Talking in Unknown Tongues

 

Topic: Talking in unknown tongues …

By Pastor H.U. Wenger

Highlights: Acts 1:8

Since the day of Pentecost this is a theme, which has occupied, unified and divided the Christian community all over the world. Before Jesus ascended to the heavens he promised several times the outpouring of the Holy Ghost, latest in Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” And then on the day of Pentecost it happened: “Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”

 This was a sensation as Jews from all over the world were present in Jerusalem and each of them heard the gospel preached in his own language. Peter finally cleared the situation with his Pentecost-Sermon in Acts 2:14ff.

 The disciples were promised to be empowered with the Holy Spirit in order to be witnesses for Christ. In this original situation the gift of tongues, which is often combined with the gift of prophecy, made the greatest possible impact. Later on several charismatic oriented Christian began to declare that speaking in tongues would be the sure sign that a follower of Christ has received the Holy Spirit. 

As not everybody receives the gift of tongues, charismatic movements have encouraged praying first for the gift.  Then they should open their mouth and make sounds, till it somehow begins to flow like a language. Please understand that this practice does not lead to the gift of tongues, but to a kind of childish gibberish that does not make any sense. The gift of tongues has always to do with a language that is somewhere spoken and can be understood. 

Paul has been aware that the church in Corinth had many questions and misuses of the gift of tongues and he therefore brings clarity to it in Chapters 12 to 14 of his first epistle to the Corinthians. It is crucial that you read through these chapters to understand what I am trying to say here. 

1. There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. (1. Corinthians 12: 4 – 7)

None of the spiritual gifts is the sure sign of being filled with the holy spirit. If there is a sure sign for that it is a life of holiness and humility in Christ likeness.

2. In verses 8 to 10 Paul lists the different power-working gifts and concludes in vers 11: All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

3. The church is the body of Christ. Everybody has many cells and organs and every part has an important task. No part in the body has all the gifts, no part is without gift and we better just fill the part the spirit has given us, lest we are paralyzing the body. Paul encourages us to earnestly covet the best gifts, but tells us at the same time that the most excellent way is to bring love to the same perfection as God loves us. (1. Corinthians 12; especially 12,31 and all of Chapter 13)

4. We are all supposed to follow the way of love and charity. (1. Corinthians 14:1) As it comes to the gifts, Paul wants us to foremost covet the gift of prophecy. With prophecy is not meant that we should tell what will be going to happen in the world. It is again bound to the body of Christ. Prophecy convicts, it reveals what has been covered up. Prophecy has the potential to heal the body by showing what has to be changed, where we erred from the sound path and it convicts unbelievers and brings them to a turn around. (Compare Chapter 14, verses 24, 25)

5. If you have received the gift of tongue, use it for yourself as it will strengthen you, and use it in the church, when there is somebody present who can interpret. It is just crucial that the rules Chapter 14 gives us are followed. Paul uses the prayer in tongues intensely (Vers 18) and gives the credit to the Lord. Now event of the church is to serve the gifts of the spirit, but the gifts of the spirit are to best serve every event of the church for the call to faith, for the sanctification of the saints and for the outreach to the unsaved.

Some conservative Christians believe that the gifts mentioned in 1. Corinthians 13:8 do not exist anymore today and consider them therefore as an ensnarement of the enemy. They believe that with the completing of the New Testament Canon, the completeness mentioned in Chapter 13:10 has arrived. The argument is for me too week, as it is not confirmed by scripture in any way.

 Nevertheless I am convinced that the gifts of the spirit are a huge battlefield for Satan today. We should not forget that he can well appear as an Angel of light. It is therefore crucial that we double check our gifts. Nothing should be attributed to the Holy Spirit that does not come from the Holy Spirit. If you are unsure about your gift, talk with your elders.  Implore God together with them to confirm your gift or take it away, if he is not the giver of it. 

