God's Truth In Love

Archive for the ‘Love’ Category

An Old Man’s Christmas

In Christmas, Fable, Giving, Kindness, Love, Sharing on December 3, 2022 at 11:42 am

For the next month, we will forgo our regular blog study of Proverbs to pursue postings that center around Christmas and New Year’s.

If you get the blog entries via email you will receive each entry as it is posted without delay. If you go to the site to read each entry there will be no further notices of those entries, but the following titles will be released between now and the new year.

A Candymaker’s Witness – November 26th

An Old Man’s Christmas – December 3rd

Precious Baby /Christmas Star Lecture – December 11th

Merry Christmas / Christ for Christmas – December 20th

A New Year’s Thought / Living the Righteous Life – December 27th

An Old Man’s Christmas

The old man sat in his gas station on a cold Christmas Eve. He hadn’t been anywhere in years since his wife had passed away. It was just another day to him. He didn’t hate Christmas, just couldn’t find a reason to celebrate. He was sitting there looking at the snow that had been falling for the last hour and wondering what it was all about when the door opened and a homeless man stepped through.

Instead of throwing the man out, Old George as he was known by his customers, told the man to come and sit by the heater and warm up. "Thank you, but I don’t mean to intrude," said the stranger. "I see you’re busy, I’ll just go."

"Not without something hot in your belly." George said.

He turned and opened a wide mouth Thermos and handed it to the stranger. "It ain’t much, but it’s hot and tasty. Stew … Made it myself. When you’re done, there’s coffee and it’s fresh."

Just at that moment, he heard the "ding" of the driveway bell.. "Excuse me, be right back," George said. There in the driveway was an old ’53 Chevy. Steam was rolling out of the front. The driver was panicked. "Mister can you help me!" said the driver, with a deep Spanish accent. "My wife is with child and my car is broken." George opened the hood. It was bad. The block looked cracked from the cold the car was dead.

"You ain’t going in this thing," George said as he turned away.

"But Mister, please help …." The door of the office closed behind George as he went inside. He went to the office wall and got the keys to his old truck, and went back outside. He walked around the building, opened the garage, started the truck and drove it around to where the couple was waiting. "Here, take my truck," he said. "She ain’t the best thing you ever looked at, but she runs real good."

George helped put the woman in the truck and watched as it sped off into the night.. He turned and walked back inside the office. "Glad I gave ’em the truck, their tires were shot too. That ‘ol truck has brand new." George thought he was talking to the stranger, but the man had gone. The Thermos was on the desk, empty, with a used coffee cup beside it. "Well, at least he got something in his belly," George thought.

George went back outside to see if the old Chevy would start. It cranked slowly, but it started. He pulled it into the garage where the truck had been. He thought he would tinker with it for something to do. Christmas Eve meant no customers. He discovered the block hadn’t cracked; it was just the bottom hose on the radiator. "Well, shoot, I can fix this," he said to himself. So he put a new one on.

"Those tires ain’t gonna get ’em through the winter either." He took the snow treads off of his wife’s old Lincoln. They were like new and he wasn’t going to drive the car anyway.

As he was working, he heard shots being fired. He ran outside and beside a police car, an officer lay on the cold ground. Bleeding from the left shoulder, the officer moaned, "Please help me."

George helped the officer inside as he remembered the training he had received in the Army as a medic.. He knew the wound needed attention. "Pressure to stop the bleeding," he thought. The uniform company had been there that morning and had left clean shop towels. He used those and duct tape to bind the wound. "Hey, they say duct tape can fix anythin’," he said, trying to make the policeman feel at ease.

"Something for pain," George thought. All he had was the pills he used for his back. "These ought to work." He put some water in a cup and gave the policeman the pills.. "You hang in there; I’m going to get you an ambulance."

The phone was dead. "Maybe I can get one of your buddies on that there talk box out in your car." He went out only to find that a bullet had gone into the dashboard destroying the two-way radio.

He went back in to find the policeman sitting up. "Thanks," said the officer. "You could have left me there. The guy that shot me is still in the area."

George sat down beside him, "I would never leave an injured man in the Army and I ain’t gonna leave you." George pulled back the bandage to check for bleeding. "Looks worse than what it is.. Bullet passed right through ‘ya. Good thing it missed the important stuff though. I think with time your gonna be right as rain."

George got up and poured a cup of coffee. "How do you take it?" he asked.

"None for me," said the officer.

"Oh, yer gonna drink this. Best in the city. Too bad I ain’t got no donuts." The officer laughed and winced at the same time.

The front door of the office flew open. In burst a young man with a gun. "Give me all your cash! Do it now!" the young man yelled. His hand was shaking and George could tell that he had never done anything like this before.

"That’s the guy that shot me!" exclaimed the officer.

"Son, why are you doing this?" asked George, "You need to put the cannon away. Somebody else might get hurt."

The young man was confused. "Shut up old man, or I’ll shoot you, too. Now give me the cash!"

The cop was reaching for his gun. "Put that thing away," George said to the cop, "we got one too many in here now."

He turned his attention to the young man. "Son, its Christmas Eve. If you need money, well then, here. It ain’t much but it’s all I got. Now put that pea shooter away."

George pulled $150 out of his pocket and handed it to the young man, reaching for the barrel of the gun at the same time. The young man released his grip on the gun, fell to his knees and began to cry. "I’m not very good at this am I? All I wanted was to buy something for my wife and son," he went on. "I’ve lost my job, my rent is due, my car got repossessed last week."

George handed the gun to the cop. "Son, we all get in a bit of squeeze now and then. The road gets hard sometimes, but we make it through the best we can."

He got the young man to his feet, and sat him down on a chair across from the cop. "Sometimes we do stupid things." George handed the young man a cup of coffee. "Bein’ stupid is one of the things that makes us human. Comin’ in here with a gun ain’t the answer. Now sit there and get warm and we’ll sort this thing out."

The young man had stopped crying. He looked over to the cop. "Sorry I shot you. It just went off. I’m sorry officer."

"Shut up and drink your coffee,” the cop said.

George could hear the sounds of sirens outside. A police car and an ambulance skidded to a halt. Two cops came through the door, guns drawn. "Chuck! You ok?" one of the cops asked the wounded officer.

"Not bad for a guy who took a bullet. How did you find me?"

"GPS locator in the car. Best thing since sliced bread.. Who did this?" the other cop asked as he approached the young man.

Chuck answered him, "I don’t know. The guy ran off into the dark. Just dropped his gun and ran."

George and the young man both looked puzzled at each other.

"That guy work here?" the wounded cop continued.

"Yep,” George said, "just hired him this morning. Boy lost his job."

The paramedics came in and loaded Chuck onto the stretcher. The young man leaned over the wounded cop and whispered, "Why?"

Chuck just said, "Merry Christmas boy … and you too, George, and thanks for everything."

"Well, looks like you got one doozy of a break there. That ought to solve some of your problems."

George went into the back room and came out with a box. He pulled out a ring box. "Here you go something for the little woman. I don’t think Martha would mind. She said it would come in handy some day."

The young man looked inside to see the biggest diamond ring he ever saw. "I can’t take this," said the young man. "It means something to you."

"And now it means something to you," replied George. "I got my memories. That’s all I need."

George reached into the box again. An airplane, a car and a truck appeared next. They were toys that the oil company had left for him to sell.. "Here’s something for that little man of yours."

The young man began to cry again as he handed back the $150 that the old man had handed him earlier.

"And what are you supposed to buy Christmas dinner with? You keep that too," George said. "Now git home to your family."

The young man turned with tears streaming down his face. "I’ll be here in the morning for work, if that job offer is still good."

"Nope. I’m closed Christmas day," George said. "See ya the day after."

George turned around to find that the stranger had returned. "Where’d you come from? I thought you left?"

"I have been here. I have always been here," said the stranger. "You say you don’t celebrate Christmas. Why?"

"Well, after my wife passed away, I just couldn’t see what all the bother was. Puttin’ up a tree and all seemed a waste of a good pine tree. Bakin’ cookies like I used to with Martha just wasn’t the same by myself and besides I was gettin’ a little chubby."

The stranger put his hand on George’s shoulder. "But you do celebrate the holiday, George. You gave me food and drink and warmed me when I was cold and hungry. The woman with child will bear a son and he will become a great doctor.

The policeman you helped will go on to save 19 people from being killed by terrorists. The young man who tried to rob you will make you a rich man and not take any for himself. "That is the spirit of the season and you keep it as good as any man."

George was taken aback by all this stranger had said. "And how do you know all this?" asked the old man.

"Trust me, George. I have the inside track on this sort of thing. And when your days are done you will be with Martha again."

