In his book, Mr Graham denotes "sin" as the greatest hindrance of being
filled with the Holy Spirit.
My answer would be "religious tradition."
Jerry
"Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who
was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to
be done by their hands" (Acts 14:3).
----- Original Message -----
From: <shieldwolf@...>
To: <pastorsforum@...>
Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2008 11:14 PM
Subject: Re: [PastorsForum] Baptist Stigma
> 1Jn 1:9. Then you can be filled with the Spirit.
>
> Blessings,
> Randy
>
>> Jerry K,
>>
>>>>>>> Do you know if Billy Graham was 'filled with the holy Spirit?'
>>
>> I cannot attest for any spiritual experiences that Mr Graham experienced.
>>
>> However, he did write and publish a good book on the subject with some
>> excellent teaching regarding activating God's power in your life. There
>> is
>> much that he writes that, IMHO, is based on denominational tradition, yet
>> there is a lot of good in his book.
>>
>> On page 140 in chapter 8 (The Fullness of the Spirit) he states, "In my
>> own
>> life there have been times when I have also had the sense of being filled
>> with the Spirit, knowing that some special strength was added for some
>> task
>> I was being called upon to perform."
>>
>> He goes on to state," To be filled with the Spirit is not an option, but
>> a
>> necessity. It is indispensable for the abundant life and for fruitful
>> service. ... It is intended for all, needed by all, and available to all.
>> That is why the Scripture commands all of us, "Be filled with the
>> Spirit."
>>
>> I might add, the "filling with the Spirit" is not automatic. The Bible
>> tells us that we are to ask for the power of the Holy Spirit. Even then,
>> it
>> is still not automatic, ... there is a "receiving" that we must do.
>>
>> Acts 8:14-15
>> 14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had
>> received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:
>> 15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might
>> receive
>> the Holy Ghost:
>>
>> Acts 8:17
>> 17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
>>
>> Acts 19:5-6
>> 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
>> 6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on
>> them;
>> and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
>>
>> God has already sent the Spirit, He has done His part in "giving" the
>> power
>> of the Spirit, ... it is up to us to do the "receiving."
>>
>> Jerry L
>> "Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord,
>> who
>> was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders
>> to
>> be done by their hands" (Acts 14:3).
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Jerry Krewson" <pastorjerry@...>
>> To: <pastorsforum@...>
>> Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2008 2:39 PM
>> Subject: Re: [PastorsForum] Baptist Stigma
>>
>>
>>> Jerry,
>>> Do you know if Billy Graham was 'filled with the holy Spirit?'
>>> jerry k
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Jerry Lewis" <jlew0@...>
>>> To: <pastorsforum@...>
>>> Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2008 7:48 AM
>>> Subject: Re: [PastorsForum] Baptist Stigma
>>>
>>>
>>>> Charles,
>>>>
>>>> There is a stigma to the label "Pentecostal" also. And to the label
>>>> "holiness church."
>>>>
>>>> Many Baptists are scared of the word "Pentecostal" and seek to avoid
>>>> it.
>>>>
>>>> I like the quote from John Osteen, a Baptist pastor for 19 years before
>>>> he was filled with the holy Spirit. He said, "Pentecost is not a
>>>> denomination but an experience God intended for every blood-bought
>>>> child
>>>> of His."
>>>>
>>>> The feast of Pentecost was related to the harvest, and the power of
>>>> Pentecost is to enable us to reap a harvest of souls for the Kingdom of
>>>> God!!!
>>>>
>>>> Jerry
>>>> "Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord,
>>>> who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and
>>>> wonders to be done by their hands" (Acts 14:3).
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> From: "JoynCharles" <joyncharles@...>
>>>> To: <pastorsforum@...>
>>>> Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2008 10:10 AM
>>>> Subject: Re: [PastorsForum] Baptist Stigma
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Jerry,
>>>>> I thought it was the Pentecostals that had a stigma.
>>>>> When I started pastoring in a very problemed church it was suggested
>>>>> to
>>>>> change the name to Baptist.
>>>>> The Baptist church had more people and more adhering people than all
>>>>> of
>>>>> the others combined.
>>>>> I must be the area! We were in East Texas.
