If I gave a title to the message I have for you this month, I’d call it, “Processing Your Pain.” If you’ve read my book, “Apocalypse: A Spiritual Guide to the Second Coming,” you know that the most important attribute of an overcomer is to hear what the Spirit is saying, and readily obey. Therefore, one of the questions I am asked very often is, “How can I learn to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit?”
The environment that facilitates hearing God most effectively is peace and righteousness. We have been made righteous in Jesus. So it’s not a question of becoming more righteous; it’s a question of yielding to or walking in righteousness! We will never become more righteous than we are in the moment. But the question is, “Am I yielding to righteousness?” Do I deal with life’s challenges in a way that keeps me in harmony with the character and nature of God, i.e., righteousness?
We know that righteousness is the state wherein we function in harmony with the character of God. Since we have been made righteous in Jesus, our inner man craves to function in our natural state of righteousness. When we don’t, we violate our conscience! We have internal conflict that negatively affects our faith.
The word “conscience” means “dual knowledge!” Biblically, it is what we recognize as the voice of the heart. It involves the spirit and the soul. That part of us that has been made new, and in the exact nature of God: our spirit. Our soul, which includes the realm of the mind, will, and emotions, is that part of us over which we choose how we will think, feel, and behave!
When these two realms are in perfect harmony we enjoy a sense of righteousness, peace, and joy. (Romans 14:17) When we choose to yield to destructive thoughts and judgments we experience negative emotions. Our thoughts become more and more bizarre and spin out of control.
Before coming to Jesus, we were slaves to sin. Every attempt to walk in righteousness was a battle. We continually reverted back to gratifying the lusts of our flesh, and our ego (pride of life). As believers, we are now slaves to righteousness. Every attempt to walk in the flesh is a different kind of battle. When we “lose our peace” it is because we are fighting against our righteous nature. We are reverting back to the way we defended or fulfilled the flesh before being made righteous. We are rebelling and fighting against our righteous nature!
The only way to return to the place of peace is to surrender to our righteous nature. Put off the old man, renew the mind, and put on the new, righteous man. But this process of “put off – put on,” requires repentance and a change of thinking (renewing the mind). This is what the Bible calls dying to self! We don’t want to die; we want to claim our right to defend our ego. So, we find a substitute for God’s process. We look for another way to find relief. This is when we turn to our old ways.
This old way often involves trying to prove we are right. If we can prove we are right, we can justify all the sins wherein we involve ourselves. Then, whether we are right or wrong, we involve ourselves in sins that are usually more vile and wicked than anything that may have been done to us. We enter into the devil’s work. Slander, criticism, strife, judgment, self-justification, and …
The world has created the perfect platform for carnality. It’s the perfect place to commit godless self-destructive actions by doing these things that God hates. It’s called Facebook! While Social Media can be used for good, like all things that come into the world, it becomes used for evil more and more.
The fact that people take to Social Media to express their opinions and frustrations, attests to the need to process their issues. But the fact that we go to social media to do what should be done in a very personal, private manner, attests to our desire to appear to be right, win social approval, and falsely make ourselves feel justified!
As a pastor, counselor, consultant, and Heart Physics® Coach, I deal with a large number of people about very personal issues. I could write an entire book about the times my personal involvement with people would attest to their unwillingness to deal with issues in a Biblical manner, yet, take to Social Media, as a means to make themselves feel right!
Ephesians 4:25-32 is one of the many places we are instructed how to put off – put on. In verse 26 we are provided with a very explicit warning. It’s alright to be angry, but don’t let it become an opportunity for the devil to work in your life. (paraphrase).
It has always amazed me at the crazy, hyper-spiritual ways we twist Scripture into what we called “spiritual warfare.” We invented ways to fight the devil not found in the Bible. Even worse, we are willing to do the things that make us more vulnerable, and unhappy which are obviously sinful and destructive to ourselves and others.
As you know, the devil has no authority over us and has no power to attack us, beyond those areas where we invite him into our lives by aligning ourselves with him and his ways.
