We Cannot Love God if We Do Not Love One Another

Very well put!!!!! If we have not love for one another its unlikely that we love God.

Bryan VanHoose

the greatest commandment?"

Jesus was asked this very question by a Pharisee who was considered to be “an expert in the law” (Matthew 22:34–36). Jesus answered by saying, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important commandment. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37–40).

Jesus gives us two commandments that summarize all the laws and commands in Scripture. The Ten Commandments in Exodus 20 deal with our relationship with God and then our relationship with other people. One naturally flows out of the other. Without a right relationship with God, our relationships with others will not be right, either. The cause of the world’s problems is that man needs to be reconciled to God. We will never love our neighbor as ourselves if we do not first love God with all our heart, mind, and soul. All of man’s best efforts toward world peace will fail as long as men are living in rebellion against God.

When asked by another Pharisee how one could “inherit eternal life,” Jesus answered that it is by keeping these two commandments (Luke 10:25–37). Only two commandments to obey, yet how often do we, like this Pharisee, try to “justify” ourselves because saying we obey these commandments is much easier than really living according to them.

When carefully considered, Jesus’ answer was really a perfect response not only to the Pharisee of His day, but also to all modern-day “Pharisees” who try measure a person’s righteousness by how well he conforms outwardly to a series of laws or commandments. Both the Pharisees of Christ’s day and today’s many versions create a whole system of rules and regulations for people to live by and yet are guilty of breaking the most important commandments of all because they “cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but not the inside” (Matthew 23:25–26).

When we prayerfully consider Jesus’ words and the fact that all the laws and commands in Scripture can really be summarized by these two commandments, we understand just how impossible it is for us to keep God’s commandments and how often we fail to do so and can therefore never be righteous before God on our own accord. That only leaves us with one hope, and that is that God “justifies the ungodly” (Romans 4:5). God’s law and our failure to keep it “brings about wrath” (Romans 4:15), but “God demonstrates His own love toward us that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

While we will never keep God’s commandments or be righteous before Him by our own efforts, Christ did. It is His sacrificial death on the cross that causes our sins to be imputed to Him and His righteousness imputed to us (Romans 4—5). That is why “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9–10). After all, the gospel of Christ “is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes,” for “the just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:16–17).

Because Jesus answered this very question and His answer is recorded in Scripture, we don’t have to wonder or search for the answer ourselves. The only question left for us to answer is do we live according to these commandments? Do we truly love God with all our hearts, all our souls, and all our minds, and do we really love our neighbor as ourselves? If we are truthful with ourselves, we know that we do not, but the good news is that the law and commandments were given as “a tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith” (Galatians 3:24). Only as we realize our sinfulness and hopelessness will we turn to Christ alone as the only hope of salvation.

As Christians, we strive to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and as our hearts and minds are transformed by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit we are able to begin to love others as ourselves. Yet we still fail to do so, which again drives us back to the cross of Christ and the hope of salvation that stems from the imputed righteousness of Christ and not from any merit of our own. Bashir Yaqub

Have You Grown or Stagnated?

Those who live to joke or laugh are covering flaws withinn themselves to disguise themselves from others.

Have you ever met someone who jokes all the time? In fact when attempting to engage this person in serious meaningful conversation in a substantive way is nearly impossible.

Those who despise important topics, making a joke out of everything are ones who are covering their heart. If they can deter someone from seeing the real them by joking, they feel they have managed to obtain favor from those with whom they joke.

The purpose of joking continually is to acquire the supply they seek. By supply I mean the need to have the attention of others while being seen as a happy person. Continual joking is a way of hiding the sad person that remains inside.

We all joke at times, this is not the about the funny things we say from time to time, its about a person who does almost nothing else except joke. When we attempt to bring up a serious subject and are met with a joke about it, we are watching someone who cannot be serious. Seriousness offends these joke crackers, they hate rational serious conversations that might cause one to grow in wisdom.

Fear of exposure is the reason for excessive levity. Hiding is the reason. I have seen this for myself, generally when we attempt to talk seriously with these people they end up raging while accusing, if they are not raging they are joking, there is no in between.

