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Old 03-03-2008, 09:35 AM
Pastor Mikie
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Bible student, I think I deal with your questions. If you don't want to speak with tongues, then you don't have to.

Telling me that the gifts I've witnessed personally (that I can support Scripturally) are somehow not real (because your interpretations are based on personal bias), or they are fake or maybe even from the devil (though no one has actually come out and said that yet) is somewhat amuzing and even laughable.

You don't want it, need it or believe it, your choice. Your arguments aren't going to convert many away from something wonderful they've received from the Lord.

I've had this discussion with lots of folks of your persuasion. They all use the same arguments. Out of those, there are some who don't feel threatened by my statements. So, they don't sound hostile or angry (as some here do). They just don't believe as I do.

You aren't going to talk me out of it. It's in the Bible in plain English as far as I'm concerned. You have no solid Biblical proof that the "sign gifts (as you call them)" have been taken away. What you appear to be doing is trying to use history by explaining to me the unique circumstances around the writings themselves. That's doing the same kind of thing "Bible-correctors" do. Or you are trying to identify a general statement used in an illustration of the apostle Paul as something identified when it is not. Maybe you even feel that Paul was being hypothetical in 1st Corianthians 12 & 14. Whatever explaination you give, it requires something other than Scripture to substantiate.

I acknowledge that all of us tend to interpret the Bible based on personal bias. But, I've tried to see your point of view. As a matter of fact, I used to believe as you do. What changed my mind was what happened during a Bible study in 1975 where some JW's were trying to infultrate it. The leader of the study decided the best way to "drive" these people away wasn't by arguing with them, but to begin praying. We all gathered into a circle, held hands and began to pray. I started to speak in tongues. I stopped myself. The JW's were freaked out. I stopped myself because I was taught this kind of thing was from the devil and I didn't want to be of the devil. It happened again. This time I decided it was real, and from the Lord. The JW's disappeared for good.

This caused me to search the Scriptures profusely. I objectively could not see where God ever removed the gifts of the Holy Ghost from the church. You might accuse me of getting my theoloy from experience and not the Scriptures. That's not true. I tested my experience with the Scriptures and found that it was Biblical.

Again, it sounds like some of you just want to be angry about this. Maybe you feel threatened by it. I'm sorry. God has given me something wonderful (and many others). I admit there are loads of abuses out there. There are as many abuses of the gifts of the Spirit as there are abuses of the doctrine salvation. But it doesn't negate what is real.