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I have a good friend who stood up in a charismatic church and recited the national anthem in Italian. Some woman said she had an interpretation and it was the usual stuff "Surely saith the Lord... return to Me and I will do a great thing in your midst that you do not yet know" etc etc.

This guy just sat back down and went to the pastor the next day with this question: "I don't believe this woman was demonic, but she clearly spoke in error in the name of God, in first person. They stoned people to death for this in the Old Testament. How do you distinguish between people who "truly" have a gift of interpreting tongues and people just worked up and they want to believe something?" My friend did nto believe there was a "truly" gift at all. He just was non-hostile, gentle, and willing to win the man rather than the argument.

I have a good friend who stood up in a charismatic church and recited the national anthem in Italian. Some woman said she had an interpretation and it was the usual stuff "Surely saith the Lord... return to Me and I will do a great thing in your midst that you do not yet know" etc etc. This guy just sat back down and went to the pastor the next day with this question: "I don't believe this woman was demonic, but she clearly spoke in error in the name of God, in first person. They stoned people to death for this in the Old Testament. How do you distinguish between people who "truly" have a gift of interpreting tongues and people just worked up and they want to believe something?" My friend did nto believe there was a "truly" gift at all. He just was non-hostile, gentle, and willing to win the man rather than the argument.

A sound method for outing charlatans in the church. The prophets are even worse. I think that FR's own prophets all self-destructed because they got into a War Of The Prophets. It was a riot to read one failed prophecy after the next but no attempts at persuasion or pointing out that their prophecies never came true made any dent at all. As far as I know, FR is without prophets currently.

My friend did nto believe there was a "truly" gift at all. He just was non-hostile, gentle, and willing to win the man rather than the argument.

A very wise friend. I need to do better at that myself sometimes. It's nice to read about a good example. He stood up for the truth, but did it in the kindest of ways. I love that story.