Anyone with experience @ Rapture Ready Forums?

[JesusIs4Me]

You are mistaken: Paul ASSUMED they were followers of Jesus Christ. It was only after talking with them that he discovered they did not know Christ. So what did He do? He TAUGHT them about Christ. They got born again. Then they were baptized in water, proving they were born again. And then, AFTER that, they received the mighty baptism of the Holy Spirit - the Holy Spirit upon. They already HAD the Holy Spirit within - the moment they believed and confessed Jesus. Don't take my word for it - go and look: the Holy Spirit came UPON them. In other words, they received the anointing to minister. Who is it then that is reading this incorrectly? Luke was very careful to show us this was the Holy Spirit UPON and it was after they were born again. We see the same thing in Acts 8. The fact is, Paul, thinking they were believers asked them if they had received the Holy Spirit SINCE (meaning after) they had believed. I say it again: you would not ask anyone this question because you don't believe what Paul believed. You are correct, before Paul met them, they were just good repentant Jews that had not yet heard of Jesus.

If you look closely at Acts 8, Luke gives us a peek into the minds of the church leaders in Jerusalem: they heard that Samaria had received the gospel. What was their responce? They sent Peter and John. For what purpose? So they could receive the Holy Spirit. WAIT! The Holy Spirit within? No, they already received the Holy Spirit within when they believed Philip's teaching / preaching on Jesus. Luke proves this because they were water baptized.

16 For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

Note carefully: the belived and were water baptized - proving they were born again. So why send Peter and John? Very simple: they knew Philip was great and getting people born again, but was not gifted to get people filled with the Holy Spirit (or baptized in the Holy Spirit). So hands were laid on, and they received. What" The Holy Spirit within? No, they received the Holy Spirit UPON.

I have no doubt you have the Holy Spirit within. You imagine that is all there is, but the book of Acts shows us something different: there IS an experience of the Holy Spirit UPON - as the anointing. I challenge you to look up "spirit upon" and see how many times in the Old Testament the Holy Spirit came upon people. Luke wrote, "“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me..." This is the anointing. John confirms this: "“I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. " In Acts 1 Luke wrote: "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; " Note carefully, this is not a seal or a guarantee or anything concerning the Holy Spirit WITHIN: no, this is for POWER, not for salvation. This is two different works of the Holy Spirit for two separate purposes.

In Acts 10 Luke wrote, "While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. " In Acts 11, Peter confirms this: "And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning. "

You see, I disagree with you for you are too late: I have already received this mighty baptism in the Holy Spirit. I disagree with you because I see this mighty baptism written clearly in the word of God. If you don't WANT this free gift - God will not force you to get it!

I believe you are still reading your extra experience into Acts 19:1-7 only because you want to. You think receiving power is a seprate phenomenon when that is actually a testimony to our having been born again at our salvation.

John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

As it is, per your claims;

Acts 10 th chapter has Gentiles receiving the Holy Spirit BEFORE water baptism; and Paul cited that water baptism wasn't something he pushed when preaching the gospel;

1 Corinthians 1:17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. 18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.....21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

I do not doubt that you had experienced the extra phenomenon, but that was not the baptism of the Holy Ghost that you had experience later on in your life as a believer that was apart from salvation when you had first believed.

Romans 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Believers that have not received the promise of the Holy Ghost are not saved yet until they do. Having received the promise of the Holy Ghost at our salvation IS the born again of the Spirit.

But I understand that you would rather preach that extra phenomenon in giving another calling apart from salvation for believers to seek after a sign by rather than the gospel of Jesus Christ, the only calling we are to give in being His disciples.

 

[lecoope]

I was looking for a forum that focused on Eschatology, end times prophecy, and RR was one of the forums that was first page in the search engine I used.
Thank you for any insights. I did look at the forum and didn't want to misjudge first appearances without asking those who may have more experience than just as a lurker, like myself.

What concerned me was my security alerted me of dangerous scripts.

Blessings.
BD

The rapture ready forum has many people there who THINK they know, (and are proud of it) when in fact, they don't. Their scriptural timing for the rapture is totally false. Go ahead: read Rev. 4:1 and see if it sounds ANYTHING like 1 thes. 4:17?

 

[lecoope]

I believe you are still reading your extra experience into Acts 19:1-7 only because you want to. You think receiving power is a seprate phenomenon when that is actually a testimony to our having been born again at our salvation.

John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

As it is, per your claims;

Acts 10 th chapter has Gentiles receiving the Holy Spirit BEFORE water baptism; and Paul cited that water baptism wasn't something he pushed when preaching the gospel;

1 Corinthians 1:17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. 18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.....21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

I do not doubt that you had experienced the extra phenomenon, but that was not the baptism of the Holy Ghost that you had experience later on in your life as a believer that was apart from salvation when you had first believed.

Romans 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Believers that have not received the promise of the Holy Ghost are not saved yet until they do. Having received the promise of the Holy Ghost at our salvation IS the born again of the Spirit.

But I understand that you would rather preach that extra phenomenon in giving another calling apart from salvation for believers to seek after a sign by rather than the gospel of Jesus Christ, the only calling we are to give in being His disciples.

Go back and read Acts 8 again, and Acts 19 again. It is very clear in both passages that they were born again first, and then later, when hands were laid on them, they received the mighty baptism in the Holy Spirit.

However, don't let the written word get in the way of your beliefs!