Ask The Pastor
June 2007


What are your thoughts on the church age coming to an end? Harold Camping on Family Radio is preaching it is. I have a friend who believes what he is teaching, and I am afraid they are being led down the wrong path.

I believe what he is preaching is that the rapture is coming. We should always be ready for that great event because Jesus said we will not know the day or the hour. We want to be careful, though, and be sure we don’t just focus on leaving the earth, but instead focus on preaching the gospel to all who live on the earth.

At this week's message, you said that "baptize" is never used in conjunction with receiving the Holy Ghost beyond Acts 1:5.  I didn't understand the significance of this since it is used in the four gospels and once in Acts.  Could you explain it?

The purpose of my message this week was to clarify terminology so that we all understand the difference between the baptism (also known as the work) of the Holy Ghost and the infilling of the Holy Ghost.

The verses you refer to are Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33 and of course the one you mentioned, Acts 1:5. In these verses Jesus says to the disciples that they will be baptized with the Holy Ghost at a future point. This baptism is the work of the Holy Ghost, not the infilling.

The work of the Holy Ghost is when a person is immersed in the Holy Ghost at the new birth. This baptism is similar to the baptism of John in that it is birthed by repentance, but unlike John’s baptism, this one brings about a cry of “Abba Father” from the one baptized, or born again. The baptism, or work, of the Holy Ghost is not water baptism either, because water baptism is the outward sign of our inward conversion, while the work of the Holy Ghost is what produces that conversion in response to our repentance.

Once the work of the Holy Ghost has been completed, then we are eligible for the infilling of the Holy Ghost, which we first discover in Acts 2:1-4. Here, the Holy Ghost filled the room, baptizing them with the new birth, and then He sat upon each of them and filled them. There were two separate works here.

Many Christians today are confused because they think the work (or baptism) of the Holy Ghost and the infilling of the Holy Ghost are the same, but they are not. We receive the work (baptism) of the Holy Ghost at the new birth, and then we receive the infilling of the Holy Ghost after we are born again, if we ask. (See Luke 11:11-13.)

Remember, to baptize is to immerse, not fill. John the Baptist did not make people drink water, but he did immerse them in water, even Jesus. Once that immersion took place, then the Holy Ghost came upon Jesus, and He was filled with the Holy Ghost. Just as in Acts 2:1-4, there were two separate works here. Jesus was baptized to fulfill the law, but then He was filled with the Holy Ghost, a new manifestation of the Spirit of God on earth.

Jesus was already the Son of God, but He still needed to be filled with the Holy Ghost to do His work on earth. So we see that you can be a son, but not be filled. I hope this helps clarify things for you.

 

I am worried about my two sons not being saved. What can I do? I am always praying about it.

While I understand your concern as a father, we are instructed repeatedly in the Bible not to worry, but to cast our care upon the Lord. I would encourage you to go to a web site for the ministry of Harry and Cheryl Salem where you can purchase a small booklet that will teach you how to pray for salvation for your family. Just go to http://www.salemfamilyministries.org, and e-mail them to let them know you would like to be notified when the book “Speak the Word for Salvation for Your Family” is available again. It is currently in the process of being reprinted, so please be patient. It will be worth the wait.

The reason I recommend this book is because the Salems have taken every scripture that pertains to praying for salvation and the promise of salvation for our households, and they have put them all together in an easy-to-use format. It is a great pattern for prayer, and it will help you depend on the Word to build faith in you for the salvation of your sons.

Until the book arrives, I encourage you to search the scriptures yourself and find salvation promises, and then pray these verses for your sons. You can also pray that God will send others across their paths to preach the gospel to them in a way they will receive.

Most important of all, don’t give up! Acts 11:14 says, “Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved.” God knows exactly what it will take to bring your sons to Jesus. Trust Him.

 

In the church I have been attending, the pastor has gotten all bent out of shape because I go on occasion to the casino in Cincinnati, Ohio. I also win on the slots, and give the church the tithe. The last 3 years it has been over $2000.00 each year. Who is wrong, me or him for taking the tithe? I am not hurting anyone, nor am I causing them to stumble.

Well, you may not like it, but I believe you are wrong for a number of reasons. First of all, do not assume your pastor knows what portion of your tithe comes from gambling, because he probably does not know.

Second, even though you think you are not causing anyone to stumble, I have to ask why you are offending your brother when what you are doing is unnecessary? I Corinthians 6:12 says, “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” If what you are doing offends your brother, then it is your responsibility to lay it down to keep peace in the body of Christ.

For me, if I saw you go into a casino, I might wonder why you were there. Were you there to drink, to gamble, to meet up with an ungodly woman, or for some other ungodly purpose? When you go somewhere of questionable reputation, that reputation will stick to you. The Bible says, “Let not then your good be evil spoken of.” (Romans 14:16) I would rather have a good name than any amount of money I might gain from ungodly pursuits.

Finally, why would you want to do something that may become an addiction? So many have started out “having fun” and ended up ruining their lives. It’s not worth the risk for a few moments of pleasure.

 

Hello, Pastor. I work seasonal for a tax company, and during my employment I gave my tithes regularly. Now that I'm not working I can't even pay my mortgage. I'm behind in everything. Have I done something wrong? I don't know what to do. I know the Lord can make the way, but I'm worried. My mortgage is due in a week, and I don't have the money.

There are times when we are in the midst of God’s will even when we are in the middle of what the world deems to be the worst place.

Think of Daniel and the lion’s den. Daniel had done nothing wrong, and yet he was in a very bad place; what the world would have considered too much trouble for anyone to handle. And how about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo? They had done nothing wrong, but they were thrown into a fiery furnace where it looked like all hope was lost. In each case, God delivered them; not by the hand of man, but by His own hand.

Don’t judge what God is doing for you by what is happening to you. Just because things are going wrong does not necessarily mean that you have done something wrong, or that God is not moving behind the scenes for you.

Remember Daniel and his prayer for understanding of Jeremiah’s writings. God sent an angel with the answer from the moment Daniel started to pray, but it took 3 weeks for the angel to get to Daniel because he was hindered on the way by the devil. When Daniel could not see an answer, an answer was already on its way. So it is for all of us.

I encourage you to do what Daniel did. Remain steadfast, and trust God to be faithful to perform His Word on your behalf.