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Concerning these current issues regarding being "slain in the spirit" -- or "falling in the spirit" -- a second day of Pentecost event, an Endtime Elijah and other great Apostles and Prophets arising in our midst, and America's supposed coming greatness, all I can say is that I have truly and honestly done my best in this series to give you the pure, simple, straight Word of God. I have endeavored to lead you to Scriptural truth, and away from the false doctrines and practices of men which find no basis in the Bible.

To reiterate an important point which I made earlier in this series, my impression is that as people reject God and His Word more and more in their lives, not only does His Spirit begin to depart, but as occurred in the story of Micaiah, King Ahab and his false prophets, God will purposely allow a lying spirit to enter in and deceive people. I believe that this is what we're now seeing in some of America's churches, as well as abroad. These evil spirits have entered in full force, and are deceiving so many Christians with all kinds of strange, false manifestations -- such as being "slain in the spirit" -- and likewise with false doctrines, such the so-called "Prosperity Gospel", which profits no one but the shameless preacher himself.

Now, lest some of you get the erroneous impression that I don't believe in the Gifts of the Spirit, or in the presence of God's Spirit in our lives, allow me to also encourage you to read the article called "Are the Gifts of the Spirit for Today?". As you will see, yes, I most certainly do believe in the Gifts of the Spirit. However, I likewise very strongly believe that God is not the author of confusion, and that all things should be done decently and in order. Being "slain in the spirit" is certainly contrary to this Biblical doctrine. Please consider the following two verses:

"For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints . . . Let all things be done decently and in order."


Let me also state for the record, that I also fully believe in expressing our joy and thankfulness before the Lord, as I explained earlier. Following are a few more verses regarding the joy of the Lord for your personal encouragement:

"His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord."


"Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets."


"These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full."


"And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you."


"And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves."


"And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost."


"For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost."


"Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost."


"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."


"That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:"


"But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy."


"Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,"


As I have already said, there is a balance to be found in the Scriptures; and there is a proper time and place for everything. My primary message to you is to simply try -- or to test -- the spirits and the spiritual influences in your personal life, and in your congregation as well, and to make absolutely certain that they are of God, and not a demonic counterfeit. As we learned in part one of this series, this is precisely what the Apostle John admonishes us to do in his first Epistle, as we see here:

"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world."


Simply look at the fruit in your own life, as well as in the lives of those around you. Do you see God's blessings being manifested in your life? Do you see God's blessings in your congregation? Are not only the Gifts of the Spirit present, but are the Fruits of the Spirit present as well? Consider the following verses:

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."


If your congregation is bearing good, positive fruit such as through lives being changed, and new souls being won to God's Kingdom; and if both the Gifts and the Fruits of the Spirit are present, then perhaps you are in the right church, and fellowshipping with the right people. Following are a few additional questions which may assist you in evaluating your current situation:

1. Does your church's doctrines and pattern highly exalt and adhere to the Word of God; or is it heavily based upon the words, traditions and rituals of men with very little mention of the Scriptures?

2. Are you able to freely approach the elders of your church or fellowship without fear, and talk to them about different issues which affect your faith?

3. Are your elders willing to openly discuss the church's doctrines with you; or do they shun you and tell you that they will talk to you later; or that you are too young in the faith to understand it?

4. Do your elders have a humble spirit when they share with you, or do they express a self-righteous, condescending attitude towards you?

5. Are you personally convinced in your heart that your church has properly explained the Scriptures to you?

6. Does your church encourage you to study the Scriptures on your own?

7. Do you have a peace in your heart concerning the church with which you are currently fellowshipping?

8. Would you encourage others to join your church or fellowship?

These are all important questions that you should seek to answer for yourself. If you have answered all of them in the affirmative, then you can be at peace with yourself, with God, and with your brethren, knowing that you have found a good church and are in good company. On the other hand, if any of these things are lacking, or if there is a spirit of darkness, or of confusion, or of oppression in your church or fellowship, then I advise you to really pray about your situation; as you may be in spiritual trouble and not even realize it.

With these thoughts, I will bring this article to a close. It is my hope that you have found it informative, enlightening, and I pray that it has been a blessing in your life as well. If you have an account with Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or with any other social network, I would really appreciate if you'd take the time to click or tap on the corresponding link that is found on this page. Thanks so much, and may God bless you abundantly!

For additional information and further study, you may want to refer to the list of reading resources below which were either mentioned in this article, or which contain topics which are related to this article. All of these articles are likewise located on the Bill's Bible Basics web server. To read these articles, simply click or tap on any link you see below.

Are the Gifts of the Spirit for Today?
Beholding the Evil and the Good
Civil Disobedience and Christian Persecution
Elijah: Where Are the True Prophets?
Exposing the Tactics of the Enemy
Fifty Days Which Changed the World
God's Golden Teeth, Or Satan's Delusion?
Jesus Christ's Return: Have We Been Deceived?
Leviathan: An Ancient Dragon of the Sea?
Mondex and the Mark of the Beast
Nature of the Alien: ETs, Demons or a Government Plot?
Nephilim: The Giants of Genesis
Selfishness: A Prophesied Sign of Our Times?
The Battle is Not Yours Alone!
The Lord Will Lift You Up!
The Office of Prophets and Teachers
Under the Cloud: UFOs and the Holy Bible

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Please avail yourself of other areas of the Bill's Bible Basics website. There are many treasures for you to discover.