Who We Are?
The SALSA CHURH is a HEALING and DELIVERANCE Ministry.
CAN SALVATION BE LOST?
The question of whether one can lose their salvation after having received it is a crucial topic within Christian theology. Despite the comforting notion of eternal security, various biblical passages and theological arguments suggest that it is indeed possible for a believer to forfeit their salvation through deliberate sin and apostasy. By examining these scriptures and theological insights, we can understand how salvation, once received, can be lost.
Biblical Evidence
Several passages in the New Testament warn believers about the danger of falling away from their faith. Hebrews 6:4-6 is one of the most explicit:
“It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance.”
This passage clearly indicates that those who have experienced salvation can indeed fall away and reach a point where they cannot be brought back to repentance. The language used—“enlightened,” “tasted the heavenly gift,” “shared in the Holy Spirit”—refers to genuine believers, suggesting that their falling away results in the loss of their salvation.
Similarly, 2 Peter 2:20-21 warns:
“If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.”
This passage highlights the peril of returning to a life of sin after having known Christ, suggesting that such individuals end up in a worse state than before their conversion. The implication is that their salvation is lost.
Theological Considerations
From a theological standpoint, the possibility of losing salvation is often associated with the concept of free will. God grants humans the freedom to accept or reject Him, not only at the point of initial salvation but throughout their lives. This perspective aligns with Arminian theology, which emphasizes human responsibility in maintaining faith and obedience.
According to several scriptures, salvation is not a one-time event but an ongoing process that requires continual faithfulness. Philippians 2:12-13 underscores this by urging believers to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” This admonition suggests that salvation requires active participation (doing something) and vigilance from the believer.
Practical Implications
Understanding that salvation can be lost has profound implications for how Christians live their faith. It calls for a diligent, ongoing commitment to spiritual growth, repentance, and obedience to God’s commands. Believers must remain vigilant against the dangers of complacency, sin, and apostasy.
Hebrews 3:12-14 warns believers to be on guard:
“See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.”
This passage emphasizes the need for mutual encouragement and perseverance in faith to avoid turning away from God. It implies that holding firmly to one’s faith until the end is crucial for maintaining salvation.
Conclusion
The possibility of losing salvation after receiving it is a sobering reality supported by various biblical passages and theological insights. Believers are called to maintain a vigilant and active faith, continually repenting, obeying God’s commands, and encouraging one another to remain steadfast. By recognizing the dangers of falling away and the importance of perseverance, Christians can strive to ensure that they remain faithful and secure in their salvation until the end.
Grace empowers believers to overcome sin rather than indulge in it. Titus 2:11-12 states, “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age.” Grace is a transformative force that enables us to reject sin and live in accordance with God’s will. The strength to resist sin comes from God’s grace, which guides and sustains us in our pursuit of righteousness and holiness.
Indeed, the Apostle Paul addresses this directly in Romans 6:1-2: “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? God forbids! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” This passage underscores that believers are called to live a transformed life, rejecting sin. Grace is not a license to sin but a call to righteousness, reflecting the genuine transformation that salvation brings. As followers of Christ, our lives should exhibit a break from sin and a pursuit of holiness.
Tithes and Melchizedek
The book of 2 Corinthians 4:3-7 says the word of God is hidden from those who are perishing, so
they must perish. This is frightening. People like Judas could not be restrained even after all the
prophecies and warnings of Jesus Christ. He worked with the twelve disciples of Jesus, healed
the sick, and performed miracles yet betrayed the Lord and committed suicide.
For a start, we must understand that different sins had different laws for atonement. Here are a
few examples: sin of uncleanliness (Leviticus 15:1-33), sin of ignorance (Leviticus 5:1-6),
murder (Exodus 21:14), breaking the Sabbath (Numbers 15:32-36), sexual immorality (Leviticus
18:20), etc. In the new dispensation, the blood of Jesus took care of all these sins and others.
That is why the Bible says Jesus sacrificed once and perfected all those who are being sanctified
(Hebrews 10:12-14). The sacrifice of Jesus thus ends all sin sacrifices as spelled out by the law
of Moses. In contrast, tithes were never a sin sacrifice but a gift of submission to God! Some of
the confusion about tithing today stems from the fact that in the olden days, tithing was mostly of
agricultural produce. But the world is continually evolving. Transportation, for example, was
mainly by foot, evolved to the use of animals, and today jets roam the skies. In our industrialized
world, few people practice farming as income is mostly earned from factories and industries. In
this article, we attempt, by the grace of God and His wisdom, to clarify all the nuances that have
bedeviled Christians on tithing. By the end of this article, it would be explicit if tithing has ended
or is continual.
