Podcasts about pentecostal

Spiritual Libertarians and the “Not Group”: Inside Independent Mormon Fundamentalism I sat down with Justin Francom for a deep dive into his “not group,” a unique, largely misunderstood faction of Mormon fundamentalism. Francom sheds light on a fiercely independent community of believers who have built their own temple and completely rejected traditional authoritarian hierarchies. https://youtu.be/1B0qjVPxlcM Don't miss our other conversations on Mormon fundamentalism: https://gospeltangents.com/denominations/fundamentalim/ Copyright © 2026 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved Award-winning authors Rejecting the “One Man” Doctrine At the heart of this Missouri movement is a complete rejection of the “One Man” doctrine—the belief that a single leader holds all the keys and dictates the faith. Most fundamentalist groups trace their priesthood to an 1886 meeting with John Taylor, but Francom notes that true authority actually stems from the ordinance of the Second Anointing. Joseph Musser, a prominent early fundamentalist, realized that this specific ordinance—not a formal church structure—was the key to preserving the priesthood. The Second Anointing confers the “fullness of the priesthood,” allowing individuals to perform sealings. According to Francom's reading of Section 132 of the Doctrine and Covenants, this power is conferred strictly “one at a time.” Historically, early temple presidents even coordinated between the St. George and Logan temples to ensure these ordinances were performed sequentially, never simultaneously, to maintain this sacred symbolism. Thompsonite Connection How did this specific priesthood authority reach the independent believers in Missouri? The lineage traces back to Joe Thompson, a former council member of the Apostolic United Brethren (AUB.) Thompson strongly believed in perpetuating the fullness of the priesthood and building temples, which clashed with the leadership style of Owen Allred, who wanted to consolidate power and close temples. After being excommunicated from the AUB under allegedly spurious charges, Thompson relocated to Arizona, continuing to administer these ordinances to aligned families. Decades later, a man named Robert LeFever brought this “Thompsonite” priesthood authority from Arizona to a group of independent families gathering in Missouri. The Missouri “Not Group” The community in Missouri playfully refers to itself as a “not-group” made up of “spiritually libertarians.” They are a hodgepodge of fundamentalist refugees—exiles from the AUB, Centennial Park, and even former mainstream LDS converts. Having witnessed the rampant abuse of centralized power in other sects, they prefer to operate as independent families working together without a singular boss. Driven by a 40-year-old prophetic vision, these independent families successfully built and dedicated a beautiful temple in Missouri, complete with a stunning echoing star dome in the Celestial room. Their temple work truly flourished once LeFever arrived to administer the fullness of the priesthood. The “Application Layer” of Faith As a computer scientist, Francom beautifully summarizes this decentralized theology by comparing church organization to software. He views worship culture as the “application layer” of faith. Just as the various branches of the Eastern Orthodox Church operate independently with different styles but maintain the same core authority, Mormon factions can worship differently too. Whether a congregation allows spontaneous scripture commentary, uses a tea kettle for the sacrament, or practices loud Pentecostal-style worship, Francom believes it is all perfectly valid—as long as the core priesthood ordinances remain pure and intact. Ultimately, this community proves that for some, faith isn’t about swearing allegiance to one man, but rather preserving sacred ordinances and working together as equals. What are your thoughts about this “not group?” Have you been to the Missouri Temple? Don't miss our other conversations on Mormon fundamentalism: https://gospeltangents.com/denominations/fundamentalim/ Copyright © 2026 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved Award-winning authors

In this episode of the Living Well podcast, Olivia Hill discusses the multifaceted approach to fat loss, emphasizing that it is not solely about tracking macros but involves understanding metabolism, hormones, stress, sleep, and behavior. She highlights the importance of faith in the journey and offers practical strategies for achieving sustainable results. Olivia encourages listeners to view their health journey as one filled with purpose and hope, rather than just a struggle with numbers.

Part 4 of our series on spiritual gifts focuses on what we're calling the “naturally supernatural” gifts from Romans 12:3–8. These are the grace-empowered abilities that often look ordinary on the surface — serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leadership, mercy — but are essential to the life of the Church. Discover how God uses your personality, […]

Grow Up 2-22-2026 Pastor Joe Myers

The Apostle Paul explores how to hope leads to faith which leads to love...

VersículosSalmos 122:1Salmos 133:1-3Salmos 134:1-3Salmos 135:1-3Santiago 5:13-15Isaías 37:14-17Salmos 73:1-20 ★ Support this podcast ★

Send a textThis episode the guys sit down With Dr. Leah Payne to talk all things Christian Music -- the good, the bad, and the confusing!Leah Payne is an award-winning historian and Professor of American Religious History at Portland Seminary. She holds a Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University and her research explores the intersection of religion, politics, and popular culture. Payne is author of God Gave Rock & Roll to You: a History of Contemporary Christian Music (Oxford University Press, 2024), the 2024 Christianity Today book of the year for History and Biography, and co-host of Rock That Doesn't Roll, a Public Radio Exchange (PRX) podcast about Christian rock and its listeners. She also hosts Spirit & Power, an Axis Mundi Media podcast about politics and Pentecostal and charismatic Christians, and is co-creator of Weird Religion, a religion and pop culture podcast. Her writing and research has appeared in outlets such as The Washington Post, BBC Radio, NBC News, Religion News Service, Harper's Magazine, The Economist, and Christianity Today.www.drleahpayne.comGod Gave Rock and Roll To You: A History of Contemporary Christian Music. 

John examines the Azusa Street Revival by returning to the original newspapers, social conditions, and historical context surrounding the events of 1906. Rather than defending or attacking Pentecostalism, he walks listeners through how mythology forms, why Azusa Street became elevated as a sacred origin story, and what contemporary observers actually recorded. By comparing later Pentecostal narratives with primary sources, this episode explores false prophecies, social chaos, leadership failures, and the suppression of inconvenient facts. The goal is not to dismantle faith, but to separate documented history from later legend so listeners can evaluate Azusa Street with clarity and honesty.

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Today I'm joined by Michael McAdams — a lifelong spiritual seeker whose path began in a Pentecostal upbringing and grew into a deep exploration of listening to Spirit and trusting inner guidance. We talk about his remarkable book An Angel Told Me So, filled with messages shared through his mother over more than 20 years, and the wisdom he's gathered about keeping an open mind while staying grounded. He reads some sections from the book that I can't wait for you to hear.  This conversation is gentle, thoughtful, and truly heart-opening — especially if you've ever felt there might be something more guiding your path. So let's call it in. “Call IT In With Dar!” Free Gift: visit Michael's website for Free Preview Messages The LoveTunerThe Lovetuner is a simple flute is considered to be the vibration of love and compassion.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showFull Show Notes can be found at CallITInPodcast.comPhoto credit: Rebecca Lange Photography Music credit: Kevin MacLeod Incompetech.com (licensed under Creative Commons) Production credit: Erin Schenke @ Emerald Support Services LLC. Grab Dar's Flight Deck Oracle Card DeckTake Dar's Archetype Quiz

In this episode Bryan connects the dots between modern prophetic scandals and early Mormonism, exposing how unchecked authority and “new revelation” can lead to deception, cover-up culture, and spiritual harm. This episode warns all believers to test everything against the Word of God, even in the Christian church. --The Unveiling Mormonism podcast pulls back the curtain on Mormon history, culture and doctrine. Join us for new episodes every Monday. Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/mormonism.Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.Donate Now--Cover-Up Culture and the Modern Prophetic MovementImagine believing a leader hears directly from God—only to discover manipulation, deception, and hidden sin behind the scenes. Recent scandals in parts of the modern prophetic movement have exposed troubling patterns of spiritual abuse, cover-ups, and unchecked authority.In this episode, we connect the dots between today's prophetic controversies and similar patterns from church history—particularly early Mormonism. This isn't about attacking charismatic Christians. It's about recognizing red flags that can emerge whenever leaders claim special revelation and avoid accountability.The goal? Spiritual discernment. Protecting your faith. Keeping your eyes on Jesus.What We Cover in This Episode1. What Is the Modern “Prophetic Movement”?In some charismatic and Pentecostal circles, certain leaders claim to receive fresh, specific revelations from God. With social media and online platforms, these voices now have massive reach and influence.Recent investigations have exposed:Data mining disguised as prophecyManipulation through spiritual languageAllegations of moral failure and abuseInstitutional efforts to protect reputations over victimsThese patterns aren't new.2. The Historical Parallel: Early MormonismIn the 1800s, Joseph Smith claimed prophetic authority and new revelation. Over time, a culture developed that:Shielded leadership from accountabilitySuppressed inconvenient truthsProtected institutional reputationMinimized or denied moral failuresThe release of the Gospel Topics Essays in 2013 revealed how long some historical realities had been obscured.The lesson? Cover-up culture thrives wherever leaders claim unquestionable authority.The Core Issue: Authority and “New Revelation”The connective tissue between past and present movements is this idea:When someone claims direct revelation from God that overrides Scripture or bypasses accountability, danger follows.Scripture never elevates...

