(Pseudo) SCIENCE Is the “New God” and Dubious SCIENTISTS Are the “New Gods”

Whenever there’s a debate, each side will base their position on (1) their reasoning and (2) the authority or authoritative knowledge they accept, whoever or whatever either may be. For instance, when Christians debate a topic they’ll utilize the Holy Scriptures as their authority for doctrine & practice (1 Corinthians 4:6).

Since those of us in Western nations (or Western-influenced nations) live in a post-Christian society, people no longer respect the Judeo-Christian Scriptures as authoritative, generally speaking. Those who embrace a genuinely biblical worldview are considered backwards and uneducated (keeping in mind that ‘educated’ to Liberal elites really means “indoctrinated by Leftwing ideology”). The authority that people in the modern era ascribe to is science or, more accurately, what is said to be science and whoever the scientific authority may be on the topic at hand.

For instance, when I was 19 years-old I had a discussion with a homosexual man who was in his mid-20s. He was a friendly guy who never actually said he was a homosexual, but it wasn’t difficult to draw this conclusion. For one thing, when the subject of homosexuality came up, he sprang to its defense. I wasn’t a Christian yet but I pointed out the obvious illogicality of homosexuality in that the sex organs don’t line up with such a union (by contrast, in genuine sexuality tab ‘A’ naturally fits into slot ‘B.’ Are you following?). But he ignored this and appealed to Sigmund Freud to support his position.

What was he doing? He was using Freud as an authority figure to defend his chosen lifestyle. Keep in mind that Freud is the guy who came up with the creative concept of “penis envy.” Another psychoanalyst wittily countered this odd theory by pointing out how males are perhaps adversely affected by their inability to bear children, which would be “womb envy.” See how easy it is to concoct pseudo-scientific gobbledygook?

More recently, I’ve had discussions with people on a couple of relevant topics. In both cases the opponent referenced “science” to defend his/her position. The problem was, real science didn’t back up their claims.

The woman I was dialoguing with on abortion insisted that a baby is a “fetus” until it is born. To her, a fetus was an un-living thing and not a human being with a beating heart, which made it perfectly okay to slaughter at whim. Disregarding the fact that the term ‘fetus’ literally means “an unborn human baby,” I pointed out the obvious problem with her reasoning: A baby doesn’t become a baby — a living human being — the split second it emerges from the birth canal; it was already a baby before it came out.

This is just common sense, of course, but she denied it on the grounds that “Science says differently.” She kept repeating this and I’m sure she knew of a few Liberal scientists who supported her position. Of course true science does not deny this but, nevertheless, she used what she deemed “science” as her authority in the argument and so it was a closed case.

On another recent occasion I was conversing with a guy about biological males competing in women’s sports as transsexuals. I pointed out how absurd this was and how unfair to the females competing in the sport: Just because a biological male has his genitals mutilated by a surgeon and takes feminine hormones, it doesn’t make him a female. His DNA would still be male. In other words, he’s a male masquerading as a female.

The guy responded “Science says otherwise,” which isn’t accurate. Like the woman in the other debate, he kept referring to what he thought was “science” to defend his position and I’m sure he knew of a couple scientists that backed up this position, obviously bought by the Left. There was no talking with him. His god — “science” — spoke and that was the final word on the matter.

When New Gods Replace the Old Gods

If you study world history you’ll note that the religion of a people in a certain location will morph over decades/centuries with a new god or new gods replacing the old one(s). Here are several examples:

Islam surfaced in Arabia during the 7th Century and thus the worship of Allah — the Arabian moon god — eventually took over whole swaths of the Middle East, Southern Asia and Northern Africa as Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Buddhism & other religions were replaced.
Scandinavian kingdoms embraced polytheistic Old Norse religion with Odin, Thor, Loki, etc. but this slowly changed as Christianity spread through the region between the 8th and the 12th centuries, along with other Nordic and Baltic areas. The one, true God, Yahweh (Psalm 96:4-5), replaced the fantastical Norse gods and others.
Meanwhile the rest of Europe was already Christianized, generally speaking: The mythical gods of the Greco-Roman world were supplanted by the worship of the LORD; same thing with Druidic religion in Gaul (France) & the British Isles.
Centuries later, after the New World was discovered, the Americas slowly became Christianized as European settlers & their descendants multiplied across the landscape. The diversified spiritual practices of the AmerIndians* could be labeled henotheistic, monotheistic, polytheistic, shamanistic, animistic, pantheistic or any blend thereof, but biblical truth slowly spread and the worship of the LORD became predominant across the two continents. Not all AmerIndians became believers, of course, but many did.

* Speaking as part-Abenaki, it’s trendy to refer to AmerIndians as “Native Americans,” but they’re actually not native to the Americas. Their ancestors originally emigrated from East Asia via Beringia, which means they’re just as much settlers to the Western Hemisphere as later peoples from Europe & other regions. AmerIndians are just older Americans whereas settlers from Europe & other areas are newer Americans.

But Christianity has long since been replaced as the predominant belief/worldview in the Americas and Europe, as well as all nations influenced by Western Civilization. What overthrew Christian beliefs which had reigned in these places for centuries? The answer is science or, more accurately, what people say is science, aka pseudoscience.

This mass societal transformation began in the 18th century and was executed via…

Thought Bombs

An atomic bomb leaves massive destruction in its wake that lasts for decades, but “thought bombs” can be even more damaging to societies, not to mention enduring. Several influential thinkers in the generations leading up to the 20th & 21st Centuries drastically changed modern thought in Western Civilization and reshaped our worldview, ousting Christianity as the foundational belief system:

Two German philosophers, Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) & his disciple G.W.F. Hegel (1770-1831), destroyed the idea of thinking in terms of absolutes — God, truth, morality — and promoted relativistic thinking. Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) then applied these ideas to Christianity and set the foundation for the existentialist movement of the 20th century; thus relativistic, existential thinking spread throughout the Church.

Notable colleges like Harvard originally trained Christian ministers whereas now they indoctrinate students with loony Leftwing ideology, which is more accurately idiotology. Look no further than BU graduate AOC, who supports Marxism and insists the Earth is going to be destroyed by 2031 (a mere decade from now) without mass acceptance of her absurd Green New Deal, an expensive political proposal that claims with a straight face cow farts are destroying the Earth. It’s ironic that Boston University began as a Methodist theological college named the Newbury Biblical Institute.

Karl Marx (1818-1883) built upon this foundation, which included Hegel’s glorification of the State, and became the father of Communism, a God-hating philosophy that could be viewed as a religion since the State itself becomes ‘god’ with its enemies being capitalism, private property and religion, especially Christianity (which isn’t really a religion, as noted here). Marxism promises a godless utopia of a classless society and the guaranteed universal provisions thereof, but has yet to work in practice. Hitler admitted that “the whole of [his] National Socialism” was based on Marxist theories.

A contemporary of Kierkegaard & Marx, Charles Darwin (1809-1882) concocted the theory of evolution, which postulates that life on Earth originated with single-celled life-forms and evolved into higher life-forms thru the chance process of random mutation coupled with natural selection, which weeds out the “less fit.” Darwin’s model includes the origin of human beings, which he said in The Descent of Man have a common ancestor with apes. This theory explained life in non-biblical terms and essentially excluded the need for a Creator God. Without an intentional beginning human beings have no special purpose. We’re just animals created in a cold and meaningless evolutionary system.

It comes as no surprise that the atheistic father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), didn’t believe humankind had a purpose on Earth. Since there was no Creator God, all was permissible. Morality was an illusion in his thinking and sexual morality “repressive”; everything was relative.

This was incidentally the conclusion I came to as an unbeliever at the age of 19: If there was no God — no Intelligent Designer behind everything — then life on Earth was an accident of the Universe and therefore there was no such thing as right and wrong. I wasn’t even a Christian yet, but I rejected this conclusion because I instinctively knew there was right and wrong, good and evil. For instance, rape, murder, theft, slander, sexual unfaithfulness and lying for selfish reasons were clearly wrong. It’s just common sense and can be attributed to the God-given human conscience (Romans 2:14-16).

I cited these six particular thinkers because they were arguably the most influential in swaying Western Civilization away from the biblical paradigm of our formerly Judeo-Christian-based societies. If these notable thinkers never existed, “the god of this world” — Satan (2 Corinthians 4:4) — would’ve easily raised-up six others. I should add that, while the Bible plainly says that people who don’t believe in God are “fools” (Psalm 14:1 & 53:1), there’s no doubt that these thinkers were brilliant in their secular perspectives. And, to be fair, a couple of them technically believed in God, like Kierkegaard, but — remember — “even the demons believe—and shudder!” (James 2:19).

**Where We Are Now: What Liberalism Says Is Science Is “god” and Secular Humanism Is the ‘in’ Religion**

These “thought bombs” ultimately toppled Western Civilization from its Christian foundations. We now live in a post-Christian society where our schools promote secular humanism and despise Christianity. Believers in Christ & the Bible are held in contempt as “backwards,” “bigoted” and “uneducated.” As noted earlier, ‘education’ to secularists really means “indoctrinated by Liberal ideology.”

Thus the more “educated” by secular institutions a person is the less likely s/he will believe in absolutes, like God, truth and morality. I attended a state university as a strong believer from 1990-1995 and I could feel the anti-Christ spirit that permeated the classrooms and halls. My faith was challenged on every side, but I (1) maintained my relationship with the Lord and (2) kept anchored in my biblical studies, feeding from God’s Word (Matthew 4:4).

Yet I could readily see how the faith of Christian students could be weakened in such a godless environment, even to the point of falling away from the faith (Hebrews 6:4-9 & 2 Peter 2:21). I’ve known several solid believers who went off to college and left as agnostics or atheists. And yet Christian parents continue to blithefully send their kids off to God-hating Universities and are shocked when they come back as unbelievers. Gee, go figure. (For anyone who says it’s impossible for a believer to lose his/her salvation, see this article).

