John Traettino
(bishop of the Evangelical Christian Church of Reconciliation)
Some think that we must conquer the power, rather than the other 'we already have. Both things are true. "The Promised Land is yours - the Lord says to the people of Israel - then go to possess it." In the Christian life is the same tension: we have been given a legal position in Christ, but we have to win the experience. This is why some while others live in the power, while Christians in their own right, do not express it. Evidently there is a mechanism that does not trigger.
is very important that we learn to apply this fundamental key of hermeneutics: that "it is written ... and is also written. " We have the tendency to take only a few-za 'writings', forgetting a number of things, "also written". But it is only by bringing the two poles in tension that we arrive at balanced positions Brate to become mature Christians and churches mature.
Grace
In Acts 6:4, the Apostle declares: "We continue to dedicate ourselves to prayer-oar and at the ministry of the word. " In this little formula is contained all the key power: prayer and the Word. To the extent that we put in place those two things, we can express the power of God
However, if the prayer is seen as a duty or a meritorious work, we do not understand its meaning. Only when it is hungry and thirsty for God becomes truly effective. Similarly, the word can be read as a book of theology, but rather when it is implemented as the voice of God speaking to us today that comes to life, current strength and for us.
also fasting, it is seen as a work to curry the favor of God, is useless, but if it is the expression of a desire for God which is also losing interest in food, it becomes a privileged to meet him. Everything has to be rooted in love for God and desire for communion with Him in grace and not by law.
is important that our whole life is based solidly in favor, because there is always the risk of falling under the law, and then we wrecked. So I do not feel condemned for a day or a week or not please do not read the Bible. E 'to the extent that I live in communion with God that my spiritual life becomes stable.
The foundation of the Word
Let us begin with the discussion on the Word. We are heirs of the Reformation and Luther's discovery that it is the foundation. It is particu-larly important for us to remain rooted in the Pentecostal written word, because it is easy for the awesome braking enthusiastic and charismatic movements to move from this to that "rhema" [revealed word]. Without diminishing the importance of the revelations, so risk of falling prey to emotions and feelings, creating confusion and division in the Church. It is no coincidence that the Pentecostal movement, historically, is what has produced more than one division, but we need to address them. Some of the movements that have arisen recently as they have in fact instance deepest desire and quest for unity.
The written word is thus the foundation. But for our discussion is central to the Gospel of the Kingdom, namely the Word of God not only proclaimed, but also demonstrated.
The Gospel of the Kingdom
These two aspects of the message of the Kingdom - the proclamation and demonstration - must be closely linked together to become the gospel of God here we fall into another mistake: to think that the power has to do only with the demonstration, when they have to deal first with the proclamation. It is the content of the Gospel that is powerful, that changes lives! Some are healed, but not changed, because this only happens when the Gospel of the Lord Jesus touched their hearts.
In Matthew 4:23-25 \u200b\u200bwe read: "Jesus was no actor and all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people" is
aspects characterizing the gospel of the Kingdom: teaching, preaching and her recovery-region. The New Testament puts these things together forever. It was the traditional evangelical theology (and in this, many sins go dispensationalism) to separate the announcement from the demonstration. I am always surprised to discover that the Pentecostals can be dispensationalists!
II Gospel presupposes a clash between two kingdoms: the of God and of Satan. Jesus proclaims the authoritative teaching and preaching, and demonstrates through conversion, healing and deliverance, the domain of God: "People were amazed at his teaching because he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes .. .: with authority He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him. " "All were filled with amazement and said to one another: What is this word? With authority and power He commands the unclean spirits ... "(Mark 1:22,27, Lk. 4:36).
This leads us to a second pair of terms: authority and power. I think it is now clear that these two things are essential to demonstrate and advance the Kingdom of God can not be done by simply reading, a teach-ing and preaching of Scripture on Sunday morning-ca. The power and authority are essential precisely because it is a clash between two kingdoms. Only to the extent that we can attack and defeat the enemy take away land because more people will submit to the Government of God
There is a distinction between authority and power. The Authority is the freedom of action of God that you have, do and control, power, energy is needed to impose it. The Bible tells us that the authority and power come from God are not things that we gain through our experience and feelings.
