After Pat's kids came to the ministry, Pat freaked out. She freaked out on us a few times. She struggled for over 5 years. She was having causal sex with her physiologist, and Linda had a cleaning business called Handmaiden's. It was a great cleaning business for helping all the girls learn to be responsible, have good attitudes and pray for other's. Some of the old people cried when we left. Pat's lover took her to a porn shop pulled out a video called Handmaidens and said "this is what your kids got into." Well she freaked out. But she bought a bible.......... and now she is no longer tormented by fear, she found peace with God......... all the evil she thought had befallen her, turned for good.
Amy's mom came and interrogated Gene and I for hours one day she was so paranoid. She had to seek the Lord, believe that God is talking to mankind through His word, and begin doing what she read in the bible too.......... but it has saved her and her family from many of their destructions. The evil she thought came her way, only made her a better woman all around too. Give your mom some time, you change and walk in love and faith, she might see it's a great way to live, having love and faith towards God, and love and faith towards people. Most people are not free from the fear of man, and they don't have a grip on life to be able to walk in love and faith with other people, they are too lost in their own destructions to help others. But God wants her to be free to love people, and fulfill the purpose for her life. We are made to give and receive love, and when we live in our own hell we can't do that. You might like this little letter I wrote to another woman today! Love, Ceci
I was given over to my destructions in times past. Killing myself with smoking, poor eating habits, poor relational habits........... but there is a way out.
There are a few people in my family that have died of obesity and it's complications. I knew I would be one of them. One time years ago I had a day of reckoning with the Lord. There I sat in my living room held captive by the cords of my own sin. I was chain smoking, trying to preach liberty in the Lord while I myself lived in my own prison under THE SPIRIT OF DESTRUCTION.
A woman across the street had just moved in. She was about 450 lbs. and it took her several minutes to walk to the door from her car. I said in my heart, "Lord that's me a few years from now, and If you help me, I'll live to help other women overcome the Spirit of Destruction, Gluttony, in their life. That was over 20 years ago and the Lord took me up on it. I even did some TBN Shows in Hawaii where several women who had come into my life and I shared our stories together. We were all "Christian hypocrites" living in our own worlds of destruction, putting on our "Christian Faces" for Sunday and Wednesday, but we were all Independent women, not "living member's" of His Body on the earth. And none of us had inherited God's promise "to free us from all our fears and all our destructions." We were prideful, lying, hiders, who didn't speak the truth in love, believing we are members one of another." We were all spiritual criminals who grieved, denied and resisted the HOLY GHOST in our lives each day. We were fearful and insecure but too pretentious to get real with God.
Anyway, 20 years later, after getting honest, and real with God and each other, and holding each other accountable to what God's still small voice was telling us individually to overcome our destructions, I would say we have lost about 600 lbs between us all.
One of the biggest blessings has been "with all our getting we got understanding" to how the devil was plucking us off, via dead, lifeless food. We had many diseases between us all too. Not only has God opened our eyes to the truth about food, (which there is a lot known out there that you have to dig for", but we have overcome many diseases too! Food kills us and food can heal us. And one reason we couldn't stop eating is we were eating food with no nutrition in it, and our bodies were always screaming for more until we started putting high concentrated nutrition into them. If you want some links to some good health info. please let me know. (I don't think I can put info. here) and there is a powerful video I got recently used at half.com that tells it like it is. It's called Diet for A New America. If you want more info or web links, let me know, Jesus wants to set us free from our delusions and destructions. And with all our getting, we must get understanding to the whiles of the devil against our health, Physically and Spiritually. He has set us free from our webs of destruction and we thought about making a video and sending it out for free. (I'll come back here if we do and let you know, it might be a great way to encourage others THAT JESUS IS THE OVERCOMER and those who look to Him can do no less than OVERCOME TOO! And sit down with Him at his table.......... there are great promises to overcomers in Rev.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
CARMIE'S TESTIMONY
A WOMAN WHO FEARS THE LORD SHALL BE PRAISED, GIVE HER THE WORK OF HER HANDS pvb 31...and cursed is the woman who fears man not meeting her needs! Jer.17
All my life I've lived leaning on my own understanding trying to figure out how I can be loved. My name is Carmie and I am one who's tried just about everything there is under the sun to meet my needs my own way instead of trusting in the Lord with my whole heart. It is my hope that these trials of faith can shed some light into women's hearts......
As a child growing up I never knew the Lord even though I went to church a few times with some friends. I said the sinner's prayer countless time when I was young mostly as "hell insurance". That's the only message I remember and I certainly didn't want to go to hell so I prayed that prayer over and over. I believed Jesus was a real person, just not someone who wanted to know me personally and not as someone I could actually talk to and he would answer. That was about the extent of my religion. I was adopted when I was three months old and the only family I've ever known was very impersonal. My dad was verbally abusive and indifferent and mom was just overwhelmed trying to cope. We didn't talk about our problems and we lived hidden secret lives from one another. From a young age, I escaped into the fantasy of my mind, and hoped and dreamed of a better life, a happy life. As a pre-teen I was lost in reading romance novels and constantly daydreamed about my knight in shining armor who would deliver me from my circumstance. I lived in the vanity of my mind because reality was miserable and I saw no way of escaping. We all lived in our minds and having pretentious relationships was just the way of life. We had a really cruel way of controlling each other through guilt and sarcasm. We wouldn't ever consider being open and honest with one another. My parents tried counseling once and my dad didn't say a word the entire time. He would go for weeks without speaking to anyone then out of the blue act as if nothing was wrong. This went on for years until my mom was finally wore out and divorce him. My dad was such an angry man that all I tried to do was keep him from losing his temper. I became a master performer and jumped at his beckon and call for fear of his anger. I was constantly oppressed and felt the only way he would love me was to keep him happy through my performance. His love was conditional and I never seemed to meet the conditions. It was a vicious cycle and we lived on egg shells around him. Ecc 4 says "there is power in the hand of the oppressor because they have NO COMFORTER." I found no comfort in my father and he once coaxed me into kissing a family friend on the cheek for a quarter to buy a donut. I had never felt as dirty as I did kissing that man, but I wanted the quarter so I vexed my soul that day to get what I wanted. My dad taught me you have to do tricks for men to get what you want. I felt like I had been prostituted by my own dad and he derived a sick pleasure out of it. At the age of seven I was becoming a whore who turned her first "trick" for a quarter. He might have adopted me on paper but I never felt "adopted" by him in spirit.
My mom didn’t know the love of a father either, and was looking to men for her needs too. After nearly twenty miserable years she divorced my dad and remarried soon. Under the circumstances, my mom was doing the best she could. My dad was not a covering for her and she was left fending for herself independently most of the time. We had no one in our lives that got involved with us, everyone just minded their own business and unto themselves. When my older brother and I were in our early teens we were lost and confused so we didn't exactly look to my mom's new husband to be a father to us. By that time we were hardened vexed rebels that acted it out differently. My brother started stealing car stereos and experimenting with drugs and I reclused into my "dream world" and tried to steal affection from who ever I could. I never opened up any of my thoughts to my mom, who I thought was always too tired and busy for me. I felt like she couldn't relate and as long as I got good grades and fulfilled my works around the house, she left me alone. I felt like a burden to my parents like they couldn't afford to have me around. We had a family "meeting" once to discuss my attitudes and unhappiness but when I tried to be sincere and honest and talk about the issues I had, I was shut down and told I should be thankful I had a roof over my head. They did not have the ability to draw me out and speak to my conscience. Because all they had been taught was “the Law”, that was their only solution for me ...do this, don't do that, and it didn’t bring me peace. It was a life without understanding the forces of darkness. Satan's desire was for us and we weren't considering mastering him.
When I was eighteen I started seducing an older married man twice my age. I was desperate and needy for love and would stop at nothing to fill the emptiness. I nearly had an affair but I woke up one day thinking about this man's wife and family and I just couldn't continue down the road. I pulled the plug on the relationship but my life as an adulterer was in full swing. For the first time I really felt I held power over men and I could trap them into the snare of meeting my needs for affection. I was becoming the "strange woman which flatters with her words" that Prov 7 talks about. My flesh craved attention and the praises of men and I was still highly motivated to get men's approval so I took a job in the Bering Sea in Alaska on a crab processor. I was fulfilling every fleshly desire that came my way and started fornicating and experimenting with drugs and thought nothing wrong with it. I was living to please myself. I thought working alongside men that they would be impressed with my works and love me. I was always just looking to be loved but I was deathly afraid of commitment so I played it safe by staying single and felt in control of my own life. Working in that environment I became very masculine and brutish and most of the men really despised me being there. I had to really harden myself as a woman to work with fishermen, most of whom just used women the way I used men. By the grace of God I didn't get physically injured in those three long seasons I spent on the ocean. I had no peace with God, and did anything I could to avoid looking in the mirror at who I really was. That's where drugs dulled the voice of conscience and I used them to avoid reality.
I spent years doing that which was right in my own eyes, walking in the light of my own sparks. I was fully living a sinful lifestyle and God was not in any of my thoughts. Pride and self strength were my armor and I bowed down and worshipped at my idols - men. I was living a life a deception - deceiving and being deceived. I justified my sin all the time and was dead in my conscience towards right and wrong. I was so far from my family back home that I left out most of the details of my life when I talked to them. I wasn't personal with my family and they didn't ask. They never spoke to my rebellion or sin and I added sin upon sin daily. It wasn't until 1998 that I found myself at the bottom of a very dark depressing pit that my years of sin had bound me captive in. My idolatrous life with men was all I lived for and I hit rock bottom after being dumped by a man I thought I would actually marry. The rejection sting I felt from this breakup drove me into a pit of depression and again I was left feeling abandoned and alone. I had spent my life trying to get what I needed from men only to lose it all in an instant. I was filled with self pity and bitterness and my thoughts were filled with devilish voices. I was a tormented woman and felt really hopeless. I know now that I had to come to the end of my ways, walking in the light of my own sparks caused me to lay down in sorrow for months. (Is 50:11)
It was in this darkest period of tormenting days that I turned my thoughts toward the Lord who I had prayed to as a child. I started to consider my ways and all the lies I had told myself to justify my life. I realized that being in control of my life had landed me in this place and maybe God had a divine will for me that would actually be a better end. I had no faith except in what I could see which wasn't faith at all. I went through bouts of despair and then faintly inside my heart I heard a voice that said "Seek first the Kingdom of God." Outwardly I appeared tough as nails but inside I was a fearful coward whose self strength foundation was crumbling. There were contrary voices speaking in my thoughts but I hoped that maybe God could take my polluted life and change me. I showed up at an Assembly of God church willing to do whatever it took to get right with the Lord. I had never before considered there was a way to be right with the Lord. I just figured everyone does the best they can and God will accept that. Repentance was the key that unlocked the doors to the Kingdom. I came to the cross of Jesus humbled in my wasted life. I put away my pride that evening and came forward during the altar call. I was under heavy conviction for the way I had lived my life, I knew God had cast me from His presence but I wanted to be clean. In front of the entire congregation I sobbed on my hands and knees for about 30 minutes as I told the Lord how sorry I was for not trusting Him with my life and that I desperately needed Him to show me what to do. I gave Jesus my life then and there to make out of it what ever He saw fit. Though none of my prayers seemed to work before, I went home that night expecting a miracle from Jesus. When I woke up the next morning the Lord spoke to me, not audibly, but I heard His voice. The Lord said "Stay where you are, don't go away and seek." I was instantly quickened in my spirit and I felt a presence and love fill me. The Word of God says if I live for pleasure I'm dead while I live. I was resurrected from the death that I had been living in the moment I REPENTED from my sin. I was overwhelmed with the joy of knowing I had been heard and Jesus became my Saviour and I was aware the He forgave me. The burden and guilty of my sin was gone and I sensed the Kingdom of God drawn near. Hearing the Lord speak to me personally, I knew my life had been bought and I was truly adopted into His family. Though I didn’t know where He would take me, I bought a bible and Jesus set me on a journey into a whole new life. Since coming to the Lord, my relationship with my mom has greatly improved. I have let down my walls of pride I built in my rebellion and let her into my secrets, exposing lies from our past and we are more reconciled because of it. Humility bonds, pride seperates.
GOD SETS THE SOLITARY IN FAMILIES.....
In July of 1999 the Lord sent Gene and Ceci Sullivan into my life and for the first time I knew what the Word meant in Jer 3:15. "And I will give you pastors according to my heart which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding." I was most certainly a woman without understanding to the motives and intentions of my own heart. Though I had some revelation about my past I still didn’t know God's ways or my own ways. Over the next couple of years I was able to graft into the Body of Christ and started to open up my life to other women to know and be known. I felt pretty free around the women but really insecure around the men. I had never known men that cared for women as God's daughters instead of just using them but the Lord gave me some wonderful Christian brothers who helped me have faith to let down my walls. Secretly in my heart I wanted to be healed and knew the Lord would use another relationship to bring this about.
Though I walked with Jesus as a forgiven sinner I was still a fool who leaned on my own understanding. I certainly didn't think I could possibly make the same mistake twice with men especially as a Christian. But what I failed to see was how much of a curse my life was under because deep in my heart I still was motivated by trusting in man not in God. Cursed is the man that trusts in man and makes the arm of flesh his strength. (Jer 17: 5-10) The Lord tries the reigns and tests us to see what is in our hearts to do and it's through this operation that we are either built up or destroyed. Ps 7:9, Ps 28:5. Getting saved and being born again and filled with the Spirit didn't keep me from listening to all the familiar spirits I grew up with and followed. The sin of independence, that so easily beset me, was deeply grooved in my heart. Because I didn't fear the Lord I listened to the wrong voice. All my familiar spirits waited for my halting and since I had no real delight in understanding I was easily deceived and there was NO JUDGEMENT in my going. I didn't cry out for wisdom and knowledge wasn't pleasant unto my soul. I still wasn't discreet and I didn't understand the FEAR OF THE LORD. I listened to the voice of a stranger and became alienated from the life of God through my deceitfulness. I still made lies my refuge and was a simple, seducible woman that didn’t want to listen to the Holy Spirit in my conscience. I was drawn and attracted to conscience vexers and ended up marrying a man who was pretty dead in his conscience too and who was really just looking for a mother for his children and someone to meet his own needs. I was blind to his motives because I wouldn't look at my own motives.
Neither of us were able to make a clear sound about our past, how we had not feared to the Lord and how we were motivated by usury to get our own needs met by the opposite sex. I had lots of red flags early on like feeling pressured to make a commitment soon after his wife had left him but I would not be honest with myself about the things I didn’t feel right about or things that seemed controlling. I overrode the Holy Spirit in my conscience and came under a strong delusion because I did not love the truth. We were counseled to wait longer and test one another but we had made up our mind to go through with the wedding. The Lord gave us the desire of our heart but sent leanness to our soul. One of the biggest factors in marrying was thinking I knew what his children needed. It was familiar to me to feel sorry for men and pity their circumstances so I’ve always picked up burdens that were not of the Lord and got involved with men that I shouldn’t. But the underlying motivation has always been going about to secure my future and to get my own needs met MY WAY. My ways have not been God’s ways and I’ve secretly accused God of not giving me what I need. I’ve always played the harlot by flirting with men and the lie I’ve believed is "there is no harm in flirting." How many women and men relate in a spirit of flattery, right in the church, not knowing it will bring ruin?
A young man in our fellowship grew up in a church where flattery was "normal." It eventually caused his mother to fall into adultery with a leader in the church. When things didn’t go her way, she shot the man to death then shot and killed herself. This all happened right after church on Mother's day when he was only 16. It all started with flattery - a women who was looking to a man and a man who was looking to a women for their help, all in the name of Jesus. Maybe that's why fornication is alive and well in most churches. In 1Cor.14 there is a principal of truth that goes like this. "They all came together and the unlearned and unbelievers heard their testimony and the secrets of their hearts were revealed and they knew God was in them of a truth." This didn't go on in the Assembly of God I attended in Alaska. I'm thankful I got saved, but I couldn't get converted. There were no older women with an overcoming testimony that even saw the ruin of flattery. Most men and women are disordered spiritually; their hope is in getting their needs met through the opposite sex, their parents, their children, and they ARE NOT REALLY LOOKING TO OR TRUSTING IN THE LORD. The church has become a pick up joint like a bar sad to say. There are odious women crying "give me, give me" and men looking to women for strength, full of lust, hiding, pretending, and waiting to lead silly women astray.
Just recently the Lord showed me that men and women that enter through the door of intimacy without commitment – which is what the spirit of flirting really is – will NEVER BE SECURE WITH ONE ANOTHER BECAUSE THEY WILL ALWAYS KNOW THE OTHER PERSON IS CAPABLE OF BEING UNFAITHFUL AND WILL DO WITH OTHER WOMEN WHAT THEY DID WITH THEM. Flirting - the way people in the world get their needs met - is spiritual fornication. Their heart will NEVER safely trust in the other. Real men of God will not enter the door to a relationship that way. Women that play the flirt game and think its harmless are willfully ignorant to how they are feeding a spirit of lust in men. If women use this spirit to get in the door of a man’s heart, those same women will be damning the man for his lust later on down the road. I knew I needed to get saved from the WOMAN THAT FLATTERS WITH HER TONGUE….the woman in Prov 7 and 2. If I didn’t cry out to God to deliver me from the strange woman that lived in me I would be a path of utter destruction to more men and also other women who were being justified by MY BEHAVIOR. The bible talks about self serving women who's hearts are bands, snares and traps, and those who escape from these kinds of women please God. I was a relational thief, with my hope and faith set in man, and what I could steal from them emotionally. I was looking for the praise of men, but Prov. 31 clearly says that a woman who fears the Lord shall be praise, not a woman who fears not getting her needs met.
I had a FEAR OF THE LORD encounter not long ago realizing I would have to account for my life of seduction; of leading others into the wide gate of destruction and I needed the BLOOD OF JESUS to cleanse my conscience from forsaking and forgetting the covenant of my God. I had sowed to the wind and I reaped the whirlwind. I didn’t really believe that apart from Jesus I could do NOTHING! I thought I could bear good fruit in my Christian walk by doing what I thought was right by - leaning on my own understanding. (Pr. 3: 5-6) Many shall say to Me Lord, I did this in your name I did that in your name, but He shall say, depart from me, you who worked lawlessness, (yielding to the flesh over the spirit) I never knew you. It was time for me to get personal with my Savior, and face the truth about myself.
I feel I need to give all who are reading this a glimpse into my failed, sorrowful marriage and all my works of selfishness and why I see that apart from Him I can do nothing. I deceived myself that I was walking in true faith when I married and although I loved my husband carnally and wanted to be his helpmate and give myself to his family I was still very much in SELF WILL. (Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.) I never considered on a day to day basis that I could really do God’s will in regard to another persons life. I truly thought I could overcome divisions and offences that came up by just avoiding the issues which proved that I really didn’t love HIS SOUL, I just loved his gifts and the gifts of what the relationship gave me…companionship, sex, provision. It became pretty obvious early on that we were in for some stormy battles. The bible says where strife and self will is, there is confusion and every evil work. (Ja 3:16) This was a relationship of strife and self will. I lived in my head in the reasoning of my mind and did not go the Word of God for solutions to our problems. I started to feel shut down emotionally right away when I would try to be open with him about things I felt wrong or divisions. I felt the presence of a lying spirit which covered up pride and I could not graft into him as my husband. I desperately wanted to be able to give him ALL MY HEART, not in a nit picking way but to have the liberty to be totally and completely honest. I did not bring the Lord into my battles and I had great fear when going to him with just about everything. The weapons of my warfare were carnal and my fear was certainly greater than my love and many times I did not go to him in a right spirit. He felt threatened and controlled and usually would turn every thing around and somehow make it about me and my spirit. I yielded to this oppression continually and denied Jesus in my conscience so much that I became what my friends called the classic "Stepford Wife". This label was taken from a movie in which all the women had been programmed into robotic wives with empty smiles and pretentious happiness. I was truly dying spiritually because I left off looking to do God’s will in the relationship and just get my own needs met. I was deathly afraid that he would reject me and end our marriage if I kept fighting for unity in the relationship and going after problems. What we called love, in reality was still flattery. I was still under a spirit of performance and strived through my days seeking his favor through all my works for his family. Living in the dark with him I habitually denied my God conscience. I sensed things wrong but loved my life more than being willing to face his rage, so I denied what the gift of God in me saw especially with his children whom he idolized. I knew he wasn’t really leading them and helping them make righteous judgments but I always had to face his anger. We made a series of bad financial decision walking in self will and the pride of life which nearly bankrupted us and I lived in constant stress. In my marriage, I did what so many women do, that won’t face their problems. I overate and would basically become “drunk” on food so as to not have to deal with my problems in the relationship. I used food the way I used to use drugs and it was a very destructive way to live in control. I can totally relate to women that just get obese to avoid truth, avoiding their fears and insecurities and drowning them with food. Food is the drug of choice for Christians who won’t face their fears. I was eating the fruit of my own ways, and it tasted bad. The riches I hoped to gain - fellowship, intimacy, unity - made themselves wings through my continual deceitfulness, lack of honesty and fear of the Lord. I realized my Christianity was lacking and I needed to begin losing my life to find it. Loving him in spirit and truth would test his control and the spirit of oppression and intimidation he used to shut people up.
In two years time our relationship had grown very cold and when we weren’t being indifferent to each other, we were exacting love from each other, feeling like each others’ victim. We had a brief and hopeful moment of humility after a tumultuous couple of years when I broke down hysterically crying in the truck feeling like I was a broken wife who didn’t really know how to love a man right. I had obviously failed in my own strength to be what he needed me to be and he was genuinely moved by my humility. We started talking freely with one another that day and I had great hope well up that we could walk in unity and be of one spirit. It was short lived and a few days later were back at square one, prideful liars, walking in darkness and hopeless.
I live in close community with a Body of believers that speak the truth in love to one another and during my marriage I withdrew almost entirely. In my pride I did not want others to see where my relationship was at because I secretly HATED CORRECTION and when I would spend time with Ceci, she could always see right through me. The Lord used her and many of my other women friends to help me start being honest with MYSELF and it was through this admonition that I had to face who I really was. This shook me to the core and it took me a long time to desire to stop living as the victim. I had to face the harsh reality that I DESERVED TO REAP EXACTLY WHAT I HAD SOWN into our relationship. We had, after all built our house on the sand of lies and flattery and it was destined to fall. I knew our relationship had become a testimony of usury and I hated living in a pretentious lie. Our marriage wasn’t a marriage that glorified God and no one could see that Jesus lived by OUR love for one another. I was in a terrible bondage and felt yoked to a life of lies. I was deeply regretting the message that I was sending to his five sons that it was acceptable to treat women treacherously and with contempt and I feared they would be drawn to a woman who was just like me, a rollover, controllable, performer without personal integrity. The other message I was sending them in my despair was….THERE IS NO HELP IN GOD. How many people will account to Jesus on the day of judgment of how they have caused a young one to stumble? What has our reflection of God’s character been to them? What was the song of our heart about the God of our Salvation to our children? I read a scripture that said "The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death. The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them; because they refuse to do judgment." (Prov 21: 6,7) They refuse to judge their motives of robbing and stealing to feed their needs.) I came to realize that my selfish life of looking to get what I needed from him was destroying me and the treasure I was seeking was not the Kingdom and God’s will but my own happiness and pleasure. I knew I would really have to be looking to Jesus to help me reach him and I started applying my heart to understand.
Job said, "The things my soul refuse to touch become my sorrowful meat." Jonah says, "Those that regard lying vanities forsake their own mercy." It was time to look in the mirror and look at what manner of woman I was. I started making righteous judgments and looked to bring our deeds into the light. I refused to fellowship his offenses about others and admonished him to love his brother. The Word says "If you bite and devour one another, take heed that you be not consumed one of another." (Gal 5:15) How could we teach the children to have passion for souls saved and souls kept when we were bitter and critical? I started caring about pleasing God and being a woman of integrity, someone that I did not have to be ashamed of being. I feared it would cost me my marriage but I had already paid a high price for being silent and we lived in a spirit of divorce anyway. Spiritual death encompassed me and I hated who I had become. I was willing to be rejected and persecuted for being a woman of real faith and real love because I started walking in the light with Jesus and His people. I knew our only hope was for one of us to begin walking in the light and hoping the other would follow. The day I set my heart to please the Lord instead of live under oppression, the worse his anger manifested. During one confrontation he punched a hole in the door in an explosion of rage. As long as I lived as a shut up woman, I perceived the silent threat of intimidation that he could unleash violence. But when I started going deep, hoping to be true to the Lord in my convictions, he was no longer able to control his anger. Loving his soul and not feeding his ego through pity brought out a vengeance. I was fortunate that I wasn’t physically abused, but the threat seemed evident. I could have chosen to be the "Stepford Wife" and come back under a spirit of bondage, but I started trusting that my times were in God's hands and if I lost everything and got abused for doing what was right, I could still have peace with God that I wanted His approval more than the favor of a man. When he was unable to shut me down, he offered me the door, not once but twice. An elderly couple that live with us were asked to leave also. He had promised to take care of them the rest of their lives, but broke his covenant with them also, when he could no longer control me through the intimidation of bodily harm.
