God's Ways are Different from the Ways of Psychology

The teachings of Psychology have some good things in it but much of it comes from Darwinism and has no value for the Christian. Often it focuses more on feelings than it does on spiritual and emotional strength.

We cannot change anyone else who may be acting more like an enemy than family or a friend. What we can do is pray that God help us to be what we should be no matter what anyone else is doing.

Canceling a debt of sin against us does not help the other person nor does it do anything for us. God only cancels the debt of sin for those who repent and desire to be changed by Him. This is God's way of forgiveness, that our relationship with God is restored when we repent and then He forgives. This is His way and should be our way with one another too. God will not cancel the debt of sin against Him unless we repent.

The idea that we should forgive for our own sake is psychology it is not Biblical and does nothing for us or the offender.

Luke 17:3-4 "…3 Watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to say, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”

Forgiveness is for the purpose of reconciling a relationship. Confession and forgiveness are two sides of the same coin, both must be present for reconciliation.

However, this does not mean we treat anyone badly, we are to bless our enemies, but this does not mean we remain friends with those who offend and think it is alright to do so.

When we short-cut God's way of forgiveness and do our own thing to feel better about ourselves we diminish the power of reconciliation. The goal is not to make ourselves feel better, it is to reconcile and this can only happen when both confession and forgiveness are present.

When we love people we want them to see their need for growth and change. When we only love ourselves we want to "feel" better and even boast about forgiving when all that happened are words that fall to the ground and produce nothing Godly.

Forgiveness is not words or feelings, it is the canceling of a debt toward us when someone is repentant. Forgiveness God's way is harder and takes more faith than just words or feelings. It depends on God to work in the lives of others so that something real and permanent can happen. It also causes us to remain faithful to God even when others are not.

1 Peter 3:9-14 "1 Peter 3:9-14

"9 not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you would inherit a blessing. 10 For,

“The one who desires life, to love and see good days,

Must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.

11 He must turn away from evil and do good;

He must seek peace and pursue it.

12 For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous,

And His ears attend to their prayer,

But the face of the Lord is against evildoers.”

13 And who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be in dread,"

God told us to walk away from those who are continually wicked and refuse to repent. 2 Timothy 3 describes these personalities who enjoy dominating others and reviling that which is good. This is a description of the last days apostate church.

It is sinful to pressure others to forgive those who refuse to repent. Anyone who does this is thwarting God's purpose in the process of confession and forgiveness.

God will not forgive us if we do not repent and neither should we forgive others who are not sorry. Having said that I must add here that if someone is authentically repentant then we are commanded to forgive. This means we cancel their debt against us and restore the relationship.

I have only had this happen a handful of times in my more than 70 years, it is not common because those who offend are too prideful to humble themselves and the one offended is too prideful and cowardly to discuss the problems and require contrition.

It is pride that prevents us from doing things God's Way and pride that causes us to seek out secular psychology instead of God. Now we have three generations of people who think requiring repentance is wrong and forgiving without it is what God does.

NO, God does not forgive unrepentant people, they will go to hell unless they repent and desire to be changed by Him.

Mankind's relationship with God remains broken when there is a refusal to repent. Just as our relationships remain broken when someone is not sorry for offending others.

When someone is sorry and comes to make it right it is easy to forgive, all debt is cancelled and the relationship is restored permanently.

Unless there is false confession in which someone is tired of the broken relationship and comes to confess because they want things to go back the way they were before, but are not sorry they sinned against us.

True confession of sin involves a changed heart and changed behavior. The wonderful thing about confession is that it is so humbling that it changes the heart permanently for another growth spurt.

A false confession to gain something one lost, will often lack the changed behavior that caused the problem in the first place.

We forgive immediately when someone confesses, but we also watch to see if there is a change in attitude and actions.

Psalm 51:10

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me."

This clean heart can only come when there is confession.

1 John 1:9 "9 if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

We must confess our sin to be cleansed by Christ and we must confess to those we have offended to cleanse and renew the relationship.

