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Grief – Suffering All Will Endure – Pt. 5 Stages of Grief / Stage 4

In Advice, Agape Love, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Depression, Encouragement, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Loss, Love, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Spiritual Fruit, Suffering, Truth, Uncategorized on March 5, 2015 at 11:08 am

In stage four of grief people begin to feel various forms of physical distress or illness this is the physical symptoms stage.

The inward depression and unresolved emotional turmoil begins to manifest in physical symptoms of illness brought on by the distress the person is experiencing. If the loss is due to the death of another individual, the person may manifest the physical symptoms that were connected with the individual’s death. Fears of various illnesses abound during this stage. This is the innermost parts of the griever crying out to be with or join the deceased person.

If the individual is grieving over another form of loss that is not associated with someone’s death their grief may manifest in symptoms of panic attacks, believing they are gravely ill in some manner, physical exhaustion, chest pains, headaches, et cetera this is their body responding to the unresolved emotions of grief, anger, frustration, fear, and so forth. For people suffering this type of grief these symptoms could well continue until they resolve their feeling over the loss. Some individuals suffer from panic attacks, exhaustion, or migraine headaches for years due to unresolved issues in their lives.

The best and really only help for this stage of the grief process is for the person to understand the grief process and realize that their symptoms are an emotional response that is manifesting in a physical response to some degree. Although the symptoms appear real to the griever they are not actually having a heart attack or developing cancer.

For those helping the grieving person the best thing to do is not to encourage the concerns the griever has over their physical symptoms but instead to remind them that it is an emotional response caused by distress and exhort them not exasperate the situation by entertaining the physical symptoms as anything about which to be overly concerned. If the griever persist in manifesting physical symptoms those around him or her should encourage the grieving person to go to their doctor for a physical checkup to ensure they are in fact fine and disease or illness free.

In the next part of this series, part six, we will examine stage five of grief.

 

 

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

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Grief – Suffering All Will Endure – Pt. 4 Stages of Grief / Stage 3

In Advice, Agape Love, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Depression, Encouragement, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Loss, Love, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Spiritual Fruit, Suffering, Truth, Uncategorized on February 27, 2015 at 1:07 pm

In stage three of grief people begin to feel various forms of despair this is the depression stage.

The depression that comes with loss is situational depression or depression that is based in circumstances not depression derived from diet, disorder, chemical changes, et cetera. Depression is very natural during the grieving process.

Once the emotional release has passed, the deep pain, sorrow, and/or anger the person has felt, will turn inward and manifest in the form of depression. This depression is accompanied by a deep sense of loneliness and feelings of isolation. If the depression is deep enough, it can produce fears that one is going insane and/or problems with a sense of panic. The person is now in the utter depths of despair.

Those around the grieving person will soon realize that the griever feels there is no help or hope for them. They will push people away despite the fact that they also know and feel they need people. Therefore, one day they may shut you out and the next day want you around. For the person grieving these feelings are confusing and for the people surrounding the grieving person who desires to love and help them this behavior can be confusing and frustrating. Both parties need to realize and remind themselves regularly that these feels are quite normal, yet; both parties should have concern if the depression is denied or not dealt with properly.

This is the stage where a person should seek to move their way out of the grief and into new life and those around the griever should begin to encourage that slowly and gently. However, typically a grieving person will have to go through a few more stages of grief, about five, before they begin truly to move out of depression.

This is why there is debate over whether or not there are ten or five stages of grief. One theory of thought is that the next five stages of grief are not separate stages but are a part of the depression stage. People have to deal with the various emotional issues individually to truly work through them therefore, I subscribe to the ten stages of grief theory and do not lump all the emotional issues into the depression stage.

At this point, it is wise for the grieving person to attempt as much as possible to resume or continue in their normal routine and actives even when they find it most difficult to do so. Clearly, they cannot go to work if they cannot control their emotions to a significant degree, as one cannot sit at their desk cry openly all day. However, one can go to work and once or twice throughout the day slip into the restroom for five minutes when they are in such pain that the tears must flow. Likewise they should continue to go the church, even if they are angry with God and do not want to be there. They should continue to attend their gym or exercise classes as exercise is a physical combatant of depression. If they are active in clubs and organization, they should go as often as possible. Activities as insignificant as getting up each day at their regular time, dressing fully, eating regularly, and tending to their surroundings are vital for the grieving person. It is imperative that they not stop the routines of life for very long because doing so can result in worsening depressing. One must get up and continue on with life while in the mist of their grief.

If you as the griever find yourself bombarded with well meaning people who ask you repeated how you are doing, what you have been feeling, or where you are at with the loss each time you go to work, church, or your social groups I have a solution for you. Kindly and with respect let them know that you are aware they are concerned for you and care about you but you are trying to keep it together and go about your normal routine and it is made more difficult by them asking questions each time they see you. Then tell them you would welcome their expressions of concern perhaps once a week or so but not each time you see them. Godly boundaries are a healthy and necessary part of life.

