Friday, December 22, 2017
Emotions Ignore Them
When emotions drive actions and reactions, then there is much error and even further brokenness.
Forget the Excuses and Repent
Ezekiel 18:19-21
"19"Yet you say, 'Why should the son not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity?' When the son has practiced justice and righteousness and has observed all My statutes and done them, he shall surely live.
20"The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.
21"But if the wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed and observes all My statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall surely live; he shall not die.…"
So you see, our home environment is not responsible for the way we turn out. The choices we make prove our own hearts.
"19"Yet you say, 'Why should the son not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity?' When the son has practiced justice and righteousness and has observed all My statutes and done them, he shall surely live.
20"The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.
21"But if the wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed and observes all My statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall surely live; he shall not die.…"
So you see, our home environment is not responsible for the way we turn out. The choices we make prove our own hearts.
The Pavlov Dog Experiment Doesn't Work on Humans
I am convinced that narcissists make choices and decisions in how they will respond to life.
Some very good people raised in terrible homes do not become narcissists. AND, some bad people were raised in good environments do not become narcissists.
We are not animals who respond to stimuli, we are human beings who make our choices based on our inner heart.
There is no formula, it's a matter of choices people make in response to their life situations.
I have met bad people who were given good family environments who blamed the standards of the family on their "strict" homes, for their choices to act badly. I saw those homes and they were not "too strict", they were merely normal caring parents who had boundaries for their children.
One child in a good environment will rebel and live horribly, while others in that same family choose righteously and well.
When we attempt to apply principles from psychology based on evolution of "cause and effect", we make a very grave mistake. This mentality tends to coddle evil doers, thinking they are in pain when they are not only, not in pain, they are the abusers who cause pain.
Everyone is responsible for their own choices and responses to life. Sadly many people who do act like animals, losing control over the unkind treatment in our culture, or perceiving something as unkind when it was not, give themselves excuses.
Our Lord teaches that we are to ignore our feelings that are natural, never executing revenge. God tells us not to treat others badly in response to their ill treatment of us. We can tell the truth, explain the need to stop abusing others, even give consequences but we are never to exact revenge on anyone.
Romans 12:18-20 "…18 If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 On the contrary, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
We have God's permission and even a command to remove ourselves from those who act badly and are not sorry for their actions. Those who are not sorry will continue causing trouble whenever they can get away with it.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 “Difficult Times Will Come” 3 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these."
Truth and consequences only work on those who have a conscience. When there is no conscience present for bad behavior, then there will be revenge on the part of the narcissist. Their goal is to punish us so that we will end up acting badly, thereby excusing themselves for their own evil behavior.
As believers we have all the necessary instructions in the Bible to help us know how to handle those who are disobedient and rebellious against God.
Matthew 7:16-20 "16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them."
Our hope and prayer is that the Lord will help us to respond in a godly manner to all the circumstances around us rather than reacting to the manipulations of others.
Some very good people raised in terrible homes do not become narcissists. AND, some bad people were raised in good environments do not become narcissists.
We are not animals who respond to stimuli, we are human beings who make our choices based on our inner heart.
There is no formula, it's a matter of choices people make in response to their life situations.
I have met bad people who were given good family environments who blamed the standards of the family on their "strict" homes, for their choices to act badly. I saw those homes and they were not "too strict", they were merely normal caring parents who had boundaries for their children.
One child in a good environment will rebel and live horribly, while others in that same family choose righteously and well.
When we attempt to apply principles from psychology based on evolution of "cause and effect", we make a very grave mistake. This mentality tends to coddle evil doers, thinking they are in pain when they are not only, not in pain, they are the abusers who cause pain.
Everyone is responsible for their own choices and responses to life. Sadly many people who do act like animals, losing control over the unkind treatment in our culture, or perceiving something as unkind when it was not, give themselves excuses.
Our Lord teaches that we are to ignore our feelings that are natural, never executing revenge. God tells us not to treat others badly in response to their ill treatment of us. We can tell the truth, explain the need to stop abusing others, even give consequences but we are never to exact revenge on anyone.
Romans 12:18-20 "…18 If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 On the contrary, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
We have God's permission and even a command to remove ourselves from those who act badly and are not sorry for their actions. Those who are not sorry will continue causing trouble whenever they can get away with it.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 “Difficult Times Will Come” 3 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these."
Truth and consequences only work on those who have a conscience. When there is no conscience present for bad behavior, then there will be revenge on the part of the narcissist. Their goal is to punish us so that we will end up acting badly, thereby excusing themselves for their own evil behavior.
As believers we have all the necessary instructions in the Bible to help us know how to handle those who are disobedient and rebellious against God.
Matthew 7:16-20 "16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them."
Our hope and prayer is that the Lord will help us to respond in a godly manner to all the circumstances around us rather than reacting to the manipulations of others.
MacAruthur in Serious Error
Many years ago I collected a number of books by John MacArthur and listened to him on the radio often. His sermons seemed good and I never heard anything I disagreed with......until recent years.
Over the years as I grew in the Lord I became aware that he believed some things that the Lord never taught in His word, things that will lead people astray.
I thought the doctrine of "election", in which no one had a choice in their salvation, nor could anyone understand anything unless they first had the Holy Spirit after salvation, was a mere disagreement. Now I see just how serious is this teaching.
I thought these things sounded off to me, but thought perhaps I had misunderstood him. Then over the course of a few months I saw that he was becoming more outspoken on these matters, as though he knew many years ago that most people would not accept these things so he waited until the culture was more receptive.
Now I realize he believed these things all along but seemed to be hiding them to remain popular with mainstream Christianity.
Lately he has been openly teaching that no one has a choice in their salvation and that a person in the tribulation could still be saved when they take the mark of the beast.
It makes no sense at all, in light of our understanding of the character of God, that He would make people unable to choose Him and then punish them in hell for not choosing Him. That is not the compassionate and loving God Who would send His own Son to die for the sins of the world.
I am throwing out all of his books!
Revelation 14:11. 11 And the smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever. Day and night there will be no rest for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.”
John 1:2 " 2 He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours alone, but also for the sins of the whole world."
2 Peter 3:9
"9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance."
Over the years as I grew in the Lord I became aware that he believed some things that the Lord never taught in His word, things that will lead people astray.
I thought the doctrine of "election", in which no one had a choice in their salvation, nor could anyone understand anything unless they first had the Holy Spirit after salvation, was a mere disagreement. Now I see just how serious is this teaching.
I thought these things sounded off to me, but thought perhaps I had misunderstood him. Then over the course of a few months I saw that he was becoming more outspoken on these matters, as though he knew many years ago that most people would not accept these things so he waited until the culture was more receptive.
Now I realize he believed these things all along but seemed to be hiding them to remain popular with mainstream Christianity.
Lately he has been openly teaching that no one has a choice in their salvation and that a person in the tribulation could still be saved when they take the mark of the beast.
It makes no sense at all, in light of our understanding of the character of God, that He would make people unable to choose Him and then punish them in hell for not choosing Him. That is not the compassionate and loving God Who would send His own Son to die for the sins of the world.
I am throwing out all of his books!
Revelation 14:11. 11 And the smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever. Day and night there will be no rest for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.”
John 1:2 " 2 He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours alone, but also for the sins of the whole world."
2 Peter 3:9
"9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance."
Addiction to Continual Praise
I know a lot of people pleasers today, perhaps because they have been raised on self esteem and cannot live without continual praise.
When we are addicted to being superior to others, we know that self is on the throne.
Matthew 16:23-25 "23 But Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me. For you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” 24 Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.…"
When we are addicted to being superior to others, we know that self is on the throne.
Matthew 16:23-25 "23 But Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me. For you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” 24 Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.…"
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