Trials; March 8, 2023

Posted on March 9, 2023 by jgarrott

Numbers 14:11 The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them?”

Since God is omniscient this was a rhetorical question, but it was an important one to put to Moses and have recorded. It is amazing at times what short memories we have for God’s blessings and how long we cling to memories of hurts and difficulties. We really aren’t so different from these Israelites! Since it wasn’t written until thousands of years after this event it was out of the question, but the Israelites would have greatly benefited from the hymn, Count Your Blessings. However, we do have that hymn, not to mention the whole Bible, available to us. The devil hates faith and does all he can to discourage it, so we need to submit to God and resist the devil, just as James admonished us to do. (James 4:7) That very much includes choosing to trust, choosing to believe. Frankly, sometimes that’s hard. Sometimes the problems in front of us seem like an insurmountable mountain range, not even a single mountain. However, in retrospect all of that will seem like the wrinkles in the road that they really are, from God’s perspective. As Paul so perceptively put it, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17) (I quote that a lot!) We are constantly searching for “the easy way out,” when God, being more interested in our character than our comfort, is trying to grow and strengthen us by teaching us to overcome all these obstacles. As Hebrews so incisively puts it, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:11) We need to learn to thank God for our trials. If we do, we will discover a peace and joy that will amaze us, not to mention the people around us, and they will want to know how we have such hope. (1 Peter 3:15)

Of course I’m talking to myself here. I’ve come further along this road than many, for which I’m grateful, but just like Paul, I can’t say I’m all the way there yet. However, I have definitely learned that grumbling, not just to others but particularly within myself, hurts me more than whatever the trial might be. I wish that knowledge kept me from doing it! I need always to remember that Jesus assured us that in this world we would have trouble, but in that same verse He promised us peace and victory. (John 16:33) I am very aware that apart from the devil I am my own worst enemy. The devil hates me, but he has power over me only as I yield to him. I need to follow James’ instructions to the letter, focusing on submitting to God so that resisting the devil will come almost automatically. (I do say almost, because my will is always involved.) I have seen even great saints fall into the devil’s traps, and I have no desire to be in that number. I need to focus on my Lord in gratitude, praise, and obedience, whatever is going on around me.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the good report yesterday when I went back to the surgeon who operated on my wrist. Thank You that it does continue to improve, with greater mobility and less pain. Thank You for this lesson in “pushing through to gain the victory.” May I not just apply that to physical issues but to everything, so that You may be glorified as Your will is accomplished in my life. Praise God!

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Humility; March 7, 2023

Posted on March 8, 2023 by jgarrott

Numbers 12:1-2 Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” And the Lord heard this.

As I tell people frequently, one of the many things I love about the Bible is that it doesn’t dress people up, even the “heroes,” but presents them “warts and all,” as Cromwell famously said. One thing that jumps out to me about this passage is that the Bible isn’t against interracial marriage, but rather against interfaith marriage. Cush was in the area of modern Sudan, so the woman was obviously Black. However, she had evidently chosen to cast her lot with the Israelites and follow their God. Actually, there is only one human race, regardless of how much melanin or other physical markers we might have. Otherwise we couldn’t “cross-breed,” so to speak. Be that as it may, we are all prone to pick on unimportant details, and Miriam picked on this one to focus her jealousy against her brother, pulling Aaron into her vendetta. (Since the punishment specifically fell on Miriam, she was obviously the ringleader here.) Jealousy is a nasty thing, and it causes all sorts of damage. From this story it is evident that Miriam and Aaron did at least occasionally hear directly from the Lord, because they went to the Tent of Meeting (verse 4) and then came out to stand before the Lord (verse 5). That said, occasionally hearing isn’t the same as walking in the level of fellowship Moses practiced, as the Lord Himself made clear. However, jealousy blinded Miriam and Aaron and put them in a very dangerous place. As Paul much later commented, “When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.” (2 Corinthians 10:12) Jealousy and entitlement are rooted in self-centered­ness, and that never leads to anything good. The parenthetical note in verse 3 about Moses’ humility is very interesting. It seems likely that it was added by a later editor, rather than having been written by Moses himself, but it’s actually very appropriate. Moses recognized the reality that he had a special relationship with the Lord, but he didn’t let that puff him up personally. I think he was very aware of his own human failings and weaknesses, and on that basis he depended on God. That is an example we all need to emulate.

As I write frequently, I have certainly struggled with pride. However, humility doesn’t mean denying reality. It is an amusing story, but one time my parents were in a car with my grandmother, and my father, driving, was talking about his struggles with conceit. His mother chimed in with, “Why Max, there’s a difference between conceit and recognizing the truth.” My mother laughed to tell that story because she was very aware of my father’s weaknesses, but there was wisdom in what my grandmother said even so. Humility doesn’t mean we deny the gifts God has given us, it means recognizing those gifts are meaningless without the One who gave them to us, and that He has gifted everyone else too, even though their gifts are different from ours. When we look at ourselves soberly, as I quoted a few days ago Paul telling us to do, (Romans 12:3) then we will both recognize God’s gifts and apply them as He intends, for His glory.

Father, You’ve spoken a variety of things to me this morning. You have indeed blessed me incredibly. Some people have been jealous, and some have simply despised me. Help me relate to each one as You desire and intend, expressing Your grace and mercy as You have extended it to me, so that You alone may be glorified. Thank You. Praise God!

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A Kingdom of Priests; March 6, 2023

Posted on March 7, 2023 by jgarrott

Exodus 19:5-6 “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”

This passage is the basis for Peter’s famous statement that we have used as the Verse for the Year in this church in the past: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9) It is significant that the Lord here points out that the whole earth belongs to Him, so calling the Israelites “a kingdom of priests” indicates that they are to be mediators between God and the rest of mankind, because that is the function of priests. The physical descendants of Abraham didn’t seem to get that message very clearly, and frankly, it seems the majority of Christians don’t have a firm grasp on it either. Peter’s expansion of this passage should make it perfectly clear that those who belong to God in this way are to be proclaiming Him to all those who are not yet in that category. That’s a major reason for Him giving us His Spirit, so that we may be His witnesses to those who do not yet know Him. (Acts 1:8) Like the Israelites, we tend to rejoice that God has chosen us, and essentially forget about everyone else. That is a sad misunderstanding of the heart of God.

I can never forget that the way God confirmed to me that He had indeed baptized me in His Spirit, according to His promise, was when I realized that I was talking to a total stranger about Jesus. I am a Teacher, not an Evangelist, but that doesn’t mean I’m not to be sharing Christ with those who don’t yet know Him. He didn’t save me just for me to feel good about myself and give me a “ticket to heaven,” He saved me to use me in drawing others to Him as well. My particular gifting makes me more proficient at training those who have already acknowledged Jesus as Lord, but I’m never to draw back from opportunities the Lord gives me to share Him with anyone at all, whether they have ever even heard of Him or not. And of course, as a priest I am to be interceding for others. That’s what being a mediator is all about. If I forget that I will be missing a vital part of God’s purposes for me.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the not-yet-Christian who came to the service yesterday. Thank You for the relationship You have grown between him and me, and for how You continue to develop it. I pray that Your Spirit would continue to work in Him, giving him both faith and the courage to act on it, so that he too may be added to Your family, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Being Still; March 5, 2023

Posted on March 6, 2023 by jgarrott

Exodus 14:14 “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

I can’t read this verse without thinking of the musical setting Evie Karlsson put it to, which I have translated into Japanese. It is a very simple and powerful message. Sometimes the Lord does ask considerable activity from us; this is no excuse to be lazy. However, it is a reminder that the solutions and power come from God. Sometimes His victories come through our sacrifices. Revelation famously tells us, “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.” (Revelation 12:11) From a worldly standpoint martyrdom is defeat, but from the viewpoint of eternity in heaven, it is a glorious victory. It’s all a matter of perspective. When we are focused on the here and now, on our physical comfort and pleasure, we miss out on what is really important. It is interesting that where the English says “be still” in this verse, the Japanese says, “be silent.” Both, I think, are important. We’re to stop thrashing around in our own strength, and we are also to stop yelling about it. We can be very proficient at complaining! The same thing may be said of worship. Sometimes dancing before the Lord, praising Him with loud voices, is entirely appropriate, but sometimes the silence of deep reverence is called for, even being prostrate before Him. Revelation tells us both exist in heaven! The point is, when our voices are raised it should be in praise and thanksgiving, and not in complaining and fear.

All of this fits perfectly with two times the Lord has spoken to me, once in what seemed to be an audible voice and once in a strong impression in my heart and mind. As I have shared before, the audible voice experience was when I had been beseeching him nonstop to speak to me, to tell me what I should do, and when I paused for breath He told me, “Well then, shut up.” I indeed did, in great shock, but then I had to laugh at myself. I had been too busy asking for something to be able to receive it. The second experience didn’t seem like an audible voice, but it was no less clear. As is most common for me, my morning devotions developed into a Sunday message, and the message was, “Rest. Relax. Rejoice.” I don’t remember what Scripture was involved, but that’s another way of expressing what this verse says. I’m not to be lazy, but I’m never to think that I’ve got to make anything happen. My job is to cooperate with what God is doing, and often that just means getting out of His way. My strength and wisdom are totally insignificant compared to His, and I should be very glad of that! He has given us a humanly impossible vision of this city again being the foremost Christian city in the nation. Since I can’t make it happen, I’m to rest, relax, and rejoice as He makes it happen, perhaps even using me in the process.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all of Your marvelous plans, and for including me in some of them. May I cooperate fully, not getting in Your way, so that Your will may be accomplished on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Faith vs. Sight; March 4, 2023

Posted on March 5, 2023 by jgarrott

Exodus 4:30-31 He also performed the signs before the people, and they believed.

God knows our weakness and meets us where we are. As I mentioned a few days ago, Abram had no theological foundation for his faith, and his descendants at this point weren’t much better. God gave Moses supernatural signs to show the people and stimulate their faith, and it worked. However, Jesus’ statement to Thomas comes to mind: “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29) And as Paul said a few years after that, “We live by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7) We are to rejoice when God gives us visible signs of His reality, His presence, but we aren’t to demand them or depend on them. As it famously says in Hebrews, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1) Stage magicians make a living with illusions. Depending on what our senses tell us results in the same end as all the physical things we’re looking at, which is destruction. Like the father of the epileptic boy, we cry out, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24) However, God does give faith to those who seek Him, above and beyond any “signs and wonders.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) Accepting and walking in that faith is the path of salvation, peace, and joy.

I was raised in an environment of faith, and I am deeply grateful. Personally, I have seen some pretty remarkable things, including instantaneous healings, and I have had some times of intense fellowship with my Lord in which I was more sure that He was real than that I was. That said, as grateful as I am for those things, I am not to let my faith depend on them. God is still real even in what has been called “the dark night of the soul,” when everything seems bleak and God nowhere around. If I weren’t convinced of that, I would have far less reason to try to convince anyone else to trust Him. He has shown Himself faithful to me so many times that I would be totally ungrateful if I were not to share Him with those around me. And I have found that the more I share, the more I articulate my faith, the stronger and deeper it grows. As came up two days ago, in that way faith is very much like love. And just as love is delightful, so faith in our absolutely worthy Lord and Savior is the most delightful thing this side of heaven, at which point, as the hymn, It Is Well With My Soul puts it, our faith becomes sight.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the incredible gift of faith. May I receive it ever more fully, sharing and exercising it so that it will continue to grow, fulfilling all of Your purposes for me for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Trusting God; March 3, 3032

Posted on March 4, 2023 by jgarrott

Exodus 4:11-12 The Lord said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”

God has said this sort of thing to many people down through the centuries, and many have reacted as Moses did. Moses was worried about whether the people would believe him, but the bigger issue was whether he believed God, and at this point his faith was quite shallow. It’s interesting that this degree of weakness in Moses is recorded, since he was the one who wrote it! There were later editors, certainly, but modern computer analysis shows that yes, the Pentateuch (the first 5 books of the Bible) were written by one person, and there’s no better candidate than Moses himself. Raised in the court of Pharoah, he would have been one of the very few literate people in the whole group of Israelites. That said, the fact that he did record it shows that he got past what his problem was right here: being focused on himself and his own abilities, or lack thereof. We all struggle with that at times. That really is what faith is all about. Of course, the flip side of that, conceit, is also an issue. We need to do as Paul said: “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.” (Romans 12:3) The answer to both issues is looking to our Creator and trusting that He can do anything at all through us, but we can do nothing without Him, just as Jesus reminded us. (John 15:5) I’ve completely lost track of how many people I’ve heard say, “God could never use me to do that.” That is cutting yourself out of the flow of God’s grace and power. God expressly told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) Like Paul, then, we should rejoice in our weaknesses so that God’s power may be demonstrated through us. Moses hadn’t learned that lesson yet! God’s promise to help him speak and teach him what to say should have given him great joy and boldness, but his heart, his faith, was still stiff and small. We can identify with that! However, just as God “fixed” Moses’ faith, He can deal with ours as well, if we will allow Him to do so.

As I have written many times before, the conceit side of this equation has been the bigger problem for me. I was blessed to be raised by parents who never said, or even implied, that anything was beyond me if I would apply myself, but I ended up being able to do so many things that I thought it was me, rather than God working through me in grace. I felt entitled to success! Failing two courses my freshman year in college was a much-needed wakeup call. However, it wasn’t until the Lord gave me an unvarnished look at myself, at 24, that my perspective really started to straighten out. Even at 74 I can’t say that I see things with full accuracy, but as Paul said, “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12) I’m never to give up on myself, but that has got to be because I’m trusting in God’s grace, not on my own ability. As I tell people frequently, we can’t draw a single breath apart from the gracious support of our Creator. However, if I am properly in tune with Him, He will indeed put words in my mouth just as He did with Moses.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me rejoice in my dependence on You and not go running off or spouting off on my own, so that all of Your purposes for me may be fulfilled on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Faith; March 2, 2023

Posted on March 3, 2023 by jgarrott

Genesis 15:6 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

As Paul realized, this is one of the most important verses in the Old Testament. Long before the Law was given through Moses, the Lord sought faith, and found it in Abram. Abram’s “theology” could hardly have been very developed, but he trusted that this Being who spoke to him through his mind, his imagination if you will, was real and not just a hallucination, and that He was to be trusted. These days we’d be likely just to doubt our own sanity! I wonder just who Abram thought God was when He first told him to leave his father’s home and “go to the land I will show you?” (Genesis 12:1) We have no record of what might have happened before that to generate such trust, but the point is that Abram had it, and he was obedient. The thing is, genuine faith will always result in action, as James stressed in his letter over a thousand years after Abram. (James 4:14-25) We have no mention of action as such in this verse, but Abram had already uprooted himself and his family to travel to a place he knew next to nothing about. Because Abram had nothing else to go on, no “holy book” to refer to. God had to speak to him directly and specifically. We might think we want Him to do that for us, but the question is whether we have the faith to handle it. As Jesus said to the Pharisees, “If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?” (John 5:46-47) God speaks to different people in different ways, and the issue is always whether we are listening in the first place, and then whether we really believe what we hear. Rather than wish for specific instructions, we need to examine whether we have followed the instructions we have already received. The New testament talks a lot about loving God. Jesus even said that loving God was the greatest of all the commandments in the Old Testament. (Matthew 22:38) However, He also said that love was displayed in obedience. (John 14:15 and more) Exactly the same thing may be said of faith. If we are convinced that God is omnipotent, omniscient, and loving, then we will do absolutely everything we recognize Him as saying to us. Anything less would be stupid hubris.

Of course this applies to me. As I have written before, I grew up in a home where God was a given, where prayer was as natural as breathing, and I professed my love for Jesus from a very young age. However, familiarity indeed bred contempt, and I descended into that “stupid hubris” I just mentioned. I was an adult, a married father, when God finally tapped me on the shoulder, figuratively speaking, and when I turned, He had a mirror to show me, for a brief moment, the state of my soul. I collapsed in abject repentance. It was such a dramatic experience that I requested, and received, water baptism a second time (though I’m not at this point sure that was necessary). That marked the beginning of a life of obedience, still with many stumbles along the way. The only time the Lord has spoken to me very clearly in a command, it was to tell me to shut up! However, He speaks to me daily through His Word. That’s an area in which I have a huge advantage over Abram! That said, I have no excuse whatsoever for failing to obey what I hear from Him, because it’s right there in black and white, and I have His Spirit to interpret it to me. It is my prayer that I will lead others into really listening to Him through His Word, and it is my highest joy when that happens.

Father, thank You for this reminder, and for Your amazing faithfulness to speak to me. I was all set to prepare a different message for Sunday, so thank You that I hadn’t started before You spoke this to me. I do pray that everyone who hears what You say through me would be inspired to trust You, resulting in loving You, resulting in obeying You, so that Your will may be done in and through us for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Spiritual Warfare; March 1, 2023

Posted on March 2, 2023 by jgarrott

Revelation 19:10 At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

One thing that jumps out at me from this is that even John, the “beloved disciple,” started to worship the angel. After all, the angel had just said, “These are the true words of God.” It’s OK to be impressed with things, to be in awe of them even, but as the angel says here, worship is for God alone. Every human being has an innate impulse to worship, but when we worship anything less than our Creator we are instantly led astray. We don’t want that and neither does God. Angels are certainly impressive as my wife testifies, having seen a few. However, any angel that accepts worship is instantly shown to be a fallen angel, one who followed Satan in his rebellion, because a holy angel will always respond as this one did to John. It is very encouraging, comforting even, that such an angel would describe himself as “a fellow servant” with us. Our team has the best players! The thing that he says at the end almost seems out of place until you understand that Biblical prophecy is speaking God’s words after Him. He was telling John that by speaking “the true words of God” he was just prophesying, just as John or any child of God will do at times. Every believer needs to understand that they have entered God’s army, right alongside the angels and the saints who have gone before us, and we have been given armor and weapons accordingly. (Ephesians 6:13-18) We have no power or authority in ourselves, but the One who has called, equipped, and commissioned us has all authority and power, and He can and will speak and act through us to accomplish His works for His glory. We aren’t to worship angels, much less any human being, but rather come alongside them in the battle against evil, for the glory of God.

Well! I didn’t expect that! I feel like I’m being called to active duty, which shouldn’t be surprising, since the Holy Spirit is obviously on the move, at Asbury and elsewhere. I see so many people saying, “If it isn’t this way it isn’t a genuine move of God.” How narrow! How parochial! God has moved many different ways down through the centuries, but we are always tempted to try to put Him into one box or another. I am not to limit God, but keeping my eyes on Jesus I am to listen to whatever His Spirit tells me, willing to move however He directs. I have seen many encouraging things recently, in my own life, in this church, and even at a distance, such as in Kentucky. I am to rejoice that God not only has a plan, He is executing it even as I watch, and He may even use me in it! I’m not to run ahead but rather follow faithfully, exercising authority because I’m fully submitted to His authority, so that His will may be done in and through me for His glory.

Father, thank You for this Word. Thank you that it in no way conflicts with what You told me years ago, to rest, relax, and rejoice in You. I can’t accomplish anything in my own strength, but I can delight to see You do things through me. May Your name indeed be recognized as holy and Your rule and reign be established as Your will is done, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Trials; February 28, 2023

Posted on March 1, 2023 by jgarrott

Revelation 12:12 “Therefore rejoice, you heavens
and you who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea,
because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
because he knows that his time is short.”

The Bible never promises us that things will be easy, but at least it tells us why they will be hard! The thing to notice, though is that there is always an element of real hope. In Jesus’ famous statement that “In this world you will have trouble,” He also told us to take heart, because He has already overcome the world. (John 16:33) Here, we are told that the devil/dragon is filled with fury, which is a fearsome image indeed, but we are also told that “his time is short.” Of course, we need to remember that “short” is a relative term. As I have written repeatedly, God is outside of time so His frame of reference isn’t the same as ours. That said, we are going to spend eternity with Him, so from that perspective we will be able to see how short the devil’s time really was. God has a purpose for every hard thing He allows in our lives, but we aren’t too likely to perceive it in the heat of the moment. However, when we release each thing to Him in faith, it’s generally not long before we realize the truth of Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Paul, who wrote that, went through all sorts of hardships and was eventually martyred, but he had the assurance that “I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.” (2 Timothy 1:12) Peter also told us not to be surprised at “fiery trials,” but rather to rejoice. (1 Peter 4:12-13) I think that for the definitive word on this we go back to Paul: “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17) When we have that perspective, the devil’s fury will be no more than an inconvenience.

I have had various experiences that weren’t much fun at the time, but from my current viewpoint they don’t seem like such a big deal. However, when I tell people about them they seem awed by my faith and endurance. I didn’t feel so strong in the middle of it all! I know that my trials are small potatoes compared to what many of my brothers and sisters in Christ have endured, but none of it can compare to what awaits us in eternity with the Lord of Glory. Right now I’m still recovering from a broken wrist, but I had good medical treatment and my progress is surprisingly fast to many people. I have no room to complain. At this point I can type, with only a few more mistakes than usual, and I am aware of and grateful for my progress. I expect to recover full use of that wrist, and even if I don’t, I won’t need it for more than about 25 more years at the most! It is a reminder of my humanity and of the need to let others participate in what I have thought of as “my” ministry. God is good!

Father, thank You indeed for this reminder. Help me be on my guard against the devil, (1 Peter 5:8) but at the same time not be paranoid, but rather rest, relax, and rejoice in You, just as You have told me to do, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Praying in the Spirit; February 27, 2023

Posted on February 28, 2023 by jgarrott

Jude 1:20 But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.

I was tempted to go on to include verse 21, since the Japanese combines the two verses in one sentence, but recent events have made this verse seem particularly timely. Early in my introduction to the Charismatic Movement I was taught that this reference to “pray in the Holy Spirit” was talking about exercising the gift of tongues. I see no particular reason to counter that, particularly since Paul used that sort of terminology in writing to the Corinthians. (1 Corinthians 14:15) However, Paul also wrote to the Ephesians, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” (Ephesians 6:18) That would indicate to me that over-defining “praying in the Spirit” would be unwise at the very least. The reason this seems timely to me is that yesterday I encountered a social media post that was inquiring about the events at Asbury University. The original poster doesn’t have a Pentecostal/Charismatic background, so many things seemed strange to him, but he is very much a sincere disciple of Jesus Christ. I wish I could say the same about all his commenters! I haven’t seen such verbal violence against a Christian practice since I wrote a paper on “The Use of Tongues in Ministry” for a Systematic Theology class in a Southern Baptist seminary! We are indeed to be discerning, not “swallowing everything whole,” (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22) but that same passage tells us not to “put out the Spirit’s fire.” The fire in some of those comments was certainly not that of the Holy Spirit!

To be honest, I don’t come from a Pentecostal/Charismatic background either, since my parents were Southern Baptist missionaries. However, as I mentioned a couple of days ago, my father visited the Shantung Revival in China as a new missionary, and that made him open to the idea that the Holy Spirit could work in ways outside of his previous experience. Returning to Japan, he did have a dramatic experience that I think was the baptism in the Holy Spirit, but to my knowledge he never had the gift of tongues (though he was an accomplished linguist). It was only about a year before my father’s death that I was introduced to the Charismatic Movement, but I immediately recognized it as something Biblical. I don’t need to go into the whole saga here, but I am convinced that all of the gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12, and more, are valid and operative today, but none are “necessary proof” of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. I think of one dear saint who thought she had never been baptized in the Holy Spirit because she didn’t “exercise spiritual gifts,” but she absolutely radiated the love of God to a degree that was astounding, and that can only come from the Holy Spirit. As I experienced myself, the only definitive “sign” of the Holy Spirit is that expressed in Acts 1:8: the power to be a witness for Christ.

Father, thank You for all You have brought me through. Thank You for the depth and breadth of love that was expressed here yesterday, particularly after the service. I do pray for those involved in that social media post yesterday. May they open their hearts to allow You to wash them clean, pouring Your gracious, loving Spirit into them, so that the lies of the devil may be exposed and dispelled, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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