God's Truth In Love

Archive for the ‘Fruits of the Holy Spirit’ Category

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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 16 – Conclusion

In Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Exhortation, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Persecution, Prayer, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Truth, Uncategorized on September 8, 2014 at 7:00 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.

Something I have heard a great deal about is the passion, the attitude, the boldness, the dogmatic nature, the frustration, the intensity, etc. of the prophets. There are those who seem extreme even to me and some call me extreme. Then there are those who barely speak. Then there are those who seem like they are about to become unhinged. People have experienced many different types of prophets and prophetess.

The first point I want to make is that they are not all alike. If you are use to a mild-mannered, for lack of a better term, prophet, which is rare but there are a few, you must keep in mind they are not all that way and you might encounter one that gets a bit excited. If you are use to what I would deem a brutal prophet, thank God those are not the norm either, then you may have been wounded or you might not recognize a prophet who is quite balanced in their approach.

Some people have said that the moods and attitudes of the prophets go from one extreme to another. In my view, this might be true to a small degree. However, those extremes dissipate as the prophet grows and matures thus God brings balance to the living out of their calling. One must know and never forget that God works through the person and that there are parts of the person, the person’s temperament, and the person’s personality that will show through even during prophetic moments.

The prophets do seem to have similar temperaments and thus we find similarities in their demeanor. A reminder here…The temperament is instill by God before birth and is not the same as the personality. God implants a specific temperament in a prophet before birth because God knows that one day He will call that man or woman to the calling of a prophet or prophetess.

There is a theory by Schopenhauer, again as I said previously this is not someone I would typically read but these particular sayings of his are applicable. He believed a life of powerful passion results in abnormal irritability. I would have to agree that this can be true of prophets based on the prophets and prophetess I have known, studied or researched. He also believed that for those who detach from “normal” intelligence to the service of and/or to rely upon something, or for the prophet someone greater, the One True God, for insight, deeper understanding, and greater intelligence beyond what the mind can reason, what I call a God-intelligence; these are people who find themselves often suffering from loneliness and deep melancholy. I also find this to be true of most of the prophets and prophetess I have known.

Why do the prophets have the irritability, the loneliness, and the deep melancholy? Because unless you are a prophet it is extremely hard to understand a prophet and this leaves them vulnerable to being misunderstood, disliked, and often attacked unjustly. The way their mind works, the things in their spirit, the passion that they feel for God, His Will, His Ways, His concerns, etc. is so different from most people’s, even other Believers, it is hard for them to communicate with others. There is more than one reason God said, ‘let the prophets be subject to the prophets’ actually there are several.

1 Corinthians 14:32 (NKJV) And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.

My point here and the application here is that only other prophets are meant to adequately discern the spirit of another prophet, the key being “adequately” or accurately. The second point is that only another prophet can truly understand and relate to a prophet, how they think, what they feel, what life is like for them. Therefore, since you cannot find a prophet on every street corner, or even in every congregation for that matter, the prophets can get a bit melancholy or even lonely at times because they know that people for the most part just don’t get them. Not to mention they endure great hostility directed toward them from both the world and the church.

All too often what some view as a mental abnormality or disorder is actually a higher spiritual order. I threw that one in for the actually prophets who read this, they are about the only ones who will really understand that statement. The prophets have aspects to their demeanor, temperament, and/or personality that are not the average but one cannot draw any conclusions about the individuals overall makeup due to those “aspects” that deviate from what is considered average or typical.

I have heard it said that prophets are professional agitators and are viewed as foreign agents to the world. The prophet is merely attempting in all circumstances to present God’s Will for that situation and in so doing he or she is seeking to obtain an answer from mankind for God’s questions of them. Some people have that second point backwards – – think on that for a moment.

The true prophet or prophetess never seeks the title, it was given to him or her, and once again, the true prophet seeks to make God’s Will known to all that will listen for there is no self-understanding without God-understanding.

