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JimfromOhio

I am happlily married with 5 kids. I am an accoutant and worked in an accounting field for over 25 years. I like to make a habit of writing down whenever I have deep thoughts about God (so I won't forget). I really into Reformed Theology that is connected to Presbyterian Church in America.

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Location: Columbus, Ohio, United States

I enjoy having deep thoughts about God and put down what I actually think about (so I won't forget).

Thursday, December 29, 2005

Cessation

Cessation with limited continuation: Ended after the apostolic period. Spiritual Gifts are still active but only a selected few are not active. I don't think speaking in tongues are needed today. I never yet seen a deaf person speaking in tongues and finding two interpretors. I know there are people speaking in tongues today but not many are able to interpret them. If there are no interpretors, then speaking in tongues are not needed simply because we have the Word of God and the Holy Spirit is using other means to help us to spread the gospel. I truly believe in healing but I don't believe we can obtain healing through another person. God do not need a person to heal person to heal anyone, especially to Christians who are already saved. However, I do believe there are times that healing can happen through missionaries who are preaching the Gospels in strange countries so that those who are not listen can listen. The bottom line about Spiritual Gifts. Get to know all of the gifts and listen to your brothers and sisters in Christ pointing out your gifts. Many times they say things to you indirectly, all you have to do pay attention and learn more about what you have heard. To use your spiritual gift, all you need to do is walk in the Spirit, let the Holy Spirit do what He will through you. Allow the Holy Spirit directs you, and see people affirm your spritual gifts are going to be something that causes people (the local church) to respond, because it is for them. The idea of the spiritual gifts is simply that the Lord uses that gift in a unity, in a unifying way. God uses your spiritual gifts by His Spirit as He wills. Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit produces power, love, a sound mind through you. Without Christ, you are nothing. Along with love and under the control of the Holy Spirit, the power of love and Holy Spirit flows through you since the only way the spiritual gifts are going to operate is love. Love is the key. God is love. He gave us two commandments. We are to love God and others. With the Holy Spirit and love, we will walk in the Spirit, Christ produces the fruit. And out of that fruit comes whatever the ministry of the gifts Christ wanted us to use. I can't say "total cessationism" or "partly cessationism"... I am saying I believe in cessationism in many parts of the world. There are gifts that are not needed in areas as part of the Great Commission. I believe God will use whatever sources He will use around the world because He is simply God. What I am trying to say, its all come down to common sense when we are ministering others and there are gifts God will provide for us to use at HIS discrection, not ours.