[christkid777]

I detect a battle going on here at T2O. The struggle is hidden but the dust and smell of battle filter up through the words and settle on the pages. Two spiritual forces are working against each other. There are those who want nothing less than to see true agreement between brothers and sisters. Their goal is to hammer out a form of unity and advance the cause of Christ. And there are those who want conflict and contention and status quo. There goal is to resist the others and stall any hope of real progress. What they want is no real change. For some this website represents a real opportunity for the willing to draw near to one another and their God. They will lay aside their differences and discuss doctrine and prophecy without drawing blood. They are open to one another's ideas and revelations. Even if they don't agree. They have simply decided to forgo provocation. For the others this is an expose. A chance to push their doctrine of self righteousness and judgment irregaurdless of the possible repercussions. No matter how many times the Spirit says "peace peace" they insist on returning to their habit of aggression, aggravation and provocation. The goal of the adversary in this battle is to wear our the faith of those who want real peace. To use up the measure of faith and reach dejection and despondency. I pray we stand strong.

This is a spiritual battle. As in all spiritual battles the last line of defense is the will and determination of the combatants. Without self control we can be moved to do evil one day and good the next. We are unpredictsble and unreliable. Spirits wrestle with us in our minds. They want control of our tongues. They want to tell us what words to say. If you decide to say what is good and you have the will to bridle your tongue no one else will even know what turmoil wrestles with you in your mind. They will hear or read your words and consider you an anointed thinker. If you lack the will or are unwilling, every sharp and poisoned thought that crosses your mind will slip passed your tongue and pierce the consciousness of those who hear or read your words. It is up to us to bridle our own tongue. Jesus said we would have power after the Holy Ghost comes upon us. Sometimes the way we say the things we share makes all the difference in how our words are received. There are those who will make peace. And Jesus Christ said "blessed are the peace makers for they will be called children of God". Mat.5:9 But the scripture also says "land that continually grows thorns and thistles is rejected and might just inherit a cursed and will be burned in the end". Heb 6:8 Pray with me we are all considered good ground for the seed of the Word of life.

[SeraphimH]

Originally Posted by christkid777

I detect a battle going on here at T2O. The struggle is hidden but the dust and smell of battle filter up through the words and settle on the pages. Two spiritual forces are working against each other. There are those who want nothing less than to see true agreement between brothers and sisters. Their goal is to hammer out a form of unity and advance the cause of Christ. And there are those who want conflict and contention and status quo. There goal is to resist the others and stall any hope of real progress. What they want is no real change. For some this website represents a real opportunity for the willing to draw near to one another and their God. They will lay aside their differences and discuss doctrine and prophecy without drawing blood. They are open to one another's ideas and revelations. Even if they don't agree. They have simply decided to forgo provocation. For the others this is an expose. A chance to push their doctrine of self righteousness and judgment irregaurdless of the possible repercussions. No matter how many times the Spirit says "peace peace" they insist on returning to their habit of aggression, aggravation and provocation. The goal of the adversary in this battle is to wear our the faith of those who want real peace. To use up the measure of faith and reach dejection and despondency. I pray we stand strong.

This is a spiritual battle. As in all spiritual battles the last line of defense is the will and determination of the combatants. Without self control we can be moved to do evil one day and good the next. We are unpredictsble and unreliable. Spirits wrestle with us in our minds. They want control of our tongues. They want to tell us what words to say. If you decide to say what is good and you have the will to bridle your tongue no one else will even know what turmoil wrestles with you in your mind. They will hear or read your words and consider you an anointed thinker. If you lack the will or are unwilling, every sharp and poisoned thought that crosses your mind will slip passed your tongue and pierce the consciousness of those who hear or read your words. It is up to us to bridle our own tongue. Jesus said we would have power after the Holy Ghost comes upon us. Sometimes the way we say the things we share makes all the difference in how our words are received. There are those who will make peace. And Jesus Christ said "blessed are the peace makers for they will be called children of God". Mat.5:9 But the scripture also says "land that continually grows thorns and thistles is rejected and might just inherit a cursed and will be burned in the end". Heb 6:8 Pray with me we are all considered good ground for the seed of the Word of life.

I agree. We must proceed with humility on all sides. If I have offended anyone, it was not intentional. Please forgive.

But on the other hand, with humility comes the admission of faulty theology/philosophy from an objective viewpoint. We must have the courage to admit our wrongs, seek what is right, and forgo the self.

