False doctrine of visit to the "holy land" for blessings

 

Whether a member of a Pentecostal Church can partake of the Lord’s table in an Anglican Church?

 

Many years ago, I had to deal with the doctrine of holy communion. A dear servant of God wrote to me that she, being part of a Spirit-filled Pentecostal church, was not supposed to partake of the Lord's table in an Anglican church. I have given below her questions of issue and my answers.

Qn-1: As a Spirit-filled child of God, we cannot take part in an Anglican Church or Church of South India or Catholic Church or any other church which does not agree with our faith i.e. immersion baptism, Holy Spirit baptism and separated life. We can be one through the Holy Spirit baptism only.

Ans: God raised Martin Luther of Germany (1483 to 1546) as a prophet to oppose tooth and nail the false doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church and to propagate the glorious gospel of salvation by faith, during the 15th century, at a time when the R.C. Church was steeped in idol worship and unscriptural practices. The Protestant Movement thus began due to the work of the Holy Ghost and the protestant churches including the Anglicans were the off-shoot of this divine work. At that time, the wise God did not inspire Martin Luther to lay stress on the doctrine of immersion baptism. Later, due to the divine work, the Baptist and Methodist (Wesley's) churches came into existence. The Baptists started emphasizing on the need to take 'immersion baptism' for repentance towards salvation. Then came the Pentecostal Movement, laying emphasis on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit baptism and the gifts of the Holy Ghost.

In India, especially in Tamil Nadu, the protestant churches were established by the great missionaries from the West like Zeigen Palg (who landed in Tarangambadi, mastered the Tamil language and performed the most precious work of translating the New Testament into Tamil, the first book ever printed in our nation), William Carey (who landed in Bengal and translated the Bible into Sanskrit and Bengali languages. Without the great sacrifices of these missionaries who had established the protestant churches called the Church of South India, Lutheran Church, Baptist Church, Methodist Church, etc., we would not have had the Word of God in our own Indian languages. Please note that no Pentecostal churches were in existence at that time. Having sacrificed every thing at the altar of the Cross in establishing these churches in our land, they died on our soil. Can we find fault with them that they did not take or advocate "water baptism" nor did they receive the "Holy Spirit baptism"? God forbid. Can we judge that they had not received the Holy Spirit? God forbid. These saints of God were truly anointed by the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, they could not have translated the Holy Bible into the various Indian languages. If we study the Indian church history, then we will never belittle the protestant churches like the Church of South India, etc. which were established through the work of the Holy Ghost and by the sweat and blood of these great missionaries, before whom we are really unworthy in the Kingdom of God.

You have mentioned, "Any other church which does not agree with our faith…."

As believers of the gospel of Christ, we have "one faith" (Eph.4:5). That is faith in Christ Jesus for salvation. This 'one faith" is not merely faith in some doctrines of the Bible. If the believers who claim to have faith in the doctrines of water baptism and the Holy Spirit baptism do not "love thy neighbor as thyself" nor the Christian brotherhood, they would be transgressors of the whole law or the basic doctrines of the Bible. Love is the fulfilling of the law. "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself "(Gal.5:14). "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brethren abideth in death" (I John 3:14). None can claim salvation through the Blood of Jesus if he loves not his brethren because he abideth in death only.

Please read I John 3:23. What is his commandment? "…this is His commandment, That we should believe on the Name of His Son Jesus, and love one another as He gave us commandment". In this regard, kindly note that our "one faith" is that we "should believe on the Name of His Son Jesus….." Similarly, Apostle Paul also writes to Ephesians, "…I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints "(Gal.1:15).

This basic commandment of our Lord is better than His commandment to take "water baptism". If a person violates this basic commandment of Christ Jesus and takes immersion baptism, then his tall claim of salvation would be in question. Of course, I believe in immersion baptism meant for those who repent of their sins. I took immersion baptism in Delhi during 1978. I would still exhort the people to take immersion baptism unto repentance. But I would not lay undue and over-emphasis on this doctrine nor would I judge or condemn people who have not taken immersion baptism. I do not want to sit on the judgment seat of Christ.

You have written, "….We can be one through the Holy Spirit baptism only". I wish to correct you by saying, "We can be one through the Holy Spirit only (and not the Holy Spirit baptism)". The Holy Spirit baptism is merely a spiritual experience like salvation or forgiveness of sins. The Holy Spirit is to be preferred to the spiritual experiences we have through Him. The Holy Spirit is a Person with whom "ye were sealed" when "ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: (Eph.1:13). When we become the sons of God on hearing the gospel of our salvation, God sends "forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying Abba, Father" (Gal.4:6). Only because of the indwelling Holy Spirit whom we received at the time of our conversion, we have become the sons of God. As many as received Christ by faith on His Name, God gave them the power to become the sons of God. And they were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of the Spirit of God (Jn.1:12-13). We can thus conclude that we can be one through the Holy Spirit with whom we were all sealed, and who indwells in our hearts.

