THE DIVIDEND OF GODLINESS

I was saved on the bed of sickness and I became a Baptist boy preacher and then I received the Holy Ghost and spoke in tongues. My folks felt I had disgraced the whole family because I was fellowshipping with those "tongue-talkers." In 1937 there was more reproach connected with speaking in tongues than there is today, although in some quarters even today religious prejudices still exist. People become proud of their name, and my family felt that I had disgraced our name. When I was filled with the Holy Spirit I didn't say one word to my family; I didn't even invite them to go to church with me. I felt in my spirit that if I would just live right and not try to push anything off on them, the reality of the baptism in the Holy Spirit would become obvious to them and they would follow me in this New Testament experience.

And in the course of time, every one of my family members did receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit, including both of my brothers and my sister, and even my nephews and nieces. Later the folks beyond my immediate family followed me in that experience, too, because they could see the difference in my life. My aunt, my mother's youngest sister, held out the longest. She felt that I had really disgraced her. She was a great church worker, but there is a difference between being a church worker and being a Christian.

In 1950 my aunt came to visit us. I wasn't there, but my mother and my wife were. My aunt said to my mother, "You know, there's just a difference in this home. I get blessed spiritually every time I'm here, and I feel comforted and blessed. There's a peace and a tranquility in this home. I felt that Kenneth had disgraced us, but, you know, I believe he made the right move. I'm going to begin attending his church." And she did.

She also said, "Not only that, but I've watched him over the years. His children are never sick. Other children in the family are ill, but Kenneth's children never have any illness - very seldom even a cold - but nothing more serious than that. Other children in the family have serious illnesses. There's just a difference in this family." When she said that, I thought of the scripture in First Timothy 4:8: "For bodily exercise profiteth little: but GODLINESS IS PROFITABLE UNTO ALL THINGS, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come." If something is profitable, it pays off, doesn't it? Godliness pays off. It is profitable unto all things, paying off in this life and in the life which is to come.

1 TIMOTHY 4:15 Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. You see, the thing that influenced my aunt and made her begin attending a Full Gospel church (which she had vowed she would never do) was the profiting that she saw in my life. (Kenneth Hagin)

sidespin: THE DIVIDEND OF GODLINESS

I was saved on the bed of sickness and I became a Baptist boy preacher and then I received the Holy Ghost and spoke in tongues. My folks felt I had disgraced the whole family because I was fellowshipping with those "tongue-talkers." In 1937 there was more reproach connected with speaking in tongues than there is today, although in some quarters even today religious prejudices still exist. People become proud of their name, and my family felt that I had disgraced our name. When I was filled with the Holy Spirit I didn't say one word to my family; I didn't even invite them to go to church with me. I felt in my spirit that if I would just live right and not try to push anything off on them, the reality of the baptism in the Holy Spirit would become obvious to them and they would follow me in this New Testament experience.

And in the course of time, every one of my family members did receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit, including both of my brothers and my sister, and even my nephews and nieces. Later the folks beyond my immediate family followed me in that experience, too, because they could see the difference in my life. My aunt, my mother's youngest sister, held out the longest. She felt that I had really disgraced her. She was a great church worker, but there is a difference between being a church worker and being a Christian.

In 1950 my aunt came to visit us. I wasn't there, but my mother and my wife were. My aunt said to my mother, "You know, there's just a difference in this home. I get blessed spiritually every time I'm here, and I feel comforted and blessed. There's a peace and a tranquility in this home. I felt that Kenneth had disgraced us, but, you know, I believe he made the right move. I'm going to begin attending his church." And she did.

She also said, "Not only that, but I've watched him over the years. His children are never sick. Other children in the family are ill, but Kenneth's children never have any illness - very seldom even a cold - but nothing more serious than that. Other children in the family have serious illnesses. There's just a difference in this family." When she said that, I thought of the scripture in First Timothy 4:8: "For bodily exercise profiteth little: but GODLINESS IS PROFITABLE UNTO ALL THINGS, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come." If something is profitable, it pays off, doesn't it? Godliness pays off. It is profitable unto all things, paying off in this life and in the life which is to come.

1 TIMOTHY 4:15 Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. You see, the thing that influenced my aunt and made her begin attending a Full Gospel church (which she had vowed she would never do) was the profiting that she saw in my life. (Kenneth Hagin)

God bless u bro, Happy New Year

@sidespin, Happy new year. God bless you for all your inspirational topic. You are a great guy. Wishing you many many more years.

God2man.