Secular humanism is now the religion of Western Civilization and is essentially one-in-the-same as “liberalism” or “progressivism.” How is it a religion? It has all the earmarks of one:

An irrefutable “god” (science or what Liberalism says is science, aka pseudoscience).
Its own “scripture” (Lib-approved journals & textbooks; pseudoscientific works, like Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring; and basically whatever a hip ‘authority’ says on the topic at hand).
Its own faith-based cosmology (the big bang theory).
Its own miracles (e.g. the idea that everything originally sprang from nothing, which violates the scientific axiom of biogenesis — that life only proceeds from life).
Its own beliefs in the supernatural; even many of those who consider themselves strict atheists acknowledge what they call extrasensory perception or paranormal activity (studies have shown that Liberals are more likely to believe in paranormal phenomena compared to Conservatives, whether ghosts, talking with the dead, fortunetelling or astrology. Let me put it this way: Is a New Ager or fortune-teller more likely to be a Liberal or a Conservative?).
Its own “churches” (public schools & colleges).
Its own “high priests” (godless ‘scientists,’ professors & teachers).
Its own “saints” (corrupt politicians, immoral celebrities and thugs).
Its own sacrifices (abortion & infanticide and fake suicides of its own people when necessary, e.g. Jeffrey Epstein).
Tithing (to teachers’ unions, tuition, donations/taxes for sacred Leftist causes, like the ambiguous “Climate Change” & the corresponding Paris Agreement/UNFCCC).
Obeisance for their hallowed leaders, institutions and activist organizations (Obama, Harvard, NOW, Greenpeace, etc.).
Its applauded virtues (recycling, sexual perversions, mask-wearing, etc.).
Its loathed practices or “sins” (chastity, reading/believing the Bible, etc.).
Its own faith-based explanation of life itself (the theory of evolution — after over 160 years of desperate searching they have yet to prove that random mutation & natural selection lead to the creation of a new species).
Its revered “ancestors” (apes or ape-like beings).
Its faith-based insistence that humans are created in the likeness of apes rather than the image of God.

This should not be interpreted to mean that all scientists, professors, public school teachers, etc. are godless and dripping with evil because this isn’t true in the least. For instance, one of my English teachers at state college was a devout Christian man (unfortunately, he was contrasted by a lesbian English teacher who readily attacked anything Christian or traditionally moral).

I’m of course speaking in generalities in this article. But let me ask you a relevant question: Can a genuine believer openly espouse their beliefs in an academic environment without being seriously penalized in some way, even losing their job (and I’m not even talking about proselytizing)? We all know the answer. Liberals are only tolerant of their own ideology and those who bend to it, although they’ll exempt anyone who’ll jump in bed with them in their fight against biblical truth, like Muslims. In other words, although Liberalism and Islam are opposing belief systems, they are united in their vehement opposition to Judeo-Christianity.

It doesn’t help that the State religion of Liberalism (so-called “Progressivism”) is riddled with glaring contradictions:

homosexuals are “born that way” while child-molesters can be rehabilitated;
saving a tree or plant is virtuous, but slaughtering babies by the millions is okay, including ones that survive abortion;
we should eat organic foods and must wear masks to hinder the spread of ailments, but the possibility of spreading a gross disease via casual sex or perverse sex is an unalienable right;
sexual activity is merely genetic & all-for-fun and has zero sacred purpose or moral consequence, but the slightest hint of sexual harassment is diabolical (speaking as someone who’s totally against sexual harassment);
Druid-like reverence of the Earth is praiseworthy and progressive, but biblical worship of the Almighty is superstitious and backwards;
Liberalism claims to wholly support feminism, but curiously advocates & commends biologically male transsexuals competing (and winning) against biological females in women’s sports;
it’s perfectly okay if primitive peoples from Asia settle in the Americas and constantly fight rival tribes, i.e. AmerIndians, but not technologically advanced people from Europe.

Need I go on?

It comes as little surprise that, without an intentional origin or divine purpose, people in the modern era lack a moral compass. Seeing themselves as little more than animals, they tend to veer toward hedonism or some form of immorality to find fulfillment and even identity. Others glorify the State — or its corresponding ideals — and serve accordingly to find purpose. Others succumb to a disillusioned life of “quiet desperation,” as Henry David Thoreau put it, and are usually assuaged by an excess of “meds.”

Christ said “You will know them by their fruits,” referring to people who falsely speak for God (Matthew 7:15-23). This would include people who claim to understand and represent the truth or ultimate reality (Remember, Christ said he was “the truth” in John 14:6 and ‘truth’ in the Greek is alétheia, which means “reality” or “the way it really is”). What is the fruit of the Liberal intelligentsia who in essence worship (pseudo)science and their religion is secular humanism? Answer: Things like godless Marxism (Socialism/Communism), slander, voting fraud, arrogance, condescension, hypocrisy and sexual immorality & perversion.

Why is hedonism and sexual immorality rampant on campuses? Why is it that whenever you visit a college town you’ll see overt evidence of homosexuality, but hardly ever in other areas? Answer: Because that’s what is preached & commended at these schools of supposed higher learning despite the facts that the practice of homosexuality results in a much higher rate of STDs, mental illness, drug use and suicide or suicide attempts.

Of course those who choose the homosexual lifestyle are to be tolerated and respected as fellow human beings who have the right to make choices about their lives, whether positive or negative, just as we tolerate overeaters, smokers, drinkers and so on. However, this doesn’t mean that homosexuality should be promoted and celebrated since it would be asinine in light of the facts that support its all-around unhealthiness.

Are Christians “Anti-Science”?

No, Christians are pro-common sense and anti-false science (again, I’m speaking in generalities; admittedly, there are people who claim to be Christians who are severely corrupted by legalism). For instance, the scientific principle that only life can create life — biogenesis — obviously points to a Creator. Believers in Christ naturally question questionable “science” regardless of how popular it might be in Liberal circles.

The sneering scientific sophistication of Liberals is merely a pretense. They actually hate real science and flee from it screaming like vampires responding to holy water. Here are some examples of genuine science: unborn babies are sentient human beings with a beating heart; males who foolishly have their penis chopped off and take female hormones are not females; the AIDS virus does discriminate; there is such a thing as IQ; the sexes have differing abilities in different areas (e.g. math, science and gymnastics); only life can create life; and nuclear power is actually not very dangerous.

When it comes to science, some good questions include: What specific topic is being addressed? And is the ‘science’ thereof reliable or dubious? For instance, climate alarmists have a long history of false predictions supposedly based on ‘science.’ The current “Climate Change” hysteria is actually a Leftwing agenda and politically motivated. As such, the scientists they use to support their position are basically ‘yes men’ and ‘yes women’ because their jobs and funding depend on agreeing with the false narrative and backing it up with supposed evidence. See these videos for insights: My Gift To Climate Alarmists, Are We Doomed? And Climate Scam No Longer Needed.

We must understand that the Bible is a theological work and not a scientific one. It shares some info that’s applicable to the sciences in a general sense, but often requires further study on part of the one seeking knowledge. For instance, the Bible is not an astronomy book, but it does support the basic idea that the Earth is a spherical body suspended in the empty space of the Universe, which disproves the idea of a flat Earth (Isaiah 40:22 & Job 26:7). The Scriptures teach that the Universe constantly “pours forth speech” and “displays knowledge” to “all the Earth” (Psalm 19:1-4); Paul backed this up by the Spirit in different words (Romans 1:19-20). So the LORD knew we’d acquire important details through our astronomical observations and studies.

Or consider the human brain. The Bible tells us a lot about the human mind, but it doesn’t give us details about the physical brain or brain surgery. We naturally obtain knowledge of the latter through specific studies.

Here are a few other biblical tidbits relating to scientific topics:

What scientists call the big bang theory — the idea that the Universe began suddenly and inflated over the next 13.8 billion years to the cosmos we know today — is explained in the Bible simply as God speaking the Universe into existence (Hebrews 11:3 & Psalm 33:6).
Speaking of the great age of the Universe, believers who embrace the young-Earth theory — the idea that the Earth is about 6000 years old — agree that the Earth looks billions of years old, but suggest that God created the Earth & Universe with the appearance of age since, in the same creation account (Genesis 1-2), the LORD created Adam as an adult male. While Adam looked to be about 30 years-old he was actually freshly created and thus merely had the appearance of 30-years of age. The same argument could be applied to the Universe & Earth since their creation appears in the same context. It could be argued that the Creator simply accelerated their creation/growth in a condensed amount of time. In other words, they really are the age they appear, it’s just that the time period was greatly condensed. Keep in mind that God is the Almighty who can do practically anything (except violate divine word or force beings with freewill to do something or not do something), including create the Universe & Earth in moments or days by merely speaking it into existence by faith. For details see this article.
Secular science theorizes that dinosaurs existed 245-66 million years ago and therefore are much older than human beings, who they say have only been around for 200,000 years; and thus the two never existed at the same time. If this is so, why does practically every culture on Earth have legends about slaying the dragon, aka dinosaurs? In other words, there’s an alternative biblical take on dinosaurs, which you can read about here.

Scientists & Pseudoscientists Are NOT the “New Gods”

We have to get away from this modern-day notion that scientists are infallible gods. Just because they say something is so doesn’t necessarily mean it is. Christ said to be “wise as serpents” not gullible as idiots (Matthew 10:16). For one thing, scientists are not God. For another, scientists disagree all the time based on the data they acknowledge and the agenda behind their work. Thirdly, scientists are perfectly capable of presenting data in a skewed way to back-up their case for decidedly selfish reasons, like apprehending funding or keeping their job. This explains the saying: 97% of “scientists” agree with whoever funds them. After all, being a scientist doesn’t make one immune to being a liar. As for those scientists who say there is no God, however smart they might be, the Bible says they’re fools in no uncertain terms (Psalm 53:1 & Psalm 10:4).

By the way, I’m not telling you what to believe on any of these scientific subjects. They’re peripheral issues not crucial to salvation. As it is said, “In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity.” Honestly seek out the topic in question and draw your own likely conclusion without concern for being ‘hip.’

Close

I’m not being “mean” in this article, I’m just sharing common sense data & truths in a concerned, honest manner. It’s called tough love. Christ did the same and the world hated him for it (John 7:7 & John 3:20).

Anyone reading this who has been caught in the web of Secular Humanism and the pseudoscience thereof, the LORD is calling you out of darkness and bondage, just as God called me & millions of others out of darkness and bondage. As Paul exhorted: “We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:17-21). Here’s how to reconcile…

¹⁶For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life… ³⁶Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him.

John 3:16,36 (BSB)

⁹…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. ¹⁰For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.