While the griever is in the depression stage those that love them should spend time with them, invite them out, go over to visit them, et cetera. Do all that you can to ensure that you do not allow the grieving person to isolate her or himself. However, balance this act of love and kindness with making sure you do not overwhelm them with obligations. Also do not ask them how they are or about their loss each time you see them. Trust me they are not doing well so why ask every single time you are in their presence. Just be there, spend time with them, and encourage them to go and do things with you. I also realize a depressed person can be a bit of wet blanket but dig down deep in your spirit and pull out some of that agape love, love in action, Jesus was famous for and commands us to have for one another.

In the next part of this series, part five, we will examine stage four of grief.

 

 

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

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Grief – Suffering All Will Endure – Pt. 3 Stages of Grief / Stage 2

In Advice, Agape Love, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Encouragement, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Loss, Love, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Suffering, Truth, Uncategorized on February 20, 2015 at 9:16 am

In stage two of grief people begin to feel the impact of their loss this is the emotional release stage.

During the emotional release stage of grief, people begin to come out of their state of shock and the emotions that have been building up inside of them begin to emerge. These emotions can emerge in both a verbal and physical manner. The release of the emotions in both manners can be healthy but most assuredly care should be taken to ensure the safety of the individual grieving, other people, and/or someone’s personal property. People’s reactions emotionally can vary widely therefore, they must be carefully monitored during this period.

The griever during this stage is beginning to feel the dreadful loss they have suffered. Expressing or releasing these feeling is far better than trying to repress them.

For those monitoring a grieving person they must realize that this is a process the individual must go through and attempts to keep them calm or distract them from their feelings is not helping them. When one Christian watches another Christian release the anger, frustration, pain, sorrow and/or distress inside of them, perhaps blaming the person who has been lost or people attached to the loss, this can be a very difficult thing to watch. Someone may find himself or herself watching an individual they have always known to be godly now perhaps blame God, yell, scream, or simply appear to fall apart emotionally. Please know that your godly friend or loved one is still inside that person and that what you are watching is emotional pain and nothing more.

The best thing a godly person can do for someone in this stage of grief is to allow them to vent their emotions provided they are not hurting themselves, others, or someone’s personal property. Be nearby and avail bile but allow the individual to go through this process. This emotional process may require a series of emotional outburst over the course of time. One single emotional outburst most likely will not mean the end of this stage of grief for most people. Be as patient, kind, and loving as possible while also taking care of your own safety and emotional health.

Emotional release is so important that some hospitals have now provided what they call “screaming rooms” which offer a person in grief somewhere safe to go and vent their feeling.

In the next part of this series, part four, we will examine stage three of grief.

 

 

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

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Grief – Suffering All Will Endure – Pt. 2 Stages of Grief / Stage 1

In Advice, Agape Love, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, Encouragement, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Loss, Love, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Rhema Words, Spiritual Remnant, Suffering, Truth on February 13, 2015 at 8:04 am

There is one school of belief that states there are five stages of grief and there is another school of belief that maintains there are ten stages of grief. I believe ten stages to be much more reasonable and realistic.

The first stage of grief is shock, that sense of disbelief and bewilderment.

During the “shock stage” of grief, much of the mind, soul, and emotional functioning shuts down to a certain degree to insulate itself from something it finds too unbearable. While in the stage of shock the mind and soul is able to comprehend slowly the reality of the situation with which the person is faced. This slow process is in my belief a form of God’s protection as He adjusts the person’s spirit and overall being to their new circumstances. God created mankind’s bodies and He knows there is only so much emotional (soul) pain a person can endure without becoming mentally derailed completely, so He provided the state of shock.

Shock happens regardless of whether or not someone expected the loss to take place, such as in the case of the death of a loved one who has been ill for a long time with a terminal illness or in the case of a divorce that one has known was inevitable for a long time. Just because someone has the knowledge that something is going to happen does not mean his or her minds are prepared for the reality of the loss once it actually takes place.

Denial kicks in pretty quickly after a loss takes place and can last for a long period of time. It is hard for someone to grasp fully that a relationship is over, a dream is gone, or someone they have loved dearly is dead. This is when the sense of unreality takes place and the person begins to feel numb or numbness about the situation. This emotional and mental numbness can last for hours, days, weeks, or sadly, in some cases it drags on for years, which is very mentally and emotionally dangerous.

Not being able to fully grasp or face the full enormity of a loss is God’s anesthetic against the pain of overwhelming loss. Therefore shock is a stage of grief people should welcome and allow other individuals to fully experience in order to process their loss in a healthy manner. The best thing a godly person can do for someone in the early stages of shock is not to overwhelm them with questions, requests, or smothering comfort. Being close by, available, keeping an eye out for the person to assure they do not wonder into danger, and praying for the person, for them not with them as they might not be equipped or prepared to pray initially, is the best course of action in these early stages of shock.

As stated earlier long-term shock can be very unhealthy mentally and emotionally. Therefore, in the case of long-term shock or mental and emotional numbness that has gone on for months or years the best thing a godly person can for an individual in this situation is to urge them to seek godly counsel so they can deal with their unhealthy state of denial and move on.

In the next part of this series, we will address stage two of grief.

 

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

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Grief – Suffering All Will Endure – Pt. 1 What is grief?