The Sovereign of the universe
The Bible speaks, first, the authority of God the Father, the Judge of the universe, who has the right to-do Tremenico thrown into hell (Luke 12:5) and not accountable to anyone what he does. He has absolute authority over us as the potter on the clay to shape it as he wishes (Rom. 9:18-26), and we have no right to complain. No one can go and say to him: "Why is that? Why is that? "God" is mercy for those who want and who wants to harden "(Romans 9:18). Indeed, we must be happy and content with whatever he decides to do us: it is in his freedom because he has given us life.
It is debated for centuries on this subject, but the Word is clear that God has this kind of authority, independent of any conditio-to. This is the order of the universe. To our human mentality, that you badly, but Scripture makes it clear. As humanism entered the Christian church in the last century! But if we learn to know God, we also learn to accept ourselves as we have been made.
is he who sets the course of history: nothing escapes him. On top of everything that happens in the world, there is a sovereign God who retains control. This thought should help us to be at rest, no matter what happens around us.
Delegated Authority
God also has the freedom to delegate his authority in Revelation 6:8, does the angel who destroys nature in obedience to his trial. Jesus exercises authority delegated by the Father: "All authority has been given me in heaven and on earth" (Matt. 28:18).
In the vision of Daniel 7:9-28, is described in a surprising way the structure of spiritual authority in the EU-universe "thrones were placed and the Ancient of Days took his seat ... His throne was flames of fire ... "is obviously an image the Father. In v. 13: "Here come the clouds of heaven one like unto the Son of man ... To him was given dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations and languages \u200b\u200bshould serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion ... "And in v.18:" Then will the saints of the kingdom and the may sit forever, for eternity. "
There are three parties here: God, the Son of man, the saints of the Most High. The third level of authority is therefore the Church. This delegation is made possible by the cross and the resurrection, because Jesus has won, completing his term, it can transmit it to the Church. "All authority was given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore ... I am with you always "(Matt. 28:18-19). We are the instrument that God chose to displace the main courtyards and powers that have rebelled against Him!
Usually we make a clear difference between Christ and the Church: the one belongs to the divine sphere, the other for human consumption. Instead, it is not. Jesus identified himself totally with the man: this is the deeper meaning of Christianity. Since Christ was incarnate, we are sure to win, he became its guarantor.
authority are linked to the position, the engagement; is objective, independent of the person who holds them. When a policeman raises his shovel, do not we ask what is your family life or how you think about this and that: we stop to its nod because he is an officer who carries that kind of work.
So all of us, simply because they are believers, we have authority: we must strive to have, we have already. Does not depend on what we are good or bad: there has been delegated by God when confronted by the devil, we must know that we are servants of God, clothed with authority. Our reference is in Jesus, the messenger of God on earth to destroy the devil's work and men to steal his evil power.
Slay demons
The demonic dimension, in the Gospels, it is essen-tial. Today, when we see a Carlos Annacondia cast out demons, we think perhaps I'd better see some resurrection, but the New Testament does not think so. The expulsion of demons is central to the logic of the strategy of God, because all the invasion of Jesus has to do with the expulsion of Satan. Jesus came to earth to rescue the prince of this world, so that when the demons are driven out, we know that the Kingdom of God has come (Matt. 12:28).
is amazing how some evangelicals to face scandal and annoys the expulsion of demons: they prefer the healings and conversions. But no. We must recover the conception of the Kingdom of the New Testament: the demons must be driven out, then will also be healings and conversions!
Today there is a whole debate over whether believers or not it can have demons. But the early church had the spiritual understanding to make sure people had ended with the demons from the moment of conversion. We, unfortunately, we lost this foresight, but now the Lord is doing to recover the ancient wisdom. The conflict 'demons - demons no' must be tackled at its roots. We must understand that in the initiation to the Christian life is also in the exorcism, this too, such as baptism in the Holy Spirit is part of the "immersion in Christ. " If assures us-mo that people are freed from the demons from the start, do not be annoyed later.
The authority of Jesus is manifest, therefore, in teaching, Exorcist, but also in per-gift of sins. And here too, it is true that we do not have Catholic confessors in the manner, but it is false to think that we are exempt from confessing sins. We must be aware that this is a territory that belongs to us, that even the "binding and loosing is part of the year given to the Church (Matt. 18:18).
Spirit and power
Another pair of words closely related and often found together is Spirit and power. The Holy Spirit is in fact the channel of power, both in preaching and miracles in building up the Church. "Spirit" and "power" go together: to the extent that we are in communion with the Holy Spirit, we receive the energy. The power does not have as much to do with the screaming (although this can be useful sometimes!), But with communion with the Spirit, which must be continuous, deep and refined.
We have Christ and the Holy Spirit, as we have sufficient authority, without displaying the power. We receive the Spirit when we are born again and receive Jesus as Savior and Lord. We Pentecostals we must be careful not to say, in our simplicity, that other believers have the Spirit: They all children of God, because "no one can say 'Jesus is Lord' except by the Holy Spirit" (lst Cor. 12:3). But then, this energy must be expressed.
I believe that we have reached a threshold and that we still have achievements in this direction. While we are grateful to God for the way we have done and for the goals attained, we aim at a stronger and more mature. I'm excited for the detection level to which the Church has already arrived, but I expect a walk in the coming years even more glorious for the Lord brings us to the full manifestation of the glory of His children (Romans 8:19). "The old man" that God is forming will grow to full stature of Christ: Priest, Prophet and King (Ephesians 4:13). Then the Church when he will face a demon, will not need to do sessions for days to rescue them: say, "Get out!" And the daemon exits.
Dissatisfied
So far the discourse on the Word. Prayer, however, has to do (if I may perhaps subjective observation) with the disturbance in the Word and the Spirit in us to cause the failure we see in our ministry, the obvious contrast between what we read and what you try out. If there is no disturbance, restlessness, dissatisfaction, there never kneel before God: who has already met will certainly not an instrument of awakening. If the Lord is not in the church-this concern, another par-you raise someone who becomes a cause-tion for us.
Dissatisfaction led us to seek God's presence, where we receive the revelation. I do not mean new revelations, but in truth are there in the Bible and that we need to appropriate by faith: faith in us, stimulated by the Word, but also the security that comes from communion with The authority has basis in fact God in the sense of identity that comes from a relationship with God when we are confident in the relationship with the Father and with others, and we can say with certainty: "Thus saith the Lord," then we become authoritative. Insecurity makes us rather lose power and authority.
We must therefore give time to prayer to build our lives to the roots. Not that prayer is the same as "work" to transform and sanctify us, but the contemplation of God and communion with Him (2 Cor. 3:18). If we fall in love of God be with him and we understand that it is essential to our security, identity and health, I would not trouble-mo to give him time.
It is vital to spend time to speak in tongues, for that we are freed from the psychological blocks and loose from the emotional wounds to enter into full communion with the source that is at the core of our existence, where we did not get our mind. When we speak in tongues, hidden areas of our personality are brought to the presence of God
Listen to God
But how do we talk to God and hear His voice? The Scripture clearly says that He is a God who speaks, but what are the modalities of the relationship between a spiritual and invisible, and men who have bodies clearly visible? On this subject there is much confusion. Often it says: "The Lord told me ..."; but how does God speak? It is an emotion? a thought? How many "prophecies" are not prophetic aunts, but only human thoughts! It 'important that we, as a movement of the Spirit today, we seek a balanced response to these questions that the Christian-humanism has debated over the centuries.
This theme has been a source of great tension throughout the history of the Church, and is at the root of the division between Catholics and Protestants. Protestants say, "The Written Word", but history has shown-to that is not enough. The Pentecostals say, "The Written Word and the Holy Spirit", but apparently Nean-that this is sufficient, because the churches will divide-no. The Catholic Church says: "The Word, the Spirit and the authority." But historically this did not work-to, because in practice the authority has replaced the Word and the Spirit.
