Time To Grow Up (The Path Of Reconciliation)

1 Cor. 13:11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

Recently I settled some discord between me and a brother in Christ. Who or what it was is not important. The fact is that it was my brother, he reached out to me and there was need for reconciliation. My brother Kenneth said something interesting when I mentioned that fact to him yesterday. He talked about how the devil is not after your dream and vision but he's after the Word of God in your heart. He continued that without the Word and prayer you can't accomplish your dream or vision anyway.
When we insist on handling things our way and not doing things according to Word of God we fall into the trap. When we facilitate strife we are becoming an enabler to the enemy. A disagreement gets worse when somebody who has no business in it makes it worse by exposing it to more people who have no authority or ability to solve the problem. When you mention something to someone and the subject of what you said is not present it's talebearing and that is one of the causes of strife.

Proverbs 26:20 Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth. 21 As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife. 22 The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly. 23 Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross. 24 He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him; 25 When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart. 26 Whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be shewed before the whole congregation. 27 Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him. 28 A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.

We need to either stop spreading strife with our mouth or stop listening to those spreading strife. Strife aka "beef" is one of the very things God hates and resists and there's a good reason for it.

James 3: 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

The thing we need to do is to seek peace. Let it go. Forgive and move on. We are ministers of reconciliation. Let's reconcile as the body of Christ so we can reconcile this world to him.

-Shamik

A little survey thingy

You Are the Index Finger

You are ambitious, driven, and capable. You aren't afraid to take responsibility for your actions - or place the blame on whoever deserves it. You are honest, free thinking, and objective. You see things in your own way - and you aren't afraid to let everyone know about it. You get along well with: The Thumb Stay away from: The Ring Finger

What Finger Are You?

Matters of The Heart

I'm one who usually can let things go easily and just move on. We all have made mistakes and I figure it's better to just move on and just let the past go since at this point you don't have the power to change it or anybody else. But there is a dynamic of our past that go beyond our sheer will power and we need to surrender that thing to God. I was recently reminded of that fact recently as the new year began. The heart has a memory when it remembers something you feel the pain of it all over again. It's paralyzing. It's at this point that you let hurt get too far that it has made an imprint on your heart. At this point you must surrender it to God. It's letting the Holy Spirit taking you through the process you need to go through to remove that thing. Whether you want to admit it or not it has power over you. It will be the one thing the enemy will use to detour you when God's plan and purpose was finally clear to you. It will cause you to second guess your decisions you were sure about based on something you can't change. The past should NEVER determine your future. You can't change the past so stop trying to. It's not your fault. You have to leave that thing behind and stop letting it be a bondage to your life. You have to move on and follow God's direction from this point. This is something that we as the Body of Christ have to learn, SIN HAS BEEN PAYED FOR. Whatever you did, do or will do has been taken care of by the cross. The deception and what manipulative people want you to think is even though I'm saved I have to pay for this thing anyway in the flesh. NO. Yes there is sowing and reaping but the Bible also talks about the fact that it rains on the just and the unjust. That means certain things in life will happen to you regardless. A person's circumstance is not determined by a person's past. The cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches and all those other things mentioned in the parable of the sower are after THE WORD of GOD! It's not about you personally, it's about stopping you from doing what God has placed you in the earth to accomplish. It's the enemy's plan to get hurt and bitterness in your heart to slow you down or destroy what God has for you. Start 2008 with a new beginning as you're supposed to. Leave the past behind for good. Tell those who want to remind you of it to shut up and be who God says you are, an overcomer, the head and not the tail, blessed and highly favored. Amen.

-Shamik