32, discusses a phenomenon contemporary to his time of those who "sing in jubilation", singing the praises of God not in their own language, but in a manner that "may not be confined by the limits of syllables" ^[9].
•  
• 1100s - Franciscan order of monks.
•  
• 1100s - Hildegard of Bingen is reputed to have spoken and sung in tongues. Her spiritual songs were referred to by contemporaries as "concerts in the Spirit."
•  
• 1300s - The Moravians are referred to by detractors as having spoken in tongues. John Roche, a contemporary critic, claimed that the Moravians "commonly broke into some disconnected Jargon, which they often passed upon the vulgar, 'as the exuberant and resistless Evacuations of the Spirit'" ^[10].
•  
• 1600s - The French Prophets: The Camisards also spoke sometimes in languages that were unknown: "Several persons of both Sexes," James Du Bois of Montpellier recalled, "I have heard in their Extasies pronounce certain words, which seem'd to the Standers-by, to be some Foreign Language." These utterances were sometimes accompanied by the gift of interpretation exercised, in Du Bois' experience, by the same person who had spoken in tongues. ^[11]
•  
• 1600s - Early Quakers, such as Edward Burrough, make mention of tongues speaking in their meetings: "We spoke with new tongues, as the Lord gave us utterance, and His Spirit led us" ^[12].
•  
• 1817 - In Germany, Gustav von Below, an aristocratic officer of the Prussian Guard, and his brothers, founded a charismatic movement based on their estates in Pomerania, which may have included speaking in tongues.
•  
• 1800s - Edward Irving and the Catholic Apostolic Church. Edward Irving, a minister in the Church of Scotland, writes of a woman who would "speak at great length, and with superhuman strength, in an unknown tongue, to the great astonishment of all who heard, and to her own great edification and enjoyment in God" ^[13]. Irving further stated that "tongues are a great instrument for personal edification, however mysterious it may seem to us."
•  
• 1800s Sidney Rigdon will have disagreements with Alexander Campbell regarding speaking in tongues. In 1830 leaves Campbell's movement and joins the Church of Christ (which will become the Latter Day Saint Tradition Churches). The Church of Christ embraces speaking in Tongues and the Interpretation of tongues. At the 1836 dedication of the Kirtland Temple the dedicatory prayer asks that God grant them the gift of tongues and at the end of the service Elder Young speaks in tongues, another elder interprets it and then gives his own exhortation in tongues. Many other worship experiences in the Kirtland Temple prior to and after the dedication included references to people speaking and interpreting tongues. In 1842 in describing the beliefs of the church Joseph smith will identify a belief of the "gift of tongues" and "interpretation of tongues".

Please receive the Lord once again.

Pornography addiction is,
Smocking is,
Getting drunk is,
Proud is,
Brotherly Hatred is,
Idolatry is,
Greed is,
I am holier than thou is,
Strife is,
jealousy is,
ill temper is,
selfishness is,
divisions ..........is
Killing is,
Hatred is,
Slandering is,


DIVISIONS .........IS,
What?
Progressive
and Deadly
and .......those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God?

Can I say,
I will lift up my eyes to the hills,
from where my help comes from?
My help came from the Lord, who made the heaven and earth,
behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep,

Let's confess our sins to the Lord
LET God forgive all our sins, receive the Lord today,
we have lost in sins.
Please accept the Lord again, say the sinner's prayer again. Please.

USING YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS
By Al Baker

The apostle Paul writes, "But to each one of us grace was given, according to the measure of Christ's gift." (Ephesians 4:7)

William Farel became a true follower of Christ in the early 1520's, during the time the Reformation, under the leadership of Martin Luther, was raging like a wild-fire throughout Europe. Farel had a burning zeal to preach Christ to whomever would listen and he travelled incessantly and tirelessly throughout eastern France, Switzerland, and southern Germany preaching Christ and denouncing the Pope and the excesses of Roman Catholicism.

Farel, a bachelor until he was sixty-nine, was a short, gaunt man with an unkempt red beard who was fiery, forceful, and belligerent in his sermon delivery. He always preached extemporaneously without sermon preparation and thus none of his sermons have been handed down to us. He was a lightning rod for controversy. He would enter a town and people immediately were opposed to him. On the other hand, many admired and loved him, hanging on his every word, coming to Christ in the thousands. An observer said that one could not listen to Farel without trembling at his thunder, or listen to his fervent prayers without being almost carried to heaven. On one occasion he was attacked and beaten by a host of women who objected to his preaching against the worship of the Virgin Mary. When he entered Basel, Farel called the well known humanist, Erasmus, with whom Luther had much controversy, Balaam. Predictably Erasmus did not take kindly to his accusation and had the authorities run him out of town for sedition. When Farel entered Geneva in 1532, just as Reformation teaching was taking hold of the city, he faced a riot, was beaten, and run out of town by his adversaries.
In 1536, however, Farel was back in Geneva and heard that young John Calvin, then twenty-seven, was in town. Calvin had already made a name for himself as a writer and theologian, having recently finished the first edition of The Institutes of the Christian Religion, as well as having written a commentary on the Roman writer Seneca. Farel must see Calvin and urge him to stay and help solidify the gains the Reformation was making there. As Phillip Schaff has noted, Farel could tear down but not build up. He was a conquerer, not an organizer. He was a man of action, not a man of letters. He was an intrepid preacher, not a theologian. He felt his own defects and he knew he was not the man to establish and build the Reformation in Geneva. He needed another man of differing gifts. He must decrease and Calvin must increase. So he appealed to Calvin to stay and become a pastor and theologian, to preach regularly in the church, to build up the body of Christ.