Please by all means possible, lets not skim posts looking for something to bash and respond with knee-jerk emotional reactions. If you don't understand something, ask or look it up from somewhere that's as unbiased as possible. If you don't agree, work from the next logical step towards the truth together. There is truth, absolute truth. It is our duty as Christians to find it.

[Amadeus]

Yes, James, the battle is here too! This is the best Christian site I have found and yet, here too, the war is raging. Let us pray that God will help us to accomplish His purpose for this forum and for each of us on it. Glory to His name!

[Soulheart3]

Good topic James. There indeed is battle going on, it has wanned and waxed sinse I have been here. The closer we become in unity, the greater the battle becomes. I see lots of spiritual battles in many places. Just the other day, I noticed a larger battle going on in the region I live in. Dont really know where, just knew it was happening. I prayed about it, and left it in the hands of the Lord. By the time I got home from work, the battle was over. I often wonder what these battles consist of, and who all the combatants are, and the results of the battle, but I can only see the struggle in my spirit. I do not fear the battle, for I am on the winning side, and what the Lord asks of me for the battle is simple, only prayer. There are times I would wish more than prayer in my portion of the battle, but it is wise not to question the Lords part for us.

Any words written here on this forum are either words of searching, healing, teaching, or contention. Even the battles themselves cannot stop the Lords steady progress, for any good work the Lord begins will come to fruitation, and even the contention only learns us how to deal with the normal contention that will always plague the path of those seeking the truth. So I would encourage you James and all others who feel led, to pray that the Lord of hosts would help in this battle.

Good thread james; posting from my cell so I will respond once we are not traveling. Very timely!

Originally Posted by christkid777

I detect a battle going on here at T2O. The struggle is hidden but the dust and smell of battle filter up through the words and settle on the pages. Two spiritual forces are working against each other. There are those who want nothing less than to see true agreement between brothers and sisters. Their goal is to hammer out a form of unity and advance the cause of Christ. And there are those who want conflict and contention and status quo. There goal is to resist the others and stall any hope of real progress. What they want is no real change. For some this website represents a real opportunity for the willing to draw near to one another and their God. They will lay aside their differences and discuss doctrine and prophecy without drawing blood. They are open to one another's ideas and revelations. Even if they don't agree. They have simply decided to forgo provocation. For the others this is an expose. A chance to push their doctrine of self righteousness and judgment irregaurdless of the possible repercussions. No matter how many times the Spirit says "peace peace" they insist on returning to their habit of aggression, aggravation and provocation. The goal of the adversary in this battle is to wear our the faith of those who want real peace. To use up the measure of faith and reach dejection and despondency. I pray we stand strong.

This is a spiritual battle. As in all spiritual battles the last line of defense is the will and determination of the combatants. Without self control we can be moved to do evil one day and good the next. We are unpredictsble and unreliable. Spirits wrestle with us in our minds. They want control of our tongues. They want to tell us what words to say. If you decide to say what is good and you have the will to bridle your tongue no one else will even know what turmoil wrestles with you in your mind. They will hear or read your words and consider you an anointed thinker. If you lack the will or are unwilling, every sharp and poisoned thought that crosses your mind will slip passed your tongue and pierce the consciousness of those who hear or read your words. It is up to us to bridle our own tongue. Jesus said we would have power after the Holy Ghost comes upon us. Sometimes the way we say the things we share makes all the difference in how our words are received. There are those who will make peace. And Jesus Christ said "blessed are the peace makers for they will be called children of God". Mat.5:9 But the scripture also says "land that continually grows thorns and thistles is rejected and might just inherit a cursed and will be burned in the end". Heb 6:8 Pray with me we are all considered good ground for the seed of the Word of life.

James, I do not know whether or not I am looked at as one causing dissention by many or one looking for Godly unity. But one thing struck me when I re-read your post.

We must remember, that we must either assume that all are on the same side, or assume that the devil has directly influenced some on here to tear apart. We must remember that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against satan himself and his emmisaries. It is not other posters who are "the enemy", regardless with whether or not they agree with or withstand our particulr message, your message or my message or any message presented on here. Human hearts are slow to change, to grasp, to understand, because it invloves giving up the comfort of the known for the uncomfortable feeling of being rootless for a while, until new roots grow.

We must be careful in drawing battlle lines that the very act of drawing them means it places some on the other side, and make them therefore into our enemy.

