Dr. David Reagan: The Rapture: Fact or Fiction? - 4-25-21 Begin at 25 Minutes

Solomon's Wisdom came when He Looked Back

Solomon did not become truly wise until the end of his life when he looked back he saw all his doings as worthless.

He was very knowledgeable about many things but the wisdom did not come until after he had seen where all his foolishness led. He said this:

"Ecclesiastes 1:14

14 "I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind."

For those who are striving after status, wealth and notoriety, you may not see it now as you glory in all the accolades and pressure to perform, but one day when you lose the status and accolades you will find yourself empty and lonely.

All those people who loved you for what you could give them have disappeared. All that praise is now gone and all that is left is a frail old body without wisdom or purpose, there will be an emptiness greater than anything you ever thought was possible.

The final moments of death will bring such void it will be unbearable. UNLESS you trust in Christ before you leave this side of eternity. It is only in trusting in Jesus Christ that you will find purpose.

Those who have trusted Christ are not burdened with competitiveness and striving after superiority, they are at peace and joyful just being what God has made them, the new creation. They have lost all desire to impress others or achieve worldly accomplishments for the purpose of praise from others.

John 12:42-44 "42 Nevertheless, many of the leaders believed in Him; but because of the Pharisees, they did not confess Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue. 43 For they loved praise from men more than praise from God. 44 Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in Me does not believe in Me alone, but in the One who sent Me.…"

Grow in holiness desiring to become what Christ meant for you to become and you will never be lonely, nor will you ever need the praise of men.

Hallelujah!!!!

They Ask What is Wrong but they don't Want to Hear

A narcissist will ask you what is wrong when you are troubled and then explode on you because you told them. Remember they don't really want to know if it has anything to do with them.

Ecclesiastes 10:13

"The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness."

Tell your troubles to God He wants to hear and already knows.

A narcissist is not interested in your troubles they only want to appear as though they care, but really they just want the information to be able to further abuse you.

It is my belief that narcissists ask "what is wrong" knowing already what they did to upset you. They love to fight and judge others as bad, it makes them feel stronger, it feeds them.

Pray before you speak to a narcissist, allow the Holy Spirit to speak from you, if the narcissist rejects what He said then they will be responsible to Him.

We are living in very difficult times. Many people will display narcissistic tendencies, even an entire culture will operate from this devilish trait.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 describes them and then gives some instruction about how to deal with it.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 "Difficult (ragingly insane) Times Will Come

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."

This passage in 2 Timothy is describing the end times church. These people will claim to be Christians but care nothing about God or His Word.

2 Timothy 4:2-5 "2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and exhort, with great patience and instruction.

3 For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires,

4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

5 But as for you, use self-restraint in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."

This narcissistic culture is more concerned about appearing special and feeling good about themselves. They will be offended at any suggestion that they have been sinful. They will rage against challenges to self-reflect rather than taking the opportunity to grow in holiness, they will regress into unbridled selfishness, punishing anyone who calls them out on their sin.

This is why I encourage believers to speak the truth in the power of the Holy Spirit, the reaction of the hearer is on them. However, we ought to be in tune with the Holy Spirit so that we do not react in anger to the narcissist who is working to cause anger in us.

It is a tactic of the devil to ruin our peace by agitating us to the point of frustration. If you make a mistake in answering back in anger, confess it to God and go on to do better next time. These devilish narcissists are "ragingly angry", it emerges whenever someone tells them the truth about their actions or attitudes.

2 Timothy 4:2 "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine."

Why would we need "longsuffering" while reproving, rebuking, and exhorting? Its quite simple, we will be punished, mocked, and excluded by Christians for our effort to bring them back to obedience and right thinking.

Remain steadfast, joyful and resolute in obedience to God and we will at some point see the fruit of our obedience.

God Is Exposing a COVERT NARCISSIST to You If . . .

16 Signs God Is Exposing a Narcissist in Your Life

Follow God not Man

God forbade the Jews to marry pagan women, it had nothing to do with their ethnicity. The problem was that pagan women would practice abominations against God in the household of the believer.

Just as God commands believers not to marry unbelievers the Israelites were told not to marry pagan women.

This command is being violated constantly in our culture within the church, even believers are divorcing after they have ignored God's commands not to marry unbelievers, they compound the disobedience with another disobedience.

Then sadly they are remarrying influencing their friends to remarry even though Christ expressly said to remarry after a divorce was adultery. They are causing their brothers and sisters to accept their remarriage and even show contempt for those who refuse to participate.

Luke 16:18 “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. "

1 Corinthians 7:10-11 "…10 To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. 11 But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife."

All the "exceptions" people give are not Biblical and are ignorant of the teachings of the Bible. One only has to pray and seek Christ to find this out. Sadly many people in the church are following the teachings of man rather than seeking Christ and refuse to seek Him, because they love the teachings of men that say what they want to hear.

God clearly states that one must not divorce but if found to have already done it then they are to remain alone except if reconciled to their spouse. Using Old Testament passages pertaining to the Jews is nothing more than an attempt to justify what God condemns.

If you seek man and their humanistic teachings you will be wrong more than you are right, it is Christ we must seek.

If You Want to be Wise Repent and Trust in Christ

If we want to be truly wise we must give up trusting in ourselves and focus on Christ Who lives in us.

HOWEVER, we can only depend on Christ living in us if we have confessed our sinful nature and desire to be changed by Him into a new creation. When we have confessed to Him we are sinful and asked Him to change us into a new creation He does it and from then on He is the One Who works in us.

Ephesians 2:10

"10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

To be wise trust in Christ and not ourselves. Only He can make us wise. If we try to make ourselves wise we will be fools.

Proverbs 12:15-19

"15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,

But a person who listens to advice is wise.

16 A fool’s anger is known at once,

But a prudent person conceals dishonor.

17 One who declares truth tells what is right,

But a false witness, deceit.

18 There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword,

But the tongue of the wise brings healing.

19 Truthful lips will endure forever,

But a lying tongue is only for a moment."

Isaiah 5:21

"Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!"

Proverbs 26:12

"Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him."