Love is not about "hearts and flowers", but about a lifetime of dedication to one person no matter the challenges. Love is more concerned about the spiritual well being of another, much deeper than gifts.
Love is dedication to God's principles for the spiritual well being of the target of our love.
1 John 5:1-3 "1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the Father also loves the one born of Him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God: when we love God and keep His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome,…"
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
We Would Gain Much More
Perhaps our culture doesn't want to read the Word or go to prayer when challenged because if they discovered God's principles they would have to be humbled and confess.
That wonderful thing about confession is that it is so easy. It is only hard because of pride.
1 John 1:8-10 "…8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us.…"
James 4:9-10 "…9 Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter to mourning, and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you. "
There is far more to be gained by humbling ourselves and confessing sin than any amount of self exaltation we think we will lose.
A clear conscience and joyful spirit far outweigh the praise of man.
Proverbs 29:25-26 "25 The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted. 26 Many seek the ruler's favor, But justice for man comes from the LORD.…"
That wonderful thing about confession is that it is so easy. It is only hard because of pride.
1 John 1:8-10 "…8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us.…"
James 4:9-10 "…9 Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter to mourning, and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you. "
There is far more to be gained by humbling ourselves and confessing sin than any amount of self exaltation we think we will lose.
A clear conscience and joyful spirit far outweigh the praise of man.
Proverbs 29:25-26 "25 The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted. 26 Many seek the ruler's favor, But justice for man comes from the LORD.…"
Willful Ignorance is no Excuse
It is not only sin to ignore God's principles to live as we wish, it is also sin to deliberately and willfully neglect to find out God's heart for us, when we could easily read the Word of God to do so.
Joshua 1:8 “This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; but you shall meditate therein day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success.”
Nehemiah 8:3 “And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.”
Romans 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Second Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
Psalm 119:11 “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”
Job 23:12 “I have not departed from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.”
Joshua 1:8 “This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; but you shall meditate therein day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success.”
Nehemiah 8:3 “And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.”
Romans 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Second Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
Psalm 119:11 “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”
Job 23:12 “I have not departed from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.”
Trust Him He Knows
Trust in Christ even in the smallest matters, you will not regret hearing from Him. I have seen so many miracles in my life, I have come to expect that the Holy Spirit will lead me when I am unsure of something, even changing my heart desire if it is not His will for me.
Here's the Proof:
Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
Psalm 37:4-6Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.
Romans 8:28
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Proverbs 3:6
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Here's the Proof:
Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
Psalm 37:4-6Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.
Romans 8:28
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Proverbs 3:6
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
The Narcissist Accuse, Just Like Satan
No matter what you say or do, the narcissist will make it sound like you are the problem.
This was a common occurrence with my elder brother. When I was a child he would poke, poke and poke at me until I exploded in frustration, telling him to stop, and then he would say; "see how you are." He then would make his abuse look like my fault by calling me "too sensitive." His tactics have become much more subtle because I don't have to put up with it as an adult, but he has not changed and raged at me on the phone a few years ago when I told him what he had done. SADLY, this brother claims to be a Christian.
The constant picking and poking never stops with the narcissist, they are careful not to allow others to see their covert meanness, but they cannot help themselves, every encounter with them is another opportunity to demean and mock.
The raging back when confronted about hurting someone is the biggest clue of all. The narcissist cannot stand to be told they were wrong about anything, the reason for the rage when confronted about their sin. Even when we are just trying to help with information about their actions, they see this as instruction from one they see as beneath them.
When a humble person is told they hurt someone's feelings they feel badly and apologize immediately, because they cannot stand the thought of hurting someone else.
It isn't bad enough that the narcissist continues his tactics year after year no matter how old he/she becomes, he must turn others against his target. Gossip disguised as concern is the favored tactic of the "Christian" narcissist. Extended family will be the flying monkeys of the narcissist, working to turn other family members against the target is the highest goal of the narcissist.