Jeanette Winterson is a writer who grew up in a Pentecostal evangelical family in a little town in the north of England. She was adopted. Her parents were poor. There was no indoor bathroom. Winterson dreamed of escaping that life. When she was 16, she fell in love with a woman. Her parents were scandalized. Winterson left home, slept in her car and managed to get into Oxford. She's fascinated by the ancient fairy tales in The One Thousand and One Nights. Winterson uses these stories as a framework in her new book One Aladdin Two Lamps. We talk about good relationships, ghosts, elves and AI. "Now What?" is produced with the help of Steve Zimmer, Lucy Little and Jackie Schwartz. Audio production is by Nick Ciavatta.

In this episode Bryan connects the dots between modern prophetic scandals and early Mormonism, exposing how unchecked authority and “new revelation” can lead to deception, cover-up culture, and spiritual harm. This episode warns all believers to test everything against the Word of God, even in the Christian church. --The Unveiling Mormonism podcast pulls back the curtain on Mormon history, culture and doctrine. Join us for new episodes every Monday. Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/mormonism.Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.Donate Now--Cover-Up Culture and the Modern Prophetic MovementImagine believing a leader hears directly from God—only to discover manipulation, deception, and hidden sin behind the scenes. Recent scandals in parts of the modern prophetic movement have exposed troubling patterns of spiritual abuse, cover-ups, and unchecked authority.In this episode, we connect the dots between today's prophetic controversies and similar patterns from church history—particularly early Mormonism. This isn't about attacking charismatic Christians. It's about recognizing red flags that can emerge whenever leaders claim special revelation and avoid accountability.The goal? Spiritual discernment. Protecting your faith. Keeping your eyes on Jesus.What We Cover in This Episode1. What Is the Modern “Prophetic Movement”?In some charismatic and Pentecostal circles, certain leaders claim to receive fresh, specific revelations from God. With social media and online platforms, these voices now have massive reach and influence.Recent investigations have exposed:Data mining disguised as prophecyManipulation through spiritual languageAllegations of moral failure and abuseInstitutional efforts to protect reputations over victimsThese patterns aren't new.2. The Historical Parallel: Early MormonismIn the 1800s, Joseph Smith claimed prophetic authority and new revelation. Over time, a culture developed that:Shielded leadership from accountabilitySuppressed inconvenient truthsProtected institutional reputationMinimized or denied moral failuresThe release of the Gospel Topics Essays in 2013 revealed how long some historical realities had been obscured.The lesson? Cover-up culture thrives wherever leaders claim unquestionable authority.The Core Issue: Authority and “New Revelation”The connective tissue between past and present movements is this idea:When someone claims direct revelation from God that overrides Scripture or bypasses accountability, danger follows.Scripture never elevates...

In this week's episode of Catholic ReCon, testimonies from reverts and converts, guest Anna Smit recalls her grace-filled conversion story, taking her from New Zealand to Romania and the Netherlands.▶The Praise Writer book Anna contributed to:www.crownedwithgrace.com▶Anna's Substack: https://substack.com/@iwillremember▶Praise Writers' membershiphttps://www.writethesewords.com/praisewriters-catholic-membership-1#Catholic #Protestant #Testimony #newzealand #Interview #netherlands #dutch #catholicchurch #catholicMass #Eucharist ▶To support this channel, visit eddietrask.com/sponsorship▶This is the home of powerful, real-life faith transformations

In this episode, Liv Hill discusses the misconceptions surrounding scale weight and fat loss, emphasizing that the scale does not tell the whole story of one's health journey. She provides insights on how to measure real progress through body measurements, clothing fit, and performance improvements rather than solely relying on the scale. Liv also highlights the importance of mindset in achieving sustainable fat loss and offers practical tips for tracking progress effectively. The conversation encourages listeners to celebrate small wins and focus on the journey of transformation rather than fixating on numbers.

You weren't saved just to believe — you were saved to belong. In Part 3 of EXTRA ordinary, we dive into 1 Corinthians 12:12–21 and explore what it really means to be part of the Body of Christ. The church isn't just a place you attend; it's a people you're connected to. Different gifts, personalities, […]

