Testing the Spirits

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JesusIsFaithful

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It was over slander, not over doctrine, and I expected you would deny this or ignore it, in confirmation of what I was saying. But so everyone else knows, this is why. You and I don't drink of one and the same Spirit too often, because you don't hesitate to engage in character assassination, which is something I'm not comfortable with. Just as well that I kept my word and moved on.

Blessings,
Hidden

Point out the slander, brother. As it is as per His words, any saved believer in iniquity is a worker of iniquity. Words that identify with that iniquity, assigns the iniquity to the owner of those words as being of that iniquity.

Matthew 12:35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Matthew 15:18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:20 These are the things which defile a man:

So go ahead and quote the slander AND in what regards that I had slandered towards what you had said for what you had considered slander. I cannot be "corrected" nor can any christian be corrected when you leave that "allegation" unsubstantiated.

If the slander is that character assassination by assigning you to that apostasy, then you heard the saying.. if it quacks like a duck and walks like a duck, it is a duck. I would be remiss if I did not point out that you are saying the same things as those you do not like to be identified with, but you are.

If you were among them, I would like to see how you can correct them when you use the same rudiment as they are for what you believe is not of Him and that you do not wish to be "lumped" in with those you openly disagree with and yet... what is the difference between the two when your "blessing" and their "chaos" are achieved by the same methodology?

Therefore I defend the faith by saying there is no other receiving of the Holy Spirit for the believer because if there was, there would be no way to test the spirits at all when you ignore the reality that Jesus Christ is in you and therefore you are not receiving Him again in according to our faith in Him.

That phenomenon you had valued as happening to you later in life as a saved believer was not of Him, and neither was that tongue that it had brought, brother.
 
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Heart2Soul

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@amadeus I love you my brother, as well as others on here that I do not agree in certain areas. I must say though-I am with JIF on this one. I tend to shy away from this kind of thing because I DO love you all and HATE controversy in all it's forms...especially with those I love, lol...okay-I'm a coward :oops: ...
Maybe coming from a very charismatic and Pentecostal, slaying in the Spirit, all speaking at once in "tongues" kind of Church when I was first saved in 1992 has brought me to where my belief lies. I never spoke in tongues, I faked it as I did not want to seem as if I was not saved...stayed there a little over a year, even though I never did "fit in" eventually found another Church-Assembly of God-and everything seemed like a breath of fresh air to me there. Several of my brothers and sisters and my best friend were still attending the other Church. This is what caused me to look further into the tongues issue. So, I can only say, like you, that I needed to "know in my knower" and we can only do that individually, believing in the guidance and wisdom of our Great God's Holy Spirit.

Heartfelt Love In Christ my kind brother :)
-nancy
I have already shared this testimony before but in case someone might have missed it....I was around 24 years old and one thing I desired was to be able to laugh out loud without any inhibitions.....all my life I would cover my mouth when I smiled and I never laughed out loud like a true belly laugh. So I asked God to help me laugh and one night the pastor made an alter call for prayer and I went for prayer.....several members went up and we were all kneeling at the alter praying and then all of a sudden you could just feel the presence of the Holy Spirit all around and I started laughing and I kept laughing and I mean from the belly laughter....soon everyone was overcome with laughter....and I couldn't stop until the anointing left....it was great.....I laugh every time I think about that night and being filled with laughter by the Holy Spirit. So I know this isn't "slain in the spirit" but I was overcome by the power and anointing in His presence.
Ok...just sharing a personal experience.
 

amadeus

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I have already shared this testimony before but in case someone might have missed it....I was around 24 years old and one thing I desired was to be able to laugh out loud without any inhibitions.....all my life I would cover my mouth when I smiled and I never laughed out loud like a true belly laugh. So I asked God to help me laugh and one night the pastor made an alter call for prayer and I went for prayer.....several members went up and we were all kneeling at the alter praying and then all of a sudden you could just feel the presence of the Holy Spirit all around and I started laughing and I kept laughing and I mean from the belly laughter....soon everyone was overcome with laughter....and I couldn't stop until the anointing left....it was great.....I laugh every time I think about that night and being filled with laughter by the Holy Spirit. So I know this isn't "slain in the spirit" but I was overcome by the power and anointing in His presence.
Ok...just sharing a personal experience.
Give God the glory! God always knows just when something is needed... even though we frequently alone would miss it. For this reason we are to have Him in us.
 
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1stCenturyLady

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In Christian circles there is a thin line between discernment of spirits and being a scornful doubting mocker.

Psalms 1 says,

Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

4 The ungodly are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.


6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.


Many times in scripture Jesus wants us to come in wonder as trusting little children. How is that true in the lives of the scornful like those who judge between falling forward and falling backward, or falling at all? Is which way you fall in the Spirit accurate as to which spirit/Spirit? Really? God is bigger, and will not be closed down to a formula. Jesus healed in different methods every time, to teach us there is no right way, and wrong way. If it wasn't already written, spitting on the ground and making mud to apply to blind eyes would be judged as of the devil today in our sophisticated judgment. We do the same in judging jerking, or holy laughter. If going by the small amount of written examples is the test, then God is very small, indeed, and John would be wrong in saying, "And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written." Testing the spirits has nothing to do with dissecting the manifestations of the Holy Spirit, but in Who they say Jesus is. Is Jesus their Lord? Is Jesus your Lord? Who are we to dictate what is of God, and what is of Satan by the manifestation alone? Satan counterfeits all the manifestations of the Spirit, but in his own people, so it cannot be by the manifestation alone, but by the faith and life of the believer or pagan that the Spirit/spirit is manifesting.

Knowing that being scornful is an abomination to the Lord, I will not become a part of it. I am open to whatever God wants to give me, for it is for good, not evil.
 
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Enoch111

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How is that true in the lives of the scornful like those who judge between falling forward and falling backward, or falling at all? Is which way you fall in the Spirit accurate as to which spirit/Spirit? Really? God is bigger, and will not be closed down to a formula.
Yes, God is bigger and not limited in any way. However, God is also CONSISTENT and that is the real issue.

The only people who fell backwards in Scripture were those attempting to take Christ captive in Gethsemane, and discovered that they were standing before God (manifest in the flesh) as the "I AM".

JOHN 18 (Note: "he" should not have been inserted after "I AM")
4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye?
5 They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I AM [he]. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them.
6 As soon then as he had said unto them, I AM [he], they went backward, and fell to the ground. [This is significant]
7 Then asked he them again, Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth.
8 Jesus answered, I have told you that I AM [he]: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way:

The shock and awe and fear of what they were facing caused them to fall backwards. Had Christ not been Jesus of Nazareth and planned for His own crucifixion, all those enemies of Christ would have been instantly vaporised.

However, whenever Christ healed the sick or raised the dead, He LIFTED THEM UP, and never cast them down: And he [Christ] took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi;which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment. (Mk 5:41,42)

Hence "slain in the Spirit" is bogus and could be from other spirits.
 
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1stCenturyLady

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Yes, God is bigger and not limited in any way. However, God is also CONSISTENT and that is the real issue.

The only people who fell backwards in Scripture were those attempting to take Christ captive in Gethsemane, and discovered that they were standing before God (manifest in the flesh) as the "I AM".

JOHN 18 (Note: "he" should not have been inserted after "I AM")
4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye?
5 They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I AM [he]. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them.
6 As soon then as he had said unto them, I AM [he], they went backward, and fell to the ground. [This is significant]
7 Then asked he them again, Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth.
8 Jesus answered, I have told you that I AM [he]: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way:

The shock and awe and fear of what they were facing caused them to fall backwards. Had Christ not been Jesus of Nazareth and planned for His own crucifixion, all those enemies of Christ would have been instantly vaporised.

However, whenever Christ healed the sick or raised the dead, He LIFTED THEM UP, and never cast them down: And he [Christ] took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi;which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment. (Mk 5:41,42)

Hence "slain in the Spirit" is bogus and could be from other spirits.

