Continuation...
John was speaking truth, yet he was sounding like a loud noise to George and because of that loud noise of condemnation…George could not see truth…why? BECAUSE JOHN FORGOT TO SHOW LOVE, MERCY AND COMPASSION.
This scripture comes to mind:
“What good is it, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith but has not action to prove it? Is such faith able to save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food, and someone says to him. “Peace! Keep warm and eat hearty! Without him giving him what he needs, what good does it do? Thus faith by itself, unaccompanied by action is dead”. James 2 v 16-17
I felt that George was hurting inside and looking for help: He admitted he struggled in this area of sin…and he was not looking for judgement and condemnation but understanding of someone going through the same things… What did John give George? The spirit of jugdement and condemnation. He gave George a stone rather bread to eat…rather then hear George out; he refused to listen and condemned him to hell. Does this mean it is all right for George to be sinning? No…but we need to be more understanding of people’s struggle and that is why the bible teach us to pray for one another. “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was only a human being like us; yet he prayed fervently that it might not rain and no rain fell on the land 3 years and 6 months. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain and the land produced its crops. My brothers, if one of you wanders form the truth and someone causes him to return, you should know that whoever turns a sinner from his wandering path will save him from death and cover many sins.” James 5 v 17-19…
What is James teaching us here…we should pray for our brother in his struggle. He gives an example of Elijah praying for the rains to stop and rains to begin. And if we pray for our brother or even non believer to turn from their sin…do you think God does not have the power to change hearts and take the blinders from one’s eyes and see their sin…and give them the power over that sin that they are struggling with? If God can harden the heart of the Pharaoh could he not soften the heart of Pharaoh during Moses day?
It is bad enough that sin is a trap and sometimes the hole is so deep it is hard for one to get out of. Some people are strong willed then others and we have to understand that others are weaker then ourselves. What angered me was that John did not seem to care or be concerned that George wanted to give up on God. Scriptural, John was speaking truth even I cannot deny that. But I was more concerned that this person was crying out for help and no one was helping this person. I feared this person of giving up for good and turning their back towards God. I just could not stand there and watch…. so in private, my husband and I said to this person a few simple words “do not give up for Jesus does love you…we ALL struggle in our sins one way or the other…keep studying the word of God and let the HOLY SPIRIT guide you.” We did not condemn John…we just basically focused on George. We left it at that. I am not sure if we made a difference because people tend to remember the negative rather then the positive. …But we could not sit by and say nothing… I was so concerned for this person soul that they would give up on God
God had shown me why self-righteousness is very destructive. All I can do now is pray for both John and George. For only God, himself can help George in his sin and for him to see the truth and change his heart. Only God can change people’s hearts…not man. I also pray that John learns how to operate in love and mercy for others.
In 2006, I dreamt that I was in ancient Israel and Jesus was on a small wooden bridge, with many people following behind him…at first, I was following him, and then I was under the bridge with my husband, and he was looking down at us with a smile as if he was proud of what we were doing…and then suddenly and old man appeared in a fishing boat and he caught a fish and gave it to us to eat…as I went to eat the fish…. it tasted bitter…but realised that the fish turned to pages of the bible…I was eating the bible.
I did not understand that dream, at first…but it came to my remembrance as I was writing in this blog. When this man was fishing, Jesus was there while he was catching the fish… Do you remember when the disciples fished but never caught anything…but it took one instruction from Jesus to fish here and they pulled up a load full of fish. This was confirmed when I was listening to from Eddie James and Mike Bickle from IHOP daily devotional stating that he does not want to go fishing without the father.
Immediately, I understood what good was telling me. Yes, Jesus is teaching us that we should not fish without his instructions. This can pertain to ANYTHING in our lives…that we should not do ANYTHING without God.
My prayer is ‘God do not let me be a fisher for men, without you being beside me teaching me how to fish in the first place’ Never let me operate without the love of Christ within me. I realised that everything we should do…God should be there with us…in the driver’s seat. John’s intentions were honourable, however, I do not think Jesus was in the John’s drivers seat when he made his comments to George. How would have Jesus talked to George?
There is one question I have for God: What if George decided he was not good enough to walk as a Christian and because of his lack of will power that John so easily pointed out inadvertently and he chooses to turn away from God. Does God hold anyone else accountable other then George’s himself for walking away, if another brother causes another brother to stumble?
…Until next time.
God Bless,
Psalms.
