one should not speak ill of powerful figures, even in private

 Ecclesiastes 10:20 conveys the message that one should not speak ill of powerful figures, even in private, as they might find out. The verse reads: 

 English Standard Version

"Even in your thoughts, do not curse the king, nor in your bedroom curse the rich, for a bird of the air will carry your voice, or some winged creature tell the matter" 

 The Message

"Don't bad-mouth your leaders, not even under your breath, And don't abuse your betters, even in the privacy of your home" 

 The verse is part of Ecclesiastes, which emphasizes the unpredictable nature of life. It encourages people to be prudent when criticizing authority, especially when change seems unattainable. The verse also serves as a reminder that secrets will eventually be revealed.  

Whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him

 Ecclesiastes 10:8 (KJV) ~ Whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.

To be bitten by a snake can be deadly; the poison, if not treated, can be lethal. God puts His hedge of protection around your life; however, you can cause little breaks to appear, little holes through which the enemy of souls can come in by his cunning craftiness, then fix his poisoned fangs onto you, sinking into the very fabric of your spiritual life.

How can you break a hedge?

You can break a hedge by wrong ungodly attitudes

You can break a hedge by having sinful thoughts and ways

You can break a hedge by having unforgiveness

You can break a hedge by backsliding

You can break a hedge through disobedience to the will of God.

There is a story in the Old Testament of the people of Israel who, because of their sinful ways, were bitten by poisonous snakes. This is what God told Moses what to do in Numbers 21:7 to 8, “The people came to Moses and said, ‘We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us.’ So, Moses prayed for the people. The LORD said to Moses, ‘Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.’”

Look upon the cross of Calvary and live, look to Jesus, by faith, and live. If the serpent has bitten you, if sin has had a hold on your life, the cure is found in Jesus Christ. Someone once said, “Life is short, death is sure, sin the cause, Christ the cure.”

My friends, how can you fix up the hedge? How do you restore His protection over your life? Repent before the Lord, and ask His forgiveness if you have sinned. Let Him restore the broad wall, let Him repair your spiritual hedge, and let Him fill the break in the hedge by His love, mercy and grace. Walk in the spirit and you will not gratify the sinful desires of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). As you do so you will walk in His victory. Today, may God cover you with His love, and may He restore your hedge of protection. So instead of the serpents of sin fixing their fangs on you and biting you because of the breakage in the hedge because of sin, embrace God’s forgiveness, so you may walk in victory over sin and crush the enemy (the serpent of sin) under your feet.

God bless you my brothers/sisters

What is the sin unto death?

First John 5:16 is one of the most difficult verses in the New Testament to interpret. “If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that.” Of all the interpretations out there, none seem to answer all the questions concerning this verse.

The best interpretation may be found by comparing this verse to what happened to Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1–10 (see also 1 Corinthians 11:30). The “sin unto death” is willful, continuous, unrepentant sin. God has called His children to holiness (1 Peter 1:16), and God corrects them when they sin. We are not “punished” for our sin in the sense of losing salvation or being eternally separated from God, yet we are disciplined. “The Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son” (Hebrews 12:6).

First John 5:16 says there comes a point when God can no longer allow a believer to continue in unrepentant sin. When that point is reached, God may decide to take the life of the stubbornly sinful believer. The “death” is physical death. God at times purifies His church by removing those who deliberately disobey Him. The apostle John makes a distinction between the “sin that leads to death” and the “sin that does not lead to death.” Not all sin in the church is dealt with the same way because not all sin rises to the level of the “sin that leads to death.”

In Acts 5:1–10 and 1 Corinthians 11:28–32, God dealt with intentional, calculated sin in the church by taking the physical life of the sinner. This is perhaps also what Paul meant by “the destruction of the flesh” in 1 Corinthians 5:5.

John says that we should pray for Christians who are sinning, and that God will hear our prayers. However, there may come a time when God decides to cut short a believer’s life due to unrepentant sin. Prayers for such an unheeding person will not be effective.

