In part one we, went over Faith, and I hit some people with a pool noodle of Truth, unless they were a liberal theologian.....in that case, it just gets worse. Not for us, for them. Some of this gets kind of heavy, and it may take a sense of humor to get through. For example, Isaac means "Laughter." Given someone was experiencing God suddenly, they may have broken out in laughter, or given someone went deep into faith, and did something hard, like Noah, and it rained, they may have laughed some.....and potentially got drunk.
Previous Post: Advanced Spiritual Warfare: Knowing Thy Enemy Part 1
The Holy Spirit is a teacher and a councilor. Given someone is experiencing God, and they have the Holy Spirit, part one, may have been all they needed to get started. That was it. No special books, no Alex Jones, no secret societies, just the Holy Ghost. Does someone need more? Christianity is a social religion. People pool together their stories and testimonies so that everyone comes out with greater understanding. Given Manonfire63 has experienced a lot of Spiritual Warfare, when he gives his testimony, many people may grow in understanding, and they become stronger, and do not have to necessarily experience the same things. Someone may be able to build on the testimony and understanding.
What is Mysticism?
Given I used the term "Christian Mysticism" around Catholics, many regular Catholics may have thought "Those people who are in a category that I am not." The Catholic Church has had a mysticism, and some the Mystics were Saints, possibly who experienced things like "The Ecstasies."
Catholic Encyclopedia: The Ecstasies.
Given I were to talk to a variety of Protestants about "Christian Mysticism" they may have thought "Freemason," "Occult," "Gnostic," "Yuck!"
Mysticism Definition - Someone has been receiving some cause and effect with the Spiritual.
Every Christian growing in Faith, may have become some form of Christian Mystic, experiencing God.
A Protestant pastor wrote a long sermon, and gets in the Holy Spirit, and feels God is speaking through him. He is living in the moment. That may have been a mystical experience. He may have been a Christian Mystic receiving cause and effect with the Spiritual in a way that brings meaning to the God's Living Word. An Exorcist Exorcised a Spirit. He was receiving some sort of cause and effect with the Spiritual. He may have been a Christian Mystic. It doesn't stop there though. A variety of people have had Mystical Experiences who may not have been Christians. The Bible doesn't say "Only Christians have cause and effect experiences with Spirits." There were false prophets of the Bible. God warns he will send false prophets to test who may have been able to show signs and perform miracles. (Deuteronomy 13) Pharaoh had court sorcerers who could reproduce many of the miracles God had Moses perform, and there were Mediums in the Bible.
To get into "Advanced Spiritual Warfare" someone needs to have a relationship with God. We do not need Alex Jones, the Holy Ghost is a teacher and a councilor. Given someone was receiving some cause and effect with the Spiritual? What spirit? God has good plans. Did someone receive something that felt wrong? May have been the wrong spirit. God is love. God's love is fatherly. God is Holy and Separate from sin.
The basis of how I ended up learning of Spiritual Warfare, and being shepherded into it by God was:
Given someone was reading "Kingdom Watchers" and understood that The Kingdom of God has particular values, who or what has been most standing in the way of those Kingdom Values?
Previous Post: Advanced Spiritual Warfare: Knowing Thy Enemy Part 1
The Holy Spirit is a teacher and a councilor. Given someone is experiencing God, and they have the Holy Spirit, part one, may have been all they needed to get started. That was it. No special books, no Alex Jones, no secret societies, just the Holy Ghost. Does someone need more? Christianity is a social religion. People pool together their stories and testimonies so that everyone comes out with greater understanding. Given Manonfire63 has experienced a lot of Spiritual Warfare, when he gives his testimony, many people may grow in understanding, and they become stronger, and do not have to necessarily experience the same things. Someone may be able to build on the testimony and understanding.
What is Mysticism?
Given I used the term "Christian Mysticism" around Catholics, many regular Catholics may have thought "Those people who are in a category that I am not." The Catholic Church has had a mysticism, and some the Mystics were Saints, possibly who experienced things like "The Ecstasies."
Catholic Encyclopedia: The Ecstasies.
Given I were to talk to a variety of Protestants about "Christian Mysticism" they may have thought "Freemason," "Occult," "Gnostic," "Yuck!"
Mysticism Definition - Someone has been receiving some cause and effect with the Spiritual.
Every Christian growing in Faith, may have become some form of Christian Mystic, experiencing God.
A Protestant pastor wrote a long sermon, and gets in the Holy Spirit, and feels God is speaking through him. He is living in the moment. That may have been a mystical experience. He may have been a Christian Mystic receiving cause and effect with the Spiritual in a way that brings meaning to the God's Living Word. An Exorcist Exorcised a Spirit. He was receiving some sort of cause and effect with the Spiritual. He may have been a Christian Mystic. It doesn't stop there though. A variety of people have had Mystical Experiences who may not have been Christians. The Bible doesn't say "Only Christians have cause and effect experiences with Spirits." There were false prophets of the Bible. God warns he will send false prophets to test who may have been able to show signs and perform miracles. (Deuteronomy 13) Pharaoh had court sorcerers who could reproduce many of the miracles God had Moses perform, and there were Mediums in the Bible.
Not everyone who says to me, 'LORD, LORD,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, 'LORD, LORD, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?' 23Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' (Matthew 7:21-23)
To get into "Advanced Spiritual Warfare" someone needs to have a relationship with God. We do not need Alex Jones, the Holy Ghost is a teacher and a councilor. Given someone was receiving some cause and effect with the Spiritual? What spirit? God has good plans. Did someone receive something that felt wrong? May have been the wrong spirit. God is love. God's love is fatherly. God is Holy and Separate from sin.
The basis of how I ended up learning of Spiritual Warfare, and being shepherded into it by God was:
- Receiving a calling around the age of 30. (Which may not need to happen for everyone, but is worth mentioning.)
- Understanding "The Power of the Tongue" and working to not speak any lies, or exaggerations.
- I started with Kingdom Watchers, which has been a great starting point for your average Christian. Link: Kingdom Watchers Kingdom of God.
- I didn't hate the Catholics.
- I don't know. God knows. I was teachable.
Given someone was reading "Kingdom Watchers" and understood that The Kingdom of God has particular values, who or what has been most standing in the way of those Kingdom Values?