Acts 2:38

What Is The Greatest Need In The World Today?

~ Pat Vick ~ Leave a comment
Photo by Samuel Martins on Unsplash


“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)


My People

This scripture is addressed to a particular group of people. While it is relevant and true for all mankind, it is a specific call to the people of God. As we see wickedness prevailing all around us, the Church is being beckoned by God to pray like never before. What do I mean by “the Church?” Who are these individuals? The Church is made up of people who are born again according to scripture.

Many people claim Christianity, but have never experienced this New Birth. In the Old Testament before Jesus offered himself as the sacrifice for our sins, the people of God were set apart from the world through the animal sacrificial system. However, since Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection and the outpouring of the Holy Ghost in Acts chapter two, we become the people of God by being born again of the water and Spirit. The New Birth process is given very specifically in Acts 2:38:

“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 2:38)

So the “My People” of 2 Chronicles 7:14 are those who are scripturally born again. They have repented of their sins, been baptized in the only saving name of Jesus Christ, and have received the precious gift of the Holy Ghost, evidenced by speaking in tongues. This pattern is clearly seen in Acts chapters 2, 8, 10 and 19.

Who Are Called By My Name

Again, many people claim to be Christians, having never taken on the name of Jesus. We take on his name in baptism. Many have never been baptized at all, not realizing that baptism is necessary “for the remission (removal) of sins.” Others have been baptized, yet not in Jesus’ name. The early Church of the New Testament knew and practiced only one baptismal formula, calling the name of Jesus Christ over the one being immersed. If you have been baptized any other way, including having the titles father, son and Holy Ghost spoken over you, I urge you to study out the topic prayerfully, and be re-baptized in Jesus’ name.

Humble Themselves 

In a world that is hyper focused on “self,” it takes a consistent effort to focus on being humble. And not only being humble, but specifically the act of humbling one’s self. The word humble here means to bend the knee and bring down into subjection. This concept is so foreign in the day we live. The world view is to be puffed up in pride, arrogance and self promotion. To fight for my way and my rights. God’s way, however, is to be in submission to His Spirit at all times.

Pray

We get so busy being busy for God that we forget to actually spend time communicating and communing with Him. Prayer is our lifeline. Just watching, listening or reading one news story a day is enough to bring fear, anxiety and depression into our minds…if we don’t pray. The world has gone crazy. The perilous times Jesus spoke of have arrived, and will only escalate until He returns. We are the generation called to navigate these end time events. We must not allow the condition of the world to cause us to hide under our covers, hoping it will all just go away. God has called us to pray His Will into existence. If we, the Born Again People of God won’t, who will?

Seek My Face

A lot of people are seeking God, but they are seeking His Hand, not His Face. They are seeking blessing, but not relationship. Yes, He has instructed us to ask for what we need, but those prayers should come from an intimate relationship with Him. He wants to meet our needs, and even bless us with things we want, but don’t necessarily need. He’s good like that. His great desire, however, is for us to be with Him. From the very beginning of creation in the garden, it was His pattern to visit with Adam and Eve daily. To commune with them. When we begin to press into His Presence daily, seeking His face, not just requesting goodies from His hand, things will begin to change. Our lives, homes, relationships, communities and lackluster church experience will be changed.

Turn From Their Wicked Ways

Here’s a truth: God does not bless sin. We are living in the dispensation of grace, and His grace is truly amazing. But we have leaned on God’s grace until it has become disgraceful. His grace is given to lead us to repentance, not to continue living in sin. If we profess to be His, we are called to Holiness and Sanctification. I realize it’s not a popular lifestyle with the world, nor with professing Christians who live with one foot in the Church and one foot in the world, but that’s really the point, isn’t it? It’s time to be all in.

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (Romans 6:1-2)

Then

The above mentioned actions are what we are accountable for. We must do our part, and do it consistently, before we can expect what happens after the “then.” When we are obedient to be born again according to scripture, so that we can be called by His Name, humble ourselves regularly, pray consistently, seek His face in relationship and not only His hand of blessing, turn from our wicked ways, THEN we can expect Him to respond accordingly.

