Slade Henson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Michael D: When I've share with believers things (even idioms and slang) that they need to watch, they've frown on it or dismissed it as nonsenseI am one who disagrees with you. Our Master and King used idioms when He was walking the Earth and Our Father in Heaven used idioms (even gross ones from our standards) in his dealings with the Prophets. An idiom is just that... a flowery _expression_. Nothing more. To advocate for more is to advocate error... in my (apparently singular opinion on this forum)... and I'm OK with that.Michael D: Slade, I hear you, but there is much truth in what I am sharing here, and folks need to reconsider this area. Just remember the scripture say that death and life are in the power of the tongue. And James sys (as Judy quoted) that the tongue sets on fire the course of nature and directs the whole body. When you use idioms that release negative concepts into the real of the spirit (feet killing ... etc) you are releasing raw material for the enemy to bring things into reality against you. I use idioms, myself, but I modify them if they don't conform to my position in Christ or the realities of His covenant.It's like what I was sharing with a couple executives last week: there is nothing called coincidence. Everything that happens has a cause that is rooted in spiritual law. Often natural law can be identified in association with it as well. Things might happen that have no apparent logical explanation in the natural, but somewhere there were seeds sown that sprung the fruit, good or bad. I can tell you that whenever something negative happens to me, I make an initial search of my heart and try to tune into the Spirit. Quite often I realize that the Lord allowed it because I was off somewhere. Now, God has taught me to try and approach my walk like this. It has also helped me to understand alot of what is happening around me, and in the world.For instance, the fact that all of these 'natural disasters are happening around the place are not freaks of nature, but a combination of the enemy attacking through them, God having to lift His hand of protection because of sin and rebellion, and a sleeping Church that needs to awaken to the role of power and authority and reconciliation that God has given it in the world.To all TTers I say, make no bones about it, natural devastations, or devastations of any kind upon nations or peoples or individuals all contain elements of God's judgement. Sometimes it's just ignorance or unbelief, which God says He rejects among His people (Hosea 4:6, James 1:6-7). If you find that hard to relate to, Check Deut. 28. As is often pointed out, the vast preponderance of emphasis in this passage is on the judgement/curse verses. In fact, only up to vs. 13 talk about blessings, but from 15 down to vs 68 all talk in horrid detail of all the curses/judgements that will comefrom disobedience.If folks feel that the negative effects of phenomena of all kinds don't reflect measures of God's judgement, then I suggest they take a look at the scriptures again. Proverbs 11:31 says: 'The righteous shall be recompensed in the earth, much more the wicked and the sinner.'God even says that He recompenses the iniquity of the fathers down to the third and fourth generation. Things happen in families, nations etc, for seemingly no reason, but there is always a reason. It is Prov. 26:2 that stresses that the curse causeless does not come. The encouraging thing for believers is that God works all things for good to them that love him...I will say this, however, Michael... you are in good company because a good friend of mine (Don) believes identical to you on this point.Thanx Slade.I assure you, though, that these are things that the Lord has taught me, at some considerable cost, and with much frustration and trepidation at times. I did not always think this way, even as a faith-conscious person, but as God put more and more before me, I had to adjust my thinking, especially when I saw the fall out. I have had loses so precious and far reaching through this stuff, that to this day after many, many years, my life is still affected. The power of the tongue is the power of God's authority vested in man. Jesus restored it to His Church by giving us the keys of the kingdom of heaven. We need wisdom in using it.
-- slade
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