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Nate
Posted on Wednesday, October 03, 2001 - 10:23 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I am amazed at the way God is blessing my family and myself since we stepped out of the SDA church a couple of months ago. For the sake of those who are new to the forum, I am a former SDA pastor that just recently resigned because I no longer believe the basic theological position of the SDA church. I pastored a grace oriented church, but my convictions were leading me more non-denominational. You can read our journey in the story section under Greg and Paula Taylor.

We still do not have a ministry position, although we have had some solid interest from some parts of the country. We still do not know how we will support ourselves. But our faith is growing and our confidence in God's unseen providence is developing in ways it never would have had we not stepped out in faith. When we were asked to resign, we could have soft pedaled our convictions to buy some more time until we had something to do elsewhere, but we did not believe that was ethical. So here we are. A strage spot to be in after 20 years of secure salary every month (counting the seminary sponsorship). One might think we would be in a panic about now. But God's grace is so amazing! We are sustained by His word and His blessing each day. The Spirit testifies to our hearts that we will not be abandoned.

Some of our former members are in touch with us and are encouraging. They have been such a blessing. On the other hand many have dropped us like a hot potato. Still others are actively trying to discredit us and our beliefs. We have received some harsh letters and stinging aaumptions made about our characters. But all of this has not discouraged us. Instead, we have a joy that is hard to describe. It can only be attributed to God's sustaining grace. Plus, we have had some time to heal from the wounds of this process. Paula and I have gone to several non-denominational churches just visiting. Every time we have been so richly blessed. Also, we have been going to one that has a prayer ministry each week. They invite anyone who would like to be prayed over to come and they will pray for healing in your life and for God's leading. We have been so blessed having God's people lay hands on us and pray for us! We have spent so much time in our ministry praying for others. Wha a joy it is to be prayed for and blessed by God's people! To be ministered unto is a blessing we have not had the luxury of receiving very often.

One more thing. We have found a freshness of God's Spirit in our prayer life and our family worship time as well as in our marriage. God gives us people to serve every day in ministry, so we are still very active in service. We have opportunities to share God's love continually. We are just rejoicing in the fullness of the Spirit!

Paula and I were talking about this while we were on a run together on a mountain trail. We run and pray together almost every day. Anyway, we were just talking about how our spiritual lives have gone to a new level even though we have been walking with Jesus for a long time. But recently there has seemed to be another level of blessing. We were thinking that part of it might be because we have taken a faith step that has opened us up to God's Spirit more. The other part might be the fullness of blessing spoken of in Galatians 4. We used to be children of the bondwoman. We were sons and daughters of Abraham, but through the bondwoman. We were part of a system that places emphasis on works even though more subtly than some other systems. The SDA system does not teach dependance on works to get saved... BUT it does teach that works need to be there in order to MAINTAIN salvation. Galatians teaches that works are the result of salvation, but have NO PART whatsoever in our salvation. Whenever people mix works and faith there is a loss of joy and a loss of the fullness of the blessing that God intends. That is why Galatians tells us to "cast out the bondwoman and her son". Ishmael got a blessing because he was a son of Abraham, but he did not receive the full blessing-- the laughter, the joy, the freedom and fullness of blessing-- that Isaac did as the child of promise, the child of faith! There is a very real difference. We pray for all our friends and family still in the Adventist system, that they will truly study Galatians and prayerfully ask God if there is a greater blessing that they might be missing. Ishmael's blessing is not enough! God wants us all to be blessed like Isaac!

Blessings to you all! Thanks for all your prayers and letters off line. We love all of you so much!

In Jesus our Lord,

Greg (Nate) and Paula Taylor
In_his_service
Posted on Wednesday, October 03, 2001 - 11:13 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Greg,

Could you please email me at widget@atlantic.net I have some questions about the church you just left. It's personal, but I would appreciate it. Thanks. Your blessings will only increase, as you move further away from the past.

Tf
Sherry2
Posted on Wednesday, October 03, 2001 - 2:24 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Greg, Thanks so much for the update. I was wondering how things were going. That is so encouraging.

You know, my hubby's been attending regularly now after a decision he made...but even though it was more of his desire to be a family at church again, he has definitely changed over the last 2 months. It's been so interesting and unbelievable for me to see. He's enjoying the sermons, and even thanking God for the people who spake or shared their testimony when we pray together. He, to me, seems to be seeing the difference, and it is just so cool to be going together as well as seeing him change in subtle ways.