To understand how we can feel God, it is important to understand the structure of man: "... The whole may your spirit, soul and body ..." (1 Thess. 5:23) . The spirit is to contact the spirit world, the soul of the emotional and intellectual, the physical body. But even so, it is not always easy to distinguish between the three aspects of our being. It is the experience, lived under the action of the Word and the Spirit and within the community, we feel con-learn to discern better.
Landmark
But there are some references, each insufficient by itself, but taken together will help us to distinguish the voice of the Lord. The first is the testimony of the Holy Spirit in our spirit: "... the Spirit of all things, even the depths of God" (1 Cor. 2:10). "The spirit of man is a lamp of the LORD that searches all the recesses of the heart" (Prov. 20:27). We can develop the sensitivity of our spirit, learning to depend on who lives in us and cultivate the relationship with the Spirit of God A spirit trained and renewed by the Holy Spirit can, as far as it accrues, listen-ing and discern God's voice
A second element is the witness of conscience. Consciousness itself is an ambiguous tool, influenced by our upbringing, circumstances, culture: what is good for some, for others it is bad. But can be a sensitive instrument in the hands of God: "I tell the truth in Christ, not lying, because I make a statement to my conscience in the Holy Spirit ..." (Romans 9:1). Mo-we have to offer our bodies daily living sacrifices to God and let our minds be renewed by His Word (Rom. 12:1-2).
But one last drive, often neglected, which is an-a guarantee that is the confirmation of the church. The security comes not only from the relationship with God, but also by those who are around us. We need to be placed in time and space and know who is above us and below us. You can not live a full Christian life outside the church.
The path must be done so in the church and the church. And here we are not all equal here is another idea that humanism has nothing to do with Scripture. God has made the authorities to lead the church: first apostles, then prophets, pastors, teachers and elders. Just because the Catholic Church has abused of the Authority, we must not throw the baby out with the bathwater, but rather to recover the true structures of authority in the Word of God taught
In these two areas then - and the Word the prayer - we must grow to become a church mature and balanced, able to listen to the Lord. The path to power is to seek God through the Word and through personal communion with Him
Some think that we must conquer the power, rather than the other 'we already have. Both things are true. "The Promised Land is yours - the Lord says to the people of Israel - then go to possess it." In the Christian life is the same tension: we have been given a legal position in Christ, but we have to win the experience. This is why some while others live in the power, while Christians in their own right, do not express it. Evidently there is a mechanism that does not trigger.
is very important that we learn to apply this fundamental key of hermeneutics: that "it is written ... and is also written. " We have the tendency to take only a few-za 'writings', forgetting a number of things, "also written". But it is only by bringing the two poles in tension that we arrive at balanced positions Brate to become mature Christians and churches mature.
Grace
In Acts 6:4, the Apostle declares: "We continue to dedicate ourselves to prayer-oar and at the ministry of the word. " In this little formula is contained all the key power: prayer and the Word. To the extent that we put in place those two things, we can express the power of God
However, if the prayer is seen as a duty or a meritorious work, we do not understand its meaning. Only when it is hungry and thirsty for God becomes truly effective. Similarly, the word can be read as a book of theology, but rather when it is implemented as the voice of God speaking to us today that comes to life, current strength and for us.
also fasting, it is seen as a work to curry the favor of God, is useless, but if it is the expression of a desire for God which is also losing interest in food, it becomes a privileged to meet him. Everything has to be rooted in love for God and desire for communion with Him in grace and not by law.
is important that our whole life is based solidly in favor, because there is always the risk of falling under the law, and then we wrecked. So I do not feel condemned for a day or a week or not please do not read the Bible. E 'to the extent that I live in communion with God that my spiritual life becomes stable.
The foundation of the Word
Let us begin with the discussion on the Word. We are heirs of the Reformation and Luther's discovery that it is the foundation. It is particu-larly important for us to remain rooted in the Pentecostal written word, because it is easy for the awesome braking enthusiastic and charismatic movements to move from this to that "rhema" [revealed word]. Without diminishing the importance of the revelations, so risk of falling prey to emotions and feelings, creating confusion and division in the Church. It is no coincidence that the Pentecostal movement, historically, is what has produced more than one division, but we need to address them. Some of the movements that have arisen recently as they have in fact instance deepest desire and quest for unity.
The written word is thus the foundation. But for our discussion is central to the Gospel of the Kingdom, namely the Word of God not only proclaimed, but also demonstrated.
The Gospel of the Kingdom
These two aspects of the message of the Kingdom - the proclamation and demonstration - must be closely linked together to become the gospel of God here we fall into another mistake: to think that the power has to do only with the demonstration, when they have to deal first with the proclamation. It is the content of the Gospel that is powerful, that changes lives! Some are healed, but not changed, because this only happens when the Gospel of the Lord Jesus touched their hearts.
In Matthew 4:23-25 \u200b\u200bwe read: "Jesus was no actor and all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people" is
aspects characterizing the gospel of the Kingdom: teaching, preaching and her recovery-region. The New Testament puts these things together forever. It was the traditional evangelical theology (and in this, many sins go dispensationalism) to separate the announcement from the demonstration. I am always surprised to discover that the Pentecostals can be dispensationalists!
II Gospel presupposes a clash between two kingdoms: the of God and of Satan. Jesus proclaims the authoritative teaching and preaching, and demonstrates through conversion, healing and deliverance, the domain of God: "People were amazed at his teaching because he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes .. .: with authority He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him. " "All were filled with amazement and said to one another: What is this word? With authority and power He commands the unclean spirits ... "(Mark 1:22,27, Lk. 4:36).
This leads us to a second pair of terms: authority and power. I think it is now clear that these two things are essential to demonstrate and advance the Kingdom of God can not be done by simply reading, a teach-ing and preaching of Scripture on Sunday morning-ca. The power and authority are essential precisely because it is a clash between two kingdoms. Only to the extent that we can attack and defeat the enemy take away land because more people will submit to the Government of God
There is a distinction between authority and power. The Authority is the freedom of action of God that you have, do and control, power, energy is needed to impose it. The Bible tells us that the authority and power come from God are not things that we gain through our experience and feelings.
The Sovereign of the universe
The Bible speaks, first, the authority of God the Father, the Judge of the universe, who has the right to-do Tremenico thrown into hell (Luke 12:5) and not accountable to anyone what he does. He has absolute authority over us as the potter on the clay to shape it as he wishes (Rom. 9:18-26), and we have no right to complain. No one can go and say to him: "Why is that? Why is that? "God" is mercy for those who want and who wants to harden "(Romans 9:18). Indeed, we must be happy and content with whatever he decides to do us: it is in his freedom because he has given us life.
It is debated for centuries on this subject, but the Word is clear that God has this kind of authority, independent of any conditio-to. This is the order of the universe. To our human mentality, that you badly, but Scripture makes it clear. As humanism entered the Christian church in the last century! But if we learn to know God, we also learn to accept ourselves as we have been made.
is he who sets the course of history: nothing escapes him. On top of everything that happens in the world, there is a sovereign God who retains control. This thought should help us to be at rest, no matter what happens around us.
Delegated Authority
God also has the freedom to delegate his authority in Revelation 6:8, does the angel who destroys nature in obedience to his trial. Jesus exercises authority delegated by the Father: "All authority has been given me in heaven and on earth" (Matt. 28:18).
In the vision of Daniel 7:9-28, is described in a surprising way the structure of spiritual authority in the EU-universe "thrones were placed and the Ancient of Days took his seat ... His throne was flames of fire ... "is obviously an image the Father. In v. 13: "Here come the clouds of heaven one like unto the Son of man ... To him was given dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations and languages \u200b\u200bshould serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion ... "And in v.18:" Then will the saints of the kingdom and the may sit forever, for eternity. "
There are three parties here: God, the Son of man, the saints of the Most High. The third level of authority is therefore the Church. This delegation is made possible by the cross and the resurrection, because Jesus has won, completing his term, it can transmit it to the Church. "All authority was given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore ... I am with you always "(Matt. 28:18-19). We are the instrument that God chose to displace the main courtyards and powers that have rebelled against Him!