God is good and just, and He will eventually make us “a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” (Ephesians 5:27). To further that end, God chastens His children. May the Lord preserve us from the hard-heartedness that would cause us to commit the “sin unto death.”

 

What does the Bible say about women pastors?

There is perhaps no more hotly debated issue in the church today than that of women serving as pastors. As a result, it is important to not see this issue as men versus women. There are women who believe women should not serve as pastors and that the Bible places restrictions on the ministry of women, and there are men who believe women can serve as pastors and that there are no restrictions on women in ministry. This is not a matter of chauvinism or discrimination. It is an issue of biblical interpretation.

The Word of God proclaims, “A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent” (1 Timothy 2:11–12). In the church, God assigns different roles to men and women. This is a result of the way mankind was created and the way in which sin entered the world (1 Timothy 2:13–14). God, through the apostle Paul, restricts women from serving in roles of teaching and/or having spiritual authority over men. This precludes women from serving as pastors over men, since pastoring definitely includes preaching, teaching publicly, and exercising spiritual authority.

There are many objections to this view of women in pastoral ministry. A common one is that Paul restricts women from teaching because in the first century, women were typically uneducated. However, 1 Timothy 2:11–14 nowhere mentions educational status. If education were a qualification for ministry, then the majority of Jesus’ disciples would not have been qualified. A second common objection is that Paul only restricted the women of Ephesus from teaching men (1 Timothy was written to Timothy, the pastor of the church in Ephesus). Ephesus was known for its temple to Artemis, and women were the authorities in that branch of paganism—therefore, the theory goes, Paul was only reacting against the female-led customs of the Ephesian idolaters, and the church needed to be different. However, the book of 1 Timothy nowhere mentions Artemis, nor does Paul mention the standard practice of Artemis worshipers as a reason for the restrictions in 1 Timothy 2:11–12.

A third objection is that Paul is only referring to husbands and wives, not men and women in general. The Greek words for “woman” and “man” in 1 Timothy 2 could refer to husbands and wives; however, the basic meaning of the words is broader than that. Further, the same Greek words are used in verses 8–10. Are only husbands to lift up holy hands in prayer without anger and disputing (verse 8)? Are only wives to dress modestly, have good deeds, and worship God (verses 9–10)? Of course not. Verses 8–10 clearly refer to all men and women, not just husbands and wives. There is nothing in the context that would indicate a narrowing to husbands and wives in verses 11–14.

Yet another objection to this interpretation of women in pastoral ministry references women in positions of leadership in the Bible, specifically Miriam, Deborah, and Huldah in the Old Testament. It is true that these women were chosen by God for special service to Him and that they stand as models of faith, courage, and, yes, leadership. However, the authority of women in the Old Testament is not relevant to the issue of pastors in the church. The New Testament Epistles present a new paradigm for God’s people—the church, the body of Christ—and that paradigm involves an authority structure unique to the church, not for the nation of Israel or any other Old Testament entity.

Similar arguments are made using Priscilla and Phoebe in the New Testament. In Acts 18, Priscilla and Aquila are presented as faithful ministers for Christ. In verse 18, Priscilla’s name is mentioned first, suggesting to some that she was more prominent in ministry than her husband. (The detail of whose name comes first is probably inconsequential, because in verses 2 and 26 the order is reversed from that of verse 18.) Did Priscilla and her husband teach the gospel of Jesus Christ to Apollos? Yes, in their home they “explained to him the way of God more adequately” (Acts 18:26). Does the Bible ever say that Priscilla pastored a church or taught publicly or became the spiritual leader of a congregation of saints? No. As far as we know, Priscilla was not involved in ministry activity in contradiction to 1 Timothy 2:11–14.

In Romans 16:1, Phoebe is called a “deacon” (or “servant”) in the church and is highly commended by Paul. But, as with Priscilla, there is nothing in Scripture to indicate that Phoebe was a pastor or a teacher of men in the church. “Able to teach” is given as a qualification for elders, but not for deacons (1 Timothy 3:1–13; Titus 1:6–9).