Prayer: Lord God, I do thank you that you have made me a member in the body of your son Jesus Christ. Thank you for all the gifts you have entrusted me with. Let me faithfully fulfill the part you have assigned to me, lead me to proficiency in love and bestow me with every gift with which I can be of help for the body of Christ and for your Kingdom. Help me to live in humility and holiness. Amen   

The God who sees me is alive and well

 

An Emoji Devotional for Fri 19th Sept, 2021

Topic: The God who sees me is alive and well

by Pastor H. Wenger

Going through difficult times is a challenge for everybody and often times we are assuming in such situations that the Lord God has forgotten about us. The Holy Scriptures, however, teach us that God knows us and sees us in our brokenness and affliction. His love never fails; he will never put to shame whoever trusts in him. 

Highlights: But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless. (Psalm 10:14)

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. (Psalm 68:5 – 6)

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28 – 30)

In Psalm 73 Asaph’s feet almost lost their ground as he considers how well the ungodly people live and how he is ceaselessly afflicted and every morning he perceives new punishments. In Lamentations 3 Jeremiah complains how unfairly he feels treated by the Lord and he concludes that his hope is gone. After having slept with Abram, Hagar got pregnant, felt superior to her master and fled from her. All of them were in big distress and could not see a way out. For all of them the affliction lead eventually into an encounter with the presence of God. Asaph ended up in deep worship when he exclaimed: When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you. Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Jeremiah pauses after he has poured out his complaints and experiences a growing inner conviction that the Lord will remember him and eventually bursts out in praising the goodness of God: Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. (Lamentation 3:21 – 26)

Hagar finally is found by the angel of the Lord at a well in the desert and he revealed to her part of the future and gently told her to go back to her Master. No longer did she have complaints; no longer did she want to run away.  She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” (Genesis 16, 13)

God sees you! If you are tired, afflicted or disappointed today, bring your complaints before the God who sees you and your perceived misery can change to worship and to a well of joy and satisfaction.

Prayer: Dear God, please show me your perspective of my situation, which I see hopeless and helpless. I need a fresh encounter with your goodness. I want to worship you. Deep in my heart I know that you have not forgotten me and that you will never ever forsake me. Align my thinking with what I am knowing to be true about your unfailing love and goodness.  

Sowing Mercy And Grace

 

An Emoji devotional for Thu, 9th Sept, 2021

Topic: Sowing mercy and grace

By Pastor H. Wenger

Highlights: 

Blessed are those who have regard for the weak; the Lord delivers them in times of trouble. The Lord protects and preserves them— they are counted among the blessed in the land— he does not give them over to the desire of their foes. (Psalm 41:1 – 2)

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. (Matthew 5:7) 

Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God. (Proverbs 14:31) 

Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment. (James 2:12 – 13)

We are living in a world within which self-assertiveness is required. When you apply for a job, you are expected to show that they miss out on the best opportunity, if they do not hire you. It gives us a feeling of superiority when we know that we are better in a discipline than most others. Unfortunately it makes us often times haughty and we forget that we are only as good because our Maker has gifted us. As a boy I had many problems with orthography, but it did not bother me much, because I was still in the upper third. Looking down on those in the lower two thirds worse off, made me still feel quite strong. The feeling of superiority is dangerous because it makes us easily judgmental, unforgiving and merciless. 

In the Lord’s prayer Jesus thought us to say: “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” The quality of my forgiveness, of my mercy and grace determines the quality of what I am going to receive. The story of the unmerciful servant (Matthew 18:21ff) and the sermon of Jesus about the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25 underline the truth:

“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” “Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.” (Matthew 25:40 and 45) It is so easy and it happens so quickly to feel superiority and to look down on those we perceive as weak. Although I know that I have to look at my fellow human beings with a higher esteem than I have for myself, I have so often to repent because I catch myself belittling a fellow car driver, somebody who cannot follow an explanation I am giving, somebody who has difficulties with a task at hand, I deem trivial and easy and so on.