If that is the way you want to see it, that is up to you. But, for me, I WILL NOT let that scornful pompous spirit in me. Been there, done that, but I had to repent. If the Bible tells us anything, it is that God is consistently full of surprises, outside our narrow-mindedness, not consistently doing the same thing to make a formula. The Bible is to show us this nature of Him, it does not limit Him into just what is written about Him and His ways. Those are examples, not the whole ball of wax. We are small. He is big. We cannot make Him small just because that is all we can relate to. Yes, we are small, but God wants to stretch us to trust Him and accept His greatness.

1 Corinthians 2:4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

When we think we have God all figured out, He puts us to shame, and puts us in our place. Do not quench the Spirit.

Let God be God.
 
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1stCenturyLady

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Here is a test for those with either a true discernment of spirits or a scornful spirit of unbelief. What is your response? This is #1 in many videos on this supernatural oil. To watch the next, just look for the next #. Is this of God, or the devil?

 
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1stCenturyLady

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Now which is this? Of God, or the devil? Know that Todd Bentley was married, and the woman in the video was his mistress he divorced his Christian wife over and married.

 

1stCenturyLady

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Which of the two videos I just posted show people who walk in obedience to God? That is the test. Not the manifestation, but the people.
 

1stCenturyLady

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The Pharisees thought they had God all figured out too.

John 9:
11 He answered and said, “A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and I received sight.”


12 Then they said to him, “Where is He?”

He said, “I do not know.”

13 They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees. 14 Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. 15 Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.”


16 Therefore some of the Pharisees said, “This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.”


Sound familiar? God is bigger than our small mindedness and religiosity. God WILL separate the sheep from the goats, and He will start in His own house. Are we going to settle on the lukewarmness of today's "normal" church. Or are we going to draw near to Him, so He will draw near to us. If you don't want the power that comes with Him when He draws near, you better go bury yourself in the sand like they guy with one talent. But, beware. God took away his talent, and gave it to the one who drew the closest.
 
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Frank Lee

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Ecclesiastes 7:21-22 KJVS
Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee:
[22] For oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.

The simplicity of the new testament remains the same.

1. Salvation is a separate experience from being baptized in the Holy Spirit.
2. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is always evidenced by the gift of tongues.
3. Denominations created by men stand by their doctrines and traditions instead of the written words of God.
4. True Godly love is never shown by man's religion.
5. Those believing these simple things are rejected by denominational churches as being;
A. Not for today. These things have passed away.
B. Demonic
C. Not needed today. They have no significance.
D. Spiritually inferior
E. All of the above

Denominational religion with it's dead works and traditions has driven multitudes away from God through the extreme coldness and false teachings. Refusing themselves to believe the things that the Bible plainly states and forbidding those that seek to know God better. Trusting more in their doctors of theology than God's words that are written for the simplest understanding.

As for me I'm more interested in what God says of me and to me than what a man says. You don't have to be a herpetologist to recognize venom when it is spewed.

2 Timothy 2:19 KJVS
Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

As in Job when the sons of God come together the devil shows up too.
How do we judge? By James 3:17

James 3:17 KJVS
But the wisdom that is from above is
1 first pure,
2 then peaceable,
3 gentle,
4 and easy to be intreated, (put to use)
5 full of mercy
6 and good fruits,
7 without partiality,
8 and without hypocrisy.

That's a hard test to pass. When I read the harsh judgements, words, spirits seen in many posts here on this site I want to walk away and just cry. Thank God Jesus looks on hearts. For others they should be ashamed and afraid because He does look in their heart.

John 11:35 KJVS
Jesus wept.
 
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marksman

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Whenever we get to the manifestations of the Holy Spirit, there is always someone who reckons anything that is a physical demonstration of his power or is claimed to be, is not of God or the Holy Spirit.

The thing that they fail to see in their focus on the physical and did it happen in scripture is the spiritual. Instead they should focus on what is happening to the person and if they are being renewed or released in some way as a result of the physical manifestation.

If I don't understand something, rather than put in my two bobs worth of an opinion, it is better to say nothing until there is evidence for right or wrong as the case may be.

