Understanding the Times in Which We Live

It is a good idea to pray that the Lord will reveal in us any narcissistic tendencies so that we can avoid becoming what dishonors God.

We need to understand the thinking of a narcissist so that we learn not to take personally the disrespectful things they say and do.

Taking things personally will cause wrong attitudes and actions in us. When we know it's not about us then we can shrug it off as nonsense and even pray for those who are captive to the devilish traits of narcissism.

Narcissists are always accusing others of things because they believe everything is manipulation. Why do they believe everything is manipulation? They believe this because everything they do is manipulation to get their desired result. Narcissists use people and love things and activities. A born-again believer uses things and loves people, a stark difference from the 2 Timothy 3 mentality.

2 Timothy 3:1-5

Difficult Times Will Come

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."

The born-again believer operates from God's standard which is:

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

"4 Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant.

5 It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered,

6 it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

Notice that the born-again believer is just exactly the opposite of that of a narcissist.

If we bring a gift to a narcissist they suspect us of trying to show them up, to appear better.

If we bring a gift to a born-again believer they are happy and grateful and enjoy you very much.

If we do a kind act for a narcissist they think we will expect something from them in the future.

If someone does a kind act for a believer the believer has joy and expresses happiness to encourage the one who treated them with kindness.

In other words, a narcissist rarely has a pure motive for anything, they are deeply invested in controlling their circumstances and the people around them while thinking everyone else is doing what they do, which is attempting to control the narcissist.

If we go on a trip to visit a friend the narcissist will think we were rude for not inviting them or that we got away to hide from them. They may even be angry that we didn't tell them we were going. Because everything is about the narcissist in their minds, they will interpret everything as being done to them, and against them, they are perpetual victims.

If we have accomplished something we are delighted over, the narcissist will accuse us of boasting when we are just sharing. Why? Because in their heart the narcissist boasts when they share, they are also deeply jealous of anyone having something that does not include them. Being elevated above others is one of the foundational problems of everything they think and do. This is why the narcissist thinks others are thinking about them nonstop, or should be thinking of them nonstop.

If we meet a person who is deeply narcissistic without a conscience over it, then this person is not born again.

It is not possible for an authentic believer to act narcissistically as a lifestyle.

1 John 3:9 "No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God."

Born-again believers are sensitive about how they treat others. They cannot tolerate the thought of ever harming another human being. If they do harm someone because of a weak moment they want to confess it to be cleansed and to restore the relationship between them and the one they hurt. The believer confesses their sin to God and the one they harmed.

Narcissists never admit their flaws and intentional mean-spirited actions, rather they justify them with false narratives to feel free from guilt. They often blame others for their feelings generated by a selfish focus.

Someone once said; "they want to believe you are a bad person to justify the bad things they did to you."

Narcissists are often sullen and lacking in joy, the opposite of the Spirit of born-again believers. In other words, they lack the Fruit of the Holy Spirit because they do not have the Holy Spirit.

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."

May we learn to be unaffected by those who are controlled and ruled by the devil while praying for their salvation.

Matthew 5:43-45 "…43 You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘Hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45th that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. '

The devil wants us to become bitter and hateful to ruin our witness, this ought to be motivation enough for us to resist him while seeking to be like Christ.

James 4:7 "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

We are living in the end times and will see an increase in the 2 Timothy 3 mentalities of wickedness. We need to understand it and learn to resist the feelings to respond sinfully that come when the culture loses all sense of reason and righteousness.

Keep Looking Up!!!!!

Bible College and Seminaries are a Distraction from Seeking the Holy Spirit

The apostles were not given the choice of man-made colleges because God didn't want them. It would have violated His Own Word.

 
I do not call Bible college an opportunity, I call it a distraction from following the Holy Spirit. It takes faith to trust in Christ Who lives in us but trust in man places our faith in man instead of Christ.

 
John 16:13-14 "13 However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me by taking from what is Mine and disclosing it to you.…"

This passage in John 16 was written to ALL born-again believers not just the apostles. If every born again believer would seek Christ they would know what their calling is and trust Christ to set it all up, they would know they were being led by Christ.

