I and my husband were born in [a third world communist country] in pentecostal families. Most of our lives we were not exposed to other doctrine, but to arminianism. Both of us never fully embraced the teachings and the practices of the churches [where] we were going. We also saw many wrong things on the T.V. religious [stations] that disturbed us. We [have] lived in [North America] since 1972.
We were not exposed to Calvinism until 2005, when by the will of God we came across to "Sermonaudio" and listening we understood that Arminianism is wrong. We repented of our old believes and accepted the Reformed theology TULIP. Now we are senior citizens. We have many friends in [our country of birth] and [where we now live], but ALL of them are armenians and charismatics. ALL of them strongly believe in "the speaking of tongs". We have repented of speaking in tongs.
My husband has open doors to preach in some churches in [our home country], and in home groups where he explains the doctrine of [our] Sovereign God , Redemption, Limited atonement, a few people accept this but they can not accept that the speaking in tongs is not for today. They want to be lead by prophecies and night dreams.
We will greatly appreciate if you find time to drop us a few lines of advise -should we separate our selves from people that want to speak in tongs or be patient with them, that some may repent. We would ask you if God speaks in night dreams now days, or this is over.
A few months ago we started to hear your sermons and that is of great comfort to us.
God bless you and your ministry. [A Woman]
Dear _________,
Thank you for your good note. It is always encouraging to know that the Lord has made our labors profitable to his chosen.
Regarding the matter of signs and wonders, particularly speaking in tongues:
Multitudes in the religious world are enwrapped in the ecstasy of signs and wonders, miracles, speaking in tongues, and what is called “the word of prophecy” (extra-biblical revelations). It is claimed that these things are sure marks of the Spirit of Christ. Without question, they were apostolic gifts conferred upon the saints of God in the apostolic age, confirming the fact that Christ had come and fulfilled all the Old Testament Scriptures as declared in Joel 2, Acts 2, and Hebrews 2:4. However, these signs, which could be communicated to others only by the apostles, forever ceased with the apostles.
Moreover, the Holy Spirit tells us specifically that all who now claim to possess these extraordinary apostolic gifts confirm (by the gifts they claim to possess) that they come by the spirit of antichrist, “after the working of Satan” (2 Thess. 2:7-10).
Charismatics are literally invading every denomination in our day. Theirs is a religion without theology. It is all emotion. To them, it doesn't matter what a man believes, so long as he speaks in tongues. All walls are broken down; Papists, Baptist, Methodists, and Pentecostals, all have become one in this unified apostasy. It is Satan's latest great deception. Do not be duped by this stupefying mixture of emotion and disorder. This charismatic revival is not of God? The gifts of the Holy Spirit are exalted, and the grace of Christ is diminished. Men glory in the flesh and boast of their latest experience, but speak little of Christ and his finished work.
I warn you to guard against this modern deception. It is a perversion of the apostolic gift, by which the gospel was established, and a mockery of the Holy Spirit, whose work it is to magnify Christ. With the Apostle Paul, "I show unto you a more excellent way." Here are three gifts, three graces of the Holy Spirit which we must have. Without these, all else is vain.
1. We must have Faith In Christ. We must believe in him who is the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. We must believe that he is the God-man, able and willing to save our wretched souls, by virtue of his substitutionary death, victorious resurrection, triumphant ascension, and glorious dominion. We must trust ourselves to him for all things.
2. We must have the Hope Of Christ. This is the hope of God's elect. It is "a good hope through grace". It is the confident expectation of all necessary good for time and eternity. It is a hope given by Christ, built upon Christ, and looking for Christ. It is an anchor of the soul, resting upon God's covenant and Christ's finished work.
3. We must have the Love Of Christ. This is a love for Christ. It is a love implanted in the hearts of God's people by the Holy Spirit. It makes Christ the supreme delight of the heart. And it is the love of Christ, causing us to be like him in relation to our fellowman, longsuffering, patient, kind, meek, and true. In a word - WE MUST HAVE CHRIST!
I hope this is helpful, by the blessing of God's Spirit. Be patient with your friends, be kind and gracious to them; but do not give any approval to their apostate religion.
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