In Advice, Agape Love, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, Encouragement, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Loss, Love, Prophet, Prophetess, Spiritual Remnant, Suffering, Truth, Uncategorized on February 4, 2015 at 4:31 pm

If there was ever anyone, who understood the pain of loss and what it meant to struggle with grief it was Job, from the Book of Job in the Bible. Job was a man who lost everything but his faith in the One True God.

As we explore what the word “grief” actually means and how it is defined by various sources, we will reference some verses from the Book of Job. In another part of the series, we will glean what we can learn about grief and how to handle grief from these same verses.

Job 2:13 (NKJV)

So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great.

Job 6:2 (NKJV)

“Oh, that my grief were fully weighed,

And my calamity laid with it on the scales!

Job 16:5 (NKJV)

But I would strengthen you with my mouth,

And the comfort of my lips would relieve your grief.

Job 16:6 (NKJV)

“Though I speak, my grief is not relieved;

And if I remain silent, how am I eased?

Please take note of the various underlined terms or words within the definitions provided below. You will find my notes in italic font.

Grief per the Hebrew language as found in the above verses from the Book of Job.

3511. כְּאֵב ke˒êb, keh-abe’; from 3510; suffering (phys. or ment.), adversity:— grief, pain, sorrow.

3510. כָּאַב kâ˒ab, kaw-ab’; a prim. root; prop. to feel pain; by impl. to grieve; fig. to spoil:— grieving, mar, have pain, make sad (sore), (be) sorrowful.

3707. כָּעַס kâ˓aç, kaw-as’; a prim. root; to trouble; by impl. to grieve, rage, be indignant:— be angry, be grieved, take indignation, provoke (to anger, unto wrath), have sorrow, vex, be wroth.

3708. כַּעַס ka˓aç, kah’-as; or (in Job)

כַּעַשׂ ka˓as, kah’-as; from 3707; vexation:— anger, angry, grief, indignation, provocation, provoking, × sore, sorrow, spite, wrath.

As you pour over the words and terms used in the Hebrew language to define grief it becomes clear that grief can cause a great deal and wide variety of feelings in a person. These feelings may manifest one at a time or several feelings may manifest simultaneously. Because grief involves so many emotions, it can be terribly destructive if the person does not handle their grief correctly or if a person attempts to deny their grief and stifle the grieving process.

Grief per the Merriam-Webster Dictionary

1 obsolete : GRIEVANCE
2 a : deep and poignant distress caused by or as if by bereavement b : a cause of such suffering
3 a : an unfortunate outcome : DISASTER — used chiefly in the phrase come to grief

Grief at its core means something has happened to us that we did not want to have happen, something we often have had little or no control over but not always, there are times when we are a part of producing our own grief.

Grief per the Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary

deep and poignant distress caused by or as if by bereavement; also : a cause of such suffering

Grief per Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

“Grief is a multifaceted response to loss, particularly to the loss of someone or something that has died, to which a bond or affection was formed. Although conventionally focused on the emotional response to loss, it also has physical, cognitive, behavioral, social, spiritual, and philosophical dimensions. While the terms are often used interchangeably, bereavement refers to the state of loss, and grief is the reaction to loss, along with saudade.

Grief is a natural response to loss. It is the emotional suffering one feels when something or someone the individual loves is taken away. Grief is also a reaction to any loss. The grief associated with death is familiar to most people, but individuals grieve in connection with a variety of losses throughout their lives, such as unemployment, ill health or the end of a relationship. Loss can be categorized as either physical or abstract, the physical loss being related to something that the individual can touch or measure, such as losing a spouse through death, while other types of loss are abstract, and relate to aspects of a person’s social interactions.”

Grief affects not only our emotions it can affect how we act, our physical health, how we treat others, our desire to be with people, our spiritual beliefs, and even our life view or course of life. Although grief is a natural response to loss, mismanaged it can lead to various forms of destruction in our lives. People’s destructive behavior can often be traced back to unresolved grief in some area of their life.

In the next part of this series, part two, we will begin to examine the ten stages of grief.

 

 

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

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Grief – Suffering All Will Endure – Introduction

In Advice, Agape Love, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, Encouragement, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Loss, Love, Persecution, Prayer, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Suffering, Truth, Uncategorized on January 31, 2015 at 12:03 pm

People often have a singular view of what grief is and why it manifests. Grief more often than not is associated with the death of a person. Grief however, can manifest over the loss or death of anything or anyone significant in a person’s life.

We suffer grief when someone we have cared for or loved dies. We suffer grief when a relationship that has meant a great deal to us ends. We suffer grief when we realize that long held hope, dream, or goals are not going to come to pass. We suffer grief when we have something meaningful to us, taken away from us through theft, fire, flood, loss, or destruction of any sort. We suffer grief when we lose out on an aspect of childhood we should have had. We suffer grief when through injustice, we are cheated out of an opportunity, a promotion, or the ability to be all God meant for us to be.

There are so many forms of grief that most assuredly should we live very long we shall all endure grief in some form. Sadly, too many people do not recognize that they are going through grief, especially if it is a situation where the grief is caused by something other than someone death. People who are dealing with a death often fall into the trap of believing, they should be getting better long before they actually will get better. However, the deepest waves of grief often come long after the loss.

