Archive for the ‘Love’ Category
Agape Love, Anger, Anxiety, Bible, Biblical Principles, Christian, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Depression, Devotional, Encouragement, Exhortation, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God’s Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Holy Spirit, Hostility, In Advice, Jesus, Loss, Love, Panic, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Resentment, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Suffering, Truth
In Advice, Agape Love, Anger, Anxiety, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Depression, Devotional, Encouragement, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Loss, Love, Prayer, Prophet, Prophetess, Rhema Words, Suffering, Truth, Uncategorized on March 20, 2015 at 1:52 pm
The next two stages of grief are often inverted as far as when they might manifest in someone life. The two stages feed off one another and are somewhat interdependent in order to survive and thrive. However, being interdependent means that once one is effectively dealt with the other will most likely die. These two stages are guilt and hostility or anger coupled with resentment.
At this point, the grieving person begins to feel guilt relating to the loss they have suffered. They might focus on their own past wrong actions relating to the loss, their mistreatment of the person they have lost, or their neglect in the situations where they have suffered a loss. It is quite common to spend a period of time only focused on the negative or less desirable aspects of the relationship[s] at the center of the loss, the wrongs done to one another, and the ugly things that were said.
In so doing, the griever might exaggerate wrongs that took place or even imagine wrongs that did not take place. Either way to some degree, the wrongs the griever struggles with are real to them and must be dealt with. The Scripture tells us, to ‘confess our sins one to another and to pray for one another, so our healing can come.’ That is exactly what the griever should do. They should find someone to talk with and unburden the real feelings of guilt they are carrying, thus putting the feelings into perspective so they can move on.
James 5:16 (KJV-AV)
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Most importantly, one must go to Christ Jesus and seek forgiveness for the wrongs they have done to the person they have lost. If the person has died who was wronged, then the griever cannot go to them for forgiveness. In still other cases, it might not be possible to reach out to the person involved in one’s loss therefore finding forgiveness without direct interaction with the wounded party is necessary. The griever must seek forgiveness from God, forgive himself or herself, and often they also have got to be willing to forgive the person they have lost for the wrongs done to them as well. Forgiveness is a major part of any form of healing.
In dealing with this process for some people the hostility, anger, and/or resentment begins to emerge. Then for other people the hostility, anger, and/or resentment is covering up or acts as an introduction to the guilt they are feeling. Whether the hostility, anger, and/or resentment precedes or follows the guilt, it must be effectively brought under control and then ultimately eliminated.
This hostility and resentment can be directed toward the person who has been lost, the people involved such as spiritual leaders, medical personnel, caregivers, family, perpetrators, or God. Here the griever is wrestling with “the cause” or “who caused” their loss. The griever might vacillate between searching for someone to blame and their own guilty feelings over having not done more. Again, the idea that they or anyone else could have done any more to prevent the loss may not be realistic but feelings during grief are not based on what is realistic. Questions emerge such as, “Why didn’t he or she fight harder to survive?” “Why didn’t the staff do more to save my loved one?” “Why didn’t my spiritual leader’s prayers work?” What is more, the biggest question of them all, “Why did God let this happen?”
Feelings of anger toward God are difficult for Christians to acknowledge and deal with. However, God is well aware of their inner feelings and talking them over with another godly mature Christian can be very helpful to the grieving person.
Hostility during grief is part of the healing process but it is not something that should be ignored or encouraged, it should instead be dealt with as quickly as possible. Anger has a tendency to grow when left unchecked and it can grieve The Spirit in a Christian if they do not lay it aside.
Ephesians 4:31 (NKJV)
Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.
In the next part of this series, part eight, we will examine stage eight of grief.
Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:
This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.
Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV
11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Agape Love, Anxiety, Bible, Biblical Principles, Christian, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Depression, Devotional, Encouragement, Exhortation, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God’s Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Holy Spirit, In Advice, Jesus, Loss, Love, Panic, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Suffering, Truth
In Advice, Agape Love, Anxiety, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Depression, Encouragement, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Loss, Love, Persecution, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Suffering, Truth on March 12, 2015 at 12:51 pm
In stage five of grief people find themselves in an emotional mix of fear, panic, and anxiety.
The grief can be so overwhelming for some people in certain situations that they become convinced something is wrong with them; they begin to fear that they are gravely damaged in some way in their minds. This leads the person to begin to panic and they find themselves either thinking about only what they believe is happening to them, going insane, or they can only think about their grief and loss continually. Both of these endless pathways of thought are extremely unhealthy for the grieving person.
People react to panic in different ways. Those ways can make them either grab for their neighbors hand for love and support or it can cause them to raise their hand against their neighbor in frustration and anger. The Bible talks about the panic in “The day of the Lord.” The Scripture even says that panic is from the Lord.
Zechariah 14:13 (NKJV)
It shall come to pass in that day
That a great panic from the LORD will be among them.
Everyone will seize the hand of his neighbor,
And raise his hand against his neighbor’s hand;
Why would panic come from the Lord? Perhaps, when we panic we are humbled to a place of understanding that ultimately, there is only One person who can help us completely and totally and that One person is Jesus, the Christ, and I pray your Saviour, as He is mine. Jesus can restore the panicked mind to wholeness, soundness, and sanity.
There is also anxiety during this stage of the grieving process. This anxiety can manifest in dreams about the person they lost to death or the relationship they have lost or the opportunity they have lost. These dreams are very real to the individual and can seem very lifelike to the person. They may believe that their lost loved one has been in their presence or has spoken to them.
During the anxiety process of grief, depending on the intensity of the grief, the griever may believe they see the person they have lost when they are out in public. They might believe this to such a degree that they approach the individual, only to realize it is not the person they thought it was after all.
