Getting Right With the Lord: Part 2

Most people will scoff at the idea that Jesus will actually return to the earth. However, the warning is clear and we are on notice:

Mat 24:37-51 37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. 43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. 44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. 45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. 48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; 49 And shall begin to smite his fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; 50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Salvation, through the infilling of the Holy Spirit the Bible way is therefore compulsory for all of us if we want to live forever:

John 3:5

Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Finally:

Ephesians 6: 24

24 Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.

We are meant to repent and need to change our way of thinking about what this means. Glenn’s invitation to you is to attend a Revival Centres Church meeting. You will hear the spiritual gifts and, if you wish, there will be the opportunity to receive the Holy Spirit and be baptised.

If you have any questions at all, please call Glenn Duker. He will be happy to talk about this wonderful thing. Thank you for keeping up with the Themes of the Bible series!

 

Getting Right with the Lord: Part 1

In this next and last, two-part Bible theme discussion, Glenn Duker will be talking about the passages in the Bible that relate to getting right with the lord and how we need to have our papers in order.

The Bible is clear that the Lord requires our repentance (which is not being “sorry” but in the Greek means to turn around or change). Acts 17:30-31 says that God:

30…commandeth all men everywhere to repent: 31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. If we receive the Holy Spirit, the Bible way as set out above, we are “cease from our own works” and our sins are cleansed.

Strangely, in mainstream denominational Churches, the return of Jesus Christ is not necessarily a big feature, yet it will mark the end of “gospel” age as we know it (not the end of the world).

Jesus will return to the earth. There are many scriptures which support this inevitable event:

Revelation 1:7

Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they [also] which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

Matthew 24:36

36 But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

16 For the Lord, himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.

17 Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Revelation 22:12-13

12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward [is] with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

13 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of Getting Right with the Lord and check out the other posts from the series.

 

The Spiritual Gifts

The spiritual gifts are spoken about in 1 Corinthians 12 and 1 Corinthians 14 in the Bible. Spiritual gifts refer to various gifts given to Spirit-filled Christians by God. They include tongues, interpretation, prophecy, and the like. In this short article, I want to focus on tongues interpretation and prophecy – and they’re placed in the church.

 

The gift of speaking in tongues is the initial sign of receiving God’s wonderful Holy Spirit. Speaking in tongues is a prayer language from God. In the church context, speaking in tongues is what we would call a voice gift. This is to be distinguished from its other use, namely praying in the Spirit for one’s own edification in the Holy Ghost.

The Bible pattern is that all things in the church meeting should be done decently and in order. This means that, when the spiritual gifts are being operated properly, that is in accordance with scripture, two or three (up to three but it could be one] people speak in tongues in an individual church meeting.

Each of these messages in tongues is interpreted by another person, by course. The way that it works is one person will speak in tongues and then one will interpret, a second person will speak in tongues, and a second one will interpret, and so on. There should not be more than three, or this would be out of order.

Interpretation is to be distinguished from translation. When somebody interprets a tongue, they do not understand directly what the tongue means. Just as the message in tongues is inspired by God and that the person elects to step out in faith and use the gift of tongues, so it is with the gift of interpretation. The gift of interpretation is, nonetheless, wholly inspired by God and is a message that will often be based on scripture and is certainly a product of the Holy Ghost Himself.

After speaking in tongues and interpretation are completed, the meeting will move to the operation of the gift of prophecy. The Bible says to let two or three prophets speak, by course. This means that one person will, again, step out in faith and speak prophetically. These messages will be inspired by scripture and speak of God’s will and purpose and, often, what He intends to do in the future.

The spiritual gifts are very inspiring for the Church. Unfortunately, they are not often used in many Pentecostal churches today. This sadly falls short of Paul’s instruction in scripture and to restrict the working of the Holy Ghost in the church. It is noted that these gifts can only be used by people who are Spirit-filled.

Finally, it is important to note that while some people are more proficient in certain gifts, all have the capacity to use these gifts. It is just a matter of exercising them and a great blessing for all those who become involved.