Pastor Al Heathfalse00:37:29645Finding God Part 6: The Great Reversalfull

Our Election in Christ (7)  (audio) David Eells – 2/15/26 I'm going to continue speaking today about election and talk about the children and the work of the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit that giveth life; … (Joh.6:63). In the Book of Romans, we found out that before Jacob and Esau were even born, Jacob was called God's elect. (Rom.9:10) And not only so; but Rebecca also having conceived by one, even by our father Isaac— (11) for [the children] being not yet born, neither having done anything good or bad, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth, (12) it was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. (13) Even as it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. Well, just as I'm sure you have questions, I had some questions, too, when I got this far in my revelation about election and predestination. What about the children? What about the babies? What about the doctrine of an “age of reason” that the Church has had for so many years? They say every child goes to be with the Lord, if they die before they reach the “age of reason,” and after that age, then they become accountable. Then it becomes their responsibility to accept the Lord and walk with the Lord. And so on. To me, that doctrine seemed contrary to election, according to everything I understood. I really wanted to know for myself, so I began to do some research. I decided to seek out how all of this fits together about children and election, but I want to remind you that both Jacob and Esau went past the stage of childhood; Jacob went on to manifest as a vessel of honor, and Esau as a vessel of dishonor. Neither one of them died as a child or as a baby. Let me share with you what I discovered. We know that, according to election, there are sons of God and sons of the devil, based on what God makes out of the clay and what a person becomes in their life (Romans 9:21). But, according to nature, I'd like to show you another teaching: (Heb.12:9) Furthermore, we had the fathers of our flesh to chasten us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of [our] spirits, and live? Some translations add in the word “our” to “Father of spirits” in this verse, but the word “our” is not in the ancient manuscripts of the Nestle's or Received Text, and there's no numeric pattern for that word to be there. He's the “Father of spirits,” as He's called elsewhere in the Bible. You may be questioning, “So is God the Father of our spirits or is He the Father of every spirit?” The answer can be found here: (Num.16:22) And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation? And another place says in (Num.27:16) Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation. That gives us two witnesses that He's “God of the spirits of all flesh.” When God breathed into Adam the breath, or the spirit, of life, the spirit that He gave Adam was a fresh, clean human spirit (Genesis 2:7), and I believe God gives everyone a fresh, clean human spirit. Now I want you to look at something that you may find surprising. Once you understand election and God's predestination of the elect, you can see how there are sons of God and there are sons of the devil. We've seen that the “wheat” are the sons of God and the “tares” are the sons of the devil. The wheat and the tares were sown in the earth, and in the parable of the wheat and the tares (Matthew 13:24,36-43), the earth was the hearts of men. Universally, the hearts of men are that “earth” in which God sows His seed and in which the devil sows his seed. But what about that heart before it manifested the seed of God or the seed of the devil? When Paul preached to the pagans at the Areopagus, he told them, (Act.17:24) The God that made the world and all [things] (The word “things” is not in the original; it was added by the translators.) therein, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; (25) neither is he served by men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself giveth to all life, and breath, and all [things]. Again, the word “things” is not in the original. “He giveth to all life, and breath.” The word there for “breath” is the Greek word pneuma, and it's the same word translated as “spirit” in other places in the New Testament. The words “breath” and “spirit” both come from the same word pneuma, which is where we get our word for “air.” As we read on down, we're going to see if this word “all” really means “all” because this word “all” has to be judged by its context in the rest of the Scripture. We read again this text without “things.” (Act.17:25) Neither is he served by men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself giveth to all life, and breath, and all; (26) and he made of one every nation of men (God made all men) to dwell on all the face of the earth, having determined [their] appointed seasons, and the bounds of their habitation (Everybody came from Adam according to (Act 17:26) and he made of one every nation of men… And, Eve is called the “mother of all living” in Genesis 3:20, so we know that everybody came from Adam and Eve, contrary to some doctrines of men.); (27) that they should seek God, if happily they might feel after him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us (That shows each person on this earth is individually responsible for seeking God, but not everybody will do that and they are going to be held responsible.): (28) for in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain even of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Paul is agreeing with what those pagans were saying about us receiving our being in God. He's saying that it's true. (Act.17:28) For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain even of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. “We are also His offspring.” You know, Christians like to correct this theology and say, “For we are all children of God.” That's not true because we are not all children of God, but we are all His offspring in a way. Then Paul goes on to say, (29) Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and device of man. (30) The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he commandeth men that they should all everywhere repent: (31) inasmuch as he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. Well, how are we all the “offspring of God”? (Joh.1:1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) The same was in the beginning with God. (3) All [things] were made through him (He's talking about people, not things, which is not in the numeric pattern. The Greek word there is the adjective pas, and it simply means “all, the whole, every kind of.”); and without him was not anything made that hath been made. So the Word made everything; He made Adam. We can read a confirmation of this here: (Col.1:16) For in him were all [things] created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and unto him. Everything was created through Jesus and for Jesus. He is the first-born of the creation of God. This is talking about from the very beginning of all creation. It all came to be because it was created through Christ. (Joh.1:4) In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And over in Proverbs it says, (Pro.20:27) The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, Searching all his innermost parts. The Father created all things through Christ, and Christ was the medium through which the Father used to create all things and all men as in these texts. It was Jesus, the Son of God Who created all things and breathed into Adam. (Gen.2:7) And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (Or the “spirit.” The Hebrew word there is neshamah and is translated as both “breath” and “spirit” in the Old Testament.); and man became a living soul. The Bible says that the first man, Adam, was a natural being. (1Co.15:44) It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual [body]. (45) So also it is written, The first man Adam became a living soul. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. (46) Howbeit that is not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; then that which is spiritual. (47) The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is of heaven. (48) As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. His natural man came from the earth, but his spirit came from God. God breathed into Adam, and the breath, the Spirit, came out of God and went into man. Some theologians like to argue that the “breath of life” is the “breath of lives.” I'm not sure about that, but we know that in the loins of Adam, in the seed of Adam, was all mankind (1 Corinthians 15:21-22). And God breathed into Adam a fresh, clean, pure Spirit to be the spirit of man, but it wasn't long after this that instead of following after his spirit, man followed his flesh and corrupted himself on the earth. (Gen.6:12) And God saw the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. (17) And I, behold, I do bring the flood of waters upon this earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is in the earth shall die. Adam started out innocent before God, but in following his flesh, he got further and further away from God, and Adam's children got further and further away from God, until God had to destroy them. Truly, nothing has changed; we're in the same position today. God gives the natural child a fresh, clean spirit, which is the breath of life that He breathes into them. With this spirit, they have an opportunity to follow their spirit, and your conscience is a part of your spirit, so when you're following your conscience, you are following your spirit. We have to choose. You can follow your conscience, or you can follow your flesh, and as we know, everybody follows after their flesh. (Joh.1:5) And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness apprehended it not. This sounds very much like what Peter said: (2Pe.1:19) And we have the word of prophecy [made] more sure; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a lamp (We've learned that the “lamp” is the “spirit of man,” according to Proverbs 20:27.) shining in a dark place (The “dark place” is your soul, which is your mind, will and emotions.), until the day dawn, and the daystar arise in your hearts. In the beginning, God gave Adam a “lamp” and it shined forth into his human nature, but Adam's offspring, who all started out the same way, began to follow after their flesh more and more, which corrupted their soul and eventually corrupted their spirit. If we follow after the flesh, the soul is going to be corrupted, and then when we follow our corrupted soul, our spirit will eventually be corrupted. Everybody starts out with a fresh, clean spirit, but they also start out with the corrupt nature that was passed down to them through their parents. “The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.” The last Adam, or Jesus, is the one who gives us a new spirit when we are born again and become a new creation. (2Co.5:17) Wherefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: the old things are passed away; behold, they are become new. Jesus is the second Adam; He is the Father of a new, born-again creation because the first creation corrupted itself. Except for one thing, babies start out in the place of Adam because they are given a fresh, clean spirit from God, one that's not corrupted. However, their soul is corrupted because their parents passed on their blood. (Lev.17:11) For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh atonement by reason of the life. That gives the child a lot to overcome. The Bible says of God, (Exo.34:6) And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, the Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness and truth, (7) keeping lovingkindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; and that will by no means clear [the guilty], visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, upon the third and upon the fourth generation. So we see that the sins of the parents are also passed down to the children from one generation to another generation and on and on. So, live holy. (Joh.1:6) There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John. (7) The same came for witness, that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him. (8) He was not the light, but [came] that he might bear witness of the light. (9) There was the true light, [even the light] which lighteth every man, coming into the world. This should be turned around because the numeric pattern proves that the sequence is wrong. What it actually says is, “The true light was, which coming into the world, lighteth every man.” Jesus is the true light that “lighteth every man.” (12) But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God. As far as the new creation, Jesus' spirit is that new spirit that comes into every man as their lamp to show them the way. It shines in the dark place of their soul in order to dispel the darkness. You can see the same pattern repeated with babies. Like Adam at the beginning of creation, Jesus breathes into them the spirit of life, and they start out innocent when they are born, but they don't stay that way long. And the Bible doesn't teach that it has anything to do with some so-called “age of reason”; theologians have come up with that doctrine. What the Bible does say is, (Isa.53:6) All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way.... Well, in order to go astray, you had to have been with God in the first place. (Rom.3:9) What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we before laid to the charge both of Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin (Of course, the Greeks weren't under the Old Covenant. Paul is talking about the New Covenant.); (10) as it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one; (11) There is none that understandeth, There is none that seeketh after God (He's talking about the Jews and the Gentiles.); (12) They have all turned aside, they are together become unprofitable; There is none that doeth good, no, not, so much as one. They all turned aside. Jews and Gentiles all turned aside. That means, in some way, they started out with God. In some way, babies start out with God. (Psa.58:3) The wicked are estranged from the womb: They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies. This says they start going astray from the time they are born, but at birth, they are with God. They go astray because they follow their fallen nature, instead of following after their fresh, clean spirit, which was given from God. They go astray following after their flesh and become more and more corrupt. If you have a clean spirit, but you follow after the flesh, your soul will die. (Job.36:8) And if they be bound in fetters, And be taken in the cords of afflictions; (9) Then he showeth them their work, And their transgressions, that they have behaved themselves proudly. (10) He openeth also their ear to instruction, And commandeth that they return from iniquity. (11) If they hearken and serve [him], They shall spend their days in prosperity, And their years in pleasures. (12) But if they hearken not, they shall perish by the sword, And they shall die without knowledge. (13) But they that are godless in heart lay up anger: They cry not for help when he bindeth them. (14) They die in youth.... “Their soul dieth” is what it literally says in the original Hebrew and your Bible should have a footnote explaining this. Strong's concordance is based on the Received Text and uses noar, which is a different Hebrew word altogether. (14) They die in soul, And their life [perisheth] among the unclean. (15) He delivereth the afflicted by their affliction, And openeth their ear in oppression. (16) Yea, he would have allured thee out of distress Into a broad place, where there is no straitness; And that which is set on thy table would be full of fatness. (17) But thou art full of the judgment of the wicked: Judgment and justice take hold [on thee.] (18) For let not wrath stir thee up against chastisements; Neither let the greatness of the ransom turn thee aside. Therefore, if a person were to listen to the Lord and follow after the Lord, their soul wouldn't die, but the natural process of degeneration sets in as soon as a person is born. They begin to go astray by following after their flesh, but the point is that they don't start