|
||
| Volume 1 Number 8 |
Today: 10.13.2003 |
|
|
Greetings my Brethren, friends and neighbors, Recently, the question surfaced again regarding “salvation.” I have so often heard of salvation spoken out of context that I thought it was worthy to discuss this event which is accurately described for us in Scripture. Just the other day, someone had mentioned that they did not question another man’s salvation if he claimed he was saved but did question this person’s level of commitment if he were lacking fruit or evidence. Let us look more closely at this apparent mystery of salvation. In today’s world of contemporary Christianity,
salvation is often thought of and used in the context of “saving
oneself.” This unfortunately is often born of the belief
that one was “saved” some number of years ago because
he or she was led into a “sinner’s prayer” at
some Bible camp, home group or evangelical event. This event
that so many are taught and led through is mechanical and often
manipulative. The numbers are then counted as to how many confessed
they were sinners and confessed, “Jesus is Lord.” Preachers
across What many were lacking at the time of this evangelical event was God’s cleansing nature and convicting character of His Holy Spirit. Most but not all I say were either partial or utterly vain and self seeking in their pursuit of redemption because the preachers so often torment the hearers with, “You’re either going to hell or you’re going to heaven,” and they promise heaven as the reward for their superficial confession. I don’t recall any Prophet or Apostle for that matter ever preaching repentance from the grounds that all are going to heaven nor hell, do you? I thought that repentance was necessary in order to escape God’s promised discipline, wrath or punishment? Where was it ever promised that you would be going to heaven after making a simple confession and never doing anything more beyond that? In order for salvation and redemption to be valid in one’s life, he or she must undergo a period of reflection, conviction and humility leading one’s heart to be utterly broken and left feeling disparaged about the lives they’ve led. When we have reached our bottom and are disgusted with ourselves and our lives, then is a good time to truly turn away (choose to turn about aka repentance) and surrender unto God placing all your concerns and failings at His feet. When He gives you a true redemption for your soul, you soon discover that you no longer have the same attitude, tastes or fleshly desires. You are somehow changed and are now becoming aware of a “new self.” Soon you realize that there is indeed a different “presence” about you and if you desire to feed yourself with God’s Word you learn that there is a new presence in you; a Spirit that is not your own. That, my friends, is how I describe what happened to me and it bears witness to the truth which is also found in Scripture; what we call, the living Word of God. This whole process is made possible and thus administered by God’s sovereign will and His Holy Spirit. The conviction upon a man’s heart that the Spirit brings forth makes the man aware that he is indeed, selfish, vain, arrogant and downright rebellious to God’s Word and what it teaches us. A true salvation is first evidenced by the understanding one receives thus leading him to acceptance of the Word he heard thereby resulting in a willing application and demonstration of total surrender to Christ Jesus our Lord. This is further evidenced by a turning towards God and repenting of living a life of lies and having accepted various divided beliefs of men over and above the instruction given us in the Word of God. So very many people calling themselves Christian today have been living in the lies and practicing many forms of idolatry and heresy. Anyone who accepts these words as truth right now should consider if he or she has ever really made a separation from “luciferian doctrines.” When you repented, did you first experience great pain and despair? This despair I equate to the level of despair that one has caused Jesus in his or her life and is often accompanied with many tears and over a period of weeks, months and sometimes a few years. If you have experienced this event in your life then you know what a contrite heart is like. The Lord now can listen to your requests because you are truly in a repentant state of mind and your heart has indeed been made contrite. Now the contrite of heart soon afterwards becomes aware that his or her life has been purchased and he or she is no longer lord over his or her life but now belongs to the Lord; having submitted themselves as bond-slaves unto Jesus, making Him Lord over their lives. A “saved” man’s life now belongs to God and this ultimately means that this servant will humble himself and accept the fact that he has a duty and responsibility to God who now is Master and Shepherd. I tell you this is the truth and I lie to
you not! According to Paul, speaking to the Ephesians; “Salvation
requires hearing the Word of truth.” (Eph 1:13).