Usually we make a clear difference between Christ and the Church: the one belongs to the divine sphere, the other for human consumption. Instead, it is not. Jesus identified himself totally with the man: this is the deeper meaning of Christianity. Since Christ was incarnate, we are sure to win, he became its guarantor.
authority are linked to the position, the engagement; is objective, independent of the person who holds them. When a policeman raises his shovel, do not we ask what is your family life or how you think about this and that: we stop to its nod because he is an officer who carries that kind of work.
So all of us, simply because they are believers, we have authority: we must strive to have, we have already. Does not depend on what we are good or bad: there has been delegated by God when confronted by the devil, we must know that we are servants of God, clothed with authority. Our reference is in Jesus, the messenger of God on earth to destroy the devil's work and men to steal his evil power.
Slay demons
The demonic dimension, in the Gospels, it is essen-tial. Today, when we see a Carlos Annacondia cast out demons, we think perhaps I'd better see some resurrection, but the New Testament does not think so. The expulsion of demons is central to the logic of the strategy of God, because all the invasion of Jesus has to do with the expulsion of Satan. Jesus came to earth to rescue the prince of this world, so that when the demons are driven out, we know that the Kingdom of God has come (Matt. 12:28).
is amazing how some evangelicals to face scandal and annoys the expulsion of demons: they prefer the healings and conversions. But no. We must recover the conception of the Kingdom of the New Testament: the demons must be driven out, then will also be healings and conversions!
Today there is a whole debate over whether believers or not it can have demons. But the early church had the spiritual understanding to make sure people had ended with the demons from the moment of conversion. We, unfortunately, we lost this foresight, but now the Lord is doing to recover the ancient wisdom. The conflict 'demons - demons no' must be tackled at its roots. We must understand that in the initiation to the Christian life is also in the exorcism, this too, such as baptism in the Holy Spirit is part of the "immersion in Christ. " If assures us-mo that people are freed from the demons from the start, do not be annoyed later.
The authority of Jesus is manifest, therefore, in teaching, Exorcist, but also in per-gift of sins. And here too, it is true that we do not have Catholic confessors in the manner, but it is false to think that we are exempt from confessing sins. We must be aware that this is a territory that belongs to us, that even the "binding and loosing is part of the year given to the Church (Matt. 18:18).
Spirit and power
Another pair of words closely related and often found together is Spirit and power. The Holy Spirit is in fact the channel of power, both in preaching and miracles in building up the Church. "Spirit" and "power" go together: to the extent that we are in communion with the Holy Spirit, we receive the energy. The power does not have as much to do with the screaming (although this can be useful sometimes!), But with communion with the Spirit, which must be continuous, deep and refined.
We have Christ and the Holy Spirit, as we have sufficient authority, without displaying the power. We receive the Spirit when we are born again and receive Jesus as Savior and Lord. We Pentecostals we must be careful not to say, in our simplicity, that other believers have the Spirit: They all children of God, because "no one can say 'Jesus is Lord' except by the Holy Spirit" (lst Cor. 12:3). But then, this energy must be expressed.
I believe that we have reached a threshold and that we still have achievements in this direction. While we are grateful to God for the way we have done and for the goals attained, we aim at a stronger and more mature. I'm excited for the detection level to which the Church has already arrived, but I expect a walk in the coming years even more glorious for the Lord brings us to the full manifestation of the glory of His children (Romans 8:19). "The old man" that God is forming will grow to full stature of Christ: Priest, Prophet and King (Ephesians 4:13). Then the Church when he will face a demon, will not need to do sessions for days to rescue them: say, "Get out!" And the daemon exits.
Dissatisfied
So far the discourse on the Word. Prayer, however, has to do (if I may perhaps subjective observation) with the disturbance in the Word and the Spirit in us to cause the failure we see in our ministry, the obvious contrast between what we read and what you try out. If there is no disturbance, restlessness, dissatisfaction, there never kneel before God: who has already met will certainly not an instrument of awakening. If the Lord is not in the church-this concern, another par-you raise someone who becomes a cause-tion for us.
