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January 4, 2015

Spirit of the Lord? or Spirit of the Pharisee?

January 4, 2015

Tonight,  I want to share with you a burden that I have, that Ezekiel and I BOTH have for the Body. Lately I have been most concerned about the accuracy of some of the things I have posted. I do spend a great deal of time and effort to be sure something is from the Lord, to the very best of my poor human ability to discern. But in hindsight, I like to make sure as best as I can if I still see a video as valid. If it ever comes up that I made a mistake in posting a video, I will take it down. And you'll know about it, especially if it's an important one.

I do like to learn, and consider your insights, from those of you who take time to comment. I really am getting a lot out of your comments, and I appreciate them very much, even when they're challenging. That's not a problem, I still really enjoy them and they give me cause for thought. If I need to change something, I will.

So I went to the Lord about the video on Miami, because some issues about imminency had come up. And He confirmed that video again, that message again. I was concerned that it was Him, and He confirmed it was Him, but this is really interesting: He gently reminded me that brotherly love and concord among His Body is a higher priority than being "spot on" with prophecy. Here I am concerned about accuracy, and here HE is concerned about love. Oh, isn't that just like Him?

And I want to quote I Corinthians 13:1-5

    If I speak with the tongues of men and angels but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have gift of prophecy, and know ALL mysteries, and ALL knowledge, and if I have ALL faith so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast. It isn't proud. It doesn't dishonor others, and isn't self-seeking. It is not easily angered, and keeps no record of wrongs. 

  So often our egos get invested in our opinions, and under the guise of misplaced zeal for the truth, we tend to push the issue until we have established our "rights", and the errors of others. How sad! We are all on the same team, guys, part of the same Body. Should we be undermining one another?

Not long ago, my husband Ezekiel had several terrible days where he felt, to some degree, the emotional pain of the Lord, from the scourging and crucifixion. Why? Because the Body of Christ is so ripe with accusation, in-fighting, critical and judgmental lashing-out. And each lash (the Lord showed him), each lash is like another gouging, debilitating lash against His very Body, and His very Bride.

And is it possible the Head doesn't feel the pain of its member in the Body? No, it's not possible. When we wound one another, we are wounding our own body. We are insulting, judging, and demeaning Christ Himself. That doesn't mean we can't disagree on doctrinal positions, but it does lay a heavy responsibility for charity and delicacy in disagreements. Of course, better yet, don't get caught up into controversy, if it can be avoided.

And the Scripture advises that: not to get into useless arguments.

However, we do have to discern. It is our duty to maintain and defend the right doctrine. But when it begins to lash out at the Body, that which will NOT remain - namely prophecy - now begins to undermine that which WILL remain, namely Love.

Quoting from I Corinthians 13:8-10,

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease. Where there are tongues, they will be still. Where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part, and we prophecy in part. But when completeness comes, what is in part: disappears.

Again, love never fails. When we cross that line, we cut off our nose to spite our face. The Lord is in agony over these strokes against His Bride. More than anything, He is calling us to love. And be an example of love to the whole world. He even said, "You will know them by their love." John 13:35 Not astute discourses, not elaborate defenses, or clever rebuttals, but LOVE, charity, patience, kindness, longsuffering. Not taking offense, and certainly not GIVING offense.

We need one another. God NEEDS us to get along. To correct a brother or sister in Charity, not scathing indictment. We need to be here for one another: supporting, encouraging, even correcting in a spirit of holy love, just as we would handle the Lord's Body, as it was taken down off the cross.

Understand, guys, that when we are critical of others, and when we attack people, we injure them. We hurt them. We make them weaker. That's not the spirit of the Lord, that's the spirit of the Pharisee. That's legalism. I don't think any of us wants to have a religious spirit because a religious spirit is sent by the devil to cause division in the Body. And when we insist on having our own way, when we defend things or attack things, then we do damage. That's not the spirit of the Lord, that's the spirit of the Pharisee, a religious spirit. That's something we need to repent of, and ask the Lord's forgiveness.

And if we have offended our brother or our sister, go to them and make amends. Tell them we're sorry. We don't want to destroy the Body, but unify the Body. I'm not saying compromise over important issues, but I am saying, when you hit loggerheads with somebody, rather than being ugly about it, be gentle and kind and agree to disagree. I mean, most of these arguments and these petty things don't have anything to do with our salvation, but wounding another soul puts that soul in jeopardy of losing THEIR salvation. Do we want to be responsible for that? Do we want to have blood on our hands for the person that Jesus died on the cross for? This is a serious thing. It's not a little thing; it's a BIG thing.

And it certainly is not becoming of His Bride. It really puts us in danger of not being raptured, to be honest with you. If you've got a bitter spirit, the Scriptures are very clear about bitterness and unforgiveness, about insisting on going your own way. If we've got something like that, that's pride and we're in trouble. And I don't want to be the one standing on the ground, thinking about whether or not I will be taken when the Rapture approaches, if we even get that kind of warning.

So, let's pray that our love will triumph over harshness, and that our comments and replies on Youtube will be an example to unbelievers who are observing us. And they will say, "Look, how they love one another. They're not like the other channels where there is backbiting and accusation going on. Obviously, they LOVE one another".

And that's what the Lord said would be a sign to the unbelievers that we are Christians. 

The Lord bless you, and help us all to be peacemakers; lovers of the truth, but lovers of souls, as well.