Disregard The Dust

Resisting evil is not a passive avoidance or coercion of distasteful circumstances. Nor is it an emotional appeal toward people, spawned by anger, frustration or fear. It is a direct confrontation of Satan by the Sword of the Spirit, which is Christ in us.

If we should cultivate an intentional relationship with the Son of God, not compromising with the pattern and wisdom of the god of this world, then the blood of Christ would be flowing through our own veins. Jesus has overcome the world; but if this Spiritual Authority that lives in us lies dormant due to our neglect of so great a salvation, we will never know Abundant Life this side of death. Jesus has already conquered the principalities and ruling authorities in the heavenlies, but the demons will not succumb to an earthen vessel that does not have the Spirit of Christ wrought within them.

Train Wreck

 

"Train up a child in the way they should go..."

(Proverbs 22:6)

Every single person has within them with a unique natural talent, as well as a personal disposition to accommodate it. When an individual is free to flourish by the natural bent of their lives, we witness the pinnacle of creative expression from them. They are free to enjoy the life they were intended for. Unfortunately, the world has one agenda, and that is to conform as many as possible to its pattern of life. The squelching of living life to its fullest begins at an early age. Everyone is required to participate in their own regional system of basic education and afterward (if not during), most are forced into the work place just to make a living. Life becomes a drudgery of conforming to curriculum established by the world without much regard for the uniqueness of individuals. By this oppression of the masses, people in the work place are subjected to continuous personal frustration because they have departed from the original design of their lives.

The Fragrance Of Life And The Scent Of Deception

The fragrance of Jesus will become a living aroma in and through us, but only after it has first been used for the purpose of our own burial. 

As aromatic as it is, the fragrance of Christ inevitably gives off a perceived odor of death to self,  foul to the human sense of what life should smell like. This is a lethal deterrent for many, and it is played out in many different ways. 

The Truth About Knowledge

Knowledge alone is not truth. At its best, knowledge alone is puffed up. At worst, it destroys. It was knowledge alone that deceived Eve. It was by knowledge alone that the affections of God's chosen nation continually turned back to the world. It is only when we walk in the light of knowledge that truth is intimately known.  (1 John 1:6,7; John 3:21)

Today, the masses of church attenders are eager to embrace a fellowship claimed by mere association with others who regard not truth, but a commanding knowledge of their religious environment; a knowledge lacking the life of the Spirit, evidenced by their conformity to the system of the world. Their confidence is supported by one another, similar to patrons of a bar. They build up and encourage a community of companionship nourished by mutual acceptance. These common communities become either tolerant or legalistic, for the purpose of comforting the astute and controlling the ignorant. They are full of toil and void of the truth because knowledge alone is their master, refusing to allow the Holy Spirit to turn that knowledge into abundant life. (1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 3:7; 1 Corinthians 11:19)

PJR

"They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error."
(1 John 4:5,6)

Lip Service

"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Luke 12:34)

That which we feed upon in our daily lives becomes the treasure of our hearts, and we will quite naturally divulge the true spirit within our humanity to those around us.

We should not think we can cleverly disguise, by way of lip service, the spirit of the world we indulge in. Upon the tasting of the waters, the spring is well known.

"Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water." (James 3:11,12)

Children of God will stumble and backslide. If a fellow believer sins, admonish them in the word of God. It is important to recognize the true spirit of those around us and treat them as such; for by their spirit we will know whether to treat them as sinners and tax collectors (Luke 5:32), or to gently restore our brothers and sisters. (Galatians 6:1) But be certain of one thing: it is not possible for holiness to flow from an unbeliever. However, we should allow the Holy Spirit to work through us so that those who are not truly born from above will be exposed to everyone else for who they really are, in hopes of bringing Godly conviction upon them.

"But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, 'God is really among you!'" (1 Corinthians 14:24,25)

PJR

"Like the glaze covering an earthen vessel
are fervent lips with an evil heart.
Whoever hates, disguises himself with his lips
and harbors deceit in his heart;
when he speaks graciously, believe him not,
for there are seven abominations in his heart;
though his hatred be covered with deception,
his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly."
(Prov.26:23-26)

Fake Speech And False Spirits

Have you ever witnessed a conversation or circumstance, involving someone you felt to be a believer, that left you confused and in a state of bewilderment? If you find yourself in a quandary like this, it is because you have just witnessed a false spirit or the nature of sin having its way through someone who is deeply troubled by it.

When confronted about their behavior, those who confess their transgression, and acknowledge their struggle with it, must be dealt with patiently and with much grace and prayer, (forgiving them seventy times seven); for it is by God's Spirit they confess.

Others, however, refuse to even acknowledge their bizarre behavior, yet in an to attempt to appease your obvious disheveled state (while hoping to justify their actions), they will excuse their actions and redirect your focus from it in one, or a combination of two, different ways.

1. Being aggressive, twisting truth and speaking with exasperation, they defend themselves adamantly so that it causes you to cower, leaving you to doubt that you judged correctly. You come away feeling guilty for even addressing them for what you witnessed.

2. Being passive, by false explanations and rationalizations, they desire you to compromise your own holiness, striving to win your affections by befriending you.

There are a myriad of reasons for the presence of such a spirit, but the root of it is fear; that is, the lack of perfect love. (1 John 4:18)

The church should never disregard such a person. Maintaining peace without Biblical accountability, for the sake of avoiding confrontation accomplishes nothing more than our own human comfort. It affords the troublemakers the freedom to continue disrupting the peace because they have experienced previous confrontations that were never brought to a point of consequence, though it is this very thing they themselves ultimately pursue. Their actions are immature and rebellious, displaying no evidence of the Holy Spirit within.

However, after being given corrections and opportunities to recognize, confess, and repent of the spirit of rebellion, yet remaining defiant, the final act must be enforced:

"Reject a divisive person after one or two warnings. You know that such a person is twisted by sin and is conscious of it himself." (Titus 3:10,11 The Net Bible)

PJR
 

Deceit

Deceit is the attempt to rewrite God's word into something man is able to grasp with his own understanding, thereby diminishing the need for faith. It's presence in the church disturbs the peace of those whom the Holy Spirit is intimate with, though the exact cause may not be immediately discerned. The spirit of deceit always disguises itself as common sense and its effort is to thwart the life and work of the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ. Its main goal is to appeal to the human senses, causing the desires of the mind to become lord of the assembly.

Seasons will arise that will expose the enemy at work, but Satan will fight back in an attempt to discredit any who challenge him. As we confront the worldliness that sets itself up within and against the church, we must remove ourselves from the emotional battle, and concentrate on the spiritual, which is the driving force behind the minds of those who incessantly disregard the Holy Spirit. While God's word is the ultimate victory over the enemy, during the heat of the battle it is faith, held as a shield, that we persevere. The 'worthy adversary' will continually bring subtle conflicts of interest that challenge one thing; God's word...and it is our faith in His word that becomes our shelter.

PJR

"Every word of God proves true;
he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
Do not add to his words,
lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar."
(Proverbs 30:5,6)