These people cannot be reasoned with, there is no fix to resolve anything to be able to have a relationship with them. There are only two options with a narcissist, that is to put up with their nonsense, feeling a sense of frustration every time you have to encounter them or avoid them entirely. These people fit into the 2 Timothy 3:1-5 category, lacking empathy and kindness, their only goal is to be superior everyone else. The way they accomplish this in their own mind is to continually demean certain people they think are beneath them and who have no defenses against them.
The humble person who has empathy and love would never do the kinds of things narcissists do, they are hard wired by Christ, mean tactics don't even come to mind for those who love Christ.
Loving, kind people hate to hurt anyone, if they do it unintentionally and it is brought to their attention, they feel terrible and make amends immediately.
The prideful narcissist will rage and accuse when told to stop their hateful actions or attitudes, while the humble person will not do the hurtful things in the first place. If they do something that was perceived as an injury, they will quickly comfort the one who was hurt and mend the relationship.
Narcissist do not want to mend a relationship, they only want to dominate it. There is no give and take, there is only take for the narcissist, however the taking is not enough they must squash anyone who do not elevate them as special.
God clearly stated in His Word that it is not possible to have peace with the narc in 2 Timothy 3, the only recourse is to avoid them. If we have to encounter them we can ignore their foolishness and exit as quickly as possible, there is no reasoning with them.
This evil of narcissistic behavior has been around since the beginning, but I do think that it is growing. We saw it with Cain and Able, with David and his own son Absalom who wanted to kill his own father, there are many examples in the Word of family members who hated other family members out of jealousy, even wanting them to be dead.
Those who walk in darkness as narcissists do, cannot stand to admit the good that their target does, they will work to make it appear as though the good we have done was actually bad.
Revelation 12:10 "10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ. For the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, he who accuses them day and night before our God."
We can conclude from the Revelation passage that the narcissist is merely a pawn in the hands of the devil. The devil twists minds and manipulates people who have no defenses against him.
The Jewish leaders and the Romans hated Christ this way. Christ did nothing but good while on this earth and the response of these jealous and narcissistic types was to kill Him.
Evil hates righteousness, even working to accuse those who are walking uprightly.
John 3:19-21 "…19 And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness more than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever practices the truth comes into the Light, so that it may be clearly seen that what he has done has been accomplished in God.”…"
When we see someone who calls themselves a Christian and will not listen to correction or a rebuke, then we are to avoid them according to God's word.
Matthew 18:17 "17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, regard him as you would a pagan or a tax collector."
When we encounter unbelievers who reject the message of salvation, then we are to walk away shaking the dust from our feat as a testimony against them.
Matthew 10:14-15 "14 And if anyone will not welcome you or heed your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. 15 Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.…"
God says we can pray as led by the Holy Spirit to pray for those who spitefully use us but no where in the Word does He say we must remain in their company as our constant companions. We are to live in peace, avoiding trouble makers if possible.
If we train ourselves in the Word of God and learn the tactics of the devil, we are more likely to be able to handle the wicked man when he crosses our path. One very important rule of thumb is to resist doing any revenge, leave that to God and do not respond to their foolishness. To respond to the narcissist is food for them. And, most of all, do not allow them to effect your walk with Christ or your responses.
Matthew 7:6-7 " 6 Do not give dogs what is holy; do not throw your pearls before swine. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces. 7 Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.…"
We are living in boot camp, what we learn will glorify God and grow us in holiness. Do not feel badly that you had to endure the narcissist, it teaches us things we would not have learned had we not encountered them. Once the lesson is learned, then walk away a little wiser than before.
This was a common occurrence with my elder brother. When I was a child he would poke, poke and poke at me until I exploded in frustration, telling him to stop, and then he would say; "see how you are." He then would make his abuse look like my fault by calling me "too sensitive." His tactics have become much more subtle because I don't have to put up with it as an adult, but he has not changed and raged at me on the phone a few years ago when I told him what he had done. SADLY, this brother claims to be a Christian.
The constant picking and poking never stops with the narcissist, they are careful not to allow others to see their covert meanness, but they cannot help themselves, every encounter with them is another opportunity to demean and mock.
The raging back when confronted about hurting someone is the biggest clue of all. The narcissist cannot stand to be told they were wrong about anything, the reason for the rage when confronted about their sin. Even when we are just trying to help with information about their actions, they see this as instruction from one they see as beneath them.
