Great article on baptism...
http://erikfish.com/2011/09/26/when-...ishonor-jesus/
Great article on baptism...
http://erikfish.com/2011/09/26/when-...ishonor-jesus/
Ezekiel 33 (09-29-2016)
Yeah, great article.
I want to address this a little further as I was going to say this even before I got to this point and read it:
“Isn’t baptism something that people with recognized authority should do?”
The short answer to this question is, actually, “Yes“. It’s just that all true followers of Jesus have that authority!
AMEN!!!. There very fact that you have been given authority means you don't have to have permission to do what you do. When teaching on divine healing in Bible college, and showing the students that it was God's will to heal ALL, and they didn't have to pray about who to heal, I would make this statement: "If you have to ask permission, then you don't have authority." You don't have to pray about it because Jesus has already given you the authority, and the command to do it. You don't have to have any earthly authority give you permission to go do what Jesus already commanded us to do. Jesus said heal the sick. So that means ALL the sick qualify. If they're sick, then heal them.
There is a minister named Bob Weiner that has done campus ministry for years among other things and has had great success in his ministry. What he would do, and then train others to do, once he got someone saved, he would then meet with them early every morning and disciple them and teach them basic doctrines (I have a book he wrote that shows what he teaches them and has the teaching itself), and during that time gets the new convert to make a list of their friends, and then him and the new convert go and see his friends and witness to them. Anyway, the object is with every new convert, to teach them fundamental doctrine and have them win at least one soul to the Lord in the first month, and then that new convert baptize them personally. Then his new convert would start the process with his new convert. He has planted some big churches using that discipleship method. He has lots of great inspiring stories about this stuff.
I need to see if I can find him teaching that and post it.
Ezekiel 33 (10-13-2016), Quest (09-29-2016)
Fuego, I used to sell his books in my bookstore. There were several books. I especially remember Bible Studies for a Firm Foundation. I just looked him up on Wikipedia. They list several people who came out of his Maranatha movement. Here's one name you'll recognize: J. Lee Grady. As with so many good ministries, they eventually got off base.
You mean Maranantha got off base? I'm pretty sure Bob left them, but then again I don't know anything about that. I know he's been a solid minister since I was introduced to him about '98 and it was Dr Brown who brought him in, so he trusts him. Anyway, it was good discipleship teaching though. He has some amazing stories.
That is the discipleship that we practice. I have taught our congregation that every one of them is commissioned to heal the sick, cast out devils and preach the gospel, to include baptizing in water and the Holy Spirit.
Something else we have been discovering is that water baptism is very powerful. It is a sacrament. The Holy Spirit gets involved in water baptism just as He also gets involved in communion. We act in faith, and God meets us there in powerful and wonderful ways.
I have witnessed demons come screaming out during some baptisms.
Quest (09-29-2016), Valiant Woman (09-29-2016), wheeze (09-29-2016)
Sadly it would be very easy to find ministers on every corner who would say only 'authority' can baptize...even some of those who believe if you die having not been baptized you are lost...
And pastors wonder why so many of their parishioners are pew warmers...many believe we are just supposed to 'get them to church' so the pastor can preach to them and get them saved....
Do you know how hard I preach against this backward conception?
The gathering together of the saints (commonly referred to as "Sunday service") was never intended to be a place to invite unbelievers so that the preacher can bring them to Christ.
It is supposed to be a time of equipping and refueling so that "as you go" ministry can happen among the lost. "As you go" to the gas station, grocery store, video store, park, beach, etc.
We have gotten so backwards that it is pitiful.
And now we are not only trying to awaken the saints to doing the work of the ministry, we also have to strive against organized religionists who do not want you messing with their business venture.
Well sis, you are a part of the few who are trying to wake them up and get about the Father's business. Keep speaking out!!!
Quest (09-29-2016)
1 Cor 14:23 Therefore if the whole church comes together in one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those who are uninformed or unbelievers, will they not say that you are out of your mind?The gathering together of the saints (commonly referred to as "Sunday service") was never intended to be a place to invite unbelievers so that the preacher can bring them to Christ.
This suggests that it was normal for unbelievers to join in on the gathering. Be careful that you don't become so "radical" that you turn into the upsidedown version of every "wrong" in the church world, Ezekiel 33. There is freedom to do things in various ways. Unless you can find a verse that says that one should not minister to unbelievers in a church setting then I suggest you word your statements a bit less categorically.
I am in no way implying that we should not invite folks to church or minister to the lost when they do show up. If that is how I came across, then I apologize for not clearly communicating.
Sadly, that is a majority of folk's perception of evangelism-to invite lost people to the church service.
We have been commissioned with an "as you go" mission.
Quest (09-29-2016)