7thseal

I wouldn't care to wade out in water while holding a cat with 26 toes.....I made that mistake with a cat with regular toes and he lit me up......

Reckon Iran has a hand in it? I mean they've made it pretty clear that their goal is to create as much turmoil as possible to help speed up the return of their 'messiah'. By no means does their president want peace in the region.

John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: I would look at the questions you've asked and closely examine your heart. Know without a doubt that you have him as Lord over your life and not just the thoughts about him in your mind. Trust him, love him, obey him and you will clearly hear him speaking to your heart.

He is always faithful and I praise him that he responds when I ask for him to pour out a fresh renewal of his Spirit upon my heart each morning when I kneel down.

I read the other thread but I'm not able to post there because not having enough post. I use to drink...starting at the age of 10...quit when I turned 21 because of the drunkenness. At 26 I thought drinking wine would be fine but the drunkenness returned once again so I quit all together and don't want any part of it. I believe that if one is drinking and waking up with bloodshot eyes and needing to sleep it off then that person is seriously hindering the working of the Holy Spirit in their life. But if one can consume to a point and not be drunk then its their freewill to do so. God knows our heart intentions in whatever we choose to do and He alone will judge us in the end.

Are you sure there is nothing sinners "must do" beyond having faith in Jesus Christ? On the Day of Pentecost Peter preached to those who had rejected and crucified the Lord. They were "pricked in their heart", i.e., convicted of their sins and believing Peter's message they asked, "What shall we do?" Peter's answer was in accordance with the "Great Commission" when he commanded those who believed the gospel to "repent, and be baptized"

Hmm that would mean the blood shed on the cross by Jesus wasn't sufficient enough to overcome the law when we accept him as Lord over our life. You stated three words that threw up a red flag for me...."we must do"....we mustn't do anything but place our faith in Jesus Christ in order to be saved.

Amen! I prayed for years asking the Lord to bring a wife into my life that he chose for me. Well years later my patience ran out and so I went off on my own looking for the right gal. I thought surely I had found one and boy did I get my heart broken when the subject of marriage came up. So I returned back to the Lord in prayer agreeing with him whole heartily that his timing would be best for me....shortly after I met my wife and I knew without a doubt she was the one he chose for me. Learning patience the hard way.....yeah I'm one of those guys.

Maybe I've missed something here but I don't believe anyone could have received their glorified body until Jesus gave his life on the cross and raised himself again in the fullness of his glorified body. He's the first born "Son of God" and if anyone had received their glorified body before Jesus then he wouldn't be the first born.

I can see where it would be easy for him to deceive many. "De Jesus preaches there is no devil and no sin. His followers, he says, literally can do no wrong in God's eyes." Thats what most people want to hear rather than the truth and it will be used in a big way by Satan. I believe the Anti-Christ will speak along the same lines when he comes into power.

You bet it would, having the Holy Spirit flowing freely through the Church body doing what he has been sent to do in all areas. Ahhh that would be an awesome weapon against Satan...and I can only imagine the lost souls that would be drawn to the Holy Spirit's actions.

Karen hold steadfast in what the Holy Spirit has called you into doing. I've seen this work done first hand with my own family member and rest assure even though some may not grasp it...it is the work of the Holy Spirit. After seeing the change in this person's life (who was a Christian even before the deliverance) I can assure others, it is God's calling for some to work in this area and help others who struggle in their spiritual battle. The person is now praising and thanking God daily for the help in removing what was hindering him from drawing closer to the Lord. I've watched the doors open up to blessings and spiritual knowledge being poured out upon this person's life...I've witnessed God answer a prayer that I've been asking for many years. Some people have the image of heads spinning around, people clawing themselves, and the sorts stuck in their mind when someone mentions 'demon'. An unclean spirit that is hindering one from repenting of a certain sin comes from the same source.

I'm not a pastor but like others have mentioned whether its small church building with few members are a large one with thousands of members, as long as the Holy Spirit is there...its everything but boring. I go to church expecting something new from the Holy Spirit during worship and he always gives more than what I was expecting. Man we have a wonderful God.

Don't get me wrong I'm not claiming that I'm walking without sin, only God has the position to determine this but when we ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any sin and he doesn't respond with any, then at least we know that we are following him for a short time and not the flesh. I do believe that we can overcome sin if we follow the Holy Spirit and ask him to guide us through everything we face. When we start doing this then our relationship with God can only increase and that gives me lots of joy!

Amen, I agree with what your saying. But what I can't grip is that as long as we are following what the Holy Spirit leads us to do, whether sin being revealed and repentance is needed, sharing the gospel or whatever, as long as we follow him then how can we be caught up with "not sinning"? Repent means to turn away from and once that sin has been revealed and we repent. Then we know very well what we're doing when Satan returns offering us that sin. Once we begin to reject the temptation he simple offers another sin and he always starts with whatever areas we are the weakest at. Once we've allowed the Holy Spirit to give us the strength to resist those temptations. Then he will move to another sin. I'm not saying that we become sinless and Holy all at once, this is a continual process but man if we would simply follow the Holy Spirit directions and not reject him then I can only imagine the blessings that would be poured out. And I can only imagine what I'm missing when I give into temptation. Less of me, more of you Lord.

