Posts Tagged ‘Prophetess’
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.
Advice, Bible, Biblical Principles, Christian, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, DISCIPLE, DISCIPLESHIP, Encouragement, God, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, MENTOR, Prophecy, Prophetess, Prophets, Questions, Rhema Words, Salvation, TEACHER, Truth
In Advice, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Encouragement, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Spiritual Remnant, Uncategorized on December 15, 2014 at 1:52 pm
Monday, December 15, 2014
At various times I have been approached by various people who have sought to understand the things of God in a deeper way and learn to apply those things specifically to their everyday life. Helping someone to do this is call discipleship. I was reminded yesterday of the importance of this spiritual discipline. I had scaled back on the number of people I disciple/mentor over the last year after some trying experiences.
Nevertheless…People are hungry for someone to give into their lives and if it is within a spiritual leader’s power and ability through Christ to give, we should.
This blog has been an avenue through which people have been able to connect with me for help and instruction in the things of God. I also ride around in a car that has the website’s address to this blog on the side and the trunk of it, which God has used to has prompt total strangers to walk up to me seeking help with the things of God. Therefore, once again, I wanted to allow God to use it to reach those individuals searching for someone willing to walk the godly spiritual road with them.
Due to some current and upcoming changes in my ministry schedule at the turn of the new year I will have five opening for new people seeking someone to disciple/mentor them. Whether you live locally or far away, we can manage it together. If you live locally, we will handle things via email, phone calls, texts, and in person meetings. If you live far away, we will handle things via email, phone calls, and text. Either way together, we will make the time to learn how Christ wishes us to live our lives, His Will for us, and explore His Purpose for you specifically.
If you are seeking someone to help you in this manner, through discipleship/mentoring, then I encourage you to contact me and we shall see if we are a godly fit as a disciple/protégé and teacher/mentor. You may send me a comment through the comment link below or if you are someone who reads this blog regularly and sought me out in the past, when I did not have the availability, I encourage you to email, text, or call me – this may just be the right time now.
Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:
This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.
Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV
11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
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 Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, End Times, Exhortation, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Persecution, Prayer, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Truth, Uncategorized on November 7, 2014 at 3:12 pm
Throughout this series if the solitary word Prophet is used it is meant to include both the male prophet and the female prophetess whose roles as mouthpieces for God are interchangeable.
Bottom line, the prophets felt I presented how they are without presenting the other side of the coin – how people treat them and why. Therefore, through this series, I am addressing those concerns and the questions associated with those concerns.
Question Summary:
I carefully considered whether or not to include this question in the series. I personally know the individual who posed the question. Having personal insight into their heart and their spirit I know their motives come from a pure place therefore, I have chosen to include their question for it is a valid one.
The essence of the question was, ‘What is a prophet to do when their church leadership is less spiritually mature than they are? This does cause problems for the prophet.’
Response:
Actually this is more common than people tend to realize because most people view the Pastors, Deacons, and other various members of leadership as more spiritual than the people within the congregation. However, this is often not the case at all. I do not even believe most Pastors try to present the situation as such. Godly Pastors know there are people within their congregation who are more mature than they are. That the leadership is more mature than everyone else in the congregation is simply one of those assumptions people make based solely on the fact that the individuals have positions of leadership within the local congregation.
Yes, it can cause problems for the prophet. However, how the prophet handles themselves can go a long way toward making those problems worse or better.
Leadership is always to be respected as long as they are not sinning against the people. The prophet, or the person upon whom a prophetic spirit rest, who is more mature than their local leadership should go out of their way to respect that leadership even more. When sin is not involved you never usurp the authority of, or undermine, spiritual leadership.
If your leadership is less spiritually mature than you are then come along side of them and help them, reach out to them and be a blessing to them. If they are quality leadership, they will welcome the input, insight, and help. If they are not quality leadership, you will receive either a negative reaction or no reaction, which at that point you have to realize that they are not secure in their leadership and you may need to go back to God about what to do. Secure people seek people who can help them further the agenda of the Kingdom of God.