I still walk like Ishmael some days, and then I remember again who I am in Christ. Your story is such a blessing.

Thanks.
Nate
Posted on Thursday, October 04, 2001 - 1:29 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Praise God! Sherry2! It is so great to see how God works in ways that are so beyound us! There is truly no limit to what He can do. All we need to do is rest in His amazing grace and let Him have our every heart desire, and He will bless in ways we cannot imagine. It has been programmed into us to lapse into Ishmael's blessing, but God is faithful and He will gently bring us back to Grace and the joy and laughter of Isaac!

God Bless you and your Husband!

In Christ,

Greg (Nate)
Nate
Posted on Friday, October 26, 2001 - 8:01 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

One more thing regarding our recent departure from Adventism. There are so many wonderful Christians we are meeting! There is such a revival of the Spirit going on right now across this land. Revival that is bringing about a depth of repentance and seriousness about reaching people for Christ, that many in the SDA church are totally unaware of. There are some pockets in Adventism that are aware, but at the same time, on many levels in the church there is such a fear of the false that many are paralyzed in the old way of thinking.

Since we resigned our pastorate, we have found such fellowship with other true believers, that the sense of community far outshines anything we had ever experienced before. I hope that any SDA's cruising the site for curiosity sake, or for answers to questions they have been struggling with in their search will take heart. Life after Adventism, if one leaves by conviction of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, is one that leads to the full blessing of Issaac, away from the lesser blessing of Ishmael. (GAL 4)

We love the SDA church. It is our heritage. We do not let a day go by without praying for our family of heritage. At the same time, when we walk by the Spirit there is a liberty that is beyond any denominational restriction. There is a sense of unity with other believers that is what God intended all along. Yes, there is a sense of loss. When one steps away from the SDA system, there is a loss of many who once called us friends. While true friends will support even if they disagree, there is persecution by many well meaning folk. There are character digs and slanderous accusations made. It is difficult to leave in that sense. It hurts to be rejected. But for us, this has opened our eyes to the inherent problems with the system. Such attitudes and patterns are not from God. They are the works of the flesh. (GAL 5)

I am so grateful that God has set us free! "When the Son sets you free, you are free indeed!"

In Christ,

Greg
Sammi
Posted on Friday, October 26, 2001 - 9:51 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Thanks for your post Greg - We are noticing the same thing - a revival of the Spirit - I think that very thing scares many SDAs though. I echo your words, I am so grateful God has set us free! What an awesome God we serve! It's overwhelming at times, and words are so inadequate, but He knows our hearts, and for that I'm thankful. So far the response (to my leaving the church) has still been mostly positive but I am aware many of my SDA friends are guarded about what they say. As Sherry reminded me, and with which I agree, time will tell my true friends. God bless all of you and your families. Have a wonderful weekend (lucky me, we're headed back out for another family weekend with the kids, to the Smokies this time - sorry Lydell - will spend the weekend in a hot tub overlooking the mountains, while the kids run around Gatlinburg & Pigeon Forge, nice they can drive now!) Blessings to all, Carol (Sammi) p.s. Doug - how are you doing? Anything new in your transitioning?
Colleentinker
Posted on Friday, October 26, 2001 - 2:42 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Praise God! It makes me so happy to read your posts, Greg and Carol! You really cannot imagine, beforehand, what freedom and fellowship you find when you leave and become part of the Christian community. The Body of Christ is created by the Holy Spirit, not by any sort of group loyalty.

Just in case any misunderstand, the freedom I'm talking about is not liberalism or disregard for standards. Quite the opposite. Don't you find, you who have left and found Christ, that you are more careful about what you do and see and read than you were before? Yet there is such internal peace and liberty. The Holy Spirit gives us our true identity!

(I'll echo Carol's question, Anything new in your transitioning, Doug?)

Praise God!
Colleen
Sabra
Posted on Friday, October 26, 2001 - 8:31 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

That is so true! The Holy Spirit really plays a huge part in our walk with God. I'm not interested in the same TV shows or movies or anything that I feel Jesus couldn't do right along with me. The little church we've been going to is VERY charismatic. It's hard to understand since I've never been around it and I keep praying for understanding and not to be swayed away from God's will.

A new SDA pastor came by from the church I used to go to. I wanted to witness but the right words just wouldn't come! Instead I e-mailed a letter explaining why I don't come there anymore and he wants to meet with me. Please pray for the Holy Spirit to speak through me and give me wisdom! He is coming on Thursday night.

Any thoughts on praying in the Spirit or speaking in tongues?

