Frequently Asked Questions

John baptized with water, but the One who came after him, Jesus, would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire. In Acts 1, Jesus tells His disciples to wait for the promise of this baptism, the power that would energize the words they preached, it would be the power from on high that was needed to fulfill the commission that He gave the church. In Acts 2, the 120 disciples in the upper room were prime recipients of receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit as called by Peter. One day, the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out from heaven on the 120 (Joel used the term poured out on all flesh.), and they began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit placed the utterance on their tongues.

This is as simple as Peter states it in Acts 2 and Acts 10. Repent of the sins in your life, don't fake it or work it up to some frenzy in the flesh, just genuine repentance of what you did to a Holy Jesus who died in your place. He is holy and His body was nailed to the tree to purchase the penalty of sin which is death. Then ask Him for His Spirit, the gift. Please understand that there is some confusion here among some. There is the indwelling Holy Spirit who comes to live in you and regenerate you at the moment of repentance. You are saved now. The gift of the Holy Spirit is what you ask the Lord for. Believe what the Word states about the Holy Spirit. In Acts 2 Peter says He is for every child of God! Being baptized by the Holy Spirit has happened in different places and different ways because people are different. Some have received Him in a church as I did. Some have received Him in their homes or prayer rooms. I suggest that you seek the Lord who gives Him and not the gift. Put on a worship tape and praise the Lord in genuine worship. Ask Him for His gift of the Spirit and expect Him to do His Word. He will, and you will receive as those 120! You, too will speak in other tongues as the Spirit gives you the utterance.

As we discussed the gift of the Holy Spirit, the person will begin to grow from that point. Sadly so many have disgraced the name of the Lord and given the idea of being a Pentecostal a bad name. Other tongues is the evidence of receiving His Spirit, but that is the beginning. We must mature allowing the Holy Spirit to sharpen our ears to hear His voice, to be used in His gifts that are recorded in 1 Cor 12. It is through these gifts that the Lord has chosen to work in the church. Yes, the Lord still does all these things, but again sadly the sin of Pentecostals deafens the ear and hinders many times to a deafening and blaring stop of His power. There is no power shortage in heaven, but there is a sin problem in men.

Most people who ask this question don't want God's will, but instead they want God to tell them what to do. They run from one person to another asking if they have a word for them. Although God does occasionally give a personal prophecy to others for you, it if His desire for you to hear His voice and to read His Word. He will share revelation upon revelation by His Spirit and as you obey Him, you'll look back and see His direction in your life, and you'll begin to receive a clearer picture of His will for you. The most promising passage of Scripture, the most defining passage in my opinion is Roms 12. If you present yourself as a living sacrifice to Him, if you reject the conforming power of the world, He will lead you into all righteousness, His will, and you will truly know that will.

As much as I am a student in endtime events, I don't know this answer. In my heart and looking at the events that are characteristic of the last days, I have concluded that He may return any time. I don't see any other passage of Scripture that needs fulfillment before His return, but keep in mind we are asked to only know the season, not the date. The Son didn't have that knowledge, so we should be careful of an arrogant spirit thinking we have found out.

Yes, there is a hell. Jesus preached and taught more on hell than any other subject. To make hell into a myth is to tell the Lord He has lied or that His Word is not true. Much too much scientific evidence and achaeological evidence proves the Bible accurate, and if the Bible is accurate then what Jesus said is also accurately recorded. Those who would like to escape responsibility, those who reject accountability must do away with hell, but the truth still stands even if we don't believe that it exists. Choosing to not believe something doesn't do away with the truth. What it does is make us a fool. Think about it.

Sin is disobeying God, missing the mark that He has set, to come short in out expected actions and duties.


Some sins:

fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

More:

fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners

More:

Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings,

And there are more but I am sure you get the picture.

Homosexuality is sin.

Abortion is sin.

Shacking up with someone is sin.

Drinking is sin.

Gambling is sin.

Drugs are sin.

Playing with witchcraft and other demonic activities are sin.

Smoking is sin.

Hatred, racism, and prejudice of any kind is sin.

Gossip, back biting, slander, these are all sin.

In general, any di