Even with all the oppression, it was hard to leave and it was not my desire to separate but I truly hoped he would have a lucid moment and cry out to God for his own deliverance. Sadly, I had to leave him to his own devices and he chose the darkness, control, and walking in the light of his own sparks. There were times he would confess to many of his sins, but he never chose to forsake them. He preferred being a carnal man over being a spiritual one, and despised God's operation in his life, and chose to find another woman to go around the mountain with again. He, like me, had already been around the mountain several times, but chose to be a man without understanding, so he continues to be an oppressor and flatterer. It amazes me how the sins of the father are visited to the children to four generations. You, me, we really need Jesus to break the generational curses in our lives. I decided once and for all to get understanding to the curse in my life so it can be broken.
I was forsaken, later divorced but the Lord has taken me up and the more I inclined my heart to understand MY WAYS and not live as the victim, the more repentant I’ve become. I broke down and wept tears of grief when I realized the way I felt being rejected by my husband was exactly how Jesus felt when I forsook Him and trusted in man. I needed to feel the sting of abandonment so I could know the Lord’s heart toward me. I always considered it strange that the fiery trial tested me and in my foolishness my heart fretted against the Lord. The Lord really opened my eyes to the spirit of the strange woman and that flattery can still be active in what we DON’T say. Because if we aren’t willing to be honest and sincere we are nothing but flatterers and all who are lied to and seduced by strange women fall off the path of life. The bible says flattery brings ruin, it's a promise! It's a demonic force I have set my will to starve rather than feed. I have been so deeply convicted and broken knowing I’ve caused others to fall. I have repented and have faith that He will help me to be a woman who FEARS THE LORD, for she alone shall be praised. He’s carved more of his Word into my heart and He’s showing me His ways. I have been blessed to see some of the logs in my own eyes and have let the Body help remove them. None of us escape suffering in this life, we either suffer for Jesus and move into GLORY, or we suffer for our own sin and live lives of shame and sorrow. The bible promises we will be held captive by the cords of our own sin. Confessing and FORSAKING is the only way to get free from what enslaves us. My heart is much softer toward the Lord and I know I’m on the road to healing with Jesus as my Comforter. He has proven Himself faithful to me in my unfaithfulness. God told Hosea to marry a whore Gomer and like Gomer, the fruit of my own way has been hedged up with thorns. I followed and sought after my other lovers but didn’t find them but said……"I will go and return to my first Husband (Jesus): for it was better with me than now." Jesus is my bridegroom and I am the bride that is being washed and made ready. He is the VINE and I am a branch and apart from Him I can do nothing.
Daniel 11 talks about the end times, and those who will be deceived because they are flatterers, and will be flattered. Flattery is a serious sin, that seems so innocent, but I pray that everyone reading this story would find room to confess, and forsake this spirit that ruins lives. 21) And in his place or office [in Syria] shall arise a contemptuous and contemptible person, to whom royal majesty and honor of the kingdom have not been given. But he shall come in without warning in time of security and shall obtain the kingdom by flatteries, intrigues, and cunning hypocritical conduct. 34)Now when they fall, they shall receive a little help. Many shall join themselves to them with flatteries and hypocrisies.
When we live to bless ourselves, we can expect to find sorrow around the corner. The Blessing of the Lord makes rich and adds no sorrow with it!!!
All my life I've lived leaning on my own understanding trying to figure out how I can be loved. My name is Carmie and I am one who's tried just about everything there is under the sun to meet my needs my own way instead of trusting in the Lord with my whole heart. It is my hope that these trials of faith can shed some light into women's hearts......
As a child growing up I never knew the Lord even though I went to church a few times with some friends. I said the sinner's prayer countless time when I was young mostly as "hell insurance". That's the only message I remember and I certainly didn't want to go to hell so I prayed that prayer over and over. I believed Jesus was a real person, just not someone who wanted to know me personally and not as someone I could actually talk to and he would answer. That was about the extent of my religion. I was adopted when I was three months old and the only family I've ever known was very impersonal. My dad was verbally abusive and indifferent and mom was just overwhelmed trying to cope. We didn't talk about our problems and we lived hidden secret lives from one another. From a young age, I escaped into the fantasy of my mind, and hoped and dreamed of a better life, a happy life. As a pre-teen I was lost in reading romance novels and constantly daydreamed about my knight in shining armor who would deliver me from my circumstance. I lived in the vanity of my mind because reality was miserable and I saw no way of escaping. We all lived in our minds and having pretentious relationships was just the way of life. We had a really cruel way of controlling each other through guilt and sarcasm. We wouldn't ever consider being open and honest with one another. My parents tried counseling once and my dad didn't say a word the entire time. He would go for weeks without speaking to anyone then out of the blue act as if nothing was wrong. This went on for years until my mom was finally wore out and divorce him. My dad was such an angry man that all I tried to do was keep him from losing his temper. I became a master performer and jumped at his beckon and call for fear of his anger. I was constantly oppressed and felt the only way he would love me was to keep him happy through my performance. His love was conditional and I never seemed to meet the conditions. It was a vicious cycle and we lived on egg shells around him. Ecc 4 says "there is power in the hand of the oppressor because they have NO COMFORTER." I found no comfort in my father and he once coaxed me into kissing a family friend on the cheek for a quarter to buy a donut. I had never felt as dirty as I did kissing that man, but I wanted the quarter so I vexed my soul that day to get what I wanted. My dad taught me you have to do tricks for men to get what you want. I felt like I had been prostituted by my own dad and he derived a sick pleasure out of it. At the age of seven I was becoming a whore who turned her first "trick" for a quarter. He might have adopted me on paper but I never felt "adopted" by him in spirit.
My mom didn’t know the love of a father either, and was looking to men for her needs too. After nearly twenty miserable years she divorced my dad and remarried soon. Under the circumstances, my mom was doing the best she could. My dad was not a covering for her and she was left fending for herself independently most of the time. We had no one in our lives that got involved with us, everyone just minded their own business and unto themselves. When my older brother and I were in our early teens we were lost and confused so we didn't exactly look to my mom's new husband to be a father to us. By that time we were hardened vexed rebels that acted it out differently. My brother started stealing car stereos and experimenting with drugs and I reclused into my "dream world" and tried to steal affection from who ever I could. I never opened up any of my thoughts to my mom, who I thought was always too tired and busy for me. I felt like she couldn't relate and as long as I got good grades and fulfilled my works around the house, she left me alone. I felt like a burden to my parents like they couldn't afford to have me around. We had a family "meeting" once to discuss my attitudes and unhappiness but when I tried to be sincere and honest and talk about the issues I had, I was shut down and told I should be thankful I had a roof over my head. They did not have the ability to draw me out and speak to my conscience. Because all they had been taught was “the Law”, that was their only solution for me ...do this, don't do that, and it didn’t bring me peace. It was a life without understanding the forces of darkness. Satan's desire was for us and we weren't considering mastering him.
When I was eighteen I started seducing an older married man twice my age. I was desperate and needy for love and would stop at nothing to fill the emptiness. I nearly had an affair but I woke up one day thinking about this man's wife and family and I just couldn't continue down the road. I pulled the plug on the relationship but my life as an adulterer was in full swing. For the first time I really felt I held power over men and I could trap them into the snare of meeting my needs for affection. I was becoming the "strange woman which flatters with her words" that Prov 7 talks about. My flesh craved attention and the praises of men and I was still highly motivated to get men's approval so I took a job in the Bering Sea in Alaska on a crab processor. I was fulfilling every fleshly desire that came my way and started fornicating and experimenting with drugs and thought nothing wrong with it. I was living to please myself. I thought working alongside men that they would be impressed with my works and love me. I was always just looking to be loved but I was deathly afraid of commitment so I played it safe by staying single and felt in control of my own life. Working in that environment I became very masculine and brutish and most of the men really despised me being there. I had to really harden myself as a woman to work with fishermen, most of whom just used women the way I used men. By the grace of God I didn't get physically injured in those three long seasons I spent on the ocean. I had no peace with God, and did anything I could to avoid looking in the mirror at who I really was. That's where drugs dulled the voice of conscience and I used them to avoid reality.
I spent years doing that which was right in my own eyes, walking in the light of my own sparks. I was fully living a sinful lifestyle and God was not in any of my thoughts. Pride and self strength were my armor and I bowed down and worshipped at my idols - men. I was living a life a deception - deceiving and being deceived. I justified my sin all the time and was dead in my conscience towards right and wrong. I was so far from my family back home that I left out most of the details of my life when I talked to them. I wasn't personal with my family and they didn't ask. They never spoke to my rebellion or sin and I added sin upon sin daily. It wasn't until 1998 that I found myself at the bottom of a very dark depressing pit that my years of sin had bound me captive in. My idolatrous life with men was all I lived for and I hit rock bottom after being dumped by a man I thought I would actually marry. The rejection sting I felt from this breakup drove me into a pit of depression and again I was left feeling abandoned and alone. I had spent my life trying to get what I needed from men only to lose it all in an instant. I was filled with self pity and bitterness and my thoughts were filled with devilish voices. I was a tormented woman and felt really hopeless. I know now that I had to come to the end of my ways, walking in the light of my own sparks caused me to lay down in sorrow for months. (Is 50:11)
It was in this darkest period of tormenting days that I turned my thoughts toward the Lord who I had prayed to as a child. I started to consider my ways and all the lies I had told myself to justify my life. I realized that being in control of my life had landed me in this place and maybe God had a divine will for me that would actually be a better end. I had no faith except in what I could see which wasn't faith at all. I went through bouts of despair and then faintly inside my heart I heard a voice that said "Seek first the Kingdom of God." Outwardly I appeared tough as nails but inside I was a fearful coward whose self strength foundation was crumbling. There were contrary voices speaking in my thoughts but I hoped that maybe God could take my polluted life and change me. I showed up at an Assembly of God church willing to do whatever it took to get right with the Lord. I had never before considered there was a way to be right with the Lord. I just figured everyone does the best they can and God will accept that. Repentance was the key that unlocked the doors to the Kingdom. I came to the cross of Jesus humbled in my wasted life. I put away my pride that evening and came forward during the altar call. I was under heavy conviction for the way I had lived my life, I knew God had cast me from His presence but I wanted to be clean. In front of the entire congregation I sobbed on my hands and knees for about 30 minutes as I told the Lord how sorry I was for not trusting Him with my life and that I desperately needed Him to show me what to do. I gave Jesus my life then and there to make out of it what ever He saw fit. Though none of my prayers seemed to work before, I went home that night expecting a miracle from Jesus. When I woke up the next morning the Lord spoke to me, not audibly, but I heard His voice. The Lord said "Stay where you are, don't go away and seek." I was instantly quickened in my spirit and I felt a presence and love fill me. The Word of God says if I live for pleasure I'm dead while I live. I was resurrected from the death that I had been living in the moment I REPENTED from my sin. I was overwhelmed with the joy of knowing I had been heard and Jesus became my Saviour and I was aware the He forgave me. The burden and guilty of my sin was gone and I sensed the Kingdom of God drawn near. Hearing the Lord speak to me personally, I knew my life had been bought and I was truly adopted into His family. Though I didn’t know where He would take me, I bought a bible and Jesus set me on a journey into a whole new life. Since coming to the Lord, my relationship with my mom has greatly improved. I have let down my walls of pride I built in my rebellion and let her into my secrets, exposing lies from our past and we are more reconciled because of it. Humility bonds, pride seperates.
GOD SETS THE SOLITARY IN FAMILIES.....
In July of 1999 the Lord sent Gene and Ceci Sullivan into my life and for the first time I knew what the Word meant in Jer 3:15. "And I will give you pastors according to my heart which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding." I was most certainly a woman without understanding to the motives and intentions of my own heart. Though I had some revelation about my past I still didn’t know God's ways or my own ways. Over the next couple of years I was able to graft into the Body of Christ and started to open up my life to other women to know and be known. I felt pretty free around the women but really insecure around the men. I had never known men that cared for women as God's daughters instead of just using them but the Lord gave me some wonderful Christian brothers who helped me have faith to let down my walls. Secretly in my heart I wanted to be healed and knew the Lord would use another relationship to bring this about.
Though I walked with Jesus as a forgiven sinner I was still a fool who leaned on my own understanding. I certainly didn't think I could possibly make the same mistake twice with men especially as a Christian. But what I failed to see was how much of a curse my life was under because deep in my heart I still was motivated by trusting in man not in God. Cursed is the man that trusts in man and makes the arm of flesh his strength. (Jer 17: 5-10) The Lord tries the reigns and tests us to see what is in our hearts to do and it's through this operation that we are either built up or destroyed. Ps 7:9, Ps 28:5. Getting saved and being born again and filled with the Spirit didn't keep me from listening to all the familiar spirits I grew up with and followed. The sin of independence, that so easily beset me, was deeply grooved in my heart. Because I didn't fear the Lord I listened to the wrong voice. All my familiar spirits waited for my halting and since I had no real delight in understanding I was easily deceived and there was NO JUDGEMENT in my going. I didn't cry out for wisdom and knowledge wasn't pleasant unto my soul. I still wasn't discreet and I didn't understand the FEAR OF THE LORD. I listened to the voice of a stranger and became alienated from the life of God through my deceitfulness. I still made lies my refuge and was a simple, seducible woman that didn’t want to listen to the Holy Spirit in my conscience. I was drawn and attracted to conscience vexers and ended up marrying a man who was pretty dead in his conscience too and who was really just looking for a mother for his children and someone to meet his own needs. I was blind to his motives because I wouldn't look at my own motives.
Neither of us were able to make a clear sound about our past, how we had not feared to the Lord and how we were motivated by usury to get our own needs met by the opposite sex. I had lots of red flags early on like feeling pressured to make a commitment soon after his wife had left him but I would not be honest with myself about the things I didn’t feel right about or things that seemed controlling. I overrode the Holy Spirit in my conscience and came under a strong delusion because I did not love the truth. We were counseled to wait longer and test one another but we had made up our mind to go through with the wedding. The Lord gave us the desire of our heart but sent leanness to our soul. One of the biggest factors in marrying was thinking I knew what his children needed. It was familiar to me to feel sorry for men and pity their circumstances so I’ve always picked up burdens that were not of the Lord and got involved with men that I shouldn’t. But the underlying motivation has always been going about to secure my future and to get my own needs met MY WAY. My ways have not been God’s ways and I’ve secretly accused God of not giving me what I need. I’ve always played the harlot by flirting with men and the lie I’ve believed is "there is no harm in flirting." How many women and men relate in a spirit of flattery, right in the church, not knowing it will bring ruin?
A young man in our fellowship grew up in a church where flattery was "normal." It eventually caused his mother to fall into adultery with a leader in the church. When things didn’t go her way, she shot the man to death then shot and killed herself. This all happened right after church on Mother's day when he was only 16. It all started with flattery - a women who was looking to a man and a man who was looking to a women for their help, all in the name of Jesus. Maybe that's why fornication is alive and well in most churches. In 1Cor.14 there is a principal of truth that goes like this. "They all came together and the unlearned and unbelievers heard their testimony and the secrets of their hearts were revealed and they knew God was in them of a truth." This didn't go on in the Assembly of God I attended in Alaska. I'm thankful I got saved, but I couldn't get converted. There were no older women with an overcoming testimony that even saw the ruin of flattery. Most men and women are disordered spiritually; their hope is in getting their needs met through the opposite sex, their parents, their children, and they ARE NOT REALLY LOOKING TO OR TRUSTING IN THE LORD. The church has become a pick up joint like a bar sad to say. There are odious women crying "give me, give me" and men looking to women for strength, full of lust, hiding, pretending, and waiting to lead silly women astray.
Just recently the Lord showed me that men and women that enter through the door of intimacy without commitment – which is what the spirit of flirting really is – will NEVER BE SECURE WITH ONE ANOTHER BECAUSE THEY WILL ALWAYS KNOW THE OTHER PERSON IS CAPABLE OF BEING UNFAITHFUL AND WILL DO WITH OTHER WOMEN WHAT THEY DID WITH THEM. Flirting - the way people in the world get their needs met - is spiritual fornication. Their heart will NEVER safely trust in the other. Real men of God will not enter the door to a relationship that way. Women that play the flirt game and think its harmless are willfully ignorant to how they are feeding a spirit of lust in men. If women use this spirit to get in the door of a man’s heart, those same women will be damning the man for his lust later on down the road. I knew I needed to get saved from the WOMAN THAT FLATTERS WITH HER TONGUE….the woman in Prov 7 and 2. If I didn’t cry out to God to deliver me from the strange woman that lived in me I would be a path of utter destruction to more men and also other women who were being justified by MY BEHAVIOR. The bible talks about self serving women who's hearts are bands, snares and traps, and those who escape from these kinds of women please God. I was a relational thief, with my hope and faith set in man, and what I could steal from them emotionally. I was looking for the praise of men, but Prov. 31 clearly says that a woman who fears the Lord shall be praise, not a woman who fears not getting her needs met.
I had a FEAR OF THE LORD encounter not long ago realizing I would have to account for my life of seduction; of leading others into the wide gate of destruction and I needed the BLOOD OF JESUS to cleanse my conscience from forsaking and forgetting the covenant of my God. I had sowed to the wind and I reaped the whirlwind. I didn’t really believe that apart from Jesus I could do NOTHING! I thought I could bear good fruit in my Christian walk by doing what I thought was right by - leaning on my own understanding. (Pr. 3: 5-6) Many shall say to Me Lord, I did this in your name I did that in your name, but He shall say, depart from me, you who worked lawlessness, (yielding to the flesh over the spirit) I never knew you. It was time for me to get personal with my Savior, and face the truth about myself.
I feel I need to give all who are reading this a glimpse into my failed, sorrowful marriage and all my works of selfishness and why I see that apart from Him I can do nothing. I deceived myself that I was walking in true faith when I married and although I loved my husband carnally and wanted to be his helpmate and give myself to his family I was still very much in SELF WILL. (Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.) I never considered on a day to day basis that I could really do God’s will in regard to another persons life. I truly thought I could overcome divisions and offences that came up by just avoiding the issues which proved that I really didn’t love HIS SOUL, I just loved his gifts and the gifts of what the relationship gave me…companionship, sex, provision. It became pretty obvious early on that we were in for some stormy battles. The bible says where strife and self will is, there is confusion and every evil work. (Ja 3:16) This was a relationship of strife and self will. I lived in my head in the reasoning of my mind and did not go the Word of God for solutions to our problems. I started to feel shut down emotionally right away when I would try to be open with him about things I felt wrong or divisions. I felt the presence of a lying spirit which covered up pride and I could not graft into him as my husband. I desperately wanted to be able to give him ALL MY HEART, not in a nit picking way but to have the liberty to be totally and completely honest. I did not bring the Lord into my battles and I had great fear when going to him with just about everything. The weapons of my warfare were carnal and my fear was certainly greater than my love and many times I did not go to him in a right spirit. He felt threatened and controlled and usually would turn every thing around and somehow make it about me and my spirit. I yielded to this oppression continually and denied Jesus in my conscience so much that I became what my friends called the classic "Stepford Wife". This label was taken from a movie in which all the women had been programmed into robotic wives with empty smiles and pretentious happiness. I was truly dying spiritually because I left off looking to do God’s will in the relationship and just get my own needs met. I was deathly afraid that he would reject me and end our marriage if I kept fighting for unity in the relationship and going after problems. What we called love, in reality was still flattery. I was still under a spirit of performance and strived through my days seeking his favor through all my works for his family. Living in the dark with him I habitually denied my God conscience. I sensed things wrong but loved my life more than being willing to face his rage, so I denied what the gift of God in me saw especially with his children whom he idolized. I knew he wasn’t really leading them and helping them make righteous judgments but I always had to face his anger. We made a series of bad financial decision walking in self will and the pride of life which nearly bankrupted us and I lived in constant stress. In my marriage, I did what so many women do, that won’t face their problems. I overate and would basically become “drunk” on food so as to not have to deal with my problems in the relationship. I used food the way I used to use drugs and it was a very destructive way to live in control. I can totally relate to women that just get obese to avoid truth, avoiding their fears and insecurities and drowning them with food. Food is the drug of choice for Christians who won’t face their fears. I was eating the fruit of my own ways, and it tasted bad. The riches I hoped to gain - fellowship, intimacy, unity - made themselves wings through my continual deceitfulness, lack of honesty and fear of the Lord. I realized my Christianity was lacking and I needed to begin losing my life to find it. Loving him in spirit and truth would test his control and the spirit of oppression and intimidation he used to shut people up.
In two years time our relationship had grown very cold and when we weren’t being indifferent to each other, we were exacting love from each other, feeling like each others’ victim. We had a brief and hopeful moment of humility after a tumultuous couple of years when I broke down hysterically crying in the truck feeling like I was a broken wife who didn’t really know how to love a man right. I had obviously failed in my own strength to be what he needed me to be and he was genuinely moved by my humility. We started talking freely with one another that day and I had great hope well up that we could walk in unity and be of one spirit. It was short lived and a few days later were back at square one, prideful liars, walking in darkness and hopeless.
I live in close community with a Body of believers that speak the truth in love to one another and during my marriage I withdrew almost entirely. In my pride I did not want others to see where my relationship was at because I secretly HATED CORRECTION and when I would spend time with Ceci, she could always see right through me. The Lord used her and many of my other women friends to help me start being honest with MYSELF and it was through this admonition that I had to face who I really was. This shook me to the core and it took me a long time to desire to stop living as the victim. I had to face the harsh reality that I DESERVED TO REAP EXACTLY WHAT I HAD SOWN into our relationship. We had, after all built our house on the sand of lies and flattery and it was destined to fall. I knew our relationship had become a testimony of usury and I hated living in a pretentious lie. Our marriage wasn’t a marriage that glorified God and no one could see that Jesus lived by OUR love for one another. I was in a terrible bondage and felt yoked to a life of lies. I was deeply regretting the message that I was sending to his five sons that it was acceptable to treat women treacherously and with contempt and I feared they would be drawn to a woman who was just like me, a rollover, controllable, performer without personal integrity. The other message I was sending them in my despair was….THERE IS NO HELP IN GOD. How many people will account to Jesus on the day of judgment of how they have caused a young one to stumble? What has our reflection of God’s character been to them? What was the song of our heart about the God of our Salvation to our children? I read a scripture that said "The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death. The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them; because they refuse to do judgment." (Prov 21: 6,7) They refuse to judge their motives of robbing and stealing to feed their needs.) I came to realize that my selfish life of looking to get what I needed from him was destroying me and the treasure I was seeking was not the Kingdom and God’s will but my own happiness and pleasure. I knew I would really have to be looking to Jesus to help me reach him and I started applying my heart to understand.
Job said, "The things my soul refuse to touch become my sorrowful meat." Jonah says, "Those that regard lying vanities forsake their own mercy." It was time to look in the mirror and look at what manner of woman I was. I started making righteous judgments and looked to bring our deeds into the light. I refused to fellowship his offenses about others and admonished him to love his brother. The Word says "If you bite and devour one another, take heed that you be not consumed one of another." (Gal 5:15) How could we teach the children to have passion for souls saved and souls kept when we were bitter and critical? I started caring about pleasing God and being a woman of integrity, someone that I did not have to be ashamed of being. I feared it would cost me my marriage but I had already paid a high price for being silent and we lived in a spirit of divorce anyway. Spiritual death encompassed me and I hated who I had become. I was willing to be rejected and persecuted for being a woman of real faith and real love because I started walking in the light with Jesus and His people. I knew our only hope was for one of us to begin walking in the light and hoping the other would follow. The day I set my heart to please the Lord instead of live under oppression, the worse his anger manifested. During one confrontation he punched a hole in the door in an explosion of rage. As long as I lived as a shut up woman, I perceived the silent threat of intimidation that he could unleash violence. But when I started going deep, hoping to be true to the Lord in my convictions, he was no longer able to control his anger. Loving his soul and not feeding his ego through pity brought out a vengeance. I was fortunate that I wasn’t physically abused, but the threat seemed evident. I could have chosen to be the "Stepford Wife" and come back under a spirit of bondage, but I started trusting that my times were in God's hands and if I lost everything and got abused for doing what was right, I could still have peace with God that I wanted His approval more than the favor of a man. When he was unable to shut me down, he offered me the door, not once but twice. An elderly couple that live with us were asked to leave also. He had promised to take care of them the rest of their lives, but broke his covenant with them also, when he could no longer control me through the intimidation of bodily harm.
Even with all the oppression, it was hard to leave and it was not my desire to separate but I truly hoped he would have a lucid moment and cry out to God for his own deliverance. Sadly, I had to leave him to his own devices and he chose the darkness, control, and walking in the light of his own sparks. There were times he would confess to many of his sins, but he never chose to forsake them. He preferred being a carnal man over being a spiritual one, and despised God's operation in his life, and chose to find another woman to go around the mountain with again. He, like me, had already been around the mountain several times, but chose to be a man without understanding, so he continues to be an oppressor and flatterer. It amazes me how the sins of the father are visited to the children to four generations. You, me, we really need Jesus to break the generational curses in our lives. I decided once and for all to get understanding to the curse in my life so it can be broken.
