Posted: 07/13/2010 at 8:37pm | IP Logged

SPIRITUAL CONFLICT
Kriston Couchey

IS CONFLICT WRONG?
It seems everywhere the apostle Paul went he had conflicts with unbelieving Jews and those Jews who were "believing" Judaizers, yet he loved them enough to be separated from God eternally to save them. Engaging in genuine Spirit led conflict is really all about love. Jesus is jealous for His bride; He is not pleased with anything or anyone that would defile and distract her from Him. Love confronts wrongs to protect others. When you really love people you give them what they need, not always what they want. Love desires peace, and love sometimes confronts for the sake of deliverance and restoration in order to establish and maintain peace.

Paul would have been kicked out of most modern day churches because He didn't mince words and tolerate error and sin. Paul understood clearly that what was allowed in the body would bear fruit after it's own kind. He confronted "head on" the heresy and sin that threatened to destroy the foundation of Christ he was laying. Today, the toleration of self serving doctrine and self serving flesh has resulted in many people practicing a powerless form of godliness.

If you are a mature discerning part of a gathering of believers, and they are being led astray by someone who is teaching them error or enticing them to immoral practices, it is EXPECTED of the mature to make judgments about the sin and error and confront those promoting them. You don't need a sign from heaven to rescue a child from abuse, you simply do it. I have learned the hard way the consequences of not confronting someone in the place where I had spiritual responsibility and influence. By God's grace I will never again keep silent and go along with the crowd while the enemy is using people to inject things in the body that defile it. We must learn to know what it really means to speak the truth in love when the Spirit moves us; even when it is it is hard to do and you might lose a ministry, a friend, or family member.

JUDGING ALL THINGS VS FINGERPOINTING
Passing judgment is determining a persons destiny. Determining another's destiny is solely the domain of heavenly Father. But, as his children we are to judge or discern things constantly as it pertains to people and situations. The ability to make judgments (use discernment) is an aspect of being created in the image of God. There are two types of judgment: false judgments made out of the soul of man, and righteous judgments made by the Spirit. TRUE Spirit inspired correction is LONG overdue in the ekklesia, but we will not be able to bring correction without repentance of false judgments first. There is a difference between "fingerpointing" and speaking truth by the Spirit that confronts or convicts. The church has for so long passed judgment according to the flesh they have confused true correction with the fingerpointing of men. Fingerpointing causes division. It is the nature of the Devil to expose the errors and weakness of others through fingerpointing. You cannot speak a Spirit truth that confronts and convicts if you are still fingerpointing. Father is wanting to teach us to walk in righteous judgment (discernment). 

There is a difference between the pure in heart who have simply been taught false doctrine and practices, and those who are promoting false doctrine or practices from a root of self serving. We should not be blasting people with pure hearts who are seeking to know God and are still on the journey out of religion. While not compromising truth; we must learn to discern, honor, and in love give grace to brothers and sisters who are of pure heart. Yet we must also know by the Spirit what MUST NOT be tolerated in the ekklesia, and we must not fear to confront on the level of public or private platform upon which it is promoted. If evil seed is spread broadly it must be dealt with broadly. Paul confronted Peter in front of the whole assembly because it was in a very public manner Peter was promoting falsehood. (Gal.2:12-14) And yet when a brother sins against us personally we are to go to them privately. (Matt. 18:15)

NO TOLERATION
Yet I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and by her teaching leads astray My servants, so that they commit fornication and eat what has been sacrificed to idols.~Jesus~
The Jezebel Jesus judged was not a spirit. A spirit is not given time to repent as Jesus does in the book of Revelation. Jesus was confronting a flesh and blood person who was leading God's people astray. This Jezebel of "Revelation" is an example of what must not be tolerated in the body of Christ. Those who teach others in order to lead them astray. I have been learning through experience and great failure things that God does NOT tolerate, nor will He let the church tolerate them in the years to come. In nearly every case of error or sin that needs confronting there are a few constants I have seen, though it may not be limited to these. The constants I have seen relate to either legalism or the license of lawlessness. These are manifestations of the tree of the knowledge of good (legalism) and evil (license).

Legalism Any requirement or demand we place upon men that is not a directive of the Holy Spirit is a law that kills. The requirement to follow certain rules, to be part of a membership, give tithes, and demands for submission, etc.; all of these are laws placed upon people that rob them of spiritual life in Christ. These are not God's requirements, but the doctrines of men or devils.

License of lawlessness is the unrestrained pleasing of self, which manifests as Paul writes: Now the works of the flesh are manifest, and they are these: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, quarreling, rivalry, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envying, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like. About these things I tell you again, as I have also told you in times past: that those who do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.