Romans 10:9-10 (BSB)

You can read details about what’s really going on with this crazy world and God’s gracious plan of liberation for humanity & creation here.

Bottom line: True science is the study of God’s creation. When people worship science above God it becomes an ‘idol’ and devolves into pseudoscience. In the end, are you trusting in science (the creation) or God (the Creator) to give your life meaning and salvation?

The Left’s Unbalanced View of Christ & Christianity

Understanding the Religion of LIEberalism

What Form of GOVERNMENT Is Best?

MOTHER EARTH — What’s the Bible Say?

DRUG OBSESSION (Idolatry) Is of the Flesh

Like any other earthly obsession, drug obsession becomes a form of idolatry wherein the person essentially worships drugs, illegal or legal. I personally experienced this curious practice growing up as a lost boy in the drug culture of the late ’70s.

Before we get into that, let’s start by looking at the New Testament’s list of works of the flesh:

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰idolatry and witchcraft (pharmakeia); hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:19-21

While this isn’t an exhaustive list, it’s an effective all-around description of what the flesh — the sinful nature — produces (see Proverbs 6:16-19 for another list).

You’ll note in verse 20 that idolatry is a work of the flesh, which refers to the adoration or glorification of something above God. Then witchcraft is listed. The original Greek word for ‘witchcraft’ is pharmakeia (far-mak-EYE-ah), which literally means “the use of medicine, drugs or spells.” Pharmakeia is where we get the English words pharmacy and pharmaceuticals. It refers to an obsession with drugs. Since witches or sorcerers in the 1^st Century used drugs in their black magic, most English translations usually render pharmakeia as “witchcraft” or “sorcery,” but it could also be translated as “drug use,” which is how it’s rendered in GOD’S WORD® Translation. Since the moderate use of a drug for legitimate reasons isn’t a work of the flesh, a better translation would be “drug obsession,” which refers to the idolatry of drugs, whether illegal or legal. This relates to a preoccupation with buying/using drugs as well as trafficking.

“Drug obsession” is the more applicable translation of pharmakeia since it’s unlikely that people reading this know a single witch or sorcerer who uses drugs in their incantations. I’m not saying they don’t exist, but they’re extremely rare in developed nations.

My Experience With the “Drug Culture” and the Curious Drug Worship Thereof

The household I grew up in was relatively dysfunctional because my mother had a severe mental illness, but she was a loving Christian with a pure heart. Yet she didn’t teach us much of anything about Christianity or make us go to assembly (although I went with her on rare occasions); she wasn’t a Bible reader and just lived the life of a simple, loving Christian woman, but our household wasn’t a Christian home by any stretch. My father was an angry agnostic and atrocious verbal abuser, although he was a great provider and made sure the kids had plenty of clothes and toys, including go-carts, mini-bikes and motorcycles. While I had no relationship with him and he constantly cursed me, I’m thankful he regularly took the family on outings (hiking, swimming, skiing, camping, movies, etc.) and annual long-distance vacations. Despite his scary fits of rage, my mother brought warmth to the home and the siblings got along and were generally close.

In 1976 I was 12 years-old and took pride in my health and athleticism (I won trophies for running and long jump). By the time I was 4-5 months shy of 13 all my friends were regular smokers. I refused to start because I didn’t want to harm my body for no ostensible reason beyond looking ‘cool.’

Then my sister’s boyfriend, who was 17, encouraged me to try marijuana. I declined because I didn’t want to pollute my lungs and mar my health & athleticism. But he insisted that pot didn’t harm the body like smoking cigarettes. So I gave in. This was the gateway into drugs & drink for me and I lived the “party” lifestyle for the next several years.

The main goal of the gang of youths I regularly hanged out with was to “party” and “get f***ed up.” This was our purpose for living, generally speaking, and it was my introduction to life on this Earth as a 13-15 year-old teenager. Naturally, I just assumed that this was the way life was — you lived to get high or drunk or both. It was the purpose of life (!).

Friends would wear shirts or belt buckles with the marijuana leaf. We would use the iconic leaf in our crude art and graffiti. Our message was obvious: “We belong to the drug culture.” I didn’t know it then, but I know it now: We figuratively worshipped drugs and the misuse of foreign substances in general, which would include alcohol (for those not in the know, alcohol is ethanol, a psychoactive drug). Drugs were our ‘god.’

This is pharmakeia — drug worship.

Of course not everyone involved in the drug culture back then (or now) was guilty of drug obsession. Some people just drank and/or smoked pot, etc. at parties/gatherings and that was pretty much the extent of their involvement. But all of my immediate friends lived for “partying.” We did it before school, in school and after school; and then all summer.

So how did I escape the drug culture and obsession thereof? My involvement lasted close to 4 years from the time I was almost 13 to almost 17. While I didn’t turn to God and become a Christian until I was 20 years-old in 1984, the LORD allowed several misfortunes in my life over the course of those four years in order to progressively humble me and wake me up.

For instance, when I was 13 I got hit by a car while walking to school by a showoff motorhead, an older student; I landed on my head and nearly died from a head concussion. When I was 15 I fell off a 36’ cliff and ended up in a body cast for several months (yes, I said body cast); I spent my 16th birthday bedridden in that cast (shown above) and, once it was removed, I was on crutches for a few months (also shown). At one point I was suspended for smoking pot in gym class while, on another, I got expelled for possession of narcotics when a teacher happened to catch me with pills in my hand that another student was letting me check out. Since our group had a no-narc policy, I refused to say where I got the drugs from and so took the fall. I personally never trafficked drugs, although a couple of my friends did (whom I was no longer close to when they started doing it).

These mishaps allowed me to break away from the influence of my gang and provided periods of time to be sober. I was able to think clearly for the first time as a semi-adult and found myself enjoying it. I did a lot of reflection and read books. I questioned everything. Slowly, I started to see the error in the thinking of my drug-obsessed subculture. For instance, we would call anyone who wasn’t involved in drugs a “redneck.” It dawned on me that, if this were actually true, then great people like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln must’ve also been “rednecks” (rolling my eyes). In short, I started to see the absurdity of it all.

When I would reenter the gang after these breaks I engaged in drug activity less and less. For instance, if someone passed me a joint I would say “No thanks” and would get flak for doing so, which surprised me. I thought the counterculture was all about personal liberty? Apparently not, I discovered. It was more about being a socially manipulated sheep and developing negative habits/addictions. Why were we so obsessed with getting high/drunk anyway? What’s so bad about living in reality? By the time I was almost 17 years-old drugs were no longer an obsessive daily activity for me, although I would occasionally go to parties on weekends and, then, only drink, with just a couple exceptions.

In short, I was no longer a drug worshipper. I was no longer in bondage to pharmakeia. I was now on the road to finding the truth and powerfully found the Lord a few years later (John 14:6).

Legal Drugs

It’s important to point out that obsession with legal drugs — medications — is just as much pharmakeia. Just because a doctor prescribes the drug doesn’t make it necessary or right. I’m not talking about the moderate usage of a drug for legitimate reasons, like treating diabetes. I’m talking about taking myriad drugs (“meds”) on a regular basis and blowing the time & moolah to do so. The doctor keeps prescribing more and more “medication” because physicians are often linked to Big Pharma and the medical field is a business, which needs customers to exist and thrive. They’ll even prescribe drugs for kids just for being kids, like Ritalin, aka methylphenidate. Sometimes there’s a side effect to the previous drug the doctor prescribed and so the next one supposedly counteracts it. On and on it goes. They’re pill happy. It’s pharmakeia, obsession with drugs, aka drug idolatry.

Twenty years before the “drug culture” began to emerge, healing evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson was in the habit of taking sedatives, including the barbiturate Seconal, to help with winding down when she prematurely died at the age of 53 in 1944. Just think, without this “medication,” we could’ve had this mighty woman of God for another 25 years or more!

The potent film Requiem for a Dream effectively illustrates the negative consequences of drug addiction, whether illegal or legal. But, be forewarned, it’s rated R and not a fun experience whatsoever, although it’s certainly artistic.

**What About the Occasional Recreational Use of a Drug (Which Includes Alcohol)?**

Despite what lifeless legalists might say, the Bible plainly says: “There’s a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance” (Ecclesiastes 3:4). So some measure of recreation is healthy (it’s when we do things to excess that it can become an “idol” in our lives). For instance, in the New Testament we see Christ at a wedding celebration turning water into fine wine (John 2:1-11), not to mention the father of the prodigal son — a type of Father God — excitedly throwing a party for his repentant son (Luke 15:11-32) (you can read some great insights on this powerful story here). Meanwhile the LORD permitted the Israelites to partake of “wine and strong drink” at certain festivals (Deuteronomy 14:26), but this obviously wasn’t an excuse to be an out-of-control drunkard in light of other clear passages (Proverbs 20:1, Proverbs 23:20, Ephesians 5:18, Romans 13:13, 1 Corinthians 5:11 & 1 Corinthians 6:9-11). Remember the hermeneutical rule: Scripture interprets Scripture.

Whether it’s okay or not for a believer to use a drug — including alcohol — for recreational purposes on a particular occasion depends on several things:

Is the drug legal in the location? The Bible exhorts believers to obey the laws of the land; not complying with these laws tends to ruin your witness for Christ.
Can the believer engage in this activity while remaining in a state of self-control, which is a fruit of the Spirit? See Galatians 5:22-23 and 1 Peter 4:7. In other words, out-of-control excess must be avoided.
If a believer’s recreational usage of the drug in question — including alcohol — is likely to cause another believer to fall, then they shouldn’t do it. Paul said “It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall. So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves” (Romans 14:21-22). The basis for this instruction is love for others — selfless concern for the welfare of other people — which corresponds to the second greatest command (Matthew 22:39). This is the New Covenant law of Christ, which is the law of love. Living according to this simple law fulfills all the moral laws of the Old Testament.
Where is the believer at on his/her spiritual journey? What is his/her calling in the kingdom of God? What has the Holy Spirit specifically instructed him/her on this matter? Only the individual believer can answer these questions. Christ said: “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked” (Luke 12:48).
Expounding on that previous point, one minister friend told me he occasionally drinks a glass of wine on his front porch while communing with the LORD, praying about this or that. Another minister said he was on a ski vacation in Colorado and sat in the Jacuzzi alone while drinking a glass of wine; he proceeded to have a prayer session where he interceded & conducted spiritual warfare, but the Spirit later rebuked him for conducting serious prayer while drinking wine (alcohol). In neither case were they getting drunk, but rather praying while enjoying “the fruit of the vine” (Psalm 104:14-15 & Mark 14:25). The first minister had zero qualms about doing this while the latter said God told him to cease doing it. Who’s right and who’s wrong? They’re both right because they were both convinced about the Lord’s leading in their lives on this matter at that particular time. Paul put it like this: “One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind” (Romans 14:5). I carefully worded the statement “the Lord’s leading in their lives on this matter at that particular time” because — who knows? — the Spirit might one day instruct the minister differently.