God Bless,
Sabra
Doug222
Posted on Friday, October 26, 2001 - 9:47 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Coleen, Sammi, (and others),
Thank you for your concerns and your prayers. Even as I am posting this message, I am in the process of writing a letter to the Pastor of my church. I never realized how difficult a task this could be. I am praying for wisdom from God as far as what to say and how to say it. I know that deep in my heart (and maybe not even so deep--it is pretty close to the surface), I have a fear of how others will respond. Your inquries are helping to keep me from retreating from the inevitable conflict.

However, I cannot wait to fully enjoy the libration that you all speak of. I know that I can never experience it as long as I place myself under the authority of an organization that, innocent as it may be done, attempts to stand in the place of God. So please continue to pray for me and I will keep you updated on my progress.

Sabra, you asked a question about speaking to the SDA Pastor about prayng in the spirit and speaking in tongues. I guess to me, it sounds very similar to when an Adventist prepares for an encounter with a "non-Adventist" by strategizing how he/she will share with them the message of the Sabbath. I am not sure what relevance it (tongues) has to the reason for your visit with the Pastor. Maybe I am missing something and you can explain more.

In His Grace

Doug
In_his_service
Posted on Saturday, October 27, 2001 - 7:46 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The most important weapon we have in witnessing to anyone is the Bible. Insist that all discussion be based ONLY on the revealed, written word of God, not denomination books of any kind including the aledged "Spirit of Prophecy". The reformers built their entire movement on Sola Scriptura, (by the Scripture only). It was their rock and weapon against the "Church inspired writings" of the day. It is our defense now. As long as you can base your beliefs on SOLID scripture evidence, you can face the devil himself, if need be! Be aware of Adventist challanges, they will try to quote EGW as scripture, or interpret your scripture references through HER writings. You have to be well grounded on what the Scripture REALLY says, IN CONTEXT! This is a defense that you can stand on. Don't be detracted back into decussing EGW in any way. SHE is not the issue.....Jesus is.

Bless you all as you begin your new walk in the freedom and joy of the Gospel.

Thomas
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Nate
Posted on Saturday, October 27, 2001 - 1:31 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Sabra, I would recommend getting a set of tapes through Dale Ratzlaff's web site www.Ratzlaf.com and ask for the Clinton Chisholm tapes on Galatians. They are scripture and scripture alone, but probably the best clear teaching on the book of Galatians.

I believe the book of Galatians is the key to discussing the Sabbath or any of the other sda claims. Paul wrote it to make clear the distinction between Law and Grace. I have not yet encountered anyone in the SDA church who has an answer to Galatians without trying to discredit the book. It was written to be the yardstick by which all other "Gospels" should be judged. "Even if an angel from heaven teaches another Gospel let him be eternally condemned" says 1:8. The angel that guided EGW clearly taught another gospel that did not agree with Galatians. Because of this, even if there were no other issues with her writings, she must not be allowed to be a guide for believers to follow. So the best way to prepare for a discussion on what is required for the believer is to be well versed in Galatians. It is the "Magna Charta" of Christian liberty.

Anyone who studies Galatians knows that, as Colleen and others have mentioned, it does not lead to license. Our household is so much more sensitive to the things that grieve the Spirit than we have ever been. But when one is living in the Spirit, there is no law. Gal 5:22. The works of the flesh , however listed just above the fruit of the Spirit include such things as make for exclusivism, denominations, and divisions.

Doug, Carol, we are praying for you. This will be a great journey as you follow Christ. He will guide you and lead you as never before. You will not regret following Him. Peter followed Jesus out of the boat onto the waves. He may have had to cry out to the Lord for help, but he was the only disciple who ever walked on water! What an adventure! Sure it is scary at times, but when we step out of the comfort of the boat into real faith walking, we are held by Jesus! We cannot fail. We are blessed by close communiuon with the Lord, and a faith adventure of a lifetime! It just dawned on me the other day during my quiet time. Since I am out here with the Lord and He has me by the hand, why just walk on water? Why not dance?!? That is the liberty of the Christian. Not license, but freedom to enjoy the adventure of faith without being boxed in by our fears.

Speaking in a prayer language? It is Biblical! See 1 Cor 14. If God has given you the gift, use it in your time alone with Him. It is a wonderful gift for deep prayer and enables the prayer warrior to express deep feelings to God. Rom 8:23. If you are asking whether it is required to be "Spirit Filled", the scriptures clearly state that it is not. It is one of the lesser gifts as is seen at the end of 1 Cor 12 and also in chapters 13 and 14.