>>>>> We changed the name to Abundant Life Church and put a AG logo on the
>>>>> sign.
>>>>> All of that was to no avail.
>>>>> Only when we started once a month cell (home) groups did we start to
>>>>> have explosive growth.
>>>>> My overseers thought it was the name change that effected the growth.
>>>>>
>>>>> Rev. Charles Cockroft
>>>>> Associate Pastor
>>>>> First Assembly of God, Denison, Texas
>>>>> A Church Without Walls
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --------------------------------------------------
>>>>> From: <shieldwolf@...>
>>>>> Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2008 8:50 AM
>>>>> To: <pastorsforum@...>
>>>>> Subject: Re: [PastorsForum] Baptist Stigma
>>>>>
>>>>>> If I am not mistaken, a few years back Barna did a study on how
>>>>>> churches
>>>>>> were viewed in general in America. The most loved church: Baptist.
>>>>>> The
>>>>>> most hated church: Baptist. The best known church: Baptist.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> What was funny: Least loved: Lutheran; Least hated: Lutheran. The
>>>>>> only
>>>>>> thing that was known about us is that we don't have conniption fits
>>>>>> if
>>>>>> you
>>>>>> drink.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> SO, you Baptists have it harder than we Lutherans. You are either
>>>>>> already
>>>>>> loved or already hated. Whereas for we Lutherans, the playing field
>>>>>> is
>>>>>> wide open. No one knows about us because in general we stink at
>>>>>> evangelism other than Lutheran Hour Ministries.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> BTW, those who hate you, do so for the legalism, not the doctrine.
>>>>>> Those
>>>>>> who love you, do so because you cared enough to tell them about
>>>>>> Jesus...or
>>>>>> at least that is what I remember from what was related to me from the
>>>>>> study---this was back around 1999 or 2000ish.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Blessings,
>>>>>> Randy
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Gary gave a great answer.I'll add my 2 cents about "Baptist stigma".
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>From the unbelievers I have met in person or read, many (not all)
>>>>>>>> have
>>>>>>>> the impression that Baptists are more narrow-minded in their
>>>>>>>> beliefs
>>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>>> convictions than other denominations. There is an assumption that
>>>>>>>> Baptists don't drink, dance, or have fun (unless no one is
>>>>>>>> looking).
>>>>>>>> Their minds are made up on most issues already, so there's no use
>>>>>>>> discussing things with them.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> The more "tolerance" is the cultural cry, the more Baptists and
>>>>>>> Fundamentalists and any group with clear biblical theological
>>>>>>> positions
>>>>>>> will be stigmatized.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> An Immersionist, non-Baptist,
>>>>>>> Jimbo
>>>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>>>> From: Jerry
>>>>>>> To: PASTORS FORUM
>>>>>>> Sent: Monday, May 19, 2008 5:31 PM
>>>>>>> Subject: [PastorsForum] Baptist Stigma
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Gentlemen,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I had a middle-aged couple visit our church last night. They left
>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>> church they had been members of because of several changes that were
>>>>>>> made.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> One major change was a name change for the church. They dropped
>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>> word
>>>>>>> "Baptist" from the church's name. It was stated that there was a
>>>>>>> "stigma" with the name "Baptist," and that some people would not
>>>>>>> attend
>>>>>>> if the name "Baptist" was on the sign. They wanted outreach to the
>>>>>>> people in the community.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Do you agree or disagree that there is a "stigma" associated with
>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>> name "Baptist"?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> The church also changed their worship style from "Blended" to
>>>>>>> praise
>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>> worship with a praise band supplying the instrumental music for
>>>>>>> worship.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Instead of having a Sunday evening worship service, they have
>>>>>>> multiple
>>>>>>> home-group cell meetings in people's homes.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Attendance at this church dropped for a bit, but now it has grown
>>>>>>> considerably.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> BTW, my wife and I were members of this church years ago.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Jerry
>>>>>>> "Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the
>>>>>>> Lord,
>>>>>>> who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and
>>>>>>> wonders to be done by their hands" (Acts 14:3).
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> To subscribe, send a message to: pastorsforum-join@...
>>>>>>>
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>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
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>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
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