I was forsaken, later divorced but the Lord has taken me up and the more I inclined my heart to understand MY WAYS and not live as the victim, the more repentant I’ve become. I broke down and wept tears of grief when I realized the way I felt being rejected by my husband was exactly how Jesus felt when I forsook Him and trusted in man. I needed to feel the sting of abandonment so I could know the Lord’s heart toward me. I always considered it strange that the fiery trial tested me and in my foolishness my heart fretted against the Lord. The Lord really opened my eyes to the spirit of the strange woman and that flattery can still be active in what we DON’T say. Because if we aren’t willing to be honest and sincere we are nothing but flatterers and all who are lied to and seduced by strange women fall off the path of life. The bible says flattery brings ruin, it's a promise! It's a demonic force I have set my will to starve rather than feed. I have been so deeply convicted and broken knowing I’ve caused others to fall. I have repented and have faith that He will help me to be a woman who FEARS THE LORD, for she alone shall be praised. He’s carved more of his Word into my heart and He’s showing me His ways. I have been blessed to see some of the logs in my own eyes and have let the Body help remove them. None of us escape suffering in this life, we either suffer for Jesus and move into GLORY, or we suffer for our own sin and live lives of shame and sorrow. The bible promises we will be held captive by the cords of our own sin. Confessing and FORSAKING is the only way to get free from what enslaves us. My heart is much softer toward the Lord and I know I’m on the road to healing with Jesus as my Comforter. He has proven Himself faithful to me in my unfaithfulness. God told Hosea to marry a whore Gomer and like Gomer, the fruit of my own way has been hedged up with thorns. I followed and sought after my other lovers but didn’t find them but said……"I will go and return to my first Husband (Jesus): for it was better with me than now." Jesus is my bridegroom and I am the bride that is being washed and made ready. He is the VINE and I am a branch and apart from Him I can do nothing.
Daniel 11 talks about the end times, and those who will be deceived because they are flatterers, and will be flattered. Flattery is a serious sin, that seems so innocent, but I pray that everyone reading this story would find room to confess, and forsake this spirit that ruins lives. 21) And in his place or office [in Syria] shall arise a contemptuous and contemptible person, to whom royal majesty and honor of the kingdom have not been given. But he shall come in without warning in time of security and shall obtain the kingdom by flatteries, intrigues, and cunning hypocritical conduct. 34)Now when they fall, they shall receive a little help. Many shall join themselves to them with flatteries and hypocrisies.
When we live to bless ourselves, we can expect to find sorrow around the corner. The Blessing of the Lord makes rich and adds no sorrow with it!!!
WANT TO SEE THE SALVATION OF GOD???
There is a great song called THE PRAYER OF ST. FRANCIS. It's really powerful. It exposes two kingdoms; the kingdom of lust, and need, and greed, verses the kingdom of love and giving.
I know this may be a little deep but I hope you try and digest it. Please feel free to talk to me about anything that you may not understand.
I have suffered so much and caused others to suffer by living in the wrong kingdom myself. There is no life when we don’t have faith in God to meet our needs. Hell and destruction (getting our needs met our own way).... is never full. One of my friends, Carmie, you may remember her, wrote out her story. It's very enlightening. I'll send it along, too.
We wish everyone would have walked on water, lived after the Spirit and had always done what was in your best interest. That however, is no one's world. The real world is in being sinned against and having people be carnal, greedy, lie, etc. That fact has helped me turn from my own sin. I guess God designed it that way, that in others not doing right by us we wouldn't use it as an excuse but use it to change. Unfortunately, most people don't take the road to change. I had to go through much suffering to get on that path myself and stop blaming others and take a good look at who I was and who I really wanted to be.
Gene and I always loved you, and have never been offended. We know others may have caused you to stumble, but that is the fire we all get tested in Asha. Will we look to God to help us do what is right in the midst of others not doing that?
I wish I could have jumped in the skin of others and been spiritual and spoken words of life to you. We all get tested to see what was in his heart to do, and people have a really hard time not blaming other people for their own choices, and excusing their carnality.
I wrote this to some of my friends and thought you might like to read it.
Love, Ceci
The promises of God in Isaiah.58 are tremendous to those who stop living for their own pleasure. It's like.. Who wouldn't want to do that!!!! But we do live for our own pleasure, and we get offended with others who are living for their own pleasure. That should turn us, like the song says, "you can't stop a wrong without doing what's right."
The devil has a plan for us living in usury, lust, greed, emptiness. And when we follow his plan for us, others die around us. Oh, how sweet life is when it becomes YOUR FOOD, to do God's will. It's the world where the loneliness, emptiness, need, greed, living for pleasure but being dead while you live...stops!
I was listening to a priest talk last night on being deep. Giving the depths of who we are away and how most people are shallow, looking to get their own needs met and never moving into the kingdom of giving. Never giving who they really are in their depths of their being to God, and never really being able to graft into each other.
Jesus put it this way. "Many shall say to me Lord, Lord, I did this, I did that, all in Your name, and He will say, depart from me, you who practice lawlessness, I never knew you." Lawlessness in the conscience... is what comes to me. The proverb says, "give Me your heart and let your eyes observe My ways. How many people never give the Lord their heart in the things they are thinking, saying, doing in their relationships with people?
We were all once in this category.... "You are of your father the devil, his works will you do, he was a lightly esteemed and abode NOT IN THE TRUTH, for there is no truth in him. He is the father of lies.”
Have you ever considered that you might need to get saved from being a liar? You know what we lie to ourselves about is the fact that we are not living in God's Kingdom of being GIVERS. We are living in satan's kingdom, the one where people are takers, users.. "eating one another up as one eats bread".. devouring, consuming each other to get our own needs met.
People that justify their carnality, their carnal responses....... who lie to themselves and seek to justify themselves CAN'T BE SAVED. When I spoke right things to Gene in a wrong spirit the Lord required me to be humble and not GRIEVE, DENY AND RESIST HIM. Women trash marriages due to justifying their carnal responses. So you make remarks, ask questions, the motive behind it is control, (the sin of witchcraft and rebellion). Your trust is in you and your ability to control and find out everything you can about every situation because you have no trust in the Lord.
Your relationships are about getting your own needs met, not giving YOURSELF, or JESUS to others. This is a terrible habit for you at this point and you have just about bruited yourself out of being convicted, or convictable. You think you are justified, so you remain stained, spotted, and blemished.
You are OF the spirit that is in the World......... lust...... lust has removed many people who did not turn to the Lord. The works of the flesh always lead to death.
American Standard Version
“but chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement, and despise dominion. daring, self-willed, they tremble not to rail at dignities: But specially those who go after the unclean desires of the flesh, and make sport of authority. Ready to take chances, uncontrolled, they have no fear of saying evil of those in high places: You lust after YOUR OWN WAY, YOUR OWN POWER, YOUR OWN NEED....... "He who trusts in the Lord....... there are tons of great promises to those, and they will be saved."
“You trust in your ability to perform, do works.... dead ones.... you trust in your power to hide, lie, pretend, lying to yourself the most. You ask questions for all the wrong motivation. I was thinking of all the lust in your past and where it has taken you...... and you still have no understanding about your lack of integrity and using people, rather than loving, serving, giving who you are to others.”
New American Standard Bible
“and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness? "
The only way out for me was HAVING A TRUE CARE OF WHEN I WAS GRIEVING, DENYING AND RESISTING THE HOLY GHOST. The problem LIARS, FORNICATORS, ADULTERERS HAVE, is they have energized their spirits with THE POWER OF DARKNESS, MANIPULATION, DECEIT, CONTROL.... and IT BECOMES A SPORT TO THEM..... They are always trusting in their own power to get their needs met. YOUR ABSENCE OF HUMILITY AND NOT CARING ABOUT GRIEVING THE SPIRIT AND NO CARE TO GET UNDERSTANDING HAVE GOTTEN YOU WHERE YOU ARE TODAY. (No integrity as a woman of God, or confidence in God to meet your needs, so you live in lust.) The way out is doing the opposite......... BUT IT IS LIKE CHANGING YOUR DIET. YOU HAVE BEEN FEEDING ON ASHES.... LIVING IN LUST AND YOU HAVE A DUMB SPIRIT ON YOU, LUST, LYING.......... stupidity.
You have no freedom to be honest, sincere, open, humble, because that is like giving up your power. You are energized, demonized by a wrong spirit and you won't humble yourself when you are in the strength of that spirit SO YOU CAN'T CHANGE.
You haven't been serious enough about changing either. You have been dancing the dance of pretense and performances for many years. It's the spirit you took on with men in the past to get your needs met and have never let go. Do you have FAITH IN THE OPERATION OF GOD? Your future lies in HAVING FAITH IN GOD’S OPERATION.
You can keep being destroyed or turn and be built up. When I lived in lust, trying to get my needs met, being a liar, controller, a freak, a brute beast deserving to be destroyed.... I talked to the Lord........ I DIDN'T LOVE DARKNESS MORE THAN THE LIGHT SO I CAME INTO THE LIGHT AND GOD OPENED MY EYES TO THE DEMON OF LUST, CONTROL, WITCHCRAFT AND REBELLION. Living in that takey, sucky, needy, give me, pitiful spirit is hell on earth and will be eternal hell for those who never get saved from it.
Life with Jesus is about pouring ourselves out, being vulnerable, about taking the log out of our eye to see clearly. It's all about Isaiah 58 "put away the pointing of the finger and stop speaking our own words and thinking our own thoughts.
I felt so sad for you that you have bruited your soul to the point you can't say "you have a lie in your right hand". You say so much, ask questions to have power and control and you won't even tell yourself the truth. Your own words and questions poison you, but you blame others, and never see. The light affliction you have suffered at the hands of anyone has all gone against you instead of being stored up as rewards in heaven...... so sad.... you have caused so much suffering, and are so unwilling to suffer anyone else. Your life will either end up a tragedy or a triumph, based on YOUR FEAR OF THE LORD, AND YOUR SINCERE DESIRE to stop grieving, denying and resisting the Holy Ghost. IF YOU ARE HONEST AND SINCERE WITH GOD, YOU WILL SEE, UNDERSTAND, AND PERCEIVE THAT HE IS HONEST AND SINCERE WITH HIS CHILDREN. If you live in lies and pretense God will always be a liar and a pretender to you.
If you order your conversation aright, YOU WILL SEE THE SALVATION OF GOD. You will see how much better He is at meeting all your needs than you are! And you will find fulfillment...... being a giver, a lover, a feeder. You will pass from the DEATH OF THE EMPTINESS AND LUST OF THIS WORLD, into the LIFE of God, because you live to love and care for the needs of others. Here's a link to St Francis's prayer..........
I know this may be a little deep but I hope you try and digest it. Please feel free to talk to me about anything that you may not understand.
I have suffered so much and caused others to suffer by living in the wrong kingdom myself. There is no life when we don’t have faith in God to meet our needs. Hell and destruction (getting our needs met our own way).... is never full. One of my friends, Carmie, you may remember her, wrote out her story. It's very enlightening. I'll send it along, too.
We wish everyone would have walked on water, lived after the Spirit and had always done what was in your best interest. That however, is no one's world. The real world is in being sinned against and having people be carnal, greedy, lie, etc. That fact has helped me turn from my own sin. I guess God designed it that way, that in others not doing right by us we wouldn't use it as an excuse but use it to change. Unfortunately, most people don't take the road to change. I had to go through much suffering to get on that path myself and stop blaming others and take a good look at who I was and who I really wanted to be.
Gene and I always loved you, and have never been offended. We know others may have caused you to stumble, but that is the fire we all get tested in Asha. Will we look to God to help us do what is right in the midst of others not doing that?
I wish I could have jumped in the skin of others and been spiritual and spoken words of life to you. We all get tested to see what was in his heart to do, and people have a really hard time not blaming other people for their own choices, and excusing their carnality.
I wrote this to some of my friends and thought you might like to read it.
Love, Ceci
The promises of God in Isaiah.58 are tremendous to those who stop living for their own pleasure. It's like.. Who wouldn't want to do that!!!! But we do live for our own pleasure, and we get offended with others who are living for their own pleasure. That should turn us, like the song says, "you can't stop a wrong without doing what's right."
The devil has a plan for us living in usury, lust, greed, emptiness. And when we follow his plan for us, others die around us. Oh, how sweet life is when it becomes YOUR FOOD, to do God's will. It's the world where the loneliness, emptiness, need, greed, living for pleasure but being dead while you live...stops!
I was listening to a priest talk last night on being deep. Giving the depths of who we are away and how most people are shallow, looking to get their own needs met and never moving into the kingdom of giving. Never giving who they really are in their depths of their being to God, and never really being able to graft into each other.
Jesus put it this way. "Many shall say to me Lord, Lord, I did this, I did that, all in Your name, and He will say, depart from me, you who practice lawlessness, I never knew you." Lawlessness in the conscience... is what comes to me. The proverb says, "give Me your heart and let your eyes observe My ways. How many people never give the Lord their heart in the things they are thinking, saying, doing in their relationships with people?
We were all once in this category.... "You are of your father the devil, his works will you do, he was a lightly esteemed and abode NOT IN THE TRUTH, for there is no truth in him. He is the father of lies.”
Have you ever considered that you might need to get saved from being a liar? You know what we lie to ourselves about is the fact that we are not living in God's Kingdom of being GIVERS. We are living in satan's kingdom, the one where people are takers, users.. "eating one another up as one eats bread".. devouring, consuming each other to get our own needs met.
People that justify their carnality, their carnal responses....... who lie to themselves and seek to justify themselves CAN'T BE SAVED. When I spoke right things to Gene in a wrong spirit the Lord required me to be humble and not GRIEVE, DENY AND RESIST HIM. Women trash marriages due to justifying their carnal responses. So you make remarks, ask questions, the motive behind it is control, (the sin of witchcraft and rebellion). Your trust is in you and your ability to control and find out everything you can about every situation because you have no trust in the Lord.
Your relationships are about getting your own needs met, not giving YOURSELF, or JESUS to others. This is a terrible habit for you at this point and you have just about bruited yourself out of being convicted, or convictable. You think you are justified, so you remain stained, spotted, and blemished.
You are OF the spirit that is in the World......... lust...... lust has removed many people who did not turn to the Lord. The works of the flesh always lead to death.
American Standard Version
“but chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement, and despise dominion. daring, self-willed, they tremble not to rail at dignities: But specially those who go after the unclean desires of the flesh, and make sport of authority. Ready to take chances, uncontrolled, they have no fear of saying evil of those in high places: You lust after YOUR OWN WAY, YOUR OWN POWER, YOUR OWN NEED....... "He who trusts in the Lord....... there are tons of great promises to those, and they will be saved."
“You trust in your ability to perform, do works.... dead ones.... you trust in your power to hide, lie, pretend, lying to yourself the most. You ask questions for all the wrong motivation. I was thinking of all the lust in your past and where it has taken you...... and you still have no understanding about your lack of integrity and using people, rather than loving, serving, giving who you are to others.”
New American Standard Bible
“and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness? "
The only way out for me was HAVING A TRUE CARE OF WHEN I WAS GRIEVING, DENYING AND RESISTING THE HOLY GHOST. The problem LIARS, FORNICATORS, ADULTERERS HAVE, is they have energized their spirits with THE POWER OF DARKNESS, MANIPULATION, DECEIT, CONTROL.... and IT BECOMES A SPORT TO THEM..... They are always trusting in their own power to get their needs met. YOUR ABSENCE OF HUMILITY AND NOT CARING ABOUT GRIEVING THE SPIRIT AND NO CARE TO GET UNDERSTANDING HAVE GOTTEN YOU WHERE YOU ARE TODAY. (No integrity as a woman of God, or confidence in God to meet your needs, so you live in lust.) The way out is doing the opposite......... BUT IT IS LIKE CHANGING YOUR DIET. YOU HAVE BEEN FEEDING ON ASHES.... LIVING IN LUST AND YOU HAVE A DUMB SPIRIT ON YOU, LUST, LYING.......... stupidity.
You have no freedom to be honest, sincere, open, humble, because that is like giving up your power. You are energized, demonized by a wrong spirit and you won't humble yourself when you are in the strength of that spirit SO YOU CAN'T CHANGE.
You haven't been serious enough about changing either. You have been dancing the dance of pretense and performances for many years. It's the spirit you took on with men in the past to get your needs met and have never let go. Do you have FAITH IN THE OPERATION OF GOD? Your future lies in HAVING FAITH IN GOD’S OPERATION.
You can keep being destroyed or turn and be built up. When I lived in lust, trying to get my needs met, being a liar, controller, a freak, a brute beast deserving to be destroyed.... I talked to the Lord........ I DIDN'T LOVE DARKNESS MORE THAN THE LIGHT SO I CAME INTO THE LIGHT AND GOD OPENED MY EYES TO THE DEMON OF LUST, CONTROL, WITCHCRAFT AND REBELLION. Living in that takey, sucky, needy, give me, pitiful spirit is hell on earth and will be eternal hell for those who never get saved from it.
Life with Jesus is about pouring ourselves out, being vulnerable, about taking the log out of our eye to see clearly. It's all about Isaiah 58 "put away the pointing of the finger and stop speaking our own words and thinking our own thoughts.
I felt so sad for you that you have bruited your soul to the point you can't say "you have a lie in your right hand". You say so much, ask questions to have power and control and you won't even tell yourself the truth. Your own words and questions poison you, but you blame others, and never see. The light affliction you have suffered at the hands of anyone has all gone against you instead of being stored up as rewards in heaven...... so sad.... you have caused so much suffering, and are so unwilling to suffer anyone else. Your life will either end up a tragedy or a triumph, based on YOUR FEAR OF THE LORD, AND YOUR SINCERE DESIRE to stop grieving, denying and resisting the Holy Ghost. IF YOU ARE HONEST AND SINCERE WITH GOD, YOU WILL SEE, UNDERSTAND, AND PERCEIVE THAT HE IS HONEST AND SINCERE WITH HIS CHILDREN. If you live in lies and pretense God will always be a liar and a pretender to you.
If you order your conversation aright, YOU WILL SEE THE SALVATION OF GOD. You will see how much better He is at meeting all your needs than you are! And you will find fulfillment...... being a giver, a lover, a feeder. You will pass from the DEATH OF THE EMPTINESS AND LUST OF THIS WORLD, into the LIFE of God, because you live to love and care for the needs of others. Here's a link to St Francis's prayer..........
PROVERBS 28
1 The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.
(When our hearts are not right with people, when we are secretly slandering them,
having evil imaginations, we can’t stand in their presence. Jesus expects us to be “free from the blood of all men” and “give them the whole counsel of God. But when we secretly accuse people we are insecure, and withdraw ourselves.)
2 For the transgression of a land many are the princes thereof: but by a man of understanding and knowledge the state thereof shall be prolonged. (That’s who the Lord wants us to be, people of wisdom and understanding)
3 A poor man that oppresseth the poor is like a sweeping rain which leaveth no food.
(that’s what happens when we do not judge or examine ourselves. We don’t handle and taste the word of life, and we have a wrong anointing that starves the sheep around us)
4 They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them. (wow, this is really powerful. We are either life or death to others, all the time, in every situation. We are either allowing people’s darkness, or bringing them into the light). (those who are judging their own conscience.
5 Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things. (when we refuse to have a relationship with the Holy Spirit, and are not taking our thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ, we live offended. We need to judge all things, and do what’s right in relationships or the spirit of confusion rests upon us. Strife and self will, and the spirits we listen to keep us in the congregation of the dead.)
6 Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich. (Having a clean conscience again, is everything. It’s the kingdom of God)
7 Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son: but he that is a companion of riotous men shameth his father. (listening to the right spirit…….. or listening to the wrong father of spirits.) Our choice.
8 He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor.
9 He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination. (wow how many are in this condition. They don’t ask the Lord what to do about the secrets of their heart, they look down on others, but try and pray.)
10 Whoso causeth the righteous to go astray in an evil way, he shall fall himself into his own pit: but the upright shall have good things in possession. (be careful what kingdom you sow on the earth, what anointing you carry, what you are loosing, it comes back on you.)
11 The rich man is wise in his own conceit; but the poor that hath understanding searcheth him out. (they don’t fear loosing anything so they can be open and honest)
12 When righteous men do rejoice, there is great glory: but when the wicked rise, a man is hidden.
13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. (confessing WITH THE INTENTION of changing, is everything)
14 Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief. (how many times a day do we harden our hearts and grieve, deny, resist the spirit in how we are to other people? What we are thinking? What we are saying?) This is why so many people are not happy. The formula for being happy is to stop grieving, denying and resisting the Holy Ghost.
15 As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people.
We all have a territory around us we are ruling by binding evil spirits and loosing good ones, and we will be accountable one day for how we ruled.
16 The prince that wanteth understanding is also a great oppressor: but he that hateth covetousness shall prolong his days. (So when we are too slothful and we accuse and don’t seek real understanding, but live like pitiful victims, we become oppressors who are willing to live oppressed and represent the wrong kingdom)
17 A man that doeth violence to the blood of any person shall flee to the pit; let no man stay him. (when people are looking down on, murdering others with their words, we have a responsibility to show them their own responsibility towards others. That’s why Jesus said, “be careful how you hear”.
18 Whoso walketh uprightly shall be saved: but he that is perverse in his ways shall fall at once. (This is pretty plain) Uprightness again has everything to do with being honest with the spirit of the living God about what is going on inside us.
19 He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread: but he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough. (till up the issues in your heart, and the Lord will feed you) You will handle and taste the word of life when you go to the right Father.
20 A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent. (how about being faithful to the right Father in our hearts and minds. Love the Lord with all your heart, all your mind, all your strength)
21 To have respect of persons is not good: for for a piece of bread that man will transgress. (a piece of the wrong bread)
22 He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him.
23 He that rebuketh a man afterwards shall find more favour than he that flattereth with the tongue. (there is no love in flattery only usery)
24 Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, It is no transgression; the same is the companion of a destroyer.
25 He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat. (how about trusting in what the Lord has done for you? Then you will take the twig out of others eyes. You won’t be offended and proud, you will relate to sinners.)
26 He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered. (always referring to God’s Holy spirit about what we see and hear, looking to Him rather than having confidence in ourselves.)
27 He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse. (if you love me feed my sheep)
28 When the wicked rise, men hide themselves: but when they perish, the righteous increase. (we must always care about what we are loosing on the earth)
(When our hearts are not right with people, when we are secretly slandering them,
having evil imaginations, we can’t stand in their presence. Jesus expects us to be “free from the blood of all men” and “give them the whole counsel of God. But when we secretly accuse people we are insecure, and withdraw ourselves.)
2 For the transgression of a land many are the princes thereof: but by a man of understanding and knowledge the state thereof shall be prolonged. (That’s who the Lord wants us to be, people of wisdom and understanding)
3 A poor man that oppresseth the poor is like a sweeping rain which leaveth no food.
(that’s what happens when we do not judge or examine ourselves. We don’t handle and taste the word of life, and we have a wrong anointing that starves the sheep around us)
4 They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them. (wow, this is really powerful. We are either life or death to others, all the time, in every situation. We are either allowing people’s darkness, or bringing them into the light). (those who are judging their own conscience.
5 Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things. (when we refuse to have a relationship with the Holy Spirit, and are not taking our thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ, we live offended. We need to judge all things, and do what’s right in relationships or the spirit of confusion rests upon us. Strife and self will, and the spirits we listen to keep us in the congregation of the dead.)
6 Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich. (Having a clean conscience again, is everything. It’s the kingdom of God)
7 Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son: but he that is a companion of riotous men shameth his father. (listening to the right spirit…….. or listening to the wrong father of spirits.) Our choice.
8 He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor.
9 He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination. (wow how many are in this condition. They don’t ask the Lord what to do about the secrets of their heart, they look down on others, but try and pray.)
10 Whoso causeth the righteous to go astray in an evil way, he shall fall himself into his own pit: but the upright shall have good things in possession. (be careful what kingdom you sow on the earth, what anointing you carry, what you are loosing, it comes back on you.)
11 The rich man is wise in his own conceit; but the poor that hath understanding searcheth him out. (they don’t fear loosing anything so they can be open and honest)
12 When righteous men do rejoice, there is great glory: but when the wicked rise, a man is hidden.
13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. (confessing WITH THE INTENTION of changing, is everything)
14 Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief. (how many times a day do we harden our hearts and grieve, deny, resist the spirit in how we are to other people? What we are thinking? What we are saying?) This is why so many people are not happy. The formula for being happy is to stop grieving, denying and resisting the Holy Ghost.
15 As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people.
We all have a territory around us we are ruling by binding evil spirits and loosing good ones, and we will be accountable one day for how we ruled.
16 The prince that wanteth understanding is also a great oppressor: but he that hateth covetousness shall prolong his days. (So when we are too slothful and we accuse and don’t seek real understanding, but live like pitiful victims, we become oppressors who are willing to live oppressed and represent the wrong kingdom)
17 A man that doeth violence to the blood of any person shall flee to the pit; let no man stay him. (when people are looking down on, murdering others with their words, we have a responsibility to show them their own responsibility towards others. That’s why Jesus said, “be careful how you hear”.
