Experience: (1) Jesus is LORD, Messiah
(2) Husband of a beautiful wife (40-years); Father of three-beautiful children.
(3) United States Marine Corps 1/1 - 0311 - NCO
(4) Retired 31-year veteran of the Houston Police Department (Patrol-Motorcycle Officer-Commercial Helicopter Police Patrol Pilot)
(5) Education: Master's Degree/University of Houston at Clear Lake
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The Deception of Charismata – Full Gospel doctrines…Baptism of the Holy Spirit?
When you place your faith in Jesus as your Lord, you receive every ounce of the Holy Spirit’s presence in your life that you will ever receive. There is no “baptism in the Holy Spirit” but faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and receiving the Holy Spirit as your Guarantor and Seal of covenant relationship with the Father (Ephesians 1:13-14).
The power and strength and influence of the Spirit’s work in your life subsequent salvation is wholly contingent upon how much of yourself you commit to serving, how much of yourself you surrender in obedience to the Spirit’s call on your life in accordance with the spiritual gifts He has granted you by authority.
Many are inundated with the nonsense of charismata…full-gospel nonsense such as tongues and baptism of/in the Holy Spirit and they won’t listen. It’s your life and your walk…if you choose to babble in incoherent gibberish and pretend that the Holy Spirit is somehow parceled out by some form of baptism…that’s your business.
In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
Righteousness (a right standing) with the Father in the Hebrew Scriptures was attained just as it is in the New Covenant, by “faith” (Hebrews 11; Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:3; Genesis 5:24). That right standing with the Father in no way suggested a man or woman was “holy” or “perfect” or sufficiently “righteous” to enter the Kingdom and the presence of Elohim but only that those who placed faith in Elohim had pleased Him and were acceptable to Him yet they could not enter His presence due to their sin that had not received the atonement, a blood atonement first pictured in Genesis 3:21, foreshadowed by the animal blood sacrifices under Law and clearly articulated in Leviticus 17:11; ultimately, fulfilled by Messiah Jesus at Golgotha initiating the New Covenant in His blood (Matthew 26:28); therefore, those who attained a right standing with the Father by faith in the Hebrew Scriptures, upon death of their body in Time, were detained in Sheol/Hades-Paradise (Abraham’s bosom – Luke 16; Psalm 16:10) and remained there until the acceptable blood atonement for sin was performed by Messiah at Golgotha.
Messiah’s blood atonement for the remission of sin is essential for both the “righteous” in the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures as nothing impure is permitted to enter the Kingdom of God (Revelation 21:27) and only the purity of Messiah’s blood redeems humanity from the stain of sin (Isaiah 1:18; Hebrews 10). Subsequent Messiah’s atoning sacrifice, those who die in body having placed their faith in Jesus as Lord and enter the Spiritual Realm, these are ushered into the presence of our Lord instantaneously as Hades-Sheol/Paradise is no longer relevant as the acceptable atonement has been performed by our High Priest, Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:8).
Today, by covenant promise (Hebrews 8:12), those who place their faith in Messiah Jesus as Lord receive the perfection of Messiah Jesus over their life via an imputed righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21) and are declared “not guilty” by the Father; this too is an imputed “righteousness” and “holiness” not earned, not deserved, but gifted by grace (unmerited favor unattainable through human effort) through faith (trusting-believing) in Jesus as Lord, Messiah who paid our sin-debt owed the Father for us. It is by faith, alone, in Jesus, alone, that mankind can experience peace with the Father, forever, whether they existed BC or AD (Romans 5:1).
The only “holiness” any Christian possesses is imputed by faith; that is, in our flesh, our righteousness, our holiness, is gifted us/imputed by faith in Jesus who died to provide us HIS Holiness and HIS Righteousness by covenant promise (2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 8:12). Though every Spirit-filled Christian should desire holiness, those born of Adam will not attain same on this Earth other than receiving that holiness from Jesus by faith via the new birth (John 3).
Intrinsically, internally, no one born of Adam’s seed is truly “holy” while encapsulated by a body of sinful flesh but the Father has agreed via covenant promise that the one who sincerely believes that the Son, Jesus Christ, died to pay their sin-debt for them…a sin-debt they could never pay them self…the Father declares that person “not guilty” and the Father “chooses” by grace through faith to not see the sin of the one in covenant with Him but the Father only sees the righteousness, purity, of His dear Son at Golgotha; this, while the precious Holy Spirit works in the Christian daily to progressively conform them to the Father’s will, the obedient image of Jesus Christ via the conscience via the daily process of sanctification (Galatians 5:16; Ephesians 1:13-14; John 14:16; John 16:13).
Christian, beware of “entire sanctification” doctrines or “holiness – sinlessness” doctrines that teach a Christian, while constrained by a body of flesh, can become sinless and perfectly holy as this is error.
The parties involved in a debate must be willing to seriously consider the opposition’s premise. A Christian cannot prove the existence of God-Elohim (Genesis 1:1) to an atheist as the atheist denies the existence of the Spiritual Realm and they’re not willing to see or pursue the Truth of a God who is Spirit (John 4:24). Elohim must be experienced by “faith” which is the KEY to knowing Him and discovering His unsearchable truths through the indwelling Holy Spirit (1 John 2:27).