Our culture focuses more on personal feelings and happy thoughts than it does on real and permanent change. Because of this people are walking around "feeling" all good about themselves but no good has happened, it's all in their heads and does not flesh out into any real healing.

May believers actually follow God's way and not the way of the psychologized culture that short-cuts God's way for the easy way of the world. To follow Christ we must know His word intimately and do what He commands.

Proverbs 4:23

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

Strength Only Comes From Jesus Christ

In recent months I have been suffering from neck and back pain. Every day I take medicine to allow me to be out of pain for a few hours at a time. In an effort to figure out what is causing this I have seen a couple of kinds of doctors to get to the source of the problem. Finally, I was referred to a chiropractor after the doctors ruled out more serious possibilities.

In pondering this situation it occurred to me that the solution was for this new doctor to manipulate the muscles and bones back into alignment where they should be. In doing this there is worse pain for there to be less pain.

Life is like this too, we cannot fix the spiritual and emotional problems in our life without the painful solutions, which are to face our own sinfulness, call it what it is, and seek the healing that only comes through admitting we have a problem with sin and asking Christ to cleanse us from the emotions that lead us into sin.

Sin is always driven by fleshly emotional responses to pain in our hearts, real or imagined, we tend to follow our feelings which motivates us to fall into sin. The devil uses these emotions just the same way he did with Eve in the garden.

The devil manipulated Eve to harden her spiritual and emotional heart, diminishing her ability to think rationally and logically.

He convinced Eve that she was missing out on something by obeying God. He manipulated her to distrust God and trust in her own fleshly emotional desire to experience something better than what God had offered her, or so the devil convinced her.

When we lean into our emotions, fulfilling our fleshly desires that defy God we will always take the easy way that gives momentary pleasure and fits in with the ways of the world and the devil.

2 Corinthians 4 tells us that the world is under the influence of the devil continually being twisted in the wind of emotional desire but the born again believes are under the power of the Holy Spirit, given the power to resist the devil and walk in a way that blesses God and themselves.

Just as with the painful manipulation of the muscles and bones to cause healing in our bodies we must do the painful work of facing our sinful nature, admitting our frailties to be cleansed. Without admitting guilt of our sin there can be no healing.

The more we massage our feelings and justify our sinful attitudes and actions the more we become hardened in our hearts. Just like muscles in our bodies that become stuck in painful patterns that cripple us so does pride stiffen our spiritual and emotional muscles leading us into worse pain than if we had admitted what was wrong and allowed the pain of facing our sinfulness to promote healing in our souls.

The longer we resist admitting our sinfulness the harder our hearts become and the more spiritual and emotional pain we live in day after day.

Those who are weight lifters know that in lifting those weights they are tearing down muscles that must heal back making the muscles stronger than they were before the tears.

Those who fight to defend their sinfulness, justifying it through manipulation of their thoughts, are weakening their spiritual and emotional structures. To become strong we must first become humble appearing weaker to those who love their pride, but in the final run, we are strengthening ourselves.

Our culture says things like "no pain no gain" when it comes to physical activities to make our bodies stronger but neglects the need to painfully humble ourselves to grow spiritually and emotionally stronger.

Those who neglect the spiritual and emotional aspect of their lives focusing only on the physical will be physically strong and emotionally and spiritually weak.

The spiritual and emotional strength is far more important than the body and yet they are the parts of our being we neglect the most.

1 Timothy 4:7-9 "…7 But reject irreverent, silly myths. Instead, train yourself for godliness. 8 For physical exercise is of limited value, but godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for the present life and for the one to come. 9 This is a trustworthy saying, worthy of full acceptance.…"

The spiritual, emotional and physical aspects of our being are deeply connected, they work together whether for health or for degradation.