Love to you all! May God bless you in your journey!

In Christ,

Greg
Sabra
Posted on Saturday, October 27, 2001 - 2:12 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Doug,

I was definately NOT going to speak to the SDA pastor about tongues! I'm not that bold! No, ha, I just wondered what you all at FAF had to say about it.
Thomas and Nate, I am studying Galatians hard and Hebrews helped me sort out the truth a lot. But how in the world can they not see the obvious in 2Cor. Chapter 3? That one hits the nail on the head! As it says though, the veil can't be lifted without Jesus, so I will have to pray hard for the Holy Spirit to play the biggest part in this one. I already told the pastor the clear word bible is out and I have no interest in hearing anything about Ellen White. I will let you all know how it goes!!
Sabra
Lydell
Posted on Saturday, October 27, 2001 - 4:57 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Sabra, I would think if you are not feeling realy solidly able to enter into a heavy debate with this pastor that you should just keep the subject to the matter of salvation and grace. I'd refuse to chase his rabbits of the sabbath and other SDA doctrines, and refuse a discussion of the history of sabbathkeeping. None of those are the issue. The issue is salvation in Christ and walking with Him by the indwelling Spirit. Likely you have already discovered for yourself that when you have the indwelling Spirit, He brings conviction of a heck of a lot more stuff than just the 10.

As Greg has already pointed out, a gift of a prayer language is real and for today. It is a language that only God understands. It's a gift that is available. Do you have to do it? No, but there is a blessing in the gift.

Let me take a stab at explaining tongues in a way that makes sense to me, and perhaps it will help you somehow. I've heard some argue that if the gift of tongues is real, then it will resemble our known languages. That threw me for quite awhile. I guess I expected it to be recognizable as language as I know it. You know, that you could maybe jot it down and diagram a sentence.

But I think of it as being something different from language as we have learned it. Our English "language" we speak is a devised system of symbols to represent thoughts and ideas. I think tongues bypasses that cumbersome manmade system to instead express the pure thoughts, attitudes, feelings, emotions, and intents that "language" tries to relate. It is spirit speaking directly to Spirit. Each of us are individuals whose spirit communicates differently from anyone else. So the sound will be different in you than in me or Greg.

When I pray in tongues, it is often because there are no English words to express what is in my spirit. I have a general idea of what the prayer is, yet it seems to go beyond that and is expressing what is in my heart.

As Greg said, it is only one of the evidences that someone is Spirit-filled. There are many other things that could happen as well, or instead of tongues. Does any of this help?
Sabra
Posted on Saturday, October 27, 2001 - 5:37 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Lydell,

Thanks. I have prayed in the spirit and I do have an understanding for this. It is the tongues spoken in church with no interpreter that bother me. My preacher seems to be too preoccupied with some visible and audible manefestations of God. Now, every service they pray for God's will to be done and it is not a bunch of people speaking at once and being unorderly but so far there has been no interpretation and frankly it worries me. Almost to the point of changing churches. These are good people, humble, with a tremendous burden for souls. We've had 27 baptisms since May. "You will know them by their fruit" keeps coming to mind. On the other hand, I feel I should be more compfortable if it is right.

Hope this makes sense. What I'm saying is that so far God has not shown me a purpose or reason for people being slain in the Spirit (which hasn't happened much) or other things people do in the name of the spirit. I do not want to be led by the wrong spirit!
Joni
Posted on Sunday, October 28, 2001 - 3:30 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Sabra,
I do not attend a church that practices speaking in tongues, and I speak in tongues in my own prayer time. I do not want to attend a church that does because of the same reason, (It is not Bibical if they do it without interpretation). So far I have been to only one gathering where They practice it very Bibically. They have conferences in Indiana and at times I attend. They are a blessing and very spiritual and low key.

I found a prayer in one of Neil Armstrong's book and I copied it and use it:

Dear Heavenly Father:
I commit myself unreservedly to your will. If I have been deceived in any way, I pray that you will open my eyes to the deception. I command in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ that all deceiving spirits depart from me, and I renounce and reject all counterfeit gifts, or any other spiritual phenomena. Lord if it is from you, bless it and cause it to grow that Your body may be blessed and edified through it".

I know it is a copied prayer but it is a good one. Coming out of sdaism where there is a false, deceiving spirit, I do not want to be deceived again.

And as Lyndell and Greg say, I do beleive that it is for today, and I continue to in my closet.