Those who are jokesters hate rebuke, they hate correction and they hate any seriousness that might cause them to self reflect.

Those who avoid correction or seriousness never learn good lessons. They have avoided deep thoughts all their lives, no one can grow living a superficial life continually into old age.

Ecclesiastes 7:4-6 "…4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure. 5It is better to heed a wise man’s rebuke than to listen to the song of fools. 6 For like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of the fool—this too is futile.…"

Those who love to think only happy thoughts tend to be superficial, not of very much use to God.

"Sunshine every day makes a desert." Arab Saying

Do you want to live a righteous and good life? Embrace a rebuke and correction in order to grow.

Rebuke and correction opens the doors to learning about our flaws that help us grow. Those who refuse correction because they are satisfied with their elevated false self will remain spiritual and emotional babies their entire life. Until one is open to correction and rebuke there can be no growth.

James 1:2-7 "2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."

When we ask God to reveal our flaws we need to be willing to receive correction from others in humility.

I am reminded of the class reunion I went to a few years ago. The reunion was my 30th from high school. I was struck with the fact that most of the people there had not grown emotionally past their high school years. They were in their fifties and yet acted a silly and foolish as they were when they are in high school. There was a sense that they had lost something back in the day, that going forward in their lives had left behind the best part of their existence. Those who attended were wanting to relive those old days as though everything after that had no value.

I feel sorry for people who mentally and emotionally live in the past as though their life was over when that past was over. Continually attempting to relive the past or remember the past demonstrates a lack of emotional maturity.

Philippians 3:13-14 "13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

There are those narcissists who love to brag about their youthful days and the past. These same people love to remember your youthful and sinful days. They recall their own happy past and repeat your sins, as though they had no sins if you are a scapegoat. I know of no person who can brag about what a wonderful spiritual and wise person they were when they were young. Some were wiser than others but no one was as wise as a 60 year old who has walked with the Lord 40 years of their life.

As for me, I see the past as nothing I would want to return to. I didn't even like the past, it had ugly times I prefer to forget. The only part of my past I will never forget is the day I believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. Thankfully and unlike my class mates my future was and is far better than my past.

When we are born again we grow, we change and hallelujah that we do. I miss nothing from the past but have a glorious and wonderful future. Looking back holds nothing for me. Looking today and the future there is all joy and wonderful expectation.

Hallelujah for the born again believer the past holds no power over us nor does it comfort us. Our comfort comes from Christ Who lives in us and His promise to us.

Narcissists are Fake Beware

For those who think they can influence the narcissist! All we do is manipulate them with guilt for a time.

The tactics that might work on the narcissist short term is nothing more than manipulation, it does not change their heart.

It is the heart that determines how people act. You can get people to act certain ways with manipulation but it won't last because its not based on a heart change.

As soon as we would stop manipulating they would stop acting nicely. The heart can only be changed by Christ, if they become born again they will think differently causing them to act differently.

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.’"

Matthew 6:21 "21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Proverbs 3:5-7
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil."

Proverbs 4:23
"Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life."

The Fears of the Narcissist

While the psychological industry is based on false premises, they still get some things right in their observations. They don't know that some of their observations are rooted in the Bible.

The list below is accurate in what narcissists fear the most. It is taken from Psych2Go.

1. Fear of Commitment
2. Fear of Self Reflection
3. Fear of Insults
4. Fear of Shame
5. Fear of Lack of Admiration
6. Fear of Becoming Exposed
7. Fear of Gratitude
8. Fear of Death

My thoughts based on the list above:

1. When we see so many narcissists at church gatherings twisting scripture to fit their own ideas, we are witnessing a fear of commitment to Christ. Not only do these people fear not fitting into the world, they fear not having what they want. This is why so often their fear leads them to rage when they are confronted on their lack of accuracy with God's Word.

2. Often we witness the narcissist unable to reflect on what they have done, how they have acted and the things they say. They fear what they will find inside of themselves if they self reflect. A part of the narcissist knows something is off that's why they rage when told something within them needs fixing. The narcissist sees any correction at all as a complete demolishing of their entire being. Instead of seeing a correction as an opportunity to grow into a better person, they see it as an attack that needs to be expunged.