Hear From Heaven

This begins God’s response to our obedience and faithfulness. He will hear from Heaven. Doesn’t God know, see and hear us at all times? Well, there’s hearing, and then there’s hearing. He is always listening to hear us call on His name in true repentance, in baptism and in seeking the in filling of His Spirit. He is always listening to hear us humble ourselves before Him and call on His name in prayer, desperate and determined to seek His face. THEN He hears us when we pray according to His will. THEN He hears our spiritual warfare prayers that push back the darkness, tear down strongholds, and bring deliverance to our families, friends and loved ones.

Forgive Their Sin

It’s worth repeating that God will never bless sin. If we want our sins forgiven, we must do our part so that He will hear us, and respond with forgiveness. But it’s not only about us. The Born Again People of God are the conduit of His mercy to a sinful world. If people are going to be forgiven of their sins, it will be largely due to our sincere prayers for them. Not sweet little lay me down to sleep or Lord, bless this food prayers. But deep, consistent intercessory prayers for a lost and dying world. God in Heaven, we beseech you to hear us in Jesus name!

Heal Their Land

I believe with all my heart that America has a God given mission in the earth. It’s the very reason for its existence. To be an ally, support and help to the nation of Israel in these last days before Jesus’ return. How can we do that, be that, fulfill that with the most heinous lifestyles being promoted as good, normal and to be sought after in our nation? How?! It is time, and high time, that the  Church of the Living God be salt and light in a nation and world bound by sin.

Conclusion

I believe God has promised us a great end time revival in these last days.yes, I know scripture speaks of a great “falling away,” but it’s a two way street. Many people are rushing headlong into hell, but others, many others, are hungry for Truth. Hungry for the real things of God, and not the counterfeit. Let’s make it our mission to find them. Let’s live out 2 Chronicles 7:4 before them, and watch God respond by hearing us from Heaven, forgiving our sins and healing our nation. In Jesus’ name.

So, what is the greatest need in the world today?

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

 

Warm Regards,

-Pat Vick

As always, feel free to leave a comment, share to social media, SUBSCRIBE HERE to my newsletter, and email me at pat@patvick.com

 

 

Do I Have To Speak In Tongues? It’s All About Yielding.

~ Pat Vick ~ 1 Comment

A lady told me years ago that she wanted to speak in tongues like I did because I didn’t make crazy faces. She was trying to pay me a compliment, but I confess I didn’t know how to receive it. It did, however, cause me to pay attention to other people speaking in tongues. Sure enough, a great majority of them made facial expressions that appeared spastic and even painful to watch. This began my search for an answer. Why did some people seem to speak in tongues effortlessly, while others appeared to be chewing on unripe persimmons? The answer, I discovered, is in the yielding.

Do I Have To Speak In Tongues?

This leads me to my title question, do I have to speak in tongues? If you’re asking whether you HAVE to, you’re focusing on the wrong thing. The truth is when you are yielded, you WILL speak in tongues. If you go to the book of Acts which records the first outpourings of the Holy Ghost, there is no record of them asking, “Do I have to speak in tongues?” When the Apostles laid their hands upon potential new converts, they began to worship out loud, yielding themselves to the power of God, and they simply began to speak in tongues. It is the natural overflow of someone who is truly yielded.

Good Ground Yields Fruit

The men in my family farm row crops. Corn and soybeans. If they plant seed into prepared ground, that ground will yield vegetables. They plant with the expectation of harvesting. They trust the yielding process.

“And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred. And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” (Mark 4:8-9)

Trees Yield to the Wind

A healthy tree is not moved out of it’s place by a strong wind. When the wind blows, a tree will yield it’s branches which allows the wind to flow over, around and through. Here on the farm, I’ve been amazed many times at how far a tree will bend to allow for the moving of a strong wind without snapping. I’ve seen the same in altars when people bend and sway physically almost all the way forward and then almost all the way backward under the powerful wind of the Holy Ghost, without falling. The ultimate yielding, however, is when a person yields the most powerful body part, the tongue, to the flow of the Holy Ghost. When this happens, they will speak in tongues.

