The Holy Spirit and His gifts are given to the church as a whole, as HE will.
Acts 2:17-18 And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
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>> “Scripture makes no mention of *professionals* when it comes to the gifts of the Holy Spirit.” <<
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AMEN!
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Joe 2:28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
Joe 2:29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
“Scripture makes no mention of *professionals* when it comes to the gifts of the Holy Spirit.”
Actually the OT does. There were jewish prophets who as a class usually derived through family birth. Frequently God would raise a prophet from outside of the prophet class, to correct and contradict the wrongheadedness of Israel, the prophet class and King.
Maybe I’m not surprised you dont’ know that.
Hush now! They are desperately trying to keep control over their duped minions. They can’t have them reading scripture for themselves and seeing what it says for themselves. Your going to mess up their whole control mechanism.
This article would be humorous if it concerned only some trivial matter, I see a lot of quoting of men and human understandings and not so much the word of God,
Maybe this writer believes we should send our dreams and visions to ‘the professionals’ for interpretation? and if that should somehow come into vogue one day, maybe we could buy an indulgence or two while taking a number and waiting in the lobby until the nurse says ‘the doctor will see you now’ There is always power and money to be made by being a sole provider of almost anything,
Anyone have an email address for one of these professionals or maybe there’s a twitter feed?
We now have online libraries and commentaries and Hebrew and Greek concordances, vast repositories of writings which no other age has had such easy access, with the Dead Sea Scrolls and uncovered history, its now just as Daniel recorded, that “knowledge would be increased” at the time of the end. Its as much about the knowledge of God and our understanding and awareness of what has been fulfilled as prophecies clearly (and plainly) can be seen as a witness to all who would look, so we can begin to see that day approaching, (or am I now also stepping out of my ignorant understandings, being presumptuous that this is a potential interpretation of that future perceived educational increase aided by the technological conditions at the time of the end?)
“And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you: For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.” Mark 13:5-6
We’re entering a time about which the Bible speaks more of than any other time, where the conditions to bring about the time of the end are staring back at us in the news daily, with this world attempting to undo the restoration of Israel in our time, which is causing many of us to look deeper, its coming along in a manner where God is giving us time to see it and to wake up and repent ‘as our redemption draweth nigh,’
We will see that day coming, why? because we’re watching just as Jesus commanded us to watch,
“And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.” Mark 13:37
“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25
“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” John 16:13
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:” John 10:27
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:21-23
“Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.” Matthew 25:11-13
For those spiritually dead in this world and unable to either hear his voice or to perceive the signs of the times without the aid of the Holy Spirit, where it is that oil in our lamps that will be required to light the way outside to meet him when the shout is given ‘behold the bridegroom cometh’
“And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.” Matthew 25:10
“Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:60
Acts 2:17-18
And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
But here's the rub - how to tell that which was initiated by the Holy Spirit and differentiate it from that which was initiated by fallible mortal men's mistaken (or downright misleading for evil purpose) fantasies....