Friday, January 8, 2021
Womanhood
This is always sad to me because our womanhood is what makes us special. Men used to stand when a woman walked in the room because they were seen as special. If a man was sitting he would offer his chair if there were no others, or go and get her a chair. This was an honor, but now that women have stepped out of their role the men no longer think of them as worthy of honor.
The weaker vessel does not mean they are mentally weak. It meant that their skillset was different from the men. And by the way, the men could not do nor wanted to do what the women were capable of doing. Women were never "less than", they were skilled within their gender role.
Women were treated special and important for the most part, men would even refrain from cursing in front of a woman to spare their delicate feelings, as it was right to do. Now both genders are crass and there is little sense of protecting the woman.
I have experienced men raging at women for differing from them on an issue. Instead of treating them with respect they mocked, demeaned, and raged at any woman who was bold enough to say what she thought. This is the height of arrogance and disrespect.
We see now that the end times are here and the 2 Timothy 3 generation is in full swing, however, believing men do not have to be this way. Those who are born again remain respectful and kind to women. Sadly there are so few of these kinds of men left.
So what is a woman's response to this ill-treatment? My advice is to walk in the Holy Spirit, continue to be led by the Spirit when you speak and ignore the foolishness of crass undisciplined men. Remember they are not worthy of our attention. Ignoring men who act like this is the best course of action.
Proverbs 29:11
"A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back."
Proverbs 29:9
"If a wise man has an argument with a fool, the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet."
Proverbs 12:15-17 "…15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to counsel. 16A fool’s anger is known at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult. 17 He who speaks the truth declares what is right, but a false witness speaks deceit.…"
The following was written by Sarah Vogel
“Our generation is so busy trying to prove that women can do everything men can do, women are losing the unique qualities that set us apart. The God-given femininity & unique way our Creator designed us. Women weren't created to do everything a man can do.... Women were created to do everything a man can't do." - unknown
The lioness does not try to be the lion. She embraces her role as the lioness. She is powerful, strong, and nurturing. She does not mistake her meekness for weakness. The world needs more kind, compassionate, humble, faithful, persevering, confident, fierce, bold, pure, and tender-hearted women.
Be one of them.
~Sarah Vogel4 Necessary Skills Narcissists Cannot Come To Terms With
They NEVER listened, nor did they ever validate a good point in me. They worked all the time in everything concerning me to invalidate me when nothing was wrong. If I brought a gift to them they acted as though it was stupid to do so. Instead of allowing the act to create a closer bond they used it to further demean me. They never gave gifts themselves, I didn't care but thought it was strange.
I realized later that giving a gift makes them vulnerable to being treated the way they treated me. They think if they give a gift I would treat them the way they have treated me so they avoid doing anything nice for me.
They couldn't even offer a compliment without an insult attached to it. I never cared about getting a gift from them but I did want them to enjoy what I gave them. Perhaps too, they wanted to take away my joy by acting as though the gift were foolish.
It is impossible to grow a relationship with those who do not want one, their desire is to be above you there is no love involved in this. Love must be involved in developing a relationship. 2 Timothy 3:1-5
Simple and Steady Life as We Trust in Christ
We are living in dark days as prophesied in the Word of God. Nothing will get better it will only grow worse.
God told us this is the way it would be at the end of the church age, there is no stopping it. The best thing believer can do is speak of the Lord Jesus Christ often to the unsaved and encourage the saved to keep trusting Christ.
For the born-again believer, this is encouragement that God told us what to expect and to keep trusting in Him. He told us we would be going home soon as we see these things come to pass.
2 Timothy 3:1-13
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.
9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as their's also was.
10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,
11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.
12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived."
These times are "ragingly insane" as a sister told me in recent years. She had researched the word "perilous times" in 2 Timothy and discovered the real meaning was "ragingly insane."
It seems futile and perhaps even foolish to attempt to save this world. There are denominations that believe we have to make the world a righteous place before Christ would come. I wonder how that is working out for them?
Keep in mind that God promised that times would grow worse, the antichrist will rule in the last seven years and the Church would be taken out before the antichrist is revealed.
It is an act of rebellion against God to try to save what God said would be destroyed. If we really believe these are the end of the end days then we will be more concerned about praying for the believers to endure and speaking truth to the unbeliever that they might become born again.
If this is your focus then you will be despised by many people around you including those who say they are Christians and your own family members.
Proverbs 29:27
"An unjust man is detestable to the righteous, and one whose way is upright is detestable to the wicked."
Mark 13:13
"You will be hated by everyone because of My name, but the one who perseveres to the end will be saved."
Luke 21:16
"You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you will be put to death."
Luke 12:52-53 "…52 From now on, five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
The encouragement is in knowing what is happening and what to do about it. We must remain strong no matter what others are doing. We must remain faithful to God and His principles even if we are reviled for it.
It is a fact that most people will not accept the things of God or correction from His Word. They have mixed the ways of the world with their wavering faith to live happily in the world.
The joy is great for those who follow Christ but the happiness comes and goes based on circumstances. It is the joy that sustains us through everything.
