Finally, I am not the only one who sees an uptick in whinnybabyism in the past 40 years. One little comment that rebukes or corrects someone is taken as though a terrible wrong has been committed. We are living in sensitive times, where few will learn anything of importance because they are too busy angry at those who do not elevate them, those who correct them on any level no matter how small and those who will not allow the immature self absorbed person to manipulate and control them.
I for one am through with these kind of people who refuse to grow up and act like adults. If I have learned anything over the years, one very important lesson is that immature adults who fight every opportunity to learn and grow, cannot learn, they will remain babies as long as they continue to make every confrontation an excuse to fight rather than learn, they will never mature.
http://www.okwu.edu/blog/2015/11/this-is-not-a-day-care-its-a-university/
Monday, November 30, 2015
Sunday, November 29, 2015
Think Like the World Act Like the World
"What we believe determines how we will act."
If we don't know the word of God, we will act like the world and think we are obeying God.
When we know the word of God we will see the world for what it is and act so differently from the world that we will not fit in to any of it's ideas or principles.
...
If we don't know the word of God, we will act like the world and think we are obeying God.
When we know the word of God we will see the world for what it is and act so differently from the world that we will not fit in to any of it's ideas or principles.
...
John 15:19 ""If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you."
Romans 12:2 "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. "
Romans 12:2 "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. "
Is the Burning Forever?
Antoinette Van Wyk wrote this essay on the subject of eternal hell for mankind. Just recently I have been questioning what we have been taught on this all our lives.
Here is what Antoinette wrote:
"How long will Hell Fire burn?
The Bible clearly shows us that on the day of judgment at the end of time, the wicked will be punished with Hell Fire. Many Christians believe that this Hell Fire will last forever and that the wicked will be eternally tormented in pain and anguish. Is this really what the Bible shows?
Jesus said Matthew 25:41 “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:” He also said John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”. In the one verse it would seem that the wicked will live forever in everlasting fire and yet the other verse tells us that only those who belong to Jesus will not perish. This means that wicked will perish.
The only conclusion we can come to is that the everlasting fire, is not actually fire that is everlasting, but rather fire which consumes with everlasting consequences.
Are there other places in the Bible where it says forever, but the event mentioned has finished? There are actually many examples of this. Just as today people will often say things like “The show was so boring it went on forever” and “It took forever to get the house painted”. These same type of expressions were also used in the Bible for events that lasted a long time, but not actually eternally or for events that had everlasting consequences. For example the Bible describes the fire that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrha as eternal fire. Jude 1:7 “Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire”. This fire is not still burning today. It had eternal consequences, as the cities were forever destroyed and the fire was not extinguished. This fire was allowed to burn until it had consumed everything away and then it went out.
This is the same type of fire that “death and hell” will be thrown into and the same type of Fire from Heaven that will consume the wicked after the judgment. Depending on their sentence they will be either consumed quickly with little pain, or else have to suffer longer for more severe sins. The Bible shows us that they will not live forever burning in Hell, because we are told that they will be as ashes under our feet. Malachi 4:3 “And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts”.
Many Christians think that Satan will be thrown into eternally burning hell fire and yet the Bible shows that he too will be consumed and will be no more. Ezekiel 28:18-19 “Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more”.
The Bible further clarifies that fate of the wicked Malachi 4:1 “For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch”.
Our awesome and loving God who abounds in mercy is not going to torture and torment the wicked forever and ever in the agony of an eternally burning Hell. He will justly deal with them and they will perish for their sins. For the Wages of Sin are death."
Here is what Antoinette wrote:
"How long will Hell Fire burn?
The Bible clearly shows us that on the day of judgment at the end of time, the wicked will be punished with Hell Fire. Many Christians believe that this Hell Fire will last forever and that the wicked will be eternally tormented in pain and anguish. Is this really what the Bible shows?
Jesus said Matthew 25:41 “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:” He also said John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”. In the one verse it would seem that the wicked will live forever in everlasting fire and yet the other verse tells us that only those who belong to Jesus will not perish. This means that wicked will perish.
The only conclusion we can come to is that the everlasting fire, is not actually fire that is everlasting, but rather fire which consumes with everlasting consequences.
Are there other places in the Bible where it says forever, but the event mentioned has finished? There are actually many examples of this. Just as today people will often say things like “The show was so boring it went on forever” and “It took forever to get the house painted”. These same type of expressions were also used in the Bible for events that lasted a long time, but not actually eternally or for events that had everlasting consequences. For example the Bible describes the fire that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrha as eternal fire. Jude 1:7 “Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire”. This fire is not still burning today. It had eternal consequences, as the cities were forever destroyed and the fire was not extinguished. This fire was allowed to burn until it had consumed everything away and then it went out.
This is the same type of fire that “death and hell” will be thrown into and the same type of Fire from Heaven that will consume the wicked after the judgment. Depending on their sentence they will be either consumed quickly with little pain, or else have to suffer longer for more severe sins. The Bible shows us that they will not live forever burning in Hell, because we are told that they will be as ashes under our feet. Malachi 4:3 “And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts”.
Many Christians think that Satan will be thrown into eternally burning hell fire and yet the Bible shows that he too will be consumed and will be no more. Ezekiel 28:18-19 “Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more”.