I now come to the subject of "holy Spirit baptism or anointing". Under the Old Testament, kings were anointed with oil for kingly services and priests for priestly services. Under the New Testament, we are anointed with the Holy Ghost for the various New Testament ministries. The Church, the Body of Christ, was born on the day of Pentecost when the 120 disciples were anointed with the Holy Spirit for whose arrival they had to tarry for many days in Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit who had been sent by the Father to those disciples did not go back to the heaven but is still with the Body of Christ. We cannot separate the Holy Spirit from the Body of Christ.

Qn-2: Bible says, "Be ye separate. Don't touch any unclean. Don't take part with the unbelievers (nominal Christians). Be ye holy as our Heavenly Father is holy. Jesus loved the sinners but He did not share His holy communion with them. He called only the 12 disciples. Even He sent Judas out because his heart was not right. So He did His part by declaring that "one among you will betray me".

Answer: Separation means separation from the "corruption that is in the world". "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world….for all that is in the world…." (I Jn.2:15-16). Separation also means "laying aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us…" (Heb.12:1). It is, in other words, separation from the sin.

Regarding the doctrine of separation, let us read II Cor.6:14 – 17. We should not be unequally "yoked with unbelievers". In this context, unbelievers mean idol worshippers or worshippers of Belial or those who do not believe in Christ Jesus. We should not be yoked with such people in marriage, business partnership, etc. Many of the "so-called nominal Christians" believe in Jesus Christ but have not repented of their sins. For instance, in a Christian family, some members are born-again Christians, while some others are not so. In that case, the born-again Christians have to either quit the house or drive the unsaved members out of the house.

God does not intend that the so-called Spirit-filled children of God should not mingle with the Christians in the Anglican churches or the so-called nominal Christians. We have to separate ourselves from the idol worshippers whomsoever they are. In a Pentecostal Church, a believer may not worship idols. But he/she may have set idols in his/her heart.

Please note that Jesus did not "send out Judas". Jesus shared the bread and the cup with all the 12 disciples including Judas. Please read Luke 22:14 – 23. After he gave the cup only, He said, "But behold the hand of him that betrayeth Me is with Me on the table" (Vs.21). Jesus was called "the friend of sinners". Let us befriend sinners in the world to bring them into the light of the glorious gospel. Under the guise of "separation", let us not deceive ourselves.

The purpose of water baptism is to put on Christ Jesus after repentance. The purpose of the Holy Spirit baptism is to witness to the whole world through evangelism. The purpose of the Holy Communion is to remember the death of our Lord. As such, by taking Holy Communion in an Anglican church, we are not denying the truth of water baptism and of the Holy Spirit baptism. The cunning devil is injecting pride into the hearts of God's people in the Pentecostal Churches by making them boast of certain doctrines, and dividing the Body of Christ by such doctrines. Let us endeavor "to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace: There is one body and one Spirit: One Lord, one faith, one baptism…" (Gal.4:3-5).

Those whose sins have been forgiven through the Blood of Jesus Christ and are sanctified by the Holy Spirit are "members of His Body, of His flesh, and of His bones" (Eph.5:30). They may be in any local church, be it an Anglican Church or Assembly of God Church or Brethren Assembly. "For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it: even as the Lord the Church" (Eph.5:29).

 

False doctrine of visiting the “holy land” in Israel for receiving blessings by sight 

 

Many servants of God arrange tours to the "holy land" in the land of Israel for the people of God promising spiritual blessings through such visits. Many years ago I dealt with this doctrine and warned the servants of God concerned. In this article, I deal with this pernicious doctrine that strikes at the very roots of our Christian faith.

"Believe Me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father, Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

But the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him..." (John 4:21-23).

It is seen very clearly from the above words of Jesus Christ that we are no longer required to visit the "holy land' for the purpose of worship. True worshippers are required to worship God in spirit and in truth.

Jesus in you "is greater than the temple" (or any monuments in His memory) (Matt.12:6). Merely seeing the places of birth, crucifixion, burial and resurrection would pale into insignificance in the context of our faith in His birth, crucifixion, etc. The truth of gospel is more important than the places of gospel.

I can see the works of the Holy Ghost, not in the "holy land' where people flock to be blessed by sight, and not by faith, and where Jesus is still not accepted as the Lord and the Messiah. Nor can I see the works of the Holy Ghost or feel His presence or anointing in the places where He was crucified, buried and resurrected from the dead. "Why seek ye the living among the dead?" (Lk 24:5). But I can see the works of the Holy Ghost amongst the places not reached by the gospel in India or Africa through the signs and wonders performed by the evangelists in the Name of Jesus Christ, or amongst the congregations of believers where they worship the Father in spirit and in truth.