I debated on whether or not to include this final section because this kind of honest material will naturally draw flak from legalists or immature believers who tend to see everything as black and white. But Fountain of Life is not for stiff-necked legalists or immature believers intent on staying ignorant; nor is it for Christians who blindly submit to authoritarian pastors who tell them what to do and not do, what to believe and not believe. This teaching ministry is for people who want to spiritual journey in their relationship with the Lord and increase their understanding of the Holy Scriptures, even when it comes to “controversial” topics. I say this with zero arrogance, but rather as a humble servant of the LORD.

Insights on MODERATION

Can Christians Drink Alcoholic Beverages?

The Issue of Eating Meat Sacrificed to Idols

How to Keep BALANCED in Every Area of Life

Libertinism — What’s Wrong with It and How to Walk FREE

If Believers Have an ANOINTING TO TEACH THEMSELVES, Why Have Teachers?

This question arises from something John instructed in his first epistle to the believers from the circuit of assemblies he oversaw near Ephesus in what is today western Turkey:

As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit — just as it has taught you, remain in him.

1 John 2:27

The “anointing” that John refers to here was previously noted in verse 20. It’s a result of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which all spiritually-regenerated believers have within them (Titus 3:5 & 1 Corinthians 3:16). The Holy Spirit is our “Advocate,” also referred to in some translations as “Helper” or “Comforter” (John 14:26), who is “the Spirit of truth” that guides us “into all truth” (John 16:13). This “Helper” helps believers identify false teachers who are “liars” and “antichrists” who “deny that Jesus is the Christ,” the Anointed One (verses 18 & 22).

While what John says in verse 27 might seem like he was saying believers don’t need genuine human teachers, this can be rejected on the grounds of the hermeneutical guidelines: Scripture interprets Scripture and Context is King:

In regards to context, John is teaching the believers with this very epistle, which shows that he expects them to learn & receive from genuine teachers of the Holy Scriptures.
Also concerning context, he’s warning the believers of “liars” who “deny that Jesus is the Christ.” Obviously believers shouldn’t receive from such false teachers. Instead, they can rely on the anointing of the Holy Spirit they possess, which “teaches [believers] about all things.”
As far as Scripture interpreting Scripture goes, New Testament Scripture elsewhere emphasizes the importance of skilled fivefold ministers (Ephesians 4:11-13) who are anointed to teach & preach so that believers will be fully equipped to walk in newness of life and serve the Lord effectively.

To build an unshakable foundation for healthy spiritual growth, believers should regularly feed from God’s Word (Matthew 4:4) and change their thinking accordingly (which is what ‘repent‘ means). This is “renewing the mind” (Romans 12:2).

I encourage maintaining a balance of 1. feeding from the Scriptures in your devotional time with the help of your personal Teacher, the Holy Spirit (1 John 2:27), with 2. receiving from quality fivefold ministers (Ephesians 4:11-13). This is what I do. Just keep in mind that no genuine minister of God is perfect and they all have their areas of expertise as well as their areas of weakness; this includes topics of Scripture and various ministry skills. Remember, those who transfer knowledge are also able to transfer error. So eat the meat and spit out the bones when receiving from others or, as the Bible puts it, “test everything; hold fast to what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

Hermeneutics—Proper Bible Interpretation

Who Wrote the New Testament Books? Who Authorized them as Scripture Canon?

FREEDOM! LIFE! JOY! POWER!

Trinity — Father/Son/Holy Spirit — Yes or No?

Should You Get the Surgery or BELIEVE FOR HEALING?

Whether a person should seek physicians for a healing or go to the LORD is an ancient conundrum, as King Asa dealt with the issue 2900 years ago (2 Chronicles 16:12). So, if you’re facing this dilemma, it’s nothing new.

The answer is entirely dependent upon the individual. Healing is a core benefit of the gospel of Christ (1 Peter 2:24) and so you can believe in faith and receive your healing directly from the Lord, as observed in the Gospels (Mark 5:34 & Mark 10:52). I’ve done this on several occasions, which you can read about here (also see the corresponding video). That article & video show that combining your faith with perseverance is necessary to receive and maintain your healing (Hebrews 6:12).

‘But Why Not Just Get the Surgery?’

This is certainly an option and you can do this if you so choose. It’s entirely up to the individual.

I suggest healthy living and building up your faith to receive healing when necessary; only turning to medical professionals and drugs (aka medicine) when absolutely necessary. Of course I recommend regular checkups with an honest, trustworthy doctor, which will provide necessary info in regards to what to believe for when you pray and so on.

The Bible says that the woman who was subject to bleeding for twelve years “had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse” (Mark 5:26). At that point she was fed up and desperate because she had blown many years of her time and “spent all she had”; so she went directly to the Lord for healing and received it because she believed (Mark 5:34). Obviously if she didn’t believe, she wouldn’t have received.

It is true that people with little faith or even no faith can receive a powerful healing, but they have to wait for a gift of the Spirit for healing to manifest since gifts of the Spirit function as the Spirit wills and can only operate through a vessel that boldly believes and ministers accordingly, like the Messiah & the apostles did in Scripture. A good example is Christ’s amazing healing of the high priest’s servant with a cutoff ear (Luke 22:50-51); another is Paul’s healing of Publius’ father of fever and dysentery (Acts 28:7-8). But these kinds of healings are hard to come by in this era of gross unbelief. In other words, finding an assembly/ministry where gifts of the Spirit regularly manifest is hard to come by, but they’re out there, if you search. It’s for this very reason that I encourage simply learning to receive healings directly from the Lord. Interestingly, the Pool of Béthesda was a type of the gifts of the Spirit and, specifically, the gift of healing.

Getting back to the woman who suffered feminine bleeding for twelve years while under the care of physicians, this explains why I don’t use doctors unless absolutely necessary: Why blow time & money when you can get your healing directly from the Lord? Again, healing is a core benefit of the gospel (Isaiah 53:4-5) and so I’m going to take advantage of it, my wife too. We’d be fools not to. At the same time, we value doctors for cases where they’re needed and effective. For instance, I fell off a cliff when I was a teen, breaking my thigh bone and cracking my pelvis. I sure am thankful for my doctor & the medical staff that treated me! So please don’t think that this article is anti-doctor or anti-healthcare. It’s not.

Of course, doctors and medical technology have improved exponentially in the 2000 years since the account of the woman with the issue of blood. This is absolutely true. Again, if you want to utilize the services of doctors & medical technology to (hopefully) cure whatever ails you then please do so. But it’s going to take time & money (traveling to medical facilities, endless waiting in rooms, etc.), plus — keeping it real — there are legitimate concerns even in our day and age of medical expertise and advances:

The doctor can botch the surgery. For instance, my mother went ‘under the knife’ for foot surgery in 1985 and the doctor bungled the job. For the last twenty years of her life she had a malformed foot with an unresponsive big toe. More recently, a popular 18 year-old in my local area, a healthy star athlete, underwent minor surgery and never woke up from it. His funeral was attended by many of his fellow students and it was heartbreaking. In another infamous case, a man underwent surgery, but the doctor misidentified the patient and unnecessarily amputated his leg. Imagine waking up from the anesthesia with a missing leg! Sure, these are the exceptions and not the rule, but they’re still very real possibilities when choosing surgery. Ask my Mother.

Doctors tend to push unnecessary surgeries and medications (drugs) because healthcare — when it comes down to it — is a business, which needs patients to exist. For instance, doctors are often linked to Big Pharma and so they rashly prescribe some medication (drug) for the patient’s ailment, which of course costs time & money. Then there’s often a side-effect to the medication (drug) and you have to take another drug to treat it. On-and-on it goes. Some people are on myriad “medications.” It’s absurd. Personally, I refuse to be a guinea pig to support the extravagant lifestyles of medical professionals & the people of the institutions that back them, like Big Pharma. But if you or anyone else wants to spend time & money on such procedures or “medications,” that’s your choice. It’s not my business.

You’re more apt to get a staph infection — MRSA — at healthcare facilities, such as hospitals. A friend of mine visited a hospital for something routine several years ago and got MRSA. Not only did he almost die, he lost sight in one of his eyes, and ever since has to visit the hospital a couple of times a week, every week, for dialysis. (He finally did pass away six weeks after the original publishing of this article at the premature age of 59).

For all of these reasons, it’s best to focus on healthy living/eating and learn to receive any healings you might need directly from the LORD. But to do this you have to build up your faith, otherwise you won’t be able to believe to receive.

Building Up Your Faith

How do you build up your faith? By adding knowledge — the Word of God — to your current level of faith on the topic/issue in question (2 Peter 1:5-7), in this case faith for healing (Romans 10:17). For example, meditating on verses like Mark 11:24, John 14:14, John 16:24, Mark 1:40-41 & Matthew 8:1-3 will certainly beef up your faith in this area.

I encourage you to master the passages & points in this video, which includes examples of two healings I received by faith:

Feed on the relevant healing passages cited in the video (Matthew 4:4), plus receive from other anointed ministries who teach/preach faith & healing, as Christ’s ministry did (Matthew 4:23). Stay away from ministries that preach unbelief/doubt and, in essence, advocate sickness/disease. Then start walking in faith to receive healing when you need it for relatively minor things before tackling bigger issues. For instance, if you don’t have the faith to receive healing for a skin rash or back pain, you’re probably not going to have the faith to tackle cancer. Before David had the faith to face Goliath, he built up his faith taking on the lion and the bear (1 Samuel 17:34-37). Like anything else, there are stepping stones to walking in victorious faith.

