Looking Beyond What's in Front of You
Good day to you sisters,
I want to share something with you that might help you learn to discern. Too often we get swept away with what's in front of us that we don't see what's going on just beyond it, let me explain.
We went for a walk the other day, the sun was shining and we came across this pretty pond. Brother Jim took a picture of it as did I...
And I took another picture just beyond it...
Our walk was not in the country, it was through a bunch of interconnecting parking lots and at the back of a store is where we found this pond. Looks can be deceiving depending on what you are focused on. Think about it, a real estate person could post that picture and talk about the beautiful view and until you go examine it for yourself, you won't see what else is there.
Our Lord and Savior told us to be wise as serpents (Matthew 10:16) and how we do that is to examine everything that comes into our lives, not just what's in front of us.
If someone comes to you bringing what sounds like good doctrine, truth from the scriptures, you are still to examine what's behind it all. Brother Jim deals with such situations a lot, men will contact him and share biblical truth but upon further examination he finds many that have deception and false doctrine. We godly women need to be on guard, especially those of you on your own. God will protect you IF you put yourself under His protection and how you do that is to be obedient to scripture and guard yourself and your life from possible deceptive occurrences. How do you do that? One way to eliminate the vast majority of it is not to open yourself up to it on the internet. Another way is to not personally involve yourself with anyone that is not fully in line with God's word or striving to be.
Let's go back to the pictures. The first picture could an example of someone that professes to be an obedient follower of Christ. Upon first impression everything looks good.
But as you examine them you see more going on in the background that doesn't line up with what you first saw.
If you compromise and ignore what's going on behind the scenes, it will grow and soon overtake what is good. Rather like the progression of stores and roads behind that pond that will eventually overtake it.
Nowhere does God's Word say we are to just trust people when they say they are Christians, we are to judge them by their fruit. (Matthew 7) Does their fruit line up with God's Word? Or when you examine closer, are there areas of concern? Being women, we have to be extra careful because we can let our flesh get in the way and overtake us, encouraging us to compromise just for the sake of fellowship and unity. We see it all the time...women compromising, giving 'grace' to unrepentant believers, allowing them to stay in their sin and eventually being infect themselves. This is not glorifying to God.
Beware sisters, satan will come as an angel of light, or a sweet old lady, or a kind sounding 'professed' sister...don't fall for it, examine it by comparing it to scripture, then deal with the results accordingly.
Put on your armor. (Ephesians 6)
Love in Christ,
Sister Deb
I want to share something with you that might help you learn to discern. Too often we get swept away with what's in front of us that we don't see what's going on just beyond it, let me explain.
We went for a walk the other day, the sun was shining and we came across this pretty pond. Brother Jim took a picture of it as did I...
And I took another picture just beyond it...
Our walk was not in the country, it was through a bunch of interconnecting parking lots and at the back of a store is where we found this pond. Looks can be deceiving depending on what you are focused on. Think about it, a real estate person could post that picture and talk about the beautiful view and until you go examine it for yourself, you won't see what else is there.
Our Lord and Savior told us to be wise as serpents (Matthew 10:16) and how we do that is to examine everything that comes into our lives, not just what's in front of us.
If someone comes to you bringing what sounds like good doctrine, truth from the scriptures, you are still to examine what's behind it all. Brother Jim deals with such situations a lot, men will contact him and share biblical truth but upon further examination he finds many that have deception and false doctrine. We godly women need to be on guard, especially those of you on your own. God will protect you IF you put yourself under His protection and how you do that is to be obedient to scripture and guard yourself and your life from possible deceptive occurrences. How do you do that? One way to eliminate the vast majority of it is not to open yourself up to it on the internet. Another way is to not personally involve yourself with anyone that is not fully in line with God's word or striving to be.
Let's go back to the pictures. The first picture could an example of someone that professes to be an obedient follower of Christ. Upon first impression everything looks good.
But as you examine them you see more going on in the background that doesn't line up with what you first saw.
If you compromise and ignore what's going on behind the scenes, it will grow and soon overtake what is good. Rather like the progression of stores and roads behind that pond that will eventually overtake it.
Nowhere does God's Word say we are to just trust people when they say they are Christians, we are to judge them by their fruit. (Matthew 7) Does their fruit line up with God's Word? Or when you examine closer, are there areas of concern? Being women, we have to be extra careful because we can let our flesh get in the way and overtake us, encouraging us to compromise just for the sake of fellowship and unity. We see it all the time...women compromising, giving 'grace' to unrepentant believers, allowing them to stay in their sin and eventually being infect themselves. This is not glorifying to God.
Beware sisters, satan will come as an angel of light, or a sweet old lady, or a kind sounding 'professed' sister...don't fall for it, examine it by comparing it to scripture, then deal with the results accordingly.
Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. (Matthew 10:16-22)
Put on your armor. (Ephesians 6)
Love in Christ,
Sister Deb
The biblical gospel...