 

Glenn Duker on the Gift of Healing

It is miraculous. Healing is a gift of the holy spirit. It is wonderful. Healing is to be distinguished from being cured. Doctors can be very helpful with modern medicine and people can be cured of various things. There are also natural remedies that lead to cures to various ailments. However, when we talk about the healing power of God, it is something quite miraculous.

 

God began healing people early in the Old Testament. He revealed himself to the nation Israel (which means literally “ruling with God”) as Jehovah Raffa. Another example of healing in the old testament is Hezekiah. He had a disease in his feet and when he turned his face to the wall in humility, God extended his life significantly. It was a miraculous healing. Another old testament example is that of Naaman. He had heard about God’s healing power and he consulted Elisha. Notably, Elisha did not go out to meet him directly, notwithstanding that Naaman was an important man in the natural. Elisha merely sent his servant and the instruction the Naaman was to wash in the Jordan river three times. Naaman’s predicament was that he suffered from severe leprosy. In the ancient world, this was not entirely uncommon but of course extremely contagious and one would need to separate one’s self from others as a result. Naaman was initially resistant to this instruction, but eventually humbled himself and followed the prophet’s instruction. This act of simple humility resulted in a God-given miracle. The leprosy was completely gone.

 

In the gospel age, even now, the healing power of God is just the same. The bible says that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. God does not change. Part of his nature is to heal and to bless. For the Spirit-filled church, healing miracles are commonplace. In our western world, we can be somewhat cluttered which may inhibit us attracting a speedy healing. However, God is ever able to bless and always ready. The Bible says that by his stripes we are healed. Jesus was beaten and bled for our healing. I have personally been healed of hay fever and other ailments over the years as a spirit-filled person. I can certainly testify, in truth, that the God of the bible heals today just as he did in days of old. The point is that it’s not complicated. The spirit filled have complete access to God and the ability to pray for others, whether saved or not so that they can also be healed by the power of God. It is important to note that when Jesus healed the sick he was not just being compassionate, although he was being compassionate. He was also demonstrating God’s love for people and giving them the opportunity to become interested in the one true living God.

 

God will use healing power to demonstrate how good he is, but we must remember that it is with the view to becoming saved and filled with the Holy Spirit. This is because we can attract physical healing in our body through prayer but the ultimate healing is that of our soul and being filled with the Holy Spirit speaking of the tongues and overcoming until the day that Jesus returns to take his church home to the kingdom of God.

 

Glenn Duker’s Reflection on Visiting Malawi

I have pondered over the last few days how visiting the Church in Malawi impacted me. And then it dawned on “me” that this is the whole problem with our western world. We think that it is all about “us”. We don’t necessarily see it but our society is self-absorbed – and in our great comfort (which we are born into). As a society we are blinded by the things of this world… not appreciating that it is all vanity, it all passes eventually, is a memory for a while and then forgotten. Cf. The book of Ecclesiastes!

What seems to restrict us is our “clutter” or our “stuff”. We are so busy… mostly about things that don’t ultimately matter. We just convince ourselves that they do. Jesus put it simply (paraphrased) and advised the smart alternative: “Martha, Martha .. you are anxious and troubled about many things. Mary has chosen the good portion (listening to the simple words of the Gospel), which shall not be taken away from her”.

Yes – there is a super-rapid expansion in Malawi of the Church… but for good reason. Even in my life, I recall that once upon a time in Australia people were more open to the gospel, intrigued about the miraculous and the miracle of speaking in tongues. In less naturally comfortable circumstances, these people in Africa REALLY hunger and thirst after righteousness and the power of God. They are yearning for it. Malawi for me has brought into focus with some clarity that we don’t need to search far for the Lord or the miracle… just drop the sophistication, the questioning, put aside the cynicism, forget the disappointment of denominational “religion” and how it has let the world down by not preaching the full gospel (as opposed to God’s spirit-filled Church) and just realise that the Lord is right there waiting to bless; and as Spirit-filled people we should not think that the Lord is far away. He is the same God in Malawi as He is here – and we would be encouraged to learn from the simplicity of the acceptance of the Word of God in Malawi and humbly follow the example of their zeal for the things of God.

