No Tongues in 13 Years

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At 03:21 PM 10/9/97 -0400, Sis. Donna "da Banker" Perine wrote:

>I totally agree with your comments, but when I said almost the same
>thing to my husband he came back at me with "what about
>many Baptists, Methodists, etc. whose lives *also* evidence the fruit
>of the Spirit... Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness,
>meekeness, faith, and temperance and such like ....  but who don't 
>have the Holy Ghost???  Or someone like Mother Teresa? They
>are living in a repentant state, and love God,  (as Cornelius) but have
>not as yet received the Holy Ghost. I have seen the fruit of the Spirit 
>evidenced in my friend's life, but I have also seen it in the life of
>my precious Presbyterian grandmother, and she doesn't have the
>Holy Ghost. She thinks I am in a cult and won't even discuss
>speaking in tongues or Jesus Name baptism. 

I was just about to delete this when the Holy Ghost moved on me to send
this in as well... along the lines of being in a *repentant* state as
seen above.

When Paul came around the upper coasts of Ephesus, Acts 19, he came across
certain believers that didn't have the Holy Ghost but were in that very same
*state* of repentence.  When Paul questioned them, they said they were
baptized
unto John's baptism.  Paul said that John's baptism was a baptism of
repentence
saying something like:  "I John, baptize thee _________ for repentence in that
you'll follow after the one that comes after me."  (or something like that
kind
of baptism forumula).  They'd never heard of Jesus (in it's fullness) to even
believe upon let alone be baptized in it.  Paul baptized them in Jesus name
and
then laid hand on them to receive the Holy Ghost.  Such happened and that's
the end of that chapter.

But... what Paul found was .......... believers.  They didn't know it all.
They knew a portion of truth, but not the full knowledge of God like we
enjoy.  Now the question is begged.... were the non-baptized-in-Jesus-name
believers saved?  Nope.  They were BELIEVERS and not CHRISTIANS.  They didn't
have the Holy Ghost down in their soul.  God probably moves on them and they
could be really be blessed by it... but the helmet of salvation had never been
placed on their head.

I think us Acts 2:38'ers sometimes forget that salvation is more than Acts
2:38.  Before repentence, baptism, and being filled with the Holy Ghost ...
first starts at *believing*.... a necessary step.  How many folks have been
dunked into the tank of water and have been *wetted* not believing that they
are going to have their sins washed away?  How many of them that got *wet*
have just kinda had a lackadaisacal walk with the Lord?  In- and out- of
church.  Not swinging much either way.  Salvation is more than Acts 2:38
before
and after.  Too many times, the churched, repented, baptized, and filled
saint of God is just given a handshake and told *THERE*!  YOU'VE ARRIVED!
Almost like when I was a young catholic boy when I was confirmed.  It was
a big deal to the other like-believers... but not much to the individual.
Back then... I just went through the motions.  

To cause someone to do the Acts 2:38 formula with little- or no- followup
doesn't do justice to them.  It's like teaching someone to swim.  Do you
get someone just good enough to tread water and then toss them out in the
middle of Lake Michigan.  *Hey Bro Joe!  We taught you how to tread water,
now it up to you to get back to land!*  I'd imagine that if one is going to
teach and instruct other disciples.... they ought to teach them the 
*disciplines* necessary that they could make it in the race they are running.

Other than 12 years of Wednesday night Bible Study, I know that I received 
*no* more discipleship training than what the average Joe can get off of
the streets when they walk into a church.  I'm just a dumb sheep that needs
leading and guiding.  Sheep don't know what's right for them.  They just
graze, sleep, reproduce, and give wool.  Sheep need a shepherd to *guide*
them through the door.  You don't herd sheep like you do cattle with a roundup
of sorts.  You guide them.  With bovine, you *scare* them from position to
position in the field with dogs and run 'em in the direction they should go.
I can just imagine David on a horse in Israel, herding the sheep with a lasso
and keeping them all in line.  NOT!  

I think this is an area that the church falls way short.... and I also think
this is the reason why the church trys to make cookie-cutter-saints.
Ka-chunk,
ka-chunk, ka-chunk, ka-chunk.... there!  All done with that batch of saints!
Don't have to invest anymore time in them.  Don't have to worry about their
lives and their needs.  They're all just ready and fully equipped soldiers
for the most high God!  NOT!

Bro "sorry I was on the soapbox today" Tyler

Bro Tyler
--
Bro Tyler Nally <tnally@iquest.net> <tgnally@prairienet.org>

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