What are Tithes?
Tithes means one out of every ten- thus ten percent. Tithing, like all forms of giving for God’s
purposes, is a form of worship and obedience. It consists of handing over a tenth of one’s
material or financial earnings to God. In ancient times, much of this was agricultural as most
people were farmers. Tithing is of God with deep origins in the Old Testament and extends to the
New Testament. Even though tithes in those days were mostly agricultural produce, it would be
limiting to think that if some people lived on the business of money changing or trading, they
would be automatically exempted from tithing. Tithes, therefore, were a portion of one’s wealth
of any kind. If you are a child of God who has been misled by others, read on with an open heart,
seeking the Spirit's guidance. This article is rooted in clear and straightforward scriptures. Know
that manipulating others in the name of serving God is a form of spiritual deception, equivalent
to witchcraft. Manipulation indicates that one is powered by a contrary altar to that of Jesus
Christ. There will be neither manipulation nor deceit but the pure word of the Spirit of God as
you read on.
The notion of tithing can be described using to the Ten Commandments which God gave Moses
in Exodus 20. The Commandments were intended for a specific people at the time—the
Israelites. The first is: “I am the Lord your God, the one who delivered you from the land of
Egypt.” How many American, English, or Belgian Christians were in captivity in Egypt at the
time of God’s deliverance? Since only Israelites were in Egypt, the commandments initially
pertained only to them. However, with the coming of Jesus, the veil of separation between Jews
and Gentiles was torn. Jesus served as a bridge linking the two, so we also became chosen
children of God. Therefore, the commandments now apply to us as well. Every word of God
spoken to the Israelites is now binding on all believers. That is why believers can now say they
are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation…
Tithes to the Levites under the law were compulsory. Tithes to Melchizedek, who is a Priest
forever, do not fall under the law because it came before the law was spelled out to Moses. It
carries the same power to attract blessings. As such, it is not compulsory but meant to distinguish
believers with a deep revelation of priesthood. Abraham gave from a revelation without
obligation several years before it got introduced into the law. Only seasoned believers have such
a revelation. Jacob, the grandson of Abraham, also freely engaged tithing before the Law of
tithing was given (Genesis 28:20-22).
When the Roman Dominant Empire took over and destroyed church culture, these powerful
revelations as well as gifts of the spirit were lost. This happened because Roman Catholicism
incorporated other gods and spirits which did not agree with the Holy Spirit and the Christianity
which Jesus left with the apostles. It took Martin Luther and his Protestant movement to restore
some of its sanity. Even then, the revelation was still limited. The Melchizedekian priesthood
was never understood or taught. As a consequence, it literally disappeared. Some of the
protestants practiced only the tithes under the Law.
Origin
The Bible records that Abraham paid the first-ever tithes to Melchizedek when Levi, the ancestor
of the Levitical priesthood, was still in Abraham's loins. This means that Levi, in a sense, paid
tithes through Abraham's action. Only priests of God have the authority to receive tithes. Levites
did not collect tithes because they were Levites; they did because they were priests! This is a key
statement to understanding tithes today. Some people think that tithes were paid to Jews who
were Levites and should end because Levites are no longer present in our day. This position is
erroneous because it considers Levites superior to the priesthood. Melchizedek was not a Levite,
but his priesthood granted him the power to collect tithes. The priesthood of Melchizedek
supersedes all other priesthoods. That is why even Levi paid tithes to him. Tithes go with
blessings, and only priests of God bless. Abraham’s tithes to Melchizedek, and blessings were
reciprocal. Levites are not capable of blessing without their priesthood. It is important to note
that the blessings can be enjoyed by the person obedient in tithing or their descendants. This
means they might not always be automatic.
So, tithing without the Law was done to Melchizedek, while under the Law Levites collected it.
This is proof of the superiority of the priesthood of Melchizedek, which is symbolic of Jesus’
priesthood. Jesus is a priest after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 5:6). Melchizedek, being a
priest forever and the first priest ever to collect tithes, explains why tithing is continual, for his
priesthood, like that of Jesus Christ, has no end (Hebrews 7:1-12). The Levitical priesthood and
tithes were a shadow of the Melchizedekian priesthood.