The Bible further clarifies that fate of the wicked Malachi 4:1 “For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch”.
Our awesome and loving God who abounds in mercy is not going to torture and torment the wicked forever and ever in the agony of an eternally burning Hell. He will justly deal with them and they will perish for their sins. For the Wages of Sin are death."
Do it God's Way Instead of Our Own
The same mentality of control on the part of a prideful person, are evident in both the male and female narcissists, however the forms they take are a little different.
For instance a man will tend to be more overt, openly defiant, angry or manipulative with words, while a woman will be much more subtle. Women tend to be caddy, they are covertly manipulative demonstrating what is called "plausible deniability", a tactic many politicians use.
In other words if you confront a woman about what she is doing that is mean, her actions or words are subtle enough that others don't see it and she can deny what was meant by it.
Another way to discern if we are dealing with a narcissist is that they tend to continually operate the same way as a lifestyle rather than in response to special circumstances, it is not a one time thing or a rare occurrence, the continual demonstration of control over others is a clue that we are dealing with a narcissist.
All of us fail and do things that we need to confess and stop, sadly it is normal in our flesh to fail at times, this does not make our character narcissistic.
One of the ways to tell if a narcissist is being covertly mean, is that they will rage, cry or mock us, when asked to explain themselves. A normal person who was innocent, will be surprised and empathize with feelings of others, while explaining quickly what she meant. There will be no guile in the heart of an innocent person who meant no harm, she/he will want to make things clear so that any misunderstanding will be eliminated.
A covert narcissists when confronted often will say things like "I don't know what your talking about" or when asked why they did something they will retort with; "I don't know." You will not be able to get answers from a narcissists, except to deny without explanation. The last thing the narcissist wants is to be open and honest, they thrive on secrecy, it is a way of hiding their motives and intent.
The key to discerning whether someone is acting in guile is determined by how they respond when asked to explain.
Proverbs 29:9 "When a wise man has a controversy with a foolish man, The foolish man either rages or laughs, and there is no rest."
Proverbs 15:18 "A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention."
James 1:20 "For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God."
Someone who has no guile in their heart will want more than anything to discuss things to dissolve all misunderstandings.
Someone who meant harm will fight to hide what has been done through defending it or denying it. Hiding is a strong clue that a person is guilty.
Proverbs 28:1 "The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion."
Thankfully as believers we don't have to respond to the tactics of the narcissist, we can maintain our calm stance, confronting things as led by the Holy Spirit and removing ourselves when we see our human efforts to resolve a matter have no effect.
Proverbs 23:9 "Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, For he will despise the wisdom of your words."
Proverbs 22:24 "Do not associate with a man given to anger; Or go with a hot-tempered man,"
Someone who is a manipulator, a liar and a deceiver, cannot be helped by any man, that person must be taken through God's discipline and chastisement. When we see that our efforts to make sense of a situation are not helping, then it is time to walk away and let God do His work. He knows better than we, what is needed, since He can see into the heart of another man, He can bring about circumstances that compel the evil one to repent.
Acts 3:19 ""Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;"
When someone has acted badly and they have repented, they will be open, honest and saddened by their sin, desiring to restore a relationship through confession.
Anyone who wants to restore a relationships without confessing, pretending that nothing happened, is not repentant, they are merely tired of the separation while using more manipulation to bring the victim back into their life. When we require confession we are helping them to see the serious nature of their sin. Anyone who will not confront a friend over sin, who will not require confession, is one who robs the sinner of the opportunity to be cleansed.
Confession is not an easy thing, if someone gets to the point of openly confessing disclosing details of their sin, then we can be sure they really do want to turn away from that sin. When we have to humble ourselves to this degree, it is not likely we will repeat that sin again.
Confession of sin is cleansing, it is necessary to expunge from our lives that sin that held us captive.
1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Proverbs 28:13 "Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy."
When we do not require confession and repentance from those who have offended us, we are thinking only of our own comfort, we don't like to feel bad so we give up the process of healing by subverting God's way in favor of our own pleasure and our own pain elevated.
Not requiring the proper responses to a broken relationship is like taking the cake out of the oven too soon because we want to eat cake, but it comes out all wrong, not all the way it should look when it is done. We are am impatient culture, a fast food fix for everything is the method used to carryon to "feel" good. We are not willing to go through the hard stuff for the best result.
Aren't you glad the builders of sky scrapers don't think like that? How about the cobbler who makes shoes or the garment industry that would only baste the garment together making it weak and useless?
When we do things God's way, the results are wonderful and permanent. When we do things man's way, we end up with the culture we have right now, selfish, lacking empathy and enraged when we don't get our own way.
I want to do things God's way even if that means being hated and alone for a time, that God might work the greater good.
Romans 8:28 "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."
I guess that means "ALL THINGS" work together, even the difficult things we have to do.
Show less
For instance a man will tend to be more overt, openly defiant, angry or manipulative with words, while a woman will be much more subtle. Women tend to be caddy, they are covertly manipulative demonstrating what is called "plausible deniability", a tactic many politicians use.
In other words if you confront a woman about what she is doing that is mean, her actions or words are subtle enough that others don't see it and she can deny what was meant by it.
