Just as gossipers in the media malign another human being through half truths and out and out lies, so do the gossipers in a family malign their favored targets with the same.
We see the way in which the media uses half truths and spins it to seem bad or far worse than what transpired. This can happen in families and communities as well
When we share with a trusted friend something that happened to us personally, that is not gossip. However it is gossip when someone takes a flying guess about what they think is going on in someone's life without evidence and with great glee as to how that target may be failing in life.
Gossip is very serious to God especially when it is aimed at His children.
2 Corinthians 12:20 "20 For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder."
Exodus 23:1 "1 “Do not spread false reports. Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness."
The definition of gossip is the reporting of something about others we did not experience or witness ourselves to someone who has no need to know.
Always gossip is designed to diminish the worth and well being of the one being gossiped about.
So here's the rule: If you have heard something about me that disturbs you, then you are responsible to come to me and ask me my side of the story. Unless of course you know me well enough to know it is not true, then you have a responsibility to ignore it, even chastise the person telling you and forget what you heard.
Too often reputations are maligned and even ruined by gossip that has no basis in fact. These attempts to ruin another person says more about the gossiper than it does about the one who is the target of the half truths. And, believe me when I say all gossip is based in half truths, making the gossip whole lies.
Sharing a personal experience with a trusted friend is far different from guessing what one thinks might be truth and passing it to others to diminish their relationship with the one gossiped about.
Shame on those who must elevate self through gossip to undermine someone else.
Tuesday, November 27, 2018
No Authority Given by God is Above God
I don't doubt that there are women who are rebellious and will fight against that which they need not fight. I have been maligned by extremists who call me rebellious because I am a woman writing about God on facebook.
These people believe women are to be seen and not heard. I know this is a falsehood that appeals to narcissistic men who are control freaks.
Men are the leaders in their homes and at the church gathering, but leading is far different from dictating and oppressing the talents and gifts of the Holy Spirit in women.
1 Peter 5:1-5 "5 Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, 2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; 3 nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 5 You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
Sadly there are more sermons on women submitting than there are on men learning how to lead God's way.
No where in the word does God tell men to lead by intimidation, mocking or manipulation.
God tells the women to submit as they are led by God. He never tells the men to force or demean the women.
When women are treated like children as if they are brainless they tend to react to that. Women have much to offer the fellowship in the roll God has given them. In fact they are counselors to the men just as the vice president is to the president. To eliminate one part of the body as irrelevant because they are not an eye or a foot, as the scriptures say, is to negate the callings of God in every believer.
1 Corinthians 12:14-16 "…14 For the body does not consist of one part, but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body."
These parts of the body of Christ are not only men, these are all believing women.
I have been told I usurp the authority of my husband by speaking about the things of God. I do not usurp him, rather I seek to enhance his work by the wisdom God has given me. He approves of what I do.
There was a time when others tried to interfere in our marriage by approaching him to chastise me for speaking about the things of God.
God said that it was not good that man be alone, the reason is that there is safety in more than one perspective. Of course this presupposes that both the man and the woman are seeking Christ.
When one is seeking Christ and the other is not then the one who follows Christ must remain faithful to Christ, whether that believer is a man or a woman. The believer must always suffer for following Christ.
Romans 5:3-5
"More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."
Romans 8:28
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."
The scriptures here have been given to me too, the woman. They have been given to ALL believers. Even children who are born again may be asked by unbelieving parents to do something evil. The child that has been told to do something evil must refuse to do it and even go to the authorities to discipline the parents.
No authority given by God is above God!
These people believe women are to be seen and not heard. I know this is a falsehood that appeals to narcissistic men who are control freaks.
Men are the leaders in their homes and at the church gathering, but leading is far different from dictating and oppressing the talents and gifts of the Holy Spirit in women.
1 Peter 5:1-5 "5 Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, 2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; 3 nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 5 You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
Sadly there are more sermons on women submitting than there are on men learning how to lead God's way.
No where in the word does God tell men to lead by intimidation, mocking or manipulation.
God tells the women to submit as they are led by God. He never tells the men to force or demean the women.
When women are treated like children as if they are brainless they tend to react to that. Women have much to offer the fellowship in the roll God has given them. In fact they are counselors to the men just as the vice president is to the president. To eliminate one part of the body as irrelevant because they are not an eye or a foot, as the scriptures say, is to negate the callings of God in every believer.
1 Corinthians 12:14-16 "…14 For the body does not consist of one part, but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body."
These parts of the body of Christ are not only men, these are all believing women.
I have been told I usurp the authority of my husband by speaking about the things of God. I do not usurp him, rather I seek to enhance his work by the wisdom God has given me. He approves of what I do.