After “hearing,” a repentant heart and
mind will understand and this “understanding”
is necessary in order for one to face and grapple with the ultimate
reality of “acceptance.” By one’s
acceptance, his or her heart is led to “conform”
to the Word which was presented to him as truth (Rom. For all this to be truly valid in one’s life, that person must utterly “trust” (have faith) that all the testimonies offered us in the scriptures as witness are absolutely true thereby become the “good” or “right” examples to model after and follow as though they are basic training for the new believer. Where is that ever taught in today’s churches and many seminaries? Each person who truly becomes saved will have his or her own testimony and also uphold the faithful testimonies of the all the Saints. Their testimonies will not contradict with one another but in fact will likely be parallel and similar in many ways thus edifying and confirming their redemption as valid. This of course adds further affirmation that the Word of God continues to be true and Christ’s witnesses will edify and not cause discord with what is written. His Word and truth is spoken by faithful witnesses then and now and this has never changed. Remember that it is the Word that judges a man and you will know them by their word and deed. Therein lays the duty and responsibility I mentioned earlier. We are called to be faithful witnesses and not religious pretenders. I find that many of the religious pretenders today are angry with me and still try to cause me great grief and suffering. They are trying to preserve and protect their lives rather than humble and submit under the authority of the Word. My oh my, what a good job Satan has done. He has been and is deceiving so many. The Spirit in me declares, “Keep My Word and My Word will keep you.” By large contrast today, so many are taught in today’s ecumenical churches methods that are shallow and mechanical lacking the necessary ingredients of true awareness and humility which is necessary for one’s admission to an inborn and natural form of wicked, corrupt and selfish desire. We are “born into sin” and apart from God are “sinful” by nature. We cannot change that fact that we are born this way because God’s word establishes we are “utterly sinful” and “our hearts are utterly wicked and full of contempt.” Psalms 51:5 “Behold, I was shaped in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful
above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Isaiah 64:6 “But we are all as
an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags;
and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind,
have taken us away.” Romans 3:10-12 “As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” I for one work out my salvation with fear and trembling on a daily basis. See Phil. 2:12. Now how confident do you feel about being saved? Do you see why it is so necessary to lead others unto a genuine repentance and form of Godliness that Jesus demonstrated instead of what the popular churches are teaching these days? Far too common are the evangelists who lead the hearers into a weak and mediocre acceptance that they are sinful. I have heard time and again confessions that are void of any traumatic realization. People will often admit to various imperfections, faults or fetishes. It is rare that you witness a person’s “Spirit filled” confession revealing that they are vain and all their works and deeds are vain or that they are arrogant and prideful and their heads are all puffed up. How often have you heard that such a person admits to declaring for years they knew God yet were unable to demonstrate unwavering compassion, tenacity and commitment? How many have admitted they’ve been hateful towards others rather than loving their friends, neighbors and prodigy enough to hold them accountable to the word of God? It is one thing to hate the rebellious nature of man and quite another thing to hate what you are apart from God. There is a fine line between God’s love and hatreds. The deeper essence of God’s love cannot be known or exist without accepting God’s hatreds. According to the New Covenant terms, God’s
hatreds are pretty clear and much of those were carried over
from the Old Testament. In proverbs, God’s hatreds are recorded
as such; See Proverbs 6:16-19 “These six things doth
the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue,
and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that devises wicked
imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false
witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among
brethren.” Am I sowing discord among my brethren
or reproving falsehoods? We need to understand that a loving God is not only faithful but He hates abominations. In a recent exhortation which some of you received, I recorded the following utterance: “And the
Spirit boldly proclaims, “I am reaching out yes, searching
all levels of society as you now know it. I am searching the
whole world over and seeking the one’s whose hearts have
been softened by the conviction I place upon them. I search for
the humility and measure their willingness. All will have had
opportunity to decide what attire to wear. All will hear My
invitation. Say to them,
“I
HATE MURDER, I HATE ELITISIM, I HATE DIVORCE, I HATE SODEMY,
I HATE LIES AND HIDDEN AGENDAS, I HATE THE PRIDE OF MAN, I HATE
THEIR MEDIOCRITY AND REBELLION, AND I HATE THEIR HIPOCRISY!” The
spirit cries out, “Do not compare yourselves to other
men nor be jealous for what they have. Be considerate of their
gifts and hold them in higher esteem than yourself.” Men should not compare or contrast themselves with other men but rather should measure themselves to God’s standards and His form of holiness. Only then can God be witnessed in a multitude of hosts just like what was witnessed in the first recorded gathering in Acts; each whose eyes are fixed completely on Jesus. Jesus is our example and teacher. His Word is our instruction and command. His Spirit is the Word of Truth that accompanies us and makes habitation with those of us who have truly made Jesus their Lord and Savior and obey all that He thus commanded. Such persons will reveal the true nature and person of God when their humble testimony is heard and witness is consistent and seen by others. All men are known by their word and deed. I am not talking about salvation through works but rather, I am confessing that works will be fruit and evidence of the salvation that is made available to all men. They will work tirelessly towards the pursuit of righteousness and knowledge of the truth and are likely to be exuberant or excited about sharing these things with others. Sometimes, as in my case, some are fired from their jobs or worse, blackballed from ever working in that industry again because as witnesses, we are required to be faithful at all times! In this way, a servant is found working diligently in the “field of harvest” or doing “a good work.” He who receives much and is faithful with that portion will also give much because he is also grateful for God’s abiding company, fellowship and abundance of “Spiritual riches.” Those who are faithful will be examples to others thereby becoming God’s appointed stewards of