Those who have had much physical pain, having to face it every day in their lives are more likely to be able to face that pain with grace when they walk with Christ. The physical pain does not overpower the Spirit of Christ in us, we can roll through our pain with Him and remain emotionally stable because He is with us. We may weep at times but the joy remains in us because this life and this physical body are not our real selves, our Spiritual life in Christ is who we are and in Him we have Spiritual and emotional strength.

As followers of Christ having been born-again we have hope in our future redemption from this physical life to the new bodies we will receive when we leave this physical world of death.

Those who are not in Christ very often become bitter because they do not have the help of God, they must depend entirely on their own fleshly strength, as weak as it is, to carry them through.

In the final analysis, the physical life is very temporary but eternity is forever and that is the life we look forward to as believers. These trials and the infirmities of this life pale in comparison to eternity with Christ. This world is our boot camp, the training for the Millennium and beyond, it has a purpose and an ending, we know it is very temporary compared to eternity.

Romans 8:18 "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us."

What an amazing hope we have when we are born-again. We desire that those who do not know Christ would repent and find this hope too.

Isaiah 40:31. "But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

Hallelujah!!!!

Adventuring for its own sake is the Devil's Workshop

The devil is working hard to distract believers from God by making them fearful about food, causing guilt about body size, and creating insecurity about physical appearance or abilities.

Growing older is a challenge when we live in a world that elevates physical beauty above righteousness.

I am shocked at some of the YouTube videos that camp on how an old person can look younger. The pressure to continue to look young when we are old is high in our culture.

I hear this every once in a while and it sort of irritates me, that is; "you're still young" as though it is bad to be old. I am old and I don't want anyone telling me how young I am at an age over 70. I earned this old age, learned much in my life and have no desire to be youthful again.

It is actually kind of insulting when someone tells me I am young when everything about me tells me I am old. LOL

I enjoy my elder years with all that God has taught me and that He has removed from my desires anything that is useless and time wasting.

Some older folks like me are still witnessing Christ, still producing products and services to be in touch with the world to live out their Christianity in a way that glorifies Him. We are not young but we live out the ways of God in whatever situation we are in, we are not limited to youth in our walk with Him.

Sadly so many people think "youth" are the most productive and able to contribute, this could not be farther from the truth. Youth do not have the wisdom of the elders and are not able to see the nuances of life that the elders can see. Not all elderly are wise but those who follow Christ will be wise and able to guide those who need to hear their wisdom.

Again, sadly, the youth of today do not value the elderly. If they like someone who is elderly they must pretend they are young to remain in contact with them. The elder person who is loved by youth must do what the youth do to be accepted by them. I am not willing to become something I am not to be loved by anyone.

When we love one another we will accept and appreciate each age group, even celebrating the elderly as those who should be seen as wiser than those who have not lived what the elders have lived.

Adventure is preferred in this "me" generation bent on having their fun rather than gaining wisdom.

Fun does not bring wisdom, it only delays spiritual and emotional growth. Those I have known who cared more about fitting in with the young people all their lives remain emotional and spiritual infants, lacking wisdom and maturity.

The quest to remain young has left our culture destitute of wisdom as well as driven us into irrational feelings-oriented actions and reactions to life. Deeper more meaningful relationships are rare in this day of "just do it because it's fun" mentality.

I used to say when I lived in Kentucky that I would rather sit on the front porch of a toothless old person in a rocking chair and listen to their life story than any adventure people think they need today.

Life should be about Christ and people, not personal adventure, if we love Christ He is the most important to us. We do have times of rest and even a game or a walk but adventure is not important or desirable to those who love the contentment of life as the disciples of Christ.

I hear more young people praise the elderly who can still do adventure things than I do who visit or love the informed elderly who might have wisdom to offer.

Our culture is narcissistic and hates to be around ailing and hurting elderly. They must have their fun all the time in every encounter or they feel frustrated and even angry at the informed person who takes up their time. Those who love adventure do not love people. They do not love God and have no sense of joy unless they are adventuring.

There I have said it and it pains me that things are this way, but there it is, the end times mentality of "me first" and "me only" as described in 2 Timothy 3:1-5

2 Timothy 3:1-5 "3 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.

2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, 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 people as these."