May God bless you. I pray that you will continue to hear His voice and follow Him.

Joni
Colleentinker
Posted on Sunday, October 28, 2001 - 7:49 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Lydell, Greg, and Joni, thank you for discussing/explaining prayer language so well. I have not experienced this gift, but I do believe it is real and for today. And as Lydell said, there are many gifts of the spirit, and not everyone receive all of them.

I also believe Paul's guidlelines in 1 Corinthians 12-14 are for today; tongues should not be practiced in public unless someone interprets, and people need to practice restraint. His guidelines for worship are really clear and helpful.

Doug, I'm so happy to hear that you're actually writing. We continue to pray for you and for Carol--for us all!

Colleen
Lydell
Posted on Sunday, October 28, 2001 - 1:00 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Good answer Colleen. Sabra, I haven't been slain in the Spirit either. But know many who have. Most tell me that they were standing there worried or burden by something, and the next thing they knew they were on the floor looking up and no longer carrying the burden. That they had a deep sense afterwards that the burden was now being carried by the Lord.

And I think there are just times that He does it to demonstrate His power. For instance, look at John 18:6 where the mob had come to arrest Jesus, and what happened there.

I can think of one incident where a young man fell under the power of the Holy Spirit in our church and laid for probably 30 minutes alternately weeping and laughing and more often being very still. Before this the guy had come a long! ways in the Lord in a very! short time. I know there were scars that he was carrying, things that needed healing. The growth in him has continued to be remarkable.

The Lord just does whatever He needs to do in a particular circumstance to reach down and unlock the troubled child.

It's the same with "holy laughter" (and I'm definitely NOT referring to the fake bit of a whole congregation acting stupid over nothing). This is something very real that the Holy Spirit does sometimes and is very different from natural laughter. It happens when there is a deep scar that the Lord has cracked open and moved in to begin a healing process. It seems to come from the very deepest part of who you are and brings an incredible release, as if a wall has been cracked open. That one I have experienced.

There are always going to be those who are spiritually immature and will try to imitate the genuine move of the Spirit. Or for some reason think they have to pretend. It doesn't mean that the real thing should be viewed with fear.

Why not go to the pastor and ask him what is going on? Tell him you are concerned. Point out the scripture and ask him to explain why he allows something to be spoken in tongues with no interpreter present. Maybe there is a bit more to the situation than you are presently aware is happening. Or it just may be that the Lord will use your question to the pastor as a wake up call to him that he needs to rethink how he is handling the situation. Pastors aren't perfect after all. Pastors are growing and learning all the times themselves.

My guess is you will come away from the meeting with him with a better feel for whether or not you are in the right church. If he is open and willing to explain and discuss with you, you're in good shape. And you may come away then with the feel that you still don't agree with him but feel that the Lord is in control and will straighten this out in His time. Maybe it is a matter of the congregation has an area where they need to do some growing up.

If the pastor treats you like you have no right to ever dare ask questions, you're likely in the wrong place anyway.

By the way, don't ask him at a church service but instead make an appointment to meet with him to talk. Pastors are far too distracted with all that is going on around him at a service. They have so much on their minds there, who is missing? what they need to say, and trying to make contact with folks to have the time to give you a good clear answer before or after a service.
Sabra
Posted on Sunday, October 28, 2001 - 7:48 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Thanks to all of you for your posts. I did speak to the pastor of my church and we disagree somewhat but agree that it is ok to disagree. He feels that when you receive the Holy Spirit at the time you are saved, you only receive a portion and that the tongues and other things; prophecy, visions etc are the fullness of the Spirit. I believe that when you are saved you receive the Holy Spirit as a comforter and a guide and that the tongues etc are gifts of the Spirit. He has agreed to study more into it. He also feels that if no one ever speaks in tongues in the church an interpreter wont be able to come forth and I feel that if God sends a word boldly in tongues to be interpreted He will have an interpreter there. Like I said, we don't have tons of people speaking in tongues in church, sometimes none, usually one or two and who knows, maybe someone is to interpret and doesn't come forth for fear or uncertainty. Boy isn't this all new the the former SDA?

Please pray for me Thursday with the SDA pastor coming to speak to me. I'm not worried. I prayed about it and asked God to show me scripture that I needed and I turned right to Luke 4:18-19: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has annointed me to preach the gospel!
Praise The Lord! I have the power! :)
God Bless you all and have a wonderful week!
Sabra
Dennis
Posted on Sunday, October 28, 2001 - 8:00 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Some feel that the purpose of tongues is to enable them to have a prayer language. I understand that some feel very strongly about this, and I have no desire to argue. However, PRAYER LANGUAGE is not a term used in the Word of God.

