Remove Yourself to be able to see Clearly

Sometimes it is hard to see the character of another person until we have stepped back and removed ourselves from them.

So much of our culture chooses to remain with angry family members because they are accustomed to the angst regularly.

Once they remove themselves for a time they begin to see just how ugly it was and that it is not what God wants us to live with every day. Sadly familiarity keeps us stuck in situations that do not honor God and end up stifling our own walk with Christ.

When we find ourselves unable to calmly and rationally communicate with someone it is time to remove them. There can be no resolution or growth in holiness with someone when they are bent on winning rather than learning.

Nothing can be resolved when the first response from someone is defensiveness and anger. Let them go and allow God to do His work in them, as we pray and ponder our own heart to make sure we have heard from God.

Psalm 139:23-24

"23 Search me, God, and know my heart;

Put me to the test and know my anxious thoughts;

24 And see if there is any hurtful way in me,

And lead me in the everlasting way."

Remember when someone listens to learn the heart of another there will be a resolution, but without the desire to know the heart of another, there can be no resolution.

James 4:7-8

"7 Submit therefore to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God and He will come close to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded."

A Burden shared is a Burden Halved

"Depending on who you share it with, the burden can be halved or doubled. Confiding in the wrong people can make the burden even heavier." Author Unknown to me.

A joy shared is a double joy. A burden shared is half a burden.

-Swedish Proverb

Galatians 6:2-3

"2 Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself."

Christ has given us the mandate to surround ourselves with those who love Him, in this we are able to bear up under trials as well as share in one another's joys, edifying one another to continue our walk with Christ.

Hallelujah!!!!

Focused on Politics or Jesus Christ You Must Choose

Many Americans are so focused on politics and their own personal comfort they believe there is now a pause in the evil of things because we have a new president.

This could not be farther from the truth, this is not a pause, it is the next step toward the end times scenario.

We know we are living in the end of the end times because of what God tells us in the Bible. This matter of new leadership in our country is a continuation and acceleration of events leading to the antichrist.

Our new president was placed there by God not to save our country but to accelerate the end times events. This is why I believe the rapture of the church is very near.

The people are spouting mantras such as "peace and safety" more than any other phrase.

Some think they have seen a change in our new president, but with Spiritual eyes I can see that the change has been "religious", not a completely changed heart as Christ does when someone becomes born again.

Our president is very supportive of Israel and has a Jewish son-in-law, and has not been born again. I expect him to support the building of the third temple where sacrifices will be practiced.

Because the Jews who are not born again and continue to disbelieve in Christ they will want their temple built and their sacrifices resumed. There are some born-again Jews in Israel who will be taken in the rapture.

To practice sacrifices to God is to deny Jesus Christ who was the final sacrifice. The animal sacrifices of the Old Testament were a picture of Christ to come, they never took away the consequences and stain of sin. These sacrifices were pointing to Christ the final and real sacrifice and that has now been fulfilled at the cross.

It is not until the end of the tribulation that Israel with trust in Christ and be saved from hell. 2/3rds of her people will perish in all the tribulation and the 1/3rd remaining will trust in Christ and take the gospel to the rest of the world during the final days of the tribulation.

It is likely our new president will carry such intimidation and weight that he will be able to convince those countries surrounding Israel to make a treaty with Israel.

I see our new president as the next step in the process of a treaty and a time of "peace and safety" for Israel.

However, and this is a big however, the peace will be a false peace and will facilitate the rule of the antichrist who will break the treaty and implement his rule over the earth. Not all countries will be on board with this and there will be great turmoil and carnage because of it.

I am not saying our new president is the antichrist, I am saying he is just another cog in the wheel of events that lead to the culmination of the tribulation. He doesn't know he is a cog in this wheel, but it makes sense because of his support for Israel.

The political Christians in this country are missing these clues because they are focused on peace and safety and the support of Isreal. I too support Israel but know the end times events are leading up to the antichrist rule.

The antichrist will do great false signs and wonders in a time when the people have been so deceived they will not see that it is all false. This is a frightening thought because we see great deception right now as this country clamors for a leader instead of following Christ. They place their trust in their own safety and prosperity rather than in Christ.

Matthew 24:24. "For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect."

We are living in the days just like those of Noah when everyone is thinking with their own mind promoting their own desires unconcerned about God and His wrath.

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12

"The coming of the lawless one will be accompanied by the working of Satan, with every kind of power, sign, and false wonder, and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them. / For this reason God will send them a powerful delusion so that they believe the lie, .."

1 John 4:1

"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world."

