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This is denial by non-experience. Those who never received the Spirit of God, and don’t believe, deny God (the Holy Spirit) and His spiritual gifts.
His gifts, however, are a manifestation of His very Nature:
“I am your fellow servant, and of your brothers who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God, for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10 MKJV).
Some object, “Because I don’t have it, it isn’t meant for today, or it doesn’t exist.” Carnal unbelieving minds are geniuses at devising arguments to deny any truth – no different from other days when the religious resisted the Holy Spirit and those who are the Lord’s.
“O stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so you do” (Acts 7:51 MKJV).
Our spiritual experience isn’t completed with repentance. We must go on.
“And you will be hated of all men for My Name’s sake, but the one who endures to the end shall be kept safe” (Matthew 10:22 MKJV).
While confirming their faith, Paul taught believers that with much tribulation they must enter into the Kingdom. Had they or had they not already entered the Kingdom? Most evangelicals would say that one is a believer because one has entered. Obviously, Paul knew there was more involved than receiving the Passover of God by faith and being washed by the blood of the Lamb.
One must go on to receive the Holy Spirit, as did all those in Scripture – the disciples at Pentecost (Acts 2), the Samaritans (Acts 8), Saul (Acts 9), Cornelius and the Gentiles (Acts 10), and the Ephesian disciples (Acts 19). All these had repentance and Something More. That “Something More” was the Spirit of God, accompanied by His gifts (1 Corinthians 12). From there, they went on to enter rest in God (Hebrews 3 and 4). Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles – one must enter into, become, and celebrate all three Feasts.
It isn’t enough to repent. One must receive the Spirit of God, or he will be none of His (Romans 8:9). It is that simple.
Also, the Lord won’t come and make His abode in an unclean vessel. He is a holy God and will honor only those who honor and worship Him in spirit and truth.
Go ahead; push Him away, you “saved.” Hang on to your lusts and false doctrines; perish with His Name on your lips as though you knew Him. To you even now He says, “Depart from Me you workers of iniquity, I never knew you” (Matthew 7:23). Satan has succeeded in stopping you with a spurious conversion or, at best, satisfaction with partial truth, because you don’t have a love of the truth. You aren’t willing to deny yourself and take up your cross.
I have had many healings, and have personally witnessed them with others. I’ve had many visions, dreams, prophecies, and other gifts of the Spirit, as Joel said believers would have, many, if not most, of which have been fulfilled and confirmed. Several people I know have had dreams, visions, and prophecies that have come to pass.
Didn’t the Lord speak of signs following those who believed (Mark 16:17-18)? Were those signs only for that day? He didn’t say so. How then can you? Those who believe will pursue what I say, believing.
Do I boast? If I boast, it’s in the Lord and those things He has granted me by grace. I’m nothing. None of us is anything.
What Scriptural evidence is there to support the foolish notion that the gifts aren’t meant for today?
“That was a different dispensation,” some people say. I tell you that where the Spirit of God is, He manifests Himself.
Concerned about the counterfeit gifts? Yes, they exist. But do you discard your real money because thieves have counterfeited it?
Fools with lame excuses and ever so clever arguments, how will your wisdom serve you in the end? But God’s wisdom is justified of her children. I tell you that if the gifts of the Holy Spirit aren’t manifest in you, you don’t have the Spirit of God. If you resist the Holy Spirit, you resist Jesus Christ, the One you presume to love and worship, because He is the Holy Spirit.
There are those who quote this passage to refute the validity of the gifts for today:
“Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they shall pass away; whether there are tongues, they shall cease; whether there is knowledge, it shall pass away. Now we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is partial shall pass away” (1 Corinthians 13:8-10 EMTV).
I need only ask this of you: Has knowledge passed away? Is there no more need of healing? Has the perfect come? Are you perfect, you who deny the gifts?
If your answer is negative to any of these questions, how can you possibly say the gifts are no more? And if you are in need of His perfection, how would you obtain it, except by what He gives to accomplish this desirable end? To that end do His gifts and ministries serve in His Body, until all is accomplished.
“You have gone up on high; You have led captivity captive; You have received gifts for men, yes, for the rebellious also, that You might dwell among them, O Lord God” (Psalms 68:18).
If you oppose the gifts, you oppose God. And we’re not talking carnal gifts such as talents, training, or special interests, such as teaching or public speaking. No, we aren’t talking about the talents and abilities that the world has, but of the spiritual gifts, as listed in 1 Corinthians 12, all nine of them and more.
1 Corinthians 12:4-12 EMTV
(4) Now there are varieties of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit.
(5) And there are varieties of ministries, but the same Lord.
(6) And there are varieties of activities, but the same God works all in all.
(7) But to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the profit of all.
(8) For to one is given a word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another a word of knowledge according to the same Spirit,
(9) and to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,
(10) to another the working of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another discerning of spirits, and to another different kinds of tongues, and to another interpretation of tongues.
(11) But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.
(12) For just as the body is one and has many parts, but all the parts of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.
To the humble and repentant, I say “Go on! There’s more!” That should excite you, not discourage or anger you. Those after God will rejoice.