When we have Christ we learn that He is the only One we can depend on and the Greatest One to depend on in these last days of selfishness. Praise God that He is everything we need and He can make us into someone who does not follow the culture, but will enjoy the elderly and treat them with the love and kindness of Christ.

Stop Trying to Fit into the World

When you find yourself unable to fit in with nearly any group it may be that you are too radically Christians in a "cultural Christianity."

We are not of the world and the world does not know us nor does it want to know us.

John 15:19

"If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you."

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."

Many of the things the world loves we hate or at the least very unimportant to us. The world is looking for recognition and pleasure but we have moved past those things as we love the things of God more than we love our own lives.

Luke 14:26 "

“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple."

Many parents are catering to their adult children when they should be letting them go when they are not walking with Christ. They are not on the same path that believers are on and will only deter us from what God wants for us.

James 4:4

"You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God."

We are considered adultresses if we love our families more than we love God.

What the world loves are not enjoyable to us. The world finds our enjoyments repulsive to them. We love to speak of Christ, we love to study His Word, we love to live a quiet life without unnecessary adventure or pleasure. The world thinks we are strange, and have no inkling of how wonderful our life with Christ is as we walk with Him.

When we attempt to fit into the world to be accepted only brings us pain, it is not the life our Spirit wants us to live.

Born-again believers have so radically changed that the pleasures of this world are unattractive to us. The need for superiority over others, competition with others and boasting to appear special are abhorant to the born again believer.

Our contentment in Christ is based on His love and provision very little in this world is attractive to us other than His creation. We enjoy the simple things that He has given us, nature, peace, joy and all the fruit of the Spirit dwell so richly in us that we need nothing else of this world.

Galatians 5:22-23

"22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

We must accept that we have changed and continue to change all the time as we grow in the Spirit. Very few people will understand us or even want to understand us. We must let people go who do not want to walk the path with us.

Sentimentality over past relationships is a little like idolatry, it removes our dedication to Christ while causing us to ruminate on the loss instead of moving forward in joy with Him.

We find our identity in Christ and our family are those who have also found their identity in Christ. Our family are those who love Him as much as we love Him. This is rare in our day and we must trust Christ to bring us together in His timing His way.

THIS IS WHY YOU DON'T FIT ANYWHERE! (Christian Motivation)

The Snakes and the Scorpions are in the Spiritual Battle Against Believers

Luke 10:18-20
"18 And He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like lightning. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to walk on snakes and scorpions, and authority over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. 20 Nevertheless, do not [a]rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”

The snake and the scorpions are not the creatures that crawl along the ground, they are the devil and his demons.

God gave born-again believers power over the devils and his angels who are referred to as the scorpions and snakes. Many people in this world never see snakes in the grass or scorpions, but they encounter devils every day even if they never see them. Nor do we wear physical armor to protect ourselves from these creatures. We battle against spiritual entities continually our armor is Christ.

Ephesians 6:11-13 "…11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand.…"

Following Christ Alone!!!

We are also walking "Law", Jesus Christ is the Law Giver, He lives in us and His principles are the very essence of Who He is, ignoring them is to ignore Him.

When Christ Himself lives in us why would we want to seek anyone else but Him about anything. He may send us to someone with a skill or an answer, but we follow no one else.

1 Peter 2:21

"For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps."

Matthew 16:24

"Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."

John 8:12

"Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 10:27

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me."

I see no instruction in God's Word to follow men!!!! Paul said; "follow me as I follow Christ", meaning follow Christ not Paul.

1 John 2:3-4

"And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,"

Nowhere in God's Word does He say to follow anyone but Christ. If anyone tells you that you should follow them, rebuke the devil who is using their mouth to manipulate and intimidate you.

When we are close to Christ and follow HIs voice we will not feel any need to follow groups, crowds or individuals.

1 Peter 1:14-16

"As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”