The keynote in this lesson is that only priests were empowered to collect or accept tithes. If the
word “priest” is underscored in this article, it would ease the assimilation of the lesson on tithes.The most popular tithing in the Bible is the Old Testament command under the law handed
through Levitical priests. This spreads through the entire law of Moses, and Malachi nails it
down in its four chapters! Don’t forget that prior to the establishment of the Mosaic law, a
pivotal meeting occurred between two extraordinary spiritual leaders: Abraham, the father of
Israel, and Melchizedek, the King of Salem (meaning peace). For Abraham, we know much
about from when he was called as Abram to when he got renamed as Abraham. Melchizedek, on
his part, is so obscured that many people have no idea he features in the Bible. His role in the
Bible does not warrant his obscurity. When they met, Abraham paid a tithe of his spoils to the
latter. For that reason, I will like to ventilate him here.
Who Is Mystery Melchizedek?
Melchizedek is the king of the city of Salem and also a priest of God Most High. When Abraham
was returning home after winning a great battle against the kings, Melchizedek met him and
blessed him. Then Abraham took a tenth of all he had captured in battle and gave it to
Melchizedek. The name Melchizedek means “king of justice,” and king of Salem means “king of
peace.” There is no record of his father or mother or any of his ancestors—no beginning or end
to his life. He remains a priest forever, resembling the Son of God (Hebrews 7:1-3, NLT). But the
Son of God has a Father—Yahweh, and a mother—Mary. Adam, who was not born and had no
ancestry, partially fits the description of Melchizedek. However, he falls short when measured by
holiness and consecration. Moreover, Adam was never a priest, never a king, but a runaway
sinner whose firstborn was the first in history to commit murder. Therefore, Adam does not fit
this mold. Who in this world has no father, no mother, no ancestry, no beginning, and no end?
God alone fulfills all these mysterious conditions! It is crucial to be very careful when discussing
Melchizedek or tithing. Only spiritual blindness can allow such laxity. People who do not operate
in the supernatural cannot comprehend things that are supernaturally discerned 1Corinth. 2:14.
How did Abraham know about tithes at a time when God had not yet given the law of Levitical
tithing? His prophetic prowess surely informed him (Genesis 20:7). In addition to his prophetic
calling, 1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered
into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” This hints us
of incredible and incomprehensible things and secrets that are only revealed to those who love
God. It would not be wise to expect much from people who do not have a deep love for God.
This is a guide to choosing spiritual leaders. Their love for God must beat that for material to
enable them obtain secrets from God for the wellbeing of the church. Worth noting is the fact
that throughout history, Melchizedek and Jesus Christ stand alone as the only two figures to have
simultaneously held the sacred offices of priest and king. Melchizedek, king of Salem, was
forever a priest of the Most High God, while Jesus Christ, the King of kings, holds an everlasting
priesthood. This extraordinary merging of roles is a unique privilege shared only by these two
individuals (Hebrews 7:17). Melchizedek is named as a representative of the priestly line through
which a future king of Israel's Davidic line was ordained. He appeared only to receive tithes and
bless Abraham. David prophesied that Jesus would be a priest after the order of Melchizedek
(Psalm 110:4).
God’s Idea of Tithing is Fourfold:
1. To remind man that the center of his life is God and not material.
WAR IN MARRIAGE TODAY
There is more than enough IGNORANCE in the world especially on the subject of God and marriage. Social media platforms have provided us the avenue to ventilate the abundance of ignorance in us. It is wise to start by defining marriage as God intended it. Marriage is not what we want or do but what God wants. It is an order from above. Marriage means two becoming one in visions, dreams and goals. Before you get married, decide what happens during and after you are married. Talk about career, number of children, sex, friends, in-laws etc. Do not enter a relationship as important as marriage before deciding what happens while you are already inside. It will help you to know that, what some men want, some do not. What some women want, others do not. Find someone who is compatible with you. Someone who shares your dreams, goals and vision. Also note that as a helping hand to your God-given husband, his vision becomes your vision if the word marriage makes sense to you because marriage entails two becoming one in vision and goals not two coming together with two visions and directions. BUT if you hurried into marriage because your friends are all married or because you needed some support for your SEPARATE unmarried vision and dreams, then you are in for a tiger ride. (Dr. Bens)
” If your Christianity is about material you can get from God then, you are in danger of becoming a lost soul. Eternity through salvation is more than the world’s material wealth put together.” Apostle Dr. Bens
ABOUT US
The SALVATION EMPOWERMENT SANCTUARY (House of Testimony) is a very dedicated Church in Grand Forks ND which preaches the gospel of Jesus from an uncommon revelation the devil does not want you to have. To us, the true House of the Lord belongs to all for whom He died. We are a family. A Church of brothers and sisters – for the Bible says, “He who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, my sister, my mother” (Matt. 12:50; 7:21). We hinge on the dictum: Salvation, Faith, Prayer, and Power. We teach our brethren the word of God including how to pray (prayers of supplication, protection, warfare, deliverance, etc…). We also train our congregants in strong faith, miracle working faith (Heb. 11:1; Matt.21:22; Mk. 11:22-24; Matt.17:20). Such faith implies believing God’s promises of food, for example, as if one were about to eat it! Such a mindset results in activating the power of the Holy Spirit for healing, deliverance, revelation, and other personal needs. The House of Testimony is a family of believers walking the narrow road to Jesus (Matt. 7:13-14).Salvation Empowerment Sanctuary is our Church, it is your Church, it is the Church of Christ. it is the Church for everyone! The Salvation Empowerment Sanctuary, (House of Testimony) also known as the SALSA Church, is a stress free, depression free love-for-all community. You need to experience this phenomenon in person!
OUR BELIEFS
The Salvation Empowerment Sanctuary, as an apostolic/Pentecostal church, holds the following beliefs:
We believe in the Trinity – God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
2. Salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
3. Baptism in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues.
4. Gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as healing, deliverance, working of miracles, and prophecy.
5. Emphasis on personal holiness and sanctification.
6. Importance of evangelism and missionary work.
7. Belief in the supernatural and miraculous.
8. Emphasis on community and fellowship within the church.
9. The Bible is the infallible word of God.
10. Jesus is returning soon, emphasizing evangelism and living a prepared life.
11. God is holy, and Christians ought to be holy as well.
12. The symbolic eating of the body of Christ, and drinking of His blood Matt. 26:26-27
DEFINING TONGUE SPEAKING AND PRAYING IN THE HOLY GHOST.
(Dr. Bens)
The first church was established in the Holy Ghost(Luke 24:49). It is recorded to have started in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4). On that day gifts of the Spirit were manifested and thereafter more gifts like healing, deliverance, miracles and prophecies emerged in the church like in Corinth, Thessalonica Philippi and the rest.
After the assassination of the apostles, the gifts disappeared. Where did these gifts go to? How did they disappear? That is why some people doubt healing, Miracles, Deliverance Prophecy! Something happened along the way as Christianity developed especially with the intrusion if the Roman Empire. Details with time!
What is tongue speaking? Is it not speaking in human languages? Outrageous things have been said and are still being said about tongue speaking. Some say tongues are nonsense incantations made when a preacher forgets his lines and wants time to recall. Some think it is pure prattle and yet others think tongue speaking is simply demonic. What do you think? Two of the most violently contested principles in the Christian Bible all over the world are tongue speaking and tithing. Are these concepts heretic or outdated? Were they abolished somewhere in the scriptures? I am not going to employ my academic competence to answer these questions but I will use scriptures verse by verse to examine the validity of various opinions on this matter. I will start with tongue speaking in this essay. Tithing will come in the second essay.
In a nutshell, speaking in tongues is more than what people think. In Mk.16:17 Jesus said, “These signs shall follow those who believe; they shall speak in new tongues…” By new tongues, Jesus was talking about speaking in the spirit. Speaking in the spirit is when the spirit speaks for or through a speaker. When this happens, the mode of expression is tongues. This gift is acquired through prayers and the laying of hands. Acts 19:6 “And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.” Also, in Acts 11:15 Peter said, “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning.” The beginning is the day of Pentecost in Acts 2:4.
Let’s start from the start. The first-time tongues were spoken in the Bible was in Acts 2:4. In as much as the word tongues also mean human languages, the tongues mention in Acts 2 and throughout the Bible were more than just human languages. Join me to discover what the whole Bible says about tongue speaking. Acts 10:46 states that “For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God.” They were not just heard speaking but in tongues. How many times do you hear a report not about someone speaking in languages? If tongues here stand for languages, why the emphasis? Is there another way of speaking?