18 Whoso walketh uprightly shall be saved: but he that is perverse in his ways shall fall at once. (This is pretty plain) Uprightness again has everything to do with being honest with the spirit of the living God about what is going on inside us.
19 He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread: but he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough. (till up the issues in your heart, and the Lord will feed you) You will handle and taste the word of life when you go to the right Father.
20 A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent. (how about being faithful to the right Father in our hearts and minds. Love the Lord with all your heart, all your mind, all your strength)
21 To have respect of persons is not good: for for a piece of bread that man will transgress. (a piece of the wrong bread)
22 He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him.
23 He that rebuketh a man afterwards shall find more favour than he that flattereth with the tongue. (there is no love in flattery only usery)
24 Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, It is no transgression; the same is the companion of a destroyer.
25 He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat. (how about trusting in what the Lord has done for you? Then you will take the twig out of others eyes. You won’t be offended and proud, you will relate to sinners.)
26 He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered. (always referring to God’s Holy spirit about what we see and hear, looking to Him rather than having confidence in ourselves.)
27 He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse. (if you love me feed my sheep)
28 When the wicked rise, men hide themselves: but when they perish, the righteous increase. (we must always care about what we are loosing on the earth)
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
GODLY SORROW or Carnal Sorrow
Subject: Godly Sorrow
One of the key factors in change is whether we come to Godly sorrow or just
self pity sorrow. Over the past year and a half I have wondered many times
if my tears were just tears of feeling bad about my situation because after
those times it didn't bring the peaceable fruit of righteousness.
I had to talk to the Lord about that in itself. Godly sorrow is the kind you don't
need to repent from and there is a great release in your spirit. It's the
kind that afterwards you half to tell everybody about it. The burden I have
been trying to carry for so long without understanding became overwhelming,
( the burden of how I can fix myself), and it takes the log ministry to break me.
One of the things that I feared was that I was going to open it up and respond the
way I have in the past, contention and anger, the moment that I might get
resisted would stir up the familiar defensiveness. I started to abhor who I
am and how much trouble I've caused for so many people. I had to believe
that what Jesus began in me He had great desire to complete and that He had
more desire for it than I did. His patience is amazing, Jesus is not in a
rush to perform change and deliverance in us especially when our asking is
frivolous. Oh, how many times have I asked to be changed in this area of
having pride removed or anger or insecurity and it hasn't happened, even
with tears. Godly sorrow leads us to repentance, a change because we love
the Father and we don't want to grieve Him anymore.
A lot of times I think we cry or are sorry because of feeling rejected, ( by others ), and we just
want to fix it the way it was and not have any character change. God is not
mocked or deceived by our tears, He desires truth from the inward parts.
Worldly sorrow just brings death and greater bondage, especially if for a
moment others believe that it was sincere. Godly sorrow releases love,
because every time that I have come to true repentance there is no offence
and there is great compassion. It's like it was when I got born again, I
loved everyone. Worldly sorrow, (self pity ), leaves us still justified and
still having to make our point.
A good test is when after we have repented with tears and someone qualifies us,
what is our immediate response? Does it add to us and cause further fellowship in
the matter or does it instantly dry up our tears and cause us to get defensive? We
cannot control the Lord with our whining like so many children do with their parents
and he doesn't give us a piece of candy to shut us up. He will allow us go around and
around for as long as it takes until we come to the end of ourselves.
Unfortunately for some that is on their death bed. What a waste of life. I
myself want to live and have life that comes from the Holy Ghost and am
willing to be broken as many times as it takes to have life in the Spirit.
The book " Repentance, The Joy Filled Life" is a true statement and if we
all sought that just think what kind of fellowship we would have. We do
live retched lives when it is all about us and getting our needs met and it
all winds down to motive and intent.
I like what you said not making excuses and beating around the bush with our
real motives. Man, if we could get a hold of that because as religious
people we no what we ought to think or do, so that is what we present, but
that is not what our intent was from the beginning and we end up deceiving
others and ourselves. This is why God is not honoring our prayers and
answering them, we are not truthful in the inward parts. In a sense we are
fornicating with God, trying to get our needs met without commitment. If we
are not truthful we are not committed.
Thanks for the letter.
Love, (a brother)
One of the key factors in change is whether we come to Godly sorrow or just
self pity sorrow. Over the past year and a half I have wondered many times
if my tears were just tears of feeling bad about my situation because after
those times it didn't bring the peaceable fruit of righteousness.
I had to talk to the Lord about that in itself. Godly sorrow is the kind you don't
need to repent from and there is a great release in your spirit. It's the
kind that afterwards you half to tell everybody about it. The burden I have
been trying to carry for so long without understanding became overwhelming,
( the burden of how I can fix myself), and it takes the log ministry to break me.
One of the things that I feared was that I was going to open it up and respond the
way I have in the past, contention and anger, the moment that I might get
resisted would stir up the familiar defensiveness. I started to abhor who I
am and how much trouble I've caused for so many people. I had to believe
that what Jesus began in me He had great desire to complete and that He had
more desire for it than I did. His patience is amazing, Jesus is not in a
rush to perform change and deliverance in us especially when our asking is
frivolous. Oh, how many times have I asked to be changed in this area of
having pride removed or anger or insecurity and it hasn't happened, even
with tears. Godly sorrow leads us to repentance, a change because we love
the Father and we don't want to grieve Him anymore.
A lot of times I think we cry or are sorry because of feeling rejected, ( by others ), and we just
want to fix it the way it was and not have any character change. God is not
mocked or deceived by our tears, He desires truth from the inward parts.
Worldly sorrow just brings death and greater bondage, especially if for a
moment others believe that it was sincere. Godly sorrow releases love,
because every time that I have come to true repentance there is no offence
and there is great compassion. It's like it was when I got born again, I
loved everyone. Worldly sorrow, (self pity ), leaves us still justified and
still having to make our point.
A good test is when after we have repented with tears and someone qualifies us,
what is our immediate response? Does it add to us and cause further fellowship in
the matter or does it instantly dry up our tears and cause us to get defensive? We
cannot control the Lord with our whining like so many children do with their parents
and he doesn't give us a piece of candy to shut us up. He will allow us go around and
around for as long as it takes until we come to the end of ourselves.
Unfortunately for some that is on their death bed. What a waste of life. I
myself want to live and have life that comes from the Holy Ghost and am
willing to be broken as many times as it takes to have life in the Spirit.
The book " Repentance, The Joy Filled Life" is a true statement and if we
all sought that just think what kind of fellowship we would have. We do
live retched lives when it is all about us and getting our needs met and it
all winds down to motive and intent.
I like what you said not making excuses and beating around the bush with our
real motives. Man, if we could get a hold of that because as religious
people we no what we ought to think or do, so that is what we present, but
that is not what our intent was from the beginning and we end up deceiving
others and ourselves. This is why God is not honoring our prayers and
answering them, we are not truthful in the inward parts. In a sense we are
fornicating with God, trying to get our needs met without commitment. If we
are not truthful we are not committed.
Thanks for the letter.
Love, (a brother)
not eating for drunkenness
BBBBLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSED...........
BLESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSEEEEEEEEEEEDDDDDDDDDDD
BLESSED IS THE LAND WHEN THE PRINCES EAT FOR STRENGTH AND NOT DRUNKENNESS!
WHAT IF GOD'S WORDS WERE REALLY TRUE??????? they ARE?????? What if
"separating yourself from drunken eating (spiritually and carnally)would CATAPULT you into a whole NEW
LIFE......... NEW BLESSINGS THAT EYE HAS NOT SEEN, EAR HAS NOT HEARD, NOR
HAS IT ENTERED INTO YOU HEART what God has prepared for those WHO EAT FOR
STRENGTH INSTEAD OF DRUNKENNESS!
How true is it that when we obey the flesh it always leads to death, but when we put to death the deeds of the flesh, WE HAVE REAL LIFE! WHAT if you KNEW, had a written guarantee that 5 years from now you would be making $3-5 thousand dollars a month just for living a life of sanctification? WHAT IF THE BLESSING IS THERE FOR WHO WILL TAKE IT....... and you refuse it????????
Wow........ I'm thinking of tons of scriptures now........ but will let this
sink in a minute. GOD'S WORD IS TRUE, AND THOSE WHO REGARD LYING VANITIES
doooooooooo forsake their own mercy!
BLESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSEEEEEEEEEEEDDDDDDDDDDD
BLESSED IS THE LAND WHEN THE PRINCES EAT FOR STRENGTH AND NOT DRUNKENNESS!
WHAT IF GOD'S WORDS WERE REALLY TRUE??????? they ARE?????? What if
"separating yourself from drunken eating (spiritually and carnally)would CATAPULT you into a whole NEW
LIFE......... NEW BLESSINGS THAT EYE HAS NOT SEEN, EAR HAS NOT HEARD, NOR
HAS IT ENTERED INTO YOU HEART what God has prepared for those WHO EAT FOR
STRENGTH INSTEAD OF DRUNKENNESS!
How true is it that when we obey the flesh it always leads to death, but when we put to death the deeds of the flesh, WE HAVE REAL LIFE! WHAT if you KNEW, had a written guarantee that 5 years from now you would be making $3-5 thousand dollars a month just for living a life of sanctification? WHAT IF THE BLESSING IS THERE FOR WHO WILL TAKE IT....... and you refuse it????????
Wow........ I'm thinking of tons of scriptures now........ but will let this
sink in a minute. GOD'S WORD IS TRUE, AND THOSE WHO REGARD LYING VANITIES
doooooooooo forsake their own mercy!
Monday, June 16, 2008
THE ENEMY OF SLOTH AND GLUTTONY pvb. 16
THE ENEMY OF SLOTH AND GLUTTONY
GLUTTONY IS A SYMPTOM OF SLOTHFULNESS. (SPIRITUAL SLOTHFULNESS MORE THAN ANYTHING). It's settling for less than what God intended for our lives. It's really a ploy
of the enemy to keep us sick, weak and asleep. If we "default" in the war for our souls that what we do. Get sick, weak spiritually and go to sleep spiritually. HAPPY IS THE WOMAN
WHO DOES NOT CONDEMN HERSELF IN WHAT SHE ALLOWS. HAPPY IS THE WOMAN WHO EATS, DRINKS AND DOES WHAT SHE DOES TO GLORIFY THE KING OF KINGS.
7 When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.
(EVEN THE ENEMY OF SLOTH AND GLUTTONY) "IF YOU EAT, DRINK, WHATEVER YOU DO, DO IT ALL FOR THE GLORY OF GOD."
Dealing with our fears and insecurities by overeating, is life on the run, life like a child. When I was a child, I thought like a child, (ate like a child).
Ecclesiastes 10:18 Through indolence the rafters sag, and through ... WE GET FAT AND SICKLY ... By much sloth fulness the framework falleth in; and through
idleness of the hands the house drippeth. ...
biblecc.com/ecclesiastes/10-18.htm - 12k
Proverbs 31:27 She looks well to the ways of her household, And ... She is watching the ways of her household, And bread of sloth she eateth not. ...
biblecc.com/proverbs/31-27.htm - 12k
Proverbs 19:15 Laziness casts into a deep sleep, And an idle man THAT'S WHAT THE PROBLEM IS WE WOULD RATHER SLEEP, THAN DO GOD'S WILL.... Sloth causeth deep sleep to fall, And an indolent soul doth hunger. ...
biblecc.com/proverbs/19-15.htm - 12k
13Right and just lips are the delight of a king, and he loves him who speaks what is right. (I think this should include the words that go on inside us)
Fear of the future makes the Lord sad..... read Is 8. it talks about it there. 16 How much better it is to get skillful and godly Wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.(E) When we eat for our own pleasure we are living a sensual life rather than one of
17 The highway of the upright turns aside from evil; he who guards his way preserves his life. THAT'S HOW WE NEED TO LIVE, ON GUARD, THAT'S WHAT WILL PRESERVE OUR LIFE.
18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. (OVEREATING IS WALKING IN THE LIGHT OF OUR OWN SPARKS, IT LEADS TO SORROW)
19 Better it is to be of a humble spirit with the meek and poor than to divide the spoil with the proud. (OVEREATING IS GREED)
20 He who deals wisely and heeds [God's] word and counsel shall find good, and whoever leans on, trusts in, and is confident in the Lord--happy, blessed, and fortunate is he.
21The wise in heart are called prudent, understanding, and knowing, and winsome speech increases learning [in both speaker and listener]. (When we are self condemned due to over
eating, we make others pay.) Sometimes in more ways than one, and it's costs us. "Feeding on the winds", we forsake Mercy and Blessings God has stored up for us. So, is part
of your overeating about punishing yourself? Self flagellation? Self righteousness? Mine has been in the past.
22 Understanding is a wellspring of life to those who have it, but to give instruction to fools is folly. IT'S A WELLSPRING OF HEALTH TOO.........
23 The mind of the wise instructs his mouth, and adds learning and persuasiveness to his lips. WE INSTRUCT OUR MOUTH IN THE RIGHT WAY TO EAT.
24 Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the mind and healing to the body. THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO TAKE HEED (LUKE 21) LEST OUR HEARTS BE OVERCHARGED BY OVEREATING!!!!
25 There is a way that seems right to a man and appears straight before him, but at the end of it is the way of death. (I'LL EAT TEMPERATELY TOMORROW) ONLY TOMORROW NEVER
COMES.
26 The appetite of the laborer works for him, for [the need of] his mouth urges him on. (ONLY HELL AND DESTRUCTION ARE NEVER FULL, SO WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL WHAT GOES
ON IN OUR MIND AND TAKE OUR THOUGHTS CAPTIVE.
29 The exceedingly grasping, covetous, and violent man entices his neighbor, leading him in a way that is not good. WE TAKE OTHERS ON OUR FOOD DRUNK WITH US TO THEIR DESTRUCTION.
30 He who shuts his eyes to devise perverse things and who compresses his lips [as if in concealment] brings evil to pass.
IF YOU SHUT YOUR EYES TO SPIRITUAL SLOTHFULNESS AND GLUTTONY, YOU WILL BRING EVIL TO PASS.
THE TRUE WAY OF LIFE BRINGS DISCIPLINE. A DISCIPLE IS ONE UNDER DISCIPLINE. DISCIPLINE IS FREEDOM. IF THE SON SETS YOU FREE, YOU ARE FREE INDEED. IF YOU LOOK TO HIM, PRAY TO HIM, EAT LIKE HE IS WITH YOU SITTING NEXT TO YOU. CARE ABOUT HIM, AND THAT HE'S WITH YOU WATCHING YOU, YOU WILL OVERCOME. LOVE HIM AND HE WILL HELP YOU TAKE CARE OF WHAT HE LOVES.............. YOU!!!!!
GLUTTONY IS A SYMPTOM OF SLOTHFULNESS. (SPIRITUAL SLOTHFULNESS MORE THAN ANYTHING). It's settling for less than what God intended for our lives. It's really a ploy
of the enemy to keep us sick, weak and asleep. If we "default" in the war for our souls that what we do. Get sick, weak spiritually and go to sleep spiritually. HAPPY IS THE WOMAN
WHO DOES NOT CONDEMN HERSELF IN WHAT SHE ALLOWS. HAPPY IS THE WOMAN WHO EATS, DRINKS AND DOES WHAT SHE DOES TO GLORIFY THE KING OF KINGS.
7 When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.
(EVEN THE ENEMY OF SLOTH AND GLUTTONY) "IF YOU EAT, DRINK, WHATEVER YOU DO, DO IT ALL FOR THE GLORY OF GOD."
Dealing with our fears and insecurities by overeating, is life on the run, life like a child. When I was a child, I thought like a child, (ate like a child).
Ecclesiastes 10:18 Through indolence the rafters sag, and through ... WE GET FAT AND SICKLY ... By much sloth fulness the framework falleth in; and through
idleness of the hands the house drippeth. ...
biblecc.com/ecclesiastes/10-18.htm - 12k
Proverbs 31:27 She looks well to the ways of her household, And ... She is watching the ways of her household, And bread of sloth she eateth not. ...
biblecc.com/proverbs/31-27.htm - 12k
Proverbs 19:15 Laziness casts into a deep sleep, And an idle man THAT'S WHAT THE PROBLEM IS WE WOULD RATHER SLEEP, THAN DO GOD'S WILL.... Sloth causeth deep sleep to fall, And an indolent soul doth hunger. ...
biblecc.com/proverbs/19-15.htm - 12k
13Right and just lips are the delight of a king, and he loves him who speaks what is right. (I think this should include the words that go on inside us)
Fear of the future makes the Lord sad..... read Is 8. it talks about it there. 16 How much better it is to get skillful and godly Wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.(E) When we eat for our own pleasure we are living a sensual life rather than one of
17 The highway of the upright turns aside from evil; he who guards his way preserves his life. THAT'S HOW WE NEED TO LIVE, ON GUARD, THAT'S WHAT WILL PRESERVE OUR LIFE.
18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. (OVEREATING IS WALKING IN THE LIGHT OF OUR OWN SPARKS, IT LEADS TO SORROW)
19 Better it is to be of a humble spirit with the meek and poor than to divide the spoil with the proud. (OVEREATING IS GREED)
20 He who deals wisely and heeds [God's] word and counsel shall find good, and whoever leans on, trusts in, and is confident in the Lord--happy, blessed, and fortunate is he.
21The wise in heart are called prudent, understanding, and knowing, and winsome speech increases learning [in both speaker and listener]. (When we are self condemned due to over
eating, we make others pay.) Sometimes in more ways than one, and it's costs us. "Feeding on the winds", we forsake Mercy and Blessings God has stored up for us. So, is part
of your overeating about punishing yourself? Self flagellation? Self righteousness? Mine has been in the past.
22 Understanding is a wellspring of life to those who have it, but to give instruction to fools is folly. IT'S A WELLSPRING OF HEALTH TOO.........
23 The mind of the wise instructs his mouth, and adds learning and persuasiveness to his lips. WE INSTRUCT OUR MOUTH IN THE RIGHT WAY TO EAT.
24 Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the mind and healing to the body. THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO TAKE HEED (LUKE 21) LEST OUR HEARTS BE OVERCHARGED BY OVEREATING!!!!
25 There is a way that seems right to a man and appears straight before him, but at the end of it is the way of death. (I'LL EAT TEMPERATELY TOMORROW) ONLY TOMORROW NEVER
COMES.
26 The appetite of the laborer works for him, for [the need of] his mouth urges him on. (ONLY HELL AND DESTRUCTION ARE NEVER FULL, SO WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL WHAT GOES
ON IN OUR MIND AND TAKE OUR THOUGHTS CAPTIVE.
29 The exceedingly grasping, covetous, and violent man entices his neighbor, leading him in a way that is not good. WE TAKE OTHERS ON OUR FOOD DRUNK WITH US TO THEIR DESTRUCTION.
30 He who shuts his eyes to devise perverse things and who compresses his lips [as if in concealment] brings evil to pass.
IF YOU SHUT YOUR EYES TO SPIRITUAL SLOTHFULNESS AND GLUTTONY, YOU WILL BRING EVIL TO PASS.
THE TRUE WAY OF LIFE BRINGS DISCIPLINE. A DISCIPLE IS ONE UNDER DISCIPLINE. DISCIPLINE IS FREEDOM. IF THE SON SETS YOU FREE, YOU ARE FREE INDEED. IF YOU LOOK TO HIM, PRAY TO HIM, EAT LIKE HE IS WITH YOU SITTING NEXT TO YOU. CARE ABOUT HIM, AND THAT HE'S WITH YOU WATCHING YOU, YOU WILL OVERCOME. LOVE HIM AND HE WILL HELP YOU TAKE CARE OF WHAT HE LOVES.............. YOU!!!!!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
PVB 15, Want to Get Understanding?
Proverbs 15
Some of the proverbs today are black and white truth. I’m only adding the proverbs I had something to comment on.
2The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness. (Life or death are always in our mouth, and when we sincerely want to do God’s will in peoples lives and we look to Him rather than pleasing or fearing man, He helps us. This may be unpleasant for a time, but in the end, you have peoples respect.
4A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit. (If we are either creating breaches in the Spirit, or listening to someone else do it, we must look to Jesus, be like Jesus. He usually got involved when this happened.) He loved people enough to get involved.
5A fool despiseth his father's instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent. (This is an either or scripture.) You have what fools do on one side and what the prudent do on the other side and you get to choose which side you want to play on. We didn’t always pick teams when we were little but we do when we grow up.
6In the house of the righteous is much treasure: but in the revenues of the wicked is trouble.
7The lips of the wise disperse knowledge: but the heart of the foolish doeth not so. THIS IS RIGHT OUT THERE TOO…… you really can know a man by what he disperses! A woman too!
8The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight. (This, the bible is the Lords love letter to us. He wants us to respond to His letter to us!) He’s talking to us and He wants us to talk back.
9The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the LORD: but he loveth him that followeth after righteousness.
10Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die. (Wake up to the kingdom of God inside you. Help your children wake up. If you don’t learn how to read your own spirit and learn to listen and obey, how will you teach your children and others not to ignore the kingdom of God inside them?)
11Hell and destruction are before the LORD: how much more then the hearts of the children of men?
12A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him: neither will he go unto the wise. (This is about being open….. learning to read our own spiritual mail. Again, (Wake up to the kingdom of God inside you. Help your children wake up. If you don’t learn how to read your own spirit and learn to listen and obey, how will you teach your children and others not to ignore the kingdom of God inside them?)
14The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness. (This is how most people grow up, feeding on foolishness, self pity, fear, unbelief.) NOT SEEKING KNOWLEDGE. Again, God’s government is inside us and if we don’t go there, we can’t help others.
15All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast. (They are feasting on Gods will, doing God’s will, living on His food. This is called being awake in your conscience, and not grieving, denying and resisting the HOLY Ghost!)
19The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain. (Who wants to be a hedge of thorns?) There really are people who don’t care if they are slothful and make everyone feel a sense of danger when they are around them. What a sad way to live and die, being a hedge of thorns to people, due to your own slothfulness. Maybe folly is their joy.
21Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom: but a man of understanding walketh uprightly.
22Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established. (We aren’t made to walk through life alone, and many sorrows will be to those who do.)
23A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it! WOW……… WANT TO HAVE JOY??????????? Get some life from Jesus, and feed people that……….. it’s the joy solution!!!
26The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD: but the words of the pure are pleasant words. (Heard a guy say on tv last night, DON’T TALK TO SNAKES).
27He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live. (This is the sorrow of those who live to please themselves, they create trouble wherever they go)
28The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things. (hearing the message yet… this is God, speaking to you and me.)
29The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.
30The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart: and a good report maketh the bones fat.
31The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise. (You want to go to heaven, and dwell in eternity with the wise people of the ages? Has everything to do with loving reproof.) That’s the main theme of this whole proverb!!!!!!!! And you can see the people who do love it and watch how they relate to others.
32He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.
33The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.
Some of the proverbs today are black and white truth. I’m only adding the proverbs I had something to comment on.
2The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness. (Life or death are always in our mouth, and when we sincerely want to do God’s will in peoples lives and we look to Him rather than pleasing or fearing man, He helps us. This may be unpleasant for a time, but in the end, you have peoples respect.
4A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit. (If we are either creating breaches in the Spirit, or listening to someone else do it, we must look to Jesus, be like Jesus. He usually got involved when this happened.) He loved people enough to get involved.
5A fool despiseth his father's instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent. (This is an either or scripture.) You have what fools do on one side and what the prudent do on the other side and you get to choose which side you want to play on. We didn’t always pick teams when we were little but we do when we grow up.
6In the house of the righteous is much treasure: but in the revenues of the wicked is trouble.
7The lips of the wise disperse knowledge: but the heart of the foolish doeth not so. THIS IS RIGHT OUT THERE TOO…… you really can know a man by what he disperses! A woman too!
8The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight. (This, the bible is the Lords love letter to us. He wants us to respond to His letter to us!) He’s talking to us and He wants us to talk back.
9The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the LORD: but he loveth him that followeth after righteousness.
10Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die. (Wake up to the kingdom of God inside you. Help your children wake up. If you don’t learn how to read your own spirit and learn to listen and obey, how will you teach your children and others not to ignore the kingdom of God inside them?)
11Hell and destruction are before the LORD: how much more then the hearts of the children of men?
12A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him: neither will he go unto the wise. (This is about being open….. learning to read our own spiritual mail. Again, (Wake up to the kingdom of God inside you. Help your children wake up. If you don’t learn how to read your own spirit and learn to listen and obey, how will you teach your children and others not to ignore the kingdom of God inside them?)
14The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness. (This is how most people grow up, feeding on foolishness, self pity, fear, unbelief.) NOT SEEKING KNOWLEDGE. Again, God’s government is inside us and if we don’t go there, we can’t help others.
15All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast. (They are feasting on Gods will, doing God’s will, living on His food. This is called being awake in your conscience, and not grieving, denying and resisting the HOLY Ghost!)
19The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain. (Who wants to be a hedge of thorns?) There really are people who don’t care if they are slothful and make everyone feel a sense of danger when they are around them. What a sad way to live and die, being a hedge of thorns to people, due to your own slothfulness. Maybe folly is their joy.
21Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom: but a man of understanding walketh uprightly.
22Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established. (We aren’t made to walk through life alone, and many sorrows will be to those who do.)
23A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it! WOW……… WANT TO HAVE JOY??????????? Get some life from Jesus, and feed people that……….. it’s the joy solution!!!
26The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD: but the words of the pure are pleasant words. (Heard a guy say on tv last night, DON’T TALK TO SNAKES).
27He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live. (This is the sorrow of those who live to please themselves, they create trouble wherever they go)
28The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things. (hearing the message yet… this is God, speaking to you and me.)
29The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.
30The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart: and a good report maketh the bones fat.
31The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise. (You want to go to heaven, and dwell in eternity with the wise people of the ages? Has everything to do with loving reproof.) That’s the main theme of this whole proverb!!!!!!!! And you can see the people who do love it and watch how they relate to others.
32He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.
33The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
What wise women do Pvb 14
The lips of the righteous feed many, and so does she who gets her bread from afar!
THE WISE WOMAN BUILDS HER HOUSE…… THE FOOL PLUCKS IT DOWN….
Her heart is filled with thorns and snares........and though she may look
good on the outside......her heart is an open grave on the inside! Her main interest is in getting her needs met from men, not doing God's will.
If the Lord isn't helping a woman, because she is a scorner, rejects God's seed and accepts the devils seed, with no fight to deal with the "lie lodged within her", WE CAN'T HELP HER EITHER. Read what the bible says about scorners..... they are tea bags with holes, they can't contain any truth because they don't go after their evil imaginations against The Lord. Nothing you say to a scorner matters, they can't hold on to it. Until a woman sincerely desires to care about The Lord, to care about being a reproach, and being saved from how she has shamed Him, you can't even reach her. Until she seeks Him with all her heart, she won't be found by Him. And she will unknowingly or maybe knowingly waste the lives away of everyone around her trying to get everyone to fix her EXCEPT THE GREAT PHYSICIAN, THE ONLY TRUE HEALER!
She puts a bit of arsenic and poison in all her food! She knows her soul food
is from hell,....but she won't stop herself from speaking these she knows she
shouldn't to others. Her words tear, they don't build up, and she doesn't
even really care! And how can she help but condemn herself when she knows her
bitter heart, her fearful, unbelieving soul, IS defiling THE SHEEP AROUND HER.
I guess that's why Proverbs 31:10 says........WHO CAN FIND A DILIGENT WOMAN?
And truly her price is FAR ABOVE RUBIES! She takes the time to remove her
spiritual rags of poverty and seduction! She sees the children of God as the
children of the most High.....A Royal Priesthood. This woman is like Ester
presenting herself before the King. She didn't come whining and complaining,
but in a spirit of love and faith before the King, for the cause of the
Kingdom.
Goes back to "a man (woman) shall be satisfied by the fruit of her own mouth.
We lie to ourselves when our own words grieve us.....and we feed other's the
junk food of our soul. The abundance of our heart that is ungodly,
unconverted.
Pvbs.31:11 "The heart of her husband does safely trust in her...........and
her food supplies....from the Throne of God.....never run out! She doesn't
poison him and the children with "deceitful dainties," from listening to the
king of hell. SHE WHO LISTENS TO GOD, LIVES IN HOPE AND REFRAINS FROM MANY
EVILS. (Prv.1:33) This concludes that hopelessness IS THE BY PRODUCT OF
SLOTHFULNESS, AND LISTENING TO THE WRONG VOICE! Hopelessness is the sign of
those who submit to the liar and resist God!
If we will receive His words, and hide His commandments in our heart, and
incline our ear to wisdom, and APPLY OUR HEART TO UNDERSTANDING; if we will
CRY AFTER KNOWLEDGE AND LIFT UP OUR VOICE TO UNDERSTANDING.......SEEK FOR IT
AS SILVER, SEARCH FOR IT AS HIDDEN TREASURE.........Then we will understand
how to worship the Lord and find the knowledge of God. It is the Lord who
gives wisdom, out of his mouth comes understanding...for He stores up hope
for the upright, and those who walk without blemish.
So can Jesus safely trust in your heart? Do you get food supplies from God
or the father of lies? Do you look to cover the naked? Do you take
advantage of those willing to see that your covered by being spiritually
slothful? Are you getting the merchandise of Heaven from afar........or do
you just always expect others to get it for you?
What are you REALLY, NOW I MEAN REALLY......FEEDING GOD'S SHEEP?
The beggarly women of the world....who can never get enough....USE spirits to
do their bidding for them to get their needs met. They whine, and complain
to each other, to build up the spirit of pity in each other. They don't mind
handing out this dish of poison.....it's a ploy they use to make others think
they are important. It's a ploy to elevate man, and to elevate self. It's
all giving glory to the false King.
The wise woman considers what seeds she sows. She considers where she gets
her seeds and where she plants them. She exercises her body, mind, spirit,
and soul........and doesn't use circumstances and situations to "check
out"......her lamp......her spiritual discernment never goes out!
She lives to sew.....cover others......SHE'S NOT ALWAYS demanding others to
cover her. She knows her works of obedience, faith, and love will be the
clothes that dress her so she won't stand naked and ashamed before her
heavenly groom. She hands out the clothes of faith to her family, and they
are not afraid. She gets spiritual wealth from God, and dispenses it wisely!
STRENGTH AND HONOR ARE HER CLOTHES!!!! She has thrown away the rags of fear,
unbelief!
SHE OPENS HER MOUTH WITH WISDOM....not whining, fretting and unbelief! And
upon her tongue is the law of kindness.......not hopelessness, that declares
their is no God! Her food is to do God's will in peoples lives.
She deals with the things in her integrity, that shame her God and King,
because she really wants nothing she thinks, says or does, TO BRING REPROACH
ON THE KING OF GLORY!
THE WISE WOMAN BUILDS HER HOUSE…… THE FOOL PLUCKS IT DOWN….
Her heart is filled with thorns and snares........and though she may look
good on the outside......her heart is an open grave on the inside! Her main interest is in getting her needs met from men, not doing God's will.
If the Lord isn't helping a woman, because she is a scorner, rejects God's seed and accepts the devils seed, with no fight to deal with the "lie lodged within her", WE CAN'T HELP HER EITHER. Read what the bible says about scorners..... they are tea bags with holes, they can't contain any truth because they don't go after their evil imaginations against The Lord. Nothing you say to a scorner matters, they can't hold on to it. Until a woman sincerely desires to care about The Lord, to care about being a reproach, and being saved from how she has shamed Him, you can't even reach her. Until she seeks Him with all her heart, she won't be found by Him. And she will unknowingly or maybe knowingly waste the lives away of everyone around her trying to get everyone to fix her EXCEPT THE GREAT PHYSICIAN, THE ONLY TRUE HEALER!
She puts a bit of arsenic and poison in all her food! She knows her soul food
is from hell,....but she won't stop herself from speaking these she knows she
shouldn't to others. Her words tear, they don't build up, and she doesn't
even really care! And how can she help but condemn herself when she knows her
bitter heart, her fearful, unbelieving soul, IS defiling THE SHEEP AROUND HER.
I guess that's why Proverbs 31:10 says........WHO CAN FIND A DILIGENT WOMAN?
And truly her price is FAR ABOVE RUBIES! She takes the time to remove her
spiritual rags of poverty and seduction! She sees the children of God as the
children of the most High.....A Royal Priesthood. This woman is like Ester
presenting herself before the King. She didn't come whining and complaining,
but in a spirit of love and faith before the King, for the cause of the
Kingdom.
Goes back to "a man (woman) shall be satisfied by the fruit of her own mouth.
We lie to ourselves when our own words grieve us.....and we feed other's the
junk food of our soul. The abundance of our heart that is ungodly,
unconverted.
Pvbs.31:11 "The heart of her husband does safely trust in her...........and
her food supplies....from the Throne of God.....never run out! She doesn't
poison him and the children with "deceitful dainties," from listening to the
king of hell. SHE WHO LISTENS TO GOD, LIVES IN HOPE AND REFRAINS FROM MANY
EVILS. (Prv.1:33) This concludes that hopelessness IS THE BY PRODUCT OF
SLOTHFULNESS, AND LISTENING TO THE WRONG VOICE! Hopelessness is the sign of
those who submit to the liar and resist God!
If we will receive His words, and hide His commandments in our heart, and
incline our ear to wisdom, and APPLY OUR HEART TO UNDERSTANDING; if we will
CRY AFTER KNOWLEDGE AND LIFT UP OUR VOICE TO UNDERSTANDING.......SEEK FOR IT
AS SILVER, SEARCH FOR IT AS HIDDEN TREASURE.........Then we will understand
how to worship the Lord and find the knowledge of God. It is the Lord who
gives wisdom, out of his mouth comes understanding...for He stores up hope
for the upright, and those who walk without blemish.
So can Jesus safely trust in your heart? Do you get food supplies from God
or the father of lies? Do you look to cover the naked? Do you take
advantage of those willing to see that your covered by being spiritually
slothful? Are you getting the merchandise of Heaven from afar........or do
you just always expect others to get it for you?
What are you REALLY, NOW I MEAN REALLY......FEEDING GOD'S SHEEP?
The beggarly women of the world....who can never get enough....USE spirits to
do their bidding for them to get their needs met. They whine, and complain
to each other, to build up the spirit of pity in each other. They don't mind
handing out this dish of poison.....it's a ploy they use to make others think
they are important. It's a ploy to elevate man, and to elevate self. It's
all giving glory to the false King.
The wise woman considers what seeds she sows. She considers where she gets
her seeds and where she plants them. She exercises her body, mind, spirit,
and soul........and doesn't use circumstances and situations to "check
out"......her lamp......her spiritual discernment never goes out!
She lives to sew.....cover others......SHE'S NOT ALWAYS demanding others to
cover her. She knows her works of obedience, faith, and love will be the
clothes that dress her so she won't stand naked and ashamed before her
heavenly groom. She hands out the clothes of faith to her family, and they
are not afraid. She gets spiritual wealth from God, and dispenses it wisely!
STRENGTH AND HONOR ARE HER CLOTHES!!!! She has thrown away the rags of fear,
unbelief!
SHE OPENS HER MOUTH WITH WISDOM....not whining, fretting and unbelief! And
upon her tongue is the law of kindness.......not hopelessness, that declares
their is no God! Her food is to do God's will in peoples lives.
She deals with the things in her integrity, that shame her God and King,
because she really wants nothing she thinks, says or does, TO BRING REPROACH
ON THE KING OF GLORY!
Friday, June 13, 2008
PROVERBS 13 teach our hands to war and fingers to fight
Teach our hands to war and our fingers to fight, in the invisible kingdom that goes on inside of us!!!
Make us good Shepherds that feed the sheep with understanding, not the ones who say peace peace, when their is no peace.
PVB 13
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 A wise son heareth his father's instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke. People
that are unthankful, unholy, want to stay in control of their lives, who are not honest and sincere, don't
change when they hear rebuke. They won't change until their hearts are right, and it becomes "their food"
to do God's will.
2 A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth: but the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence.
This is about you and what you feed people out of your mouth. Transgressing the Holy Spirit when you speak to
others opens your spirit up to hear from dark spirits. Pvb 9 in the Aramaic puts it this way. "He who denies things
falsly feeds on the winds.... every spirit has free access to talk to us when we lie to ourselves about what we do.
In a land that is trodden they travel thrirsty and gain nothing.
3 He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.
We prove we love Jesus by what we feed other people. My husband has proved his love in the face of my
carnality, he didn't get carnal back with me. He wasn't willing to trash his own soul or position with Jesus
to get a "carnal fix" by opressing me, or being carnally angry to control me.
4 The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.
The sloth.... being slow.... not really caring if we are judging by the seeing of the eyes or hearing of the ears,
and really being sincere with the Lord to open our eyes, makes us empty. Only the pure in heart see, and they
have great fulfillment handling, tasting the words of life and feeding others..... just like I am doing right now.
Revelation is one thing we should really crave, desire and turn us on.
5 A righteous man hateth lying: but a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh to shame.
When we lie to others we hate ourselves. And you can't love and respect someone you are willing to lie to.
Jesus' precious holy Spirit can't help liars. God needs us to be honest with him. Like King David said,
"thou desires truth in our inward parts."
6 Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way: but wickedness overthroweth the sinner.
"keeping you heart right with God and man"
12 Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.
The truth is always made manifest...... hang in their the night will soon be over.
13 Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded.
This is pretty heavy.......... If we don't crack open our bible, don't we really (look down) on God's word?
14 The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.
You are called to be the fountain, not just "others"..... this means you, are you willing?
Will you put your faith towards your own calling?
15 Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard.
So we are "with all our getting, getting understanding, or we are transgressing,
and opressing."
16 Every prudent man dealeth with knowledge: but a fool layeth open his folly.
Again, are you willing to deal with knowledge? If you don't your kids probably never
will either. What are you willing to "loose" on the earth?
17 A wicked messenger falleth into mischief: but a faithful ambassador is health.
So we are always representing a kingdom. Either the one that represents health or the one
that represents sickness. Who's kingdom do you want to be an ambassador of?
18 Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured.
Guess this means we should read our bible every day.... I just love the Lords reproof, that's why I'm here.
19 The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul: but it is abomination to fools to depart from evil.
They are energized by a wrong spirit, that's their hope and strength.... why would they depart?
20 He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.
Guess you should be careful of the spirits you let hang around you too......
21 Evil pursueth sinners: but to the righteous good shall be repayed.
22 A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.
What greater inheritance could we leave to our children than the TESTIMONY OF CHRIST? How God helped
us through this life because we turned to Him and His Word!!!
23 Much food is in the tillage of the poor: but there is that is destroyed for want of judgment.
Every problem we have is a lack of good judgment. That's why we need to pray for good judgment.
The Lord promises to feed us with judgment, it's our salvation.
24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.
25 The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul: but the belly of the wicked shall want.
When we are eating and drinking from God's table and cup, we are satisfied. When we are eating
and drinking from Satan's cup... anger, bitterness, pity, etc....... we are never full.
Make us good Shepherds that feed the sheep with understanding, not the ones who say peace peace, when their is no peace.
PVB 13
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 A wise son heareth his father's instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke. People
that are unthankful, unholy, want to stay in control of their lives, who are not honest and sincere, don't
change when they hear rebuke. They won't change until their hearts are right, and it becomes "their food"
to do God's will.
2 A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth: but the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence.
This is about you and what you feed people out of your mouth. Transgressing the Holy Spirit when you speak to
others opens your spirit up to hear from dark spirits. Pvb 9 in the Aramaic puts it this way. "He who denies things
falsly feeds on the winds.... every spirit has free access to talk to us when we lie to ourselves about what we do.
In a land that is trodden they travel thrirsty and gain nothing.
3 He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.
We prove we love Jesus by what we feed other people. My husband has proved his love in the face of my
carnality, he didn't get carnal back with me. He wasn't willing to trash his own soul or position with Jesus
to get a "carnal fix" by opressing me, or being carnally angry to control me.
4 The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.
The sloth.... being slow.... not really caring if we are judging by the seeing of the eyes or hearing of the ears,
and really being sincere with the Lord to open our eyes, makes us empty. Only the pure in heart see, and they
have great fulfillment handling, tasting the words of life and feeding others..... just like I am doing right now.
Revelation is one thing we should really crave, desire and turn us on.
5 A righteous man hateth lying: but a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh to shame.
When we lie to others we hate ourselves. And you can't love and respect someone you are willing to lie to.
Jesus' precious holy Spirit can't help liars. God needs us to be honest with him. Like King David said,
"thou desires truth in our inward parts."
6 Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way: but wickedness overthroweth the sinner.
"keeping you heart right with God and man"
12 Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.
The truth is always made manifest...... hang in their the night will soon be over.
13 Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded.
This is pretty heavy.......... If we don't crack open our bible, don't we really (look down) on God's word?
14 The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.
You are called to be the fountain, not just "others"..... this means you, are you willing?
Will you put your faith towards your own calling?
15 Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard.
So we are "with all our getting, getting understanding, or we are transgressing,
and opressing."
16 Every prudent man dealeth with knowledge: but a fool layeth open his folly.
Again, are you willing to deal with knowledge? If you don't your kids probably never
will either. What are you willing to "loose" on the earth?
17 A wicked messenger falleth into mischief: but a faithful ambassador is health.
So we are always representing a kingdom. Either the one that represents health or the one
that represents sickness. Who's kingdom do you want to be an ambassador of?
18 Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured.
Guess this means we should read our bible every day.... I just love the Lords reproof, that's why I'm here.
19 The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul: but it is abomination to fools to depart from evil.
They are energized by a wrong spirit, that's their hope and strength.... why would they depart?
20 He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.
Guess you should be careful of the spirits you let hang around you too......
21 Evil pursueth sinners: but to the righteous good shall be repayed.
22 A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.
What greater inheritance could we leave to our children than the TESTIMONY OF CHRIST? How God helped
us through this life because we turned to Him and His Word!!!
23 Much food is in the tillage of the poor: but there is that is destroyed for want of judgment.
Every problem we have is a lack of good judgment. That's why we need to pray for good judgment.
The Lord promises to feed us with judgment, it's our salvation.
24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.
25 The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul: but the belly of the wicked shall want.
When we are eating and drinking from God's table and cup, we are satisfied. When we are eating
and drinking from Satan's cup... anger, bitterness, pity, etc....... we are never full.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Delivered from your destructions??? Can you help others get delivered????
A few of my friends and I have been talking about "trailer trash" women........ you know the one in Pvbs. 7, she's a glutton, a rebel, doesn't hold the word of the Lord close to her.
She doesn't read her bible, and she lives for her own pleasure. Everything she does is to please herself. She doesn't pray, seek God or even really care about doing His Will, getting
bread from afar for her husband, children, or friends. She doesn't stir herself up to seek God..... get personal with Him, and hear from Him, about the people in her life and doing God's will
above living for her own pleasure.
There are just 2 women......... this rebel, glutton, living for her own pleasure woman, fearing man won't meet her needs. And the woman in Prvbs 31. who always seeks the good of
her husband, the Lord, her children, and doesn't eat the wrong bread of "idleness", she's always getting light, inspiration, and she's full of God's life because she is not content TO LIVE
BY BREAD ALONE. She's always turning the hearts of God's people to Him and to His word. The "trailer trash" woman lives in pity, vengeance, and always thinks her trials are strange.
And it's strange for her to BLESS THE LORD AT ALL TIMES, and the praise of the wrong Father is in her mouth and most of the time she won't even admit it to herself.
God is looking for us to worship Him in Spirit and Truth and to be able to FEED THE SHEEP around us with understanding. We can't do that when we don't even understand the little imps
we have bowed down to nor how we got of of Satan's grip. (Again, we should be a map for others) to show them the way out of the dark, BY GOD'S WORD. Did He send His word and
HEAL YOU AND DELIVER YOU FROM YOUR DESTRUCTIONS?????????
I pray to God for eyes to be open to the familiars that are waiting for your halting. "The light and treacherous" spirits. There is a good deal of scriptures about anger. One of them
says, HE, SHE, WHO COOLS DOWN HER ANGER IS A HEALER OF HER OWN SOUL. There are so many reasons why too......... this is too deep to go into now.
Treacherous people are "un-forgiven". We watched the movie THE MISSION tonight. The main character had to go to those he had sinned against, those who he had offended. Only the forgiveness of those he had sinned against could bring relief for the guilt of condemnation on his soul. He couldn't go to others and find any relief. When I think of all the people Michael tried to confess to, but never was free from the burden of sin, it all makes sense to me. He had to go to those ALONE who could really forgive him. Those lives whom he dealt treacherously with. When fear and pride keep us from going to those we need to, we carry the burden of that sin all of our life. No release. God see's that we love our life, and refuse to go to those we have wronged. And we keep "wronging, sinning" over and over again. When we have the POWER to go and make things right, and don't
we choose our fate.
Subject: TREACHEROUS SPIRIT?
What do people with a treacherous spirit say in their heart? They say "THE WAY OF THE LORD IS HARD." The truth is, our ways, without revering God are hard. And we should know, if we don't resist the devil that voices in our head, "the way of the Lord is hard", he won't flee from us. We will soon find ourselves dealing treacherously with "the wife of our youth", "our husbands, and our children."
The word "treacherous" means to be disloyal: to have a deceptive appearance: unreliable: untrustworthy: violation of allegiance, confidence, and faith: it's treason. Treachery means perfidious. Perfidious means to be disloyal, to break a promise, pledge or vow. To act deliberately mean and despicable. It's to be faithless and unfaithful. It's a failure to abide by your word and your duty. It's to be unfaithful in your allegiance to God, and a failure to meet an expected standard of devotion and loyalty. It's to be false, deceitful, and to violate truth. It's to breech confidence, and it involves the passing of an adverse moral, and spiritual judgment. (the underlying judgment, that people with a prideful, fearful, unbelieving spirit, that accuses God). When we don't believe our works will be judged by God, we are "unbelievers", careless to say the least.
If your under the control of a treacherous spirit, these are some of the characteristics you will display. You will not be laying it to heart to give
Glory to God, and obey him. The "law of truth" will not be in your mouth. You will be demonized........energized, by lightly esteeming those around
you. You will deal treacherously with others. The thought of your heart will be, "where is the God who judges righteous judgments?" You won't think about TAKING HEED TO YOUR SPIRIT. You will conceal your iniquity. You will call those doing evil good, and make them think the Lord is
pleased with them.
You won't realize those around you have the same Father in Heaven who is looking after you......and looking after them also. The absence of
Reverence for the Lord produces a liberality to deal treacherously. A son honors his father. A servant honors his master. The treacherous don't honor God as Father, and fail to see God as their master enough to fear Him and stop listening to the wrong voice. The voice that accuses God and His people. And when we blame God for dealing treacherously with us, when we are just suffering due to our own sin, we will be treacherous.
We are called to be a royal priesthood. A holy nation. Just as God's covenant rested on Levi, so it is His will that it rests on us. God gave
Levi life and peace because he trembled and feared and kept reverence for God. He didn't deal treacherously. THE LAW OF TRUTH WAS IN HIS MOUTH, and iniquity was NOT FOUND IN HIS LIPS. He didn't deal with his wife treacherously. He walked with God in peace and righteousness, and did turn many away from iniquity. When we don't turn from our sin of accusing God, we pity others and can't turn them from blaming God for their problems too. Our lips should keep knowledge, so other's can hear the Word of the Lord from our mouth. For we are all called to be messengers
of The Lord of Hosts.
One thing I loved about the movie...."Hurricane", is when Denzel Washington took the devil by force. He finally got mad enough at the spirit of hatred that caused him to lightly esteem white people, to tell it to shut up.....he was sick and tired of hearing the devils voice, and he vowed not to listen to it anymore. He saw that a bad spirit was not only his friend.....which it had cloaked itself to be all his life, BUT IT WAS HIS ENEMY!
So are you ready to tell that treacherous spirit that has diguised itself as being your friend.....that voice that says "THE WAY OF THE LORD IS HARD," TO SHUT UP! When you see yourself as a victim of your circumstances, you are UNBELIEVING AND REFUSING TO TAKE THE CUP OF SALVATION AND CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD. You are REBELLING against believing that "your times are in God's hands. ARE YOU WILLING TO FORSAKE THE SPIRIT THAT YOU THOUGHT WAS YOUR FRIEND?
Even the children of the world have become wise in that, recovering drug addicts know they must forsake their old friends to stay clean. If your
ready to forsake that devilish voice that you thought was the voice of a friend........REPENT, AND BELIEVE! Repent to God and those you have dealt
treacherously with, because you believed the way of the Lord was hard! Have faith in Jesus to save you from this demonic stronghold! Go to those you have offended by being selfish, by always making them bear your burden. Those you have lived with and forced them to bear your wounded spirit, because you were rebelling against being a minister of reconciliation, not caring yourself if you were reconciled to God. If you have been treacherous and vengeful that God doesn't bow to your kingdom, you have made everyone pass through the fire of your selfishness. If you have been a messenger of Satan.... "the way of the Lord is hard"..... cry out to God to forgive you for those you have evangelized, and those who you have made pay due to you having evil imaginations against the Lord and against his people. Make it your food to do God's will and stop demanding your own..... you will be God's messenger instead of satan's.
She doesn't read her bible, and she lives for her own pleasure. Everything she does is to please herself. She doesn't pray, seek God or even really care about doing His Will, getting
bread from afar for her husband, children, or friends. She doesn't stir herself up to seek God..... get personal with Him, and hear from Him, about the people in her life and doing God's will
above living for her own pleasure.
There are just 2 women......... this rebel, glutton, living for her own pleasure woman, fearing man won't meet her needs. And the woman in Prvbs 31. who always seeks the good of
her husband, the Lord, her children, and doesn't eat the wrong bread of "idleness", she's always getting light, inspiration, and she's full of God's life because she is not content TO LIVE
BY BREAD ALONE. She's always turning the hearts of God's people to Him and to His word. The "trailer trash" woman lives in pity, vengeance, and always thinks her trials are strange.
