Beware of the Covert Manipulator

Beware of those who would tell you what others are saying about you. It is not one of good character who would deliberately relay a message from others about you, that they know will only upset you.

Remember that if they will be so unkind as to created hurt and anger in you with this information, then they are likely to lie outright about what really happened. After all, isn't their aim to cause strife and division, making themselves the hero in your eyes, for disclosing a secret or confidence.

I have never met a person of integrity who goes to someone and shares something mean said about them. Anyone who will do this, is probably lying, perhaps distorting truth to make it seem bad or wrong when the comments might have been completely innocent.

A person who lacks integrity will change the story to make it something that it was not, using embellishing language, for no other purpose except to destroy relationships, even making them look like the hero for disclosing information.

2 Timothy 3:13 "But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived."

Psalm 109:2-4 "For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues. They encircle me with words of hate, and attack me without cause. In return for my love they accuse me, but I give myself to prayer."

Jeremiah 9:3 "They bend their tongue like a bow; falsehood and not truth has grown strong in the land; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know me, declares the Lord."

Romans 16:17-18 "I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naïve."

Get away from such people as the Scripture says, they work to destroy relationships even lying against God.

Watch Out For These Depraved Individuals

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fadWCj7_5qI

Godly People Love Truth, They Do Not Hide

When we put the truth above all things, and another person we are friends with also loves truth, then that person is our brother or sister.

Matthew 12:48-50
"But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

1 John 4:20
"If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen."

John 13:32-35
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

1 John 4:12
"No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us."

Matthew 12:50
"For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Romans 12:9
"Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good."

1 Corinthians 6:17
"But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him."

1 John 3:14
"We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death."

When we encounter people who lack love, then we have found someone who pretends to be a brother/sister, but does not possess the fruit of the Spirit. When we encounter those who work to demean, malign and attack us, even showing disdain for correction in the Word, then we have met someone who is not our brother/sister. Not everyone who claims to be a brother or sister has been born again, Matthew 7:21-23 tells us this.

Matthew 7:21-23
"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.’"

A brother or sister deeply loves his/her siblings in the Lord.

1 Corinthians 12:26
"If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together."

Romans 12:15
"Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep."

I believe there are not many of these devoted and loving people left in our culture today. We are living in the end days of 2 Timothy 3. Don't feel as though something is wrong with you because of the constant rejection or gossip against you, it is now normal for a believer to be targeted for emotional abuse by those who have rebellion in their hearts. They will work to turn others against us without a cause, even concocting a cause to deceive.

John 8:44
""You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies."

Galatians 3:1 "O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?"

Many families have been bewitched by the liars and deceivers, they are under the spell of a fraction of people who have displayed a persona of righteousness while their heart is a ravenous wolf who desires to devour the one for which they have contempt.

Galatians 5:9
"A little yeast leavens the whole lump of dough. "

One or two people in a family can control the thoughts of all the others by their cleverness.

We can rejoice that Christ has a purpose in all that we go through, every person we encounter who has attacked us, is nothing more than training in how to respond and even to let go when there is no possibility of change. I glory in the lessons I have learned, when the lesson is over then the Lord moves me on to new people and new circumstances.

Romans 8:28
"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."

Hallelujah!!! Remember that the Lord does not require us to remain in relationships that do not encourage us in the Lord, perhaps even discouraging us by their tactics.

2 Timothy 3:1-5
"3 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, 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 men as these."

Romans 12:19
"Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

We do not desire to exact revenge, but we are never commanded to remain in the lives of those who seek to destroy us.

Proverbs 29:11
"A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back."

Exodus 14:14
"The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”

James 1:19-20
"Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God."

Ephesians 4:31-32
"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."

Ephesians 6:12
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."

When we have forgiveness in our hearts and the evil man is broken and repentant, then we can forgive and restore the one who went astray.

Proverbs 17:13
"He who returns evil for good, Evil will not depart from his house."

Proverbs 28
"The wicked flee when no one pursues,
but the righteous are bold as a lion.
2 When a land transgresses, it has many rulers,
but with a man of understanding and knowledge,
its stability will long continue.
3 A poor man who oppresses the poor
is a beating rain that leaves no food.
4 Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,
but those who keep the law strive against them.
5 Evil men do not understand justice,
but those who seek the Lord understand it completely.
6 Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity
than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.
7 The one who keeps the law is a son with understanding,
but a companion of gluttons shames his father.
8 Whoever multiplies his wealth by interest and profit[a]
gathers it for him who is generous to the poor.
9 If one turns away his ear from hearing the law,
even his prayer is an abomination.
10 Whoever misleads the upright into an evil way
will fall into his own pit,
but the blameless will have a goodly inheritance.
11 A rich man is wise in his own eyes,
but a poor man who has understanding will find him out.
12 When the righteous triumph, there is great glory,
but when the wicked rise, people hide themselves.
13 Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper,
but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.
14 Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always,
but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.
15 Like a roaring lion or a charging bear
is a wicked ruler over a poor people.
16 A ruler who lacks understanding is a cruel oppressor,
but he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days.
17 If one is burdened with the blood of another,
he will be a fugitive until death;
let no one help him.
18 Whoever walks in integrity will be delivered,
but he who is crooked in his ways will suddenly fall.
19 Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread,
but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.
20 A faithful man will abound with blessings,
but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.
21 To show partiality is not good,
but for a piece of bread a man will do wrong.
22 A stingy man hastens after wealth
and does not know that poverty will come upon him.
23 Whoever rebukes a man will afterward find more favor
than he who flatters with his tongue.
24 Whoever robs his father or his mother
and says, “That is no transgression,”
is a companion to a man who destroys.
25 A greedy man stirs up strife,
but the one who trusts in the Lord will be enriched.
26 Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool,
but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.
27 Whoever gives to the poor will not want,
but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse.
28 When the wicked rise, people hide themselves,
but when they perish, the righteous increase."