Spiritual anxiety will manifest in the form of seemly endless questions and focus on the “why” of the matter. Why did the person die? Why did this happen? Why did she or he leave me? Why did I lose my job, I was a good worker? Where is he or she at now? Did they go to heaven? Did they go to hell? Why did God let this happen? Why did God make this happen? Why didn’t God stop this from happening? Why? Why? Why?
During this time of anxiety, the griever must place their trust in their God. They must relent to the truth that God is the Giver of Life and a person’s life does not end one moment before God ordained it to end. The Scripture warn us that feeding anxiety, which we do when we do not trust God and we continually struggle with questions we cannot answer, will only lead to something far worse – depression.
Proverbs 12:25 (NKJV)
Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression,
But a good word makes it glad.
Instead, reach out to the Lord with all your anxieties and questions and trust that He will bring you comfort, peace, and strength. In so doing, it has been my personal experience and I have observed it in other people for many years, if we do not find comfort, peace, and strength it is all too often because we refuse to accept God’s Will and God’s Way of doing things. If we do not like how He leads us, how He tells us to deal with the anxieties, worries, and concerns of our lives, then we might not respond to what He prompts us to do, thus we find no comfort, peace, or strength in life – no victory.
Psalm 94:19 (NKJV)
In the multitude of my anxieties within me,
Your comforts delight my soul.
All of this panic and anxiety produces fear and lots of it in many different forms. Fear of going crazy. Fear of losing one’s faith. Fear of being alone. Fear of other people’s questions. Fear of forgetting the loved one who has died. Fear of being unloved or unlovable due to rejection in a relationship. Fear of how to conduct life now, without the one you have loved so dearly. Fear of having to interact with others without that special person. With proper responses to God’s guidance and direction, all fears can be overcome.
In the next part of this series, part seven, we will examine stage six of grief.
Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:
This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.
Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV
11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Agape Love, Bible, Biblical Principles, Christian, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Depression, Devotional, Encouragement, Exhortation, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God’s Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Holy Spirit, In Advice, Jesus, Loss, Love, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Suffering, Truth
In Advice, Agape Love, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Depression, Encouragement, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Loss, Love, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Spiritual Fruit, Suffering, Truth, Uncategorized on March 5, 2015 at 11:08 am
In stage four of grief people begin to feel various forms of physical distress or illness this is the physical symptoms stage.
The inward depression and unresolved emotional turmoil begins to manifest in physical symptoms of illness brought on by the distress the person is experiencing. If the loss is due to the death of another individual, the person may manifest the physical symptoms that were connected with the individual’s death. Fears of various illnesses abound during this stage. This is the innermost parts of the griever crying out to be with or join the deceased person.
If the individual is grieving over another form of loss that is not associated with someone’s death their grief may manifest in symptoms of panic attacks, believing they are gravely ill in some manner, physical exhaustion, chest pains, headaches, et cetera this is their body responding to the unresolved emotions of grief, anger, frustration, fear, and so forth. For people suffering this type of grief these symptoms could well continue until they resolve their feeling over the loss. Some individuals suffer from panic attacks, exhaustion, or migraine headaches for years due to unresolved issues in their lives.
The best and really only help for this stage of the grief process is for the person to understand the grief process and realize that their symptoms are an emotional response that is manifesting in a physical response to some degree. Although the symptoms appear real to the griever they are not actually having a heart attack or developing cancer.
For those helping the grieving person the best thing to do is not to encourage the concerns the griever has over their physical symptoms but instead to remind them that it is an emotional response caused by distress and exhort them not exasperate the situation by entertaining the physical symptoms as anything about which to be overly concerned. If the griever persist in manifesting physical symptoms those around him or her should encourage the grieving person to go to their doctor for a physical checkup to ensure they are in fact fine and disease or illness free.
In the next part of this series, part six, we will examine stage five of grief.
Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:
This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.
Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV
11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Agape Love, Bible, Biblical Principles, Christian, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Depression, Devotional, Encouragement, Exhortation, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God’s Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Holy Spirit, In Advice, Jesus, Loss, Love, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Suffering, Truth
In Advice, Agape Love, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Depression, Encouragement, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Loss, Love, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Spiritual Fruit, Suffering, Truth, Uncategorized on February 27, 2015 at 1:07 pm
In stage three of grief people begin to feel various forms of despair this is the depression stage.
The depression that comes with loss is situational depression or depression that is based in circumstances not depression derived from diet, disorder, chemical changes, et cetera. Depression is very natural during the grieving process.
Once the emotional release has passed, the deep pain, sorrow, and/or anger the person has felt, will turn inward and manifest in the form of depression. This depression is accompanied by a deep sense of loneliness and feelings of isolation. If the depression is deep enough, it can produce fears that one is going insane and/or problems with a sense of panic. The person is now in the utter depths of despair.
Those around the grieving person will soon realize that the griever feels there is no help or hope for them. They will push people away despite the fact that they also know and feel they need people. Therefore, one day they may shut you out and the next day want you around. For the person grieving these feelings are confusing and for the people surrounding the grieving person who desires to love and help them this behavior can be confusing and frustrating. Both parties need to realize and remind themselves regularly that these feels are quite normal, yet; both parties should have concern if the depression is denied or not dealt with properly.
This is the stage where a person should seek to move their way out of the grief and into new life and those around the griever should begin to encourage that slowly and gently. However, typically a grieving person will have to go through a few more stages of grief, about five, before they begin truly to move out of depression.
This is why there is debate over whether or not there are ten or five stages of grief. One theory of thought is that the next five stages of grief are not separate stages but are a part of the depression stage. People have to deal with the various emotional issues individually to truly work through them therefore, I subscribe to the ten stages of grief theory and do not lump all the emotional issues into the depression stage.
At this point, it is wise for the grieving person to attempt as much as possible to resume or continue in their normal routine and actives even when they find it most difficult to do so. Clearly, they cannot go to work if they cannot control their emotions to a significant degree, as one cannot sit at their desk cry openly all day. However, one can go to work and once or twice throughout the day slip into the restroom for five minutes when they are in such pain that the tears must flow. Likewise they should continue to go the church, even if they are angry with God and do not want to be there. They should continue to attend their gym or exercise classes as exercise is a physical combatant of depression. If they are active in clubs and organization, they should go as often as possible. Activities as insignificant as getting up each day at their regular time, dressing fully, eating regularly, and tending to their surroundings are vital for the grieving person. It is imperative that they not stop the routines of life for very long because doing so can result in worsening depressing. One must get up and continue on with life while in the mist of their grief.
If you as the griever find yourself bombarded with well meaning people who ask you repeated how you are doing, what you have been feeling, or where you are at with the loss each time you go to work, church, or your social groups I have a solution for you. Kindly and with respect let them know that you are aware they are concerned for you and care about you but you are trying to keep it together and go about your normal routine and it is made more difficult by them asking questions each time they see you. Then tell them you would welcome their expressions of concern perhaps once a week or so but not each time you see them. Godly boundaries are a healthy and necessary part of life.
While the griever is in the depression stage those that love them should spend time with them, invite them out, go over to visit them, et cetera. Do all that you can to ensure that you do not allow the grieving person to isolate her or himself. However, balance this act of love and kindness with making sure you do not overwhelm them with obligations. Also do not ask them how they are or about their loss each time you see them. Trust me they are not doing well so why ask every single time you are in their presence. Just be there, spend time with them, and encourage them to go and do things with you. I also realize a depressed person can be a bit of wet blanket but dig down deep in your spirit and pull out some of that agape love, love in action, Jesus was famous for and commands us to have for one another.
In the next part of this series, part five, we will examine stage four of grief.
Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:
This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.
Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV
11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Agape Love, Bible, Biblical Principles, Christian, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, Encouragement, Exhortation, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God’s Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Holy Spirit, In Advice, Jesus, Loss, Love, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Suffering, Truth
In Advice, Agape Love, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Encouragement, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Loss, Love, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Suffering, Truth, Uncategorized on February 20, 2015 at 9:16 am
In stage two of grief people begin to feel the impact of their loss this is the emotional release stage.
During the emotional release stage of grief, people begin to come out of their state of shock and the emotions that have been building up inside of them begin to emerge. These emotions can emerge in both a verbal and physical manner. The release of the emotions in both manners can be healthy but most assuredly care should be taken to ensure the safety of the individual grieving, other people, and/or someone’s personal property. People’s reactions emotionally can vary widely therefore, they must be carefully monitored during this period.
The griever during this stage is beginning to feel the dreadful loss they have suffered. Expressing or releasing these feeling is far better than trying to repress them.
For those monitoring a grieving person they must realize that this is a process the individual must go through and attempts to keep them calm or distract them from their feelings is not helping them. When one Christian watches another Christian release the anger, frustration, pain, sorrow and/or distress inside of them, perhaps blaming the person who has been lost or people attached to the loss, this can be a very difficult thing to watch. Someone may find himself or herself watching an individual they have always known to be godly now perhaps blame God, yell, scream, or simply appear to fall apart emotionally. Please know that your godly friend or loved one is still inside that person and that what you are watching is emotional pain and nothing more.
The best thing a godly person can do for someone in this stage of grief is to allow them to vent their emotions provided they are not hurting themselves, others, or someone’s personal property. Be nearby and avail bile but allow the individual to go through this process. This emotional process may require a series of emotional outburst over the course of time. One single emotional outburst most likely will not mean the end of this stage of grief for most people. Be as patient, kind, and loving as possible while also taking care of your own safety and emotional health.
Emotional release is so important that some hospitals have now provided what they call “screaming rooms” which offer a person in grief somewhere safe to go and vent their feeling.
In the next part of this series, part four, we will examine stage three of grief.
Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:
This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.
Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV
11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Agape Love, Bible, Biblical Principles, Christian, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, Encouragement, Exhortation, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God’s Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Holy Spirit, In Advice, Jesus, Loss, Love, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Suffering, Truth
In Advice, Agape Love, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, Encouragement, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Loss, Love, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Rhema Words, Spiritual Remnant, Suffering, Truth on February 13, 2015 at 8:04 am
There is one school of belief that states there are five stages of grief and there is another school of belief that maintains there are ten stages of grief. I believe ten stages to be much more reasonable and realistic.
The first stage of grief is shock, that sense of disbelief and bewilderment.
During the “shock stage” of grief, much of the mind, soul, and emotional functioning shuts down to a certain degree to insulate itself from something it finds too unbearable. While in the stage of shock the mind and soul is able to comprehend slowly the reality of the situation with which the person is faced. This slow process is in my belief a form of God’s protection as He adjusts the person’s spirit and overall being to their new circumstances. God created mankind’s bodies and He knows there is only so much emotional (soul) pain a person can endure without becoming mentally derailed completely, so He provided the state of shock.
Shock happens regardless of whether or not someone expected the loss to take place, such as in the case of the death of a loved one who has been ill for a long time with a terminal illness or in the case of a divorce that one has known was inevitable for a long time. Just because someone has the knowledge that something is going to happen does not mean his or her minds are prepared for the reality of the loss once it actually takes place.