faithfulness. Again, we are called to be faithful witnesses. So, how do we get started down that road to repentance so that we can begin a life anew? We have already discussed that the most crucial ingredient to salvation is repentance and we know true repentance is a “turning away from sin and self.” Repentance is made possible by way of a “changed mind” or “changed condition of the heart.” One must be willing to turn away from that which we know to be utterly offensive to God and His will. Too many want to down play the holiness God expects of us today but the truth is staring us right in the face. In Matthew 5:48, Jesus says, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” I for one am not qualified to argue with Jesus nor do I dare try to down play His crucial role in history as so many do. After one is able to recognize how selfish, vain and conceited he is towards God, he must understand that without His grace, nothing can change for him. We are absolutely powerless and hopeless apart from God’s empowering grace which permits us the ability to “overcome” all these natural deficiencies inherent in man. I suppose one could say that if Lucifer had repented before God and confessed his arrogance, selfish pride and vanity that he could have been redeemed. We know that Lucifer did not turn away from his own selfish agenda and pursuit of glory and this will one day soon result in him being cast into prison for a thousand years only to be released for a short while and then tossed into that place of eternal torment, pain and despair (weeping and gnashing of teeth). I submit that this place is likely a place where one receives back all the full measure of forgotten and untold pain, torment and despair that he caused other souls because God promises that “He will repay!” I only mentioned this little subjection because I wanted everyone to see how similar Satan’s sins are to mankinds. This should be further evidence to support my claim that a sad majority are serving the “Deceiver” and are deceived indeed! Very plainly said, man is still largely seeking to glorify himself and play the roll of demi-god over the people. Name one political leader in today’s conflicts that are not doing so. You can’t do it can you? How about the contemporary leaders of popular faith movements? I didn’t think so. Matthew 3:8 “Bring forth therefore
fruits meet for repentance.” Acts 26:18 “To open their
eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power
of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins,
and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that
is in me.” Acts Acts 17:30-31 “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commands all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.” 1 Thessalonians 1:9 “For they
themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto
you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living
and true God;” Philippians 2:5-8 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” Philippians 2:12 “Wherefore,
my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only,
but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation
with fear and trembling.” Repentance is absolutely necessary in order to receive the “Great Commission” and have it ordained by God because repentance is literally the “forsaking of sin.” Therefore it is impossible for one to turn to the salvation Christ offered without first turning away from his own self willed life. Can a man travel in two directions at the same time? Can a man serve more than one Master at the same time without conflict? How can any say they have turned away when they continue in the same unchanged patterns of worldly pursuits, ways and methods? Either you have turned away from yourselves unto God or you have turned not to God. It really is that simple. You must die to yourself! See Apostasy Revealed. In plain English, repentance is a changed
mind with a changed attitude and new or reformed outlook on life.
Those who are truly repentant know they have died to themselves
and no longer live for self but live for God’s purpose and
design. They quite literally by free choice have submitted themselves
unto God as faithful bond-servants. They will be found doing
what the Father wills, being faithful witnesses to His ever living,
unchanging, abiding Word. That is what we call, “The
Word of God.” What
about tongues As Evidence of Salvation and Redemption? Are tongues spoken in churches today a sign of salvation and the indwelling Holy Spirit? Yes, but what manner of tongues are they? What does the Word describe for us in Acts? Acts
2:2-8 “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven
as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the entire 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. And there were dwelling
at This passage actually proves that what is commonly referred to as tongues in today’s evangelical and charismatic circles is false and misleading. I have even gone as far to say that they may be demonic and here is why. The Holy Spirit came as promised on the day of Pentecost and filled not just a few persons in the upper room but all of them. One of the results produced at this event was that the people in the upper room started speaking in languages they had not previously learned. In the above quoted verse, the actual Greek word for tongue is dialeto (1258) which refers to ethnic language or “dialects.” These tongues should not be confused with the use of the word by Paul in his letter to the Corinthians which is actually defined as “unknown tongue.” Unlike today’s liberal use of babbling tongues in today’s popular Charismatic circles, Apostle Paul had insisted that an “unknown tongue” be interpreted for the benefit and edification of those gathered. However, the tongues spoken of in this passage above needed no special interpretation because each man had heard the message of the Lord in his own language. To further support my claim that tongues are for the hearing, understanding and edification of those who gather, the writer in Acts spells out what dialects were spoken. Acts 2:9-13 “Parthian, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Crete’s and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, what meaneth this? Others were mocking saying, “These men are full of new wine.” Please don’t misunderstand me when I refute the use of this childish and sometimes demonic babble spoken in so many of today’s churches. Not all I say, but most are this way. I fully believe that the Holy Spirit gifts a man to speak in another man’s language when necessary in order that God’s Word may be heard. As Paul indicated to the Corinthians, there is another type of tongue that is “angelic” or “heavenly” in form. Because these tongues are a sign for believers and not unbelievers, it is necessary then to provide for interpretation so that the body of believers and those “gathered” may be edified and not left in a state of confusion or unbelief. We must recognize that not all in these latter gatherings were believers as yet. Some of them were strangers and foreigners. Paul, writing to the Corinthians (chapter
12); in verse 5 states that there are “varieties of
gifts and varieties of ministries but the same Lord.”