The stranger moved toward the door. "If you will excuse me, George, I have to go now. I have to go home where there is a big celebration planned."

George watched as the old leather jacket and the torn pants that the stranger was wearing turned into a white robe. A golden light began to fill the room.

"You see, George … it’s My birthday. Merry Christmas."

George fell to his knees and replied, "Happy Birthday, Lord Jesus"

Merry Christmas!!

Titled by me – Author Unknown – Sent to my ministry anonymously on December 25, 2010

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GOD Growth in COVID-19 / Couples Growth

In Adultery, Agape Love, Biblical Principles, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Contentment, Coronavirus, Coronavirus/COVID-19, Couples, COVID-19, Disunity, Divorce, Godliness, Learning, Lifestyle, Love, Marriage, Renewal, Repentance, Revival, Righteous Living, Righteousness, Uncategorized, Unity, Wisdom on April 2, 2021 at 8:33 am

Over the last few posts we have taken a look at the GOD growth in individuals and families during the pandemic. Today we take on the matter of growth in the couple relationship. I use the term GOD growth because God wants to bring about change in people that draws them closer to Him and that causes them to implement His Principles regardless of whether or not they have come to trust in Him for their salvation as of yet or not. God is about seeing His Will and His Principles come about in our society, in our homes, and in us personally before and after we enter that personal relationship with Him.

Questions to ponder. Why do people find it easier to bad mouth their significant other or spouse rather than express openly to other people what they like about the person? Why are their negative traits a more interesting topic of discussion than their positive traits? Society presents the idea that to complain about your spouse is funny and entertaining, but is it really? Why does society want to perpetuate the idea that loving relationships are rare and so hard to come by?

Locked down, locked up, with your spouse during COVID-19; now this will make or break a marriage. When there is only the two of you, no children, no other distractions, you find out really quick whether or not you are just two ships passing in the night or two hovercrafts rotating around each other but never really coming in contact, not true contact. I believe if you went through this last year together primarily in lockdown and you still actually want to be together you might actually have a pretty solid relationship.

When we are alone with someone day in and day out, with them and with no one else, we see everything about them that we perhaps did not notice or that at other times are they were better able to hide. Especially during a crisis like the pandemic, we see their fears emerge, we see their insecurities at large, we see their compassion or lack thereof on display, we see their generosity and love or their selfishness and hatefulness. We talk to them more; we find out more about what makes them tick. We explore with them their hopes and dreams because when you are in a situation like we are in during this pandemic, locked down at home primarily, you cannot endlessly ignore the only other person in your spear, in your world for that matter for the most part, and you cannot talk about nothing nonsense forever. So eventually you dig down to what really matters, and that is when you begin to draw close to one another.

In this time of couple reflection many were able to find out how loved and cared for they made their spouse feel and the ways in which they did that. Also, they might have found out the ways in which they do not make their spouse feel loved and cared for and what they could do about it to change the negative impact on the relationship. For many it was a time of realigning the relationship and finding once again common goals and dreams.

A marriage is a covenant relationship. When someone badmouths their spouse for fun and the entertainment of people, they are betraying that covenant. What you speak about your spouse affect how you feel about your spouse. Your spoken words have a powerful effect on you and other people. People should rarely if ever hear from you what you believe to be “wrong” with your spouse or so my parents who believed in absolute loyalty taught me, just as the Bible teaching not to speak negative or harsh words (curses) against people. I have never found it entertaining to hear people teardown their spouse, and from what I have heard from other people they too think it terrible to listen to someone else do so, thinking badly of the person who is badmouthing their spouse, even if they themselves have been guilty of likewise at times.

I believe the select few in society who are not willing to do the work needed for a loving caring relationship like to perpetuate the idea that loving caring relationships are so terribly difficult to come by, in order to make themselves feel better about their own lack. Let them live in their isolation and loneliness, do not get sucked in, value the relationship you have and act like you do.

I want to close each of this series of postings with a quote from the original post, “COVID-19 – God and Man at Work.”

“Blessings from God are not just material or financial, more often the greater ones (blessings) are intangible such as growth and change.”

GOD Growth in COVID-19 / Family Growth

In Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Contentment, Coronavirus, Coronavirus/COVID-19, COVID-19, Disunity, Divorce, God's Voice, Godliness, Learning, Lifestyle, Love, Marriage, Parenting, Repentance, Revival, Righteous Living, Righteousness, Uncategorized, Unity, Wisdom on March 18, 2021 at 10:30 am

In the last post we took a look at the GOD growth in individuals during the pandemic. Family growth is the topic of this post. I use the term GOD growth because God wants to bring about change in people that draws them closer to Him and that causes them to implement His Principles regardless of whether or not they have come to trust in Him for their salvation as of yet or not. God is about seeing His Will and His Principles come about in our society, in our homes, and in us personally before and after we enter that personal relationship with Him.

Questions to ponder. Why do people find it easier to talk about the dysfunction of their and other people’s families than they are able to find the courage to talk about the positive loving things within their family? Has society’s distorted view of family made people where they feel almost ashamed of loving, caring, normalcy?

Boy has the family dynamic changed over the last year amidst the COVID-19 lockdowns. With children out of school. Some parents unfortunately unemployed, and most of the other parents working from home, family has taken center stage.

We have all seen the news reports, where the anchor is attempting to do a new story via Zoom from home and the child is in the background doing all they can to get that parents attention, making the parents task almost impossible. Sometimes it is so cute you just cannot help but laugh. Other times it seems that the child is driving the parent to distraction. And on any given day it might be a little of both. Nevertheless, during the pandemic families have been forced to be together.

Just as with the private individuals, of course there are incidents where families crammed together had a negative impact for the family members. However in those situations there were most likely deep deep problems prior to the family finding themselves in lockdown together.

For many people, the endless hours of family togetherness have resulted in finding new ways to spend that time together. Finding out more about each other. A realization that all of the busy activities that both the parents and the children were involved in were robbing them of what was precious time together. It no doubt unearthed cracks in the foundation of the family that needed some repair. It helped fathers to realize what they are made out of as a father. It helped mothers to come to terms with just how much nurturing of their children they were doing and willing to do. For the children, it just may have created a new found respect for their mothers and their fathers and a greater understanding of them as real people.

For many families it created a much-needed family reset, which in America we need greatly for the American families to function in a moral and godly manner. God wants us to lift up the wholesomeness of family, not the dysfunction. To find the courage to speak out about the loving manner in which families should function or do function. We cannot allow the distortions of a backwards society make us hide our light under a bushel, when it comes to lifting up the ideal of loving, caring, normalcy in the family unit.

I want to close each of this series of postings with a quote from the original post, “COVID-19 – God and Man at Work.”

“Blessings from God are not just material or financial, more often the greater ones (blessings) are intangible such as growth and change.”

COVID-19 – God and Man at Work

In Agape Love, Attitude, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Church Growth, Contentment, Coronavirus, Coronavirus/COVID-19, COVID-19, Disunity, God's Voice, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Love, Marriage, Repentance, Truth, Uncategorized, Wisdom on February 28, 2021 at 9:25 am

During the whole of the pandemic we have heard so much about the negative affects that the isolation and the restrictive movement have had on people’s lives, or so we hear in our local media. However, I challenge the notion that it has been all bad.

What has God been doing in the lives of people as He kept children at home, dads at home, moms at home, couples at home together? What has God been doing during the time when He stripped away religious practice and worship truly was up to the private individual, in their own way, in their own home?

Has there been mental and emotional, and perhaps even spiritual problems due to the isolation and the restricted movements of the pandemic? Yes, of course there have been. There has been horrible abuse, horrible loneliness, and sin has existed. However, there has also been great growth for individuals, for families, and for couples. Growth we will explore in more depth in another post. There has also been more time for individuals to take a good look at themselves, to explore their own inner spiritual person, come to terms with and perhaps do something in response to what they discovered during the isolation that God has allowed in their life.

The pandemic has caused financial loss, but I dare to say that in a spiritual and relational level it has done more good for people than harm, and certainly more good than what was financially lost. Blessings from God are not just material or financial more often the greater ones are intangible such as growth and change.

Sometimes God has to get people’s attention, sometimes God has to get a country’s attention, but God always leaves people who are repentant better off than they were when He started a particular work in their life.

Evil Transforms (If We Let It) – Pt. 31 – Take Back What the Enemy Has Stolen

In Advice, Agape Love, Anger, Anxiety, Apostasy, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Courage, Depression, Devotional, Encouragement, End Times, Evil, Exhortation, False Doctrine, False Gods, False Teaching, Fear, Forgiveness, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Hate, Hatred, Holy Spirit, Humanism, Idolatry, Jesus, Loss, Love, Marriage, Media, Mental Disorder, Mental Illness, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Religious Freedom, Remnant, Renewal, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Spirituality, Suffering, Truth, Uncategorized on June 14, 2017 at 4:45 pm

This piece, will be the last in our review of David Kupelian’s book, How Evil Works. Please find a link below where you can purchase the book from Amazon, should you desire to do so. This book and review of it has been such a blessing to my readers and myself, we are so grateful that God led David Kupelian to write the book.