The tongues spoken in Acts 2:4-12 were not human languages as the Bible will prove in the following lines. Since it was the first-time tongues were used as a tool of evangelism, note the word evangelism, the Holy Spirit gave the apostles utterance to speak in tongues called tongues as a sign to unbelievers. The word unbeliever aligns with the word evangelism. Those who were listening to the apostles were not believers and God introduced the sign card to let them know there is a supernatural being who is capable of the unthinkable.
The confusion arises when the Bible says people heard the apostles speaking their own native languages. This has derailed many denominations to think and believe that tongues spoken on the day of Pentecost were human languages. The trick is that some denominations were created by people who weren’t led by the Holy Spirit to have a full grasp of the notion of tongue speaking. Spiritual things should be spiritually discerned otherwise our intellects would jettison us. In Acts 2:4 in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, the speakers spoke in tongues but the listeners heard them in their native human languages. In my definitions of the various types of tongues, I will begin with tongues as a sign to unbelievers so this concept is crystal clear.
Do you wonder why some of the spectators commented that the speakers were all drunk? It is because they were not speaking normal coherent languages. This called for Peter’s intervention in Acts 2:15 Where he said “For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day”. No sane person would judge anyone as drunk basing on the evidence that they correctly spoke different human languages to the understanding of the listeners. This establishes the fact that the languages the apostles spoke on the day of Pentecost were not human languages. Having established this fact, I will like us to learn and understand that there are several different types of tongues used for different purposes.
Those who misunderstood tongues lean on the premise that tongue speaking must be accompanied by interpretation. This is false! The Bible will explain everything to us right now. It is not for nothing that Paul, the apostle said “I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.” (1 Corinth 14:18).
Types of Tongues in the Bible:
1.Tongues as a sign to unbelievers (Acts 2:4-12): As introduced earlier, this type of tongues is a supernatural sign from God. How it works is that a speaker delivers a message in spiritual tongues, but the listener hears the message in their own native human language like Japanese. It is meant to convict the listener of the existence of the supernatural power of God. It is different from tongues of men which is mainly human languages. In verse 12 the people were horrified and wondered aloud. This triggered faith in God hence over three thousand unbelievers surrendered to Jesus. All this because of the sign that came through the tongues!
2. Prophetic tongues: There are prophetic tongues with which God could use to speak to a member of a congregation or the whole congregation. In the church of Corinth where the congregants were very rich in spiritual gifts, God spoke through almost every congregant. (That is why Paul had to step in to set order on how to prophesy, or speak in tongues 1 Corinth. 14:5-6. Note that praying or worshiping in tongues and speaking in tongues are two difference practices). For example, if there is sin, division or heresy in a church, God can speak against that vice through a member or the shepherd. That shepherd or someone else in that congregation is expected to interpret what God said or someone else with the gift of interpretation of tongues has to do it for the body to understand without which the message will never be heard and the caution never taken. Hence 1 Corinthians 14:13 “For this reason the one who speaks in a tongue should pray that they may interpret what they say.” 1 Corinth.14: 27 states “If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret.” These are messages destined for the congregation or someone in the church and require interpretation.
3. Tongues of prayer: In addition to the fact not all tongues need to be interpreted is 1 Corinth. 14:2 which says “For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit.” These tongues are used in the place of prayer where the Holy Spirit takes over the intercessor and begins to pray in their stead. Would you really want my prayers interpreted for you?
4. Tongues of angels: The Bible informs us that there are tongues of men like I said earlier, and tongues of angels. Tongues of angels are mysterious tongues that are spoken and understood by angels. They are heavenly languages believed to be a language spoken in heaven or by heavenly beings. “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1). Would anyone still think these too are only human languages?
5. Tongues of men: As for tongues of men, this refers to situations in which a man can abruptly and fluently speak in a human language that is not theirs, and which they have never learnt. Paul, the apostle in 1 Corinth. 14:19 says “yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.” What does this tell you? He is saying that in church he prefers to speak in human tongues/languages than speak in tongues of the spirit. Is this not the strongest evidence that tongues are not only tongues of human languages? Those who misunderstood this concept have no excuse than to mislead the body of Christ.
6. Tongues for personal edification
There are tongues which serve the purpose of self-edification and cleansing. (1 Corinthians 14:2-4 “For anyone who speaks in a tongue[a] does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit. 3 But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort. 4 Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church.” Jude 1:20 “But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit…” To edify means to build up and for a believer, building up one’s faith is a must for without faith, no one can see God!