The structure of 1 Timothy 2:11–14 makes the reason why women cannot be pastors perfectly clear. Verse 13 begins with “for,” giving the “cause” of Paul’s statement in verses 11–12. Why should women not teach or have authority over men? Because “Adam was created first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived” (verses 13–14). God created Adam first and then created Eve to be a “helper” for Adam. The order of creation has universal application in the family (Ephesians 5:22–33) and in the church.

The fact that Eve was deceived is also given as a reason for women not serving as pastors or having spiritual authority over men (1 Timothy 2:14). This does not mean that women are gullible or that they are all more easily deceived than men. If all women are more easily deceived, why would they be allowed to teach children (who are easily deceived) and other women (who are supposedly more easily deceived)? The text simply says that women are not to teach men or have spiritual authority over men because Eve was deceived. God has chosen to give men the primary teaching authority in the church.

Many women excel in gifts of hospitality, mercy, teaching, evangelism, and helping/serving. Much of the ministry of the local church depends on women. Women in the church are not restricted from public praying or prophesying (1 Corinthians 11:5), only from having spiritual teaching authority over men. The Bible nowhere restricts women from exercising the gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12). Women, just as much as men, are called to minister to others, to demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23), and to proclaim the gospel to the lost (Matthew 28:18–20; Acts 1:8; 1 Peter 3:15).

God has ordained that only men are to serve in positions of spiritual teaching authority in the church. This does not imply men are better teachers or that women are inferior or less intelligent. It is simply the way God designed the church to function. Men are to set the example in spiritual leadership—in their lives and through their words. Women are also to set an example in their lives, but in a different way (1 Peter 3:1-6). Women are encouraged to teach other women (Titus 2:3–5). The Bible also does not restrict women from teaching children. The only activity women are restricted from is teaching or having spiritual authority over men. This bars women from serving as pastors to men. This does not make women less important, by any means; rather, it gives them a ministry focus more in agreement with God’s design.

What is the gift of speaking in tongues?

The first occurrence of speaking in tongues occurred on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2:1–4.

The apostles shared the gospel with the crowds, speaking to them in their own languages. The crowds were amazed: “We hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” (Acts 2:11). This was the purpose of gift of tongues.

The Greek word translated “tongues” literally means “languages.” Therefore, the gift of tongues is speaking in a language the speaker has never learned in order to minister to someone who does speak that language.

In 1 Corinthians12—14, Paul discusses miraculous gifts, saying, “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?” (1 Corinthians 14:6). According to the apostle Paul, and in agreement with the tongues described in Acts, speaking in tongues is valuable to the one hearing God’s message in his or her own language, but it is useless to everyone else unless it is interpreted/translated.

A person with the gift of interpreting tongues (1 Corinthians 12:30) could understand what a tongues-speaker was saying even though he did not know the language being spoken. The tongues interpreter would then communicate the message of the tongues speaker to everyone else, so all could understand. “For this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says” (1 Corinthians 14:13). Paul’s conclusion regarding tongues that were not interpreted is powerful: “But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue” (1 Corinthians 14:19).

Is the gift of tongues for today? First Corinthians 13:8 mentions the gift of tongues ceasing, although it connects the ceasing with the arrival of the “perfect” in 1 Corinthians 13:10. Some point to a difference in the tense of the Greek verbs referring to prophecy and knowledge “ceasing” and that of tongues “being ceased” as evidence for tongues ceasing before the arrival of the “perfect.” While a possible interpretation, this is not explicitly clear from the text. Some also point to passages such as Isaiah 28:11 and Joel 2:28–29 as evidence that speaking in tongues was a sign of God’s oncoming judgment.

First Corinthians 14:22 describes tongues as a “sign to unbelievers.” Using this verse, cessationists argue that the gift of tongues was a warning to the Jews that God was going to judge Israel for rejecting Jesus Christ as Messiah. Therefore, when God did in fact judge Israel (with the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in AD 70), the gift of tongues no longer served its intended purpose. This view is also possible, but the primary purpose of tongues being fulfilled does not necessarily demand the gift’s cessation. Scripture does not conclusively assert that the gift of speaking in tongues has ceased.