 
Isaiah 11:2
"The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him--the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the LORD."

Seek God's Way not the Way of Men

We are living in times of monstrous apostasy. These are times when much if not most of what we hear are lies. Seek discernment through the Holy Spirit, not information from man.

Romans 12:1-2

1 Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and [e]acceptable and perfect.

Spend more time seeking Christ in you than anyone else. Do not place men with special man-made degrees above Christ.

We often listen to men of God who have a proven record of sound doctrine, but they do not have the last word, it is the Holy Spirit in us Who must be consulted whenever we hear anyone speak of spiritual matters.

In these days of apostasy men will say more wrong things that they will right things.

I have been told by preachers; "don't judge", "follow your heart", "the flood was a myth", "We are no longer required to honor our parents", "Forgive even when someone is not sorry", "divorce and remarriage is acceptable in certain cases", "follow your pastor", "do not touch God's anointed", all of which are false teachings that have cause people to focus on themselves and their pastors instead of Christ.

We have been told all our lives that we should be "in church" not realizing that we "are the church" when we are born again. We became so comfortable with a lifestyle of attending services with agendas made by men that we were blind to the fact that God never told us to gather in the way we were taught. And, that two or three was enough to satisfy God to be in the midst of us.

Matthew 18:20

"20 For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”

God never gave a number of people who should meet together, He never told us to build buildings to meet in and He never gave the command to order the proceedings the way men do it today. God never told us we must "join" the local church in a formal way. He never told us to sit under a one-man-paid-pastor system, but rather He described elders to be appointed and led by the Holy Spirit who would watch over the flock. Not dictating anything but leading by example and teaching while encouraging the brethren to obey the Word of God the elders are servants, not hierarchy to be served themselves.

There are many more of these false teachings, you may be able to think of some that you have learned. I would be interested in what you found to be a popular belief that the Bible has proven to be wrong.

When we follow Christ, seeking Him in prayer continually our eyes become so open and clear to the truth that we can never go back and believe and do the same things we did before.

Keep in mind when our heart is open to the truth we still live in a world that has been deceived and are dedicated to the lies that were told and will think we are "self-righteous" and strange to have left the modern system of the church to follow Christ.

Most people in modern church gatherings are not saved, they do not follow Christ they follow a system in which they feel comfortable. They deny much of God's Word by following the men who teach them.

We are living in the last days of apostasy, I cannot stress this enough. If we do not see it we will fall into the trap of guilt for not doing what everyone else is doing.

When we begin to follow Christ, seek the truth and obey Him, then we are free from all the cultural trappings that detract from Christ and cause division. Divisiveness is at the core of the modern teachings.

Titus 3:9-10 "9 But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, arguments, and quarrels about the law, because these things are pointless and worthless. 10 Reject a divisive man after a first and second admonition, 11 knowing that such a man is corrupt and sinful; he is self-condemned.…"

2 Peter 2:1

"But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

To deny God's Word in favor of man's rules and standards is to deny Christ and all of His principles.

May each of us seek Christ first in all things and follow what He says even if no one else around us understands, even if we are rejected by most because we love Christ more than anything or anyone else. If we love our brethren we lead them to the truth for their sake and for the sake of those we may influence.

Truth is more important than acceptance by men.

Romans 12:1,2

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service…"

Depending on Men Rather than the Holy Spirit?

The whole idea that there is a need to "train" men for the ministry in special schools may have started well but does not finish well because the idea was based on men making sure they did things the right way, without the help or use of the Holy Spirit.

John 16:12-14 "…12 I still have much to tell you, but you cannot yet bear to hear it. 13 However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me by taking from what is Mine and disclosing it to you.…"

When the Holy Spirit teaches us we will not be in error. When men think they can do something better than the Holy Spirit then there is much error.

We see no example of men of the Bible attending any formal schooling or being ordained by men to prepare for the ministry. The apostles and disciples were trained by the Holy Spirit and by individual men who had already been trained by the Holy Spirit.

God gave clear instructions in the nature of the gathering of believers in His Word, there need be no other methods or rituals than what God gave us in His Word, the Bible.

A person can work up in their own mind something they wish to believe hanging onto it so long and repeating it so many times that eventually they actually believe it.

Once this happens to an entire culture it is nearly impossible to convince people of the truth. Whenever we have an entire culture supporting our desired belief system then we must go against the culture becoming an outsider and losing friends in order to follow the truth.

1 Corinthians 14 describes the plurality of leadership and the involvement of the believers, there is no such thing as a one-man-paid-pastor in this gathering. No one is paid, all the men participate and each is led by the Holy Spirit.

It takes faith to operate in the gathering the way God said to do it, it takes depending on the Holy Spirit without a human leader. The leader is the Holy Spirit.

Most Christians today do not depend on the Holy Spirit they depend on those educated in human institutions with degrees ordained by men, as though these people know more than Christ Who lives in us. Pretty silly isn't it!!!!!

Keeping Scripture in its Context

Many people use the scripture about the woman who went to the evil judge over and over again asking for what she wanted, to teach that we should never stop praying for something we want.

Luke 18:1-8

"18 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not become discouraged,

2 saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect any person.

3 Now there was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me justice against my opponent.’

4 For a while he was unwilling; but later he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect any person,

5 yet because this widow is bothering me, I will give her justice; otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.’”

6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge *said;

7 now, will God not bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night, and will He delay long for them?

8 I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

God is not an unrighteous judge, He is not like the judge the woman went to, He is a righteous judge and does not require begging continually to help the woman. God was saying in this passage that God would not delay long like the unrighteous judge. This is not about how many times the woman had to beg the judge as a lesson for us to beg God, NO, it is saying the opposite, that God is not like that unrighteous judge.

When we ask God praying in the Holy Spirit in His Will, He will not delay answering because we are praying His Will.

James 4:3

"3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures."

Often God gives us desires we don't even ask for because it is His will to bless us. Other times He does not give us what we pray hard for because it is not His will. Begging God for something that is not His will does not cause Him to move.

Let's take a look at the three Hebrew men who were thrown into the furnace. They did not beg God to save them, they knew God would do what He decided to do and they would accept His Will. They said: "our God will save us, but if not, we will serve Him." Jesus Christ was with them in the furnace and did deliver them.

Daniel 3:17-18

"If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up."

Notice there were no long prayers, there were not many days of agonizing in prayer to manipulate God, there was merely a declaration that their God knew them, the circumstance, and will be with them in whatever His will was for them.

Notice too that they were thrown into the furnace for a time, but Christ walked in there with them until He took them out. Almost seems like a picture of the believers now as we walk through this firey furnace of hate all around us, but we know we will be delivered soon in the rapture.

Every time you sense that something is off in the things that people say, go to the Bible asking for wisdom and reject the wrong teaching to embrace the truth of the Scriptures.

James 1:4-6 "…4 Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.…"

Let your faith believe God, not the people around us who say all manner of things that have no basis in Scripture.

A Hardened Heart is not to be Taken Lightly

"Obey your husband in all things"?

"If someone will not work do not let him eat."?

These and other phrases have been followed to the letter OUT OF CONTEXT to the shame of those who call themselves Christians.

When we read the Bible, we see that women are to obey their husbands when they obey Christ. Abigail is an excellent example of a woman who disobeyed her husband in order to honor God and that she was blessed by God for her faithfulness to Him. And, notice her husband was killed, his heart was turned to stone. I suspect God did this to show what a terrible man he was and demonstrate what abusiveness does to the human heart.

Abigail became the wife of the King after that, remember taking scripture out of context to make it say what you would like it to say to be able to misuse and abuse wives could turn one's heart to stone spiritually. In Nabal's case, it was literally stone.

In the matter of not allowing someone to eat who does not work much of the Bible would be ignored to follow that standard.

The principle clearly shows that any able-bodied man must be working to earn the family income. We are not to hand out food to a man who wants to be handed everything without working for it. This is God's way, accountability works when teaching will not.

However, this mandate to withhold food from those who will not work does not extend to the elderly who cannot work long days anymore. If we were to apply the principle of working to eat to those who cannot work then we are moving from the realm of reasonable expectation into cruelty.

