Can a someone "claim" to be "Spirit-Filled"...

[Willa]

So true Fez.  My concern is that we've heaped upon ourselves this idea that a "feel good" message is a spirit-filled message. It's not necessarily so! 

 

Read the warning that Paul gave to Timothy!

 

2 Timothy 4:3-4  For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,  and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

 

Is that what's happening today?

George, I so very much agree. We have churches in which the pastor uses vulgar language in his sermon. I recently heard one on the net that was a series on movies with an occasional comparison with the life of David. No Scripture. Others claim that God's Word is not holy but is just someone's opinion. And then there are those who promote bizarre experiences like "the holy giggles" so swarms of people with itching ears will seek a new cheap thrill. I don't see anywhere in the Bible that God might consider these among the "greater things than these" that we might do. I don't see them glorifying Him in any way. The repentance of sinners is what makes the angels rejoice. Prosperity messages that omit the message of repentance from sin and dead works and salvation by grace through faith will only foster greed or pray on people in desperate poverty. However, judgement begins with the house of God. Perhaps that is why the Revelation of Jesus begins with His assessment of the 7 churches. Our churches will be judged before the world is judged, and by their fruit we shall know them. A message may be soft spoken, reasonable and kind, but if the word is preached in full, the Holy Spirit is present there will be conviction of sin and salvation of souls.

If worship and communion with God's Holy Presence and delight in (as well as refining by) His Word are not at the core of our Christian experience, we should count them all as dung. The purpose of our being saved is to be delivered from sin, to become more Christ like, to testify as to what God has done in our lives and to make disciples. I am not in any way putting down genuine emotion, albeit being of the flesh, or genuine working of the grace gifts of the Spirit. It is those things in the churches that are not of God that will be judged.

[nebula]

 

 

George started this post as, Can someone claim to be spirit filled. Read the last ten posts or so in this thread and tell me where the SpirIt is, let alone if He is filling anything?

 

I think somehow he got into hammering out details - or rather, one detail.

 

But you are right. We should stop focusing on what our minds have to say and start listening for the Spirit.

 

 

I'm not sure that we got off topic at all. Or why hammering out details was a bad thing. I thought the sign was a great example of claiming to be spirit filled and yet propogating mistruths about what is sin.

 

What does the spirit say/do?

 

I think Christians should desire to have the same mind as God in terms of sin. We should hate what He hates, love what He loves. I'm pretty sure this means delivering a balanced message that doesn't only focus on the "good bits" of the gospel, namely love and forgiveness, and also doesn't only focus on the "harder bits" of repentence and sin.

 

Misbalance in either direction is really awful.

 

Some people are too light on sin, some are too light on love and grace. Surely the spirit points to the balance, to having both, not either/or?

 

 

Good word, Candice!

[His_disciple3]

here is the solution: A Christian is not perfect, we are forgiven, scriptures says to get the beam out of your own eye, before you focus on the splinter in someone elses eye. the problem with today's Christian is not a new problem but one from old. everyone does what is right in their own eyes. another problem is that we don't agree with scriptures, for we all think that the beam in our eye is not even a splinter, and the splinter in someone elses eye is larger than a beam. I found it amazing in churches that doctrine is that sin will cause someone to lose their salvation, has as much if not more sin than the Liberal churches. I think Jesus has already given the best answer to the question the post askes:  

 "Let Him that is without sin cast the first stone"

[choirboy]

Yes... Someone can claimed to be spiritually fulfilled if you know your are in true relationship with your God (The father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit), and you walked according to his rules and guildiance

[B3L13v3R]

 

Could this apply to America or Europe today?

 

Jeremiah 2:7-13  And I brought you into a plentiful land to enjoy its fruits and its good things. But when you came in, you defiled my land and made my heritage an abomination.   The priests did not say, 'Where is the LORD?' Those who handle the law did not know me; the shepherds transgressed against me; the prophets prophesied by Baal and went after things that do not profit.   "Therefore I still contend with you, declares the LORD, and with your children's children I will contend.  For cross to the coasts of Cyprus and see, or send to Kedar and examine with care; see if there has been such a thing.  Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit.   Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the LORD,   for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.

 

 

Yes, these and similar Scriptures apply for the majority of of America and any nation that allows false Prophets, Evangelist, Pastors and teachers today.

The progression here starts with a land of "plenty" Often times with plenty, people forget the God they once served.

Followed by defilement, making God's land an "abomination."

Just look at America, sin is being embraced, no absolute truths, laws change like the wind, homosexuality is being embraced as normal instead of sin, rampant pornography found on every store shelf, and easily accessed with the click of a mouse. Abortion and the "right to choose." Where is the babies rights? Where are the voices teaching the younger to wait until marriage? Psychology is embraced just as much or more than God's Word in many churches, this is a tragedy. Psychology is "mans religion" and was not needed in the church for 1900 years. We do not need it now! We can find ample counsel and help a plenty in the Word of God alone with it rightly divided, without Dr. Fill and his worldly wise-man techniques!

Priest don't bother to ask "Where is the Lord?" Shepherds (pastors) sinning against God, often times their house totally out of order, and by God's Word should not even be pastors.

There are more than a few of the prophets of "Baal" today, all the while with "jesus" on their lips. Our TV sets are full of them in the name of Christianity! With these tragic TV stars, we find the false Prophets profits are up, with their love of money, and not God.

A number of them have been though our area in the past, those that follow their false fluffy message the outcome is always spiritual death!

If God's people continue without Him, they wind up with empty broken cisterns (similar to a pool) that can hold no water.

God Himself is the only fountain of living water that will never run dry to those who love and pursue Him.