There was a time when others tried to interfere in our marriage by approaching him to chastise me for speaking about the things of God.
God said that it was not good that man be alone, the reason is that there is safety in more than one perspective. Of course this presupposes that both the man and the woman are seeking Christ.
When one is seeking Christ and the other is not then the one who follows Christ must remain faithful to Christ, whether that believer is a man or a woman. The believer must always suffer for following Christ.
Romans 5:3-5
"More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."
Romans 8:28
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."
The scriptures here have been given to me too, the woman. They have been given to ALL believers. Even children who are born again may be asked by unbelieving parents to do something evil. The child that has been told to do something evil must refuse to do it and even go to the authorities to discipline the parents.
No authority given by God is above God!
Resist the Evil!
So should a wife obey her husband no matter what? If a husband asks his wife to shoot the neighbor because he doesn't like him, she should shoot the neighbor?
We are to obey our husbands if what they are asking does not disobey God. Absolute obedience to any human is to deny God. We must obey God first if the husband will not.
If the husband tells the wife to watch porn movies with him, she is to decline, even taking step to keep it out of the house. God gave the homemaking domain to the wife, she is to protect her home from evil. If her husband will not then she must.
To follow the husband to disobey God is to make the husband the god over her. The husband is the leader but he is not sovereign. Sometimes the wife must say no to evil to follow Christ.
There are those who use the scripture that says that Sarah called her husband "Lord."
I will never call anyone "Lord" that is reserved for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Just because someone in the word said something does not mean we are all commanded to do it.
Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Spirit, does that mean we should all do that?
Sapphirah should have disobeyed her husband, but they collaborated together to lie. If she had been a good wife she would have refused and he might have changed his mind allowing them both to live.
I have actually heard men advice a godly woman to watch porn with her unsaved husband because she should obey her husband. This thinking is a perversion of God's command to obey our husbands.
Never obey a husband when he wants you to commit a crime, an indecent act or any other thing that dishonors and disobeys God.
Acts 5:29
"29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men."
The apostles made it clear that if the authorities over us command us to do evil we are to resist and decline.
We have been given charge over the home, we are the keepers of that home. This means that if anyone attempts to bring evil into it we are to resist the evil.
We are to obey our husbands if what they are asking does not disobey God. Absolute obedience to any human is to deny God. We must obey God first if the husband will not.
If the husband tells the wife to watch porn movies with him, she is to decline, even taking step to keep it out of the house. God gave the homemaking domain to the wife, she is to protect her home from evil. If her husband will not then she must.
To follow the husband to disobey God is to make the husband the god over her. The husband is the leader but he is not sovereign. Sometimes the wife must say no to evil to follow Christ.
There are those who use the scripture that says that Sarah called her husband "Lord."
I will never call anyone "Lord" that is reserved for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Just because someone in the word said something does not mean we are all commanded to do it.
Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Spirit, does that mean we should all do that?
Sapphirah should have disobeyed her husband, but they collaborated together to lie. If she had been a good wife she would have refused and he might have changed his mind allowing them both to live.
I have actually heard men advice a godly woman to watch porn with her unsaved husband because she should obey her husband. This thinking is a perversion of God's command to obey our husbands.
Never obey a husband when he wants you to commit a crime, an indecent act or any other thing that dishonors and disobeys God.
Acts 5:29
"29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men."
The apostles made it clear that if the authorities over us command us to do evil we are to resist and decline.
We have been given charge over the home, we are the keepers of that home. This means that if anyone attempts to bring evil into it we are to resist the evil.
Animal Rights vs Rights of the Unborn
The animal rights movement is a religion that places animals above people.
Never once have I seen an animal rights person speak of human rights or the rights of the unborn.
Babies are being ripped apart in their mothers womb in the most tortuous way possible while they live and yet I hear not one word from the animal rights people
If animals were being ripped apart by their owners in this tortured way while they were still alive you would see these animal rights people protesting and shouting to stop the carnage. But they have not one word for the unborn babies. This is happening every single day to the tune of 4000 innocents!!!!
Do you see what I mean when the world has gone mad into complete irrationality ?
Some of those animal rights people have had abortions, this is hypocrisy to defend the safety of animals while ripping apart the babies.
Never once have I seen an animal rights person speak of human rights or the rights of the unborn.
Babies are being ripped apart in their mothers womb in the most tortuous way possible while they live and yet I hear not one word from the animal rights people
If animals were being ripped apart by their owners in this tortured way while they were still alive you would see these animal rights people protesting and shouting to stop the carnage. But they have not one word for the unborn babies. This is happening every single day to the tune of 4000 innocents!!!!
Do you see what I mean when the world has gone mad into complete irrationality ?
Some of those animal rights people have had abortions, this is hypocrisy to defend the safety of animals while ripping apart the babies.
God's Got Our Backs
If they don't like "what" you say, no matter how calmly you say it, they will accuse you of being rude. That's how it works for the narcissist.
The narcissist cannot stand truth that exposes their sinfulness. Their only defense against what they believe is an attack is to rage and punish anyone who dares to tell them the truth.
Any correction of any sort is perceived as a personal attack to these rebellious self righteous ones.
Do not be intimidated by this believers! Simply speak truth as led by the Holy Spirit and leave their response to God. God has our back and all the answers too!
Proverbs 29:10-12 "…10 Men of bloodshed hate a blameless man, but the upright care for his life. 11 A fool vents all his anger, but a wise man holds it back. 12 If a ruler listens to lies, all his officials will be wicked.…"
The narcissist cannot stand truth that exposes their sinfulness. Their only defense against what they believe is an attack is to rage and punish anyone who dares to tell them the truth.
Any correction of any sort is perceived as a personal attack to these rebellious self righteous ones.
Do not be intimidated by this believers! Simply speak truth as led by the Holy Spirit and leave their response to God. God has our back and all the answers too!
Proverbs 29:10-12 "…10 Men of bloodshed hate a blameless man, but the upright care for his life. 11 A fool vents all his anger, but a wise man holds it back. 12 If a ruler listens to lies, all his officials will be wicked.…"
For You Wendy: And anyone else who is interested:
"The more I studied God's word and the more I know about the "narcissist" as described in 2 Timothy 3, the more I realized that our delivery has little to do with the response from the hearer.
The response from the hearer reveals their own heart. It won't matter how we deliver a message, no matter how mild or friendly, if the hearer doesn't want to hear it they will rage in response to what they perceive in their own mind as an attack.
The response from the hearer reveals their own heart. It won't matter how we deliver a message, no matter how mild or friendly, if the hearer doesn't want to hear it they will rage in response to what they perceive in their own mind as an attack.
Let the Holy Spirit Speak Through You
I was once told we should say things in a way that others will be receive it.
The more I studied God's word and the more I know about the "narcissist" as described in 2 Timothy 3, the more I realized that our delivery has little to do with the response from the hearer.
The response from the hearer reveals their own heart. It won't matter how we deliver a message, no matter how mild or friendly, if the hearer doesn't want to hear it they will rage in response to what they perceive in their own mind as an attack.
The Holy Spirit gives us what to say and how to say it. Some people need a gentle delivery and others need a strong rebuke. God tells us this in His word.
We do not have to figure out which is need in each encounter, we only have to be led by the Holy Spirit
Proverbs 27:5
"Better is open rebuke than hidden love."
An open rebuke is a show of love, when we will not rebuke when it is necessary then we are withholding love.
1 Timothy 5:20
"As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear."
2 Timothy 4:2
"Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching."
The world preaches love, the apostate church preaches love, but they don't know what it looks like. They think love is all about making people feel happy and accepted.
God says love is many things, it is encouragement through instruction, it is correction to resolve problems. The world wants to define love as giving someone whatever they want to please them. God says love is imparting to the hearer what will help them live holy and righteous lives. There is no greater benefit to the hearer than truth told that will give them God's peace through obedience to Him.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work."
James 5:20
"Let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins."
Luke 17:3-4
"Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
The goal of the believer ought to be to hear the promptings of the Holy Spirit to speak truth God's way for the edifying of the saints and for the salvation of those who do not yet know Him,.
This is God's love, it snatches people from the fires of hell and brings glorious peace and joy to those who have trusted in Him.
Encouragement is not praise and it is not flattery as so many people in the apostate system have believed.
Far too many people have been praised and flattered as they continue in laziness and rebellion. They are told they did a good job when they did little or nothing that brought solutions.
I witnessed a young mother who told her small so to tie his shoes. She railed and railed at him for not doing it right. Then she praised him ad nauseam when he finally go it. She goowed with such intensity I thought I was going to be sick.
Here's what encouragement looks like: "Son tie your shoes so we can get going." When the son ties his shoes, calmly look at him and say; "good let's go." Praising incessantly for a job well done embarrasses the child as well as everyone around the encounter.
There are those who count themselves as good mothers for their constant praise and adulation over the smallest matters.
Notice in the word of God we see the instruction from God, the result of obedience and the consequences of disobedience. We never see continual praise heaped on anyone.
Constant flattery and praise only creates expectation of it and resentment when it is no excessive.
Proverbs 1:23
"If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you."
Proverbs 27:6
"Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy."
