Relationships and Manipulation

The Lord desires that our relationships be godly and encouraging to one another.  

We may have infrequent conflicts in our relationships, which is to be expected when we know that we are human beings with all our warts and idiosyncrasies, they can not be avoided, but can be worked through and growth experienced if there is the love of Christ.  

However, there are those relationships that never seem to grow and create a sense of weariness, that causes us to want to run, nearly every time we are faced with a visit.  I am convinced that the Lord does not necessarily require us to remain in all relationships we have had, except marriage.  There is no question that marriage is for life.  

The Lord some times tells us to leave a friendship, if that acquaintance is not interested in holiness, and makes continual attempts to thwart our own walk with the Lord.  When we are continually negated, for whatever reason, we might want to reconsider remaining friends.  

The Scripture is clear that "two cannot walk together unless they are agreed."  For years I encountered certain people who were bent on treating me as though I had not a brain in my head.  They did not respond when I spoke and never encouraged the path that I had chosen to take.  In fact these people never had a encouragement for me in anything that I was doing that pleased me and the Lord.  For years I thought that I was unlovable, that I must be ugly or stupid, then one day the light came on.  

The Lord showed me through studies about God's love, hospitality and mercy that I was not what these people wanted to believe.  I say it that way because I do think that they chose the route against me that they took, used of Satan of course, but enjoyed the notion that they were superior to me and fostered that same notion in others who knew them.

It was the "feather in the wind" effect.  How we treat someone in the presence of others is like taking a feather pillow up on top of a hill on a windy day, slicing it open and then letting the feathers fly in the wind, after doing so, try to get all the feathers back again, it is impossible.  When others see us negating another person, by various means, treating them as insignificant, ignoring their comments and desires and other forms of manipulation, those looking on will believe our actions and attitudes and do it too, even if they don't see a reason.  

I am reminded of the story of the man who walked into an elevator facing the back of it.  Four people walked into the elevator each one at a time and faced the back also.  Finally when asked by one of the riders, why he was facing the back of the elevator, he stated, “to see what everyone else would do.”  

If we open the feather pillow of indifference or manipulation toward a person, we can expect others to follow and we would be responsible for how many other people we cause to treat our target the same way.  

God sees our manipulation and indifference to the cares of others. We can fool others, but we cannot fool God, He sees it all. I have added here an article on this matter of unloving selfish manipulation, it would be good to evaluate ourselves to see if we are a person described in this article by Steve Morris. 

http://www.angelfire.com/in/HisName/page5.html

Visible Christianity

When we become saved, Christ writes His law on our hearts. The Law condemns unbelievers and leaves them helpless, it does not save anyone. As I once heard, "the law does not help us, it only leaves us helpless." Romans 8:3 That is why when God places the Holy Spirit in us, the author of the Law, those who are not saved are intimidated by us, they think it is us, but it is God who lives in us. . The author of the law that lives in us is convicting to any non-believer who crosses our path. I have recently been convinced that nearly everyone we meet, friends, relatives and church goers are not saved and are walking in the flesh. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 That is why I see so many people on face book feeling alone and isolated, they walk in obedience and have a fire for the Lord but are rejected by those around them most of the time. John 15:18-25 I glory in the fact that our Lord has shown us that He is coming soon and before He comes the love of many will grow cold, as He said. Those who claim to be believers will not want to be open about their Christianity and will shun those who love to speak of it. They will use various excuses to justify hiding the Christ that lives in them, silly thinking such as "life style" evangelism, which lets them off the hook for openly speaking His Word and other modern excuses will be common place among superficial believers and those who claim to be saved but have never trusted Christ and the true gospel. Many people have much knowledge about the Bible, but lack the Holy Spirit and the love that permeates the souls of those who possess Him. 1 Corinthians 8:1 We must press on knowing that we will be going home soon, there are many signs that indicate this. Revelation 3:11 When we know that these are the final days, we can grow even bolder than before, leaving behind the beggarly things to embrace the God that lives in us. Hallelujah, He is what matters, He is whom we live for and He will give us strength to carry on before He takes us home.

For all those who think that Augustine or Calvin had anything to offer the true believer I must warn you about what I know. Calvin quoted and loved the writings of Augustine, he used them extensively. When we want to call ourselves by a man's name, shouldn't we agree with everything that the man said and did?

It is a violation of the Word of God to call ourselves by a man's name, God stated very plainly in His Word this very fact: 1 Corinthians 1:12-13 "Now I say this that each of you says, 'I am of Paul, or I am of Apollos,' or 'I am of Cephas,' or 'I am of Christ.' Is Christ divided: Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?"

When we say "I am a Calvinist" we are placing Calvin above Christ. When we quote Calvin instead of Christ, we are elevating a man above the level of God.

Augustine was a Catholic through and through. He was a Bishop with immense power and he used it to murder those who would oppose his doctrines. He worshiped and loved Mary above Christ, praying to her and naming her the co-redemptrix.

Prayer of Saint Augustine to the Blessed Virgin
"O blessed Virgin Mary, who can worthily repay thee thy just dues of praise and thanksgiving, thou who by the wondrous assent of thy will didst rescue a fallen world? What songs of praise can our weak human nature recite in thy honor, since it is by thy intervention alone that it has found the way to restoration. Accept, then, such poor thanks as we have here to offer, though they be unequal to thy merits; and receiving our vows, obtain by thy prayers the remission of our offenses. Carry thou our prayers within the sanctuary of the heavenly audience, and bring forth from it the antidote of our reconciliation. May the sins we bring before Almighty God through thee, become pardonable through thee; may what we ask for with sure confidence, through thee be granted. Take our offering, grant us our requests, obtain pardon for what we fear, for thou art the sole hope of sinners. Through thee we hope for the remission of our sins, and in thee, O blessed Lady, is our hope of reward. Holy Mary, succour the miserable, help the fainthearted, comfort the sorrowful, pray for thy people, plead for the clergy, intercede for all women consecrated to God; may all who keep thy holy commemoration feel now thy help and protection. Be thou ever ready to assist us when we pray, and bring back to us the answers to our prayers. Make it thy continual care to pray for the people of God, thou who, blessed by God, didst merit to bear the Redeemer of the world, who liveth and reigneth, world without end. Amen."

How can we place our trust in a man to begin with, and even a man who loved and quoted another man who worshiped idols.

This is a warning to those who think they can venerate men above Christ, God is a jealous God, He said so.