Questions and Opinions About Conviction
 

How do you personally decide when you feel convicted about something? At what point does conviction become your own thoughts? For example, I felt convicted about watching fighting (mixed martial arts among other types) then I thought "Well I might as well just stay off youtube altogether".

Re: Questions and Opinions About Conviction
 

When I feel a conviction it is pretty strong. There is no searching to determine if it from God or not. Likewise when I spoke in tongues the first time it was not the result of someone shaking my head until my words were garbles a bit more then normal, rather it came out like a dam bursting. God knows me and my tendency to question every little thing as a sign from Him or a twinge in the gut from something I had for dinner. As a result I never ONCE questioned my experiences like many said would happen: "Now remember that this is REAL! The devil is going to tell you that it didn't really happen!" -which IS a natural feeling when your convictions or spirit "infilling" is a result of physical trauma at an alter rather than God moving.

Re: Questions and Opinions About Conviction
 

Ha, I can relate, and will say that this search led me to see the different approaches to Christianity, and realize Western Christianity's...blind spot, if you will, http://www.wikihow.com/Recognize-the...ristian-Models
and that what you are describing translated for me into a sort of...clenched? wary kind of Christianity that I personally found unacceptable, and at odds with a creation centered Christianity, details in ref. Among other things, this has made Christ much less abstract, and although I talk even funnier now, and am possibly even more suspicious of any interpretations that push Heaven to some distant tomorrow, if that's possible, it has made those periods of, what would you call it? Name that spirit--lack of assurance? mostly disappear for me. I personally would see now that part of me is telling me that youtube is a waste of time or whatever it is (lol, and you can't say you don't know here, as you already got the Word?), and take steps to address this. If it's a "drug," like youtube, limit or eliminate it, etc., the point being to trust that those thoughts have validity, and not ignore them; address them in some way. The alternative being what most people do, ignore that "shut off the youtube" whisper cuz, after all we're talking about what I want, and then look all oblivious at the consequences, yes?

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For some reason, the most powerful testimony I've heard about that kind of tongues yet.

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I really like your signature Randy! If you check my Facebook I posted the video of that scene a few days ago.

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Problem all ovah pentecost. Nobody deals with the real issue.

Do you have such lack of self control that you can't visit youtube w/o clicking on mma vids?

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I have not had a chance to read this thread yet other than your initial post quoted above but I will say that I believe the majority of the time what is called or believed to be "conviction" in old time Pentecost is in fact psychological conditioning.

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In most cases that is absolutely the truth.

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Amen.

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I believe that. After hearing 'If my convictions aren't your convictions you need to pray until they are'... I got just exactly THAT impression.

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In some churches you get told what your convictions are going to be, you just gotta make up yo mind how soon.

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Conviction revolves around one emotional quirk; guilt (feeling wrong about not doing what is right). The Scribes and Pharisees are the perfect example of those who used Conviction to reach a specific level in Faith. Problem was, Conviction turned many “Rights” into “Wrongs”. Humans can follow the slippery slope of any extreme, and this imbalance can lead people to feeling wrong about something that others do with liberty.

Here is an excellent example; wine. Some Religious Organizations feel that wine, with alcohol, is wrong to consume and they take a strong stand against any intake of this drink. That may be fine for a certain group of people, but others may feel that wine in moderation is totally acceptable, and is even allowed using Scripture to prove it is.

What happens, the group against wine will end up condemning the group that drinks wine. Right and Wrong end up in this valley of “Conviction”, where dogmatic and self-righteous ploys are developed because conviction goes haywire. This eventually leads to confusion, and the group who once took this strong stand may actually wind up reneging on a past and supposable “Wrong” (Stay in Religion long enough and you will see this happen).

Here’s where things get real dicey! When the change takes place, some people stand back in awe, claiming that the change is the result of compromise (Right went to Wrong), when in reality, change was the result of Truth. This is a very tough pill to swallow if a person still feels conviction about a particular action or liberty that another group has begun to enjoy.

If you or another person feels wrong about something, be careful! Our own feelings are a huge downfall when it comes to making sound decisions about ourselves and others. Conviction can lead us to hate, kill, and destroy those who think differently than us. Conviction also creates, IMO, the most horrifying problem that any Faith Based Group could imagine; Blindness.

Re: Questions and Opinions About Conviction
 

Excellent post!

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No, I can stay off the mma vids just fine...I'm just using as an example of how the mind works...calm down a bit.

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That is not how the mind works. If I was going to kick my addiction to porn, I'd cancel my playboy subscription. I would not stop reading magazines.

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yikes?

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I really don't remember my exact thoughts to the T, I'm sure I had some in between thoughts, I'm just saying I went from "I don't need to be watching fighting videos" to "I might as well not get on youtube" I feel like that's my flesh, trying to destroy my conviction. In other words, my mind was saying "You might as well not do youtube if you can't watch your favorite thing." Make more sense?

Re: Questions and Opinions About Conviction
 

I have had instances where I know that God placed a conviction in me. I have had to make decisions about things whether I felt conviction or not. These I had to base on the principles of Scripture. God has dealt with me about some youtube content. However, I still enjoy some clips, and listening to preaching that is there.

I take time to pray if I am not sure if something is from God or myself. I have found that if I am struggling with something like you have described, it is generally God leading me in places that my flesh is not comfortable going. However, it is always worth it. There is nothing that you will give up that God will not more than make worth it. Eventually you wonder how you ever needed to have what you gave up.

Re: Questions and Opinions About Conviction
 

Beautifully put. Thank you. *Has a v8*

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I do not understand this. Would you be willing to clarify for the ignorant?

:D

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Sorry, just part of my vocabulary...famous tv commercials for V8, always ends in some guy getting smacked..."Shoulda had a V8" My way of saying "Der...if I had thought with muh brain I knew that already."