Jesus, as the Common Denominator-Revival pt.II

After days of praying, and searching for knowledge and wisdom from God on the topic of “speaking in tongues”, the Lord has revealed to me a glimpse into His master plan. My devotion this morning was in Romans 14. Basically, to sum up the chapter and the interpretation that I soaked in was something that I already have touched base on time and time again. As long as our common denominator is Jesus Christ, and we don’t stray from the basic doctrine of the bible, what we feel pleases God in our hearts is not for another brother in Christ to pass judgment on or condemn.

Romans 14:5 states this:

5) One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6) He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7) For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. 8) If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9) For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

We can argue all day about different interpretations from different denominations and not get anywhere except possibly one brother in Christ mad at another brother in Christ, or one brother in Christ offended by the other. The word makes it clear here in Romans to respect the different ways of worship that one would find pleasing to God.

Romans 14:10-12 boldly tells us not to judge our brother for their beliefs.

10) You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. 11) It is written:”‘As surely as I live,' says the Lord,
'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.' "12) So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Romans continues on through verse 13 to not be a stumbling block in your brother’s way.

13) Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.

The subject of this chapter touches base on eating, but it covers everything that is pleasing to God.
In verse 14, Paul states that “if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.” Therefore, respect what your brother finds as unclean and what is worshipful and pleasing to God. In the same manner, he should respect what you also find as worshipful or pleasing to God. For if you judge your brother for something that he so whole-heartily finds worshipful to God, then you have possibly distressed him and you are no longer acting in love, and condemning someone who Christ died for.

Romans 14:14-18
14) As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. 15) If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. 16) Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. 17) For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18) because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.

To sum up the chapter, Paul isn’t telling us to change our beliefs to suit another. He tells us in the final verses that whatever we believe about these things, to keep it between yourself and God.

Romans 14:19-23
19) Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20) Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. 21) It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall. 22) So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23) But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.

With that I say this,
Heavenly Father forgive me for condemning or questioning an act of worship that was pleasing to both You and to my brother in Christ. It’s not for me to judge an act that is not understandable or what I might not find as important to me as it is to my brother in Christ. Help me Lord to worship you with sincerity and love that is pleasing to you. Thank You Lord for giving me the wisdom and knowledge that I have requested from you. Sometimes, it’s not the answers that I am looking for, but it is always the answers that you want me to receive. Thank you for your patience in me of such a hard-headed simple minded creature that I am, but what a Man of God I could be if I followed your directions and blessings the way I should. Continue to correct me in situations such as this when I am wrong. Help me to be humble and the will to mentor in a way that is helpful to others when I am right. Allow me to correct, rebuke and accept correction all with love. Thank You Lord for your steadfastness.
In Jesus name, Amen.

REVIVAL

OK, I know that I haven't blogged in over a month, but here I am with a confused spirit, looking for some answers. I went to a revival last night at Victory Church in Camden. It is an Assembly of God church. I have several friends of mine that belong to Assembly of God churches throughout the state of Arkansas. And, after I left the church last night I called one of my dearest friends in Monticello, who attends the Assembly of God church in Monticello, and who I consider my "accountability partner" to help me by giving me some insight on what I had just experienced in this particular church. Before I begin my experience with you, let me just say that I pride myself in my doctrine of "the Bible" and with that said, I do believe in others speaking in tongues, Paul instructs us, "do not forbid speaking in tongues" (1 Corinthians 14:39).
The revival started at 7:00 pm, with great worship songs, setting the mood for a wonderful sermon from renound evangelist and prophet, Bill Norton who resides in Cambodia and Romania, where he does missionary works. After the message had been delivered, it was pushing 9:00 pm by now. It seemed like in a split second, the whole assembly had made a 180 degree turn. Instead of going through the motion of people raising their hands if they aren't saved, he had people raising their hands if they had never been baptised in the Holy Spirit and who has never received the gift of speaking in tongues. I did not raise my hand, and the reason to be honest is, I didn't want to be trapped on the stage with people praying for me about something that I am skeptical about. Then he had the members of this church come down and pray for these individuals (about 8 to 10 people) to receive the gift of speaking in tongues and be baptised in the Holy Spirit. He instructed the assembly to pray in tongues for these individuals. After about 20 minutes of constant speaking in tongues, and only one person had fainted. I felt it was time for me to exit the church.
Now, here's where I have questions. Let me go over with you, the instructions I have read out of the Living Word and the knowledge and wisdom that God has given to me to interpret.

1 Corinthians 14
Gifts of Prophecy and Tongues
1)Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. 2)For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit. 3)But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. 4)He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. 5)I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified.
6)Now, brothers, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction? 7)Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the flute or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes? 8)Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle? 9)So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air. 10)Undoubtedly there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. 11)If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and he is a foreigner to me. 12)So it is with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church.
13)For this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says. 14)For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15)So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. 16)If you are praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand say "Amen" to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying? 17)You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified.
18)I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19)But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.
20)Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults. 21)In the Law it is written:"Through men of strange tongues and through the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to me,"says the Lord.
22)Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers. 23)So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? 24)But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, 25)and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, "God is really among you!"
Orderly Worship 26)What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church. 27)If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. 28)If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God.
29)Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. 30)And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. 31)For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. 32)The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. 33)For God is not a God of disorder but of peace. As in all the congregations of the saints, 34)women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. 35)If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church. 36)Did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? 37)If anybody thinks he is a prophet or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord's command. 38)If he ignores this, he himself will be ignored. 39)Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40)But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.

Now, with that chapter thrown out there, let's review. Verse 1 "eagerly desire spiritual gifts". If you flip back to Chapter 12 of 1 Corinthians, Paul reveals these spiritual gifts and explains how we as a church are pieced together with our spiritual gifts like a puzzle to become one body, but many parts. He touches base on some of the spiritual gifts by naming these, the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, The gift of faith, the gift of healing, the gift of miraculous powers, the gift of prophecy, the gift of distinguishing between spirits, the gift of speaking in different kinds of tongues, the gift of interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines. "1 Corinthians 12:8-11."
Maybe I wouldn't have been so skeptical if this evangelist had the assembly praying for each one of us to receive the gift that God has appointed us. Why was he just focused on "speaking in tongues?"
Paul goes on in verse 1 to especially desire the gift of prophecy, for not only is it greater than the gift of speaking in tongues, but also to be able to interpret speaking in tongues is greater than speaking in tongues, because prophecy and the interpretation of speaking in tongues edifies the church, where just speaking in tongues only edifies self (verses 4-5). He goes in verses 6-11 to explain how confusing it could be when everyone at once is speaking in tongues. He touches base in verses 7-8 on musical instruments. Have you ever heard a Jr High School band warming up before a concert? Each young body is playing different notes, of different songs, at different tempos and different ranges of volume all at once. The audience knows that this is not a harmonized piece that they are listening to. It is easy to figure out, that nobody is together, all are in their own world. It's not until the conductor begins the concert, to which the music is now in order. In my opinion, even when several hundred people are praying out loud in English, it is all over the place and confusing if you try to focus in on them as a whole. For each person is praying in their own knowledge and wisdom and only edifying themselves. It is not until one person by themselves (usually the person with the microphone) prays to edify the church. In verse 11 Paul says that if he can't grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, that he is a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker is a foreigner to him. In verse 12 he says, since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church. Which takes me back to my first point where I touched base on all of the different Spiritual gifts and why were they just focused on speaking in tongues.
Paul goes on in verse 18 thanking God that he can speak in tongues more than anyone, but in the church, he would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.
In verse 22 he says that tongues are a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers. So who were they speaking in tongues to or for? One of the individuals that was on the stage, being prayed for, is the wife of a friend and a co-worker of mine. From conversing with him on our own beliefs and Christianity, his wife is saved and a believer, yet they were all speaking in tongues. So that just completely contradicted verse 22, didn't it?
From verse 26-40 Paul speaks on "Orderly Worship" how everything must be done for the strengthening of the church (verse 26). Verses 27-28 says if anyone speaks in a tongue, two-or at the most three- should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God. He finishes out the chapter by saying in verses 39-40, do not forbid speaking in tongues, but everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.

Now, if I am wrong about my own interpretation on this chapter, please someone reveal to me, through scripture, where I can find the practice of what I saw last night. My friend from Monticello is going to give me some scriptures, but in my mind right now, I can't see how he is going to justify the actions last night without going against this whole chapter that I know I am not taking out of context. But my mind and heart will be open to the scripture that he gives me to read, I will pray for knowledge and wisdom as I always do before I read the verses. I will, like always pray for God to give me the understanding to where I can interpret The Living Word of God.

My friends wife was still standing and being prayed for in tongues and several people laying hands on her, when I finally departed from the church. To be honest, my thoughts weren't pure, but I will share with you the evil thought that came to my mind as I left.
I was thinking that when she does finally faint, it won't be from her receiving what they want her to receive, it will be from exhaustion from standing for so long with her eyes closed.