I should add, just because someone believes in receiving healings by faith and walks in it as much as possible, it doesn’t necessarily mean that s/he has the faith to receive healing for everything on every occasion. For example, a minister with a powerful healing ministry needed some serious dental work. This guy had led formidable healing crusades, but he discerned the LORD instructing him to get the work done because the Spirit said he didn’t have the faith to receive on this occasion. Perhaps it was a case where it would’ve taken time to build-up his faith to receive in the area in question and it needed immediate attention. I don’t know. But we need to be honest with ourselves and God concerning what we have the faith to receive for and what we don’t at any given time. In any case, the minister got the dental work done. There’s no condemnation here for people who decide to go this route, whatever the reason. It’s their decision and their right.

‘But Is It God’s Will That I Be Healed?’

Christ was Immanuel — “God is with us (in the flesh)” (Matthew 1:23) — and so what the Messiah did during his ministry on Earth reveals God’s will to us. For instance, people needing serious healings would approach Jesus and ask “if you are willing.” The Lord never responded “No, it is not my will”; rather he plainly said it was his will (Mark 1:40-41 & Matthew 8:1-3).

I repeat, healing is part of the gospel of Christ (1 Peter 2:24), which is one of several reasons why it’s “good news.” The Bible promises a minimum of 70-80 years of life (Psalm 90:10) so, if you’re under that age, you can claim this promise by faith (2 Corinthians 1:20). Even if you’re over 80 you can believe and receive in faith in your awesome covenant with God simply based on your righteous desire (Mark 11:24, John 14:14, John 16:24).

Don’t Wait till the Last Minute to Build Up Your Faith on Healing

When people are in their 20s-30s they’re in generally good health, so it doesn’t really matter if the assembly/sect they’re hooked up with emphasizes faith & healing. But in later decades it literally becomes a matter of life or death. For instance, when you’re in your 50s your body’s ‘check engine light’ usually starts coming on.

Let me share a recent example of what I’m talking about: My wife, Carol, has a healing anointing and so a woman around 50 years-old asked to meet with her for prayer because she was scheduled for surgery in a couple days. This presented a conundrum that I pointed out: Should Carol simply pray for the woman’s surgery to go well, including praying for the medical professionals who would be treating her, or should she pray that the woman receive healing, which would of course make the surgery irrelevant (assuming she received it)? Carol was led to do the latter and so the woman’s scheduled surgery would then be dependent on if she received healing by faith or not.

When they met, Carol wisely had this woman watch a teaching video on healing, which gave the scriptural basics about receiving healing by faith (this video was from a proven ministry that was anointed to minister in this area). This was necessary because, in order for the woman to receive a lasting healing, she was going to have to have faith to receive and such belief is a result of hearing the Word (Romans 10:17). At that point Carol laid hands on her and prayed, to which the woman said her pain was gone and they praised the Lord. Carol suggested that she postpone the surgery and get retested. Meanwhile the husband was curiously silent the entire time. Carol & I suspected that he’d talk his wife out of receiving healing by faith and sticking with the scheduled surgery, which is what happened. The good news is that the operation was successful. There’s nothing wrong with doing this if that’s where the person’s faith is. But God’s best is to receive healing by faith rather than go under the knife, which can be costly to your body, time and finances. But, to do this, you shouldn’t wait until the proverbial last minute (a mere couple days before a scheduled surgery) to build up your faith in this vital area. Are you following?

Of course believing for a healing and not actually having the faith to receive it can also be costly. It’s no secret that people have died doing this. That’s why responsibility rests with the individual needing the healing and no one else.

If you choose to receive healings by faith — or walk the faith life in general — you’re going to have to develop a righteously stubborn spirit in response to the lies/attacks of the Enemy, like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did (Daniel 3:16-18). You’re going to have to righteously hate any curses the Enemy tries to put on you to hamper (or end) your life & productivity in service of God’s kingdom.

I should add that, in cases where your child needs medical attention, please take them to a physician. Never experiment with your faith when it concerns someone else’s health needs (unless, of course, you have no other recourse in the situation, like pioneers in the Old West).

FIGHT the Good Fight of Faith!

The Bible says the believer is to fight the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12). If there’s a fight to faith, then there are enemies to faith. Sickness/disease is one of those enemies.

To build up your faith and develop a spirit that ardently fights the good fight of faith, master the principles & passages covered in this article: Spiritual Warfare — Do You know What You’re Fighting For?

This article is available in book form as chapter 8 in…

The print book is available here for only $12.50 (303 pages)
The Kindle eBook is available here for just 99¢!

Both links allow you to “look inside” the book.

Related Topics:

HEALING — How Do You Receive?

When You Should ASK and When You Should SPEAK IN FAITH, aka DEMAND

Faith — What Is It? Why Is It Important? How Does It Grow?

If Healing Comes by Faith, Why Use Anointing Oil, Handkerchiefs, etc.?

When You Should Pray “IF IT BE YOUR WILL” and When You Shouldn’t

What Is CESSATIONISM and Is It Biblical?

Why Don’t FAITH HEALERS Heal Everyone in Hospitals?

SLAIN IN THE SPIRIT — Is It Biblical?

What Is the AGE OF ACCOUNTABILITY?

All people born into this world since Adam & Eve were born with a sinful nature (Romans 5:17), which explains why David said “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5). The “age of accountability” addresses the age that God begins holding people accountable to their sin.

Think about it like this: Would you hold your child responsible for something they did wrong even though they weren’t mature enough to be adequately aware it was wrong? Obviously not. Similarly, the LORD does not hold children accountable to sin until they reach the age of accountability, which is implied in this passage:

14Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. 15He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, 16for before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.

Isaiah 7:14-16

Spiritual Life / Spiritual Death and the Age of Accountability

Children are spiritually alive before the age of accountability, but eventually experience spiritual death in their adolescence, which ultimately ties into the age of accountability (although they’re not synonymous). What do I mean by “spiritually alive”? Being spiritually alive simply means one’s spirit is alive to God whereas being spiritually dead means your spirit is dead to God (Romans 8:10; 1 Corinthians 6:17). Paul notes here that he was spiritually alive at one time:

Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died.

Romans 7:9

Paul obviously wasn’t referring to physical death in this verse, but rather spiritual death. Before knowledge & awareness came to him of what was right and wrong (in this case, through the moral law of the Old Testament), Paul was “alive” — meaning he was spiritually alive — but, once he became aware of what was right and wrong, his flesh “sprang to life” and lured him to willingly commit the transgression in question; and sin produces death (Romans 6:23 & 7:13). Thus he died spiritually.

Unlike Paul, non-Jews don’t have the moral law of the Old Testament, so how does this apply to them? Simple: The moral law is written within them via their God-given consciences (Romans 2:14-16). As they grow through adolescence they become increasingly aware of universal morality and inevitably choose the wrong — i.e. they sin (Romans 3:23) — and thus they die spiritually.

Have you ever run into a family where the parents are heavily involved in sin, like drugs & crime or severe sexual immorality, but their kids are bright-eyed & bushy-tailed? Regardless of the moral degeneracy of their parents, the kids have the sparkle of life in their eyes! It’s incredible. Why is this? Because they’re spiritually alive.

This reminds me of when I was 11-12 years old and the teacher I had in 6th grade. The next year I switched to junior high at a facility about five miles away. The summer in between, I got involved with alcohol, drugs and delinquency, hanging around the wrong crowd (as it is written: “Bad company corrupts good character” – 1 Corinthians 15:33). When I was 13, I ran into my former 6th grade teacher outside the school one day and I didn’t even acknowledge him. He looked at me and recognized me, but I looked totally different. I was now a lil’ drug-obsessed wannabe punk-hoodlum. It was like day and night. What happened?

I had died spiritually.

At What Age Do People Enter the Age of Accountability?

Answer: It depends. I said that I experienced spiritual death when I was 13 years-old. The age when one undergoes spiritual death is not the same as the beginning of the age of accountability, although there’s an obvious correlation between the two. Let’s just say that sometime after spiritual death the age of accountability will begin. When that technically occurs depends on the individual.

For instance, say a boy grows up in a loving Christian home that’s part of a healthy local assembly. In his teens and early adulthood he has the knowledgeable moral foundation to make wise decisions. Compare this to a boy who grows up in a grossly dysfunctional pagan family who’s been fed LIEberal misinformation all his life. He understandably makes foolish decisions because he has a faulty moral foundation. The age of accountability would obviously begin at an earlier time for the first boy compared to the latter. Christ himself plainly acknowledged how knowledge & awareness factor into personal guilt (John 9:40-41, John 15:22 & 15:24).

To complicate matters, growing up in what appears to be a healthy Christian home & church assembly, doesn’t guarantee that a youth will choose the LORD as an adult. Most of us know this. When I was young I became friends with a 16-17 year-old girl. She was a sincere Christian and a powerful witness at her school, pure and devout. Then she went off to (secular) college and some bad things went down, not to mention a couple of tragedies occurred in her family, like her parents divorcing due to the father — an impressive deacon in the fellowship — committing adultery. When she got back from college prematurely, she was hardened and wouldn’t even speak of God. It’s a sad story. (Hopefully she later reconciled with the Lord, but I don’t know what happened to her).

A Biblical Example of the LORD Holding People Accountable Based on Age

When the Israelites stubbornly rebelled against the LORD in the wilderness after they were miraculously freed from bondage in Egypt (Numbers 14:1-11), God judged that all those 20 and over would die in the desert over the course of the next 40 years, except for faithful Caleb and Joshua (Numbers 14:26-35).

Only those 19 and younger would be allowed to live and enter the Promised Land.

How is this relevant to our topic? Simple: the LORD made a stern judgment against the Israelites for their transgression, but only held those over a certain age accountable. Those under that age were not held responsible.

Of course this does not mean that God only holds people 20 and over responsible for their sins, whether today or any era in the past. Again, that would depend on the individual and his/her unique circumstances. But this at least shows us that our Creator deems the age of 20 a good demarcation line for being responsible concerning moral decisions. In short, by that generous point in time blame falls on the individual (which does not mean other people aren’t partially responsible).

Do Those Who Die Before the Age of Accountability Have Eternal Life?

The above explains why most theologians believe children go to Heaven when they die, including non-Christian children, which makes sense. However, this is different than saying that they’re assured eternal life. Let me explain.

