I remember sitting in one of his meetings and I was YELLING with my thoughts hoping he could pick up on them, but I was disappointed!
That's not how it works, Pianoman.
The gifts are not like radar that picks up whatever static is around, or like a geiger counter picking up radiation.
God speaks and shows a man what He wants that man to know.
(I am not defending CP...I never even saw the guy and don't know him from Adam)
I was preaching a meeting once and the Lord showed me a man in moral sin...I quietly went to him in the altar and got in his ear and told him what the Lord had shown me. He broke down weeping and admitted it. He was in high leadership in that particular church.
I took him to the pastor so he could confess and start down the road to recovery.
What I didn't know was that the pastor was having an affair at that same time. I had preached strongly against the spirit of adultery because I felt it so thick, and God revealed to me the one man, but not the pastor. I do imagine he was a little nervous though.
Why did it happen like that? Who knows...I don't "operate" any gifts, I just do what I feel led to do, and try to speak what God shows me, and keep qiuet when I have nothing to say.
But I am not a mind reader.
Neither is anybody else, unless they are tapped into something other than the Holy Ghost.
God reveals what He pleases, for His own purposes, in His time and in His way.
The gifts are not like radar that picks up whatever static is around, or like a geiger counter picking up radiation.
God speaks and shows a man what He wants that man to know.
(I am not defending CP...I never even saw the guy and don't know him from Adam)
I was preaching a meeting once and the Lord showed me a man in moral sin...I quietly went to him in the altar and got in his ear and told him what the Lord had shown me. He broke down weeping and admitted it. He was in high leadership in that particular church.
I took him to the pastor so he could confess and start down the road to recovery.
What I didn't know was that the pastor was having an affair at that same time. I had preached strongly against the spirit of adultery because I felt it so thick, and God revealed to me the one man, but not the pastor. I do imagine he was a little nervous though.
Why did it happen like that? Who knows...I don't "operate" any gifts, I just do what I feel led to do, and try to speak what God shows me, and keep qiuet when I have nothing to say.
But I am not a mind reader.
Neither is anybody else, unless they are tapped into something other than the Holy Ghost.
God reveals what He pleases, for His own purposes, in His time and in His way.
I was the guitarist for a well known apostolic singing group and CP was there with some other singers opening for us.
I will let anybody hold my guitar and will even put it the hands of young kids just to see them beam
and for pics but back then i got my guitar ready and tuned and when we hit the stage it was all guns!!! so i was very touchy about my guitar...string corrosion breakage...my settings, tuning you get the point.
CP comes in rather late and comes up to me and ask if he could just play my guitar since he was running late and it would make it easier. I was very hesitant but reluctantly agreed. I was told later that that was CP and that he worked in the gifts. My first thought was why couldn't he discern that i didn't want him playing my guitar? Oh Well he seemed like a nice enough guy and who knows what might have happened if i had said NO
It scares me when people start seeking after gifts, rather than after God. It becomes a show and everyone wants to hear what he said about everyone else. Some of it was very inappropriate for mixed crowd, IMO.
Call a prayer meeting though, and where's the crowd?????????
Sherri,
The Bible tells us to seek after good gifts. I often pray for the gift of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. There are gifts I have been used in. I think what WE all MAY be opposed to is when a person may have been used in a gift one time and then gets in the flesh and continues to use a gift in an ego driven way.
A prophet ceases to be a prophet when 1 prophecy is not fulfilled/true. [Bible] Fortune tellers use basic knowledge of people and when the tell your fortune they always bring up; relationships that go sour, or relationships most desire in their lives. They talk in general about sickness and possible disease, meeting someone who will affect their life, or a possible financial increase.
I only heard this brother one time at the church in Cleveland, Texas and knew he was not functioning in the spirit but taking up people's time and money. I was bored to tears and couldn't wait for the Pastor to take the reigns and shut him up. There is a big business because he, like most fortune tellers, draws a crowd because of people's desire to hear and know the future. Some things aren't meant for us to know.