I mentioned the following in earlier parts to this series but I wish to mention it again now. The modern-day prophets and the ancient prophets are not exactly the same and whereas they serve similar purposes their purposes overall are not the same. Many years ago God gave me a name that depicts the modern-day prophets with greater understanding and that name is Truth-bearer.

This concludes this series on the prophets and I pray you have been blessed in some way through its words. Thank you for your questions, I have tried to address them all within the context of the series or privately. If I have failed to address something about the prophets and prophetess you would like to know please send me your questions or input and I will attempt to bring greater clarity. Additionally, if you have input regarding a topic for the next series please do let me know.

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 11

In Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, 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 Remnant, Truth, Uncategorized on August 14, 2014 at 7:27 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.

A common theme since I started this series has been comments to the effect of, ‘Thank you so much for this series, I now understand my spouse so much better. It has been hard to connect with how they think and their passions but this series has helped me understand them in a deeper way.’

I thank you for your comments and I encourage each one of you who has a prophet or prophetess for a spouse to pray fervently and often for your spouse. They need your love and prayers daily in order to continue in their call. Also, if your spouse is new to their call or for whatever reason they lack full understanding of their call please encourage them to read this series; the better they understand their call the better they will understand themselves and the greater their peace will be.

Now to continue…

By God revealing His Word to the people through the prophets, He is acting to exemplify justice. One of the purposes of prophecy is to be one of the tools God uses to maintain His covenant with His people and to establish and/or keep right relationships between Himself (God) and man.

Because the prophet has such a profound awareness of injustice this drives them in what appears to be their endless preoccupation with justice and righteousness. Prophets have no remorse about unveiling injustice and oppression whether the oppression and injustice be motivated by political, social, or religious evils.

The presence of oppression and corruption is always uppermost in the prophet’s mind. The prophet’s urgency regarding justice is about aiding and saving the victims of oppression. Oppression and injustice angers a prophet extremely. God will often allow prophets to go through injustices of their own to deepen their understanding, empathy, and compassion for the problem and to expand their understand regarding just how much, and why, God hates injustice so much.

A prophet’s calling could be described in part as an advocate, activist, or champion who speaks for those who do not have their own voice with which to plead their case. Prophets often run interference dealing with wrongs imposed on other people; this can happen to the degree that they might be viewed as interfering in matters that are not their responsibility. Prophets will step in and intervene in a situation even when they have not been asked to do so or authorized to do so. They do this because they are not tolerant of the injustices and the wrongs done to other people and they actually identify with the suffering of another person to such a degree they can resent other peoples injuries as if they were their own.

Prophets call other people to be the champions, defenders, backers, advocates of …

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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Return to Full Devotion

In Apostasy, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, 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 August 11, 2014 at 6:27 pm

Ezekiel 34 – Today we see a similar situation among the spiritual leadership of, and within, the Body of Christ in America and elsewhere. The words recorded in the Book of Ezekiel, Words given to the prophet, stand as a warning to us even today.

May the apostate leaders and apostate church congregations, those who have left the path of being solely devoted to Jesus, the Christ, and His gospel, turn back to full wholehearted devotion to Christ.

Ezekiel 34:1–31 (NKJV)

Irresponsible Shepherds

34 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God to the shepherds: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? 3 You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock. 4 The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them. 5 So they were scattered because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered. 6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them.”

7 ‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 8 “As I live,” says the Lord God, “surely because My flock became a prey, and My flock became food for every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did My shepherds search for My flock, but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock”—9 therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the Lord! 10 Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require My flock at their hand; I will cause them to cease feeding the sheep, and the shepherds shall feed themselves no more; for I will deliver My flock from their mouths, that they may no longer be food for them.”

