Grace is the most important doctrine of the Christian faith. It is the cornerstone of Christianity. It certainly makes sense to create
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Applied Theology, Leadership, Ministry
Speaking in tongues is the initial sign of receiving the Spirit, but by itself, it does not prove the abiding presence of the Spirit. Many more important evidences of the Spirit’s abiding presence exist, such as the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). In particular, love is the ultimate test of true discipleship (John 13:34-35). The true child of God will love God, obey His commandments, walk after the Spirit, and be led by the Spirit (I John 2:3-5; Romans 8:4, 14). In the absence of these characteristics, speaking in tongues does not guarantee that the Spirit dwells in one and controls his life.
Previously we investigated all five cases recorded in Scripture where people received the Holy Ghost. In three cases (Pentecost, Cornelius, Ephesus) those who received the Spirit immediately spoke in tongues. A fourth case (Samaria) does not explicitly describe any particular external manifestation but it clearly requires the presence of a miraculous, immediately identifiable outward sign, and most commentators agree this was speaking in tongues. In the fifth case (Paul) the Bible gives no description of the Spirit Baptism but later reveals that the recipient spoke in tongues throughout his Christian life.
Speaking with (or in) tongues is “the supernatural gift of speaking in another language without it having been learned.” The Greek word underlying this phrase is glossa, which means a tongue, either as the organ of the body or as a language. Hence, a modern theological term for speaking in tongues is glossolalia. Some modern translations render the KJV phrase “speak with other tongues” as “speak in foreign tongues” (Moffat), “speak in foreign languages” (Goodspeed), and “speak in different languages” (Phillips).
Each day brings questions for which we need answers. In a world that grows more complex hour by hour, we constantly face new problems and opportunities. What should we do? How should we react? What can we believe? The word of God has the answers to all of these questions. Often we just don’t know where to find these answers in the 66 books. Given below are references to twenty Bibles verses to keep you going at the most common situations in life.
Previously I shared eight excuses Pastors give for poor sermon preparation. Today I want to share with you three consequences of poor preparation.
Previously I shared four benefits of preparation in preaching ministry. Today I want to share seven excuses some Pastors give for poor sermon preparation. Sometimes they use the same excuses as a weapon to disqualify the well-prepared preacher.
Someone said for each minute you spend behind the pulpit, spend one hour in preparation. One of the top responsibilities of a Pastor is to faithfully preach the whole counsel of God’s word, carefully explaining the meaning of the text and applying it to the lives of those under his care. As Pastors, we should treat the task of preaching as a sacred responsibility and give our best to prepare and preach a sermon. Given below are few benefits of prior preparation.