And it's strange for her to BLESS THE LORD AT ALL TIMES, and the praise of the wrong Father is in her mouth and most of the time she won't even admit it to herself.
God is looking for us to worship Him in Spirit and Truth and to be able to FEED THE SHEEP around us with understanding. We can't do that when we don't even understand the little imps
we have bowed down to nor how we got of of Satan's grip. (Again, we should be a map for others) to show them the way out of the dark, BY GOD'S WORD. Did He send His word and
HEAL YOU AND DELIVER YOU FROM YOUR DESTRUCTIONS?????????
I pray to God for eyes to be open to the familiars that are waiting for your halting. "The light and treacherous" spirits. There is a good deal of scriptures about anger. One of them
says, HE, SHE, WHO COOLS DOWN HER ANGER IS A HEALER OF HER OWN SOUL. There are so many reasons why too......... this is too deep to go into now.
Treacherous people are "un-forgiven". We watched the movie THE MISSION tonight. The main character had to go to those he had sinned against, those who he had offended. Only the forgiveness of those he had sinned against could bring relief for the guilt of condemnation on his soul. He couldn't go to others and find any relief. When I think of all the people Michael tried to confess to, but never was free from the burden of sin, it all makes sense to me. He had to go to those ALONE who could really forgive him. Those lives whom he dealt treacherously with. When fear and pride keep us from going to those we need to, we carry the burden of that sin all of our life. No release. God see's that we love our life, and refuse to go to those we have wronged. And we keep "wronging, sinning" over and over again. When we have the POWER to go and make things right, and don't
we choose our fate.
Subject: TREACHEROUS SPIRIT?
What do people with a treacherous spirit say in their heart? They say "THE WAY OF THE LORD IS HARD." The truth is, our ways, without revering God are hard. And we should know, if we don't resist the devil that voices in our head, "the way of the Lord is hard", he won't flee from us. We will soon find ourselves dealing treacherously with "the wife of our youth", "our husbands, and our children."
The word "treacherous" means to be disloyal: to have a deceptive appearance: unreliable: untrustworthy: violation of allegiance, confidence, and faith: it's treason. Treachery means perfidious. Perfidious means to be disloyal, to break a promise, pledge or vow. To act deliberately mean and despicable. It's to be faithless and unfaithful. It's a failure to abide by your word and your duty. It's to be unfaithful in your allegiance to God, and a failure to meet an expected standard of devotion and loyalty. It's to be false, deceitful, and to violate truth. It's to breech confidence, and it involves the passing of an adverse moral, and spiritual judgment. (the underlying judgment, that people with a prideful, fearful, unbelieving spirit, that accuses God). When we don't believe our works will be judged by God, we are "unbelievers", careless to say the least.
If your under the control of a treacherous spirit, these are some of the characteristics you will display. You will not be laying it to heart to give
Glory to God, and obey him. The "law of truth" will not be in your mouth. You will be demonized........energized, by lightly esteeming those around
you. You will deal treacherously with others. The thought of your heart will be, "where is the God who judges righteous judgments?" You won't think about TAKING HEED TO YOUR SPIRIT. You will conceal your iniquity. You will call those doing evil good, and make them think the Lord is
pleased with them.
You won't realize those around you have the same Father in Heaven who is looking after you......and looking after them also. The absence of
Reverence for the Lord produces a liberality to deal treacherously. A son honors his father. A servant honors his master. The treacherous don't honor God as Father, and fail to see God as their master enough to fear Him and stop listening to the wrong voice. The voice that accuses God and His people. And when we blame God for dealing treacherously with us, when we are just suffering due to our own sin, we will be treacherous.
We are called to be a royal priesthood. A holy nation. Just as God's covenant rested on Levi, so it is His will that it rests on us. God gave
Levi life and peace because he trembled and feared and kept reverence for God. He didn't deal treacherously. THE LAW OF TRUTH WAS IN HIS MOUTH, and iniquity was NOT FOUND IN HIS LIPS. He didn't deal with his wife treacherously. He walked with God in peace and righteousness, and did turn many away from iniquity. When we don't turn from our sin of accusing God, we pity others and can't turn them from blaming God for their problems too. Our lips should keep knowledge, so other's can hear the Word of the Lord from our mouth. For we are all called to be messengers
of The Lord of Hosts.
One thing I loved about the movie...."Hurricane", is when Denzel Washington took the devil by force. He finally got mad enough at the spirit of hatred that caused him to lightly esteem white people, to tell it to shut up.....he was sick and tired of hearing the devils voice, and he vowed not to listen to it anymore. He saw that a bad spirit was not only his friend.....which it had cloaked itself to be all his life, BUT IT WAS HIS ENEMY!
So are you ready to tell that treacherous spirit that has diguised itself as being your friend.....that voice that says "THE WAY OF THE LORD IS HARD," TO SHUT UP! When you see yourself as a victim of your circumstances, you are UNBELIEVING AND REFUSING TO TAKE THE CUP OF SALVATION AND CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD. You are REBELLING against believing that "your times are in God's hands. ARE YOU WILLING TO FORSAKE THE SPIRIT THAT YOU THOUGHT WAS YOUR FRIEND?
Even the children of the world have become wise in that, recovering drug addicts know they must forsake their old friends to stay clean. If your
ready to forsake that devilish voice that you thought was the voice of a friend........REPENT, AND BELIEVE! Repent to God and those you have dealt
treacherously with, because you believed the way of the Lord was hard! Have faith in Jesus to save you from this demonic stronghold! Go to those you have offended by being selfish, by always making them bear your burden. Those you have lived with and forced them to bear your wounded spirit, because you were rebelling against being a minister of reconciliation, not caring yourself if you were reconciled to God. If you have been treacherous and vengeful that God doesn't bow to your kingdom, you have made everyone pass through the fire of your selfishness. If you have been a messenger of Satan.... "the way of the Lord is hard"..... cry out to God to forgive you for those you have evangelized, and those who you have made pay due to you having evil imaginations against the Lord and against his people. Make it your food to do God's will and stop demanding your own..... you will be God's messenger instead of satan's.
THE TOUNGE OF THE WISE IS HEALTH.... PVB 12
Have people been making you sick lately???????? Maybe the Lord wants to use you to MAKE THEM HELATHY?
18 There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health. You can give others the food of the SON. Jesus said, if you love Me, Feed My sheep. Give them food that will make them
healthy.
Pvb.12:
1 Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish.
Do you love instruction enough to grab your bible every day, and live by the Word of God? If you don't you are brutish. And you won't be a crown to your husband Jesus or your husband!
4 A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones.
5 The thoughts of the righteous are right: but the counsels of the wicked are deceit. (becuase they are not thinking thoughts to accuse God or others, they are delivering others)
6 The words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood: but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them. TO BE RIGHTEOUS WITH GOD, WE NEED TO HAVE DELIVERANCE IN OUR LIPS.
7 The wicked are overthrown, and are not: but the house of the righteous shall stand.
8 A man shall be commended according to his wisdom: but he that is of a perverse heart shall be despised. (It's very hard to honor people that always have perverse speech coming out of their lips.)
10 A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
11 He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that followeth vain persons is void of understanding. (there is a great chain ref. on being void of understanding)
13 The wicked is snared by the transgression of his lips: but the just shall come out of trouble.
14 A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth: and the recompence of a man's hands shall be rendered unto him.
15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.
17 He that speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit.
19 The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment. Do you believe that? The lies that go on in your head will die with you, but THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER!
20 Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counsellors of peace is joy. HOW MUCH EVIL DO YOU SIT AND IMAGINE AGAINST OTHERS? DUE TO NOT SEEKING WORDS OF HEALTH TO DELIVER OTHERS?
21 There shall no evil happen to the just: THAT'S PRETTY HEAVY.... NO EVIL HAPPENS TO THE JUST. That's becuase THEY ARE THANKFUL FOR THE OPERATION OF GOD, THEY DRAW NEAR TO THE LORD TO HELP OTHERS......but the wicked shall be filled with mischief.
22 Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight.
23 A prudent man concealeth knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness.
24 The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute.
25 Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad.
26 The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour: but the way of the wicked seduceth them.
27 The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: GETS NO FOOD DUE TO BEING INSINCERE WITH GOD AND OTHERS.... (NO BREAD OF LIFE) but the substance of a diligent man is precious.
28 In the way of righteousness is life: and in the pathway thereof there is no death.
THE RIGHTEOUS LIVE BY GOD'S BREAD OF LIFE IN HIS SON JESUS CHRIST!!!!! LACK OF PASSSION FOR GODS WORD IS A SURE SIGN OF ILL HEALTH!
18 There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health. You can give others the food of the SON. Jesus said, if you love Me, Feed My sheep. Give them food that will make them
healthy.
Pvb.12:
1 Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish.
Do you love instruction enough to grab your bible every day, and live by the Word of God? If you don't you are brutish. And you won't be a crown to your husband Jesus or your husband!
4 A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones.
5 The thoughts of the righteous are right: but the counsels of the wicked are deceit. (becuase they are not thinking thoughts to accuse God or others, they are delivering others)
6 The words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood: but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them. TO BE RIGHTEOUS WITH GOD, WE NEED TO HAVE DELIVERANCE IN OUR LIPS.
7 The wicked are overthrown, and are not: but the house of the righteous shall stand.
8 A man shall be commended according to his wisdom: but he that is of a perverse heart shall be despised. (It's very hard to honor people that always have perverse speech coming out of their lips.)
10 A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
11 He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that followeth vain persons is void of understanding. (there is a great chain ref. on being void of understanding)
13 The wicked is snared by the transgression of his lips: but the just shall come out of trouble.
14 A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth: and the recompence of a man's hands shall be rendered unto him.
15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.
17 He that speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit.
19 The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment. Do you believe that? The lies that go on in your head will die with you, but THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER!
20 Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counsellors of peace is joy. HOW MUCH EVIL DO YOU SIT AND IMAGINE AGAINST OTHERS? DUE TO NOT SEEKING WORDS OF HEALTH TO DELIVER OTHERS?
21 There shall no evil happen to the just: THAT'S PRETTY HEAVY.... NO EVIL HAPPENS TO THE JUST. That's becuase THEY ARE THANKFUL FOR THE OPERATION OF GOD, THEY DRAW NEAR TO THE LORD TO HELP OTHERS......but the wicked shall be filled with mischief.
22 Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight.
23 A prudent man concealeth knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness.
24 The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute.
25 Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad.
26 The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour: but the way of the wicked seduceth them.
27 The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: GETS NO FOOD DUE TO BEING INSINCERE WITH GOD AND OTHERS.... (NO BREAD OF LIFE) but the substance of a diligent man is precious.
28 In the way of righteousness is life: and in the pathway thereof there is no death.
THE RIGHTEOUS LIVE BY GOD'S BREAD OF LIFE IN HIS SON JESUS CHRIST!!!!! LACK OF PASSSION FOR GODS WORD IS A SURE SIGN OF ILL HEALTH!
BITTERNESS, BEING UNTHANKFUL, UNHOLY...
posted some new things on http://jumpforjesusnet.blogspot.com/
But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, prideful, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. (2 Timothy 3:1-5) NKJV)
BEING UNTHANKFUL, IS BEING UNHOLY!!! Don't pretend like you aren't either, that won't help. With all your getting you have to get understanding or you stay defiled!
BITTERNESS! - The Deadly Root that Devours and Destroys!
"Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled."--Heb.12:15.--Thus says God's Word about the adverse results of bitterness, a very poisonous root that can defile your whole spirit, and seriously hurt and defile many others as well!
One reason that bitterness is so extremely dangerous is because it can take root and begin to grow and spread and spiritually contaminate and defile your heart and spirit before you even realise what's wrong with you. Sinful human nature makes it very easy for us to rationalise and justify ourselves for harbouring hurt feelings or a grudge against others when we feel that they have wronged or mistreated us. In fact, we can even feel this way towards God!
Like the roots of most plants, little "roots" of resentment and bitterness usually lie below the surface where they remain unseen. But there they begin to spread and grow, going ever deeper and deeper. If allowed to continue, such roots of bitterness will eventually eat away at your very heart and spirit, until they will finally devour and destroy you spiritually!--Ultimately leaving you spiritually dead and virtually useless to the Lord!
The way that bitterness can hinder your ministry and effectiveness is illustrated in the following true story about the great artist and engineer, Leonardo da Vinci: Just before he commenced work on his famous painting of "The Last Supper" he had a violent quarrel with a fellow painter. He was so enraged and bitter that he decided to paint the face of his enemy, the other artist, into the face of Judas, and thus take his revenge by handing the man down in infamy and scorn to succeeding generations. The face of Judas was therefore one of the first that he finished, and everyone could easily recognise it as the face of the painter with whom da Vinci had quarreled.
But when he came to paint the face of Jesus, he could make no progress. Something seemed to be baffling him, holding him back, frustrating his best efforts. At length he came to the conclusion that the thing that was checking and frustrating him was the fact that he had painted his enemy into the face of Judas. He therefore painted out the face of Judas and commenced anew on the face of Jesus, and this time with the success which the ages have acclaimed.
How clearly this incident shows us that we cannot at one and the same time be painting the features of Christ into our own life, and be painting another face with the colours of enmity and hatred. To become more Christ-like, and to accomplish what the Lord wants you to do, surely all bitterness and hatred must be "put away" and "laid aside."
B. Bitterness Opens the Door to the Enemy!
To wilfully allow little roots of bitterness to grow in your life is like knowingly letting the Devil in! Such discontentment and resentment and murmuring in your heart will just grow and grow and begin to cover and affect everything around you. That's what bitterness does.--Which is why you've got to try to catch it at the very beginning before it takes root too deeply, and root it out!
This is why the Lord tells us, "Neither give place to the Devil!"--Eph.4:27. This verse shows that you can sometimes give the Devil place and room to operate and get in without necessarily being completely taken over or possessed by him. But let me warn you, he'll use whatever you let him get ahold of, so you'd better resist and give him no place!--So beware of letting the Enemy in through the little seeds and tiny roots of jealousy, murmuring or bitterness that he may try to sow in your heart!
C. Bitterness Will Even Affect You Physically!
The affairs of the heart and affairs of the spirit can affect you physically! In medical science they call such afflictions "psychosomatic" illnesses, which means they are caused by your mind. But we'd say they're caused by your spirit, by an improper attitude of heart, primarily a lack of love for the Lord and others.
There are all kinds of little roots, little roots of bitterness, little roots of jealousy, little roots of resentment, little roots of hurt feelings, and they can all get pretty bitter and they can all grow and they will all begin to eat on you from within, if you let them.--Until pretty soon they will crop out in very obvious or even physical manifestations.
Doctors have found that people who are bitter and have a lot of hatred in their hearts, have much more arthritis than those who are at peace. Similarly, they've discovered that those who have a lot of fear in their minds--worries, tension, phobias, etc.--have a lot more mental trouble and more stomach trouble, as well as more heart trouble.
Thank God that the elimination of fear by faith gives peace of mind and rest to your stomach and to your heart, and actually eliminates various poisons from the blood which cause illness. In other words, your state of mind and heart can actually poison your body. Science knows this and has proven it true.
D. Bitterness Will Hurt and "Defile" Many Others!
How can one individual's bitterness "defile many"? Well, there are several ways. For one thing, people who are really bitter about one thing, will easily become bitter about other things too. It's usually because they never blame themselves for anything that seems to go wrong, they're always blaming other people, similar to the self-righteous hypocrite who never blames himself either.
People who are discontent and murmuring and resentful and critical are usually never satisfied unless they can persuade others of their own opinion. Misery loves company, and they love to have other people agree with them; and sad to say, it's usually easy to find'm. Belly-aching, murmuring and complaining is a very common ailment of the human race and something that is very easy to fall into. But from God's point of view, it is a sin that is absolutely intolerable. Just read the story of the wandering Children of Israel and you'll see how He let millions of people rot in the Sinaitic Desert for their murmuring and their complaining, and they never got into the Promised Land! (Num.32:11-13.)
Bitterness and murmuring are a very infectious spiritual disease, diabolical, and can spread and poison others very quickly if left unchecked. One bad apple can do it so fast! The Bible warns us, "Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump!"--1Cor. 5:6,7. Just like a tiny pinch of yeast will spread throughout an entire "lump" of dough and cause the whole thing to rise, people who are permeated with bitterness are a real burden and a real downer influence, and will drag everybody down that they can, pulling everybody's spirits down. They're always dwelling on the negative and always criticising and always murmuring.
When the Lord doesn't do things just the way some people want Him to, they get bitter against Him. They get upset and angry at the Lord because He didn't do just exactly what they wanted Him to do. They're obviously lacking in faith and not trusting God, that He knows what's best.
God's Word tells us to "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths."--Pro.3:5,6. But if you're looking at conditions instead of God, you're going to have problems! You've got to keep your eyes on God. You've got to look to the Lord. You've got to see God and "walk by faith, not by sight!"--2Cor.5:7. When Moses was having a rough time, we're told that "he endured, as seeing Him Who is invisible."--Heb.11:27.
Sometimes the Lord does things--or allows things to happen--in our lives to test our faith and draw us closer to Him. He loves us and is concerned about us and frequently allows things to happen to loosen our grip on the things of Earth and tighten our hold on Him and the Eternal Heavenly values. But if we don't receive the Lord's dealings with us, if we reject and refuse to accept them, then we become hardened, and even the Word, God's Truth, will lose its effect on us.
When people refuse to change or adapt to changes or forsakings or breakings, they sometimes get mean and bitter about not having what they used to have. They're unwilling to "take joyfully the spoiling of their goods" (Heb. 10:34), to take their losses and learn the lessons from it that God is trying to teach them.
Tough trials and tests can either melt you or harden you!--Which is why you've got to watch out and "look diligently" that they don't harden you and make you bitter and hateful! If you will let the trials humble you and melt you, you'll be a lot happier, and you'll find the Lord's Love in a new and closer way. But if you, in pride, harden your heart and say with "Invictus"--"I am the Captain of my fate, I am the Master of my soul! My head is bloody but unbowed," you will wind up sorely off the track and become a great disappointment to God!
Pride is what causes people to be bitter! It's because of pride that people become bitter instead of yielding and becoming broken and soft through their trials. Pride is why they refuse to "bow" to the Lord and surrender their all to Him!
So bitterness is a form of pride. People who are bitter usually feel that someone--either God or Man--has treated them unfairly. They're bitter because they feel like they deserve to be treated better. They feel they've been mistreated, abused, they don't deserve what they're getting. They feel they're better than that.
Another reason that people get bitter about their lot in life is because they get their eyes off of the Lord and on others.--And they begin "comparing themselves among themselves," and in so doing, "are not wise!"--2Cor. 10:12. When you start comparing yourself to others, and how the Lord has dealt with you compared to how he's dealt with others, it's very easy for the Enemy to tempt you with jealousy, bitterness, doubts etc.
For example, say the Lord's required you to make a great sacrifice of mate or children or position, in order for you to continue growing and being fruitful in His Service. If you unwisely compare your situation to someone else who hasn't been required to make the same sacrifice that you were, you could easily begin to feel discontented and resentful.--"How come I had to give up all of this and that, and they didn't?"
The thing that people fail to realise when they fall into this pit of comparing themselves to others is that the Lord handles all of us differently.--And what's good for you, may not be good for someone else! The Lord knows what's best for us, so He gives us all what He knows will help us each to grow the most and learn the particular lessons He is trying to teach us.
You can often see this in older people. As the years pass by, people go one way or the other, there's no standing still. They get more mellow and mild, soft and more tender, or they get harder, one or the other. My mother used to say that some old people are well-preserved, and others are just well-pickled!--They've gotten so sour and dour and miserable and unhappy.
The sorrow, the suffering, the sacrifice and sadness you go through will bring out the best in you--sweetness, compassion, love, tenderness, brokenness, love and concern for others--if you love the Lord and turn to Him when you go through such trials. He says, "Let them that suffer according to the Will of God commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator."--1Pet.4:19.
Of course, when you go through such tests and trials, it never "seems to be joyous, but grievous."--And the Devil will do all he can to try to convince you that God doesn't love you and that He doesn't answer prayer!--But what's really happening is that the Lord is letting your faith be tested, to see how much you really love the Lord and what price you're willing to pay to serve Him!
When going through severe soul-trying times of testing, we're often tempted to question the Lord, "Why me, Lord? Why did You let this happen to me?" We know from His Word that He allows such trials to test our faith and to test our love, just like He did with Job. Such tests actually strengthen your faith and cause you to love and believe in God no matter what, to not doubt no matter what happens.--As Job finally said, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him!"--Job 13:15. And when he finally took a stand like that, he got the victory. The Devil gave up and saw he couldn't make Job quit, even if he killed him.
Even Job's wife told him, "Why don't you just curse God and die, you miserable man!" Just think, he even lost the love and respect of his own wife. He'd lost all his children, lost all his wealth, lost his health and then he lost his wife! As Job sat there in ashes, pitifully scraping his boils with a potsherd, she taunted, "Why don't you just curse God and die and get out of the way!" But he rebuked her and said, "Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh! What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?" God's Word then says, "In all this Job did not sin with his lips."--Job 2:7-10.
Earlier, Satan himself had told God that Job would curse Him to His face if he lost his possessions and position. (Job 1:11; 2:5.) But when calamity after calamity befell dear Job, he passed the test and proved what a liar the Devil is! He didn't harden his heart and heed the Devil's voice through his wife or bitterly turn against God. Instead, "Job arose and rent his mantle and shaved his head and fell down upon the ground and worshipped. And said, `Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the Name of the Lord!' In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly."--Job 1:20-22.
But some people really have to go through a lot before they humble themselves and receive God's dealings with them. In fact, some people never seem to get the point and they never allow themselves to get humbled and they never surrender their own stubborn will and proud independent spirit to God! They never cry out to the Lord for deliverance. They never admit that they can't make it on their own. They just never give up trying to do things their own way, they never ever say "Uncle!" or "Lord, You win, I surrender!"
Some people even get mad at God for dealing with them! They get mad and mean and they curse God and wind up in an even worse state than they were before He tested them or tried to straighten them out!
But the Lord won't force you to humble yourself and yield and draw closer to Him! The breaking process depends upon you and your yieldedness and willingness to be made willing! So try to take your testings and your temptations without sin and without rebellion, murmuring or bitterness! The Lord promises that He will never give you more than you're able to bear, and that He will always make a way of escape. (1Cor. 10:13.) He'll somehow make it easier for you or at least help you to bear it. So "harden not your heart" but "cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee!"--Heb.3:8; Psa.55:22.
Things will be a lot easier for you if you will just accept what the Lord is trying to do in your life, if you will receive the breakings and the chastisements and the lessons, if you don't fight against them, if you'll just seek the Lord and yield to Him. Remember, He loves you, and whatever He does to you, His Own child, He does it in love.--For your good. So for God's sake, and your own sake, "Humble yourself therefore under the mighty hand of God" (1Pet.5:6), and don't get hardened and bitter! Get better and not bitter!--Amen?
B. Putting the Blame on God!
Self-righteous people always blame God for their problems and troubles instead of themselves, or instead of accepting the trials as something that God has sent their way for whatever reason. Some people are so self-righteous they wonder, "How could God ever do such a thing to me? How could the Lord treat me this way when I'm so good to Him?" They resent God's dealings with them.
That is actually one of the worst sins of all, to even have the slightest idea that you're a little bit more righteous than God, that God shouldn't have done this or that to you! That kind of attitude is the very seed and the very root of murmuring! When you question the Lord and murmur like that, what you're really saying is that you're more righteous than God!--Or others!--That if you were boss, you wouldn't have let such a thing happen, and you would have done better and you wouldn't have done this or you wouldn't have done that!
When any of us face any kind of a crisis or dilemma, test, trial, tribulation, privation, persecution--whatever the trouble or problem--what is the first thing we should do?--Complain? Murmur? Get upset and angry that things aren't going just the way we would like them to?--Of course not!
But when things seem to be going wrong, the first thing a lot of people do is pray and say, "What's the matter, Lord?"--And when some people say that, what they really mean is, "What's the matter with You, God? How come You failed me?" Whereas what we should really pray is, "What's the matter with me, Lord? Is there something wrong with what I'm doing? Am I displeasing You in any way?--Am I failing or disobeying You in any way? Am I out of Your Will in any way? First of all, what's the matter with me, Lord, or my situation? What's wrong?--Or are You just testing me?"
Contrary to what a lot of people seem to think when they start having problems and trials, there's nothing wrong with God! There's nothing the matter with Him, nor His Love, nor His dealings with His children! The problem is usually with us.--As He says in His Word, "Your iniquities have separated and come between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear."--Isa.59:2.
He says, "I'm not deaf that I can't hear your prayers, I'm listening!--And My arm isn't short or weak that it can't save and help you. The trouble is not Up Here, it's down there with you!"--With us, not God! So don't blame God and get upset at Him because of your troubles and your problems and your crises and your difficulties! It's not God's fault! There's nothing wrong with God! "Let every man be found a liar, but God be found true!"--Rom.3:4.
