If being popular and loved by people is your goal, then you will be stuck in man's traditions that do not honor God, full of error and spiritual stagnation.
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.…"
Wednesday, April 4, 2018
Ignore the Intimidation and Go with God
If you are in a system that intimidates you to follow their rules that are not in the Word, get out of there. When we are under bondage to the legalism of those who wish to dominate us, then we have an idol in our lives, that idol being the "church system."
We cannot grow spiritually under the domination of ungodly leadership, oppression will keep us stuck in a spiritually child like state while diminishing the gifts and abilities Christ has given us.
Those who adhere to human rules to fit in, will be stunted in their growth and often will give up their gifts for the sake of acceptance.
How do we know if we are in a group like this? Its quite simple, a domineering group will become agitated when you find something to be an unnecessary rule or unbiblical and speak about it.
The group that relies on traditions rather than the Bible will always ignore challenges to correct things according to the Bible. If they cannot ignore you, they will warn others against you so that you have no influence or friends within that gathering, even gossiping behind your back that you are a trouble maker.
If we are not free to express our thoughts in order to discern truth, then we are in a cultic system. Anyone in our gathering ought to be excited to learn our thoughts and respond to them Biblically. Even if we might disagree, there ought to be an enthusiasm to go to the Word together and find the answer or at least to prove our assertions through Bible verses that come to mind.
The domineering gatherings in which only the "pastor" is allowed to speak of the things of God will always silence anyone who brings truth. Intimidating others into silence to maintain the status quo is a favored tactic to keep the congregation under control.
God never told the elders to control the people, He told them to lead by example, preaching and teaching.
1 Peter 5:2-3 "…2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is among you, watching over them not out of compulsion, but because it is God’s will; not out of greed, but out of eagerness; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock."
Those who use intimidation to silence others are not leading, they are forcing, they have created their own following. We are never to follow any man, we are to follow Jesus Christ.
We cannot grow spiritually under the domination of ungodly leadership, oppression will keep us stuck in a spiritually child like state while diminishing the gifts and abilities Christ has given us.
Those who adhere to human rules to fit in, will be stunted in their growth and often will give up their gifts for the sake of acceptance.
How do we know if we are in a group like this? Its quite simple, a domineering group will become agitated when you find something to be an unnecessary rule or unbiblical and speak about it.
The group that relies on traditions rather than the Bible will always ignore challenges to correct things according to the Bible. If they cannot ignore you, they will warn others against you so that you have no influence or friends within that gathering, even gossiping behind your back that you are a trouble maker.
If we are not free to express our thoughts in order to discern truth, then we are in a cultic system. Anyone in our gathering ought to be excited to learn our thoughts and respond to them Biblically. Even if we might disagree, there ought to be an enthusiasm to go to the Word together and find the answer or at least to prove our assertions through Bible verses that come to mind.
The domineering gatherings in which only the "pastor" is allowed to speak of the things of God will always silence anyone who brings truth. Intimidating others into silence to maintain the status quo is a favored tactic to keep the congregation under control.
God never told the elders to control the people, He told them to lead by example, preaching and teaching.
1 Peter 5:2-3 "…2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is among you, watching over them not out of compulsion, but because it is God’s will; not out of greed, but out of eagerness; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock."
Those who use intimidation to silence others are not leading, they are forcing, they have created their own following. We are never to follow any man, we are to follow Jesus Christ.
The "Marriage License" Governments Way
It is interesting that the "marriage license" required by the state is not Biblical. I see no mandate in the Word of God to get a certificate from to the state in order to be joined in marriage.
We get that certificate in order to obey the Law and to protect the couple from illegal activity that would harm either person in the marriage.
Since this concept of the state overseeing marriages, the state also has the power to declare who can marry and who can not. At one time it was God that determined this, since God has been thrown out of everything in our government, that same government can decide which marriages are valid and which are not. Also sadly the government is now attempting to dissolve first marriages through a breaking, legally, that contract whenever it feels it is no longer useful.
We have a license for everything now, to drive a car, to own a business and much more, so that the state can keep track of our money as well as the ability to find anyone who commits crimes.
Most of us comply with these laws, so that there will not be uncomfortable consequences when the state exacts their punishment for non-compliance. We have no problem with the laws because they don't cause us to violate our own principles according to the Bible.
The marriage between two people should be celebrated with those who are dedicated to the couple in accountability. The Christian community has turned into a social club that uses the marriage ceremony as a party. Has anyone noticed that ceremonies today have become laugh fests. The joking and flippancy has infiltrated every wedding I have been to in the past 30 years. The solemnity of these occasions is lost in the revelry. Perhaps this is the reason so many young people don't take their marriages seriously.
The "marriage license" tends to make the marriage appear more like a contract between two people rather than a union of the two becoming one by God's hand.
The state can break the contract of the marriage according to their laws, but they cannot dissolve the melding of two spirits into one that was accomplished by God at the time of the promise made by each person.
When the people become so selfish, determined to have their own way, they will pressure the state to modify their rules to include the sins of the culture.
Whenever a rule of the government is relaxed, deviating from the principles of God to placate some of the people, it will influence others who would not normally do the sin, to accept it and then practice it themselves.
We see this in marriage all the time. First divorce and remarriage was not allowed by the state in this country, then the rulers decided there should be exceptions. It is interesting how many use the exceptions to justify their own divorce and remarriage that were not exceptions. Mankind tends to take an exception as permission to sin.
We went from no divorce and remarriage to some exceptions, to wholesale divorce for irreconcilable differences to one party in the marriage able to get the divorce without both agreeing. Now we have moved on, to greater and more ridiculous forms of marriage, that is same sex marriage. Placating a small faction of the culture, although growing, to be able to live their abomination openly without restraint.
Immoral people are not satisfied with being able to live as they please, they must intimidate others to accept them. This was the case with the cake bakers who were ruined by immoral and selfish people who were determined to shame good people for nothing more than standing on their own ideals.
This is the nature of narcissism, those who indulge in self love are vested deeply in others validating their actions and attitudes. Those who will not validate them, will be punished and intimidated into compliance.
Yes, the new evil in our culture is expecting righteousness, when this does not work then all we want is to be able to live out our own convictions as we please, just as the immoral person is allowed to live out their abominations. The immoral person who mocks and intimidates others into compliance is enraged when anyone speaks truth to them. They have their right to ruin the businesses of others but the righteous person is not allowed to even speak their own mind.
There precious little justice in the world, God told us it would be this way and that the increase of this would be a sign that He was coming for us soon. I don't know about you, but I am excited that Christ can make us strong in spite of the attacks and that soon He will exact perfect justice. Hallelujah!
2 Timothy 3:1-5 (KJV)
3 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
We get that certificate in order to obey the Law and to protect the couple from illegal activity that would harm either person in the marriage.
Since this concept of the state overseeing marriages, the state also has the power to declare who can marry and who can not. At one time it was God that determined this, since God has been thrown out of everything in our government, that same government can decide which marriages are valid and which are not. Also sadly the government is now attempting to dissolve first marriages through a breaking, legally, that contract whenever it feels it is no longer useful.
We have a license for everything now, to drive a car, to own a business and much more, so that the state can keep track of our money as well as the ability to find anyone who commits crimes.
Most of us comply with these laws, so that there will not be uncomfortable consequences when the state exacts their punishment for non-compliance. We have no problem with the laws because they don't cause us to violate our own principles according to the Bible.
The marriage between two people should be celebrated with those who are dedicated to the couple in accountability. The Christian community has turned into a social club that uses the marriage ceremony as a party. Has anyone noticed that ceremonies today have become laugh fests. The joking and flippancy has infiltrated every wedding I have been to in the past 30 years. The solemnity of these occasions is lost in the revelry. Perhaps this is the reason so many young people don't take their marriages seriously.
The "marriage license" tends to make the marriage appear more like a contract between two people rather than a union of the two becoming one by God's hand.
The state can break the contract of the marriage according to their laws, but they cannot dissolve the melding of two spirits into one that was accomplished by God at the time of the promise made by each person.
When the people become so selfish, determined to have their own way, they will pressure the state to modify their rules to include the sins of the culture.
Whenever a rule of the government is relaxed, deviating from the principles of God to placate some of the people, it will influence others who would not normally do the sin, to accept it and then practice it themselves.
We see this in marriage all the time. First divorce and remarriage was not allowed by the state in this country, then the rulers decided there should be exceptions. It is interesting how many use the exceptions to justify their own divorce and remarriage that were not exceptions. Mankind tends to take an exception as permission to sin.
We went from no divorce and remarriage to some exceptions, to wholesale divorce for irreconcilable differences to one party in the marriage able to get the divorce without both agreeing. Now we have moved on, to greater and more ridiculous forms of marriage, that is same sex marriage. Placating a small faction of the culture, although growing, to be able to live their abomination openly without restraint.
Immoral people are not satisfied with being able to live as they please, they must intimidate others to accept them. This was the case with the cake bakers who were ruined by immoral and selfish people who were determined to shame good people for nothing more than standing on their own ideals.
This is the nature of narcissism, those who indulge in self love are vested deeply in others validating their actions and attitudes. Those who will not validate them, will be punished and intimidated into compliance.
Yes, the new evil in our culture is expecting righteousness, when this does not work then all we want is to be able to live out our own convictions as we please, just as the immoral person is allowed to live out their abominations. The immoral person who mocks and intimidates others into compliance is enraged when anyone speaks truth to them. They have their right to ruin the businesses of others but the righteous person is not allowed to even speak their own mind.
There precious little justice in the world, God told us it would be this way and that the increase of this would be a sign that He was coming for us soon. I don't know about you, but I am excited that Christ can make us strong in spite of the attacks and that soon He will exact perfect justice. Hallelujah!
2 Timothy 3:1-5 (KJV)
3 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
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