In churches where the message is mostly true, is the Holy Spirit limited in His ability to manifest by a degree directly proportional to the amount of "natural insight"/conjecture/tradition/"doctrine" which has been instituted?
...how much does that alter things, on the whole? Given info presented via the above hyperlink...very, very curious.
...
WHY do Christians worship the devil in so many churches.
Per Google definition of "worship:"
Origin
Talking about how evil he is and how much of a nuisance is acknowledgment of his "worth" as an adversary. Worship, in other words.
Talking about how--no matter what you do, he always comes back...how he never will relent and never will back down...how he just utterly weighs down absolutely everything you do?
Dude, that is some SERIOUS worship. DON'T DO IT.
And it absolutely makes me want to just shout that we MUST ONLY look to the Lord! Because the dude is DONE. He WAS condemned, 2000 years ago. WAS defeated, 2000 years ago.
Not "will be taken down," not "someday he'll be defeated," not "he's such a bother." The dude is DONE.
He has NO RIGHTS to ANY child of God. And ANY child of God which allows him to disturb their peace simply needs to "man up" and kick him to the curb. WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS, IN CHRIST> MORE THAN!
Oh, dear Lord, help us!
Dude tries all sorts of stuff, yes, but he CANNOT complete a THING. Because, you know what...we who live in Christ, led by the Spirit, adopted of the Father...have power over all of his.
Period.
There is no "but."
Now, granted, exercising the authority is not something that comes naturally. It comes spiritually. So it takes time. Ardent pursuit. Single-minded devotion. And total surrender.
As to embody.
Which, yeah--Holmes ain't quite 100% yet. But you know what? The Grace of God is sufficient.
Period.
So, NONE OF US have to worry about it. WE WERE ADMONISHED AGAINST THE INCLINATION TO WORRY!
SERIOUSLY.
Psalms 19:14 - Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
Philippians 4:6-8
Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition ( definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.
And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
For the rest, brethren, {whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise,} think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them]
Matthew 6:24-25,
No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise and be against the other. You cannot serve God and mammon ( deceitful riches, money, possessions, or whatever is trusted in).
Therefore I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink; or about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life greater [in quality] than food, and the body [far above and more excellent] than clothing?
Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they?
And who of you by worrying and being anxious can add one unit of measure (cubit) to his stature or to the span of his life?
And why should you be anxious about clothes? Consider the lilies of the field and learn thoroughly how they grow; they neither toil nor spin.
Yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his magnificence (excellence, dignity, and grace) was not arrayed like one of these.
But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and green and tomorrow is tossed into the furnace, will He not much more surely clothe you, O you of little faith?
Therefore do not worry and be anxious, saying, What are we going to have to eat? or, What are we going to have to drink? or, What are we going to have to wear?
For the Gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows well that you need them all.
But seek ( aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness ( His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.
So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble
Luke 12:32-34
For all the pagan world is [greedily] seeking these things, and your Father knows that you need them.
Only aim at and strive for and seek His kingdom, and all these things shall be supplied to you also.
Do not be seized with alarm and struck with fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom!
Sell what you possess and give donations to the poor; provide yourselves with purses and handbags that do not grow old, an unfailing and inexhaustible treasure in the heavens, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also
Ephesians 4:20-29
In their spiritual apathy they have become callous and past feeling and reckless and have abandoned themselves [a prey] to unbridled sensuality, eager and greedy to indulge in every form of impurity [that their depraved desires may suggest and demand].
But you did not so learn Christ!
Assuming that you have really heard Him and been taught by Him, as [all] Truth is in Jesus [embodied and personified in Him],
Strip yourselves of your former nature [put off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion;
And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude],
And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God’s image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness.
Therefore, rejecting all falsity and being done now with it, let everyone express the truth with his neighbor, for we are all parts of one body and members one of another.
When angry, do not sin; do not ever let your wrath (your exasperation, your fury or indignation) last until the sun goes down.
Leave no [such] room or foothold for the devil [give no opportunity to him].
Let the thief steal no more, but rather let him be industrious, making an honest living with his own hands, so that he may be able to give to those in need.
Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God’s favor) to those who hear it
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [do not offend or vex or sadden Him], by Whom you were sealed (marked, branded as God’s own, secured) for the day of redemption (of final deliverance through Christ from evil and the consequences of sin
2 Timothy 2:1, 3-4, 6-16
SO YOU, my son, be strong (strengthened inwardly) in the grace (spiritual blessing) that is [to be found only] in Christ Jesus...
Take [with me] your share of the hardships and suffering [which you are called to endure] as a good (first- class) soldier of Christ Jesus.
No soldier when in service gets entangled in the enterprises of [civilian] life; his aim is to satisfy and please the one who enlisted him...
Think over these things I am saying [understand them and grasp their application], for the Lord will grant you full insight and understanding in everything.
Constantly keep in mind Jesus Christ (the Messiah) [as] risen from the dead, [as the prophesied King] descended from David, according to the good news (the Gospel) that I preach.
For that [Gospel] I am suffering affliction and even wearing chains like a criminal. But the Word of God is not chained or imprisoned!
Therefore I [am ready to] persevere and stand my ground with patience and endure everything for the sake of the elect [God’s chosen], so that they too may obtain [the] salvation which is in Christ Jesus, with [the reward of] eternal glory.
The saying is sure and worthy of confidence:If we have died with Him, we shall also live with Him.
If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny and disown and reject Him, He will also deny and disown and reject us.
If we are faithless [do not believe and are untrue to Him], He remains true (faithful to His Word and His righteous character), for He cannot deny Himself.
Remind [the people] of these facts and [solemnly] charge them in the presence of the Lord to avoid petty controversy over words, which does no good but upsets and undermines the faith of the hearers.
Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.
But avoid all empty (vain, useless, idle) talk, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness
It's really fairly cut-and-dry. In fact, there's a verse in Revelations which says that those who fear will not make it. Paraphrased severely, but that verse will be brought in when the time for it comes.
Just, seriously. There is a SERIOUS danger, in this all.
Revelations 3:13-19
He who can hear, let him listen to and heed what the Spirit says to the assemblies (churches).
And to the angel (messenger) of the assembly (church) in Laodicea write:These are the words of the Amen, the trusty and faithful and true Witness, the Origin and Beginning and Author of God’s creation:
I know your [record of] works and what you are doing; you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot!
So, because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth!
For you say, I am rich; I have prospered and grown wealthy, and I am in need of nothing; and you do not realize and understand that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.
Therefore I counsel you to purchase from Me gold refined and tested by fire, that you may be [truly] wealthy, and white clothes to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nudity from being seen, and salve to put on your eyes, that you may see.
Those whom I [dearly and tenderly] love, I tell their faults and convict and convince and reprove and chasten [I discipline and instruct them]. So be enthusiastic and in earnest and burning with zeal and repent [changing your mind and attitude].
Proverbs 15:4 - A wholesome tongue [is] a tree of life: but perverseness therein [is] a breach in the spirit.
Proverbs 18:21 - Death and life [are] in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
James 1:26 - If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion [is] vain.
James 3:10-11 - Out of the same mouth come forth blessing and cursing. These things, my brethren, ought not to be so.
Does a fountain send forth [simultaneously] from the same opening fresh water and bitter.
No comments:
Post a Comment