Denial kicks in pretty quickly after a loss takes place and can last for a long period of time. It is hard for someone to grasp fully that a relationship is over, a dream is gone, or someone they have loved dearly is dead. This is when the sense of unreality takes place and the person begins to feel numb or numbness about the situation. This emotional and mental numbness can last for hours, days, weeks, or sadly, in some cases it drags on for years, which is very mentally and emotionally dangerous.
Not being able to fully grasp or face the full enormity of a loss is God’s anesthetic against the pain of overwhelming loss. Therefore shock is a stage of grief people should welcome and allow other individuals to fully experience in order to process their loss in a healthy manner. The best thing a godly person can do for someone in the early stages of shock is not to overwhelm them with questions, requests, or smothering comfort. Being close by, available, keeping an eye out for the person to assure they do not wonder into danger, and praying for the person, for them not with them as they might not be equipped or prepared to pray initially, is the best course of action in these early stages of shock.
As stated earlier long-term shock can be very unhealthy mentally and emotionally. Therefore, in the case of long-term shock or mental and emotional numbness that has gone on for months or years the best thing a godly person can for an individual in this situation is to urge them to seek godly counsel so they can deal with their unhealthy state of denial and move on.
In the next part of this series, we will address stage two of grief.
Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:
This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.
Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV
11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Agape Love, Bible, Biblical Principles, Christian, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, Encouragement, Exhortation, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God’s Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Holy Spirit, In Advice, Jesus, Loss, Love, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Suffering, Truth
In Advice, Agape Love, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, Encouragement, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Loss, Love, Prophet, Prophetess, Spiritual Remnant, Suffering, Truth, Uncategorized on February 4, 2015 at 4:31 pm
If there was ever anyone, who understood the pain of loss and what it meant to struggle with grief it was Job, from the Book of Job in the Bible. Job was a man who lost everything but his faith in the One True God.
As we explore what the word “grief” actually means and how it is defined by various sources, we will reference some verses from the Book of Job. In another part of the series, we will glean what we can learn about grief and how to handle grief from these same verses.
Job 2:13 (NKJV)
So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great.
Job 6:2 (NKJV)
“Oh, that my grief were fully weighed,
And my calamity laid with it on the scales!
Job 16:5 (NKJV)
But I would strengthen you with my mouth,
And the comfort of my lips would relieve your grief.
Job 16:6 (NKJV)
“Though I speak, my grief is not relieved;
And if I remain silent, how am I eased?
Please take note of the various underlined terms or words within the definitions provided below. You will find my notes in italic font.
Grief per the Hebrew language as found in the above verses from the Book of Job.
3511. כְּאֵב ke˒êb, keh-abe’; from 3510; suffering (phys. or ment.), adversity:— grief, pain, sorrow.
3510. כָּאַב kâ˒ab, kaw-ab’; a prim. root; prop. to feel pain; by impl. to grieve; fig. to spoil:— grieving, mar, have pain, make sad (sore), (be) sorrowful.
3707. כָּעַס kâ˓aç, kaw-as’; a prim. root; to trouble; by impl. to grieve, rage, be indignant:— be angry, be grieved, take indignation, provoke (to anger, unto wrath), have sorrow, vex, be wroth.
3708. כַּעַס ka˓aç, kah’-as; or (in Job)
כַּעַשׂ ka˓as, kah’-as; from 3707; vexation:— anger, angry, grief, indignation, provocation, provoking, × sore, sorrow, spite, wrath.
As you pour over the words and terms used in the Hebrew language to define grief it becomes clear that grief can cause a great deal and wide variety of feelings in a person. These feelings may manifest one at a time or several feelings may manifest simultaneously. Because grief involves so many emotions, it can be terribly destructive if the person does not handle their grief correctly or if a person attempts to deny their grief and stifle the grieving process.
Grief per the Merriam-Webster Dictionary
1 obsolete : GRIEVANCE
2 a : deep and poignant distress caused by or as if by bereavement b : a cause of such suffering
3 a : an unfortunate outcome : DISASTER — used chiefly in the phrase come to grief
Grief at its core means something has happened to us that we did not want to have happen, something we often have had little or no control over but not always, there are times when we are a part of producing our own grief.
Grief per the Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary
deep and poignant distress caused by or as if by bereavement; also : a cause of such suffering
Grief per Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
“Grief is a multifaceted response to loss, particularly to the loss of someone or something that has died, to which a bond or affection was formed. Although conventionally focused on the emotional response to loss, it also has physical, cognitive, behavioral, social, spiritual, and philosophical dimensions. While the terms are often used interchangeably, bereavement refers to the state of loss, and grief is the reaction to loss, along with saudade.
Grief is a natural response to loss. It is the emotional suffering one feels when something or someone the individual loves is taken away. Grief is also a reaction to any loss. The grief associated with death is familiar to most people, but individuals grieve in connection with a variety of losses throughout their lives, such as unemployment, ill health or the end of a relationship. Loss can be categorized as either physical or abstract, the physical loss being related to something that the individual can touch or measure, such as losing a spouse through death, while other types of loss are abstract, and relate to aspects of a person’s social interactions.”
Grief affects not only our emotions it can affect how we act, our physical health, how we treat others, our desire to be with people, our spiritual beliefs, and even our life view or course of life. Although grief is a natural response to loss, mismanaged it can lead to various forms of destruction in our lives. People’s destructive behavior can often be traced back to unresolved grief in some area of their life.
In the next part of this series, part two, we will begin to examine the ten stages of grief.
Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:
This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.
Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV
11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Agape Love, Bible, Biblical Principles, Christian, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, Encouragement, Exhortation, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God’s Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Holy Spirit, In Advice, Jesus, Loss, Love, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Suffering, Truth
In Advice, Agape Love, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, Encouragement, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Loss, Love, Persecution, Prayer, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Suffering, Truth, Uncategorized on January 31, 2015 at 12:03 pm
People often have a singular view of what grief is and why it manifests. Grief more often than not is associated with the death of a person. Grief however, can manifest over the loss or death of anything or anyone significant in a person’s life.
We suffer grief when someone we have cared for or loved dies. We suffer grief when a relationship that has meant a great deal to us ends. We suffer grief when we realize that long held hope, dream, or goals are not going to come to pass. We suffer grief when we have something meaningful to us, taken away from us through theft, fire, flood, loss, or destruction of any sort. We suffer grief when we lose out on an aspect of childhood we should have had. We suffer grief when through injustice, we are cheated out of an opportunity, a promotion, or the ability to be all God meant for us to be.
There are so many forms of grief that most assuredly should we live very long we shall all endure grief in some form. Sadly, too many people do not recognize that they are going through grief, especially if it is a situation where the grief is caused by something other than someone death. People who are dealing with a death often fall into the trap of believing, they should be getting better long before they actually will get better. However, the deepest waves of grief often come long after the loss.
Through this series we explore what grief actually is, how it manifest, some myths about grief, tips for managing grief while it works its way through its natural process, the stages of grief (some believe there are five stages other ascribe to the idea there are ten stages), and how to recover from grief and press on with life in a healthy way.
How we respond to grief and how willing we are to deal with our grief appropriately will determine to some degree how long it will last. I have seen people linger in grief over things that have happened to them for years and years without dealing with the grief. I have also seen people who have lost someone dearly to them embrace their grief wholeheartedly and plow through it in little time at all, comparatively speaking.
I will leave this introduction brief and in part one we will explore the actually meaning of grief according to the Bible, psychology, and other sources.
Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:
This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.
Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV
11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Bible, Biblical Principles, Choices, Christian, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, Encouragement, Exhortation, God, Godliness, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Life, Love, New Years, Prophecy, Revival, Rhema Words, Salvation, Truth
In Advice, Agape Love, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, Encouragement, Exhortation, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Love, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Truth, Uncategorized on January 1, 2015 at 4:12 pm
Proverb 5:15 –
"Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well."
Thoughts shared by another…
This seems to be about drawing from one’s own prosperity and not letting one’s resources be drained by sin – whether that is spiritual, physical or other kinds of resources.
Good thought.
The earlier parts of the chapter are about listening to instruction and correction so as to not be dragged away by immorality, the immoral woman, and to avoid having one’s life and prosperity eaten away.
Yes, the wisdom of those who have gone before us can help us learn so we do not have to make as many mistakes in life.
So it seems to me the message is about keeping one’s livelihood intact.
Yes, it is in a way….but one must ask what is a person’s definition of livelihood – we would find many different answers.
…vitality and prosperity follow obedience.
My thoughts…
Proverbs 5:15-20 to some degree must be taken together and most definitely in context to those verses and the chapter. We will focus in on verse 15 and 16 together. Those two verses fall in the category of Scripture with the Law of Double Reference, which means it has a spiritual and literal meaning and/or can apply to more than one person or group of people in more than one way.
Proverbs 5:15–16 (NKJV)
15 Drink water from your own cistern,
And running water from your own well.
16 Should your fountains be dispersed abroad,
Streams of water in the streets?
Verses 15 and 16 are about:
a) covetousness [When taken with the verses that follow.]
b) reaping what one sows [When taken with the preceding verses.]
c) consequence of sin or ungodly actions – tarnished fruit [When taken with both the previous and later verses as well as the overall context of the chapter.]
Looking deeper into the meaning of the Hebrew words involved in these two verses, you can see the tone and intent of their meaning.
You will find my notes in [brackets] woven within the definitions.
Vs. 15 – (KJV/AV) “Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.”
“waters” = water [meaning the outpouring or flow]; by euphemism urine, semen: — + piss, wasting [with implications for two different application 1 – martial adultery and 2 – the disgusting results of sin and ungodly actions.] course [course of life], flood [problems of life], spring [results of actions, the outpouring of our actions.]
“out of thine own cistern” = bore [Many of the holes we find ourselves in throughout life we dug for ourselves.] a pit hole – espec. one used as a cistern or a prison: — cistern, dungeon, [Our own choices build our personal prisons in life.] fountain [The foundation of our life is based primarily upon the choices we have made.] pit, well.
“and running waters” and “thine own well” [Both share the same meaning in the Hebrew.] = to drip, or shed by trickling: — distil, drop, flood, cause to flow or a flowing, gush out, melt, pour down, running water, stream. [That flow of life choices day in and day out that make up our lives – choices that are either godly or ungodly, God’s Will or not God’s Will.]
Vs.16 – (KJV/AV) “Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.”
“Let thy fountains” = as a denominative in the sense of a spring; a fountain also collect, figuratively a source of satisfaction [The truth is people derive personal satisfaction from good and evil, godliness and sin, positive and negative actions, doing God’s Will and doing their own will.] :— fountain, spring, well.
“be dispersed” = a prim. root; to dash in pieces, lit. or fig. espec. to disperse: — break, dash, shake into pieces, cast abroad, disperse selves, drive, retire, scatter abroad, spread abroad. [We can often choose to destroy the ungodliness in our lives or have our lives destroyed by the ungodliness as we are dashed to pieces upon the destructive rocks of our own life choices.]
Therefore in these verses we are told to desire what we have and be content with what we have, either relationally, materially, position-ally, etc. and not covet what another person has because that will only lead us to sin and that sin will bring havoc into our lives.
It also tells us that we will reap what we sow, that sin leads to consequences, personal imprisonment, and a flood of problems in life, that our choices make up our lives, and that it is primarily our own choices that dig the holes we find ourselves struggling to get out of in life.
We lose what really satisfies us when we begin to go after what another has, our own will, the things of the world, and sin.
Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:
This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.
Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV
11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Advice, Bible, Biblical Principles, Christian, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Encouragement, God, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Prophecy, Prophetess, Prophets, Questions, Rhema Words, Salvation, Truth
In Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, End Times, Exhortation, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Love, Persecution, Prayer, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Truth, Uncategorized on October 6, 2014 at 3:38 pm
Throughout this series if the solitary word Prophet is used it is meant to include both the male prophet and the female prophetess whose roles as mouthpieces for God are interchangeable.
The series that was just completed “The Pesty Moralist – The Prophet” was intended to explain the characteristics of the prophets and the interactions of the prophets with man primarily from the prophet’s side of things. However, it has been brought to my attention that perhaps further explanation is needed on a few points when it comes to “why” people react toward prophets as they do and why people treat prophets as they do. Some people felt I did not explain this as I should have and they were concerned that I might have left people with the impression that all the interactions prophets have that are negative are their own doing or because of their own characteristics, discounting the part man plays by how they treat the prophet or act toward the prophet.
I gathered the input of several people most of whom were prophets or were married to prophets but not all, some were lay people; as a result, I have decided that it is best to proceed with this series and that the best way to proceed is to combine some further input with addressing direct questions, which have been posed. Thank you to each of you; you know who you are, for your input and feedback.
I ended the last series with an addendum, Part 17, which touched on the areas where prophets viewed my one-sided approach as lacking. I fully acknowledge the difficulty it takes to honor the calling of a prophet, for the prophet and for their spouse. The people the prophets must deal with, the carnality within the people, the religious spirits, the demonic spirits, the self-seeking self-serving attitudes, the demands, etc. are more than half of the reason prophets and the people are at odds with one another.
Prophets are use to acceptance without explanation, aka faith, their relationship with God is based on that Truth. This played a key role in why my approach was only from the perspective of the prophet’s behavior, demeanor, and/or actions. What I am being called upon to address, will bring balance, showing the other side of the situation, the people’s behavior, demeanor, and/or actions toward the prophet that creates and affects the prophet’s behavior, demeanor, and/or actions leading to them being misunderstood.
The “why” factor has so many answers when it comes to the following two statements. 1] The prophets and prophetess suffer from being misunderstood, disliked, and ill-treated by people. 2] They endure great hostility directed toward them from both the world and the church. I will address some of those whys, from the other side of the coin – man’s actions toward or reactions to the prophets, for my brothers and sisters through this short series in a way that honors them and their calling. However, I would like to end this introduction with a simple, yet, wise statement from a prophet friend.
quote – “In all my many years of trying to protect myself from getting hurt or trying not to hurt others, not once did God tell me anything more than that many do not understand. He didn’t explain details as to why.”
“The Truth is that God loves us, Jesus was persecuted so shall we be, and people fear what they don’t understand.” – end quote
I wish to remind the readers that these are not simply my own beliefs this series is a collection of agreed upon beliefs by many respected servants of God, highly versed in this topic.
Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:
This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.
Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV
11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Bible, Biblical Principles, Christian, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, God, Godliness, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Prophecy, Prophetess, Prophets, Revival, Rhema Words, Salvation, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Remnant, Truth
In Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Love, Persecution, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Truth, Uncategorized on September 1, 2014 at 8:15 am
Throughout this series if the solitary word prophet is used it is meant to include both the male prophet and the female prophetess whose roles as mouthpieces for God are interchangeable.
The most exceptional mark of the prophet’s manner is their awareness of being one with God in a very deep intimate fellowship, not a fusion – as God is God and man is man. God in all His Godhead approaches the prophet in a manner they can relate to, God as God and the prophet as the person the prophet is. In this way, the Divine can communicate with the created, with His called, with His mouthpiece in a way the prophet can understand. The prophet’s personal identity does not vanish instead the prophet gains power under the overwhelming impact of the communication from God, even when the message is disturbing to the prophet. The prophet is often even responsive to God during these times. The prophet will react to the Word he or she receives.
When God does approach the prophet, there is an awareness of a personal mission to a particular person or group of people.
Whereas prophecy is in a manner a vocation, one that exhibits charisma and comes through election, it presupposes neither training nor the gradual development of a talent. It comes entirely by an act of God’s grace. Prophecy and the job of the prophets is to communicate the insight of God inspired within them. The purpose of God’s communion with the prophet is to bring about righteousness, justice, and piety within people, the Body of Christ, and society. The prophet receives the Word and proclaims the Word.
You can spot a mystical act as not being true prophesy. A mystical act is when “something” happens and a prophetic act is when something is said. Prophecy is a confrontation. The prophet definitely knows what his or her Word implies but they do not elaborate with their views. Their primary concern is the message and not the form of delivery.
A difference between the prophet and ordinary people is the possession of a heightened and unified awareness of certain aspect of life.
I wish to remind the readers that these are not simply my own beliefs this series is a collection of agreed upon beliefs by many respected servants of God, highly versed in this topic.
Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:
This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.
Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV
11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Bible, Biblical Principles, Christian, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, God, Godliness, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Prophecy, Prophetess, Prophets, Revival, Rhema Words, Salvation, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Remnant, Truth
In Advice, Agape Love, Apostasy, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, Encouragement, End Times, Exhortation, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Love, Persecution, Prayer, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Truth, Uncategorized on June 30, 2014 at 5:25 pm
The Supreme Court justices have ruled and Hobby Lobby’s Green family will not have to comply with Obama Care’s mandate to supply the abortion pill via a company’s insurance plan. The same ruling was given to the Hahn family, kitchen cabinet manufacturers, the owners of Conestoga Wood Specialties.
This is a significant victory for Christians everywhere because the highest court in our land, The United States of America, still says; the laws of the land cannot force you to go against your moral religious convictions.
This ruling was a much-needed victory for Devout Christians everywhere. We praise God for it, here in America!
Thank you for your prayers.
Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:
This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.
Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV
11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Bible, Biblical Principles, Christian, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, God, Godliness, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Prophecy, Prophetess, Prophets, Revival, Rhema Words, Salvation, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Remnant, Truth
In Advice, Agape Love, Apostasy, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, Encouragement, End Times, Exhortation, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Love, Persecution, Prayer, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Truth, Uncategorized on June 26, 2014 at 5:00 pm
I still have quite a large number of questions that center around biblical clarification and theology. I am organizing those questions according to topic, as their topics would apply, from Genesis to Revelation. Unless the Lord Jesus leads me in another direction I will come back to these questions and begin answering them after I finish the series titled, “The Pesty Moralist – The Prophet” the introduction of which will be reposted in the next few days.
Questions of a more personal nature that require a quicker answer will be answered via direct email, as they have been previously.
Regarding worldviews:
Secular sources – self-help, advice, mass media – some of these resources can be useful in obtaining knowledge about what is going on in our world but they are not credible sources for a Believer when it comes to establishing beliefs, opinions, and directives for life. The gap between the two foundational platforms (biblical vs. secular) is too vast at this point in our present day society to bring reconciliation between the two. A Believer should seek out Christian lifestyle training, godly counsel, and Christian forms of mass media using those to shape their approach to life.
Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:
This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.
Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV
11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Advice, Bible, Biblical Principles, Christian, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Encouragement, God, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Questions, Rhema Words, Salvation, Truth
In Advice, Agape Love, Apostasy, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, Encouragement, End Times, Exhortation, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Love, Persecution, Prayer, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Truth, Uncategorized on June 25, 2014 at 2:00 pm
You may submit your own question via the contact information on the “ABOUT” page. A link to the about page can be found at the top of any of the website pages.
Question Summary:
Once a person has accepted Christ, are they always saved no matter what?
Reply:
The salvation guarantee is a question that is asked by almost every Christian at one time or another in their walk with Jesus. It is also a question that has been debated since shortly after the words of the New Testament were written. Without a doubt, there are differing views on this important topic but I have been asked to share mine.
My beliefs actually fall in the middle of two extreme positions of belief on this topic. I believe both sides have the issue correct to some degree but find themselves at odds with one another because they avoid addressing those rare circumstances that keep their positions on the matter locked in a stalemate. The key to answering this question can be found in the “no matter what” portion of your question.
Is God going to grant salvation to a person, then take it away? No, I do not believe He will do that. Can someone renounce Christ and lose their salvation? Yes, I do believe that is possible. The difference being that God does not take away salvation that He has granted, instead man through a very limited amount of actions or choices, chooses to turn His back on God and renounce Christ. Once we have accepted Jesus as our Lord, our very own personal Savior, He never turns His back on us or abandons us but we most certainly can turn our backs on Him.
Now I will answer the question further by asking some questions.
In the Book of Revelation, John writes about the Great White Throne of Judgment. When an individual reaches the Great White Throne of Judgment, their name had better be in the book. If it is not, their fate is hell. At that point, no excuses will be made or accepted and no explanations will be made or accepted. The time for all of that will have passed.
Revelation 3:5 (NKJV) – Jesus speaking during His Revelation to John.
He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
Why would Jesus speak of blotting someone’s name out of the Book of Life, if a name could not be removed?
Revelation 22:19 (NKJV)
and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Why would God have it penned in His Word that a person’s “part” could be taken away from the Book of Life if it were not so? It is impossible for God to lie. It is impossible for God not to be faithful to His Word. God’s actions described in this verse are not based on God’s personal desire; they are a result or consequence of someone’s deliberate sin.
Revelation 20:11–15 (NKJV)
The Great White Throne Judgment
11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
‘Anyone not found in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.’
Is Jesus going to address the issue of removing someone name from the Book of Life, if He never takes such action? Or if He does not have the power to do so? Or if He is not willing to do so? No. Our Savior never addressed anything that did not serve a purpose or better yet, His Purpose.
Regarding worldviews:
Secular sources – self-help, advice, mass media – some of these resources can be useful in obtaining knowledge about what is going on in our world but they are not credible sources for a Believer when it comes to establishing beliefs, opinions, and directives for life. The gap between the two foundational platforms (biblical vs. secular) is too vast at this point in our present day society to bring reconciliation between the two. A Believer should seek out Christian lifestyle training, godly counsel, and Christian forms of mass media using those to shape their approach to life.
Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:
This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.
Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV
11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Advice, Bible, Biblical Principles, Christian, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Encouragement, God, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Questions, Rhema Words, Salvation, Truth
In Advice, Agape Love, Apostasy, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, Encouragement, End Times, Exhortation, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Love, Persecution, Prayer, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Truth, Uncategorized on June 24, 2014 at 6:00 am
You may submit your own question via the contact information on the “ABOUT” page. A link to the about page can be found at the top of any of the website pages.