God, the True Shepherd

11 ‘For thus says the Lord God: “Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day. 13 And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land; I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the valleys and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14 I will feed them in good pasture, and their fold shall be on the high mountains of Israel. There they shall lie down in a good fold and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I will feed My flock, and I will make them lie down,” says the Lord God. 16 “I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick; but I will destroy the fat and the strong, and feed them in judgment.”

17 ‘And as for you, O My flock, thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I shall judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats. 18 Is it too little for you to have eaten up the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the residue of your pasture—and to have drunk of the clear waters, that you must foul the residue with your feet? 19 And as for My flock, they eat what you have trampled with your feet, and they drink what you have fouled with your feet.”

20 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord God to them: “Behold, I Myself will judge between the fat and the lean sheep. 21 Because you have pushed with side and shoulder, butted all the weak ones with your horns, and scattered them abroad, 22 therefore I will save My flock, and they shall no longer be a prey; and I will judge between sheep and sheep. 23 I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them—My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the Lord, will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken.

25 “I will make a covenant of peace with them, and cause wild beasts to cease from the land; and they will dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. 26 I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing; and I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessing. 27 Then the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase. They shall be safe in their land; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bands of their yoke and delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them. 28 And they shall no longer be a prey for the nations, nor shall beasts of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and no one shall make them afraid. 29 I will raise up for them a garden of renown, and they shall no longer be consumed with hunger in the land, nor bear the shame of the Gentiles anymore. 30 Thus they shall know that I, the Lord their God, am with them, and they, the house of Israel, are My people,” says the Lord God.’ ”

31 “You are My flock, the flock of My pasture; you are men, and I am your God,” says the Lord God.

 

 

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 10

In Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christianity, 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 Remnant, Truth, Uncategorized on August 9, 2014 at 11:48 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.

Righteousness and peace are interdependent Ps. 85:10. “The work of righteousness will be peace, And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.” Isaiah 32:17 (NKJV)

Prophets are adamant about the need for mankind’s redemption. Without redemption, there is no hope for mankind. People need redemption both in this life and redemption in the next, when all people shall stand before God’s throne of judgment.

We find with the prophets that despite their inner identification with God they are not always ready to accept Divine judgment as final. They often attempt to plead and intercede before God for the people. They might even complain about God’s way of doing things in a particular circumstance. However, once God acts and the affliction, scourge, or punishment begins the prophets are neither crushed nor aggrieved.

The state of feeling perplexed is not foreign to the prophets. Their experience and observation has brought them to a rather haunting awareness; the Truths of what they are called to proclaim they often find difficult to sustain.

The prophets are also perplexed at the power, impact, and work of God; the voice of God is so clear to them yet, seems to remain unnoticed by most people. The prophets are set on fire by the Word of God yet the people are not. For the prophets human situations and circumstances can only be understood in combination with God and what God is doing yet not so for the people. To the prophets God and/or His Truths can be seen in everything yet not true for the people. The prophets view, experience, and interact with life differently than most people, which leads to both a closeness to God and a barrier with their fellow mankind.

There are two absolute facts about the life of a true prophet. 1 – God sought them, they are chosen by God and God’s Word is so clear to them. 2 – People will reject and to some degree fear the prophet because God’s Word through them is incomprehensible to them.

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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God Wins Once Again

In Advice, Agape Love, Apostasy, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, Encouragement, 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 June 30, 2014 at 5:25 pm

The Supreme Court justices have ruled and Hobby Lobby’s Green family will not have to comply with Obama Care’s mandate to supply the abortion pill via a company’s insurance plan. The same ruling was given to the Hahn family, kitchen cabinet manufacturers, the owners of Conestoga Wood Specialties.

This is a significant victory for Christians everywhere because the highest court in our land, The United States of America, still says; the laws of the land cannot force you to go against your moral religious convictions.

This ruling was a much-needed victory for Devout Christians everywhere. We praise God for it, here in America!

Thank you for your prayers.

