Crying a Blessing and a Curse!

Have you ever wondered why we cry at a sad movie or when we see someone else crying we allow their emotions to overtake us too?

We cry at a sad movie or because someone else is crying because emotions are superficially based on stimuli, they do not tell us what is really happening.

We cry at a sad movie not because something sad or happy is happening to us personally, but because our emotions are triggered by the stimuli produced on the screen, none of it is real. This is why we cannot trust our emotions.

When the world says to follow your feelings it is telling you to irrationally lean into something that is fantasy, something triggered by imagination rather than real events.

You will find not one scripture that tells us to follow our feelings. We do have feelings and it is alright to admit that, but following them to take a course of action will only cause us more pain and little to no relief from the emotions.

We can observe the reactions of a crying child, if they are not told to get control of themselves they often will become hysterically unable to stop the wild uncontrollable weeping. The harder they cry the more out of control they become.

It is rational reasoning that tells us when to stop crying and get hold of ourselves. Crying is good when it releases stress in our lives but the emotion of crying must be evaluated to discern whether the weeping is warranted or whether it is an irrational fear that will lead us into error or actions that do not honor God.

Emotions were given to us by God but have been corrupted by the fall. They have been used to manipulate others, to avoid accountability, and to excuse sinful behavior. They have even convinced us of thoughts that are not true.

We all cry when the stress of difficulty occurs, even Christ wept, very bitter and bloody tears before going to the cross, but He did not allow those tears to lead Him to avoid the cross He knew He must face.

Our tears are there to relieve stress not to gage truth.

Interesting too that we create our own stress when we watch a movie that makes us sad. Just something to think about.

God Forbids!

God forbids remarriage after divorce, Christ calls it adultery. There is a good reason for God forbidding remarriage after divorce, the ex-spouse who is still married in God's eyes, will pop in and out of the lives of the second couple.

The children are passed back and forth and the second illegitimate spouse cannot possibly love the children from the first marriage as much as their mother does.

There is often child abuse among remarried couples, because the new spouse has no natural affection for the children that were not her bio children.

When God makes two people one in marriage it is His work no man or government can undo it with a piece of paper.

Mark 10:7-9 "…7‘ For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, 8 and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, no man can separate.”…"

We know this because of what Christ said;

Luke 16:17-18 "17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for a single stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law. 18 Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery."

Nathan Exposes David's Heart

When Nathan told a story to David it tugged at David's heart so he was angry with the man in the story for his sin against God and another man.

When Nathan said to David; "you are that man", David was ashamed and broken over his sin and repented. His sin was then cleansed from him but he still experienced the consequences of his son from his adultery and murder died.

2 Samuel 12

David grieved while his son was dying, when the son finally died David got up, washed up, ate food and got on with his life as he accepted God's Will. After David repented and was forgiven he got on with his life but lived with the consequences of his sin for the rest of his life.

Make no mistake, this technique of telling a story to someone who is sinning works only for those with a tender heart. It will not work for the narcissist.

The narcissist will be angry when we expose their sin and they will never repent. In fact, the narcissist will find ways to harm you through gossip and lies against you. They see the story we tell as a personal attack even though their name was never mentioned.

Rebukes, correction, and admonition only work on those who desire to be right with God. Narcissists refuse to be rebuked through fighting against the person God is using to correct them. Their conscience is seared, they are full of anger and are ready to level their angst against anyone who exposes them.

Not only will they fight against the exposure to their own heart they will attempt to cause others to see you as the person who did the sin or another sin to deflect any judgments toward themselves.

Narcissists know what they do because they become angry when confronted. Those who are honest and authentic people do not become angry when they are accused and not guilty, they show shock and if they are guilty they demonstrate shame and sorrow.

God never told us to forgive the unrepentant person who refuses to admit their sin. He told us this instead;

Luke 17:3-4 "…3 Watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to say, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”

Notice God said here, "and seven times returns to say, 'I repent', you must forgive him."

Why do so many people leave out the last part of that passage? The answer is simple, most Christians have been indoctrinated by formal education teaching psychology that they cannot wrap their minds around God's truth. We are not required to forgive everyone all the time.

We are not to do harm to anyone, treat anyone disrespectfully, however, this is not forgiveness.

Forgiveness is extended when someone has shown sorrow over their sin. Confession of sin and forgiveness extended are two sides of the same coin. Both must be present for a relationship to be restored, which is the purpose in the process of reconciliation. God requires repentance for anyone to be born again. Those who will not do not have a relationship with Him and He does not hear their prays. This is the model for us in our relationships with people.

1 Corinthians 5:2

"And you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have been stricken with grief and have removed from your fellowship the man who did this?"

Our culture is very proud of their wholesale forgiveness without the required confession of sin. Because of this pride, they pressure others to forgive when it is inappropriate, when someone is not sorry and when no headway has been made toward reconciliation.

Because our culture is based almost entirely on "feelings' we miss the blessings of truly restored relationships and changed hearts.

Often I see people taking scripture out of context to justify forgiveness when it should be withheld. The accountability factor has been removed also eliminating the guilt that should come with sin.

There is an entitlement in our culture that demands forgiveness without having to lose anything over sinful attitudes and habits.

This same mentality of forgiveness without accountability or confession of sin slops over into the "do not judge' mentality. We are clearly to judge our brothers and sisters actions and rebuke and correct when necessary, this is godly love.

Sadly too, many innocent people who know these principles have removed themselves from unrepentant relatives or community members only to be chastised to forgive those who are not sorry and have not changed their hearts.

In effect, the culture protects the sinner who will not repent while beating up on the righteous for not forgiving those who will not repent. This is the opposite of what God teaches. Because of this, the righteous person has no allies to come alongside and the sinner is further empowered with many companions.

One only has to ask one question and observe our culture to see where all this wrong unbiblical thinking has led. That question is; "where has this modern teaching taken our culture in the past 80 years." We have not improved we have become more sinful, less godly and even angry against God's Word.

2 Timothy 3

Difficult Times Will Come (meaning ragingly insane)

3 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.

2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, 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 people as these.

6 For among them are those who slip into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses,

7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, worthless in regard to the faith.

9 But they will not make further progress; for their foolishness will be obvious to all, just as was that also of Jannes and Jambres."

What are some of the principles in this passage to look for when evaluating our culture to compare it with God's truth?

1. Things are becoming irrational and people meaner. (verses 2-4)

2. People are becoming more gullible, easily fooled. (verse 6)

2. We are to avoid the people who act wickedly without repentance.

3. The culture is always learning but make no progress because what they are learning is false. (verse 7)

4. We no longer name names to expose the wicked man, someone might be angry over it, so the wicked are further empowered and gain more followers. (verses 8-9)

We live in a day when psychology based on Darwinism and evolution is believed as the authority. psychology does observe some things correctly but because it does not understand God's Word it will be misinterpreted and misguided in the solutions.

When we know and love God's Word and seek the Holy Spirit we will not be fooled nor will we walk in pride.

Just saying!