Before the comments come in about the five-fold ministry and the priority of those ministries, let me address those Scriptures. Yes, the prophet is listed as the second position of ministry on that list. Yes, it comes before pastor and secondary leadership such as deacons are not even on the list. However, the list is not meant to qualify ranks for the sake of qualifying ranks. The list is meant to exemplify the functionality of the Body of Christ. Let me explain by breaking the list down.
Ephesians 4:11–13 (NKJV)
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till 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;
Spiritual leader’s primary purpose.
· Apostles – build churches and ministries.
· Prophets – minister to the needs of the Body of Christ as a corporate whole first, the local congregation second, and the personal individual third for the purpose of communicating God’s Will and Divine Direction, explaining what is to come for God’s people, et cetera.
· Evangelists – preach the Gospel in order to build the Body of Christ in numbers.
· Pastors – care for the practical everyday needs and spiritual wellbeing of the members of the Body of Christ.
· Teachers – disciple (educate) people in the Word of God.
One must keep in mind that some pastors are teaching pastors, which means they are called as teachers as well as pastors. Some prophets are also teachers and apostles. Some apostles are also prophets. Some evangelists are also prophets. A combination of callings and certainly multiple spiritual gifts is quite common among those called to the five-fold ministry.
The Scripture below in Ephesians makes it clear we are to submit ourselves one to another for the over good of the Body of Christ and out of reverence to (fear of) God.
Ephesians 5:15–21 (NKJV)
Walk in Wisdom
15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.
One must always keep in mind that it is the more mature person’s obligation to defer to the less mature person because they are weaker in their faith. Romans 14 teaches that we are to do all we can to ensure we are not the cause of another person stumbling in their walk with God. Therefore, if we must defer to them or curtail our actions, a mature Believer will do that and a prophet should certainly be mature. A mature prophet, or a person upon whom the spirit of prophesy rest; will always attempt to be a blessing to their local godly leadership not a hindrance.
This will be the last question I will answer publically during this series. If your question was not, or is not, answered via a posting or via private emails then I have elected not to address your specific question. Thank you for understanding and respecting my choice.
I would like to conclude the two series on prophets and their relationship with their fellow man with the following thought. In the end what people must remember is, Prophets primarily apply God’s Word to the corporate people of God, meaning the Body of Christ, more often than to specific individuals.
There may be a larger break than normal between the ending of this series and the beginning of the next or the restarting of the Q&A series. I have a number of pieces for publication that need my attention and I am a bit behind schedule at this time. I appreciate your dedication to reading the blog and your patience. As always, I welcome your input regarding the topic of the next series.
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.
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 Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian Living, Exhortation, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Truth, Uncategorized on October 31, 2014 at 4:46 pm
Throughout this series if the solitary word Prophet is used it is meant to include both the male prophet and the female prophetess whose roles as mouthpieces for God are interchangeable.
Bottom line, the prophets felt I presented how they are without presenting the other side of the coin – how people treat them and why. Therefore, through this series, I am addressing those concerns and the questions associated with those concerns.
In this piece, I will address two questions, as the answers for each should be brief.
Question Summary:
Are those who prophesy all prophets?
Response:
No, just because someone speaks prophesy on occasion does not make them a prophet. Speaking prophecy and having the gift of prophecy is not the only requirement for being considered a prophet.
There are various characteristics, spiritual gifts, and a consistent spiritual presence of the manifest evidence of the Holy Spirit that must be present for a person to be considered a prophet or prophetess. The individual must also exhibit certain passions for the Word of God, Truth, and the progression of the Body of Christ into God’s Will for the time period in which the prophet lives.
Question Summary:
Would you elaborate on what you meant when you wrote, ‘Prophets are use to acceptance without explanation…’?
Response:
The comment the reader is asking about is the following statement. "Prophets are use to acceptance without explanation, aka faith, their relationship with God is based on that Truth."