 

 

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

In Apostasy, 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, Persecution, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Truth, Uncategorized on June 28, 2014 at 9:29 am

Introduction

Recently while combing through what questions would get replies on the blog and in what order I have spotted a disturbing trend. A variety of questions, several of which I will address this week, involve the suppression of or squelching of what is God, what is godly, and what is Truth. The quantity and pace of the injustice and persecution that people, God’s people, are facing is accelerating at an alarming rate, especially here in America where I am located.

It is in reading these questions, emails, articles, watching these new stories and counseling these people that God has grown within me the burning desire to be actively involved in activism on behalf of Jesus’ people. Well hidden from public view, because mainstream mass media does not deem it news worthy, thank God for the Christian press and media, there are lives being affected everyday by a society and a church that are abandoning the principles of and solid dedication to Christ, and the principles of God found in His Word. By the time, most pew warmers who call themselves Christians wake up to what is going on their right to speak of religion outside of their church building may well be gone.

Then there are those who are speaking out, those the world and the apostate church find hard to tolerate because they are not politically correct and tolerate of all things, basing morality upon independent choice. They are the ones who firmly believe true morality is based on the unchangeable Word of God and nothing else. They are the moralists, the prophets, the godly forecasters, the godly foreseers, the godly foretellers, the godly predictors, the godly prognosticators, the godly prophesiers, the godly futurists, the godly seers – regardless of the label you slap on them, they are on the side of God, on the side of holiness and morality, they are the people gifted with more than ordinary spiritual and moral insight. They use that gift of spiritual and moral insight, which comes from God Almighty, to confront the individual, the community, the state, the country, the leaders both spiritual and secular, and the church when any have slid down into the sewer of sin.

These individuals, these prophets and moralists, are on the rise like never before in my lifetime and they are because God knows they are needed and has ordained it so. This is why I have decided once I answer a few of those questions, the back stories of which God used to prompted this action, I am going to spend some time writing about understanding the prophet and their role in society, as well as the Body of Christ.

I have studied behind several people, some of whom were modern prophets, over the course of some twenty years and as there should be, there is consistent collective views of these “prophets” presents by reliable sources I have read and studied. Please know that the thoughts expressed in each part of this series will not be merely my own but will be thoughts expressed and shared by that collective group of people who have spent years in study of this topic and whose views are harmonious in both context and content. I will only share thoughts, beliefs, and views that I personally believe and that have also been views, which I have observed to be a consistent pattern of belief by respected reliable individuals, prophets, and scholars.

The individual writer who seems to have been the most in-depth and objective of them, in my opinion, is Abraham J. Heschel. It seems of those individuals I have read he spent more time pulling together all the views, thoughts, and beliefs many people share, into two bodies of work. I am a firm believer in Jesus and follow Him faithfully. Heschel was a devout Jew. However, on the topic of studying the Ancient Biblical Prophets as well as Modern Prophets, this Rabbi is one of the best – this I must acknowledge and therefore glean what I can from his research, though I might not agree with him on everything and especially on Jesus. Nevertheless, I will use his teachings, which are really just a collective set of beliefs held by most scholars on prophet, as well as most actual prophets, thus I will quote him throughout this series.

Therefore, to familiarize my readers with this scholar, I would like to share some information about Abraham Heschel.

Abraham J. Heschel was an “American rabbi and one of the leading Jewish theologians and Jewish philosophers of the 20th century” according to academia. He went to the University of Berlin, where in 1934 he received his doctorate for a study of the biblical prophets.  His book, “The Prophets” is recognized as a masterpiece of biblical scholarship.

According to an interview Heschel gave, “it is the Bible—particularly the prophets—that provides a primary model for authentic spirituality. Biblical revelation is not a mystical act of seeking God but an awareness of being sought and reached by Him: The prophets bear witness to an event that they formulate in their own words, but the event itself is God’s reaching out.” Heschel believed that prophets do not speak for God so much as they remind their audience of God’s voice for the voiceless, the poor and oppressed. This did not mean that Heschel did not believe prophets spoke on God’s behalf, as God directed, it was meant to direct people’s thoughts to the fact that prophets today are not adding to truth, to the Word of God, they are pointing Truth out, they are directing people to the Word, they are carrying a Standard that they do not believe mankind has a right to escape – as they owe their very existence to God.