Another way to discern if we are dealing with a narcissist is that they tend to continually operate the same way as a lifestyle rather than in response to special circumstances, it is not a one time thing or a rare occurrence, the continual demonstration of control over others is a clue that we are dealing with a narcissist.
All of us fail and do things that we need to confess and stop, sadly it is normal in our flesh to fail at times, this does not make our character narcissistic.
One of the ways to tell if a narcissist is being covertly mean, is that they will rage, cry or mock us, when asked to explain themselves. A normal person who was innocent, will be surprised and empathize with feelings of others, while explaining quickly what she meant. There will be no guile in the heart of an innocent person who meant no harm, she/he will want to make things clear so that any misunderstanding will be eliminated.
A covert narcissists when confronted often will say things like "I don't know what your talking about" or when asked why they did something they will retort with; "I don't know." You will not be able to get answers from a narcissists, except to deny without explanation. The last thing the narcissist wants is to be open and honest, they thrive on secrecy, it is a way of hiding their motives and intent.
The key to discerning whether someone is acting in guile is determined by how they respond when asked to explain.
Proverbs 29:9 "When a wise man has a controversy with a foolish man, The foolish man either rages or laughs, and there is no rest."
Proverbs 15:18 "A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention."
James 1:20 "For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God."
Someone who has no guile in their heart will want more than anything to discuss things to dissolve all misunderstandings.
Someone who meant harm will fight to hide what has been done through defending it or denying it. Hiding is a strong clue that a person is guilty.
Proverbs 28:1 "The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion."
Thankfully as believers we don't have to respond to the tactics of the narcissist, we can maintain our calm stance, confronting things as led by the Holy Spirit and removing ourselves when we see our human efforts to resolve a matter have no effect.
Proverbs 23:9 "Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, For he will despise the wisdom of your words."
Proverbs 22:24 "Do not associate with a man given to anger; Or go with a hot-tempered man,"
Someone who is a manipulator, a liar and a deceiver, cannot be helped by any man, that person must be taken through God's discipline and chastisement. When we see that our efforts to make sense of a situation are not helping, then it is time to walk away and let God do His work. He knows better than we, what is needed, since He can see into the heart of another man, He can bring about circumstances that compel the evil one to repent.
Acts 3:19 ""Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;"
When someone has acted badly and they have repented, they will be open, honest and saddened by their sin, desiring to restore a relationship through confession.
Anyone who wants to restore a relationships without confessing, pretending that nothing happened, is not repentant, they are merely tired of the separation while using more manipulation to bring the victim back into their life. When we require confession we are helping them to see the serious nature of their sin. Anyone who will not confront a friend over sin, who will not require confession, is one who robs the sinner of the opportunity to be cleansed.
Confession is not an easy thing, if someone gets to the point of openly confessing disclosing details of their sin, then we can be sure they really do want to turn away from that sin. When we have to humble ourselves to this degree, it is not likely we will repeat that sin again.
Confession of sin is cleansing, it is necessary to expunge from our lives that sin that held us captive.
1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Proverbs 28:13 "Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy."
When we do not require confession and repentance from those who have offended us, we are thinking only of our own comfort, we don't like to feel bad so we give up the process of healing by subverting God's way in favor of our own pleasure and our own pain elevated.
Not requiring the proper responses to a broken relationship is like taking the cake out of the oven too soon because we want to eat cake, but it comes out all wrong, not all the way it should look when it is done. We are am impatient culture, a fast food fix for everything is the method used to carryon to "feel" good. We are not willing to go through the hard stuff for the best result.
Aren't you glad the builders of sky scrapers don't think like that? How about the cobbler who makes shoes or the garment industry that would only baste the garment together making it weak and useless?
When we do things God's way, the results are wonderful and permanent. When we do things man's way, we end up with the culture we have right now, selfish, lacking empathy and enraged when we don't get our own way.
I want to do things God's way even if that means being hated and alone for a time, that God might work the greater good.
Romans 8:28 "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."
I guess that means "ALL THINGS" work together, even the difficult things we have to do.
Show less
Saturday, November 28, 2015
Darkness Hates the Light!
If someone we know is not walking in the light, then they cannot walk along with us. We can attempt to bring them into the light with the gospel, but if they refuse, then we can no longer walk along with them. Usually they will leave us, because darkness wants to hide from light.
John 3:19 ""This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil."
Wicked people flee the light, while hiding ...from it. Notice that pubs and bars are always dark, the windows are blocked so no one can see in or out. Those who desire to hide from God and God's people will go where it is dark.
John 3:19 ""This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil."
Wicked people flee the light, while hiding ...from it. Notice that pubs and bars are always dark, the windows are blocked so no one can see in or out. Those who desire to hide from God and God's people will go where it is dark.
Unbelievers have a sense of conviction in the presence of believers, they think we make them uncomfortable, little do they know that it is the Light of Christ within us that brings conviction to their soul. When they run from us they are really running from Christ.
I believe this is the reason most often unbelievers will accuse us of something that is not true, they must find a reason why they are so uncomfortable, without realizing it is Christ Who exposes their heart.
John 3:20 ""For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed."
I believe this is the reason most often unbelievers will accuse us of something that is not true, they must find a reason why they are so uncomfortable, without realizing it is Christ Who exposes their heart.
John 3:20 ""For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed."
