David was so angry about that terrible man in the story Nathan told him, only to find out that man was David.
Those who judge others so harshly for "perceived" sins, often have worse in their own hearts that no one else can see. There is no one who can claim they were so sinless, that they didn't deserve to be rebuked or disciplined. There are those who are willing to judge others about things they know nothing about, while hiding their own devilish attitudes. Perhaps judging others takes the focus off of themselves.
Judging righteously does not include guessing what we think might be going on and basing our actions toward that person on what we want to believe.
Psalm 51:10
"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me."
Jeremiah 17:10
“I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”
Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Look at Them Lord
Interesting how we can be so angry at someone else for their sin, while ignoring our own.
2 Samuel 12:1-16
"12 Then the Lord sent Nathan to David. And he came to him and said,
“There were two men in one city, the one rich and the other poor.
2 “The rich man had a great many flocks and herds.
3 “But the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb
Which he bought and nourished;
And it grew up together with him and his children.
It would eat of his bread and drink of his cup and lie in his bosom,
And was like a daughter to him.
4 “Now a traveler came to the rich man,
And he was unwilling to take from his own flock or his own herd,
To prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him;
Rather he took the poor man’s ewe lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”
5 Then David’s anger burned greatly against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, surely the man who has done this deserves to die.
6 He must make restitution for the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and had no compassion.”
7 Nathan then said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘It is I who anointed you king over Israel and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul.
8 I also gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your care, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you many more things like these!
9 Why have you despised the word of the Lord by doing evil in His sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon.
10 Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’
11 Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight.
12 Indeed you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and under the sun.’”
13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has taken away your sin; you shall not die.
14 However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die.”
15 So Nathan went to his house."
2 Samuel 12:1-16
"12 Then the Lord sent Nathan to David. And he came to him and said,
“There were two men in one city, the one rich and the other poor.
2 “The rich man had a great many flocks and herds.
3 “But the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb
Which he bought and nourished;
And it grew up together with him and his children.
It would eat of his bread and drink of his cup and lie in his bosom,
And was like a daughter to him.
4 “Now a traveler came to the rich man,
And he was unwilling to take from his own flock or his own herd,
To prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him;
Rather he took the poor man’s ewe lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”
5 Then David’s anger burned greatly against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, surely the man who has done this deserves to die.
6 He must make restitution for the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and had no compassion.”
7 Nathan then said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘It is I who anointed you king over Israel and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul.
8 I also gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your care, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you many more things like these!
9 Why have you despised the word of the Lord by doing evil in His sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon.
10 Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’
11 Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight.
12 Indeed you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and under the sun.’”
13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has taken away your sin; you shall not die.
14 However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die.”
15 So Nathan went to his house."
Beware of Those Who Probe
Beware of those who probe you for information, they may be using it to gossip.
A gossip will attempt to "pull" information out of you if you decline to answer. Instead of taking a hint that you are not comfortable sharing information with them, they will ask the question over and over again until you have to tell them straight out, that the information is not anything you wish to share. Then they will use that comment to judge that you must have something to hide.
Only one encounter like this warns me enough to avoid that person.
I cannot count the number of times I have encountered this with gossips. They will ask lots of personal questions, about your family, about your finances and about your plans for the future, disguising it as interest in you, only to have something to say about you to others. They love to take the information, no matter how innocent it is, embellish it to be able to judge your life and spin it in a way that makes us look bad in the eyes of their hearers.
Beware of the gossips that ask a lot of questions but will tell you nothing about themselves except generalities that make their life look good. Those who do not share openly and honestly, while probing you for information, do not have your welfare in mind.
Ephesians 4:29 "29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."
Proverbs 20:19
"He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets, Therefore do not associate with a gossip."
Ephesians 4:29
"Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear."
Proverbs 16:28
"A perverse man spreads strife, And a slanderer separates intimate friends."
Titus 3:2
"to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men."
Exodus 23:1
"You shall not bear a false report; do not join your hand with a wicked man to be a malicious witness."
Remember the narcissists will accuse us of doing what the narcissist is doing to throw others off the track. If you have been maligned in this way, the solution is quite simple, remove yourselves from the narcissist, never give him any information about your life and that goes for their flying monkeys too. Anyone who listens to the narcissist is not your friend, they are the enemy.
Psalm 101:5
"Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy; No one who has a haughty look and an arrogant heart will I endure."
A gossip will attempt to "pull" information out of you if you decline to answer. Instead of taking a hint that you are not comfortable sharing information with them, they will ask the question over and over again until you have to tell them straight out, that the information is not anything you wish to share. Then they will use that comment to judge that you must have something to hide.