So what is to be done? We pray we speak the truth and we look up! Yes, this was Christ's command to us for the end times, to look up with expectancy for His coming in the clouds.
Luke 21:28
"28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth near.
Our life should not be complicated with politics, the world, and unbelieving family, it can be simple and steady if we only trust in Christ.
Thursday, January 7, 2021
Politics or Christ You Choose!
Here is an answer to those who would accuse me of not caring what happens in our country politically. Since my trust is in Christ alone I am not worried about what the nation is doing or which direction it takes.
I know that the world is growing darker, the entire world, not just our country. These are the end times and there is nothing that will stop it. Our words will do nothing, our anger will do nothing and even our political involvement will do nothing, it has been prophesied and is written in stone.
All born again believers will continue to the end. No one who has been changed into a new creation by Christ will lose that status, as "sealed by the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of our inheritance", it is God that said this.
Just because I am not afraid of persecution doesn't mean I want it. I want whatever God wants even if that means persecution. Our Bible says that many will be persecuted, even now around the world terrible things are happening to believers. Why would you think we will escape what God promised?
2 Timothy 3:11-13 "…11 my persecutions, and the sufferings that came upon me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evil men and imposters go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.…"
Chris, just because you do not desire persecution for yourself and your family does not mean it will not happen. Perhaps it would be better to prepare your family spiritually to endure for Christ than fight to avoid what may be coming.
The only way we can be strong in persecution is if we are fully trusting in Christ. He will give born again believers the strength they need to endure whatever He has for them.
Because Peter denied Christ three times does not mean it was alright for him to do. He wept bitterly that he had done it and was eventually martyred. When he denied Christ he did not yet have the Holy Spirit. After Christ left this earth He sent the Holy Spirit and Peter was strong enough to be martyred without denying Christ. Peter was crucified head down because he did not want to die the same way Christ did, he did not feel worthy to die the way Christ did.
Working hard to avoid trials and persecution is a sign of lack of faith. We have no control over these things but God does. If He wants us to have trials and persecution then we will have it. The best thing to do is to trust Christ so fully that we are ready to endure whatever He has for us.
When we are fully focused on Christ we don't worry about what is now or what is coming, just the opposite, we are blessed and joyful that God is in control of everything all the time. We don't have to "make" things happen to satisfy our own desires, we can rest in Him and wait on Him.
We are living in times when things are going to get rougher, our positive thoughts and desires won't comfort us, in fact, the more we lean into them the more stressed we will be. We need to face reality, accept what has come, and give God the glory for getting us through.
The authorities can take away our freedoms and even jail us for our faith but they cannot take away the Holy Spirit or our faith.
Acts 16:22-39 "22 The crowd joined in an attack against them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them and proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods.
23 When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely;
24 and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
25 Now about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; 26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains were unfastened.
27 When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had escaped.
28 But Paul called out with a loud voice, saying, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!”
29 And the jailer asked for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas;
30 and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
The Jailer Converted
31 They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of God to him together with all who were in his house.
33 And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household.
34 And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and was overjoyed, since he had become a believer in God together with his whole household.
35 Now when day came, the chief magistrates sent their officers, saying, “Release those men.”
36 And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The chief magistrates have sent word that you be released. So come out now and go in peace.”
37 But Paul said to them, “After beating us in public without due process—men who are Romans—they threw us into prison; and now they are releasing us secretly? No indeed! On the contrary, let them come in person and lead us out.”
38 The officers reported these words to the chief magistrates. And they became fearful when they heard that they were Romans,
39 and they came and pleaded with them, and when they had led them out, they repeatedly asked them to leave the city.
40 They left the prison and entered the house of Lydia, and when they saw the brothers and sisters, they encouraged them and departed.
Christ does not bail us out, He goes through with us.
Remember the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? They were thrown in the fiery furnace, but Christ was in there with them. They came out because of the testimony of the Son of God, without the smell of smoke on them, or even singed hair.
God wanted Paul and Silas and the three Hebrew men to be in those circumstances because their strength was a testimony to everyone watching, even and especially the leaders who persecuted them.
Instead of focusing on avoiding what is inevitable, that is persecution in one form or another, we ought to be preparing our families to trust so fully in the Holy Spirit that they will have the strength needed when it does come.
Also, keep in mind that Paul and Silas didn't whine and complain about how unjust it was to be beaten and thrown in jail, they praised God, sang in the jail, and converted some of the other prisoners. WOW, think about that, a positive attitude all the way along because their purpose was not for a better life but rather to glorify God and bring others into the fold. Their safety was of little concern to them.
Notice too that there is no evidence that they prayed to beg God to get them out of there. They knew that everything that happened to them had a purpose for the Kingdom of God, even their own persecution. They glorified God more by being persecuted because of their full trust in Him than if they had never been persecuted.
I fear that many Christians in our day would deny Christ if faced with death or persecution because they have been trained to fight for their rights and to never go through anything that makes them unhappy. Our modern idea of Christianity is based on happy words and big smiles, negating the authentic Christianity that endures no matter what.
Just Saying!
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