out that way; they start out with the Lord. I don't think responsibility has anything to do with reaching an “age of reason.” I think that responsibility has more to do with the degeneration of the spirit than it does with reason. Children who are raised up with Godly parents, parents who discipline them and teach them the truth, don't become as corrupt as quickly as other children. Their conscience doesn't become as defiled as that of other children because discipline is a motivation to do what is right. It's a motivation to obey your conscience and obey your spirit, and not obey your flesh. If a child is raised with discipline, they don't become corrupted as quickly as a child who is not raised with discipline. Little children go bad and become evil very quickly without any discipline, and that's why I don't think that there is any particular age called the “age of reason,” where God imputes responsibility. It's not an age that makes you accountable; it's truth that makes you accountable. The more truth you go against, the more your conscience is defiled. The Bible is very plain: (Jas.4:17) To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. That doesn't mention any particular age. “To him it is sin,” but where there was no law or, in other words, when they didn't know that what they were doing was sin, then sin was not imputed to them. (Rom.5:13) For until the law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Being held responsible has to do with knowledge; knowledge determines whether God imputes iniquity to you or whether He doesn't impute iniquity to you. Yet, knowledge must be incorporated to bear fruit. I believe that whether a child is raised with discipline or whether they're not raised with discipline, they end up in the same place. Eventually, what happens is that their soul and spirit become corrupt. At that time, they need to be born again. I can't say if there's any particular age for that because the Bible doesn't teach it. But somewhere during that time, I believe that a person whose spirit becomes corrupt must be born again; their spirit must be born again. Adam was pure before God when he was in his innocence, even though he was not born again. That was the natural birth that he had. It was when Adam got away from his innocence that he fell. God gave Adam a clean spirit and He gave Adam only one law, but still Adam failed. He followed the flesh and he fell away. Now there is a place of innocence from childhood on up because of ignorance. Let me show you that in the story of Abijah, the son of Jeroboam. Jeroboam was a wicked king over the northern 10 tribes, and he led Israel into apostasy. God had prophesied to him that he was going to be King over Israel (1 Kings 11:29-37; 12:20), but he led Israel in the wrong way (1 Kings 12:26-33; 13:33,34). When Jeroboam's son was sick, he asked his wife to disguise herself and go to the prophet Ahijah to see what was going to happen to their son. God spoke to Ahijah the prophet, who was blind, and told him that Jeroboam's wife was coming, and God gave Ahijah a word of prophecy for her. (1Ki.14:7) Go, tell Jeroboam, Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel: Forasmuch as I exalted thee from among the people, and made thee prince over my people Israel, (8) and rent the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave it thee; and yet thou hast not been as my servant David, who kept my commandments, and who followed me with all his heart, to do that only which was right in mine eyes, (9) but hast done evil above all that were before thee, and hast gone and made thee other gods, and molten images, to provoke me to anger, and hast cast me behind thy back: (10) therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam every man-child, him that is shut up and him that is left at large in Israel, and will utterly sweep away the house of Jeroboam, as a man sweepeth away dung, till it be all gone. (11) Him that dieth of Jeroboam in the city shall the dogs eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the birds of the heavens eat: for the Lord hath spoken it. (12) Arise thou therefore, get thee to thy house: [and] when thy feet enter into the city, the child shall die. (13) And all Israel shall mourn for him, and bury him; for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found some good thing toward the Lord, the God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam. Here, this child's parents were some of the most wicked in all of Israel, yet there was something good in this child toward the Lord. I believe the Lord was saying that the child's spirit was still good. Do you remember what happened when the disciples wanted to know who was the greatest? (Mat.18:1) In that hour came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven? (2) And he called to him a little child, and set him in the midst of them, (3) and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye turn, and become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven. (4) Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. What was Jesus talking about? Jesus was showing the disciples how a little child is submissive. In every case in the Gospels, it says “little child” (Mark 10:15; Luke 9:47) because, as you know, some older children are not submissive and trusting of their father; they're not clean on the inside. Another place of innocence is a child who is killed by abortion or dies from miscarriage. (Ecc.6:3) If a man beget a hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul be not filled with good, and moreover he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth (In other words, speaking of a miscarriage.) is better than he. So a man can live a full life, but not live in the goodness of the Lord, and not be a vessel of honor. This is saying it's better to have been born dead. (4) For it cometh in vanity, and departeth in darkness, and the name thereof is covered with darkness; (5) moreover it hath not seen the sun nor known it; this hath rest rather than the other: (6) yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, and yet enjoy no good, do not all go to one place? He's talking about death here, not about going to the same place in Sheol, because this man went to Hades and the child went to Abraham's Bosom, but they both went to Sheol (Luke 16:22-26). This shows us that God at least considers innocency among children or babies. Abijah was a small child and God did not impute iniquity to this small child. That leads me to believe the further we get away from birth, the more dangerous it becomes because we become more responsible as we acquire knowledge. Innocency is not based on some “age of accountability” or “age of reason,” as theologians have told us, because you can't find that in the Bible. Saints, God imputes iniquity with knowledge. (Jas.4:17) To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. God showed His election through Jacob, who manifested a vessel of honor, and Esau, who manifested a vessel of dishonor. This is what they were elected to do. Although every child is born with a fresh, clean spirit, they also receive the nature of their parents, and so they have a choice to make. They can choose to follow after their spirit, or they can choose to follow after the nature of their parents. As we've seen, everyone chooses to go the way of the flesh, and then their soul becomes corrupt, and eventually their spirit becomes corrupt. When the spirit becomes corrupt, that child has to be born again to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. I haven't found that there is any particular age at which the spirit becomes corrupt for all mature differently. Some children are raised with discipline and are more conscientious, while others are raised with no discipline, and they become very corrupt, very quickly, but I do believe that when the spirit dies, that person is responsible before God, and they must be born again. Yes, we are given a fresh, clean spirit from God when we are born, but that spirit dies from following after the flesh, and it becomes corrupt. This is what I'm calling “death” here. It's not a physical lack of existence but the spirit becoming corrupt. When that happens, then we are held responsible. Jesus was the one who breathed into Adam the breath of life, and as the Scriptures tell us, (Joh.1:1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) The same was in the beginning with God. (3) All things were made through him; and without him was not anything made that hath been made. (4) In him was life; and the life was the light of men. (Col.1:16) For in him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and unto him; (17) and he is before all things, and in him all things consist. God the Father created everything through Christ. There is nothing created that wasn't created through Christ. Jesus breathed into Adam the breath of life, but the whole race of Adam fell and became corrupt. Then Jesus, the second Adam (1Corinthians 15:47), breathed again; He breathed His spirit of life into His new creation. And, did you know that you still don't have to follow your spirit after being born again? You can, once again, choose to follow your flesh. A born-again person has the opportunity to follow their spirit and go with God, or they can follow their fallen nature and go the way of the rest of creation. We were given a fresh, clean human spirit from God, like Christ's human spirit, but we have a fallen soul because “the life of the flesh is in the blood.” That means after we are born again, we must overcome the disadvantage of the fallen nature that was passed on to us through our parents. The apostle Paul explains to us about his battle against the fallen nature that was passed on to him. He says, (Rom.7:23) I see a different law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity under the law of sin which is in my members. (24) Wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me out of the body of this death? He wanted power over the body of death. Paul was a Christian, and he wanted to serve God. Do you know what God did to give Christians power over the body of death? He gave them the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Without the baptism of the Holy Spirit, a person doesn't have that power. I'll prove this to you: (Rom.8:7) Because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be: (8) and they that are in the flesh cannot please God. (9) But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God (that's the Holy Spirit) dwelleth in you. But if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ (that's your born-again spirit), he is none of his. Christ was man in that He had a human spirit, soul, and body. He was God in that the Holy Spirit dwelt in His spirit. (1:3) Concerning his Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, (4) who was declared [to be] the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness. This in turn affected His DNA. When we are born again, our human spirit is born again. The Holy Spirit comes to do three things. Jesus said, (Joh.16:14) He shall glorify me: for he shall take of mine, and shall declare [it] unto you. First, the Holy Spirit comes to give us the Spirit of Christ, which is our born-again spirit, our fresh, clean spirit. Second, as we follow the Holy Spirit, our soul becomes born again. If we bear fruit in the realm of the soul, we will receive a born-again body. This is the manifestation of Christ in you, spirit, soul and body. Even if you have the Spirit of Christ, if you don't have the Holy Spirit, you don't have power over the body. (Rom.8:9) But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. But if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. If you don't have the Spirit of Christ in you, or, in other words, if you don't have a born-again human spirit, you don't belong to Him because Jesus had a born-again human spirit. (10) And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin (That's the situation Paul was in.); but the spirit is life because of righteousness. Before the disciples received the Holy Spirit, even though they had received their born-again spirit, they didn't have the greater power over the flesh. As Jesus said to them, (Mat.26:41) … The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Did they have a born-again human spirit? Yes. Jesus told His disciples, (Joh.15:3) Already ye are clean because of the word which I have spoken unto you. You can't be clean without a born-again spirit, and they had a reborn spirit through the Word that was spoken into them. Paul says, “And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the spirit is life because of righteousness.” So here you have a born-again person who is born-again in their spirit, but they don't have the greater power over their body, “the body of death.” Paul was crying out, “Who shall deliver me from this body of death?” Christians didn't have the greater power over their “body of death” until they received the Holy Spirit. (Rom.8:11) But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you (that's the Holy Spirit), he that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead shall give life also to your mortal bodies through his Spirit that dwelleth in you. People think this is talking about the resurrection of the dead, but Paul said, “shall give life also to your mortal bodies.” That's talking about this physical body. Where you had death in your mortal body and had no greater power over it, God gave you life through His Spirit that dwells in you. Paul is talking about two different spirits here. Most religions I've experienced teach that when you are born again, that's when you receive the Holy Spirit. Even the Pentecostal denominations say, “When you are born again, you receive the Holy Spirit, but when you are baptized in the Holy Spirit, you receive more of it.” Again, that's not what the Bible teaches. You can't find a place in the New Testament where the Christians didn't go on to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit as soon as they found out about it. It was never supposed to be optional, the way it is today. I'm not saying that a person is lost if they don't have the Holy Spirit because Paul said a person belonged to God if they had the spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9); they just didn't have the greater power without having the Holy Spirit of God. As a matter of fact, back in the Old Testament, we can find the same New Covenant promise of receiving the Holy Spirit, and one of the clearest places to see it is in Ezekiel. (Eze.36:24) For I will take you from among the nations, and gather you out of all the countries, and will bring you into your own land. (25) And I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean.... This is what Jesus did with His disciples. He told them, (Joh.15:3) Already ye are clean because of the word which I have spoken unto you. God gave them a born-again spirit through the Word. He said in (6:63) It is the spirit that giveth life; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I have spoken unto you are spirit, and are life. He spoke life into them. (Eze.36:25) And I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. (26) A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you (Theologians put a lowercase “s” here and I believe they're right. The word “spirit” here should be a lowercase “s” because it's talking about your human spirit.); and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. (27) And I will put my Spirit (They capitalized “Spirit” here, and they're right again. This is talking about the Holy Spirit.) within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes.... The Holy Spirit is power from God. (Act.1:8) But ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. In other words, the Holy Spirit is the power to be a witness by walking as Jesus walked (1 John 2:6). (2Co.3:2) Ye are our epistle, written in our hearts, known and read of all men; (3) being made manifest that ye are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in tables that are hearts of flesh. You see, it's how you live your life, not just what you say, that makes you a witness. (Eze.36:27) And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep mine ordinances, and do them. (28) And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. As soon as the Church started, the baptism of the Holy