Pressure Creates Beautiful Things

"Diamonds are crystals of pure carbon that form under crushing pressures and intense heat. They mostly form in the Earth's mantle, the layer beneath the crust or surface layer, at a depth of about 150km." Natural History Museum.

Rose Perfume is made by pressing the petals of the roses to extract the fragrance.

To refine gold it must be heated so that the dross rises to the surface to be removed.

Everything that is beautiful, must begin with raw materials that are not very desirable in their crude form, pressing them, chipping away at them and heating them to produce the beauty that is in them. They become changed into a new form never to return to the old again.

2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Romans 5:1-5 "5 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have[a] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the GLORY OF GOD. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us."

Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

When we are pressured to admit our dross, our response will dictate our future. Those who readily admit they have dross to be removed will grow and prosper spiritually while those who refuse to admit their dross when confronted will not only not grow, but will regress and become harder than they were before.

Each time we admit and ask the Lord to remove the dross, we will grow stronger in the Lord. Each time that we refuse to admit our failings, we will become a little harder than the last time we were confronted.

As in the story of the Egyptian leader who was confronted with the plagues, God says "Pharaoh hardened his own heart" and in the same passages God said "God hardened Pharos heart." Both were true, God merely did what He knew would cause Pharaoh to harden his own heart, that being pressure to expose him.

When we are told to confront the sin of our brothers and sisters in Christ, it is for their spiritual growth and betterment. When we refuse to do this to avoid conflict we think only of ourselves. Our duty is not to make happy relationships but to make quality relationships, fostering holiness and loyalty to God in our brothers and sisters. Do we love them enough to help them grow, or are we concerned only about friendliness for a moment?

Proverbs 27:6 "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.

Psalm 141;5 "Let the righteous smite me in kindness and reprove me; It is oil upon the head; Do not let my head refuse it, For still my prayer is against their wicked deeds."

1 Thessalonians 5:14 "We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone."

Only One Way to be Saved

You can talk about Jesus all day long to impress everyone, but that does not make you born again. We are born again by confessing our sinfulness to God, asking Him to change us into a new creation and He will do that.

Going to church doesn't save anyone, claiming to be Christian doesn't save anyone and good deeds do not save anyone. However, those who have been born again will have good deeds.

John 3:1-21
3 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews;
2 this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”
3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4 Nicodemus *said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?”
5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
8 The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can these things be?”
10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things?
11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony.
12 If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
13 No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man.
14 As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up;
15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.
16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
18 He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.
20 For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.
21 But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

Matthew 7:21-23
"21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

God May Not Answer Your Prayer

God will not hear the prayer of someone who is sinning, except the prayer of repentance.

Isaiah 1:15 ""So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood."

John 9:31 ""We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him."

God will not hear the prayers of those who will not obey Him. Even believers.

1 Peter 3:7 "You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered."

The Wolves Creep Into Our Lives

God speaks often in His Word about the wolves that attempt to enter our lives disguised as sheep. They come in many forms, in church gatherings as parishioners, as teachers and pastors and as "religious" family members. Their desire is to appear as good people, without ever having a heart change. They display a persona that is righteous and law abiding, but covertly attack those who expose them. Anyone who challenges their attitude or actions in any way, are quickly targeted for all kinds of abuse.


These people use the Bible as a tool to judge others, removing verses from their context to justify all kinds of sin, even negating passages of the Bible to maintain a sense of superiority over those they desire to control. Anyone who will challenge these self proclaimed "Christians" will be a target of emotional and verbal abuse.


These wolves do not judge themselves as the Bible has commanded, but judge others unjustly to negate them. If they negate the one who speaks truth, they can lead others to believe the truth teller is wrong and sinful.


1 Corinthians 11:31 "But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged."


The wolves are divisive, they seek to silence the truth teller, while turning others against the one who desires Biblical evidence for all things. These wolves will refuse to discuss important matters, they love their secrecy, it allows them to feel superior and to maintain their ungodly attitudes and actions without conviction. They do not fight fairly, they lie, they demean and shutdown any attempt at reasonable conversation with the Bible open to seek the standards of God. These wolves refuse to be accountable to anyone, devouring those who show them their sin or error. They are deliberately and covertly divisive, for the purpose of power and control, it means more to them than anything else.


Matthew 7:15 ""Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves."


Deuteronomy 18:20-22 20 But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’
21 You may say in your heart, ‘How will we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?’
22 When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him."


Ecclesiastes 10:14 "A fool multiplies words, though no man knows what is to be, and who can tell him what will be after him?"


Romans 16:17-20 "17 "Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them.
18 For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.
19 For the report of your obedience has reached to all; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good, and innocent in what is evil.
20 And the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you."


Ephesians 4:11-16 11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,
12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;
13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.
14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;
15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,
16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love."