Jesus' Most Important Words by Frederick Hoehn, copyright 2013, all rights reserved. Chapter 1 I don't remember what church I was at, but I heard a speaker say that the Lord told him that the most important words that ever came out of His mouth are the words in Mark 16:17,18, about the signs that are supposed to follow the believers. I was not a witness to that revelation, but it does sound to me like something the Lord would say. Would there be any reason that the Lord would want to emphasize that at about this time? Yes, I believe there is quite a scarcity of those signs following the believers in the churches today. Here is that passage of scripture: "And these signs shall follow those who believe, in my name they'll cast out devils, they'll speak with new languages, they shall pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it won't hurt them. They shall lay hands on the sick, and they'll recover." Mark 16:17,18) Now I don't believe we're supposed to start grabbing poisonous snakes. You pick up serpents the same way the Apostle Paul did, unintentionally, when he put some sticks on the fire after the shipwreck in Acts chapt 28. The Bible says, "You shall not tempt the Lord your God." (Matt 4:7) So, we're not supposed to intentionally drink a deadly thing. But if you unintentionally drink a wrong thing, or if someone tries to poison you, you're covered. But those other three signs should be visible in the churches, namely, the casting out of demons, the speaking in unknown tongues, and the healing of sick people. There was a young woman who was telling me about a church she knew about. I asked her, "Do they have the signs following of Mark 16?" She gave me an incorrect answer. She said, "Jesus said an evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign," as though I had asked a question I shouldn't have asked. No, this young woman was comparing apples to oranges. Jesus spoke those words when the Pharisees asked for a sign. They hadn't accepted Jesus as Messiah, as Savior. (Matt 12:38,39) I wasn't asking for a sign that Jesus is the Savior. I had already accepted Jesus as Savior. I was interested in finding evidence that a church is a good church or not such a good church. If a church doesn't have the signs following of Mark 16, then that's a church I'd rather not attend. Notice a little later in the same chapter of Mark 16, verse 20, "And they went out, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen." When the gospel is preached, then the Lord would like to confirm the word with signs following. Of course, it depends somewhat on what was preached. Perhaps the Lord can't do much confirming if what was preached was shallow. The way for the preacher to ensure that his preaching is good, he should be sure that he's baptized in the Holy Ghost with the speaking in unknown tongues. He should pray some in unknown tongues everyday, building up himself on his most holy faith. (Jude vs. 20) Then he will have the rivers of living water, spoken of in John 7:38. It says, "...out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." As you may be aware, we speak from the area of our bellies. We have a muscle called the diaphragm, which when we speak, pushes up against the lungs, and air comes out our mouths. But to qualify for the rivers of living water, first get the Baptism with the Holy Ghost from Jesus. When you pray, believe that you receive the things you ask for, and you shall have them. (Mark 11:24) The Apostle Paul said, "I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all..." (1 Cor 14:18) A teacher said the Lord told him, "You don't have to go sit and judge at church, just see at the end of the preaching whether I confirm the word with signs following." Sad to say, there doesn't seem to be very much of the Lord confirming the word with signs following in today's churches, as far as I can tell, and from what I hear. The speaking with unknown tongues (languages) comes when the Lord baptizes a Christian with the Holy Ghost. You get it from Jesus. Ask and you shall receive. (Matt chapt 7) The evidence that a person has received the Baptism with the Holy Ghost is that they speak in unknown tongues, languages that they haven't learned, and don't understand. But God understands all languages. Paul says, "If I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit is praying..." (1 Cor 14:14) In Matthew, in Mark, in Luke, and in John, John the Baptist says that Jesus is the one who baptizes with the Holy Ghost. But there are churches today, and even whole denominations, that mostly don't have the Baptism with the Holy Ghost with the speaking in unknown tongues. I was listening to the radio one evening, and Charles Stanley's program came on. As I listened to Stanley speak, he said nothing I disagreed with. But afterward, I wrote him a letter and asked him whether he speaks in unknown tongues. I received an answer from his offices about a month later. There were some photocopied pages from a book that Stanley had written. Stanley believes that the Baptism with the Holy Ghost has been done away with. He's dead wrong about that. There's no scripture to support that position. And I have scripture to show that the Baptism with the Holy Ghost has not been done away with. In each of the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, John the Baptist says Jesus is the Baptizer with the Holy Ghost, and in Hebrews, we're told, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever." (Heb 13:8) So then, if Jesus was the baptizer with the Holy Ghost, and Jesus is always the same, then Jesus still is the baptizer with the Holy Ghost, but he won't force it on you. Jesus said, "Seek and you'll find, ask and you'll receive..." He's already told us that he wants us to have it, but if Christians won't ask him for it, and believe to receive, then they can wait and shed tears on Judgment Day when they find out how much more they could have accomplished if they had