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Thread: Are you being puffed up, entertained, or edified?

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    Frozen Chosen A.J.'s Avatar
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    Are you being puffed up, entertained, or edified?

    ARE YOU BEING PUFFED UP, ENTERTAINED, OR EDIFIED?
    Bert Farias

    "Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies" (1 Cor. 8:1).

    There she was – a young college age girl standing at the altar with her hands raised after having received the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Her two friends giddy with girlish excitement were about to tap her on the shoulder so they could leave and go have some fun. I immediately stopped them saying, "don't touch her; she's in another world."
    As I was preaching and ministering in the Spirit at a church meeting I noticed a tiny woman in the second row who was being touched by God. Once the meeting was over she stayed in her seat. I kept observing her and knew she was in the Spirit. God was working deeply in her. She was in a Holy Ghost bubble and didn't want to engage in any trivial or carnal conversation with anyone.
    While ministering in the nation of Colombia I began a meeting by asking who was sick. A young woman raised her hand and came forward. She had burned her arm in a working accident and couldn't move it. As soon as I laid hands on her in the Name of Jesus she was healed – no more pain and mobility restored. She was glowing like a neon sign in the dark. She returned the following night still glowing. She felt the love of God and the nearness of Jesus.

    These are all examples of true edification.

    PUFFED UP

    These three examples serve to remind us of what it means to be truly edified and equipped. Love edifies, but knowledge alone puffs us up and makes us proud. There is a harmful level of increased pride I am seeing in Christianity today due to the availability of so much knowledge. Sermonizing is popular, but moving in the Spirit and speaking forth as an oracle of God is rare. There is more division over doctrine in the Church today than any time in recent history. People have gotten puffed up.

    Ask yourself, "Why am I wanting to amass knowledge?" Is it really to grow personally and love and serve others, or is it to display it for self-aggrandizement? Why do most preachers love to preach and disburse so much knowledge? Do people really need to hear 1,000 sermons a year that are not producing life change in them? Is it the anointing of the Holy Spirit they are receiving or just words and mere knowledge? Certainly teaching is very important and Jesus did a lot of it, but He taught with wisdom, love, power, and authority and not as the sermonizing scribes. And the common people heard Him gladly. Most of all, He demonstrated what He taught (Acts 1:1).

    Remember that knowledge puffs up but love edifies.

    ENTERTAINED

    There is now a dangerous "new" mind-set being spawned from a "new" gospel that is flourishing in America. Mega churches are being grown from this gospel in virtually every major city in America and other nations as well. It is the "seeker friendly" model of reaching sinners on a natural level with a social gospel lacking substance and power, along with a philosophy of fun and entertainment.

    Here's an example I heard the late David Wilkerson share years ago: During one Sunday night gathering in a seeker-friendly church where thousands attended, the pastor got up and said: "This is a fun night, a David Letterman night."

    Then the youth pastor came out and did a monologue as David Letterman. He showed 10 of the most boring things teenagers do during preaching. Three of the ten were throwing spitballs, yawning, and picking their noses. The people in attendance went wild with laughter and great applause. As the church service was closing the pastor shamelessly announced, "We're not here to offend anyone, but to make church comfortable for everybody."

    This methodology of reaching people and increasing our numbers has become popular, but does real edification ever occur? Are people's lives really changed for the long term? Or are we just tickling ears and entertaining minds?

    It's time for some serious evaluation? Are we being puffed up, entertained, or edified?


    https://theflamingherald.wordpress.c...ed-or-edified/

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    curly sue (09-12-2016), Ezekiel 33 (09-12-2016), Romans828 (09-12-2016), Valiant Woman (09-11-2016)

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    Senior Member Valiant Woman's Avatar
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    I was surprised that two of the three songs we sang this morning at RBC were "somewhat" golden oldies, that are true worship songs. I don't like this "millennial" Gospel music they sing now, and have been singing for the past couple of years. It just doesn't take me to that place of worship I'm accustomed to.