Lord, forgive me for that evil thought. If in fact, she did receive a Spiritual gift from you, please forgive me for (in a round about way) condemning the gift that she received. Again forgive me for being so skeptical, for to receive Spiritual gifts is a blessing from you Lord, and my ignorance was clouding the Spirit of Truth that lives inside of me. Help me Lord understand the knowledge and truth, the correct way of your Living Word Lord. Continue to convict me when I stumble, as you always do. Lift me up to Your Worship, so I can have a love relationship with you and not a long distance relationship with you. For it is written in verse 1 of this chapter, "Follow the Way of Love". Lord, I want to be acknowledged from others who view me as, "A man who walks with God" and not as someone who is seen as being hypocritical. Allow me to disciple to others by bringing them the knowledge of the Living Word. I love you Lord. Use me, mold me. It's in Jesus Christ name I pray, AMEN.

Hello... Is there anybody out there?

Kevin Stokes, not Pink Floyd is asking the ever so famous line, "Is there anybody out there?" Let's just try a little test please. Leave a comment, any comment. It can be just, "yes, I am out here." Just let me know that I am not just blogging to myself. I'd like to know that my words aren't falling on deaf eyes.............. blind eyes? Something to that direction.

Anyhow..... Later......................

CHECKMATE

You reap what you sew.

I know that many of you that grew up in the same era that I grew up in, heard this phrase used frequently from one or both of your parents. I actually heard this phrase from my mother on several instances throughout my adolescence. I was raised in a Christian home, and was taught right from wrong. But this phrase seemed to go in one ear and out the other, not fully understanding the true meaning of it. Even when I became a Christian myself at the age of 16, it still didn’t hit a nerve in this thick head of mine. But over the years, with the guidance of the “Voice of Truth”, I began to respect a true appreciation of these words. Even though we who are Christians, receive Grace and Forgiveness from our Father in Heaven, back on earth we still have to face the consequences of the damage that we do wrong throughout our lives. Especially when we have wronged other people. It seems that when we sew an evil seed out on another individual, it will grow into a raging thicket, and we ourselves will reap a harvest of bad things to come. I have seen this Karma effect take place on several different people including myself throughout my lifetime.
One individual that has passed through my life at one time, and whom I still pray for often, is a prime example of “You reap what you sew.” I have watched this individual use people on a daily basis over and over again, and yes I am one that got used along with several others. I’m an avid Chess player and this individual reminds me a lot of how I play Chess. I am a very aggressive offensive player, who uses all pieces in any shape or form to win the game for the King, who is me. I will trade Queen for Queen in a heartbeat. No piece except the King is expendable. I will put my opponent in traps forcing them to kill a piece of mine in order for me to kill a more valuable piece of theirs. Luckily, my chess playing does not reflect the way I live my life. In fact it’s just the opposite. I value each member in my small kingdom and protect those who God has given to me to more or less govern and love in my world.
I have commented several times on this individual, “the Karma Effect”. “One day, it will all come back around and bite him in the butt.” “And then he will wonder why are all of these bad things happening to me?” I have watched him in his evil and wicked kingdom, use one person after another over and over again. Like pawns in the game of chess, he gives no value to anyone in his life. Here’s the kicker, “The Karma Effect” is beginning to take place in his life. He may not even realize it. He has seen raging storms pass through his kingdom lately that I could have warned him about, and probably should have. But I really believe even if I had warned him of the storms, I don't think he would have understood what I was saying to him because of the evilness dampening his life. Through prayer for him, I confess to God that I forgive him, but it’s so hard to forget. How God can forgive some of the most evil creatures that walk the earth is beyond my imagination, but He commands us to forgive our enemies. So, I pray for this individual frequently, and forgive him for the evilness that he has done against me.
However, at the rate he is going, by using every piece in this game of life, sooner or later, all of his pieces will be gone, and he will be the only one standing in his kingdom, all alone, and the enemy will have him in a trap with no escape.
The ultimate storm for him will surround him in “CHECKMATE”.
By then, it will be too late for him. His kingdom will crumble before his eyes.

The Phone Lines Are Open

I know, I know, I haven't blogged in a while. I guess I have writers block. Actually, I've noticed the futher Tammie and I are out of church, the less I have to write about. Hello, Kevin, Wake up, the title of your web page blog is "Crazy Christian Life by Kevin", How can I write on this blog with the title "Christian" when I am not acting like a Christian by not going to church? So here I am, asking for your prayers. Please pray for our family to be obiedient in worship on Sunday's.
Finding a church home to fit in is a hard job. I am still doing my morning devotions, but Tammie and I have become lazy in going to church. We are actually visiting a church in Camden this morning, but we know this isn't a church that will be on our list as possible church homes for us because it is too far to drive. We want to find a church here in El Dorado. I would love to find a church identical to the one that we attended in Monticello. I miss my friends, my church and my Dad.
My Dad and Step mother actually came down to visit yesterday, and we had a wonderful time. We really didn't go and do anything, we just sat and talked. It was great. I wish a few of my friends would either come and visit or even just call. I would rather have them come for a visit, but a phone call would be uplifting. I guess I am a little depressed from missing everyone so much, and I feel like I have just become forgotten by all my buddies from Monticello. I do have to say though, my faithful bud "Adam", He has kept in touch. I can always count on him.

