How To Interpret Scriptures Without Charismatic Influence

How To Interpret Scriptures Without Charismatic Influence

Bear 𝐟𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭 in keeping with 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞. 9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good 𝐟𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭 is cut down and thrown into the 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞. 11 “I 𝐛𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 for 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞, 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. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞.” - Matt 3:8-12

John the Baptist was speaking to the Pharisees and the Sadducees who wanted to be baptized in water.

John's baptism was meant for repentance. It is to repent (return) to God and His Kingdom (Matt 3:2).

For John, true repentance must bear fruit. If a tree does not bear fruit, it is cut down and thrown into the fire. In Matthew 7, it is consistent. A tree that does not bear fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

So, every 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 𝐀 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭 is cut down and thrown into the 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞. - Matt 7:17-19

Since only a healthy (good) tree can bear good fruit. A tree that does not bear good fruit must be a bad (diseased) tree. It means the person does not have true repentance.

One who does not have true repentance (believing in the Kingdom) will be thrown into the fire. Jesus is the One who will baptize them with fire.

...for John 𝐛𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫, but you will be 𝐛𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭 not many days from now.” - Acts 1:5

For the believers (truly repented; bearing fruit as proof), Jesus baptizes them with the Holy Spirit (only), as shown in Acts 1.

If Jesus were to baptize believers with Holy Spirit AND fire, the Bible would have said in Acts 1, because it is drawing the parallelism from Matthew 3.

Repeated words, repeated principles and repeated passages are how we stay in context when it comes to interpretation of the Word of God.

Jesus baptizes those who bear good fruit (truly repented) with the Holy Spirit. And He baptizes those who bear bad fruit (did not repent) with fire.

Do not let the charismatic "Fire! Fire! Fire!" confuse you with the need for a baptism of fire. You only need the Holy Spirit.

Serving God

Serving God

Many people think that serving God has to do with serving in church ministries. This is why many will see full-time church ministry as a high calling.

I have spoken to some where they felt they were 'special' to be called into full-time church ministry. They don't say it directly with their mouths, but their conversations and thoughts revealed that.

Nowhere can you find this in the Bible in the New Testament.

In Malachi 2-3, God was rebuking the priests of Israel. They were serving in the Temple. They were full-time ministers. They were preaching, teaching and doing the works of the ministry. But in God's eyes, they were NOT serving Him. Because there was no fear of the Lord in them.

Yet God's eyes were among those who feared Him.

Then 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐤𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫. The 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. “They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐦. Then once more 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 between the righteous and the wicked, 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐦. - Mal 3:16-18

Today, you can be busy serving in church ministries. No matter how much you do, you are not serving Him if there is no fear of the Lord in you. 

What God is looking for is the fear (reverent awe) of Him in what you say and do. To Him, this is serving Him.

In other words, in whatever secular work or church work you are doing, you are serving God when you walk in the fear of the Lord.

Running Miracle

Throughout the homeschooling years, my son did not engage in any running activity. He didn't like to run. In fact, he didn't want to.

When he was P6, he swam less than 5 times. He was focused on PSLE and other activities.

Now that he's Secondary One, he ran his first cross country at 3.7km.

He came in 2nd among the whole Secondary One level and 3rd among Secondary One and Two.

It amazes me. It's like impossible being made possible. It's a mystery.

Nonetheless, we are proud of him!

P.S: I joked that he has big lungs since he can talk for a long time.

Believers Overcome Low Fertility Rate

Believers Overcome Low Fertility Rate

While the challenging cost of living in Singapore is indeed the main issue why so many couples do not want to have a child, believers might want to take a different stand, by grace through faith in God.

Disclaimer: I'm referring to believers who can, but refuse to have a child.

This act of decision actually tests our obedience to the Word.

Did He not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠? 𝐆𝐨𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth. - Mal 2:15 ESV

Didn't God create you and your wife to become like one person? 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐇𝐞 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬? 𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐝'𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞. Don't ever be unfaithful to your wife. - Mal 2:15 CEV

Having a child is beyond our comfort and purpose. It serves a greater purpose in the Kingdom. For it has been the intent of God since the very beginning.

And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡 and subdue it and 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧 over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth." - Genesis 1:28

The word 'fill' in Hebrew is the exact same word used in Hab 2:14.

For the earth will be 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. - Hab 2:14

God's intent is to fill the earth with His glory, through His people, primarily through families (aka with children). Evangelism is not the primary intent; it was introduced due to the Fall of Man. Godly offspring was cut off, and thus, required Redemption.

This does not mean that God's intent has changed. For the believers, having children still falls under the Kingdom's plan and purpose.

In other words, the reasons based on the cost of living and the fact that we are living in perilous times are no longer acceptable if we desire to follow Him. In fact, God is always greater than these.

1 John 5:4 says "For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith."

We can trust Him to care for our needs and our children regardless of how the world becomes, for we have been born of God and we overcome the world.