Written by Mark Driskill:
Thursday March 24, 2011

Read Acts 11:4-17

“If God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us, who was I to stand in God’s way?”

Oh to have the same perspective toward my brothers in sisters in the kingdom! Peter is explaining to the leaders of the church in Jerusalem why he baptized Gentiles in Antioch. His logic was simple. I saw the same Holy Spirit come upon them that came upon me at Pentecost. So if they have the same Holy Spirit I have how can I treat them as less than me? Friends do we use the same logic toward one another? Often we don’t.

When we encounter believers from other groups or persuasions we often shrink back from them. We choose only to fellowship with believers who think, pray, dress and act just like us. Baptists hang with Baptists, Charismatics with Charismatics, and so on. Have we forgotten that there is only one Holy Spirit but he manifests himself in many ways? (I Corinthians 12:4-7) If that is true why do we act as if people from other Christian traditions are somehow less saved than we are? You see it is only a religious spirit that fails to recognize that we are all united in Christ Jesus.

In First John we are told that every spirit that confesses Jesus is of God. So why are we as believers always trying to convert one another? I think it’s because converting Christians to your point of view is easier than converting a lost soul to Christ! But we aren’t called to go and make denominations but to go and make disciples. We do well to think along the lines of St. Peter; “If they have the same Holy Spirit I have then who am I to stand in God’s way?” For whenever I make distinctions between believers I am doing just that, standing in God’s way. ‘

When I waste God’s resources trying to convert believers to my opinions I am no longer serving his kingdom, but my own. But when I recognize that the Holy Spirit is much larger than my little corner of the kingdom and concern myself with reaching those who do not know the name of Jesus in a personal way then I become a partner with God.

Mark Driskill and his wife Mary are homeschooling community ministers in Breathitt County Kentucky.  They have four children. They co pastor Emmanuel fellowship Church, serve as Camp Pastors at Bethel Mennonite Camp, and Mark Teaches at Oakdale Christian Academy.

Mark is web minister for Begotten by theWord , a ministry of Helping Hands Christian Resources.

Once a month he preaches on the local radio station through the “Lion of Judah” program. Mark also preaches in youth rallies and revivals upon request at no charge. Their vision is to see true spiritual awakening come to the mountains of Eastern Kentucky and to the nation.

Contact information:
Email: driskill@hilbillymail.com
Facebook: Mark Driskill
Address: PO Box 1159 Jackson KY.