2 Peter 2:1

"Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves."

There are many well known preachers who are promoting believers working real hard to save a country that is full of corruption and wickedness under the dilution that if we all work very hard to thwart the evil we will be able to turn the country around to be a righteous nation.

This is fantasy thinking because we know a nation so full of evil as ours is will not be turned around, but is under the wrath of God. I do not hear our new president saying things like; "we must turn from sin toward Christ." He is saying without equivicaiton that we need to work for freedom, prosperity and security, never a mention of God's righteousness.

Isaiah 1:4-5 " 4Alas, O sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children of depravity! They have forsaken the LORD; they have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on Him. 5 Why do you want more beatings? Why do you keep rebelling? Your head has a massive wound, and your whole heart is afflicted.…"

This passage was written to Israel and is applicable to any nation that acts the way it did at that time.

Born-again believers are a remnant in this world, and the preachers expect that remnant to march into the halls and venues of this country and fight to change things? This is ludicrous, not because God cannot work but because we are distracted from the gospel which is the only saving power for any individual.

A nation will not come to Christ because we are fighting against the evils, they will come to Christ by hearing the gospel.

While "Christians" are fighting the evil in the country they are neglecting the gospel to individuals and in my estimation fighting a lost cause that God has ordained for these final days. It is as if they are fighting against the last days prophesies in order to feel like they are "doing something" for God but in reality they are working against God's plan.

In our country right now many Christians are essentially attempting to empty the ocean with a gallon bucked and a tea spoon.

Jeremiah 2:13

“For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living water, and they have dug their own cisterns—broken cisterns that cannot hold water."

What did Christ say to us when He declared these things would happen in the end times? Pay close attention to these words;

Luke 21:28

"28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draws near."

God never said to look all around, look down, look sideways, He said to "look up." Keeping our eyes focused on the truth and looking to Him while we speak the gospel to the remaining few who will listen and to those He sends to us.

Keep looking up, we are going home soon because there are very few left who will listen to the truth.

Group Thinking or the Mind of Christ?

Most people who say they are Christians, who read their bibles and even speak some truths have not trusted in Christ because their allegiance is in the culture in which they live not in Him. They will easily accept psychological teachings that make them feel special and superior while spurning the truth of God to fit into the group-think.

"SAYING" you believe in Christ is far different from actually believing in Him. Truth faith in Christ is to seek Him for truth, not special teachers who will say what we want to hear.

2 Timothy 4:3 "For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires,"

John 14:15-17: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you”.

Those in apostate churches today want to win you to themselves not to Christ. They want to draw you away from the principles of the Bible to adjust to their false doctrine and become one of them. One way they do this is to exclude you and isolate you so that you will become sad and alone, causing you to give up the principles of God to become like them.

Galatians 4:16-17 "…16 Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth? 17 Those people are zealous for you, but not in a good way. Instead, they want to isolate you from us, so that you may be zealous for them. "

When we refuse to be courted by them these apostates will attempt to make us jealous of them so that we will give up the wisdom of God to return to them.

When we have Christ and walk with Him daily we have no need to be accepted by others, but those who hate us want us to think we are without love and companionship unless we are just like them.

Jealousy is at the root of all the nefarious interactions with apostates.

'Proverbs 6:34 “Jealousy makes a man rage; he'll show no mercy on his day of revenge.”

Proverbs 14:30 “A peaceful mind gives life to the body, but jealousy rots the bones.”

Proverbs 27:4 “Wrath is cruel and anger is a flood, but who can withstand jealousy?”

The biggest sins of the devil were pride and jealousy. He wanted to be God, these two elements go hand in hand, they feed off of one another. One is not jealous unless they are also prideful and one is not prideful unless they are also jealous.

Gossip is always present when there is jealousy and pride involved. One does not feel a need to gossip to gain the allegiance of others against someone unless there is jealousy. The need to cause others to dislike someone always stems from prideful jealousy.

James 3:14-17

14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.

15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.

16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.

17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, free of hypocrisy."

Notice the love of God compels us to regard everyone the same treating everyone with respect not only those who might be regarded as special.

The prideful heart feels justified in treating with contempt those who have different gifts from themselves. They hate anyone who is not just like them.

James 3:13-15 "13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good conduct, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast in it or deny the truth. 15 Such wisdom does not come from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.…"

There can be no humility in one who regards some people and diminishes others. Christ died for all and we are no better than anyone else and no one else is better than us.

We have all fallen short of the glory of God and needed a Savior. Those who have no appreciation, love and understanding or affection for those they think are beneath them are not walking in the Spirit of Christ.

