From: John & April Correia <[email protected]>
Subject: Encouragement From The Heart - 5-21-98
Date: Thursday, May 21, 1998 22:35 PM

Around our place there are 33 hens, 12 teenage hens, 6 goats, 5 adult Emu's, 5 baby Emu's, 4 miniature horses and (I mustn't forget) 2 guinea fowl. I share this because one thing I've noticed - when the guinea sound their ear piercing "sconk" (squelch/honk) alarm every one responds the same way - run that way! Amazing, just the voice of one or two and the others respond; most of the time without checking to see if the threat is real.

I've observed Christian's to be much the same way, lately. When someone hears about the great "outpouring", "blessing" or "laughing" revival (you choose) that someone else has gone and "experienced" others flock to "feel" and "experience" it for themselves as well - most hoping for a "touch" from God. I've even been told that if I don't "experience" this great move of God, I don't have a right to say anything because how would I know it's not a move of God? Well, I know myself all to well and my body is weak and it is very prone to scrumming to "feelings" and emotions; especially if I've been worked up by singing a same song over and over and over. The Bible, which is our finale court - or should be, tells us not to listen to our feelings but rather test EVERY spirit [1 Jn. 4:1] in light of Scripture to see if they are true; this goes for preachers/teachers as well [Acts 17:11 - Paul praised the Boreans for doing just that - they tested EVERY THING he had to say in light of Scripture].

The Lord has us when He refers to us as sheep. Sheep, like our farm animals, follow a leader. What we often times forget is that Satan appears as an angel of light along with his ministers of evil [2 Cor. 11: 14,15]; think about it - if we saw them for what they really are - we'd stay clear for sure. But the devil is more crafty and thus hides as a "sheep" but is really a ravenous wolf [Matt. 7:15].

I'm not saying that God can't heal - on the contrary He's our great Physician, or that there are no real revival(s) - where you have repentance and complete surrender of self (turning away from your sins and sinning no more) to the True Living God - you have revival. What I am warning, however, is that WE MUST TEST ALL THINGS / PERSONS IN LIGHT OF SCRIPTURE [Acts 17:11] for we are "... in these last days ..." [Heb. 1:1].

Let us be considered more noble minded because we test to see if "these things" are true using the Bible as the plumb line to be measured against. Remember God is not a god of chaos nor is He a god that wants us out of self-control - rather - He is a God of order and one of the fruit of the Spirit is self-control [Gal. 5:22].

April Correia
[email protected]

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Have a joyous and bountiful day in the Lord!
April C.
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