Cedric Fisher: "earnestly contending for the faith."

The Moving of the Spirit

What do people mean when they refer to “the moving of the Spirit?” The so-called “moving” often occurs during singing, altar activity, or demonstrative preaching. It manifests as powerfully stimulated emotions. People weep, dance, shout, wave their hands excitedly, run, faint, and in Pentecostal or Charismatic meetings glossolalia may occur. It is not common anymore to say the “Spirit moved” when people become convicted and pray for a long period in an altar

In Seeker-sensitive and similar church meetings the Spirit of God (Holy Spirit) only “moves” when the “worship band” is playing. As people become excited during fast music the Holy Spirit is thought to be moving. It is very similar to what one might witness at a secular music concert or some other emotionally provocative event. The Holy Spirit is also deemed to be moving during slow music as people sway trancelike with raised hands. In most cases, the Holy Spirit is believed to have arrived and departed with the ebb and surge of people’s emotions.

Thus, the Holy Spirit appears to manifest at the beck and call and of people’s emotional systems. Savvy pastors, evangelists, and “worship leaders” skilled in manipulating people’s emotions are thought to have a special anointing that brings on a “move of the Spirit.” Certain “worship bands” are regarded likewise. As such they are in high demand.

But what is truly happening has nothing to do with the moving of the Holy Spirit. Certainly, in some church meetings, primarily before the present great apostasy in Christianity, the Holy Spirit worked on people’s spirits with conviction, healing, deliverance, and other miraculous works. However, He did not decide to do those things because people became excited and thereby stirred Him to “move.”

We should understand what compels the Holy Spirit to work on someone’s spirit. God’s word declares that the Holy Spirit responds to true worship, which is worship in sincerity and truth. He also is active in people who pray and wholeheartedly seek to be sensitive to Him.

What the Holy Spirit does not do is respond because He is impressed by a band’s talent or He is susceptible to skillful emotional manipulation by a “worship leader.” The Holy Spirit is sovereign and is not subject to our manipulation.

Mistaking emotional manifestations as the “moving of the Holy Spirit” provides an opportunity for Satan to by sensual and devilish ways. Leaders who believe emotional manipulation provokes the Holy Spirit to respond have resorted to focusing on what generates emotion. Many if not most of them have no clue as to the person, nature, or working of the Holy Spirit. They make crass, and in my opinion, near blasphemous, statements such as, “God showed up and showed out.” They do not seem to realize how insulting that is to the image of God and the Holy Spirit. That ignorance may spare them the charge of blasphemy, but it indicts them as shallow and frivolous. It is more likely that people showed up and showed out.

God’s word does not support the heresy that emotion stimulates the Holy Spirit to “move.” What actually occurs when the Holy Spirit works in people’s lives is that some people become excited to varying degrees. But no matter how talented the band, rowdy the worship, demonstrative the preaching, et cetera, none of that compels Him to work. Anything worthwhile and lasting occurs because of the Holy Spirit and not because we exercise manipulative power over Him.

These facts may help to understand:
1.    Nothing in this world amazes the Holy Spirit.
2.    He responds to sincere and true worship by spiritually hungry and thirsty souls.
3.    He does not occupy and leave a building. Genuine Believers have the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. When they assemble, He is there.
4.    He does not have to be coerced into “showing up” and He certainly does not “show out.”

The Holy Spirit major purpose is to draw people to God. He does not work signs and wonders so that one person appears more spiritual than everyone else. While it may be the case that someone has prayed, fasted, and lives in a deeper relationship with God, that is not a special gift or anointing. A Believer who more deeply seeks to worship God in sincerity and truth is more responsive to the Holy Spirit. His or her faith avails much, but you will never witness such a person hawking their abilities for wealth fame.

What is actually occurring in most church meetings today is emotionalism, which is fleeting and does not provide a lasting result. Anointed preaching, teaching, and perhaps singing—regardless of the presence or absence of great emotion—are used by the Holy Spirit to make people sensitive to Him. There is no viable substitute for the anointing—not singing a particular song, singing it repeatedly, singing fast, or slow and trancelike, or the enticing words of man’s wisdom. The anointing is by His prerogative and we will never have control of it.

In conclusion, the Holy Spirit works in His own climate—not one that we create to “feel” spiritual or to motivate Him to respond. He is not a substance or a servant to mankind, but He is God. Anyone that treats Him less should be avoided.

“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” – John 4:23-24

16 Comments

  1. Rhonda Williams

    Thank you Cedric, very good article. Coming from a Pentecostal/Charismatic background (and thank the Lord it is behind me), I know what you are speaking is truth. If only my friends (who are still there) would listen when these truths are spoken of. But they have no desire to listen. Thank you again.

  2. Linda

    This reminds me of something that came to my mind about a week ago. I talk a lot about ‘the good old days.’ But I know that not all of it was ‘good.’ Around the late 80’s I was in a truly Spirit filled church, most people were solid Biblical Christians and sensitive to the leading of the Spirit. But every now and then a wave would roll through that was off key. Well I remember this hooplah starting up about “God is moving,” “God is going to do something,” and phrases to that affect. But I noticed this had more of a political tinge to it than anything else. As if God was going to sweep in and fix everything in the country or beyond really, really soon, and it would all be paradise again. Now they were not into dominionism, which would explain this. They truly believed in the judgment at the end, the rapture, and the return of Jesus to set up the kingdom. But there was still this excitement in that way that did border on the heresy of dominionism. And, to make a long story short, what they thought was good politics anyway, did change, and that for the worse. Things kept getting worse in fact until today. Whatever it was they were holding their breath for did not occur. But there was a confusion at that time where people used to place too much emphasis on things political, as if God was going to restore the kingdom in some republicanistic, dominionistic way, sending some ‘revival’ through the nation’s leadership. Well, heaven on earth is impossible for now, first of all, and that won’t change until He does return to restore paradise, which is for the saved only. As long as there are unsaved in the world, it won’t be heaven even if it could be, but then you have illness, death, the curse, the devil, and that pesky sin. But when the Spirit is moving, we see spiritual fruit, we see spiritual results like people getting saved, returning to God, getting closer to God, seeking God, and worshiping Him with a sincere heart and not just going through the mechanical motions, gestures, gyrations, and liturgical lip service. And, that was happening at the time. But for some people, that is just not enough for them. What is most important to God is least important to them. Like this so called ‘revival’ that they await with bated breath, yet they promote sin, shun repentance and holiness, and submission to God. It is not going to be a true revival, but a Golden Calf festival orgy of sin and brazen glamorization of rebellion against God. It will be anti-Biblical in every way. Only most professing Christians won’t even notice that fact.

    As Jesus said to do, watch and pray.
    It is past time of warning even.
    It is time to fast and mourn for the lost.
    The storm of persecution is at hand, and most are not ready.

    “The harvest has passed, the summer has ended, but we have not been saved.”
    Jeremiah 8; 20

  3. ken Hall

    Here is excerpt from an article that I wrote about 2 years ago titled ?The Music of the Final Apostacy – CCM. I think it dovetails with what you are saying here, C,H,,

    Well, let us get to the subject matter of “the music of the apostasy”; today’s CCM, Contemporary Christian music. As I said above, I have not done an exhaustive study of all the songs that would be classified as CCM; I am just “discerning” what I see and hear in church and by occasionally listening to a CCM radio station. Let me get a bit more specific about what the main point of my assertion will be. I am mainly talking about the worship music performed in congregational gatherings in a church-meeting setting; today’s “praise and worship” songs. Whatever music anyone chooses to listen to and enjoy on their own time is undoubtedly their personal option, but what is offered and projected on a screen for communal singing is “God’s business”. There is no difference between the preacher saying. ” thus saith the Lord ” in a sermon, and a music minister or worship leader saying, “let us worship the Lord together with these words and music “. Both ministers are charged by the Bible to present correct doctrine and feed the flock of Jesus Christ with true spiritual food. If you want to be Biblicly sound about ministering, all things done at a corporate gathering must be Jesus Christ-centered  and include a reverence for the Trinity and a right attitude about the relationship between God and His creation. And here is where the worship music in most of today’s churches errs and falls woefully short of truly being ” worshipful “. Most of the stuff focuses the attention on ” me ” and what God has done for me. That just is ” not right”, to use a cliché. True worship is ” in Spirit and in truth “. In John 4, Jesus is having a conversation with a Samaritan woman at a well in that region. I have fond memories of this encounter as told by the apostle John. A copy of the short version of my testimony is available for the asking. This is a truly memorable passage of Scripture, from which many great sermons have been preached, but I want to focus on verses 19-26 in which the word ” worship ” is used 11 times in 5 verses. I believe Jesus is making the most important statement in all of the New Testament about what worship really is. Here is the passage in full (KJV). (verse 19) The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. (20) Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. (21) Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. (22) Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. (23) But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. (24) God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (25) The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. (26) Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

    About right now, you may be saying, Ken, I thought you were going to tell me the reasons why CCM is apostate music. I am not your guy if you are into “sound byte”-type teaching. It is a serious job that I do for the Lord and the only way I can teach is from the Bible, showing you what it says and explaining what I believe is the truth of Scripture. By doing it that way you can get mad at me and the Bible if you desire.

    Back to John 4. I want to re-word these verses in reverse order to attempt to show you the importance of what the Lord is telling this woman of Samaria. Here goes;” I am the Messiah about whom you are saying, “He will tells us all things”. What a statement!! Jesus has told her that He is the Christ. He has also told her that she was living in sin and adultery in the previous verses. That will be enough proof for me to put some credence and thought into what Jesus says about worship!! How about you? Let us go on. In verse 24 Jesus says, “God is a Spirit and those who worship Him MUST worship Him in the Spirit and in the Truth ” (emphasis mine). What a most powerful statement about worship!! In my opinion, this verse (along with 23)  is the crux of the matter about “Spiritual worship”. I want you to notice now that Spirit is capitalized. We are talking “Holy Spirit” here and I always capitalize the names of the Trinity. This is NOT the human spirit that Jesus is speaking of here; it is God’s Holy Spirit that is in Jesus and will be in all believers come Pentecost (reference John 14:17). It is a fact, I testify to you that the Holy Spirit from God, the very essence of Jesus Christ, comes to abide in every true, born-again believer in Jesus. The Holy Spirit guides us into truth (about ourselves and about the attributes of God and the benefits of holy living). He convicts us when we sin so we can repent and be restored to right relationship with God. It is with (in ) the Holy Spirit only that we can offer acceptable worship unto God. We must have a confessed-up, rightly related walk with God to truly worship the Trinity. NOTHING LESS WILL WORK! AT ALL!! That is what Jesus is teaching here in John 4; we MUST worship God in the Spirit and in the Truth. So Ken, what is happening in these churches that use the latest and most popular CCM worship songs? I say these places are APOSTATE, and those who attend are deceived and are part of the Laodicean church that is rebuked by Jesus in Revelation 3:14-22. I am telling you , my friends, that if you sing and enjoy these so-called “worship songs” you are deceived and in danger of believing “the lie” of the devil!! It is as simple as that. I do not “mince words” when someone’s future is at stake! God says that He Himself will send “strong delusion” in the very last days to those “who receive not the love of the truth that they might be saved.” (2 Thessalonians. 2:9-12). Again I say, take heed that YOU be not deceived and “cast away” your soul by the mammon of man!!

    I am going to wrap this up and try to enjoy the Christmas holidays that are upon us. We have a hefty schedule this year and I need to marshal my energy toward family and faith.

    My assertion is “CCM worship music is the music and worship of the final apostasy”. I truly believe this to be the case. Music giants like Hillsong and Bethel Music are at the forefront of the apostasy. I want to call one more Scripture reference to mind before I close this article and that is Romans 1:18-32. This passage of verses is the most powerful and relevant indictment about what is happening in Contemporary Christian Music. Current CCM does not police it’s ranks and thereby is a promoter and proponent of homosexuality in today’s society. Today’s CCM is a product of the “new reformation” or what has been labeled as the “young, restless, and reformed movement or “new Calvinism”. This movement has spawned this apostate music and many heretical “church and para-church” entities that fill the ranks of the final apostasy in the USA. One of it’s main contributors and leaders is John Piper, an aging heretic who fancies himself a “sage” to the new wave of young, restless, and reformed apostate preachers and musicians. Enough said!!!!!!!!