Romans 8:8-9

"Those who are in the flesh cannot please God, but those who are in the Spirit can. If the Spirit of God dwells in you, you are in the Spirit and not in the flesh."

Romans 8:10

"If Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness."

Romans 8:9-17

"9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.

10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.

11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—

13 for if you are living in accord with the flesh, you are going to die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons and daughters of God.

15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”

16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,

17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him."

If we walk in the Spirit we will not live according to pride and jealousy but according to the fruit of the Spirit of Christ.

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."

The character qualities of Christ Who lives in us are what compel us to act the way He would want us to act, not by our own efforts but by His Spirit.

They Know But Hide it from those they Wish to Impress

We know the narcissist knows their ill-treatment of certain people is wrong. We know it because they only do it covertly to those they disrespect. They hide it from those they wish to deceive into believing they are a good person.

We know the narcissist understands the wickedness of their attitude and actions because they work to win to themselves others they think they can influence to dislike their target.

If they had an innocent heart they would not feel a need to cause others to dislike their target.

2 Timothy 3:13

"13 But evil people and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived."

Just like Satan people cannot be alone in their hatred toward those they wish to destroy.

2 Corinthians 6 "6 And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain—

2 for He says,

“At a favorable time I listened to you,

And on a day of salvation I helped you.”

Behold, now is “a favorable time,” behold, now is “a day of salvation”—

3 giving no reason for taking offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited,

4 but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in difficulties,

5 in beatings, in imprisonments, in mob attacks, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger,

6 in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love,

7 in the word of truth, and in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left,

8 by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; regarded as deceivers and yet true;

9 as unknown and yet well known, as dying and yet behold, we are alive; as punished and yet not put to death,

10 as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing and yet possessing all things.

11 Our mouth has spoken freely to you, you Corinthians, our heart is opened wide.

12 You are not restrained by us, but you are restrained in your own affections.

13 Now in the same way in exchange—I am speaking as to children—open wide your hearts to us, you as well.

14 Do not be mismatched with unbelievers; for what do righteousness and lawlessness share together, or what does light have in common with darkness?

15 Or what harmony does Christ have with Belial, or what does a believer share with an unbeliever?

16 Or what agreement does the temple of God have with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said,

“I will dwell among them and walk among them;

And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

17 Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord.

“And do not touch what is unclean;

And I will welcome you.

18 And I will be a father to you,

And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,”

Says the Lord Almighty."

Hallelujah!

Don't Fight with a Narcissist - Let God Handle It! #TrustGod #DealingWit...

Context is Everything

It is vitally important that we read the entire context of any principle or concept in the Bible to get the entire understanding. Confession of sin and forgiveness are two sides to the same coin, both must be present for any relationship to be restored. Just as our relationship with Christ is not restored without repentance, the example for our human relationships too.

The idea that we need not confess our sins one to another, that we forgive for ourselves is foolishness. We confess and forgive for the sake of a relationship restoration, not merely so we feel better but that a relationship is restored. When this happens properly as God intended the relationship becomes stronger.

Because people are encouraged to overlook confessing and go straight to forgiveness has made weak and fragile relationships. It has also distorted the churches view of the need for confession of sin toward God so that our relationship with Him becomes stronger. In the case of non-believers, many think God forgives automatically without the need to ask His forgiveness to be cleansed of sin.

James 5:15-16 "…15 And the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick. The Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail."

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.”

Do not overlook the phrases in this passage; "Confess your sins to one another", and If returns to say 'I repent', you must forgive Him."

If someone has offended another person and refuses to confess it and does not desire the restoration of the relationship they are stubborn and self-willed, their attitudes and actions will not change leaving the relationship in a constant state of distrust.

We cannot trust those who think their offenses are justified, they will always re-offend without remorse.

This is not to say that we are justified in returning evil for evil, this would be to become just like the offender. The devil loves more than anything to cause a righteous person to sin against those who have harmed us. We must bless those who curse us when in their company but we are not obligated to remain friends with those who treat us contemptuously.

Christ endured the hatred of many but never sinned against those who sinned against Him.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

"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 [a]keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

We must show others the respect they didn't show us, this is what sets us apart from those who do not love Christ.

Matthew 5:44

"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;"

Remember there is a difference between treating others with respect and being in a relationship with them.

1 Corinthians 15:33 "Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”

We are to expose sin as led by the Holy Spirit and remove ourselves from those who will not repent.

"John 8:44

"You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies."