Not that long ago I had a friend who claimed to be a "Christian", she tried to get me into a Bible study with her friends, but I declined because of all the bad experiences I have had with women's gatherings.
Later I found out that she was JW and trying to suck me into their church. She called me every day, I suppose in an attempt to become very close, but all along I sensed something wasn't right.
I was friendly but could not feel close. Then it came out that she wanted me to join a JW Bible group with her in her home. I blocked her from my phone, e-mail and everything else, because I felt she had been deceptive.
I had been discussing the gospel with her thinking she was a new believer, only to sense she was uncomfortable with our talks. These people are becoming more deceptive and tricky in their tactics to draw others into their church.
Now I see that others have experienced JW claiming to be Christian to infiltrate into their gatherings. It is vitally important that we ask new comers questions. "What is your understanding of the Gospel?", would be a good one to start with.
Pride Goes Right Before Destruction
Can we say that God hates Pride in every form? Isn't it better to humble ourselves, while resisting the temptation to be elevated in our own eyes or the eyes of others to walk in humility?
Habakkuk 2:4
"“Behold, as for the proud one,
His soul is not right within him;
But the righteous will live by his faith."
James 4:6
"But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble."
Proverbs 29:23
"One's pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor."
Luke 14:11
"Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."
Isaiah 66:2
“For My hand made all these things,
Thus all these things came into being,” declares the Lord.
“But to this one I will look,
To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word."
Proverbs 11:2
"When pride comes, then comes dishonor, But with the humble is wisdom."
1 Peter 5:5
"5 You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
Proverbs 15:33
"The fear of the Lord is the instruction for wisdom, And before honor comes humility."
James 4:6-10
"6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
9 Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you."
Luke 18:14
"14 I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Proverbs 16:18
"Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."
Matthew 18:4
"Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."
Isaiah 2:11-12
"11 The proud look of man will be abased
And the loftiness of man will be humbled,
And the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.
A Day of Reckoning Coming"
Isaiah 2:12
"12 For the Lord of hosts will have a day of reckoning
Against everyone who is proud and lofty
And against everyone who is lifted up,
That he may be abased.
The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day. For the Lord of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up—and it shall be brought low;"
Job 40:12
"Look on everyone who is proud and bring him low and tread down the wicked where they stand."
Isaiah 57:15
"For thus says the high and exalted One Who [a]lives forever, whose name is Holy,
“I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit
In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite."
Proverbs 18:12
"Before destruction a man's heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor."
Deuteronomy 8:16
"who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end."
Job 22:29
"For when they are humbled you say, ‘It is because of pride’; but he saves the lowly."
Daniel 5:20-21
"20 But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit became so [a]proud that he behaved arrogantly, he was deposed from his royal throne and his glory was taken away from him.
21 He was also driven away from [b]mankind, and his heart was made like that of beasts, and his dwelling place was with the wild donkeys. He was given grass to eat like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he recognized that the Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind and that He sets over it whomever He wishes."
2 Chronicles 32:25-26
"25 But Hezekiah gave no return for the benefit [a]he received, because his heart was proud; therefore wrath came on him and on Judah and Jerusalem.
26 However, Hezekiah [c]humbled the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord did not come on them in the days of Hezekiah."
Acts 12:23
"23 And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died."
Matthew 5:3
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Daniel 4:30-37
30 The king reflected and said, ‘Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal [b]residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?’
31 While the word was in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: [d]sovereignty has been removed from you, 32 and you will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place will be with the beasts of the field. You will be given grass to eat like cattle, and seven periods of time will pass over you until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes.’
33 Immediately the word concerning Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled; and he was driven away from mankind and began eating grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.
34 “But at the end of [f]that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever;
For His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
And His kingdom endures from generation to generation.
35 “All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,
But He does according to His will in the host of heaven And among the inhabitants of earth; And no one can [h]ward off His hand Or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’
36 At that time my [i]reason returned to me. And my majesty and splendor were restored to me for the glory of my kingdom, and my counselors and my nobles began seeking me out; so I was reestablished in my sovereignty, and surpassing greatness was added to me.
37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways [m]just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.”
2 Chronicles 33:10-12
"10 The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention.
11 Therefore the Lord brought the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria against them, and they captured Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze chains and took him to Babylon.
12 When he was in distress, he entreated the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers."
Deuteronomy 8:2-3
"2 You shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.
3 He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord."
God will not answer the prayer to heal our land, until every man, woman and child realizes they are filthy rags before God and need to trust Christ for payment for their sin. Our people are far too entrenched in the self esteem thinking that very few have the ability to feel ashamed about anything they do. If anyone comes along to dare to tell them of their mess, they rage in narcissistic injury.
Jeremiah 6:15 ""Were they ashamed because of the abomination they have done? They were not even ashamed at all; They did not even know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; At the time that I punish them, They shall be cast down," says the LORD."
Dagon fell on his face before the ark of God, Heehee hee hee!!!!
I love the way the Lord demonstrated His hatred for evil by breaking up the idol.
1 Samuel 5:1-5
"1 Now the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.
2 Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it to the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon.
3 When the Ashdodites arose early the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and set him in his place again.
4 But when they arose early the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. And the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off on the threshold; [a]only the trunk of Dagon was left to him. 5 Therefore neither the priests of Dagon nor all who enter Dagon’s house tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day."
Ephesians 5:11 "Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;"
Galatians 6:7-9 "
7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."
From these passages it is clear that God cannot bless us if we continually walk with unbelievers as constant companions. When we desire the fellowship with unbelievers we are placing human companionship above Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:33 "Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts good morals."
It does get lonely at times, when we are resolved to follow Christ and His principles. However my experience has been to have greater joy alone with Christ in my heart, than in the company of a room full of people who don't love Him. The agony I feel in the company of these people causes me to want to flee to aloneness with Christ.
I am quite sure many other tried and true believers are having the same experience. Being with Christ alone is everything we need, being with those who don't love Him, no matter what they may say, their life does not meet their words, is an agony for those who walk moment by moment with Christ.
1 Peter 2:21 "For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps."
Isaiah 41:10 "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
1 John 2:3-6 "And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked."
Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
The joy we feel walking with Christ is beyond explanation! It is consistent no matter the circumstances. We are able to ignore our fleshly feelings, pray for strength and the joy never leaves us.