    Often, I literally have to force myself to participate in the worship & praise songs. I don't like most of them and it's one of the reasons I've been watching my home church in MI online on Sunday mornings, and only attending Wednesday evening service here.
    When your praise match your prayers, the answer will come.
    https://www.facebook.com/Valiant-Wom...1103844642026/

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    Senior Member Colonel's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by A.J. View Post
    ARE YOU BEING PUFFED UP, ENTERTAINED, OR EDIFIED?
    Here's an example I heard the late David Wilkerson share years ago: During one Sunday night gathering in a seeker-friendly church where thousands attended, the pastor got up and said: "This is a fun night, a David Letterman night."

    Then the youth pastor came out and did a monologue as David Letterman. He showed 10 of the most boring things teenagers do during preaching. Three of the ten were throwing spitballs, yawning, and picking their noses. The people in attendance went wild with laughter and great applause. As the church service was closing the pastor shamelessly announced, "We're not here to offend anyone, but to make church comfortable for everybody."
    That's sounds very different to Maria Woodworth-Etter's meetings around 1900 where people went into a trance, saw heaven or hell, woke up again and then they took up the faith and repented of their sins.

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    curly sue (09-12-2016), fuego (09-12-2016)

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    Senior Member wheeze's Avatar
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    true story....(not that I would tell a false one...)
    I was in Tulsa, Okla for my daughters graduation at O.R.U. and the whole family went to her church Sunday before graduation. It was a AOG church with the traditional pews and pulpit except they had renovated it with spotlights, stage lights and light sensors to move the stage lights in sync with the music. When the "praise and worship" started I was seating on the fourth row back center seating and a blue stage light moving to the music froze right in my eyes and I was blinded by a bright sheer blue light. I had this sudden urge to go toward the light. I couldn't see my wife or even my hands in front of me. I had to cover my eyes it was so bright! I decided not to judge anything yet and keep open minded. The pastor comes out on stage and starts sharing some nonsense but I was having a difficult time trying to see again. My wife still had a blue tinge glow about her which led me to believe she COULD be pregnant again. Right in the middle of the pastors "sermon" he just stops and walks off the stage. the auditorium lights dim and I see movie snipes of "Frozen" being played on a screen. OHHH I could feel a anointing! (not sure from where but I could feel it) Then a couple comes out (I kid you not) dressed in pioneer costumes and they sing a song from the movie frozen. By this time I am totally tuned out looking at my arms when I noticed my very first age spots on my left arm. This really concerned me so I nudged my wife (a nurse) and had her inspect my left arm. She, still glowing blue told me to shut up and act like I'm listening. I realized shortly after our consultation there were 16 stage lights, 1 spotlight, 200 panels in the ceiling and one severely agitated frustrated man sitting in my seat. Lunch was awkward...

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    Administrator fuego's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by wheeze View Post
    true story....(not that I would tell a false one...)
    I was in Tulsa, Okla for my daughters graduation at O.R.U. and the whole family went to her church Sunday before graduation. It was a AOG church with the traditional pews and pulpit except they had renovated it with spotlights, stage lights and light sensors to move the stage lights in sync with the music. When the "praise and worship" started I was seating on the fourth row back center seating and a blue stage light moving to the music froze right in my eyes and I was blinded by a bright sheer blue light. I had this sudden urge to go toward the light. I couldn't see my wife or even my hands in front of me. I had to cover my eyes it was so bright! I decided not to judge anything yet and keep open minded. The pastor comes out on stage and starts sharing some nonsense but I was having a difficult time trying to see again. My wife still had a blue tinge glow about her which led me to believe she COULD be pregnant again. Right in the middle of the pastors "sermon" he just stops and walks off the stage. the auditorium lights dim and I see movie snipes of "Frozen" being played on a screen. OHHH I could feel a anointing! (not sure from where but I could feel it) Then a couple comes out (I kid you not) dressed in pioneer costumes and they sing a song from the movie frozen. By this time I am totally tuned out looking at my arms when I noticed my very first age spots on my left arm. This really concerned me so I nudged my wife (a nurse) and had her inspect my left arm. She, still glowing blue told me to shut up and act like I'm listening. I realized shortly after our consultation there were 16 stage lights, 1 spotlight, 200 panels in the ceiling and one severely agitated frustrated man sitting in my seat. Lunch was awkward...
    That is hilarious and sad. lol.

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