Heschel considers Hebrew prophets as receivers of the "Divine Pathos", expression of the wrath and sorrow of God over his nation that has forsaken him. Do we not face that today in our nation, the United States of America, as well as many other nations throughout the world? Have we not as a society forsaken the things of God, the Will of God, and the Ways of God? Has society not abandoned holiness for self and sin?

Heschel though Jewish considered prophets to still exist in modern times. His publisher states, "The standard Jewish view is that prophecy ended with the ancient prophets, somewhere early in the Second Temple era. Heschel demonstrated that this view is not altogether accurate. Belief in the possibility of continued prophetic inspiration, and in its actual occurrence appear throughout much of the medieval period, and even in modern times.”

 

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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Questions

In Advice, Agape Love, Apostasy, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, Encouragement, 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 June 26, 2014 at 5:00 pm

I still have quite a large number of questions that center around biblical clarification and theology. I am organizing those questions according to topic, as their topics would apply, from Genesis to Revelation. Unless the Lord Jesus leads me in another direction I will come back to these questions and begin answering them after I finish the series titled, “The Pesty Moralist – The Prophet” the introduction of which will be reposted in the next few days.

Questions of a more personal nature that require a quicker answer will be answered via direct email, as they have been previously.

 

Regarding worldviews:

Secular sources – self-help, advice, mass media – some of these resources can be useful in obtaining knowledge about what is going on in our world but they are not credible sources for a Believer when it comes to establishing beliefs, opinions, and directives for life. The gap between the two foundational platforms (biblical vs. secular) is too vast at this point in our present day society to bring reconciliation between the two. A Believer should seek out Christian lifestyle training, godly counsel, and Christian forms of mass media using those to shape their approach to life.

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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Guaranteed Salvation

In Advice, Agape Love, Apostasy, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, Encouragement, 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 June 25, 2014 at 2:00 pm

You may submit your own question via the contact information on the “ABOUT” page. A link to the about page can be found at the top of any of the website pages.

Question Summary:

Once a person has accepted Christ, are they always saved no matter what?

Reply:

The salvation guarantee is a question that is asked by almost every Christian at one time or another in their walk with Jesus. It is also a question that has been debated since shortly after the words of the New Testament were written. Without a doubt, there are differing views on this important topic but I have been asked to share mine.

My beliefs actually fall in the middle of two extreme positions of belief on this topic. I believe both sides have the issue correct to some degree but find themselves at odds with one another because they avoid addressing those rare circumstances that keep their positions on the matter locked in a stalemate. The key to answering this question can be found in the “no matter what” portion of your question.

Is God going to grant salvation to a person, then take it away? No, I do not believe He will do that. Can someone renounce Christ and lose their salvation? Yes, I do believe that is possible. The difference being that God does not take away salvation that He has granted, instead man through a very limited amount of actions or choices, chooses to turn His back on God and renounce Christ. Once we have accepted Jesus as our Lord, our very own personal Savior, He never turns His back on us or abandons us but we most certainly can turn our backs on Him.

Now I will answer the question further by asking some questions.

In the Book of Revelation, John writes about the Great White Throne of Judgment. When an individual reaches the Great White Throne of Judgment, their name had better be in the book. If it is not, their fate is hell. At that point, no excuses will be made or accepted and no explanations will be made or accepted. The time for all of that will have passed.

Revelation 3:5 (NKJV) – Jesus speaking during His Revelation to John.

He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

Why would Jesus speak of blotting someone’s name out of the Book of Life, if a name could not be removed?