Prophets and people upon whom a prophetic spirit rest are faith people. They know God, they hear God, and they are use to interacting with God just as though He were a person standing beside them.
This type of relationship builds great trust in God, which in turn produces faith by the grace of God. Therefore, when God tells one of these individuals to do something, to say something, or to go somewhere they do what God instructs without asking God to explain to them why they need to do so or why they should say something, et cetera.
Prophets accept God’s Word and God’s Directions without explanation for two primary reasons. One, because they reverence God and understanding that He has every right to request anything of them He would like. Two, they have learned over the course of time that God is faithful and that when He leads them to act it is never without a reason even if they do not know the reason before they act, at the moment that they act, or even for some time after they act. These individuals know God will eventually show them why He had them do as He instructed.
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.
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 Christian Living, Christianity, End Times, Exhortation, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Truth, Uncategorized on October 24, 2014 at 3:00 pm
Throughout this series if the solitary word Prophet is used it is meant to include both the male prophet and the female prophetess whose roles as mouthpieces for God are interchangeable.
Bottom line, the prophets felt I presented how they are without presenting the other side of the coin – how people treat them and why. Therefore, through this series, I am addressing those concerns and the questions associated with those concerns.
Question Summary:
This question was quite simple. ‘Why do they, which references prophets, seem so angry, negative, and pessimistic?’
Response:
The answer to this question is just as simple as the question but very difficult to fully comprehend. The answer – It is because prophets, prophetesses, and people upon whom a prophetic spirit rest are actually extremely hopefully about how things could be.
The majority of individuals sell themselves short, sell people short, and sell mankind in general short. Their bar of expectation and/or standards is very low; their hope is fleeting at best. For the prophet the ideal is always a possibility with God and their frustration with mankind, which is mistaken for anger, is because mankind sells themselves short and even sells God short. This reality is always present with the prophet because the prophet’s knowledge of what could be and their hope for the manifestation of what could be is always present.
As far as their perceived negativity, they believe in Truth and only through the acceptance of Truth can mankind reach their full potential. The prophet’s battle to combat every untruth with God’s Truth is perceived as being negative but in Truth is the highest form of optimism because the prophet wants everyone to live in Truth and thus live in godly victory, godly fulfillment, and godly satisfaction.
Lastly, the prophet or those upon whom a prophetic spirit rest have a very pessimistic view of sin – as they should. Typically when someone talks about a prophet being pessimistic it relates to them addressing the matter of sin, which a group or individual does not wish to view as sin. Well guess what folks, just because the majority thinks it is okay does not make it okay, just because the majority thinks it is normal does not make it normal or godly in God’s view, just because the majority thinks it is right does not make it moral or right, and just because the majority thinks something is so does not make it Truth.
Prophets and those upon whom a prophetic spirit rest are some of the most ideal, hopeful, godly-positive people you ever want to meet but their hope, their beliefs, their foundation for all that idealism, hope, and victorious thinking is based in Christ Jesus and His Word not the worlds ideas.
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.
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, Exhortation, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Persecution, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Truth, Uncategorized on October 21, 2014 at 6:20 am
Throughout this series if the solitary word Prophet is used it is meant to include both the male prophet and the female prophetess whose roles as mouthpieces for God are interchangeable.
Bottom line, the prophets felt I presented how they are without presenting the other side of the coin – how people treat them and why. Therefore, through this series, I am addressing those concerns and the questions associated with those concerns.
Question Summary:
‘As a prophet I find myself surprised that people fear me. A prophet wants the will of God, which should never be feared. I have friends who have had similar experiences. So, why do the people fear the prophets?’
Response:
I touched on this lightly in the first series but I will elaborate a bit more. I want to make it clear that the fact that people fear prophets or those individual upon whom a prophetic spirit rest is not because the prophet has done anything wrong in God’s eyes or done anything of which people should be fearful.