Trips to Heaven and Back?
Next time someone claims to have been to heaven and back after dying this verse in 1 Timothy might be one to produce the evidence that no one goes to heaven temporarily. Paul the apostle had a vision, but he did not die, go to heaven and come back from the dead.
1 Timothy 6:16
"He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen."
Submission to God Brings Submission to Others
When a person cannot submit to others around them, it is not likely these same people will submit to an unseen God.
Submission is a state of mind driven by kindness, love and a spirit of service..
When someone only helps others when it can be seen by the world, then they are probably pretenders, not wanting to bother to help someone when it has no glory for them.
Matthew 6:1 ""Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven."
Friday, November 27, 2015
Jealousy A Relationship Killer
Psalm 69:3-5
"I Endure Scorn for Your Sake
…3I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched; My eyes fail while I wait for my God. 4Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head; Those who would destroy me are powerful, being wrongfully my enemies; What I did not steal, I then have to restore. 5O God, it is You who knows my folly, And my wrongs are not hidden from You.…"
There are many I have met who are enduring hardness from extended family and from the culture around them, for no apparent reason. Sometimes we are living our lives in a normal and rational fashion, then someone comes along who snaps at us or argues with us when we merely express our opinion or desire.
When we encounter this contention we might go home completely baffled as to what happened, even searching our hearts to see if we did anything wrong. After much contemplation we come to the conclusion that there didn't seem to be a logical or sensible reason for what occurred.
Notice when we are in the company of empathetic kind people, we never walk away feeling anything but uplifted. However with certain people we always walk away feeling like we had been run over by a Mack truck. Even when no one was openly angry there was an aura of sadness or trepidation present that left us with a strong inclination to flee when given an opportunity. Once we leave the peace comes back and we can relax.
When this happens rarely with someone, we tend to think one of us was having a difficult day and allowed feelings to dominate the visit. When we are with someone and every encounter feels strained and unnatural, as though someone is guardedly aloof to hide themselves, while in a superior stance, then we are most likely experiencing a self absorbed narcissist.
I remember an encounter one day with a neighbor many years ago. She had a chopping block in her kitchen that I liked, what a good idea I thought, a little more working space in the center of my kitchen would make a big difference. After all we had six children to feed, meals were large often.
I spoke to my husband about getting a chopping block expecting to get one like the neighbors, it was not expensive, so I thought our budget would handle it. I brought an ad to my husband to show him they were on sale, but he wanted to go to the store and see other styles that were available. When we got to the store he liked one that had a drawer for knives and some other things that would be convenient for us so we purchased that one, I was happy because it was better than I expected to get.
One day my neighbor came over to visit, saw the block, immediately her face turned red, she proclaimed that she was jealous because it was better than hers. I would have been happy with one like hers, but my husband wanted the better one. I had no desire to have anything better than someone else, but my neighbor took offense as though I had done something wrong. The face of jealousy often reveals itself in this way, sadly people become jealous over far less, even when what they have is better than ours.
This same neighbor lady invited us to a holiday party, she had a wonderful casserole that all of us enjoyed and praised her about it. Several of us asked her for the recipe so that we could make it for our families. The neighbor told us that she would be happy to give us the recipe but that she always left out one ingredient so that she was the only one with the real recipe. Later she asked for a recipe from a friend in my presence, the friend gave her the recipe to her casserole, the neighbor asked her if she left anything out, to make sure she got the entire recipe. Notice that she felt alright about leaving out an ingredient for her recipe but would not accept anyone else doing it to her.
The face of selfishness is not logical, fair or reciprocal. Maintaining a relationships long term with someone who has to always be special and better is nearly an impossibility.
Not matter what the narc does, we must maintain our integrity, never repaying evil for evil, nor is it productive to try to teach the narc a lesson, it only enrages them causing more problems than we would have had if we had merely removed ourselves without a word.
The hardest lesson I have had to learn is that I am not responsible to teach everyone lessons, only those who are open, honest and willing to learn. When we realize someone is vengeful and angry when we attempt to help them learn, then it is time to move on.
All of us have things to learn and all of us have things to teach, it takes wisdom from God to discern who will learn and who can teach us.
Proverbs 13:20 "He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed."
Proverbs 26:4-5 "4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
Or you will also be like him. 5 Answer a fool as his folly deserves, That he not be wise in his own eyes."
The wise thing to do in the case of the jealous person, is to never respond to the unkind statements and in the future never share with them anything we get that is a blessing. It will be difficult to grow or even maintain a friendship based on competition. Friendships must be based on mutual respect and concern for one another.
Proverbs 14:30 "A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones."
Proverbs 27:4 "Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?"
Song of Solomon "8:6 Set me as a seal on your heart, as a seal on your arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which has a most vehement flame."
Romans 13:13 "Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying."
1 Corinthians 3:3 "For you are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are you not carnal, and walk as men?"
1 Corinthians 13:4 "Charity suffers long, and is kind; charity envies not; charity braggs not itself, is not puffed up,"
Philippians 2:3 "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves."
James 3:14 "But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth."
James 3:15 "This wisdom descends not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish."
James 3:16 "For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work."
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Our Private Side?
Our private side is often the side we hide, the public only sees our abridged version, our best side.
