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| Being led by the Spirit | |
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| Topic Started: Oct 30 2005, 06:54 AM (1,175 Views) | |
| jonnybones777 | Oct 30 2005, 06:54 AM Post #1 |
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from:11/17/04 "Being led by the Spirit" The Lord our GOD is Eternal, and is not bound by the restraints of the measurements of time, as we tend to be. In this "microwave society" in which we live, and the "rat race" in which we oftentimes run to and fro, we are influenced in varying measures and degrees by the quick pace of it, trying to accomplish everything that we desire to do. We have set up schedules, or timetables, in which we desire to accomplish certain things at a fixed point in time, which have been appointed, assigned, or designated. I agree that there are some schedules that we cannot seem to do away with, such as when to go to school, work, etc. However,....at the same time,....we must realise that we are called to live by the laws of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus, not being bound and constricted by the fallible and non-Spirit-- inspired schedules and laws of man. If we are to be Spiritually-minded, rather than naturally-minded, then we must practice walking in the Spirit, as well as living in the Spirit, operating only by HIS leading, rather than the human impulses of the carnal/fallen nature. (Isaiah 55: 8,9) "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways', says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the Earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts." (Psalm 94:11) "The Lord knows the thoughts of man, that they are futile." (Romans 8:5-7) "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be." (Proverbs 20:24) "A man's steps are of the Lord; How then can a man understand his own way?" (Proverbs 3:5-8) "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear[reverence] the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones." (Proverbs 1:20a,21b,22,23) "Wisdom calls aloud outside...She speaks Her words: 'How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge. Turn at My rebuke; Surely I will pour out My Spirit on you: I will make My words known to you." (1 Cor. 2:10-16) "But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For 'who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?' But we have the Mind of Christ." (1 John 2:20,27) "But you have an Anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things....But the Anointing which you have received of Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as that same Anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as It has taught you, you will abide in Him." (Romans 8:14) "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God." There are MANY examples that I can give, which illustrate my point of the fact that if we allow our schedules to dictate exactly how to move, act, and operate,...then we will be doomed to continual failure and loss. For many years, I have visited local churches which have very strict schedules, such as to when to greet others, when to praise and worship, when to take up the tithes/offerings, when to dismiss the children to their classes, when the pastor preaches, and when to end the service and dismiss the congregation. I understand the point that some people make, when they say that without some kind of a schedule, and law and order, that there will be chaos and disorder. However,....whenever we have the presumption that this is the only correct way or manner to do things, then we are in direct and indirect resistance and opposition to the Divine guidance of the Holy Spirit who desires to lead us into the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God the Father. There have been more times than I can count, of when the congregation of the saints (during a gathering in church, etc.) have spent about 20 minutes in praise and worship unto the Lord, and the room becomes filled with the tangible and awesome Presence of the Holy Spirit,....and as the Lord is beginning to affect the people very strongly, healing them of emotional wounds, liberating them from demonic strongholds, etc., ....and then, all of a sudden, the pastor gets up, takes the microphone, instantly calls for an end to the praise/worship, and dismisses the children to their classes, so that he can go ahead and preach his sermon. There have been times when the audience was immersed deeply in His wonderful Presence, singing and worshipping in the Spirit, with psalms and spiritual songs, in other tongues/languages, as well as in English,...and then the leader of the church immediately asks for silence. Oftentimes,...if one is sensitive to the Anointing of the Spirit, one can literally sense the Spirit becoming grieved, and the Cloud of His Presence is no longer thick and tangible, but begins to thin out and fade into the background. In this situation, the Lord wanted to do many mighty works and miracles, but the pastor (unfortunately) ignorantly chooses to keep things "on schedule". I have seen occasions when people who were praying at the "altar" were asked to hurry up and finish praying, so that the pastor could preach. We should not try to fit God into our "boxes" of time,....but rather to immerse ourselves into the FULLness of His will and Kingdom. Some Christians assume that one must be at church everytime and on time,....but I have heard a true story about when some of the saints were led by the Spirit to not go to church on a certain day, and a tornado hit that church. The ones that did not listen to HIM went anyway, and were killed. There is another story (from overseas) about when a church became destroyed by terrorists, and some had stayed home and were spared, but the ones that went anyway were mostly injured and some were killed. We must allow the Lord (rather than the traditions of men) to direct our steps. Most of us have gone to school on a scheduled basis. However,...there was one day when I sensed very strongly that I should not ride the bus and go to school, and I somehow convinced my mother to allow me to stay home. And lo and behold,....I found out later that day, that my bus driver was driving too fast when he made a turn, and the bus flipped over and many of the students were badly injured. On several occasions, when I had plans to drive my car to some place,....I felt led to wait, and to have my car checked out, and sure enough, there would be something broken or badly damaged, that would have caused me to either stall or to get into an accident, if indeed I had not listened to HIM. At least two or three times,....I have sat at a red light, and gotten ready to go ahead through it, as it turned green,....but in my spirit, I sensed strongly that I should wait,....while people were behind me blowing their horns,.....and all of a sudden, a car or an 18-wheeler truck would come "flying" through there, running that red light,...and if I had gone on ahead, I would most likely have been killed, or injured very badly. On another occasion, me and my mother were planning to go shopping for the day,...but shortly before we had planned to leave,...the Holy Spirit told my mother to lay down in her room and to pray. Thankfully, she complied with Him, for within a few minutes, she heard a crackling sound, and began to smell smoke. What had happened, was that the multiple outlet extension cord was malfuctioning, and as it threw out some sparks, the curtain caught on fire. If we had not listened to the Lord, and paused our "schedule",....our house would have burned down to the ground while we were shopping. We must not do ANYTHING without Him leading and guiding us,....for without Him, we can do nothing of any true and eternal value. The very decisions that we make, can determine whether we live or die(prematurely), succeed or fail, reap the Blessing or the Curse. Rather than being governed by the thoughts of your mind, or the intents of your heart, allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide in ALL things,...no matter how "small" they may seem to be. The life that we live is as a "puzzle", or "maze",...and we desperately need Him (who knows all things) to guide us, step by step, for HE alone is the true and Divine "Navigator", "Orchestrator", and the Supreme "Maestro", the GOD of all gods, the High Priest of priests, the KING of kings, and the Lord of lords. A step taken without HIM is a step out of His Light into the darkness. (Isaiah 30:21) "Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it,' whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left." (Psalm 37:23) "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way." (Psalm 25:9) "The humble He guides in justice, and the humble He teaches His way." (Psalm 139:10) "Even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me." Of His commandments, it says in Proverbs 6:22,23, that, "When you roam, they will lead you; When you sleep, they will keep you; And when you are awake, they will speak with you. For the commandment is a lamp, and the Law a light; Reproofs of instruction are the way of life." (John 16:13) "However, when He, the Spirit of Truth has come, He will guide you into ALL truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come." The Holy Spirit only speaks according to the Father's will, just the same as the Son does,...and likewise, so should we. As we heed His Words, we will NEVER go astray. There are many voices in this world, whether it be of God, of self, of other people, or of demonic spirits. We must be very specific about who or what we hear, and the manner and measure that we give heed to that voice. May we deny those voices of deception, of our carnal/fallen-self nature, as well as those of other evil influences, and listen ONLY to the Voice of the Good Shepherd. (John 10:27) "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." (Mark 4:23-25) "If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.' Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. For whomever has, to him more will be given; but whomever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him." May we be wise and faithful in how we give heed to His Voice, for to the degree and measure they we listen to His guidance, that is the same measure/degree in which we will receive from Him. We will reap whatever we sow. To those who are faithful unto Him, more will be given, but those who are not, even what they already have will be taken away. (Matthew 25:21a, 29,30) "...you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.....For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." This Scripture is part of a prophecy, but is nevertheless applicable to us in our spiritual walk and lifestyle in His Spirit. : (Isaiah 42:16) "I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight." The events of the Old Testament were written as examples unto us, who should take heed. In Numbers 9:17-23, we read that the Israelites were commanded to stay and abide, whenever the Cloud of the Presence of the Lord dwelt upon the tabernacle in a certain place. However, when IT moved, they were compelled to move along with Him,....staying in sync. In verse 23a, it says, "At the command of the Lord they remained encamped, and at the command of the Lord they journeyed." We are nowadays under a better Covenant, and have received the Promise of His Spirit, whom has been poured out in a much greater measure and degree than in those days. Therefore, we should never assume that we can do anything without His leading. The Lord changes not, and is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. The Word says that we must "therefore be imitators of Christ." In John 5:19, and 30, we read the words of the Master, "...Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son does in like manner.......I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgement is righteous, because I seek not My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me." (John 15:4,5) "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me, you can do nothing." (Philippians 4:13) "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Some Christians take this Scripture out of context, saying that that can do ANYTHING (that they think is good)through Christ,...but that is contrary to Scripture, for HE will only strengthen and enable us to do the very things that the Father has specifically willed and ordained. We cannot have a form of godliness, while denying the Power thereof. We must comply in obedience to everything that He commands, not operate in manipulation of His will, in order to try to suit our own desires, ambitions, and agendas. In the Old and New Testaments, we see examples of the fact that the Lord has severely judged and destroyed those who did this (Lev.10:1,2 ; Acts 5:1-11). (Colossians 3:17) "And whatever you do in word or deed, do ALL in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." The Lord our GOD, who was, and is, and is to come, is the Eternal, Self-Existent One, and HE already knows our future, and exactly what needs to be done for us to achieve our predestined calling and goal. However, we see "through a glass darkly", only seeing in part and knowing in part. So therefore, realistically, we have no control over it, for we simply cannot truly plan ahead, due to not knowing what future lies before us, as HE does. Christ commands us (in Matt.6:25-34) to not worry about our future, but to trust Him. We should never concern ourselves with what we shall wear, eat, drink, do, speak, etc., for we must only operate as He leads, guides, and provides. For "in HIM we LIVE, MOVE, and HAVE OUR BEING." (Acts 17:28a) Yeshua (Jesus) says to us, "My sheep know My voice". However,....even though we should automatically know His voice,....we still have to practice listening to Him on a repetitive basis, tuning our spirit to His Spirit, in order that we may discern the difference between Him and the voice of the thoughts of our minds, as well as those of the deceptive, demonic forces of darkness. An excellent way to tune our spirit to His frequency and wavelengths (as compared to a radio that must be tuned to a station), is through continual meditation of His Word and spending ample amounts of time in prayer, worship, etc. Most of the time, His peace will arise within our spirits to confirm that it is Him speaking, but there are occasions when He may speak in a strong and sudden manner, as in warnings, corrections, etc. It is proven when it is Him, for His "fruit" and manifestation is that of holy righteousness and love, seeking to draw us deeper into Him, rather than into our fallen nature. It is the carnal self-nature that the demonic spirits use and exploit, in order to trick, seduce, and entrap, for the sole purpose of our damnation into Hell with them for all eternity. To use a few more examples for the purpose of teaching anyone who may not know about these things: I have found by experience that whenever I comply fully with His leading, that He synchronizes everything, or in other words, causes events to occur at the proper time and in harmony and balance. In days past, occasion, whenever I would have a schedule to meet with someone, the timing would (oftentimes) be "off" and inaccurate, and thus, nothing worked out successfully . But when I would wait on Him to lead me, the timing was "on key", precise and accurate. Whenever I am looking for a person or a place, in which I have no knowledge of the whereabouts or location....I ask Him to guide me, through His Spirit within my spirit, and as I follow the sense of His nudgings and promptings, I am led to the proper person or place. Rather than trying to play drums in praise and worship music exclusively in my own ability, I ask for His Anointing and Divine Unction, and I find that rather than it seeming like labor that is worked through fleshly abilities,....it becomes restful and easy, with no burden oncesoever. Whenever I teach, whether in writing or in speaking, I NEVER do so without His Anointing guiding me, for therein, it seems to "flow like water" and without any effort on my part. We must never do anything without precisely following His leading. Even during periods of prayer,....they are times to speak, as well as times of quietness. There are times of praise, as well as times of worship, in our native language, or perhaps even in other tongues(languages). He may lead you to stand still, or to bow before Him, or perhaps, even to dance. In other words,....we should not be bound by the constraints of tradition and habit,...but only moving and acting in accordance to the promptings and movings of His Spirit. If and when we act in our own will, rather than in His,....we grieve, quench, and vex His Spirit, and thus, nullify (to some degree) our potential in Him, as well as His potential in our lives and situations. In order to tap into our full potential in Him as His sons and daughters, we must be led by Him in ALL things, in the thoughts of our minds, the words of our mouths, the works of our hands, and the steps of our feet. I close with these Scriptures: (Matthew 10:19,20) "But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you." (Ex. 4:12) "Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say." The (prophesied) Messiah says of the Father: (Isaiah 50:4) "The Lord God has given Me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to hear as the learned." (Luke 21:14,15) "Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you shall answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist." (Jeremiah 1:7) "But the Lord said to me: 'Do not say, I am a youth,' for you shall go to ALL to whom I send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak." In HIM we live, move, and have our being, Jonathan |
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| Wil | Oct 30 2005, 10:19 PM Post #2 |
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:amen :good posting and most worthy of being pinned. Thanks Jon! |
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| sonchild | Nov 10 2006, 02:49 PM Post #3 |
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:amen and :amen again. When I first started trying to be more aware of the voice of the Spirit, I certainly made a lot of mistakes, but He honored my heart that was wanting to be led by Him, and I do believe He helped me out of problems early on just because I was trying to follow Him. He truly is our Comforter and our Helper and is ever ready to lead us when we want to be led. This was such a good post, I am going to copy and print for a Bible study group I attend. It's concise, every Word is true, and it is written with a heart attitude of helpfulness and caring. Thank you so much. I, too, over the years have seen the manifest presence of the Spirit halted, interrupted, and ignored. It is so hurtful. Only about 3 or 4 years ago, I was visiting a church I hadn't been to in a long time. I left because the Spirit was not really wanted to lead in that church. The last time I went, there were healings and miracles happening and I am so sad to say that the pastor got up and began to tell of a funny incident that happened to his family on their recent vacation. He laughed and laughed and went into great detail. People in that whole congregation were stunned. I don't know if he purposefully interrupted the Spirit or if he was just maybe thinking the services gettting out of "his hand". I have not been back, but others I know have, and they maintain that this pastor still does similar things. I have seen interruptions by many pastors, song leaders, and various church members. I have learned that to pastors who are not use to following the leading of the Spirit during the week, are a little shy or ill at ease in following Him also during the services. They feel it is getting 'out of hand'. I do need to add that this last pastor had gone all over the world to conventions about the Holy Spirit, pastoring, healing,etc. and had access and ability to travel anywhere he wanted to to hear other pastors and refresh Himself amongst men and women of God. So, I know he had been taught about following the Spirit at least in some measure. Again, thank you so much for this wonderful teaching. 
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| OnTheHorizon | Nov 10 2006, 04:06 PM Post #4 |
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We used to have words of knowledge in Sunday service fairly often until the pastor decided that the speaking in tongues might scare off new attenders so they decided to discourage this on Sunday morning (by letting the music continue to play loud or abruptly changing the focus) and they tried to have it redirected to the Wednesday evening bible study service. Things had really dried up quite a bit as far as the spirit moving. It appears that they have come to recognise this because lately we have been doing studies on the moving of the Holy Spirit and the spiritual gifts. Some services (we have 3 on Sunday morning) have words of knowledge given by the body now. It it really exciting. I must digress for a minute... One Sunday, several years ago- maybe 10 or 12- we had the best service ever. We were having such a wonderful singing and worship time that we never actually got to the message from the pastor. We were just praising and worshiping the Lord and it felt right to continue into the pastors talking time. The music pastor was anointed and he was dancing and you could see the joy all over him. I hope to never forget that service. |
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| sonchild | Nov 10 2006, 05:36 PM Post #5 |
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oh, when the Spirit is welcome, wonderful things happen and so many more salvations. When you leave you KNOW that you have been in the presence of the Lord. Unforgettable moments when entire congregations are saturated with His love and encouraged by the One who knows how to encourage.
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| loveroftruth | Nov 10 2006, 06:09 PM Post #6 |
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I used to go to a home group that had no agenda except to allow the Holy Spirit to lead and do whatever - it was so incredible! Someone has a scripture or a song or a teaching or a prophetic word - and it all came toghether and seemed to make a theme that the Lord had desired. Each time I left there I was changed..... when God has free reign, He shows up and people get changed! This issue is, once you have tasted that, you cant go back to scheduled and set up meetings, the reality is, that there is not much room for the Holy Spirit to move unless it fits into their agenda  Amen to what both you and OntheHorizen said! |
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| jonnybones777 | Nov 21 2006, 02:46 PM Post #7 |
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Thank you all for sharing.  Yes, indeed,...once you have tasted of the liberation of being Spirit-led and allowing Him to move as He wills,...nothing else even remotely compares. And when you return to the "status quo" of "normal" church and living,...you become miserable because the quality just isnt nearly as high nor free.  Father Yah,...help us all to let Your River flow through us without hindrance, so that we may reach the measure of the stature of the FULLness of Christ.
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| MoreofHim | Mar 26 2007, 11:13 AM Post #8 |
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Jon, Excellent post and well articulated! Thanks for feeding the flock. |
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| hana | Apr 27 2007, 02:11 AM Post #9 |
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 Praise Yah for such a great message on post! Jon Yahwah has used you greatly, I mean greatly....Tears rolling down my eyes as I read your post, because Yahis dealing with me and trying to draw me closer to Him through prayer word and fasting I believe in speaking in tougues as the spirit gives utterance, being renewed in the spirit of your mind that we may prove what is that perfect and exceptable will of Yah. I've fallen away spiritually...I mean I haven't been faithful in seeking Yah with all my heart. You can live apart from the world but be very cold or luke warm in heart...This is where I've found myself. This is changing Yah is tugging at my spirit and I will obey! I've been blessed in the past to have gone to a church that did believe in letting the spirit of Yah move mightly...where the pastor was filled with the spirit of Yah and moved out of the way when people where being blessed, healed and delivered I remember when the power of Yah was so thick that you couldn't even leave but just worship and pray till your liberty and deliverance came. My husband and I moved and haven't been to any churches the last 2 yrs ...The Father has been showing us and reveling things in the word that has separated us from denominational churches. As now we just give home bible studies...we feel people are more open to a home setting more comfortable and ready to request and ask for prayer. I love it. I'm sorry for rambling on. I just feel renewed after prayer and reading your post....thanks alot. shalom hana |
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| jonnybones777 | May 3 2007, 07:21 PM Post #10 |
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Ohhhh wow!!! This is really great to hear, Hana huge1:. Thank you so much for sharing this with us. Our Abba Yahweh is soooo AWESOME!!! HalleluYah!!! I just LOVE it when His Spirit guides us higher and deeper into all Truth, and He shall complete the glorious work which He has begun in us.  Shalom aleichem(peace be with you). In Him, One, Yehonatan |
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| Rog | May 3 2007, 11:21 PM Post #11 |
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jonnybones, I was wondering if I could get your permission to post this on another messageboard? |
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| jonnybones777 | May 20 2007, 11:46 PM Post #12 |
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Yes, Rog, please feel free to share this message with whomever the Spirit leads...for it is His inspiration to the glory of our heavenly Father. Im so sorry about the late reply. I didnt realize you commented, until just now. Be blessed in Him. Shalom :). |
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| Stinker | Jul 28 2007, 01:04 AM Post #13 |
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Hello, I have an important question for johnny bones When someone uses the name JESUS, during there aceptence of what Christ did for us on the cross(prayer of salvation) are they saved? or is using the hebrew name SO important, that using the name "JESUS" would discount that salvation? Thank you for your response |
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| jonnybones777 | Jul 28 2007, 05:11 AM Post #14 |
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You of course can be saved through using the Name of Jesus, due to the fact that we are calling upon the Son of the Father who came as our Messiah, Savior, and Redeemer, for if the person truly repents by faith, asking for forgiveness, and seeking Eternal Life just as the Word declares, the Father of lights sees and knows the heart and that person becomes Spiritually "born-again"(reawakened and reconnected to His Spirit-Life). All that I was saying from a recent topic thread, is simply that the English translation isnt completely accurate, for the Name of Jesus in English does not mean exactly the same as His Name in Hebrew, for translations have been faulty. Just the same, the Name of Yahweh has been replaced in most "translations" with titles being "God" and "Lord". That would be the same as if someone replaced my name with the words, "man" or "dude". It isnt nearly the same, nor is it as personally related. However,...once again,...HE sees and knows the hearts of mankind and alone is our ultimate Judge. The Name or title versions that we utter with our mouths is not as important as the thoughts and intentions of our hearts. As we grow into our Faith and study diligently, His Spirit will draw us into increasing accuracy, if indeed we desire this and keep our hearts and lives open to the fullness of His divine inspiration. I have to believe what I believe, because He has given me the revelations from His Word, and shown me numerous visions and dreams. I am accountable to walk in what He has shown, ....or else, I am guilty of sinning against Him. We all have our own burden to carry, in relation to Him, and as the Scripture states, "to him whom much is given, much is required." You are responsible to walk in the level and degree of knowledge that you have been given by the Spirit. Thankfully, His grace is sufficient for us in our weaknesses, and His love is from everlasting to everlasting. HalleluYah!!! Peace be with you. In Messiah, Yahonatan |
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| Stinker | Jul 28 2007, 10:52 AM Post #15 |
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Thank you for resonding. Here is some important information for those who are wondering about the Holy Spirit. Its by Charles Stanley. The Signature of the Spirit by Charles F. Stanley Walking in the Spirit can be defined as moment-by-moment sensitivity to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. But how can we know when we are successful? What does a person look and act like when he or she is surrendered to the Lord? Is there an objective standard by which we can measure the vitality of this relationship? Yes, there is. Fruit is the telling sign. It is not simply one mark of a Spirit-filled life; it is the preeminent mark. It is a public testimony to a believer’s sensitivity to and dependency on the Holy Spirit. Those who walk in the Spirit will have the following nine virtues: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). I’ve chosen not to give a blow-by-blow description of each quality in this article. If I were to give expanded definitions of each quality, it might prompt you to think: I want to be a kinder person. I need to exercise more self-control. I’m going to become a more faithful person. I … I … I … I … I … I believe there’s a reason Paul listed these virtues and moved on. They aren’t given to use as goals to pursue. Why? Because it’s not our responsibility to produce fruit. The Holy Spirit is the producer. We are merely the bearers. The fruit of the Spirit was never intended to be a demonstration of our dedication and resolve. It is the evidence of our dependency on and sensitivity to the promptings of the Spirit. How else can we characterize those who walk in the Spirit? The closer you get to them, the better they look. They radiate integrity and trustworthiness. They don’t rely on personality, intimidation, and trumped-up enthusiasm to win you over. They accept themselves as they are and you as well. They are the people you find yourself wanting to be like because of the depth of their character. We’re not talking about perfection. They still have the flesh to contend with. They can be as unkind and insensitive as anybody else. But when they realize their sin, they are quick to apologize. They are not afraid to admit their faults. But they are aware that, through the power of the Holy Spirit, they can rise above their sinful desires. The results of the Holy Spirit’s presence in someone’s life are a by-product of being tuned in to the Spirit of God. The more Spirit-conscious we become, the more fruit we will bear. Fruit is not to be the center of our attention. Our commitment must be to walk in the Spirit. The result of that decision will be the fruit of the Spirit—fruit that remains even during difficult times. Just as unconditional love in a marriage or friendship shines brightest in the midst of our differences, so the fruit of the Spirit demonstrates its divine source when circumstances and relationships take a turn for the worse. Then it becomes most apparent that the source of abiding character is something that lies deep within those who walk by the Spirit. When all the crutches and props are kicked away, and they are still standing, no one can argue that their uniqueness was simply a by-product of their environment. They don’t win every battle. Doubt, temptation, hurt, and disappointment take them out of the race from time to time. When they are treated unjustly, they feel the outrage and frustration that accompany such acts. But they don’t dwell on them either. They refocus their attention on the big picture, acknowledge the truth that their peace is from the Lord, and they move on. They reset their minds on the things above. They know “the mind set on the things of the Spirit is life and peace” (Rom. 8:6). The fruit of the Spirit is just that: fruit produced by the Spirit. Its root is deeply embedded in the person of Christ. When we abide in Him and allow Him to live His life through us, the result is character that endures the chaos of life. The fruit of the Spirit is: Love – for those who do not love in return Joy – in the midst of painful circumstances Peace – when something you were counting on doesn’t come through. Patience – when things aren’t going fast enough for you Kindness – toward those who treat you unkindly Goodness – toward those who have been intentionally insensitive to you Faithfulness – when friends have proved unfaithful Gentleness – toward those who have handled you roughly Self-control – in the midst of intense temptation It is not uncommon for the fruit of the Spirit to take us by surprise. I have seen this happen many times, especially in the lives of new believers. Bret, who grew up in our church, is a good example. During his last two years of high school, he got involved with some rebellious friends. After several years of intense rebellion, Bret finally came to the end of himself. Bret reentered our fellowship through the youth department. He felt comfortable around the teenagers, and he believed what he had been through might help others. In a short time, we saw a remarkable transformation. His anger and frustration were replaced with peace and joy. His intimidating demeanor disappeared, and he became one of the kindest gentlemen you could imagine. He took on a group of junior high boys as a ministry project and demonstrated supernatural patience. When asked about his old friends, he said, “I’m not even tempted by all that. My desire for that lifestyle is gone.” If you ask Bret what he thinks brought about the dramatic changes in his life, one answer you will not hear is, “My commitment.” He didn’t set out to master the qualities listed in Galatians 5. When you ask Bret what made the difference, he replies, “I just gave it all to God. I told him that I couldn’t do it and He would have to do it through me. I just stay focused on Him.” The fruit took Bret by surprise. That’s what happens when we get our focus off ourselves and onto the Holy Spirit. Abiding frees Him to do what only He can do. The results are uncharacteristic character, effortless change, and fruit that remains (John 15:16). That is the nature of fruit. It takes us by surprise. We don’t produce it; we discover it. As you begin walking in the Spirit, you will walk away from a heated conversation and think, Wow, I didn’t lose my temper. You will finish a round with your kids and realize you didn’t raise your voice. You will be asked to go somewhere you have no business going, and you will hear yourself saying, “No, thank you.” Eventually you will overhear someone saying something to the effect of, “I don’t know what’s gotten into him, but he’s really different.” And you will realize that the person is right. But not because you set out to change. It will happen only when you surrender to the initial promptings of the Spirit. Remember, fruit is not something you work to attain. It’s something that takes you by surprise as the Holy Spirit produces it through you. Adapted from “The Wonderful Spirit-Filled Life” by Charles |
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| SpiritIsWilling | May 3 2008, 04:16 PM Post #16 |
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:amen What a great topic!! |
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Matthew 16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 
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| TwilightRose | Sep 14 2008, 04:06 AM Post #17 |
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Thank you for sharing this topic. It certainly hits home to me about how important it is to walk in the spirit and being sensitive to His voice. About 2 months ago I had errands to run on Saturday, one of which was to get to the bank before it closes at 1:00 p.m. Knowing that I had many errands to run that day and my time was short I began to pray to the Lord in tongues and out loud, as I usually do whenever I get even a little frustrated or concerned about things. So, as I was praying and driving I also had the radio on ! lol I was distracted and missed my exit to the bank. Again I began to pray harder, I turned off the radio. I said, Lord please just help me get to the bank. I thought about getting off the offramp turning around and going back to the bank I just missed on that offramp. But then I decided to keep on driving another 10 minutes and go to the next closest bank. Well, I managed to make it to the bank and complete my transaction before it closed at 1:00 p.m., with 10 minutes to spare. I jumped back on the freeway, as I had to drive back to the shopping plaza where the first bank was as I had some business to take care at that plaza. Lo and behold as I pulled up to the parking lot of that bank it was surrounded by a swarm of cop cars. It had been held up. I then thanked the Lord, for answering my prayers and protecting me. Although I intended to go to that bank the Lord had other plans! I regretted even being a tad bit frustrated I had missed my exit when I realized the Lord was protecting me.  Edited by TwilightRose, Sep 14 2008, 04:09 AM.
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He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. - Job 9:8 Reprove Error link | |
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| SpiritIsWilling | Sep 14 2008, 11:11 AM Post #18 |
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Now thats what I'm talking about!! Yea Lord  
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Matthew 16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
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