To effectively combat an enemy, one must understand both their enemy and themselves. Seek to gain godly wisdom and understanding. Act and respond in accordance with that godly understanding and godly wisdom. How one responds to the evil and hated that is unleashed in our society and world is a key element in how well they are able to resist both and be a godly spiritual activist for Truth.

Control of oneself and one’s own actions is essential to being powerfully effective. As the author points out, ‘there is a world of difference between righteous indignation and seething hatred.’ As Christians, we want to possess righteous indignation but we do not want to enter into that realm with our Enemy, and enemies, who reside in seething hatred. The author also points out that righteous indignation is based on a strong sense of justice. However, seething hatred is always found to be self-destructive, out-of-control rage. We must rise above the temptation to hate those who hate us so we can embrace a truly righteous passion to right the wrongs we see strangling God from the consciousness of our country.

There is a universal human imperfection that we all suffer from. However, we cannot allow our own imperfects to render us mute when it comes to what God wants from us as a people. I have said more times than I can count, ‘Just because we do not live up to God’s Standard does not mean His Standard changes or that we have a right to try and pull God’s Standard down to our level so we can feel better about ourselves.’

There is a moral compass, the needle of which is our conscience, and every individual is born with one. We must employ methods to jump-start people’s conscience whenever possible. There was a saying that went around years ago within the Body of Christ, ‘Stop trying to be the Holy Spirit for people.’ This was a most destructive statement for the spiritual well-being of the Body of Christ. Why? Well my brothers and sisters the Book of Hebrews was written to address the issue of apostasy, and command Christians to cling close to Christ and God’s principles. Our part in seeing that takes place is exhorting one another toward living out God’s principles. You cannot very well do that if you see sin and never say anything about it to anyone, you never call sin sin and call for repentance from sin and a return to God. A novelist George Orwell has been often quoted as saying, “In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”

Hebrews 3:12-15

12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, 15 while it is said:

“Today, if you will hear His voice,

Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

We must be willing to act when necessary as well, not just talk. There are those individuals who are so disconnected from their conscience that Truth does not compel them to do the right things. That is when the application of proper pressure done in godly way becomes necessary. Even after that there will be some individuals who will still remained unmoved.

To quote the author, Kupelian, in the last sentence of this book, “Truth is enough – because when properly honed and targeted, it is more than sufficient to annihilate all of their grand seductions.”

When Jesus was answering Pilate, He stated the following.

John 18:37 (NKJV)

Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?”

Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

Are we supposed to do something different from what Jesus stated here He came to do, “bear witness to the truth” – yes or no? No, I do not believe so, nor does the author of this book. We are God’s people and as God’s people we should stand for Truth forever!

How Evil Works

http://www.amazon.com/How-Evil-Works-Understanding-Transforming/dp/1439168202/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443464127&sr=8-1&keywords=How+evil+works

Evil can be understood and overcome before it transforms our country entirely. Evil can be understood and overcome before it transforms someone you know or even you. Knowledge is power and without it we will perish. We need to be extremely knowledgeable when it comes to evil.

Hosea 4:6 (NKJV)

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

Because you have rejected knowledge,

I also will reject you from being priest for Me;

Because you have forgotten the law of your God,

I also will forget your children.

The Marketing of Evil

https://www.amazon.com/Marketing-Evil-Pseudo-Experts-Corruption Disguised/dp/1942475217/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483474172&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Marketing+of+Evil

Evil is sold in our society just as anything else might be sold, through marketing. Satan has marketed his product through those willing and those ignorant to his schemes. Through his craftiness he has turned the minds of even Believers to think that tolerance of his evil is some form of love. In so doing he has transformed to a large degree the once Devout Church and transformed our society to an enormous degree. He has not accomplished this without his workers however, the willing, the sold out for their own gain, and the ignorant masses following blindly behind the majority.

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.

Evil Transforms (If We Let It) – Pt. 27 – Happiness and Peace

In Agape Love, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Courage, Depression, Devotional, Encouragement, Evil, Exhortation, False Doctrine, False Gods, False Teaching, Fear, Forgiveness, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Hate, Hatred, Holy Spirit, Humanism, Jesus, Loss, Love, Persecution, Prayer, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Renewal, Revival, Rhema Words, Spirituality, Suffering, Truth, Uncategorized on May 15, 2017 at 12:11 pm

In this piece, we continue with our review of chapter ten of David Kupelian’s book, How Evil Works. Please find a link below where you can purchase the book from Amazon, should you desire to do so. This chapter requires many postings to review however there is so much to be gained from this chapter, and it is well worth the investment of time.

Where is happiness and true godly spirituality found? People “spend their entire lives coveting and acquiring the possessions and relationships we figure will make us happy,” the author writes. But does that make us happy? Do those things and relationships make us happy? In a sense as the author states, “to actually find true and lasting happiness, we must somehow forsake these very desires.” I would agree with that statement to some degree. Things and relationships do bring us a certain amount of happiness but they do not fully, and can never fully, satisfy us in a way that brings deep and lasting contentment. Often, people are very wrong about what they believe will bring them happiness, and especially what will bring them deep and lasting contentment.

St. John of the Cross, who authored the Christian Classic Dark Night of the Soul wrote, “If you purify your soul of attachment to and desire for things, you will understand them spiritually. If you deny your appetite for them, you will enjoy their truth, understanding what is certain in them.” What truly has value and what does not? What is the value in each thing, each activity, in our lives?

Jeanne Guyon wrote in A Guide to True Peace therein stating, “If the malignant enemy is not resisted in his first attack, he enters by gradual advances, and takes entire possession of the heart: and so long as opposition is deferred by habitual negligence, the power of opposing become every day less, and the strength of the adversary proportionally greater.” The Enemy (thief) will steal, kill, and destroy our peace and our joy (John 10:10). However, the truth be told he cannot do anything lasting to us until we open the door to him. Resist and he will flee (James 4:7). However, the first portion of that verse, James 4:7, is extremely important. “Submit yourselves to God.” We must submit to God first, in order to have the strength and grace to resist the devil.

The author talks about that internal tug of war going on in each of us. God making His presence known within our conscience and that malevolent intelligence within us that makes us ultimately rebel against our God-given conscience, against God Himself. Even though Christ might have us there is a battle for our daily life (our soul – our mind, will, and emotions) going on all the time. That battle is fuel by pride, pride in every form, the pride deep within each one of us – the sin nature. Pride is like a living being, and living beings can be either feed or starved. Paul said it best, “I die daily” (1 Corinthians 15:31). The author makes a wonderful statement, “As our pride (or “sin self”) diminishes and dies through our obedience to God, the direct result is that our “good side,” our true, God centered character and identity, enlarges.”

When we starve our pride, our dark side, the born-in-sin nature, we draw closer to God. When we pursue security, pleasure, comfort, the endless quest for new highs, the lust for power and prestige or when we escape into porn, drugs, entertainment, food, alcohol, shopping, whatever it might be, these things enlarge our pride. Enlarging our pride keeps us in conflict with our own conscience. Pride will also keep your eyes darkened to your own sin thus keeping your bound to your sin.

Living our way is a pursuit in pride though I doubt many people see it as the destructive pursuit and poison to life it actually is in truth. Pride, the pursuit of self, has a solution. Jesus gave us the answer very clearly. “He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” John 12:25 (NKJV) When we live for Jesus, when we give up our own agenda, our pride, our pursuit, our ideas of what is best for us and we live Jesus’ Way life takes on a happiness, peace, and contentment that only Jesus can show us and be trusted to give us. No thing or person will be able to give us this degree of happiness and peace.

I will close by quoting the author who says it brilliantly, “I realize this is worlds apart not only from all that today’s pop psychology teaches, but also from much of what the modern church preaches. Be that as it may, it is the deep core of what the godly life once was understood to be in Christendom.”

“He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” John 12:25 (NKJV) – Life Jesus’ Way, try it and open the door to…

We finish exploring chapter ten in the next posting. In the conclusion of this chapter review we consider the need to go within to walk in the Light of Christ.

 

How Evil Works

http://www.amazon.com/How-Evil-Works-Understanding-Transforming/dp/1439168202/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443464127&sr=8-1&keywords=How+evil+works

Evil can be understood and overcome before it transforms our country entirely. Evil can be understood and overcome before it transforms someone you know or even you. Knowledge is power and without it we will perish. We need to be extremely knowledgeable when it comes to evil.