When a humble person is told they hurt someone's feelings they feel badly and apologize immediately, because they cannot stand the thought of hurting someone else.
It isn't bad enough that the narcissist continues his tactics year after year no matter how old he/she becomes, he must turn others against his target. Gossip disguised as concern is the favored tactic of the "Christian" narcissist. Extended family will be the flying monkeys of the narcissist, working to turn other family members against the target is the highest goal of the narcissist.
These people cannot be reasoned with, there is no fix to resolve anything to be able to have a relationship with them. There are only two options with a narcissist, that is to put up with their nonsense, feeling a sense of frustration every time you have to encounter them or avoid them entirely. These people fit into the 2 Timothy 3:1-5 category, lacking empathy and kindness, their only goal is to be superior everyone else. The way they accomplish this in their own mind is to continually demean certain people they think are beneath them and who have no defenses against them.
The humble person who has empathy and love would never do the kinds of things narcissists do, they are hard wired by Christ, mean tactics don't even come to mind for those who love Christ.
Loving, kind people hate to hurt anyone, if they do it unintentionally and it is brought to their attention, they feel terrible and make amends immediately.
The prideful narcissist will rage and accuse when told to stop their hateful actions or attitudes, while the humble person will not do the hurtful things in the first place. If they do something that was perceived as an injury, they will quickly comfort the one who was hurt and mend the relationship.
Narcissist do not want to mend a relationship, they only want to dominate it. There is no give and take, there is only take for the narcissist, however the taking is not enough they must squash anyone who do not elevate them as special.
God clearly stated in His Word that it is not possible to have peace with the narc in 2 Timothy 3, the only recourse is to avoid them. If we have to encounter them we can ignore their foolishness and exit as quickly as possible, there is no reasoning with them.
This evil of narcissistic behavior has been around since the beginning, but I do think that it is growing. We saw it with Cain and Able, with David and his own son Absalom who wanted to kill his own father, there are many examples in the Word of family members who hated other family members out of jealousy, even wanting them to be dead.
Those who walk in darkness as narcissists do, cannot stand to admit the good that their target does, they will work to make it appear as though the good we have done was actually bad.
Revelation 12:10 "10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ. For the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, he who accuses them day and night before our God."
We can conclude from the Revelation passage that the narcissist is merely a pawn in the hands of the devil. The devil twists minds and manipulates people who have no defenses against him.
The Jewish leaders and the Romans hated Christ this way. Christ did nothing but good while on this earth and the response of these jealous and narcissistic types was to kill Him.
Evil hates righteousness, even working to accuse those who are walking uprightly.
John 3:19-21 "…19 And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness more than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever practices the truth comes into the Light, so that it may be clearly seen that what he has done has been accomplished in God.”…"
When we see someone who calls themselves a Christian and will not listen to correction or a rebuke, then we are to avoid them according to God's word.
Matthew 18:17 "17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, regard him as you would a pagan or a tax collector."
When we encounter unbelievers who reject the message of salvation, then we are to walk away shaking the dust from our feat as a testimony against them.
Matthew 10:14-15 "14 And if anyone will not welcome you or heed your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. 15 Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.…"
God says we can pray as led by the Holy Spirit to pray for those who spitefully use us but no where in the Word does He say we must remain in their company as our constant companions. We are to live in peace, avoiding trouble makers if possible.
If we train ourselves in the Word of God and learn the tactics of the devil, we are more likely to be able to handle the wicked man when he crosses our path. One very important rule of thumb is to resist doing any revenge, leave that to God and do not respond to their foolishness. To respond to the narcissist is food for them. And, most of all, do not allow them to effect your walk with Christ or your responses.
Matthew 7:6-7 " 6 Do not give dogs what is holy; do not throw your pearls before swine. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces. 7 Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.…"
We are living in boot camp, what we learn will glorify God and grow us in holiness. Do not feel badly that you had to endure the narcissist, it teaches us things we would not have learned had we not encountered them. Once the lesson is learned, then walk away a little wiser than before.
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