God spoke to me and the voice of the Lord said.......

Woah, James - I've been reading JohnV's post a long time and we have had a few disagreements, but U really feel this attack is unwarranted. Throw out your TV if you want (probably not a bad idea0 but don't expect the rest of the world to have the same conviction.

There is plenty of wickedness on the telly, no one would doubt that. We have reduced to a 14" telly that we put away when we are not using it. Don't every thing broadcast is the "tool of Satan." Much of it is simply the work of man. Some on there is quite good.

Where did you get the impression that John's telly has "cleaved to him?"

While I appreciate your zeal for holiness, we must remember that holiness is a condition of the heart and cannot be created by dealing with externals.

We should be much more careful of judging the hearts of others based on standards that we set.

 

The television is amoral. If you condemn the television then so also you must the computer and the internet that you are using right now.

As with the television, you are only a click or two away from "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life".

We are in the world but not of the world which soon enough will pass away in a conflagration.

1 Corinthians 7:31 And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.

2 Peter 3
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

1 John 2:6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

1 John 1
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 

"WHATSOEVER IS NOT OF FAITH IS-----------sin."
That's Bible.

There are sins of commission and sins of omission.

Have we failed to include anyone?

There is more: "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." "All our righteousness is as filthy rags(of Menses)."

Our carnal nature "stinks" regardless of how we try to rationalize it--yet we love to figure ways to make our depraved nature somehow acceptable to God.

It does not work. "That which is flesh is flesh, that which is spirit is spirit."

A little sin is not so bad--maybe it is not really sin anyway. Go ahead, you will be wiser for it-- a paraphrase of the beguiling of Eve, Garden of Eden, circa 4000 B.C.

On the other hand, there is nothing evil of itself--it is the "love of money" that is the root of all evil, not "money" itself. You have to have a means of exchange for food, water and shelter--the needs God promised His children.

It is really difficult to justify a TV for anything more than news and weather. The remainder of the programming is probably much more of a flesh appealing nature--including so called tele-evangelism.

Selah,

Bro. James

 

I don't know how we got onto telly, but the last few weeks there has been a tremendous series on the Seven Technological Wonders of the Modern World. They have been in documnetary style and have been fantastic! It can be a tremendous educational tool!

The telly, like any medium, books, music, the internet, etc - is indeed amoral.

 

I don't know how either. Poor Billy got his thread hijacked.
Unless the voice of the Lord said not to watch telly.
Gina

 

Gen 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day

Gen 3:10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself

Gen 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife

Gen 4:10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.

Psa 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. 2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.

God's "voice" need not be audible to be "heard". When I "know" and "understand" from His Word first and through the art and skill of maturity that doesn't conflict with His Word, then I can say I have "heard" God. When my earthly father used to say in frustration at me, "Do you hear me?". He wasn't asking me if sound waves had excited the tympanic membrane of my ear. He was asking if I had gotten the message he was attempting to communicate. I always understood what he meant.

 

The difference between a television and a computer is that I can control what comes up on the computer. You cannot tell ABC what commercials to air, you cannot tell the producers of Friends which jokes to tell. There is not nearly as much that is endearing about the television as most of us would like to believe. It is not the sweet friend that it wants us to believe it is. It is a tool that is being used to condition the masses for the coming reign of antichrist and to keep them complacent in their sin.

I'm not telling anyone to throw out their TV, unless they are convicted of it. If my talking about it convicts you, then the problem is not with me. If you want to keep your one-eyed devil then by all means. But the Lord is coming back, he does not delay His coming. When Christians begin to smite their fellowservants, we need to look up and see what time it is.

 

Amen Bro!

 

Fine, but in my opinion you have rationlized the truth. Internet technology with a monitor connected to hell is of the self same "one-eyed devil" science. The internet has even less restrictions on filth and corruption through email and pop-ups than anything television has to offer.

HankD

 

Stranger claims have been made.

Try decaf.

HankD

 

When I was younger I had emotional experiences such as you have described.

Now I have a sense of confidence and peace with God when I have been "moved" by the Spirit.

Examples: I am OSAS and I have absolute confidence now that the Scripture teaches this as truth.

You no doubt have seen the civil war concerning the KJVO error going on here at the BB. I have complete confidence in my position that God approves of translations which are faithful to the original language texts.

Although I no longer consume alcohol (except in medicine) I have peace concerning alcoholic beverages and do not believe their use to be a sin because in and of themselves they are good, the creation of God. I abstain because of the brethren and their sensitivities.

I believe the Spirit of God has led me to these convictions, no audible voices, no visions, just the still small voice of the Spirit speaking to the inner man.

HankD

 

I hear the voice of God through the printed page of Scripture---and I simply obey what He says in the word from the Word. The Scripture you read is Jesus talking! From Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21---and all points in between----is Jesus talking!

Audible voice??? No---never have heard that----Goose bumps??? No---that neither! But I hear something far more reliable than even the audible voice of God---its the Holy Spirit speaking through the printed page of the word---infallable, inerrant, inspired!!

Brother David

 

I think my dear Brother David has clinched the truth. At best, reason and emotion can be quite deceiving. I am not saying that emotion is always rejected. We ought to listen to our emotions, but always in the proper perspective, and not as a final sign or evidence from God.

When the Spirit of God move upon the Welsh churches, everything went silent. Men could not speak, and suddenly the whole congregation broke out in the same song without a leader. Here we can combine the word of God with emotion and both be true. Emotion was not the governor. The truth of God's word was. Emotion was an outcome

Cheers,

Jim

 

My pastor will NOT say that he heard the Lord say this or that, for this very reason. We are not prophets, unless we are right 100% of the time (per the Bible). Therefore, he is very careful to only preach the word of God.

I have heard him say that he felt he was convicted of something, such as a new mission, but he also added that he is not sure it is his own "wants" or really that of the "Holy Spirit".

When I have seen pastors on TV say that they know someone in the audience has a problem of this or that, I turn the channel very quickly. I think this is the devils way of confusing non-christians or making them think that all Christians are con artists there to take their money. It is well known that many of these TV envangelists who have done this either had plants in the audience, or the line standing outside who would talk to people and relay the information or other methods. Several have been caught red-handed, but they continue anyway.

Just look at Robert Tildon (sp?) If his show isn't strictly a money scam, I don't know what it is.

 

Stranger claims have been made.

Try decaf.

HankD </font>[/QUOTE]

My sister back in the Philippines once related to me, in an effort to convert me to the Full Gospel church she goes to, that there was a night when she woke up and suddenly felt this strong compulsion to pray for her husband who was working in the Middle East.
She says she knelt down, and started praying, and without much effort words came tumbling out of her mouth, and she felt goose bumps all over, and a warmth in her body, and soon she was speaking in tongues, and she felt something cold come in through her feet, course through her body and out the top of her head, and she said it was the Holy Spirit.

My next question doused her like cold water puts out a fire: If the Holy Spirit is God, and God is in heaven, and heaven is up there, why did this spirit come from down there ?

Gave her the same advice. Try decaf !

 

We are all different when it comes to "feelings". While it is true that feelings are a part of life and yours may be more intense than others, "feelings" are not the test of the validity of spiritual things or even the superiority of your spiritual experiences beyond that of others simply because you have intense feelings.

As others have alluded, the Word of God is the test of the validity of spiritual experiences.

We cannot always trust feelings but we can always trust the Word of God

HankD

 

For the record, I watch TV about 6 hours every week. Star Trek: Enterprise, CSI, West Wing, and a few home shows. I don't allow Satan to influence me via the ole 4x3 tube. Those who assert that the TV is Satan's tool are, while well-intended, misguided, or, imo, prefer that Christian avoid individual discernment in such matters.