The first thing we must establish is that God is absolutely just and fair when it comes to making eternal judgments of people:

righteousness and justice are the

        foundation of His throne.

Psalm 97:2b

   for He comes to judge the earth.

He will judge the world in righteousness

    and the peoples with equity.

Psalm 98:9

When God makes an ultimate judgment on a person we can be certain that the divine judgment will be righteous and just. This is the LORD’s very nature. The second verse says that God will judge people with equity. This means to be completely fair, ethical and impartial.

Now let’s relate this to children or youths who die before the age of accountability. Since they physically died before they were adequately conscious of morality and the negative consequences of immorality, they will have to be exposed to some kind of simulation where God can properly verify if they would receive the gospel of reconciliation or reject it in favor of sin. Such a “simulation” would be a reproduction of life on Earth. The people who would qualify for such an enactment would include those who died as kids because they never had the chance to experience the trials & temptations of life and therefore never had the opportunity to reject their Creator for sin. After all, it wouldn’t be fair that such people would attain eternal life when, in fact, they would have rejected God & reconciliation if they had actually lived and were given the opportunity. Are you following?

For those who argue that such a simulation is incredulous, remember that God is the Almighty who can do anything. It would be nothing for our Creator to put people through such a simulation.

Also keep in mind that making a judgment regarding a person’s eternal destiny is of paramount importance. If God doesn’t have enough information to properly make that decision then the LORD will have to get it; and conducting some kind of simulation is a likely possibility.

Why am I complicating the topic with this point? Because the idea that anytime a child dies they’re guaranteed eternal life is a dubious doctrine at best. As noted above, because children are still spiritually alive they’ll go to Heaven if they die as a kid, but this is different than saying they’re assured eternal life. The false notion that kids are guaranteed salvation from everlasting destruction in the Lake of fire has motivated some mentally questionable parents to kill their kids to save them. Andrea Yates is Exhibit A.

This is a wake up call to such misguided parents.

What Is the ROMANS ROAD to Salvation?

The “Romans road” to salvation is an easy-to-remember tool for sharing the message of Christ with people. It involves a smattering of verses from the book of Romans (with maybe another optional verse added to the mix, like John 3:16).

What’s great about the Romans road is you don’t have to remember anything word-for-word. All you have to do is remember the gist of the 5-6 points and the chapter/verse citations of the passages. As long as you have a small Bible or New Testament available you don’t have to memorize the passages.

Here is the basic “Romans road” in my own wording. Feel free to word it as you see fit. I’m using the NIV, but use whatever version you think will work best (click the verse citation for several other English translations of the verse in question):

**1. Establish that everyone is a sinner in God’s eyes even if they deem themselves “basically a good person.”**

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 3:23

As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one;”

Romans 3:10

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned

Romans 5:12

**2. Establish the ultimate penalty of sin, which is death. Since our Creator is absolutely just, God must honor this universal penalty (**Matthew 10:28). This is important because the recipient will think “Okay, I’m a sinner, so what?”

For the wages of sin is death…

Romans 6:23

**3. Establish the hope for all sinners — even those who think they’re “too bad” to be forgiven — that God has provided redemption through Jesus Christ.**

…but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8

This reveals that it is not God’s will that people perish, but to repent — “change their minds” via the gospel of Christ — and be saved (2 Peter 3:9, 1 Timothy 2:4 & Ezekiel 18:32).

**4. Establish how the sinner can be saved from eternal death.**

…the message concerning faith that we proclaim: ⁹ If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

Romans 10:9-10

This is optional, but you can throw in John 3:16 to emphasize the importance of belief in the heart for the personal receiving of eternal life.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16

Whoever confesses Jesus Christ as Lord and believes in their heart will experience spiritual regeneration — rebirth within (John 3:3, 3:6 & Titus 3:5).

You can lead them in prayer at this time if you so feel led. Here’s a simple sample prayer to lead them in:

O, God, have mercy on me a sinner. Thank you that your Son died for my sins and was raised to life for my redemption. Jesus Christ is Lord. Thank you so much for salvation and eternal life. Lead me on. Amen.

The recipient may understandably say s/he needs time to think about what you shared before making a decision. This will give them a chance to chew on the material. If this is the case, respect their position and pray for them based on John 16:7-11 that the Holy Spirit (1) convict them of sin, (2) show their need for the gift of righteousness in Christ since their righteousness is filthy rags in God’s sight (Romans 5:17 & Isaiah 64:6) and warn them of the coming judgment of unredeemed humanity (Revelation 20:13-15).

5. If the recipient accepts the gospel, alleviate any doubts s/he might have by establishing that God has accepted him/her in Christ (assuming they genuinely believed and weren’t lying).

As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” ¹²For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, ¹³for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Romans 10:11-13

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Romans 5:1

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,

Romans 8:1

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38-39

If you think these four verses are too many to share, just use one or two.

6. Consider & offer ideas for the new believer to grow in faith and their relationship with the Lord.

Invite him/her to the fellowship you attend, including small gatherings at a house or coffee house/whatever (do the latter if you sense s/he would be intimidated by a larger gathering). If you don’t live in the area, you can recommend a nearby assembly or introduce him/her to some believers you know in the area. Maintain contact with the new believer, whether in person or via phone/email. Consider inviting him/her to do some activity together, like hiking, etc.

This is optional, but you can share one last verse from Romans at the appropriate time:

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Romans 12:2

This will drive home the importance of regular feeding on God’s Word (Matthew 4:4) and changing one’s thinking accordingly (which is what ‘repent‘ means). Believers can feed from the Scriptures themselves, of course (1 John 2:27), but skilled fivefold ministers (Ephesians 4:11-13) and the anointed teaching & preaching thereof is necessary for believers to be fully equipped to walk in newness of life and serve the Lord effectively.

REDEMPTION — God’s Plan of Liberation for Humanity & Creation

The Basics of Christianity

Why Was Jesus Sometimes Ambiguous?

Why did Jesus Answer Questions with Questions?

Disciple — What is it? (The answer might surprise you)

Prayer—Communing with God

Is Christianity a “Relationship with God”?

The Salvation Equation: Faith = Salvation (+ Fruit + Works)

What Are the Nine GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT?

The Bible lists the nine gifts of the Spirit in this passage:

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. ⁵There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. ⁶There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

⁷Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. ⁸To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, ⁹to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, ¹⁰to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

On a side note, notice that verses 4-6 point out the tri-unity of God: The Holy Spirit, the Lord Jesus Christ and Father God.

Now please take note that nothing is said about a person having to be a fivefold minister to function in any of these charismatic gifts. They’re available to the body of Christ in general, which includes you. Look no further than Stephen (Acts 6:8).

But what is the purpose of these nine spiritual gifts? Verse 7 emphasizes that any manifestation of one of the gifts of the Spirit is for “the common good” of believers (or potential believers) — “the common profiting,” as the Berean Literal Bible puts it — whether the manifestation is for the benefit of one person or a group. In short, these gifts aren’t for selfish, fleshly purposes, but for good (1 Peter 4:10-11). Meanwhile verse 11 plainly points out that these gifts are distributed to believers as the Spirit determines. In other words, a believer cannot turn on a gift of the Spirit at will; rather they manifest as the Spirit wills and in response to the faith of the believer. Let me explain…

For gifts of the Spirit to manifest in your life and at your local assembly, small or great, (1) believers have to know about them because faith comes by learning what God’s Word says on a topic (Romans 10:17) and (2) you have to “eagerly desire” them, as Paul put it as led of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:1, 31, 14:1, 39). This is why you have to stay away from the false doctrine of cessationism because it encourages believers to eagerly deny spiritual gifts, which is the very opposite of what the Scriptures instruct us to do.

Keep in mind that the believer’s New Covenant with God is a covenant (contract) of faith and so we receive from the LORD based on our faith (Hebrews 11:1, 11:6; Luke 8:43-48). This explains why Christ was hampered from performing miracles in his hometown when he ministered there (Matthew 13:54-58). The passage closes with “And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.” It goes without saying that gifts of the Spirit will manifest more in an environment of belief as opposed to an environment of unbelief. I’ve experienced this in attending different fellowships: In assemblies where the group in general believed in gifts of the Spirit and expected them to manifest, they would, whereas in fellowships that “explained away” such manifestations due to the doctrine of cessationism or what have you, they would never manifest, and understandably so.

This doesn’t mean, by the way, that those who embrace cessationism aren’t genuine Christians loved by the Lord and worthy of fellowship; it just means that they’re not ‘eating’ everything the LORD has provided to bless & empower the Church. I encourage such dear brothers & sisters to open up to what God’s Word says about charismatic gifts and their benefits.

Now reread the list of nine gifts of the Spirit in verses 8-10 and you’ll notice that there are…

Three Categories of the Gifts of the Spirit

The nine gifts of the Spirit fit into three distinct categories, as follows:

Revelational: Three gifts that reveal something — a message of wisdom, a message of knowledge and distinguishing between spirits.
Power: Three gifts that do something — faith, healing and miraculous powers.
Utterance: Three gifts that say something — prophecy, tongues and interpretation.

Let’s look at each of these three categories and examine the three gifts thereof. We’ll consider biblical examples of each gift in operation in a situation.

The Three Revelational Gifts

As noted above, these three revelational gifts reveal something, whether it’s beneficial for yourself, someone else or a group of people, like a congregation.

A Message of Wisdom

This gift refers to receiving a word of wisdom that is strategic for victory in a challenging situation. This message is supernatural and not reliant upon a person’s natural intelligence or brilliance. For instance, the Messiah told believers that he would grant them this gift when they’re imprisoned for His Name and brought before high officials: “But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict” (Luke 21:14-15). Christ was possibly walking in this gift when he stumped his opponents with an immediate amazing response (e.g. Matthew 22:15-22).

Paul functioned in this gift when he saved the lives of desperate sailors during a storm at sea with an adamant word of wise advice (Acts 27:30-32). How would he possibly know with any certainty that, if these sailors left the ship, they would lose their lives? Obviously the spiritual gift of the word of wisdom.

