Sinners Drew Near To God, While The Righteous Complained Against Him?

The Lost Chapter Of Humanity

By Abraham Israel

Parable is a simple story used to illustrate a moral lesson to the ordinary and spiritual lesson to the one desiring for more of God. It was prophetically said of Jesus that He, “...will open [His] mouth in parables, [and He] will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.” (Matthew 13:35). So these parables are not ordinary stories like we see in a lot of secular novels and other fables, but it has been heavenly truth hidden since the foundation of the world for people like you and me, but revealed and spoken by Jesus to us now to receive spiritual truth for earthly living with heavenly power, which will bring heavenly reward.

The lost chapter of humanity speaks about man's need for salvation and God's provision through repentance. We see that there is no awareness in humans to see themselves as lost, so I believe that Jesus spoke in parables to the lost humanity for them to understand that they need salvation. Luke 15th Chapter is what we can call as the 'lost chapter' because the lostness of humanity echoes and recurs in the three parable that has a lost theme of a lost sheep, a lost coin and a lost son.

The tendency in all humans is to consider themselves righteous in themselves by living a religious life that brings pride which actually was the mother of all sin that leads them to hell fire to be along with the devil and his demons (Matt 25:41; Ezek 28:17). The simple thumb rule is for us humans to understand that those who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, will always treat others with contempt and hatred which shows that they need salvation of God to save them from this sinful nature that makes them see sin in other while not noticing the bigger sin of pride about their own spirituality in themselves (Luke 18:9).

During the time of Jesus' ministry, the same problem was there. Religious Pharisees and scribes who were the Scripture copiers complained about Jesus, saying that He received sinners and eats with them, because these religious fanatics considered sinners as untouchables, with whom no so called righteous should even speak or touch or even stand near them. These religious people were accusing Jesus for moving closely with sinners, forgetting completely that He came to save the sinners by calling them to repentance, and not the righteous who think that they don't need God's salvation which was provided by Him through Jesus (Matt 9:13; Mark 2:17; Luke 5:32). These religious men were filled with 'I am holier than thou attitude of pride,' which Jesus condemned and wanted them to understand it is very sinful to the core.

Sinners who realize that they are hopelessly heading to hell and need salvation from God can easily be saved because of their humility to accept God's provision in Jesus, than for those who think that they are righteous in themselves because of following the rules of a religion they follow through which they set a self-righteousness for themselves and therefore they do not see a need for salvation that God provides in Jesus. This was the reason that while sinners drew near to Jesus to hear Him and be saved, while the prideful religious heads who were Pharisees and scribes complained against Jesus for moving closely and physically with all sinners whom they hated because they thought they were perfectly without sin and righteous before God because of their religious belief (Luke 15:1-2).


Jesus Replies With A Parable Of The Lost Sheep

So Jesus Spoke this Parable to all those religious men who justified themselves as great saints who thought they needed no salvation that God provides, "3 So He spoke this parable to them, saying: 4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance." (Luke 15:3-7).

The answer Jesus gives to the religious people with pride and self-righteousness is a answer to all humanity that has 'holier than thou' attitude of religious pride and self righteousness. Jesus demands an answer from all! A true shepherd if he has lost a sheep, will definitely leave the 99 sheep in the wilderness and will go after the one which is lost until He finds it. Jesus is saying, the 99 sheep that think that they are safe and needs no help needs no help for sure, but even though it is just one that realizes that he needs God's help to save himself or herself from sin and hell fire is the one who needs help from Jesus to save them from sin as He is the true shepherd of all humanity who is going to give His sinless life a little later from that point of time just for such people in need (John 10:11-16). When Jesus finds a sinner who is the lost sheep come back to Him to receive God's righteousness, He finds them and carries them safely to the Father's home because they realize that they no more have strength to walk or do any righteousness of their own to save themselves in their lost state, but just believe Jesus whom they find to be their true shepherd who actually found them, and follow him from that time on-wards spiritually until they reach the Father's house in heaven (John 14:1-4).

When ever a sinner realizes that Jesus is the only way, the truth and the life (John 14:6), Jesus rejoices along with the whole of heaven because each of those times the sinners find their way back to God in heaven and gets saved by Jesus for eternity ahead to remain forever safe in His spiritual care (John 10:27-30). A shepherd man is the one who searches in the outside world of deep forest and dangerous wilderness to find that one sheep return back to him, truly Jesus is the one true shepherd man who searches for the lost sinners in all dangerous places where others fear to tread and brings them back to God!


Jesus Replies Again With A Parable Of The Lost Coin

Jesus first spoke to men audience who are mostly in wilderness in their life and living, now when he speaks to the women audience and nudges the message to the women folks thinking, he speaks about something lost within the house where they mostly spend their time and live, truly a genius spokes man of God Jesus is!

So Jesus asked women folks to give an answer with this parable saying, "8 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’ 10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”" (Luke 15:8-9).

We know that every woman folk who loses a coin from 10 coins she had, will switch on the lamp, sweep the house and will search carefully until she finds it. Women are always those who look for details, once they get the coin they have searched for, they will rejoice with other women who live around them. So likewise Jesus says that He is the one who searches for the needy sinners who are lost by switching on the light of heaven by enlightening God's truth to them and then sweeps their house with God's broom of His Holy Spirit who reaches everywhere in all the world to draw them to Him (Psa 119:105; John 16:8), and only when He finds them saved to be counted in God's treasury of heaven, then He keeps rejoicing for them along with the whole of heavenly angels as the sinners have got saved and have come in to God's safe hands that will take care of them for eternity ahead.


One Main Point To Note

Here in the above parables of the Lost Sheep and The Lost Coin, Jesus is the one who goes after the Lost sinner in both the cases and brings them back to God. Until He finds the sinner and saves them He pursues them diligently and takes the responsibility to bring in to the sheep fold of God which is the Church in the first case and the treasury of God which is also the same Church which has women folks as its members and therefore is beyond any gender discrimination of those times in which He spoke where women were treated very badly and their value was equated to half of the value of a man in the religious Jewish world of those times.

So Jesus was saying, there is neither Jew, nor Gentiles, neither man, nor woman, neither rich, nor poor, but all sinners need the salvation of God equally to save them from sin and hell fire (Gal 3:28). And Jesus as the true shepherd of God and the woman who owns the coins, goes after the lost ones and finds them, then rejoices over them with the whole of heaven and its angels because they have come back to the place where they actually belong, that is the Church of God (1 Cor 1:2). All sinners who are saved have already got registered by name as God's child in heaven and have therefore come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels (Heb 12:22-23; John 1:12-13). These sinners are saved by grace through faith for eternity ahead and Jesus has promised that not even one of them will be lost (Eph 2:8-9; 1:13-14; John 10:28-29). There is no doubt about their future in heaven which is guaranteed by the sealing of the Holy Spirit that is done within them, and so Jesus tells that they know the way to the Father's House to which place they will be escorted by angels to come after death (Luke 16:22; 2 Cor 5:8), and has promised to one day come with them and take along all of them through rapture to the mansions prepared for them in the New Jerusalem the city of God (John 14:4; 1 Thess 4:16-17).


