01/01/20 DON'T CONFUSE ME WITH THE FACTS...

01/01/20 DON'T CONFUSE ME WITH THE FACTS
 
As Martha and I were exiting our Ministry Center yesterday, a lady (who was passing by) asked about our ministry. I told her we would love to have her come.

She asked about our beliefs.

I was responding, and said, "I don't know if you are familiar with these theological terms, but we are Wesleyan - Arminian."

She quickly told me that she was familiar with the term Wesleyan.

I added that the Wesleyan position is the basis of old time Methodist, Nazarenes, Salvation Army and the Wesleyan Church, among others. I was about to explain our doctrinal stand, when the woman interrupted me.

She quickly told me not to bother because she only had one question. She asked me, "Do you believe in the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, evidenced with the sign of speaking in tongues."

I said, "No we don't."

She turned and started to walk away, saying, "Well, that is all I need to know."

I did not want to argue with her, and I knew she was not open to an honest and civil discussion, and I really am not interested in wasting my time trying convincing a hard headed, know-it-all, to come to our meetings. I don't need no steenk'n blaspheming, heretics to bring chaos to our ministry. The devil does enough of that on his own.

Though I was not wanting to argue, I did want to tell her Biblical truth. I said, as we walked in the same direction (though she was walking ahead of us), "Acts 2 does address the Baptism with the Holy Spirit and it does say that those people on that day spoke in tongues (languages) but it does not say that speaking in tongues is the evidence to being Baptized with the Holy Spirit. In fact, we are not told that speaking in tongues is the evidence of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, anywhere in the New Testament."

Without turning, she blurted out that, "It is a matter of interpretation."

I knew that we were about to go in different directions, so I gave one more comment, "But the Bible does not say so."

Be sure you read this. She responded by saying,
"Well, it may not, but that is what it means."

And off she road into the twilight zone, enshrouded by arrogance, stubbornness, and ignorance.

She, like most people, don't know what the Bible says, don't care what the Bible says and don't want to be told what the Bible says. They already know what it means, in spite of what it says and does not say.