Through this series we explore what grief actually is, how it manifest, some myths about grief, tips for managing grief while it works its way through its natural process, the stages of grief (some believe there are five stages other ascribe to the idea there are ten stages), and how to recover from grief and press on with life in a healthy way.

How we respond to grief and how willing we are to deal with our grief appropriately will determine to some degree how long it will last. I have seen people linger in grief over things that have happened to them for years and years without dealing with the grief. I have also seen people who have lost someone dearly to them embrace their grief wholeheartedly and plow through it in little time at all, comparatively speaking.

I will leave this introduction brief and in part one we will explore the actually meaning of grief according to the Bible, psychology, and other sources.

 

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

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Life Choices

In Advice, Agape Love, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, Encouragement, Exhortation, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Love, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Truth, Uncategorized on January 1, 2015 at 4:12 pm

Proverb 5:15 –

"Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well."

Thoughts shared by another…

This seems to be about drawing from one’s own prosperity and not letting one’s resources be drained by sin – whether that is spiritual, physical or other kinds of resources.

Good thought.

The earlier parts of the chapter are about listening to instruction and correction so as to not be dragged away by immorality, the immoral woman, and to avoid having one’s life and prosperity eaten away.

Yes, the wisdom of those who have gone before us can help us learn so we do not have to make as many mistakes in life.

So it seems to me the message is about keeping one’s livelihood intact.

Yes, it is in a way….but one must ask what is a person’s definition of livelihood – we would find many different answers.

…vitality and prosperity follow obedience.

My thoughts…

Proverbs 5:15-20 to some degree must be taken together and most definitely in context to those verses and the chapter. We will focus in on verse 15 and 16 together. Those two verses fall in the category of Scripture with the Law of Double Reference, which means it has a spiritual and literal meaning and/or can apply to more than one person or group of people in more than one way.

Proverbs 5:15–16 (NKJV)

15 Drink water from your own cistern,

And running water from your own well.

16 Should your fountains be dispersed abroad,

Streams of water in the streets?

Verses 15 and 16 are about:

a) covetousness [When taken with the verses that follow.]

b) reaping what one sows [When taken with the preceding verses.]

c) consequence of sin or ungodly actions – tarnished fruit [When taken with both the previous and later verses as well as the overall context of the chapter.]

Looking deeper into the meaning of the Hebrew words involved in these two verses, you can see the tone and intent of their meaning.

You will find my notes in [brackets] woven within the definitions.

Vs. 15 – (KJV/AV) “Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.”

“waters” = water [meaning the outpouring or flow]; by euphemism urine, semen: — + piss, wasting [with implications for two different application 1 – martial adultery and 2 – the disgusting results of sin and ungodly actions.] course [course of life], flood [problems of life], spring [results of actions, the outpouring of our actions.]

“out of thine own cistern” = bore [Many of the holes we find ourselves in throughout life we dug for ourselves.] a pit hole – espec. one used as a cistern or a prison: — cistern, dungeon, [Our own choices build our personal prisons in life.] fountain [The foundation of our life is based primarily upon the choices we have made.] pit, well.

“and running waters” and “thine own well” [Both share the same meaning in the Hebrew.] = to drip, or shed by trickling: — distil, drop, flood, cause to flow or a flowing, gush out, melt, pour down, running water, stream. [That flow of life choices day in and day out that make up our lives – choices that are either godly or ungodly, God’s Will or not God’s Will.]

Vs.16 – (KJV/AV) “Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.”

“Let thy fountains” = as a denominative in the sense of a spring; a fountain also collect, figuratively a source of satisfaction [The truth is people derive personal satisfaction from good and evil, godliness and sin, positive and negative actions, doing God’s Will and doing their own will.] :— fountain, spring, well.

“be dispersed” = a prim. root; to dash in pieces, lit. or fig. espec. to disperse: — break, dash, shake into pieces, cast abroad, disperse selves, drive, retire, scatter abroad, spread abroad. [We can often choose to destroy the ungodliness in our lives or have our lives destroyed by the ungodliness as we are dashed to pieces upon the destructive rocks of our own life choices.]

Therefore in these verses we are told to desire what we have and be content with what we have, either relationally, materially, position-ally, etc. and not covet what another person has because that will only lead us to sin and that sin will bring havoc into our lives.

It also tells us that we will reap what we sow, that sin leads to consequences, personal imprisonment, and a flood of problems in life, that our choices make up our lives, and that it is primarily our own choices that dig the holes we find ourselves struggling to get out of in life.

We lose what really satisfies us when we begin to go after what another has, our own will, the things of the world, and sin.

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

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Discipleship

In Advice, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Encouragement, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Spiritual Remnant, Uncategorized on December 15, 2014 at 1:52 pm

Monday, December 15, 2014

At various times I have been approached by various people who have sought to understand the things of God in a deeper way and learn to apply those things specifically to their everyday life. Helping someone to do this is call discipleship. I was reminded yesterday of the importance of this spiritual discipline. I had scaled back on the number of people I disciple/mentor over the last year after some trying experiences.

