The Manipulation Does Not Have to Work

Often in our day if we tell the truth about a matter in a kind and friendly way, someone hearing is going to be angry and others will judge us as having been rude because the other person became angry.

This is backward, just because someone became angry at what we said does not mean we caused their anger. Jesus Christ and the apostles experienced this irrational anger all the time with those who didn't want to hear the truth.

We are not responsible for someone else's anger. Others do not trigger anger in us. If someone becomes angry it is more likely that they have anger hiding inside of them just waiting to come out when they hear or see something they don't like.

There is a difference between righteous anger and fleshly anger. Fleshly anger is usually associated with self-esteem, someone doesn't like to hear the truth about themselves so defensiveness emerges to stop the criticism. Manipulative rage is designed to make the truth-teller feel guilty. It is common in our culture to judge someone as rude and causing anger in someone else merely by telling the truth or asserting our boundaries.

However righteous anger is associated with injustice to someone else, or blasphemy against God and often anger at sin because of the destructive nature of sin.

Ephesians 4:26-27

"26 Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not give the devil an opportunity."

Proverbs 22:24-25

"Make no friendship with an angry man; And with a furious man thou shalt not go: Lest thou learn his ways, And get a snare to thy soul."

James 1:19-20

“Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God."

Anger in our culture is used to foster guilt in someone who speaks the truth. Manipulation in the form of rage is the favored tactic of the devil in the person he is using.

When we see this irrational anger of manipulation we would do best to ignore it and walk away. Never apologize for someone else's anger it only validates their strategy to control you and the conversation. As we keep ourselves calm and kind we do not have to be provoked ourselves by their choice to become angry.

1 Corinthians 13:4–8a "Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth."

There are those who will call you unloving for obeying God, remember it is only a tactic that we need not take seriously or personally.

Believers are One in the Spirit!

Philippians 2:2

"2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose."

Philippians 2:3

"3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves;"

Philippians 2:18

"18 You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me."

Amen! Hallelujah!!!!

Romans 16:17-19

"17 Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them.
18 For such people are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.
19 For the report of your obedience has reached everyone; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good, and innocent in what is evil."

A Narcissist and His Judgments

"A narcissist uses the severest form of judgment on others while demanding the strongest form of grace from others." AGW

Satan Loved Himself

Satan loved himself so much that he hated God. Someone above him was unthinkable so he tried to overthrow God but God punished him for his pride and rebellion against the Most High

Self Esteem? Yes!!!!

Ezekiel 28:16-17
16 By the abundance of your trade
You were internally filled with violence,
And you sinned;
Therefore I have cast you as profane
From the mountain of God.
And I have destroyed you, you covering cherub,
From the midst of the stones of fire.
17 Your heart was haughty because of your beauty;
You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor.
I threw you to the ground;
I put you before kings,
That they may see you."
Those who love God with all their heart, soul, and mind do not think of themselves as special. How could anyone believe they are special when they are comparing themselves to The Perfect and Holy God.

Increasing Compromise with the World

Back in the 1970's nearly every single "Christian" I spoke to about the self-esteem teaching defended it as though it were the gospel. Now we see the results of this psychological teaching based on humanism in our culture today as we watch families being destroyed and children being disrespectful to their parents and all authority.

Way back when I was a new believer God told me how wicked the self-esteem teaching was and where it would lead. He was right, itis a wicked teaching that has ruined our families and our nation.

We can now see how society and even the world are becoming what God said it would as we read 2 Timothy 3.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 "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."

And:

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.…"

If you find yourself feeling alone a lot, even among church attendees, you are observing the world in the church and the church a small remnant, even leaving the "religious" gatherings to become closer to Christ. There is little fellowship in church gatherings today because of the apostasy which is growing exponentially.

It is more common now to be hated for correcting wrong doctrine than to be loved for speaking the truth. The truth-teller is going to be hated, reviled and discarded for desiring to follow God's Word, the Bible.

Those who have many friends are likely to compromise their Christianity if they are even saved, in order to remain in good standing with all their friends.

Proverbs 18:24 "24 A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who stays closer than a brother."

2 Corinthians 6:14

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?

It is difficult to have godly friends in a day when the remnant of God is small and often hidden because they are so few in number.

Please do not be discouraged brothers and sisters, we may be alone in our communities but we are not alone in the world. There are others who love the Lord as much as we do, they are just scattered. God reminded Israel of this when He said the following;

1 Kings 19:18 "18Nevertheless, I have reserved seven thousand in Israel— all whose knees have not bowed to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”

Romans 11:4

"And what was the divine reply to him? "I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal."

Psalm 2:12

"Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him."

Self Esteem is Ruinous

An unhealthy love of self always turns into a hatred of other people" Self Esteem teaching has ruined our culture.