Spirit came right along with baptism in water. How did the Church go so far astray as to think that people can live the Christian life without everything that God provided? It was never meant to be that way. We are commanded to be full of the spirit of God. (Eph.5:15) Look therefore carefully how ye walk, not as unwise, but as wise; (16) redeeming the time, because the days are evil. (17) Wherefore be ye not foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (18) And be not drunken with wine, wherein is riot, but be filled with the Spirit; (19) speaking one to another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord. If you obey the corrupt nature that's been passed on to you genetically through your parents, you will begin to fall into corruption: first flesh, then soul, then spirit. The “death” is continually taking place because the more corrupt you become, the more dead you become. It's a spiritual death, not a physical death, but it ends in physical death because our spirit is our connection with the Holy Spirit. When our spirit is given to us at birth, it's clean and pure. In Hebrews (10:22,26,27; 11:15-17), the Bible talks about “defiling” your conscience. Your conscience is a part of your spirit, and it tells you right from wrong, but the more you disobey and ignore your conscience, it will become more and more quiet. Eventually, if we don't listen to our spirit, we come to the place where we don't hear it anymore, and that means we come to the place where we aren't led by it anymore. As a child grows up, they become more and more corrupt because they follow their flesh. I believe that the corruption process may be slower if you raise up a child in the way they should go (Proverbs 22:6; 23:13,14), but still they are going to fall into corruption. They will need to be born again because they don't have the Holy Spirit to empower them to follow their human spirit. The devil wants to take possession of our soul, which is our mind, will, and emotions, and he does this through our flesh. God wants to take possession of our souls, but the way He takes possession is through our spirit. So here we are with our soul, or in other words, our natural life, our nature, in the middle. We've been given a spirit, and we've been given flesh. As a born-again Christian, we have a decision to make: Are we going to follow the flesh and die, or are we going to follow the Spirit and live? If we follow the Spirit, we're following God. If we follow the flesh, we're following the devil. When a child is born, they don't have the spirit of God, so they don't have the ability to make a choice. They always follow the flesh, and they always die in their soul but less so with good parenting. When I say “die,” I'm talking about spiritual death while you are alive because you are held accountable when you know to do good. (Jas.4:17) To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. Sin is imputed when you know what's right and what's wrong. (Rom.5:13) For until the law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law. The older a child gets, the quieter their conscience becomes because they get more and more used to disobeying and rebelling against it. And so they come to the place where they must be born again. Jesus is not saying that a little child must be born again. A little child doesn't have to be born again to enter the Kingdom because their spirit is not dead yet, but the older they become, the more corrupt their soul becomes, and then the more corrupt their spirit becomes until they must be born again in order to see the Kingdom of Heaven. A little child is very open to God. Their spirit is still alive. You can talk to them about God, and they understand, and they easily receive what you teach them, but if you don't teach them anything, they don't have that strength. We have to train our spirit to take the sword of the Spirit. (Eph.6:13) Wherefore take up the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand. (14) Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, (15) and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; (16) withal taking up the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil [one]. (17) And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. The Word of God is our sword, Saints. Without the Word of God, your spirit is defenseless. You need to educate your spirit by putting the Word of God in there. When I was a little child in the Catholic Church, they told me certain things were wrong that weren't wrong, and so if I did them, my conscience smote me. Even when I was a little child, my conscience told me when I was doing wrong. The Bible tells us that this is true, and we are never supposed to go against our conscience but rather educate it. (Rom.13:5) Wherefore [ye] must needs be in subjection, not only because of the wrath, but also for conscience' sake. And here's another example: (1Co.10:25) Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, eat, asking no question for conscience' sake, (26) for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof. (27) If one of them that believe not biddeth you [to a feast,] and ye are disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience' sake. (28) But if any man say unto you, This hath been offered in sacrifice, eat not, for his sake that showed it, and for conscience' sake: (29) conscience, I say, not thine own, but the other's; for why is my liberty judged by another conscience? (30) If I partake with thankfulness, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks? (31) Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. (32) Give no occasion of stumbling, either to Jews, or to Greeks, or to the church of God: (33) even as I also please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the [profit] of the many, that they may be saved. When I became born again, I had to re-educate my conscience according to the Word of God in order to have the sword of the Spirit. The sword belongs to the Spirit; it doesn't belong to the flesh. The Word of God empowers your spirit to win the battle against your flesh and the devil. (Eph.6:12) For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood (This is referring to fighting with physical weapons against physical enemies.), but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual [hosts] of wickedness in the heavenly [places]. Did you know that it's possible to have the baptism of the Holy Spirit but still not obey the Holy Spirit? Just because you have the Holy Spirit doesn't profit you. What matters is that you are walking in faith and obeying the Holy Spirit because, if you are not walking in faith, you're not going to get anywhere. People who are filled with the Holy Spirit walk closer to God. They have more faith, and they have power over the flesh. Jesus said, (Act.1:8) But ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. But you can offend the Holy Spirit and become reprobate, or rejected, by the Holy Spirit. (Eph.4:30) And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, in whom ye were sealed unto the day of redemption. How do you “grieve” the Holy Spirit? (Heb.6:4) For as touching those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, (5) and tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come, (6) and then fell away, it is impossible to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. (7) For the land which hath drunk the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them for whose sake it is also tilled, receiveth blessing from God: (8) but if it beareth thorns and thistles, it is rejected (This is the Greek word adokimos and it means “failing to pass the test; unapproved; counterfeit”; or, in other words, “reprobated.”) and nigh unto a curse; whose end is to be burned. You grieve the Holy Spirit by not doing His works and therefore you don't bear any fruit. The ultimate end of this is reprobation. (Tit.1:15) To the pure all things are pure: but to them that are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. (16) They profess that they know God; but by their works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. Did you know that just because you are filled with the Holy Spirit doesn't mean you are going to stay filled with the Holy Spirit? I know this is contrary to what many Pentecostal denominations teach, but if you look in the Book of Acts, you'll see that the same people who were filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost were later filled again with the Holy Spirit. (Act.2:4) And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. So they were filled with the Holy Spirit and then after Peter and John were released from prison, they prayed, (4:31) And now, Lord, look upon their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants to speak thy word with all boldness, (30) while thy stretchest forth thy hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of thy holy Servant Jesus. (31) And when they had prayed, the place was shaken wherein they were gathered together; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spake the word of God with boldness. The same people were refilled with the Holy Spirit. You ask, “David, why would somebody need to be filled with the Spirit more than once?” Jesus gives us the answer. He said, (Joh.7:38) He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, from within him shall flow rivers of living water. (39) But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believed on him were to receive. The power of the Holy Spirit flows out and is used up as we minister according to the command of Jesus. Notice, it's a river, not a pond. (Mat.10:7) And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. (8) Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons: freely ye received, freely give. I'm not saying that the Holy Spirit ever leaves you completely; I'm saying that it takes staying in fellowship with God to stay filled with the Holy Spirit. It's not just a one-time thing, like some Pentecostals believe. We just read, (Act.4:31) And when they had prayed, the place was shaken wherein they were gathered together; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. How can you be filled twice, unless you've been emptied once? If Jesus taught that out of your innermost being shall flow rivers of the Spirit,” then this power is imparted to the need around you. It has to come out, and then it has to be replenished. The point is that we have to maintain our relationship with God because, if we don't, we won't stay filled with the Holy Spirit. Even so, the gifts of God are without repentance (Romans 11:29). He won't take the gifts back. For instance, He won't necessarily take speaking in tongues back, but you may speak in tongues and yet not be filled with the Holy Spirit. A person has to stay filled with the Holy Spirit, as the Bible clearly teaches in Acts. The people who were preaching in Acts 2 were the same people who were filled with the Holy Spirit again in Acts 4. Personally, I believe you have the capacity to receive more of the Spirit when you are full of the Word of God. Jesus said, (Joh.6:63) It is the spirit that giveth life; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I have spoken unto you are spirit, and are life. Therefore, if you receive more of His Word, you will receive more of His Spirit. That's why Jesus breathed on the disciples and in (20:22) … saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit, even though it wasn't manifested until Pentecost, when the rushing mighty wind came.” Most Pentecostal denominations believe that having the Holy Spirit makes you a shoo-in for the Kingdom of Heaven, but having the Holy Spirit doesn't make you immune to sin. Having the Holy Spirit is not what saves you. Some have the Spirit but don't serve Him.  Obeying the Holy Spirit is what saves you from sin. (Rom.8:11) But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you, he that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead shall give life also to your mortal bodies through his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Life came out of Jesus. Life came out of His Words when He spoke. Life came out of Him when He laid hands on people. Life came out of His garment and healed the woman who touched Him. Life was in Him and that life was imparted to others, but that's not the case with a person who's not filled with the Holy Spirit. It's more difficult to walk with God, without being filled with the Holy Spirit. From the Book of Acts, you can see that the very foundation of Christianity is to repent, receive a born-again spirit, and then be filled with the Holy Spirit. The typology of the Temple in the Old Covenant makes this very clear. We are supposed to be temples “not made with hands” (2 Corinthians 5:1; Acts 7:47-49) or, in other words, without the works of man. (1Co.6:19) Or know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have from God? and ye are not your own; (20) for ye were bought with a price: glorify God therefore in your body. When Solomon built the Temple, it represented the house “made without hands,” so there couldn't be the sound of tools, symbolizing man's works, while they were building it (1 Kings 6:7). After the Temple was built and they had sanctified it (1 Kings 8:1-9; 2 Chronicles 5:1-10), it still didn't have the Spirit of God in it. But when they had the dedication of the Temple, the Spirit of God came in the form of the Glory Cloud and dwelt in the Temple (1 Kings 8:10,11; 2 Chronicles 5:13,14). You see, the Temple was designed for the Holy Spirit to dwell in. What good was the Temple without the Spirit? I think in this regard, a lot of people are going to fall away because they will not obey the Scriptures and receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the power to do what you have to do. There were times when I just didn't think the Holy Spirit was there, but right when it was necessary, the power showed up and completely awed me. And no matter what situation we find ourselves in, the Holy Spirit can manifest Himself in us and enable us to walk as Jesus walked. The Lord also pointed out to me that it was Judah who dwelt in Zion. The name Judah means “praise,” and so Judah identifies the Spirit-filled people, the full-Gospel people. The name Judah separates us from the rest of Christianity, who haven't received the Holy Spirit. The northern 10 tribes of Israel went further astray and “missed the boat” many more times than the tribe of Judah. The northern 10 tribes worshipped the false “Christ,” the two golden calves which they set up. I believe that the Lord showed me this is a type for our day. The northern 10 tribes represent the non-Spirit-filled groups, and Judah represents the Spirit-filled groups, the ones who inhabit Zion. Zion was the city that escaped when Babylon conquered the people of God. A modern-day example of this is the Armenian genocide. The word “genocide” was first coined by historian Raphael Lemkin in 1943 to describe the systematic murder of the Armenians by the Ottomans. Only the Spirit-filled Christians escaped. They fled when they were warned because they believed in prophecy and they believed the prophets God sent to them, but many, many non-Spirit-filled Christians were killed. Some estimates are that as many as 1.5 million lost their lives in that holocaust. The Happiest People on Earth by Demos Shakarian, and John and Elizabeth Sherrill, published by Guideposts Magazine in 1975, tells the story of Demos Shakarian. His grandfather left Armenia for America when the Russian prophet Klubniken foretold that an “unspeakable tragedy” was coming to Armenia. Well, people, now the same thing is getting ready to happen in America, where most of the people who call themselves “Christian” have not yet been filled with the Spirit of God, and they're not giving any heed to all the prophetic warnings that another holocaust is coming. The Spirit of God makes you respect prophets and prophecies. The Spirit of God opens your eyes to dreams, visions, revelations, and the deeper things of the Spirit. We've seen that when the disciples needed more power from God to stand up to and endure the persecution they were receiving, they came together and prayed, and God filled them again with the Holy Spirit. Not only does every Christian need to be baptized in the Holy Spirit, but we also need to be continually baptized in the Holy Spirit. Amen.

In 1908, a Pentecostal minister announced to his followers that the Devil was alive and well and interfered with every aspect of human life. And he wasn't alone in this belief. Others described demons as swarming around the human soul and living off them “like ticks on cattle.” The Pentecostal belief about the Devil interfering with our everyday lives was just one example of how the twentieth century became the “Satanic Century” for both American religion and popular culture. More than at any other time since the seventeenth century, American religion became obsessed with the Devil and all his works. The was largely due to the rise of two powerful religious movements at the time – Pentecostalism and Fundamentalism. Each gave the Devil a special role in both their view of the world and their personal spiritual experience. But they were not the only ones – Roman Catholicism remained convinced of how the Devil's influence continued to represent a threat to the lives and souls of its followers. In fact, it was during this same time that the Catholic Church revealed the horrors of a demonic possession that would shock the nation. The exorcism that followed would become known as one of the first to make national news in modern American history.Our Sponsors:* Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com* Check out Shopify: https://shopify.com/hauntings* Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code HAUNTINGS for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/american-hauntings-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Let's talk about what happens when Bunnies break Bad and the Holy Spirit becomes the unifying translator...

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by David L. Gray to talk about the Mass, the Liturgy, from his perspective as a Catholic convert – and how we can explain it to other converts, draw them in, and demonstrate the incredible truth and beauty of how and why Catholics worship through the Mass.This is a great conversation! With David as our guide, we dig deeply into what's happening in the liturgy of the Mass, the liturgies that are present in all non-Catholic Christian settings, how to evangelize through the Mass, and the incredible experience of Christ we receive each and every time we worship at Mass.To read or see more from David visit Saint Dominic's Media.Be sure to check out his wonderful new book The Liturgical Sense of the Readings At Mass (Year A) and, for listeners to our show, use the code CORDIALCATHOLIC to get 20% off the price!Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on  episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests.To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel.Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page.  All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me.If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page.Thank you to those already supporting the show!Theme Music: "Splendor (Intro)" by Former Ruins. Learn more at formerruins.com or listen on Spotify, Apple Music,A very special thanks to our Patreon co-producers who make this show possible: Amanda, Elli and Tom, Fr. Larry, Gina, Heather, James, Jorg, Michelle, Noah, Robert, Shelby, Susanne and Victor, and William.Support the showFind and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:Instagram: @cordialcatholicTwitter: @cordialcatholicYouTube: /thecordialcatholicFacebook: The Cordial CatholicTikTok: @cordialcatholic