Brothers and Sisters the Lord is about to come back for the snapping away of his church. Let us therefore encourage one another to sanctify ourselves and to live out his character as good as ever possible. “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrew 12:14) Peter tells us:  In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. (1. Peter 5:5 – 6)

Prayer: Dear Lord, forgive me my tendency to so often feel superior. You have always truly been superior, but you humbled yourself and sowed grace and mercy. Help me to follow your footsteps. Always remind me that I do not possess anything that you have not given me. Help me to be fruitful for your kingdom and let me belong to the sheep that have served you in your weakest brothers and sisters. Amen  

At the threshold of the Glory Land

 

An Emoji Devotions for Wed, 8th September, 2021

Topic: At the threshold of the Glory Land

By Pastor H. Wenger

Highlights: The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything. (Deuteronomy 2:7)

Jesus says to Peter: And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. (Matthew 16:18)

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:1 – 4)

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. (Philippians 3:20 – 21)

In Deuteronomy 2 the people of Israel has 40 years of travelling through the desert behind it. In those 40 years all the people, who were adults when they left Egypt, had died except for Joshua and Caleb. Forty years ago they got a chance to conquer the land from the south, but unbelieve and disobedience leads them astray. Consequently they lost a battle and the Lord punished them by decreeing that none of them should enter the Promised Land, but die in the desert. 

We have now a new generation, people who do not have much memory of Egypt, but people who are tired of travelling and long to settle down.

 They are motivated to conquer the land and God shows them how he will them give victory, by defeating Sihon, the king of Heshbon and Og, the king of Bashan before them. All they have to do is to trust the Lord and follow his lead. In almost no time, they can conquer two kingdoms together with their cities and their livestock. 

The New Testament church is also on a journey through the desert. She has no home here, but is searching for the city of God in heaven. After Israel is back in the Promised Land and so many signs and fulfillments of Old Testament prophecies, the body of Christ is also shortly before its wandering through the desert  of sin and affliction. Jesus has showed his followers that a life of victory. He disarmed the powers and authorities; he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (Colossians 2:15)

As the Israelites stood at the threshold of the Promised Land then, we, as the followers of Christ stand shortly before the entry into the Glory Land. It is crucial that we lay everything down that could possible stand between us and our Lord and Savior, so that we will prepared for the move, when we will be snapped away from this earth and be transferred to the heavenly home, the wonderful inheritance God has prepared for us. 

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I belong to you and to you alone. Please reveal everything to me that might be standing between and you and me. I want to wholeheartedly follow you and I pray, let me be among the wise virgins. I repent of all my sins and transgressions and I thank you for cleansing me with your life giving blood. Amen. 

Why Jesus Cursed the Fig Tree

An Emoji Devotions for Tue 7th September, 2021

Topic: Why Jesus Cursed the Fig Tree 

Highlights: 

and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless and powerless [mere delusion]; you are still in your sins [and under the control and penalty of sin].

1 Corinthians 15:17

Then they understood things. They understood that they were not wearing any clothes. So, they took some leaves from fig trees. They fixed them together to cover their bodies.

Genesis 3:7 

Peter remembered what Jesus had said. So he said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, look at that fig tree. You said that it should die, and it has died.’

Mark 11:21 

This Devotional will be short. Our Lord Jesus was hungry and went to a fig tree to look for fruit to eat. The Bible made us to know that it was not the right season for fig trees to have fruits. (cf Mark 11:13) but Jesus still went on to look for fruit and he could not find any. In the end Jesus said to the tree "Nobody will ever eat your fruit again." Literally, we all agreed it was because the fig tree was fruitless hence Jesus taught His disciples to use their Faith. But the death of the fig tree is more to this than we could see. 

Here is how it went down from the beginning of time. The whole scene of Jesus and the Fig tree relive the moment of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:7 after they ate the forbidden fruit, they gained their senses of living a shortened and destructible life. The first thing Adam and Eve ever think of was nakedness and their solution was to cover their bodies with Fig leaves. Why fig leaves? It was their best attempt of traditional ritual that seems to work in effort to restore back to their original bodies before God could return to see them.

 Afterwards, God saw them hiding and He cursed them for their sins and gave a temporary solution to cover their nakedness which is their most priority (read Genesis 3:16-24).  The Lord God made clothes for Adam and Eve to wear. He used the skins from animals to make them.

Genesis 3:21. God sent them out of the garden and sent angels to guard it. (verse 24)

The revelation was happening since the beginning and it came to reality until the day Jesus Christ came in contact with Fig leaves (read Luke 4:21). God made human  understood that using the fig leaves is an inconsistent rite to cover nakedness. Jesus would find a fig tree in a season not right to have fruits and spoke to it that "Nobody will ever eat your fruit again" - a time traveling word to show that the "old" laws (fig leaves) will have to 'die' so that the new testament will begin  (sacrifice of the lamb of God to become the risen son). 

