Steve Hulshizer, wrote in an article in the Counsel Magazine, these words:
"It should be noted that Christ did not say "remember me in my death." His request was that they would remember HIM. It was a person they were to remember not so much an event."
1 Corinthians 11:23-25
"23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
I heard a story the other day on the radio, I can't remember who said it but I will never forget the story because it hit home in a way that was profound. Forgive me if I don't relay it perfectly but here is my memory:
There was a man, his son and a donkey, who were going into town, the man rode the donkey while the son walked alongside. The townspeople were critical of the man because he made the son walk along side while he rode.
The next time they went to town the man decided to walk while his son rode the donkey to silence the mouths of the towns people. As they approached the town the people were angry because the boy was on the donkey, a sign of disrespect while the man had to walk.
In the following trip to town the man decided to just walk into town, that way the people would have nothing to be angry about, they would both be walking. To his dismay, as the son and his father approached the town, the people mocked them saying; "can you believe that, they have a donkey but they walked, how silly."
This is an illustration of what it is like for a scapegoat in the family. No matter what they do, it will be criticized and mocked simply because the "towns people" don't like the people they target.
The "towns people" don't like their targets because they are jealous, they can't control the actions and reactions of the target and they have a deep contempt and resentment that cannot be quenched.
If any of you have experienced this, you know how frustrating it can be. The narcissist will not only mock and demean you, often covertly so others cannot see it, as well as praising others in your presence to make you jealous of their attention.
I have actually had narcissists brag on others for things they mocked me about, to show clearly that they approved of the others, while I was diminished in their eyes.
Sadly, I still cannot figure out what the narcissists get out of this covert tactic, other than feeling good that they hurt their scapegoat.
I can only surmise that jealousy is the driving force behind the intention to diminish and demean another human being merely for self elevation purposes.
Philippians 2:3 "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem the other better than himself."
We know that someone is not walking with Christ when they gain pleasure from devaluing another human being. The need to be superior is driven by hate. Arrogance is not of God on any level, in fact those that love self promotion cannot see themselves under a God they cannot see, they must make themselves god.
How can someone who harbors jealousy in their heart ever be submitted to the God of the universe who requires humility to follow Him?
Romans 12:3
"For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned."
Isaiah 13:11
"I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant, and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless."
James 1:20-22 "…20 for man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and every expression of evil, and humbly receive the word planted in you, which can save your souls. 22 Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.…"
Galatians 6:7-8
"Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal."
Another element of the narcissistic ploy is to turn others against those the narcissist cannot dominate. If they can have no effect on the life of their target, then they will use others to diminish them.
2 Corinthians 12:20 "20 For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder."
There is nothing new under the son, Paul the apostle encountered all that we have. The Bible gives us all the wisdom we need to obey Him, most will not turn to God for their wisdom, they will cherry pick their favorite verses to make them say what they want to believe, while ignoring the very ones that would convict them of their sinfulness. Many believers remain spiritual infants because they love to hang onto their pride.
We need to be reading the word to be convicted that we might grow and be cleansed to walk in holiness. When the Bible is sought merely to elevate ourselves, "I'm doing this", or "I'm doing that", then is when we realize our focus is fleshly and self promoting.
Stop saying "I'm doing this" or "I'm doing that", and begin to ask the Lord what we are not doing that we should. Our quest for wisdom ought to change our dirty hearts and prideful actions. The more we seek Him the more we are cleansed.
Did you know that the phrase, "bless you" when someone sneezes, comes out of paganism?
In ancient days there was a belief that when someone sneezed it was the bodies way of expelling evil spirits from within the one who sneezed.
As children we were taught this practice in German, in order to bless a person, but didn't know why someone needed a blessing just because of a sneeze, the word we used was "gesundheit."
We thought we were being kind but never knew why it was kind. We never stopped to ask why we were not saying this word when someone coughed, only when they sneezed.
Some people believed that when someone sneezed they were expelling a piece of their soul, so they sent a blessing their way to help them regain or keep their soul.
Others believed that evil spirits took the moment of sneezing to gain entrance into the soul of a person.
Pope Gregory believed that a sneeze was a sign someone was in danger of contracting the plague, so to combat that he said "God Bless you."
Interesting isn't it? So often we do things that were once a pagan myth based on demonic thinking and incorporated it into our culture, after several generations no one really knew why we did something but continued to do it anyway. "It's just our culture" we would say, as though that gives it validity.
The people I know today are not thinking in these pagan ways when they do it, and neither was I, but my guess is, if we asked them why they extend a blessing for a sneeze, that they wouldn't know why.
I have decided never to do it again, because it really has no meaning and purpose for the believer, except to be polite. We can be polite in other ways that make sense, such as " be careful going home the traffic is awful", or "Lord go with you on your travels."
It is permissible to drop all the practices that came out of paganism, that are used for "politeness" and frankly, make no sense at all for believers. We can be polite in sensible ways that have meaning, purpose and are Biblical.
Romans 12:2
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."
If we take seriously that last phrase in Romans 12:2 "what is good and acceptable and perfect", we will no longer defend something simply because it is the culture and makes people feel good. What we do will have purpose and meaning and be a REAL blessing!
