Granny Gwen's Blog: Jan 2, 2025

Thursday, January 2, 2025

The Way we Think!

The WAY we think determines our attitudes, actions, and reactions.

Those who think with the mind of Christ will automatically determine what is to be done or said based on God's Word.

Their mind will be led by the Holy Spirit able to dismiss what does not edify.

Those who are self-righteous and self-absorbed will automatically interpret events in terms of how they want to believe and not on the facts. Their determinations are derived from many factors, often jealousy, greed or rebellion against the truth.

The most analytical people are those who do not make judgments rashly, on how they feel but will wait for all the evidence to be discovered before making a decision about what they think they see. These people will ignore things that are none of their business and interview with an uncluttered mind those they love to find out the truth.

Weak-minded gossips will take what little information they have, make their desired judgment, and pass that flawed and unsound distorted view onto willing hearers who are invested in retaining the friendship. Truth is not very important to those who love their gossip, only gaining allies to themselves takes priority. There is little sensible and intelligent thinking involved in the assessments of those who gossip.

Proverbs. 17:9a - “He who covers a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates intimate friends.”

Proverbs 20:19 – “He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets, therefore do not associate with a gossip.”

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

"4 Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant. 5 It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered, 6 it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

Lets review the elements of love:

Love is patient and kind

Love does not envy or boast

Love is not arrogant or rude

Love does not insist on its own way

Love is not irritable or resentful

Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things

Love never ends:

Sharing something that happened to us personally to a close friend is not gossip. Sharing things we believe might have happened but we have little information about is gossip and it is designed to hurt others while inviting others to hurt them too.

Good responses to gossips might be:

"I don't know that is true", or "I have no need to know that" or "who does it help for you to tell me that?" You can think of your own words to shut down gossip.

Taking sides and making personal allies are what drive the one who gossips, it makes them feel superior, they are weak and in need of others to join their club. Don't do it!!!

I have fallen into the trap of feeling sorry for someone only to find out later the one who gossiped was the problem and not the one they gossiped about.

I have also fallen into the trap of sharing with someone I thought was a good friend only to find out later they gossiped to others what I told them, but not the way I told it to them.

I have learned my lessons well and avoid those who tend to elevate themselves above others through gossip.

Cherish those friends who can be trusted with your trials and experiences in life because they are few.

Proverbs 18:24

"A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."

John 15:13

"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends."

Proverbs 27:5-6

"Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy. "

Unchurching: The Exodus from Institutional Forms of Church | Richard Jac...

Many are Playing a Role

Many people within the institutional church are playing a role to be accepted by others but have never been born again. They have learned the talk and even walked the walk but their heart is not interested in obeying God's Word.

Some who are in error are born-again but most are not, we know this because of this scripture:

Matthew 7:13-14

13 "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few."

Yes, they do obey in the "big" things, they don't rob, kill and other blatantly wicked things but they do walk in pride about how good they think they are and how superior to others. These people have such a high opinion of themselves that they never "self-reflect" asking God to show them their flaws, they don't think they have any flaws. They look down on others who admit their flaws to be cleansed from their sins, because they see admission of sin as weakness. Sadly those who view repentance as weakness can never confess their own sins so they remain self-willed.

Luke 18:9-14

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

9 Now He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the [a]temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and began praying this in regard to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, crooked, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to raise his eyes toward heaven, but was beating his chest, saying, ‘God, be [b]merciful to me, the sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other one; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

The institutional church has numerous rules they determine and require of the pew people that are not Biblical and they violate more of God's Word than they obey while claiming to believe the Bible.

Matthew 23: 1-12

4 And they (the Pharisees) tie up heavy burdens and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as their finger.

5 And they do all their deeds to be noticed by other people; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments.

6 And they love the place of honor at banquets, and the seats of honor in the synagogues,

7 and personal greetings in the marketplaces, and being called Rabbi by the people.

8 But as for you, do not be called Rabbi; for only One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters.

9 And do not call anyone on earth your father; for only One is your Father, He who is in heaven.

10 And do not be called leaders; for only One is your Leader, that is, Christ.

11 But the greatest of you shall be your servant.

12 Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted."

The institutional church is violating these commands of God as well as many others. When we resolve not to follow a person or institution but only Christ our eyes begin to open wider and they will never be closed again.

Hallelujah!!!!

Obeying Outwardly is not Enough!

Obeying parents is more than just doing what they said to do,, it is doing it with a willing heart and a desire to please them. Passive-aggressive children do what they are told with a heart that resents the parent as they do it.

It is not considered obedience to God if the heart hates the parent and only obeys outwardly to avoid punishment or to be seen as a special child. Motivation is everything because God says it is the heart that is either obedient or disobedient, not merely the action.

Hosea 6:6

"6 For I [a]desire loyalty rather than sacrifice,

And the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings"

Matthew 9:13

"But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Matthew 12:7

"If only you had known the meaning of ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent."

Micah 6:6-8

"With what shall I come before the LORD when I bow before the God on high? Should I come to Him with burnt offerings, with year-old calves? / Would the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? / He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?"

One thing God hates more than anything is sacrifice for outward show. He wants the actions to reflect a genuine heart of love. Love will always cause the actions to be unadulterated and authentic.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

8 Love never fails; "

Those who only want to appear loving will be users, those who authentically love care deeply about others.

Matthew 7:21-23

I Never Knew You

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’"

Doing is not Enough, the Heart is What Counts!