The most important thing you have to do during trying times is not whine and complain and murmur and gripe and grumble and bellyache and get bitter at God for His so-called failures and mistreatment and His neglect and His abuse and His cruelty and His deafness and His unconcern!--Because none of those things are true! You need to do the opposite of what the children of Israel did out in the wilderness, and that is, you need to sit down and think the situation over and pray:
"God, what's wrong with me? What's wrong with what I'm doing or the way I'm doing it? What am I doing that's displeasing You so that You're withholding Your blessings? In what way am I disobeying--either deliberately, wilfully, or unknowingly, unwittingly, or simply falling short, maybe just not doing enough? Or maybe I'm not listening enough, maybe I'm not following Your voice and guidance enough.--Or are You simply testing my faith or humbling me and trying to get me to draw closer to You?"
C. Putting the Blame on Others!
It's human nature to look around for somebody else to blame our problems on. "Passing the buck" started in the Garden of Eden. It's sinful Man's first line of defense when he's in trouble.--To blame others.
Just look what happened in the Garden of Eden: When they got caught in their sin, the first thing Adam said to God was, "It was my wife, she did it!" Then Eve said, "It was the Serpent's fault, he did it!" And the Serpent as good as said, "It was God, it's all His fault!" (Gen.3:12-13.) To "pass the buck" and try to blame things on others is an almost automatic reaction and self-defense mechanism with most people.
People who are bitter and have a bitter spirit are especially prone to this sort of thing. They're always blaming everybody else for all of their mistakes and all of their troubles and failings. It's always somebody else's fault.
As long as you leave a window open, you're not going to get rid of a roomful of flies. Likewise, you're not going to get rid of the Devil and his annoyances until you force them out and close the door or the windows so they can't come back in! But as long as you're harbouring bitterness or hatred in your life, that just lets the Enemy in, it's leaving the door wide open.
My Mother used to say, the Devil knocks on some people's door and they just throw it open and say, "Come on in, Mr. Devil, come in, Mrs. Devil and all your little doubts and doubtlets! Here are some comfy chairs, sit down and talk to me and let's have a nice visit, let's hear all that you have to say!" Instead of that, when you first hear the Enemy's knock at the door in your thoughts, in your mind and heart, as soon as you recognise who it is, you should slam the door in his face so quick it cuts his nose off! You shouldn't even listen to his first doubt, his first evil thought or "fiery dart"!
That's where Eve made her mistake. Her first mistake was stopping to listen to the Devil. When he puts negative or critical or doubtful thoughts in your mind, don't even listen. Resist him! Rebuke him in Jesus' name and start praising God and thanking the Lord for all your blessings! Get off the Devil's negative channel and think of the positive! When Eve stopped to listen, pretty soon she was believing him. So don't listen to him at all!--"Neither give place to the Devil!"--Eph.4:27. Listen to Jesus, read His Word, study and memorise it and praise the Lord, and the Enemy will flee!
E. The Voice of Bitterness: Murmuring!
Whenever you feel like murmuring and griping about things, watch out! Such an unthankful, doubtful and negative attitude may not only be an indication of bitterness, but of backsliding as well! Even if you haven't actually turned your back on the Lord, you're turning back in your heart when you start yielding to that feeling of doubting, murmuring and being critical of everybody else. When people start picking out others' faults and covering their own, and murmuring and griping about everything, complaining instead of praising the Lord for what they've got, it's a dangerous sin!
It's up to you to decide to be or not to be a certain way. In getting victories over deep-rooted problems, a lot has to do with your own will, your own desire. You have to decide that you really want to change, because if you don't, you won't! Of course, only God can fully deliver you from bitterness and its ill-effects, but you must be willing and yielded to Him, and make the decision that you want to be delivered without reservations!--The choice is yours!
A. Confess You've Got It!
Whenever any of us are diagnosed as having a serious spiritual disease such as bitterness, we have to face the facts and admit that we've got a problem. If we won't even face and admit our problems, we're never going to get the victory over them. If you don't recognise and expose the Enemy's work, how are you going to defeat him and get the victory over it?
The Lord promises deliverance and victory, and God says everything He can in His Word to encourage you to have faith to be delivered from your problems! But you can't be delivered and you can't even have faith for it unless you are obedient and honest and willing to confess your unrighteousness and your sins and your faults!
You'll never be able to correct the problem or find the solution if you deny it exists and keep saying everything is all right, perfectly all right.--That doesn't solve the problem at all. In fact, it makes it even worse! You'll never get the victory over such a problem until you honestly face it and confess it. "He that confesseth his sins," God's Word says, "shall have mercy. But he that covereth his sin shall not prosper!"--Pro.28:13. So confess it and ask the Lord to forgive you for any bitterness you may be harbouring towards Him or others! If you're willing to recognise and face your problem, then you can attack it and overcome it!
If you realise how utterly deadly a "root of bitterness" is, you'll certainly want to confess, forsake and get rid of it!--Regardless of what it may cost you to do so! If you love the Lord and you want Him to "build and to plant" His wonderful life-giving fruits of love and mercy in your life and heart, you will do all you can to cooperate with Him to "root out, pull down, throw down and destroy" (Jer.1:10) any and all of the Enemy's death-dealing evil weeds, seeds and bitter roots that may have found a place in your heart!
"Ye that love the Lord, hate evil!"--Psa.97:10. It's been said that a good gardener has got to not only love flowers, but he needs to hate weeds as well. This principle aptly applies to you and the "garden" of your heart. Regardless of how justified you may feel about holding on to any hurts or resentments or wounds from your past, if you are a wise gardener at all, you'll believe the Master Gardener's Manual and its stern warnings about bitterness, and you'll realise that you must do all that you possibly can to rid your plot of this deadly root!--Lest your garden be absolutely overrun, destroyed and defiled by this horrible, nagging, choking "weed!"
B. Attack, Attack, Attack!
Once you've recognised that you have a problem with bitterness and you've admitted and confessed it, then you've got to take a positive and militant stand against it. God's Word tells us that we're "not to be ignorant of the Devil's devices," and once you recognise the poisonous root of bitterness for the deadly and soul-hindering device of the Devil that it really is, you've then got to launch an all-out spiritual attack against the Enemy himself!
You can't do business with the Devil by giving the least place to his evil thoughts against others or God! The only kind of business you can do with him is against him!--Fight him, curse him, curse his work and ask God to rebuke him and deliver you! Get rid of him! That's what you've got to do when his evil "birds" have built a nest of bitterness in your hair!
You've really got to go on the attack and you really have to be positive about it and resist the Enemy! Refuse to allow him any territory in your heart or mind. Rebuke the Devil and pray against any kind of critical spirit or bitter, proud and self-righteous attitude you may have developed towards others!--Or towards the Lord!
You've got to let go of all of the damn doubts and fears and gripes and grudges and murmurs and resentments and devilish burdens put there by the Enemy, and hang on to the Lord with all your might! Hitch your wagon to His star and there'll be no stopping you! But if you weigh down your wagon with all the rocks the Devil would like to pile on, "the weights and sins which do so easily beset you," you'll sink for sure! You've got to "lay aside every weight" and just forsake them and roll'm overboard and let'm fall behind as you go on with the Lord!
Of course, there's great power in united prayer together! So "call for the elders of the church," and have others pray with you and for you, joining together to "agree on Earth" to bind the Enemy and his evil roots of bitterness, and to "loose" and free you from its terrible negative effects! "One can chase a thousand, but two can put ten thousand to flight!"
Then once you've confessed your problem and had united prayer against it, resisting the Enemy and forsaking your sins, you've got to be prepared to keep fighting! Once a root of bitterness has been allowed to grow and spread for any length of time, it usually takes a while to completely break all the negative thought patterns and bad habits caused by it.--Even though the main "root" is gone.
You don't always get the victory over such problems handed to you on a silver platter. By faith you do get it, but you usually have to fight for it and do more than just claim it, you have to really practice it and appropriate it until the Enemy knows you're not going to give up.--Until he knows you're going to keep that victory and you really want it that much and you're not going to just throw it away.
C. "Forgive Us Our Sins as We Forgive Others"
It's been wisely said that, "Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door of resentment and the handcuffs of hate. It is the power that breaks the chains of bitterness and the shackles of selfishness."
The Lord and His Love, mercy and forgiveness are the antidote for the deadly poison of bitterness! A little love can go such a long way, and no matter what problems a root of bitterness may stem from, love can still cover a multitude of sins on the part of whoever is to blame. Even if you don't understand exactly what the problem is between you and someone, the Lord understands!--And the answer is Love, whatever the problem!
"Love never fails" (1Cor.13:8), and past differences, hurts and grievances can all be healed through humility, love, and the oil of the Spirit. "Only by pride cometh contention" (Pro.13:10), but love, humility and prayer solve all problems! It never fails!
Love casts a veil over countless sins!--Love can cover all of the past sins and mistakes that you--or whoever you're having problems with--have made. The divine, supernatural, miraculous, infinite, marvellous Love of God is love enough to forgive! In fact, if you don't have love enough to forgive, you don't have love--because forgiveness is love! So if you can't forgive, you cannot possibly have real love or real humility!--And you haven't got mercy, because love is forgiveness and mercy!
As we've already pointed out, it's all too easy for us to go down the line and blame others for everything that's wrong with us and for all our problems. "Oh, they mistreated me and weren't fair to me!"--Or, "They didn't keep me in line and they didn't help me to do what is right, they let me do the wrong thing!" But when we forgive others, we no longer blame them.
Once bitterness has had the opportunity to grow in your heart, it's very easy to become very unloving and hard towards those you feel bitter against. Your spirit can then be very unforgiving, intolerant and impatient. Instead of making it easier for others, you even make it harder for them by your judging and critical spirit, hard heart and unforgiving attitude. If you've been this way, you'd better ask those toward whom you've been bitter to forgive you for your unloving critical spirit, and receive them with wide open arms, and ask them to forgive you for being so self-righteous, critical, hard of heart and unloving!
If you want to forsake and get rid of your bitterness, you have to forgive.--And if you truly forgive someone, that means you let go of whatever it is you're harbouring in your heart against them. You can't say you forgive, but can never forget. That means you're still holding it against them.
Those who say they will forgive but not forget are all too often simply burying the hatchet but leaving the handle out for future use. When you've had a problem with bitterness, you've got to be willing to absolutely release and forsake all of your past bitterness and grievances towards others. You've got to "forget those things which are behind, and reach forth unto those things which are before."--Phil.3:13.
Here's how one author accurately described bitterness and forgiveness: "Carrying a grudge is a loser's game. It is the ultimate frustration because it leaves you with more pain than you had in the first place. Recall the pain of being wronged, the hurt of being stung, cheated, demeaned. Doesn't the memory of it fuel the fire of fury again? Do you feel that hurt each time your memory lights on the people who did you wrong? Your own memory becomes a videotape within your soul that plays unending reruns of your old rendezvous with pain. Is this fair to yourself--this wretched justice of not forgiving?
"The only way to heal the pain that will not heal itself is to forgive the person who hurt you. Forgiving heals your memory as you change your memory's vision. When you release the wrong-doer from the wrong, you cut a malignant tumour out of your inner life. You set a prisoner free--yourself."--Lewis B. Smedes
So Lord, I call on You now with a whole heart, and I ask You to hear and answer and deliver me, in Jesus' name! I realise that these roots of bitterness are like a deadly infection, Lord, so I ask You right now to uproot and take them all away! Lord, please rid me of any doubts or fears or resentments or hurts about the past, or even about things that are happening right now, and give me faith to just let it all go into Your care.--To cast all my cares upon You because You care for me! (1Pet.5:7)
If I still hang on to any such roots, even little roots, Lord, in the back of my heart, I know the Devil will play on them and aggravate them. So I rebuke the Enemy in this bitterness and this lack of trusting You, and I rebuke any unyieldedness to You, Lord! Help me, Jesus, just to be a yielded vessel and not try to be the clay saying to the Potter, "Why hast Thou made me thus?" or "Why have You done this to me and treated me this way and allowed this thing to happen that I resent!"--Or "Why are You doing these things to me right now?" Please help me to just be yielded, a yielded broken vessel, Lord, one that's willing to do anything for You!
Forgive me for all my sins, Lord, and help me not to criticise You and the way You're running my life. Help me not to ever think that I'm in any way more righteous than You, that I would do things better than You could have done. Please forgive me, Lord, for all my murmuring and doubting! It's such a terrible sin, Lord because my bitterness is really against You! Please help me to stop it!
Murmuring is really complaining that You're doing things wrong, which means I think I could do them better, that I'm more righteous than You are, which is self-righteousness, Lord, a terrible sin. Forgive me and help me to trust You more. You know best about all these things, and You're going to have Your way and it's all going to work out for the best in the long run for me, because I love You, in Jesus' name.
So forgive me, Lord, for all my murmurings and complainings and gripings and growlings and groanings and bellyaching and criticisms! Help me to learn to be truly thankful, and to "in everything give thanks" (1Thes.5:18), to praise You in all things, Lord, and be thankful for what I've got, because things could certainly be a whole lot worse!
I praise You, Lord, for the life You've given me!--For Your Love and a place in Your Family! Forgive me for when I've murmured and complained and grouched and growled and grumbled about this or that little thing when I thought I should have been treated better or deserved more. Forgive me, Lord! Help me to be more thankful and to praise You for all Your goodness and mercy instead of murmuring and complaining and growling and grumbling and griping about the little tests and trials that You've allowed to come my way.
Help me, Lord, to always praise You!--Even when the Devil comes along with his growlings and gripings, help me to confront him with praise, to shout and sing praises to You, Lord, and thanksgiving for all Your goodness and mercy and Love and provision and protection and all this wonderful life that You've given me to live for You and for others.--The best and greatest life in the World and with the greatest dividends in Heaven, in Jesus' name! TYL! Praise the Lord!
Thank You for this beautiful life, this wonderful World and this wonderful Work, Lord! Thank You Jesus for it all! Help me never to complain or murmur or gripe or bellyache or go around poisoning other people with my complaints and murmurs! You really are sick of that kind of thing and that kind of people, Lord, and I know from Your Word that You just will not put up with them! You slaughtered millions of people out in the desert who did it and You only let their children inherit the Kingdom!
So please strengthen me, Lord, with Your Word and the Sword of Your Spirit that I may be able to truly resist and fight the Enemy! Help me, Lord, to be properly armed against all the fiery darts of the Evil One and his doubts and criticisms and lies and murmurs and resentments and "poor-me's" and all the demonic fiery darts of the Devil!
And help me, Lord, not to fight nor resist whatever it is that You want to use to break me and humble me and draw and keep me close to You. I know, Lord, that You know what's best for me, even if it doesn't always seem best for me, Lord! You just want to see if I'm willing to trust You and believe You and believe that "All things truly do work together for good to them that love Thee"!--Rom.8:28
I know that things will be a lot easier if I just accept what You've done in my life in the past and what You're trying to do in my life right now. I know it'll be easier, Lord, if I accept the breakings and the chastisements and the lessons and all of these things, if I don't fight against them, if I just yield. Jesus, help me not to give the Devil an inch, not to allow even one tiny root or offshoot of bitterness to remain in my heart!
I know that I cannot expect Your blessing and protection when I run away from You, out of Your Will, even spiritually in thought. So keep me close to You with pure and positive thoughts of You and Your Word, in Jesus' name!
Help me, Lord, to watch my thoughts and watch my words and to fill my heart and mind with You and Your Word so that I'll be well-protected and fortified and surrounded by Your Angels of protection and Your Guardian Angels, Lord, that care for Your children all the time.
And Lord, please renew me with Your wonderful Spirit of Love! Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit, Lord, that I may have a heart full of Your Love. Your Word says, "Above all things have fervent love one toward another."--1Pet.4:8. Please help me not to condemn or judge others in pride or self-righteousness.
Please give me more of Your Love, Your patience, Your humility, which is synonymous with love--littleness in my own eyes. Give me sweetness and love for others. Help me to mete unto other men's bosoms as I want You to mete unto me. Help me to truly forgive other men's sins as You have forgiven me, to have mercy upon others as You have had mercy upon me.
Guard me from the Devil who goeth about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. I know he is the one who stands day and night accusing Your Saints and trying to divide, trying to subvert, propagandising and lying and causing doubts and fears and casting fiery darts of hate and resentment.
Help me to be more like You, Lord Jesus!--And help me not to be like the Enemy--the Accuser of the Saints, the harsh, the cruel, the devourer! Help me to be forgiving and patient, and to have mercy as I want mercy, and to treat others in their errors as I want You to treat me in mine!
Help me to truly forgive all those against whom I have felt offended or resentful or bitter. I sincerely pray that now, Lord, regarding all of those who may have offended me or failed me or made mistakes, who somehow affected or hurt or upset me. Please help me to forgive. I ask You to please forgive me. "Forgive me my sins as I forgive those who have sinned against me."--Luk.11:4.
Lord, help me to be more simple and childlike in these things! Your Word says, "In understanding be ye men, but in malice be ye children."--1Cor.14:20. So even if I'm offended sometimes, help me to let it go and forget it right away. Help me not to hold things against people, to not stay offended! Help me to cut these sensitive thoughts off before they have a chance to become any kind of bitterness. Help me to truly forgive and forget and love. Help me to keep my life as simple as I can, Lord, to live simply and try not to be complicated, trying to keep track of how I've been offended and by whom, etc.
Help me now, Lord, and deliver and uproot any and all evil seeds or roots of bitterness, envy or hate!--That I might be delivered and freed and be all the freer to go ahead with even greater conviction to get the job done that You have called me to do!--Help me to "lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset me," that I may truly run Your race, for Your glory, in Jesus' name!
I know, Lord, that this is not just something that I do once and for all, but I have to constantly be forsaking all these temptations and negative thoughts in my heart, all the time forsaking the old ways and laying aside these weights and hindrances. Lord, every day I've got to forsake the Devil's voice and temptations which try to call me back and suck me back into the old ways and the old habits and bondages, so help me to do that, and keep fighting! Thank You, Lord, for delivering me!--In Jesus' name, amen.
"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon."--Isa.55:7.
"For it is better to hearken unto the voice of thy Lord than to dwell in the fields of bitterness! It is better to follow thy God than to follow the words of Man."
But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, prideful, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. (2 Timothy 3:1-5) NKJV)
BEING UNTHANKFUL, IS BEING UNHOLY!!! Don't pretend like you aren't either, that won't help. With all your getting you have to get understanding or you stay defiled!
BITTERNESS! - The Deadly Root that Devours and Destroys!
"Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled."--Heb.12:15.--Thus says God's Word about the adverse results of bitterness, a very poisonous root that can defile your whole spirit, and seriously hurt and defile many others as well!
One reason that bitterness is so extremely dangerous is because it can take root and begin to grow and spread and spiritually contaminate and defile your heart and spirit before you even realise what's wrong with you. Sinful human nature makes it very easy for us to rationalise and justify ourselves for harbouring hurt feelings or a grudge against others when we feel that they have wronged or mistreated us. In fact, we can even feel this way towards God!
Like the roots of most plants, little "roots" of resentment and bitterness usually lie below the surface where they remain unseen. But there they begin to spread and grow, going ever deeper and deeper. If allowed to continue, such roots of bitterness will eventually eat away at your very heart and spirit, until they will finally devour and destroy you spiritually!--Ultimately leaving you spiritually dead and virtually useless to the Lord!
The way that bitterness can hinder your ministry and effectiveness is illustrated in the following true story about the great artist and engineer, Leonardo da Vinci: Just before he commenced work on his famous painting of "The Last Supper" he had a violent quarrel with a fellow painter. He was so enraged and bitter that he decided to paint the face of his enemy, the other artist, into the face of Judas, and thus take his revenge by handing the man down in infamy and scorn to succeeding generations. The face of Judas was therefore one of the first that he finished, and everyone could easily recognise it as the face of the painter with whom da Vinci had quarreled.
But when he came to paint the face of Jesus, he could make no progress. Something seemed to be baffling him, holding him back, frustrating his best efforts. At length he came to the conclusion that the thing that was checking and frustrating him was the fact that he had painted his enemy into the face of Judas. He therefore painted out the face of Judas and commenced anew on the face of Jesus, and this time with the success which the ages have acclaimed.
How clearly this incident shows us that we cannot at one and the same time be painting the features of Christ into our own life, and be painting another face with the colours of enmity and hatred. To become more Christ-like, and to accomplish what the Lord wants you to do, surely all bitterness and hatred must be "put away" and "laid aside."
B. Bitterness Opens the Door to the Enemy!
To wilfully allow little roots of bitterness to grow in your life is like knowingly letting the Devil in! Such discontentment and resentment and murmuring in your heart will just grow and grow and begin to cover and affect everything around you. That's what bitterness does.--Which is why you've got to try to catch it at the very beginning before it takes root too deeply, and root it out!
This is why the Lord tells us, "Neither give place to the Devil!"--Eph.4:27. This verse shows that you can sometimes give the Devil place and room to operate and get in without necessarily being completely taken over or possessed by him. But let me warn you, he'll use whatever you let him get ahold of, so you'd better resist and give him no place!--So beware of letting the Enemy in through the little seeds and tiny roots of jealousy, murmuring or bitterness that he may try to sow in your heart!
C. Bitterness Will Even Affect You Physically!
The affairs of the heart and affairs of the spirit can affect you physically! In medical science they call such afflictions "psychosomatic" illnesses, which means they are caused by your mind. But we'd say they're caused by your spirit, by an improper attitude of heart, primarily a lack of love for the Lord and others.
There are all kinds of little roots, little roots of bitterness, little roots of jealousy, little roots of resentment, little roots of hurt feelings, and they can all get pretty bitter and they can all grow and they will all begin to eat on you from within, if you let them.--Until pretty soon they will crop out in very obvious or even physical manifestations.
Doctors have found that people who are bitter and have a lot of hatred in their hearts, have much more arthritis than those who are at peace. Similarly, they've discovered that those who have a lot of fear in their minds--worries, tension, phobias, etc.--have a lot more mental trouble and more stomach trouble, as well as more heart trouble.
Thank God that the elimination of fear by faith gives peace of mind and rest to your stomach and to your heart, and actually eliminates various poisons from the blood which cause illness. In other words, your state of mind and heart can actually poison your body. Science knows this and has proven it true.
D. Bitterness Will Hurt and "Defile" Many Others!
How can one individual's bitterness "defile many"? Well, there are several ways. For one thing, people who are really bitter about one thing, will easily become bitter about other things too. It's usually because they never blame themselves for anything that seems to go wrong, they're always blaming other people, similar to the self-righteous hypocrite who never blames himself either.
People who are discontent and murmuring and resentful and critical are usually never satisfied unless they can persuade others of their own opinion. Misery loves company, and they love to have other people agree with them; and sad to say, it's usually easy to find'm. Belly-aching, murmuring and complaining is a very common ailment of the human race and something that is very easy to fall into. But from God's point of view, it is a sin that is absolutely intolerable. Just read the story of the wandering Children of Israel and you'll see how He let millions of people rot in the Sinaitic Desert for their murmuring and their complaining, and they never got into the Promised Land! (Num.32:11-13.)
Bitterness and murmuring are a very infectious spiritual disease, diabolical, and can spread and poison others very quickly if left unchecked. One bad apple can do it so fast! The Bible warns us, "Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump!"--1Cor. 5:6,7. Just like a tiny pinch of yeast will spread throughout an entire "lump" of dough and cause the whole thing to rise, people who are permeated with bitterness are a real burden and a real downer influence, and will drag everybody down that they can, pulling everybody's spirits down. They're always dwelling on the negative and always criticising and always murmuring.
When the Lord doesn't do things just the way some people want Him to, they get bitter against Him. They get upset and angry at the Lord because He didn't do just exactly what they wanted Him to do. They're obviously lacking in faith and not trusting God, that He knows what's best.
God's Word tells us to "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths."--Pro.3:5,6. But if you're looking at conditions instead of God, you're going to have problems! You've got to keep your eyes on God. You've got to look to the Lord. You've got to see God and "walk by faith, not by sight!"--2Cor.5:7. When Moses was having a rough time, we're told that "he endured, as seeing Him Who is invisible."--Heb.11:27.
Sometimes the Lord does things--or allows things to happen--in our lives to test our faith and draw us closer to Him. He loves us and is concerned about us and frequently allows things to happen to loosen our grip on the things of Earth and tighten our hold on Him and the Eternal Heavenly values. But if we don't receive the Lord's dealings with us, if we reject and refuse to accept them, then we become hardened, and even the Word, God's Truth, will lose its effect on us.
When people refuse to change or adapt to changes or forsakings or breakings, they sometimes get mean and bitter about not having what they used to have. They're unwilling to "take joyfully the spoiling of their goods" (Heb. 10:34), to take their losses and learn the lessons from it that God is trying to teach them.
Tough trials and tests can either melt you or harden you!--Which is why you've got to watch out and "look diligently" that they don't harden you and make you bitter and hateful! If you will let the trials humble you and melt you, you'll be a lot happier, and you'll find the Lord's Love in a new and closer way. But if you, in pride, harden your heart and say with "Invictus"--"I am the Captain of my fate, I am the Master of my soul! My head is bloody but unbowed," you will wind up sorely off the track and become a great disappointment to God!