We wonder why narcissism is growing when the culture destroys children with flattery and praise. When a child has been raised with excessive praise, flattery and attention they tend to believe they deserve it all the time and that everyone else should treat them this way too.
When we are attempting to figure out how to talk to someone so they won't be mad at us, we are making them more important than Christ is to us.
When we think we must figure out the right way to talk to someone we are not trusting Christ to speak through us.
All that is necessary in our witnessing is to know the Word of God well and trust the Holy Spirit to use our mouth.
2 Timothy 3:16
"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,"
Revelation 3:19
"Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent."
Matthew 10:19 "19 But when they hand you over, do not worry about how to respond or what to say. In that hour you will be given what to say. 20 For it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.…"
The bottom line is that most Christians in our day give no trust in the Holy Spirit. They are living in the flesh for their witnessing and even for their daily lives while wondering why their prayers are not answered.
Isaiah 1:15-16 " 15 When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you multiply your prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood. 16 Wash and cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil!…"
It is sinful to trust in ourselves for delivery of a message. God will not hear the prayers of those who do not desire the counsel and working of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
The more I studied God's word and the more I know about the "narcissist" as described in 2 Timothy 3, the more I realized that our delivery has little to do with the response from the hearer.
The response from the hearer reveals their own heart. It won't matter how we deliver a message, no matter how mild or friendly, if the hearer doesn't want to hear it they will rage in response to what they perceive in their own mind as an attack.
The Holy Spirit gives us what to say and how to say it. Some people need a gentle delivery and others need a strong rebuke. God tells us this in His word.
We do not have to figure out which is need in each encounter, we only have to be led by the Holy Spirit
Proverbs 27:5
"Better is open rebuke than hidden love."
An open rebuke is a show of love, when we will not rebuke when it is necessary then we are withholding love.
1 Timothy 5:20
"As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear."
2 Timothy 4:2
"Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching."
The world preaches love, the apostate church preaches love, but they don't know what it looks like. They think love is all about making people feel happy and accepted.
God says love is many things, it is encouragement through instruction, it is correction to resolve problems. The world wants to define love as giving someone whatever they want to please them. God says love is imparting to the hearer what will help them live holy and righteous lives. There is no greater benefit to the hearer than truth told that will give them God's peace through obedience to Him.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work."
James 5:20
"Let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins."
Luke 17:3-4
"Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
The goal of the believer ought to be to hear the promptings of the Holy Spirit to speak truth God's way for the edifying of the saints and for the salvation of those who do not yet know Him,.
This is God's love, it snatches people from the fires of hell and brings glorious peace and joy to those who have trusted in Him.
Encouragement is not praise and it is not flattery as so many people in the apostate system have believed.
Far too many people have been praised and flattered as they continue in laziness and rebellion. They are told they did a good job when they did little or nothing that brought solutions.
I witnessed a young mother who told her small so to tie his shoes. She railed and railed at him for not doing it right. Then she praised him ad nauseam when he finally go it. She goowed with such intensity I thought I was going to be sick.
Here's what encouragement looks like: "Son tie your shoes so we can get going." When the son ties his shoes, calmly look at him and say; "good let's go." Praising incessantly for a job well done embarrasses the child as well as everyone around the encounter.
There are those who count themselves as good mothers for their constant praise and adulation over the smallest matters.
Notice in the word of God we see the instruction from God, the result of obedience and the consequences of disobedience. We never see continual praise heaped on anyone.
Constant flattery and praise only creates expectation of it and resentment when it is no excessive.
Proverbs 1:23
"If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you."
Proverbs 27:6
"Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy."
We wonder why narcissism is growing when the culture destroys children with flattery and praise. When a child has been raised with excessive praise, flattery and attention they tend to believe they deserve it all the time and that everyone else should treat them this way too.
When we are attempting to figure out how to talk to someone so they won't be mad at us, we are making them more important than Christ is to us.
When we think we must figure out the right way to talk to someone we are not trusting Christ to speak through us.
All that is necessary in our witnessing is to know the Word of God well and trust the Holy Spirit to use our mouth.
2 Timothy 3:16
"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,"
Revelation 3:19
"Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent."
Matthew 10:19 "19 But when they hand you over, do not worry about how to respond or what to say. In that hour you will be given what to say. 20 For it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.…"
The bottom line is that most Christians in our day give no trust in the Holy Spirit. They are living in the flesh for their witnessing and even for their daily lives while wondering why their prayers are not answered.
Isaiah 1:15-16 " 15 When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you multiply your prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood. 16 Wash and cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil!…"
It is sinful to trust in ourselves for delivery of a message. God will not hear the prayers of those who do not desire the counsel and working of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
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