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Tuesday 8-22-23 3rd. Day Of The Weekly Cycle, Elul 5 5783, 63rd Summer Day
Continued from:
www.christianityboard.com
An individual or group which is continually growing in truth, and grace and knowledge of Christ, therefore, the evidence shows, has the Spirit of God. Any organization which resists new revealed truth, or denies it or shrugs it off with a spirit of apathy and neglect shows it either does not have the Spirit of God, or else that Spirit is fast disappearing from their ranks, being grieved by their carnal, selfish, rebellious attitude!
Paul wrote, \But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath REVEALED them unto us BY HIS SPIRIT; for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep THINGS OF GOD" {Cor. 2:9-10}.
Paul explains, \Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God"{v.12}.
How, then, can we recognize the Spirit of God? What are it's fruits?
Knowledge alone is not the answer. Impressive buildings are not the answer. Beautiful buildings, landscaping, lush campuses, and mass circulation magazines are not the answer. If you look to those things, you will be deceived.
The apostle Paul wrote, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law (Gal.5:22-23}.
The Key to recognizing any group or individual who is truly Christ is to do what Jesus said, -- LOOK AT THE FRUITS! The fruits of God's Spirit are listed above. Study them carefully and then compare the real acts, actions, and BEHAVIOR of any group, Church or individual with these Biblical Criteria. Only then can you be sure of finding a true Church of God with which to fellowship!
So many have gone astray, today, and get their minds off of this fundamental truth. They would try to convince you that the proof of \God's Church" is merely Biblical understanding and knowledge. But even the Pharisees had that! And Jesus said to them, \Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?"{Matt. 23:33).
Those who try to convince you that the way to discover the true 'Church of God" usually have an ulterior motive; they want you to join them and they alone constitute the true end-time representatives of the Church of God! Why do they want to do this? They seek your money, your tithes and offerings; they seek to DEVOUR you!
Paul wrote of those kinds of ministers, when he said, "O foolish Galatians, who hat bewitched you, that ye should not obey the TRUTH, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
"Are ye so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain" (Gal.3:1-4).
To be continued:
Love, Walter And Debbie
Continued from:
How To Identify God's Church?
Monday 8-21-23 2nd. Day Of The Weekly Cycle, Elul 4 5783, 62nd Summer Day Continued From: https://www.christianityboard.com/threads/just-where-is-the-true-church.57504/ The basic key to identifying a true Church of God, one which truly follows Christ, is the same key we must use to identify a...
www.christianityboard.com
An individual or group which is continually growing in truth, and grace and knowledge of Christ, therefore, the evidence shows, has the Spirit of God. Any organization which resists new revealed truth, or denies it or shrugs it off with a spirit of apathy and neglect shows it either does not have the Spirit of God, or else that Spirit is fast disappearing from their ranks, being grieved by their carnal, selfish, rebellious attitude!
Paul wrote, \But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath REVEALED them unto us BY HIS SPIRIT; for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep THINGS OF GOD" {Cor. 2:9-10}.
Paul explains, \Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God"{v.12}.
How, then, can we recognize the Spirit of God? What are it's fruits?
Knowledge alone is not the answer. Impressive buildings are not the answer. Beautiful buildings, landscaping, lush campuses, and mass circulation magazines are not the answer. If you look to those things, you will be deceived.
The apostle Paul wrote, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law (Gal.5:22-23}.
The Key to recognizing any group or individual who is truly Christ is to do what Jesus said, -- LOOK AT THE FRUITS! The fruits of God's Spirit are listed above. Study them carefully and then compare the real acts, actions, and BEHAVIOR of any group, Church or individual with these Biblical Criteria. Only then can you be sure of finding a true Church of God with which to fellowship!
So many have gone astray, today, and get their minds off of this fundamental truth. They would try to convince you that the proof of \God's Church" is merely Biblical understanding and knowledge. But even the Pharisees had that! And Jesus said to them, \Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?"{Matt. 23:33).
Those who try to convince you that the way to discover the true 'Church of God" usually have an ulterior motive; they want you to join them and they alone constitute the true end-time representatives of the Church of God! Why do they want to do this? They seek your money, your tithes and offerings; they seek to DEVOUR you!
Paul wrote of those kinds of ministers, when he said, "O foolish Galatians, who hat bewitched you, that ye should not obey the TRUTH, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
"Are ye so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain" (Gal.3:1-4).
To be continued:
Love, Walter And Debbie