Crashing Is Not Yielding

We had a gorgeous beech tree in our back pasture when we first bought our property. I loved that tree. It was a majestic sight to behold, and home to much wildlife that made their nests in it’s branches. Even though it had stood for decades, one day a storm came, and it refused to yield. It was a sad day when that giant beauty fell.

There are many signs of someone being touched by the Holy Ghost -Joy, quivering, shaking, jumping, dancing, crying, swaying, but the only God-given evidence of a person being filled with the Holy Ghost is speaking in tongues. Furthermore, when someone comes crashing down like that old beech tree, you can be sure that person didn’t yield. Note, I’m not speaking about sinking down,  “slain in the Spirit,” which I have been. But I don’t care how many so-called men of God blow on you, if you come crashing and thrashing down, that is flesh, not Spirit. The biblical evidence of a person yielding to God’s Spirit is speaking in tongues.

Biblical examples of people falling back (again, I’m not referring to sinking down under the overwhelming Presence of God’s Spirit) actually point to people who were in sin and resisting the Holy Ghost. 

“And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken. And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.” (1 Samuel 4:17-18)

“Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.” (John 18:4-6)

How Do I Yield?

To yield means to give over to. We must give ourselves over to the flowing of God’s Spirit. Admittedly, this is more challenging today than in biblical times. We live in a complicated world in which we are bombarded with external stimuli on a continual basis. The world’s influence, advertising, pressures constantly vie for our attention and mold our thinking. By the time someone is at an altar seeking the Holy Ghost, they have already been exposed, and often saturated, with false teaching concerning what is required for receiving the Spirit, as well as negative opinions about speaking in tongues.

Scripture is very plain, however, that speaking in tongues is the evidence that God chose to prove the infilling of the Holy Ghost. That being the case, how do I yield to the Spirit, and allow myself to be filled?

  • Repent of all sin. To be filled with the Holy Ghost, we must stand before God truly remorseful of everything that we have said, done or thought against His will and word. We must also have committed to turn away from sin from that moment forward.
  • Be Baptized in Jesus’ name. Although many people do receive the Holy Ghost before they are baptized, we should do as much as we have the power to do before we expect God to do His part. Repentance and being baptized for the remission of sins is our part.
  • Begin to Praise and Worship God out loud. God comes close when we lift Him up. Verbally, thank Him for his goodness to you. Say the things individually that you are thankful for. Tell Him out loud how you love Him, adore Him, worship Him, thank Him, trust Him, etc.
  • Lift your hands high to him in surrender to His Spirit and will. This is a universal sign of surrender. I’ve never seen anyone receive the Holy Ghost with their hands balled into fists at their sides.
  • YIELD every part of yourself to Him -every member of your physical body, every emotion, every thought, and your very speech.

“Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” (Romans 6:16)

What If I Don’t Receive The Holy Ghost?

If you don’t receive the Holy Ghost the first time you pray, you can pray again. It actually took me five years to receive the precious gift of the Holy Ghost because no one told me these things. If you look at the biblical accounts in the book of Acts, however, you will find that after the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2, no one ever “tarried” for the Holy Ghost again. The gift is available to you any time you decide to submit to the process.

The two questions you should ask yourself if you do not receive the Holy Ghost evidenced by speaking in tongues are:

1. Is there sin in my life that I have not truly repented of? Repentance is not just saying you’re sorry. It’s not even just being sorry. There is a brokenness that comes with true repentance -a godly sorrow, and a commitment to turn away from sin. Check the smallest dark recesses of your heart. Be honest with yourself and God.

2. Are you truly yielded? When your hands began to shake, your lips began to quiver, and your tongue felt like it was going to do its own thing, did you close your mouth and refuse to speak out loud? I realize this is a down to the brass tacks question that doesn’t seem spiritual, but God will not make you speak in tongues. You can stop the flow if you choose, and delay receiving His Holy Spirit until the next altar service, or even the next decade.

So…I Do Have To Speak In Tongues?!

