Discussion Familiar Spirits

FutureAndAHope

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Hmmm .... I have not seen a lot of prophecy in the church .... now days I rarely see a prophet as such. I do often meet with guys from the church an they may swing a feeling they have toward me from the Spirit.

I am actually a person with a strong interest in prophecy. I started doing it quite effectively until as you say a "familia spirit", rose up against me. By that I mean I was out prophesying on the street (correctly mind you), and a strong fear overcame me, demanding I prophecy loudly. Since then I had trouble decerning God from Satan for my self. So I basically gave up on prophecy. I find I can still get sermons, and advise for people from God's Spirit, but to prophecy scares the bagebies out of me, because I don't wish to be embarrassed by giving a wrong prophecy.
 
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AGTG

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It requires a close examination of doctrine and fruit. Throughout the New Testament there are exhortations to hold fast to the truth and the teaching (doctrine). Jesus also said, "You will know them by their fruit."

There are many kinds of fruit noted in the New Testament letters: Fruit of righteousness (long-term change), fruit of repentance (sincerity and humility before God and His word), fruit of the Holy Spirit (immediate fruit of their typical temperament), fruit of giving (like Jesus' heart was towards others), fruit of good work (doing good and helping others).

Both of these things need to be examined at length before we can really know if they're functioning in the Holy Spirit or another spirit.

We should not automatically presume someone is functioning in the Holy Spirit just because they wow you with some supernatural act. In fact, Jesus warned that there would be lying signs and wonders right before His return.

The real issue the modern church is in is that it has completely disregarded these clear expectations for such supernatural activity, and it has done so to its own peril.

I sat in at a small-group once and could see a spirit hop around from person to person prophesying things that no one could know unless they were following me around. It was startling at first, because I presumed it must have been the Holy Spirit, but looking at the doctrine of these people and their fruit proved they were not functioning in the Holy Spirit whatsoever. They did not love the truth, but they loved the supernatural.
 
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Optimax

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Prophecy from the gift of prophecy( 1 Cor 12) is to edification, exhortation and/or comfort.

That is much different from a Prophet as one of the ministry gifts in Eph 4.

A Prophet (Eph 4) will/can foretell events by the gifts of word of knowledge and/or word of wisdom (1 cor 12).
 
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