In verse 7, Paul qualifies his statement regarding “distinctions”
when he states that the manifestations of the Spirit are for
the “common good.” The common good then
can easily be defined as the edification of the body for in 1
Cor 14:6 he states, “Now, brethren, if I come unto
you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I
shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or
by prophesying, or by doctrine?” and in a prior
verse, Paul states that the speaking of such tongues is typically
for self edification; 1 Corinthians 14:4
“He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifies
himself; but he that prophesies edifies the church (gathering
or body of Christ). To further contrast today’s common use of “so-called” tongues with the “biblical tongues,” Paul states clearly in verse 11 that the Holy Spirit distributes these gifts to each one according to His will as opposed to will of men. All gifts of the Holy Spirit are divine gifts and not “learned gifts.” You do not “learn” a gift but one “receives” a gift if infact it is a true gift. Let me clarify further… In many charismatic circles today, tongues are something that is taught and not acknowledged as a “gift” of the Holy Spirit. If one is given a gift of the Spirit he does not need to be taught by men or man’s agency; it is a “gift.” I hereby testify that I have witnessed with my own eyes and ears; people are being taught to press “inward” and “pull out” this supposed gift of tongues. They are taught to practice forms of relaxation resembling forms of transcendental meditation (eastern influence) to bring forth these so-called gifts. Please remember, when one is “taught” something he or she learns a skill or acquires a type of knowledge. We know there are two distinct types of knowledge; one being good and the other being evil. It has remained that way since the fall of man. Even more absurd is the ridiculous teachings
of some to repeat a phrase like, “I bought a Hyundai,
I should’ve bought a Honda.”
They are then told to repeat this phrase with increasing speed
thereby allowing the spirit within to come out speaking in tongues!
What spirit or spirits are
they calling to? It sounds more like necromancy or a witch’s
formula to me! Dear brethren and friends, where is it prescribed
in scripture that we call upon God as though we command Him to
come forth? Is this not absurd to you? Is it not God who calls
upon us? Can you not see the deception and demonic nature of
this kind of teaching? This ought not to be and may God forbid
it in His chosen children! I don’t talk about it much as I do not want to draw too much attention to myself but I have had a few episodes with French speaking people and Native Americans. That is entirely a different testimony. I do not consider myself a man with the gift of and regular use of foreign dialects. My Lord has abundantly supplied His wealth in different areas where I am concerned. I humbly acknowledge that I often operate in six distinct areas of Spiritual gifting. Please, be not jealous of me and neither will I be envious of you. 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another diverse kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.” I have been in many assemblies where tongues
were spoken openly and no interpretation was given. I have discerned
and heard the tongues of demons deceiving God’s Church. So if you really believe that you or someone you know speaks in tongues, take a closer look at their life and witness the edification of Christ’s body or see the degradation. Which is it? Are they being persecuted and do they share in the same kind of struggles and sufferings that Jesus and His disciples bore witness too? Is their life full of glory, wealth, prestige and honor? Are they well liked by many or hated by many and liked by some? Do they struggle with character issues like not being able to pay their bills in a timely manner or raise their children in a household where love and discipline is evident? Are they cheating the already corrupted system and engaging in insurance and/or unemployment fraud? Do they despise others without offering a helpful remedy or solution for the source of disparity? Are they cheating on their spouses or just single and happy to sleep around? Do they always talk about what plans they are making or do they submit, “If the Lord wills?” The answers to these questions can be good indicators but are not entirely reliable as solid fact finding methods. I do not suppose to know it all in these areas but rather have offered you my witness and testimony of what I have seen and heard with my own eyes and ears. We all could stand to do better with tackling some of these issues but the greatest point I am making is that these things become mute and insignificant once you are truly redeemed because God doesn’t make any junk! He will see to it that you will not exceed your resources or practice too much vanity or compete with the neighbors. Nor will you cheat on your spouses! Your job is simply put, to be faithful witnesses in all that you say and do. After practicing faithfulness for a while, He may give you much more to do. You may be asked to speak to many or to minister to those who are teaching the Gospel. Weather at school, work, home or play, you have duty purpose and commission to teach and make disciples of Christ Jesus. Don’t ever forget that! Your faithful and humble brother to Christ our Lord, Nicholas A. Stivers, a humbled man, scribe and messenger. Author: “Apostasy Revealed” ISBN: 1-928602-92-4 http://nicholasscrolls.cephasministry.com http://abide-in-truth-events.cephasministry.com/ Hebrews Hebrews |