How many times have you run into those who are angry at a correction. Usually these are people who need correction often because they never listen to the correction therefore they don't learn.
They also tend to be angry all the time on the inside. They appear to have little joy as well as little concern or interest in others. These people are angry just under the surface all the time ready to emerge over the smallest matters. Any little hint of disagreement ignites rage in their soul.
It has been my experience that those who refuse to be corrected grow worse over the years. They have been stubborn in their responses to correction so long that it is a bad habit that slops over into every area of their life. There can be no joy in someone who has anger looming under the surface.
Those who are so full of pride that they cannot admit their failures will never learn from those failures.
Those who have destroyed their relationships through self promotion and superior attitudes can never be close to anyone. They will attempt to pretend they have close friends but it is an illusion.
In order for a relationship to be close, two people have to work through disagreement, sickness, sadness, joys and everything else in life through lots of time spent together.
Relationships can never be built on occasional visits based on good times and pleasure. Relationships are based on mutual respect as well as acceptance and even admiration of the personalities and concerns for one another.
When self is on the throne there can be no one else that shares that kingly status.
A good example of this was the devil himself. He rebelled against God seeking to take over the throne of God. When He could not do that he enlisted many minions of devils to come along with him.
Was the devil concerned about what would happen to the devils that would follow Him? NO, he knew he was taking them to hell with him. His plan is to take as many human beings with him as possible before being thrown into the fire himself.
This is the mentality of people who are rebellious. Their desire is to enlist as many people as possible to engage in their sin, they never like to sin alone. And, they are angry at those who will not accept it and indulge with them.
In relationships the evil men must have "flying monkeys" who follow them into their abyss of wicked behavior. They are never content to do evil all by themselves, they must have followers.
The evil man is also hell bent on destroying anyone who will not come along with them.
DO NOT GO ALONG WITH THEM!!!!
1 John 5:19 "19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one."
1 Samuel 15:23 "23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king.”"
Proverbs 22:24-25 " 24 DO NOT MAKE FRIENDS WITH AN ANGRY MAN, and DO NOT ASSOCIATE with a hot-tempered man, 25 OR YOU MAY LEARN HIS WAYS and entangle yourself in a snare.…"
Friday, October 25, 2019
Do You Think with the Mind of Christ?
How much do you think with the mind of Christ?
There was a woman who was gathering items from a grocery store shelf. In the process of reaching for the drink bottles she wished to purchase, one of the cases fell to the floor, broken and spilled all over.
Since this person was a born again believer he didn't have to think at all as to what must happen. She went to find a clerk to clean it up while confessing to her that she broke them.
When this woman approached the counter to purchase her items she insisted to the clerk that he needed to ring up an extra case of the drinks for the one she had broken.
There was no thinking process involved, the woman had accidentally broken something, it was her fault, her automatic and immediate reaction was to tell someone to get it cleaned up before someone stepped on the glass or slipped in the liquid. Then her next action was to make sure she paid for the broken items.
This is the response of someone who cares deeply about what God thinks far more than what the clerks or other shoppers might think of her if she admitted her fault.
Lets take a look at another scenario from another similar incident with another woman.
In this case the older woman had backed into the fence in the parking lot of a shop she intended to enter. This older woman had a companion with her, flustered and upset the older woman turned to her companion asking what she should do.
The companion said to her that she should tell the shop owner and offer to pay for the fence. The older woman entered the shop sheepishly approaching the check out desk in terrified tones said she had run into their fence and then offered to pay for it.
There was a sense that this older woman was hoping that her companion would tell her, "just don't worry about it, they don't know it was you since no one else was in the small lot."
In the first scenario the one who broke the bottles was not the least concerned about how she appeared to others around her, only that she had done something that needed to be made right.
There was no agonizing or sheepish tones in her voice when she admitted her mistake because she was not so deeply afraid as being seen as bad by others. Her perspective was vertical, that is so completely led by the Holy Spirit that her automatic reaction to her mistake was what would be the right thing to do. There was no need to consult with anyone else or consider hiding what she had done, the thought of slinking off without taking care of her duty didn't even occur to her.
In the case of the woman who ran into the parking lot fence of a shop, she was devastated that she would be seen as a bad person for her mistake. This woman appeared to be hoping that her companion would support her in hiding the mistake allowing her to feel free to do what came naturally to her, that is to get away with it without any consequences. In this woman was so much self involvement that she immediately jumped into self protection mode. She was not led by the Holy Spirit only by her own self preservation.
The older woman knew the right thing but didn't want to do it. But since her companion told her the right thing to do she had to do it to maintain her appearance of a good person, so she sheepishly took her companions advice and did the right thing.
In both cases of the broken bottle and fence the shop owners were gracious and declined for the ladies to pay for their mistake. However, even if the shop keepers took them up on their offer to pay for the items the ladies should have done it with graciousness, willingness and a smile on their face.
Here is another scenario that I had witnessed a few years ago along the same lines as the last two stories.
There was a man who had purchased a watch from his local Walmart. When he arrived home he looked all over in his car and could not find the bag with the watch in it. He returned to the store telling the clerks that he didn't get his watch so they gave him another one.