Hosea 4:6 (NKJV)

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

Because you have rejected knowledge,

I also will reject you from being priest for Me;

Because you have forgotten the law of your God,

I also will forget your children.

The Marketing of Evil

https://www.amazon.com/Marketing-Evil-Pseudo-Experts-Corruption Disguised/dp/1942475217/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483474172&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Marketing+of+Evil

Evil is sold in our society just as anything else might be sold, through marketing. Satan has marketed his product through those willing and those ignorant to his schemes. Through his craftiness he has turned the minds of even Believers to think that tolerance of his evil is some form of love. In so doing he has transformed to a large degree the once Devout Church and transformed our society to an enormous degree. He has not accomplished this without his workers however, the willing, the sold out for their own gain, and the ignorant masses following blindly behind the majority.

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.

Evil Transforms (If We Let It) – Pt.25 – Does God Go Missing?

In Agape Love, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Encouragement, Exhortation, Fear, Forgiveness, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Impatience, Jesus, Loss, Love, Persecution, Prayer, Spirituality, Suffering, Truth, Uncategorized on April 20, 2017 at 5:24 pm

In this piece, we will begin to explore chapter ten of David Kupelian’s book, How Evil Works. Please find a link below where you can purchase the book from Amazon, should you desire to do so.

The questions that have been heard through the cracked raw voices. The question in the eyes flooded with burning tears that roll down a red-blotched strained-to-breaking face. Where was God when X happened? Why didn’t He do anything? How could He let this happen? Why was God missing from my life when I needed Him the most? Does God go missing?

Does any minister or any individual have an adequate answer to such questions? I do not believe they do with the key point being, “an adequate answer” for the heartbreak some people face. Do we live in a fallen world racked with sin? Yes. Do we suffer at the hands of another person’s freewill? Yes. Is Satan alive and well and attempting to create as much evil and destruction as possible. Yes. However, even knowing all of that is not a sufficient answer for why The Sovereign God did not intervene in some manner – a question made all the more painful when an individual prayed fervently that God would act on their behalf.

Let us examine for a moment what “sovereignty” is and is not in relationship to God.

“Sovereignty of God” per Nelson’s new illustrated Bible dictionary. 1995 (R. F. Youngblood, F. F. Bruce, R. K. Harrison & Thomas Nelson Publishers, Ed.). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc.

“SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD — a theological term that refers to the unlimited power of God, who has sovereign control over the affairs of nature and history (Is. 45:9–19; Rom. 8:18–39). The Bible declares that God is working out His sovereign plan of redemption for the world and that the conclusion is certain. Immediately after the Fall He talked about the curse of human sin and specified the cure for it. To the serpent He said, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel” (Gen. 3:15). The whole redemptive story of the Bible is the fulfillment of this prophecy by the sovereign God, as Paul clearly teaches in Romans 8–11.

The story of redemption from Genesis to Revelation is possible only because the sovereign God loves the created world and His creation, fallen though it is, and is able to do something about it. Without the sovereign love of the Father ministered to us through the Son and the Holy Spirit, there would be no real human freedom and no hope of everlasting life.”

Because God is sovereign over His plan of redemption for mankind does not mean He controls, plans, orchestrates, fates, or even desires every event in history, and in our lives, to take place. He most certainly does not in my theological view. The omnipotence (Jer. 32:17, 27) of God is without question but the fact that God can or could do anything does not mean He does or is going to orchestrate all events.

God is without a doubt (all-powerful) omnipotent. God is (ever-present) omnipresent, even before the creation of the world. Without question God is (all-knowing) omniscient. He certainly has all fore-knowledge, and is no doubt the wisest of the wise. Reference the following Scriptures: Ps. 139:7–12, 1 John 3:20, Acts 15:18, Is. 48:3, 5, Jerm. 32:17,27 and many others. God guides the individual who wishes to be guided by Him but that does not mean that no person or nothing can affect their life. Do not misunderstand me. Nothing happens to me that God does not “allow” but allowing something and causing it to happen are two very different things.

God may allow something to happen, and God may know it is going to happen but that does not mean that God wanted it to happen; yet, God is present, and God does have the wisdom to know what to do with the event after it has happened. However, if we are to benefit from that wisdom we must get past any anger or confusion we feel and seek His godly wisdom for how we are to respond to the event. What He desires to do through the event. What He wants us to learn from or get out of the event.

God is so far beyond even what He has revealed to us in His written Word that fully grasping Him while on earth will never be possible.

As the author pointed out in the beginning of this chapter, all we have is the Word to use to “explore the realities and realms far beyond words.” He also points out that “most of the religious or spiritual words “we have available to us today in our English language have been “sullied by overuse and misuse.” A fact that is very apparent if you being to dig into the words found within the Bible in their original Greek or Hebrew language for the depth of their meaning. We have a shallow understanding of what the words in That Amazing Book (The Bible) actual mean and entail.

When you seek God’s Will and not your own, then you purpose to live out that Will moment-by-moment day-after-day, you are walking with God. Of those who walk with God the author say, there is “an intimacy to their relationship with God, a moment-by-moment flow of understanding, guidance, and what the author describes as a “special energy called “grace.”” This type of relationship is available to anyone who desire to have it, yet, even some individuals who have accepted Christ’s free gift of salvation there are those who are not willing to take their relationship with Him to this level. However, for those who have drawn close to God in a relationship that can be defined as walking with God, the author reminds us that many people who have walked with God, good people, people God loves dearly, have gone through horrible persecution and difficulties in life, while they were passing on some “simple, life-giving truths, to the rest of us.” Many people are still being persecuted, hated, and maligned because of their walk with God. People hate them because it easier than facing the absence of God in their walk.

There are so many individuals within the church buildings every Sunday morning but it is only a few who truly find that walk, the walk on the narrow path. Kupelian, a journalist, notes that 4 out of 5 Americans call themselves Christians, yet, most “don’t seem to have a clue about what it means to “follow Christ.”” He goes on to state that 45% of those “teach their children there are no absolute values.” A very few find out what life, real life, is all about – that God Himself is our destiny. Walking with God is our purpose in life.

Matthew 7:13–14 (NKJV) Jesus speaking

13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Sadly, the established church is not helping to shepherd these individuals in a fruitful manner. As the author states, and I have seen myself, “committed, born-again Christians are exiting the established church in massive numbers.” This is both true and heartbreaking to me. I personally have been crying out to church leadership all of the US and beyond for over 20 years to recognize and change what was wrong within the established church to stop this mass exodus.

We will explore that mass exodus of born-again Christians from the established church, along with continuing to review chapter 10 in the next posting.

Please know your questions and comments are welcome anytime.

 

 

How Evil Works

http://www.amazon.com/How-Evil-Works-Understanding-Transforming/dp/1439168202/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443464127&sr=8-1&keywords=How+evil+works

Evil can be understood and overcome before it transforms our country entirely. Evil can be understood and overcome before it transforms someone you know or even you. Knowledge is power and without it we will perish. We need to be extremely knowledgeable when it comes to evil.

Hosea 4:6 (NKJV)

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

Because you have rejected knowledge,

I also will reject you from being priest for Me;

Because you have forgotten the law of your God,

I also will forget your children.

The Marketing of Evil

https://www.amazon.com/Marketing-Evil-Pseudo-Experts-Corruption Disguised/dp/1942475217/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483474172&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Marketing+of+Evil

Evil is sold in our society just as anything else might be sold, through marketing. Satan has marketed his product through those willing and those ignorant to his schemes. Through his craftiness he has turned the minds of even Believers to think that tolerance of his evil is some form of love. In so doing he has transformed to a large degree the once Devout Church and transformed our society to an enormous degree. He has not accomplished this without his workers however, the willing, the sold out for their own gain, and the ignorant masses following blindly behind the majority.

 

 

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.

Why Easter?

In Agape Love, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Easter, End Times, False Gods, Forgiveness, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Love, Passover, Remnant, Renewal, Resurrection, Revival, Rhema Words, Truth, Uncategorized on April 14, 2017 at 3:38 pm

Mark 15:22–39 (NKJV)

22 And they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull. 23 Then they gave Him wine mingled with myrrh to drink, but He did not take it.

Jesus is Crucified

Matt. 27:35–56; Luke 23:33–49; John 19:18, 23–30

24 And when they crucified Him, they divided His garments, casting lots for them to determine what every man should take.

25 Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him. 26 And the inscription of His accusation was written above:

THE KING OF THE JEWS

27 With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His right and the other on His left. 28 So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And He was numbered with the transgressors.”

29 And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30 save Yourself, and come down from the cross!”

31 Likewise the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. 32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe.”

Even those who were crucified with Him reviled Him.

33 Now when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

35 Some of those who stood by, when they heard that, said, “Look, He is calling for Elijah!” 36 Then someone ran and filled a sponge full of sour wine, put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink, saying, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to take Him down.”

37 And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last.

38 Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, “Truly this Man was the Son of God!”

Mark 16 (NKJV)

The Resurrection of Jesus

Matt. 28:1–8; Luke 24:1–9

16 Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. 2 Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. 3 And they said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” 4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away—for it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.

6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. 7 But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.”

8 So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

The Appearances of Jesus

Luke 24:13–48; John 20:1–10

9 Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. 11 And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.

12 After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country. 13 And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.

14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. 15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

The Ascension of Jesus

Luke 24:49–53; Acts 1:9

19 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.

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.

Evil Transforms (If We Let It) – Pt. 24 Impatience, Anger, and Evil

In Agape Love, Anger, Anxiety, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Courage, Depression, Encouragement, End Times, Evil, Exhortation, False Gods, Fear, Forgiveness, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Hate, Hatred, Humanism, Impatience, Jesus, Loss, Love, Persecution, Renewal, Revival, Rhema Words, Suffering, Truth, Uncategorized on April 7, 2017 at 9:09 am

In this posting we will finish reviewing chapter nine of David Kupelian’s book, How Evil Works. The latter part of this chapter connects impatience to anger and hate.

Kupelian explains that impatience is about “literally our making what we want (to go faster) more important than what is right (God’s commandment that we be patient with our neighbor’s shortcomings). In so doing we are making our will more important that God’s Will. We are playing God. We may try to justify being impatient but impatience is selfishness, immaturity, and a lack of love on display in our reactions to life. Anger also makes us feel strong because it feels like strength but it is not strength, it is actually a terrible weakness. Excessive impatience and anger show just how weak a person you truly are.

Anger is one of the greatest self-destructive emotions of all the human behaviors. Anger destroys social, business, and romantic relationships. No one should have to or should allow themselves to endure the abuse that comes from someone who cannot control their temper.

An important side note: There is a difference between displaying anger and being angry. There is a time to display anger. An impression of being really upset, even angry, might be called for in certain situations. However, being angry means you are out of control. Anger over true injustices within the world and society is not the type of anger we are dealing with here. Righteous indignation, like Jesus had in the temple courtyard (Matthew 21:12-17, Mark 11:15–17, Luke 19:45-46), does not harm or destroy it seeks to correct injustice and drive out sin through nondestructive means. True righteous indignation leads to a desire to change something not to resentment.

There is a time and there are people who are called to stand up against and courageously oppose evil oppressors. This is the mark of a true martyr. However, a true martyr does not kill for their cause. A true martyr does not kill people because they disagree with their religious beliefs. A true martyr does not kill people because they believe said people are less than human. A true martyr does not kill an abortion doctor because the doctor performs abortions. A true martyr would rather die for their cause and beliefs at the hands of another person rather than kill another human being. Courageously standing up against evil oppressors does not mean killing.

What causes anger? Impatience. What causes impatience? Arrogance. A person who cannot control their temper, who rains on those around him or her angry yells and insults is a very arrogant person. Anger is a clear sign of an inflated sense of self-importance. Someone who is truly humble is a person who is almost impossible to anger.

Real patience is agape love, real love. To release hostility can feel like a loss, like we are letting go of something that we need, that protect us, something important and necessary for our safety. This pride that has convinced us of such lies, and indulging in it, will only nourish everything that is wrong inside of us. That anger appears to our pride to be righteous when it almost never is, it might even seem noble in our minds. Anger problems in people are everywhere because “anger is the necessary food for pride, and pride is at the very core of most of our problems in this life.” May God grant us humble hearts and gave us the destruction of pride.

Proverbs 16:18 (NKJV)

Pride goes before destruction,

And a haughty spirit before a fall.

People are wronged. People are hurt. People are damaged by other people. The people who truly recover from traumas are those people who can find the path to forgiveness and forgive those who have hurt them. Psychology, religion, common sense, and experience agree that forgiveness is the way to find true healing. Those people who can forgive are able to move on with their life. Those individuals who cannot forgive stay bogged down in their mire of the trauma until they learn to let it go. Failure to forgive keeps the wound inside of us open and bleeding.

Resentment is our measuring stick to how patient, loving, and forgiving we are. Resentment is evidence of our failure to forgive, our failure to love, and our failure to be patient with the imperfections of other people. To forgive is to give up our resentment.

Un-forgiveness is a form of hate. Hate will eat us up inside. To justify our un-forgiveness or hate will not save us the ravishes of their sin. Hate is never okay.

In the next posting, we will begin to review chapter ten of David Kupelian’s book, How Evil Works. In chapter ten we will examine the difficult question that so many people ask. Where is God while evil is running ramped in the world?

How Evil Works

http://www.amazon.com/How-Evil-Works-Understanding-Transforming/dp/1439168202/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443464127&sr=8-1&keywords=How+evil+works

Evil can be understood and overcome before it transforms our country entirely. Evil can be understood and overcome before it transforms someone you know or even you. Knowledge is power and without it we will perish. We need to be extremely knowledgeable when it comes to evil.

Hosea 4:6 (NKJV)

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

Because you have rejected knowledge,

I also will reject you from being priest for Me;

Because you have forgotten the law of your God,

I also will forget your children.

The Marketing of Evil

https://www.amazon.com/Marketing-Evil-Pseudo-Experts-Corruption Disguised/dp/1942475217/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483474172&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Marketing+of+Evil

Evil is sold in our society just as anything else might be sold, through marketing. Satan has marketed his product through those willing and those ignorant to his schemes. Through his craftiness he has turned the minds of even Believers to think that tolerance of his evil is some form of love. In so doing he has transformed to a large degree the once Devout Church and transformed our society to an enormous degree. He has not accomplished this without his workers however, the willing, the sold out for their own gain, and the ignorant masses following blindly behind the majority.

 

 

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.

A Candymaker’s Witness

In Bible, Biblical Principles, Candy Cane, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Christmas, Devotional, Encouragement, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Love, Renewal, Revival, Spiritual Fruit, Spirituality, Truth, Uncategorized on December 13, 2016 at 1:48 pm

Original source/author unknown

A candymaker in Indiana wanted to make a candy that would be a witness, so he made the Christmas Candy Cane. He incorporated several symbols for the birth, ministry and death of Jesus Christ.

He began with a stick of pure white, hard candy. White to symbolize the Virgin Birth and the sinless nature of Jesus, and hard to symbolize the Solid Rock, the foundation of the Church, and firmness of the promises of God.

The candymaker made the candy in the form of a “J” to represent the precious name of Jesus, who came to earth as our Savior. It could also represent the staff of the “Good Shepherd” with which He reaches down into the ditches of the world to lift out the fallen lambs, who like all sheep, have gone astray.

Thinking that the candy was somewhat plain, the candymaker stained it with red stripes. He used three small stripes to show the stripes of the scourging Jesus received by which we are healed. The large red stripe was for the blood shed by Christ on the cross so that we could have the promise of eternal life.

Unfortunately, the candy became known as a Candy Cane – a meaningless decoration seen at Christmas time. But the meaning is still there for those who “have eyes to see and ears to hear.” I pray that this symbol will again be used to witness TO THE WONDER OF JESUS and HIS GREAT LOVE that came down at Christmas and remains the ultimate and dominant force in the universe today.

This year try hanging your candy canes, on your tree, upside down so that they form the letter “j”. It will be a small way to remind all who see them the real reason we celebrate Christmas.

May God bless all who read this with the knowledge of Him, the wisdom of His mind, and a heart for His will.

 

 

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.

Evil Transforms (If We Let It) – Pt. 18 Men and Masculinity

In Advice, Agape Love, Anxiety, Apostasy, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Courage, Depression, End Times, Evil, Exhortation, False Gods, Fear, Femininity, Feminism, Gender, Gender Idenity, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Humanism, Idolatry, Jesus, Loss, Love, Masculinity, Mental Disorder, Mental Illness, Persecution, Prayer, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Psychiatric Drugs, Religious Freedom, Remnant, Renewal, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Spirituality, Suffering, Truth, Uncategorized on November 14, 2016 at 5:51 pm

In this piece we will explore the first half of chapter eight of David Kupelian’s book, How Evil Works. Please find a link below where you can purchase the book from Amazon, should you desire to do so. Here are some of the highlights as found within this chapter regarding the cultural war on fathers, men, and manhood in America.