At the same time, if the gift of speaking in tongues were active in the church today, it would be performed in agreement with Scripture. It would be a real and intelligible language (1 Corinthians 14:10). It would be for the purpose of communicating God’s Word with a person of another language (Acts 2:6–12). It would be exercised in the church in agreement with the command God gave through Paul, “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” (1 Corinthians 14:27–28). It would also be in accordance with 1 Corinthians 14:33, “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”

God can definitely give a person the gift of speaking in tongues to enable him or her to communicate with a person who speaks another language. The Holy Spirit is sovereign in the dispersion of the spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:11). Just imagine how much more productive missionaries could be if they did not have to go to language school and were instantly able to speak to people in their own language.

However, God does not seem to be doing this. Tongues does not seem to occur today in the manner it did in the New Testament, despite the fact that it would be immensely useful.

The majority of believers who claim to practice the gift of speaking in tongues do not do so in agreement with the Scriptures mentioned above. I have seen big preacher just speaking few words while preaching like Rabba, labba , shabba etc…. that is the not gift of tongues.

My request to all those who reading the message to please understand the goft of tongues in line with the word of God written in the Bible and not based on their own feeling, emotions etc.

 

What does it mean to be baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire

 

In Matthew 3:11, John the Baptist makes a profound declaration about the coming Messiah: “I baptize you with water, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” . John baptized with water to signify repentance, but he was preparing the way for One who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire—a spiritual baptism, not a physical one.

John the Baptist was the forerunner of Jesus (see Mark 1:1–4). John called people to “repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 3:2). The word repent means to “change one’s mind.” In the Old Testament, repentance involved turning away from sin and turning to God (2 Chronicles 7:14; Ezekiel 33:11). Because the kingdom of heaven was near (or imminent), John preached that all should repent “for the forgiveness of sins” (Mark 1:4) and to show their change of heart by being baptized.

As John baptized and preached, he looked ahead to someone greater than himself (Matthew 3:11). In fact, the words he who is coming after me alludes to the messianic hope that had defined Judaism for generations: “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days” (Micah 5:2 compare with Isaiah 9:6–7).

John acknowledges that he is inferior compared to the Coming One who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire (Matthew 3:11). 

First, he says that the coming one is “more powerful” than he. Indeed, Jesus the Messiah is mightier than John in every respect: Jesus is divine (Colossians 2:9), sinless (Hebrews 4:15), and the Savior of the world (John 3:16). No one can compare to Him.

Second, John states that he is unworthy of carrying the sandals of the coming Messiah (Matthew 3:11). In other words, John is unworthy of performing the most menial task in the service of the Messiah. John the Baptist believed that the imminent arrival of the Messiah meant that John would need to step aside (John 3:30).

Last, John compares his water baptism to the Messiah’s baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire (Matthew 3:11). John’s baptism was a symbolic act of repentance, whereas the Messiah would inaugurate two types of spiritual baptism: a baptism with the Holy Spirit and a baptism with fire.

The baptism with the Holy Spirit occurs when a person is born again and made a part of the body of Christ. All believers in Jesus are partakers of the baptism of the Spirit: “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink” (1 Corinthians 12:13).

The baptism by fire that John predicts could be seen in two ways:

1. For those who confess their sins and repent, the baptism of fire alludes to the purifying and sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. The same symbol is seen in Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit descends on the disciples with a visible token: “They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them” (Acts 2:3).

2. For those who refuse to repent, the baptism of fire has to do with judgment. “Our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29). John the Baptist clearly had judgment in mind when he spoke of the baptism of fire, as he followed up that prediction with these words: “His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:12). Those who continue in sin and unrepentance are destined for the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14–15).

John the Baptist’s announcement of the coming Messiah reflects the culmination of messianic expectations and the uniqueness of Jesus’ earthly ministry. 

Now that Jesus has ascended to heaven (Acts 1:9–12), we eagerly await His return (Philippians 3:20). And we continue to worship Him who baptizes with the Holy Spirit and fire.

