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 What spirit are you of?

And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village. (Luk 9:51-56)

What spirit were the disciples displaying in their zeal for the Lord? Is it not true that zealous men are often proud men? You see here we see what many today would have regarded as a virtue but in fact was a sensual earthly wisdom that led directly against the Spirit of God. Do you wish to call fire down upon your modern-day enemies? Homosexuals? Abortionists? Muslims? Do you incite others to do the same? What spirit are you? Are you a son of God and a peace-maker? I have heard men who will endlessly recount gory details of martyrs. Now, what spirit is that of? Does it stir up within the hearer a Godliness and a love for their enemies? Perhaps the teller of such stories would say that he was only trying to wake people up from their slumbers? This is why I love the story of Algerius , the martyr from 1557. I have told that story countless times and never once gave the actual gory details of his three years of torture, enough to know that he was burned to death in the end. What spirit would I raise up in men and women by recounting the horrors of his years of torture?

No, just like the story of Stephen, the focus of the story is not the individual blows and what was happening to the flesh, the focus of the story is the visions each men were having, the encounter they were having with the living God thus proving the word that He would never leave us nor forsake us and that when the enemy comes in like a flood that He would raise up a standard within us. This is glorifying to God. Religious men always focus on the flesh, it is entirely their focus when recounting stories. And why? Because they are of the flesh, this is what spirit they are of. Flesh cannot discern spirit and indeed wars against it. Some men raise the spirits of others to look up to the glories of God, other men feed the fears and the paranoia and disgusts of the flesh and this in turn breeds mistrust and hatred. Religious men abound today and have found fertile ground in cultures that are in steep decline. Beware brothers and sisters, do not get caught up in this spirit. The Spirit of God encourages us to love more, especially those who are most un-loveable and yet in their sin. The spirit of man encourages fear and hatred and mistrust and all the while disguises it as a virtue and a service to God. What spirit are you of ? .... bro Frank

 2014/5/27 15:16









 Re: What spirit are you of?

It was reported that Richard Wormbrandt was speaking in a large church during the 1970`s. This was the height of the Cold War with the communist. People came expecting to hear a strong anti communist message from one who had suffered at their hands. Yet they heard a brother weep I did not love them enough. I did not love them enough. When asked who he.was talking about. He said the communists. I did not love them enough.

Can we weep the same way for the abortionist or homosexual or Moslem?

Bearmaster.

 2014/5/27 16:16
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 Re:

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Can we weep the same way for the abortionist or homosexual or Moslem?



Amen brother, sadly I have not but I am sure others have not either. Yet others who we think are strong on those issues could be the ones that weep the most in love for them.


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SI Moderator - Greg Gordon

 2014/5/27 16:51Profile









 Re:

Perhaps so brother. Or it may be the unknown saint who is hid in their prayer closet known only to God who weeps for these lost souls.

Either way may it be the fire of heaven be called down into lost hearts and they be converted rather than the angry fire of men.

My thoughts.

Bear.

 2014/5/27 17:33
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Either way may it be the fire of heaven be called down into lost hearts and they be converted rather than the angry fire of men.



Agreed. But we should be able to discern between those calling for purity in the church and those who are simply trying to judge others trying enter the kingdom. I believe Franklin in his message was the former for no filthy thing will enter God's kingdom that has not been washed white in the blood of the Lamb.


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SI Moderator - Greg Gordon

 2014/5/27 17:36Profile
Oracio
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Joined: 2007/6/26
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Whittier CA USA

 Re:

Good word brother Frank. There is a fine line between Holy Spirit-filled bold gospel-proclamation which includes preaching against sin out of love for God and others on the one hand, and on the other hand preaching out of a fleshly, mean spirit which you describe so well in your post. The Lord is faithful to let us know the difference.

In the past I have fallen into mean-spirited preaching and the Lord has been faithful to convict me of it, bring me to repentance, and get me back on the right track again.

Quote:
Can we weep the same way for the abortionist or homosexual or Moslem?



Quote:
Amen brother, sadly I have not but I am sure others have not either. Yet others who we think are strong on those issues could be the ones that weep the most in love for them.



Amen, just because someone boldly preaches God's Word in it's fullness without compromise doesn't necessarily mean they don't weep over those same souls they preach to. We don't know whether they do or don't. I'm reminded of Paul Washer who shares about how he has sleepless nights before preaching a hard message to crowds.


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Oracio

 2014/5/27 17:37Profile









 Re: What spirit are you of?

My dear brother Frank,
such has been burning on my heart for weeks now.

I think it started when we almost walked into World War Three over the Ukraine. I prayed to God to be merciful and stay the Dogs of War.

Naturally I went on the forum to see if any are of like spirit. As a matter of course, I went away, grieved.

Just more of the same, more of the same, more of the same, 'homosexual this, homosexual that'. Which is fine, in that I am of the firm conviction, that what ever is "bothering" a man, he should have the freedom to speak it.

but you would think the only two sins, or the WORST sins are committed by homosexuals or abortionists, if you read this forum.

that's not true, there are thousands of gritty nasty stanking sins committed everyday.

but i'm veering.....I like you choice of Passage, them boys wanna call down FIRE on those rank sinners....they couldn't even get Scripture right, coz Elijah called down FIRE on the sacrifice, not the priests of Baal...for those, he put under the Sword, with undoubtedly the acquiesce of the LORD.....

