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Wednesday, June 20, 2018
Are You Deceivable?
"When someone is living in unrighteousness, they are deceivable." Earthen Vessel
The reason we are seeing so many people in the church are acting irrationally and deceived by false doctrine and moving toward cultic belief is because they are proud in their hearts.
They make up their own doctrine based on what they like or what fits with the culture in order to fit in with the group they are with.
When we follow Christ we will not fit in anywhere it seems. We don't fit into most gatherings whether it be in the world or the church. We do not fit into most church gatherings because the world has taken over the church.
Unrighteousness need not be big bad sins everyone can see, it might be as subtle as seeming to be righteous on the outside while at the same time deeply prideful about how good one thinks they are, special, superior to others.
Pride was what made the devil used to entice Eve in the garden. He appealed to her desire to be special and superior. She was not satisfied with living in a perfect world, she wanted to be like god.
The reason we are seeing so many people in the church are acting irrationally and deceived by false doctrine and moving toward cultic belief is because they are proud in their hearts.
They make up their own doctrine based on what they like or what fits with the culture in order to fit in with the group they are with.
When we follow Christ we will not fit in anywhere it seems. We don't fit into most gatherings whether it be in the world or the church. We do not fit into most church gatherings because the world has taken over the church.
Unrighteousness need not be big bad sins everyone can see, it might be as subtle as seeming to be righteous on the outside while at the same time deeply prideful about how good one thinks they are, special, superior to others.
Pride was what made the devil used to entice Eve in the garden. He appealed to her desire to be special and superior. She was not satisfied with living in a perfect world, she wanted to be like god.
The Two Faced Person
A "Janus" faced person is one who is two faced, God spoke of them in the Word.
James 1:7-8
"…7 That man should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."
Those who are love bombing you one minute and raging at you the next, is very likely using manipulation to intimidate you into feeling inferior to them.
Sadly this works for those who are sympathetic people, those who cannot stand the thought of hurting others. It is often effective for the narcissist to accuse a sensitive kind hearted person of being mean to control their emotions.
If the narcissist can control the emotions of their target, they can have a perpetual source of supply. Their supply is the one who allows them to dominate them as well as the sense of supremacy. More than anything else the narcissist has an unhealthy need to be elevated above their target.
This need to be superior drives the narcissist to evaluating their target as unworthy of encouragement or validation. If the narcissist can have a friend who is easily manipulated to feel inferior, this is supply for the child like narcissist. In short they are the bullies in the family.
Families often have more than one bully, because someone in the family has been allowing the bully to continue their monstrous behavior without challenge or discipline. The more a bully gets away with their actions the worse they become.
2 Timothy 3:12-14 "…12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evil men and imposters go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in the things you have learned and firmly believed, since you know from whom you learned them."
Our world has become saturated with those who fit the description in 2 Timothy 3. The culture has a whole has coddled the perpetrators of evil while chastising the victims for complaining about the treatment against them.
Isaiah 5:20-21 "20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who turn darkness to light and light to darkness, who replace bitter with sweet and sweet with bitter. 21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.…"
One of the hallmarks of this culture is the propensity for people to be "know-it-alls", people who really believe they should be treated like little gods, having all knowledge while raging when someone dares to tell the truth. Any challenge at all are met with intense anger toward the truth teller. There is never an apology for the outburst, the idea of having to admit one may be wrong or apologize is anathema to the self righteous narcissist.
Keep looking up, one day soon we will be going home and this will no longer be a part of our existence. Knowing this should make it easier to move through this time with more understanding and greater resolve to keep on going for the Lord.
Ignore those who would work against us, tell the truth anyway and be willing to take the lumps that come because of it.
Hallelujah!!!
James 1:7-8
"…7 That man should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."
Those who are love bombing you one minute and raging at you the next, is very likely using manipulation to intimidate you into feeling inferior to them.
Sadly this works for those who are sympathetic people, those who cannot stand the thought of hurting others. It is often effective for the narcissist to accuse a sensitive kind hearted person of being mean to control their emotions.
If the narcissist can control the emotions of their target, they can have a perpetual source of supply. Their supply is the one who allows them to dominate them as well as the sense of supremacy. More than anything else the narcissist has an unhealthy need to be elevated above their target.
This need to be superior drives the narcissist to evaluating their target as unworthy of encouragement or validation. If the narcissist can have a friend who is easily manipulated to feel inferior, this is supply for the child like narcissist. In short they are the bullies in the family.
Families often have more than one bully, because someone in the family has been allowing the bully to continue their monstrous behavior without challenge or discipline. The more a bully gets away with their actions the worse they become.
2 Timothy 3:12-14 "…12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evil men and imposters go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in the things you have learned and firmly believed, since you know from whom you learned them."