John was speaking truth, yet he was sounding like a loud noise to George and because of that loud noise of condemnation…George could not see truth…why? BECAUSE JOHN FORGOT TO SHOW LOVE, MERCY AND COMPASSION.
This scripture comes to mind:
“What good is it, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith but has not action to prove it? Is such faith able to save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food, and someone says to him. “Peace! Keep warm and eat hearty! Without him giving him what he needs, what good does it do? Thus faith by itself, unaccompanied by action is dead”. James 2 v 16-17
I felt that George was hurting inside and looking for help: He admitted he struggled in this area of sin…and he was not looking for judgement and condemnation but understanding of someone going through the same things… What did John give George? The spirit of jugdement and condemnation. He gave George a stone rather bread to eat…rather then hear George out; he refused to listen and condemned him to hell. Does this mean it is all right for George to be sinning? No…but we need to be more understanding of people’s struggle and that is why the bible teach us to pray for one another. “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was only a human being like us; yet he prayed fervently that it might not rain and no rain fell on the land 3 years and 6 months. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain and the land produced its crops. My brothers, if one of you wanders form the truth and someone causes him to return, you should know that whoever turns a sinner from his wandering path will save him from death and cover many sins.” James 5 v 17-19…
What is James teaching us here…we should pray for our brother in his struggle. He gives an example of Elijah praying for the rains to stop and rains to begin. And if we pray for our brother or even non believer to turn from their sin…do you think God does not have the power to change hearts and take the blinders from one’s eyes and see their sin…and give them the power over that sin that they are struggling with? If God can harden the heart of the Pharaoh could he not soften the heart of Pharaoh during Moses day?
It is bad enough that sin is a trap and sometimes the hole is so deep it is hard for one to get out of. Some people are strong willed then others and we have to understand that others are weaker then ourselves. What angered me was that John did not seem to care or be concerned that George wanted to give up on God. Scriptural, John was speaking truth even I cannot deny that. But I was more concerned that this person was crying out for help and no one was helping this person. I feared this person of giving up for good and turning their back towards God. I just could not stand there and watch…. so in private, my husband and I said to this person a few simple words “do not give up for Jesus does love you…we ALL struggle in our sins one way or the other…keep studying the word of God and let the HOLY SPIRIT guide you.” We did not condemn John…we just basically focused on George. We left it at that. I am not sure if we made a difference because people tend to remember the negative rather then the positive. …But we could not sit by and say nothing… I was so concerned for this person soul that they would give up on God
God had shown me why self-righteousness is very destructive. All I can do now is pray for both John and George. For only God, himself can help George in his sin and for him to see the truth and change his heart. Only God can change people’s hearts…not man. I also pray that John learns how to operate in love and mercy for others.
In 2006, I dreamt that I was in ancient Israel and Jesus was on a small wooden bridge, with many people following behind him…at first, I was following him, and then I was under the bridge with my husband, and he was looking down at us with a smile as if he was proud of what we were doing…and then suddenly and old man appeared in a fishing boat and he caught a fish and gave it to us to eat…as I went to eat the fish…. it tasted bitter…but realised that the fish turned to pages of the bible…I was eating the bible.
I did not understand that dream, at first…but it came to my remembrance as I was writing in this blog. When this man was fishing, Jesus was there while he was catching the fish… Do you remember when the disciples fished but never caught anything…but it took one instruction from Jesus to fish here and they pulled up a load full of fish. This was confirmed when I was listening to from Eddie James and Mike Bickle from IHOP daily devotional stating that he does not want to go fishing without the father.
Immediately, I understood what good was telling me. Yes, Jesus is teaching us that we should not fish without his instructions. This can pertain to ANYTHING in our lives…that we should not do ANYTHING without God.
My prayer is ‘God do not let me be a fisher for men, without you being beside me teaching me how to fish in the first place’ Never let me operate without the love of Christ within me. I realised that everything we should do…God should be there with us…in the driver’s seat. John’s intentions were honourable, however, I do not think Jesus was in the John’s drivers seat when he made his comments to George. How would have Jesus talked to George?
There is one question I have for God: What if George decided he was not good enough to walk as a Christian and because of his lack of will power that John so easily pointed out inadvertently and he chooses to turn away from God. Does God hold anyone else accountable other then George’s himself for walking away, if another brother causes another brother to stumble?
…Until next time.
God Bless,
Psalms.