Recently, a group called Heaven's Gate joined the ranks of a number of other recent cults (the Order of the Solar Temple, the Branch Davidians, the followers of Jim Jones) who have sought to leave this world in search of a "better" place by means of suicide.
In response to the mass suicide, Time magazine ran a cover article in its April 7, 1997, issue entitled "Inside the Web of Death." The reporters had this to say about groups like Heaven's Gate: "As predicted, the approach of the year 2000 is coaxing all of the crazies out of the woodwork. They bring with them a twitchy hybrid of spirituality and pop obsession. Part Christian, part Asian mystic, part Gnostic, part X-files." This article also pointed out that the Internet is a powerful tool that is being used to propagate this thinking in a way never thought possible�globally and instantaneously.
What does this all mean? It is clearly a sign of the times?
"And many false prophets will appear and lead many people astray" (Matthew 24:11 NLT).
"But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach their destructive heresies about God and even turn against their Master who bought them. Theirs will be a swift and terrible end. Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of them, Christ and His true way will be slandered. In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction is on the way" (2 Peter 2:1-3 NLT).
Clever Deceptions
Why do people buy into these crazy teachings? Don't they know any better? The Bible tells us that in the last days, there will literally be a cult explosion�an ever-growing plethora of every belief system possible except the right one.
The Bible tells us that Satan will:
"Use every kind of wicked deception to fool those who are on their way to destruction because they refuse to believe the truth that would save them. So God will send great deception upon them, and they will believe all these lies. Then they will be condemned for not believing the truth and for enjoying the evil they do" (2 Thess. 2:10-12 NLT).
You know something is popular when you start seeing the knock-offs or imitations. The Devil is not very original. He has always seen the value of copying something, and, in so doing, confusing the issue. It seems that whenever there is a genuine work of the Spirit of God, Satan will have his imitation.
Consider Pharaoh's magicians, who were able to duplicate the miracles of Moses, such as the plague of blood in the Nile, and the plague of frogs (see Exodus 7-8).
Jesus told the parable of the wheat and the tares (Matthew 13:24-30). In the story, a man planted wheat in a field, but his enemy came at night and planted tares (or the darnel seed) in the same field. Initially, this tare looks just like the wheat. But as time goes by, it actually uproots the wheat and ultimately destroys it.
These days while God is working, the devil is planting his tares. When they are exposed, people say, "See�they are all hypocrites!" As Peter said, "Christ and his true way will be slandered" through this. Yet, the presence of so many imitations should actually prove that there is an Original.
Whatever we have as Christians, you can be sure that Satan has a counterfeit version:
He has a false gospel that tells you that you can make up the rules as you go.
Along with this false gospel comes a false hope. People think that because they have gone through a certain religious ritual, they are eternally secure.
He has a false messiah. Satan always wanted the top job in heaven, and he has never gotten over losing his once exalted position. In these last days, he will thrust his imitation messiah�the Antichrist� on the world scene.
Bahira because you believe something else does not make it right.
Scripture is very clean on this topic and really if you understand why the rapture you would know.
The former and latter rain is already pouring out in pockets on the earth and then the great harvest which is already taken place and then the rapture you can stay if you want I am going With Jesus.
Actually Bahira I have know the Holy Ghost since 1985 and he does not lie.
When I repented of all my sins, confessed them to God and accepted Jesus as my God, I was sealed by the Holy Spirit to be protected till the end.
At that moment I was born of the Spirit/I was born of God.
John 3:4 "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" 5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit:angel:. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, `You must be born again:angel:.' 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
Rom. 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life :angel:set me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
5Those who live according to the sinful nature:devil: have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6The mind of sinful man is death:devil:, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace:angel:; 7the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. 8Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
9You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness:angel:. 11And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.
12Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation --but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." 16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17Now if we are children, then we are heirs --heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
18I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
22We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.
28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Rom 8
you received the Spirit of sonship:angel:. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." 16The Spirit himself :angel:testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.
Guys, if your 'spirits' which you received make you to bark like dogs what we see int he modern-day churches, then you should KNOW that God :angel:is NOT a dog to cause any barking!!!!
Repent of your sins, and be filled with the TRUE Spirit of God who is LOVE.:angel:
Do not deceive yourselves and other people and do not bark. But worship God in the TRUE Spirit of God.
There are many false churches who even deceive people making them to bark under the influence of the demons!!!!
God does NOT bark!!!!
Those who bark will be judged by God for the sin of idol worship of demons :devil:who make them to bark.
1 John 4
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit:devil:, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ:angel: has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that[a] Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. 6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
Knowing God Through Love
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves:hearts: is born of God :angel:and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
Seeing God Through Love
12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
The Consummation of Love
17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love Him[b] because He first loved us.
Obedience by Faith
20 If someone says, �I love God,� and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can[c] he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
I didnt say that Scripture is wrong. I said that you fail to understand the Scripture. And all your statements are wrong.
If you do not understand that they are wrong. Ok, May be other christians will talk to you about them. But I doubt that Donna or Richard would like to engage in dialogue with you. Because this dialogue do not lead anywhere. I saw it before.
One of my friends was among them for many years and even untill today he cannt get free from madness which he saw there and did with them!!! He was demons-possesed.
Do you want to see what demons make in the so-called christian churches?
Scripture tells us that once we believed in Christ, we "were sealed with the Holy Spirit:angel: of promise" (Ephesians l:l3). This description alludes to the royal seal of a king used in ancient times. Anything stamped with the king's seal signified a unique mark of ownership. In the same way, God has put His "royal seal" upon us: the presence and work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and lives.
The Holy Spirit is also called the "deposit guaranteeing our inheritance" (Ephesians 1:l4). Much like putting money down to "hold" a piece of merchandise until you can make full payment, God gives us the deposit�or down payment �of the Holy Spirit to show that He means business! He guarantees our future inheritance: eternal life in heaven with Him.
As we read and study Scripture, the Holy Spirit can give us incredible insights into what God's Word says and means to us today. While some passages can be difficult to grasp, the same Holy Spirit who inspired the Scripture can illuminate its words for our benefit (l Corinthians 2:13). He may also bring verses to mind when you are ministering to a fellow believer, giving that person a greater understanding of the Bible.
Why do people buy into these crazy teachings? Don't they know any better? The Bible tells us that in the last days, there will literally be a cult explosion�an ever-growing plethora of every belief system possible except the right one.
The Bible tells us that Satan will:
"Use every kind of wicked deception to fool those who are on their way to destruction because they refuse to believe the truth that would save them. So God will send great deception upon them, and they will believe all these lies. Then they will be condemned for not believing the truth and for enjoying the evil they do" (2 Thess. 2:10-12 NLT).
You know something is popular when you start seeing the knock-offs or imitations. The Devil is not very original. He has always seen the value of copying something, and, in so doing, confusing the issue. It seems that whenever there is a genuine work of the Spirit of God, Satan will have his imitation.
Consider Pharaoh's magicians, who were able to duplicate the miracles of Moses, such as the plague of blood in the Nile, and the plague of frogs (see Exodus 7-8).
Jesus told the parable of the wheat and the tares (Matthew 13:24-30). In the story, a man planted wheat in a field, but his enemy came at night and planted tares (or the darnel seed) in the same field. Initially, this tare looks just like the wheat. But as time goes by, it actually uproots the wheat and ultimately destroys it.
These days while God is working, the devil is planting his tares. When they are exposed, people say, "See�they are all hypocrites!" As Peter said, "Christ and his true way will be slandered" through this. Yet, the presence of so many imitations should actually prove that there is an Original.
Whatever we have as Christians, you can be sure that Satan has a counterfeit version:
He has a false gospel that tells you that you can make up the rules as you go.
Along with this false gospel comes a false hope. People think that because they have gone through a certain religious ritual, they are eternally secure.
He has a false messiah. Satan always wanted the top job in heaven, and he has never gotten over losing his once exalted position. In these last days, he will thrust his imitation messiah�the Antichrist� on the world scene.
Here we see Satan's unholy trinity:
Satan, imitating God (and, for a short time, having the worship of people worldwide)
The Antichrist masquerading as the Son
The false prophet impersonating the Holy Spirit
The Work of the Antichrist
The Antichrist will bring about a new religious system that will accommodate everyone. We are currently in the midst of a cult explosion. Whether it be Dianetics, EST, goddess worship, reincarnation, astrology, holistic healing, or any of a hundred consciousness raising techniques of our day�the modern age is on a search for some mystical divine unity. The times are ripe for a world religion.
No, indeed Bahira, there is no way dogs can bark in people or any of this foolishness that you see many of these people doing, that is not scriptural or of God, everything God does has a spiritual message that leads to salvation, not entertainment or a showcase.
You can only pray for these people spiritually, and since you cannot reach these people physically to sit them down and teach them God's word of truth, there is nothing you can do. Therefore, if we know these things are not of God based on our knowledge of the spiritual things of God found in HIs holy Word, then all we can do is pray for them, and leave them alone.
There is so much foolishness that is going on that people claim to be of God, that is not of God according to His word and our knowledge, so I have learned to leave those things along that I cannot change, and change those things I can by using God's word to base my call for chance.
If its not in God's word, then I don't see how it can be of God. Because there is nothing new under the sun, and everything that God wants us to know is written in His word, including those things and the works of the Holy Spirit, these works do not change, becaue od doesn't change in character.
Many people use the passage of John chapter 14:verse 20, where Jesus says, truly, truly, I say to you, the person who believes in Me, the works that I do this perrson will do also, and GREATER works than these shall he do, because I go to my Father. They use this passage to justify their foolishness of out of control behavior as if the HOly Spirit is doing this work in them. And to say this so-called out of control laughter and all this other mess is of the Holy Spirit. But what they don't understand is that the greater works Jesus is speaking about is much in reference to what the apostles did in quanity and that Jesus is not speaking about stuff that has no spiritual meaning or vailue that bring salvation. The Bible tells us that Jesus did so many miracles and signs and wonders there is no book that could hold the details of what He did or His works, so we are only given a small account of those things that He did and that God wants us to know about. But I'm sure He did not have people going around varking like a dog, or all over the place out of controll in a silly manner, and still the person when they stop they are still depressed or sad or whatevr. The joy of the laugh is not about out of contriol, but f comfort and peace in knowing...
Much hysteria goes on in the churches where false teachers and preachers have followings, that is not of God, just as in the day of the apostles, and the say its of God.
Therefore, as the passage says, if you cannot fit this by pointing these people to the right things in scripture and what God says, and correct them, then if its of man it will come to nothing. But if its of God and He is using this foolishneess to somehow point to Himself for His glory, and will sooner or later make some chanes by correcting all this craziness that is going on... then all we should do is denonce what we know is not of God and correct it as Paul and the apostles did during their work showing the proper and right things of God, or just leave it all alone until God HImself steps in and make changes.
For sure God is not going to allow such mess to contiue in His name leading people astay, and many of these preachers of such cults are leading people astay with foolishness, and God has already stated that he is going to harshly punish these preachers who do such. So all we can do is pray and correct those who and where we can.
We are born of God (John 1:12), which is the same as being born of the Spirit (John 3:5). The Holy Spirit is the means by which God lives in us (Ephesians 2:22; 1 John 3:24; 4:13). The Holy Spirit lives in us (Romans 8:11; 1 Corinthians 3:16)�and because the Spirit lives in us, we can say that God lives in us.
So how God could live in us? Through the FAITH that Jesus is God, repentance, confession of all our sins to God in a prayer. Repentance means that we abandon our sins.
We are saved through FAITH.
Manifestations of the Holy Spirit in our lives are different.
all over the place out of controll in a silly manner, and still the person when they stop