Modern Day Christians with.....Modern Miraculous Gifts?

Throughout the next couple of weeks my blog will be focused on miraculous spiritual gifts. I will construct a three part series focusing on the baptism of the Holy Spirit, laying on of hands, and the gift of tongue speaking. Here then, is the first of my three part series.

There are many gifts that a person receives upon becoming a Christian, such as all spiritual blessings and forgiveness of sins (Ephesians 1:3,7). But there are those today in the religious realm of Christianity who believe that miraculous spiritual gifts, such as healing by the laying on of hands, speaking in tongues, and prophecy are readily available today. The question is does the Bible teach this? What are the results if this is true or untrue?



If the claim of miraculous spiritual gifts is true, then there are a large number of Christians who are out of tune with God's Holy Spirit and are ignoring a greater relationship with God. But if the assertion is wrong there are those who are walking down the dark path of deception.


Those who defend the claim of miracles being around today, suggest that the power to perform miracles comes from the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The claim is that once a Christian is baptized in the Holy Spirit the gift of tongues, healing and prophecy are able to be used. Only an exegetical study of the book of Acts can explain the means by which the baptism of the Holy Spirit was given.

In Acts 1 we see that Jesus gathered the apostles together, the ones he had chosen, and commanded them not to leave Jerusalem and wait for what the father had promised. Jesus explains that they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit "not many days from now" (Acts 1:2-5). Jesus also said that once the power of the Holy Spirit had fallen upon them they would then go and spread the gospel to the remotest parts of the earth (Acts 1:8). The outpouring of the Spirit would be the method by which the apostles would be empowered and allow the apostles to remember everything that Jesus taugh. (John 14:26;15:25-26; 16:13).From the text we can gather that the promise of the baptism of the Holy Spirit was only to the ones that Jesus chose, the apostles, which was fulfilled in Acts 2 on the day of Pentecost. An illustration of the text could be expressed in a common day scenario. For instance if I promise my brother 100 dollars does that mean my best friend is entitled to the same promise? of course not. In the same way Jesus promised the baptism of the Holy Spirit to the apostles, does that mean that this promise is good for us today?


The second occurrence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is in Acts 10. This is the account of the conversion of Cornelius, the first Gentile to be saved. We see the Holy Spirit being poured out while Peter begins speaking(Acts 10:44, 11:15). Well how do we know this was the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Peter suggests that the no one could refuse the water for these men to be baptized since they received the Spirit just as the rest of the apostles did (Acts 10:47). Peter also tells the group of Jewsish leaders in Jerusalem, who he had a disagreement with, that he remembered about the promise that John the Baptist made about being "baptized with the Holy Spirit"(Acts 11:16). The reason for the baptism of the Holy Spirit was to show the Jews that the Gentiles had the right to the repentance that leads to salvation (Acts 11:18). As workmen of God's word, it must be noted that this was a significant event by which the Gentiles would be shown the door to the Kingdom of God. But how would the Jews believe this kind of claim? God gave irrifutable evidence by using a miraculous event that no Jew could refute.

It should also be noted that these are the only two accounts of the baptism of the Holy Spirit throughout the entire New Testament. If the bapitsm of the Holy Spirit was for every believer how come there are no more occurences of this great event in the Bible? Wouldn't the baptism of the Holy Spirit be more prevelant through the early Church? Would Luke ignore recording these events down?



A clear study of the text shows that there were two specific reason for the baptism of the Holy Spirit, to empower the Apostles and to show the Jews that the Gentiles had an equal right to be apart of God's Kingdom. Therefore, the claim that everyone who believes in God can obtain the baptism of the Holy Spirit can only mean one of two things. Either Jesus lied about the outpouring only being for the apostles or the stance that every believer can obtain it is false. If Jesus Christ is the Son of God he cannot lie, therefore the proposition that believers can gain the outpouring of the Holy Spirit must be wrong.

Dean Meadows

I encourage eveyone who reads this blog to post their ideas about the blog or the information give. I also encourage everyone to be a "dilegent workman of the word" (2:2:15). Please do not take my word as truth but examine the scriptures yourself.

And i'm freeeee free fallin...from Grace? Is this possible?

Throughout the religious realm of Christianity there is a popular doctrine that suggest that once someone gives their life to Christ and is saved, they are no longer capable of falling from God’s grace. This doctrine is commonly known as once saved always saved. However, does the Bible truly teach this?

Where does Grace come from? The Bible teaches that Grace only comes from God. We are all sinners and the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Yet, we are saved by grace through faith, which is not from us but from God (Ephesians 2:8). So as we can observe the source of grace is from God.