What keeps that connection with with the Holy Spirit from being perfect? When we choose to "reject what the Holy Spirit has instructed us to do". Us. We do. We're fallible, and we have to live with that until the day we die. It is part of the curse of sin. That isn't to say the Holy Spirit won't discipline us, or force us back (I heartedly believe He will)...however, it is a constant struggle You bet its a constant struggle and thats what Satan wants and why he makes sin look so appealing, in my walk with Christ whenever I clearly hear the Holy Spirit speaking to me either through prayer or through another person. I often want to reject what he's telling me. Why? Because he's always leading me to step out in faith. And if we do this we have to give up more of 'self' and rely more on God. But shouldn't our faith always be increasing?

What keeps that connection with with the Holy Spirit from being perfect? When we choose to "reject what the Holy Spirit has instructed us to do".

shiloh I agree but look at the basic cause of these problems that you've listed.....relying on self. But look what happens when we rely on the Holy Spirit to discern what sin/sins needs to be addressed in our lives and removed. First we have to seek the leadership of the Holy Spirit and ask him to point out any sins which might be in our lives, which means we have to pray more, which he then begins to lead us to scripture more, scripture points us back to Christ and our relationship with him just became stronger. If we would rely on the Holy Spirit (and not ourself) to point out the sin in our lives and point out temptation when its set before us then we have a choice of how to react to anything that has been revealed by him. I'm going to give a verse of scripture (Jesus speaking) and highlight two words and then break down the verse to explain more of what I'm trying to get across. John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. "I am come that they might have life," We know for certain that Jesus was speaking about eternal life but does he give it automatically to all? No, we already know that we have to choose it if we want it and this is why I've pointed out the word 'might'. "and that they might have it more abundantly." Was Jesus still speaking about eternal life here? I believe so but remember that our eternal life begins when we accept Christ as Lord. When we accept Christ as our Saviour then we automatically become a child of God, and as his child his love for us is more than we're capable of imagining. And because of his love he wants to bless us with so much, but does he want to wait until we get to heaven before he does this? No, when we confess our sins and accept Christ they are forgiving, and he automatically begins blessing us by first giving us eternal life with him. So what is the life more abundantly that Jesus is speaking about? I believe its the blessings that Christ wants so much to pour out on us here and now while on earth. But then there is the same word stated again 'might'. So this means that we have a choice and something is standing in the way of us receiving these blessings abundantly. What is standing in the way of eternal life with God? Sin. But this is forgiving when we accept Jesus Christ as Lord over our life. When we accept Christ we still sin right? Of course because we're still in the flesh for now. But when we choose to do this, the same sin that separated us from God is now separating us from the 'life more abundantly' that we can have here and now. And it remains that way until we confess that sin/sins and repent once again. Satan is the source of sin of course but why does he press us so hard to sin even after we've already received eternal life? Jesus explained why at the first of that verse. "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy", he cant kill, steal, or destroy our spiritual life because we've already given it to Christ but he can kill, steal, or destroy the physical life and blessings that Jesus came so that we might have it more abundantly. What is the weapon Satan uses against us to achieve this? Sin. Can you see now why Jesus put the word 'might' in there? We have a choice to sin or not sin but we cant do it alone and this is also why Jesus gave his life not only for us to have eternal life but to have life more abundantly here and now, and he left the Holy Spirit, His Word, direct communication with him through prayer, and forgiveness through the blood of Christ when we do become weak and follow the flesh rather than the Holy Spirit. He gave us these 'tools' so that we are not powerless over sin and so we can overcome the sin which Satan still hammers us with. Why does Satan want to steal, kill, and destroy the abundant life that we can have if we choose it? Because when the lost see these blessings being poured out on our lives then they are drawn to it and this provides us a chance to lead them to Christ and boy does this make Satan mad and you can bet he will do everything possible to stop this from happening. God is of increase, always moving forward, achieving his Word which he has spoken. Do we want to be onboard with everything that he is waiting to pour out on us as the Heirs of Christ? If we make the choice to have life more abundantly then we must keep sin from our lives and this requires using the 'tools' which have been given through Jesus Christ and when we do this then our faith, fellowship with God, and dependency on the Holy Spirit will increase. And God hasn't set any limits on how much of Him we can have here and now. Do we want the blessings which he desires to give us now? Or do we want to give into the belief that Satan has put into the Church that we are powerless against sin and allow him to steal, kill, and destroy what is rightfully ours? God Bless.

