People say that God doesn’t speak to men the way He once did. I am here to say by personal experiences that have been tested in the light of scripture that He does. People say that the gifts are not for today that they passed away with the Apostles. They use the text in 1 Corinthians 13: 10 but when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part shall be done away with. The perfect here they say is the canon of scripture, and now that the canon is complete we no longer have need of the gifts. While I do agree the canon is complete, finished, telios in the Greek. To add into this text that Paul is talking about the canon of scripture being completed is poor exegesis. Of course I believe Paul is talking about the eternal state when he is talking about the perfect. I searched ten different commentaries and all agreed with one voice the perfect here is talking about the eternal state when Christ comes. Even reformed theologians like Matthew Henry, John Gill and the Geneva Bile Notes which is reformed theology agreed about this interpretation. I to believe in reformed theology; But my experiences tested in the light of scripture have shown me that the gifts of the Spirit are still active today. Though most of what I have seen in Charismatic circles has left me in doubt at times; the old adage remains we can’t throw the baby out with the bath water.
If you look at 1 Corinthians chapters 12-15 you will see Paul starts out with the gifts in 12; tells us what is even better than gifts in 13; comes back to gifts in 14; then in 15 he describes the resurrection and the putting on of the perfect. The mortal putting on immortality. The corruptible putting on the incorruptible. This is what he means when that which is perfect has come. Scripture interpreting scripture.
Let me share with you why I know God still speaks to men the same way he once did. I was saved in prison in 1990. immediately I had this insatiable appetite for God. For two years I shut myself in with God, no T.V. no movies, no game room. Only prayer and the word and services. One night in 1992 a cloud filled my prison cell and turned into a bright amber, a fire infolding in it, and God spoke through the midst of it. He said I Am. My knees were knocking together, my body trembling, I could not speak. Of course all experiences should be tested in light of scripture. This experience was quite biblical. When I got out of prison in 1993 the first week out I had a dream. I was standing with the Lord watching myself sitting at a dinner table with my head down on the table resting on my arms. I was weeping profusely. I asked the Lord why am I weeping, He said because of all the souls being thrown into the lake of fire. Jesus said Jon prepare for the Lord. I woke up weeping and must say the sorrow was painful. In 2003 after hours of prayer with my ministry partner I went into my bedroom and laid down on the bed still very much in the Spirit, and I heard another audible voice; the only way I can describe it is a angel flying in my room and he said behold the Lord cometh, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His angels. Of course again I am speechless; now all of these experiences tested in the light of scripture are biblical. I am mentioning these things because we have had a prophetic word come forth about the shedding of innocent blood in one of our services. Beloved over a billion children have been aborted worldwide in the last 30 years. God hates the shedding of innocent blood ( prov 6:16-20). The prophetic word was that the world would not last 30 more years of shedding innocent blood. Deuteronomy 21teaches us there must be justice for the shedding of innocent blood. Numbers 35:33 says shedding innocent blood pollutes, defiles the land. All through out the O.T. God warns against human sacrifice. Is that not what abortion is sacrificing your child thinking some how it will make your life better. Beloved we must return unto the Lord. Leviticus 18: 20-26 teaches us that God wiped out the Canaanites for Homosexuality, Adultery, and Child Sacrifice. This world is in deep trouble. I’ ve done my job and delivered His word. Receive it if you want. Search the scriptures on this subject. Two DVD’s you might want to look at on this subject are HARD TRUTH, AMERICAN PORTRAIT FILMS AND THE MASSACRE OF THE INNOCENT, THE APOLOGETICS GROUP.COM. One woman said to me I thought you are not supposed to set a date. This is not a date but rather a period of time. Like Jeremiah prophesied that the Jews would be in captivity for seventy years. PRAYABOUT THIS WORD.
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