Even if we reject something we hear the first time, over time if we hear it long enough we begin to accept it. This is why the liberals shout loudly and long to convince others of their views.
Good examples of this principles are things like "the self esteem teaching", also, "forgiveness for our own sake" and many other modern churchy ideas that are not biblical, but rather are based on the psychology that seminary grads have been trained with.
Those who believe we cannot know the truth of the bible or perform Christian works unless we have a human degree and been ordained by man is one very strong deception in our day. Even though these things are not taught in the word of God they have been repeated so long most Christians believe them.
1 Thessalonians 5:21
"21 Test all things; hold fast what is good."
It is not man who teaches truths, it is man being taught by the Holy Spirit and sharing what the Holy Spirit taught that man. This is the reason we must test all things according to the Bible. Every born again believer has the ability to know truth without teaching from any man. Men enhance our understanding by sharing what the Holy Spirit is saying in His Word. However, today men teach their own ideas without seeking the Holy Spirit, in so doing lead many into error.
John 16:12-14 "…12 I still have much to tell you, but you cannot yet bear to hear it. 13 However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me by taking from what is Mine and disclosing it to you.…"
It is also a technique of false preachers and teachers to repeat things often without scriptural evidence. If they are bold enough, long enough they can convince others of false things. They can even convince them so strongly that the hearer begins to defend the false premise as though they always believed it was true.
The news media manipulates thinking all the time with their word management. They use words that are designed to influence. One expression of that is the use of the word, "refuse." Rather than saying someone was not able to make it to the gathering when they had a legitimate reason for not showing up, the media will say "they refused to come."
This kind of verbiage leads people to believe those involved had a problem with the gathering and made a conscious decision to avoid it, when their spin was not the truth.
This goes on in conversations with narcissists all the time. The narcissist will pump someone for information and then phrase it very differently when they are gossiping it to others.
The news media does the same thing as modern preachers, they exude an air of authority over others as though they are the ones with the knowledge and truth and all others are ignorant and unworthy of respect.
The born again believer must be vigilant to understand the tricks of the devil so as not to be drawn into lies and false perceptions.
When I see someone who continually embellishes an event in the form of over the top flattery I know they are viewing that event the way they wish to see it and not necessarily the way it actually occurred.
Over the top flattery is often a clue that someone is attempting to cause a perception in the hearer that gratifies themselves. They do this because they wish to be seen as a positive or a special person.
When someone is complimenting another person in a way that manipulates their emotions they are "shmoozing." This term is associated with insincere flattery to disarm someone from thinking critically and authentically.
God hates flattery and guilt tripping because these tactics are not truthful, they are manipulation to disarm and control.
Conversely there are those who use mocking and intimidation to disarm those who may be likely to back down when disrespected.
An honest and sincere compliment based on truth is not flattery, its lovely and encourages people. I am assuming most born again believers know the difference between flattery and encouragement.
Those who are insincere often use flattery to disarm but never encourage when they are not the center of attention.
Proverbs 29:5
"A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet."
Proverbs 28:23
"Whoever rebukes a man will afterward find more favor than he who flatters with his tongue."
My take on this last verse mentioned is that it is God who shows favor when we rebuke those who are sinning. Obviously most of the time these days when we rebuke the one being rebuked does not show favor they simply become angry.
We are living in the last days when most people will not tolerate correction or rebuke. Never suck their bad attitude into your soul. Slough it off as volcanic ash from your shoulder. Those who use techniques of the devil to control our thinking are but volcanic dust that falls and can be brushed away as quickly as it falls.
2 Timothy 4:2-4 "…2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and encourage with every form of patient instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires. 4 So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.…"
Born again believers will not be tolerated when they rebuke or correct, not even in their own church gatherings.
God describes the end times church gatherings in this day in 2 Timothy 3. It is astonishing that those who claim to be believers would act in these ugly ways. Perhaps these are the apostate pretenders that God is speak of in the following verses.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 "2
“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."
The apostasy is a description of those who depart from the truth but remain in the gatherings.
2 Corinthians 11:13–14
"13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light."
2 Peter 2:1
"2 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction."
It is my opinion based on what the Bible says that most people in our day are in this condition of apostasy. I believe this because of the hostility with which most "Christians" resist the truth when it comes straight from the Bible. When we prove what we are saying from God's Word and those hearing argue from circumstances, desires or their feelings, we know they are not dedicated to the Word of God.
Romans 6:1–2
"6 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?"
Those who resist the teachings of the Bible to embrace their own ideas or the ideas of those they wish to see as having special knowledge who add to the scriptures with their own human desires are in disobedience and rebellion against God.
Matthew 15:14
"14 Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”
We are to identify the false teachers and the bad doctrine and disregard it, while also preaching against it when others are involved. In order to disregard bad doctrine and false teaching we must be willing to stand alone, even losing friends who are disobedient to the word who will not listen.
Romans 16:17-18
"I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive."
Thursday, July 18, 2019
Wednesday, July 17, 2019
Let Life Teach Others.
When we bail irresponsible unrepentant people out of difficulty we enable them to continue in that vein, and we also don't allow life to teach them. The same thing is true for forgiving someone who is not sorry. Any time we remove consequences we erase the good lessons that could have been learned.
James 1:2-13
"2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord,
8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
9 But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position;
10 and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away.
11 For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away.
12 Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone."
If we love others we help them to help themselves. We do not pass out money when someone has neglected to pay their bills to be able to buy toys. If we love someone we allow them to fail when the problem was because of their own foolishness.
As someone once said, "give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach him to fish and he eats for a lifetime."
James 1:2-13
"2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord,
8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
9 But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position;
10 and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away.
11 For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away.
12 Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone."
If we love others we help them to help themselves. We do not pass out money when someone has neglected to pay their bills to be able to buy toys. If we love someone we allow them to fail when the problem was because of their own foolishness.
As someone once said, "give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach him to fish and he eats for a lifetime."
True or False Friend
"The covert narcissist does not clap for you when you succeed at something." (Tyr Ravensohn)
Those who are jealous of others cannot bring themselves to be happy for those they choose to believe are beneath them.
When you are in a group sharing something that brings you joy you will be able to tell those who are jealous and covertly contemptuous, these people will avoid clapping for you or celebrating with you.
Proverbs 18:24
"24 A man of too many friends comes to ruin,
But there is a [b]friend who sticks closer than a brother."
Philippians 2:3
"3 Do nothing from [b]selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;"
Galatians 6:2
"2 Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ."
Philippians 2:1-3
"1 Therefore if you have any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being of one mind, having the same love, being united in spirit and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves."
True friends enjoy the successes of their friends. True friends grieve with their friends in difficult times. True friends do not change or remove love on a dime, they are steady and consistent.
Those who are discerning will be able to see a true friend from a fake one.
Those who are jealous of others cannot bring themselves to be happy for those they choose to believe are beneath them.
When you are in a group sharing something that brings you joy you will be able to tell those who are jealous and covertly contemptuous, these people will avoid clapping for you or celebrating with you.
Proverbs 18:24
"24 A man of too many friends comes to ruin,
But there is a [b]friend who sticks closer than a brother."
Philippians 2:3
"3 Do nothing from [b]selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;"
Galatians 6:2
"2 Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ."
Philippians 2:1-3
"1 Therefore if you have any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being of one mind, having the same love, being united in spirit and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves."
True friends enjoy the successes of their friends. True friends grieve with their friends in difficult times. True friends do not change or remove love on a dime, they are steady and consistent.
Those who are discerning will be able to see a true friend from a fake one.
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