If you doubt that there has been a cultural battle raging against men and fatherhood in American in the last thirty years, I would say you might have had your cultural head buried in the sand. Men have been pulled down under the pretense of lifting others groups, especially women, up. Typically I would not reveal this information but for this posting I do believe it is important; I am a woman. In my view the rise in “women’s liberation” since the nineteen-seventies has stolen so much from women where men and relationships with men are concerned, not to mention what it has done to the masculinity of men in the United States of America. The author points out that this war on men, boys, and masculinity has not only be cultural but legal as well, for decades now.

Over activity is often found in boys, as it has been since I was a young girl. However, today a means by which educators deal with this hyperactive behavior is to label the young boy as having a disorder that has been given the name ADHD, and having the placement of the child on medication mandatory for school attendance. One of those medications is Ritalin, which is a trade name for methylphenidate a Schedule II substance with a high potential for abuse. If you have ever taken Ritalin you cannot join the Navy. Now what does that tell you about the believed long-term damage or effects?

As the author points out, now years later after medicating millions of children long-term scientific research into ADHD now tells us that fidgeting and moving around are better for boys in aiding their learning process – Mark D. Rapport, clinical psychologist, professor and longtime ADHD researcher at the University of Central Florida. However, what have we as a society allowed to be done to all those millions of children who were medicated unnecessarily.

According to Dr. Tim Kendall, joint director of the National Collaboration Centre for Mental Health, “Almost every possible human behavior can be classified as being in some way aberrant.” A statement he made in a BBC radio show The Medicalization of Normality. I would add, any behavior or belief system that has become undesirable by society has now become a mental illness or disorder. How sad!

In his research the author found that many sources believe that boys “are being targeted for radical reprogramming by academics offended by masculinity itself.” The author quotes Gloria Steinem, “We need to raise boys like we raise girls.” Without deeper context or understanding I would have to say that this is a ridiculous concept in general. Boys are not girls, they were not created to be girls or be feminine and there is no way they can be raised in the manner girls are raised. Girls are to be raised to be as God created them, girls, infused with femininity, and boys are to be raised as God created them, boys, endowed with masculinity. The author notes that even a maverick feminist such as Camille Paglia reminds her man-hating contemporaries that masculinity is “the most creative cultural force in history.”

Can you imagine why feminist inspired experts would want to destroy masculinity? Masculinity has ‘tamed the wilderness, structured civilizations, changed our lives and history through inventions, and sacrificed their very lives to protect women and children.’

What has all of this tearing down of men and masculinity done for our society? Where has it led? In part it has led to a gender revolution that defies and attempts to remove God as Creator, by altering ones born gender and identity. This however, it a topic we will take up in part 19, when we review the second half of David Kupelian’s book, How Evil Works.

How Evil Works

http://www.amazon.com/How-Evil-Works-Understanding-Transforming/dp/1439168202/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443464127&sr=8-1&keywords=How+evil+works

Evil can be understood and overcome before it transforms our country entirely. Evil can be understood and overcome before it transforms someone you know or even you. Knowledge is power and without it we will perish. We need to be extremely knowledgeable when it comes to evil.

Hosea 4:6 (NKJV)

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

Because you have rejected knowledge,

I also will reject you from being priest for Me;

Because you have forgotten the law of your God,

I also will forget your children.

The Marketing of Evil

http://www.amazon.com/Marketing-Evil-Pseudo-Experts-Corruption-Disguised-ebook/dp/B006N75LFI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1443464127&sr=8-2&keywords=How+evil+works

Evil is sold in our society just as anything else might be sold, through marketing. Satan has marketed his product through those willing and those ignorant to his schemes. Through his craftiness he has turned the minds of even Believers to think that tolerance of his evil is some form of love. In so doing he has transformed to a large degree the once Devout Church and transformed our society to an enormous degree. He has not accomplished this without his workers however, the willing, the sold out for their own gain, and the ignorant masses following blindly behind the majority.

 

 

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.

Evil Transforms (If We Let It) – Pt. 14 – Healing Forgiveness

In Advice, Agape Love, Anger, Anxiety, Apostasy, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Courage, Depression, Encouragement, Evil, Exhortation, Fear, Forgiveness, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Holy Spirit, Humanism, Jesus, Loss, Love, Mental Disorder, Mental Illness, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Psychiatric Drugs, Religious Freedom, Remnant, Renewal, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Spirituality, Suffering, Truth, Uncategorized on October 2, 2016 at 2:42 pm

In this piece we will explore one key point, forgiveness, from chapter five of David Kupelian’s book, How Evil Works. Please find a link below where you can purchase the book from Amazon, should you desire to do so. Here are some of the highlights regarding the power of forgiveness as found within this chapter.

Healing from many of life’s issues can be found through forgiveness, true and complete forgiveness. As the author notes in this chapter, the Lord’s Prayer, which Jesus gave us as a blueprint for approaching God just might provide insight for how to heal what we in our society have labeled “mental Illness.” That might sound crazy to you, but is it really?

Below I have provided the Lord’s Prayer from the Book of Matthew just as Jesus spoke it in bold font. In the (parentheses beside each section in regular italic font I have expounded with life application for each principle found within the prayer.)

Matthew 6:9–13 (NKJV) Jesus speaking

9 In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,

Hallowed be Your name. (Revere and submit to God.)

10 Your kingdom come.

Your will be done

On earth as it is in heaven. (Want God’s Will.)

11 Give us this day our daily bread. (Trust God.)

12 And forgive us our debts,

As we forgive our debtors. (Give and receive forgiveness.)

13 And do not lead us into temptation,

But deliver us from the evil one. (Seek to be away from, and protected from, sin.)

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. (Trust God for it all and seek to glorify Him.)

When it comes to dealing with God and man it is in forgiving others, requesting forgiveness for ourselves, and receiving forgiveness or the lack thereof that we live or die spiritually. In forgiveness, manifest in all three forms, or the lack thereof we either find true happiness and innocence or conflict and separation from God and man.

I have heard it said, though I do not know by whom, that forgiveness means giving up all hope that the past would have been different. This statement is so true because in order to forgive we first must stop clinging to, ‘I wish this had not happened.’ It has happened and there is nothing that can be changed about that truth, however, you can change how you continue to react to what has happen. By forgiving you let go of the idea of there being a different yesterday, and you free yourself to live your tomorrow fully.

The author rightly states, forgiveness is about finding the grace to give up anger and resentment over an injustice. Forgiveness, the willingness to give up this anger and resentment, can be very healing. It is additionally true, that un-forgiveness, clinging to hostility and rage, feeds our pride, because after all we certainly deserved better. Only in releasing pride and embracing humility can a person find the courage to truly forgive.

True healing, God healing from mental illness or mental disorders is possible. There are individuals who have been diagnosed with what we call “bipolar disorder,” “depression,” “anxiety disorders,” “schizophrenia,” and other serious conditions that have mysteriously gotten better as Kupelian states. They discovered how to listen to the godly part of themselves aka the right side and stop listening to the ungodly forces at work around and in them aka the wrong side. Godliness grows and evil diminishes. The Light of God comes in, shines on their conflicts, and untangles their inner messes – primarily through various aspects of forgiveness. Once they give up their resentments and rage, no longer getting upset all the time, they simply get better as the author puts it. Having your mood strings pulled chemically through the use of psychiatric drugs will not accomplish this feat.

Our society seems to have forgotten the concepts of personal choice and personal responsibility. A blindness dominates our age which conceals a truth that even children know and understand naturally. We all have a “good side” (conscience) and we all have a “bad side” (sin nature). It is imperative that we are careful which side we heed and which side we feed. Listening to our wrong side will result in terrible consequences.

There is a famous story of an old Cherokee chief talking to his grandson. The chief said:

“A fight is going on inside me. It is a terrible battle – between two wolves. One wolf represents fear, pride, anger, envy, lust, greed, arrogance, self-pity, resentment, lies, and cruelty. The other wolf stands for honesty, kindness, hope, sharing, sincerity, humility, friendship, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. This same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other person, too,” he added. The grandson reflected on these words for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?” The old chief simply relied, “The one you feed.”

Forgiveness feed the good wolf, forgiveness feeds the spirit, forgiveness feeds healing, forgiveness feeds wholeness, and forgiveness feeds godly character.

In the next posting we will examine chapter six of David Kupelian’s book, How Evil Works. This chapter will confront our false gods.

 

Updated 10-2-2016

How Evil Works

http://www.amazon.com/How-Evil-Works-Understanding-Transforming/dp/1439168202/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443464127&sr=8-1&keywords=How+evil+works

Evil can be understood and overcome before it transforms our country entirely. Evil can be understood and overcome before it transforms someone you know or even you. Knowledge is power and without it we will perish. We need to be extremely knowledgeable when it comes to evil.

Hosea 4:6 (NKJV)

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

Because you have rejected knowledge,

I also will reject you from being priest for Me;

Because you have forgotten the law of your God,

I also will forget your children.