I saw plenty of people fall under the spirit long before it happened to me and when it did, afterwards when I ministered to people they went down under the power of the Spirit. Let me give you an example.

I was prayed for rejection and when I was, I was on the floor for 30 minutes being operated on by the Spirit. Must have been a big rejection.

Next year, the church had its first residential conference with about 1,500 in attendance. The ministry was done by seven main ministries who were the Elders of the church, and then a support ministry from amongst the congregation. I was selected to assist one of the Elders in his meetings.

At one meeting, Ian spoke about rejection and its affects and then asked people to come forward to receive prayer to be delivered from it. He started praying at one end of the line and I started at the other end.

That is when I encountered a little problem. I had no idea how to pray for the people. As I stood there trying to get inspiration, the words came to me 'He breaks the power of cancelled sin and sets the prisoner free.'

I put my hand on the forehead of the first person and prayed those words. Next moment they were on the floor. I did this for the second person with the same result. With the third person before I had finished saying it they were on the floor. Same happened again.

With the next person, before I had said a few words and put my hand on their forehead they were on the floor. For the rest of them I said nothing and didn't touch them. As soon as I stood before them and started raising my hand they were on the floor.

I could not have manufactured this even if I tried. Incidentally, Ian at the end was having the same results. The power of God was there and it was not for us to say how he operated. As they say we went with the flow.

Whether this was right or wrong was irrelevant. The important thing was the outcome which was the people that we prayed for were delivered from a spirit of rejection and I can tell you from experience it is life changing.

So always look beyond the physical and see the spiritual that is taking place. If there is no spiritual happening then one can say it is not to be accepted.
 
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1stCenturyLady

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Whenever we get to the manifestations of the Holy Spirit, there is always someone who reckons anything that is a physical demonstration of his power or is claimed to be, is not of God or the Holy Spirit.

The thing that they fail to see in their focus on the physical and did it happen in scripture is the spiritual. Instead they should focus on what is happening to the person and if they are being renewed or released in some way as a result of the physical manifestation.

If I don't understand something, rather than put in my two bobs worth of an opinion, it is better to say nothing until there is evidence for right or wrong as the case may be.

I saw plenty of people fall under the spirit long before it happened to me and when it did, afterwards when I ministered to people they went down under the power of the Spirit. Let me give you an example.

I was prayed for rejection and when I was, I was on the floor for 30 minutes being operated on by the Spirit. Must have been a big rejection.

Next year, the church had its first residential conference with about 1,500 in attendance. The ministry was done by seven main ministries who were the Elders of the church, and then a support ministry from amongst the congregation. I was selected to assist one of the Elders in his meetings.

At one meeting, Ian spoke about rejection and its affects and then asked people to come forward to receive prayer to be delivered from it. He started praying at one end of the line and I started at the other end.

That is when I encountered a little problem. I had no idea how to pray for the people. As I stood there trying to get inspiration, the words came to me 'He breaks the power of cancelled sin and sets the prisoner free.'

I put my hand on the forehead of the first person and prayed those words. Next moment they were on the floor. I did this for the second person with the same result. With the third person before I had finished saying it they were on the floor. Same happened again.

With the next person, before I had said a few words and put my hand on their forehead they were on the floor. For the rest of them I said nothing and didn't touch them. As soon as I stood before them and started raising my hand they were on the floor.

I could not have manufactured this even if I tried. Incidentally, Ian at the end was having the same results. The power of God was there and it was not for us to say how he operated. As they say we went with the flow.

Whether this was right or wrong was irrelevant. The important thing was the outcome which was the people that we prayed for were delivered from a spirit of rejection and I can tell you from experience it is life changing.

So always look beyond the physical and see the spiritual that is taking place. If there is no spiritual happening then one can say it is not to be accepted.

I would love to experience being slain in the Spirit. Though people go down on both sides of me, I've never felt anything - except, occasionally, someone trying to push me. But I truly believe what they tell me. My next door neighbor was attending a Baptist church and they did ask people who wanted prayer for healing to come forward. She went up and was immediately slain in the Spirit. She was on the floor for 45 minutes. The result was, they kicked her out of their church.

