On Sun, 26 Jun 2005 12:30, XXX sent:
Dear Sheila Vitale,
I am writing to you believing that you are a believer and a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In one of your writings you stated the following:
"The physical gold dust that pours out at the services of the false revival, is the visible reflection of the spiritual gold dust that Satan is accumulating in the heart (4th) energy centers of everyone touched by the false revival"
I am saddened that you have been critical of something erroneously. Or have I misunderstood you?
You apparently do not know people who have been positively impacted and changed (not by the signs but by God.). While no one is without sin, there are genuine seekers of God who have been witnesses / recipients of mysterious manifestations of God. To walk with these people over time you would discover that they are growing in Christlikeness.
Would you agree that judging a tree by its fruit is a good way to determine its authenticity?
I like this definition of revival: people becoming like Jesus.
One cannot call that kind of revival a "false revival".
Being critical and finding fault is not attractive to people or to God, but the qualities of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control are very attractive.
I do not understand the signs and manifestations that I have witnessed / experienced personally. I do not seek for signs and manifestations. Along with those manifestations God has given me a greater hunger for Him, a greater desire for His word, a greater desire to obey Him quickly and a love of prayer/communion with Him. He is changing my heart from self centeredness and giving me a greater compassion for others. I desire to know Him and make Him known.
Though there is still much in me that must be conformed to Christ's character, I am pursuing Him with fervency and can see how His divine influence upon my soul is changing me for the better! (2 Corinthians 3:18).
This desire for greater intimacy with the Lord has been growing in me for the past 10 years!
I know of many people who share a similar experience.
I just wanted to let you know that what God has been doing, though mysterious, is bearing good fruit. To Him be the glory!
His beloved,
XXX
From: Pastor Vitale
Sent: Sun, 26 Jun 2005 18:49:21
Dear XXX
I will respond to you email in detail as soon as I can.
In the meantime you should know that criticism is an ungodly spirit. Speaking the truth as you understand it is not an ungodly spirit. An evaluation of what one perceives is not an ungodly spirit.
I publish my opinion as the Lord reveals His truth to me, and let the Lord correct me if I am wrong. I have not written to anyone who believes in anything and told them that they are wrong, which, if I had done it, would be an attempt to change their mind, as you have done to me, which is an ungodly spirit of control.
The correct way to deal with what I have written that offends you, or that you think is wrong, is to put yourself before the Lord, saying, Lord if I have missed something, or if I am wrong in any way, please help me to understand. If I am right, then please confirm it to me, and You deal with the writer.
Your need to personally confront me is a response to your being offended, which is the sin of pride. The Lord has not told you to correct, teach or criticize me. Do you really think that one person's opinion will change my mind about what the Lord has shown me? (I do welcome your opinion, however, but not your criticism.) No, you have written to me to alleviate the pain you felt when you read my articles.
I rejoice in different opinions, because that is how we learn, and am not afraid to hear something different, knowing that the Lord, Himself, will bring me into all truth. For example, I will ask the Lord how one such as you could have prospered from a spirit that He has shown me to be false - and look forward to His answer. Do you dare to ask a similar question - "If Pastor Vitale is correct about gold dust, how could I have prospered from it?"
1 Cor. 11:19, 19 For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. KJV
I have read your email only briefly, but I have read enough to rejoice with you that you are prospering in the Lord. Since the Lord has led you to our website, there must be something there that He wants to show you. I hope that you can put the gold dust issue "on the shelf" for now while you find and enjoy what He has led you here for.
I will ask the Lord how He wants me to respond to your email, if there is any way that I can help you, and if there is anything He will teach me from your email and our interaction.
I hope I have been an good example to you of how a difference of opinion should be dealt with in Christ. I will write soon.
God Bless You.
Sincerely in Christ,
Sheila R. Vitale,
Pastor, Teacher & Founder
Living Epistles Ministries
2nd RESPONSE FROM PASTOR VITALE
Sent: Sun, 26 Jun 2005 18:49:21
...I am saddened that you have been critical of something erroneously. Or have I misunderstood you?
[Pastor Vitale:] AS I TOLD YOU IN MY PREVIOUS EMAIL. CRITICISM IS AN UNGODLY SPIRIT. I HAVE SHARED WITH THE BODY OF CHRIST WHAT THE LORD HAS SHOWN ME
You apparently do not know people who have been positively impacted and changed (not by the signs but by God.). While no one is without sin, there are genuine seekers of God who have been witnesses / recipients of mysterious manifestations of God. To walk with these people over time you would discover that they are growing in Christlikeness.
[Pastor Vitale:] I WOULD LIKE TO MEET SOME OF THESE PEOPLE. WHERE DO YOU LIVE? WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO MEET WITH YOU?
Would you agree that judging a tree by its fruit is a good way to determine its authenticity?
[Pastor Vitale:] THIS IS TRUE, BUT THERE ARE SO MANY FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN JUDGING SPIRITUAL GROWTH. FOR EXAMPLE, MAYBE THE LORD HAD MERCY ON YOU, DESPITE YOUR EXPOSURE TO AN UNCLEAN SPIRIT, OR, PERHAPS, YOU ARE PROSPERING SPIRITUALLY, BUT HAVE BECOME PHYSICALLY ILL. SATAN IS KNOWN FOR HER SUBTLETY AND LIES.
HOW LONG DID YOU ATTEND A CHURCH WHERE GOLD DUST WAS APPEARING?
I TOLD YOU IN MY PREVIOUS EMAIL THAT I WOULD ASK THE LORD TO CORRECT ME IF I HAVE MADE A MISTAKE. I ALSO ASKED HIM WHAT HE WANTED ME TO SAY TO YOU. THE ONLY WORD I HAVE HAD FROM THE LORD IS A REMINDER TO WRITE TO YOU (I AM SORRY, BUT I DID FORGET).
SO, SINCE I HAVE NO CORRECTIVE WORD FROM THE LORD, THE TRAINING THAT HE HAS GIVEN ME TO MINISTER TO THE BODY OF CHRIST TELLS ME THAT I AM TO CONTINUE WITH WHAT I HAVE BELIEVED.
NOW I MUST ASK MYSELF, "IF THE LORD REMINDED ME TO WRITE TO YOU, BUT HAS NOT CORRECTED ME IN ANY WAY, AND YOU SAY THAT YOU HAVE PROSPERED FROM THE GOLD-DUST ANOINTING, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?" IT MEANS THAT I CAN HELP YOU SOMEHOW WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT I ALREADY HAVE.
SO, I MUST ASK YOU, XXX, ARE YOU SICK? OR HAS ANY PROBLEM THAT YOU HAVE SOUGHT THE LORD ABOUT RISEN IN YOU LIFE SINCE YOU WERE EXPOSED TO THE GOLD DUST ANOINTING?
YOU WERE SENT TO OUR SITE FOR A REASON, XXX. THE ONLY THING THAT COMES TO MY MIND IS THAT YOU, OR SOMEONE YOU LOVE, MAY BE SICK AND YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND THAT THE SOURCE OF THE ILLNESS IS A CURSE THAT TOUCHED YOUR LIFE.
IF YOU DO UNDERSTAND THAT A CURSE HAS TOUCHED YOUR LIFE, YOU CANNOT SEE ITS RELATIONSHIP TO THE GOLD DUST ANOINTING, WHICH APPEARS TO HAVE BLESSED YOU, AT LEAST WITHIN THE SCOPE OF YOUR UNDERSTANDING.
SEE BELOW
...Being critical and finding fault is not attractive to people or to God, but the qualities of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control are very attractive.
[Pastor Vitale:] THERE IS NO REASON TO STRIVE OVER THIS, OR ANY ISSUE, XXX. YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE PROSPERED FROM THE GOLD-DUST ANOINTING, BUT THE LORD HAS TOLD ME, A POWERFUL TEACHER TO THE BODY OF CHRIST (LOOK AT THE AMOUNT OF MATERIAL ON OUR SITE) THAT IT IS THE MANIFESTATION OF AN UNCLEAN SPIRIT.
THERE MUST BE AN ANSWER TO THIS CONFLICT OF PRINCIPLE. AS I TOLD YOU IN MY FIRST EMAIL, IT IS WRONG AND THE SIN OF PRIDE TO MAKE THIS A PERSONAL CONFLICT BETWEEN THE 2 OF US. WE SHOULD BOTH BE WILLING TO BE WRONG AND AND CORRECTED – BY THE LORD.
I PERSONALLY, WILL NOT LET GO OF THIS ISSUE UNTIL I HEAR FROM THE LORD ABOUT IT. EVERY ISSUE IS RECONCILABLE IN CHRIST JESUS. I MUST UNDERSTAND EITHER 1) THAT I AM MISTAKEN, OR 2) HOW YOU HAVE PROSPERED FROM AN UNCLEAN SPIRIT, OR 3) THAT A SUBTLE BUT SERIOUS PROBLEM HAS TOUCHED YOUR LIFE THAT YOU DO NOT RELATE TO YOUR EXPOSURE TO GOLD DUST.
...This desire for greater intimacy with the Lord has been growing in me for the past 10 years!
[Pastor Vitale:] I AM SO HAPPY TO HEAR THIS, XXX.
...I just wanted to let you know that what God has been doing, though mysterious, is bearing good fruit. To Him be the glory!
[Pastor Vitale:] YES, XXX, TO HIM BE THE GLORY. I WILL WAIT BEFORE HIM FOR HIS ANSWER TO THIS SITUATION, KNOWING THAT HIS RESPONSE AND EXPLANATION WILL EQUIP ME TO RESPOND TO OTHERS WHO HAVE YOUR TESTIMONY.
I AM HERE TO MINISTER TO THE BODY OF CHRIST, XXX, NOT TO PROVE YOU WRONG OR MYSELF RIGHT. I SEEK THE TRUTH AT ALL TIMES. I NEVER SEEK TO JUSTIFY MYSELF, WHICH IS WHAT YOU HAVE DONE. ONCE AGAIN, THIS IS THE SIN OF PRIDE.
I DO NOT DOUBT THAT YOU ARE HIS BELOVED. WE BOTH ARE, AND WILL REMAIN SO, EVEN IF IT TURNS OUT THAT ONE OF US IS WRONG IN OUR UNDERSTANDING.
IF WE DO NOT HEAR FROM YOU TO THE CONTRARY WITHIN ONE WEEK, LIVING EPISTLES MINISTRIES RETAINS THE RIGHT TO POST THIS EMAIL, AS WELL AS MY INITIAL RESPONSE TO YOU TO THE GOLD DUST PAGE OF OUR WEBSITE.
GOD BLESS YOU.
Sincerely in Christ,
Sheila R. Vitale,
Pastor, Teacher & Founder
Living Epistles Ministries
