Trojan Horses

aribell

formerly nicola.kirwan
Have you ever encountered something in your life that truly seemed good and of God, but ultimately bore terrible fruit?

Scripture says that we will know teachers in particular by their fruit. We should also discern spiritially.

Do you believe that God allows these spiritual "trojan horses" into our lives sometimes, knowing that we won't be able to tell that it's bad; or should we always be able to know beforehand that something is not of Him? Even if you prayed, fasted, got "confirmations" from other believers?

This is not just about teachings--it could be a marriage, ministry decision, anything where you everything was a go, but it turned out badly.

Is this always avoidable for the believer?
 
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Yes girl!

I had learned that just because something is good, don't make it God.

Thats why I pray for discernment. The bible says to acknowlegde Him in ALL our ways and He will direct our paths. The enemy does lay snares and tricks to deceive,but thats why the Holy Spirit leads us into all truths.I always say if you get that "something not right feeling"...STOP and PRAY! lol

But I thank God because in a case that something doesn't go right, He said EVERYTHING works together for the good of them that love the Lord. So it may turn out bad, but it still going to work for your good.

I also learned that sometimes "bad " things just happen because it's in the will of God for our lives. Look at Job, he suffered terribly, but he was still in the will of God. His friends thought he has sinned or did something wrong, but Job was innocent. The bible said Job was perfect and upright before God. Terrible things befell Him, but God was just bragging on Him to satan. God just wanted some glory. Job was still in the will of God. So when bad outcomes happen, dont automatically think "Man I did something wrong or I missed God"...it may just be the will of God:yep:
 
Yup! Many times though I reflect and realize there was always one person who was like "are you sure you wanna do that?" While everyone else was saying "do it!" Most often it wasn't even someone who I knew really cared for me either but was just a casual person in my life. God still used then to say "maybe you should fall back a minute"
 
Have you ever encountered something in your life that truly seemed good and of God, but ultimately bore terrible fruit?

Yes, I've been deceived before, by people, situations and relationships; God always had a way of turning the bad (devil's intent) into good. That is why I've learned to trust God, no matter what circumstances look like. He is always in control, even when I can't see what's coming around the corner. :yep:


Is this always avoidable for the believer?

It's possible for the Believer to avoid... He's made a way of escape from the Fowler. Again, it's a trust thing with God. I just say, God I trust you, and leave it in His Hands.
 
Sometimes the warning is the tinniest hint of a warning, but it often gets overridden by our own desires or the flesh. I have gone off in the flesh before. I think God allowed me because #1, even if he told me, I probably would have reasoned my way into doing what I wanted anyway. Somethings have to be learned the hard way. I have learned my lesson! #2, when we live in sin, the devil has to potential to influence our decisions and behaviors, and sends false signs to keep us on the wrong path. Prayer is so essential and praying in the spirit in particular is so essential, because the holy spirit makes intercession for us. I have added this to my prayer, "Lord don't let me go anyplace or seek anything that you spirit if your spirit is not going to be with me" Also, "Lord please rule over my sub conscience, and guide my unconscious thoughts." I found the second one in scripture somewhere, I will try to post it later. It's ll about prayer, praise, and worship. We have the ability to pray the word! His will is his word, Ask God to do Isaiah 58 for you, in it God says, "I will guide you always." Pray it, and believe it. He also says the steps of the righteous man are ordered by the Lord. It's all about total submission to his will, and refusing to go any place his spirit is not leading you to go. It doesn't happen overnight, but maybe it's something you can study and share with us what you find. God does not want us to be misled, all of his secrets are in his word. Oh, and I have learned that while unctions are good, I don't always trust unctions! Everything by prayer and the spirit.
 
Have you ever encountered something in your life that truly seemed good and of God, but ultimately bore terrible fruit?

Scripture says that we will know teachers in particular by their fruit. We should also discern spiritially.

Do you believe that God allows these spiritual "trojan horses" into our lives sometimes, knowing that we won't be able to tell that it's bad; or should we always be able to know beforehand that something is not of Him? Even if you prayed, fasted, got "confirmations" from other believers?