But now its New Covenant Time, and Jesus was CLEARLY telling these dear men, where their heart and soul, should be canted....'save, not destroy'....and how this church has failed over 1700 years, and IS failing today.

could someone, an outsider, call us "peculiar" because of the way we love each other and outsiders?...with a winsome sweet, yet steadfastly authoritative love?.....OR do we continue in the way of the last 1700 years, with that zealous carnal hard religiosity, that requires edicts of "heresy", heretick, apostasy.....and at the end of that road a stake, oak brush, flame and death....for not joining in with the other bullies?

seems to me, its the same as it ever was....and they shouldn't tell me, because we Jews have our BAD DAYS canonized in the Old Testament.....can you imagine, like Judges, 1st and 2nd Samuel, 1st and 2nd Kings, 1st and 2nd Chronicles, the "church" had the last 1700 of its history PUT INTO CANON?

The more I read of church history, and its consistent fornications between a theocracy mixed up in the politics of the day, and those who are hungry for gold, or those who are hungry for the praise of men FOR their surface life, those pretty flashy religious gowns.....and I read of their hunger to always have an "enemy", whether it be some luckless sod, they proclaim a "heretick"...or the perfect enemy...my people the Jews, whom have been murdered, harassed, terrorized for centuries....by whom?

the dark hearted religionists in the church, and their children haunt this forum today...and how do I know this? how many dreary times have I had to go up against theologians and their damnable "replacement theology"?

In my heart, when I read the words "conservative Christian", my stomach churns, and my desire is put the knives under whetstone, clean all battle weapons and make sure every magazine is full with rounds.

to ME, a North American, "evangelical" "conservative Christian is BABYLON.....THOSE ARE who the coming persecution is coming from, not the atheists and queers. Just wait till they make an idol of Jesus, wrap it in an American flag, come up with a damnable "ABC" list of "what we believe"....and call it the "Church of America"....they might even have this wonderful reconciliation with the roman church.

well....that's all my heart can BEAR to write.

I don't mean to be harsh to any one person here, I just pray that things would be different....different in that we drunk in The High Priestly Prayer of John 17......different in that we would become that "peculiar people, who loved recklessly and with abandon.

"Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen"
Jude 24-25

 2014/5/27 18:16









 Re:

Oracio writes.........

"In the past I have fallen into mean-spirited preaching and the Lord has been faithful to convict me of it, bring me to repentance, and get me back on the right track again."

I appreciate your humility there brother. I am also reminded of Paul Washer, as you were, and some of the young men that use to idolize him and became cultish. Their hearts and spirit is clearly of a wrong spirit that desires to see fire fall not only on the unsaved but also anyone they deem not to be in agreement with them. This spirit roams around and seeks to devour............bro Frank

 2014/5/28 12:00
Oracio
Member



Joined: 2007/6/26
Posts: 2094
Whittier CA USA

 Re:

Quote:
I am also reminded of Paul Washer, as you were, and some of the young men that use to idolize him and became cultish. Their hearts and spirit is clearly of a wrong spirit that desires to see fire fall not only on the unsaved but also anyone they deem not to be in agreement with them. This spirit roams around and seeks to devour............bro Frank



Amen. I believe that in a unique way those who share the gospel regularly are susceptible to this kind of spirit if they are not careful. In seeing so much hardness of men’s hearts as we go out to share the gospel it can be easy for us to get discouraged and embittered and acquire this kind of spirit and begin to display it in our preaching. I have also seen others whom I’ve teamed up with acquire this kind of spirit and it is sad. I believe Jonah is a case in point. He held so much resentment toward the Assyrians and it seems he did not go in love to warn them of God’s Judgment, yet God still used his preaching for His purposes. We must keep seeking the Lord in this matter, humbly asking Him to give us His heart of compassion for the lost. Sister MaryJane’s recent post “We Need Jesus” spoke well in this regard.


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Oracio

 2014/5/28 12:38Profile









 Re:

A few days ago a brother shared with me about an experience he had. He was watching a video of the Boko Haram commander who was boasting of his kidnapping the young women in Nigeria. The commander had an evil demonic look. He was pointing his figure to the camera. The brother said anger welled up in Him. Then the Spirit spoke and said see this man as I see him. The brother said he then felt the love of Christ for this evil nan. This was a lost soul in need of Jesus.

Our flesh can very easy cry out fire to come down and consume the sinner. Be it the abortionist, the homosexual, or the Jihadist. But it takes a transforming work of the Holy Spirit to love an evil soul. But it can be done with the help of His Spirit.

If this brother can have the love of Christ for an evil Bono Haram commander so we can have the love of Christ for the abortionist. But we must ask God for it.

If we are not careful our flesh will give rise to anger in our crying out against the sins of the nation or even the sins of the church. If we be honest we have the potential of going the way of Westboro Baptist or the Church at Wells Texas. For both of these groups are of that spirit to bid fire to come down from heaven and consume them. They forget the anger of man does not bring about the righteous life God desires.

There is talk about persecution coming to America. One thing we need to learn from these who suffer persecution is to love the persecutors. If we can not love the sinners now in relative political freedom. What makes us think we are going to.love those who persecute us when it comes.

One thing you do not hear from those who suffer persecution in places such as N. Korea or Eritrea is for God to send fire to come down and consume their enemies. The prayers if the persecuted are for the persecutors to know Christ.

In the early days of Persecution Watch a sister shared a vision she got. She saw a believer chained in prison weeping. He was not weeping over his imprisonment. He was weeping that his guard did not know Jesus. Can we weep as this saint did, as Richard Wormbrandt did, over those persecutors who do not know Christ.

Sobering things to think about.

Blaine Scigin

 2014/5/28 14:46





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