Feelings Are Not Who We Are in Christ

Our feelings are not who we are, how we act upon them is the real us. We can change our feelings by meditating on the truth in God's Word. The devil uses our feelings to confuse us into thinking we are evil, but often what is happening is that our flesh is emotionally reacting to injustice. The issue is not our feelings, but what we do, whether we go with them or pray against them.                                                                                                                   
Next time you are tempted to condemn yourselves for "feelings" remember that the devil uses them to create a sense of hopelessness. We are not hopeless in any circumstance, God can work in us in spite of our feelings.

Judge Righteously! A Command

Why is it that so many people who shout "don't judge" when confronted with the assessment of a false preacher or evil person, proclaim that we are not to judge them because they think they are good.

Isn't judging someone as good a judgment?

If these people were to be consistent they wouldn't judge anyone as good or bad, it would be a violation of their own judgment rule.

The Bible commands us to tell the truth and judge righteously. That means that when I see something bad, we call it bad. When we see something good we call it good.

We are to tell the truth, not say nice things so everyone will like us.

John 7:24 ""Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."

I can't count the number of times I hear people say they like a politician or a rock star because of their music or how they look on television, or even what they say. These things are not substantive, they are superficial and baseless.

When we see someone who supports wicked causes and lives a life of rebellion against God, then we can righteously judge those people as being evil, without Christ.

There are important clues that violate God's Word that show us the heart of a person. Nothing can happen on the outside that is not already in the heart. Our actions prove our heart condition, any rebellion shows the condition of the soul.

Jeremiah 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?"

Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."

When we see the signs of a rebellious heart according to the Word, then we can boldly proclaim it. The rub comes when some people want to judge someone based on man made rules they think are in the Bible but in fact are not .

We are not to judge others based on our particular version of righteousness according to our traditions, we are not remain faithful to the Word of God in our judgments, repeating what God said.

Romans 3:4 "Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written, "THAT YOU MAY BE JUSTIFIED IN YOUR WORDS, AND PREVAIL WHEN YOU ARE JUDGED."

Spiritual and Emotional Pygmies

If something makes good sense these days, it is mocked, demeaned and destroyed. Sadly we have spiritual pygmies running things, they have the mentality of bratty five year-olds, crabbing and winning about anything that restrains their runaway lust for power, control and material possessions.

No one will practice good sense, nor will they listen to it, let alone tolerate anyone who brings it. When we see a narcissists raging at us for correcting or instructing them, we can be sure the evil one has a hand in their mouth.

When the reasonable people complain about the foolishness, they are called winners and complainers. Of course we realize that the devil is good at accusing the brethren of doing what the devil is but the brethren are not.

I grow weary of these lies continually by the powers that be, may the Lord come quickly!!!! In the mean time we must stand our ground, allow the Holy Spirit to work through us while we wait for our home going.

Luke 12:11-12 "…11 "When they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say; 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."

Narcissists are Angry all the Time

Because narcissists are angry all the time under the skin, they lack empathy. It is not possible to fend off anger when we cannot step into the shoes of another person.

Everything is considered a slight to someone who must be elevated by others to feel validated. When they are not elevated they are on the verge of rage over the most minor of matters.

We call this mentality petty, the ability to take a small disagreement or slight irritation and turn it into a major production, that can lead to the destruction of a relationship.

Narcissists never keep close friends because every conversation is a competition for one upping their target. They can never back down, never admit they are wrong and never give in for the sake of anyone else.

It is really very sad that so many people are operating in the realm of superiority rather than humbling themselves to be of service and encouragement to others.

One cannot serve themselves and God too!

James 4:9-11 "…9 Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you. 11 Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it.…"

When our goal is to be happy and superior, then we cannot obey God, we cannot be humble, we cannot consider others before ourselves. Even our good deeds are done to make ourselves look good, rather than just selfless for the sake of others.

Philippians 2:2-4 "…2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others."

Tactics of Unbelievers Increasing More Blatantly

Those who have had rebellion in their hearts, full of deceit, contempt and anger are displaying it more boldly and uninhibited than they have been in the past.

I am convinced this is an indication of the last days apostasy. Believers are under greater attack than ever before. In our country there are laws preventing murder of believers as we see happening in other countries, so the tactics are more likely that of isolation from families, groups and the community as a whole.

Anyone who does not fit into the expected idea of the group, will be gossiped about without an opportunity to have a forum.

Thankfully the Lord has given us skills in dealing with this within His Word. It is best to follow the Word of God, maintaining full trust in Christ for everything.

Psalm 34:19
“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.”

Psalm 91:7
“A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you.”

Nahum 1:7
“The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him.”

2 Corinthians 4:8-9
“We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.”

God Protects Those Who Belong to Him

Those who have had rebellion in their hearts, full of deceit, contempt and anger are displaying it more boldly and uninhibited than they have been in the past.

I am convinced this is an indication of the last days apostasy. Believers are under greater attack than ever before. In our country there are laws preventing murder of believers as we see happening in other countries, so the tactics are more likely that of isolation from families, groups and the community as a whole.

Anyone who does not fit into the expected idea of the group, will be gossiped about without an opportunity to have a forum.

Thankfully the Lord has given us skills in dealing with this within His Word. It is best to follow the Word of God, maintaining full trust in Christ for everything.

Psalm 34:19
“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.”

Psalm 91:7
“A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you.”

Nahum 1:7
“The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him.”

2 Corinthians 4:8-9
“We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.”

Arguing With a Fool is Foolish

"Never argue with an idiot because a bystander cant tell the difference".

The Bible says it another way:

Proverbs 18:2
"A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion."

Proverbs 18:6
"A fool's lips walk into a fight, and his mouth invites a beating."

Proverbs 29:9
"If a wise man has an argument with a fool, the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet."

Proverbs 26:3-12
"A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools. Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes. Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool cuts off his own feet and drinks violence. Like a lame man's legs, which hang useless, is a proverb in the mouth of fools. ..."

In order to obey God in this we need the discernment of the Holy Spirit to show us who is a fool, God describes them in His Word.

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