aguest, when you speak in tongues, doe's anyone understand what you are saying?
I do not have the gift of speaking in tongues, dear pjschipper (peace to you!). I am, however, by means of holy spirit, able to understand when others speak them. Whether "tongues" of men or that of angels. Blew me away, the first time it happened. Almost stopped my heart because I didn't expect it. Was with a group of people I did not know… but whom professed possession of holy spirit. One started to pray (which made me a bit uncomfortable since we're supposed to pray in private… and all of a sudden she started speaking in a language I would have sworn I didn't know - had never heard. I had just about decided I would tune out and NOT listen when I realized, "Wait a minute, I understand. I can "hear" what she's saying"! Oh… my… gawd. AND… I had to translate for the others there, who didn't understand. Weird… fascinating… and awesome (as in, "full of awe" at what the Spirit can do)… all at the same time.
My understanding has grown since then and I have learned (and even Paul wrote) that if there is no one who has the gift of interpreting, then the one who can speak in tongues should be silent - otherwise, he/she is just showing off (the gift is for the building up of the congregation and if no one understands what is being said, then no one gets built up... and so there's no point in using the gift).
Also, regardless of the "tongue" (i.e., of men or of angels), if the speaker lacks love... they should also be quiet. Otherwise, they are profaning the gift. It is the same with my gifts - if I have something "against" someone, I need to get over it and quickly. I do that by asking for some fruit of the spirit (love, kindness, long-suffering)... or for my Lord to help me (which he almost always does by showing me how I have done the same thing to someone else!). Or if someone has something against me... I HAVE to go and at leasty TRY to make peace with them FIRST. Otherwise, I am "unclean" while attempting to "carry the utensils (instruments; tools)" of JAH... which are the "gifts" that He grants to His servants, through Christ.
this guy was no poser. And he wasn't insane. He was a fundamentalist Mormon (Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints). All Mormons, fundamentalist or not, believe that God "revelates" to each believer individually. He truly believed he was doing God's will when he killed. There was no other motive for the crime. He and a small group of FLDS had "studied" the Bible and Book of Mormon for years. Their studies led them to the conclusion that the only way their brother could be saved was by getting rid of his "demonic" wife and child.
Yikes, 'Keet (and peace to you, as well!). I guess I don't understand how ANYONE can truly KNOW the True God (which they would if they knew Christ)… and see any form of justification in something like this. Who did Christ kill to "save" anyone else? HE… gave HIS life. Sorry, 'Keet… I'm not sure I can buy it. If he really did believe he was doing God's will… and other fundamentalists of this ilk believe God WOULD revelate such a thing… there would/should be many more killings of this type. I mean, you can kinda understand it with Muslims (not what they do, but that they believe in what they're doing), as they are kinda WTBTS-ish in their "zeal" (i.e., everyone pretty much believes the same thing, or even if they don't, they'll go along and do it… to please "the faithful and discreet slave." Here, I think this guy used his "fundamentalist" weirdness… to justify his heinous act. But that's just me… and the Spirit has not corrected me, so I have to stick by my first impression of him.
Certainly not all who profess to be led by the holy spirit commit crimes of this magnitude. But how are the rest of us supposed to differentiate people from every walk of life who claim they are guided by God?
The easiest solution... is to ASK God (through His Son)… who WILL tell you. That is, IF you ask in all sincerity… and don't doubt the answer you receive… or that you even received one. Which is what most people do ("Well, I heard "something… in me?... I mean, I dunno… I'm not really sure… I mean, I didn't really "hear" it, I think ''cause no one else did, but it seemed like 'something… well, 'said'… ummmm… 'something'… but I (1) ignored it, (2) dismissed it, (3) thought it was myself, (4) thought it was demons, or (5) didn't really hear anything at all.") You know what I mean…
Killing children or saving spiders -- all this is supposed to come from God?