First let me state what should be obvious to a prophet; not all people want God’s Will. People seem to fear God’s Will but they do so because they lack understanding regarding how much God loves them and how His Will for them is their “ideal” life, even if they do not recognize it as such at first glance. Prophets always point people toward Jesus and God’s Will therefore to be in the presence of a prophet is to be confronted with God’s Will, which we have established that people often fear, thus they associate the two, the Will of God and the prophet, this equals fear of the prophet.
Prophets and those upon whom a prophetic spirit rest are very humble but they are also very passionate about the things of God, they are headstrong (in a good way) when it comes to God’s Will, and they are vocal about sin, God’s Will, life, et cetera as God leads; put all of that together and you have a dynamic in your face passionate fireball for God and that kind of passion scares some people. Hence, this can also cause people to fear prophets.
Generally speaking, it is almost impossible to hide things from a prophet. They often do not talk about or confront a person with the things they know about them, their life, or their circumstances – they tend to pick their battles, so to speak. This knowledge, given by the revelation of God, becomes evident if a person is around a prophet enough and that scares people.
Taking that a step further, people fear prophets because of their own wrong motives for engaging them. As I wrote in another piece in the previous series, ‘A prophet can see into the spirits of people most of the time and therefore, he or she is often aware of the wrong motives of people.’
This leads me to my next point. People fear prophets because people know that prophets can see into their spirits. Honestly, who wants his or her spirit laid bare for someone to see? Not many. Therefore, the fear produced by this aspects of the prophet’s revelatory gifts is, for lack of a better way to put it, a natural consequence of the calling and the gifts associated with the prophets or those upon whom the spirit of prophecy rest.
Lastly, if people have engaged prophets or those upon whom a prophetic spirit rest in the past and not responded to them appropriately there might have been some less than pleasant consequences to their behavior, I wrote about this in part four, and therefore this can produce fear for the person when they interact with prophets or those upon whom a prophetic spirit rest. This is not the fault of the prophet it is the fault of the person who chose to respond, or not respond, as they should have responded.
This should have given you more insight into why prophets, prophetess, and those upon whom a prophetic spirit rest are unjustly feared.
I wish to remind the readers that these are not simply my own beliefs this series is a collection of agreed upon beliefs by many respected servants of God, highly versed in this topic.
Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:
This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.
Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV
11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
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 Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Persecution, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Truth, Uncategorized on October 18, 2014 at 6:18 am
Throughout this series if the solitary word Prophet is used it is meant to include both the male prophet and the female prophetess whose roles as mouthpieces for God are interchangeable.
Bottom line, the prophets felt I presented how they are without presenting the other side of the coin – how people treat them and why. Therefore, through this series, I am addressing those concerns and the questions associated with those concerns.
Question Summary:
I will be using very similar language as was used when the question was submitted. Please do not be offended.
Why don’t you be honest, explain how the prophets are regularly “used” by people, “mistreated” by people, and how they are “blamed” by people with ungodly motives who have suffering negative consequences from their own actions and treatment toward the prophet? Try explaining what that does to the prophet. Why are you avoiding this topic?
Response:
It is my belief that I already address this question in the previous series but I am more than willing to do so again.
These were my words in an earlier piece. – ‘People do regularly seek prophets out so that the prophet will seek God for them instead of seeking God for themselves, thus the people attempt to misuse or inappropriately use the gifts and callings of God; not to mention they “think” they can blame the prophet if things do not work out. What they forget is that God will deliberately confuse their steps if they attempt to seek a prophet’s counsel with ill motives. Yes, there are people who in general attempt to use the prophets.’
What is presented in the content of the question above is true. Prophets are used and blamed very often without cause and unjustly by people who associate their contact with a prophet to negative events in their lives without examining their response to the prophet or how they treated the prophet. You, me, or anyone else cannot engage or be confronted by a prophet or a person upon whom a prophetic spirit rest, then not respond or respond inappropriately and expect that things will just go well for us.