10 Characteristics of False Teachers

 When was the last time you thought about false teachers in the church? Have you had to combat false teaching recently? Is there false teaching in your church? Is it possible that you have been influenced by false teaching? These are important questions for every believer and every pastor to address. Much of the power of false teachers lies in the shadows of secrecy and disguise. If false teachers/false teaching is never openly discussed, warned against, or rebuked, we run the risk of slowly but surely allowing ourselves to be influenced (or overcome) by false teaching.

 Jesus warned the church about false teachers. Paul warned the church about false teachers. Peter warned the church about false teachers. James warned the church about false teachers. Jude warned the church about false teachers. John warned the church about false teachers. Here are 10 timeless warnings and characteristics of false teachers:

 1. They creep in unnoticed (Jude 1:4): -

Not every false teacher is easy to spot. In fact, most are not. Most false teachers sneak in quietly without being noticed. They blend in, look like everyone else, and no one usually looks twice at them. Then, when opportunity strikes, they begin to influence a church negatively.

2. They operate in secret (2 Peter 2:1-3):-

They enter into churches unnoticed and they slowly and quietly introduce false teaching and ideas contrary to Scripture. The false teachers we ought to worry about are not the loud, obvious ones; they are the quiet, sneaky ones that operate under our noses without detection.

3. They have many followers (2 Peter 2:1-3): -

False teachers are not likely to be despised, hated, or ridiculed. Rather, they are usually likable, amiable, popular, and easy to follow. The Bible warns us that false teachers will often gain a loyal following of those led astray. If possible, they will even lead astray the elect of God (Mark 13:22)

4. They create division and obstacles (Romans 16:17): -

False teachers are known for causing division and creating obstacles within churches. They cause arguments, quarrels, and disagreements over theology, practices, and anything else they can get people to argue about.

5. No matter what it seems like, they do not have God (2 John 1:7-11): -

John makes it clear that no matter what they say and no matter what it seems like, false teachers do not genuinely have God. They master of disguise and manipulation and purposely masquerade as true believers, but their faith is not real.

 6. Some began in sound doctrine (1 Timothy 4:1-5): -

Some false teachers began in sound doctrine and true faith but then wandered away from the truth. This may be a pastor or a small group leader who was teaching sound doctrine when they began, but has since wandered into teaching falsities.

7. Their words seem intelligent (1 Timothy 6:20-21, Colossians 2:8): -

False teachers are not only amiable and popular, they are also usually intelligent by worldly standards. They come across as wise and convincing in their false teaching, so that many mistake their worldly wisdom for spiritual wisdom.

8. They look like legitimate apostles of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:13-15, Matthew 7:15): -

Most false teachers will look on the outside like authentic followers of Christ. Jesus himself says that they will look like sheep on the outside, but on the inside, they are wolves seeking to destroy. Many false teachers creep in unnoticed, operate unnoticed, and remain unnoticed because they appear to be legitimate followers of Christ.

9. They target the spiritually naive (Romans 16:17-18): -

False teachers are cunning and covert and will set their sights on churches and people that are spiritually naive and susceptible to false teaching. We must guard the impressionable among us (new believers, children, etc.) Like a wolf attacking the smallest and weakest deer, false teachers will attack the smallest and weakest believers.

10. They twist Scripture (1 Timothy 6:3-5, 2 Timothy 4:3-4): -

False teachers make the Bible say what they want it to say. They are masters of twisting the words, warping the meaning, and convincing their audience that the Bible says something other than what it says. They are masters of convincing people that they are teaching biblical truth when in reality they are teaching falsities or half-truths, which are often more dangerous than complete falsities.

What our response should be: -

Churches must be on guard against false teachers. If we do not keep our eyes open, focus on the truth of the Bible, and consciously rebuke false teaching when we encounter it – we run the risk of being led astray or perhaps even completely overcome by wolves and the schemes of evil.

Read constantly the Bible and if you know the Bible, nobody can deceive you. When You listen to other Bible preacher just see their Bible teaching through the Bible to avoid deception.