We are soon going to understand why God is Love, and He is Holy, Holy, Holy. His love demands holiness for our good. There is no peace with these Spirit Life killing things or unrepentant people who promote them. These are things that defile and destroy the Life of Christ in His people, and as these are tolerated all aspects of the life of Christ are diminished within a group of believers. Not tolerating those who promote these is expected stance for the body of Christ. When error or sin is allowed to spread within a group, the level of spiritual power and spiritual discernment plummets to the point of people not being able to recognize what is of the flesh and what is of God. This loss of spiritual power and spiritual vision is the price paid for tolerating false doctrine or immoral practices.

THE NEED FOR STANDARD BEARERS
The body of Christ is in need of standard bearers that will not compromise the truth of the Word Himself as revealed by the Holy Spirit. The darkness and deception are great and have compromised the foundations of many who claim the name of Christ more then we know. It is a desperate hour which calls for men and women of faith and courage. We cannot hope to take the promised land if we are not willing to confront the error and sin in our midst. We cannot hope to cross over if we fear what men may think and say and hold our tongue while evil runs rampant through our families and the communion of saints. Where are the warriors? Where are the watchmen? I pray you are one of them.

In His Love
Kriston Couchey
 
http://my.opera.com/Boanerges/blog/

Posted: 07/14/2010 at 9:02am | IP Logged

amen Kriston,

this is from Ron's article LIVING KINGDOM TODAY ...."In this season of the day of the Lord manifesting in the forerunner remnant of maturing sons of God, apostolic leadership of Christ is coming forth to prepare a generation of kingdom people to govern as Christ in families, tribes, cities, nations, and the world. Thus, the kingdoms of this world shall be the kingdoms of our God."

the apostolic leadership of Christ truly carries the weightiness of Father's heart and so... hear ye Him

Posted: 07/14/2010 at 7:56pm | IP Logged

Yes, Thank you! Amen!

Posted: 07/17/2010 at 8:27pm | IP Logged

Kriston, your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my life in that it is truly God inspired and true!  The Kingdom of God cannot any longer accept compromise....it must not! Truth and obedience are not easy to infuse into a world filled with disobedience and mistrust, it requires courage and wisdom, stregnth and might that only The Father heart of God can provide. Ron always ends his words with 'KEEP ON PURSUING LOVE IT NEVER FAILS AND HIS KINGDOM NEVER ENDS" within lies the key.  If we knew how much he loved us we would be willing to lay down our lives!  Paul had great courage, Peter lacked the courage and I personally believe it was the catalyst for him to pursue it vigorosly, which we can see with his later exploits , we also must find and pray for this boldness and courage if we are to overcome the sin that is entering in! 

Father give us strength, wisdom and courage to pursue all that is you, fill us with your love and mercy.

Margie

Posted: 07/28/2010 at 2:28pm | IP Logged

This is a very good word Kriston. I am left with a question, though. How do you face this head on in your immediate circle? particularly unbelieving friends and family that God directly has in your life? I am just coming out a sitution that was a direct spiritual attack on me and my daughter. I do know the root of the vulnerability and I got way too close with someone I should not have. The Lord has brought deliverance and I know what the next step is...however, I am tired and I have an unbelieving ex-husband that I have to deal with on a regular basis who at times has his girlfriend sleeping over at his house. I am a bit battle weary and really I can't afford to be..need to stay in the fight.

I read the following this morning which really speaks to what I feel like I am going through:

July 28, 2010. Things
are heating up. The lines are about to
cross. It is not going to be what you
desire in the beginning. But you are not
to give up. I want you to fight, fight, and
fight. Your main weapon at this point is
prayer. Intercede on My behalf. Stand in the gap for total victory. You realize
you are up against a formidable
opponent. You have never faced this
level of warfare. Nor have you faced
this strong an enemy. It is not just
one enemy you are warring against but many. They have organized and plotted against
you. Your only hope is in Me. But with Me, victory is assured as you allow
me to be the Overcomer in and through you.
1 Peter 5:8-9 (NIV)  "Your enemy
the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist
him, standing firm in the faith,
because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the
same kind of sufferings. Ras
Robinson 

Posted: 07/28/2010 at 2:32pm | IP Logged

Okay..I need to be patient and read!!! You stated: "We must learn to know what it really means to speak the truth in love when the Spirit moves us; even when it is it is hard to do and you might lose a ministry, a friend, or family member."

I have my answer to alot..I just need to arise from the ashes and do what i needed to awhile ago myself..I would have been spared alot of heartache! 

Posted: 07/28/2010 at 6:25pm | IP Logged

Yup Kriston

On that road now. I expect that every mature Christian is on that road. There are those that we love that we cannot bring in fully, but must maintain some distance for the sake of maintaining our connection with Holy Spirit. Maintaining spiritual cleanliness.

It is quite something when someone you love comes over and then you have to spiritually cleanse the house after they leave because of all the spiritual contamination they had with them and on them.

It's just a part of the Christian life until Jesus comes and restores all things. Just keep things in perspective. Our time here is short compared to eternity. So let's live and show others the way to truly "live" in Christ. It has it's rewards, they are now and they are forever.

Glory!