Until such time an atheist is willing to sit quietly, read with a receptive heart the “Gospel of John” and earnestly seek our Lord with their whole heart, they will never find Hope or Life or Peace as only by faith and trust in Jesus Christ as Messiah will the Father fully reveal Himself to them by covenant promise via the daily process of sanctification (Hebrews 8:12); therefore, the stubbornly rebellious atheist will remain unredeemed in spiritual ignorance and die in sin and Hell “without excuse” (John 3; Romans 1:18-32; John 8:24; Revelation 20:10-15).
Jesus never commanded that we argue the Gospel but that we teach and tell and urge and those who reject the Gospel will reap what they sow but we’re to shake the sands of rejection from our sandals and move forward in battle leaving the enemy of God and the enemy of our soul to their chosen eternal destiny (Matthew 10:14). Christians are not responsible for the outcome of the spiritual battle but we are responsible to tell and teach others about what the Father has done through the Son, Jesus Christ and the indwelling Holy Spirit (Matthew 28; Matthew 15:14).
Speaking in Tongues was a gift given certain anointed individuals in the early New Covenant Church that enabled them to speak and/or understand “languages” they had not studied or were not previously familiar with; this “spiritual gift” was granted by the Holy Spirit as a sign to unbelieving Jews and also to assist in the spreading of the Gospel to the known World as per the mandates of the Great Commission (Acts 2; Matthew 28). With the advent of the Canon of Scripture, the Muratorian Canon (Circa 180AD), tongues were no longer needed and faded away.
Today, speaking in an “unknown tongue” has manifest into a works oriented cult of self-righteousness and self aggrandizement in charismatic places of “worship” like Pentecostalism, Church of God, “Full Gospel” movements. The root of this “unknown tongue” finds its genesis in the pagan temple at Delphi adjacent Corinth in the First-Century. It was in Delphi that an intoxicated priestess setting atop a throne and inhaling intoxicating fumes from a burning substance beneath would exhort waiting patrons with oracles of prophecy and wisdom; oftentimes, the language of the priestess was unintelligible due to her intoxication; therefore, the waiting patrons left more confused than when they entered seeking wisdom.
This pagan-demonic practice ultimately carried-over into the Church at Corinth creating much confusion and much consternation for Paul which probably led to Paul’s command that women be silent in the Church proceedings (1 Corinthians 14:34). The deadly error relevant to “tongues” promulgated by charismatic cults today is the apostasy of mandating that one speak in a tongue, actually “demonic gibberish,” in order to validate their salvation and the presence of the Holy Spirit in their life; this is the Devil’s work that culminates in confusion, fear, doubt, feelings of inadequacy, in those who are seriously seeking the Father’s will via faith in the Son, Jesus Christ, yet they’re told unless they participate in the nonsense of speaking in tongues-gibberish they are not redeemed and are headed to Hell. Run away for the sake of your soul and your sanity!
Jesus is the “only begotten” unique One of the Father…the exact representation of the Father’s nature…Elohim in flesh having entered Time specifically to destroy the works of Satan on your behalf (1 John 3:8b) in accord with the mandates of Leviticus 17:11…there is no more significant decision in your life in Time and Eternity. Who is Jesus? If you deny Him as your Messiah, your God, who died to pay your sin debt owed the Father, you will die in Hell (John 14:6).
Atheism is a façade, a demonic religion, used to define men and women who deny the existence of God. Atheism does not exist logically, philosophically, theologically, spiritually, realistically, as every man and woman having attained an age of reason, cognitive acuity and maturity, sufficient to discern the World around them and differentiate between good and evil, right and wrong, sustainable v. not sustainable, intuitively know that a Creator exists and possesses dominion over our Created World, the Universe, their individual lives and eternal destiny (Romans 1:18-32).
Atheism is a ruse manifest through the demonic, the narcissistic, the hedonistic, self-righteousness, aberrant lust, obsessions with gratification of the flesh; obsessions with one’s penis or vulva respectively and gratification of same; a sexual obsession with the aberrant that mandates progressively intense violations of the natural law in order to achieve some semblance of erotic satiation; an obsession with one’s personal self-love. Atheists are over-represented in the Democrat-Progressive-Marxist Party of the United States of America.
Atheism finds its root in the demonic, the Satanic, and atheists are overwhelmingly represented in Liberalism, Progressivism, Marxism, Socialism, Secular Humanism, Darwinism, and are therefore representative of aberrant behaviors that are not sustainable in any healthy society seeking a right to pursue sustainable happiness through a love for Jesus Christ, morality and goodness and love for one’s neighbor and their Nation. Atheists are represented by abortionists, advocates for the murder of babies in and out of the womb; Atheists are over represented in the LGBTQ community, a perverse and destructive aberrant sexual community of gender confusion, genital mutilation, over representation in self-destructive behaviors including suicide; an aberrant community that seeks to impose its sexual perversion and defilement upon America’s children in grade school to the university; Atheists are over represented in Marxist strategies such as the 1619 project, Critical Race Theory, Affirmative Action, Black Lives Matter, which seek historical revisionism taught in America’s public schools with the agenda of morphing American children into God hating, America hating, Constitutional conservatism hating, Marxists-Socialists-Progressive enemies of the Republic. This is Satan’s work.