Read How One Is Saved, Repentance, The Baptism in the Holy Spirit, The Three Degrees, and How the Lord Exposed Billy Graham.
Consider the alternative to believing this doctrine: If I seek after God and receive the spiritual gifts, I will know and have more of God. If the gifts of the Spirit are no longer available, I will have lost nothing, provided I seek to obey God. But if the baptism in the Spirit is available, and I reject it, I’m rejecting God and, truly, salvation itself.
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English – Spanish – Chinese 我們收到了這封信： 維克多， 我的名字是丹尼爾，我也曾與菲利普會面並一起工作過。我正在閱讀你和保羅的電子郵件，我注意到您在哪裡說：「我知道，在『基督教』世界裡，有很多不好的文學作品，教導謊言，例如，那些沒有得救的人永受折磨教義。從未有過比這更醜陋的謊言。這是對上帝的本性和品格的誹謗。」您是在說您不相信地獄或永恆的詛咒嗎？我不明白您在說什麼。此外，在您給菲利普的電子郵件中，我注意到一種沮喪的語氣，幾乎到了責罵的程度。您認為這種語氣是一種愛和關懷，是對菲利普的造就和鼓勵嗎？ 丹尼爾 我們憑信心而活，而不是憑眼見。 維克多和保羅的回覆： 嗨丹尼爾， 你來信的結尾 (「我們憑信心而活，而不是憑眼見」) 本質上就是我們告訴菲利普的。你認不出來嗎？我認為你發送該聲明是我們給他的信的結果。我可能是錯的，但如果是對的，諷刺的是你會把它發給我們。 我認為你相信一個永恆的、折磨人的地獄。雖然聖經清楚地表明地獄的存在，但不是在大多數新教或天主教圈子中所宣揚的地獄。大多數人發現或將發現自己身處的地獄是一種黑暗和晦澀的狀態，是死者的地方，他們「一無所知」(儘管他們可能認為自己知道)。他們在屬靈上對上帝是無意識的。 當然，在黑暗中，與上帝的靈隔絕，那裡有無知、懼怕、缺乏理解、拜偶像和束縛，更不用說折磨。但是在來世是否有字面的、身體上的懲罰之火？沒有。地獄會永遠存在嗎？不 (啟示錄 20:14)。有沒有像詹姆士王欽定版翻譯的那樣「永遠的詛咒，」即與上帝「永永遠遠」的隔絕？沒有。閱讀“永遠”、“永久”、和“地獄”的真正聖經含義。 只有上帝是不朽的，以及那些祂授予的人。永恆的詛咒和折磨是邪惡、異教思想的編造，試圖向人們灌輸恐懼，以控制他們。天主教會，從君士坦丁開始，使用這種可怕的教義，而新教徒繼續利用使用它。上帝不會通過恐懼來獲勝。 如果你看一下希伯來語和希臘語翻譯成英語的「地獄」和「永遠」這兩個詞，它們沒有提到一個沒有盡頭的狀態。關於這些問題，我有很多文章可以發給你。目前，閱讀我們《萬物的復興》的部分，你還可以閱讀惡魔般的教義；你應該特別閱讀永無止境的折磨。 你可能想(或不想) 閱讀的另一篇文章是：邪教的真實標記，並考慮你的立場。 丹尼爾，我懷疑當你幾乎還沒有觸及我們的著作時，你不會同意它們，但它們是真實的、符合聖經的、由上帝教導的，那些不同意這些教義的人不是上帝派來傳教的。他們是出於自己的公義和假定而宣講的，對他們聲稱代表的唯一的那個是一無所知。 判斷了我對菲利普說話的語氣後，你問：「您認為這種語氣是一種愛和關懷，是對菲利普的造就和鼓勵嗎？」對於這個問題，我的回答：「是的，」我很清楚你不會那樣理解上帝的愛。就在今天，我 (部分)寫信給另一個人： 「事實上，人將他人吸引到上帝面前的行為恰好是敵基督靈的一個顯著特徵。人假設他們在基督裡的，認為他們可以通過『在他們裡面的光』來『愛』人歸神，因此，他們以『能力作見證。』事實是，他們以他們的愛作證歸給自己，同時在宣告祂的名。舊約或新約都沒有記載聖徒通過愛他們贏得任何人到上帝面前…無處，甚至是與耶穌。這就是敵基督的靈。」 你可以閱讀的有關該主題的文章有： 虛假宗教人士喜愛那憎恨(拒絕)上帝 上帝只說出柔和的話語嗎？ 竭力維護從前一次就全交給了聖徒的信仰， 維克多 丹尼爾，我是保羅。 我想補充一點。 有趣的是你在同一封信中詢問關於地獄和愛。我們經常發現那些指責我們沒有愛心的人，他們相信並宣揚全能和愛的化身的上帝，祂創造了...
God is Lord of all. He alone is the Master of all destinies; otherwise He is Lord of nothing. Either one has free will, or one does not. Liberty must be total, or it isn’t true liberty - it’s only frustrating torment.