I didn't think I stuttered in the above. FOLKS WHO LIVE AND WALK AS THE ABOVE ARE IN ALL THE REMOTELY BIBLICAL CHRISTIAN ORGANIZATIONS. I've met a number of Roman Believers who fit such criteria. But most believer in most to virtually all Christian organizations DO NOT MEET SUCH CRITERIA BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO PAY THE PRICE in the way they live. And, too often, that has included me.
So who are the discerning? You, I suppose?
It depends on a number of issues.
1. What is God doing in the situation.
2. How heavy was the anointing. In many situations, the anointing is so heavy, one would have to be dead to miss it's being lifted and gone. Even the unsaved immediately sense it.
3. How close to fitting the criteria above is the individual doing the sensing, perceiving AT THAT MOMENT IN THAT SITUATION? The very spiritually sensitive and VERY FULL OF HOLY SPIRIT can detect very subtle transitions and departures of Holy Spirit's anointing.
4. How distracted vs tuned in is the person doing the sensing, perceiving?
Out of the 20,000+ Protestant sects,
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh . . . The Roman organization is not a denomination but we are sects? Comes across as cheeky uncute. Hereafter, I'll feel little to no compunctions about referring to the Roman organization as a denomination or a sect.
you and your fellow [let me guess, Pentecostals] are the discerning ones? My point is that each sect thinks its own members are the discerning ones.
See above. I'm talking about spiritual realities--not spiritual assumptions and biases. I'm talking about WHAT GOD LITERALY DOES AND DOESN'T DO IN A GIVEN SITUATION AT A GIVEN TIME with given people . . . not stereotypic assumptions and biases and pontifications. I'M TALKING ABOUT WHAT GOD DISCERNABLY, DETECTABLY DOES . . . reality--sometimes tangible reality.
Who determines who are the "discerning"? Second-order discerners?
I'm not talking AT ALL ABOUT LABELING FOLKS AS DISCERNERS OR NONDISCERNERS. I'm talking about INDIVIDUALS IN ALL CHRISTIAN ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING THE ROMAN DENOMINATION, DOING EFFECTIVE DISCERNING whether one is a "lowly" toilet cleaner worker or a 'high ranking' religionist. And in my experience, it's usually the so called 'lowly' who discern best.
You see how this leads either to an infinite regress, a viscious circle, or an arbitrarily determined starting point (e.g. me and all those who think just like me; *we're* the discerning ones).
UHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, NO!!!!! I DON'T SEE THAT, AT ALL! The starting point is not arbitrary. The starting point is Scriptural, reality based, operationally defined; literal reality based; often overtly clear; common phenomena in all denominations of any serious Biblical foundation at all.
That is why I said that the gnostic position you advance
EXCUSE ME! I advance no gnostic position. It MAY be construed as that by folks who are, from my perspective, using words in interesting ways from rubber dictionaries. But that's not my reality.
It's interesting that it's not OK to describe some folks' orientations, organizations hereon as perceived by the writer IF that differs from how the individual claims is reality. But the shoe is not on the other foot. The same courtesy is not extended. Smells like a double standard, to me. And it stinks.
I'm talking about HOLY SPIRIT REALITY VERY IN TOUCH WITH, IMPARTED TO; INDWELLING MAN; WITH TANGIBLE REALITY; WITH HUMAN AGENTS.
removes the possibility of determining objectively who has the anointing. Because it is entirely subjective,
HOGWASH. Holy Spirit is the most objective participant observer there is. He is Truth, Author of Truth. Tuning n to HIS TRUTH is not at all undoable. Primarily one has to be obedient and live a largely obedient, broken and contrite spirited, Spirit-Filled life as well as one can, by God's Grace, manage.
Assuming one meets the criteria for Holy Spirit to operate in one's life to that degree, such discernment is fairly automatic, instant, quite detectable, quite clear. In some subtle situations, a beginner might misconstrue but in maybe even a majority of situations, a vast majority of folks meeting the criteria will instantly get the message in their spirits, their inner person, via The Spirit's still small voice or a feeling, an impression that is characteristic of Holy Spirit and unmistakable.
And, I believe in the coming months and years, God will be doing such grand, very overt things . . . it will be obvious to the man on the street.
And the evil forces have come raging onto the world stage in these end times . . . and will be doing more so . . . such that when God's Anointing leaves, the cold, chilling, black, ugly, darkness will overtly descend over the situation in many, many cases.
your position reduces to "everybody has the anointing", which means in practice, that nobody has the anointing.
NOT MY POSITION. NOT MY REALITY. NOT REMOTELY ACCURATE.
Respecting one another's constructions on reality flows both ways, BTW.
-A8
(Please, not all caps.) If folks who are being led by the Holy Spirit are in "all remotely Biblical Christian organizations", then why are they dividing the Body of Christ by remaining divided, contrary to Christ's desire expressed in His high priestly prayer in John 17? If they were really being led by the Holy Spirit, they would not be dividing the Body of Christ.
"[A truly spiritual disciple] shall judge those who make schism and are destitute of the love of God, who look to their own advantage rather than to the unity of the Church, who for any kind of trifling reason cut apart and divide the great and glorious body of Christ, and destroy it insofar as they are able -- men who talk of peace while making war."
St. Irenaeus, "Against Heresies", 4.33.7
c. 180 AD
-A8
I didn't think I stuttered in the above. FOLKS WHO LIVE AND WALK AS THE ABOVE ARE IN ALL THE REMOTELY BIBLICAL CHRISTIAN ORGANIZATIONS. I've met a number of Roman Believers who fit such criteria. But most believer in most to virtually all Christian organizations DO NOT MEET SUCH CRITERIA BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO PAY THE PRICE in the way they live.
Amen, quix, and isn't it amazing that in our inferior minds, and with whatever intellect we have, it becomes virtually impossible to explain the annointing to someone who has never experienced it or walked in it?
Interestingly enough, my husband was from a church that didn't believe in the gifts of the spirit and he didn't even know what the annointing was. Well, ya know, when he began to pray, repent, obey and ask God for HIS best and HIS will, not only did my husband become a changed man, he began to see and understand that God's Best (and certainly His Annointing)is NOT kept in that tight little box that his former church was putting God in.
Through this process, I, too grew and learned that there ARE people in all remotely Christian orgainizations, that when walking as you stated above, can live a life that is spirit-led and recognize the annointing when it comes and when it departs.
The Holy Spirit is so very much alive and when Jesus left us with the promice of a Comforter, He wasn't talking about some far off mist that was somehow watching over us. He is alive and active and can be a part of your everyday, or should I say THE BIGGEST PART of your everyday life, if you are willing to lay it all down for the Lord.