Jesus Continues With The Parable Of The Lost Son

Hear the beautiful Parable please :

"11 Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. 13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. 17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’ 20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry. 25 “Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’ 28 “But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. 29 So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. 30 But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’ 31 “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. 32 It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’”" (Luke 15:11-31).

Here in the above Parable, it is not about sinners saved by Jesus or Him going after them and the unsaved in pride who did not need Jesus being warned, but it is about a man with two sons. We know that the man is Father God in heaven who has saved us already to have given us the privilege to be the sons of God (John 1:12; Gal 3:26). Remember, both are sons and there are no unsaved in the picture at all. The younger son is the type of God's children who take the Father God's great natural and spiritual gifts, money, power and wealth of peace, joy and righteousness in the Holy Spirit (Rom 14:17; 1 Cor 4:20; 12:7; 1 Peter 4:10) and by giving in to the selfish desire of the sin nature they spend their time flirting with the world of sin that destroys all of the Father's wealth that is within them within a short period of time (Rom 7:19; 1 John 2:15-17). Once they become empty and are sent by sinful bondage to feed the demonic swine of their flesh nature with pig's pods of which he was not even able to eat, in hunger for the reality of Father's house and His Presence, they come back to themselves which is the true identity that Jesus has given them as the sons of God (Rom 8:14). They knew that if they have to go back to their father's house, they have to confess their sins to him (1 John 1:7, 9). Because our Father God who is in heaven is holy, He cannot live in the presence of sin and therefore will break his fellowship with us when we sin like the younger son did, driven by the sin nature within. But because of sin we do not lose our sonship but only fellowship (John 1:12; Rom 8:16-17). We gained our sonship by God's will through the death of God's Son Jesus and not by our works, so the union of sonship stays with us for eternity ahead (John 10:28-29; Rom 5:10; 8:15). In other words, we did not gain our union with God by good works and therefore we cannot lose it by bad works, but rather it was a gift given to us from our Heavenly Father because He was the one who planned us to be His child (John 14:23; 1 Cor 6:17, 19). Above all the Holy Spirit has been given as a guarantee seal for all the children of God that one day soon we will all rise up in the glorious body of heaven and live forever in it like Jesus (Eph 1:13-14; 1 John 3:2). Once a sin is confessed and denounced, Father God will automatically embrace us as he does this younger son that was lost by sin and will forgive the sin of us all like he did to his younger son and will cleanse us through the blood of Jesus (Matt 5:48; 1 Peter 1:15-16, 17). The authority of the lost son, celebration of joy, robe of righteousness, shoe of the gospel of peace along with music and dancing will be then restored within the heart of the us who are actually younger son type of believers who confess their sin to God and come in to restored fellowship with Father God through his only begotten Son who is the fatted calf who is killed [i.e. 2000 years ago] for celebration (1 John 1:3-4; Heb 9:12-13, 14; 10:26).

Now the older son type of believers are another type who work hard as God's servants, putting their effort heart and soul but without real relationship with their Father God in their day to day lives. They zealously do slog out in their work for Father God in heaven, then when they see the younger son type of believers enjoying fellowship with Father God equal to them in authority of sonship with costly ring, celebration of joy, robe of righteousness, shoe of the gospel of peace along with music and dancing...they get upset with God and do not want to join in with the celebration of the Father's house. For them the spirit of entitlement has diminished their thankfulness towards their Father God. They begin to think that they only deserve all the blessing because of their hard work, and start to wrongly assume that God has not fully given them their due but has given to those believers who flaunted with sin and have got lost like the younger son. What can we learn from this? None of us by nature the sons of Adam born as sinners do not deserve even the least of blessing that God has given us and will give us in the future. It is God's benevolent nature to bless and we do not have the rights to say who he should bless and who he should not. Actually the good attitude of the elder son who served the Father, have got spoiled because of pride entering his heart which made him forget to have compassion towards his Brother who was lost and found, and at the same time made him to think that the Father has not properly given him the right to enjoy when he deserves it. The elder son type of believers always want to accuse the younger son type of believers of harlotry, bad name and ruining of God's wealth before Him, but they do not notice the change in them regarding the attitude of hate towards sin in which they were involved before, because of confessing their sin to their Father God in humility. Little do they realize that they themselves have always been in the Father's Presence but were not enjoying it, and all that God has they were using and enjoying because of His goodness towards them but have continued to live without thankfulness for all of it. So finally the Father God concludes that it is right for all us the believers that whenever someone who is dead in sin comes alive to righteousness by repentance and someone who is lost from God's Presence and fellowship because of sin is found again by the Father when they choose to confess their sin and continue to walk in the light of the Fathers' Presence, they should all make merry and be glad to rejoice along with the angels of heaven and God Himself.


So What?

The Parable of the lost sheep was told so that unsaved proud could realize their need for salvation instead of complaining against God for saving sinner who come to God for salvation realizing their unworthiness. The parable of the Lost Coin was told by Jesus to make us understand that God saves a women equally like a man from sin and gives them eternal life to make them be His daughters to have the same rights as his sons to serve Him for eternity (Matt 22:30; Mark 12:25).

Jesus also found some sons of the Father with true faith within the Pharisees and scribes who walked like the elder Son we see in the parable of the Lost Son (Acts 15:5; Matt 3:7-8; John 3:1-2; 7:46-51; 12:42; 19:38; Gal 1:14; Php 3:5-7). He wanted them to turn to the Father's will and celebrate when other sinners who were their Brothers in faith come back to the Father's Presence through repentance and confession of their sins. Jesus wanted them to rejoice with the Father when those believers like the lost son were made alive and was found. Praise the Lord!

 

 

The Parable Of The Wedding Feast At Supper Time

Royalty Needs Royal Apparel For Festive Participation, Do You Have It?

By Abraham Israel

Hear the Parable:

"1 And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, 3 and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. 4 Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.”’ 5 But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. 6 And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. 7 But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ 10 So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. 12 So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”" (Matt 22:1-14).

Luke speaks about a parallel parable in Luke 14:16-24,

When Jesus was was telling people that how when they give a feast to the poor, the maimed, the lame and the blind, as they cannot repay you as they have no ability financially, they who give the feast to them will be repaid at the resurrection of the just (Luke 14:12-14; Prov 19:17). A Jewish man sitting in that feast along with Jesus heard these things, he said to Him, “Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!” (Luke 14:15). In other words, this Jew thought that by the privilege of his natural birth as an Israelite, just like as at that time he was eating with Jesus physically, in the future also he will be blessed enough to be a part of the resurrection from the dead and recline at the table of the Kingdom of God with Jesus being an Israelite who is naturally God's people by birth (Rom 11:19-21, 22; Luke 13:23-24, 25, 26-27). This man's misconception were shattered by Jesus when he said this parallel parable to him which Matthew also explained in a similar way and context. He said all those who are saved by faith will only be able to enter the Kingdom of God. Just because this man was physically sitting and eating with Jesus during his ministry time on earth, does not guarantee that he will be present in the resurrection of the just and be in the Kingdom of God unless he accepts Jesus as his personal savior to repent from sin unto eternal life.