I went to Malawi to work, to contribute what I could in some small way for the Lord, and to learn. I praise the Lord that I received exactly what I asked for…to have a new adventure each day of watching and experiencing the Lord’s miraculous hand in action and interacting with our wonderful, faithful, longsuffering fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. I am so glad I went… and that I understand more that it’s really not about “self” and the here and now at all… but about our ultimate destination: the kingdom of God and “the more exceeding and eternal weight of glory”.

Thanks again to John, Gilbert and all who made this trip possible.

 

Glenn Duker’s Mission Trip to Malawi

August 4th, 2018

These wonderful people are so rich in the joy of the Holy Ghost. The children received the Holy Spirit, with the evidence of speaking in tongues, in about a minute or less and were baptised, as were so many adults. We can learn so much from these fellow saints. The Lord is right there, waiting to bless. We would be wise to put our “questioning” mind to one side and follow their example: just believe our wonderful God without hesitation … and the miracles will follow. Jesus Christ is truly the same yesterday, today and forever.

-Glenn Duker

 

August 6th, 2018

Had a great few days here in Malawi with an outreach, then two communion meetings yesterday and a visit to a newer Meeting today, which is growing rapidly in numbers. This is “spiritual immersion” and I am loving it.

Had a great time this morning at the hotel – I spoke to two of the hotel employees and they were happy to seek for the Holy Spirit, which they received, speaking in other tongues, within a few minutes of each other. This is incredibly exciting stuff. All we do is preach the word and, willing to receive what the Lord has for them, they receive it freely!

What is the rest of the world doing!!!

The Bible says that only the fool says in his heart that there is no God.

The time is now to receive the Holy Spirit. Forget trying to work it all out… the Lord is there to fill people right away!

This is real and powerful – the power of God unto salvation and an incredible joy and privilege to be part of.

-Glenn Duker

 

August 8th, 2018

Another amazing day…our day off turned out to be a big day on… and it was worth it. From talking to the gardeners, to the walk to the village to meet the lady chief, to a strong talk from Pastor Nelson to the ladies in the village (the men were at work fishing… I guess we were also fishing!), to praying for the sick in the village and seeking or for the spirit and.. of course, some baptisms, then to the assistant manager of the resort receiving the Holy Spirit. C’est la vie. I just wish all days off could be like this!

-Glenn Duker

 

August 11th, 2018

Great couple of days… 7 more baptisms today and encouragement. Made some wonderful friends: we are united in the Lord, one hope, one faith, one baptism. The Church here continues to grow rapidly and these folks are well grounded in the Lord’s doctrine and passionate about staying on the Word of God. They tell us that they are grateful for our time of fellowship….yet we are so grateful for theirs. We are one in Christ.

The scenery is nice but that’s not what this trip is about. For me, this just reinforces, as Pastor Vic so aptly puts it, that this our “real job”.

-Glenn Duker

 

The Most Common Things That Can Distract You From God

The best way to solve a problem is to admit there is one. There are many distractions in our lives such as our jobs, relationships, and even ourselves. A lot of these are not problems themselves and only become a problem when they start distracting us from God. These days we have so many things fighting for our time and attention and sometimes we allow them to take it. It’s then when we lose our focus on God. Here’s a list of some common things that can distract us from our journey with God.

Money

Of course, we need money to survive in this world but letting the love of money consume our lives is taking away from our focus on God. We only need a certain amount of money to survive, then it becomes the comfort of having the means to afford whatever you want. It’s very tempting but do not let this overwhelm you.

Work

Working overlaps with money in many ways. The main reason why you work is to earn money. If you want more money you will work more and have less time. This will engulf your life in a never-ending cycle of only worrying about your paycheck. You may think you need to work long hours to survive this world but you must trust in God and that He’ll take care of you. Don’t go and quit your job but realize you need to make more time for what really matters.

Media

This is one of the biggest distractions you see daily. Internet, television, music, video games, and more distract us and consumes most people. After a long day at work, most people come home to watch tv, go on social media, listen to music, and do not realize this time could be used to be with God. We think we need to keep up with the current trends and styles and have it influence our lives. You don’t have to completely give up any of these activities but limit your time doing them.

