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This is a very sincere question....I am not bashing or denigrating Christians or their beliefs in any way......
My question is that, well, for those of you that are born again and believe in spreading the word as well as having direct contact with Jesus.....well, how do you guys differentiate between someone who is genuinely in the Holy Spirit from someone who may be ill? I ask because faith is just that, faith. And really, thankfully Moses didn't doubt his sanity when a burning bush started to talk to him (or at least for too long). And certainly that old saying is true that nobody is a better (fill in the blank with any kind of religion) then a recent convert, but are there any systems in place to make sure that someone is alright? Making sure that if a person needs some help they would get it? I know that there are many many different denominations, and certainly noone can answer for them all.....
Again, this is in no way accusing Christians as being unbalanced in any way. Just asking how do you make sure that your fellow believers are well.
this is a good question. i would like to see what others have to say about this.
i am catholic and it's kind of offensive to me when people claim to be saints. i do beleive in the saints, which are the ones caananized by the church.
i am not trying to bash either. i'm really not!
but sometimes i see and hear and read people all saying the same things--usually the christians ( i mean evengelics etc--because catholics ARE christians--belivers of Christ) and it just seems like a mass histeria to me.
maybe it's in the delivery?
This is a very sincere question....I am not bashing or denigrating Christians or their beliefs in any way......
My question is that, well, for those of you that are born again and believe in spreading the word as well as having direct contact with Jesus.....well, how do you guys differentiate between someone who is genuinely in the Holy Spirit from someone who may be ill? I ask because faith is just that, faith. And really, thankfully Moses didn't doubt his sanity when a burning bush started to talk to him (or at least for too long). And certainly that old saying is true that nobody is a better (fill in the blank with any kind of religion) then a recent convert, but are there any systems in place to make sure that someone is alright? Making sure that if a person needs some help they would get it? I know that there are many many different denominations, and certainly noone can answer for them all.....
Again, this is in no way accusing Christians as being unbalanced in any way. Just asking how do you make sure that your fellow believers are well.
I have been around people who were "ill" as you say, and the bible says to "know those that labor among you".
I worked in bus ministry for a long time, and there was a requirement for a background check on everyone that was involved in this ministry. Plus let me add that if someone came in saying Jesus told me to do this or that..okay let me clarify something for me..for me Ive never heard Jesus or God..not in a audible voice. There has always been a tugging or pulling at my heart to do something. And for 99.5 percent of the people i have associated with, it is all the same way pretty much. Now if someone came up to me and said, Hey God came into my room this morning and had tea with me..okay the lights and bells are gonna go off.
If someone needed help, Id talk to the pastor or someone who had more tact and knowledge in dealing with that situation that I did.
Camp, great question! Many times we'll see people who say there Christian and then these same people will judge you for what you believe, criticize you for how you live and then do the same thing in there life that there condemming you for. A Christians main source for telling us how we should live our lives is the Bible. "You will know them by there fruits". Romans is a great book that talks about this. There are many.
findinghope, I read the NIV and the NASB study bibles and in most books without listing all here, they reference saints as believers. So all who believe in Christ are saints. Not just certain people. It varies from denomination to denomination.
The concept originates in early Greek Christian literature with the use of the word aghios (Greek άγιος meaning “holy†or “holy oneâ€) and in the New Testament, where it is used to describe the followers of Jesus of Nazareth.[1] (In the Old Testament, the word cognate to "holy" is the Hebrew word qodesh, קדש)
findinghope, I read the NIV and the NASB study bibles and in most books without listing all here, they reference saints as believers. So all who believe in Christ are saints. Not just certain people.
I agree. Paul speaks to the Corinthians church in chapter 1 and calls them saints. Were they canonized?
1 Cor. 1
Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, to the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call upon the name of our lOrd Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours: ..."
God bless.
Last edited by ShanaBrown; 04-07-2008 at 02:18 PM..
Here is some scripture in reference to the children of God being also the saints of God.
Ephesians 3:8
To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.
2Thessalonians 1:10
When He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.
Jude 3
Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.
This is a very sincere question....I am not bashing or denigrating Christians or their beliefs in any way......
My question is that, well, for those of you that are born again and believe in spreading the word as well as having direct contact with Jesus.....well, how do you guys differentiate between someone who is genuinely in the Holy Spirit from someone who may be ill? I ask because faith is just that, faith. And really, thankfully Moses didn't doubt his sanity when a burning bush started to talk to him (or at least for too long). And certainly that old saying is true that nobody is a better (fill in the blank with any kind of religion) then a recent convert, but are there any systems in place to make sure that someone is alright? Making sure that if a person needs some help they would get it? I know that there are many many different denominations, and certainly noone can answer for them all.....
Again, this is in no way accusing Christians as being unbalanced in any way. Just asking how do you make sure that your fellow believers are well.
Since you asked;
I don't need to know; the Holy Spirirt does all the thinking and seeing for me, I mean things that I cannot understand in my natural mind. He reveals to me supernaturally; and that is how he confirms things to me, and it always have added up in the past; so if it ain't broke I don't try to fix it. Everything in the scriptures have been tested and tried to be true in my walk as a believer. So my point is that you have peace when it's the Holy Spirit leading as your shepard. If he's not then you are confused about things. and not to veer too far off topic, but if someone is mentally unbalanced then , I pray for them and release them to God.
finginghope...how is it offensive to you? curious.
because i was taught about the saints and i dont think just because people follow Jesus they automatically become saints. it seems a little scraligious to me...jmo
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). And certainly that old saying is true that nobody is a better (fill in the blank with any kind of religion) then a recent convert, but are there any systems in place to make sure that someone is alright? Making sure that if a person needs some help they would get it? I know that there are many many different denominations, and certainly noone can answer for them all.....