It would be cruel to expect a woman to obey a man who is pushing her into prostitution or abusing her physically and emotionally just to have his own way.

When people use scripture out of context to support their own desired belief they are rejecting Christ as well as being the example of an apostate to his family. All leaders will be accountable for the ways they abuse scripture to get their own way.

The Spirit of the Law ought always to be seen in "the purpose of the Law" not merely the rule itself. For example, the purpose of the Law concerning women obeying their husbands is for the husband to be a proper godly leader who cares more about his family and their Spiritual protection and growth than he does about his own needs or desires. The Spirit of the principles of women obeying their husbands speaks to the protection of the family, not the abuse merely to control. This would be a sin against God.

I once heard a wicked man claim that "all things work together for those who are in Christ", therefore the woman in abuse must put up with it to learn a lesson God has for her. This may be true that a woman of God may have to endure a wicked husband, but it also means the husband will be punished for his abuse of the wife. No born-again believing man should ever condone what a wicked man is doing to his wife. If he does this the believer will see the wrath of God for misleading others in his tyrannical example.

Any husband who shouts orders in range boss fashion expecting to be obeyed without discussion is a tyrant and most likely an infidel. Husbands who love their wives desire the best for them, they love to see their wives excel for their own sake.

Some husbands want their wives to excel to glorify the husband but this is not godly. The role of the husband is to protect the family and serve them so that everyone is respected and protected, it's a service position the husband should not operate as a dictator oppressing everyone. This is not love to oppress others, it is also not love to show favoritism within the family.

Ephesians 5:25-29

"25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,

26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,

27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.

29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church."

When we look at the Spirit behind not allowing a lazy person to eat, we must realize it applies to lazy able-bodied people, not to those who are informed or aging without strength. If we use the phrase out of context it would negate the other passages that command us to give to the poor while taking care of widows and orphans.

Luke 12:33-34

33 “Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor does a moth destroy. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

A husband who honors his wife and lovingly denies himself to care for her needs is storing up treasures in heaven.

A person who gives to the poor as led by the Holy Spirit in caring for those who cannot care for themselves is storing up treasures in heaven.

The principle being discussed here is that we should always read the entire context of a chapter as well as the context of the entire Bible before arrogantly making rules for others that we think are benefit ourselves.

I have never met a person who makes rules for others using intimidation and manipulation who was kind and loving, they are always rude, mean, and selfish. They make their own rules to glorify themselves, they are not content to just be something themselves, they must force others to comply with their rules. An attitude of superiority is the culprit behind those who make unbiblical rules and claim God did it.

Those who remove passages from their context for personal aggrandizement will be judged for misquoting and misusing His Word to glorify self. May they repent before God makes them a heart of stone as he did Nabal, Abigails husband.

Any husband who forces his wife to disobey him to honor God will be in danger of hardening his own heart.

Jeremiah 18:12

"But they will say, ‘It’s hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.’"

No One is Righteous No Not One

Romans 3:10-12 "10 as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”"

Anyone who has been born again knows the brokenness of their heart when they discovered they were as filthy rags before God. These are the most grateful people, those who have admitted their sinfulness and have been changed by Christ into a completely different person.

 
We are so grateful we can openly and easily say we were wicked and express the unquenchable joy we have at being changed by Christ.

 
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 "9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals,
10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor those habitually drunk, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.
11 Such WERE some of you, but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God."

We are no longer sinners when we have become born-again, we are saints trapped in this shell, our bodies, battling against the flesh daily as we ask God to cleanse us from whatever stench of sin lingers in our flesh.

 
1 John 1:9 "9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Romans 7:14-25
The Conflict of Serving Two Masters
14 For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am fleshly, sold into bondage to sin.
15 For I do not understand what I am doing; for I am not practicing what I want to do, but I do the very thing I hate.
16 However, if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, that the Law is good.
17 But now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me.
18 For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.
19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.
20 But if I do the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me.
21 I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.
22 For I joyfully agree with the law of God in the inner person,
23 but I see a different law in the parts of my body waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin, the law which is in my body’s parts.
24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?
25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin."