How Do You Know?
 

Why is it that when the Word of God clearly states:

Matthew 7:18-20 (King James Version)

(18) A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. (19) Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. (20) Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

that we will know people by their fruits that most Christians change it to "we will know them by their doctrine?"

Re: How Do You Know?
 

Excellent subject.

An apostolic couple (at least in 100% appearance and Acts 2:38 doctrine) walks into a restaurant and are rude to the waiter.

Another (non-apostolic) couple walk in and are NICE to the waiter, even after he screws up their order.

Who is showing the good fruits?

Re: How Do You Know?
 

The apostolics, because they have the right clothes on. :D

Re: How Do You Know?
 

Re: How Do You Know?
 

Many Apostolic Pentecostals are identifiable by the way they dress
and are notoriously poor tippers and demanding and demeaning in their attitude toward the server.

This is not meant to be a broad brush covering all Apostolic Pentecostals but does apply to many and seems to be a widespread perception among restaurant employees.

Re: How Do You Know?
 

Speaking of the way others will know that we are believers, look at this one:

JN 13:34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Re: How Do You Know?
 

I have a clean shaven face - my trump card!

Re: How Do You Know?
 

You know some things just makes you "bust-a-gut"....you got me laughing on this one!!!!!! :ursofunny

Re: How Do You Know?
 

Very good point, gs!

It is easier to know the truth of doctrine than it is to have the fruit of the Spirit!

Re: How Do You Know?
 

Don't get me started. :lol

Re: How Do You Know?
 

My adopted dad/Bishop Hancock just told me,

"if I have a choice of an apostolic with a bad spirit and a trinity with a good spirit, give me the trinity man." Because at least you could talk to the trinity. The Apostolic thinks he already knows it all.

Re: How Do You Know?
 

[QUOTE=U376977;765873]My adopted dad/Bishop Hancock just told me,
"if I have a choice of an apostolic with a bad spirit and a trinity with a good spirit, give me the trinity man." Because at least you could talk to the trinity. The Apostolic thinks he already knows it all.[/QUOTE]


I notice sometimes that it's the apostolic that is put in the bad light and
the trintitarian put in the good light. Right or wrong!

Kind of reminds me of an evangelist who told me a number of years ago,
"Sister, you are supposed to obey this man, RIGHT OR WRONG! (speaking
of the then pastor). I said, "You are WRONG"! It's never RIGHT to be
choose wrong.

The AOG pastor of the small town where we moved to in 1950, was circu-
lating tracts making light of the Godhead as we believe it. My late father,
not yet a pastor, but knowing the call of God was on his life, approached
this man. He humbly asked this pastor if they could sit down together in
a spirit of brotherly love and with their Bibles, discuss some things. He said
No, Robert, we are friends now, but IF we did that we would not be friends.
No bad spirits. He just made a CHOICE. He rejected what my apostolic Dad
had to say. He willingly declined the offer.

I was in the same grade as his only son and child. His son married my best
friend. They married in 1958 before my husband and I married in 1959. 50
yrs. ago. They had one daughter, the same age as our eldest son. 46 yrs.
She never married so as far as that minister is concerned, his lineage is
gone. There will never be another from his line. His wife is in a senior facility
and does not know her own son most of the time. The son and wife belong
to the Baptist church in town. No bad spirit. Just made a CHOICE!

Attended a wedding anniversary celebration last evening for a couple who
attended school with us. The son and his wife were there and I didn't feel a
bad spirit from them or the approximate 100 guests there. Many I had not
seen in years. Many that were at one time quite proud and seemingly having
it all together, looked as if life had taken its toll. Many of my classmates were
there and showed total respect for each other. NOT one of the students I
graduated with in 1957 have died in over 50 yrs. Many have celebrated their
50th wedding anniversaries, just as we will in two weeks, the Lord willing.

There is never a time in which it is approperiate to be rude or have a "bad"
spirit. We are each individually responsible for keeping our spirit and heart
right with our GOD and our fellowman. It's a CHOICE!

It seems to me as if we live in a much different generation or time, than we
did in the 50's. I know part of the "rebellion" started in the 60's. Our children
were born from 1960 through 1975. Our eldest son and his first cousin were
in the same grade in high school. One of the female teachers told their class
basically, "don't let your parents get by with telling you, "You can't do this
and you can't do that. I knew a girl whose parents wouldn't let her wear pants.
I told her, "Give them some flak. Ask them why". Don't let your parents get
by with telling you what to do". And that teacher's daughter was a pregnant
teenager in school.