The Marketing of Evil

http://www.amazon.com/Marketing-Evil-Pseudo-Experts-Corruption-Disguised-ebook/dp/B006N75LFI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1443464127&sr=8-2&keywords=How+evil+works

Evil is sold in our society just as anything else might be sold, through marketing. Satan has marketed his product through those willing and those ignorant to his schemes. Through his craftiness he has turned the minds of even Believers to think that tolerance of his evil is some form of love. In so doing he has transformed to a large degree the once Devout Church and transformed our society to an enormous degree. He has not accomplished this without his workers however, the willing, the sold out for their own gain, and the ignorant masses following blindly behind the majority.

 

 

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.

Evil Transforms (If We Let It) – Pt. 12 – Mental Illness Craze

In Advice, Anger, Anxiety, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Courage, Depression, Encouragement, Evil, Exhortation, Fear, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Love, Mental Disorder, Mental Illness, Prayer, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Psychiatric Drugs, Religious Freedom, Renewal, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Spirituality, Suffering, Truth, Uncategorized on April 9, 2016 at 12:42 pm

In this piece we will explore a very controversial chapter from David Kupelian’s book, How Evil Works, chapter five. Please find a link below where you can purchase the book from Amazon, should you desire to do so. Here are some of the highlights found within this chapter.

Mental illness seems to be everywhere. Most of the people you know have been or could be diagnosed with a mental disorder or mental illness based on their thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors. However, just how legitimate is the labeling of an individual’s behavior as mental illness or a mental disorder? Additionally, those people who have been labeled and who are undergoing treatment, are they really being helped or damaged even further?

Let me cite for you behaviors considered to be mental illness or mental disorders.

· Anger and rage inside = intermittent explosive disorder.

· Hostile toward authority = oppositional defiant disorder. (I actually know a woman whose two year old child was diagnosed with this disorder. What happen to the terrible two’s as we called it when my twenty-eight year old was two?)

· Worry excessively = generalized anxiety disorder.

· Road rage = aggressive driving spectrum disorder.

· Child who fidgets, doesn’t want to sit for six hours at a time, not interested in paying attention = attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

· Got yourself on your mind all the mind, everything is about = narcissistic disorder.

· Compulsively get drunk when the stresses of life get to great = you have a disease, alcoholism.

· A lying, cheating jerk, with a load of tattoos = more than likely to suffer from anti-social personality disorder. (I am not kidding, that is according to the APA.)

· Too many mood swings, stubborn, unwilling to yield your long held beliefs = bi-polar disorder or borderline personality disorder.

· Act to often without thinking = impulse control disorder.

I could go on and on but by now surely you get the point. Three seems to be a mental disorder everywhere you look. Then these people get “treatment” that often involves psychiatric medications.

Well here are some examples of what people have done while taking these medications, which were meant to help them.

· Patrick Purdy – schoolyard shooting – murdered five children, wounded thirty – was on amitriptyline and Thorazine.

· Kip Kinkel, 15 years old – murdered parents then went to school and in a shooting rampage killed two classmates and wounded twenty-two others – was on Prozac and Ritalin.

· Laurie Dann, 31 years old – another school shooter, killed one child and wounded six in a second-grade classroom – was taking Anafranil and lithium.

· Michael Carneal, 14 years old – went to a morning prayer meeting at a school and shot four people, killing three and leaving one paralyzed – was on Ritalin.

· Jeff Weise, 16 years old – killed nine people and wounded five when he started shooting on the Indian Reservation where he lived – he had been taking Prozac.

· Joseph Wesbecker 47 years old – shot twenty worker at Standard Gravure Corporation killing eight and then himself – had been on Prozac for one month.

· Kurt Danysh, 18 years old – shot his father to death – had been on Prozac for two weeks.

· John Hinckley, 25 years old – shot President Ronald Reagan, press secretary James Brady, Secret Service agent Timothy McCarthy, and Thomas Delahanty a police officer – two hours before he had taken four Valium.

· Andrea Yates – drowned all five of her children in the bathtub – she was taking the antidepressant Effexor.

· Eric Harris – went on a shooting rampage at Columbine High School where twelve students and a teacher were killed and twenty-four others were wounded before killing himself – he was taking Luvox.

This is only a few of the best-known cases, there a so many more. It is believed that these drugs affected these fragile people to such a degree they were pushed over the edge. The drug companies and doctors who prescribed these drugs would have us believe these people would have acted anyhow, based on their conditions, but there is much cause to believe that this is not the case. It is becoming commonly known that psychiatric drugs cause people to react violently toward others and themselves. This has become so common that there are now warnings on the medications that indicate this can happen.

After Yates drowned her five children Wyeth Pharmaceuticals the makers of Effexor added “homicidal ideation” to their list of “rare adverse events.” GlaxoSmithKline was order by the court to pay $6.4 million dollars to the family of Donald Schell, after he murdered his wife, daughter, and granddaughter in a fit of rage shortly after starting Paxil. Luvox manufacturer Solvay Pharmaceuticals admitted that 1 in 25 youths who took the drug developed mania, a dangerous and violence prone mental derangement. In the Standard Gravure Corporation killings the Prozac maker Eli Lilly later settled a lawsuit with the survivors.

Lawyers are regularly arguing “involuntary intoxication” as the cause of their client’s often erratic and violent behavior. The combination of drugs, various antidepressants, has been found in people’s systems who have behaved violently. Clearly some people are being pushed over the edge into violence by some of these drugs.

The FDA-approved label for Paxil which describes the “adverse drug reactions” includes depersonalization, lack of emotion, psychosis, delirium, hostility, hallucinations, abnormal thinking, agitation, confusion, depression, paranoid reaction, amnesia, anxiety, insomnia, and mania just to name a few. You have to wonder how bad off does a person has to be to subject themselves to such horrible possibilities by taking this drug. If you were not severely damaged when you began taking the drugs you may well be after a period of their “help.”

We now have the famous “black box” warning on antidepressants that the FDA pushed for in 2004. The warning states that the drugs may increase the risk of suicide in children, adolescents and adults age 18-24 years of age. How ironic that a drug meant to lift your depression could make you want to, or even actually, kill yourself.

From the 1908’s to date the events listed above occurred, during which time the cases of prescribing psychiatric medications had risen astronomically. In the late 1980’s I personally began to notice that everyone seemed to be taking antidepressant, even within the Body of Christ, and this alarmed me because I could sense that it was going to be an avenue through which Satan would work, however, I did not really understand or sense from God how. Now however, it has become painfully obvious. These drugs are dangerous, they are causing people to perform some of the most evil and horrendous acts.

In the next posting we will explore the spiritual side of this problem as we examine the second half of chapter five of David Kupelian’s book, How Evil Works. A very controversial chapter on doctors, drugs, and demons – the mental illness craze in America.

 

 

How Evil Works

http://www.amazon.com/How-Evil-Works-Understanding-Transforming/dp/1439168202/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443464127&sr=8-1&keywords=How+evil+works

Evil can be understood and overcome before it transforms our country entirely. Evil can be understood and overcome before it transforms someone you know or even you. Knowledge is power and without it we will perish. We need to be extremely knowledgeable when it comes to evil.

Hosea 4:6 (NKJV)

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

Because you have rejected knowledge,

I also will reject you from being priest for Me;

Because you have forgotten the law of your God,

I also will forget your children.

The Marketing of Evil

http://www.amazon.com/Marketing-Evil-Pseudo-Experts-Corruption-Disguised-ebook/dp/B006N75LFI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1443464127&sr=8-2&keywords=How+evil+works

Evil is sold in our society just as anything else might be sold, through marketing. Satan has marketed his product through those willing and those ignorant to his schemes. Through his craftiness he has turned the minds of even Believers to think that tolerance of his evil is some form of love. In so doing he has transformed to a large degree the once Devout Church and transformed our society to an enormous degree. He has not accomplished this without his workers however, the willing, the sold out for their own gain, and the ignorant masses following blindly behind the majority.

 

 

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.

Evil Transforms (If We Let It) – Pt. 11 – Pride and Hate

In Anger, Anxiety, Apostasy, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Courage, Depression, End Times, Evil, Exhortation, Fear, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Humanism, Jesus, Love, Persecution, Prayer, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Religious Freedom, Remnant, Renewal, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Spirituality, Suffering, Truth, Uncategorized on April 4, 2016 at 6:00 pm

In this piece we will explore two key points, pride and hate, from chapter four of David Kupelian’s book, How Evil Works. Please find a link below where you can purchase the book from Amazon, should you desire to do so. Here are some of the highlights found within this chapter.