Calvin was the very opposite of Farel, not only in temperament but also in gifts. He was quiet, withdrawn, calm, an introvert, a great thinker, a 'cutting edge' theologian. He believed he could best build the kingdom of God by retiring to a quiet place and writing his theological books. Farel persisted to appeal to Calvin, that he was needed in Geneva, and Calvin calmly and thoughtfully rebuffed him. Finally, in exasperation Farel said that if Calvin did not stay then he would pray, asking God to curse his studies. Now, admittedly this is a classic example of guilt manipulation but Calvin so feared God that he thought Farel may be heard by him. Calvin relented and became a preacher and pastor. Not one of the thousands of sermons published, nor any of Calvin's theological works were written in solitude; but each was forged on the anvil of vital, daily pastoral ministry.
May I suggest you face at least one of four problems in your life and these belie the tendency of your heart. Perhaps you are prone toward depression, drifting, pride, or fear. The root of these problems is selfishness. The kingdom of God is not about you. It is about God and others. If you are a believer, then you have spiritual gifts, and God wants you to use them for the expansion of his kingdom.
We have an epidemic of depression in our culture, and while risking the possibility of being misunderstood, I suggest this is largely due to irresponsibility, not doing what we know we ought to do. If I am a teen and I am failing in school because I am not studying, then I probably feel bad about myself, and I will want to relieve my pain. I may do so by getting hooked on internet porn, and then I spiral further into feeling bad about myself. The solution, far too often in our culture, is for the doctor to give medication without dealing with the underlying symptoms, the sins of selfishness and irresponsibility.

Then there is the tendency to drift away from the Lord. It may go like this - you stay up too late at night watching your favourite team, and thus you don't have time the next morning to spend time with God. Then things go poorly at work, you respond in an ungodly way to your boss, and you feel further away from God. Before long you are finding excuses for not attending public worship, you are not leading your family spiritually, and you are tempted to go after another woman in the office.
Then there is the tendency toward pride. Looking back at my life, after graduation from Seminary, I now see how much pride was controlling my life. I really thought I was something special and it took about ten years of very painful failures in ministry for God to crush me, to break the back of my sinful pride. I am not suggesting that I still don't battle it (just ask my wife) but I am far more sanctified in this area than I was.

And then most men, myself included, battle the sin of fear. We are afraid of being found out, of losing what we have. We so much want to impress our colleagues that we must make the best presentation of our group. We must appear to really grasp the issues at hand in the business meeting. We must be able to contribute significantly to the long range planning session. And then as you move up the corporate ladder, the stakes get higher. You are making more money than you ever dreamed possible. You have new obligations, new toys, a new life-style to feed, and you fear losing it. I liken it to a treadmill. At first, the treadmill is moving along at a fifteen minute per mile pace with no incline, and you feel comfortable. But then the pace quickens to twelve minutes, then eight minutes, all the while the incline is more pronounced. By the time you have been at it for twenty-five or thirty years you fear that you cannot keep up, that you are going to fail, that you are going to lose it all.
My dear friends, when you are depressed, drifting, prideful, or fearful may I say you are looking at yourself. You have gifts which God expects you to use for his kingdom, and that may mean making money, being an example to others of godly leadership, of teaching others how to live with disappointment. Use your gifts for his kingdom and others. It's not about you.

Banner of Truth

http://www.gracebpc.org.sg/weekly/Apr%202008/0413/gwa.htm

What We Believe

Lutherans are a part of the true, holy, universal, evangelical church established by Jesus Christ. They follow the Christian faith revealed in the Bible and first summarized in the Apostle's Creed.
Lutherans believe in one God, who has revealed himself to men in three ways. These three ways are known as the three Persons of God or the Holy Trinity. Lutherans believe in God the Father, who created and sustains everything that exists. They believe in God the Son, who came to earth as Jesus Christ to atone for the sins of mankind. They believe in God the Holy Spirit, God at work in the lives of men.

Lutherans teach that the Holy Bible, including both the Old and New Testaments, are the inspired Word of God, containing the record of God’s complete revelation to mankind. They look upon Jesus Christ as the climax of that revelation and as the living Word of God.