Listen to this fascinating parallel :

"16 Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, 17 and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’ 18 But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ 19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’ 20 Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ 21 So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’ 22 And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’ 23 Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’”" (Luke 14:16-24).


Why A Parable?

Parable is a simple story illustrating a moral or religious lesson. It is also an earthly story that reflects the truth of heavenly reality. “Parable” is a transliteration of the Greek ‘parabole’. It means “the placing of one thing beside another with a view to comparison”. It puts the known next to the unknown so that we may learn.

Jesus always used parable to teach heavenly truth to earthly men so that those who do not believe and are not serious to learn humbly from Him might not understand the spiritual lessons but just hear the story of it and will be enraged to know that it was spoken against them. At the same time believers in Jesus even though might be unlearned men, the Holy Spirit might help them to understand deep spiritual truth behind the story that Jesus would tell so that they might be spiritual fed with heavenly food to grow and be very fruitful to be blessed to be a blessing to many (Matt 13:10-17).

The Lord has always promised to tell His secrets to only those who fear Him, and He gives them the confidence of the covenant that has been fulfilled for them to live a worry free life of rest in Him (Psa 25:14; Luke 10:21-24).


Kingdom Of Heaven Likened

Jesus said, "2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, 3 and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come." (Matt 22:2-3). When something is likened through a parable, it means the one telling the parable is pointing out the resemblance of someone or something to it. Here we know that the Kingdom of heaven is the rulership of God from heaven over the earth. The certain king is God who arranged a marriage for his son. We know that God arranged a marriage for His only begotten Son Jesus with the bride who is the Church (John 3:16; Eph 5:25). The Israelites were those first people who were invited to the wedding, but they were not willing to come to Jesus to receive life of God within them (John 5:40). They did not have the love of God within them instead they had religious pride which blinded them to the point that they didn't receive Jesus to become a part of His wedding, rather by their own choice have chosen to receive the spirit of Antichrist and thus Anti-christ himself at the end and forfeit Jesus their prince of life because of their blindness (John 5:41-42, 43-44; 1 John 4:3; Acts 3:15). First John the Baptist came crying in the wilderness saying, 'Repent, the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.' The he pointed to the Messiah and told the Israelites to believe in Him and partake of the wedding which was prepared by God (Matt 3:1-12, 13-17). Jesus Himself as the servant of God invited the Israelites to personally believe in Him, so that they might be able to partake in the wedding that God was preparing (Matt 4:12-17; Matt 12:18). They rejected both John the Baptist and Jesus who were the first special servants of God to invite to the wedding (Matt 11:12-24).

In the above parallel parable that Luke writes, he speaks about "...a certain man who gave a great supper and invited many, 17 and he sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’" (Luke 14:16-17). We know that God has invited all the Israelites first through the 12 apostles, and then through 72 who were sent again in to the whole nation of Israel for that great supper that God has prepared for the whole Church. God mercifully through them sent the Good News of the Gospel of forgiveness and power over sin, eternal life and heavenly rewards for earthly service (Luke 9:1-2, 6; 10:1, 8-9, 10-11). This supper time that starts with the Good News of the Gospel will only end with the great supper of the Lamb officially in heaven and will further continue with a Millennium of the Supper of the great God on earth in rulership and victory over all enemies of God (Rev 19:9, 17; 20:7-10; 1 Cor 6:2-3). Gospel of salvation has nothing to do with our own works or striving in the flesh to please God, it is God's invitation which says, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’ In other words, the benefits of the Gospel of salvation are ever ready for all those who accept the invitation of God to come and receive Jesus as their Savior (Heb 6:9). We just have to attend the supper and keep eating the spiritual food that Jesus provides freely and keep enjoying the rest and refreshment for eternity (Matt 11:28-30; John 4:14; 6:56-58). Praise the Lord!


Final Invitation Again Sent Out Mercifully By King For The Wedding

Jesus said, "4 Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.”’ 5 But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. 6 And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. 7 But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city." (Matt 22:4-7). God mercifully this time also sent again to those who rejected the earlier invitation the message to partake in the wedding, the same message of invitation again God sent out expecting them to change their mind at the last moment, this God did when Jesus sent out the twelve disciples only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel to preach the final offer of the Kingdom of heaven saying that it is at hand if they repented and believed Jesus the Christ as their Savior they would be part of the grand celebration that He has prepared. The disciples demonstrated the power of the Kingdom of Heaven which was the actually the invitation card for them to come to the wedding (Matt 10:5-6, 7-8; John 5:36; 14:10, 11). They rejected this offer blatantly by refusing to believe.

This final invitation was rejected completely and also they were busy making light of the offer of the kingdom of heaven, they were busy making money out of farming, business, marriage and day to day earthly activities more than the heavenly offer these servants of God were offering (Luke 14:18-21). Then they seized many of these servants and treated them spitefully and killed them. We see the twelve disciples warned by Jesus to flee from these persecutors who reject their message and go from city to city to keep changing location to flee persecution and keep themselves safe to continue to give invitation to the kingdom of heaven (Matt 10:16-20, 21-23). Then John the Baptist was killed (Matt 14:1-12). Jesus Himself was killed then being rejected by the political and religious fanatics of the nation of Israel (Matt 26:57-68; 27:11-14, 45-51).

In the parallel parable of Luke we see God saying to his servants, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’ Actually the poor of the streets and lanes of the city, maimed, lame and blind were those who were part of the lower society of Israel and were considered sinners by the religious crowd of Jews who followed the law (Matt 9:11; Luke 5:30; Mark 2:16). To these people 12 apostles, and then through 72 the good news was dispersed and nearly all of them accepted the offer of invitation from Jesus and filled the room at the supper time (Luke 7:29-30; 9:1-2, 6; 10:1, 8-9, 10-11; Matt 21:31).

When God saw that these people who were originally invited for the wedding rejected His offer, made light of it, scorned His servants and even killed them (Acts 12:2; 9:1-2; 7:54-57, 58-59, 60). God commanded and sent the armies of Romans towards Jerusalem the city of the Jews to be surrounded by the soldiers (Rom 13:1-7; Matt 24:1-2; 23:34-36, 37-39), then Rome destroyed the Jewish Temple at Jerusalem and crushed the revolt of the Jews in Palestine that had begun in 66 under Titus the emperor who started this siege and withdrew, his son Vespasian came around the city in 70 A.D. and He brutally killed all the people living in it and burned the whole city. This was a judgment of God.


Israelites Who Were Invited Initially Were Not Worthy, So God Invited All The World For His Wedding

Jesus continues with the parable,"8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ 10 So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests." (Matt 22:8-10). The wedding is ready means that the privilege for all sinners to partake of the feast of the good news of Christ was ready after Jesus' death and resurrection (1 Cor 15:1-2, 3-4, 11).