There are always those out there who will support your children in their re-
bellion against their parents.

It's not all about "bad" and "good" spirits. It's about what is right and wrong.
What is true and what is error. Don't worry, life will take care of the spirits of
man. Good or bad! We reap what we sow in our lives many times through our
children and grandchildren. I promise it doesn't look or feel real good when some
seeds sown comes to fruition. Or as the old saying, "the chickens come home
to roost".

Wait until the generations you birth come to fruition. The fruit you bring forth in
your children will show you the reality of how it really is. It is easy to say a lot of
words, but the story at the end of our lives will be the deciding factor. We won't
be looking around at who had the bad spirit or the good spirit. We won't feel like
comparing the spirits. What we produced will be looking up into our faces. Mine
already are and I thank God for a father who loved us enough to tell us the truth,
even if it didn't make him popular with the community in which we lived. Dad had
such an humble spirit that even though the ministers in our community didn't agree
with him, they loved him. The memory of him and Mom are held in high honor to
this day, almost 20 yrs. after his death, hers, 9 yrs.

The local funeral home director's wife told me that Dad's funeral was the
largest they had ever handled, with maybe the exception of a beloved coach
and the school was turned out for his. Texas District ministers turned out
from all over. The local First Baptist pastor spoke on behalf of the ministerial
alliance, (all pastors ,except the C ofC) were members. It was basically a
ministry for benevolant causes within our community. The local catholic priest
attended as Dad's friend. the local longtime physician, as Dad's friend. and
many others. They were Dad's friends. And there were no BAD spirits present,
in spite of there being many oneness pentecostals and many trinitarians there
that day, almost 20 yrs. ago.

Well, U376977, guess you pushed a button and I responded.

Not with a "bad" spirit though. Just some thoughts from a senior sister
who will reach her "threescore and ten years" in Sept. We each have to
live our own lives. Many would not listen to the generation back then and
there are those who didn't listen to the following generation. Somewhere
along the line, perhaps there will be those who picked up some wisdom from
those who went before them. These words are not to offend at all!:heart

Blessings,

Falla39

Re: How Do You Know?
 

Sis.
I just thought the quote related to the first post, q. The simple FACT is that there are some Apostolics and Trinitarians with "bad" spirits and some have very good spirits.
I have met many snobbish, dignified and haughty apostolics, who because of the doctrine of the Godhead act like they are on an exalted spiritual plane and have an attitude "to hell" with everyone else because that is where they are going anyway. I just met such a Pastor in FL. There is a convention next week in TN where many in the denom. have that attitude. To deny that is just silly and simplistic.
The man that I quoted relates how God told him to go and help a Church of God preacher. He said that man had an excellent spirit and really loved God. He went and told him he was going to start attending his church and told him how he stood on the Godhead. They agreed it would be OK to work together. They worked together for a long time until one day when the CoG preacher was chopping wood and slammed the ax into a log and said, "preacher, 'what doth hinder me to be baptized.'" My dad took him, his wife and 3 boys to the river and baptized them in the name of Jesus Christ.
The whole point being...many times apostolics, over the course of years, get an exclusive exalted spirit. Not all by no means, but it does seem to be an issue with many. That type of spirit I cannot fellowship. But I have several Trinnie friends who know what I believe and I know what they believe and we can still be friends. One told me about an Apostolic that was "witnessing" to him about the Godhead (I know that preacher) and told him that all everyone who was not baptized in the name of JC was a spiritual "whore" and unless they changed would go to hell. And he said, "that includes your favorite preacher....JD (name deleted)." Is not that a beautiful witness! It may be years before I can talk to my friend about who Jesus really is because of the damage done by this so called preacher of truth.

Re: How Do You Know?
 

Not all OPs have a bad spirit. They don't all have a good spirit, either. Same can be said for the AG, Baptists, Catholics, Hindus, atheists, etc. People are people. We all have our faults, and our good qualities.

And lots of people "love one another". When you see a group of folks who love each other, according to Jesus, you can assume they are His disciples. If you take Jesus at His word, you could reach this conclusion before you even know what their doctrines are, or whether they even call themselves followers of Christ. Could it be that some people follow His teachings, without even knowing it?

Re: How Do You Know?
 

Yes. There are good people and bad acting people no matter the stripe they paint themselves with.