The POWER behind me!

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robertaf

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I am a Catholic Charismatic.
Those are usually words that invite some folks to come in. debating the pros and cons of mmm…mostly the gift of tongues.

I have been avoiding these debates. In another thread Misty said I was like a “gentle breeze”. That is nice because this old redheaded Irish Broad has been known to act like a roaring wind in the past. Then something started happening to me.

It was like I heard the voice of the Holy Spirit telling me that he was the Power behind me, not me the Power behind HIM. He didn’t need a defender, He is God and the Charismatic Renewal doesn’t need one either because it has the Spirit of God guiding and protecting it. HE NEEDS WITNESSES!

They won’t know we are Christians by how we defend the Faith. Oh no, they will know we are Christians by how we love one another.

It is by our Fruits they will know us, not how well we debate.

In fact, we have been well warned not to get into vain arguments and idle talk.

We can and should answer ligitimate questions. However, once they are answered and rejected, we should shake the dust off our feet and go on being GOOD WITNESSES FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT.

This is not to offend anyone. I love you all too much for that. It is just a reminder of what the Charismatic Renewal is all about. It is not about the Gift of Tongues as so many think. That is one small part. If we do not manifest the Fruits, how can we claim to be Charismatics?

Fruits of the Holy Spirit***GAL 5:22,23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. ***

smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/17/17_1_14.gif
 
Roberta,
I don’t really understand Charismatic renewal…but I do know how much I like reading your posts and how kind you are…I hadn’t seen your posts for a while and I was beginning to wonder if you were okay. Your faith shines through and it is an inspiration to us.
God Bless
A

(and please keep posting 👍 )
 
Hi Berta,

You are right about they will know we are Christians by the way we love… Sometimes on these threads posters get too hung up on quantity of material instead of quality…
when it comes to defending the Faith… Knowledge is good…Love is the best.:love:
 
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robertaf:
I am a Catholic Charismatic.
Those are usually words that invite some folks to come in. debating the pros and cons of mmm…mostly the gift of tongues.

I have been avoiding these debates. In another thread Misty said I was like a “gentle breeze”. That is nice because this old redheaded Irish Broad has been known to act like a roaring wind in the past. Then something started happening to me.

It was like I heard the voice of the Holy Spirit telling me that he was the Power behind me, not me the Power behind HIM. He didn’t need a defender, He is God and the Charismatic Renewal doesn’t need one either because it has the Spirit of God guiding and protecting it. HE NEEDS WITNESSES!

They won’t know we are Christians by how we defend the Faith. Oh no, they will know we are Christians by how we love one another.

It is by our Fruits they will know us, not how well we debate.

In fact, we have been well warned not to get into vain arguments and idle talk.

We can and should answer ligitimate questions. However, once they are answered and rejected, we should shake the dust off our feet and go on being GOOD WITNESSES FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT.

This is not to offend anyone. I love you all too much for that. It is just a reminder of what the Charismatic Renewal is all about. It is not about the Gift of Tongues as so many think. That is one small part. If we do not manifest the Fruits, how can we claim to be Charismatics?

Fruits of the Holy Spirit***GAL 5:22,23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. ***

smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/17/17_1_14.gif
Click to expand...
You can pray for me anytime,I need all the prayers I can get:D God Bless
 
Dear friend

Love is everything and without love we have nothing. Debate , discussion and argument has no place in Christ. His wisdom alone suffices and if that is not enough than no witness we Christians can bear will be enough. People search for God in wise words and in books and wise men, they are looking in all the wrong places…prayer is THE ONLY place to find God

God bless you and much much love and peace to you and those you love

Teresa
 
Dear friend

Love is everything and without love we have nothing. Debate , discussion and argument has no place in Christ. His wisdom alone suffices and if that is not enough than no witness we Christians can bear will be enough. People search for God in wise words and in books and wise men, they are looking in all the wrong places…prayer is THE ONLY place to find God and once found many spiritualities exist within His path.

God bless you and much much love and peace to you and those you love

Teresa
 
Roberta,

Well, you started the thread, so I suppose I can ask a question.

What is the Catholic Charasmatic movement all about, if it’s not about speaking in tongues as you say. If it’s about loving others, then why have a title of “Charasmatic?”

I’m only asking because infrequently I hear something about the charasmatic movement, usually nonchanantly, and am qurious.

If it’s truly from the Holy Spirit, then why not an announcement like a Marian apparition or angelic messenger? Why would the Holy Spirit speak directly to you? I’m not expecially doubtful, just asking.

Thanks,
I Robert
 
Hi Robert,

We were told to give the topic of CCR a little rest for a while (Some of us were a little too passionate)

We have just gone through a number of threads with much information pro & con. As Roberta said—much of this was an exercise in futility.

You can do a search on “charismatic” in this forum

please visit our non-debate thread
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=19498&page=1&pp=100
Here’re some good sites to visit for information from the CCR websites

garg.com/ccc/

another good one
holyspiritinteractive.com/features/charismaticrenewal/

ICCR
iccrs.org/

National Service Committee
nsc-chariscenter.org/
 
Roberta,

Yes, we all have our roles, and sometimes they change from day to day. Somedays peace maker, but other days we must call others to order–and somedays we get mixed up

Yes, the gentle breeze --Maranatha Ruah!!!

The Staten Island Conference held Revival under the stars a few years ago. It was held on the grounds of the Jesuit retreat house at Mt Manresa, Staten Island. Armed with The Holy Spirit and a large can of “Off” the night was magnificent. The weather was absolutely perfect. You could feel the Spirit in the gentle breeze.
1 Kings 19:12. And after the earthquake, a fire: but the Lord is not in the fire. And after the fire, a whistling of a gentle air.
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I often remember this when things get too hostile, but unfortunately I sometimes forget.
 
Dear Roberta,
It was like I heard the voice of the Holy Spirit telling me that he was the Power behind me, not me the Power behind HIM. He didn’t need a defender, He is God and the Charismatic Renewal doesn’t need one either because it has the Spirit of God guiding and protecting it. HE NEEDS WITNESSES!
Click to expand...
It is my joy to confirm what you just wrote. As I spent time in prayer while falling asleep, this whole issue kept rolling in my thoughts as I asked God what can be done to redeem those who are persecuting the movement?

This was my meditation after having viewed the special on EWTN last night about the saintly Brother Andre’s life. Many will remember that he had an extraordinary gift of healing which he attributed to the intercession of St. Joseph. I observed that here was another saint who was persecuted and ordered by his superiors into seclusion - trying to put a stop to his charism.

We know of many others throughout history who faced the same treatment - St. Padre Pio, St. John of the Cross, the early christians who celebrated Eucharist in the catacombs, St. Stephen - to name just a few.

I thought about the wise men on Epiphany who were asked by Herod to report back to him after they had discovered the location of the newborn king, so that he could also go and worship Him. A lying spirit, mouthing insincere words, with an interior motive to destroy Him! The beauty of this story is that God sent an angel to instruct the wise men, as you know.

How anyone believes they can put away God’s holy ones, destroy His work, persecute His people, and He will do nothing to defend it, is beyond me.

I came to the same conclusion last night as you did: that God doesn’t need a defender, and His Spirit is protecting the CCR. I determined it is time to let go.

What also came to mind is that, in the examples of those who thought they had won the day in putting a stop to the work of the above saints, when God resurrected their work it bore fruit a hundred-fold X a hundred-fold! St. John of the Cross wrote his most beautiful works while imprisoned by his superiors, who believed they had stopped him. Yet today, they are read throughout the world, and he has been named a Doctor of the Church. So much for stopping God’s work, huh?

I slept like a baby! :dancing:
 
Good Morning Church

Joysong, you made my heart sing with joy when I read your post this morning. Thank you. Confirmation is always a good thing.

Reformed Rob, I am not saying tongues are not part of the CCR. Of course they are. However, I am guessing they were rather shocking and maybe talked about, way too much in the early Church or St Paul would not have reminded us that they were the least of the gifts. Without love, they were a noisy gong. Let’s face it, strange tongues create lots of attention. They did then and they do now. They create much confusion among folks not involved in the renewal. And that confusion can create strife and division in the Body of Christ. I didn’t say tongues create strife and division, but confusion and misunderstanding does.

However, when you ask "What is the Catholic Charasmatic movement all about, if it’s not about speaking in tongues as you say. If it’s about loving others, then why have a title of “Charasmatic?” ", I will answer it is about a lot more than tongues. Do you think the only Gift of the Holy Spirit (Charsm) is tongues? That simply is not true. It is one gift, again the least of many.
Without LOVE, they are all pretty worthless. The Love spoken of is Agape. Please read I Cor. Ch 13 to get the full meaning of what St Paul was telling us.
We have had so many Charismatic posts here. They eventually all end up focusing on what might appear to be “a noisy gong”. A gift from the Holy Spirit should never be treated as I have seen it treated.
I think the Holy Spirit is urging us to focus a bit more in Him and His Love.

Why would the Holy Spirit speak directly to me? What a strange question. Because I am a Child of God. Why would we pray for Him to speak to us if it was a futile prayer? The Church always prays that way.

Doesn’t He speak to you?
 
Good Morning Roberta, 🙂

I think the Holy Spirit has a hard time getting us to listen.
Listening isn’t easy…
God Bless
A
 
Yes,
He does speak, sometimes in a whisper, but other times - I guess because I am not listening—He does speak quite loudly.

And He does use others (as in healing He sometimes works through doctors or other natural means) He also speaks to us through others (and it is frustrating because He sometimes speaks through those we would rather not hear)

I have been blessed with many healings -physical, mental , emotional and spiritual, but what I remember most fondly is one rather small incident.

A few years ago, I was sitting in a doctor’s crowded waiting room with about a gazillion kids jumping around and playing noisily. All of a sudden, it was very quiet—I could see everything, but did not hear the noise—it was like I was detached. “Be still and know that I love you.” It was like a gentle lightening bolt. I had always intellectually known that Jesus loves me, but at that moment I really began to feel it, especially In the gentle breeze.
(1 Kings 19
11
So He said, " Go forth and stand on the mountain before the LORD.’’ And behold, the LORD was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.
12
After the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing.)

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I LOVE YOU.

In the gentle breeze that kisses your cheek,
In the beautiful flowers that cheer your soul,
In the crises of your life
And in small problems,
I am with you.

You may feel it is coincidence or good fortune,
But I tell you, It is I Who walks beside you.

The encouraging word,
The uplifting smile,
The hug you needed when you were brought so low;
It was I Who loved you and helped you.

Know that it is I Who works through all things for you,
And know that you must allow Me to work through you for others.

It is I who gives you gifts according to your needs and abilities.
Be open to Me and I will show you your path.
It is not for you to choose your gifts,
It is I who decides.
Be open to me and receive.
I know your needs and abilities and I will bless you.

I love you
I will take care of you
Trust Me.
Trust Me and receive.

Receive My Love;
Receive My Peace;
Receive My Hope;
Receive My Joy.

I give you tears and laughter to cleanse you of all that harms you.
I give you tears and laughter to release you from the fears that hold you down.
I give you tears and laughter to break down the walls that separate you from one another and from Me.

Receive, receive, receive,
Receive and be free to love unconditionally as I love you.
 
With all of the threads on CCR at the moment, lets give the subject a little bit of a rest. Not a ban, just a break. The charity pertaining to these threads is lacking and that needs to get back on track. If you can’t post anything nice, please don’t post anything at all.

Thank you for your understanding.
 
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