I believe the devils are working overtime in family relationships.
So many arguments and fights are completely irrational, as though insanity has set in.
Tantrums on the part of adults is common these days. When they do not get exactly what they want, they fly into a rage, especially if they are wrong. The rage is an attempt to hide their own guilt.
The rage is a tactic to control the emotions of others, causing others to back down, while causing them to think they have done something wrong, but they cannot figure out what it is because their offenders won't say what bothers them, and we can't guess.
As long as we know what we are dealing with, we do not have to engage with these monstrous angry adults. We can walk away without guilt, knowing that there was an attempt to manipulate and control us through these mean spirited tactics.
I no longer feel guilty when I see this happening, I feel sad for the person who cannot control their tantrums or desires. We know that these people are lost and on their way to hell. They need salvation, but they will not see victory until they trust Christ, then He can clean them up.
These manipulators are idols unto themselves. They worship themselves, the reason they cannot tolerate any suggestion that they need a heart change.
These people need to pray these kind of prayers:
Psalm 51:10
"Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me."
Ezekiel 36:25
"Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
Love must be behind our desire to witness Christ to others. However, we cannot make rules for those who witness, formulas that everyone must follow.
Christ was gentle most of the time, but His love did include harsh rebukes at times. The harshest rebukes were to the "religious leaders", who should have known better.
There were times when Christ called people names, dogs, white washed tombs and snakes and vipers.
Our love ought to motivate us to do as Christ wants us to do, no matter which delivery that will be.
Trusting the Holy Spirit for every encounter is the assurance that we will be used of Him, rather than implementing the formulas of men who use techniques instead of Holy Spirit unction.
Our American culture has a perverted idea of love that is far too squishy and even meaningless, the importance of a matter gets lost in all the goo!!!!
Don't let anyone tell you "how it must be done", seek the Holy Spirit and do whatever He leads you to do. Just be sure it's Him and not your flesh.
Romans 8:13-15 "…13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery that returns you to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”…"
God never died on the cross to cover our sins because we couldn't save ourselves, and then tell us we had to keep saving ourselves every day by being good.
Ephesians 1:13-14
"13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory."
Exodus 4:11 "11 The LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?…"
Are you afraid to speak the truth, fearful that you won't do it the right way?
It is the Holy Spirit that speaks through us, stop all the worry and just do as you are led by God.
Matthew 10:19 "19 But when they hand you over, do not worry about how to respond or what to say. In that hour you will be given what to say."
So many lovely believers refrain from speaking or writing because they fear the rejection of man.
To fear men is to place people above God. If someone mocks you because you didn't do it just right, then that's on them, not you. Mockers will always attempt to make us look silly, they did it to Christ and the apostles too.
God has our back, yes we have no reason to fear man!
A brother today brought the challenge to forget about your insecurities in sharing the truth of Christ, he was so right.
Exodus 4:10-11 "10 Then Moses said to the LORD, "Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue." 11 The LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?…"
Bahahaha!!!! Do we have to be better than Moses to speak the truth?
Those of you who keep setting dates for the rapture or the tribulation better cut it out, God is going to deal with you and it won't be pretty.
A sister in Christ shared today that the new date for the tribulation has been changed to October 31st.
LOL, LOL!!!! What next, I am so confused! They keep changing the dates, so much so that I guess I must just trust Christ instead!!!! (tongue firmly planted in cheek)
These people don't ever seem to learn. I guess they count on people forgetting the last time they had egg all over their faces.
Those who are not content to walk by faith in the Word of God and Christ Himself, just have to have "special revelation" and "miracles" they can brag about. Shame on these who defy the Word of God in their date setting.
The last few times they set dates, they didn't come true, so I have to assume they are false prophets who haven't heard from God or perhaps God changed His mind?
The truth is, God has a date that He didn't tell us and these false prophets never heard from Him, they are making up their lies to gain attention and even perhaps support from those they want to worship them.
Ezekiel 13:9 "9 My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations. They will not belong to the council of my people or be listed in the records of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD."
Hmm!!! Seems like a pretty clear warning from God doesn't it!!!
The Holy Spirit is the power behind His Word.
One can know the Word, but without the Holy Spirit we cannot understand the truth.
YES!!!! It is right and good to warn women to dress modestly to prevent being seen as a target for immorality.
When a woman dresses provocatively she is basically "selling herself." We expose those wares that we want to sell. Whether we expect to be watched for our physical beauty, then the clothing will express that. If a woman wants to be admired for feminine physical attributes, then she will declare it with her clothing.
Women who are connected to a husband will want to save her most intimate beauty for him alone. She honors him by withholding from other men what only belongs to her husband.
Our culture is hell bent on exposing the beauty of a woman to every Tom, Dick and Harry that wanders by. The immorality is so deeply defended in our culture that there may even be those who come to fight for the right for a woman to dress as she pleases and if a man looks then it's his fault for not controlling himself, I say to this mentality "hogwash."
We teach people not to offer alcohol to an alcoholic, why? Because we don't want to do anything to cause the alcoholic to fall off the wagon. In other words we are taught it is wrong to cause another person to fall. And, so it is with the clothing women wear. When we wear what will cause a man to have to work hard to avoid looking, then we are partly to blame for his condition.
We don't offer alcohol to an alcoholic, we don't serve sugary treats to a diabetic, or give drugs to a recovering druggie, so what makes clothing any different.
1 Peter 3:2-4 "…2 when they see your pure and reverent demeanor. 3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment such as braided hair or gold jewelry or fine clothes, 4 but from the inner disposition of your heart, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in God’s sight.…"
It is not pursuing peace to flaunt in front of someone that which might make them fall from their resolve to obey Christ. The following passage is referring to food, but can easily be applied to other actions that may diminish another believers walk.
Romans 14:13-19 "13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding."
There is a difference between "blaming the victim" and trying to offer guidance that might help to prevent victimization. Fran Dunham
Sent to me from Isabel Higham; thank you Isabel!
"Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her "How could God let something like this happen?" (regarding the attacks on Sept, 11, hurricanes and earth quakes.
Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said "I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out.
How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?" In light of recent events...terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found recently) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school .... the Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.
Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said OK. Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.
Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with "WE REAP WHAT WE SOW."
Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says.
Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing.
Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace. Are you laughing?
Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they WILL think, of you for sending it.
Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.
Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.
God bless you as you share it with friends. No Nation or people can ever survive or succeed without Jesus Christ."
Seen by Isabel Higham at 9:11am
