Militant Evangelism! (9 page)

Knowledge that such an experience is scriptural should banish any hindrance. Jesus said, "And these signs will follow those who believe: in
My
name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues" (Mark 16:17). Such clear words as to what should follow believers, directly from the mouth of Jesus, should be enough, but the Apostle Paul, humble though he was, said, "I thank my God I speak in tongues more than you all" (1 Corinthians 14:18). If Paul boasted of such a gift, how much more do we need it? He prized his devotional, personal gift of tongues to edify (build up) himself, as opposed to the
gift of tongues, given for the edification of the Church.
This must be accompanied by an interpretation.

The gift of tongues is foolishness to the natural mind, but those who understand the ways of God, realize that he has chosen the "foolish things to confound the wise."

The second hindrance is lack of faith. Look at these words from James Chapter 1, regarding asking of God:

"But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the lord, he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does" (James 1:6).

If we ask with any doubt, we will not receive anything from the Lord. I once prayed for a woman who insisted on shaking her head while I prayed. I placed my hand on her forehead and got her nodding in a positive gesture. It had the effect of changing her attitude from negative to positive, from doubt to faith so that she could receive from God. Another woman, as she was prayed for, mumbled, "It's so hard." We stopped praying and I offered her a can of beans, which I took from a shelf behind her. She looked at me with a puzzled expression. I told her to take it. As she took it, I said, "Was that hard? Did you screw up your face and say how hard it would be to receive it?" She got the message of the simplicity of receiving a gift from God. It is merely a matter of reaching out in child-like faith to the Lord and receiving it. Knowledge released her and she was filled with the Holy Spirit straight away. Another key to
realize,
is that
you
speak in tongues, not the Holy Spirit. He will give you the words, but you do the speaking.

God will not take over your will. If you don't speak out in faith, nothing will happen. I once
counseled
a new Christian that I thought I might have to pray for, for a few minutes until he "came through." I closed my eyes and reached out my hand to lay hands on him but I couldn't find him. I opened my eyes and saw that he was on his knees, his hands raised to God speaking in a new language—I didn't even get a chance to pray for him! He was filled with faith in his Heavenly Father, and the God of lightning did a quick work.

The third hindrance is a lack of humility. If you have any social standing, any pride, any intelligence, you will never stoop to speak in tongues. It will be beneath your dignity.

How
To
Be Filled

If you are not filled with the Spirit, with an overflowing supernatural prayer language, what on earth are you doing in battle without standard weaponry? You need everything God is giving! Don't let the ammunition wagon pass you by, reach out and take that which is rightfully yours. The following are four principles I have found to be effective for those seeking the Baptism of the Holy Spirit (let God equip you, right now):

First, sanctify yourself. Confess any known sin, especially unbelief. If you are at all fearful of the experience, this is mistrust in disguise. Imagine if I bought a gift for my son, wrapped it up, put it on the kitchen table for him to unwrap, and said, "That's all yours son, a gift for you; go ahead and unwrap it." My son looks at me with deep apprehension and says, "I'm not going to rush at this thing—there may be a bomb in it!"

Such an attitude would be a direct insult to me. If my son returns my love, such a thought wouldn't enter his mind, he would rush at it and excitedly open it. Yet, thoughts of apprehension are common when it comes to the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. However, Jesus reassures us: "And I say to
you,
ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
If a son shall ask for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" (Luke 11:9-13 NKJV).

Second, don't plead with God saying,
"Please, please
Lord." Sometimes, such words are indicative of unbelief. If I am holding out a gift to you, you don't say "Please, please," but "Thank you." Just relax and receive the present. As strange words begin to come to your mind, begin to whisper them. I say "whisper" because most people are a little
selfconscious
(proud), and find it difficult to speak out at first. As the words form, begin to say them a little louder. Resist any doubt as you would an adulterous thought. Say, "If Jesus said, 'Ask and you shall receive,' then when I ask, I shall receive."

Third, when you begin to speak in a supernatural language, reckon your carnal, natural, logical mind dead. When it tells you how stupid this whole exercise is, don't listen. The Bible says:

"But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:14).

Paul says the carnal mind is "enmity against God" (Romans 8:7). You will know that it is the genuine thing
because the carnal mind with fight it.

Fourth, God deals with each of us differently.

Some get filled to overflowing, some don't. He knows best. When power flows into a light bulb, it's not the noise that matters, but how much light is spread. If nothing seemed to happen, don't be at all discouraged. The woman who had an issue of blood said to herself, "If I can but touch the hem of His garment, I shall be made whole." No doubt as she tried to touch Jesus, she had to push through the crowd that surrounded Him. She may have had some deliberately hinder her. Whatever the case, her attitude was,
"I'm going to touch Him, and I shall be made whole."
Always remember faith is dead to doubt, deaf to discouragement, blind to the impossible, and knows nothing but success in God.