Only one encounter like this warns me enough to avoid that person.
I cannot count the number of times I have encountered this with gossips. They will ask lots of personal questions, about your family, about your finances and about your plans for the future, disguising it as interest in you, only to have something to say about you to others. They love to take the information, no matter how innocent it is, embellish it to be able to judge your life and spin it in a way that makes us look bad in the eyes of their hearers.
Beware of the gossips that ask a lot of questions but will tell you nothing about themselves except generalities that make their life look good. Those who do not share openly and honestly, while probing you for information, do not have your welfare in mind.
Ephesians 4:29 "29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."
Proverbs 20:19
"He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets, Therefore do not associate with a gossip."
Ephesians 4:29
"Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear."
Proverbs 16:28
"A perverse man spreads strife, And a slanderer separates intimate friends."
Titus 3:2
"to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men."
Exodus 23:1
"You shall not bear a false report; do not join your hand with a wicked man to be a malicious witness."
Remember the narcissists will accuse us of doing what the narcissist is doing to throw others off the track. If you have been maligned in this way, the solution is quite simple, remove yourselves from the narcissist, never give him any information about your life and that goes for their flying monkeys too. Anyone who listens to the narcissist is not your friend, they are the enemy.
Psalm 101:5
"Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy; No one who has a haughty look and an arrogant heart will I endure."
Too Long Too Late
Authentic believers are ashamed when they do something bad or mean. When we encounter those who defend their sin, even justifying it, we are probably looking at a non-believer. Someone who was never born again and does not have the conviction of the Holy Spirit.
Psalm 32:3
"When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away Through my groaning all day long."
2 Kings 22:19
"because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before Me, I truly have heard you," declares the LORD."
Those who sin, refuse to admit they have and continue to justify it, could not possibly have the Holy Spirit. These people remain dead in their sins, without help from God, their only recourse over the years is to either become born again or grow deeper and deeper into rebellion.
When the heart resists the Lord, eventually it becomes hardened, even so far gone that it cannot do anything else.
Jeremiah 18:12
"But they will say, 'It's hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.'"
Eventually God takes action to make it impossible for the stubborn heart to see truth.
Isaiah 6:10
"Render the hearts of this people insensitive, Their ears dull, And their eyes dim, Otherwise they might see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understand with their hearts, And return and be healed."
Psalm 32:3
"When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away Through my groaning all day long."
2 Kings 22:19
"because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before Me, I truly have heard you," declares the LORD."
Those who sin, refuse to admit they have and continue to justify it, could not possibly have the Holy Spirit. These people remain dead in their sins, without help from God, their only recourse over the years is to either become born again or grow deeper and deeper into rebellion.
When the heart resists the Lord, eventually it becomes hardened, even so far gone that it cannot do anything else.
Jeremiah 18:12
"But they will say, 'It's hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.'"
Eventually God takes action to make it impossible for the stubborn heart to see truth.
Isaiah 6:10
"Render the hearts of this people insensitive, Their ears dull, And their eyes dim, Otherwise they might see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understand with their hearts, And return and be healed."
Is God Really First in our Nation?
In my humble opinion, the flag and the freedom have become idols above God these days. Having said that, I understand that those who disrespect the flag and the country are showing their angst toward authority and their ungratefulness to God for His provision. It's really not about the flag or the freedom, it's about the ungratefulness.
If those protesters took time to be thankful for all that God has given them, they wouldn't have time to whine over the things they think they want.
The protesters have all the food they need, a place to live and all their electronics and trinkets that they indulge in, as we all do. Being thankful leaves no room for petty squabbling over things that really aren't important or are not real issues.
The protesters now days are whining about the petty and silly things, when they could be winning the hearts of those around them through kind and loving acts. Who wants to be around a whinny baby who has a tantrum when he doesn't get his candy.
There are injustices everywhere all the time for everyone. No one has a bigger issue than someone else in this country. Those men are on the football field earning millions of dollars, they go where they want, the say what they want, they eat what they want and live where they want, as do most people in our country.
This whole issue with "taking a knee", is bogus, silly and childish.
Frankly, I am convinced that the best thing our president could have done is to completely ignore these whinny babies, as thought they were an non-entity. As it was, he fueled the flames of angst by referring to them at all. Narcissists always get worse when you pay attention to them. We honor someone's foolishness by answering them.
Proverbs 26:6-8
"He cuts off his own feet and drinks violence
Who sends a message by the hand of a fool.