Our world has become saturated with those who fit the description in 2 Timothy 3. The culture has a whole has coddled the perpetrators of evil while chastising the victims for complaining about the treatment against them.
Isaiah 5:20-21 "20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who turn darkness to light and light to darkness, who replace bitter with sweet and sweet with bitter. 21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.…"
One of the hallmarks of this culture is the propensity for people to be "know-it-alls", people who really believe they should be treated like little gods, having all knowledge while raging when someone dares to tell the truth. Any challenge at all are met with intense anger toward the truth teller. There is never an apology for the outburst, the idea of having to admit one may be wrong or apologize is anathema to the self righteous narcissist.
Keep looking up, one day soon we will be going home and this will no longer be a part of our existence. Knowing this should make it easier to move through this time with more understanding and greater resolve to keep on going for the Lord.
Ignore those who would work against us, tell the truth anyway and be willing to take the lumps that come because of it.
Hallelujah!!!
Don't Let the Devil Silence You
This country has a propensity to cater to the law breakers, the illegals and the terrorists, as though being friendly will make them like us. Christians do this too, thinking it is evangelism. It is not evangelism just to be friendly and wait for the right moment. We must speak the truth to be evangelizing and the truth will make most people mad.
Romans 10:17
"17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
The evil man gets the attention and kindness while the truth teller is chastised for telling the truth. The evil person gets mad and others judge the truth teller as the one who made them mad by their speaking.
No one makes another person mad, those who get mad use it as manipulation to intimidate others into silence.
Never feel guilty about telling the truth simply because another person got mad at your words. Remember Christ was hated and He did no sin at all toward anyone.
Perhaps its those words He used; "you white washed tombs", that inflamed them? We only become angry when our pride is tickled and the real us is exposed.
Proverbs 11:2
"When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom."
Proverbs 16:18
"Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."
Proverbs 29:23
"One's pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor."
Make your boundaries based on truth and righteousness, speak the truth as led by the Holy Spirit and leave the conversation guilt-free no matter how others respond.
When we are led to believe we did something wrong by speaking truth, we have allowed others to control our emotions. Ignore emotions based on false guilt, it is a reaction to a spirit that values people more than God. If we love God above everyone else, then no reaction to truth will cause us to feel guilty.
Proverbs 29:25-26 "25 The fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD will be set securely on high. 26 Many seek the ruler’s favor, but a man receives justice from the LORD.…"
Rebellious people will attempt to control us through emotion. Don't let them, the way to avoid it is to focus on truth, eventually we will not feel those sensations of guilt when we know the devil is the culprit who is trying to silence us.
Romans 10:17
"17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
The evil man gets the attention and kindness while the truth teller is chastised for telling the truth. The evil person gets mad and others judge the truth teller as the one who made them mad by their speaking.
No one makes another person mad, those who get mad use it as manipulation to intimidate others into silence.
Never feel guilty about telling the truth simply because another person got mad at your words. Remember Christ was hated and He did no sin at all toward anyone.
Perhaps its those words He used; "you white washed tombs", that inflamed them? We only become angry when our pride is tickled and the real us is exposed.
Proverbs 11:2
"When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom."
Proverbs 16:18
"Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."
Proverbs 29:23
"One's pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor."
Make your boundaries based on truth and righteousness, speak the truth as led by the Holy Spirit and leave the conversation guilt-free no matter how others respond.
When we are led to believe we did something wrong by speaking truth, we have allowed others to control our emotions. Ignore emotions based on false guilt, it is a reaction to a spirit that values people more than God. If we love God above everyone else, then no reaction to truth will cause us to feel guilty.
Proverbs 29:25-26 "25 The fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD will be set securely on high. 26 Many seek the ruler’s favor, but a man receives justice from the LORD.…"
Rebellious people will attempt to control us through emotion. Don't let them, the way to avoid it is to focus on truth, eventually we will not feel those sensations of guilt when we know the devil is the culprit who is trying to silence us.
Trump's Art of the Deal!
President Trump has an old fashioned cultural Christianity. He has stated that he loves Norman Vincent Peale, that he was inspired by his books that promote the power of positive thinking. This is how Trump got rich.
He is surrounded by prosperity preachers who are sold out to "success", as Trump has always been. If he sees Christianity as a way of succeeding he will use it. He also has written a book called, "The Art of the Deal", he has been working manipulation all his life.
The mainstream Republicans would not support him so he was determined to try the last thing on his bucket list, that is to become the president of the most powerful nation in the world, without the help of the two major parties. His manipulation of people is masterful.
I have doubts that our president has become a Christian, strong doubts. However I do know that God put him in power, perhaps to show us how clever the deception will be when the anti-christ comes on the scene.
I have had vast experience with manipulators in my life, they look just like him. They say all the right things to gain support but are "working the deal."
Having said all that I have to say that I hope our president becomes born again, I hope that "this time", he is sincere and I do like some of the things he is doing. He has shown leadership far more than any president since Reagan.
Now after all this I have to say that our nation as a whole will and is fighting against our president because they believe he represents righteousness. Whether or not he does is irrelevant, they think he does so they fight against what they believe he stands for, that is Christianity.
When half the country is hostile to the gospel and the other half are conservative, caring more about borders and taxes, then we have lost the country.
We do we gain by having secure borders, lower taxes, greater building power and more freedom, if the majority of the country is going to hell because they were either hostile toward God or because they used God as a cosmic puppet to get their desires met, either way we are lost as a country.
As believers we must bring our focus back to Christ, the great commission and prophesy, there is where our hearts should be.
He is surrounded by prosperity preachers who are sold out to "success", as Trump has always been. If he sees Christianity as a way of succeeding he will use it. He also has written a book called, "The Art of the Deal", he has been working manipulation all his life.
The mainstream Republicans would not support him so he was determined to try the last thing on his bucket list, that is to become the president of the most powerful nation in the world, without the help of the two major parties. His manipulation of people is masterful.
I have doubts that our president has become a Christian, strong doubts. However I do know that God put him in power, perhaps to show us how clever the deception will be when the anti-christ comes on the scene.
I have had vast experience with manipulators in my life, they look just like him. They say all the right things to gain support but are "working the deal."
Having said all that I have to say that I hope our president becomes born again, I hope that "this time", he is sincere and I do like some of the things he is doing. He has shown leadership far more than any president since Reagan.
Now after all this I have to say that our nation as a whole will and is fighting against our president because they believe he represents righteousness. Whether or not he does is irrelevant, they think he does so they fight against what they believe he stands for, that is Christianity.
When half the country is hostile to the gospel and the other half are conservative, caring more about borders and taxes, then we have lost the country.
We do we gain by having secure borders, lower taxes, greater building power and more freedom, if the majority of the country is going to hell because they were either hostile toward God or because they used God as a cosmic puppet to get their desires met, either way we are lost as a country.
As believers we must bring our focus back to Christ, the great commission and prophesy, there is where our hearts should be.
Twisted Thinking!
Most of our presidents including the last three believe that Christ is not the only way. Those who say they are Christians believe in all ways but happen to choose for themselves Jesus Christ, except for Obama, he clearly denied and mocked Jesus Christ.
Don't be overwhelmed with excitement these days when a public official says they are a Christian, their meaning may be, that it happens to be their personal choice but also embrace the idea that everyone has their own reality.
The language is so clever these days it will fool even the elect if possible.
A Catholic will tell you they are saved by grace too, just as we are, however its a different kind of grace.
When we say we are saved by grace through faith in Christ we mean that we do not deserve it but God extends it to those of us who place their faith in Him.
The Catholic will tell you that they obtain more graces by doing more good deeds. They never know for sure if they are saved, but are working hard to pile up points in heaven to have a greater chance of making it. In other words it all depends on them to get to heaven, even though they never know until they die if they will make it.
The born again believer knows they are secure in their salvation, through the promises of God.
Ephesians 1:1315 "…13 And in Him you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, having heard and believed the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. 14 The Spirit is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory. 15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,…"
Those who say they are Christians but believe one can lose their salvation are following in the footsteps of the Catholic faith. A faith based on their own performance, a sort of ....."we need to help Christ out, because His sacrifice was not enough."
Beware of those who say you can lose salvation, they do not understand the gospel message, nor do they trust Christ. He said we are secure, therefore we are, it was all finished on the cross. The passages they use to justify faith in self effort are misunderstood and twisted to make them fit their belief system.
The confusion comes because some appear to walk away, back into sin even defending their sin. These who love their sin, have not walked away from God, they never belonged to Him to begin with. These people are pretenders, they are in the gathering, they say the right things and even do good works but they never belonged to God.
Matthew 7:21-23 "21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’"
Notice the phrase in verse 23, "I NEVER knew you." It was not that He knew them as His children but now they are not, its that they were never His, they were pretenders.
Those who trust Christ trust Him for everything, their salvation, their cleansing, their growth and for their going home when His time is right.
1 John 1:9
"9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Notice that HE cleanses us as we grow in holiness.
1 Peter 2
2 Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander,
2 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,
3. if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.
4 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God,
5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6 For this is contained in Scripture:
“Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone,
And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.”
7 This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve,
“The stone which the builders rejected,
This became the very corner stone,”
8 and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”;
Notice in these passages that we are precious to Him, God never throws away those who are precious to Him. Instead He disciplines those who are His to cause growth in holiness.
Proverbs 3:11-12 "…11 My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline and do not loathe His reproof; 12 for the LORD disciplines those He loves, as a father the son in whom he delights."