A Message of Knowledge

This gift offers knowledge to the person that s/he wouldn’t otherwise know, like when Christ supernaturally knew where to apprehend funds for him & Peter to pay the yearly Temple tax — in the mouth of a fish at the nearby lake (Matthew 17:24-27). Interestingly, Jesus & his ministry team had enough funds in their treasury box to cover this tax, but this gift of the Spirit enabled Christ & Peter to apprehend money from a surprise source so that they could use their ministry earnings for things more pertinent to the needs of their ministry.

Another example would be how Christ knew the Samaritan woman at the well had five previous husbands and the man she was currently with was not her spouse (John 4:16-19). This enabled him to effectively ‘witness’ to her (John 4:28-29). Yet another example involving Jesus, is when he was privy to knowledge concerning arrangements for his ‘last supper’ with the disciples (Luke 22:9-13).

The message of knowledge can also be observed when Paul supernaturally discerned events while sailing to Rome during a storm that the sailors couldn’t discern and he was ignored to their detriment (Acts 27:10-11).

In the Old Testament the message of knowledge can be seen when Elisha supernaturally knew about his servant’s greedy activities behind his back (2 Kings 5:25-26).

Notice that this gift is called a “message” of knowledge; other translations say “word” of knowledge. It allows the recipient to know something in a fragmentary sense; it doesn’t enable the person to know everything about the person, people or situation. For instance, Christ got a word about what was in the mouth of one fish in the lake; he didn’t know what was in the mouths of every fish in that body of water. It’s a word of knowledge, not an encyclopedia of knowledge.

One last thing, the gift of the message of knowledge differs from the gift of prophecy in that the recipient receives a word of knowledge by the Spirit and then conveys it to those applicable (if this even applies), but it’s not conveyed as in the LORD speaking to others; rather it’s the recipient speaking in the first person. By contrast, when the gift of prophecy manifests the recipient conveys the divine word to the people as the LORD speaking to the people. Are you following?

Distinguishing Between Spirits (or Discerning of Spirits)

This gift enables a person to see in the spirit realm and the activity thereof, whether angels, demons, the LORD or what have you. For instance, Elisha prayed that God would allow his assistant to see that the angelic forces protecting them at Dothan were far greater than the troops of the menacing king of Aram (2 Kings 6:15-17). In the New Testament, Stephen was about to be stoned to death and looked up to Heaven wherein he saw the Lord standing at the right hand of the Father, which gave him the grace to handle his martyrdom (Acts 7:55). Meanwhile Paul was able to actually see the Lord on several occasions (Acts 23:11 & 27:23-24).

I should add that this gift of discerning of spirits is not the gift of paranoid suspicion, carnal judgment and gossip/slander, as wicked legalists think it is.

The Three Power Gifts

(Special) Faith

All believers have faith to some degree (if they didn’t, they wouldn’t be believers), so this gift could better be described as special faith. It’s a sudden supernatural impartation of faith to tackle a challenging situation, like the special faith it took Daniel to handle being thrown into the lion’s den (Daniel 6). No doubt Stephen was walking in special faith during his unjust seizure, potent public testimony and fatal stoning (Acts 6:8-7:60). Meanwhile Peter would have to operate in special faith to boldly command people who’ve been crippled for many years to get up and walk — and then they do it (Acts 3:1-10 & 9:32-35).

Healing

This gift of the Spirit should not be confused with the faith necessary for any believer to receive a healing at any given time, which you can read about here (see the corresponding video too). The charismatic gift of healing is a sudden impartation of faith to heal a specific malady regardless of the faith of the recipient. Christ’s amazing healing of the high priest’s servant with a cutoff ear is a good example (Luke 22:50-51). Another is Paul’s healing of Publius’ father of fever and dysentery (Acts 28:7-8).

I’ve been to services where the minister would say something like “There’s an anointing to heal back problems. If you’re suffering back pain, please obey the prompting of the Spirit and come up now.” People with back issues would then go up to the altar and the minister would apply the laying on of hands and the recipients would (presumably) receive their healing. After several minutes the minister would sometimes announce “The anointing’s gone,” which meant that those with back issues who refused to come up missed their window of opportunity.

Interestingly, the Pool of Béthesda was a type of the gifts of the Spirit and specifically this gift.

Miraculous Powers (aka Working of Miracles)

Several of Christ’s miracles could fall under this heading: Turning water to wine (John 2:1–11), the miraculous catches of fish (Luke 5:1–11; John 21:1–14), feeding several thousands of people by multiplying a miniscule amount of food (Matthew 14:13-21 & Matthew 15:32-39), walking on water (Matthew 14:22-33) and calming the storm (Mark 4:35-41).

The apostles functioned in this gift as well at times: Peter raised Tabitha from death (Acts 9:36-43) while Paul raised Eutychus from the dead after he fell from a third story window (Acts 20:9-12). Another example would be when Paul rebuked Elymas and pronounced the Lord’s judgment in the form of temporary blindness (!), obviously in the hope that the sorcerer would be humbled and wisely repent (Acts 13:8-12). The passage clearly states that Paul was “filled with the Spirit” when he said this, not filled with the flesh. Since no believer has the power to make someone blind, including Paul, this was obviously a manifestation of the gift of miraculous powers.

The Three Utterance Gifts

Prophecy

The charismatic gift of prophecy is when the recipient has a word from the LORD for the person or people s/he is addressing. I’ve heard many such prophecies over the years and they’re always encouraging and comforting, as Paul pointed out (1 Corinthians 14:3). It’s a wonderful gift that blesses the Church. Unfortunately, but to be expected, it only manifests in assemblies that believe in the gifts of the Spirit — and divine miracles in general — and never in fellowships that embrace the faith-killing doctrine of cessationism.

I should add that, when a believer flows in this gift, it doesn’t mean they’re a fivefold prophet. It just means they’re a believer operating in this particular gift.

Tongues

When this gift manifests it’s simply a prophecy given in another language, unknown to the speaker. But please don’t confuse this charismatic gift with praying in the spirit, which is the believer’s spirit praying to God in a language that his/her mind doesn’t understand (1 Corinthians 14:14-15, 14:18-19; Ephesians 6:18). The latter form of speaking in tongues is the result of the baptism of the Holy Spirit and is a type of prayer — it’s your spirit bypassing your understanding to pray to God via the use of your tongue (1 Corinthians 14:14-15). The gift of the Spirit kind of tongues, however, is not the recipient praying to God, but rather the recipient giving a word from God to the people. The two are very different. A believer who’s baptized in the Spirit can pray to God in the spirit anytime he/she wants to, day or night, whereas the form of tongues that is a gift of the Spirit only manifests as the Spirit determines in order to give a word from God to God’s children (1 Corinthians 14:2-5). Do you see the difference?

For this gift to be a blessing the body of Christ, it has to be accompanied by the gift of…

Interpretation of Tongues

When someone operates in the interpretation of tongues s/he is simply interpreting a prophecy that was given in tongues. Think about it in terms of two nickels equaling a dime: The charismatic gift of prophecy is the dime whereas tongues & interpretation of tongues are two nickels. The latter two combined are equal to prophecy.

When someone gives a tongue when believers meet — I’m talking about the gift of the Spirit — the Spirit will either move that person to interpret or move upon someone else to interpret because interpretation is necessary in order for the Church to benefit from this gift and be built up (1 Corinthians 14:5).

So there you have it — the nine gifts of the Spirit.

Allow me to close with a pertinent question: In 1 Corinthians 12:31 Paul instructs us by the Holy Spirit to “eagerly desire the greater gifts.” Which of the nine gifts of the Spirit is the “greater gift”? Simply the gift that’s needed at the time. For instance, when Christ encountered the invalid at the Pool of Bethesda the gift of healing was needed, but also likely the gift of special faith, which would be necessary to boldly order a paralyzed person to get up and walk!

What Is CESSATIONISM and Is It Biblical?

Cessationism (seh-SAY-shun-izm) is the erroneous belief that gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4-11) ceased by the end of the 1^st Century when the last of the original apostles passed away and the biblical canon was completed. While most adherents of cessationism believe God still performs miracles, they don’t believe that the LORD works miracles through the gifts of the Spirit any longer. Nor do they believe that the ministerial offices of the apostle and prophet — with the signs & wonders thereof — are in operation today; they believe these ceased when what they call the ‘Apostolic Age’ ended, i.e. the 1^st Century. Cessationists suggest that 1 Corinthians 13:8-12 supports this theory. Let’s read the passage from two different translations:

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. ¹¹When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. ¹²For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

1 Corinthians 13:8-12 (NIV)

Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. ¹¹When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. ¹²For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

1 Corinthians 13:8-12 (ESV)

Cessationists argue that this passage contrasts life before and after the biblical canon was completed, but that’s obviously not what it’s talking about. The text contrasts our life on this Earth where “we see in a mirror dimly” with life on the other side of glory being “face to face” with our Creator; now we only “know in part” whereas then we shall “know fully” even as we are now “fully known” by the LORD (verse 12).

The “mirror” Paul references is translated from the Greek word esoptron (ES-op-tron); this was not like the mirrors we have today; it was a looking-glass made of highly polished metal, which produced an indistinct image of the person viewing it. Paul relates this to our time on Earth during this “present evil age” (Galatians 1:4): Compared to life on the other side of glory where we’ll see our Creator face-to-face, life on Earth is like seeing a poor reflection in an inferior mirror of the 1^st Century. In eternity we shall “know fully” instead of “knowing in part” as we do now; spiritual gifts, like prophecy and glossolalia, will no longer be needed in the perfect eternal age to come.

Since fivefold ministers (Ephesians 4:11-13) in the 1^st Century were known to flow in the gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4-11) — particularly apostles, prophets and evangelists (2 Corinthians 12:12 & Acts 8:4-7, 8:26-40, 21:8) — cessationists suggest that the offices of apostles and prophets have ceased in the Church since the 1^st Century, but they’re okay with evangelists as long as they’re revivalists or missionaries who lack any evidence of the gifts of the Spirit. The obvious problem with this belief is that nowhere in the New Testament do we see any indication that these offices would cease to exist by the end of the 1^st Century. The evidence cessationists desperately try to amass is weak and smacks of grasping for straws.

Furthermore, cessationists seem to emphasize how true apostles walked with the Lord on Earth, i.e. Christ’s former 12 disciples, like James, Peter and John (minus Judas Iscariot, of course). But Paul is the preeminent apostle of the New Testament who wrote far more epistles than any other apostle and he didn’t walk with the Lord when Christ ministered on Earth. If the Lord can call Paul to be an apostle well after his ascension, he can certainly call other believers to such positions — to this day.