This is a conversation between a believer and God, and no one else can understand what s/he is saying. Such tongues also come in when one is making sensitive confessions to God in the midst of the congregation for confession is not supposed to be heard by a man but God alone who has the power to forgive sins.
7. Tongues of warfare/intercession/worship: This is a spiritual language that transcends human understanding, often used for spiritual warfare, intercession, or worship. 1 Corinth 14:14-15
This is experienced when the Spirit intercedes for God’s people through wordless groans. This is a pure example of tongues that can never be interpreted (Romans 8:26-27). Pastor John Anosike’s 45 minutes tongues of fire is a typical example.
8. Unknown Tongue: A language that is not understood by the speaker or others, often considered a mystical or spiritual language. In Christian theology, the interpretation of tongues is one of the spiritual gifts listed in 1 Corinth. 12. But in the case of unknown tongues, there is no interpretation for it is not only God is supposed to understand them. No doubt even the speaker does not understand nor anyone else. Another drop of God’s mysterious being.
Conclusion: Some theologians think and teach that even when worship is done in tongues, the song should be interpreted. This is ridiculous if we consider the fact that there are some tongues even the speaker does not understand. Tongues of intercession, worship and warfare are directed to God alone. From the above definition of the various types and purposes of tongues, it is clear that tongues are an indispensable necessity to the Christian faith. Tongues are necessary in every era so long as the Holy Spirit is still in control of our affairs. No where in the Bible were tongues abolished. They are only hated by the devil because of their potency.
1 Corinth. 13:8 states that tongues will cease has hurt the understanding of this deep spiritual phenomenon. Some people think the statement meant that tongues will end after the completion of the New Testament. Another snare of the devil. Holy scriptures say tongues will cease when the perfect comes. This points to the time when we must have been made perfect by the groom of the church after his final return and judgement. At that time, we shall all speak one language. The language of love which never ceases. Our lives will not be the same like now so our needs will be different. For instance, there will not be any need for warfare, intercession, or unbelievers who would need the sign of tongues. 1 Corinthians 14:39 is the final nail on these confusing teachings for it says “So, my brothers, …do not forbid speaking in tongues.” Two things spring up from here. The first is that if tongues were only human languages, there would be no need for anyone to want to stop people from speaking human languages. The second point is that tongues have never been abolished and we are warned not to prevent believers from expressing themselves in tongues. Just apply wisdom and not speak in tongues when first time visitors without understanding are in your midst else, they would think you are crazy (1 Corinthians 14:23). This again ties with Acts 2:13 in which the apostles were thought to be drunk for speaking in tongues. It also strongly affirms that tongues were different from human languages or why would people think you are crazy for speaking your native language?
If you have any questions on tongue speaking, do well to email me via salsachurch@gmail.com
Dr. Bens.
REFUGEE RELIEF
The Salvation Empowerment Sanctuary (House of Testimony) has a refugee relief scheme that plans to make life easy for new Americans who enter the country as refugees. Refugees are people who have been forced to flee from their native countries by war, violence or persecution based on religious, racial, cultural or gender basis. Most of them leave the countries without money or belongings because they mostly leave without preplans to. It is common to see a fragmented family that might never come together again as a unit any longer nor ever meet again! In an attempted to be safe, the members escape to different directions and that could be all about that family. Sometimes, people under persecution sense danger and escape without baggage so they are not arrested and tortured or killed. Refugees always look for the most humanitarian and most safe countries in the world. The greatest of them is the USA!
Since these people are displaced by circumstances they could not control, the Church attempts to meet up with their basic needs with which to settle down, feel comfortable and restart life afresh even though it is difficult to ever realize their future dreams in such conditions. They need both material, psychological and spiritual support, so we find apartments for them. Medical and educational needs are among the most important and yet difficult for refugees to attain. We equip these apartments with necessary items to get them going. Things like pots, plates, dishes, cutlery, soap, food, beds, mattresses, dresses for all ages, new born supplies, school supplies for kids, vacuum cleaners and cooking oil are among the primary needs of new arrivals without money. The last hidden item which is unparalleled in importance is transportation. We offer transportation from their arrival at the airport of bust stop to the apartments. They are also chauffeured to their different appointment be they hospital, administrative or interview appointments. This continues until they have their own means of transportation.
WIDOWS AND ORPHANS
James 1:27 states that what God, our Father, recognizes as pure and faultless love, is to look after orphans and widows in their distress”.