3. An insult to a narcissist is an all out frontal attack to their deepest person. They cannot let anything roll off because the attack as they see it, leaves them in a puddle on the floor, devastated.

4. The narcissist fears shame because they are shame based. They have a lot of shame over who they know they are inside. The tactics they have used on others leave them with shame, but they cannot admit they did anything, the shame is not dealt with and remains to cause a continual sense of self denigration.

5. Because the narcissist is so shame filled because of the sin they harbor inside, they fear not being admired by others. Admiration from others removes temporarily their sense of shame that lives within them.

6. Since the narcissist is full of shame based on all their continual bad manners and wicked assumptions, they fear being exposed. As soon as someone exposes what they are, they begin to target that person for gossip to ruin them.

7. Narcissists hate being grateful, they perceive gratefulness as weakness and a deference to another human being. The idea of deferring to others on any level is abhorrent to the narcissist. This is the reason we don't see demonstrations of overt thankfulness from these types. They will also look down on anyone who shows gratitude to others since it is a weakness in the mind of the narcissist.

8. The narcissist hates the idea of death because it relieves them of all their power forever. They see living as strength, perhaps they know that God is in control of their life and death, the reason they do not want to discuss it or make plans pertaining to it.

I have seen all these characteristics over my lifetime of exposure to narcissists. The lack of empathy toward others who do not fear expressing these things has shown me the character of the narcissist. The narcissist works to destroy the compassion of the one they target. It is devilish, because of this I believe the devil is influencing the narcissist, whether it be possession or oppression in which the devil whispers lies into the mind of the narcissist to cause trouble to others.

1 Peter 5:7-9 "…7 Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in your faith and in the knowledge that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering."

Because of all these fears and this self will it is impossible for someone to be a full blown narcissist and still be a Christian. God will not change into a new creation someone who cannot defer to anyone even Him.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 is a description of the end times church apostasy.

"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."

A narcissist will have a form of religion, using the Bible to justify their sin, but they cannot submit to God. This is why we see so many pretenders in the church who twist the scripture to say what they want it to say. They not only will not bow to Christ, they will lie against His truth to suit their own desires. The modern church is full of these types. Perhaps more of them than authentic believers.

Pray for those who are attacked by the narcissist and pray for the narcissist that God would deal with them.

The Holy Spirit is the Helper of the Born Again Believer

The Holy Spirit in us abides there to help us, He is called the Helper. One of the ways He helps us is to redirect us when we go astray.

Hebrews 12:5-7 "…5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises everyone He receives as a son.” 7 Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?…"

Suffering in the believer is for chastisement sometimes and also for strengthening. We do our greatest growing when we have to face and go through difficulties. Christ, the Holy Spirit goes through with the believer as the trainer and helper.

God does not change someone into a new creation by His power and then take it away because we don't measure up. He works with us over our lifetime to grow in holiness.

Anyone who says they do not sin after being made a new creation denies what God has said in Hebrews.

1 John 1:9-10 "…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."

This verse in 1 John is speaking to believers. The problem is that so often we get confused when we see people claiming to be Christian and not ashamed of their sin even defending it. The born again believer is ashamed of their sin and eventually confesses to be cleansed. The one who is not born again sees nothing wrong with the sin they love. They will even become angry at believers who suggest they are sinning. These people are pretenders in the church.

Our Spirit is born again, we are no longer who we used to be, however we are trapped in this body of death. Notice too that the body does not go to heaven when the believer dies, it stays on earth to rot. That's because the body is sinful but our Spirit is no longer sinful when we become born again. This is why we grieve at our own sin, even hiding it until we become so broken we cannot ignore the promptings of the Holy Spirit, then is when we confess to be cleansed.

1 Peter 2:11
"11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul."

The problem comes when someone does not confess, when they do not battle the flesh but even embrace it and defend it, that is when we must realize the person who does this is not saved.

A believer hates it when they sin, they do not rest until that sin is confessed. The believer who is in sin will see consequences in our life for that sin because we belong to God.

Dead Men Feel Nothing

Saved or Unsaved?