Michael, thank you for your reply to Hair, now I know how you judge me. So since you see me as weak and unlearned, then surely if you were led by the Spirit you would be making sure that I was well-instructed (which you have yet to do, since you have avoided answering a simple question from the beginning, and continue to do so). Please show me where my replies are unlearned:

Quote Originally Posted by MichaellS View Post
I see. Possibly, you do not regard those things that are not always explainable from those who cherish what the Spirit says for us now, or the apostles then. In which wasn’t always clear and “some things hard to understand” (2 Peter 3:16). If we regard it as everything of man, and nothing from God through His sons being enabled by His Spirit, then that limitation is readily understandable. For I do quite well understand the near animosity for the things of the Spirit in applicable terms. And how it isn’t thought relevant anymore in certain denominations.
When you quote 2 Peter 3:16, I ***ert you are misapplying it, since Peter was talking about predestination, justification, and such things being hard to understand, since the understanding of the truth of such matters depends on one's definition of basic concepts such as faith (which is ill-defined by many). In fact, your claim that tongues is hard to understand and unexplainable is where you err, as I quote from Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:28 "And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues." So then to you, is this whole list unexplainable, or just tongues as you claim it? In fact, Paul is listing these things as elemental gifts in the church at the time, and does indeed well-explain the usage of them in that epistle, including tongues. Yet the usage of your gift you deem "not always explainable." In conclusion, I take it that your attempt at making some excuse (that it is unexplainable) puts your 'gift' in the category of cultic behavior, since you cannot explain it in terms of Biblical language. Do you leave me no other alternative than this conclusion?

This would explain your vexation in continuing to pick away at me, my common limitation before God and my enlarged answer I have willingly granted in the Spirit of brotherhood that you find callously unacceptable.
Actually, my conversation is relatively friendly. If it appears vexing and callous, I think it is because of your unwillingness to fully confess your testimony of it, and perhaps this has fear behind it, namely fear of the unknown, since it is "not always explainable" to you. If you were completely honest in your answers, you would find my conversation friendly to you, although it might not necessarily be friendly to the practice you hold so dear.

Punctuating my point precisely. How is it related? Because I asked you to consider trying that which you do not acknowledge in me. If you are led of God, then you are sensitive to that leading. And if you are sensitive to that leading, your hearing would recognize it whenever it crossed your path. Likewise, that “peaceable fruit of righteousness” comes as a result of His corrective leading. To reject this is an evasiveness of imperiling one’s own understanding in the word. In the good and bad, it's about communion with the Creator.
I am being led by the Holy Spirit when I "try the spirits whether they are of God." I am being led of the Spirit when I use strict interpretation of the written Word. I am being led of the Spirit when I ask what the fruit of the action is. (Would you dare suggest to me that I am not being led of the Spirit in these things?)

Should I consider "trying" tongues as you suggest here? Should I try something that for all practical purposes may be something of a fleshly source (or worse, demonic)? Or even worse than this, should I "try" something that only the Holy Spirit gives, only to be found mocking the very Spirit who gives it? Should I "try" something that I see other people doing as if I was some infant who tries out his own babbling, just to be a part of adult conversation? The Bible clearly states that the Spirit gave utterance, therefore your suggestion that I consider "trying" it is conterfeit, to say the least, a bum steer. Then, everything you say from this point becomes more suspect.

Of course, it is about communion with the Creator. If God tells me to do this thing, I'll do it no matter what; but if you tell me I should do it, then why should I listen to you?

When I said, “Peace over the gift”, it is before God as truth, and your insulting rejection does not change that truth. But as I said, such disregard for the Spirit’s work today is quite well known and supremely unfortunate for all who treat Him as such. But this rejected answer of mine isn’t the worst we have on display here.
I did not reject this statement. In fact, I see it as the most honest thing you have said so far. What I objected to was the flowery and vague language that you wrote all around it. If you had said the single word "peace," you would have said (apparently) all that your honesty could muster, and that would have been enough. But your vague language all around it speaks volumes of pretentiousness.

Sad. Who among those reading here and familiar with the leading (or the concept) would waste the opportunity to let that light shine by continuing this mundane dialog? Go on, dig up some more of my experience of what I count Philippians 3:8 to fertilize my 2 Timothy 4:13’s for use years and years down the road.

I fear for all like TDM who are comfortable with closing the entrance to the Spirit.
Actually, I am simply trying to find out if indeed your practice is of God's Spirit, or has some other source. What I close entrance to is deception, since I've been there, done that before.

If this dialog appears mundane to you, then why don't you just end it?

Your 2 Tim. 4:13 ref doesn't appear relevant to this conversation.

Let me simply say at this point, you might as well be totally honest about your experience, rather than couching information in vague language or evasion. It would be better for us both if I reject your practice with full knowledge of your honest descriptions, rather than to reject it based on your refusal to confess it. Give me a reason to accept it!! By default I must reject it, unless you give me some positive Biblical evidence to accept it. Do you agree?
TD