Confess God's Way

Christ had very strong feelings about going to the cross, even shedding tears like great drops of blood, but He obeyed His Father anyway.

Luke 22:43-44 "…43 Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. 44 And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground."

Christ didn't want to have to go He said:

Luke 22:42 " 42 saying, "Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done."

Our culture is more focused on feelings, the element of our being that is the shallowest part, even deceiving us into believing things that are not true or things are true, when the perception is far from reality.

The more we message our feelings the less accurate we will be in assessing life experiences.

How often have we seen someone act irrationally toward us because they perceived or misinterpreted our actions or words? Seldom do we get a chance to explain what was meant by them, if we did, the one who was offended would discover they weren't anything akin to the judgment that was made based on their personal feelings.

Embarrassment over a matter is not the measure of the reality of that matter. We become embarrassed when challenged, but that does not mean that the challenge was bad or wrong.

We become happy when someone flatters us, but that does not mean the flattery was true and can even mean that someone is attempting to manipulate us.

Proverbs 29:5

"A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet."

Proverbs 26:24-28

"Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips and harbors deceit in his heart; when he speaks graciously, believe him not, for there are seven abominations in his heart; though his hatred be covered with deception, his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly. Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling. A lying tongue hates its victims, and a flattering mouth works ruin."

Feelings disarm us, diverting us from reality, even carrying us down a wrong road to misunderstanding that has the potential to destroy relationships. This is why God said "come let us reason together." (Isaiah 1:18) No where in the bible will you find God saying something like, "come let us feel together."

One of the reasons so many mega churches are successful in manipulating people to donate and continue to fill their auditoriums is through flattery, promise of success and wealth, happy joking and guilt if one does not profess faith in their machination (crafty schemes; plots; intrigues.,) clearly disarming anyone in the pews.

Thinking with the mind of Christ, reasoning within us to seek Christ for the answers is clearly discouraged in most gatherings. Many people go to these church gatherings to be told by men what they should believe and do, rather than being encouraged to seek God. And, often very little scripture is used while what is used is out of context and inaccurate.

Our culture encourages us to focus on feelings rather than seeking Christ with our minds, reasoning things through using the Scriptures. Because of this many people are resistant to instruction or correction from someone who does not have a degree, but may very well be enlightened by the Holy Spirit.

Every single person, no matter how simple minded, can know the wisdom of God merely by seeking Him through His Word and asking for God to show them truth. 

 

Some of the haughtiest people are in the pulpits today, they neither seek God nor do they repent from their lofty opinion of themselves. When we begin to seek Christ in all things, our opinion of our own abilities is diminished while Christ is elevated.

John 3:30-35

30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

31 “He who comes from above is above all, he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.

32 What He has seen and heard, of that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony.

33 He who has received His testimony has set his seal to this, that God is true.

34 For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure.

35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand."

If anyone ever says to you, "you cannot know because you do not have a degree", you can immediately perceive the arrogance and withdraw from that person as foolish lacking understanding of the power of the Holy Spirit, Who lives in every believer that has been changed into a new creation by Christ.