The Trinity

[JLB]

However, I’ve also come to believe that many tend to see a demon behind every bush, attributing everything to spiritual warfare without discernment.

When you begin to work with people one on one help them get free you will understand what I mean.

I salute you for your outreach work though. Many won’t help people like that.

 

[JLB]

A general observation I've made since I was quite young is that Charismatics and Pentecostals can be particularly intense--if you disagree with them on certain points, you're often labeled a heretic, and if you don't speak in tongues, they may question whether you're even truly born again.
Then there's also the matter of "open confessions," which at times can blur the line between genuine testimony and emotional exhibition.

J.

Yes sir there is much flakyness in some of those movements.

 

[JLB]

and if you don't speak in tongues, they may question whether you're even truly born again.

Have you been baptized with the Holy Spirit?

 

[RandyK]

I understand that more than you can imagine.

That’s why I pray for the Spirit of understanding to be imparted when I speak, counsel, or post on these Forums.

The Spirit of understanding, which is the Spirit of grace, the Spirit of truth as well as the Spirit of wisdom will be imparted when we share the scriptures He is leading us to share.

Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. Ephesians 4:29

Words of the traditions of men and men’s commentary have no spiritual value, no anointing that imparts grace (the ability to do what we hear), to give the hearer the ability to understand and do what the truth is saying.


Like plowing a field and cultivating it over and over, preparing for the seed are those who understand; those who will reproduce the Seed.


But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” Matthew 13:23

There's a fine line here between your insistence on using the Scripture only and bibliolatry. Keep in mind that the authors of the NT did not just quote the OT Bible when writing their epistles. Keep in mind that the beginning Church did not even have a NT Bible yet!

We don't have to go around quoting the Scriptures to everybody we meet in order to "stay spiritual." We should have confidence that with Christ in our heart, and a mind renewed by the Spirit, that we can speak on our own initiative without having to quote somebody?

When I say the Scriptures have to be understood I'm referring to the need we have to understand the basics of our Christian education. We don't have to understand, as you seem to suggest, that we can only understand things by quoting Scriptures.

The Scriptures help, but it is the Holy Spirit in our lives and the word of God in our conscience that teaches us understanding about how we are to live day to day. We need both Scriptural understanding and experience in our walk in the Spirit and in obedience to God's living word in our hearts.

Furthermore, we are exhorted to learn from our elders before us, and from those particularly gifted by God to transmit messages faithfully from the Lord, whether by teaching, prophecy, or preaching.