Latter Rain

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marks

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If what you are espousing is true for others, the church is doing just fine. Everyone is doing great. They are all just moving at the speed God is working with them. Yet Paul labored night and dqy in prayer for those he led to Christ till Christ be formed in them. He praised and encouraged them whwn it was called for, and rebuked them and told them he stood in doubt of them when they walked in contentment without hunger for growing up into Him in all things.
Are you assuming God no longer works these ways?

Do you not have shepherds and elders who labor for you? Do you not labor for others?

Why do you think God holds back on helping His children?

but what you are sharing can easily lead others into thinking they have no obligation to seek God with all that is within them.
If someone wants to twist Scripture to come up with falsehoods, they will do the same with sound teaching.

Much love!
 

marks

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The Problem is not that Christ does not give the fulness, but that we are unable to bear the fulness and must arrive at these things on our journey. I think you would agree with this.
Actually, what I think is that God works individually with each of us, and some things that He does in my life, He might not do in yours. He knows the best way to work with me, and the best way to work with you.

Let me use drug addictions for an example. I know people who as soon as they were reborn, the heroin addiction was gone, never to resurface. I know others that did not experience this immediate deliverance, and had to endure a much longer process.

I don't think it's accurate to say, I had to overcome my drug addiction over the course of a year, so everyone will spend a year getting over theirs. God may remove it from them in a moment.

By the same token, He can build a loving heart in me in a moment, or He may allow me to learn that love over the course of my lifetime. I suspect we all are between those two timelines somewhere. But we're not all the same, God doesn't treat us as cookie cutter cookies, and I don't believe in limiting what He may do.

Much love!
 

Gideons300

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Are you assuming God no longer works these ways?

Do you not have shepherds and elders who labor for you? Do you not labor for others?

Why do you think God holds back on helping His children?


If someone wants to twist Scripture to come up with falsehoods, they will do the same with sound teaching.

Much love!
Sadly, the truth is that the church is in the mess that it is because of the failure of most of its leaders. The saints have been led into pastures that can barely support life, let alone abundant life. Walking in victory with sin under our feet is our birthright, and yet we have been taught such a walk is impossible because we are 'only human'. And few see the depth of the unbelief in such theology nor the danger it poses for us if we stay there, given what is coming our way on the horizon.

I do not say this lightly, and it might seem a broad brush to you, but nevertheless it is true. We are, as a whole, in no way on fire for the Lord. We have little if any true purpose for being here other than to live out OUR lives.... go to church and to 'be good', within reason of course. We do not want to be seen as fanatics, right? Thus we do not fear sin, nor are bothered by the fact that our lives bear little resemblance to the lives we are called to live. And because of this, sin has hardened hearts and we have evolved into a religious organization, rather than saints bearing the light and the likeness of Jesus .
Do you think most people in church tody are running their race as if there is but one prize, and they are determined to be the one to win it? I do not. We are, as a whole, spiritually content with forgiveness, yet lacking any hunger, or instruction for that matter, on how to grow up into Him in holiness.

We are told that if we abide in the vine we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh, amen? So.... who do you know that is walking in such a place? Moreover, who do you know who is bothered by the fact that they are not?

I take no pleasure in saying things such as this, for they are hard to hear and hard to speak. But it is they who sow in tears who will reap in joy. We are told that we are to seek Him AND His righteousness, and that we will seek Him and we will find Him when we seek Him with our whole hearts. The entire church, save a few precious exceptions, is visionless and passionless, and we pale in comparison to those saints in the early church.

Why is this? We do not believe we are truly new creatures who owe the flesh nothing. Thus, when temptation hits, we do not meet satan with our shields of faith raised high, nor do we count it all joy when temptations arise. We have been taught that walking in true victory over the world, the flesh and the devil is impossible, that everything is going to work our fine regardless, so relax, God's got this. The problem is.... God does not 'got' us. At least not yet.

Should this not drive us to our knees to find out why this is and to cry out for the answer as to how to walk in all that God has given us?

blessings,

Gideon
 
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marks

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We are, as a whole, spiritually content with forgiveness, yet lacking any hunger, or instruction for that matter, on how to grow up into Him in holiness.
I think you need to find a new church! Join with people who feel otherwise.

Much love!
 

marks

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We have been taught that walking in true victory over the world, the flesh and the devil is impossible,
Yes, you definitely need a new pastor, and a new church, if this is what you are being taught.

Much love!
 

BarneyFife

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One of the things that makes me wonder about this teaching . . . why would God be waiting to work in my life until some future time?

God promises He is working in me continually. Surely He's not holding back, is He?

Much love!
He's waiting on us to feel our real need for revival.
 

marks

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Sadly, the truth is that the church is in the mess that it is because of the failure of most of its leaders.
You seems to have a very low view of God's people, and the shepherds God has given them.

Perhaps your view has been skewed by those who are not born again, yet wear the name of Christian?