Killing children, certainly not. Absolutely not. Saving spiders… well, that's not necessarily from God. At least, it's not directly (meaning, from His Son). I mean, I've never been told "Don't kill spiders, child." That's just me… having respect for life, regardless of its form. Because I've learned to respect life even more since coming to know the Most Holy One of Israel, because I've learned that it is VERY precious to Him. A thing of great "beauty" (I know, I know… the OT doesn't give that impression. Praise JAH, His Son came, as he said, "to bear witness… to the TRUTH"… about the Most Holy One of Israel. Wanna know how God thinks, acts, etc.? LOOK AT CHRIST. He is God's IMAGE… and EXACT representation. Who did HE kill? Don't belief the "hype" of the "false stylus" of the secretaries, dear 'Keet. As my Lord is recorded to have said, "WOE to you… SCRIBES!"). But since I've come to look at life differently… and realize that ALL living things want to do just that… LIVE… I now hesitate when ending a life, even that of an ant (though I have to admit, for them I hesitate just over a nanosecond!). It is still a "soul" and has a spirit… a "life force… very tiny though it may be.
C'mon, Shelby . Surely you know that, given the range of behaviors supposedly resulting from the "holy spirit," there can be only two possibilities: (1) If God exists, he's one messed-up dude. (2) There is no God, and human beings who say they are guided by the holy spirit are suffering from a delusion.
Ummmm… not quite. There is the TRUTH: that God does exist, that He isn't messed up at all but we are, that our Adversary, Satan, has made that very claim, and that God is standing out of the way and allowing US to prove Satan wrong… rather than stepping in and leaving the question of our individual integrity unanswered.
Would I rather God step in? Given what life often brings, I can understand where someone might say, "Yes, who in their right mind wouldn't," right? To that, I say, one who KNOWS God… not knows OF God… not has KNOWLEDGE OF God… but who literally KNOWS Him… His personality, HIS hopes, HIS loyalty, HIS love. Such a one would say, NO. Like any child who is in a loving relationship with a parent, such one… and I am such a one… would rather He stand back and let ME respond to Satan… as to ME… and prove my integrity.
The Most Holy One of Israel says that those who belong to Him will love and serve Him… no matter what. Satan, however, has challenged each and every one of us. HE says we are, all of us, weak… and selfish, animalistic, unkind, unloving, and will do ANYTHING to save our flesh… and its desires. Even curse God… and follow him… and die. I say… he's a liar. Through Christ, I am learning to live my life as a testament to that.
Does that mean I can't/won't sin, as many religions teach we aren't supposed to? Good Lordy, no! I am still residing in flesh… with its blood… which is FULL of sin… and at enmity with my SPIRIT. So, like with everyone else, there are times when my SPIRIT is willing… but my flesh is weak. But the challenge wasn't that we wouldn't SIN (when we do, we have a "helper" for that, Christ) - the challenge was that:
SO LONG AS GOD SHOWS US FAVOR, SO LONG AS HE KEEPS A "HEDGE" AROUND US SO THAT NOTHING CAUSES US HARM OR GRIEF OR SORROW… SO LONG AS HE KEEPS US FROM ANY KIND OF PAIN, OR GRIEF, OR SORROW, OR TEST, OR TRIAL, OR TRIBULATION… WE WILL LOVE AND SERVE HIM. BUT…IF HE WERE TO TAKE AWAY THE "HEDGE"… AND OPENLY EXPOSE US… SO THAT THE WAY BECOMES OPEN FOR SOMEONE (HIM, SATAN, OF COURSE) TO BRING SUCH SORROW, TESTS, TRIALS, OR TRIBULATION UPON US… WE WOULD NOT ONLY CEASE LOVING AND SERVING HIM (GOD)… BUT WOULDCURSE HIM TO HIS VERY FACE.
And the saddest part is that MOST of mankind… and particularly those who claim to "belong" to God through Christ… have proven Satan to be truthful in relation to them. (For those who would protest, I give the subject of this interchange, as well as… let's see… the Conquest, the Inquisition, various wars that such ones participate in, the rampant child abuse/molestation, the treatment of women, etc., etc., etc.)
Praise JAH, however, there has ALWAYS been a remnant… always… a very SMALL (as in, less than, what is it now, 12 million?) group… who have proved Satan to be the LIAR… at least, in their individual cases. And that is what was prophesied.
And so, I am trying to learn to live my life as one of those of that very small group. And it ain't always easy. But I have no choice: I love the Most Holy One of Israel, JAH of Armies… NOT because of what He gives me… or does for me. I love HIM… because HE… loved ME… FIRST… and PROVED that… by sending his Son… to die for me. Living my life as a testament to my love… which I do by OBEYING the Spirit when he tells me to share what he gives me… is the least I can do.
May JAH also bless YOU, dear 'Keet… and peace to you!
YOUR servant and a slave of Christ,
SA