I have been hearing the term "snowflake" lately in reference to whinny baby Millennials and even the 1970's crowd.
It seems appropriate to me because of the nature of a snowflake.
Snowflakes are little tiny bodies of water that melt at the slightest increase in heat.
Snowflakes can not endure anything at all, less than a second in a warm hand will melt them instantly.
Thus we see a culture of snowflakes who rant and rage at the slightest correction or instruction that does not meet their personal desires or their elevated view of their own importance.
Snowflakes are people who will accept anyone who will promise them whatever they want, whether it's true or not, they live on cliche's and platitudes (platitude: a word or phrase used too often to be interesting any more.)
The anti-christ will promise peace and safety and the snowflakes, lacking discernment will believe him, follow him and when they wake up to what they have been deceived into, it will be too late, far too much damage will be done to recover.
The anti-christ will use flattery, promises of prosperity and other lies to lure in his victims, only those who have wisdom and godly understanding will know what he is really all about.
We have anti-christs among us right now, who appear to be
pre-cursers to the great deception. Promises, promising and promising, but only appearing to deliver, it's all an illlusion.
Prosperity preachers and politicians, today are doing this and many people are falling right in lock step with their deceptions. The targets are sending in their money hoping to become wealthy, healthy and beautiful just like the deceivers they follow. Even when it doesn't happen to them as promised they keep following them anyway, believing the lies and hoping for the payoff.
All we have to do is watch the prosperity preachers and the politicians, and their targets response to see what will happen when the anti-christ comes on the scene. The masses are nearly ready for him now, they fall in lock step with every new movie or book that comes out, they repeat meaningless phrases that they think are in the Bible but are antithetical to the Bible. Then they become angry when told their favorite cliche has no basis in Scripture.
Yes, born again believers already know what the last days deception will look like, they are living in a microcosm of it right now, every day we see it.
Matthew 24:24 "For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect."
1 Thessalonians 5:3-4 "3 While people are saying, “Peace and security,” destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you, brothers, are not in the darkness so that this day should overtake you like a thief.…"
Before the regathering of Israel to her land, Jews around the world would depart one another after a visit, with this saying, "next year in Jerusalem."
For 2000 years the Jews have known that one day the Lord would bring them back into their land, the land He promised to them centuries ago.
Deuteronomy 1:8 "8 See, I have placed the land before you; go in and possess the land which the LORD swore to give to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to them and their descendants after them.' "
Zephaniah 3:20
"At that time I will bring you in, Even at the time when I gather you together; Indeed, I will give you renown and praise Among all the peoples of the earth, When I restore your fortunes before your eyes," Says the LORD."
Ezekiel 39:27
"When I bring them back from the peoples and gather them from the lands of their enemies, then I shall be sanctified through them in the sight of the many nations."
Psalm 107:2-3
"Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary And gathered from the lands, From the east and from the west, From the north and from the south."
Every year the Jews were living in hope that this would be the year that the Lord would return them to their land. And, the miracle finally happened on May 14, 1948, the Jews were given back their land and began to fill it through immigration of Jews all over the world, Jews who had not been there before but knew in their hearts that the land was for them.
As I ponder the fact that the Jews were expecting God to work on their behalf someday, even when their fathers died and it had not happened, they still believed it would, because they knew the prophesies and the promises.
They are still in unbelief in the land the Lord brought back to them, but many are coming to the Christ within that country by the hundreds.
All of this reminds me of the promise that believers have in the return of Christ in the clouds to gather His children, His sheep unto Himself.
My new phrase is going to be, "next year at the marriage supper of the Lamb."
Revelation 19:6-9
The Marriage Supper of the Lamb!
"6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,
“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns.
7 Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his Bride has made herself ready;
8 it was granted her to clothe herself
with fine linen, bright and pure”—
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
9 And the angel said[a] to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”
The promise given to the born again believers for these end times is the hope of the believer. Not a hope in the sense that we wish it would happen, but a knowledge of and faith in the promises God gave to His church.
NEXT YEAR AT THE MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB!!!!
If not this year, then next year, if not next year then the following year, but whatever year it is, we remain in hope that it be soon!!!!
Forgiveness is only for those who confess and are deeply sorry.
Isaiah 26:10 "10 Though the wicked is shown favor, He does not learn righteousness; He deals unjustly in the land of uprightness, And does not perceive the majesty of the LORD."
1 John 1:9-10 "…8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us.…"
Matthew 18:15-18 "15 “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.
16 But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed.
17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
18 Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven."
When we prematurely forgive while there is no sorrow over the offense, we only manage to solidify the pride and harden the heart of the one who will not repent.
Accountability is important in the Christian walk;
Galatians 5:9 "9 A little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough."
When sin is not dealt with God's way, it grows. Coddling people because we don't like hurt feelings is only managing to cause more sin, less confession and even hardened hearts.
God's way is not easy, it's hard, but it is fruitful if we are willing to take the steps God tells us to take in disciplining a sinning brother or sister.
Our Christian culture misses blessings of restored lives because we have refused to do things God's way in favor of being loved by the masses.
Anyone reading this believe the world is a better place because of all this phony love? Or do you see the world getting worse?
