A World Of Turmoil

                                                     When The Door Slams

A man with hate in his heart may sound pleasant enough, but don't believe him; for he is cursing you in his heart. Though he pretends to be so kind, his hared will finally come to light for all to see.                Proverbs 26:24-26 

        There are times when it is better to break things off with someone who constantly wants to cause conflict. These individuals will use ridicule at times to stir up strife. At other times they will break out in intense rage. Both of these tactics intimidate, manipulate and keep other people in inner turmoil. The totality of surrounding conditions and circumstances affecting growth or development in this world. 

        Think about this: Often the adult child of a dysfunctional family whose heart is blackened with evil will experience this kind of controlling action on the part of a parent as he or she tries to address the pathological family system. This child finds out in therapy how this interactions in his or her family were dysfunctional. 

        If the child approaches a family member and tries to talk about it, often the response is one of ridicule and laughing it off, or the other extreme of intense rage, causing extremely unpleasant to the senses or feelings. By either response the child is frustrated, intimidated and controlled. The result is that the child is left in a world of turmoil, lacking any real serenity or peace. There are times when we have to set boundaries and move on rather than constantly trying to pursue talking with such a person. 

        Solomon in his wisdom succinctly says "there is no peace" with such a person. If you desire peace, don't allow yourself to constantly get into arguments with such a person. There will be individuals with whom I don't get everything resolved. I need to move on if they keep tension between us. If a wise man contends with a foolish person, whether the fool rages or laughs, there is no peace.

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin.                                        Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.                                                                                                                                                                        Never Rest Ministries    

Man-Made "Religion"

                                                      When The Door Slams

But The Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some in the church will turn away from Christ and become eager followers of teachers with devil-inspired ideas. These teachers will tell lies with straight faces and do it so often that their consciences won't bother them.                                                                                                                                              1 Timothy 4:1-3 

          Think about this: Those of us who are trying to recover from addiction of all kinds, we are caught in a real dilemma. Our recovery requires dependence on a Higher Power. It also works best if we are intimately involved in supportive, insightful groups within our local church. And yet today's passage warns us to beware of man-made "religion," day or night time talk programs.

          What we see here is that before Christ returns, many believers will depart from the faith. Their children may grow up in Sunday school but never even hear that salvation is by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). Religious leaders will be forbidden to marry, and people will be instructed not to eat certain foods for "religious" reasons. Paul taught us not to pay any attention to all these rules and rituals. We are living in an age of grace, where all things are permissible, though not all are beneficial.

          Jesus said the Bible is perfect. He said not to put our faith in religion or religious leaders. Even Paul complimented believers who took notes on what he taught them to search the Scriptures for themselves to see if he was right. We can trust God's Word. We should avoid religious codependency, but not the loving believers who can and will support us by God's grace through faith in The Holy Spirit. 

 Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin.                                    Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.

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The Fear Factor

                                                               When The Door Slams   

All who believe this know in their hearts that it is true. If anyone doesn't believe this, he is actually calling God a liar, because he doesn't believe what God has said about his Son. And what is it that God has said? That he has given us eternal life, and that this life is in his Son. So whoever has God's Son has life; whoever does not have his Son, dose not have life.                                    1 John 5:10-12

        A Wall Street Journal article reported on a survey in which men and women were asked, "What is it that you fear the most?" The number three fear of all participants was the fear of death. The fear of failure ranked number one, and the fear of loneliness was number two.

        1 John 4:18 says that "perfect love casts out fear." Perfect love has only the good of the person being loved in mind. Perfect love was demonstrated when God sent His only Son Jesus Christ to die in our place. Fortunately that wasn't the end of the story. Jesus was the ultimate victim of my sin, God wasn't going to leave Him a victim forever. death had no power over Him. Resurrection was God's answer to the worst that human beings could do to Jesus Christ.

        I accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, I have eternal life. That frees me from my fear of death.                                                                                                                                                                        Think about this. I am welcomed into a caring, supportive group of believers. Together we support each other as we discover what it means to follow Jesus. We no longer need to fear loneliness. This incredible power that raised Christ from the dead is also available to me today. That same power can bring good out of my most devastating failures. Therefore I don't have to fear failure. Because of Christ I do not have to fear failure, loneliness or death. 

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin.                                        Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness. 

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The Dangers In Appointing A King Over American

                                                               When The Door Slams

"As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ending my prayers for you; and I will continue to teach you those things which are good and right. "Trust the Lord and sincerely worship him; think of all the tremendous things he has done for you. But if you continue to sin, you and your king will be destroyed."                                                                                            1 Samuel 12:23-25  

          Listen to this: It can be tempting at times to give up on God's people! They are so imperfect and can be so sinful, yet they are His people. Samuel had thoroughly warned the Israelites of the dangers in appointing a king over Israel. Yet they wanted to be like the nations around them, insisting that they were willing to pay any price.   

          Almost as soon as the people were granted their desire, they recognized their sin. But it was too late. What was Samuel to do? They had ignored his warnings. Now they wanted him to continue to minister to them. It would seem appropriate for Samuel to abandon them and allow them to suffer the consequences of their actions.

          Samuel knew, as Jesus knew, that God sends His servants to the sick, not the healthy (Matt. 9:12). Samuel did not take the people's response as a rejection of him but as an indication of their walk with God. Samuel was serving God, not the Israelites. When God commanded him to minister to them, he could do nothing else, despite their resistance to his message.            

          Think about this: At times people will not responds as they should to the message God speaks through you. Don't become discouraged; it is a reflection of their relationship with God. You are God's servant; if Jesus spent His time with the spiritually needy, you can expect Him to ask you do to the same. Don't lose your patience with God's people. Keep in mind that God loves them as much as He love you and me.

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin.                          Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.

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Facing Reality

                                                               When The Door Slams

He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.                                                                                                                                                Isaiah 53:3-4

          In our culture, there are many times when we want to associate with the hero, the leader, and the beautiful people. We sometimes hope that we will feel better about ourselves by our association with such figures. 

          Jesus chose a different image for Himself than the top rung of society. In His physical appearance Jesus was not particularly outstanding or attractive. Rather than being the hero, Jesus was despised and even rejected. He experienced sorrow and grief.

          Jesus chose the image of the unlovely. He chose to identify with where most of us live on a daily basis, in order that we could identify with Him. Jesus did not want us to have to escape from the realities of life and try to get next to a superstar. Jesus took on human form and suffered the rejection and disappointments of life. He suffered through everyday trials, but live victoriously through them all.

  Think about this: He did this in order that we also would be able to face our reality honestly, and with the Lord's help be victorious. Jesus identified with us so we could identify with Him. People are drawn to Christ because He is a real person who lived as we live. If we are like Him, we will be approachable and attractive to others not because of the image we project, but because we are real.

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin.                                  Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.                                                                                                                                                                                Never Rest Ministries     

From The Love Of Power To The Power Of Love

                                                              When The Door Slams

The greedy sir up conflict, but those who trust in the Lord will prosper.                                                Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.                              Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.When the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding.                                                                                                                                                                                                   Proverbs 28: 25-28                           

          Do you ever wonder if the Bible has anything relevant to say to you? A sure sign that the Scriptures are God's Word is that they hit each of us right where we are living. A proud heart shows up in the way we relate to others. Do you have a need to always be in control? Inside every overly controlling adult is a wounded, shame-driven child. 

          Trust in the Lord and applying His principles moves us from the love of power to the power of love. After people been with us do they go away impressed with our greatness, or full of the possibilities of their own greatness? Do they feel used or misunderstood?   

          Jesus Christ was the ultimate example of sacrificial, serving love. As His followers, we are to be Christ's channels of love to the people in our lives. We must not refuse to open our minds, our hearts, and our arms. We must share our Christian principles with others, and embrace who they are. 

          Think about this: When we relate in this way to others, we enable them to have a clearer and bigger understanding of God. We can make the invisible God more "real," and bring about in each other's lives a radical awareness an accountability of what it means to be deeply love by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Lord, help me to make You more real to the people in my life today. 

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin.                          Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank  Him for His forgiveness.       

                                                                                                               Never Rest Ministries

Discipline Or Punishment

                                                          When The Door Slams

For no one is cast off by the Lord forever.                                                                                            Though he brings grief. he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love.                                        For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone.                                                                                                                                                                           Lamentations 3:31-33

         In many homes today, ranging across all social, economic and educational lines, the horrendous crime of child abuse is being committed everyday because of stress in the home. Physically abusive parents seem to have many similarities. Instead of dealing with their own negative feelings, they assault their children. Physical abusers often come from violent homes and enter adulthood with unmet needs.

          If you were raised by physically abusive person, you have experienced the horror of being punished to serve their purposes, not for your good. Two important distinctions must be made: the difference between punishment and discipline, and the difference between your earthly guardians and your heavenly Father.           

          Think about this: Discipline is motivated by love; punishment is the result of fury. Discipline is what is best for the child or person, while punishment is a reliever of parental poison. We must also grasp our heavenly Father's character. 

          Look how incredibly different it is from that of vengeful, insecure child abusers. Our heavenly Father disciplines us but does not inflict pain maliciously nor grieve our hearts as does the abusive guardian. Our heavenly Father compassion and mercy are constantly with us. He has our best interest forever in His heart. Lord, think you for loving me enough to discipline me. Teach me to discipline rather than punish. 

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin.                          Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.    

                                                                                                              Never Rest Ministries