MARCH WRAP AROUNDS #3-2001: REVELATIONS-End Time Revelations-Don Love Ministries-doweknow studies Revelation, Rapture, Tribulation, End-time beast, etc.

TO OUR VISITORS:

Because of our tardiness in answering Kathy, she has E-mailed me twice with similar questions.

Kathy Wrote:

WRAP 1:

Accepting Christ as your Savior and recieving the baptism of the Holy Spirit, are they two seperate experiences?

WRAP 2:

Just wondering if you could answer something for me..... Is accepting Christ and being filled with the spirit two different experiences?

Thank you,
Kathy

Don & B'Ann Wrote:

Hello Kathy,

Forgive our tardiness. You have brought forth some good questions that need to be addressed by the church.

In answering your questions, let us first suggest a Bible study. Click on the link to our Bible study aids on our home page and choose the BIBLE GATEWAY button. Search for the terms "Holy Spirit," "Holy Ghost," and "Spirit." As you examine the Scriptures, note expressions like came on them, body is the temple of, sealed with, born of, filled with, full of, given, fell on, poured out, walking in, communion of, etc. Note as you do that all such verses have to do with the Holy Ghost (or the Holy Spirit, as He is also called), and the individual believer. Then do the same search for the word "baptize"; and as you do, note that when the word baptized is used in conjunction with the Spirit, it is in reference to the Body of believers, not the individuals that make up the body. Paul brings forth the precedent for this in his first letter to the Corinthians.

I Corinthians 10:1-4
Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

John the Baptist prophesied the Baptism of the New Testament Church.

Mt. 3:11
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you [i.e., John's disciples, the future disciples of Jesus—a representative type of all disciples of Jesus] with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: (cf. Mk. 1:8; Lk. 3:16; Jn 1:33)

In the first chapter of Acts, we have the account of where, after His resurrection, Jesus again reminded them that he would Baptize His Church with the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:5
For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

The actual event of the establishment of the Body of Christ and its official baptism is recorded for us in Acts 2.

Acts 2:1-4
And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Then in Acts chapter 11—the account of the Lord reminding Peter that the Gentiles were also to be a part of the New Testament Church—we read where Peter recalled the Lord's telling the disciples of the Baptism of the Church.

Remember, at its inception, the Church was baptized by the Holy Spirit and given a special gift of tongues wherein everyone looking on at the wonders heard the disciples speaking in their own language. Here in Acts 11, when Peter is presenting the plan of salvation to the Gentiles, a similar thing happened as the Gentiles were being baptized into the Body of Christ. This was done as a sign to Peter, reminding him that God had planned for the Gentiles to be included in the New Testament Church.

Doctrinally, the Apostle Paul explains the Baptism of the Holy Ghost thusly:

I Cor. 12:13
For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether [we be] Jews or Gentiles, whether [we be] bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

Then in his epistle to the Ephesians, Paul stresses that there is only one such baptism.

Eph 4:4-7
[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.

It should be noted that the confusion associated with the Baptism of the Holy Ghost came into the church with the teaching that to be "saved," one had to receive the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. Those of this persuasion contend that true salvation will always be evidenced by the speaking of tongues. Consequently, most who embrace this teaching feel that tongues is the "greatest gift"; for with out it, according to their doctrine, one cannot be "saved." But to give this "gift" such preeminence does not agree with the teachings of the Apostle Paul, "And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these [is] charity" (I Cor. 13:13); nor does it agree with the teachings of Jesus, for He said that we would know them by their fruits (Mt. 7:16). He never said that we would know them by their gifts. Gifts can be faked for a season but the manifestations of the fruits are quite different. The fruits of the Spirit have to be lived, consistently and steadfast, in the face of an adversity that lasts long enough for the "shallow person" to fall by the wayside. The person with the fake gifts will grow weary in well-doing.

The denominations (divisions of the church) that teach this Holy Ghost predominance go forth under the banner of the "Holy Ghost"—the name of Jesus having a secondary position. Their stance has several Scriptural errors.