Apostle Thomas came all the way from the 'holy land' to India, and manifested the works of the Holy Ghost in our nation, whereas some servants of God were leading the people of God from India or other nations to the holy land. Can the believers who visit the holy land increase their faith or understand the Scriptures through such monuments? Should the monuments preserved in memory of Jesus take the place of the written word of God? No. God forbid. The Word of God has to be understood through the anointing of the Holy Spirit (I Jn.2:27).

Then what purpose is to be served by undertaking such trips? Is it to know more of Jesus by physically walking over the places treaded by His feet or by physically praying in the garden of Gethsemane? No. We are not worthy to walk over those places, and to pray in the garden of Gethsemane. We, the bride, should not take the place of the only begotten son of God, the heavenly Bridegroom. In our spiritual life, we are required to take our crosses and follow Him.

Nowhere in the Acts of apostles or in the biographies of the servants of God who entered glory can we see that they led the children of God to the monuments in the holy land. It is quite against the New Testament doctrines.

Let us meditate on John 5:33 to 39, and see the four-fold witness to Jesus Christ. Verses 33-35 speak of witness by men (John Baptist); verse 36 speaks of witness by the works – greater than that of John; verses 37-38 speak of witness by the Father and verse 39 speaks of witness by the Scriptures. No 'holy monuments' testify to Christ Jesus.

We, the children of God redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, should not give importance to the historical evidence concerning the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus. By giving such importance to the historical evidence, we relegate to the background and even dishonor the work of God and the Holy Ghost. Though the empty tomb of Jesus bears testimony to the resurrection of Jesus, this testimony is meant for unbelievers or historians or Bible scholars who conduct archeological researches and discoveries, and not for those engaged in the ministry of evangelism and revival.

For believers, the indwelling Holy Spirit who was sent by the Father after the ascension of the Son of God bears witness in their spirit to the resurrection of Jesus. Secondly, the Scriptures including the gospels, the epistles written by the apostles and the book of Revelation bear witness to the truth of resurrection.

Historical evidence may not be cent percent true. But the word of God is cent percent true. It is also possible that the archeological evidence was tampered with to some extent by human or natural elements during the course of the past thousands of years.

Visiting the holy land is like searching for the shadow or the image of the object which is already in our possession and then knowing about the object through its image or shadow.

There are many guides in Jerusalem to tell the visiting tourists about the significance of the places mentioned in the Bible. We are not in the category of tourists to be taught by some guides about the Biblical truths. In other words, we should not want to know of our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ through mere evidence or through the mouth of tourist guides. Does not this act of ours amount to mocking of our loving Heavenly Father who had sent the Holy Ghost, the Comforter to be in us and to teach and guide us?

We should not identify ourselves with the company of tourists who are of the world which "by wisdom knew not God" (I Cor.1:21). We are not to be led by "the wisdom of the world" (I Cor.26:6) and "we have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God" (I Cor.2:12)

If we call the earthly Israel/Jerusalem as the 'holy land', and visit the same, then we will be deliberately trampling under our feet the 'holy land'. Let not God judge us through our own words. Similarly, if it is treated as the 'holy land', then we should not make it a picnic spot. The Israeli Government which has not yet accepted Jesus Christ as the Messiah has made the 'holy land' as a tourist centre, and the people of God should not frequent the 'holy land' merely as tourists. Let not God judge us.

By calling these monuments 'holy', we grieve and deny the Holy Ghost by our very act. 'Holiness' is an attribute of the Spirit of God which should not be attached to any places on this earth. "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory" cried Isaiah, the prophet (Is.6:3). The whole earth, and not merely any particular place in Israel, is full of His glory. Only the place where God dwells is holy, and the same is called 'holy place' (Is.57:15). Under the New Covenant, we are the temple of the Holy Ghost which is holy (I Cor.3:16-17).

As New Testament priests, we have come "unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem," (Heb.12:22-24). Leaving behind the reality of the heavenly Jerusalem where we have already come through Jesus Christ, we should not attach significance to the earthly Jerusalem, because you have not come "unto the mount that might be touched……" After reaching the heavenly Jerusalem, we are still groping in the dark, searching for the earthly monuments or the shadow of the Old Testament. "…after that ye have known God or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?" (Gal.4:9).

Let us also read the apostolic doctrines in the epistles. Paul says in II Cor.4:18 and 5:7:

"..We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal…."

" For we walk by faith and not by sight…"

God's money is to be spent in God's ways and for God's purposes. Spending God's money for purposes other than evangelism and revival, and exhorting God's people to visit the 'holy land' just for academic purposes may be lawful but are not expedient.

(Job Anbalagan)