Ok I'm going to stir things up a bit. Yes. Explain: OK...if I answer no then I'm putting limits on what God is capable of doing in his relationship with us. If one is under the complete leadership of the Holy Spirit how can he be sinning? We are born with sin so we are all sinners but Christ has already paid the price for all sins...we just simply agree with him and ask forgiveness and repent (turn away) from our sins then give him the leadership over our lives. But the question being asked, is man capable of not sinning in his thoughts or deeds. Well this would require one to be under the complete leadership of the Holy Spirit. Hmm isn't this what God desires from us? So if he desires this from us then he would have to provide us with the 'tools' capable of achieving his desire and the 'tools' would have to be of God himself. Has he provided these 'tools' to make it possible? I believe so, he gave us Jesus to die in our place so that we are forgiven when we do sin and confess the sin/sins before him and repent. He gave us direct communication with him by the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross. He gave us the Spirit of God (Holy Spirit) to fix our prayers before they're lifted up into the presence of our Heavenly Father. And this same Spirit of God is more than eager to direct our every thoughts and actions if we so desire to allow him to. And last but not least he gave us his Word (Holy Bible) to use. Are all these not of God himself? The problem is that he requires us to step out in faith and our flesh sooo hates this. But aren't we given a choice to either follow the flesh or the Spirit? If you're sinning then your following the flesh, if you're not then you're following the directions of the Holy Spirit in everything you do and you're doing what God desires from you. How do we know if we are not sinning and are following his directions in everything we do? Well if you're completely relying on the Holy Spirit then you should be asking him with an open heart to reveal any hidden sin which might be in your life. He will certianly bring them before you if asked with your spiritual ears and eyes focused on him. So what if sin is revealed before us? Ask for forgivness repent...you now know what the sin is...turn away from it and don't do it anymore. So what if nothing is brought up before you? Praise him and thank him for being Lord over your life and continue seeking his guidance in everything you do. So I hear it being stated over and over that if one says that he is not sinning then he already sinned because of pride. Well that sin is easy to avoid....don't tell anyone you're not sinning. So how can I let anyone know that I'm not sinning? If this is your desire then you're not under the complete leadership of the Holy Spirit. Your only desire would be to follow the Holy Spirit. So the only thing left is how do you answer the question if someone asked you...Are you walking in a relationship with God without sinning? Hmm if I answer yes then I'm sinning because of pride. If I answer no but I'm not sinning because I'm completely under the leadership of the Holy Spirit then I would be a liar and have sinned. My answer......God knows. That answer stands true whether I'm sinning or not sinning in my relationship with God. And that answer is the only one that matters.

Lord what would you have for me to do? Don't assume the answer that the Holy Spirit gives you is the same answer that he's speaking to everyone else. Christ is the head of the Body and he decides what/when each member of the body needs to be doing at any given time. As long as you're following what the Holy Spirit is leading you to do then its Jesus doing his business through you and you should be praising him and giving him the glory for it....and not be worried if others are not doing the exact same thing that he leads you to do.

Yes he's a close friend of mine that works in this type of ministry and what he shares about Christians who don't take it into account that by choice we can allow these unclean spirits to attach themselves to us without us even realizing it. His work sounds similar to what you've described and he works together with others in nearby states. I was just curious if this type of deliverance ministry had ever brought you across paths with him. I fully agree with this message which he even brought across to our church congregation and which yourself are sharing here. Something you've stated that we as Christians should take into account daily. Amen, not only did Christ enter this world to die in our place for sin but praise God he left everything we need to confront and gain victory over temptation, and these unclean spirits which bring the temptations before us. We have his Word, the Holy Spirit, prayer and the power which resides in the name of Jesus alone. But Christ does expect us to exercise what he left for us. It glorifies him when we choose to use it but as always its by choice if we don't take advantage of and use what he has provided for us while here on earth. When you closely examine what Jesus has done and why.....then look at areas where the Church lacks in getting this message across, you can't help but wonder about all the blessings that are being missed.

Karen, I'm curious and must ask if you know a guy by the name Ken Stone?

My pastor was praying over a member of the church while he was in the hospital with cancer. He asked the Lord for his will to be done and bring healing to the guy....well the guy died right when he asked this. Our pastor 'boldly' asked God, whats up with that God? You said ask in the name of Jesus and it shall be done. A few minutes later the nurse came in the room and was covering up the body. She said the only thing he kept repeating before the cancer rendered him unable to respond any longer by speech was...I want to go home, I want to go home, I want to go home. My pastor received the answer from God through this nurse, you see the guy wasn't speaking about his earthly home but his home that Christ had prepared for him. His will was in line with God's will at that moment and God honored his request when the pastor prayed over him. God can see things that we can't and he know things that we don't, but everything that he does is for good not evil. We must place or faith in him alone and trust him even though his will may not always be what we think it should be. Stay in prayer he only wants the best for us and nothing else.

That heavenly dimension will be seen by all who are left on earth when Christ returns. From the way I understand it there are three heavens actually. 1. First heaven, is that within our own atmosphere (clouds, lightening, wind and the like reside). Revelation 11:6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. 2. Second heaven, is space itself (where the stars, galaxy's and so forth reside) Revelation 6:14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. I believe this will be space itself that will be removed out of the way to make way for Christ and his kingdom to come down and Christ will set foot on earth. Revelation 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. His return will be a grand one indeed. 3. Third heaven, is where God and his kingdom resides. And the event spoken of in Revelation 6:14 will leave the third heaven visible to all that are left here on earth. Revelation 6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; 16. And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

I often hear people say that they would love to go back and live through that age again. Not I, God's mercy on me was enough the first time around. Its a wonder that I'm still alive.