This is not just about teachings--it could be a marriage, ministry decision, anything where you everything was a go, but it turned out badly.

Is this always avoidable for the believer?

Just wanted to comment that this is an excellent topic which compels us all the more to be discerning of what comes/goes in our lives.

Excellent 'food for thought' and especially prayer. (our daily bread). :up:
 
Yes I have! Thank God for his deliverance. In general though, I am slow to trust, slow to put my confidence in people, and slow to cosign a person's character, ministry, etc. I need to see the fruits first. When it comes to people (because we are all fallible in our human flesh), I have learned to seek God's guidance.
 
Thank you everyone for your responses. I really had something I wanted to say for each one, but that would be a super long post now.

I have been thinking lately about something similar to what sidney mentioned. The Holy Spirit can be so subtle. It's like Elijah and the still small voice. There will be a cacophony of noise swirling around us--from with out and from within--but the Holy Spirit is that constant still small voice throughout. We hear Him, but we overlook Him. We see what He shows us, but we go for the flashier and more obvious. It is easy to override the voice of the spirit with our own will.

I've just been seeing how the truth is always there. God is always leading. We have to quiet ourselves and clear ourselves out to be able to recognize it for what it is.

I've encountered this issue most often when there is apparent contradiction or confusion. A person (or situation or relationship) will have so much of a good thing, and then something that is clearly anti-God. In situations like those, we can often choose to believe the best because that's what we want, but the bad was plainly before us. And then when the bad fruit manifests itself down the road, we can think back and say, "Yeah, I saw that bad seed in that person (or situation) plain as day...I just chose to overlook it or rationalize it away."

This came up not just thinking about my life, but also in hearing of someone who has gone through something so hard, and I just had my jaw on the ground because it seemed like they had done everything perfectly, just as God had required. But you know, they ended up admitting that every now and again they would have a thought that something wasn't right, that they needed to go in a different direction...but they ultimately overlooked those thoughts instead of stopping. But they were such subtle, passing thoughts. I think such moments of clarity are often the voice of God. (ETA: I'm not saying the person sinned, only that God was speaking in order to help them avoid the situation.)

I've also learned that a lack of patience can really hinder one's ability to discern how God is leading. When impatience is in the picture, we aren't really open to what God has to say, because we are too focused on something happening when and how we want it to happen. Letting go of impatience, for me, has resulted in a much greater ability to continually sense the Spirit's flow and go with it. I hadn't realized how much impatience was hindering that.

ETA: I really appreciate what @Laela said about God working everything for the good. Knowing that brings peace because even if we recognize that we erred, we know that He has still taken us to a better place through it. I can honestly say that is true in my own life.
 
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Sometimes the warning is the tinniest hint of a warning, but it often gets overridden by our own desires or the flesh. I have gone off in the flesh before. I think God allowed me because #1, even if he told me, I probably would have reasoned my way into doing what I wanted anyway. Somethings have to be learned the hard way. I have learned my lesson! #2, when we live in sin, the devil has to potential to influence our decisions and behaviors, and sends false signs to keep us on the wrong path. Prayer is so essential and praying in the spirit in particular is so essential, because the holy spirit makes intercession for us. I have added this to my prayer, "Lord don't let me go anyplace or seek anything that you spirit if your spirit is not going to be with me" Also, "Lord please rule over my sub conscience, and guide my unconscious thoughts." I found the second one in scripture somewhere, I will try to post it later. It's ll about prayer, praise, and worship. We have the ability to pray the word! His will is his word, Ask God to do Isaiah 58 for you, in it God says, "I will guide you always." Pray it, and believe it. He also says the steps of the righteous man are ordered by the Lord. It's all about total submission to his will, and refusing to go any place his spirit is not leading you to go. It doesn't happen overnight, but maybe it's something you can study and share with us what you find. God does not want us to be misled, all of his secrets are in his word. Oh, and I have learned that while unctions are good, I don't always trust unctions! Everything by prayer and the spirit.

Thank you everyone for your responses. I really had something I wanted to say for each one, but that would be a super long post now.