Here are a couple real life examples:
I once confronted a woman who was tired and seemed to have a cold. God revealed to me that it was much worse, thus I told her she needed to go home and get some rest, that day. She literally jeered at me and indicated she was too needed in the ministry she was doing to leave and take the time to rest. She thought my Words a foolish distraction from what God wanted her to do, when in fact the Word was meant to bring life. Within twenty-four hours, this woman was in the hospital at deaths door with heart issues.
Another time I had a mild disagreement with a woman over information and once I left the room this disagreement was discussed between another woman and her. Within the next few days, the one of the women had stroke like symptoms and the other took a bad fall and injured herself significantly.
I had nothing to do with any of these women’s injuries but one chose not to listen to the counsel of God and the other two touched God’s Property with their mouths. Is that my fault? No, not at all. Have they associated these negative events with me? Very possible, if not probable, based on the knowledge I have and their future behavior.
You simply cannot use a prophet, mistreat a prophet, unjustly accuse, or unjustly blame a prophet or a person upon whom a prophetic spirit rest and get away with it because God will not allow it to happen. What God did for His anointed ones and prophets in days past He does for them today.
Psalm 105:13–15 (NKJV)
13 When they went from one nation to another,
From one kingdom to another people,
14 He permitted no one to do them wrong;
Yes, He rebuked kings for their sakes,
15 Saying, “Do not touch My anointed ones,
And do My prophets no harm.”
Most godly people readily acknowledge it is unwise to talk negatively about or in any way attempt to harm a prophet or God’s anointed ones. However, what I think people fail to realize is that they harm prophets and those upon whom the spirit of prophecy rest through their attempts to avoid them – avoidance is harm or when the prophet is not received that is a form of harm, harm that God will judge and for which He will bring retribution.
As far as explaining what these types of treatment do to, or how they affect, the prophet, it depends on the prophet. They are human beings with feelings and of course, they get hurt at times, frustrated, angry, sad, lonely, ill-tempered, etc. often a result of all they have to face day in a day out. However, I see no real benefit to the readers to go into all that – the prophets know their struggles and their inner circle of people with which they can share those struggles is small.
I am not trying to be mean with my next few statements, only honest. My daddy was a wise man and looking back, he obviously knew, or God had shown him, a great deal about what my life would entail. He had a few of simple statements, he would repeat many times over the years, but the truths that they held are real and lasting. He would to say, ‘You have to toughen up or the world will destroy you.’ He meant you had to be a strong person internally, not aggressive externally. He also would say, ‘Don’t be so thin skinned.’ He meant being overly sensitive would only hamper your abilities in life. Lastly, he always walked around with a notepad in his pocket and every month or so he would pull it out and write something down on the pad. Once he had written his statement, he would approach you and ask, ‘Do you know the key to life?’ To which one of us might reply correctly if we remembered. Then he would lower the pad to our eye level, he was a tall imposing man, and on the pad would be one word, “humble” – he would then tap the pad and say, ‘Be humble, in every situation no matter what your stature be humble and you can handle anything life brings your way.’
Now I realize that for godly people most over sensitivity is a distortion of godly sensitivity, which is born out of compassion for people. Nevertheless, I would say to all the prophets, those upon whom a prophetic spirit rest and/or those with the gift of prophesy out there who wish to function as God desires them to, just what daddy use to say; you have to toughen up and you can’t be so thin skinned or the world and/or the Body of Christ will destroy you. Also, remember to be humble, in every situation no matter what your stature be humble and you can handle anything life brings your way.
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.
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 God, God's Voice, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Persecution, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Truth, Uncategorized on October 13, 2014 at 6:28 am
Throughout this series if the solitary word Prophet is used it is meant to include both the male prophet and the female prophetess whose roles as mouthpieces for God are interchangeable.
Bottom line, the prophets felt I presented how they are without presenting the other side of the coin – how people treat them and why. Therefore, through this series, I am addressing those concerns and the questions associated with those concerns.
