Slade Henson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
jt said: Hi again Slade; I don't know about others but we do need to watch what comes out of our mouths as we have another Kingdom watching and waiting for a doorpoint of entry into our lives and God will not keep them out, this is our responsibility.
Michael D: I have to concur with Judy here 110%. I have lived this for years... God dealt with me to such an extent, that there were times where in exasperation, I had to ask God whether there is anything I can say at all... When I've share with believers things (even idioms and slangs) that they need to watch, they've frown on it or dismissed it as nonsense, and even rebuked me. Sometimes it's very humbling. The fact is, as Judy stated above, that we are living in an enemy occupied territory, and his kingdom holds sway in the main. As a result, negatives/adversity have right of way, without much effort exerted. When folks utter negative things, it's easy for that to be enforced in their circumstances. For positive results, however, one has (as a rule) to have a greater opposing effort of positive inputs (faith) to overthrow the negative forces holding sway... Words are spirit. Jesus said His words were spirit and life. THat tells me that his words took on an additional characteristic to spirit, i.e. life. Proverbs tells us that death and life are in the power of the tongue. So as words can be spirit and life, they can also be spirit and death. Let me share an example... Many years ago when the Lord began to tighten the screws on me in this area, I saw a long-lost friend twice in two days. The second time, I declared to him...when it rains it pours... (idiom Slade?) Immediately, the Spirit of the Lord convicted me. I was very dismayed. I couldn't believe it (one of those times I pleaded ...can't I say anything?) I was to learn a couple serious lesson. The next morning I woke up at 4:30 as was usual. Within 30 seconds, rain started to pound upon the rooftop like I had never heard in my life (I mean that). Immediately I got apprehensive. Again, living in a low-lying area I have to be alert. I was wondering what was going on when I remembered what I mouthed the evening before. I did'nt know what to do. I immediately repented of my words, after which it occurred to me that God saw me then just as if I had never sinned. I jumped on the devil and bound him over the weather and loosed the angels to stop the rain. Within about 30 seconds it stopped. I went about my day and there was not a drop for the entire day afterwards. I learned alot that morning. Casual words are not necessarily casual in the spirit realm.
One guy said that his foot was killing him, having knocked it. Figurative in his mind, of course, but he does not realize that he is realeasing a concept in the spirit world (killing him) that the enemy would like to sieze upon. Keep saying those things long enough, and the enemy will try to capitalize on them.
I know this is long, but permit me to share one more testimony. Once I was helping a retired teacher tutor some students at her home (she was a neighbourhood friend). I was unemployed at the time. It was voluntary, but she started giving me a token payment for doing it. Now when folks would ask me what I was doing job wise, I would say I was not working, but was giving a 'li'l lessons (tutoring)' and getting a little 'change'. Nontheless every day I was declaring the abundance of God over my life. One day the Spirit of the Lord convicted me and I realized what I was saying. I changed my answer to folks to something like, ' I am giving lessons and I am getting paid for it'. Believe it or not, within precious little time, I started receiving from her in one week more than she was giving me for a month. In fact, I was getting 6x what I was getting at the end of the month all along, and I never asked for it, nor expected it. I didn't even know that she could afford it. I was amazed. My casual words had far more impact on my circumstances than I had any idea of. Thank God for the Holy Spirit who guides us into truth. I try to be very careful about the things I say now. I do not say when it rains... I now seek to determine how much it rains whenever it rains. Storms like Ivan I would never refer to as 'Ivan the terrible' regardless of how much it is doing, and how much the media trumpets that. The enemy will have a field day with that. I seek to oppose that. As true children of God our lot is to determine outcomes not have them imposed upon us. Have I always prevailed, no, but I know where I want and need to be by God's grace...
slade says: Hello to you too, Judy. I still am referring to idioms. If you are referring to idioms we are in irreconcilable disagreement.
jt: I have no idea what "granite like faith" would look like but nowhere in scripture do I see God blessing unbelief and doubt.
slade says: I am referring to "knowing without a shade of doubt." I see faith [or at least a strong form of it perhaps] as being a Spiritual gift given to some but not all. Someone with weaker faith than another is not in sin because of his lack of faith. In a similar vein, one person having less discernment than another is not in sin because of his lack of discernment. We all need to lift each other up where we are strong and get our strength from others where we are weak. This includes discernment as well as faith.
slade continues: I really hope my analogy between weak faith and weak discernment is understood because I really don't want to dwell on THAT topic as well. I tend to quickly dismiss a topic when there is no connection/understanding between me and the other person.
jt said: Even Jesus Himself could do no mighty works in his hometown because of their unbelief.
slade says: A little limiting but that's ok. You don't believe in the Deity of Messiah Yeshua, do you? (I.e., Do you believe Jesus is God)?
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