Makes me wonder about Donald Trump's private side, if someone will act the way he does in public perhaps his private life is much worse. He is on his third wife, that might be a clue. We tend to show our best side in public, if that is his best side I fear what his private side is like, you know.....the real Trump!
Either what you see is what you get, which is very rare, or he is even worse in private. Almost no one has only one true side they show others, everyone has an edited side they show the public, their church group or the shop keeper, the mail man and others to maintain a persona that makes people like us.
Makes me wonder about Donald Trump's private side, if someone will act the way he does in public perhaps his private life is much worse. He is on his third wife, that might be a clue. We tend to show our best side in public, if that is his best side I fear what his private side is like, you know.....the real Trump!
Either what you see is what you get, which is very rare, or he is even worse in private. Almost no one has only one true side they show others, everyone has an edited side they show the public, their church group or the shop keeper, the mail man and others to maintain a persona that makes people like us.
Trump the Class Clown
Can anyone answer this question?
Is it possible that Trump made a bet with someone that he would be able to be as outrageous and bombastic as possible as long as he said what the conservatives wanted to hear and they would still vote for him?
He keeps lampooning everyone in mocking terms, even a disabled reporter, as though it is perfectly natural and acceptable. While I have been enjoying the show as I never have before, laughing until my sides ached at times at Trumps cartoony antics, I cannot figure out for the life of me why anyone would take him seriously.
He is a clown, very entertaining clown at a times, when a little levity helps to deter us from all the ugly in the world. Do we really want a president like that, who lacks all sense of decorum and graciousness?
Perhaps YOU will be the next to be mocked by Trump! LOL
Is it possible that Trump made a bet with someone that he would be able to be as outrageous and bombastic as possible as long as he said what the conservatives wanted to hear and they would still vote for him?
He keeps lampooning everyone in mocking terms, even a disabled reporter, as though it is perfectly natural and acceptable. While I have been enjoying the show as I never have before, laughing until my sides ached at times at Trumps cartoony antics, I cannot figure out for the life of me why anyone would take him seriously.
He is a clown, very entertaining clown at a times, when a little levity helps to deter us from all the ugly in the world. Do we really want a president like that, who lacks all sense of decorum and graciousness?
Perhaps YOU will be the next to be mocked by Trump! LOL
Are We Hid Behind the Holy Spirit?
"True Faith always produces good works, good works never produce faith" Hal Lindsey
Those who are attempting to be good by doing good deeds are merely showing their desire to be elevated in the eyes of others, their motives are fleshly.
Those who are led by the Holy Spirit will not seek to do a good work, they will be led by God to obey Him, the glory will go to God. The good works will be present, but not because they are trying to be good, but rather a natural and consistent outpouring of Spiritual blessing.
James 2:14-26
"14 What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food,
16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? 17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.
18 But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”
19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.
20 But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
22 You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;
23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God.
24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.
25 In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?
26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead."
Those who love the Lord and do good works never feel a need to talk about it, they just live it. Those who feel a need to discuss their good deeds are often being led by their desire to be praised for what they have done. Those who do their good deeds in the Spirit, never feel a need to express it to others, they are satisfied with obedient to Christ while letting Him have the glory.
Matthew 6:2 ""So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full."
Matthew 6:5 ""When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full."
Our walk with the Lord is so satisfying to us that the praise of men is not necessary. I don't know who said this, but it makes sense to me from a Biblical perspective, here is the quote;
"One of the elements of holiness is the absence of self awareness."
Good works done to impress others or to feel superior always produces more pride, the more we indulge in this form of bragging, the more arrogant we become.
True faith that produces good deeds in the Spirit, always brings the glory to God. We need to learn to be "hid behind the Holy Spirit.
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Manipulative Language to Intimidate
The word "phoebes" as in "homophobe" is a narcissistic manipulation used to silence us when the perps don't like what we say or do. It is used for many things along with "don't judge" mantras, natural and deliberate ploys to create feelings of shame in us, when no shame is warranted.
When we know we have been informed by God about a matter, it is important to remember that the world will come against it the same way a child fights to avoid taking their castor oil, even though it is good for them to be healthy, they will do anything to get out of ingesting it.
In the case of worldly people, there is a natural and insatiable fight or flight response to any form of instruction or correction. The more right we are about something, the harder they fight. The world as a whole, at the present time, is in a state of complete and volatile rebellion against anything that smacks of rules, standards and limits on anything they want to do or be.
There is no reason to believe we will not encounter this rebellion in every area of our lives, the work place, the mall, spouses, extended family and everyone else. As the 2 Timothy 3 scenario plays out, and we are in the middle of the throws of it, we will see an unstoppable increase in this state of affairs.
The exciting element of all this mess is knowing we are born again, waiting for the return of Jesus Christ, not unaware of the prophetic nature of what we encounter. There need be no surprises when we know the Word of God, therefore all the nastiness that is thrown at us is not only expected but we also have the power to diminish its' effect on us through the working of the Holy Spirit.
We don't have to be like the world, we don't have to buy into their relentless emotional and verbal attacks on us, we can slide through with confidence that Christ will give us all we need when we need it.
Ephesians 6:12 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places."
We have no reason to be fearful of the sorry little elf’s who come to diminish and demolish us through their devilish tactics, they are nothing more than pawns in the hands of an evil father, their father....the devil.
Ephesians 1:15-23 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places."
Next time we encounter the trolls sent by the devil to harm us, perhaps we could remember that they are not the ones we fight against, it is their father and his minions we battle and we do that in prayer, fighting the tactics with God's principles as outlined in the word.
2 Timothy 3 tells us to get away if we should, guided by the Holy Spirit as to when.
Luke 6:28 and Romans 12:14 tells us to bless those who curse us when we must be in contact with them.
2 Corinthians 6:17 tells us to limit contact with those who are rebellious as led by the Holy Spirit.
Romans 12:19 tells us to never take revenge, leave that to God.
When we obey God, seek Him for His wisdom, we will be led by Him as situations arise, we don't have to figure out ahead of time what to do, we just need to know His Word and His heart, which will guide us in every situation.
May the Holy Spirit be your guide in all things all the time!
When we know we have been informed by God about a matter, it is important to remember that the world will come against it the same way a child fights to avoid taking their castor oil, even though it is good for them to be healthy, they will do anything to get out of ingesting it.
In the case of worldly people, there is a natural and insatiable fight or flight response to any form of instruction or correction. The more right we are about something, the harder they fight. The world as a whole, at the present time, is in a state of complete and volatile rebellion against anything that smacks of rules, standards and limits on anything they want to do or be.
There is no reason to believe we will not encounter this rebellion in every area of our lives, the work place, the mall, spouses, extended family and everyone else. As the 2 Timothy 3 scenario plays out, and we are in the middle of the throws of it, we will see an unstoppable increase in this state of affairs.
The exciting element of all this mess is knowing we are born again, waiting for the return of Jesus Christ, not unaware of the prophetic nature of what we encounter. There need be no surprises when we know the Word of God, therefore all the nastiness that is thrown at us is not only expected but we also have the power to diminish its' effect on us through the working of the Holy Spirit.
We don't have to be like the world, we don't have to buy into their relentless emotional and verbal attacks on us, we can slide through with confidence that Christ will give us all we need when we need it.
Ephesians 6:12 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places."
We have no reason to be fearful of the sorry little elf’s who come to diminish and demolish us through their devilish tactics, they are nothing more than pawns in the hands of an evil father, their father....the devil.
Ephesians 1:15-23 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places."
Next time we encounter the trolls sent by the devil to harm us, perhaps we could remember that they are not the ones we fight against, it is their father and his minions we battle and we do that in prayer, fighting the tactics with God's principles as outlined in the word.
2 Timothy 3 tells us to get away if we should, guided by the Holy Spirit as to when.
Luke 6:28 and Romans 12:14 tells us to bless those who curse us when we must be in contact with them.
2 Corinthians 6:17 tells us to limit contact with those who are rebellious as led by the Holy Spirit.
Romans 12:19 tells us to never take revenge, leave that to God.
When we obey God, seek Him for His wisdom, we will be led by Him as situations arise, we don't have to figure out ahead of time what to do, we just need to know His Word and His heart, which will guide us in every situation.
May the Holy Spirit be your guide in all things all the time!
Monday, November 23, 2015
The Face of Narcissism
If you want to see the ultimate face of narcissism, take a good look at our president, he really believes he knows everything, everyone else knows nothing and the voting public are unnecessary illiterate peons.
It is hard to remain friends with or listen to, someone who thinks they are superior, when there has been no evidence to show they actually are exceptional.
When is the last time you spoke to someone twenty years younger than yourself who thought they should lecture ...you on things they have never experienced or even seen? It is exasperating at best, their arrogant attitude is not conducive to a quality conversation.
When we are being "talked at" rather than "visited with", there remains no sense of reciprocal respect. My response when I encounter this is a tactical retreat to somewhere else. There is no point in attempting to be friends with someone who hold us in so little regard.
A friendship is based on mutual love and respect, when there is one side that has nothing but contempt for the other, then there is nothing of value to hold onto in the relationship, time to gracefully move on to others who understand basic empathy, kindness and love.
Proverbs 18:24 "A man of too many friends comes to ruin, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."
Christ is our friend, the perfect example of a friend!
John 15:15 ""No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you."
Proverbs 13:20 "He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will suffer harm."
A person who thinks they know everything learns very little and almost nothing about relationships because they are too busy elevating themselves.
Proverbs 22:24-25 "Do not associate with a man given to anger; Or go with a hot-tempered man, Or you will learn his ways And find a snare for yourself."
John 15:13 ""Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends."
Dying physically for a friend is only one way to lay down ones life, the other way is to be there for the friend, weeping with them when they weep and laughing with them when they laugh. Next time you are with a person who has contempt for you, notice they cannot bring themselves to laugh with you, nor can they weep with you. Laughing and weeping are seen as weaknesses to those who are superior, and yet God commands us to have this kind of kindred spirit with brothers and sisters in the Lord. We are to be connected by Christ, sensing in our soul the things others are experiencing in their souls.
Romans 12:15 "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep."
1 John 3:14 "We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death."
Hebrews 13:1 "Let love of the brethren continue."
Narcissism Rears It's Ugly Head
This is just about as irrational as the conversations I have had over the years. No matter how much you try to get them to make sense of things, they just refuse. I run into this ultra-sensitive mentality all the time, the most innocent comments are turned into an offense that ruins the relationship. Christians even do this with the Word of God. LOL
The younger set have learned to be offended at any form of correction because it doesn't elevate them personally. They are irrational and easily enraged.
Take a look at the link and see where this irrational and narcissistic thinking takes us.
https://www.facebook.com/mrctv/videos/1035272086495839/?pnref=story
The younger set have learned to be offended at any form of correction because it doesn't elevate them personally. They are irrational and easily enraged.
Take a look at the link and see where this irrational and narcissistic thinking takes us.
https://www.facebook.com/mrctv/videos/1035272086495839/?pnref=story
Slanderers Will Be Cut Off From God
Often those who are in narcissistic families, are at the mercy of the lies and triangulation of those who love to hate. They allow the devil to work on their minds to believe things that are not true and never has been true, but seem so vivid in the minds of those who have been convinced by the majority of the crowd.
Far too many people believe what they hear, after all it sounds so right, but in fact are assumptions based on ,little or no true information. Elevating se...lf is far more important to the narcissist than knowing and speaking truth.
Far too many people believe what they hear, after all it sounds so right, but in fact are assumptions based on ,little or no true information. Elevating se...lf is far more important to the narcissist than knowing and speaking truth.
Notice that the narcissist resists any form of genuine communication, choosing to believe the lies is far more elevating for them than discovering truth that would dispel all their erroneous assumptions of their target.
Fear of being alienated by the rest of the family, drives them to believe what they are told, isolating the target while building on their false beliefs with insignificant and meaningless events, making them seem like evidence of what has been triangulated.
These same people who love to hate their target, speak against "gossip", while indulging in it themselves, calling it gossip to speak truth openly. One way to stop a believer from telling the truth is to proclaim everything that is "negative" as gossip, except when they are maligning their victim.
The narcissist doesn't want truth to be exposed, they live continually in a false self, appearance oriented realm, constantly fearful of being discovered for who they are, by anyone.
Fear of being alienated by the rest of the family, drives them to believe what they are told, isolating the target while building on their false beliefs with insignificant and meaningless events, making them seem like evidence of what has been triangulated.
These same people who love to hate their target, speak against "gossip", while indulging in it themselves, calling it gossip to speak truth openly. One way to stop a believer from telling the truth is to proclaim everything that is "negative" as gossip, except when they are maligning their victim.
The narcissist doesn't want truth to be exposed, they live continually in a false self, appearance oriented realm, constantly fearful of being discovered for who they are, by anyone.
http://chalpari.com/watch/flhK0wdHvus/the-slandering-narcissist.html
Saturday, November 21, 2015
Repentacne Requires Confession
The Face of Repentance: There is no profit for the man who will not confess their sin.
Proverbs 6:2-5
"2 If you have been snared with the words of your mouth,
Have been caught with the words of your mouth,
3 Do this then, my son, and deliver yourself;
Since you have come into the hand of your neighbor,
Go, humble yourself, and beseech your neighbor.
4 Give no sleep to your eyes, Nor slumber to your eyelids;
5 Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hunter’s hand
And like a bird from the hand of the fowler."
Proverbs 6:16-19
"16 There are six things which the Lord hates,
Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him:
17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood,
18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil,
19 A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers."
Proverbs 10:10
"He who winks the eye causes trouble, And a babbling fool will be ruined."
Proverbs 12:22
"Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, But those who deal faithfully are His delight."
Proverbs 16:30
"He who winks his eyes does so to devise perverse things; He who compresses his lips brings evil to pass."
Proverbs 16:2
"All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, But the Lord weighs the motives."
Proverbs 19:9
"A false witness will not go unpunished And he who tells lies will perish."
Proverbs 17:15
"He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous,
Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord."
Proverbs 21:8
"The way of a guilty man is crooked, But as for the pure, his conduct is upright."
Proverbs 28:13
"He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper,
But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion."
Friday, November 20, 2015
Can a Narcissist Be Saved
An excellent article on the state of the narcissist. http://www.luke173ministries.org/466808
Devils Use Their Mouths
Narcissists don't engage in real conversation of give and take to enjoy another person, their aim is to win, even when what they say doesn't make sense. Before they hear you out they are already forming in their mind the way they will refute you. It isn't about refuting information, it is about negating the target.
2 Timothy 3:21-5, Luke 6:28!
Expressing an opposing viewpoint with a narcissists is the same as firing the first shot over the bow of a battleship. Aggression is the only weapon in the arsenal of a narcissist.
Someone who expects to be able to reason with a narcissist on any level at all, has not yet encountered one. There is no reasoning with a narcissist, they love to fight, while truth doesn't matter very much, only winning. They count themselves as having won when their target cowers away in tears and complete defeat.
Narcissists hate to be interrupted but are famous for talking so long the target can't seem to wedge in words to be able to enter the one sided conversation, if one could call it a conversation. The tactic is to cause the target to become so frustrated they give up, affording the narcissists the victory by default.
The more covert narcissists use grunts and groans while you are speaking to indicate their complete disapproval of you as a person. They feel a sense of power if they can make their victim feel insignificant and foolish.
While I don't understand why a "Christian" would act this way and have many times wondered if they were ever born again, I am quite sure that engaging with them is of little value at all.
The biggest challenge to the believer is to be able to discern the narcissist tactics to be able to assess whether or not they will continue the relationship. There have been a few times in my life I have had to make the choice to remove myself from those who have only one thing in mind and that is to be more special than everyone else.
Perhaps loving these people from afar is the best course of action. We can pray for them, remain calm when we have to encounter them while making a hasty and polite get away when the opportunity arises.
Our goal as a believer is to grow in holiness, speak the truth in love and move on when we see the listener refuses us.
Ephesians 4:15 and Matthew 10:14
May the Lord Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit guide our every action in the midst of the battle against unseen spiritual entities. We know that our fight isn't against people, it is against the devils that use the mouths of people.
Ephesians 6:12
2 Timothy 3:21-5, Luke 6:28!
Expressing an opposing viewpoint with a narcissists is the same as firing the first shot over the bow of a battleship. Aggression is the only weapon in the arsenal of a narcissist.
Someone who expects to be able to reason with a narcissist on any level at all, has not yet encountered one. There is no reasoning with a narcissist, they love to fight, while truth doesn't matter very much, only winning. They count themselves as having won when their target cowers away in tears and complete defeat.
Narcissists hate to be interrupted but are famous for talking so long the target can't seem to wedge in words to be able to enter the one sided conversation, if one could call it a conversation. The tactic is to cause the target to become so frustrated they give up, affording the narcissists the victory by default.
The more covert narcissists use grunts and groans while you are speaking to indicate their complete disapproval of you as a person. They feel a sense of power if they can make their victim feel insignificant and foolish.
While I don't understand why a "Christian" would act this way and have many times wondered if they were ever born again, I am quite sure that engaging with them is of little value at all.
The biggest challenge to the believer is to be able to discern the narcissist tactics to be able to assess whether or not they will continue the relationship. There have been a few times in my life I have had to make the choice to remove myself from those who have only one thing in mind and that is to be more special than everyone else.
Perhaps loving these people from afar is the best course of action. We can pray for them, remain calm when we have to encounter them while making a hasty and polite get away when the opportunity arises.
Our goal as a believer is to grow in holiness, speak the truth in love and move on when we see the listener refuses us.
Ephesians 4:15 and Matthew 10:14
May the Lord Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit guide our every action in the midst of the battle against unseen spiritual entities. We know that our fight isn't against people, it is against the devils that use the mouths of people.
Ephesians 6:12
We Must Have the Holy Spirit
Matthew 22:1-14 KJV
[1] And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, [2] The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, [3] And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. [4] Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marria...ge. [5] But they made light of it , and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: [6] And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them . [7] But when the king heard thereof , he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. [8] Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. [9] Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. [10] So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. [11] And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: [12] And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. [13] Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. [14] For many are called, but few are chosen.
[1] And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, [2] The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, [3] And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. [4] Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marria...ge. [5] But they made light of it , and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: [6] And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them . [7] But when the king heard thereof , he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. [8] Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. [9] Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. [10] So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. [11] And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: [12] And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. [13] Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. [14] For many are called, but few are chosen.
Matthew 7:21-23
"21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’"
"21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’"
Do Not Let the Enemy Rule
When we are maligned and attacked, whether in covert or
overt ways by the enemy, we know that God has allowed it, while using it to
grow us in His grace. When we see that
the devil uses people, we can focus our attention on the spiritual battle
rather than the people Satan is using.
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.
7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
9 But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position;
10 and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away.
11 For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away.
12 Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him."
Ephesians 5:12 "For our struggle is not against
flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world
forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the
heavenly places."
James 1:2-13
"2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you
encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.
7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
9 But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position;
10 and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away.
11 For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away.
12 Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him."
The key to victory in our own soul is to know the
standards and principles of Christ, lean on Him and never taking seriously what
evil people do to us or behind our backs. God wants to make us so strong that
we are unaffected by the strategies of the devil, while remaining true to
God. The number one tactic of the devil
is to unnerve us, so much so that we end up acting in ungodly ways to defend
ourselves. We need to leave way for God
to defend us, He is much more effective than we could ever be, He has the
ability to look straight into someone's heart, knowing exactly what is needed.
Romans 12:19 "Never take your own revenge, beloved,
but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS
MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord."
Once the Lord has used the ungodly to test us, He will
then at some point direct us when to remove ourselves or He will remove the
evil doer who torments us. Some people
must go their entire lives enduring hardness on the part of an unbeliever,
however, God can keep each one strong in the midst of it all. Others are instructed to remove themselves as
we see in 2 Timothy 3:1-5. Other times
God chases away those who would seek to malign our walk with Christ.
Job 8:20 ""Lo, God will not reject a man of
integrity, Nor will He support the evildoers."
Romans 12:21 "Do not be overcome by evil, but
overcome evil with good."
When we maintain our walk with the Lord through prayer,
obedience and attention to His Word, we can walk in the midst of this mess on
earth, without it changing our soul, in integrity and kindness, no matter what
anyone else is doing. Christ lives in
believers, no matter what anyone does to us in the physical realm, they can
never touch the Spirit within us.
Romans 8:13 "for if you are living according to the
flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of
the body, you will live."
We must never allow another human being who is evil, to
cause us to act in ungodly ways.
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