Revelation 22:19 (NKJV)

and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

Why would God have it penned in His Word that a person’s “part” could be taken away from the Book of Life if it were not so? It is impossible for God to lie. It is impossible for God not to be faithful to His Word. God’s actions described in this verse are not based on God’s personal desire; they are a result or consequence of someone’s deliberate sin.

Revelation 20:11–15 (NKJV)

The Great White Throne Judgment

11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

‘Anyone not found in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.’

Is Jesus going to address the issue of removing someone name from the Book of Life, if He never takes such action? Or if He does not have the power to do so? Or if He is not willing to do so? No. Our Savior never addressed anything that did not serve a purpose or better yet, His Purpose.

 

Regarding worldviews:

Secular sources – self-help, advice, mass media – some of these resources can be useful in obtaining knowledge about what is going on in our world but they are not credible sources for a Believer when it comes to establishing beliefs, opinions, and directives for life. The gap between the two foundational platforms (biblical vs. secular) is too vast at this point in our present day society to bring reconciliation between the two. A Believer should seek out Christian lifestyle training, godly counsel, and Christian forms of mass media using those to shape their approach to life.

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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Training or Medicine

In Advice, Agape Love, Apostasy, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, Encouragement, 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 June 24, 2014 at 6:00 am

You may submit your own question via the contact information on the “ABOUT” page. A link to the about page can be found at the top of any of the website pages.

Question Summary:

I will be combining and summarizing several questions on the same topic into this one question summary. Additionally I have chosen to omit information that I believe too personal to the individual to make known publically or publish here.

This question was actually mentioned in an earlier piece where I addressed the issue of persecution. I mentioned then I would address one specific reader’s questions more directly. However, due to the very sensitive nature of her circumstances I will not give many details about her situation.

Nevertheless, here is a summary of her issue and question.

This is a Christian mother, a godly woman form what I can tell, who has three children in public school. Her issue is with attempting to reconcile her Christian beliefs with the environment she is forced to deal with within the public school system. Basically, she is being told that if she wants her children to go public school she will have to medicate two of them with psychotropic drugs. The details of her situation are lengthy and not appropriate for sharing publically but what I do have the okay to share is that it deals primarily with ADHD and ODD.

This Christian mom wants to know how she can possibly train up her children in the way they should go as Proverbs 22:6 teaches, according to their own temperament and how God created them if she complies with what is being asked of her. Her primary focus is on whether or not the squelching of “passions” is a real agenda for those pushing the ADHD diagnoses.

Reply:

Let me first say, my heart goes out to this mother. My child, 27 years old now, went to public school and during the last few years things were getting pretty odd within the system. I symphonize with any Christian parent who has to deal with the bureaucracy of raising a child today.

Secondly, let me make this plan. As this reader knows, I am not a medical doctor, nor have I ever claimed to be a medical doctor. I have study psychology and psychiatry extensively as well as some sociology but again I am not a doctor and my thought and opinions are just that, mine. My thoughts and opinions are based on what I read and study, what I learn from actual psychologist and psychiatrist, what I learn from other Christian spiritual leaders and my personal beliefs based on Scripture and theology.

per Merriam-Webster’s Medical Desk Dictionary

ADHD is attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

ODD is oppositional defiant disorder.

ODD is typically something younger children are labeled with and it involves anger, outburst, aggression, as well as other aspects of behavior. Before the world became so psychologized we called this the terrible two, which if dealt with at the age of two or three would not become a situation where you had a defiant child. If not dealt with early in a child life, a child would become willful and defiant seeking to control their environment at any cost – potentially, if not corrected, getting worse and worse as they grew older.

We live in a society that wishes to make an excuse for almost any unacceptable behavior. It is a society that for the most the part no longer believes in the true biblical definition of sin or evil. A society that hates personal responsibility, loves to blame others, and refuses to believe personal choice and self-control are more important than drugging oneself into submission. A society that drugs their children into submission because it is easier than putting forth the huge amount of effort it takes to train them up according to God’s Word. What is sadder is that in the post-modern churches, the pews are filled with individual, and parents, who are themselves filled with psychotropic drugs.