And gifts were given so that we could build one another up, NOT USE THEM IN PRIVATE. Paul stresses that the church is to be edified. I believe this is a very important verse that we gloss over: "Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church" (I Cor. 14:12).

Some people claim to have a prayer language. I would urge only that we take any of our experiences--no matter what they are--and examine them in light of Scripture. If our experience does not line up with the Word of God, we have to negate the experience and go with the final authority, which is His Word.

I caution believers who speak in tongues to evaluate carefully their motivation. Is it for the glory of God, or is it because of pressure from a group? Do you feel that you would be a lesser saint than others if you did not speak in tongues? The Bible urges you to pursue love, not tongues.

Since confusion surrounded the practice of tongues, Paul set parameters to govern the use of tongues in the church. So, he gave the following regulations, according to I Corinthians 14:27-28:

1. Only two or at the very most three people were to speak in tongues.
2. Only one was to speak at a time.
3. Each was to have an interpreter. If no interpreter was present, the person was not to speak.

Those were the guidelines. We would do well to honor them today. In Corinth, the immature Christians were trying to outdo one another spiritually. Some could have misused the gift of tongues as a spiritual show-and-tell. Paul was trying to grow them up. They were supposed to be helping one another grow up, and that is seldom done through babbling. Telling forth the truth, yes. Uninterpreted talk, no.

I firmly believe that tongues was a gift of the Holy Spirit. I further believe the gift was legitimate and for a purpose. But what about the permanence of it? Is the gift still to be employed today? I can almost hear some of my charismatic friends groaning, "Okay, here he goes." Because I view the Bible as my Textbook, and I believe it to be the Word of God without error, I need to see what it says about faith and practice. And I would be remiss if I didn't see what it says about the gift of tongues.

We need to look again at the purpose of tongues as a sign gift--to validate and authenticate the message and the messenger. There is no need for that sign today because we have the COMPLETE revelation of God in the Bible. No new revelations are coming forth that need a sign to acompany them. The revelation is finished, and it does not need validation or authentication. The Holy Spirit gives illumination to His children so that we understand the truth in the Word, but the canon of Scripture is complete.

I believe that many who speak in tongues are in love with Jesus Christ and want everything God has for them. I am saying, though, when one of the disciples asked for a sign after the Resurrection, Jesus told him, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:29). We are to live not by signs but by faith.

Evidently, the gift of tongues was given to one church, a carnal, immature one at that. They were out of balance, and all the indications point to the fact that tongues caused the problems. Paul did not mention the gift in Galatia and Ephesus, where he spoke much about the Spirit. If the gift of tongues was the only evidence that one is filled with the Spirit, I believe Paul would have made that clear. Not one verse supports that view. NOT A VERSE. But we are admonished over and over again to be filled with the Spirit.

The emphasis in the New Testament church was evangelism and growth--not healing and tongues. Paul stated his focus in I Corinthians 2:2 and Galatians 6:14. His emphasis is the Cross. It must be ours as well. Who is magnified in tongues? Who is magnified in the Cross?

In the grip of grace,

Dennis J. Fischer
Sherry2
Posted on Monday, October 29, 2001 - 4:08 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Hey Doug, congrats to you. It is one of the toughest things to do. Fair warning - remember you're in spiritual warfare, and Satan could attack you with doubts, and EGW quotes about "leaving" the church. Just remember Who salvation is based by always - in a way this is like making a decision to trust that Jesus is the only way to heaven 100% and is not based on a correct denomination. For me, for the first time those verses on leaving father and mother to follow Christ made so much sense and had such relevance to my life. Would I trust in Christ for my salvation, or remain in SDAism "just in case". And at that time, my folks were still SDA, and my hubby ofcourse was too. I knew from what some others had experienced that even making that step of removing my name from the books could mean my husband leaving me. I left it in God's hands and prayed my butt off. :) All I can say is God honors us when we honor Him. The peace is unbelievable. But I'm not saying that once in a while I still get afflicted by doubt. At first it was often, and I had to fight it with the Word of God just like Jesus did. The thing I miss is the association of people no matter where I went to visit I knew somebody....that connectedness. Thankfully that is provided here in some ways. Other then that I don't miss a thing. I've been set free. God bless you Doug! Thanks for sharing your heart with us.

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