Nevertheless…People are hungry for someone to give into their lives and if it is within a spiritual leader’s power and ability through Christ to give, we should.

This blog has been an avenue through which people have been able to connect with me for help and instruction in the things of God. I also ride around in a car that has the website’s address to this blog on the side and the trunk of it, which God has used to has prompt total strangers to walk up to me seeking help with the things of God. Therefore, once again, I wanted to allow God to use it to reach those individuals searching for someone willing to walk the godly spiritual road with them.

Due to some current and upcoming changes in my ministry schedule at the turn of the new year I will have five opening for new people seeking someone to disciple/mentor them. Whether you live locally or far away, we can manage it together. If you live locally, we will handle things via email, phone calls, texts, and in person meetings. If you live far away, we will handle things via email, phone calls, and text. Either way together, we will make the time to learn how Christ wishes us to live our lives, His Will for us, and explore His Purpose for you specifically.

If you are seeking someone to help you in this manner, through discipleship/mentoring, then I encourage you to contact me and we shall see if we are a godly fit as a disciple/protégé and teacher/mentor. You may send me a comment through the comment link below or if you are someone who reads this blog regularly and sought me out in the past, when I did not have the availability, I encourage you to email, text, or call me – this may just be the right time now.

 

 

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

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Man and the Prophet / Part 5

In Bible, Biblical Principles, Exhortation, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Persecution, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Truth, Uncategorized on October 21, 2014 at 6:20 am

Throughout this series if the solitary word Prophet is used it is meant to include both the male prophet and the female prophetess whose roles as mouthpieces for God are interchangeable.

Bottom line, the prophets felt I presented how they are without presenting the other side of the coin – how people treat them and why. Therefore, through this series, I am addressing those concerns and the questions associated with those concerns.

Question Summary:

‘As a prophet I find myself surprised that people fear me. A prophet wants the will of God, which should never be feared. I have friends who have had similar experiences. So, why do the people fear the prophets?’

Response:

I touched on this lightly in the first series but I will elaborate a bit more. I want to make it clear that the fact that people fear prophets or those individual upon whom a prophetic spirit rest is not because the prophet has done anything wrong in God’s eyes or done anything of which people should be fearful.

First let me state what should be obvious to a prophet; not all people want God’s Will. People seem to fear God’s Will but they do so because they lack understanding regarding how much God loves them and how His Will for them is their “ideal” life, even if they do not recognize it as such at first glance. Prophets always point people toward Jesus and God’s Will therefore to be in the presence of a prophet is to be confronted with God’s Will, which we have established that people often fear, thus they associate the two, the Will of God and the prophet, this equals fear of the prophet.

Prophets and those upon whom a prophetic spirit rest are very humble but they are also very passionate about the things of God, they are headstrong (in a good way) when it comes to God’s Will, and they are vocal about sin, God’s Will, life, et cetera as God leads; put all of that together and you have a dynamic in your face passionate fireball for God and that kind of passion scares some people. Hence, this can also cause people to fear prophets.

Generally speaking, it is almost impossible to hide things from a prophet. They often do not talk about or confront a person with the things they know about them, their life, or their circumstances – they tend to pick their battles, so to speak. This knowledge, given by the revelation of God, becomes evident if a person is around a prophet enough and that scares people.

Taking that a step further, people fear prophets because of their own wrong motives for engaging them. As I wrote in another piece in the previous series, ‘A prophet can see into the spirits of people most of the time and therefore, he or she is often aware of the wrong motives of people.’

This leads me to my next point. People fear prophets because people know that prophets can see into their spirits. Honestly, who wants his or her spirit laid bare for someone to see? Not many. Therefore, the fear produced by this aspects of the prophet’s revelatory gifts is, for lack of a better way to put it, a natural consequence of the calling and the gifts associated with the prophets or those upon whom the spirit of prophecy rest.

Lastly, if people have engaged prophets or those upon whom a prophetic spirit rest in the past and not responded to them appropriately there might have been some less than pleasant consequences to their behavior, I wrote about this in part four, and therefore this can produce fear for the person when they interact with prophets or those upon whom a prophetic spirit rest. This is not the fault of the prophet it is the fault of the person who chose to respond, or not respond, as they should have responded.

This should have given you more insight into why prophets, prophetess, and those upon whom a prophetic spirit rest are unjustly feared.

I wish to remind the readers that these are not simply my own beliefs this series is a collection of agreed upon beliefs by many respected servants of God, highly versed in this topic.

 

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

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Man and the Prophet / Part 2

In Advice, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Encouragement, End Times, Exhortation, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Persecution, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Truth, Uncategorized on October 10, 2014 at 1:08 pm

Throughout this series if the solitary word Prophet is used it is meant to include both the male prophet and the female prophetess whose roles as mouthpieces for God are interchangeable.

Bottom line, the prophets felt I presented how they are without presenting the other side of the coin – how people treat them and why. Therefore, through this series, I am addressing those concerns and the questions associated with those concerns.

Question Summary:

I was asked for confirmation that prophets are often treated by the world and some religious systems as having some form of disorder or mental illness because they hear God and see vision with regularity.

The feeling is that the prophets are not treated fairly or viewed accurately.

Response:

This is by far people’s greatest concern and therefore I am addressing it first.

Let me start by acknowledging that the prophets are not treated fairly or viewed accurately by the world system and some religious systems. However, if you are a prophet I would say to you, ‘Toughen up and trust God!’ you are going to have to do both in order to survive and thrive as a prophet. For that matter, this includes any of you who are a prophetic person or have a prophetic spirit upon you.

Should the prophet be chary about how they present their gifts to the world and even the church? I say they absolutely should. They must clearly distinguish between a worldly view that would label the hearing of voices as schizophrenia and seeing things as delusions thus always giving context to what they hear and see. When properly presented, intelligently, as spiritual gifts, not mental abnormalities, most prophets have been able to keep clear of the grip of psychiatry, which has greatly damaged America. One must be willing however to be clear and address the matter openly or else they will be misunderstood. Hiding will not work; you must confront situations at times.

Now on a personal note, let me assure each of you of one Truth. If you are on God’s side of the situation God will protect you, not matter what and I mean I that; I have lived it and I know for a fact that it is true. Now understand me, He may not keep you out of the scrape or keep you from encountering persecution but I promise you if you stay within His Will He will protect and deliver you from the situation and when He is done, He will have given you an experience He intends to use to build up other people and glorify Him. You must trust Him however, you must!

I wrote in a previous piece in the last series, “All too often what some view as a mental abnormality or disorder is actually a higher spiritual order.” There is a life beyond this one. There is a Creator communicating with this world and His creation. God is at work each day within the world and within the lives of people who know Him and those who do not know Him. Spiritual forces both godly and evil are at work everywhere you go. This is why a prophetic person and/or prophets will walk into a public place or even someone’s home and immediately become disturbed, angry, agitated, sad, etc. These are all part of the “higher spiritual order” and connecting the dots, interceding, and interacting within that spiritual order is not something most people embrace or are capable of doing. Therefore, for those prophetic people out there, those upon whom the prophetic spirit rest, and the prophets out there – don’t expect the people to understand this higher spiritual order just spread the Light of God and present Truth where you can.

Whether you are a prophetic person, someone upon whom the prophetic spirit rest or a prophet you must remember with all humility that when you get to a certain place with the Lord there will be fewer people who will be able to relate to you. Prophets are so humble inside that as a result when they are immature in their calling they do not realize this is what is happening to them, that this is why people are pulling back, steering clear, et cetera or why they are often misunderstood.

Because the prophet is attempting in all circumstances to present God’s Will for the present situation and in so doing he or she is seeking to obtain an answer from mankind for God’s questions of them this leaves them continually presenting challenges to people. All too often, these challenges go unmet by the individual, yet, it is still the prophet’s responsibility to present them and in so doing the people begin to associate the prophet with a continually reminder that they are not living up to all God desires for them.

I mentioned in a previous piece in the last series that people have this dynamic backward, when I wrote, ‘The prophet is attempting in all circumstances to present God’s Will for the a situation and in so doing he or she is seeking to obtain an answer from mankind for God’s questions of them.’ Then I challenged the reader with the statement. “Some people have that second point backwards – – think on that for a moment.”

People often seek God for answers or even demand answers from God otherwise they will…, they will not…, and so forth; but in Truth it is God who has a holy right to demand answers from us!

I wish to remind the readers that these are not simply my own beliefs this series is a collection of agreed upon beliefs by many respected servants of God, highly versed in this topic.

 

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

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Man and the Prophet / Part 1 – Introduction

In Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, End Times, Exhortation, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Love, Persecution, Prayer, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Truth, Uncategorized on October 6, 2014 at 3:38 pm

Throughout this series if the solitary word Prophet is used it is meant to include both the male prophet and the female prophetess whose roles as mouthpieces for God are interchangeable.

The series that was just completed “The Pesty Moralist – The Prophet” was intended to explain the characteristics of the prophets and the interactions of the prophets with man primarily from the prophet’s side of things. However, it has been brought to my attention that perhaps further explanation is needed on a few points when it comes to “why” people react toward prophets as they do and why people treat prophets as they do. Some people felt I did not explain this as I should have and they were concerned that I might have left people with the impression that all the interactions prophets have that are negative are their own doing or because of their own characteristics, discounting the part man plays by how they treat the prophet or act toward the prophet.

I gathered the input of several people most of whom were prophets or were married to prophets but not all, some were lay people; as a result, I have decided that it is best to proceed with this series and that the best way to proceed is to combine some further input with addressing direct questions, which have been posed. Thank you to each of you; you know who you are, for your input and feedback.

I ended the last series with an addendum, Part 17, which touched on the areas where prophets viewed my one-sided approach as lacking. I fully acknowledge the difficulty it takes to honor the calling of a prophet, for the prophet and for their spouse. The people the prophets must deal with, the carnality within the people, the religious spirits, the demonic spirits, the self-seeking self-serving attitudes, the demands, etc. are more than half of the reason prophets and the people are at odds with one another.