We live in a society, which is psychologized in almost everything they do. We have a church who has embraced much of the same. However, do people think about how these experts’ opinions have changed repeated over time? Example: In the late 1970’s, early 1980’s it was the official position of the APA that homosexuality was a mental illness, yet, today some thirty years later they actively promote the opposite. God’s Word about how we should we act and how to handle our problems does not change. Whom would you rather depend on, because it is very difficult to depend on both? It is very difficult to reconcile the two.

The ADHD label typically comes a bit later in a child development. The daydreamers and those who can’t sit still end up with this label. Do people stop to think about what is doing on in the daydreamers mind or why the child who cannot sit still thinks life is so exciting? It is usual only after someone tells these children/people something is wrong with them that they begin to think something might be wrong with them, beforehand most of them were fine with how God created them.

This godly woman just cannot believe that her child has a mental illness or is deserving of a mental diagnosis such as ADHD because they possess characteristics that are typical for their age and other characteristics that she even considered good qualities, once those characteristics are brought into balance through godly instruction and personal maturity. However, the list she gave is accurate and her concern about “passions” is believed by many, if not most, in the psychiatric profession.

Here are some of those negative symptoms/traits that caused her teenager to be slapped with a label of ADHD and therefore, be in need of medication.

energetic

disinterested if not challenged

sensitive

daydreams

feels passionately

absentminded

hyper focused

excels in a specific area to the exclusion of other areas

Overall, the issue that concerned her regarding the “passions” aspect of the diagnosis is that children or people with ADHD will be ‘hyper focused people who will excel at their passion.’ Now isn’t that a horrible thing to have happen to your child. Isn’t that how we got the great artists, the great writers, the wonderful researchers, great surgeons, marvelous concert pianists, brilliant legal minds, or some of the world’s greatest thinkers and theologians? Billy Graham, now in his nineties, has spent his entire life focused on doing one thing, spreading the Gospel of Jesus – sharing the same message over and over and over. Some of our greatest inventors in history were so absentminded they could barely remember to wash their face and comb their hair each day.

A lot of something, usually outweighs a little of everything. Have I missed something here? Are we all supposed to be good at everything or most of us good at nothing in particular?

Mediocrity per Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary: 1 a: the quality or state of being mediocre b: moderate ability or value 2: a mediocre person

Mediocre per Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary: of moderate or low quality: ORDINARY

The spreading or promotion of mediocrity is among one of the greatest things that can later be used to control people.

 

Regarding worldviews:

Secular sources – self-help, advice, mass media – some of these resources can be useful in obtaining knowledge about what is going on in our world but they are not credible sources for a Believer when it comes to establishing beliefs, opinions, and directives for life. The gap between the two foundational platforms (biblical vs. secular) is too vast at this point in our present day society to bring reconciliation between the two. A Believer should seek out Christian lifestyle training, godly counsel, and Christian forms of mass media using those to shape their approach to life.

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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Troubles Source

In Advice, Agape Love, Apostasy, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, Encouragement, 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 June 23, 2014 at 5:00 pm

You may submit your own question via the contact information on the “ABOUT” page. A link to the about page can be found at the top of any of the website pages.

Question Summary:

Does trouble in our lives always mean there is sin in our lives? My friend told me that where there is trouble there is sin.

Reply:

The first thing I would like to recommend dear reader is that you go back to you friend and ask for clarity about what he or she meant. People will often make statements that relate to one aspect of a circumstance or truth but it does not reflect a firm belief they have that can be applied across the board to all circumstance. It is hard to understand fully what a person believes based on one or two statements they make. Moreover, it can be detrimental to jump to assumptions about what they believe. This happens often to minister and teachers because typically when they are making a point they do not have the time to address a principle exhaustively.