It is our desire in The House of Testimony, to do what is God’s desire, which constitutes looking after this class of destitutes. We are focusing on women who lost their husbands through accidents, war or any other natural calamity. This goes same with children who have lost at least a parent or both. In addition, it has been discovered that some children are orphans not because they lost a parent but because such parents cannot take care of them. The most important reason given for such cases is poverty. In Africa, India and most of the developing world, economic hardship has forced parents to take such decisions as keeping their own kids in orphanages. Without this, the children become street children and public nuisance.
The Salvation Empowerment Sanctuary (House of Testimony) seeks to help alleviate the lifestyle of such children. This goes same to abandoned women whose husbands died or are too old and have become a source of hardship to their wives.
To all privileged people who are living in affluence, we want to call you to think of these abandoned children and women. They are not different from us. We also would have been in their shoes were it not of God’s mercies.
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Thank you.
SCHEDULE:
We meet thrice every week to praise, worship, and pray to our God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Exod. 3:6). This concords with the recommendations of Prov. 27:17 “Iron sharpens iron” because Jesus knew that occasionally, iron would need overhauling. In that case, it is iron sharpening iron not wood sharpening iron and otherwise. It is an error for anyone to be in a place where wood is struggling to sharpen iron or iron sharpening wood. In such a one-sided relation, iron would never get help since it is the only iron around. We cherish meeting regularly to spiritually sharpen each other.
- Sunday: Fellowship Services start at 10 am.
- Tuesday: Bible Classes hold at 5pm.
- Saturday: Intercessory prayer sessions also begin at 5pm.
- Mondays-Fridays: Lunch with Jesus 12:00-1:00 pm (An hour time in Church with the pastor to pray for protection, pray away difficult situations, and challenges)
Free marital and spiritual counseling on Wednesdays by appointment via phone calls, Facebook, or email.
The House of Testimony, it should be noted, is not just another Church in town. Such thoughts would be too misleading. Noah’s clarion call to the world to build the Ark against the flood was never taken seriously because the people considered him as just another old man. Jesus was born in the manger because the manager of the Inn saw Mary as just another pregnant woman. The flood taught us that Noah was not just another old man in the same way as the works of Christ made us to know, Mary was not just another pregnant woman in town. Wisdom is when we can make out the difference between people and things. This Church is founded after the order of the Apostles of the lamb with vision to make a difference in individuals, families, as well as the community. In effect, the Salvation Empowerment Sanctuary seeks to bring the biblical experience of Jesus who loves, provides, protects, delivers, appeases our souls, and demonstrates power. In brief, we have been called to make Jesus real! To achieve this, our foundation is built on four pillars: Salvation, Faith, Prayer, and Power.
We strongly believe that in life, the beginning is important but what matters is the end. Thus, it is not how you start or when you finish but how you finish that is impactful. We know that anyone can be successful so long as they believe and pray.
When you pray, something happens, but when you pray with prayerful brethren, miracles happen! A miracle is not a new abstraction. We were created perfect with abundance of every good thing until Satan appeared and stole everything. A miracle thus, is simply bringing us back to where we were in Eden before the satanic distraction. Restoring our health, sanctity, provision, destinies, or other to what it was in the Garden of Eden with the power of the Holy Spirit is what we call miracle. With the understanding that “nothing goes for nothing”, we ask, seek, and knock to get results for the word says men ought always to pray (Luke 18:1).
We persistently endeavor to shine the light of the truth, so the devil (master of darkness) would not continue to deceive the people. Without the light, we are fooled to invest more time, money and energy in our perishable flesh while disregarding the nonperishable soul. The love of God wants our souls so desperately that He sent His unique son, Jesus to sacrifice His life for us (Jn.3:16).
We believe God’s Kingdom and righteousness contains everything which He gives to whoever seeks it above all things (Matt.6:33).
EVANGELISM AND DISCIPLESHIP
We seek to win souls for Jesus anywhere anytime! This is a very difficult task which only Jesus can help us succeed in. We understand that this daunting task of evangelism and discipleship cannot be handled by one person or ministry alone. For that reason, we have as additional vision to financially aid other Church planters and Evangelists home and abroad. This will be determined by how much our finances allow. We intend to make yearly grants available for any willing ministers to apply. The more donations we receive, the more ministries we can help. This is crucial to the us because our main goal is SALVATION for souls wherever they may be (not necessarily in the Salvation Empowerment Sanctuary).