You stated that some on here only want to bring dissention or disarray within the Christian ranks. I read almost every post on here, and you can get a pretty good idea of where a man or woman on here is coming from if you you read enough of what they write. I would venture to say though, that although there may be several camps of believers on here, none is the enemy. None has a set interior goal of watching the church fail, or keeping God from moving. I pray you do not feel that way about me. There have been a few on here over the last 6 months that I would say fit your description...a very few, and yet, they did not last and moved on down the pike. Those that have stayed, I choose to give the benefit of the doubt to, even those who have withstood me the hardest. I do not believe any here truly wants purposely to withstand the will of God, or bring harm to His kingdom. Does that mean all are right? of course not. But as to motives, I believe in my heart of hearts that all truly, as much as lies in them, want God's will to be done.

Does this mean they are not deceived? Yes, I suspect some on here are deceived, and yet, are they deceived willingly or unwillingly? Satan may be influencing them temporarily to withstand what God is trying to say, yet, they still remain children of the most high.

I hope you see my point. May God bless you.

As I read all the words here I felt a joy and a hope that the majority here are people who "do" have the pure intent and desire which was described here as existing in the "Peace-maker." I have pretty much felt that spirit is here, but always in the back of my mind I remember feeling that at first in many other places, and I'm sure you all know of the evil that is breeding in some forums that are called "christian." And I mean evil, because it is "not" the Spirit of God that causes or involves itself in dissention, or that reduces itself to fleshly strivings that war against the soul.

I see here in this post some pure heart, sincere spirit, people asking, or even crying for an atmosphere that will allow God's presence, so that it could be said that this is a church, or a true fellowship of believers, with the benefits of the Holy Ghost which do come wherever even 2 or 3 are truly gathered in Christ.

I have been so tickled over many of you and also inspired and also blessed to just be hearing some "Faith!" It's such a welcome thing after much time and involvement in a business community which is quite a social one really, where so many present who claim God but deny the power, so that after I did invest over long time in some friends there and in some support efforts, and in efforts with a very few others to try to bring some of the light that really shines, into the place...as it seemed at times that some ministry was beginning to occur....

atlast I began to feel futility, to feel like someone casting their pearls before swine, so that they'd be trampled and used to turn and rend you....and just began to feel like you can't give to those who don't really want to receive, and you can't cause to grow what isn't desired, but you can become dismayed when there is no faith being added to your faith, that you keep trying to give.

So really, if and when you feel the light may be dimming, to those who may be in darkness, this light may be very bright! But I know what you are saying, how it can become very dark if the carnal man takes over too much and pushes out the Spirit of the Peacemaker, whose radiance is His Spirit which gives any life to his letter.

So perhaps it is not a bad thing to stop, if even many times in our life and walk, to see if we be in the faith, and to ask God to search us and cause us to see where we are really standing and from what spirit our motives are really deriving, and to remember what flame we are keepers of and what calling we really have among each other.

I am glad for this humility which we know God will not despise, and encourage us all, and I say "me," to ever strive to lean more toward humility than toward any theological intelligence, so that if I have any knowledge of God, let me have "more" humility, and if I gain more knowledge, please add to me a double portion of humility.

In the Spirit of the One who Loves us Most,
Whose "Spirit" makes Love Grow the Most...
In us and between us, preachergirl

[NotFinishedYet]

Thank you James for this thread. I join with you in prayer that our purpose remains fostering unity through understanding rather than "converting" others to our views. I know that I at times engage in unfruitful dialogues that serve only to show the fractions that exist among us. I pray that our love and humility continues to grow so that our interactions are led by the Spirit rather than our personal agendas. There is one firm point of unity: God loves us all (yes, Brad, even you).

James,
Thank-you for a very well said thread. I believe that you only say something when you sense that it needs to be said. There is alot of truth in what you say as I am a reader of threads and I realize what gets the attention more at times than some of the threads which are posted that are often very good.
I don't see you as drawing lines in the sand but I see you encouraging us to take notice and pay attention to what we post and perhaps check our motives or not be in such a hurry to respond. Sometimes it may be we need to re-read what the other person has posted and perhaps not be so dogmatic in our response and "see through the eyes" of Christ and think of how He would respond. This is what I hear you saying. Of course I could be wrong. I leave you with the following scriptures.

Colossians 3:12-17
Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you so must you also do.
But above all these things put on love which is the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in yo richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with graces in your hearts to the Lord.
And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

I join you in prayer.

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