Trouble in someone’s life does not always mean the person has sin in his or her life. Trouble can come into a person’s life due to persecution. Trouble can come upon a person because they are suffering from the sin of another. Trouble affects people’s lives because of the collective sin of our world, society, families, environment, et cetera. Trouble comes into our lives for many reasons not just our own sin nevertheless; trouble can come into our lives because of our own sin.

Richard Sibbes, a seventeenth-century Puritan, was known for saying, “you can read the sin in the cross.” He meant, we can often determine what sins we might have committed based on the affliction, trouble, or trial we find ourselves bearing – trial being what he referred to as a “cross” in his statement.

When we do find ourselves in the mist of trouble, in a trial, or suffering an affliction it should be our practice to look at ourselves first, and then look for a secondary source. In a society that loathes taking personal reasonability the first reaction is typically to look everywhere else and at everyone else to place blame first, before we embark on self-examination. However, even in the most difficult circumstances where we have been clearly wronged, where trouble is found at our door due to another, we should still examine ourselves before God to see if He would have had us do anything differently at that time or in the future, should we find ourselves in similar circumstance.

If we allow ourselves to live under constant stress, we abuse our bodies, or we neglect our personal care how can we then seek to blame another, God, or Satan when our bodies break down and we become afflicted with an illness that could have been prevented – as God’s Word tells us to care for our temples, our bodies. If we neglect our marriage or our friendships how can we blame our spouse or our friend when they lose interest in us and we are faced with the trial of being alone – as God’s Word tells us we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. How can we sin by stealing a man’s property then be angry because we find ourselves in trouble with a business owner or worse yet, the law – as God’s Word tells us not to steal. If we are poor stewards of the money and things that God gives us then we have no cause to moan because we do not have more or because we have financial problems – as God’s Word tells us to be good stewards. If we are cruel to people we know or to strangers why should we view the cruelty directed toward us as an unjust affliction – as God’s Word tells us we will reap what we have sown. If we take it upon ourselves to make a decision without seeking godly counsel that turns out to be a poor decision which brings trouble to our lives how can we then complain about our troubles – as God’s Word tells us there is safety in seeking godly counsel. Through these few examples, you should be able to understand my point about when trouble might be a result of our own actions or sin.

It is true that trouble is not always due to our sin but when trouble, affliction, or trial comes, let us let us first look inside our own selves, within our own lives, cleaning up the mess there that might be affecting us before we start chasing demons or blaming others.

 

 

Regarding worldviews:

Secular sources – self-help, advice, mass media – some of these resources can be useful in obtaining knowledge about what is going on in our world but they are not credible sources for a Believer when it comes to establishing beliefs, opinions, and directives for life. The gap between the two foundational platforms (biblical vs. secular) is too vast at this point in our present day society to bring reconciliation between the two. A Believer should seek out Christian lifestyle training, godly counsel, and Christian forms of mass media using those to shape their approach to life.

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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Hobby Lobby

In Advice, Agape Love, Apostasy, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, Encouragement, 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 June 23, 2014 at 10:40 am

Everyone please pray.  The Supreme Court is hearing Hobby Lobby’s case today.  Then the justices will be considering the case in the days to come. Please pray.

This company has set a superlative example of how Christians should interact with the world in a godly manner that is also professionalism at its best when it comes to conducting business with the unsaved and the world in general. The Green family has fought hard to retain their ability to live out their faith and do business with the world – this decision will be extremely important to Religious Freedoms in America.

http://www.hobbylobbycase.com/

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/03/24/heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-hobby-lobby-case/

Again, please pray.

 

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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Stand Up

In Advice, Agape Love, Apostasy, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, Encouragement, 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 June 23, 2014 at 9:25 am

 

Christian’s you need to stand up while you still can.  You did not give up your rights to man, you gave up your rights to Christ.