The question then lies how do we receive God's grace? To often people in the religious world think that simple belief is enough to merit God's grace and that we can act anyway we want and God will have us covered. Although very popular and appealing the Bible teaches the exact opposite logic. For instance, in Titus 2:11-12 it says "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age." God's grace is here and it instructs us to live a life of godliness. "For all scripture is inspired by God profitable for teaching, correcting, reproofing and training in righteousness so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work," (2 Timothy 3:16). Grace comes from living by God's word.

Therefore grace does not come from living any way we want and expecting grace to just happen. In Revelations 2:10 the church in Smyra is told "Do not fear what you are about to suffer...be faithful until death and I will give you the crown of life." Therefore we see that in order to receive the crown of life we have to be faithful in our walk with Christ. We can understand that this ability to walk with Christ and live by his decrees is conditional. In 1 Corinthians 15:1-2 Paul writes "Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you." The use of the word if is a conditional statement, therefore the end result, being saved is conditional as well. Colossians 1:22,23 which expresses that we should remain steadfast, holy and blameless, so that we are not moved away from the hope of the gospel. Does this mean believe and live any way we see fit? Are we to keep on sinning so that grace may multiply? absolutely not (Romans 6:1-4).

Salvation can only come through faith and obedience to the gospel of Christ. If we choose not to by our own free will we can fall away from God and inheritence of eternal life. therefore, simple belief followed up by living any way we choose will not cut the mustard when it comes time for judgment. The doctrine of once saved always saved is an attractive doctrine, however it is leading many in the religious world down a path of false doctrine that could lead to spiritual death. The only way to attain salvation from eternal condemnation is to make Jesus Lord as described in Acts 2:38, and commit our lives to living by the word of God for the remainder of our time on earth.

So the question is have you fallen?

The Passions of a Christian

Have you ever wondered why Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky or Joe Montana became great athletes? What was it that separated them from the rest of their peers? What was the driving force behind the hours practiced? Each athlete mentioned came from a different background, college and played a different sport. Yet, the one thing they all have in common is passion for what they do, who they are and the team that they represented. This is what made them great. As Christians what should be our passions?


Christians should have a passion for the word of God. In 2 Timothy 2:15, Paul writes that we are to be “diligent to present yourself approve to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” In order for Christians to live as people of God we must have the desire to study the word for ourselves. So often, believers are asked questions regarding their faith and they turn to a friend, mom, dad, or what their preacher told them. Christians have resorted to pulling their faith from what they heard, not what they have studied. In order to be people of the book, Christians have to be diligent studiers of God’s word.
Christians must also have a passion to share the word to the lost because this is their calling. If Christians do not share the word of God with the lost, if they become pew sitters then Satan has an advantage. Moreover, believers must live the word of God. The one reason the world rejects Christianity is because the world observes Saturday night heathens and Sunday morning hypocrites. If people observe Christians living as Christ has instructed they will notice a difference and want what we have….salvation and peace in Christ.


Secondly, we must have a passion for people. Christians have to have a passion for our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Whether it be in good times or bad, encouragement is one of the most underestimated tools Christians have in their tool belts. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.” If the Church is not encouraging its members on a consistent basis the mentality which begins to formulate is one that causes a person to think that the Church does not care how they are doing physically, emotionally or spiritually. How many people would have not fallen away if Christians had encouraged them every Sunday? We also have to have a passion for the lost. If Christians do not have a passion for the lost they will never be motivated to reach out to the world and share the good news of Christ. This motivation can only come from the realization that there are people in the world that are lost, that need help, that need Christ. Shouldn't this be a great motivational tool? Is it not the greatest motivation for sharing the gospel?


Finally, Christians have to have a passion for the Christ. The passion for the savior must be evident through obedience to his will. James 1:22-24 states that we should,
“Prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in the mirror; for once he has looked at Himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.” Therefore, belief is not enough but those who seek fellowship with Christ must on belief and carry out the will of God. A Christians faith and obedience has to stem from a passion for Christ and his sacrifice on the cross and what that has accomplished for the believer. If the Church does not have a passion for the savior and to do his will then we are helping Satan, not Christ. However, Christians must have a passion for Christ through perseverance. God never promised smooth sailing but he did promise a safe landing. The passion for the savior should motivate Christians not to worry about persecution from the world. Peter writes that “if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed” (1 Peter 4:14). If Christians are being persecuted for following Christ, Is that so bad that a Christian would give up their faith in Christ? Yet Jesus said in Matthew 10:22 talking to the apostles says “You will be hated by all the world because of my name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.” If Christians hold fast to the passion and love for the savior they will receive the inheritance which is undefiled, that will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:4-5).


Do you have a passion for the word? Do you have a passion for people? Do you have a passion for the savior? Do you have the passion of a Christian?