Luke in the parallel parable clearly says that, when ..the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’ "23 Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’” (Luke 14:23-24). From the above verses we come to understand that because God's room is so big that it was not able to be filled with some poor humble Jews accepting the gospel of Jesus, but it had room enough to call and invite the whole Gentile world for the Glory of God for the last 2000 years. Many have been compelled by various servants of God in all ages to come and partake of this wonderful supper that God has been providing in these last days, worst sinners and the dregs of the society were all saved gloriously because of them humbly accepting themselves as sinners and Christ Jesus as their Lord and Savior. O what a glorious Gospel that saves us from sin and gives eternal life! One of these days when Christ comes back to this earth, the room for partaking of the supper will forever be filled and can no more be added to it (Rev 14:6-13). But technically with the rapture of the Church, the partaking for the supper of the lamb will be forever closed (1 Thess 4:16-17; Rev 19:7-9).

God called His servants and told them to preach the gospel and invite all mankind of the world of Gentiles to the wedding, so they went in to highways of the whole world and in to every corners of it to invite people to partake in this great wedding (Mark 16:15; Matt 28:18-20; Luke 24:47-48; Acts 1:8).

We know that a sinner enjoying the love of God, forgiveness of God, authority of God, righteousness of God, Gospel of the peace of God, the Word of God, the Presence of God, joy of God, etc...is the real wedding celebration of God that all those who have accepted themselves as sinners and believed Jesus to return to the Father God in repentance are entitled to as the sons of God (Luke 15:20-21, 22-24; Gal 3:26). The servants going "out into the highways and gathering together all whom they found, both bad and good" shows that the qualification to attend the wedding was not based on whether they were good or bad, rather it was based on God's grace through faith which helped them come to partake of the royalty and delicacies of the King who is God in heaven (Eph 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-6, 7).

Finally "...the wedding hall was filled with guests...!", Praise the Lord! But when will it actually happen? And we know that this event of the wedding hall getting filled to the full will happen only when the rapture happens for all the Church saints to be taken up to the Father's house and tribulation saints who will be martyred will all be counted together in full at the second coming of Christ (Luke 21:34-35, 36; Rev 3:10; Rev 7:9-12, 13-17). Paul the apostle himself agrees with this by saying, "I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ." (Rom 11:25, NLT). Once we see both the saints of the Church and Tribulation martyrs add up to become a great multitude that no one can number, the full number of Gentiles would be achieved (Rev 7:9). Now God will mercifully turn Himself towards Israel to save them in a day, just a day (Rom 11:26). GLORY TO GOD!


Where Did The Wedding Garment Go?

Finally the crux of this parable continues, "11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. 12 So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”" (Matt 22:11-14).

Here in the above verse 11 we see how the King who has given the wedding feast, comes to see the guests. Where are the people who are in the wedding feast gather to eat of the delicacies of God? It is in the local Church where the light of God burns and the feast of heaven is supplied with power, and so is called the house of God (Matt 16:18; 18:20; 1 Tim 3:4-5, 15; Rev 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:6, 13, 22; 19:7; 22:17). The bride has made herself ready and the Spirit and the Bride says, 'Come Lord Jesus...!' What does this mean? It means that when God comes to see the guests in the wedding, this man who stayed without wedding garment was not the part of the Bride who was clothed with the righteousness of Jesus (Eph 5:26-27), but just was sitting as a guest without the wedding garment but having only his own filthy rags of self-righteousness. In other words, all who have come as guests have become one with the Bride (Rom 11:24, 22). But some of them like this man in rags remained as guest within the Church having their own righteousness of filthy rags whom God finds when he comes to see them (Isa 64:6). These were using the Church as some social club, inspirational gatherings to motivate their life to do their own will, a place of gaining rich social status, etc... In other words, they were having a form of godliness but they deny its power to transform their sinful and willful heart that is still uncircumcised (2 Tim 3:5; Isa 30:10; Jer 6:13; Eze 13; 33:33). The unbeliever who is uncircumcised in heart shall not enter my Sanctuary is what the Lord God has told (Eze 44:9; Acts 7:51), but these people without the royal garments of salvation and robe of righteousness have remained in His earthly sanctuary of the Church against the decree of Jehovah God (Isa 61:10; Psa 122:1). So judgment when it starts within the Church before the world (1 Peter 4:17), these people who were unsaved and wanted the Church for their own benefits will then be told by God to be removed from the assembly eternally by the angels when they die physically and will be cast into outer darkness where all the unsaved will be weeping and gnashing their teeth in anger against themselves and God, this will be going on forever and ever in their soul which will be tormented eternally without God and His beautiful Presence (Luke 16:22-23, 24-25, 26, 30-31). It is called as outer because this place is outside of the earth (Eph 4:9). It is called as darkness because the revelation of God's presence and His life will not be available over there (2 Thess 1:9; John 1:4-5). It is also called as "furnace of fire" because of the spiritually tormenting atmosphere that will make them weep and gnash their teeth (Matt 8:12; Luke 16:23-24).

In the same vein, in Luke's parallel parable also God says, "none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper" (Luke 14:24) which means that those who heard the Gospel through God's servants and rejected it in their pride will not taste the supper of eternal life with God, whether it is a Jew or a Gentile who have done it doesn't matter to God (Gal 3:28; John 17:3).

So the crux of the parable is, to those who do not accept themselves as sinners in need of salvation, they remain in danger of being lost for eternity without God, even though they might remain as church members within a local Church body. Jesus is warning to all of them to open their spiritual eyes and see by humbling themselves before God to receive the royal garments of salvation with the robe of righteousness. It is not too late for them until they themselves become late by death. It is time to repent, look to the Jews who were prideful religiously of their heritage but finally were thrown out of friendship with the true God who looks for those humble people who will accept His invitation for wedding by receiving Jesus as their Savior and themselves as a hopeless sinner who cannot look forward to heaven but only hell without the help of God. God calls many in the world to accept His message of salvation through Jesus Christ the only redeemer of all sinners in the whole world, but those who choose God's way by humbly accepting themselves as sinners to receive salvation and be clothed with His beautiful robe of righteousness become chosen by God because He has already chosen them to be glorified (Matt 22:14; Rom 8:29-30).

Much Blessings.....

Can Some One Also Prophecy For Me Sir?

How To Know That A Prophetical Thought....Person...Friend Or A Thing Is From God, Can I Desire For God To Send Prophecy Through Someone To Me?

Question : I want to ask ..you said in your Testimony : 'I Have Found My Purpose, Have you?' that God spoke through a prophecy by a man of God...Can someone prophecy? And sometime I am confused ..what should I do...How to know that this is (be it thoughts...person..friend..things) is from God's side? Can some one also prophecy for me sir?

Answer : Here is what the Bible says regarding prophecy : "6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness." (Rom 12:6-8).

"For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged." (1 Cor 14:31).

If we want to prophecy to others, according to our faith and the gift of the Holy Spirit, prophecy will operate within us. All the ministries that people do for God are gift of God, faith is needed to operate in it. In the New Testament, prophesy is for speaking edification, exhortation and comfort to men (1 Cor 14:3, 24-25). Strictly in the New Testament, no one can be right hundred percentage of time because God has ordained and set-forth His Rhema [i.e. spoken Word of His mouth from heaven in the present tense] from Him to be know in part and to be prophesied in part, in other words even if God sends prophecy through a man or a woman to us (Acts 2:17, 18), still He expects us to come back to Him to know the left over part of the prophecy that is with him (1 Cor 13:9). In our present New Testament times, God wants us to seek Him directly because He is our Loving Father in heaven who wants to talk to His children and share his heart desire intimately with them in private and publicly honor them for their seeking (John 20:17; Matt 6:9, 6).    