It was not a mistake that Jesus was beaten with whips having spike tips and crowned with thorns made from trees. He was thereafter crucified on a tree (Cross) to show that he was treated like a guilty animal. He behaved like a lamb and laid down his life. While he watch the reminisce of fallen man killing divinity. "It is finished" - He said. 

Anytime we try to solve a problem by our efforts, it leads to another problem. Jesus is the only solution. 

Jesus answered, ‘I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life. Nobody comes to the Father except by me.

John 14:6 

Sin is what gives death its sting, and the Law is the power behind sin. But thank God for letting our Lord Jesus Christ give us the victory! My dear friends, stand firm and don't be shaken. Always keep busy working for the Lord. You know that everything you do for him is worthwhile.

1 Corinthians 15:56‭-‬58 

Our Lord Jesus has taken the power belonging the fig leaves that no one will ever get covered by it anymore even if they keep trying unless by salvation through His blood. He is risen to life everlasting . Turn from your own ways and religious beliefs be cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ the lamb of God. If you Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ you and your family will be saved!

Take time and find the Lord Jesus today.

Prayer: Lord Jesus I have your understanding as the solution to life's troubles. I pray for grace to receive eternal life in you alone. Help me to stay in you for ever. In Jesus name Amen. 

Childhood Story of Jesus

An Emoji Devotions for Mon 6th September, 2021

Topic: Childhood Story of Jesus

Episodes from Jesus's childhood as depicted in the Klosterneuburg Gospels, a 14th-century gospel translation:

1. Jesus is carrying water in his lap, after his water jar got broken; other children are watching in surprise.

2. Jesus hands the water in his lap over to Mary

3. Jesus reassembles the water jars of the children who, in an attempt to imitate him, smashed their jars on purpose.

4. Jesus raises the clay birds of his playmates to life.

5. Jesus tells Joseph to raise a dead man.

6. Joseph raises the man on the stretcher from the dead.

7. During play, child Zenon falls off the roof of a house; two Jews accuse Jesus to have pushed him

8. Jesus raises the dead child (Zenon) from the dead, so he can testify that Jesus is innocent.

9. Together with other children, Jesus is catching fish on Sabbath.

10. The children complain about Jesus to adult Jews.

11. At Mary's and Joseph's request, Jesus raises the dead man.

12. Jesus plays with lions and guides them up to the town gates. The town people are scared.

God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die.

John 3:16 

Jesus answered, ‘I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life. Nobody comes to the Father except by me.

John 14:6

Prayer of Salvation: Thank you Lord Jesus. I am now ready to accept you into my life. I accept to repent of my bad ways and now become your follower. I believe in you from now on and I will never turn away from your love. I am asking for grace to know you more. Amen

Sin Not Unto Death Explained

An Emoji Devotions for Sun 5th of September 2021

Topic: Sin Not Unto Death Explained

Highlights: 

If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.

1 John 5:16 KJV

Sin that doesn't lead to death is sex between lawfully married husband and wife. I believe most of the apostles did not marry because of their Faith and the example they see from Christ hence the reason for this celibacy is fetch from the fact that sex is a sin. However when the gospel is spreading all over, there is a need for some priests, pastors and leader of churches to marry. Apostle John the beloved is regarding to the word sex in a politically correct language that could is understandable by the elders of the church to avoid factions and disagreement between those who calls it sin and those who believe it is normal thing amongst the saints. Remember that there is always argument between the Jewish Christians and the Gentile Christians concerning marriage and other matters as to why apostle Paul addressed this in 1 Corinthians 7:8, 9, 19, 20

The matter of marriage caused heat in the church even Apostle Paul said "

Your husband or wife who isn't a follower is made holy by having you as a partner. This also makes your children holy and keeps them from being unclean in God's sight. 1 Corinthians 7:14

When one person between husband or wife is not a believer of Christ both have sexual union it will not be a sin that lead to death to the one who is a follower of Jesus Christ among the two because they are lawfully married. That is the clearance of Apostle John the beloved. Hence 1 John 5:17 

All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a* sin not unto death.

1 John 5:17 

Prayer: Lord help me to be holy in your sight through the mercy and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen