Test the Spirits

[Guest]

One time, shortly after I gave my life to Jesus in the boarding house, I went to a Grace church where they followed only the books of Paul. I asked them what about the rest of the bible, and one of the patrons told me they did not regard it as important. This caused a spike of fear to rise up in me, and then they handed me one of their books that they follow, and so I took it home and laid it aside, afraid to even open it.

So before I went anywhere near that book I prayed and asked God to reveal to me what might be wrong with it. And sure enough, when I opened the book, I could see the error glaring right out at me; they had taken scriptures from the bible, but they were twisting those scriptures to give support to their own false creed.

The Lord says in 1 John 4:1, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world."

So I learned that day to do what God says and that once again, that His Word is true and that He is faithful to deliver on it. The amazing thing about this is that I did that without even knowing that verse was there; I read it later and remembered the Grace book and was filled with awe. It is like the Red Sea, God parting the waves in your head, and suddenly you can see across the gulf.

[momof3]

I love how the Holy Spirit works and speaks and shows us when we ask, seek and knock.

God bless you write2witness!

in Jesus,
luv momo

[TrueAndMagneticNorth]

Thanks for the testimony. Always good and encouraging to her specific examples of how God guides his people in truth. I will pray to The Lord that people within that religious organization you mentioned may have their eyes opened by Him, and seek the truth from Him, whether it be by addressing the doctrinal problems from within, or, if need be, by leaving the organization altogether.
Another point, what you described about how they accept only certain portions of The Gospels serves as a warning for the prophesized beast kingdom of the end times. As Mel Gibson once said when promoting his film The Passion of the Christ, 'Evil doesn't necessarily walk around, wearing a T-shirt with 'I'm evil' written on it.'
My point here being that the NWO's push to eventually fuse all major religions into one entity will have strong elements of truth, ie. Christianity, to it, even to the point that some of what the bible refers to as 'The elect' (sorry, don't remember the exact book and verse at this point) might be deceived by this satanic counterfeit religion.
Sorry, sort of getting off track here now, so will stop there.
All the best and God bless.

[ServeGod]

Several years ago I also asked God, "so many come in your name, how do i recognise the true spirit. Amazing but he also gave me 1 John verse 4.
1John 4:2 By this you know the spirit of God, every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God.
I had a couple of people knocking on my door, and i simply said " Did Jesus come in flesh or in spirit". They said they had to get back with me on that one, they never returned.
John 14 verse 6 Jesus said to him "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
NkJV

[mlg]

Hi InSpiritInTruth,

For clarity's sake...when you refer to man-made church...are you speaking of a church that lacks the Holy Spirit within?...one that someone put together for their glory and not God's? Or do you speak of all churches in general?

Take care and God Bless

[ServeGod]

luke 2 verse 46 now so it was that after three days they found him in the temple , sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.
matthew 26 verse 55 In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize me.
John 2 verse 19Jesus answered and said to them, Destroy this temple and in three days i will raise it up.
luke 24 v45 Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two.
1 corinthians 6 v 19 or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

The temple was destroyed and built in 3 days. Jesus rose on the 3rd day , he is our temple, and he lives in us.
There is no perfect Church or temple... made from man. My true church is not of this world , but in heaven.
We are not judged according to what church we belong to, but our relationship and love with our Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The greatest commandment of all: Matt 22 v37 LOVE
In revelation, it talks about the seven churches, well i guess there is no perfect Church.
Many years I did not belong to a church, and when i pick up my bible, I pray, Lord give me ears to hear, and eyes to see. The holy Spirit taught me.
We do have some awesome men or women of God in churches out there, teaching, listening and sitting........
Today I attend a small gathering, we worship God with music, we sit and listen to the pastor. But always remember, Jesus is the way , the truth and the life. Where ever we are, we are just waiting for his return.

[TrueAndMagneticNorth]

Servegod, you make a very valuable point re: the 7 churches mentioned in the book of Revelation. With so many denominations it can make the head spin a little, and bring one to question whether they are in the 'right' denomination. As you said, what is of prime importance is the personal relationship one has with Jesus Christ the son and God the father. So while a person needs to be wary of 'other' denominations and their doctrinal soundness or lack thereof, one needs to be equally wary that he/she is not dismissive of other churches.
Of course, to think that every other church is apostate, other than one's own, is dangerously narrow-minded in terms of maintaining a strong bond with brothers and sisters in Christ. Equally narrow-minded and dangerous is to think of all churches that call themselves 'Christian' as being well-intentioned in Christ.
It is no doubt God's pleasure that he can open the eyes of His real people as to what church organizations to embrace, and which to avoid.