We can know from the Holy Spirit God's thought towards our own life because we have got the spirit of Prophecy within us as God's children.

John the revelator reveals this truth by saying, "10 And I fell at his feet [i.e. Angel] to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Rev 19:10).

In other words, the angel sent from God to reveal about the future of this world to John the apostle said that the messengers of God should never be sought for prophecy or about one's future to be in awe of them, that might cause the prophecy receiver to even worship them which becomes idolatry which God hates (2 Tim 4:3; Deut 13:1-18; Jer 23:30, 31, 32, 21-22; Isa 8:19-22), instead we should realize that Jesus sends us prophecy automatically through angels and human messengers when we have the Testimony of Jesus and live for the Testimony of Jesus (Rev 12:11). Every prophetic word that the Lord sends through His earthly messengers is to turn the attention of His people from vain things to Himself who is the only God who know the past, present and future of all people whom He has redeemed. 

In the Old Testament times, they sought the man of God to prophesy and know what God thinks towards them (2 Kings 3:11; 1 Sam 3:19-20; 3:1; 4:1). In the New Testament times, God desires that you approach His Throne directly in prayer and know what He has in His heart towards your life. Jesus Christ is the High Priest in heaven who is looking forward to your seeking prayer, so that He can immediately take it to God the Father of us all and take His prophetic word you need now and reveal it to you to comfort you in all your troubles and strengthen you to go through it as He is always there who sympathizes with all our weakness yet as a Holy One of God who overcame all sin himself to help us to obtain mercy and find His grace in the sight of God (Heb 4:14-16; 2 Cor 1:4). God is very jealous about it that no humans no matter how prophetic they are, He doesn't want them to come and hinder the relationship between Him and his children (Psa 34:4; Mark 9:42; James 4:5-6). So when God wants to send you a prophecy through someone it will come to you automatically without you seeking for it and God will also confirm it with two or three sources if you further want confirmation for it, but above all those prophecies, your inner conviction that comes from the Holy Spirit is the light that God expects you to walk even above all prophecies (2 Cor 13:1; Acts 21:4, 9, 10-11, 13-14; 1 Thess 1:5; John 16:8; Rom 9:1).

You do not have to go after prophecy, but you need to daily go after the Lord Jesus in prayer towards God now, who will without fail reveal His heart towards you through His Holy Spirit and will also bring in to remembrance what you need to know in your times of need (John 14:17-18, 25-26; 15:26-27; 16:7, 13-15). Do not worry or forget that God has promised to never leave you nor forsake you if you have accepted yourself as a sinner and Jesus who is the only God's provision for all humanity as your Savior in a humble prayer towards Him (Heb 13:5; John 3:16; 14:6; James 4:10). If God has given you His very begotten Son for you, how much more He will give you prophecy to encourage, edify and comfort you whenever you need it (Rom 8:32)?

Much Blessings....

With Out Receiving The Gift Of The Holy Spirit, Can We Not Receive Any Other Gift?

Why Does The Gift Of The Holy Spirit Is Always Accompanied With Tongues?

Question : It's a blessing to check your website for learning. I had some questions for which I received answers reading the various topics here.

One thing that surprises and really humbles and me is the fact that you take time to reply to read and reply to the emails despite the fact that you're such a busy minister of God.

I now have a question for which am not able to get an answer for so many days. I believe that the anointing is accompanied with the gift of speaking in tongues.

Listening to a message by Bro.DGS on the gift of tongues, he said this is the gift on which all the other gifts are based, and without receiving this gift we cannot receive other gifts. While I completely believe and agree to this, my question is, is there any verse in the Bible to substantiate this doctrine? Also, why is it that the anointing is coupled with tongues at all times?

I heard a message by Prophet Ezekiah Francis that there are 5 types of tongues as follows:

Tongues of Revelation or Revealing Language - I Cor 2:7, 10, 12-13
Tongues of Rejuvenation, Renewal or Refreshing - Isa 28:11-13
Tongues of Fire that Refines - Acts 2:2-3
Tongues of Wrestling -
Tongues of Reigning & Ruling -

I was very happy to find answers (references) to the first three types of tongues from this article on your website. I'm just not able to find a reference or proof regarding the Tongues of Wrestling which is Tongues of Angles in your article and the Tongues of Ruling.

Please help me with this.

Thanks for your reply!

Answer : Greetings to you in Jesus wonderful name! Praise the Lord that He is using our website to bless so many hungry people for the Word of God like you around the world. And it is one of our important ministry through which we reach the world for Jesus. GLORY TO GOD!

Yes the anointing of the Holy Spirit or in other words called as Baptism in the Holy Spirit is always accompanied with the phenomenon of speaking in tongues. The first time a internal filling of the Spirit happens, it is confirmed to us and others through the external sign of speaking in tongues, which stays with us as a private prayers language towards God to speak mysteries and have very close heart to heart communion with Him. Even the first century apostles like Peter and his apostolic team could not for sure know that people have received the gift of the Holy Spirit without seeing them speaking in tongues externally, how much more we need to substantiate through the external evidence of speaking in tongues some one or even ourselves as having received this precious gift (Acts 10:45-47; 11:15-17).

Let us see from the New Testament whether this is true or not,

1) On the day of Pentecost we see that the 120 disciples of Jesus who thirsted and waited for the gift of the Holy Spirit received it with the external evidence of speaking in tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:3-4). In this instance, this same tongues were used supernaturally by God to become a sign tongue to unbelievers and lead them to true faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 2:5-6, 7-13; 1 Cor 14:22).

2) I believe all those three thousand souls who were converted on that day must have all received the same gift of the Holy Spirit after their baptism in water (Acts 2:41), because Peter the apostle promised them all with it as led by God (Acts 2:32-33, 36-39, 41-42). Peter later said that all who obey God by receiving Jesus as their Savior, to them God gives the Holy Spirit as a gift, apart from the sealing of the Spirit during Salvation who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we rise up in our new glorious body which lives forever (Acts 5:32; Eph 1:13-14).

3) When Philip the evangelist preached and saved people with mighty signs, wonders and miracles in Jesus name, and thus gave them all water Baptism who accepted Christ as their Savior in Samaria, the apostles heard that Samaria had received the Word of God, there they went and laid hands on them, immediately they received the Holy Spirit. Here also we know that they did speak in tongues as a external sign of internal filling of the Holy Spirit, how do we know it for sure? Because Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles hands the Holy Spirit was given. If they who got filled with the Holy Spirit did not speak in tongues loudly and exhibit the power of God being slain in the Spirit as Peter the apostle confirms this phenomenon later in Cornelius house after this (Acts 8:14-16, 17-21; 10:45-46), apostle Peter himself would not have know that these people have received the gift of the Holy Spirit and Simon the sorcerer also would not have asked these apostles to give the same power to him for money if it has not been audible, spectacular and powerful.