Atheists are fearful of the Canon of Scripture; Atheists are fearful of our omnipotent Creator who they see as an impediment to their perverse, narcissistic, self-righteous, lifestyle of sexual debauchery and other forms of aberrant antisocial behavior. In the Great Spiritual War that consumes humanity daily, Atheists have opted to side with Satan and pursue those satanic driven behaviors that glorify debauchery, personal defilement, death in Hell; therefore, if you are a Christian know that the atheist among us is your spiritual enemy and conduct yourself accordingly.
Personally, I hate evil (Psalms 97:10) and those who promulgate it seeking the destruction of our society, our family unit, everything that is sustainable, holy, good, beneficial, moral, praise worthy.
Earth, the Universe, mankind, were created in response to a Heavenly rebellion that manifest in the Kingdom of God and initiated the creation narrative as a temporary repository for this destructive coup d’état.
Man was created as a vessel through which Elohim would maintain volitional love with His faithful angelic creation while simultaneously destroying the works of the devil via selfless love via the Gospel via the Messiah (1 John 3:8b; Genesis 3:21).
Humanity that allies with Elohim in this Great Spiritual War via faith in Jesus as Lord via the Gospel, a Spiritual War initiated before Time began, will be rewarded for their faithfulness with eternal life and glory with the Son in the New Jerusalem (John 3; Romans 2:7; Revelation 21-22). Those who have allied with Elohim’s nemesis, Satan, will suffer a fate similar to Satan in Hell (Revelation 20:10-15).
The totality of Scripture is focused upon this one central theme…the consequences of sin and the eternal victory of obedience to good through faithful love for Elohim modeled as a bulwark against future rebellion in the Kingdom.
It is written,
“6 He will render to each one according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. 11 For God shows no partiality.” Romans 2 (ESV)
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
The Relevance of the Sinai Commandments for the Christian,
The Sinai Commandments, nine of ten, excluding the 4th – a ceremonial law, are based on the moral law of conscience (Romans 2:14-15) extant from the creation of the angels forward as an arbiter of free will. The laws at Sinai were given the Hebrew Tribes as they were inundated with a pagan people serving pagan gods and affiliation with same had the potential to deter Elohim’s eschatological plans concerning His Messiah through Judah and the “Great Commission” via the Gospel used as a battle strategy “to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8b).
The Commandments were never given to the Gentile Nations but they do exist as an example of Elohim’s holiness and His righteousness and they are to be used as a tutor, as a teacher, as an instrument of guidance to lead one to faith in Jesus and HIS righteousness, a righteousness earned for us by Jesus as He, alone, kept the Commandments in mandated perfection (James 2:10; Galatians 3:10).
It is by faith, trust in Jesus as our Lord, not through law-keeping, that we can receive the righteousness of Jesus imputed into our life by covenant promise (2 Corinthians 5:21; John 3; Hebrews 8:12); subsequent establishing covenant relationship with the Father by faith, the indwelling Holy Spirit begins a work of sanctification, a setting apart of the redeemed (Ephesians 1:13-14) concerning obedience via the human conscience, not codified law but the Spirit’s anointing empowering the faithful through the conscience to please the Father through love and honor and dignity in accordance with His will (Galatians 5:16).
In conclusion,
This “new creation” concerning mankind and obedience (2 Corinthians 5:17) is NOT possible through vain attempts to keep the Commandments (Romans 3:20) but a right standing, covenant relationship, with the Father is only possible by receiving Messiah’s righteousness imputed, gifted, over one’s life by trusting-believing in Messiah Jesus as Lord; that is, believing that Jesus died to pay your sin-debt owed the Father (John 3)…a sin-debt mankind could never pay in the flesh through works of attempted obedience to the Sinai Commandments (Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:16; Romans 8:1-2; James 2:10; Galatians 3:10).
Torah and its Law are a Tutor defining Sin void redemptive atonement…Torah is absent life… (Galatians 3:24)
If one seeks righteousness (a right standing) with the Father through vain attempts to keep the Law (Romans 3:20) they are cursed (Galatians 3:10) as the Law mandates absolute perfection (James 2:10) and mankind exists under the condemnation of sin (Romans 3:23) and a sin-nature.
No one keeps the Law sufficiently to please the Father but the Son, Jesus Christ (Isaiah 64:6; Matthew 5:17-20), who imputes HIS perfection and righteousness into and over the life of the one who believes in Him as Lord and Messiah (John 3) who died to pay their sin-debt (Romans 10:9-10); this, by covenant promise (John 3; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 8:12).
The Torah, Torah Law, is powerless to save anyone from the second death in Hell and if you stand before Jesus Christ with the Torah as your passport to LIFE, you will perish in the “second death” in Hell (John 14:6; Galatians 2:16).
"RickeyD" Holtsclaw 