Wednesday, February 3, 2021
Let's Be Biblical, not Cultural in Our Thinking
The statement I used to hear was "we need to say things in a way that others will receive it." I didn't buy this nonsense because it completely removes our personality, leaving the fear and figuring determined by the reactions rather than the leading of the Holy Spirit. . We cannot know how someone is going to react because often narcissists will react very badly to innocent and proper disagreements or instruction.
When we are figuring out how to respond according to the reactions of others we cannot be hearing from the Holy Spirit. One of the reasons cultural Christianity has been so ineffective is because it removes all the aspects of the leading of the Holy Spirit in order to rely on the flesh. It also is determined by the reactions of others.
These people who said this believed if someone got angry it was the fault of the other for saying something they didn't like.
We saw the reactions of the world to Christ in His time, they killed Him. What did He say in the wrong way that caused these reactions? Our delivery is not determined by the reactions of others, it is led by the Holy Spirit, the reactions of others is on them alone.
In other words, the anger of others is justified, and speaking our opinion is not to be spoken because it might make someone else angry. It gave the narcissist an excuse for their angst and rude reactions.
Notice the angry person speaks their opinion freely but we don't get to. I have had narcissists rage at me for expressing an opposing opinion but they afforded themselves the right to say anything they wanted and we were supposed to just nod and smile.
We know these people don't love because when we love someone we are interested in their opinion even if we might disagree.
When we have love in our hearts we want others to express themselves maintaining their own right to convictions and beliefs.
Ephesians 4:1-3 "1 As a prisoner in the Lord, then, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received: 2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3and with diligence to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.…"
We cannot pulloff true witnessing in our own flesh. This must be a work of Christ in our inner being. Whatever is in our inner being will be expressed in our outer attitudes and actions. Those who are discerning can see our attitudes and actions for what they are. Even unbelievers can see hypocrisy when it raises its ugly head. Those who rage have anger in their heart, if they did not they would never rage. No one makes another peson angry. Anger is a choice that comes from the inner man, unrestrained and untrained emotions.
Matthew 15:7-9
You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
Those who say they are Christians but seek to demolish another human being merely to win over them are most likely not born again, unless they are repentant at some point regretting that they allowed their emotions to carry them. An authentic believer will be sorry and know quickly that they have sinned in their anger. The unsaved will not be sorry, even believing they were right, causing them to repeat their sinful behavior again.
Those who feel justified by rude behavior because someone said something they didn't like are not being led by the Holy Spirit. If they do this consistently without a conscience they are probably not born again.
Matthew 7:15-20 "15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 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."
What are the fruit of the Spirit? God tells us:
Galatians 5:22-23
"22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."
When there is raging there is lack of all the fruit. When the raging is not repented of, there is probably not salvation.
Devils are Busy in these Last Days
I am convinced that devils are influencing those who have no defense against them. He does it in two ways, he possesses them at times, but most of what we see is "oppression", which is a devil placing thoughts into the minds of people to make them think a certain way.
I believe this because when Christ turned to Peter and said; "get thee behind me satan", he was responding to Peter but addressing the devil who was using Peter's thoughts and mouth.
I do not believe in "a bad seed", because all people are bad seeds before they become born again. People who are not born again are often used by the devil to harm others, even when they believe they are doing good they might be doing harm.
Those who are not born again think in fleshly and worldly ways, they are easily manipulated to think the way the culture thinks rather than how God thinks.
Unsaved people can be kind and friendly people but will become angry when confronted about their sin. Sometimes unsaved people will tolerate us, but avoid us when possible.
The WAY we think is based on the condition of our heart, whether we are saved or not saved, we will respond either through the Holy Spirit or through our own flesh that is easily manipulated by devils.
Growing up I used to hear adults saying things like; "that person is a really nice person." What they meant was that they had a friendly superficial conversation over something not so important.
We never know how "nice" a person is until we have disagreed with them or exposed sin in their life. This is when the real them emerge.
We could have many friends wherever we go as long as we never mention sin or Christ. We must always be kind when we do, however, even if we are kind we can expect most people to become agitated at best and sometimes rage at worst.
We are even accused of things we didn't do no matter what our delivery. You might ask; "what is your proof", that's easy, look what they did to Christ, the most perfect kind, and loving person who ever walked the earth. He made them mad by exposing their sin and by claiming to be God. People become angry when we claim Christ lives in us and we want them to have that same blessing.
If you do not believe people become angry at the message of the cross, just expose the false doctrine with Christians in the church and watch their reaction. The church has become more of the world than of the Bible. When someone fights against the truth of the Bible while embracing false teaching they will be resistant even angry when told they must pray for truth and reject the lies.
We live in a world that has basically rejected Christ, even those in church gatherings. They reject Christ by rejecting His Word the Bible. The Bible is the Word of Christ, it is the very essence of His being. To reject what He says is to reject Him.
1 Samuel 15:23
“For rebellion is as the sin of divination,
And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
He has also rejected you from being king.”
Isaiah 5:24
"Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes stubble
And dry grass collapses into the flame,
So their root will become like rot and their blossom blow away as dust;
For they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts
And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel."
Isaiah 30:12-14
12 Therefore this is what the Holy One of Israel says:
“Since you have rejected this word
And have put your trust in oppression and crookedness, and have relied on them,
13 Therefore this wrongdoing will be to you
Like a breach about to fall,
A bulge in a high wall,
Whose collapse comes suddenly in an instant,
14 Whose collapse is like the smashing of a potter’s jar,
So ruthlessly shattered
That a shard will not be found among its pieces
To take fire from a hearth
Or to scoop water from a cistern.”
Mark 7:6-7 "6 He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:
“‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
7 They worship me in vain;
their teachings are merely human rules.’"
The devils are busy convincing people not to believe God and to malign, mock and reject Christians. Get used to it, it has always been this way and will until Christ makes things right at the end of it all.
You NEVER Walk Alone Even When You Are Without Companions
Has family rejected you, lied about you, excluded you even mock you?
Never fear it is happening to all those who have resolved to follow Christ.
Keep Your eyes upon Jesus Christ only and obey Him even if no one else is doing this. It does not matter if you are walking alone, Christ is always with you.
Isaiah 41:10
"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
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