    On that uplifting note, “Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year”

    Ken

    Okay, back to the present and my reply about this commentary on the moving of the Spirit. The Spirit does not move or can be genie-upped by an artful worship leader or demonstrative preacher, or by loud and repetitive music. People who come to these venues where such raucous shenanigans are happening come to feed their flesh, whether they know it or not. They are deceived to believe that what they are seeing and doing is “worship” of God. They are worshipping the creation, not the creator. Those who worship MUST worship Him in the Spirit and in TRUTH ! The Truth says this, “1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;” [1Ti 4:1 KJV]. And this, “1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” [2Ti 3:1-5 KJV]

    Maybe I went off topic a bit by using those verses but I truly believe that those verses tell us WHY we see such carnal shenanigans in what is supposed to be “worship” services.

  4. Linda

    Another thing this reminds me of is all the hype about the rapture. Before the millenium changed there was all this anticipation in the air, but not later (as if God is bound by these sorts of time frames…). It seemed that everything revolved around the rapture. But of course it did not come. Whether you are pre or mid or end trib, no one can argue that it has not yet arrived. Well a decade or so after all of that I had run into some ‘fallen away brethren’ who had thrown in the towel ‘because the Lord did not come back and take them away in the rapture.’ I was like ‘huh?!’ And this was in sunny southern CA, not some trouble ridden land. So they had lost their faith because the rapture had not come in the timing they had hoped for! Wow! As if anyone knows the day or the hour! But on top of that, none of us has any guarantee when it will occur or even if it will occur in our lifetime. We know that it will occur, but not exactly when (and I don’t mean pre or post trib, I mean in one year or in ten, etc.). Many faithful generations of Christians have come and gone home to be with the Lord, and none of them lived to see the rapture. And it didn’t make any difference in their faith. Jesus saved us. He expects us to live out faithful lives for Him until the time we go home to be with Him. It doesn’t matter if that takes one year or a hundred years, if we go in the rapture, as a martyr, or quietly singing hymns on our death beds. What matters is what we did with our lives for Jesus, and that is all that will matter. Were we occupied with what He told us to do? He promised no one that the rapture will occur in their lifetime. He does not owe us, but rather we owe Him. We owe Him obedient lives of love and devotion. But people get their affections wrapped around something else, something exciting, and when it doesn’t happen in their time table, they lose their faith over it! It could be a conservative political changing of the guard. It could be the rapture. It could be a revival. It could be something in their own personal lives. And when that thing does not occur, they lose their faith or something like that, because their hearts were not set on Jesus and honoring Him whether it be by life or death, in sickness or in health, in poverty or plenty, in rapture or no rapture yet. And times now are much harder than before, now you can’t scarce find a true brother in the midst of all this apostasy! The danger lies in fixing one’s heart on something other than the Lord. And I see that often. That is the danger of falling away from one’s first love.

    • Mat Taos

      Linda, we do know the rapture occurs- upon the final trumpet, He made that crystal clear.

      • Linda

        Yes, the rapture is going to occur, just not when most people expect it to occur… i.e. when it is convenient for them. Yes, at the last trumpet. I always forget something.

  5. Jenny

    Hi Cedric,

    I get what you’re saying but I am left with some questions.

    1. Do you believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit being still for today?
    2. On that note, do you believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit being in operation today, including the ‘miraculous’ ones like prophecy and not just teaching?
    3. Do you believe in miracles being for today?

    Thanks and God bless,
    Jenny

    • C.H. Fisher

      With all due respect, I do not understand how my article could have provoked those questions. It’s not about what I believe or do not believe, but about professing Christians mistaking the identity of the Holy Spirit and believing certain activity manipulates or is evidence of His presence. However, one should simply read and accept God’s word concerning the Holy Spirit. Thanks.

      • Jenny

        Dear Cedric,

        You did make yourself clear about what you were saying. But I come across many blogs and sites and at times it seems they lean in one direction but later disclose that they feel the other way. That is why I was wondering about where you stand on these items I listed. I just like to know where a person stands on this. I agree it is about what the Bible says and not what any one ‘believes’ about it. But again, I run into so many who claim to hold the ‘Biblical’ view, only to hear a wide spectrum of views about the work of the Holy Spirit. As one example I recently came across a pastor who claimed that the gifts only operated when a Jew was present. A Jew had to be present, or they would not function. Where he got this from? I have no idea. Anyway I have heard so many things and was just wondering where you stand on all of the items listed above. If you do not feel comfortable sharing where you stand on them, well then I guess don’t share that. But it is just an honest question, I did not mean to set you off. Sorry about that, and I’m not being snarky, I really did not think it would bother you.