Question Summary:
Why do the people gravitate to or flee from the prophets? Why does it appear to most of the prophets and prophetess I know (the reader knows) that people’s reasons for doing both are selfish, misguided, or protective? What about how that affects the prophet? Why is the people’s reaction to the prophet the prophet’s fault?
Response:
First, let me state clearly that the way people react to the prophet or prophetess is not his or her fault whatsoever. The prophet’s responsibility is before God to do as God directs and the responsibility to man is secondary. If the prophet forgets this Truth, they will become misguided themselves in their actions.
People flee from prophets because being around them makes the individuals feel exposed. The prophets can discern a person’s motives as well as see into their spirits and people can sense those revelatory gifts. When those gifts are sensed by someone who is trying to hide things or who is deep in sin they find it extremely difficult to stay around the prophet for very long, if at all.
Often people do in fact find unjust fault with the prophet, try to hurt the reputation of the prophet, etc. to detract from their own fears about what the prophet will do or say to them or about them. This even happens with spiritual leaders, they will reject a prophet because they have things in their lives or ministry they are not ready to hand over to God, to be done God’s Way. However, as previously mentioned, defaming a prophet will cause a person serious trouble with God.
A mature prophet has come to realize that they can aid in this situation. It is when we lay down our rights for our brothers and sisters that we have shown them true love. If they are willing, prophets can, not mingle so much among the congregation when it is not necessary. The prophet can realize how their presence will make people feel and choose only to be in a group setting when absolutely necessary. There will be time for the prophet to hang out with likeminded people that have similar gifts and equally yoked spiritual maturity.
There are so many reasons why people are drawn to or attempt to be around prophets. Some of those reason are selfish and misguided, I agree. However, the prophet has the option of how they will respond once they have spiritually discerned the person’s motive for being around them or attempting to befriend them. The prophet must do as God directs and allow God to deal with the person’s wrong motive. He will I assure you!
Two of the most common reasons people attach themselves or attempt to attach themselves to prophets are, 1 – They seek to advance themselves on the backs of the prophets or the skirt tails of the prophetess. 2 – They are people who seek to hang out with, be around, or befriend prophets in order to elevate their perceived spiritual status in the eyes of other people.
If you are a prophet or a person with the spirit of prophecy who has been used by people in this manner, that you thought sincerely cared about you, you have my compassion I have been there myself. It does affect the prophet or prophetic person and can cause them to become guarded. Try not to allow that to happen to you. Just realize there will be those individuals who will do this, try to recognize them quickly, and move on from them.
Regarding point number one. These people do this type of thing because they lack the spiritual depth, calling, and/or gifting to obtain God’s advancement. Therefore, they seek to get it through or byway of attachment to someone else.
Regarding point number two. Again, people who pursue prophets or those with the spirit of prophecy with these wrong motives lack spiritual depth of their own. By being considered a friend of the prophet, they can move in circles with other prophetic people, or so they think and if they do not get to they get really upset, and by association, they think people view them with greater spiritual depth. Some individuals even try to insert themselves into the prophet’s life to such a degree that they hope they will be viewed as the “go to” person for getting information to or about the prophet.
Once again, of course both of these things are very hurtful for the prophet, prophetess, or the individual upon whom the spirit of prophecy rest, once they realize that such a person has entered their world. You cannot forget they might be quite spiritual but they are just human beings with feelings just like anyone – people forget that.
If you are a prophet, prophetess or a person upon whom the spirit of prophecy rest you have my deepest sympathies if you have been a victim or wounded by people like this. Whether they chose to reject you out of hand because their own sin made them uncomfortable around you or if they attempted to use you in order to advance their spiritual standing and ministry, I know it hurt you and it was unjust, as does God. God will deal with them allow Him to do so. We must pray for them, for they are very spiritually weak individuals.
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.
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 Advice, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Encouragement, End Times, Exhortation, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Persecution, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Truth, Uncategorized on October 10, 2014 at 1:08 pm
Throughout this series if the solitary word Prophet is used it is meant to include both the male prophet and the female prophetess whose roles as mouthpieces for God are interchangeable.
