I am really grateful for Francis Chan. I have considered recently that the Church is often as influenced by international Christian leaders as the local ones. Sometimes more heavily so. Everyone is always listening to some podcast. Oddly I don’t think that is a bad thing. The Church is supposed to be a body. It is good for all the parts to be connected. It is good to be able to listen to pastors from all the different “flavors” of following Him. I am really grateful for those flavors. I am finally learning to quit trying to be a particular flavor and just follow Christ instead. You will see me hiding less on this blog as a result of this. Notice how I have started to speak more freely and clearly about speaking in tongues. IF you don’t agree with that, that is fine. But I am not going to hide my walk with Him to make you more comfortable.
Saying this makes me think of the verse in Romans about not arguing over disputable matters and not even talking to anyone except God about what you believe about them. My understanding about that verse is that it doesn’t include speaking in tongues but was much more a question of what is a sin. Speaking in tongues is a fact and a gift of God from the Bible. I won’t purposely estrange other Christians by speaking about it, but I am also done hiding behind a facade to protect people from experiencing the blessings I have experienced through this gift. I don’t understand it. I didn’t mean to ask for it even when I received it.
At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.” – The Gospel according to Luke
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