I'm going to this new class at Mid Cities church called Free Indeed, inspired by the author who wrote Born to be Free. It was great! The guy last night talked about how much power we can have as Christians. How we are already seated at the right hand of the father and that means we have as much power as him. I've always known this logically but I think it sank more into my heart last night. I was thinking "Yeah that's right we can do more!" lol Like cast out demons etc. Wouldn't that be an adventure haha. Jesus lead on.... I will follow.
The speaker also talked about his struggle with smoking and was praying about why he kept putting the chains back on, why couldn't he be free? He said he could hear God say to him, "Because you don't know who you are." And that is why most of us struggle with anything isn't it? Because we don't realize who we really are in Christ. But once we know for sure who we are we realize Satan can't have power over us. We realize we can resist Satan and he will flee from us just like that. We are stronger in Christ than Satan is. "Greater is He who is in you than he that is in the world." He used a lot of good analogies like with Jesus we are like a UFC fighter and Satan becomes like a weak person and we can conquer him easily. But when we try and do things in our own strength it's the other way around. Very true. "I am the vine, you are the branches. Apart from me you can do nothing." But "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Amen? Amen :)
He also talked about fixing our gaze on Jesus and how all the other things will appear very small. It made me think of the song, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace." Another thing we need to do more; behold the glory of the Lord. That made me think of the song I loved in H.S. "I see the Lord seated... on the throne, exalted, and the train of his robe fills the temple with glory. And the whole earth is filled....with his glory. holy, holy, holy....is the Lord." Our worship leader Ron at Main Place would always sing that and I would always try and visualize the lyrics. Like that scene in Hercules when he meets Zeus as a statue and he is HUGE. That's kinda what I picture lol like what God would look like if I was before his throne.
I will say also, and I'm sure this was a God thing so I would understand my husband better lol, a guy at my table was so excited to share that this past weekend he prayed and sang in tongues for the first time and it made him cry like in a happy way. :) It made me think more about all of that. I'm not opposed to that happening to me. Well maybe somewhat, cause I think it might scare me a bit lol. Which I guess it why it hasn't happened to me yet. :) God doesn't give us more than we can handle, in bad things and good things I think.
I wrote the author of Born to be Free about tongues and he said it happens to some but not all and it doesn't make the person it happens to more spiritual than the rest. It is just a great experience for those who have it. I liked that response. lol :) It made me not feel bad that it hasn't happened to me. :)
One thing that bothered me a bit though was the leader at our table asked if he thought he had been baptized in the Holy Spirit before this experience or if he was then. At first he said he thinks he was before but then said maybe it was then that he was. This concept I don't like because we all as believers have the Holy Spirit. "If anyone does not have the Spirit of God he does not belong to God." Romans 9. And Eph. 1 "In whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory." All Christian are full of the Spirit already. It is not that those who pray in tongues are baptized in the Holy Spirit and the rest of us are not. That just does not sit right with me in my spirit.
So what happens when people pray in tongues for the first time? I think it is just receiving a spiritual gift, the gift on tongues. According to 1 Cor. 12 there are several spiritual gifts and we will all receive different ones. So though I somewhat wish I had the gift on tongues, on the other hand I am good with what God has already given me. When I asked God a few months ago why he hadn't given me tongues I felt him say to me, "I have given you so many gifts already." lol like aren't you satisfied with what I've already given you? And yes I am. Quite satisfied. Thank you Jesus! lol :) I believe my primary spiritual gift is teaching and secondly evangelism. Thus why I love to write so much. When I feel the closest with God and in tune with what he is saying to me he seems to flood me with ideas of what to blog about. It's like a fire inside of me and I just have to get it out. :)
As a side note, I want to say thank you to whoever you are reading my blogs. It is encouraging when I see that 100 people have read my blog in a day. It has given my life meaning and purpose really and I hope my writing is benefitting you and that God is blessing you. :) Thanks for reading :)
So don't let anyone who has prayed in tongues tell you that you are missing out or that you are a less than Christian or less spiritual. We all have different spiritual gifts and all of them are needed for the building up of the church. There are certainly some Pentecostal bullies out there so watch out for them. Some even want to say if you don't pray in tongues you aren't Christian, which has always made me very angry. I know for a fact I am Christian and that I am saved and no one can tell me that I'm not.
I heard in a sermon once being a Christian is like being in love. You just know you are. You know that you know. Do you know? If you have any doubt ask God about that and why you have that doubt. It is probably Satan talking to you or you may need to make sure that you are. I heard a quote once, "A lot of people miss heaven by 12 inches." Meaning the distance from their head to their heart. So many people get it in their head, but that's not enough. I saw a lot of this at the Christian college I went to; people who knew all the head knowledge in the world, but they seemed to be lacking the heart. Check your heart. Check your fruit. Do you have love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control? Not perfectly of course but generally? That is how you will know. "You shall know them by their fruit." And secondly what you believe about Jesus is key. "If you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved." Is Jesus Lord to you? That is the ultimate question to ask yourself to see if you are saved or not. Who is Jesus to you? Is He your Lord or is something else Lord of your life?
Think about it.
May God bless you! :)
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