Pretenders Cringe at the Authentic

The closer we get to God the more we will see old friends fade away. Very few people have tolerance for an on fire believer who is full of the joy of the Lord. The joy all by itself convicts and angers them.

The devil hates joy, his goal is to remove joy bringing sadness to the heart.

Over the years friends have come and gone, some because we moved away from one another and others were stagnant as we grew, they became increasingly uncomfortable with our growth spurts.

Those who are pretenders are intimidated by those who are authentic.

Pretending requires constant lying, diminishing truth and minimizing sin. While authentic believers enjoy truth, confess sin and are cleansed by the experience of admitting their need. They move on with new seeds of righteousness that sprout and bring forth greater holiness deep within.

Matthew 7:15-20
You Will Know Them by Their Fruit
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruit. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them."

Galatians 5:22-23
"22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

Pretenders are very uncomfortable with growing and blossoming believers, they are seen as a threat to their own false image of themselves.