Re: False beliefs and false sense of security in lifelessness.

Wow Ed, this is an awesome post! This says it all. I came on here to try and write something similiar, but I see now I don't need to. I have been thinking about what Refreshed said since I read it and was not entirely comfortable with my answer. You did a much better job than I could have done. :)

You said: "God gave me this ability. However I don't expect everyone to do it the same..and I don't call a group of believers Pharisees just because they can not do it."

We should not expect every other Christian to do this, but we should expect a Christian who walks in truth to not condemn those who do. God has different callings for each of us. He gives the gifts as He chooses. I believe that those who have been called to the five fold ministry (Pastor, teacher, etc.) are probably more likely to operate in the gifts of the Spirit than the lay person. I think God chooses to give those gifts to the Pastor etc. to help them in their callings. The lay person's gifting is just as important, if not more important, than that of the five fold. The housewife who stays home all day and tends to her eight kids and the affairs of her family, praying silently all day, is just as important to God as the apostles with all the gifts of the Spirit in operation.

The truth is that many God-loving Christians are deceived by religious spirits. Should we not help them see this in this debate forum? After all, it was she who started it by wanting to set me straight, thinking that I am the one deceived. Should I have not stood up for truth? Should I have agreed with the lie, that she and her husband believe, in order to keep peace? God forbid! If that is the case, why are we all here anyway?

It's never good to believe a lie and then to fight for that lie and get others to believe the lie is even worse. Are we not working for the enemy when we do this? Are we not holding people back in the things of the Lord when we do this? Would it not be better to walk in truth and teach people truth? Would it not be better to help encourage people to go as deeply as they can in the Lord and His will for them, instead of trying to get them off the path, even though it is done unknowingly? Should we not discern what is truth amongst all the garbage that satan has surrounding that truth?