Prophets are use to acceptance without explanation, aka faith, their relationship with God is based on that Truth. This played a key role in why my approach was only from the perspective of the prophet’s behavior, demeanor, and/or actions. What I am being called upon to address, will bring balance, showing the other side of the situation, the people’s behavior, demeanor, and/or actions toward the prophet that creates and affects the prophet’s behavior, demeanor, and/or actions leading to them being misunderstood.

The “why” factor has so many answers when it comes to the following two statements. 1] The prophets and prophetess suffer from being misunderstood, disliked, and ill-treated by people. 2] They endure great hostility directed toward them from both the world and the church. I will address some of those whys, from the other side of the coin – man’s actions toward or reactions to the prophets, for my brothers and sisters through this short series in a way that honors them and their calling. However, I would like to end this introduction with a simple, yet, wise statement from a prophet friend.

quote – “In all my many years of trying to protect myself from getting hurt or trying not to hurt others, not once did God tell me anything more than that many do not understand. He didn’t explain details as to why.”

“The Truth is that God loves us, Jesus was persecuted so shall we be, and people fear what they don’t understand.” – end quote

I wish to remind the readers that these are not simply my own beliefs this series is a collection of agreed upon beliefs by many respected servants of God, highly versed in this topic.

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

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The Pesty Moralist – The Prophet / Part 17 – Addendum

In Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, End Times, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Truth, Uncategorized on September 10, 2014 at 1:14 pm

Throughout this series if the solitary word Prophet is used it is meant to include both the male prophet and the female prophetess whose roles as mouthpieces for God are interchangeable.

It was brought to my attention more than once that perhaps in the conclusion of this series I only represented one side of why prophets and prophetess suffer from being misunderstood, disliked, and ill-treated by people, which leads to a form of loneliness for them.

What I commented on was from the perspective of the prophet’s behavior, demeanor, and/or actions. What I am being called upon to address, in order to bring balance, it the other side of the situation, the people’s behavior, demeanor, and/or actions toward the prophet that creates and affects the prophet’s behavior, demeanor, and/or actions leading to them being misunderstood. I am more than willing to acknowledge those aspects of the situation as well.

Yes, there are people who attach themselves to or seek out the prophets for their own gain and wrong motives. Yes, there are people who seek to advance themselves on the backs of the prophets or the skirt tails of the prophetess. Yes, there are people who seek to hang out with, be around, or befriend prophets in order to elevate their perceived spiritual status in the eyes of other people. Yes, people continually seek prophets out so that the prophet will seek God for them instead of seeking God for themselves, thus the people attempt to misuse or inappropriately use the gifts and callings of God; not to mention they “think” they can blame the prophet if things do not work out. What they forget is that God will deliberately confuse their steps if they attempt to seek a prophet’s counsel with ill motives. Yes, there are people who in general attempt to use the prophets.

A prophet can see into the spirits of people most of the time and therefore, he or she is often aware of the wrong motives of these types of people. The prophet may choose not address this matter in order to advance the spiritual maturity of the person partaking in such despicable behavior and do not fool yourself; to the prophet it is despicable behavior. However, on another note the prophet may actually choose to address this ungodly behavior if he or she believes confronting it at any point and time would better serve the person’s long-term spiritual development. When and how to address these types of people has to be an individual call of discernment for each prophet.

The prophets’ awareness of these types of people and the actions they take to avoid these types of situations does in fact make the prophets unpopular, disliked, talked about or ill-treated, etc. which leads at times to a form of melancholy and loneliness. A side note here – It is very dangerous to talk about, try to discredit, or ill-treat a prophet. God has made it clear in His Word He wants no harm done to His prophets. People who attack or talk about prophets often have something “bad” happen to them shortly afterwards. The prophets confronting these individuals of course adds to their “issues” with people, for lack of a better away to put the matter. Prophets in general have continual problems when certain people given to this type of ungodly behavior and often seek to avoid such people whenever possible without denying what God wishes them to do for the group or individual.

So no, it is not always the prophet – my apologizes if I put too much of the responsibility on the prophet or prophetess – the people the prophets must deal with, the carnality within the people, the religious spirits, the demonic spirits, the self-seeking self-serving attitudes, the demands, etc. are more than half of the reason prophets and the people are at odds with one another.

Again, my apologizes if I seemed unsympathetic to what the prophets go through, that was never my intent. I fully understand and can completely identify with with how difficult the calling can be for all prophets.

I wish to remind the readers that these are not simply my own beliefs this series is a collection of agreed upon beliefs by many respected servants of God, highly versed in this topic.

 

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

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The Pesty Moralist – The Prophet / Part 15

In Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Love, Persecution, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Truth, Uncategorized on September 1, 2014 at 8:15 am

Throughout this series if the solitary word prophet is used it is meant to include both the male prophet and the female prophetess whose roles as mouthpieces for God are interchangeable.

The most exceptional mark of the prophet’s manner is their awareness of being one with God in a very deep intimate fellowship, not a fusion – as God is God and man is man. God in all His Godhead approaches the prophet in a manner they can relate to, God as God and the prophet as the person the prophet is. In this way, the Divine can communicate with the created, with His called, with His mouthpiece in a way the prophet can understand. The prophet’s personal identity does not vanish instead the prophet gains power under the overwhelming impact of the communication from God, even when the message is disturbing to the prophet. The prophet is often even responsive to God during these times. The prophet will react to the Word he or she receives.

