Why Are Cessationists hated?

 Cessationism is the doctrine that the miracles and speaking in different languages came to an end when the first-century apostles died. History has shown that no genuine miracles or instances of somebody preaching in an unknown language has happened since those days.

When the Charismatic revival began at the beginning of the twentieth century, Many Christians thought it was a reawakening of the spiritual gifts of tongues and prophecy. Teachers of that doctrine assumed that Joel 2:28 (BBE) applied to twentieth-century believers. "And after that, it will come about, says the Lord, that I will send my spirit on all flesh; and your sons and your daughters will be prophets, your old men will have dreams, your young men will see visions:"

But Peter explained in Acts 2:16 and 17 (BBE) that what just happened at Pentecost fulfilled the prophecy. "But this is the thing which was said by the prophet Joel; 'And it will come about, in the last days, says God, that I will send out my Spirit on all flesh; and your sons and your daughters will be prophets, and your young men will see visions, and your old men will have dreams:'"

But bear in mind that all sixty-six Bible books were written to those to whom they were sent and not us today.

After Peter spoke to the crowd about the resurrection of Christ, he said this in Acts 2:33 (BBE). "And so, being lifted up to the right hand of God, and having the Father's word that the Holy Spirit would come, he has sent this thing, which now you see and have knowledge of."

We, who study the scriptures faithfully, also know that the apostles and disciples expected Christ's return any day. One example is written in Hebrews 10:25 (BBE). "Not giving up our meetings, as is the way of some, but keeping one another strong in faith; and all the more because you see the day coming near." "This day" means Christ's return.

I know that many Charismatic Christians, of whom I was one,  feel hatred toward cessationism because it exposes the lies they've adopted as truth. In my own experience, I remember feeling superior to cessationists because I thought they were ignorant. Now I realize I was the ignorant one.

I know that it's still true that Christ will return. If he hasn't come by Thursday, I hope to post about Puffed Wheat Christians.

Hope for the Best but Plan for the Worst

In my post last Thursday, I mentioned being misled by people regarding the heavenly Father's character. They gave me the impression that I had to have great faith to get anything out of the Lord.

Since nobody taught me how to read the Bible, I fell for the lie that I shouldn't save for retirement as Christ would soon come. As a consequence of that error, I didn't save any of my wages in a retirement plan.

Christ's disciples also assumed he'd return quickly to make them leaders in his physical kingdom. They also appear to have misunderstood what the angels meant in Acts 1:10 and 11 (BBE). "And while they were looking up to heaven with great attention, two men came to them, in white clothing, And said, 'O men of Galilee, 'why are you looking up into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken from you into heaven, will come again, in the same way as you saw him go into heaven'".'" But no time was given for that event to happen.

We also note that the "last days" only started in the first century. As Peter preached in Acts 2:16 and 17 (BBE), "But this is the thing which was said by the prophet Joel; 'And it will come about, in the last days, says God, that I will send out my Spirit on all flesh; and your sons and your daughters will be prophets, and your young men will see visions, and your old men will have dreams:'" Nobody then knew how long it would take for the end of this age to arrive.

This is why I believe Paul wrote what he wrote in 2 Timothy 3:1 (BBE). "But be certain of this, that in the last days times of trouble will come."

It was actually kind of the Lord not to tell his disciples how long the last days would last. That's why he said in Matthew 25:13 (BBE), "Keep watch, then, because you are not certain of the day or of the hour."

So, how do we live with this tension between watching for Christ's return and planning for our futures? We must be ready for his coming but sock away retirement funds in the event that we retire before then.

I wrote about how I failed to plan ahead in my book, How I Was Razed. Had I known how to handle the seeming contradiction of Christ's soon coming verses him not coming in my lifetime, I'd have a much larger nest egg in the bank.

If Christ doesn't return by Thursday, I hope to post about his reappearance.