Question Summary:
I will be combining and summarizing several questions on the same topic into this one question summary. Additionally I have chosen to omit information that I believe too personal to the individual to make known publically or publish here.
This question was actually mentioned in an earlier piece where I addressed the issue of persecution. I mentioned then I would address one specific reader’s questions more directly. However, due to the very sensitive nature of her circumstances I will not give many details about her situation.
Nevertheless, here is a summary of her issue and question.
This is a Christian mother, a godly woman form what I can tell, who has three children in public school. Her issue is with attempting to reconcile her Christian beliefs with the environment she is forced to deal with within the public school system. Basically, she is being told that if she wants her children to go public school she will have to medicate two of them with psychotropic drugs. The details of her situation are lengthy and not appropriate for sharing publically but what I do have the okay to share is that it deals primarily with ADHD and ODD.
This Christian mom wants to know how she can possibly train up her children in the way they should go as Proverbs 22:6 teaches, according to their own temperament and how God created them if she complies with what is being asked of her. Her primary focus is on whether or not the squelching of “passions” is a real agenda for those pushing the ADHD diagnoses.
Reply:
Let me first say, my heart goes out to this mother. My child, 27 years old now, went to public school and during the last few years things were getting pretty odd within the system. I symphonize with any Christian parent who has to deal with the bureaucracy of raising a child today.
Secondly, let me make this plan. As this reader knows, I am not a medical doctor, nor have I ever claimed to be a medical doctor. I have study psychology and psychiatry extensively as well as some sociology but again I am not a doctor and my thought and opinions are just that, mine. My thoughts and opinions are based on what I read and study, what I learn from actual psychologist and psychiatrist, what I learn from other Christian spiritual leaders and my personal beliefs based on Scripture and theology.
per Merriam-Webster’s Medical Desk Dictionary
ADHD is attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
ODD is oppositional defiant disorder.
ODD is typically something younger children are labeled with and it involves anger, outburst, aggression, as well as other aspects of behavior. Before the world became so psychologized we called this the terrible two, which if dealt with at the age of two or three would not become a situation where you had a defiant child. If not dealt with early in a child life, a child would become willful and defiant seeking to control their environment at any cost – potentially, if not corrected, getting worse and worse as they grew older.
We live in a society that wishes to make an excuse for almost any unacceptable behavior. It is a society that for the most the part no longer believes in the true biblical definition of sin or evil. A society that hates personal responsibility, loves to blame others, and refuses to believe personal choice and self-control are more important than drugging oneself into submission. A society that drugs their children into submission because it is easier than putting forth the huge amount of effort it takes to train them up according to God’s Word. What is sadder is that in the post-modern churches, the pews are filled with individual, and parents, who are themselves filled with psychotropic drugs.
We live in a society, which is psychologized in almost everything they do. We have a church who has embraced much of the same. However, do people think about how these experts’ opinions have changed repeated over time? Example: In the late 1970’s, early 1980’s it was the official position of the APA that homosexuality was a mental illness, yet, today some thirty years later they actively promote the opposite. God’s Word about how we should we act and how to handle our problems does not change. Whom would you rather depend on, because it is very difficult to depend on both? It is very difficult to reconcile the two.
The ADHD label typically comes a bit later in a child development. The daydreamers and those who can’t sit still end up with this label. Do people stop to think about what is doing on in the daydreamers mind or why the child who cannot sit still thinks life is so exciting? It is usual only after someone tells these children/people something is wrong with them that they begin to think something might be wrong with them, beforehand most of them were fine with how God created them.
This godly woman just cannot believe that her child has a mental illness or is deserving of a mental diagnosis such as ADHD because they possess characteristics that are typical for their age and other characteristics that she even considered good qualities, once those characteristics are brought into balance through godly instruction and personal maturity. However, the list she gave is accurate and her concern about “passions” is believed by many, if not most, in the psychiatric profession.
Here are some of those negative symptoms/traits that caused her teenager to be slapped with a label of ADHD and therefore, be in need of medication.
energetic
disinterested if not challenged
sensitive
daydreams
feels passionately
absentminded
hyper focused
excels in a specific area to the exclusion of other areas
Overall, the issue that concerned her regarding the “passions” aspect of the diagnosis is that children or people with ADHD will be ‘hyper focused people who will excel at their passion.’ Now isn’t that a horrible thing to have happen to your child. Isn’t that how we got the great artists, the great writers, the wonderful researchers, great surgeons, marvelous concert pianists, brilliant legal minds, or some of the world’s greatest thinkers and theologians? Billy Graham, now in his nineties, has spent his entire life focused on doing one thing, spreading the Gospel of Jesus – sharing the same message over and over and over. Some of our greatest inventors in history were so absentminded they could barely remember to wash their face and comb their hair each day.
A lot of something, usually outweighs a little of everything. Have I missed something here? Are we all supposed to be good at everything or most of us good at nothing in particular?
Mediocrity per Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary: 1 a: the quality or state of being mediocre b: moderate ability or value 2: a mediocre person
Mediocre per Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary: of moderate or low quality: ORDINARY
The spreading or promotion of mediocrity is among one of the greatest things that can later be used to control people.
Regarding worldviews:
Secular sources – self-help, advice, mass media – some of these resources can be useful in obtaining knowledge about what is going on in our world but they are not credible sources for a Believer when it comes to establishing beliefs, opinions, and directives for life. The gap between the two foundational platforms (biblical vs. secular) is too vast at this point in our present day society to bring reconciliation between the two. A Believer should seek out Christian lifestyle training, godly counsel, and Christian forms of mass media using those to shape their approach to life.
Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:
This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.
Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV
11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
God's Truth in Love 