The Greater Things are not What You Might Think

Christ said we would do greater things than He did, raise the dead, cast out demons and heal the sick!!! What could be greater than having the ability to do these miracles?

John 14:12-14

"12 Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I am going to the Father.

13 And whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it."

There are only two things greater than these miracles, that is the gospel to the unsaved and living our lives through the Holy Spirit. These are the greater things.

Many people saw Christ do miracles but didn't trust in Him. Seeing miracles does not cause people to trust in Christ, it is conviction of the Holy Spirit on a heart that is ready and willing to hear.

Luke 16:19-31 tells us about the rich man who asked God to send Lazarus to warn his brothers about hell, but God said: "‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”

All these things we think might influence people to come to Christ, such as leaving an inheritance, a vision from heaven, and forgiving the unrepentant so they will like us and we won't be bitter are humanistic ideas based on psychology, they do not change a wicked heart.

Psychology asserts that people are nothing more than animals. If we treat animals well they will be loyal and do what we want. We are not animals and no matter how good you are to people it is not the kindness that changes their hearts. We are commanded to bless our enemies so that we will not become like them in our responses. God is more concerned about protecting our Spiritual life than He is about what others do to us, except that what they do to us strengthens us into a better person if we follow the principles of Christ.

Genesis 5:19-21 " shows us that whatever anyone does to us is allowed by God to shape our character.

By the way, not all animals respond well if you give them good things or say nice words to them. If you walk into the cage with a hungry lion and say nice words they will eat you, they don't care about your words or the pretty gifts wrapped up in bows.

The greater miracles in believers are those character growth spurts we have when we obey God's principles even when others mistreat us or lie against us. We benefit from all that happens to us even if no one around us changes.

No one else makes us what we are, it is our response that comes from our heart condition that proves our character.

The greater things we do as believers is sharing the gospel, growing in holiness while depending on Christ and the strength we show during illness and difficulties of all kinds. These are the works of the Holy Spirit in us, not our own works but His!!!!

James 1:2-4

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

Our witness to the world around us is how we respond to all of the circumstances that come to us. Others see our maturity, our strength in adversity and our joy that is pervasive through all of it. This is a greater witness than if we did a miracle that skeptics could discount just as they did with Christ.

We are not to look for miracles and grandiose things that easily fade with memory. We are to live our lives in Holy Spirit strength without emotional outbursts of discouragement, these are the greater things.

Unsolicited Advise.....Really?

I was just told on another thread that I should not give advice unsolicited, while the person was giving me unsolicited advice. Welcome to the world of the narcissist, they are allowed to say everything they want and the other person in the conversation is supposed to just nod and say; "yes sir, yes sir." LOL

Isn't telling someone else not to give unsolicited advice giving unsolicited advice? Just asking!!!!

If you don't want any input from me while you are sharing your thoughts then go talk to a wall and leave me alone.

I am not a statue or a robot, when anyone speaks to me I feel free to interject into the conversation the same as they are doing.

Relationships are built on mutual respect and mutual desire to learn about the other person and to help the other person if we think we have something that will assist them.

If all someone wants is someone else to sit there and nod mindlessly to whatever is said then there is no purpose to the relationship.

I am all for remaining silent when someone is hurting, even waiting for an appropriate moment to share something that might help. However, I am weary of those who think they can use me like a robot or sounding board without considering I might have something to offer them.

Everyone has something they can offer, when one person is shut down expected to remain silent and treated with contempt for their thoughts then there is no relationship.

The new mantra circulating the internet is "we shouldn't give unsolicited advice" as though telling us that is not unsolicited advice. It is hypocritical at its core.

Romans 15:14

"I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another."

Hebrews 3:13

"But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin."

Encouragement is not praise, it is to inspire the hearer to continue going toward Christ in all they do. Praise is not encouragement, often it is nothing more than flattery that detracts from honest conversation about truth and righteousness.

Expecting someone to be nothing more than a sounding board so one can selfishly focus on their own thoughts is not love and not honor for the other person.

Romans 12:10

"Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor."

Just something to think about! Notice how many new ideas are cropping up in our culture that intimidate people into silence so that no one grows and learns. It is quite astounding really.

Romans 12:10 ESV / 25 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

The New Mantra; "Don't Give Unsolicited Advice"

I was just told on another thread that I should not give advice unsolicited, while the person was giving me unsolicited advice. Welcome to the world of the narcissist, they are allowed to say everything they want and the other person in the conversation is supposed to just nod and say; "yes sir, yes sir." LOL

Isn't telling someone else not to give unsolicited advice giving unsolicited advice? Just asking!!!!

If you don't want any input from me while you are sharing your thoughts then go talk to a wall and leave me alone.

The False god of Money

Does anyone notice that our money is where the government placed the phrase; "in god we trust"? Why on the money? Because money is the god of this world and this country.

Women have left their calling in the home to get the almighty god... money.

People have perverted the gospel in the organized church system to get their god called money.

We thank the Lord for His provision and for the money that buys what we need but when we have praised people for their job that makes them lots of money without mentioning Christ we have a new god.

When sin and money are elevated to a status of "rights", our country has made money and sin the god in their lives.

People are more likely to boast about their jobs and their money while becoming angry when someone mentions Jesus Christ and their need to repent from their sin.

It says; "in God we trust" on our money, and the god they trust is that of money and status.

What do you hear all the time in our country? "Come to America and realize your dream." The American Dream is the mantra. That dream is wealth and freedom it has nothing to do with the gospel.

The day Americans realize they are worshiping freedom and money and repent is the day we might be able to call our country a Christian nation. It never has been about Christ, it has always been about "religious freedom", any religion anyone chooses is celebrated as a virtue.

We have been diluted into believing this was a Christian nation and that we should bow to a flag rather than to Christ.

Think about it, pray about it, this may help bring our thinking back to Christ replacing the worship of country and freedom to sin all we want.

Demonic Mind Games Narcissists Use to Manipulate You

Scriptures that are twisted by modern Christians

Those who twist scripture always do it to justify their bad behavior and get those listening to doubt the truth so they will come on board with the twister.

The motive of the twister is to preserve their self-focus and approval of what God disapproves.

Scripture is twisted to manipulate others into accepting the ideas of the one who twists it making the challenger look like the one who has a problem.

Twisters become angry when challenged Biblically because they only care that your actions are impacting them, bringing conviction when they want to feel superior. Scripture is always used for their own benefit, not for anyone else's and not for Christ.

Forgiveness is one of the twisted ideas which is used to intimidate others into forgiving bad behavior without any accountability or requirement to confess the sin against others.

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.”

God never tells us in His Word to forgive someone who is not repentant and who will not admit their sin to be cleansed.

There is never allowed discussion about issues that need resolution. Forgiveness is warped into an attitude of "just let it go" so that no one has to actually admit what they did.

Another lie of the devil that intimidates people easily is "judge not" while leaving out the entire rest of the passage that says we are to judge righteously. God does not say not to judge, He says to judge according to His principles, commands, and standards. The very people who say "don't judge" are gossiping and judging others all the time but deny that they are doing so. These people accept sinfulness in their friends but do not tolerate those who call out sin.

Those who use the mantra "don't judge" attempt to manipulate us into thinking we have done something wrong when we call out sin according to God's word. They use God's word to say what it does not say, while feeling self-righteous, counting themselves as the loving ones when just the opposite is true. These people are more ruthless and unkind than anyone I have met who exposes sin. They have no concern about what is happening to the sinner because

their disobedience, they only care that the sinner likes them.

These accusers of the victim want the one who was harmed to feel guilty and intimidated into silence, they count it a win when the victim slinks away in shame for doing what is right.

Matthew 7:1-6 "7 “Do not judge, so that you will not be judged.

2 For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.

3 Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look, the log is in your own eye?

5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye!

6 “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces."

When God said not to give what is holy to the dogs He is saying we should judge who is a dog and who is not. We are also not to judge someone for doing something we are also doing. We are commanded to judge and to do it according to God's Word.

John 7:24

"24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment."

Those who say "forgive without expecting anything", "judge without confession and accountability" intimidate others to give up God's way and fawn over the twister.

Narcissists are full of self-exaltation at their liberal sense of how friendly they are, but it is not kindness because kindness helps people to repent and take a new path of freedom from guilt and sin. Those who only care about their own reputation as a "nice guy" will never be of help to anyone with the gospel or Spiritual growth in the believer.

Twisters call us harsh for pointing out sin and expecting someone to turn to Christ, but they are rude, mean, and harsh placing expectations on those who call out sin to do things the way of the twister. The truth.....twisters are convicted by our challenges and hate us for it rather than self-reflecting and repenting. These twisters are modern day Pharisees, with the same mentality as those who killed Jesus Christ because He came against their hypocrisy.

Matthew 12:14

But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.

Luke 20:20

"So they watched Him closely and sent spies who pretended to be sincere. They were hoping to catch Him in His words in order to hand Him over to the rule and authority of the governor."

Twisters are constantly looking to catch authentic believers in something even if it means gossiping, lying and manipulating others to destroy them. Nothing has changed, the devil did it in Jesus's day and he is doing it now.

Psalm 56:5-7

"5 All day long they distort my words;

All their thoughts are against me for evil.

6 They attack, they lurk,

They watch my steps,

As they have waited to take my life.

7 Because of their wickedness, will there be an escape for them?

In anger make the peoples fall down, God!"

We can pray for these twisters, avoid them and ignore their personal attacks while we keep on obeying God and speaking truth.

Do not allow twisters to silence you! If the Holy Spirit tells you to speak, do it, if the Holy Spirit tells you to avoid someone, do it, when the Holy Spirit tells you to go somewhere, do it. After all, we are not here to do the bidding of people, we are here to do the will of Christ Who lives in us. We are free to ignore those who twist Scriptures, taking them seriously diverts our attention from Christ and the work He gave us to do. And, taking the twisters seriously is equivalent to placing their opinion above Christ.

Be Free, Free Indeed!!!!

Do Not Grieve the Loss of Those who Reject You!