by Pastor
Larry for Spiritual Discernment
God’s Gift of Discernment to Every Believer.
"They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, in order that it might be shown that they all are not of us. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know." (1 John 2:19-20, NASB)
The impression left by some televangelists is that they possess an exceptional anointing above and beyond that commonly possessed by the Christian masses. They give the impression that an anointing is available from God through them. In a sense, these well-known ministers have appointed themselves as distributors of the Holy Spirit’s anointing. Either by the contact of their hand with an individual’s forehead, or by a forceful exhaling of air from their lungs (thereby simulating Spirit and wind), these anointed ones slay individuals or entire audiences in the Spirit. On stage in crowded auditoriums, these "anointed" evangelists also heal persons by a touch as they command demons to take flight. They are "the anointed," God’s power brokers, channels by whom and through whom the power of the Holy Spirit is released into the lives of thousands. Of course, all of this raises the question, What is this anointing is all about?
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by Pastor
Larry for Spiritual Discernment
Do Christians and Muslims Worship the Same God?
Some Christians naively and mistakenly equate that because Christianity and Islam are monotheistic faiths (belief in one God), Christians and Muslims worship the same God. Any differences between the two religions are viewed to be only apparent, not actual. Only the names are different. Muslims call Him Allah, while Christians address Him as Lord. The singleness of God is thought to be an ecumenical rallying point, a basis for mutual understanding, if not spiritual unity, between the two religions.
Unfolding acts of terrorism committed in the name of Allah against the "Christian" west however, strategically challenge thoughts of unity. While medieval history reveals a mutant and violent strain of Christianity, a faith far removed from the peaceful non-violence Jesus advocated (Matthew 5:39; 26:51-53), terrorism ought to give Christians pause and cause them to ask, "Is the God of The Quran really the same as the God of The Bible?" Numbers of Christian scholars have studied the question and conclude that essential differences exist between the way the sacred writings of the two religions portray God in the essence of His being.
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by Pastor
Larry for Spiritual Discernment
Marked for Life: Discernment Ministry in Light of Ezekiel 9:1-11.
Someone once said that sin is as much a breaking of God’s heart as it is the breaking of His Law. When God looked down on the perversity of the people on earth before the Deluge, it was recorded that He "was grieved in His heart" (Genesis 6:6b). When confronted by resident wickedness both without and within the professing church, Christians can manifest one of three reactions: approval (1 Corinthians 5:2), indifference (Zephaniah 1:12), or disapproval as indicated by the presence of either anger (Psalm 119:53) or grief (Psalm 119:136). So the question becomes, as we see the worldliness-wickedness invading the church, how do we feel about it? Are you agitated by, indifferent to, or accommodating of it?
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