4) When Jesus sent his disciple Ananias to lay hands on the newly converted Saul and help him get filled with the Holy Spirit, somethings supernatural happened to Saul. First Ananias operated in the Holy Spirit's gift of knowledge to say to Him what has already happened to him and then laid his hands on him to be healed and then be filled with the Holy Spirit which was the reason Jesus sent him there for (Acts 9:17-18). Immediately we know Saul was healed and also have got filled with the Holy Spirit to have spoken in tongues immediately even though it was not mentioned there directly, but we know it had surely happened because later Paul mentions in his epistle about praying in this personal prayer language which comes with receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit, and he said that he speaks in tongues even more than all in the Corinthian Church which was actually a fanatical Church for speaking in tongues because of the great value of self-edification and spiritual growth through praying in it (1 Cor 14:4, 14, 18).

5) Then we see Peter and his apostolic team of elders go to the house of Cornelius a God-fearing Gentile military captain, there in his house when Peter started speaking the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ, before he could even explain fully to them in details, immediately the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. Peter and his apostolic team came to know that all the Gentiles who heard the Word of God received the gift of the Holy Spirit just like them on the day of Pentecost, because they heard them speak in tongues and magnify God (Acts 15:7, 8-9). God did not use their language this time as a sign tongue as at the day of Pentecost, but Peter and his apostolic team just heard them speak with tongues and understood spiritually that they were magnifying God through speaking it because of his previous experiences (Acts 10:44-45, 46-47; 11:15-16, 17).

6) The Church at Ephesus was weak and powerless when Paul went and saw this Church, immediately he asked them, have they received the Holy Spirit when they believed and received Jesus as their Savior which was the usual pattern the apostles operated with the new believers (Acts 19:1-2).

In other words, once a person receives the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior they will baptize them in water and immediately will lay hands on them to impart the gift of the Holy Spirit to them by faith. This was the standard procedure which apostles operated in their ministries.

Due to these Ephesus believers staying in the past revelation of John the Baptist who actually pointed to the Messiah Jesus as the one who was coming to Baptize with the Holy Spirit, but they did not directly come in to the belief of the message of Jesus as their Messiah and Savior who had already come to be present as the eternal revelation to the whole world, that is the reason they did not even hear whether there is a Holy Spirit? (Acts 19:3-4).

Once Jesus Christ the present revelation of God has been explained, immediately they all took water Baptism (Acts 19:5). So according to his usual procedure, immediately Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon all these people one by one, immediately we see them speak in tongues which was the usual external evidence that they have got filled with the Holy Spirit, then along with it we see them operating in the gift of prophesy this time as they were all new believers and it has become a Church setting for the Glory of God to be revealed (Acts 19:6-7; 2:17, 18; 1 Cor 14:5, 22, 31, 39). Once a believer prophecies, the whole Church will receive edification.

In all these six above instances we see a pattern emerging, receiving the Holy Spirit as a gift has always been accompanied with the external evidence of speaking in tongues without fail.

We also see that other gifts of the Holy Spirit like gifts of healing, prophecy, different kinds of tongues which includes sign tongue, etc...easily flowing with the river of the Holy Spirit stream within a believer when they receive the gift of the Holy Spirit newly or when an impartation of the gift of the Holy Spirit is practiced through laying on of the hands of the apostles and disciples (1 Cor 12:7, 8-10, 11; John 7:37-39; 1 Tim 1:18-19; 4:14).

Now you know why Bro.DGS said this is the gift on which all the other gifts are based. Once a person receives the gift of the Holy Spirit, it is easy for them to stir up the gifts of the Spirit as speaking in tongues will spiritually build these people to position themselves to more truth and clarity regarding all the gifts of the Spirit so that they can all desire to flow in it, and thus God will bring the manifestation of the Spirit who will operate for the profit of all (1 Cor 12:7, 11; 14:1). At the same time I do not believe that other gifts of the Holy Spirit cannot be received without receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. Why I say this is because, apostle Paul says that one and the same Spirit works all these things [i.e. 12 gifts of the Spirit], distributing to each one individually as He wills (1 Cor 12:11).

The gifts of the Spirit is for the Church and for the profit of all, according to God's appointment within the Church, these gifts which include, ministry gifts such as apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers and evangelists and Spirit's gifts such as speaking in varieties of tongues, interpretation of tongues, gifts of healings, helps, administration operates according to the calling of God given to each individual person (1 Cor 12:7-11; Eph 4:11; Rom 12:3, 4-5, 6-8). These individual calling gifts in each person will start to operate once God's pre-appointed time for them comes to minister these for the profit of all. 

In this area of our understanding we have to be very careful, as most of those who confuse the gift of the Holy Spirit which comes along with the external evidence of speaking in tongues as some individual gift which only certain people can get when actually it is promised to all the believers for personal edification (Acts 2:38-39; 1 Cor 14:4).

But the the "varieties of tongues" which is spoken within the Church setting with interpretation, is a individual gift that God gives and uses by His own will to edify the Church (1 Cor 12:28-31). Any believer can desire for such gift to edify the Church (1 Cor 14:1, 19). But all cannot get it, but only those whom God chooses for a particular ministry, gift or grace will be able to operate in such things according to the will of God (1 Cor 12:29-30). We should desire the best gifts which actually will edify the Church like prophecy or speaking with the gift of tongues with interpretation (1 Cor 14:5, 27-28, 31, 39).

There is not a single verse in the Bible to substantiate this doctrine which says that without receiving this gift of the Holy Spirit we cannot receive other gifts, I have personally seen so many men and women of God without receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit being used mightily in the irrevocable calling of God over their lives (Rom 11:29; 1 Peter 4:10; 1 Cor 7:17, 20). So again as I have said, I say again that the gift of the Holy Spirit will enhance and spiritually build us up to operate in all other gifts of the Spirit in a easier way. At the same time, it does not mean that if we do not receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, we will not be able to receive any of the gifts to operate within the Church, because according to God each believer has been called to become a particular member of the Body of Christ which is the Church before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4; Rom 8:28-29, 30). Except most of the charismatic and Pentecostal denominations, many do not even know about the gift of the Holy Spirit even after being a believer for many years and decades because of the lack of right teachings and demonstration of it that will only help them receive it. Yet we see in other denominations including many evangelicals that believe cessationism, great preachers with heavy anointing who expound Scripture so profoundly, that you have to sit and hear in awe of the depth with which they exercise the individual gift through which they operate. So there is a individual calling anointing that operates in people even without the gift of the Holy Spirit anointing that always comes with tongues of private prayer language towards God.

To your question, why is it that the gift of the Holy Spirit-anointing is coupled with tongues at all times? The very simple answer apostle Paul provides is in 1 Cor 14:21-22, " 21 In the law it is written: “ With men of other tongues and other lips I will speak to this people; And yet, for all that, they will not hear Me,” says the Lord. 22 Therefore tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophesying is not for unbelievers but for those who believe." Paul refers and takes this Scripture 1 Cor 14:21 from Isa 28:11-12 which says, " 11 For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people, 12 To whom He said, “This is the rest with which You may cause the weary to rest,” and, “This is the refreshing”; Yet they would not hear."

In the above verses Paul refers to tongues as a sign to unbeliever from the mouth of a believer to whom it will be a rest, in other words weary believers are made to rest by God through speaking in tongues. It is indeed refreshing to those who speak, and also to those who hear it from God as a message because of its supernatural origin, yet if they harden their heart without receiving Jesus Christ as their Savior, they will not hear the message of God to obey it in their lives. So the reason every time tongues accompanies when receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit is because it is a New Testament supernatural phenomenon that God has brought to speak to unbelievers and also to believers through interpretation of tongues. Tongue is causing rest and refreshing to a believer because he/she may not know what to pray for and how to pray, but the Holy Spirit Himself intercedes through the believer in tongues to God knowing the will of God and brings the exact answer that is needed for them at the right time for making them continue in the will of God (Rom 8:26-27).

There are not 5 types of tongues, but just three main types, they are a) Tongues of Men b) Personal Tongues to God c) Tongues of Angels. Within each category of these types, we can add two or three or more "varieties of tongues" with various applications.

1) Tongues of Revelation or Revealing Language — 1 Cor 2:7, 10, 12-13 (Personal Self Edification - 1 Cor 14:4). 

2) Tongues of Rejuvenation, Renewal or Refreshing — Isa 28:11-13 (Personal Self Edification - 1 Cor 14:4).

3) Tongues of Fire that Refines — Acts 2:2-3 (Tongues of Men - Public Edification Through Sign Tongue - Acts 2:12, 15-17, 36, 37-39). 

4) Tongues of Wrestling - Eph 3:9-10 (Tongues of Angels - Wrestling With Evil Powers - 1 Cor 13:1; Eph 6:12, 18).

5) Tongues of Reigning & Ruling — Eph 2:5-6, 7; 1:18-19, 20-21, 22-23 (Tongues of Angels - Reigning & Ruling Over Evil Powers - 1 Cor 13:1; Luke 10:17-18, 19-20; Acts 19:13-14, 15; 16:18).

Especially in the tongues of Angels, God's word of authority will go directly through us from our mouth to those evil angels in their know language making them shudder before the power of God (James 2:9). Hope you got all your point clearly.

Much Blessings....

Because All Believers Like Levi Are Priests, And Also Kings, Should They Tithe?

Does Tithe Apply Only To Old Testament Period Of Time?

Question : In the Old Testament the tribe of Levi were considered as priests by God, and all tithes given by the eleven tribes were directly given to them as their inheritance (Num 18:21; Heb 7:9). Because there is no longer a tribe of Levi in the New Testament in order for us to give our tithes and offerings, and also all believers in Christ in the New testament are called to be Priests or a Royal Priesthood (1 Peter 2:9-10), Is this the reason why tithing is no longer enforced in the New Testament? Can we disperse the Money being collected from the believers to be served directly to the brethren according to their needs, so that no one will be lacking from among the brethren in things they need? (Acts 2:43-47, 4:34-37, 6:1-7). Can you please show me even one scripture stating that a New Testament Christian is required, advised, asked, or directed by God to be a tither or tithe? 

I believe that the money of the Church should be distributed to all the brethren especially those in urgent need, in the early Church there was no believer who lacked, every one of them were supplied according to their needs, ministers if possible should have a job to earn a living in order to support his family, that the may be an example of all good works to the flock, they must learn to avoid what is impropriety and what is expedient (1 Corinthians 9:9-18, 2 Thessalonians 3:6-12). What do you think regarding these things?

Answer : Greetings to you in Jesus wonderful name! Paul the chief Apostle to the Gentiles says, "6 Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches. 7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith." (Gal 6:6). What does the above verses mean? It means that the 5 fold ministry gift of Jesus to the Church should be supported in the New Testament...so that they can go freely in to all the world (Matt 28:19-20), and preach and teach the Word of God to grow and bear fruit in the lives of believers, the ministers should give themselves wholly to prayer and meditating upon the word of God in order to be effective in their work (Eph 4:11; Gal 4:19). So every person who is blessed by the Word of God must be considerate towards those who supply to them the spiritual manna of the Word of God and support them monetarily to carry out the mission of God. So basically the tribe of Levi was for the nation of Israel, and NT ministers are for the Church and so they depend on those who are blessed by the Word of God and those who are blessed by them should generously choose to bless them monetarily.

Patriarch's like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who lived by faith did not give to God out of compulsion but rather out of thankfulness they worshiped God (Gen 14:20; 26:24-25; 28:22).

The problem with the time of Jesus' ministry with the religious Tithers like Pharisees was, they all religiously tithed even to small exact amount of "mint and anise and cumin," but they did not practice it in the love of God towards God and people by leaving out justice, mercy and faithfulness which should have been practiced along with their tithing (Mt 23:23; Lev 27:30).

In the Scripture Apostle Paul clearly said, "13 Don't you realize that those who work in the temple get their meals from the offerings brought to the temple? And those who serve at the altar get a share of the sacrificial offerings. 14 In the same way, the Lord ordered that those who preach the Good News should be supported by those who benefit from it." (1 Cor 9:13-14, NLT). In other words, Paul is saying that just like the tribe of Levi received Old Testament tithes of people, so Jesus Himself ordered that the New Testament teachers and preachers of the Gospel should be supported by the Church members who are benefited by their spiritual ministry. Jesus Himself was supported by those who voluntarily gave their money for His mission and the mission of His disciples (Luk 8:3). Paul the apostle himself received the support of certain churches which were mature to give Him and avoided the immature churches so that they might not blame his ministry as though it was done by him to make a comfortable living out of their money (1 Cor 9:11-12; 2 Cor 9:5; 11:8; Php 4:15-18; 1 Thess 2:5, 9; 2 Thess 3:8-9; Acts 20:33-35). This shows that a minister of God need not necessarily use their right and demand to be supported by his Church members or those who benefit from their ministry, but rather give them all a opportunity to increase in the righteousness and grace of giving towards God by receiving their monetary support as their give cheerfully and willingly to them. After all, what they sow in faithfulness towards God is what they will receive later in their life, either sparingly if they have sown sparingly or bountifully back if they have sown bountifully (2 Cor 9:6-8, 10).

The same Paul who avoided monetary support from the new born Church and the persecuted Churches to carry on with tent-making business along with his disciples to support themselves in ministry (Acts 18:3; 20:34), freely received monetary support from other Churches which had the ability to give and support his ministry. The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews was a missionary and he commended the believers for letting him "plunder their goods" (Heb 10:34). In the same way Jesus also did not avoid receiving monetary support from those who voluntarily wanted to support His and his disciples mission. In fact, all his disciples completely left their job and followed Jesus. They needed money to propagate the gospel, so they received monetary gifts which Judas actually collected and kept in a money box (John 12:6).