cooperated with the Lord by asking Him for and receiving the Baptism with the Holy Ghost with the speaking in unknown tongues. "When you pray, believe that you receive the things you ask for, and you shall have them." (Mark 11:24) Chapter 2 If the Baptism with the Holy Ghost has been done away with, then how did I get it when I was about fourteen years old? And how have I been able every day since then to pray in a language that I've never learned and don't understand? Stanley might be OK on some matters of Theology, but on the Baptism with the Holy Ghost, Stanley is way off track. What a pity. The Lord wants every Christian have the Baptism with the Holy Ghost with the speaking in unknown tongues. They will have more power when they get it. (Acts 1:8) If you have a tree that needs to be cut down, would you rather use a Boy Scout hatchet or a chain saw? The chain saw will get the job done much faster, and with much less effort, because it has more power. (But children should not be using chain saws.) Similarly, the Baptism with the Holy Ghost will provide you with more power as a Christian, and to reject the Baptism with the Holy Ghost is to miss the perfect will of God for you. My wife and I were visiting our friend, Vernon Ritchie, in Baton Rouge, LA, and we went to church together. At that service, they had a guest speaker, Harold Bredeson. He taught on the Baptism with the Holy Ghost, and at the end, he gave an invitation for those who wanted to receive the Baptism with the Holy Ghost. My friend, Vernon, went forward at the invitation, and before we went home, he had received the Baptism with the Holy Ghost with the speaking in unknown tongues. The subject needs to be taught, and the invitation needs to be given. But if the churches won't teach on it, and won't give the invitation, then fewer people will receive it. Of course, I can understand a pastor not teaching on the Baptism with the Holy Ghost if he has not received it for himself. It seems rather presumptuous for a man to accept a position as pastor if he doesn't have that added power Jesus spoke of, and advocated in Acts 1:8. Then the church first got it in Acts chapt 2. And see Acts chapt 10 and chapt 19. It is hard to find a church that casts out demons (or, devils). That seems to be a rare activity in American churches. And yet, there are lots of crazy people who need demons cast out of them. But where would they go to find help? Haven't there been at least a dozen cases of serial killers or mass murderers in the last decade? All those people needed to have demons cast out of them. But what churches are doing that? I am sure the Lord is very disappointed. There is a scripture about, "Having a form of Godliness, but denying the power thereof." (2 Tim 3:5) What a pity when people call themselves Christians but don't have the signs following of Mark chapt 16. There may even be some who've called themselves Christians but don't make it to heaven because they had absolutely none of the signs following. Is there any scripture to support that? Yes there is. Jesus said, "Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and don't do the things I say." (Luke 6:46) If we're calling ourselves Christians, then we should have the signs following of Mark chapt 16. That teaching that once you're saved, you're always saved is a lie. I've written about this before. There will be people who called themselves Christians on earth who will wind up in hell. (Matt 7:22,23) But I will try to make sure that I'm not one of them. It's not just crazy people that need demons cast out. Not long ago on C-SPAN they were interviewing a successful businessman who had difficulty reading because of dyslexia. Dyslexia is caused by a demon that needs to be cast out. Many of the afflictions that people go to Psychiatrists and Psychologists about are cases where demons need to be cast out, and yet I don't think those professionals receive training in how to cast out demons. The fact is, they can't cast out demons unless they are Christians. (Acts 19:13-16) What is the advantage in going to one of those professionals for help if they can't cast out the demon causing the problem? What they can do, of course, is write a prescription for medication that will keep the patient doped up, but that doesn't get rid of the demon or demons. The healing of the sick should be a normal part of church. There is lots of scripture on healing, including Ex 15:26, Psa 103, 1 Pet 2:24, Rom 8:2, Gal 3:13,14. For a list of healing scriptures, please see my book, "A Collection of Promises from God for his People." (Amazon.com) An authority on diving healing was Kenneth E. Hagin, who wrote nearly a hundred books, most of which are best sellers. Go to www.Rhema.org It is unfortunate that American Christians have gotten into the habit of going to the doctor instead of looking to the Lord for their healing. Please see my book, "How to do Just Fine Without Health Insurance, Legally." Kenneth E. Hagin healed a lot of people in his meetings. Aimee Semple McPherson was known for miracles of healing in her services at Angeles Temple, ninety years ago. People who need healing should apply James 5:14,15. If you can't get that done at your church, ask the Lord about what church to go to instead. Another authority on divine healing is Dr. Norvel Hayes, (www.nhm.cc) Another is Charles Capps, (www.CharlesCapps.com) And I have various books on divine healing at www.Amazon.com Many illnesses are caused by demons that need to be cast out. There are some demons that don't go without prayer and fasting, Jesus said. Psalm 103 tells us that the Lord forgives our sins and heals our diseases. Some people don't know about Jesus the savior, but don't know about Jesus the healer. If Christians were getting their healings from the Lord, then the current health care crisis wouldn't be a problem, nor an expense for them. The Lord heals for free. But you get it by faith, as Kenneth E. Hagin learned.