Much love!
 

marks

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He's waiting on us to feel our real need for revival.
Is this speaking towards the Latter Rain teaching?

What happens when I feel my need for revival? Does God tell me to wait?

Much love!
 

BarneyFife

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Sadly, the truth is that the church is in the mess that it is because of the failure of most of its leaders. The saints have been led into pastures that can barely support life, let alone abundant life. Walking in victory with sin under our feet is our birthright, and yet we have been taught such a walk is impossible because we are 'only human'. And few see the depth of the unbelief in such theology nor the danger it poses for us if we stay there, given what is coming our way on the horizon.

I do not say this lightly, and it might seem a broad brush to you, but nevertheless it is true. We are, as a whole, in no way on fire for the Lord. We have little if any true purpose for being here other than to live out OUR lives.... go to church and to 'be good', within reason of course. We do not want to be seen as fanatics, right? Thus we do not fear sin, nor are bothered by the fact that our lives bear little resemblance to the lives we are called to live. And because of this, sin has hardened hearts and we have evolved into a religious organization, rather than saints bearing the light and the likeness of Jesus .
Do you think most people in church tody are running their race as if there is but one prize, and they are determined to be the one to win it? I do not. We are, as a whole, spiritually content with forgiveness, yet lacking any hunger, or instruction for that matter, on how to grow up into Him in holiness.

We are told that if we abide in the vine we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh, amen? So.... who do you know that is walking in such a place? Moreover, who do you know who is bothered by the fact that they are not?

I take no pleasure in saying things such as this, for they are hard to hear and hard to speak. But it is they who sow in tears who will reap in joy. We are told that we are to seek Him AND His righteousness, and that we will seek Him and we will find Him when we seek Him with our whole hearts. The entire church, save a few precious exceptions, is visionless and passionless, and we pale in comparison to those saints in the early church.

Why is this? We do not believe we are truly new creatures who owe the flesh nothing. Thus, when temptation hits, we do not meet satan with our shields of faith raised high, nor do we count it all joy when temptations arise. We have been taught that walking in true victory over the world, the flesh and the devil is impossible, that everything is going to work our fine regardless, so relax, God's got this. The problem is.... God does not 'got' us. At least not yet.

Should this not drive us to our knees to find out why this is and to cry out for the answer as to how to walk in all that God has given us?

blessings,

Gideon
Very good stuff
 

Gideons300

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How does this relate to your idea of a coming Latter Rain? How will they awake, if God is withholding the power of the Spirit?

Much love!
How does it relate? It is only when we refuse to go on without victorious new natures that we will finally have our eyes opened to see and walk in the truth.

As long as we are quite content where we are, we will stay where we are. Asleep in the light.

blessings,

Gids
 

BarneyFife

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Perhaps your view has been skewed by those who are not born again, yet wear the name of Christian?
Do you not believe in backsliding or weak Christians? Paul talks a lot about varying levels of faith.

And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief! (Mark 9:24)

You must have an extraordinary experience. God won't help a person any more than they want help. He's really big on religious liberty.
 

BarneyFife

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Is this speaking towards the Latter Rain teaching?
Yes. This will be brought on by persecution. The idea is that good and evil will reach a crescendo, and a showdown will result. The wheat and the tares grow together. The latter rain brings full maturity.
What happens when I feel my need for revival? Does God tell me to wait?
Abosultely not.

Matthew 7
7Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 9Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 10Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

But the church is filled with, well, as you say non-cookie cutter Christians.
 
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marks

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As long as we are quite content where we are, we will stay where we are. Asleep in the light.
I see such complacency in a child of God as something that God will address in our lives through His chastisement of us. He WON'T leave us as we are, not if we are His child.

Much love!
 
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marks

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How does it relate? It is only when we refuse to go on without victorious new natures that we will finally have our eyes opened to see and walk in the truth.

As long as we are quite content where we are, we will stay where we are. Asleep in the light.

blessings,

Gids

My question was, how does this relate to Latter Rain doctrine?

Because here it sounds like you are thinking more like me, that our relationship with God is more personal than corporate, that we're not waiting for some special outpouring on the church, rather, He's already poured out into our hearts, and we need to see this and walk in it.

Much love!
 

Gideons300

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I see such complacency in a child of God as something that God will address in our lives through His chastisement of us. He WON'T leave us as we are, not if we are His child.

Much love!

And how is this done? Scriptures are given to warn, to teach, to correct, to admonish. And if we read verses like the one to the Laodecians, and harden our hearts to the exhortation to repent, to overcome, God has done what He promised to do, has He not?

And yet, even with this, excuses are made as to why the words are not directed at us. We are told they were not part of the church at all. Thus, the lukewarm son lets out a sigh of relief, says "Yeah, grace!" and goes back to his lukewarmness, convinced he has need of nothing.

And as the days of darkness approach, and the leaders pat them on the back, telling them God will do what He to to insure their safety, so don't sweat it, how much more should they give ear to what the Spirit is saying to the church, as time is running out?

blessings,

Gideon