They are in Scriptural error because they do not perceive that the Baptism of the Holy Ghost / Holy Spirit is for the Church / the Body of Christ and not for the individual believers per se. The Church universal was baptized of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost, a sign of its ordination / conception. The individual believers down through the age enter into this baptism in that are "baptized" of the Spirit into the Baptized body of Christ when they receive Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior. There is no set doctrine or Biblical example of a particular way or experience associated with the receiving of Christ as Lord and Savior. The wisdom in this is apparent: i.e., we are to know one another by the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT and not some outward manifestation of a gift, which may or may not be real!
They are in Scriptural error because they do not understand that the gifts of the Holy Ghost are to glorify Christ, not the Holy Spirit, and that the gifts of tongues is given as the Holy Spirit decides and to whom He decides.

Heb. 2:3-4 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard [him]; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?
I Cor. 12:30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?

So, just as all believers are not automatically given the gift of preaching (and the subsequent call), or the gift of healing, etc., neither are they automatically given the manifestation of tongues. (True, we are to covet the best gifts--what ever they are [I Cor. 12:31], but I'm satisfied that the reasons/motives for our coveting will determine what gifts the Holy Spirit will give.)
They are in Scriptural error with their whole concept of "Holy Ghost Revivals" because gathering together for demonstrative, soulical experiences does not "revive" the spirit of the believer. True, these individuals may "feel" revived in the heat of the moment during their services; but if this is their only source of revival, then the following week will find them powerless and fruitless. And this is true of any other segment of the church that does not point its members to the Word of God for a daily cleansing and reviving.

The enemy's reason for all of this "Holy Ghost" emphasis is to put / keep the individual church members under the beggarly elements of the law, for the common factor in the denominations that embrace these errors is the fear and torment of never knowing if one is "saved" or not. This is because the shepherds of these flocks teach that to keep one's salvation, one must behave in certain ways. Of course, these certain ways vary with each "shepherd" in control of the flocks. (If you'll go to our online book MARK THEM, you'll find more of our thoughts on this subject.) Let us sum up here by saying that according to our understanding of the Scriptures, yes, there are major difference between "the baptism of the Holy Ghost / Holy Spirit," "accepting Christ as Lord and Savior," and "being filled with the Spirit." As we've already said, to us:

the baptism of the Holy Ghost / Holy Spirit is for the Church body overall. (This baptism is not to be confused with the "believer's baptism" which is a symbolic act depicting one's entering into the baptism of the Spirit [Acts 2 cf. Eph. 4:1-5].)

When one is saved, he or she enters into this baptism of the Holy Ghost. This is expressed in several ways in the Bible: i.e., being "born again," being "converted," receiving Christ as Lord and Savior, etc.

The Spirit is given to each of us to "profit withal."

I Cor. 12:5-7
And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

(Terms like: came on them, body is the temple of, sealed with, born of, filled with, full of, given, fell on, poured out, walking in, communion of, etc. are terms that reflect the Spirit's part in the walk of the believer.)

In Old Testament times and during the transition time before Christ's death on the cross, the Holy Spirit always came upon…, fell on…, overshadowed the believers, etc.—in essence an outside to inward experience. In the New Testament Day, the Holy Spirit dwells in the believer and manifests from the inside to the outward. Many teachers / seekerstoday are still trying to go back under the law and have the Spirit fall on them occasionally. Consequently, rather than presenting the Holy Spirit as the Paraclete (i.e., the ever-present Comforter who indwells the believers, empowering them to be consistent in their walk on a day-by-day basis), they put their members under the beggarly elements of somebody's law (Gal. 4:9). But since our body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost (I Cor. 6:19), and since He will abide with us forever (Jn. 14:16)--then we have the Giver of the Gifts who will impart them to us when / if they are needed. If you will keep these distinctions in mind, you will find they will help the Scriptures dealing with the Holy Spirit fall into place. Also, if you find yourself in a position where you sense that another is trying to "keep you in subjection" by his or her use of the Word, remember—

II Cor. 3:17
Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord [is], there [is] liberty.

John 8:31-32
Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, [then] are ye my disciples indeed;
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

We were not commanded to believe on the name of the Holy Spirit but rather the Name of Jesus. Since the Holy Spirit always gives glory to Christ, the order of true salvation is seeking Christ first and then trusting / obeying the indwelling Spirit (a gift Himself) to bring forth the Gifts of the Spirit to the glory of Christ Jesus.

Remember, Jesus said:

Luke 12:11-12
And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and [unto] magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say:
For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.

This is the "potential (possible/available) energy" that is given in the finished package of salvation to all who accept Christ as Savior. It will become "kinetic (usable) energy" when needed and will be as a "dynamo" which is another meaning of the word used for the Holy Spirit.

Go about your day in much peace. Thanks for taking the time to WRAP with us.

Don & Ann

Our cyber-buddy Marc has sent us another one of his finds on the web. A lot of truth to this, but let's also hear what B'Ann has to say.

March 20, 2001

A recent Reuters report declared, "More Americans Having Gay Sex, Study Shows." The article stated, "Positive media images of gay life - like hit TV shows 'Ellen' and 'Will and Grace' - may be helping spur an increase in gay sexual activity among Americans, a new study suggests. A national survey has found the percentage of US women who say they recently had gay sex has increased 15-fold from 1988 to 1998, with rates among American men doubling over the same period."

There is no "may be" about it: America has become a breeding ground for aberrant sexual behavior. Homosexuality currently enjoys social acceptance not seen since the days of Sodom and Gomorrah, or Pompeii. And there is nothing on the horizon that suggests that the trend will deescalate anytime soon.

The current generation of school children is being taught that sexual perversion is normal, even healthy. Sodomy is not only acceptable; it is fashionable. Many health "experts" today promote lesbianism as a means of preventing unwed motherhood and teen pregnancy. They even suggest that lesbian sex protects girls from acquiring Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD 's). Sex educators today promote the concept that homosexuals are born that way and, therefore, the only way one can know for sure if they are gay or not is to experiment with homosexuality.

Even our "conservative" Republican President has given an openly gay activist a White House office. And rather than returning our military to the pre-Clinton policies (policies that had been in place since George Washington was Commander in Chief of our armed forces) that excluded sodomites from military service, President Bush just last week declared that his administration would "crack down" on homosexual "harassment" in the services.

It is also more than interesting that the man whom Bush selected to be our ambassador to Canada is a man who superintended over one of America's most liberal sex education programs, Massachusetts Governor, Paul Cellucci. Under Cellucci's leadership, the state sex education program actually taught 14-year old children how to engage in homosexual sex. But by today's standards of tolerance and diversity, this is hardly considered inappropriate, even by "conservatives."

Adding to the politically correct acceptance of homosexuality is the fact that many governmental agencies and major corporations offer insurance benefits to these same-sex fornicators, thereby giving them the cultural approbation that heretofore had been reserved for married couples. It is also common for courts to routinely grant child custody to homosexuals. And even many mainline Protestant churches perform same-sex "union" ceremonies, trying to give the appearance of divine acceptance.

However, if history teaches us anything, it teaches us that any nation or society that fully embraces aberrant sexual behavior has entered its final days of existence. From the Canaanites to the Roman Empire, every culture that openly accepted homosexuality has been destroyed. The United States will not be the exception.

America will not be preserved by tax cuts or lower interest rates, but by a national recommitment to the great moral principles given by God. In the final analysis, America will be judged not by her politics or commercial enterprise, but by her faith and fidelity.

B'Ann Wrote:

When you say America, you must not always focus on what you consider to be a "zit" on the face of the Statue of Liberty-- as if that "zit" was all it has. What about the rest of the beautiful face that has no blemish? Does it not far outweigh the unsightly pimple? You are focusing upon the negative. There are millions of Americans that have sex with just one partner, and most of the time that partner is of the other sex. Don't be like Chicken Little and lump all Americans in the same sexual basket. Yes, the sky is falling upon groups of people that practice unsafe sex. But it has also fallen upon millions that are starving? The analogy being that because some are starving, would this mean that all are starving. We hear about a murder but how many still live, unmolested. We need to take our eyes off of what we consider unsightly, stop giving it constant and prime time news coverage, and start to focus on more positive aspects of our nation. They are there!

We of the church give what we consider to be the works of Satan more publicity than the rest of the world put together! The time spent deriding him from the pulpit should be used to teach Scriptures about Jesus instead. After all, the average person spends only 30 minutes on Sunday morning listening to sermons, maybe 30 minutes on Sunday night, and perchance 30 minutes on Wednesday night. This hour and a half spent in church often consists of a social gospel that might have two or three Scriptures tossed in to flavor the ideology being presented. Often what comes from the pulpits is a recap of the nightly news that has bombarded us all week. So, Jesus gets about 5 minutes for His Scriptures and the works of darkness get recounted for the remaining 25 minutes of the message. How clever the work of Satan! We really do need to get back to this passage:

Phil. 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Don Wrote:

Let me echo B'Ann's sentiments. It is good to be aware of what the enemy is doing; but wouldn't it be better to hear some good words about what the Church is doing?

An analogy that might apply here would be that of someone who has just been diagnosed with cancer. That the doctors were able to recognize the symptoms is great. However, if after their original diagnosis, all they do is continue to examine the symptoms and somberly declare that they are worsening from day to day, they are of no benefit to the patient. The patient would simply go from shock to panic and despair. A good doctor will explain the problem to the patient and maybe go into details of what brought on the cancer. But in reality, what caused the cancer is of little importance to the patient at this time, except, maybe, to prevent another such cancer. What the patient wants to hear is what can be done in the way of a cure--and, perhaps, some possible new cures that are in the testing.

Now let's apply our analogy to the evil doings around us. If we continually harp on the evil, then we are only adding to the problem by bringing forth depression and despair. Think about it--it is the job of the church to present the cure. It is correct to say that the evil deeds that blight our world are the product of an unrestrained fallen nature within man. But that is not enough. The world needs to see the cure: i.e, they need to see Jesus in the ones who are called to bear His name. Remember, Jesus told the early disciples that He, through them, would build His Church, and that the gates of hell would not prevail against it. If this is the case, then why is evil taking the limelight away from the Church? It is not because Satan is prevailing for there has to be a conflict before one side can prevail over the other. What we're seeing is the powers of darkness winning by default. The Church, for the most part, has simply laid down its weapon and given the devil an unobstructed path. It is now turning its energies to the things of the world; and many of its leaders have taken up the prosperity message and are going with the flow. Nevertheless, until Jesus returns and takes the Great Commission away from the Church, it is still the only light to the world. Indeed, the sin of the world now lies at its doorsteps; for it alone has the only cure for the sin in the world. Consider the following promise of God.

II Chronicles. 7:14
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Note that He did not say that if the sinners would pray that He would heal the land, but those who are called by His name. Church, we don't have to stand for the way things are going. We can pray. We can study God's Word to show ourselves approve to Him; and we can pray. And we can do so knowing that He will hear us for that is His will--that is His command.

PRAY THAT THE MINISTERS WILL RETURN TO THE SIMPLE MESSAGE THAT CAN SAVE THE WORLD: I.E. JESUS CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED.
PRAY THAT THE BELIEVERS WILL UNDERSTAND THAT IF THEY PUT THE KINGDOM OF GOD FIRST, THAT ALL THEY NEED WILL BE ADDED UNTO THEM.
PRAY THAT THE CHURCH WILL PERCEIVE THE BREVITY OF THEIR LIFE SPAN AND THE PLIGHT OF THE LOST AROUND THEM. LET THE CHURCH FIRST PERCEIVE THE REALITY OF HELL THAT THEY MIGHT BECOME SINCERE ABOUT THE LOST STATE OF THOSE AROUND THEM
AND ABOVE ALL, LET THE BELIEVER UNDERSTAND THAT THE SALVATION AND WELFARE OF OTHERS IS NOT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF "THE CHURCH-THE ORGANIZATIONS," BUT HIS/HER RESPONSIBILITY--FOR GOD DID NOT CALL AN ORGANIZATION, BUT INDIVIDUALS TO LOVE THEIR NEIGHBORS AND TO SHARE THEIR LOVE FOR CHRIST WITH THOSE IN THEIR CIRCLE OF INFLUENCE.

The words to a song come to mind at this time: "Let there be peace on earth and let it begin in me." We might paraphrase the words of this song to apply to today's Church: "Let there be a revival and let it begin with me."