Dissatisfaction led us to seek God's presence, where we receive the revelation. I do not mean new revelations, but in truth are there in the Bible and that we need to appropriate by faith: faith in us, stimulated by the Word, but also the security that comes from communion with The authority has basis in fact God in the sense of identity that comes from a relationship with God when we are confident in the relationship with the Father and with others, and we can say with certainty: "Thus saith the Lord," then we become authoritative. Insecurity makes us rather lose power and authority.
We must therefore give time to prayer to build our lives to the roots. Not that prayer is the same as "work" to transform and sanctify us, but the contemplation of God and communion with Him (2 Cor. 3:18). If we fall in love of God be with him and we understand that it is essential to our security, identity and health, I would not trouble-mo to give him time.
It is vital to spend time to speak in tongues, for that we are freed from the psychological blocks and loose from the emotional wounds to enter into full communion with the source that is at the core of our existence, where we did not get our mind. When we speak in tongues, hidden areas of our personality are brought to the presence of God
Listen to God
But how do we talk to God and hear His voice? The Scripture clearly says that He is a God who speaks, but what are the modalities of the relationship between a spiritual and invisible, and men who have bodies clearly visible? On this subject there is much confusion. Often it says: "The Lord told me ..."; but how does God speak? It is an emotion? a thought? How many "prophecies" are not prophetic aunts, but only human thoughts! It 'important that we, as a movement of the Spirit today, we seek a balanced response to these questions that the Christian-humanism has debated over the centuries.
This theme has been a source of great tension throughout the history of the Church, and is at the root of the division between Catholics and Protestants. Protestants say, "The Written Word", but history has shown-to that is not enough. The Pentecostals say, "The Written Word and the Holy Spirit", but apparently Nean-that this is sufficient, because the churches will divide-no. The Catholic Church says: "The Word, the Spirit and the authority." But historically this did not work-to, because in practice the authority has replaced the Word and the Spirit.
To understand how we can feel God, it is important to understand the structure of man: "... The whole may your spirit, soul and body ..." (1 Thess. 5:23) . The spirit is to contact the spirit world, the soul of the emotional and intellectual, the physical body. But even so, it is not always easy to distinguish between the three aspects of our being. It is the experience, lived under the action of the Word and the Spirit and within the community, we feel con-learn to discern better.
Landmark
But there are some references, each insufficient by itself, but taken together will help us to distinguish the voice of the Lord. The first is the testimony of the Holy Spirit in our spirit: "... the Spirit of all things, even the depths of God" (1 Cor. 2:10). "The spirit of man is a lamp of the LORD that searches all the recesses of the heart" (Prov. 20:27). We can develop the sensitivity of our spirit, learning to depend on who lives in us and cultivate the relationship with the Spirit of God A spirit trained and renewed by the Holy Spirit can, as far as it accrues, listen-ing and discern God's voice
A second element is the witness of conscience. Consciousness itself is an ambiguous tool, influenced by our upbringing, circumstances, culture: what is good for some, for others it is bad. But can be a sensitive instrument in the hands of God: "I tell the truth in Christ, not lying, because I make a statement to my conscience in the Holy Spirit ..." (Romans 9:1). Mo-we have to offer our bodies daily living sacrifices to God and let our minds be renewed by His Word (Rom. 12:1-2).
But one last drive, often neglected, which is an-a guarantee that is the confirmation of the church. The security comes not only from the relationship with God, but also by those who are around us. We need to be placed in time and space and know who is above us and below us. You can not live a full Christian life outside the church.
The path must be done so in the church and the church. And here we are not all equal here is another idea that humanism has nothing to do with Scripture. God has made the authorities to lead the church: first apostles, then prophets, pastors, teachers and elders. Just because the Catholic Church has abused of the Authority, we must not throw the baby out with the bathwater, but rather to recover the true structures of authority in the Word of God taught
In these two areas then - and the Word the prayer - we must grow to become a church mature and balanced, able to listen to the Lord. The path to power is to seek God through the Word and through personal communion with Him
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