7 Like the legs which are useless to the lame,
So is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
8 Like one who binds a stone in a sling,
So is he who gives honor to a fool."
If those protesters took time to be thankful for all that God has given them, they wouldn't have time to whine over the things they think they want.
The protesters have all the food they need, a place to live and all their electronics and trinkets that they indulge in, as we all do. Being thankful leaves no room for petty squabbling over things that really aren't important or are not real issues.
The protesters now days are whining about the petty and silly things, when they could be winning the hearts of those around them through kind and loving acts. Who wants to be around a whinny baby who has a tantrum when he doesn't get his candy.
There are injustices everywhere all the time for everyone. No one has a bigger issue than someone else in this country. Those men are on the football field earning millions of dollars, they go where they want, the say what they want, they eat what they want and live where they want, as do most people in our country.
This whole issue with "taking a knee", is bogus, silly and childish.
Frankly, I am convinced that the best thing our president could have done is to completely ignore these whinny babies, as thought they were an non-entity. As it was, he fueled the flames of angst by referring to them at all. Narcissists always get worse when you pay attention to them. We honor someone's foolishness by answering them.
Proverbs 26:6-8
"He cuts off his own feet and drinks violence
Who sends a message by the hand of a fool.
7 Like the legs which are useless to the lame,
So is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
8 Like one who binds a stone in a sling,
So is he who gives honor to a fool."
From Such Turn Away
Many years ago when I was a new believer there were those who attempted to indoctrinate me into the status quo of nominal and superficial Christianity, with all it's traditions of men, while they claimed they were Bible believing.
These pleasure and popularity seekers wanted me to accept their form of Christianity, it sounded good but something did not set right with me.
The Lord warned me early on about many things that the modern church accepts. As I began to question each thing, using the Bible as the standard, I realized that the "Evangelical church", had as much wrong in it as the Catholic church does. Yes, they have the "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved" right. But the way they acted made me think they really didn't believe what they say.
When I discovered that most Evangelicals believe in divorce and remarriage on some level, they misunderstood entirely the nature of the gathering of believers, they had done away completely with the head covering and they had their favored "cliques", mostly made up of those who were adhering to pleasure gatherings and false pet doctrines, I realized I could no longer fit into those gatherings any more than I could the Catholic church.
When it ends up being a fight with a "fellow believer" about the sanctify of marriage, the head covering and the nature of the gathering according to the Word of God, then I know there can be no fellowship with them. It is one thing to engage in a disagreement about these things, it is quite another for those who do not adhere to the Word, to fight and argue in anger when they are shown in the Word their own error.
When we encounter rage over a disagreement, we must assume that the person who rages is convicted but stubborn. Defending that which is popular to believe but in error, is always a clue, they may not have been born again, or they are living in disobedience as believers. Often these days it is difficult to tell who is born again and who is not .
From time to time I have disagreements with brothers and sisters on facebook, but it does not lead to rage, mocking or demeaning. When the discussion degenerates into this sort of "attack" mentality, we know there is a stubborn and rebellious heart involved.
Loving, kind and empathetic people do not rage at others. They seek to understand and to share, but they do not treat with contempt a fellow brother or sister in disagreement.
When we see this raging and contempt emanating from the mouth of someone, we know there is no love, nor is there an attempt to seek truth, only winning is the objective of these types. Winning is far more important to those who rage than truth is, truth only matters if it helps them win.
Proverbs 29:10-12 "…10 Men of bloodshed hate the blameless, But the upright are concerned for his life. 11 A fool always loses his temper, But a wise man holds it back. 12 If a ruler pays attention to falsehood, All his ministers become wicked.…"
God warns us about fools so that we will not engage with them. It is an exercise in futility to bother with them. They more we answer rationally with them the worse they get. These people love to fight and argue. Agreeing is not very interesting or desirable to them, they prefer the fight, in an effort to win at all costs they believe it elevates them as superior.
I have had several people in my life just like this over the years. They cannot validate me or anyone who disagrees with them on any level. Every conversation is entered into for the purpose of proving us inept and stupid. Many years ago when I was more insecure, I was hurt continually by these mean spirited people. As I grew in the strength of the Lord, confident of my position with Him, the contemptuous people became comical to me, the rages and the demeaning were so silly they couldn't possibly be taken seriously.
When I encounter these people I feel sorry for them, but also want to exit quickly, because there is no purpose to that sort of bantering, it is foolish and meaningless.
