How many times do I have to say
with something before I'm believed?
WHEN I'm attempting dialogue with folks--particularly BELIEVERS--where the GOAL is mutual Christian understanding and unity--I tend to be very quick to note areas of agreement. I WANT the other side to encouragingly understand right away what common ground we share.
I observe no such similar attitude nor behavior on the other side, in these exchanges.
Evidently mutual understanding and agreement in Christian caring and unity are NOT the goals.
IT FEELS like horse-whip practice is the goal.
Nor even, evidently, is rightly dividing the Word of God the goal.
Evidently AGREEMENT is not the goal of the tirades, rants. Otherwise, my AGREEMENT, where I AGREED, would have been noted and warmly accepted, the FIRST time.
BTW, Hint: I don't horse-whip into agreement very well--if ever.
Evidently relentless hurt, angry, bitter spewing is greatly MORE the goal and need.
Well, IF it helps (research says it does NOT help--it just keeps rehearsing it and keeping it churned up), let it all out. I have a LOT of practice as a whipping post. Get it allll out, quite thoroughly. RANT/SPEW, RANT/SPEW to hearts' content.
Just MAYBE Holy Spirit will be easier to hear on such matters, then.
Obviously the problems on these issues are not with me. There must be earlier, other relationships that are still unhealed, unredeemed, unforgiven . . . where persistent woundedness has occurred and fairly intense bitterness has taken root. The doggedly persistent rants and spews are tenaciously dressed and dripping in bitterness and resentment.
I hope there's no thought that truly Holy Spirit edification and enlightenment spring out of bitterness and resentment. There's issues of spiritual TRUTH MUCH more important than tongues greatly in need of MORE attention.
Obviously, the issue is not even tongues. The pique HAS to be deeper, more fundamental and more viscerally primitive. Otherwise, there'd not be SOOOOOOOO much hurt, irrational, angry emotion attached . . . making reasonable, mutually understanding dialogue soooo impossible.
Sigh.
Your big letters make my mind hurt. Tone it down.
It is about pride and control. Let’s say in the spirit we have a revelation from Our Lord Jesus Christ. (BTW You have had many of these revelations on FR Quix). We present it with joy on FR. The flesh, we all have, will attack if it has not been revealed to us yet! The key for all of us mature christians is to be quiet and take it to the Lord for confirmation. Flesh cannot receive spiritual revelations with joy.
You being attacked means you are on the right path! :) The rapture may be today!
I would like you to read back over these exchanges as if you were a bystander, try, please. Then see from where there is anger and bitter spewing. Look where the "hurt", "irrational", "angry" emotion and "bitter spewing" shows up. Read back over the comments that I and Metmom have posted, then reread your own. Who is the one demonstrating the most obvious emotion. Have we really failed to agree with you when warranted? Have we made the exchanges personal or implied satanic origins for what you experience? Have we failed to explain over and over that we know the Holy Spirit is active and working in the lives of Christians today?
What it appears you will only accept as "agreement" with you is if we concede you and anyone else is speaking in the genuine Holy Spirit given, first century, gift of tongues. It sure seems like all else is ignored. But, can you not see that that IS the point of our dialog here? We are stating we do NOT agree that same gift as well as the other sign gifts (healings, prophecy, revealed knowledge) ARE active today and we have said why we believe that. We have given Scripture as well as experiential knowledge - the same things you say you are giving. Obviously we will not come to an agreement on this. On many other things we can, but on this we won't. I can live with that and not let it affect my relationships, can you? Can you allow that others love the Lord every bit as much as you do, that we seek to obey Him and honor Him with our lives? If this subject comes around again, I suppose we may bump heads again, but it is not and has not been personal. The whole world will know we are Christians by our love.