I have been thinking lately about something similar to what sidney mentioned. The Holy Spirit can be so subtle. It's like Elijah and the still small voice. There will be a cacophony of noise swirling around us--from with out and from within--but the Holy Spirit is that constant still small voice throughout. We hear Him, but we overlook Him. We see what He shows us, but we go for the flashier and more obvious. It is easy to override the voice of the spirit with our own will.

I've just been seeing how the truth is always there. God is always leading. We have to quiet ourselves and clear ourselves out to be able to recognize it for what it is.

I've encountered this issue most often when there is apparent contradiction or confusion. A person (or situation or relationship) will have so much of a good thing, and then something that is clearly anti-God. In situations like those, we can often choose to believe the best because that's what we want, but the bad was plainly before us. And then when the bad fruit manifests itself down the road, we can think back and say, "Yeah, I saw that bad seed in that person (or situation) plain as day...I just chose to overlook it or rationalize it away."

This came up not just thinking about my life, but also in hearing of someone who has gone through something so hard, and I just had my jaw on the ground because it seemed like they had done everything perfectly, just as God had required. But you know, they ended up admitting that every now and again they would have a thought that something wasn't right, that they needed to go in a different direction...but they ultimately overlooked those thoughts instead of stopping. But they were such subtle, passing thoughts. I think such moments of clarity are often the voice of God. (ETA: I'm not saying the person sinned, only that God was speaking in order to help them avoid the situation.)

I've also learned that a lack of patience can really hinder one's ability to discern how God is leading. When impatience is in the picture, we aren't really open to what God has to say, because we are too focused on something happening when and how we want it to happen. Letting go of impatience, for me, has resulted in a much greater ability to continually sense the Spirit's flow and go with it. I hadn't realized how much impatience was hindering that.

ETA: I really appreciate what @Laela said about God working everything for the good. Knowing that brings peace because even if we recognize that we erred, we know that He has still taken us to a better place through it. I can honestly say that is true in my own life.

double, triple thanks to both of these posts, and the original post.
 
Sometimes the warning is the tinniest hint of a warning, but it often gets overridden by our own desires or the flesh. I have gone off in the flesh before. I think God allowed me because #1, even if he told me, I probably would have reasoned my way into doing what I wanted anyway. Somethings have to be learned the hard way. I have learned my lesson! #2, when we live in sin, the devil has to potential to influence our decisions and behaviors, and sends false signs to keep us on the wrong path. Prayer is so essential and praying in the spirit in particular is so essential, because the holy spirit makes intercession for us. I have added this to my prayer, "Lord don't let me go anyplace or seek anything that you spirit if your spirit is not going to be with me" Also, "Lord please rule over my sub conscience, and guide my unconscious thoughts." I found the second one in scripture somewhere, I will try to post it later. It's ll about prayer, praise, and worship. We have the ability to pray the word! His will is his word, Ask God to do Isaiah 58 for you, in it God says, "I will guide you always." Pray it, and believe it. He also says the steps of the righteous man are ordered by the Lord. It's all about total submission to his will, and refusing to go any place his spirit is not leading you to go. It doesn't happen overnight, but maybe it's something you can study and share with us what you find. God does not want us to be misled, all of his secrets are in his word. Oh, and I have learned that while unctions are good, I don't always trust unctions! Everything by prayer and the spirit.

So, I thought the scripture about the Holy Spirit leading the subconcious was Romans 9:1. But the scripture actually says, "the holy spirit bears witness with his conscience!" But anyway, the first one was a scripture, Lord if your presence doesn't go with me, I don't want to go. Moses said it. Exodus 33:15. That is a good scripture-based prayer.
 
Yes, it reminds me of my new favorite scriptural passage. Jeremiah 29:4-11

Sometimes God will allow even his Chosen people to be in uncomfortable places, places that they normally would dare be in. . .only after our obedience in staying still do we see that God had a plan all along.

It also reminds me that just as in the book of Job, the devil has to go thru God to get to us and God will only allow what he will, and he has the power to bring us out in his due time.
 
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