One of the techniques of today's culture is the practice of "gaslighting" others to manipulate them into thinking they have done something wrong when the accusers are the ones who are doing ungodly unkind things.
The gaslighter will accuse their target of things the gaslighter is doing but those they accuse are not doing.
I was once called "rebellious" because I spoke the truth to my husband in conversations. The accuser wanted all authority over his wife and couldn't stand that I had the freedom to express myself with my own husband so he judged my marriage without any information except a couple of times I spoke the truth to him and to my husband. This person believed that women should be seen and not heard so he declared any woman who speaks her mind with confidence as a rebellious woman.
In reality, this accuser is rebellious in his own heart because of his continual violations of the Scripture while claiming to be a "Christian." He uses the excuse that I am a woman and he doesn't have to listen to me because of my gender.
Those who are rebellious controllers will accuse truth-tellers of sinning when the rebellious controller is the one who sins.
This is one of the devil's favored tactics, to accuse the brethren of being the problem when it is the devil and those he uses who are the wicked ones.
Revelation 12:10
"10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God."
Those who are controlled by the devil will do the same things the devil does. They will even make their disrespect and contentiousness look like righteousness by taking out-of-context passages from the Bible to make them say what they like rather than what God meant.
When we meet someone who makes a practice of attempting to turn others against us through gossip and false doctrine it is time to remove them from our lives, praying that one day God will be able to reach them His way without us.
Proverbs 22:24-25 "24Do not make friends with an angry man, and do not associate with a hot-tempered man, 25or you may learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.…"
Controlling narcissists are angry all the time. Their anger is right below the surface waiting to emerge at the slightest perceived injury. It is impossible to have a rational conversation with someone who hates us enough to rage over minor things while refusing to allow us to be ourselves and have our own say.
These controllers are convinced they are perfect and right, or at least want others to elevate them as though they are perfect. When someone is outspoken and Biblical these ragers refuse to listen and exact revenge against us when we cannot be intimidated by them. They will work to turn others against us making themselves feel supported in their hatred for those who will not put up with their nonsense.
The reason I write of this so often is because the mentality of the end times is growing radically as we march toward the tribulation. 2 Timothy 3 is the evidence God gives us and the proof is in what we see regularly in our day. Here is what God says will happen in the last days of apostasy and sadly in the churches.
2 Timothy 3:1-5
Difficult Times Will Come
1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.
2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,
4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these."
The churches are full of "religious" people who claim to be Christian but have never been born again. This is the reason we become confused, we are listening to the words they say rather than looking for the fruit of the Spirit in them.
Galatians 5:22-23
"22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
When someone lacks all this fruit, never seems to have joy and is easily offended over the smallest matters, we are likely watching a pretender.
One thing is for sure, our Spirit will bear witness with the Spirit of Christ in any authentically born-again believer. When we meet with pretenders we will not sense any connection with their spirit, because the Holy Spirit does not live in them.
When we test the Spirit by speaking the Words of God and are met with contention and angst, we know that person is not born-again.
Matthew 7:15-20
A Tree and Its Fruit
15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
16 You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they?
17 So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 So then, you will know them by their fruits."
False prophets and teachers will attract false converts. Those who are authentically born again will be able to discern those who are false and those who are genuine.
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