For the love of all things holy, please stop focusing on speaking in tongues. What you have to do is REPENT and YIELD. When you do those two things correctly, you will receive the Holy Ghost, and when you receive the Holy Ghost, you WILL speak in tongues. It’s all about the yielding.

P.S. The answer to why some people speak in tongues more effortlessly than others is all about yielding as well;)

Warm Regards, -Pat

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Are All Pentecostal Churches Created Equal?

~ Pat Vick ~ 4 Comments

I see it all the time -another “Pentecostal Church” sign in front of a church that I’m pretty sure is quite different from the Pentecostal Church we pastor. It’s no wonder there is so much confusion about what being Pentecostal means.

Not too many years ago in America, it was almost taboo to say you were Pentecostal. Not so today. More and more people boast in the fact that they have some association with Pentecost, as if they have risen above some social barrier. 

While it’s great that people are excited about visiting a Pentecostal Church, it’s often difficult for those who are actually trying to find one to attend.

With so many different flavors of Pentecost to choose from, how do you know what to look for? How do you know what’s important? What does Pentecostal even mean for Heaven’s sake???

PENTECOST

The word Pentecost actually means Fifty. It was fifty days after Jesus’ resurrection from the dead that He poured out the Holy Ghost (Spirit of God) on the hundred and twenty disciples who had waited in the upper room in Jerusalem for the promised gift. 

When the promise came to them, everyone in the upper room began to speak in unknown tongues (languages) as the Spirit enabled them. This supernatural phenomenon, along with lively worship, is what most people refer to when they think of being Pentecostal. While it is the first thing, it shouldn’t be the only thing.

Speaking in tongues is the initial sign of receiving the Holy Ghost (God’s Spirit), but being Pentecostal is more than speaking in tongues. Many congregations, denominations and religious organizations allow for being filled with the Holy Ghost (evidenced by speaking in tongues), yet never continue on into the fullness of the Pentecostal experience.

WHAT’S IMPORTANT?

There is one core difference that separates one Pentecostal Church from another -whether it is Oneness or Trinitarian. Every other teaching trickles down from this core doctrine.

Oneness Doctrine

The biblically correct teaching that God is one, based on Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:”

God is one. He is a Spirit. He manifested Himself in the form of a man (the son of God/flesh) so that He could become the sinless sacrifice for our sins, and die in our place, allowing us to have access to eternal life.

Trinitarian Doctrine

The erroneous teaching that God is three, based on the Catholic Nicene Creed, adopted at the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D.

God is three separate beings, co-equal and co-eternal. This was not what the prophets taught. It was not what Jesus taught. It was not what the Apostles taught. It was not what the early Church taught. It was manufactured 325 years after Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection.

Why does it make a difference if a Church is Oneness or Trinitarian?

A Oneness Pentecostal Church will teach Acts 2:38 as the only plan of salvation. Repentance, Baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and the in filling of the Holy Ghost, evidenced by speaking in tongues. A Oneness Church most often promotes some level of holiness and separation from worldliness, as well.

A Trinitarian Pentecostal church (or any trinitarian church, whether they are Pentecostal or not) will allow, and might even seek to be filled with the Holy Ghost, evidenced by speaking in tongues. However, they will not teach that it is essential to salvation. 

A trinitarian church will baptize using the titles, “Father, Son and Holy Spirit/Holy Ghost,” but not in the name of Jesus. 

Most Trinitarian churches teach that you are saved when you accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal savior, and that anything else you do is good, but not necessary for your salvation.

Can You See The Difference?

As you can hopefully tell, there is a big difference between these two doctrinal beliefs.

-The Oneness of God

-Acts 2:38 as the essential Plan of Salvation 

-Baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.

-The infilling of the Holy Ghost, evidenced by speaking in tongues.

-Holiness/Separation from worldliness

These are the key factors you should start with when visiting or looking for a Pentecostal Church to call home.

Blessings,

-Pat

The Keys of the Kingdom

Video ~ ~ Pat Vick ~ 4 Comments
Peter was given the Keys of the Kingdom (plan of salvation) by Jesus in Matthew 16. He revealed what those keys were when he preached the first message of the New Testament Church in Acts 2.