Even earthly fathers who love their children discipline them, those who do not discipline do not love their children.
The principle God gives us for disciplining our own children is the same principles He uses with His children.
Proverbs 13:24 "24 He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently. "
God does not hate His children who disobey and He does not leave them. His love is greater than man's, man would reject their children without discipline for not measuring up. God is not like that, He does not leave us to our own devices, He works with us day after day until we come back to obedience. He sends us consequences and illnesses to get our attention.
Just as the Holy Spirit remains silent within us when we refuse to listen to Him, so does the earthly parent remove himself to allow the world to teach them through life experiences. If we love our children we will withdraw from them when they are rebellious and disrespectful. Withdrawing allows them to be taught and trained by God without their ability to blame their parents or anyone else for their own consequences.
When we are being obedient we may still have difficulties because God is strengthening us. The same way an weight lifter has to strain hard day after day to build strong muscles, the Lord is straining our spiritual muscles to become strong.
Romans 5:1-5 "5 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;
4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;
5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us."
Keep looking up brothers and sisters, the Lord is never far off, His Spirit lives in us and He is returning soon to take us home. Hallelujah!!!
Don't be overwhelmed with excitement these days when a public official says they are a Christian, their meaning may be, that it happens to be their personal choice but also embrace the idea that everyone has their own reality.
The language is so clever these days it will fool even the elect if possible.
A Catholic will tell you they are saved by grace too, just as we are, however its a different kind of grace.
When we say we are saved by grace through faith in Christ we mean that we do not deserve it but God extends it to those of us who place their faith in Him.
The Catholic will tell you that they obtain more graces by doing more good deeds. They never know for sure if they are saved, but are working hard to pile up points in heaven to have a greater chance of making it. In other words it all depends on them to get to heaven, even though they never know until they die if they will make it.
The born again believer knows they are secure in their salvation, through the promises of God.
Ephesians 1:1315 "…13 And in Him you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, having heard and believed the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. 14 The Spirit is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory. 15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,…"
Those who say they are Christians but believe one can lose their salvation are following in the footsteps of the Catholic faith. A faith based on their own performance, a sort of ....."we need to help Christ out, because His sacrifice was not enough."
Beware of those who say you can lose salvation, they do not understand the gospel message, nor do they trust Christ. He said we are secure, therefore we are, it was all finished on the cross. The passages they use to justify faith in self effort are misunderstood and twisted to make them fit their belief system.
The confusion comes because some appear to walk away, back into sin even defending their sin. These who love their sin, have not walked away from God, they never belonged to Him to begin with. These people are pretenders, they are in the gathering, they say the right things and even do good works but they never belonged to God.
Matthew 7:21-23 "21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’"
Notice the phrase in verse 23, "I NEVER knew you." It was not that He knew them as His children but now they are not, its that they were never His, they were pretenders.
Those who trust Christ trust Him for everything, their salvation, their cleansing, their growth and for their going home when His time is right.
1 John 1:9
"9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Notice that HE cleanses us as we grow in holiness.
1 Peter 2
2 Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander,
2 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,
3. if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.
4 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God,
5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6 For this is contained in Scripture:
“Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone,
And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.”
7 This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve,
“The stone which the builders rejected,
This became the very corner stone,”
8 and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”;
Notice in these passages that we are precious to Him, God never throws away those who are precious to Him. Instead He disciplines those who are His to cause growth in holiness.
Proverbs 3:11-12 "…11 My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline and do not loathe His reproof; 12 for the LORD disciplines those He loves, as a father the son in whom he delights."
Even earthly fathers who love their children discipline them, those who do not discipline do not love their children.
The principle God gives us for disciplining our own children is the same principles He uses with His children.
Proverbs 13:24 "24 He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently. "
God does not hate His children who disobey and He does not leave them. His love is greater than man's, man would reject their children without discipline for not measuring up. God is not like that, He does not leave us to our own devices, He works with us day after day until we come back to obedience. He sends us consequences and illnesses to get our attention.
Just as the Holy Spirit remains silent within us when we refuse to listen to Him, so does the earthly parent remove himself to allow the world to teach them through life experiences. If we love our children we will withdraw from them when they are rebellious and disrespectful. Withdrawing allows them to be taught and trained by God without their ability to blame their parents or anyone else for their own consequences.
When we are being obedient we may still have difficulties because God is strengthening us. The same way an weight lifter has to strain hard day after day to build strong muscles, the Lord is straining our spiritual muscles to become strong.
Romans 5:1-5 "5 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;
4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;
5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us."
Keep looking up brothers and sisters, the Lord is never far off, His Spirit lives in us and He is returning soon to take us home. Hallelujah!!!
The Narcissist is Used of the Devil!
One of the most used tactic of the devil is to use wicked people to keep us distracted by foolish arguments over nothing important.
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