Mother shares more of St. Paul's Letters to the Ephesians, describing chapter four as Catholics' "marching orders." Mother answers questions about Lenten sacrifices, forgotten observances, how to spend time in Scripture during Lent, why the Catholic church does not celebrate holidays from Leviticus, people speaking in tongues at a Pentecostal church, whether Catholics can be democrats, and what work is forbidden on Sundays.

In this episode of the Living Well podcast, host Liv Hill discusses the concept of reset meals, emphasizing the importance of listening to our body's signals rather than adhering strictly to meal plans. She explains how skipping meals can lead to emotional and physical chaos, and introduces the idea of a reset meal as a way to stabilize hormones and regain control. Liv shares her formula for a balanced reset meal and encourages listeners to create their own simple, repeatable meals to help them get back on track after disruptions in their eating patterns.

John examines the real origins of the Assemblies of God, tracing its formation back to the 1914 meetings in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and the racial and organizational conflict within the Church of God in Christ. By comparing official denominational history with newspaper records and Pentecostal archives, John explains how white leadership separated to form a new organization while leaving critical context out of the modern narrative. The episode also follows the doctrinal and relational networks connecting Charles Fox Parham, F.F. Bosworth, John G. Lake, William Branham, and the Latter Rain movement, showing how revival circuits and apostolic networks allowed destructive teachings to spread. The result is a clearer picture of how early Pentecostal power structures shaped later movements, including the New Apostolic Reformation. ______________________Weaponized Religion: From Christian Identity to the NAR:Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735160962 Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DCGGZX3K ______________________- Support the channel: https://www.patreon.com/branham - Visit the website: https://william-branham.org

Are some spiritual gifts more important than others? In Week 2 of EXTRA ordinary, we look at 1 Corinthians 12:4–6 and confront one of the most common (and damaging) misunderstandings about spiritual gifts: ranking them. The Bible is clear—there are different gifts, different ways of serving, and different ways God works, but the same God […]

Pastor Dave Larmourfalse00:38:07644Finding God Part 4: Face Your Fear & Find Your Voicefull

02-08-26 Sun AM "Pentecostal History" Bishop Joel Holmes Matthew 16:18-19You can contact us at https://fpcdurham.org

On today's Bible Answer Man broadcast, Hank addresses the Book of Jonah and whether the prophet was actually swallowed by a whale.Hank also answers the following questions:Will the Twelve Tribes have bearing on the end times? Were they annihilated? Bob - Fresno, CA (4:28)Can you address John Hagee's teaching on the camel going through the eye of the needle? Jason - Wild Wood, TX (7:26)Can you address the fundamentals of the Pentecostal faith and the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Edward - Winnipeg, MB (15:11)My pastor noted that he now denies the divinity of Jesus and that he was influenced by Marcus Borg. Are you familiar with him? David - Burlington, NC (18:35)What happens to our spirit after the body dies? Is it bad to look forward to dying to meet the Lord? David - Modesto, CA (22:48)

Martti Falck, also known as the "Rapping Finnish Preacher", is a Baptist and Pentecostal pastor who believes in making Jesus famous again through his ministry. Once he was mistaken for a famous rapper in Kenya, which led to him rapping about Jesus in a Muslim school and sparking a movement. He uses rapping as a way to connect with young people and spread the message of Jesus. You will be inspired by his story today on The Evangelism Podcast.

John and Timothy trace the historical and theological roots of modern charismatic and prophetic movements, examining how Pentecostal spirituality evolved into systems that often elevate experience above Scripture. Drawing from personal testimony, historical research, and biblical analysis, they explore how ideas like fresh revelation, prophetic authority, and revival culture have repeatedly produced spiritual confusion and lasting harm. The conversation follows the pipeline from early Pentecostalism through healing revivals and prophetic conferences into contemporary movements associated with the New Apostolic Reformation. Along the way, they discuss false prophecy, psychological and spiritual manipulation, fabricated supernatural signs, and why many sincere believers ultimately walk away from organized Christianity altogether. ______________________Weaponized Religion: From Christian Identity to the NAR:Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735160962 Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DCGGZX3K ______________________- Support the channel: https://www.patreon.com/branham - Visit the website: https://william-branham.org

Patrick opens the hour with gratitude for listeners, tackles an annulment question with Anthony about why marriages outside church form can be declared null, and is surprised by Giovanni, whose curiosity about the root of evil sparks an exchange about pride, angels, and biblical wisdom. The conversation shifts frequently: stories of conversion, changes in medical positions on gender surgeries for minors, and the influence of streaming content on children. Anthony - My friend's wife got an annulment. Is that valid? (01:30) Giovanni (11-years-old) - Is money the root of all sin? (13:31) Sharon - I want to encourage people to donate to Relevant Radio. My husband and I were raised Pentecostal. I saw a Relevant Radio billboard and this turned me onto your station. (19:46) Audio: Scott Jennings –

John unpacks the hidden spiritualist foundations behind William Branham’s ministry and how those same occult practices evolved into the New Apostolic Reformation’s “spiritual warfare” theology. Drawing connections from John Alexander Dowie to the Latter Rain and Pentecostal movements, he exposes how loaded language, trances, and “prophetic” manifestations masked practices rooted in mediumship and communication with the dead. This episode dives deep into how deception, altered states, and false authority blurred the line between Christianity and the occult—creating one of the most dangerous theological systems in modern times.______________________Weaponized Religion: From Christian Identity to the NAR:Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735160962 Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DCGGZX3K ______________________– Support the channel: https://www.patreon.com/branham – Visit the website: https://william-branham.org

Send us a textIn this episode, Iggy and Mike jump into some of the biggest trending topics and current events, including new developments surrounding ICE and the conversations happening across the country. As the discussion unfolds, the episode takes an unexpected turn when a special guest joins the conversation, bringing a fresh perspective that shifts the direction in a powerful way.What starts as a discussion on culture and headlines quickly moves into a deeper faith conversation, touching on Pentecostal background, spiritual experiences, and long-debated topics within the Church. The conversation is lighthearted, honest, and challenging, creating space for thoughtful dialogue on what believers see, experience, and wrestle with today.This is one of those episodes that goes places you don't expect — and it leads to a conversation you won't want to miss.We release new conversations every Thursday 

J.John speaks with Dr Barry Chant, a pioneering pastor and the founder of Tabor College in Australia. Barry has a PhD in the origins and development of the Pentecostal movement in Australia and today's conversation focuses around themes of healing and revival.-- Subscribe to J.John's YouTube channel today to receive weekly interviews, sermons and inspiration.Click to subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZyga-psugjtgeFnYhK1Xzw?sub_confirmation=1 Connect with J.John:Sign Up: https://www.jjohn.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/jjohnglobalInstagram: https://instagram.com/jjohnglobal

In this episode of the Living Well podcast, host Liv Hill discusses the importance of food tracking as a foundational tool for intuitive eating. She emphasizes that tracking is not a permanent solution but a means to build awareness and understanding of one's body and nutritional needs. The conversation explores the relationship between health and fat loss, the benefits of tracking, and the distinction between triggers and discomfort in the context of food tracking. Liv encourages listeners to reframe their perspective on tracking as a valuable feedback mechanism rather than a restrictive practice.