Anyhow.... Just a few thoughts jotted down for now. Things that are just rambling through my mind. The phone lines are open, we are accepting any visits, phone calls and Prayers.

TV Repair Man- #1 Darwin Award

This next event is probably the dumbest thing I have ever done. Yes, in my opinion, this wins my personal Darwin Awards.
Back in the days when the big dish satellites were popping up in yards like weeds, we were too tight with our money to break down and purchase one. We lived beyond the cable TV line. So it was either a satellite dish or an antenna. With an antenna, I still only got one station, and if the wind was blowing very hard, that one was fuzzy. So I had to take drastic measures because I had to have more than one channel.
It seemed that I remember reading in my TV manual that there was button in the back of it that if you engaged it, your TV would bring in better reception for antenna channels vs. cable channels. We had like a 20” TV and if you remember, a 20” TV body looked like a 36” TV today. This one was no different. The back was so big and bulky; it was hard to get to the back of it. So instead of turning the TV around and doing this inside the house, it was easier for me to do this outside going through the window. I opened the window and took the screen off, and I was at the perfect height, (eye level), with the task at hand. I had a good friend over that day to help me figure this thing out. He has always been a good handy man. Yes… It was a meeting of the minds that day. My tool for the day was a paper clip. Standing in a mud puddle, and my faithful buddy behind me, I carefully put the paper clip in a little hole in the back of the TV. For some reason, my friend without warning hit me as hard as he could in the middle of my back. It felt like he had taken a sledge hammer and hit me with it. I didn’t know if I had a spider on me or what, so with the paper clip still in my hand and in the little hole of the TV, I turned and looked at him with a look of “why did you hit me?” He just stood there looking at me all innocent with a look of, “what the H… are you looking at me like that for?” Suddenly, while I’m looking at him, he hits me again even harder than the first time, and somehow, he never moved a muscle. So now my slow simple brain is trying to figure out this optical illusion of, “how in the world did he hit me without ever moving a muscle?” Reality finally sunk in when I felt a stinging sensation sizzling from my fingertips and up both of my arms until it landed in the middle of my chest with a crash. It felt like my heart was going to explode, and I finally pulled the paper clip out of the TV.
It wasn't too long after that day that we purchased a Satellite Antenna.

My Personal Darwin Awards

For the next few blogs, I hope to share with you "My personal Darwin Awards" There are several stupid things I've done in my life that some would say that I had "A Blond moment".


Fire-Fighter Uniform:

Kristie was six years old and Nick was only just 4 months old. It was a cold mid-February evening around 9:00 pm and I was working graveyard shift and was getting ready for work that night. I was in the middle of a shower when I heard a loud scream coming from the kitchen followed by the electricity shutting off. I jumped out of the shower in a panic and headed down the dark hall. I could see flames coming from the kitchen. See my wife had supposedly put some baby bottle nipples on the stove to boil. Well, she turned on the wrong burner. Instead of the pot with the nipples, she accidentally turned on the burner to the pot that we use to cook French fries in. This pot of grease always has a lid on it when not in use. Needless to say, it didn’t take very long for this to go up in flames.
With our kitchen in flames, I instructed my wife to take the kids out to my truck and wait for me. I grabbed the first blanket I could find to smother the fire, (which was Tammie’s best and favorite blanket), but I was in a panic to get this fire out and wasn’t paying any attention to anything else except the fire. Without hesitation, I picked up the flaming pot and move it to the floor. I didn’t feel a thing at the time, but noticed I had severe burns on my hands later. It’s a wonder I didn’t pass out from smoke inhalation. God was definitely breathing for me that day. After I got the fire under control, I headed for the door to go outside. I opened the door, and suddenly felt a cold brisk wind hit my body. Once my brain nerves figured out what was wrong and shared the data with me, I realized that I was standing butt naked at my front door. I knew that it was just a matter of time before I passed out from the smoke inhalation, but there was no way I was going to be on the late night news in this form. So, coughing hysterically, I crawled to my bedroom and grabbed some warm ups from my chest of drawers and crawled outside to safety.
Now, here comes the time of stupidity. I bet we sat in my truck over an hour waiting for the fire department to show up, the whole time thinking, “This Fire Department sure is slow.” Then it suddenly occurred to me, “maybe, just maybe, if the fire department knew about the fire, then they might just show up.”