Pride is nothing less than our own private war with God. When we act to build our pride we begin to grow in conflict with God. A core truth is that pride allows evil to work in our lives. If we do not grasp the understanding that feeding our pride, our ego, regardless of how wonderful it may makes us feel, will only increase our inner struggle with our Creator, then we do not understand ourselves or life and we will not find true happiness, the author points out.

The war rages around the Truth that God created us and gives us a choice between good and evil. This means to us, in the way we feel, act, and react, that we can choose to obey our conscience even if it hurts or we can rebel against it and give into our lower impulses. The Book of Romans tells us that God has revealed Himself to ALL people without exception. I believe that it is through the conscience, the inner man, that God makes Himself known. People have a God-awareness of their Creator in their inner self.

Only man is created with the ability to choose. We can learn to appreciate God inside us and learn to live in obedience to the “still, small voice” of God in our conscience or we can ignore the conscience and attempt to be our own god. This will lead to seeking people to worship us, to feed our pride, the ego within. We will be a slave to our craving demanding ego. This can result in hating and punishing those individuals who offend us. As the author notes, “It’s ugly when we play God.”

The inner war must give way to one side or the other. What makes the good grow and the bad wither? If you recognize and acknowledge your flaws then the growing and withering takes place naturally and you begin to produce good fruit. If you hide from your flaws you will see failure and failing produced instead of virtue. If we hide in denial too much we see our failings as virtues – oh, how sad this would be.

Hate can restrict the mind and heart from seeing one’s own faults. Hatred acts like a narcotic drug that numbs the conscience, the author states. We may even fall into the ecstasy of false righteousness if we harbor hatred in our heart. Hatred can put losers on a high. Hatred will suppress awareness of one’s problems. Much like false love can do exactly the same thing. Hate and love are the two most powerful forces in the universe.

When heavily influenced by pride, hate, or false love our emotional state becomes deluded, egotistical, and extremely blind to our own faults. This will lead to being blind to pretty much everything else good or godly. Once in this condition trouble is sure to follow.

In the next posting we will begin to explore chapter five of David Kupelian’s book, How Evil Works. A very controversial chapter on doctors, drugs, and demons – the mental illness craze in America.

 

 

How Evil Works

http://www.amazon.com/How-Evil-Works-Understanding-Transforming/dp/1439168202/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443464127&sr=8-1&keywords=How+evil+works

Evil can be understood and overcome before it transforms our country entirely. Evil can be understood and overcome before it transforms someone you know or even you. Knowledge is power and without it we will perish. We need to be extremely knowledgeable when it comes to evil.

Hosea 4:6 (NKJV)

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

Because you have rejected knowledge,

I also will reject you from being priest for Me;

Because you have forgotten the law of your God,

I also will forget your children.

The Marketing of Evil

http://www.amazon.com/Marketing-Evil-Pseudo-Experts-Corruption-Disguised-ebook/dp/B006N75LFI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1443464127&sr=8-2&keywords=How+evil+works

Evil is sold in our society just as anything else might be sold, through marketing. Satan has marketed his product through those willing and those ignorant to his schemes. Through his craftiness he has turned the minds of even Believers to think that tolerance of his evil is some form of love. In so doing he has transformed to a large degree the once Devout Church and transformed our society to an enormous degree. He has not accomplished this without his workers however, the willing, the sold out for their own gain, and the ignorant masses following blindly behind the majority.

 

 

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.

Evil Transforms (If We Let It) – Pt. 10 – Applause Please

In Advice, Agape Love, Anxiety, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Courage, Depression, Encouragement, Evil, Exhortation, Fear, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Humanism, Jesus, Love, Remnant, Renewal, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Spirituality, Truth, Uncategorized on March 19, 2016 at 4:48 pm

In this piece we will explore the second half of chapter four of David Kupelian’s book, How Evil Works. Please find a link below where you can purchase the book from Amazon, should you desire to do so. Here are some of the highlights found within this chapter.

The author notes that the truths that lead to true happiness are rarely talked about in modern society. One of those truths being that too much praise to the point of leading to an overdose of praise can result in self-destruction. A spiritually mature person has a quiet inner strength that keeps them centered, self-contained, and most importantly humble.

Kipling has a classic poem which speaks to this truth.

“If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you

But make allowance for their doubting too…

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors jus the same…

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with kings – nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;

If all men count with you, but none too much,

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,

Your is the Earth and everything that’s in it,

And – which is more – you’ll be a Man, my son! ”

In a narcissistic society we must be willing to face the following truth with maturity. Not everything that feels good is good. Truth often hurts and cocaine often feels good. Truth is almost always good for us even when it hurts or makes us feel bad. Cocaine is never good for us even though it may make us feel good temporarily. Truth will set us free and set on the right path in life. Cocaine will destroy us and set on the path to death.

If you are a narcissist you are addicted to praise and supersensitive to criticism according to Kupelian, many psychologist, and I agree myself. Why is this so? Because for a narcissistic person their entire sense of self-worth is based on what others say to and about them. A complement equals feeling good for them and a criticism equals feeling bad for them. Hence, other people control how they feel continually.

As the author notes if you live for applause or appreciation then you entire life can become a stage and you an actor. You cease to be who you truly are and you become whatever is necessary to get the approval, appreciation, and the applause your sinful soul craves. Your inner emptiness will not be filled through your continual manipulative actions to ensure you are viewed in a favorable way by everyone around you.

The author notes that, just as ‘a cruel thoughtless comment can affect you emotionally, so can too much praise affect you emotionally – and adversely.’ The adulation of others only gives you a temporary fix that mask the hunger within but never fills that hunger, more approval will be needed later and the volume of approval needed will increase as times goes on – much like a junky the same amount of your drug will cease to be enough as time goes on. This type of life will exhaust a person mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

Many people use this approval seeking behavior to avoid facing who, what, and how they are. When you slow the pace of life you begin to discover the real you. For some people that person has been all but lost. Avoidance behavior can be applied to the use of any distraction to avoid seeing oneself clearly – approval, appreciation, busyness, drugs, food, alcohol, and etcetera.

If you are addicted to the drug of worship it will ultimately destroy you. Humans were never meant to be gods, worship destroys them and drives them mad.

The good news is that you can transition from the outer to the inner person. However, you must be willing to face the problems you find within your soul, your inner man. You will find relief in facing them and a blessing in correcting them. Change and real healing are possible. People are kept sane, happy, and progressing in the right direction in life by living continually in the LIGHT, the light of constant self-awareness and God-awareness.

Only when you have God Himself living inside of you, keeping you centered, God-contained, and humble can you truly be rooted and growing in life regardless of what people think of you or what is going on in the world around you. Your confidence comes from your Creator, not self, and not other people.

Through our obedience to our Creator we find that inner stability and peace. We were created and designed to follow those inner promptings from the Creator and be obedient to those directions. As we learn to do this moment by moment throughout our day, our week, our months, and our years God fills us with purpose and genuine lasting happiness that can come through nothing except following His directions. When you have that going on inside of you, you do not crave the reassurance of troubled souls – people of the world.

Kupelian makes an excellent point near the close of this chapter. “When we develop real character, rooted in ever-growing loyalty to the kingdom of heaven within, we find that “neither foes nor loving friends” – that is, neither condemnation nor praise – have much effect on our happiness.” This measure of character comes with spiritual and personal maturity coupled with life experience.

In the next posting we will explore two key points, pride and hate, from chapter four of David Kupelian’s book, How Evil Works. Followed by a very controversial chapter on doctors, drugs, and demons – the mental illness craze in America.

 

 

How Evil Works

http://www.amazon.com/How-Evil-Works-Understanding-Transforming/dp/1439168202/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443464127&sr=8-1&keywords=How+evil+works

Evil can be understood and overcome before it transforms our country entirely. Evil can be understood and overcome before it transforms someone you know or even you. Knowledge is power and without it we will perish. We need to be extremely knowledgeable when it comes to evil.

Hosea 4:6 (NKJV)

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

Because you have rejected knowledge,

I also will reject you from being priest for Me;

Because you have forgotten the law of your God,

I also will forget your children.

The Marketing of Evil

http://www.amazon.com/Marketing-Evil-Pseudo-Experts-Corruption-Disguised-ebook/dp/B006N75LFI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1443464127&sr=8-2&keywords=How+evil+works

Evil is sold in our society just as anything else might be sold, through marketing. Satan has marketed his product through those willing and those ignorant to his schemes. Through his craftiness he has turned the minds of even Believers to think that tolerance of his evil is some form of love. In so doing he has transformed to a large degree the once Devout Church and transformed our society to an enormous degree. He has not accomplished this without his workers however, the willing, the sold out for their own gain, and the ignorant masses following blindly behind the majority.

 

 

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.