All About GOD - Growing Relationships with Jesus and Others
Fact vs. Fiction
I had considered setting up a group on this, or perhaps it would make a good forum category (LT?). ;-)
So I'll start with last night. Service was on the fruits of the Spirit, focusing on the love, joy and peace portions first, with the others being covered in the next two sermons. And the altar call was for those who want those fruits to show forth and are dealing with things stealing the love, joy and peace from their lives. Well of course, I went up cause these are things I've prayed and prayed for in the face of all the stress and troubles I've been hit so hard with for so long now. And the elder Pastor's wife prayed with me. I cried and cried and told her I'm just so exhausted, I need some relief. Her response.....don't say that and let satan hear you. Hmmmmmmmmm
This is a prevalent belief in my church. It is why they believe in smile even when you're hurting, put on airs, a face, show yourself joyful even if not so you don't bring others down, and God forbid you let satan hear you feel you're defeated or he'll use it against you.
Now I understand spiritual warfare, and I know there's the mind battle and all that. But what I get from this is, if David hadn't cried out to God repeatedly, WHEN will you save me Lord? WHY are You so far away? Have you forgotten me?, etc. etc......we wouldn't have the Psalms. So was David's crying to God to save him and how persecuted and tired and weeping night and day he was going straight to the ears of satan to use against him?
I'm feeling this is a religious attitude. Nowhere in scripture do I find anything that says not to speak our frustrations and fears aloud for fear satan will hear and use it against us. If I'm wrong, can someone point out scripture to this effect?
At any rate, this is just ONE of many of the fact or fiction items in the churches today, or at least in mine. And I was thinking this would be a great topic to debate the various beliefs on church practices and beliefs vs. what the Bible truly says, or misinterpretations, etc....religious attitudes that simply have no place in our lives.
Would like opinions on this one particular topic of does satan use our words spoken against us when we're crying to God for relief (is that scriptural?), or are we to follow in the footsteps of the one who was a man after God's own heart and cry out to Him as David did without fearing retribution from satan? And would like any other religious "myths" we could discuss here.
Views: 480
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Seek on
-
I don't know if in such a case as that that it is fear because of sanctification or because of wrong teachings. Growing up around the COG, that used to be the teaching solely....fire and brimstone, hell. They instilled fear to push salvation. And once you have that instilled in you, it's hard to break. But I didn't want to be pushed to believe what wasn't lining up for me in the Word.
She doesn't act like she's afraid of satan, but there's that taught mindset of not speaking out loud anything negative or satan will get a foothold. They're more and more teaching Christ's love as a reason for repentance instead of the old fear messages, but the older ones that grew up with it are still stuck in that mindset a lot of the times.
-
Permalink Reply by Amanda on
-
I'm sorry. I saw the comments speaking of fear and was responding to that issue, but I guess I misunderstood. I do wonder though, concerning my own fear, that, if I never experienced it, how could I ever appreciate the verses that speak of peace and comfort, such as John 14:1? And I'm still thinking about 2 Corinthians 7:4-7, too. It says God comforts the downcast, and if I were never downcast, I'd never have that comfort, either. It says Paul felt fear within. God comforted him.
More and more I'm believing that fear is a spiritual matter and not ever just emotional. It may be both, but never just emotional. It must be subdued. God's sanctifying power is needed to subdue it.
Anxiety has roots in fear. Angst is defined as a feeling of deep anxiety or dread but isn't really specific. I think mine is best described as angst.
2 Corinthians 7:4-7
English Standard Version (ESV)
4 I am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy.
5 For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn—fighting without and fear within. 6 But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, 7 and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more.
-
-
Hmmm I get anxiety but don't relate it to fear. I mean, I have fears too but my anxiety is stress anxiety. Knowing I cannot do all I'm responsible for doing at all hours because of a high number of out of control snowball situations demanding I be available. Then I have anxiety cause its just one more thing stealing my rest and any peace of mind. Or maybe its fear in the sense I fear I'm "losing" my mind sometimes. LOL.
-
-
Stress, worry, depression, and anxiety are all linked to fear and have roots in some form of fear, whether it's fear of not meeting the deadline on a work project or not having enough money on payday to make ends meet or worrying that time is running out to obtain something or do something, or afraid to feel emotions, etc.., OCD is an anxiety disorder. http://www.adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/obsessive-compulsive-diso...
The good news is that He who began a good work in us promises to finish that work. The sanctifying power of God is able to subdue the flesh. It's about sanctification, and sanctification is a work of God in which the believer participates by confession of sin, repentance, and submission to the will of God (1Thess.4:3-8; Rom.8:29).
-
Permalink Reply by Richard L. Broch, Sr. on
-
Hi Seek, good subject matter.
Amanda, I liked your piece on sanctification.
O.K., Seek (aka - Char), You're on the right track about what's going on in the churches of our Lord.
Let's look at Acts 20:29-30, Paul, talking to the elders at the Ephesian church, "I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock,
(30) and from among your own selves, men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them." (N.A.S.B.).
And - II Corinthians 11:13-15, "For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising
themselves as apostles of Christ. (14) And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. (15) Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their deeds." (N.A.S.B.).
During recent times, "an abomination of God" has come into contemporary focus among mainline denominations.......
homosexuality and same sex marriage.
Seek, not saying any of the above remarks pertain to your church.........but there are real concerns in this world.... as there have been for 2000 years.
As Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21).
Grace and Peace.
-
-
Oh that's one thing. My church is very biblical on abortion, homosexuality, fornication, adultery, all of it. They won't even allow you to be a pastor if you've been divorced. YIKES! But they have this old fire and brimstone mentality teaching that has instilled so much ingrained fear in the older generation of be careful what you say little mouths, be careful what you hear little ears, cause the Father up above...and this is where they sorta change the lyrics in their mind to something along the lines of "has let satan run amock." You get the picture. LOL
- ‹ Previous
- 1
- 2
- 3
- Next ›
Welcome to
All About GOD
The Good News
Meet Face-to-Face & Collaborate
© 2024 Created by AllAboutGOD.com.
Powered by