Lutherans hold to the three ecumenical (general) creeds accepted throughout the entire Christian Church. These are the Apostles’ Creed (so called because it is based on what the Apostles believed and taught) the Nicene Creed (named for the Council of Nicaea, held in 325, to emphasize the belief in the dual nature of Jesus Christ as both the true God and true man); and the Athanasian Creed (a more detailed statement dating from the 6th Century).

Lutherans believe that God the Father created mankind and all that exists. God gave and still preserves life, which could not continue without his willing it. Man is the highest creature of God. In creating man "in his own image" God gave him the freedom to obey or to disobey, to do good or to do evil. Man's sin and tragedy lie in his resultant disobedience to God. But God has never abandoned his creation because of its sinfulness. He has shared man's tragedy by sending his Son to die on the Cross because he is a God of love.

In Jesus Christ, God revealed himself as a Savior, atoning for man's sin by his own suffering and death. By his resurrection from the dead, Jesus showed his power to conquer sin and death for us. Through faith in him, a new life can begin within us an everlasting life.
This new life in Christ is nourished by God's Word and by the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion. Through the Word and sacraments, the Holy Spirit stirs people to understand God's will better and to live in obedience to it.

Lutherans believe it is God's will that the universe will be judged and brought to the fulfillment of His divine plan. Those who are and who remain His children through baptismal rebirth will share eternal life with Him.

Sarcasm

Sarcasm Seen as Evolutionary Survival Skill

Meredith F. Small
LiveScience's Human Nature Columnist
LiveScience.com 1 hour, 1 minute ago

Humans are fundamentally social animals. Our social nature means that we interact with each other in positive, friendly ways, and it also means we know how to manipulate others in a very negative way.

Neurophysiologist Katherine Rankin at the University of California, San Francisco, has also recently discovered that sarcasm, which is both positively funny and negatively nasty, plays an important part in human social interaction.

So what?

I mean really, who cares? Oh for God's sake. Don't you have anything better to do that read this column?

According to Dr. Rankin, if you didn't get the sarcastic tone of the previous sentences you must have some damage to your parahippocampal gyrus which is located in the right brain. People with dementia, or head injuries in that area, often loose the ability to pick up on sarcasm, and so they don't respond in a socially appropriate ways.

Presumably, this is a pathology, which in turn suggests that sarcasm is part of human nature and probably an evolutionarily good thing.

How might something so, well, sarcastic as sarcasm, be part of the human social toolbox?
Evolutionary biologists claim that sociality is what has made humans such a successful species. We are masters at what anthropologists and others call "social intelligence." We recognize and keep track of hundreds of relationships, and we easily distinguish between enemies and friends.

More important, we run our lives by social calculation. A favor is mentally recorded and paid back, sometimes many years later. Likewise, insults are marked down on the mental score card in indelible ink. And we are constantly bickering and making up, even with people we love.

Sarcasm, then, is a verbal hammer that connects people in both a negative and positive way. We know that sense of humor is important to relationships; if someone doesn't get your jokes, they aren't likely to be your friend (or at least that's my bottom line about friendship). Sarcasm is simply humor's dark side, and it would be just as disconcerting if a friend didn't get your snide remarks.

It's also easy to imagine how sarcasm might be selected over time as evolutionarily crucial. Imagine two ancient humans running across the savannah with a hungry lion in pursuit. One guy says to the other, "Are we having fun yet?" and the other just looks blank and stops to figure out what in the world his pal meant by that remark. End of friendship, end of one guy's contribution to the future of the human gene pool.

Fast forward a few million years and the network of human relationships is wider and more complex, and just as important to survival. The corporate chairman throws out a sarcastic remark and those who "get" it laugh, smile, and gain favor. In the same way, if the chair never makes a remark, sarcastic people are making them behind his or her back, forming a clique by their mutually negative, but funny, comments. Either way, sarcasm plays a role in making and breaking alliances and friendship.

Thanks goodness, because life without out sarcasm would be a dull and way too nice place to be, if you ask me.

• Video: Humor and the Sexes
• Top 10 Mysteries of the Mind
• Emotional Wiring Different in Women and Men

Meredith F. Small is an anthropologist at Cornell University. She is also the author of "Our Babies, Ourselves; How Biology and Culture Shape the Way We Parent" (link) and "The Culture of Our Discontent; Beyond the Medical Model of Mental Illness" (link).

• Original Story: Sarcasm Seen as Evolutionary Survival Skill

Visit LiveScience.com for more daily news, views and scientific inquiry with an original, provocative point of view. LiveScience reports amazing, real world breakthroughs, made simple and stimulating for people on the go. Check out our collection of Science, Animal and Dinosaur Pictures, Science Videos, Hot Topics, Trivia, Top 10s, Voting, Amazing Images, Reader Favorites, and more. Get cool gadgets at the new LiveScience Store, sign up for our free daily email newsletter and check out our RSS feeds today!