Pride is what causes people to be bitter! It's because of pride that people become bitter instead of yielding and becoming broken and soft through their trials. Pride is why they refuse to "bow" to the Lord and surrender their all to Him!
So bitterness is a form of pride. People who are bitter usually feel that someone--either God or Man--has treated them unfairly. They're bitter because they feel like they deserve to be treated better. They feel they've been mistreated, abused, they don't deserve what they're getting. They feel they're better than that.
Another reason that people get bitter about their lot in life is because they get their eyes off of the Lord and on others.--And they begin "comparing themselves among themselves," and in so doing, "are not wise!"--2Cor. 10:12. When you start comparing yourself to others, and how the Lord has dealt with you compared to how he's dealt with others, it's very easy for the Enemy to tempt you with jealousy, bitterness, doubts etc.
For example, say the Lord's required you to make a great sacrifice of mate or children or position, in order for you to continue growing and being fruitful in His Service. If you unwisely compare your situation to someone else who hasn't been required to make the same sacrifice that you were, you could easily begin to feel discontented and resentful.--"How come I had to give up all of this and that, and they didn't?"
The thing that people fail to realise when they fall into this pit of comparing themselves to others is that the Lord handles all of us differently.--And what's good for you, may not be good for someone else! The Lord knows what's best for us, so He gives us all what He knows will help us each to grow the most and learn the particular lessons He is trying to teach us.
You can often see this in older people. As the years pass by, people go one way or the other, there's no standing still. They get more mellow and mild, soft and more tender, or they get harder, one or the other. My mother used to say that some old people are well-preserved, and others are just well-pickled!--They've gotten so sour and dour and miserable and unhappy.
The sorrow, the suffering, the sacrifice and sadness you go through will bring out the best in you--sweetness, compassion, love, tenderness, brokenness, love and concern for others--if you love the Lord and turn to Him when you go through such trials. He says, "Let them that suffer according to the Will of God commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator."--1Pet.4:19.
Of course, when you go through such tests and trials, it never "seems to be joyous, but grievous."--And the Devil will do all he can to try to convince you that God doesn't love you and that He doesn't answer prayer!--But what's really happening is that the Lord is letting your faith be tested, to see how much you really love the Lord and what price you're willing to pay to serve Him!
When going through severe soul-trying times of testing, we're often tempted to question the Lord, "Why me, Lord? Why did You let this happen to me?" We know from His Word that He allows such trials to test our faith and to test our love, just like He did with Job. Such tests actually strengthen your faith and cause you to love and believe in God no matter what, to not doubt no matter what happens.--As Job finally said, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him!"--Job 13:15. And when he finally took a stand like that, he got the victory. The Devil gave up and saw he couldn't make Job quit, even if he killed him.
Even Job's wife told him, "Why don't you just curse God and die, you miserable man!" Just think, he even lost the love and respect of his own wife. He'd lost all his children, lost all his wealth, lost his health and then he lost his wife! As Job sat there in ashes, pitifully scraping his boils with a potsherd, she taunted, "Why don't you just curse God and die and get out of the way!" But he rebuked her and said, "Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh! What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?" God's Word then says, "In all this Job did not sin with his lips."--Job 2:7-10.
Earlier, Satan himself had told God that Job would curse Him to His face if he lost his possessions and position. (Job 1:11; 2:5.) But when calamity after calamity befell dear Job, he passed the test and proved what a liar the Devil is! He didn't harden his heart and heed the Devil's voice through his wife or bitterly turn against God. Instead, "Job arose and rent his mantle and shaved his head and fell down upon the ground and worshipped. And said, `Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the Name of the Lord!' In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly."--Job 1:20-22.
But some people really have to go through a lot before they humble themselves and receive God's dealings with them. In fact, some people never seem to get the point and they never allow themselves to get humbled and they never surrender their own stubborn will and proud independent spirit to God! They never cry out to the Lord for deliverance. They never admit that they can't make it on their own. They just never give up trying to do things their own way, they never ever say "Uncle!" or "Lord, You win, I surrender!"
Some people even get mad at God for dealing with them! They get mad and mean and they curse God and wind up in an even worse state than they were before He tested them or tried to straighten them out!
But the Lord won't force you to humble yourself and yield and draw closer to Him! The breaking process depends upon you and your yieldedness and willingness to be made willing! So try to take your testings and your temptations without sin and without rebellion, murmuring or bitterness! The Lord promises that He will never give you more than you're able to bear, and that He will always make a way of escape. (1Cor. 10:13.) He'll somehow make it easier for you or at least help you to bear it. So "harden not your heart" but "cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee!"--Heb.3:8; Psa.55:22.
Things will be a lot easier for you if you will just accept what the Lord is trying to do in your life, if you will receive the breakings and the chastisements and the lessons, if you don't fight against them, if you'll just seek the Lord and yield to Him. Remember, He loves you, and whatever He does to you, His Own child, He does it in love.--For your good. So for God's sake, and your own sake, "Humble yourself therefore under the mighty hand of God" (1Pet.5:6), and don't get hardened and bitter! Get better and not bitter!--Amen?
B. Putting the Blame on God!
Self-righteous people always blame God for their problems and troubles instead of themselves, or instead of accepting the trials as something that God has sent their way for whatever reason. Some people are so self-righteous they wonder, "How could God ever do such a thing to me? How could the Lord treat me this way when I'm so good to Him?" They resent God's dealings with them.
That is actually one of the worst sins of all, to even have the slightest idea that you're a little bit more righteous than God, that God shouldn't have done this or that to you! That kind of attitude is the very seed and the very root of murmuring! When you question the Lord and murmur like that, what you're really saying is that you're more righteous than God!--Or others!--That if you were boss, you wouldn't have let such a thing happen, and you would have done better and you wouldn't have done this or you wouldn't have done that!
When any of us face any kind of a crisis or dilemma, test, trial, tribulation, privation, persecution--whatever the trouble or problem--what is the first thing we should do?--Complain? Murmur? Get upset and angry that things aren't going just the way we would like them to?--Of course not!
But when things seem to be going wrong, the first thing a lot of people do is pray and say, "What's the matter, Lord?"--And when some people say that, what they really mean is, "What's the matter with You, God? How come You failed me?" Whereas what we should really pray is, "What's the matter with me, Lord? Is there something wrong with what I'm doing? Am I displeasing You in any way?--Am I failing or disobeying You in any way? Am I out of Your Will in any way? First of all, what's the matter with me, Lord, or my situation? What's wrong?--Or are You just testing me?"
Contrary to what a lot of people seem to think when they start having problems and trials, there's nothing wrong with God! There's nothing the matter with Him, nor His Love, nor His dealings with His children! The problem is usually with us.--As He says in His Word, "Your iniquities have separated and come between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear."--Isa.59:2.
He says, "I'm not deaf that I can't hear your prayers, I'm listening!--And My arm isn't short or weak that it can't save and help you. The trouble is not Up Here, it's down there with you!"--With us, not God! So don't blame God and get upset at Him because of your troubles and your problems and your crises and your difficulties! It's not God's fault! There's nothing wrong with God! "Let every man be found a liar, but God be found true!"--Rom.3:4.
The most important thing you have to do during trying times is not whine and complain and murmur and gripe and grumble and bellyache and get bitter at God for His so-called failures and mistreatment and His neglect and His abuse and His cruelty and His deafness and His unconcern!--Because none of those things are true! You need to do the opposite of what the children of Israel did out in the wilderness, and that is, you need to sit down and think the situation over and pray:
"God, what's wrong with me? What's wrong with what I'm doing or the way I'm doing it? What am I doing that's displeasing You so that You're withholding Your blessings? In what way am I disobeying--either deliberately, wilfully, or unknowingly, unwittingly, or simply falling short, maybe just not doing enough? Or maybe I'm not listening enough, maybe I'm not following Your voice and guidance enough.--Or are You simply testing my faith or humbling me and trying to get me to draw closer to You?"
C. Putting the Blame on Others!
It's human nature to look around for somebody else to blame our problems on. "Passing the buck" started in the Garden of Eden. It's sinful Man's first line of defense when he's in trouble.--To blame others.
Just look what happened in the Garden of Eden: When they got caught in their sin, the first thing Adam said to God was, "It was my wife, she did it!" Then Eve said, "It was the Serpent's fault, he did it!" And the Serpent as good as said, "It was God, it's all His fault!" (Gen.3:12-13.) To "pass the buck" and try to blame things on others is an almost automatic reaction and self-defense mechanism with most people.
People who are bitter and have a bitter spirit are especially prone to this sort of thing. They're always blaming everybody else for all of their mistakes and all of their troubles and failings. It's always somebody else's fault.
As long as you leave a window open, you're not going to get rid of a roomful of flies. Likewise, you're not going to get rid of the Devil and his annoyances until you force them out and close the door or the windows so they can't come back in! But as long as you're harbouring bitterness or hatred in your life, that just lets the Enemy in, it's leaving the door wide open.
My Mother used to say, the Devil knocks on some people's door and they just throw it open and say, "Come on in, Mr. Devil, come in, Mrs. Devil and all your little doubts and doubtlets! Here are some comfy chairs, sit down and talk to me and let's have a nice visit, let's hear all that you have to say!" Instead of that, when you first hear the Enemy's knock at the door in your thoughts, in your mind and heart, as soon as you recognise who it is, you should slam the door in his face so quick it cuts his nose off! You shouldn't even listen to his first doubt, his first evil thought or "fiery dart"!
That's where Eve made her mistake. Her first mistake was stopping to listen to the Devil. When he puts negative or critical or doubtful thoughts in your mind, don't even listen. Resist him! Rebuke him in Jesus' name and start praising God and thanking the Lord for all your blessings! Get off the Devil's negative channel and think of the positive! When Eve stopped to listen, pretty soon she was believing him. So don't listen to him at all!--"Neither give place to the Devil!"--Eph.4:27. Listen to Jesus, read His Word, study and memorise it and praise the Lord, and the Enemy will flee!
E. The Voice of Bitterness: Murmuring!
Whenever you feel like murmuring and griping about things, watch out! Such an unthankful, doubtful and negative attitude may not only be an indication of bitterness, but of backsliding as well! Even if you haven't actually turned your back on the Lord, you're turning back in your heart when you start yielding to that feeling of doubting, murmuring and being critical of everybody else. When people start picking out others' faults and covering their own, and murmuring and griping about everything, complaining instead of praising the Lord for what they've got, it's a dangerous sin!
It's up to you to decide to be or not to be a certain way. In getting victories over deep-rooted problems, a lot has to do with your own will, your own desire. You have to decide that you really want to change, because if you don't, you won't! Of course, only God can fully deliver you from bitterness and its ill-effects, but you must be willing and yielded to Him, and make the decision that you want to be delivered without reservations!--The choice is yours!
A. Confess You've Got It!
Whenever any of us are diagnosed as having a serious spiritual disease such as bitterness, we have to face the facts and admit that we've got a problem. If we won't even face and admit our problems, we're never going to get the victory over them. If you don't recognise and expose the Enemy's work, how are you going to defeat him and get the victory over it?
The Lord promises deliverance and victory, and God says everything He can in His Word to encourage you to have faith to be delivered from your problems! But you can't be delivered and you can't even have faith for it unless you are obedient and honest and willing to confess your unrighteousness and your sins and your faults!
You'll never be able to correct the problem or find the solution if you deny it exists and keep saying everything is all right, perfectly all right.--That doesn't solve the problem at all. In fact, it makes it even worse! You'll never get the victory over such a problem until you honestly face it and confess it. "He that confesseth his sins," God's Word says, "shall have mercy. But he that covereth his sin shall not prosper!"--Pro.28:13. So confess it and ask the Lord to forgive you for any bitterness you may be harbouring towards Him or others! If you're willing to recognise and face your problem, then you can attack it and overcome it!
If you realise how utterly deadly a "root of bitterness" is, you'll certainly want to confess, forsake and get rid of it!--Regardless of what it may cost you to do so! If you love the Lord and you want Him to "build and to plant" His wonderful life-giving fruits of love and mercy in your life and heart, you will do all you can to cooperate with Him to "root out, pull down, throw down and destroy" (Jer.1:10) any and all of the Enemy's death-dealing evil weeds, seeds and bitter roots that may have found a place in your heart!
"Ye that love the Lord, hate evil!"--Psa.97:10. It's been said that a good gardener has got to not only love flowers, but he needs to hate weeds as well. This principle aptly applies to you and the "garden" of your heart. Regardless of how justified you may feel about holding on to any hurts or resentments or wounds from your past, if you are a wise gardener at all, you'll believe the Master Gardener's Manual and its stern warnings about bitterness, and you'll realise that you must do all that you possibly can to rid your plot of this deadly root!--Lest your garden be absolutely overrun, destroyed and defiled by this horrible, nagging, choking "weed!"
B. Attack, Attack, Attack!
Once you've recognised that you have a problem with bitterness and you've admitted and confessed it, then you've got to take a positive and militant stand against it. God's Word tells us that we're "not to be ignorant of the Devil's devices," and once you recognise the poisonous root of bitterness for the deadly and soul-hindering device of the Devil that it really is, you've then got to launch an all-out spiritual attack against the Enemy himself!
You can't do business with the Devil by giving the least place to his evil thoughts against others or God! The only kind of business you can do with him is against him!--Fight him, curse him, curse his work and ask God to rebuke him and deliver you! Get rid of him! That's what you've got to do when his evil "birds" have built a nest of bitterness in your hair!
You've really got to go on the attack and you really have to be positive about it and resist the Enemy! Refuse to allow him any territory in your heart or mind. Rebuke the Devil and pray against any kind of critical spirit or bitter, proud and self-righteous attitude you may have developed towards others!--Or towards the Lord!
You've got to let go of all of the damn doubts and fears and gripes and grudges and murmurs and resentments and devilish burdens put there by the Enemy, and hang on to the Lord with all your might! Hitch your wagon to His star and there'll be no stopping you! But if you weigh down your wagon with all the rocks the Devil would like to pile on, "the weights and sins which do so easily beset you," you'll sink for sure! You've got to "lay aside every weight" and just forsake them and roll'm overboard and let'm fall behind as you go on with the Lord!
Of course, there's great power in united prayer together! So "call for the elders of the church," and have others pray with you and for you, joining together to "agree on Earth" to bind the Enemy and his evil roots of bitterness, and to "loose" and free you from its terrible negative effects! "One can chase a thousand, but two can put ten thousand to flight!"
Then once you've confessed your problem and had united prayer against it, resisting the Enemy and forsaking your sins, you've got to be prepared to keep fighting! Once a root of bitterness has been allowed to grow and spread for any length of time, it usually takes a while to completely break all the negative thought patterns and bad habits caused by it.--Even though the main "root" is gone.
You don't always get the victory over such problems handed to you on a silver platter. By faith you do get it, but you usually have to fight for it and do more than just claim it, you have to really practice it and appropriate it until the Enemy knows you're not going to give up.--Until he knows you're going to keep that victory and you really want it that much and you're not going to just throw it away.
C. "Forgive Us Our Sins as We Forgive Others"
It's been wisely said that, "Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door of resentment and the handcuffs of hate. It is the power that breaks the chains of bitterness and the shackles of selfishness."
The Lord and His Love, mercy and forgiveness are the antidote for the deadly poison of bitterness! A little love can go such a long way, and no matter what problems a root of bitterness may stem from, love can still cover a multitude of sins on the part of whoever is to blame. Even if you don't understand exactly what the problem is between you and someone, the Lord understands!--And the answer is Love, whatever the problem!
"Love never fails" (1Cor.13:8), and past differences, hurts and grievances can all be healed through humility, love, and the oil of the Spirit. "Only by pride cometh contention" (Pro.13:10), but love, humility and prayer solve all problems! It never fails!
Love casts a veil over countless sins!--Love can cover all of the past sins and mistakes that you--or whoever you're having problems with--have made. The divine, supernatural, miraculous, infinite, marvellous Love of God is love enough to forgive! In fact, if you don't have love enough to forgive, you don't have love--because forgiveness is love! So if you can't forgive, you cannot possibly have real love or real humility!--And you haven't got mercy, because love is forgiveness and mercy!
As we've already pointed out, it's all too easy for us to go down the line and blame others for everything that's wrong with us and for all our problems. "Oh, they mistreated me and weren't fair to me!"--Or, "They didn't keep me in line and they didn't help me to do what is right, they let me do the wrong thing!" But when we forgive others, we no longer blame them.
Once bitterness has had the opportunity to grow in your heart, it's very easy to become very unloving and hard towards those you feel bitter against. Your spirit can then be very unforgiving, intolerant and impatient. Instead of making it easier for others, you even make it harder for them by your judging and critical spirit, hard heart and unforgiving attitude. If you've been this way, you'd better ask those toward whom you've been bitter to forgive you for your unloving critical spirit, and receive them with wide open arms, and ask them to forgive you for being so self-righteous, critical, hard of heart and unloving!
If you want to forsake and get rid of your bitterness, you have to forgive.--And if you truly forgive someone, that means you let go of whatever it is you're harbouring in your heart against them. You can't say you forgive, but can never forget. That means you're still holding it against them.
Those who say they will forgive but not forget are all too often simply burying the hatchet but leaving the handle out for future use. When you've had a problem with bitterness, you've got to be willing to absolutely release and forsake all of your past bitterness and grievances towards others. You've got to "forget those things which are behind, and reach forth unto those things which are before."--Phil.3:13.
Here's how one author accurately described bitterness and forgiveness: "Carrying a grudge is a loser's game. It is the ultimate frustration because it leaves you with more pain than you had in the first place. Recall the pain of being wronged, the hurt of being stung, cheated, demeaned. Doesn't the memory of it fuel the fire of fury again? Do you feel that hurt each time your memory lights on the people who did you wrong? Your own memory becomes a videotape within your soul that plays unending reruns of your old rendezvous with pain. Is this fair to yourself--this wretched justice of not forgiving?
"The only way to heal the pain that will not heal itself is to forgive the person who hurt you. Forgiving heals your memory as you change your memory's vision. When you release the wrong-doer from the wrong, you cut a malignant tumour out of your inner life. You set a prisoner free--yourself."--Lewis B. Smedes
So Lord, I call on You now with a whole heart, and I ask You to hear and answer and deliver me, in Jesus' name! I realise that these roots of bitterness are like a deadly infection, Lord, so I ask You right now to uproot and take them all away! Lord, please rid me of any doubts or fears or resentments or hurts about the past, or even about things that are happening right now, and give me faith to just let it all go into Your care.--To cast all my cares upon You because You care for me! (1Pet.5:7)
If I still hang on to any such roots, even little roots, Lord, in the back of my heart, I know the Devil will play on them and aggravate them. So I rebuke the Enemy in this bitterness and this lack of trusting You, and I rebuke any unyieldedness to You, Lord! Help me, Jesus, just to be a yielded vessel and not try to be the clay saying to the Potter, "Why hast Thou made me thus?" or "Why have You done this to me and treated me this way and allowed this thing to happen that I resent!"--Or "Why are You doing these things to me right now?" Please help me to just be yielded, a yielded broken vessel, Lord, one that's willing to do anything for You!
Forgive me for all my sins, Lord, and help me not to criticise You and the way You're running my life. Help me not to ever think that I'm in any way more righteous than You, that I would do things better than You could have done. Please forgive me, Lord, for all my murmuring and doubting! It's such a terrible sin, Lord because my bitterness is really against You! Please help me to stop it!
Murmuring is really complaining that You're doing things wrong, which means I think I could do them better, that I'm more righteous than You are, which is self-righteousness, Lord, a terrible sin. Forgive me and help me to trust You more. You know best about all these things, and You're going to have Your way and it's all going to work out for the best in the long run for me, because I love You, in Jesus' name.
So forgive me, Lord, for all my murmurings and complainings and gripings and growlings and groanings and bellyaching and criticisms! Help me to learn to be truly thankful, and to "in everything give thanks" (1Thes.5:18), to praise You in all things, Lord, and be thankful for what I've got, because things could certainly be a whole lot worse!
I praise You, Lord, for the life You've given me!--For Your Love and a place in Your Family! Forgive me for when I've murmured and complained and grouched and growled and grumbled about this or that little thing when I thought I should have been treated better or deserved more. Forgive me, Lord! Help me to be more thankful and to praise You for all Your goodness and mercy instead of murmuring and complaining and growling and grumbling and griping about the little tests and trials that You've allowed to come my way.
Help me, Lord, to always praise You!--Even when the Devil comes along with his growlings and gripings, help me to confront him with praise, to shout and sing praises to You, Lord, and thanksgiving for all Your goodness and mercy and Love and provision and protection and all this wonderful life that You've given me to live for You and for others.--The best and greatest life in the World and with the greatest dividends in Heaven, in Jesus' name! TYL! Praise the Lord!
Thank You for this beautiful life, this wonderful World and this wonderful Work, Lord! Thank You Jesus for it all! Help me never to complain or murmur or gripe or bellyache or go around poisoning other people with my complaints and murmurs! You really are sick of that kind of thing and that kind of people, Lord, and I know from Your Word that You just will not put up with them! You slaughtered millions of people out in the desert who did it and You only let their children inherit the Kingdom!
So please strengthen me, Lord, with Your Word and the Sword of Your Spirit that I may be able to truly resist and fight the Enemy! Help me, Lord, to be properly armed against all the fiery darts of the Evil One and his doubts and criticisms and lies and murmurs and resentments and "poor-me's" and all the demonic fiery darts of the Devil!
And help me, Lord, not to fight nor resist whatever it is that You want to use to break me and humble me and draw and keep me close to You. I know, Lord, that You know what's best for me, even if it doesn't always seem best for me, Lord! You just want to see if I'm willing to trust You and believe You and believe that "All things truly do work together for good to them that love Thee"!--Rom.8:28
I know that things will be a lot easier if I just accept what You've done in my life in the past and what You're trying to do in my life right now. I know it'll be easier, Lord, if I accept the breakings and the chastisements and the lessons and all of these things, if I don't fight against them, if I just yield. Jesus, help me not to give the Devil an inch, not to allow even one tiny root or offshoot of bitterness to remain in my heart!
I know that I cannot expect Your blessing and protection when I run away from You, out of Your Will, even spiritually in thought. So keep me close to You with pure and positive thoughts of You and Your Word, in Jesus' name!
Help me, Lord, to watch my thoughts and watch my words and to fill my heart and mind with You and Your Word so that I'll be well-protected and fortified and surrounded by Your Angels of protection and Your Guardian Angels, Lord, that care for Your children all the time.
And Lord, please renew me with Your wonderful Spirit of Love! Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit, Lord, that I may have a heart full of Your Love. Your Word says, "Above all things have fervent love one toward another."--1Pet.4:8. Please help me not to condemn or judge others in pride or self-righteousness.
Please give me more of Your Love, Your patience, Your humility, which is synonymous with love--littleness in my own eyes. Give me sweetness and love for others. Help me to mete unto other men's bosoms as I want You to mete unto me. Help me to truly forgive other men's sins as You have forgiven me, to have mercy upon others as You have had mercy upon me.
Guard me from the Devil who goeth about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. I know he is the one who stands day and night accusing Your Saints and trying to divide, trying to subvert, propagandising and lying and causing doubts and fears and casting fiery darts of hate and resentment.
Help me to be more like You, Lord Jesus!--And help me not to be like the Enemy--the Accuser of the Saints, the harsh, the cruel, the devourer! Help me to be forgiving and patient, and to have mercy as I want mercy, and to treat others in their errors as I want You to treat me in mine!
Help me to truly forgive all those against whom I have felt offended or resentful or bitter. I sincerely pray that now, Lord, regarding all of those who may have offended me or failed me or made mistakes, who somehow affected or hurt or upset me. Please help me to forgive. I ask You to please forgive me. "Forgive me my sins as I forgive those who have sinned against me."--Luk.11:4.
Lord, help me to be more simple and childlike in these things! Your Word says, "In understanding be ye men, but in malice be ye children."--1Cor.14:20. So even if I'm offended sometimes, help me to let it go and forget it right away. Help me not to hold things against people, to not stay offended! Help me to cut these sensitive thoughts off before they have a chance to become any kind of bitterness. Help me to truly forgive and forget and love. Help me to keep my life as simple as I can, Lord, to live simply and try not to be complicated, trying to keep track of how I've been offended and by whom, etc.
Help me now, Lord, and deliver and uproot any and all evil seeds or roots of bitterness, envy or hate!--That I might be delivered and freed and be all the freer to go ahead with even greater conviction to get the job done that You have called me to do!--Help me to "lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset me," that I may truly run Your race, for Your glory, in Jesus' name!
I know, Lord, that this is not just something that I do once and for all, but I have to constantly be forsaking all these temptations and negative thoughts in my heart, all the time forsaking the old ways and laying aside these weights and hindrances. Lord, every day I've got to forsake the Devil's voice and temptations which try to call me back and suck me back into the old ways and the old habits and bondages, so help me to do that, and keep fighting! Thank You, Lord, for delivering me!--In Jesus' name, amen.
"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon."--Isa.55:7.
"For it is better to hearken unto the voice of thy Lord than to dwell in the fields of bitterness! It is better to follow thy God than to follow the words of Man."
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