“A Look at the Attack Against the Prophetic Sound”
Some denominations place too, much emphasis in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Yes,
speaking in tongues is, in part, evidence of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. However, speaking in tongues
becomes their focus! Let’s take a look at the book of Acts 19:1-6, because
it is here that they are falling terribly short.
“While
Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at
Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, ‘Did you receive the
Holy Spirit whenyou believed?’
They
answered, ‘No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.’
So
Paul asked, ‘Then what baptism did you receive?’
‘John’s
baptism,’ they replied.
Paul
said, ‘John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to
believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.’ On hearing this, they
were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on
them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and
prophesied.”
We must point out that Paul is speaking with a group of believers here. These verses show us that we
can be a born again Christian without being baptized in the Holy Spirit. The
Baptism of Repentance comes from man (Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance). The Baptism of the
Holy Spirit comes from the Holy Spirit. One is natural and one is supernatural. The Born Again and the Baptism of the
Holy Spirit are two completely different experiences. This group of Christians,
like many groups today, was completely ignorant of the manifestation of the
Holy Spirit; this is without a doubt, a tragic reality! A half truth is nothing
but a lie. That is what I feel is happening with the teaching of the baptism
of the Holy Spirit; we have given people a lie!
Establishing as doctrine that the evidence of receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit is by
speaking in tongues, is a half truth, therefore it is also, a lie. The Bible tells
us in these verses that:
“…When
Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in
tongues and prophesied.”
Can you see it? It is not only about speaking in tongues; it is about the supernatural gift of
prophesying. The word prophesied here means: “speak forth,” “proclaim,” “announce.”
However, the office of the Prophet has been attacked from the very
beginning; why? Because, the Prophet is speaking God’s Word and deep inside, as
our ways are not God’s ways, we are resisting allowing God to be in control. No
other office challenges Men’s agendas’ and ideas’ more than the office of the
Prophet. I am willing to bet that many of the people that are discouraged and
hurt in the church are people with strong prophetic voices. When you have a
pastor with selfish agenda’s, the last person he wants to hang around with is a
Prophet that will read his mail and let him know not only of his stupidity, but
also of what the Lord has to say.
TO BE CONTINUED…
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