When God does approach the prophet, there is an awareness of a personal mission to a particular person or group of people.

Whereas prophecy is in a manner a vocation, one that exhibits charisma and comes through election, it presupposes neither training nor the gradual development of a talent. It comes entirely by an act of God’s grace. Prophecy and the job of the prophets is to communicate the insight of God inspired within them. The purpose of God’s communion with the prophet is to bring about righteousness, justice, and piety within people, the Body of Christ, and society. The prophet receives the Word and proclaims the Word.

You can spot a mystical act as not being true prophesy. A mystical act is when “something” happens and a prophetic act is when something is said. Prophecy is a confrontation. The prophet definitely knows what his or her Word implies but they do not elaborate with their views. Their primary concern is the message and not the form of delivery.

A difference between the prophet and ordinary people is the possession of a heightened and unified awareness of certain aspect of life.

I wish to remind the readers that these are not simply my own beliefs this series is a collection of agreed upon beliefs by many respected servants of God, highly versed in this topic.

 

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

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The Pesty Moralist – The Prophet / Part 14

In Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Prayer, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Remnant, Truth, Uncategorized on August 25, 2014 at 4:03 pm

Throughout this series if the solitary word prophet is used it is meant to include both the male prophet and the female prophetess whose roles as mouthpieces for God are interchangeable.

It should be noted that in prophets the gift of prophecy and the gift of exhortation are typically present, along with Words of Knowledge, which is a form or aspect of prophecy and Words of Wisdom, which is a form or aspect of exhortation. In addition, keep in mind the gift of prophecy is not merely about foretelling the future. Today it operates most often in different areas; say approximately, 80% in various means of operation and perhaps 20% in foretelling. We must always keep in mind that prophets today are not exactly the same as the ancient biblical prophets.

When the prophet is prophesying or exhorting, to those listening the words of the prophet can sound like a roar in the ears of the hearers. In some cases, the prophet may appear in somewhat of a state of frenzy, given to excessive emotionalism but for the prophet in these moments, in their mind and heart, he or she seems to be showing restraint in their view as they are trying to communicate the emotions of the Almighty in the meager idiom of man.

The words of the prophet are not meant to be bitter, though often mistaken as such, nor is the prophet attempting to make the people fearful or excessively alarmed. The prophet is reaching inward, to the spirit and soul, when communicating with the people, attempting to make an inner impact on the hearer. The prophet is merely doing what is necessarily to honor God’s purpose for them. One must never forget that the prophet’s purpose is to be used of God as a voice that moves people to repent, to convert or renew the inner man, to revive devotion to Christ, to love God, self, and/or each other, and to bring reconciliation between Jesus and the hearer.

When examining the intensity and emotions of the prophet, one must keep in mind that the prophet has contained within his or her spirit the love of God and the anger of God, both there, enraptured or en-fevered. The prophet lives in that divine space between divine patience and divine indignation. The infilling of God’s thoughts, emotions, and words creates intense emotion[s] for the prophet especially during the receiving of a Word and/or vision, for they are being moved by God Himself to understand how God views a situation. This causes the excessive passion, perhaps what appears to be nervous energy, superior vigor, amplified strength, increased expression or motor activity, et cetera that one witnesses.

Man often views the anger of God in such a way that it incites fear of pain. However, to God the anger is the pain. Prophets try to express what that anger means but doing so is very difficult – the sorrow, the disillusionment, and the disappointment caused to God by His creation’s (people’s) disloyalty.

I wish to remind the readers that these are not simply my own beliefs this series is a collection of agreed upon beliefs by many respected servants of God, highly versed in this topic.

 

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

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The Pesty Moralist – The Prophet / Part 12

In Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christianity, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Truth, Uncategorized on August 18, 2014 at 6:37 pm

Throughout this series if the solitary word prophet is used it is meant to include both the male prophet and the female prophetess whose roles as mouthpieces for God are interchangeable.

Since the prophets see the world through the eyes of God, they perceive the world in terms of justice or injustice. When it comes to acts of ritual or things of beauty both, when associated with injustice, become an abomination to the prophets. You must remember that the prophet’s preoccupation with injustice and the passion with which they condemn injustice is rooted in their sympathy with God, as they have a divine understanding of God’s heart.

Prophets simply proclaim God’s concern for justice. Divine concern is at the heart of, and the key ingredient, in prophecy. Morality, especially prophetic morality, derives from the Truth that God demands morality and thus prophecy fulfilled is the realization of God’s concern over a moral matter.

The great dilemma is that what seems rational to the prophets seems irrational to the men and women steeped in sin, immorality, worldliness, carnality, and/or denial. Prophets can be some of the best and the worst people you would ever want to know depending on your moral health and your devotion to God.

I wish to remind the readers that these are not simply my own beliefs this series is a collection of agreed upon beliefs by many respected servants of God, highly versed in this topic.

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.