A day or so later this man was rummaging around in his truck and there was the first watch in the bag under the seat of the truck. Rather than taking the watch back to the store and explaining it had been replaced, this man gave the watch to his adult daughter. He counted the watch as his, sense he got away with it he had not conscience about it.
When the adult daughter was told by another companion that she should give the watch back to her father and that he should be told to return it, the companion was treated with disdain for suggesting such a thing.
The adult daughter kept the watch. The companion knew that the father keeping the lost watch and then giving it away was stealing and that the daughter was complicit in the stealing by accepting the watch. Out of irritation that neither the father or the adult daughter did the right thing the companion told the adult daughter this; "I hope the watch breaks, to show you that you have both sinned." Just two weeks later the watch broke.
Why did the companion want consequences for the father and the adult daughter? Because they claimed to be Christians and were resisting correction to do the right thing before God.
All of these people claimed to be Christians and attended church regularly, but only one did the right thing. Does this not suggest the condition of our "Christian" culture today, that if one can get away with not admitting mistakes and sins it is justified in hiding them?
Every mistake and sin we attempt to hide is one more step to a hardened, angry and disdainful heart toward righteousness. And toward those who would attempt to keep us accountable.
1 Peter 2:1 "1 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind."
John 10:10
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."
An abundant life is not based on how many things we can get away with, it is based on the peace of mind and character of one who loves the Lord so much that they hate to offend our Holy God.
Those who place their comfort and pleasure above God so much so that they are willing to do the wrong thing to spare themselves momentarily, are those who are empty souls full of malice and spiritual neglect.
May born again believers become so close to Christ that there is no need to figure out what is the right thing to do, it comes as naturally as breathing without thought and without self aggrandizement for others to see. Yes, others will see, but doing good for others to see is also counted as sin in God's eyes.
Matthew 6:1 "1 Be careful not to perform your righteous acts before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. "
Those who love God are the same person when no one sees as they are when others are looking.
There was a woman who was gathering items from a grocery store shelf. In the process of reaching for the drink bottles she wished to purchase, one of the cases fell to the floor, broken and spilled all over.
Since this person was a born again believer he didn't have to think at all as to what must happen. She went to find a clerk to clean it up while confessing to her that she broke them.
When this woman approached the counter to purchase her items she insisted to the clerk that he needed to ring up an extra case of the drinks for the one she had broken.
There was no thinking process involved, the woman had accidentally broken something, it was her fault, her automatic and immediate reaction was to tell someone to get it cleaned up before someone stepped on the glass or slipped in the liquid. Then her next action was to make sure she paid for the broken items.
This is the response of someone who cares deeply about what God thinks far more than what the clerks or other shoppers might think of her if she admitted her fault.
Lets take a look at another scenario from another similar incident with another woman.
In this case the older woman had backed into the fence in the parking lot of a shop she intended to enter. This older woman had a companion with her, flustered and upset the older woman turned to her companion asking what she should do.
The companion said to her that she should tell the shop owner and offer to pay for the fence. The older woman entered the shop sheepishly approaching the check out desk in terrified tones said she had run into their fence and then offered to pay for it.
There was a sense that this older woman was hoping that her companion would tell her, "just don't worry about it, they don't know it was you since no one else was in the small lot."
In the first scenario the one who broke the bottles was not the least concerned about how she appeared to others around her, only that she had done something that needed to be made right.
There was no agonizing or sheepish tones in her voice when she admitted her mistake because she was not so deeply afraid as being seen as bad by others. Her perspective was vertical, that is so completely led by the Holy Spirit that her automatic reaction to her mistake was what would be the right thing to do. There was no need to consult with anyone else or consider hiding what she had done, the thought of slinking off without taking care of her duty didn't even occur to her.
In the case of the woman who ran into the parking lot fence of a shop, she was devastated that she would be seen as a bad person for her mistake. This woman appeared to be hoping that her companion would support her in hiding the mistake allowing her to feel free to do what came naturally to her, that is to get away with it without any consequences. In this woman was so much self involvement that she immediately jumped into self protection mode. She was not led by the Holy Spirit only by her own self preservation.
The older woman knew the right thing but didn't want to do it. But since her companion told her the right thing to do she had to do it to maintain her appearance of a good person, so she sheepishly took her companions advice and did the right thing.
In both cases of the broken bottle and fence the shop owners were gracious and declined for the ladies to pay for their mistake. However, even if the shop keepers took them up on their offer to pay for the items the ladies should have done it with graciousness, willingness and a smile on their face.
Here is another scenario that I had witnessed a few years ago along the same lines as the last two stories.
There was a man who had purchased a watch from his local Walmart. When he arrived home he looked all over in his car and could not find the bag with the watch in it. He returned to the store telling the clerks that he didn't get his watch so they gave him another one.
A day or so later this man was rummaging around in his truck and there was the first watch in the bag under the seat of the truck. Rather than taking the watch back to the store and explaining it had been replaced, this man gave the watch to his adult daughter. He counted the watch as his, sense he got away with it he had not conscience about it.