When I think about how the devil attacks, I think only of how we align ourselves with him. We do his work in our lives and in the lives of others as a means to fulfill a selfish agenda. We slander, make accusations, and divide people. Basically, we oppose that which would keep us in harmony with God, in a vain attempt to process our negative emotions!
This is why Jesus warned, “Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you” (Luke 17:3) Why should I take heed when someone else sins against me? When others sin against us, we think we can justify our sinful reactions toward those who sinned against us. But there is no justification. Taking to Social Media as a means to present or argue our case is just as wicked as getting with people personally to gossip, slander, and divide!
We must realize, the wages of sin is death, (Romans 6:23), no matter how we do it, where we do it, and how justified we feel about doing it! Even when we are right, the sin we indulge in kills and destroys us, not the other person. Assuming being right as justification to react the way we do is a form of self-righteousness, i.e., self-right-ness!
The more we implement an unscriptural way of dealing with our hurt, anger, or rightness, the more internal pain we create for ourselves. We assume it is the action taken by the other person that is causing our discontentment and pain. This drives us to more ungodly behavior, exacerbating the problem even more. But it is our behavior that is increasing our pain!
When you have an issue with anyone, follow the biblical process for resolution and processing pain, no matter how justified you feel in handling it in another way.
Before you are ready to talk to the person you think caused the offense, you must forgive, i.e., send away the offense.
Until you have sent away the offense, you will probably create more strife by attempting to talk to them.
You’re not ready to deal with anything until you are in peace.
When you have reached a place of peace, you may not have any need to talk to the other person.
If you still feel the need, go to them alone.
Before you take any action, determine to be a peacemaker.
State your offense, with no accusation.
Remember, your offense may not be because of any unscriptural action they took toward you. It may simply be your reaction, because of your own insecurities.
Regardless of how they respond, stay in peace by sending away (forgiving) the offense.
In these evil days that are coming upon us, we will have more opportunities to become offended. Most of our offense is related to what we expose ourselves to on Social Media. We will become offended at the government, political parties with whom we disagree, biblical doctrines with which we disagree, and more! We will find ourselves driven to react more extremely and vehemently.
Remember; the more we react, the more we usually find ourselves in league with the devil, (slander, criticism, gossip, and division), and the more we become part of the problem! It will be in these times of “no peace” that we will fail to notice what is important. This will be when we destroy our health, friendships, and the power of our testimony. It is in these times when God may be attempting to warn us of impending doom and the strategy we need to avoid the problems.
Remember, you may never find resolve with those who offend you, but you can always find resolve in your own heart. In other words, you can always resolve every problem in your own heart! Stay in peace. Walk in love and yield to righteousness!
I am convinced that no matter what happens around us, we can live as overcomers. God is always our Shepherd, which means He is always trying to lead us. But the only paths He walks are paths of righteousness. If we are not willing to walk the path He provides, we will shut Him out and miss the provision, protection, and presence of God!
Thank you for everything you do to help us change the way the world sees God!
P.S. Please enjoy these wonderful testimonies made possible by your support:
One of the negative effects of growing up in a legalistic religious environment was a sense of not being approved before God, not being good enough. I read that I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus but I did not feel that way inside. When I did the Heart Physics program, New Beginnings, that changed.
I saw the old, unacceptable me as dead in Him. That person no longer lives. I can’t keep pretending to be that person. She is dead. Then I saw myself raised up in Jesus with His resurrection life and seated in Him at the right hand of God. I felt righteous with His righteousness because I was in Him. I am that new person.
I experienced in New Beginnings what I should have experienced when I was baptized. I have imprinted this death and resurrection on my heart and it is a game changer for my self-worth.
-M.H.
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These photos were taken in Zambia’s largest prison where we’ve placed two Project One Billion Bible Schools through Impact International School of Ministry. (Two more are planned next month!) As reported by the director – The students are enjoying the teachings and understand them very well. They are given assessment questions after every module and score very well. There have even been some officers showing interest in the classes as well, which may require the need for two classes; one for Officers and another for Inmates. THANK YOU for your part in making this possible!
