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250.

Q: When does the Holy Spirit come upon us?

At point of conversion? At baptism? When do we have the power that Jesus states in Acts to evangelize, to fulfill His commandment, etc.?

At the point of conversion, not baptism (2 Cor. 1:21-22). The Holy Spirit is the primary person of the Trinity at work in applying the finished work of Christ in the lives of Christians. Remember, the acts of the Holy Spirit - not the acts of apostles - are the focus of the book of Acts. He is the one who enabled the apostles to do everything they did. In the same way, when we become Christians, the Holy Spirit comes upon us, transforming our manner of living and giving us the power to kingdom-advancing work like evangelism.

[Answered by Pastor HM]

Q: I already got baptized, but I haven't started taking communion yet. I don't want to eat and drink judgment unto myself. How do I know if I'm ready to take communion?

The Scripture we need to examine is 1 Cor. 11:27-29,

27Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. 29For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. 32When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.

How do believers partake in communion without doing so in an "unworthy manner"? The answer: By examine their own lives (see v. 28) and to repent and ask forgiveness for any unconfessed sin BEFORE participating in communion. Remember, Jesus' sacrificial death was for others. Therefore, when we sin against others (as the Corinthians in Paul's day were doing) and do not confess and repent of our sin, we show great disrespect for Jesus himself. So I humbly ask you: Do you have any unconfessed sin (especially against others in the church)? If so, go to the person, ask for forgiveness and repent. If you do this, I believe you will not eat or drink in an unworthy manner; but a manner that pleases the Lord. 

I'd also like to point out that the judgment in 1 Cor. 11 means the Lord will lovingly discipline those who dishonor the communion. No one can predict exactly what kind of discipline/suffering, but when we are disciplined, it should lead us to repentance (v. 32). It is an act of mercy that God disciplines us in this life, so that we will turn from sin and not be condemned in the next one.

[Answered by Pastor HM]

Q: How do you know when you are ready to get baptized?

Good question. Baptism is publicly declaring our faith in Jesus Christ.  By the work of the Holy Spirit, the believer is united with Jesus Christ in his death, burial and resurrection. It is acknowledging that our old sinful nature has been crucified and that we have been raised to new life in Jesus Christ. So, to answer your question, I would say you should get baptized:

1.  After we have made a GENUINE commitment of faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 8:35-38)
2.  After we understand clearly the meaning of baptism.
 
I make the analogy that baptism is like a wedding. When you want to marry the person whom you love, do you only do so when you know you are the perfect husband or wife? Of course not. But you marry them with the PUBLIC promise that you will try your best to be as good as possible to your spouse. In the same way, when you get baptized, you are publicly declaring your love to God with the hope that you will try - in the power of the Holy Spirit - to follow Him as best as you can.

So friend, if you genuinely love Christ and desire to follow Him, get baptized. Sometimes taking this public step of faith is exactly what you need to spur on your faith.

[Answered by Pastor HM]

Women pastors? Which view?

This is a response to "Q: What is the point CARM is trying to make and shouldn't women be able to preach (and be pastors)?". Out of the three views, which view do you believe is "right"? I know at RHCCC there are women pastors. I'm confused by this, and I would like to know which one I should stand up for, since I'm considering being a pastor (and I'm a girl).

First, I'd like to commend you for considering leadership in the church. We need more Christian men and women to serve God in vocational, full-time ministry! 

To answer your question directly, I will say the following (N.B. this is an excerpt from a previous post): According to the passages 1 Tim. 2:12-13; 1 Tim 5:17 and Titus 1:5-9 (i.e. passages that are discussed in the CARM post),  the issue is not if a woman can be in ministry, but rather what ministry a woman can be in. According to these passages, women can do anything from leading a Bible study, overseeing a ministry, leading musical worship, receiving formal theological training, entering into full-time paid ministry, serving as a deacon etc. BUT in terms of the SENIOR LEADERSHIP of the church (mainly rooted in the tasks of preaching and exercising authority over the church), this is a male-only office. I lean toward this view - which is the complementary view. I believe it is the most biblical-sound. However, I do realize that I work with many wonderful women pastors such as Pastor Kelly and they are VERY good at their job. So I believe women can serve in all sorts of ministry roles. But I believe the senior leadership of the church should fall upon a man's shoulders (ex. RHCCC's two senior leaders are both men). 

So where do we go from here? Here are several suggestions:

1. Keep looking through the Scriptures with an open mind and heart, especially passages such as 1 Tim. 2:12-13; 1 Tim 5:17 and Titus 1:5-9. Remember all of us - men and women - must test all our ideas and thoughts with Scripture.

2. Pray to God. Ask him to show you signs that you are called to be a pastor. The call to shepherd God's people is a distinct one; and not every person can do it well.

3. If you do decide to work within a church, stand up for having male senior leaders. They are called by God to lead the church. This is not a bad thing. It forces men to step up, and lead, protect and love the people of God (Ephesians 5:22-26). As a female pastor, you can certainly do many tasks. But I would leave the primary preaching and leadership roles to a male. God designed women to help men (Genesis 2:19). This doesn't men women can't do the job as well as men; it only means God has ordained them to have different roles and responsibilities.

4. Consider other full-time ministries other than the role of a pastor. Many of my female friends works for Christian organizations such as WorldVision and Wycliffe Bible Translators. I know others who teach at Christian universities as professors. 

5. Pastor Kelly and myself would be happy to talk to you and pray for you. Just fire an e-mail our way, and let's chat. 

[Answered by Pastor HM]