A primary way we, the New Testament Church, are led today is by the Spirit of God, WHO is in each believer.
It was not the case in the Old Testament. Not all had the Spirit of God. They had to go to a prophet to see what to do or to see the will of God.
Today God speaks directly to each of HIS people through HIS Son, Jesus Christ ... Hebrews 1 ... so we do not have to go to another person to hear from God ... although there are still prophets today in the NT church.
(See Agabus in Acts 21 / also Silas, who traveled with Paul, was a prophet in NT church)
Today, each person belonging to God has been given the HOLY Spirit to dwell inside him.
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This is critical for us because the Holy Spirit in us does the following for us:
- teaches us all things. John 14:26
- reminds us of the word of God, thereby showing us the will of God in the specific issues pertaining to this present life. John 14:26
- guides us into all truth. John 16:13
- shows us things to come. John 16:13
Here are the scriptures showing this:
Jesus says:
John 14:26 ... But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in MY name, HE shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
John 16:13 ... Howbeit when HE, the Spirit of truth, is come, HE will guide you into all truth: for HE shall not speak of HIMSELF; but whatsoever HE shall hear, that shall HE speak: and HE will shew you things to come.
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The apostle Paul explained the following concerning the working of the Holy Spirit WHO lives inside the believer:
I Corinthians 2:7-14 ...
But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But
as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have
entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for
them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by HIS Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
Which
things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but
which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with
spiritual.
But
the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they
are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are
spiritually discerned.
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Here is a very interesting testimony from Pam Padgett in our little church group.
Pam says:
I was raised in the Catholic church and attended Catholic school for 5 years. But I had little interest in religion or God. I always thought the Catholic church was "spooky".
Then when I was 14 years old one of the boys in my class was killed in a motorcycle accident on his way to school.
For the first time I realized that, even at my young age, I could die!
I started crying out ...
"I know there is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit .... but I don't know which One I'm supposed to pray to. ... So please get this prayer to the right ONE, because YOU'RE my ONLY hope."
I needed help!
I was born again!
For some time after this, I realized there was something of God "in" me, but I didn't know how to describe this.
Then one day I saw the following and knew it was the Holy Spirit that was in me.
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
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Comments by Joan Boney ...
The Holy Spirit WHO is in us is The Comforter, The Spirit of Truth.
The Holy Spirit brings thoughts to our mind to show us the way of God in the issues pertaining to this present life so that we, who belong to God, can know the will of God and walk in the light instead of walking in darkness.
The Holy Spirit is a teacher and guide for us.
The Holy Spirit usually speaks in a very gentle, small voice, by bringing thoughts to our mind.
An example: One day, I kept being remind of this: "in the air" ...
Finally, I stopped and paid attention to what I had in my mind.
I felt this was a scripture and I found it in I Thessalonians 4 ... Paul says ...
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep (dead), that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with HIM.
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (precede) them which are asleep (dead).
For the Lord HIMSELF shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
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I thought on how we will meet Jesus "in the air". Jesus is taking us off this present earth.
Peter tells us this present heaven and earth will be destroyed by God.
II Peter 3 ... 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.
Seeing
then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons
ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
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Jesus said: MY kingdom is not of this world. John. 18
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The apostle John said: (Revelation 21)
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And
I heard A GREAT VOICE out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of
God is with men, and HE will dwell with them, and they shall be HIS
people, and God HIMSELF shall be with them, and be their God.
And
God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no
more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more
pain: for the former things are passed away.
And HE that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.
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A few days after being shown these truths, a man presented another doctrine to me saying Jesus was going to set up HIS kingdom on this present earth.
Because of that shown me in the Bible as the Holy Spirit reminded me of one scripture, then another, then another, I knew this man was incorrect in his doctrine.
The HOLY SPIRIT, The Spirit of TRUTH, guides us into all truth. (John 14:26 & John 16:13)
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The Holy Spirit helps us.
A man, in our little church group, was considering building another storage building to hold "his stuff".
As he stood there thinking on this, he heard a word of wisdom from the Holy Spirit.
"Why don't you just get rid of the stuff?"
(This man was in early 70's when he heard
this word. A very few years later he had a serious heart attack and
certainly didn't need stuff to deal with.)
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March, 2017, a very important bit of information came to me by the Holy Spirit in the form of a single word that kept coming into my mind: "restraint."
After about the 3rd time of having this word brought to mind, I recognized it and stopped to see what it meant. (sometimes it almost slips past us)
Then the Holy Spirit drew my attention to II Thessalonians 2 in the NASB. (I usually use KJV)
Let no one in any way deceive you, for it (the day of the LORD) will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things?
And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. Then that lawless one will be revealed
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My eyes were opened immediately!
Since 1982, I have tried to find a church
group to meet with. Over and over, I would hear pastor change scripture
and present "another doctrine". When I went to pastor with scripture,
pastor became angry with me and attacked me. There was never any shame over perverting scripture nor misusing scripture or omitting scripture.
So I had to come away and not attend that church. This happened many
times in many cities. I never found any church group that I could
attend and no pastor ever repented.
Now I understood.
The churches allowed scripture to be omitted or changed and that removed the restraint
which had held antichrist back, but now he, the "man of lawlessness",
antichrist, could move into the church and seat himself in the church
becoming god over the scripture, just as Paul said would happen in the last days. II Thess. 2
(Antichrist is not one man but is a spirit who dwells in many men ... just like the devil dwells in many men.)
(Antichrist is not one man but is a spirit who dwells in many men ... just like the devil dwells in many men.)
All this was the apostasy which sets the stage for the return of Jesus!
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In 1979, God gave me the following terrifying dream:
A meeting was going on. A man was speaking to a room filled with people. I went in and began to listen.
A second man rushed in and said: "Stop ... Wait ... Can't you see ... It's too late ... It's already begun."
The first man resumed speaking.
A meeting was going on. A man was speaking to a room filled with people. I went in and began to listen.
A second man rushed in and said: "Stop ... Wait ... Can't you see ... It's too late ... It's already begun."
The first man resumed speaking.
I looked out the window to see what had "already begun."
There
was a tall pole with a yellow civil defense speaker at top of the
pole. A gas was coming out of the speaker. I knew it was poisonous and
would kill the people. It was coming directly toward us!
The
shocking thing was the speaker that was set there for the purpose of
warning us was being used as the instrument which dispersed the gas that
was poison and would kill us!
I looked at the man seated next to me.
He had a big grin on his face and was looking directly at the man who
was speaking to the group. But then I saw this man was a corpse, though
he looked alive. He was already dead!
I looked about the room at the other people and realized they were all dead.
As I sat back in my chair and listened to
the man speaking I began to feel sleepy and I knew as I sat there among
them this was killing me too.
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God was showing me the anarchy that was already going on in our church groups.