TITLE: Bobsey 7/17/14 By Richard McCaw 07/17/14 |
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Bobsey
One day Bobsey Dakin, the young man I had met at an ice-cream outlet, and had led to the Lord, was at my home, and had just finished reading a passage from Johnâs Gospel. We were each kneeling and praying before a wooden chair. At seventeen, my mother and I were living in a home my grandmother had bought along Old Hope Road in Kingston, Jamaica. My front bedroom had become our classroom where he had reading and writing lessons.
This young man in his twenties, who was struggling to read and write English, suddenly, to my amazement, began praying very fervently. After a few moments, I realized that he was praying in Spanish, which I had learned in school. I was convinced that the supernatural God of the Old Testament, the miracle working Jesusâ who poured out the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost was proving Himself to be the same yesterday, today and forever!
To me it seemed as clear as a bright noonday sun: tongues had not ceased. That older brother who had said that he found himself speaking in tongues while worshiping at home and now this! I had heard Bobsey praying in Spanish with my own ears.
The more I contemplated these things, the more the thought seized me that such experiences still took place in these last days. Besides, the Apostle Peter repeated Joelâs prophecy on the day of Pentecost, âIn the last days, I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and daughters shall prophecy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.â
Since the scriptures clearly refer to the last days as a time of tremendous worldwide upheaval in which definite prophetic events would be fulfilled prior to the return of the Messiah on earth, I was confident that we were still in the last days. I could not honestly limit the outpouring of the Spirit to the day of Pentecost or to the days of the apostles.
I had an open mind and could not accept the popular comments of men, nor traditional views of the church at large, or even those of my particular denomination. After all, if Martin Luther had blindly accepted the doctrines of the church of his day, we would still be walking in the darkness of the Middle Ages!
Therefore diligent research as encouraged by the Apostle Paul and demonstrated in the lives of the Berean Christians mentioned in the book of Acts was the example I needed to follow. âThese were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were soâ
In the days of Jesus, when miracles were occurring regularly through the apostlesâ hands, some believed while others rejected the Word of God. Even if God miraculously thundered and flashed lightning from heaven, some hearts remained hard as stone, unwilling to submit to God as Sovereign ruler. Those whose hearts were pure, honest and noble pursued God. Like the great explorers of every age, they diligently searched until they discovered new territories of truth and were completely satisfied by His living Presence.
While we wait to find out about the gifts of the Spirit, Jesus stands outside the door of the church saying, âIf anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me!â He is not talking to the unconverted, but to His people. He wants to come into our lives with all His glory and all His power. He promised the disciples âanother Comforter,â
The Greek word for comforter, âparacletosâ means One Who comes alongside. He comes to stand beside us, to put His arms around us and strengthen us. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead will also give life to our mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in us, will teach us all things, and tell us things to come. To every believer He distributes gifts to enable each one of us to be a dynamic witness.
If you have become a believer, join me in prayer for God's people everywhere:
Lord Jesus Christ, take away the confusion from our minds. Open our eyes that we may see wonderful things out of Your book. Take away prejudice and fear of bad experiences. Remove, O Lord, the fear of the unknown and wrong teaching. Help us to trust you to reveal the truth to us and to make us powerful witnesses to your glorious name!
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