What if the ache you feel on Sunday isn't a lack of passion, but a hunger for roots? Tony Nektarios Vasquez joins us to share how a Pentecostal upbringing, a non-denominational season, and eventually a Calvinist-leaning church plant still left him asking where the first 1,500 years fit in. His story is not a theory lesson—it's a family saga: a praying father discovering the Desert Fathers, a brother slipping out to Vespers, a wife and children encountering reverence for the first time, and a co-pastor who realized that history, Scripture, and worship belong together.We trace Tony's path from Pentecostal roots and a non-denominational church plant to a sober look at church history, liturgy, and apostolic succession. Family doubts, online study, and the beauty of Vespers turn hesitation into conviction as Scripture and tradition align.• questioning charismatic altar practices and emotionalism• moving from Reformers to the first 1,500 years• parish visits to St James and first Vespers• answers on icons, relics, and intercession from Scripture• liturgy as continuity with Old Testament worship• apostolic succession and the promise that the Church endures• closing a young church to enter Orthodoxy• finding healing and stability in the sacramentsWe walk through the uncomfortable questions most avoid. Are altar manifestations genuine or coached? Does sola fide stand when held beside James and the early Church? How do relics, icons, and the intercession of the saints square with the Bible? Tony takes us inside St. James Orthodox Church in Modesto, where incense and chant weren't novelty, but a doorway to Christ-centered prayer. He shares the moment his daughter said the hymns made her want to cry, the way Revelation reframed prayer as a communion of heaven and earth, and how apostolic succession answered the authority problem that haunted his independent church.This conversation is a guided tour from system to story, from proof texts to a living tradition. We touch on the continuity between Old Testament worship and the Divine Liturgy, the claim that the Church Christ founded never paused or rebooted, and the quiet courage it took to close a young church for a faith that felt both ancient and alive. If you've wondered where the dots connect—Scripture, history, and sacrament—this is an honest map drawn in real time.If this resonates, share it with a friend, subscribe for more thoughtful journeys into the ancient faith, and leave a review to help others find the show. Your questions and stories shape future episodes—drop them in the comments and say hello to Tony.Questions about Orthodoxy? Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/JDJDQw6tdhPlease prayerfully consider supporting Cloud of Witnesses: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnessesFind Cloud of Witnesses on Instagram, X.com, Facebook, and TikTok.Please leave a comment with your thoughts!

What if you don't have to be extraordinary for God to work through you? In Week 1 of our new series EXTRA ordinary, we open 1 Corinthians 12:1–7 to talk about the gifts of the Holy Spirit—what they are, who they're for, and why they matter. This message lays the foundation for the entire series […]

In this episode of the Living Well podcast, host Liv Hill introduces the Missing Piece series, focusing on the importance of understanding nutrition beyond mere restriction. She emphasizes the need for alignment in one's eating habits, advocating for intention over restriction. The conversation explores how to build consistency with grace, the significance of creating quality meals, and the moral implications of food choices. Liv encourages listeners to view their food choices as feedback rather than a reflection of their worth, and she concludes by outlining the next steps for listeners in their wellness journey.

In this episode of the Living Well podcast, Olivia Hill discusses the significance of habits and systems over motivation. She emphasizes that a lack of discipline often stems from the absence of effective systems. Olivia introduces three key strategies for building habits: lowering the bar, habit stacking, and tracking wins. By implementing these strategies, individuals can reduce decision fatigue, maintain momentum, and achieve long-term success in their personal development journey.

In this episode of the Living Well podcast, Olivia Hill discusses the importance of mindset in personal growth and health journeys. She emphasizes that individuals are not the problem, but rather their mindset and perceptions. The conversation covers how to reframe setbacks as valuable information, the significance of focusing on progress over perfection, and the necessity of building self-trust. Olivia also shares biblical insights on transforming one's mindset and hints at the next episode's focus on recovery.

In this episode of the Living Well podcast, host Liv Hill discusses the critical role of rest in personal health journeys, emphasizing that burnout is not a badge of honor. She explores the difference between being busy and chaotic, and offers practical strategies for recovery, including establishing consistent sleep rhythms, daily decompression techniques, and the importance of taking moments to pause throughout the day. Liv encourages listeners to support their bodies and manage stress effectively, highlighting that these strategies are accessible and rooted in biblical principles.

In this episode of the Living Well podcast, host Liv Hill discusses the significance of support, community, and accountability in personal growth and health journeys. She emphasizes that strength comes from knowing when to ask for help and the importance of guidance over mere instruction. Liv highlights the role of accountability partners and the value of belonging to a community that shares common goals, ultimately leading to greater success in achieving personal objectives.

In this episode, Liv Hill gives the best advice on the next steps in your health journey.

John and Hannah Joy examine Elim College and its role within Pentecostal and charismatic history, tracing how Latter Rain, shepherding ideas, and modern revival culture intersected without forming a clear authoritarian hierarchy. Drawing from lived experience and historical parallels, they explore how closed religious ecosystems can reward behavior, discourage outside influence, and unintentionally foster spiritual abuse even without explicit top-down control. The discussion addresses corporal punishment culture, insider libraries, favored speakers, mission programs built in-house, and the power of testimony over doctrine. Rather than offering simplistic labels, the conversation asks harder questions about accountability, community identity, and why some movements persist for decades while others collapse into open authoritarianism. ______________________Weaponized Religion: From Christian Identity to the NAR:Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735160962 Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DCGGZX3K ______________________- Support the channel: https://www.patreon.com/branham - Visit the website: https://william-branham.org

Today on the Christian History Almanac, we remember one of the architects of the 20th-century Pentecostal movement: Charles Fox Parham. Show Notes: Germany / Switzerland - Study Tour  Support 1517 Podcast Network 1517 Podcasts 1517 on YouTube 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 Events Schedule 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education What's New from 1517: Being Family by Dr. Scott Keith The Essential Nestingen: Essays on Preaching, Catechism, and the Reformation Philip Melanchthon's Commentary on Ecclesiastes Face to Face: A Novel of the Reformation by Amy Mantravadi Untamed Prayers: 365 Daily Devotions on Christ in the Book of Psalms by Chad Bird More from the hosts: Dan van Voorhis SHOW TRANSCRIPTS are available: https://www.1517.org/podcasts/the-christian-history-almanac CONTACT: CHA@1517.org SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher Overcast Google Play FOLLOW US: Facebook Twitter Audio production by Christopher Gillespie (outerrimterritories.com).

On today's Bible Answer Man broadcast (01/28/26), Hank shares on being fearfully and wonderfully made in Psalm 139, and how those opposing legislation restricting abortion are not pro-choice but pro-murder.Hank also answers the following questions:Matthew 5:28 says, “Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Would this be grounds for divorce? Gary - Springfield, MO (4:29)Can you address the fundamentals of the Pentecostal faith and the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Edward - Winnipeg, MB (15:11)My pastor noted that he now denies the divinity of Jesus and that he was influenced by Marcus Borg. Are you familiar with him? David - Burlington, NC (18:35)What happens to our spirit after the body dies? Is it bad to look forward to dying to meet the Lord? David - Modesto, CA (22:48)