CHARACTER CHOICES - CHRISTIANS, FOR REAL?

Greetings -

Scriptures from the King James Bible.

Note: I had doubts about posting this...  Imagine my pleasant surprise after posting this today, Wednesday August 3, 2011, at 12:09 p.m. EST, and then going to Facebook to notice an article posted by Charisma magazine's contributing editor, J. Lee Grady.  His article is dated today, as well,with a time of 12:30 p.m.  Charisma is also EST.  The title of the article is “Whatever Happened to Faithfulness?"  In the content of the article, it is stated, “We think we can offset our lack of solid character with a big dose of Holy Ghost hoopla.  But when faithfulness is missing, everybody can see our noisy show is a sham.”  Here is the link: http://www.charismamag.com/index.php/fire-in-my-bones/31704-whatever-happened-to-faithfulness#comments

I was struck how, today, our Lord gave us both content relative to character.

Now for my post topic:

This morning I heard a pastor say about folks who profess to be Christians, "Don't judge them by their labels - judge them by their character."  Don't focus as much on what people say.  Keenly observe what they do.  I cannot tell you how many times I have been lied to by so-called Christians.  Proverbs 6:16, 17, "These six things doth the Lord hate;...a lying tongue,..." 

Are we Christians, for real?  If we answer yes, what is the evidence?  Do our fruits prove that we are Christians?  Do people regularly observe our righteousness?

1 Corinthians 6:2
Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

Matthew 7:16
Ye shall know them by their fruits...

John 7:24
...but judge ye righteous judgment.

John 8:42
..If God were your Father, ye would love me:...

1 John 3:10
In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whoso doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.  

1 Corinthians 10:20, 21
...and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.

Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.

We cannot afford to "play" Christian.  That is of the devil.  Nor can we afford to align ourselves with those who are in league with Satan.  2 Corinthians 11:14, 15, "And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works." 

This post isn't focused on folks who have major emotional damage but I will mention here that there are some Christians that our Lord has led to be in frequent engagement with those who are consistent in their ungodliness and destructive conduct.  Some people who are deeply wounded emotionally need major time investments to get delivered from the demonic influences that grip them.  One Christian, Rebecca Brown, wrote a book that described how our Lord led her to allow a witch to live with her as she witnessed to the witch about our Lord, His love and His gospel.   Eventually, the witch became a full gospel Christian.  If our Lord assigns us to such engagements, we need to cleave closely to Him to keenly hear and heed His instructions...  Such engagements cannot be taken lightly - to do so can result in being devoured by the devil....

Aside from what has been stated in the above paragraph about engagements...,we are to love and to forgive but we cannot habitually engage socially with those who live ungodly lifestyles, and I include those with Christian labels in the lot.  As the pastor said this a.m., "Don't judge them by their labels - judge them by their character."

The other day, our Lord gave me this scripture from 2 Chronicles 33:9:

So Manasseh made Judah to err, and to do worse than the heathen,... 

When I read that, I was like, huh?  Judah doing worse than the heathen?  That was an eye-opener for me.  The Lord stressed to me to keep mindful that some who are called Christians can be more damaging than heathen.  He further stressed to "beware..."  After those warnings from our Lord, He allowed some experiences to come my way to prove the urgency of that message from HIM.

We are not to lay our hearts bare for others to trample on our emotions.  We are charged in Proverbs 4:23, "Keep thy heart with all diligence;..."  And Matthew 7:6 says, "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you."  

If we allow relationship engagements that are disapproved by our Lord, that can lead to holy joy deprivation.  Our Lord's ideal is John 16:22, "...your joy no man taketh from you."  We need to cleave to our Lord, and not give away our holy joy. 

Thankfully, some people are receptive and will heed advice when corrected.  They will choose to improve and in such cases, relationships can become healthy and worthwhile.  We need to be inclined to receive sound advice and make necessary adjustments.
But the reality is that some people aren't so inclined and we need to seek our Lord as to when to move on.  As the lyrics from the Kenny Rogers song say, "Know when to hold 'em.  Know when to fold 'em.  Know when to walk away..."

Romans 16:17
Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. 

The Lord had me to post this today to spare some from being unnecessarily harmed by folks who are in league with Satan.  We shouldn't be gullible and believe that loving and forgiving people means to regularly subject ourselves to their dishonorable characters.  This morning the subject pastor said something like "When they have proven to be dishonest, conniving, and manipulative - back up -facing and watching them."  The pastor further mentioned in the Bible where it says to feed your enemies.  He stated that that doesn't mean that he has to invite his proven enemies to eat in his home at his table.  He expressed that he can feed them from afar such as sending them food....

I sensed an urgency to share this today, people, because too many true Christians are allowing themselves to be used and abused in the name of love.  We must seek our Lord for the wisdom as to how to deal with people - family and otherwise.  Love certainly doesn't mean to be a fool, doormat, or toy for the sport of others.  We should pray, in earnest, for people to forsake their dark lives to come to our Lord.  But for Holy Spirit led reasons, the reality is that some people can only be prayed for from "a distance" with minimal, if any, social interaction.  The workplace and family dynamic is, for the most part, something else.  Whatever it is, it's not bigger than GOD and His ability to provide answers.

Cherish true honorable relationships.  Show appreciation to others who share rich character attributes.  Invest in them.  They prove worth it.  The Holy Bible teaches us to give and to receive.  Be wary of relationships where people aren't inclined to share.  They are regularly apt to receive but rarely inclined to give.  Some people may not have material things to give but certainly they can give of their talents, and time. 