When the adult daughter was told by another companion that she should give the watch back to her father and that he should be told to return it, the companion was treated with disdain for suggesting such a thing.
The adult daughter kept the watch. The companion knew that the father keeping the lost watch and then giving it away was stealing and that the daughter was complicit in the stealing by accepting the watch. Out of irritation that neither the father or the adult daughter did the right thing the companion told the adult daughter this; "I hope the watch breaks, to show you that you have both sinned." Just two weeks later the watch broke.
Why did the companion want consequences for the father and the adult daughter? Because they claimed to be Christians and were resisting correction to do the right thing before God.
All of these people claimed to be Christians and attended church regularly, but only one did the right thing. Does this not suggest the condition of our "Christian" culture today, that if one can get away with not admitting mistakes and sins it is justified in hiding them?
Every mistake and sin we attempt to hide is one more step to a hardened, angry and disdainful heart toward righteousness. And toward those who would attempt to keep us accountable.
1 Peter 2:1 "1 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind."
John 10:10
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."
An abundant life is not based on how many things we can get away with, it is based on the peace of mind and character of one who loves the Lord so much that they hate to offend our Holy God.
Those who place their comfort and pleasure above God so much so that they are willing to do the wrong thing to spare themselves momentarily, are those who are empty souls full of malice and spiritual neglect.
May born again believers become so close to Christ that there is no need to figure out what is the right thing to do, it comes as naturally as breathing without thought and without self aggrandizement for others to see. Yes, others will see, but doing good for others to see is also counted as sin in God's eyes.
Matthew 6:1 "1 Be careful not to perform your righteous acts before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. "
Those who love God are the same person when no one sees as they are when others are looking.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
The End of the End! Hallelujah
We are living in the end of the end times. Evil is growing rapidly now as we experience the close of the church age. Demonic activity has exploded on every front in every venue.
This is frustrating for believers as we watch the continual decline of the human experience but for us it is not without hope.
Those who have been born again know that these times will come to an end and there is a new beginning for us.
Our hope is in the rapture, the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, the destruction of Evil on the earth and then the Millennium in which Christ will rule over all the earth for a thousand years.
All these events will come and go and then we will see the New Jerusalem coming down from the sky as everything is remade for our final destination in eternity.
Our future is amazing and wonderful as born again believers. This life is short, God's timing is perfect and soon we will be home.
Revelation 21:4
"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
Hallelujah!!!!
This is frustrating for believers as we watch the continual decline of the human experience but for us it is not without hope.
Those who have been born again know that these times will come to an end and there is a new beginning for us.
Our hope is in the rapture, the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, the destruction of Evil on the earth and then the Millennium in which Christ will rule over all the earth for a thousand years.
All these events will come and go and then we will see the New Jerusalem coming down from the sky as everything is remade for our final destination in eternity.
Our future is amazing and wonderful as born again believers. This life is short, God's timing is perfect and soon we will be home.
Revelation 21:4
"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
Hallelujah!!!!
Christ is Our Mediator
There are those in the church who would emphasis obedience to human authorities in the church over obedience to Christ.
God tells us to obey our husbands, the state authorities, the school officials and many more entities that are our leaders. However, when these authorities do not obey God and tell us to obey them rather than God, we are obligated to go with God.
There is only one mediator between God and man and this is Christ Jesus. We are to obey His commands and mandates over any other authority.
Acts 5:28-30 "…28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us responsible for this man’s blood.” 29 But Peter and the other apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging Him on a tree."
Interesting isn't it, all the apostles and Jesus Christ Himself disobeyed authorities, even religious leaders to obey God.
All church leaders must give an account to God, therefore they are not ultimate authority over believers, Christ is that ultimate authority.
1 Timothy 2:5-6 " 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all—the testimony that was given at just the right time.…"
No leader in the family, church or government is a mediator between us and God, only Christ is this mediator.
Narcissists are those who demand ultimate obedience to them rather than to God. They will be angry and irritated when someone says no to them in order to obey God.
Never be intimidated by those who operate with arrogance to control you. Christ is the only One Who should control us.
God tells us to obey our husbands, the state authorities, the school officials and many more entities that are our leaders. However, when these authorities do not obey God and tell us to obey them rather than God, we are obligated to go with God.
There is only one mediator between God and man and this is Christ Jesus. We are to obey His commands and mandates over any other authority.
Acts 5:28-30 "…28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us responsible for this man’s blood.” 29 But Peter and the other apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging Him on a tree."
Interesting isn't it, all the apostles and Jesus Christ Himself disobeyed authorities, even religious leaders to obey God.
All church leaders must give an account to God, therefore they are not ultimate authority over believers, Christ is that ultimate authority.
1 Timothy 2:5-6 " 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all—the testimony that was given at just the right time.…"
No leader in the family, church or government is a mediator between us and God, only Christ is this mediator.
Narcissists are those who demand ultimate obedience to them rather than to God. They will be angry and irritated when someone says no to them in order to obey God.
Never be intimidated by those who operate with arrogance to control you. Christ is the only One Who should control us.
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