Church

Going to church doesn’t necessarily mean you are walking with God. It can actually. In a way, hinder your relationship with him. This comes from people focus on pursuing church and not God Himself. It’s easy to say “I go to Church every week” but are not sincere at other times. The Lord is looking for those who love him not just in spirit and in truth but in sincerity.

Relationships

Relationships include your family, friends, coworker, and significant others. It is in our nature to connect with others but sometimes it can become more important to us than God. Typically the relationship that can be the biggest distraction from God is a significant other. These relationships usually demand more time and if your significant other does not walk the same path to God as you, it can be difficult. Don’t let your relationship hinder yours with God and don’t compromise your morals. Anyone in your life worth being there will see how important this is to you and support you in your walk with God as a spirit-filled person.

 

Speaking in Tongues: Part 2

On the day of Pentecost they all spoke in tongues (when it says tongues like as of fire, this means that the tongues spread like fire amongst the people):

Acts 2:2 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.

6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. 7 And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? 8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? 9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, 10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews, and proselytes, 11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. 12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? 13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. 14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: 15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. 16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: 19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come: 21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. 22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:

When the Holy Spirit was being received elsewhere in the book of Acts, tongues were present:

Acts 10: 44-48 44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. 45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,

47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Similarly in Acts 19:

And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, 2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. 3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism. 4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.

I hope this gives you an insight on how amazing speaking in tongues can be and what it really means to be gifted by Him in such a way. If you missed my Introduction to Themes of the Bible or Doing What God Says visit GlennDuker.net.au. Also, keep up with more to come from the Themes of the Bible series!

 

Speaking in Tongues: Part 1

The next Bible theme discussed is a two-part discussion on where in the Scripture speaking in tongue appears and what speaking in tongues means.

Speaking in tongues was prophesied in the Old Testament:

Isaiah 28: 11-12 11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. 12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest, and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. We need to careful that we are people who hear!

James makes it clear that the tongue is problematic.

It is little wonder that the Lord chose out tongue to tame:

James 5: 8-9

8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.

There is a time that tongues shall cease:

1 Corinthians 13: 8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

Tongues are a sign of receiving the Holy Spirit. Tongues will only finish when the Lord returns to the earth, as the Holy Spirit will not be available to be received in this way after that event. We are still in the time where thousands of people are receiving the Holy Spirit in the Bible nominated way: adults and children alike.

When you receive the Holy Spirit, you become instantly “complete in Him” (Colossians 2:10)

Complying with the instructions of the Lord is not optional. After his resurrection and before his ascension, Jesus own words in Mark 16 were:

15 Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned. 17 And these signs shall follow them that believe;…they shall speak with new tongues;

Speaking in tongues is a gift that only some people have. In the Bible, the picture is quite different.

 

Stay tuned for Part 2 of Speaking in Tongues and also check out my previous blogs Introduction to Themes of the Bible and Doing What God Says.

 

Doing What God Says

When looking at a particular Bible theme, it is important that we read all the scriptures in relation to that theme, not just the scriptures that might suit. The first theme to dive into is “Doing What God Says.” It is not enough to only go to Church and pray. You must obey God and act as He would want you to. Under each scripture are the thoughts behind their meanings and how we should follow and live out each passage.

The first scripture and perhaps the most famous scripture is:

John 3:16:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

The word “believeth” in Greek means to obey, not simply to believe in Him. Merely “accepting Jesus our personal saviour” as our a personal saviour is a principle that is, which while meant, has sold many people short of receiving the Holy Spirit according to the Bible pattern. When you receive the Holy Spirit you will speak in tongues. If we are sincere about obeying God, we need to submit to his Word and do what he says, not what some person merely suggests we should do. Many preach what should be done but The Bible is the one and only reliable source.

Timothy 3:16 says:

All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness

Peter 1:20 says:

Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

Ephesians 4: 5- 6 says:

There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

One God and Father of all. Thus, that doesn’t mean that only one brand of Christian church can be right but there is only one way to salvation.

It should be noted, also, there is only one correct interpretation of scripture. The old saying that “all roads lead to Rome” is simply untrue. There can only be one way to salvation, even though The Bible is interpreted in my ways by different Christian churches. The Bible is God’s command and our instruction for the paths we should take in life.