I said all that to say...we are to seek/pray for spiritual gifts but only as they are useful to the kingdom, not useful to promote one's ministry. It is all about Jesus. When it becomes about us...we are no longer functioning in God's gifts.
I won't go to any service where someone is there to 'operate in the gifts'. I just don't believe in that stuff.
Heavenly One,
Don't be discouraged because of one person's misuse of the gifts, but be encouraged that when they are used right they are for the edification of the body of Christ.
I was in a couple services where there was the gift of tongues used and a person interpreted out of their enthusiasm to be used but they were off base. They didn't hurt anything, although there are some people who do.
It is difficult for many of us to be used in the gifts because we have seen so many frauds that we don't want to step out on faith and be used because we second guess ourselves.
The first time I was used in a gift I hadn't previously been used in, I did not speak it out without first going to my Pastor's wife [It was in Ladies Prayer meeting] and telling her, "I think I have the interpretation - would you like me to say it". I spoke it out feeling very uncomfortable and unworthy. The following Sunday our Pastor spoke at a neighboring church and he had been struggling with what to preach and hadn't discussed it with his wife. He got up to preach and almost word for word repeated everything that God had spoken through me in that ladies meeting. The Pastor's wife turned and looked at me...and I knew that God had used me. This confirmation enabled me to be more available to be used.
I think practice of the spiritual disciplines would keep a person in line with God's will for use of the gifts and knowing what God is trying to do and accomplish. My Pastor's wife was a great resource for me to speak to about spiritual things. She was very helpful to me in the area of prayer. She encouraged me to continue to be a prayer warrior and her dependence on my faithfulness in this area made me feel useful...and I needed to feel like I was needed in the church and not just taking up space or filling a pew/seat.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Coonskinner That's not how it works, Pianoman.
The gifts are not like radar that picks up whatever static is around, or like a geiger counter picking up radiation.
God speaks and shows a man what He wants that man to know.
(I am not defending CP...I never even saw the guy and don't know him from Adam)
I was preaching a meeting once and the Lord showed me a man in moral sin...I quietly went to him in the altar and got in his ear and told him what the Lord had shown me. He broke down weeping and admitted it. He was in high leadership in that particular church.
I took him to the pastor so he could confess and start down the road to recovery.
What I didn't know was that the pastor was having an affair at that same time. I had preached strongly against the spirit of adultery because I felt it so thick, and God revealed to me the one man, but not the pastor. I do imagine he was a little nervous though.
Why did it happen like that? Who knows...I don't "operate" any gifts, I just do what I feel led to do, and try to speak what God shows me, and keep qiuet when I have nothing to say.
But I am not a mind reader.
Neither is anybody else, unless they are tapped into something other than the Holy Ghost.
God reveals what He pleases, for His own purposes, in His time and in His way.
This is a good post Bro. Coonskinner! It may have been that God was warning this Pastor...giving him the chance to change things.
My sister relocated to Memphis, Tennessee when her husband of 7 years was found to be guilt of numerous adultries within the church they were attending [his father's church]. This almost destroyed my sister and now almost 30 years later she still suffers from trust issues related to it. But I said this to say...
She was so hurt and spiritually at the lowest ebb of her life and needed good counsel. She went to the Pastor of that church and began counseling with him. After 2 sessions she feel that God was telling her not to go back. Within the month it was found out that the Pastor had been having an adulterous affair with a woman in the church.
I may be wrong, but I was thinking that my sister was God's way of showing this Pastor the devastation of such an affair before he actually sinned. God does promise us that with every temptation there is a way of escape made for us. It is up to us to take the escape when presented.
I won't go to any service where someone is there to 'operate in the gifts'. I just don't believe in that stuff.
Now this post was Hilarious
Do you believe in the 4 fold ministry or the 5 fold ministry????
Do you believe like the church of Christ that Prophecy & gifts of the spirit have been done away with ???
HO, If you feel this way because of the abuse that most of us have seen,I can understand your feelings.I've seen the horror too BUT! have we not seen horific abuse take place from Pastors??? So does that give us the right to do away with Pastors because some have abused their positions?
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