Results 1 - 5 of 5
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Did Gamaliel give sound advice? | Acts 5:34 | EdB | 7421 | ||
Nolan you asked a great question. Many people believe that since it is in the Bible it is inspired. God permitted uninspired sayings, quotes, and words of man to be included to provide completeness to the pictures He was painting. Gamaliel’s advice while advantageous to the disciples and seemingly making sense is not inspired nor is it correct. Many false religions, leaders and cults have endured while many Godly ventures have failed. Today many people apply this test to ministry, if they see a fast growing ministry they naturally say it is must be of God. Yet many fast growing ministries are racked with false teaching and just plain junk. In the same sense many faithful and totally correct ministries seem to stumble and grope through never making a big impact. I think this is where discernment comes into the picture. Too few Christians use discernment in their evaluation of men and a ministry. I saw a nationally known Evangelist, call a woman onto the platform one evening in a congregation of 700-1000. He was in a playful mood and he proceeded to tease with this saint. He told her little sins she had committed before she was saved, little things like her and “husband to be” sneaking a little wine and telling her mother they hadn’t. He did it in a very playful and non condemning way. Everyone was laughing, the poor dear saint was blushing, it was funny. The people in the congregation were in awe of this mighty man of God that can read this saints “mail”. The applause was thunderous! Then the Holy Spirit said to me if God forgets our sins and moves them as far as the east is from the west how can this man possibly know about them? Then He (the Holy Spirit) answered the question, there was only one way "familiar spirits". This man was moving in familiar spirits either intently or unintently but doing so none the less. Nobody was using any discernment to pick up on it. This man did many similar things through the course of his 3 week revival services. Each night it was a packed house and each night he did something equally revealing. Yet each night 700-1000 people walked out of the church raving about how Godly this man was. Yet down the street a young unknown evangelist was preaching his heart out glorifying Jesus and magnifying God and he had 25 – 50. No Gamliel’s advice sounded good and thankful made sense to the listeners securing the release of the disciples, but it did not establish a standard by which to judge ministries by. |
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2 | Performance or Preaching? | Acts 5:34 | Hank | 7466 | ||
EdB, to extend your good remarks a step farther, can it be that "entertainment" by a colorful evangelist (with or without sound teaching) may play a role in who flocks to his sheep-fold? --Hank | ||||||
3 | Performance or Preaching? | Acts 5:34 | EdB | 7492 | ||
Hank, how nice to have you back! Without a doubt many times it is entertainment. Too many people think attending church gives them entrance to heaven. Therefore they feel that since they must attend they might as well find the most entertaining to attend. There is one church that the Pastor raises from below the platform in a cloud of smoke and flashing lights. He then preaches his sermon and at the end he ascends up and out of sight again surrounded by smoke and flashing lights. Watch any Christian TV network for a day or two and you will probably see much more. However the thing that has me concerned is the heresy that is being taught. There is more junk in many of our churches than there is in the neighborhoods that surround them. I have seen just about every form of heresy taught/preached from pulpits and the people walk out raving about the what a mighty man of God the preacher is. When will the people learn that just because the man says Jesus a few times doesn’t make him a disciple or even a believer. I have seen men give all kinds of credit to Jesus however their Jesus is not the son of God but rather an deity of their own invention. No wonder Jesus responded the way He did. "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' 23"And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; Depart From Me, you who practice lawlessness.' Matthew 7:22-23 Are others seeing this same lack of discernment? |
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4 | Performance or Preaching? | Acts 5:34 | Hank | 7495 | ||
Well said, brother Ed. I think the acme of foolishness was reached recently in a local church in my city. All the members were asked to bring their pets to the church lawn. The ministers then conducted a ceremony they called "Blessing of the Animals." The ministers actually conducted a "laying on of hands" ritual in the process of blessing these animals. Besides blessing a number of cats and dogs, a lucky mouse got blessed as did a pet goat. I don't know whether anyone took his goldfish for a blessing.....This is a church ordinance? Lord, have mercy on us! --Hank | ||||||
5 | Performance or Preaching? | Acts 5:34 | charis | 7517 | ||
Dear Hank, My daughter's friend has a pet Kabuto-mushi (Giant Stag Beetle), do you think you could get someone to lay hands on it? (But, watch those fingers! :-) I'll go one better. I went to a meeting that was claiming to teach on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The speaker came out and said that he had just cast several demons out of himself while looking in a mirror. He 'laid hands' on the mirror, and saw them depart, so he was 'clean enough' to preach about the Holy Spirit. We did not stay for refreshments. Welcome back, dear friend and colleague! In Christ Jesus, charis |
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