        Blessings in Christ,
        Jenny

        • C.H. Fisher

          I apologize if you think that you “set me off” or offended me in the slightest. I think that if you read my reply again you might realize that there is no intent to project agitation or to be ambiguous. I attempted in my article to explain clearly the misunderstanding of the Holy Spirit. That should not have led anyone who agreed to wonder if I am a cessationist. I am not a cessationist, but that does not mean I accept every manifestation of the supernatural as a work of the Holy Spirit.

          • Jenny

            Great! Thank you for clarifying. I knew that part but was not quite sure on where you stood otherwise. I agree with all those items I listed, I believe all are for today. Of course that does not mean that anything masquerading and parading around as a ‘work of the Spirit’ is one. But I keep running into these polarized camps lately. On one end, you have the ones who are cessationists and to the point that they don’t believe God does any miracles today at all, God would never communicate with us outside of the Bible, and that those who believe otherwise are somehow in the apostasy. Then on the other end you have the three ring circus act in many Pentecostal circles, where anything and everything goes as a ‘move of the Spirit,’ barking like animals, you name it. They also are confused about the application of the gifts as they think all must speak in tongues but that is not Biblical regarding the diverse distribution of the gifts. So both ends err in many ways. Then you have those who are partial as that they believe in some of the gifts for today, like teaching, but not the miraculous such as healing. Where they err is in the fact that all of the Spiritual gifts are of the miraculous. They all come from the miraculous supernatural power of the Holy Spirit. Even sanctification is a miracle as it is through the Holy Spirit. We could do none of these things on our own, in the strength of our own human flesh. The cessationist camp errs on a pile of assumptions with no Biblical foundation. For all their disdain of ’emotions’ and ‘experience,’ they rest their theology on their own experience (or lack thereof). They only point to 1 Cor. 13 and misapply the text into ‘that which is perfect’ being the Bible, but it is the arrival of God’s kingdom. That is when we see Him face to face. Not only that, but just because the canon was complete, all did not have access to it at all times in church history. Then some of them border dangerously on blasphemy of the Holy Spirit by saying that anything ‘charismatic’ or continuationist is of the devil, all while claiming that we are the ones guilty of that when in fact they are. Some seem to think that only the devil through the occult can still do signs and wonders, as if God had no power left, or chooses not to do miracles anymore. But again there is a real and a counterfeit of satan. We see that with Moses before Pharaoh. Also, Jesus cast out demons, and the pharisees said He did so by the king of the demons. He then proceeded to inform them that they were blaspheming the Holy Spirit since they still don’t believe and insult the Holy Spirit in this way, calling Him beelzebub. Many famous teachers are guilty of the same things as the pharisees today. I recently looked on a blog called Emergent Watch and he has a post about some of the heresies of the NAR and links to Calvary Chapel. In the article is mentioned a conference by cessationists labeled ‘strange fire’ and this other guy has one labeled ‘authentic fire.’ Yet both are in an apostate camp while accusing the other side of apostasy. Surely all the demonic activity of Bethel and so on are a major part of the apostasy and claim to be ‘charismatic.’ But the side that claims all has ceased and accuse any legitimate move of the Spirit as apostasy is also in apostasy. I keep running into one or the other. Yes, there is the counterfeit occultic, demonic camp masquerading as ‘charismatic.’ But there is also the authentic charismatic working of the Holy Spirit just like in the early church, and it has never ceased. Then you have the cessationist camp who usually lives in a very dried out place, not like the lands of missionary activity, but areas that have a long established Christian presence. Thus they think it’s all over. But it’s not. I live in such a place and know that if you seek God you can experience all these things as I have. There is nothing bad about an experience or an emotion, it is the source that matters. Some tend to shy away from these terms out of fear and think that any emotional experience must be illegitimate, but not so. Anyway I was baptized in the Holy Spirit, have gifts other than tongues, and have heard of God still performing miracles today both here and abroad. I know that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is for today, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are for today, all of them, and miracles of God are for today. I also know much activity in certain places of what is called the charismatic church is occultic and of demonic source that most in that camp just assume is of God. Also, like you said, any surge of energy and clapping is attributed to the Holy Spirit whether it is or not. Totally drenched in sin places show no sign of repentance, but just because some guy is getting into the groove they assume the Spirit is moving. Any real revival of God had the fruit of tears of repentance and turning from sin and the culture of the world and separation unto God and holiness. Yet because of the fact that I am on neither end of this, I am ostracized from so many camps even within ‘discernment.’ I have heard so many wild explanations that are totally unbiblical like the one I mentioned in the last comment.
            But thanks Cedric, and good to know!
            God bless you!