Sometimes God will make us wait until we are hungry for the experience. There is not much pleasure in trying to eat a meal when you are not hungry. Have the attitude of Jacob, "I'll not let you go until you bless me." You can have confidence because you are not seeking the experience for yourself, but that you might reach this world more effectively. Always remember that evidence of being filled with the Spirit is love.

The Baptism Breeds Boldness

One evidence of being filled with the Spirit should be a holy boldness to stand up and do battle with the forces of darkness, In these days, the Church needs soldiers who will arise with "the word of truth, in the power of God, with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand (to attack) and for the left hand (to defend)" (2 Corinthians 6:7, Amplified Bible). In past years, we have been forced to defend in so many morally legitimate areas, but how much better it is to attack! One issue we must muster forces against is the enemy of abortion. This Goliath must be stopped!

Some time ago, I was asked to address an antiabortion group. I declined on the grounds of not being "available." The real reason I was not available was
,
I would have nothing to say on the subject. I felt angry and frustrated about the issue. I felt as though I was in Nazi Germany, with innocent people being slaughtered around
me,
and able to do so little to stop it.

Forms of protest seemed so futile. In one city recently, thousands supported a pro-life rally, but the news media ignored it. No matter what wording is put on banners, they seem to lack any "punch" and picketers are often forced to walk in circles so as not to breech the unlawful assembly law. Anything I would say to this anti-abortion group would just add to their feeling of helplessness and frustration.

That evening I couldn't sleep. Thoughts began forming in my mind. I remembered the movie "Exodus" in which a couple visited a museum in Hawaii where continuous movies were shown of the horrors of Nazi Germany.

The museum was run by Jews who were seeking to remind the world of the horror of allowing one man supreme power. They were saying, "Lest we forget." Thirty seconds of film was worth 10 million words. I wept uncontrollably. Ephesians 5:11-13 says:

"Have nothing to do with the worthless things that people do, things that belong to the darkness. Instead, bring them out to the light. (It is really too shameful to talk about the things they do in secret). And when all things are brought out into the light, then then-true nature is clearly revealed."

I am convinced that
satan's
ploy in the issue of abortion is to have people think that all that is involved is merely "
fetal
" tissue. I was a Christian for over five years before I had any thoughts on abortion; I was neither for or against... until I saw a picture of a bag full of dead
babies—
the work of one morning in an abortion hospital. The same day I saw the picture, I had it enlarged and took it to a pro-abortion rally and tried to pin it on one of their stationary displays advocating abortion. It created fiery resistance from the enemy. I have never been the same since seeing that photo and will do all I can within the bounds of law to stop the murderous spirit which pervades through abortion.

As I lay awake that night, my thoughts went back to the years when we owned a bus with Scripture written all the way around it. In my mind, I could see a large bus with large, bold signwriting around it, giving abortion statistics. Next to the signwriting, I could see very large pictures of aborted children. These pictures were coated in plastic (for protection) and framed firmly onto the side of the bus. The seats would be removed and reset around the inside of the bus. Carpet would be laid (as in our previous bus), making an excellent mobile prayer room. It could be used for counselling as well as prayer, for a mobile anti-abortion video room, for leading anti-abortion marches, as well as for transporting literature and teams of Christians. And where would we park the bus when not in use?—right outside the abortion clinics. If the presence of the vehicle causes a disturbance,
good
, I want it to be a thorn in the conscience of murderers. I am angry to a point of wanting to take that Scripture which says, "Be ye angry and sin not" and crossing out the "not."

As I lay there, I could imagine the impact of parking the bus in a busy shopping
center
, lowering a hinged platform and staging a drama where a woman enters a
doctors
surgery carrying a baby-like doll.

She relates to the doctor that she is pregnant again and can't stand the thought of having another child. Could he "do something about it?" The doctor says, "Why not kill the one on your lap . . . it is easier to get at!" He takes an axe out of his drawer and proceeds to kill the baby on her lap. As he seizes one of the child's arms, she screams "murderer!" and pulls at the other arm. He raises the axe and begins hacking. No doubt such a drama would draw a crowd and would be an excellent springboard for the Gospel.

I did go along to the meeting. I did share the vision of the bus, and a number of people present pledged over $4,000 towards our "Life-mobile." Sometime later, we found a bus. The owner was a Christian, sold it to us for $5,000, and threw in a check for a thousand to encourage us. It did.

Getting the Point of a Tack

It is time for the Church to arise in new-found courage and not only defend, but attack the enemy. I don't mean to get distracted in a tangent of social work, but to be salt and light.
Salt to stop the rot, and light to show the way to the salvation of God.
To stand against abortion and yet not to preach the Gospel, is to point to the wound, yet not supply the cure.