March 16, 2011
In a Rolling Stone interview from August 2010, pop singer Katy Perry talked about her pentecostal Christian upbringing, and said something that many Christians will find controversial. She claimed that "Speaking in tongues is as normal to me as 'Pass the Salt'." I think this statement gives the discerning Christian a platform from which to discuss the phenomenon of glossolalia, and clarify what speaking in tongues is, what it isn't, what it can do, and what it can't.
First, I have to say that Katy is right. For Christians who practice speaking in tongues, it is a normal part of life. Most of the time, there is nothing special about it at. Speaking in tongues is as much about the believer's will as it is about the Holy Spirit's activity (1 Corinthians 14). The longer you spend around pentecostal/charismatic Christianity, the more "normal' the phenomenon is to you.
I committed my life to Christ over 23 years ago in a charismatic church in Moscow, Idaho. At that time, I accepted the gift of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues.Why did I word this event in this way? What does this mean?
Let's break it down. The "Gift of the Holy Spirit" was promised by Jesus to all believers who would accept it (Acts 1:4, Acts 2:38). The gift of the Holy Spirit is the Holy Spirit Himself, indwelling, infilling, and empowering each Christian to fulfill the Great Commission: Preach the Gospel, and make disciples. In fact, Jesus told the disciples not to start ministry until they received the Holy Spirit in this way.
"Accepted" means I, and you, have a choice about receiving the Holy Spirit. He does not force Himself upon us. It also indicates that the gift in question has already been given; it is up to us to accept it (Him) into our lives in this way. If someone tells you he is waiting for God to give him the Holy Spirit, he lacks understanding of this issue. The gift has been given. All that remains for us is to accept it.
"With the evidence of speaking in tongues" indicates that speaking in tongues is not the gift of the Holy Spirit; it is outward evidence of an internal event. Speaking in tongues is one of several evidences listed in the Bible. These include praising God (Acts 10:46), boldness in speech (Acts 4:31), and prophesying (Acts 19:6). Some pentecostal and charismatic Christians get confused on this matter, and use the fact that they speak in tongues to suggest that they have God's special blessing and/or approval. This is not true: God loves us all.
Also, speaking in tongues in not an indicator of any special calling, blessing or endorsement of ministry. 1 Corinthians 12-14 puts this into great perspective; it amazes me that so many Christians miss the point. There seem to be two general errors on this issue: That speaking in tongues is the be-all and end-all of Christian live, expression, and ministry; or that speaking in tongues should be forbidden. Both of these are errors in opposite extremes.
So, what can speaking in tongues do for you?
It can give you the ability to pray when you don't know how to pray (Romans 8:26). I interpret this to mean that it also gives us the ability to pray about things we don't know about, which makes it very useful in intercessory pray (prayer for others).
It gives you a means of edifying yourself (1 Corinthians 14:4). Who couldn't benefit from that?
What can't speaking in tongues do for you?
It can't set you apart for ministry. It is clear (to me at least) that speaking in tongues is a gift for every believer, not just "special" people.
It can't make you a mature Christian. The Corinthians had all kinds of spiritual gifts in evidence, and still were flaky and immature.
It can't overcome your will. If it could, Katy Perry would not be an immodest, reprobate trollop.
Let me say that I hope that Katy sees the error of her ways and repents. I want to see her restored to the Body of Christ and live a chaste and happy live. To see that happen, sometimes we have to be honest about others are doing, and rebuke them as part of the restoration process. An example of this can be found in 1 Cor. 5 and 2 Cor. 2. A man was having an affair with his stepmother. In the 1 Cor. passage, Paul said to throw the bum out of the church. In the latter passage, he encouraged forgiveness and restoration after evidence of repentance. Rebuke is not to be hateful, although it may sometimes seem harsh.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Leading People to the Lord
Allen Hanson
November 29th, 2009
Oftentimes, after we give our testimony, the person or people we testified to will want to give their hearts to the Lord. This lesson gives pointers on leading people to Him.
Be perceptive about where people are. People are in various places with the Lord; some are just coming around to Him, some are ready to commit, some want to hear more but aren’t ready to commit. That’s fine. The easiest way to find out where people are is to ask. It doesn’t have to be a full-blown altar call; just ask, “Would you like to have a relationship with God?” Whatever the situation is, the Holy Spirit will lead you. There are really only two problems to avoid.
o Trying to push someone who isn’t ready. Remember, we’re not paid on commission.
o Being afraid to ask the question. For some reason, the closer you are to someone, the harder it can be to ask. Develop a couple different versions of the question to use for different people.
• Pray with them, not at them. Since you’re leading them to the Lord, you are like a mutual friend introducing two people you think should get to know each other. You can use the whole Sinner’s Prayer thing if you want, but all that really needs to happen is for the person to say that “Jesus is Lord” and believe in his/her heart that God raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 10:9-10). Don’t get too elaborate.
• Explain what happened. After the person accepts the Lord, be ready to explain to the new Christian what happened. Here are some pointers.
o Spirit, soul, and body. Human beings have three parts: We are spirits, we have souls, and we live in bodies. When you accept Jesus into your heart, you are born again, which means that your spirit is made alive, just like a baby being born. This may seem complicated, but is easy to explain from John 3: You need to be born twice to be with God. First physically, then spiritually. The New Testament teaches us how to save our souls, and gives us hope that God will save our bodies as well.
o What didn’t happen. While explaining what happened, it is useful to explain what didn’t happen.
You didn’t get any taller (or shorter).
You don’t look different.
You still have the same habits and behaviors, for the most part.
• Explain what to do next. I personally believe that when we lead someone to the Lord, we bear some responsibility for rearing them as baby Christians. This applies even to someone you may never see again.
o Talk about church. You need to help your new baby to find a church, so they can get the training and nutrients they need. (Psalms 92:14). If the person lives in your area, suggest your church. If your church doesn’t work for them (and sometimes it won’t), help them find a church that does.
o Get contact information. Remember, when you minister to someone, you aren’t just preaching the Gospel; you are inviting someone into your life. Keep track of them, making sure they don’t fall into the cracks, so to speak.
o Hand them off. The most effective way to help others grow is to hand them off. I don’t mean ditch them, but do introduce them to other Christians, so that you can create a Christian support system that meets that person’s needs. Being ready to hand people off means you also need to be ready have other people hand folks off to you.
We’ll talk about this a little today, and spend another day on it, doing role plays to practice leading people to the Lord.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Bible Interpretation 2-28-10
A Few Case Studies:
Practical Bible Interpretation
Allen Hanson
February 28, 2010
This lesson teaches basics of Bible interpretation (hermeneutics) by giving scenarios, working through them, and then discussing the interpretation principle.
The Thorn in Paul’s Flesh
A baby Christian in our church has asked you a question. “In 2 Corinthians 12:7, Paul claimed that a ‘thorn in the flesh’ was given to him. What does that mean? And why was it given to him? And who gave it to him?”
Interpretation Lesson 1: Use the Bible to interpret the Bible (especially use the Old Testament to interpret the New Testament).
Interpretation Lesson 2: Satan afflicts us to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). God uses what Satan dishes out to our advantage (The Book of Job, Genesis 45:4-8).
Replenishing the Earth
A person new to our church comes up to you to ask your opinion on a Bible subject that troubles him. He asks “When God told the man and woman to “replenish the Earth”, did that mean there were people here before Adam and Eve?”
Interpretation Lesson 3: Don’t trust doctrine to one version of the Bible, even if it is the King James Version. Use your tools (Strong’s, Vine’s) to see what words mean in their original languages.
The Sun Goes Around the Earth?
A college student comes to you and says, “My college professor told us that the Bible teaches falsehood, because it says that the sun rises and sets. He equates this to saying that the sun orbits the earth, which we know isn’t true. Is this what the Bible teaches?”
Interpretation Lesson 4: The Bible was designed to teach eternal truths from an Earthly perspective in a way that is understandable to people who lived at least 2000 years ago. It is intellectually dishonest and unfair to try to turn it into 21st century textbook on celestial mechanics.
Interpretation Lesson 5: People who disagree with the Bible and what it teaches are not above perverting the Scriptures (2 Peter 3:16). When people quote the Scriptures, check the context on them, using several different Bible translations, and see if what they are saying is true. Don’t be persuaded by an empty suit, glib speech, or educational attainment. Note: the Bible never says that the sun orbits the earth, in any version of which I am aware.
The Unforgiveable Sin
A young Christian comes up to you and asks you for a moment of your time. She says, “I think I may have committed the unforgiveable sin.” She tells you what she did, and states “I read in the Bible that Jesus said there is a sin that won’t be forgiven. What is it, and did I do it?
Interpretation Lesson 6: You can do a word search on the term “forgiven” or “blasphemy” and find the scripture verse where Jesus mentions a sin that won’t be forgiven. Jesus calls this sin “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit”. How do we determine what this means?
Fallen From Grace
A man in the church that you have known for a while wants to talk to you alone. He tells you, “I have sinned and fallen from grace. What must I do to get God to like me again?”
Interpretation Lesson 7: Look up the term “fallen from grace”. Use the context of the passage to determine just what that term actually means (Hint: It’s in Galatians).
Practical Bible Interpretation
Allen Hanson
February 28, 2010
This lesson teaches basics of Bible interpretation (hermeneutics) by giving scenarios, working through them, and then discussing the interpretation principle.
The Thorn in Paul’s Flesh
A baby Christian in our church has asked you a question. “In 2 Corinthians 12:7, Paul claimed that a ‘thorn in the flesh’ was given to him. What does that mean? And why was it given to him? And who gave it to him?”
Interpretation Lesson 1: Use the Bible to interpret the Bible (especially use the Old Testament to interpret the New Testament).
Interpretation Lesson 2: Satan afflicts us to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). God uses what Satan dishes out to our advantage (The Book of Job, Genesis 45:4-8).
Replenishing the Earth
A person new to our church comes up to you to ask your opinion on a Bible subject that troubles him. He asks “When God told the man and woman to “replenish the Earth”, did that mean there were people here before Adam and Eve?”
Interpretation Lesson 3: Don’t trust doctrine to one version of the Bible, even if it is the King James Version. Use your tools (Strong’s, Vine’s) to see what words mean in their original languages.
The Sun Goes Around the Earth?
A college student comes to you and says, “My college professor told us that the Bible teaches falsehood, because it says that the sun rises and sets. He equates this to saying that the sun orbits the earth, which we know isn’t true. Is this what the Bible teaches?”
Interpretation Lesson 4: The Bible was designed to teach eternal truths from an Earthly perspective in a way that is understandable to people who lived at least 2000 years ago. It is intellectually dishonest and unfair to try to turn it into 21st century textbook on celestial mechanics.
Interpretation Lesson 5: People who disagree with the Bible and what it teaches are not above perverting the Scriptures (2 Peter 3:16). When people quote the Scriptures, check the context on them, using several different Bible translations, and see if what they are saying is true. Don’t be persuaded by an empty suit, glib speech, or educational attainment. Note: the Bible never says that the sun orbits the earth, in any version of which I am aware.
The Unforgiveable Sin
A young Christian comes up to you and asks you for a moment of your time. She says, “I think I may have committed the unforgiveable sin.” She tells you what she did, and states “I read in the Bible that Jesus said there is a sin that won’t be forgiven. What is it, and did I do it?
Interpretation Lesson 6: You can do a word search on the term “forgiven” or “blasphemy” and find the scripture verse where Jesus mentions a sin that won’t be forgiven. Jesus calls this sin “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit”. How do we determine what this means?
Fallen From Grace
A man in the church that you have known for a while wants to talk to you alone. He tells you, “I have sinned and fallen from grace. What must I do to get God to like me again?”
Interpretation Lesson 7: Look up the term “fallen from grace”. Use the context of the passage to determine just what that term actually means (Hint: It’s in Galatians).
Monday, November 2, 2009
First Entry, yesterday's Bible study.
I am using this blog as a way to share ideas and thoughts specific to religion.
FYI, I am a Christian of the penetecostal/charismatic flavor who is active in a Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) congregation in Pendleton, OR.
Since this is my first post, I copy in the notes from the Bible study I taught yesterday.
Personal Testimony Class
Allen Hanson
October 31, 2009
1 Peter 3:15
15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
For the next few weeks, we will be working on our personal testimonies. I believe that we need to be ready to share our relationship with Christ with others. As the verse above states, we need to be prepared to give an answer. Let’s go over this verse a little bit.
“Always be prepared”. That means we have to set aside some time and effort occasionally to work on our testimony. You may ask, “Won’t the Holy Spirit give me the words to discuss my faith in Christ, like Jesus said He would?” Let’s look at the verse that promises this.
Mark 13:11
11 Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
This is true. However, the idea that we shouldn’t prepare our testimony beforehand is a misunderstanding of how the Holy Spirit works in our lives. Jesus described the Holy Spirit in this way:
John 14:26
26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
The King James says that the Holy Spirit “will bring all things to your remembrance.” In order for the Holy Spirit to “remind” us of something, we have to know it in the first place, right? That’s why study and preparation are so important to the Christian; they give the Holy Spirit something to work with when push comes to shove.
Today, we will begin preparation of our testimony. Here are some basic principles:
· Start with a basic testimony. You don’t need a spectacular, “I was a pirate and a cannibal, and then I got saved” type of testimony to be effective. If you were raised in church and were always a Christian, you can create a testimony about the heartache you avoided by walking with Christ.
· Add to your testimony as you go. The more material you have, the more the Holy Spirit can customize your testimony to the needs of the person to whom you are testifying. Think of it in terms of golf. It is possible to play golf with one club. However, you can’t play golf well with just one club, no matter how talented you are. Adding to your testimony puts more clubs in your bag.
· Prepare and practice giving your testimony. Lawyers (those who counsel at law) prepare their clients to give testimony by preparation and practice. So does the Counselor, the Holy Spirit. Again, nobody gets onto a football field without having practiced first. A lot of what we will be doing in this class is practice. Extending the golf analogy, you have to practice with your clubs to become a good golfer.
· Ask God to give you opportunity to give your testimony. Does that mean we should pray to be arrested? I don’t know about that, but perhaps we can pray to have people ask us about the hope we have, ala 1 Peter 3:15. So, let’s ask the Holy Spirit to set up opportunities to minister.
· Use gentleness and respect. Remember, you are glorifying God and the work he is doing within you, not yourself. Also, remember that at some point, you were probably in the same boat as the person you are ministering to, so don’t try to come off like you’re superior. “There but for the grace of God go I.” Also, as part of your testimony preparation, learn about how to present the Gospel to people from various cultures in such a way as to avoid offense. For example, it’s probably a bad idea to offer Jewish people pork products, or to tell Mormons that they are going to Hell because Joseph Smith was a fraud. The Holy Spirit is the spirit of Wisdom as well as the Spirit of Power (Isaiah 11:2).
· Get to know other people’s testimonies. When you give your testimony, it is helpful to know someone to whom you can refer the person you are ministering to. You may know someone who is better able to minister to this particular person. Also, it is important to be able to “hand off” your person, in order to get them born again or get them into church. Why? Because you may not be able to “close the deal” with some people. Handing off enables the person you are ministering to get what they need, even if you don’t have what they need. This can include reference material, as well as people. For instance, if you are ministering to an “intellectual”, it may be useful to refer him/her to the writings of C.S. Lewis, George MacDonald, or J.R.R. Tolkien.
What other things can you think of that are important toward giving your testimony?
FYI, I am a Christian of the penetecostal/charismatic flavor who is active in a Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) congregation in Pendleton, OR.
Since this is my first post, I copy in the notes from the Bible study I taught yesterday.
Personal Testimony Class
Allen Hanson
October 31, 2009
1 Peter 3:15
15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
For the next few weeks, we will be working on our personal testimonies. I believe that we need to be ready to share our relationship with Christ with others. As the verse above states, we need to be prepared to give an answer. Let’s go over this verse a little bit.
“Always be prepared”. That means we have to set aside some time and effort occasionally to work on our testimony. You may ask, “Won’t the Holy Spirit give me the words to discuss my faith in Christ, like Jesus said He would?” Let’s look at the verse that promises this.
Mark 13:11
11 Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
This is true. However, the idea that we shouldn’t prepare our testimony beforehand is a misunderstanding of how the Holy Spirit works in our lives. Jesus described the Holy Spirit in this way:
John 14:26
26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
The King James says that the Holy Spirit “will bring all things to your remembrance.” In order for the Holy Spirit to “remind” us of something, we have to know it in the first place, right? That’s why study and preparation are so important to the Christian; they give the Holy Spirit something to work with when push comes to shove.
Today, we will begin preparation of our testimony. Here are some basic principles:
· Start with a basic testimony. You don’t need a spectacular, “I was a pirate and a cannibal, and then I got saved” type of testimony to be effective. If you were raised in church and were always a Christian, you can create a testimony about the heartache you avoided by walking with Christ.
· Add to your testimony as you go. The more material you have, the more the Holy Spirit can customize your testimony to the needs of the person to whom you are testifying. Think of it in terms of golf. It is possible to play golf with one club. However, you can’t play golf well with just one club, no matter how talented you are. Adding to your testimony puts more clubs in your bag.
· Prepare and practice giving your testimony. Lawyers (those who counsel at law) prepare their clients to give testimony by preparation and practice. So does the Counselor, the Holy Spirit. Again, nobody gets onto a football field without having practiced first. A lot of what we will be doing in this class is practice. Extending the golf analogy, you have to practice with your clubs to become a good golfer.
· Ask God to give you opportunity to give your testimony. Does that mean we should pray to be arrested? I don’t know about that, but perhaps we can pray to have people ask us about the hope we have, ala 1 Peter 3:15. So, let’s ask the Holy Spirit to set up opportunities to minister.
· Use gentleness and respect. Remember, you are glorifying God and the work he is doing within you, not yourself. Also, remember that at some point, you were probably in the same boat as the person you are ministering to, so don’t try to come off like you’re superior. “There but for the grace of God go I.” Also, as part of your testimony preparation, learn about how to present the Gospel to people from various cultures in such a way as to avoid offense. For example, it’s probably a bad idea to offer Jewish people pork products, or to tell Mormons that they are going to Hell because Joseph Smith was a fraud. The Holy Spirit is the spirit of Wisdom as well as the Spirit of Power (Isaiah 11:2).
· Get to know other people’s testimonies. When you give your testimony, it is helpful to know someone to whom you can refer the person you are ministering to. You may know someone who is better able to minister to this particular person. Also, it is important to be able to “hand off” your person, in order to get them born again or get them into church. Why? Because you may not be able to “close the deal” with some people. Handing off enables the person you are ministering to get what they need, even if you don’t have what they need. This can include reference material, as well as people. For instance, if you are ministering to an “intellectual”, it may be useful to refer him/her to the writings of C.S. Lewis, George MacDonald, or J.R.R. Tolkien.
What other things can you think of that are important toward giving your testimony?
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