Also, be wary of folks who regularly demonstrate lack of integrity and credibility.  They give their words but consistently fail to keep their words.  We don't have energy to waste on flaky relationships.  Yes, people do change, and improve.  Praise GOD for positive progression.  We're all works in progress and need to change in various areas.  That is another subject...  But trust must be proven over time...
 
Time is getting shorter, people.  Evil is waxing worse and worse.  We must burn ever more brightly for our Lord.  Our Lord expects us to be good stewards of our time and resources.  Energy wasted on unreasonable relationships isn't time well spent.  Our pursuits must be worthy of our Lord and His assignments for us.  We cannot afford to lollygag.  Many people are bound by sin and need to hear and observe the full gospel demonstrated by holy vessels of GOD who steadfastly have pure hearts and clean hands.   

Seek our Lord for how to avoid wasting valuable energy on ungrateful unappreciative people whose regular aim is to use and to take loving kindnesses for weakness.  Last week I heard a pastor say that if he loans someone money and they cease to pay it back, it would be unwise for him to keep loaning that person money.  Should he love that person?  Yes.  Should he forgive that person? Yes.  Should he help that person?  Yes, if our Lord leads... Should he trust that person ? No.        

When we steadfastly heed the Words from our Lord, He can reveal the spiritual dangers that others aim to present... 

2 Timothy 4:18
And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory forever and ever.  Amen.

The topic content below is titled, "DEATH OF TOXIC RELATIONSHIPS."  It was originally posted on September 25, 2010.  Here is the link http://lioneaglesoar.blogspot.com/2010/09/death-of-toxic-relationships.html

DEATH OF TOXIC RELATIONSHIPS

How many of us are in continuance mode with relationships that are dead weight associations?  I mean they add nothing to us but certainly subtract from our positive progressive journeys.  The subject relationships could be relative to friends, acquaintances, and dating associations.  I do not exclude from these descriptions some “Christian” connections which can also prove hazardous to godliness.

Our Lord does appoint us to minister to the dead and instructs us to be mindful that we were once dead ourselves.  It is, however, crucial to be in tune with our Father to discern when to move on as the Spirit leads.  My experience has been to linger too long where I should have cancelled some “subscriptions” to relationship “magazines.”  Fool that I was, I remained in the “pages” well after the expiration dates.  Hampered spirituality was the result when I continued engagements where I no longer had any business.

We can allow vice grips on our emotions that cause us to cling to toxic connections.  Why do we cling?  The reasons vary.  Fear readily comes to mind.  We can fear the absence of the entanglements.  Granted, the entanglements are toxic but we foolishly desire them, regardless.  Often, we are afraid to disengage.  We have become accustomed to the presence.  Inner battles rage.

We know better but are afraid to do better.  What will it mean?  What can replace them?  Reluctance is stronger than logic.

There is hope.  Undoubtedly, it can be difficult to trade in liabilities for assets.  One reality is that assets are not always immediate after cancellation of liabilities.  Hurt tends to be the immediate consequence.  Separation anxiety is a definite result.  Tough it out, though, because rainbows can be a certainty.

It is absolutely a surety that we can rise above the pain.  What is vital is a heart to work through it with awareness that it will hurt but conquer we shall.

Emotional warfare is an apt way to describe it.  We must purpose to do it and allow nothing and no one to impede our journeys to wholeness.  GOD can show us the paths of life.  His question is, “Do you want to press on to gain it?”

Recently, someone gave me declarations that, in essence, amounted to rejection of me.  Gratitude is felt for that rejection because I learned that inwardly I have come to a new place.  What he said was beneficial for me to know.  It may, to some people, seem odd for me to express gratitude for rejection.  The truth that he spoke resulted in some measures of freedom for me.  Something shifted within when I digested the content of his words.  That shift has been instrumental in turning some things right side up.  I am thankful.

Burial of dead relationships is essential to move forward.  We cannot embrace freedom if we cling to death.

In the interest of balance, I cannot conclude here without inclusion of another aspect on the matter of toxic dead relationships.  Evidence supports that there are instances that the dead can live again or live where there was no previous life.  Once toxic does not necessarily mean always toxic.  Remedies do exist to bring the dead to life.

Happily, toxic dead marriages have been revived, healed, and restored to blissful unity.  Family estrangements have gained healing.  Those are glowing reports.

My experiences have also proved that it is possible to have peace in the presence of storms.  Dissension has surrounded me where I had to reside, that is, relationships severed but I had to, for seasons, remain in the same physical places.  I learned to go and glow in spite of it.  That meant that heart disconnection happened before physical disconnection occurred. Immediate physical relief is not always attainable.  What can be attained, though, is a heart set to reject attempts to discourage joyous progression.  Peace can be resident in the midst of toxic dramas.  Determine to sing in the rain.  Escape before you leave.  Leave intact.  Victories are choices that begin in our hearts.

Wisely consider relationship choices.  Ponder and select what is reasonable, safe and responsible.  Chances are some relationships can be “saved” while others should be categorized as permanent deaths.  Let’s face it – all cannot be salvaged.  The better we discern and understand the differences, the more liberated we shall be as whole beings on this great planet earth.

Written Friday August 6, 2010

Revised Sunday September 26, 2010

© Copyright 2010

Note:  REF: DEATH OF TOXIC RELATIONSHIPS    

This topic is available for copying/printing/distribution.  It has been posted on blog, "FREELY RECEIVED FREELY GIVEN" at http://www.giftsfromglory.blogspot.com/.  Conditions for usage are posted there, as well.  Here is the link there: http://giftsfromglory.blogspot.com/2010/12/death-of-toxic-relationships.html