Bottom line, the prophets felt I presented how they are without presenting the other side of the coin – how people treat them and why. Therefore, through this series, I am addressing those concerns and the questions associated with those concerns.
Question Summary:
I was asked for confirmation that prophets are often treated by the world and some religious systems as having some form of disorder or mental illness because they hear God and see vision with regularity.
The feeling is that the prophets are not treated fairly or viewed accurately.
Response:
This is by far people’s greatest concern and therefore I am addressing it first.
Let me start by acknowledging that the prophets are not treated fairly or viewed accurately by the world system and some religious systems. However, if you are a prophet I would say to you, ‘Toughen up and trust God!’ you are going to have to do both in order to survive and thrive as a prophet. For that matter, this includes any of you who are a prophetic person or have a prophetic spirit upon you.
Should the prophet be chary about how they present their gifts to the world and even the church? I say they absolutely should. They must clearly distinguish between a worldly view that would label the hearing of voices as schizophrenia and seeing things as delusions thus always giving context to what they hear and see. When properly presented, intelligently, as spiritual gifts, not mental abnormalities, most prophets have been able to keep clear of the grip of psychiatry, which has greatly damaged America. One must be willing however to be clear and address the matter openly or else they will be misunderstood. Hiding will not work; you must confront situations at times.
Now on a personal note, let me assure each of you of one Truth. If you are on God’s side of the situation God will protect you, not matter what and I mean I that; I have lived it and I know for a fact that it is true. Now understand me, He may not keep you out of the scrape or keep you from encountering persecution but I promise you if you stay within His Will He will protect and deliver you from the situation and when He is done, He will have given you an experience He intends to use to build up other people and glorify Him. You must trust Him however, you must!
I wrote in a previous piece in the last series, “All too often what some view as a mental abnormality or disorder is actually a higher spiritual order.” There is a life beyond this one. There is a Creator communicating with this world and His creation. God is at work each day within the world and within the lives of people who know Him and those who do not know Him. Spiritual forces both godly and evil are at work everywhere you go. This is why a prophetic person and/or prophets will walk into a public place or even someone’s home and immediately become disturbed, angry, agitated, sad, etc. These are all part of the “higher spiritual order” and connecting the dots, interceding, and interacting within that spiritual order is not something most people embrace or are capable of doing. Therefore, for those prophetic people out there, those upon whom the prophetic spirit rest, and the prophets out there – don’t expect the people to understand this higher spiritual order just spread the Light of God and present Truth where you can.
Whether you are a prophetic person, someone upon whom the prophetic spirit rest or a prophet you must remember with all humility that when you get to a certain place with the Lord there will be fewer people who will be able to relate to you. Prophets are so humble inside that as a result when they are immature in their calling they do not realize this is what is happening to them, that this is why people are pulling back, steering clear, et cetera or why they are often misunderstood.
Because the prophet is attempting in all circumstances to present God’s Will for the present situation and in so doing he or she is seeking to obtain an answer from mankind for God’s questions of them this leaves them continually presenting challenges to people. All too often, these challenges go unmet by the individual, yet, it is still the prophet’s responsibility to present them and in so doing the people begin to associate the prophet with a continually reminder that they are not living up to all God desires for them.
I mentioned in a previous piece in the last series that people have this dynamic backward, when I wrote, ‘The prophet is attempting in all circumstances to present God’s Will for the a situation and in so doing he or she is seeking to obtain an answer from mankind for God’s questions of them.’ Then I challenged the reader with the statement. “Some people have that second point backwards – – think on that for a moment.”
People often seek God for answers or even demand answers from God otherwise they will…, they will not…, and so forth; but in Truth it is God who has a holy right to demand answers from us!
I wish to remind the readers that these are not simply my own beliefs this series is a collection of agreed upon beliefs by many respected servants of God, highly versed in this topic.
Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:
This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.
Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV
11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
God's Truth in Love 