God desires that we love His truth, so much so that we are willing to admit when we have been wrong. Everyone who has any sense understands this principle. Winning important to the truth seeker, being elevated in the eyes of others means little to those who love God's truth.
Truth itself is the objective for those who love Christ. When we find ourselves to be wrong because of further study, it is easy to give up what was wrong to embrace the truth.
However, when God has shown us the truth we are not moved by "good sounding" arguments of the world. Our understanding has been full and we do not capitulate to the arguments of those who have obtained their ideas and wisdom from the world.
The confident and born again believers who loves truth, is hated by most people, because they are convinced of what God has told them, they have no need to force anyone else to believe it, they just know it, proclaim it and leave those others to the Lord.
Narcissists can never allow anyone else to think differently from them. They must mock, demean and intimidate others into submitting to them, always leading to a fight.
2 Timothy 3:5 "from such people get away."
These pleasure and popularity seekers wanted me to accept their form of Christianity, it sounded good but something did not set right with me.
The Lord warned me early on about many things that the modern church accepts. As I began to question each thing, using the Bible as the standard, I realized that the "Evangelical church", had as much wrong in it as the Catholic church does. Yes, they have the "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved" right. But the way they acted made me think they really didn't believe what they say.
When I discovered that most Evangelicals believe in divorce and remarriage on some level, they misunderstood entirely the nature of the gathering of believers, they had done away completely with the head covering and they had their favored "cliques", mostly made up of those who were adhering to pleasure gatherings and false pet doctrines, I realized I could no longer fit into those gatherings any more than I could the Catholic church.
When it ends up being a fight with a "fellow believer" about the sanctify of marriage, the head covering and the nature of the gathering according to the Word of God, then I know there can be no fellowship with them. It is one thing to engage in a disagreement about these things, it is quite another for those who do not adhere to the Word, to fight and argue in anger when they are shown in the Word their own error.
When we encounter rage over a disagreement, we must assume that the person who rages is convicted but stubborn. Defending that which is popular to believe but in error, is always a clue, they may not have been born again, or they are living in disobedience as believers. Often these days it is difficult to tell who is born again and who is not .
From time to time I have disagreements with brothers and sisters on facebook, but it does not lead to rage, mocking or demeaning. When the discussion degenerates into this sort of "attack" mentality, we know there is a stubborn and rebellious heart involved.
Loving, kind and empathetic people do not rage at others. They seek to understand and to share, but they do not treat with contempt a fellow brother or sister in disagreement.
When we see this raging and contempt emanating from the mouth of someone, we know there is no love, nor is there an attempt to seek truth, only winning is the objective of these types. Winning is far more important to those who rage than truth is, truth only matters if it helps them win.
Proverbs 29:10-12 "…10 Men of bloodshed hate the blameless, But the upright are concerned for his life. 11 A fool always loses his temper, But a wise man holds it back. 12 If a ruler pays attention to falsehood, All his ministers become wicked.…"
God warns us about fools so that we will not engage with them. It is an exercise in futility to bother with them. They more we answer rationally with them the worse they get. These people love to fight and argue. Agreeing is not very interesting or desirable to them, they prefer the fight, in an effort to win at all costs they believe it elevates them as superior.
I have had several people in my life just like this over the years. They cannot validate me or anyone who disagrees with them on any level. Every conversation is entered into for the purpose of proving us inept and stupid. Many years ago when I was more insecure, I was hurt continually by these mean spirited people. As I grew in the strength of the Lord, confident of my position with Him, the contemptuous people became comical to me, the rages and the demeaning were so silly they couldn't possibly be taken seriously.
When I encounter these people I feel sorry for them, but also want to exit quickly, because there is no purpose to that sort of bantering, it is foolish and meaningless.
God desires that we love His truth, so much so that we are willing to admit when we have been wrong. Everyone who has any sense understands this principle. Winning important to the truth seeker, being elevated in the eyes of others means little to those who love God's truth.
Truth itself is the objective for those who love Christ. When we find ourselves to be wrong because of further study, it is easy to give up what was wrong to embrace the truth.
However, when God has shown us the truth we are not moved by "good sounding" arguments of the world. Our understanding has been full and we do not capitulate to the arguments of those who have obtained their ideas and wisdom from the world.
The confident and born again believers who loves truth, is hated by most people, because they are convinced of what God has told them, they have no need to force anyone else to believe it, they just know it, proclaim it and leave those others to the Lord.
Narcissists can never allow anyone else to think differently from them. They must mock, demean and intimidate others into submitting to them, always leading to a fight.
2 Timothy 3:5 "from such people get away."
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