Matthew 10:34-36
Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.

so i was at starbucks last night after prayer, feeling a little bold. this happens from time to time, so it wasn't a real surprise to me that, when i saw a guy walk in with a bible under his arm, i thought to myself, "self, let's go talk to him". i went over, introduced myself, and played dumb (a relatively familiar role for myself). i asked questions and pretended to not really be sure what i believed, and got him talking to me about salvation and what it takes to be saved. he told me about the necessity of repentence, acknowledgement, and baptism, but totally left me hanging on anything with the spirit. i started asking questions about the holy spirit, and asked about acts 8 (where the people of samaria received the word and believed and were baptized, but had not yet received the spirit. if belief and baptism are enough, then why tarry for the spirit?) anyway, he's not really able to answer this or the issues of mark 16 (these signs shall follow them that believe ... they shall speak with new tongues). it was an interesting discussion, but then his friend showed up.

all i asked him to do was read. he read the passage, and said, "so are you telling me that i'm not saved because i've not spoken in tongues?" i asked him, "after reading these scriptures, what do you think?" he then told me that (a) tongues were only for the apostles, and (b) healings don't occur any more. i told him that i had spoken in tongues, then asked if this made me an apostle (after all, i AM an apostolic). the guy became downright violent. he clenched his fists, set his jaw, and i watched veins bulge out in his neck and forehead. he was ready to go. he then informed me that he knew he was saved because he had accepted christ and been baptized, and that he wasn't going to sit any longer and listen to me tell him that he was not saved. again, i'll point out that i never mentioned that he wasn't saved. i just asked him to read the bible.

for the first time last night, i realized how divisive the truth really is.