The biggest problem with the religious doctrine of cessationism is that it encourages believers to deny what the New Testament Scriptures plainly instruct us to eagerly desire: Believers are exhorted to “eagerly desire” spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:1, 31, 14:1, 39) while cessationism encourages believers to do the precise opposite.

This of course creates a spirit of unbelief when it comes to miracles, like divine healing. The problem with this is that our New Covenant with God is a covenant (contract) of faith and we receive from the LORD based on our faith, aka belief (Hebrews 11:1,6 & Luke 8:43-48). This explains why Christ was hampered from performing miracles in his hometown when he ministered there (Matthew 13:54-58). Do you want to be hampered from receiving miracles in your life? Then, by all means, embrace the doctrine of cessationism because it will kill your faith real quick.

I should add that, while cessationism is a false doctrine, it’s not an issue of eternal salvation. If a believer or sect embraces this doctrine it doesn’t mean they’re not fellow believers, loved by the Lord. It just means their faith — their level of belief based on the false doctrine of cessationism — won’t allow them to eat everything the gospel of Christ has to offer; in this case, spiritual gifts and the blessings thereof. (Romans 14:1-6). Those of us with fuller understanding are not to look down on those with the lesser because it would be arrogant. Similarly, the one with the lesser revelation must not condemn the one with the fuller. On the contrary, we are to “accept one another… just as Christ accepted [us], in order to bring praise to God” (Romans 15:7). You could insert any non-essential doctrine or issue into this scenario and it would apply.

What perpetuates the false doctrine of cessationism? Certainly not what the New Testament teaches! Rigid sectarianism is the main reason. Believers grow-up spiritually in assemblies/sects that deny the gifts of the Spirit, as well as the offices of apostle & prophet, and the congregants who are eventually called into vocational ministry — pastors, teachers and evangelists (minus gifts of the Spirit) — will then teach/preach the same error to the believers entrusted to their care. It becomes ‘tradition’ to their sect as the decades or centuries pass.

Another factor is that people tend to prefer the mundane to the supernatural. The mundane is more reliable to them because it’s more comfortable to where they’re at spiritually and less challenging to their faith. In other words, it’s easier to be a cessationist. For instance, it’s easier for a minister to just teach/preach a sermon, counsel congregants and pray for believers before they have surgery than mess around with gifts of the Spirit or teach believers to simply pray for healing & actually believe it. I’m not condemning anyone here; I’m just sharing the way it is.

Furthermore, the deeper a minister or any believer goes in God the more reliant on the Holy Spirit & the supernatural they’ll be, like when it comes to needing a healing. This naturally results in persecution from believers who are less spiritually mature or who, for whatever reason, don’t “eat everything.” They’ll mock you as a “holy roller” and the like because the deeper things of God freaks them out. So there’s pressure in the Church, generally speaking, to keep one’s Christianity as mundane as possible. And this is why cessationism is so appealing in the body of Christ.

Lastly, continuationism is the name theologians have given for the scriptural belief that gifts of the Spirit have been available to the Church since it began and the offices of charismatic fivefold ministries never ceased, e.g. apostle and prophet. Those who embrace continuationism are “continuationists” (actually they’re simply believers who happen to believe what the Bible plainly teaches). The only thing that hinders gifts of the Spirit and charismatic fivefold offices in the body of Christ today is unbelief. And the false doctrine of cessationism feeds this unbelief.

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What’s the Difference Between TEACHING and PREACHING?

The New Testament speaks of both teaching and preaching God’s Word, whatever the topic might be:

Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

Matthew 9:35 (NKJV)

And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.

Acts 5:42 (ESV)

But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord.

Acts 15:35

The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.

1 Timothy 5:17

Teaching and preaching are not one-and-the-same, but they are both necessary in effectively ministering to people. Let’s look at each…

Teaching

‘Teaching’ in the original Greek is didaskalia (did-as-kah-LEE-ah) and refers to the careful instruction of God’s Word. It’s more detail-oriented than preaching and less lively, although it’s certainly exciting when an anointed teacher opens up the Scriptures and you see things in God’s Word you never saw before. This was the reaction of people who heard Christ teach from the Scriptures (Mark 6:2).

It is teaching from the Scriptures that feeds people spiritually (Matthew 4:4).

Of course spiritually-regenerated believers can feed themselves through studying the Scriptures with the help of the Teacher, the Holy Spirit (1 John 2:27). It’s best to maintain a balance between these two — feed from God’s Word through skilled ministers and your personal devotional times.

Preaching

There are a few different Greek words translated as “preaching” in the New Testament. In Matthew 9:35 the word is kérussó (kay-ROOS-so), which means “to proclaim.” Another one is euaggelizó (yoo-ang-ghel-ID-zoh), which means “to announce good news or glad tidings.” Understandably, these two Greek words are sometimes translated as “proclaiming” in some English translations.

So when a minister or any believer preaches the Word of God they are proclaiming it, announcing it, whether the topic is the gospel of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17-21) or any other subject that the Spirit leads one to proclaim.

**Teaching AND Preaching**

Both teaching and preaching have to do with the “ministry of the Word” (Acts 6:1-4), which is homiletics. Whereas teaching spiritually feeds the listener/reader, preaching exhorts them to action, whether that is to practice what’s being taught (if it’s a practical truth) or to change one’s mindset (if it’s a revelational truth). For instance, walking in the spirit is a practical truth whereas the nature of eternal life is a revelational truth. The first one you practice while the other changes your mindset and therefore your attitude; for instance, the truth about eternal life in Christ had a profound impact on my thinking about death, grief and life in eternity.

Positional truths are also revelational in nature in that they reveal who the believer is in Christ and therefore how God sees him or her. This naturally has a positive impact upon the believer’s life because it deals with his/her identity. You can learn about positional truths in this video.

Obviously people need to be exposed to both teaching and preaching, not just one or the other. Some fivefold ministers (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers) are more adept at teaching the Word of God whereas others are more skilled at preaching. Some might be good at both. Prophets and evangelists are usually preachers whereas teachers obviously excel at teaching.

Apostles and pastors could lean one way or the other. I’ve been to assemblies where the pastor is an outstanding teacher, but not a preacher. I’ve been to other fellowships where the pastor is a great preacher, but a lousy teacher. However, in both cases the pastors had an anointing to oversee a local group of believers. Needless to say, pastors who aren’t good at teaching are going to have to schedule teachers to feed their congregations while pastors who aren’t good at preaching are going to have to bring in some preachers to inspire their people to action. All five offices of the fivefold ministry are necessary so that believers will be fully equipped for service in God’s kingdom (Ephesians 4:11-13). Believers shouldn’t be half-equipped or a third-equipped, but rather fully equipped; and both skilled, anointed teaching and preaching of God’s Word are necessary to accomplish this.

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(Pseudo) SCIENCE Is the “New God” and Dubious SCIENTISTS Are the “New Gods”

When New Gods Replace the Old Gods

Thought Bombs

Where We Are Now: What Liberalism Says Is Science Is “god” and Secular Humanism Is the ‘in’ Religion

Are Christians “Anti-Science”?

Scientists & Pseudoscientists Are NOT the “New Gods”

Close

DRUG OBSESSION (Idolatry) Is of the Flesh

My Experience With the “Drug Culture” and the Curious Drug Worship Thereof

Legal Drugs

What About the Occasional Recreational Use of a Drug (Which Includes Alcohol)?

If Believers Have an ANOINTING TO TEACH THEMSELVES, Why Have Teachers?

Should You Get the Surgery or BELIEVE FOR HEALING?

‘But Why Not Just Get the Surgery?’

Building Up Your Faith

‘But Is It God’s Will That I Be Healed?’

Don’t Wait till the Last Minute to Build Up Your Faith on Healing

FIGHT the Good Fight of Faith!

What Is the AGE OF ACCOUNTABILITY?

Spiritual Life / Spiritual Death and the Age of Accountability

At What Age Do People Enter the Age of Accountability?

A Biblical Example of the LORD Holding People Accountable Based on Age

Do Those Who Die Before the Age of Accountability Have Eternal Life?

Related Topics:

What Is the ROMANS ROAD to Salvation?

1. Establish that everyone is a sinner in God’s eyes even if they deem themselves “basically a good person.”

2. Establish the ultimate penalty of sin, which is death. Since our Creator is absolutely just, God must honor this universal penalty (Matthew 10:28). This is important because the recipient will think “Okay, I’m a sinner, so what?”

3. Establish the hope for all sinners — even those who think they’re “too bad” to be forgiven — that God has provided redemption through Jesus Christ.

4. Establish how the sinner can be saved from eternal death.

5. If the recipient accepts the gospel, alleviate any doubts s/he might have by establishing that God has accepted him/her in Christ (assuming they genuinely believed and weren’t lying).

6. Consider & offer ideas for the new believer to grow in faith and their relationship with the Lord.

What Are the Nine GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT?

Three Categories of the Gifts of the Spirit

The Three Revelational Gifts

A Message of Wisdom

A Message of Knowledge

Distinguishing Between Spirits (or Discerning of Spirits)

The Three Power Gifts

(Special) Faith

Healing

Miraculous Powers (aka Working of Miracles)

The Three Utterance Gifts

Prophecy

Tongues

Interpretation of Tongues

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What Is CESSATIONISM and Is It Biblical?

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What’s the Difference Between TEACHING and PREACHING?

Teaching

Preaching

Teaching AND Preaching

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**Where We Are Now: What Liberalism Says Is Science Is “god” and Secular Humanism Is the ‘in’ Religion**

**What About the Occasional Recreational Use of a Drug (Which Includes Alcohol)?**

**1. Establish that everyone is a sinner in God’s eyes even if they deem themselves “basically a good person.”**

**2. Establish the ultimate penalty of sin, which is death. Since our Creator is absolutely just, God must honor this universal penalty (**Matthew 10:28). This is important because the recipient will think “Okay, I’m a sinner, so what?”

**3. Establish the hope for all sinners — even those who think they’re “too bad” to be forgiven — that God has provided redemption through Jesus Christ.**

**4. Establish how the sinner can be saved from eternal death.**

**Teaching AND Preaching**