          • C.H. Fisher

            I think we are likely on the same page. We should believe what God’s word says and not insert our personal opinions, or shrink back because we are embarrassed or feel threatened by the idea of the supernatural. If one will exercise his or her senses to discern good and evil, activities mimicking the Holy Spirit will be identified. Christ warned us of very powerful deception. Paul warned us about satanic ministers. We are in such a time when that degree of deception is at work. More than just discerning the false, we must be careful not to reject the true in a knee-jerk reaction. I have witnessed such a thing occurring on a large scale. We need more than wisdom and discernment to make it through this difficult period–we also need God’s power. Allowing ourselves to become dry and without a supernatural experience because we do not wish to be identified with the heretics would be a victory for our enemy.

          • Jenny

            I almost forgot to mention that part about God speaking to us today. He can speak to our hearts, or in a vision or dream, or through someone exercising a spiritual gift. He still does communicate with His people today. Of course it lines up with the Bible, but it is not ‘extra-biblical’ in some heretical way. Even reading the Bible, God impresses certain things upon us that seem to jump out more at one time than another. If we have the Holy Spirit and are tuned in, walking in the Spirit, etc. we will notice these things. But just for saying that too, many pull away.
            And these sites will expose a thing about what is going on in these counterfeit charismatic ways, but some are continuationists just exposing the counterfeit, and others are cessationists complaining about both the counterfeit and the real. Often they are not clear or specific about where they stand and it is hard to tell.
            Anyway, thanks!
            : D

  6. Stan Copeland

    Please show me the Biblical authority / requirement for Christians to write, perform, sing in any worship-service, any “psalms, hymns, songs” not given to the Biblical church by God’s Holy Spirit. Worshiping God by singing the Spirit-inspired songs which He put into the Bible, is giving Him the very best (inerrant) worship-music. Why would ANY Christian want to give God “second-best” worship-songs written by sinful, fallible, errant, non-Inspired humans? (Check out the Biblical doctrine of inspiration and perspecuity of Scripture.) Jesus and His disciples exclusively used Biblical Psalms in worship – – – and never even hinted that non-inspired songs should be written for or used in BIBLICAL worship. God’s old inspired songs of Zion never led any Christian astray. Maybe this is the time for Christians to try something new: specifically, obedience to Biblical mandates about songs for (in) worship.

  7. Jenny

    And let us not forget about the FRUITS of the Holy Spirit…
    Sadly I am seeing less and less of them among professing Christians in every camp…

  8. Jenny

    Amen Cedric!

    Exactly. And that is what is happening. All the crazy looking stuff is driving people away from what is real and the enemy wins with either case. It’s like saying because some food is bad for us, now we won’t eat any food at all. The enemy wants to cheat believers out of the power available to us, especially now. Without it I would be so in the dark it’s scary to think about. But because I’m open to the leading of God’s Holy Spirit, He has shown me so much and protected me from so much. And I try to warn others but usually it does not go very far. It feels like if one does not have this connection one is pretty lost. And in these times of deception that is so dangerous. As it says, even the elect can be deceived, and the devil will do signs and wonders and so many will be lead astray and all while thinking it was a ‘work of God’ and a ‘great global revival’ etc. On the cessationist end you have famous teachers telling the church that it is ‘okay to take the mark of the beast and still be saved’ ! Either way one is doomed if not lead by God away from all the apostasy. If one at least knows that we must be loyal and obedient to God at all cost, never compromise with sin, the world, or the devil, we are not ‘one’ with all of them, and we must be willing to lay down our lives for Jesus if it comes to that, great. But how many know and are able and willing to do even this? It is God’s Spirit that gives us that power and leads us and even sustains the saints through all forms of persecution and martyrdom and you are able to look back and forgive and love your enemies as Jesus did and Stephen did and all the rest like in Foxe’s Book of Martyrs.
    Blessings!

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