What I believe to be an abomination to God are scoffers, Psalms 1:1 - those who always and immediately jump to the conclusion a manifestation of the Spirit and supernatural is evil and are afraid. There is a thin line between the gift of discernment of spirits, and just plain fear. Perfect love casts out fear. It is a scoffer's fear that is of the devil.

I have heard the voice of God many times in what to pray for people in the last 41 years, or just as simple as "I know where your keys are, just ask Me." I then pray to find my keys and within 15 seconds I've got them in my hand. In fact, God's relationship with me has grown such that I don't pray for things, UNTIL He tells me what to pray and when to pray it. Since then, 100% of my prayers are answered. Why? Because they are always God's will. So, its not like I'm not filled with His Spirit. But, being slain in the Spirit is not something that's ever happened to me.

Healing was another thing that alluded me for years, until just the last few months. Because Mark 16:17-18 shows me that because I believe in Jesus, I have this authority, I simply command healing. Sometimes I add the words, "in Jesus name" but the authority is already there. My neighbors dog was attacked one night this summer and they found her at the bottom of their back steps, paralyzed from the low back down. She had no feeling in her back legs or feet. All she could do was, with her front legs, drag her lifeless back legs around behind her on her belly. I asked if I could pray for her, and I commanded her spine to be healed. The next day she walked, and she is now chasing squirrels again.

The main purpose of telling you all this is to have child-like faith. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. This goes for believing God, even when you don't experience something for yourself. And even when it hasn't been written about before. John 21:25. God is good.
 
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Heart2Soul

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I would love to experience being slain in the Spirit. Though people go down on both sides of me, I've never felt anything - except, occasionally, someone trying to push me. But I truly believe what they tell me. My next door neighbor was attending a Baptist church and they did ask people who wanted prayer for healing to come forward. She went up and was immediately slain in the Spirit. She was on the floor for 45 minutes. The result was, they kicked her out of their church.

What I believe to be an abomination to God are scoffers, Psalms 1:1 - those who always and immediately jump to the conclusion a manifestation of the Spirit and supernatural is evil and are afraid. There is a thin line between the gift of discernment of spirits, and just plain fear. Perfect love casts out fear. It is a scoffer's fear that is of the devil.

I have heard the voice of God many times in what to pray for people in the last 41 years, or just as simple as "I know where your keys are, just ask Me." I then pray to find my keys and within 15 seconds I've got them in my hand. In fact, God's relationship with me has grown such that I don't pray for things, UNTIL He tells me what to pray and when to pray it. Since then, 100% of my prayers are answered. Why? Because they are always God's will. So, its not like I'm not filled with His Spirit. But, being slain in the Spirit is not something that's ever happened to me.

Healing was another thing that alluded me for years, until just the last few months. Because Mark 16:17-18 shows me that because I believe in Jesus, I have this authority, I simply command healing. Sometimes I add the words, "in Jesus name" but the authority is already there. My neighbors dog was attacked one night this summer and they found her at the bottom of their back steps, paralyzed from the low back down. She had no feeling in her back legs or feet. All she could do was, with her front legs, drag her lifeless back legs around behind her on her belly. I asked if I could pray for her, and I commanded her spine to be healed. The next day she walked, and she is now chasing squirrels again.

The main purpose of telling you all this is to have child-like faith. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. This goes for believing God, even when you don't experience something for yourself. And even when it hasn't been written about before. John 21:25. God is good.
Good testimony! As far as scoffers go you have heard the saying.....

For those who believe, no explanation is necessary. For those who do not believe, no explanation will suffice.

So just keep sharing your testimony and for those who are able to receive it will be blessed and will come to believe and even want what you have.
 

Enoch111

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I would love to experience being slain in the Spirit. Though people go down on both sides of me, I've never felt anything - except, occasionally, someone trying to push me.
That should be a red flag. The question you should be asking yourself is "Why are there no NT examples of this bizarre phenomenon"?