When you say, to New Covenant Ministers, '...if possible they should have a job to earn a living in order to support his/her family, that they may be an example of all good works to the flock, they must learn to avoid what is impropriety and what is expedient.' (1 Corinthians 9:9-18, 2 Thessalonians 3:6-12). My question is, if the ministers of God are working for their own survival how could they have time for giving themselves to continual prayer and to the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:4). So it is the obligation of the Church which receives the spiritual benefits from the 5 fold ministry gifts of ministers, should come forward to support them monetarily and help them continue their spiritual ministry, in order to strengthen and extend the kingdom of God through them (Eph 4:11; Gal 6:6; Rom 10:14-15, 16-18).

Church is not essentially a philanthropic organization to freely provide money to all, but it is rather a spiritual organization which exists to do the work of saving souls and building them in to mature sons and daughters of God so that the kingdom of God can be extended and multiplied around the world through the believers who do the work of God in the society where they live and come in to contact with the world around them. For this reason, apostle Paul instructed all believers to work hard, so that they can support their family, those in need and those who work as gospel ministers alike can be supported financially, so that they might be fruitful spiritually and also live in the blessedness of being a giver (1 Tim 8:8, 6; 2 Thess 3:10, 7-8; Acts 20:35; 1 Cor 9:18).

In the first century Jerusalem Church, many great saints were poor people and also the apostles dispersed the money there towards believers because God led them to give at that time and spread the gospel to all the people around, so that the same believers could spread like wild fire to take the Gospel of the good news of salvation to all the world according to the instruction of Jesus to the apostles (1 Cor 16:1-2, 3-4; Acts 1:8; 4:32-37; 6:1; 8:1, 4).

So your exposition in this matter need to be practical from the whole Bible point of view and not just the first century Jerusalem Church contextually, which at that particular time was having different kind of religious and political tyranny against the Church which made the Church to act on its own under God's specific instructions for them. We can take certain good principles from that first century Jerusalem Church but not set it as a rule and try to apply it for the Church of today, in which case it is not practical as today's ministers need money like all humans to carry on the Church's mission to be fulfilled in our generation.

When people tried to eat even the 10% Tithe that God asked to give as a sign of thankfulness, God called these people thieves and robbers because they consumed themselves what belonged to God (Mal 3:8; Mark 12:17). We can learn to practice New Covenant giving by starting with our Tithe which is just a Old Testament level of giving, and from there grow on to the New Covenant method of giving which is a better covenant where our giving needs to be practiced in a better way by Cheerful Giving (2 Cor 9:7), Liberal Giving (2 Cor 8:2) and Sacrificial Giving (2 Cor 8:3) or else we will start to draw back in to stinginess and lack because of it in our Christian life and family life.

Jesus always praised profusely those givers who practiced it like that Widow who gave everything to God and Mary who poured out all her life saving in worship to Jesus (Luke 21:1-4; Matt 26:6-13). A safe way to practice giving is to go from our Tithe to Total giving of each and every thing including our bodies which is only the New Covenant way of giving. It is not done out of compulsion but out of love for the Lord in giving us eternal salvation and a great future for eternity ahead with Him apart from our works by His total grace. That which costs us nothing is worth nothing, so let us learn to give our best to God always who has given us His all in Christ Jesus (2 Sam 24:24; Rom 8:32). Giving in itself is a grace that we need to practice and grow in it, if we do not use this grace we will lose it, so we must see to ourselves that we abound and excel in this area of giving our money towards God (2 Peter 3:18; 2 Cor 8:7).

When some one questions and asks, 'Is Tithing compulsory in New Testament Times?,' they do not realize with thankfulness of how much the Lord has already blessed them with all spiritual blessing in the heavenly places to live a abundant life (Eph 1:3; John 10:10). Tithe is just a minimum of the Old Testament where we can safely start and go on to total giving of everything in the New Testament standard (Acts 4:34-35, 36-37; Rom 12:1). No commandments of the law was reinforced in the New Testament by any of the apostles because all of it has become obsolete and outdated by the better covenant which Jesus has mediated between God and us which is full of better promises from God (Heb 8:13, 6). In the New Testament, we just believe God's promises and walk in the blessings of God (Mark 9:23; Luke 8:49-50). While Old Testament emphasized doing for God which has become outdated now, New Testament emphasizes being in God through believing which is much better than the Old (Eph 2:8). Law came through Moses, Grace came through Jesus (John 1:17). So tithing was a law of the Old Testament, Cheerful Giving (2 Cor 9:7), Liberal Giving (2 Cor 8:2) and Sacrificial Giving (2 Cor 8:3) are all the graces of the New Testament. In other words, in the New Testament people should come to realize that out of what God has already given them, they are only giving a part of what He has already given them as a thankful acknowledgement and gratitude towards Him for His constant care and sovereign provision towards them (1 Chron 29:14).  

The distribution of the Lord's money is a personal matter between God and the Christian. Even during the Old Testament time people were allowed to spend their tithes themselves according to the leading of God for religious things (Deut 14:22-26). Having said this, I give some guidelines where it can be distributed :

1) Distribute the Lord's money where you are taught the Word of God (Gal 6:6).

2) Distribute the Lord's money to all the ministers of God in the five fold ministry like pastors, teachers, evangelists, prophets and apostles (Eph 4:11). Some are mobile or trans-local, while others are residential or local. If you are fully giving all your money to only pastors you are robbing others ministers of their due. If you are only giving to a television evangelist, you are robbing the other ministries their due. It equally applies to all the others para-church ministries. Today God has raised apostolic Internet ministries and it is a pioneering ministry of apostles, you can choose to support such ministries where lot of people are blessed but only few take notice of it to bless them financially and help them carry on the mission that God has given them. This is the same with prophetic ministries in our times who pioneer on the Internet and use it as a tool to reach the worldwide Church of God and believers. In short, support where there is need and fruit that comes out of it. Paul like pioneer workers who go in search of sheep outside the fold (Matt 9:36-38) and those like Apollos who were pastoral workers tending the sheep inside the fold (1 Peter 5:2), need to be remembered and supported for the fulfillment of the mission which God has given them to fulfill as they are equally important.

3) Distribute the Lord's money to poor people who are in need and share along with it the gospel of Jesus Christ to them personally (Prov 1:17). Especially should help the poor believers, and oppressed orphans and widows who are in great need (Gal 6:10; James 2:15-16, 17; 1:27).

4) Distribute the Lord's money to those who are pioneer who go in to new areas to evangelize and plant Churches, where the workers cannot expect support from people they reach (3 John 7, 8). Also support specialized ministries like Bible Translation, ministry to drug-addicts, blind, deaf, dumb, lepers, invalids and so on which our Lord Jesus always commends (Matt 25:31-46).

5) Always distribute and support with the Lord's money those missionary-minded five-fold ministers of God who use the bare minimum for their own need and turn over the rest to outreach ministries. It is safe to trust them even with large sum as they will be always accountable to God as well as to men who give them (2 Cor 8:20, 21). The thumb rule is that you can give half of what you give to the local Church and the other half to other type of ministries as the Lord leads. But please make sure that such support doesn't get in to the hands of apostates who promote so called modernism without real faith within and shake up the faith of other Christians (2 John 10,11).


Much Blessings....