When we encounter opposition its often hard to know what to do…

Jesus was always, “nice” wasn’t He?

Shouldn’t I also always be “nice”?

It’s rude to be impolite or “call a spade a spade” isn’t it?

I can’t possibly do that can I?

These thoughts go through our brains – well they go through or have gone through my brain anyway… 🙂

But sometimes there’s no easy way to say something – like that post I did on enabling behaviour – we can’t enable the behaviour of demons when they come against us – no matter who they come against us through…

Even our friends – as with Peter trying to dissuade Jesus from going through with the cross – that was Satan speaking to Jesus through Peter – and Jesus rebuked him, Satan, directly – although Peter heard it happening… Ouch… 🙂

Sometimes we just need to be told to “pull your head in!”

The visiting speaker at our local congregation on Sunday spoke about the opposition which Nehemiah faced when he was rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem…

Now when it was reported to Sanballat, Tobiah, to Geshem the Arab and to the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall, and that no breach remained in it, although at that time I had not set up the doors in the gates, then Sanballat and Geshem sent a message to me, saying, “Come, let us meet together at Chephirim in the plain of Ono.” But they were planning to harm me. So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?” They sent messages to me four times in this manner, and I answered them in the same way. Then Sanballat sent his servant to me in the same manner a fifth time with an open letter in his hand. In it was written, “It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu says, that you and the Jews are planning to rebel; therefore you are rebuilding the wall. And you are to be their king, according to these reports. “You have also appointed prophets to proclaim in Jerusalem concerning you, ‘A king is in Judah!’ And now it will be reported to the king according to these reports. So come now, let us take counsel together.” Then I sent a message to him saying, “Such things as you are saying have not been done, but you are inventing them in your own mind.” For all of them were trying to frighten us, thinking, “They will become discouraged with the work and it will not be done.” But now, O God, strengthen my hands. When I entered the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was confined at home, he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you, and they are coming to kill you at night.” But I said, “Should a man like me flee? And could one such as I go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.” Then I perceived that surely God had not sent him, but he uttered his prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. He was hired for this reason, that I might become frightened and act accordingly and sin, so that they might have an evil report in order that they could reproach me. Remember, O my God, Tobiah and Sanballat according to these works of theirs, and also Noadiah the prophetess and the rest of the prophets who were trying to frighten me. (Nehemiah 6:1-14 NASB)

I’ve highlighted the verse which he highlighted…

The Lord really spoke to me through that verse…

I’ve had people “gathered” around me and seeming to be really keen to communicate with me and I take it to encourage me but after some time it becomes apparent that they don’t have Revival on their heart at all and in fact don’t believe that Revival will even happen…

So why are they “hanging around” me?

Maybe not consciously but in reality they’re hanging around me to discourage me from the task which I’ve been given – to first of all – as Paul says – to offer prayers on behalf of all men for God desires all men to be saved – pray to the Lord of the Harvest that He will send out workers into His Harvest Field – for the Harvest is plentiful but the workers are few – as Jesus said – and to make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to observe everything which Jesus commanded His disciples before He left earth… 🙂

As soon as he mentioned it I saw – that after a while of explaining and putting things simply (as simply and patiently as I can) – if I’m still being “twisted” and “maligned” and “purposefully misunderstood” then I just have to move on – “forget about them” is what he said and “get on with what you’re doing”…

It was a release for me…

Then I read in Acts 13 how some Jews did this to Paul…

But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were blaspheming. Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. (Acts 13:45-46 NASB)

What I got from that was that Paul made the call that they’d “judged themselves unworthy of eternal life” and turned “to the Gentiles” (that really “blew me away” – that Paul made that call – in the Holy Spirit I believe – amazing)…

In other words he was free from his responsibility to go to them first and then the Gentiles…

In the same way the ones who “hang around” us we feel a responsibility for but if they contradict and repudiate the word of God which we speak to them then that’s our sign that we’re released from them and we’re to “move on” to those who will “hear the message gladly”…

We can spend so much time on those who don’t want to know…

And not see this for so long – the enemy actually brings us these ones – although they might not know it and we don’t know it at first – we soon learn as being around them brings “negativity” and “depression” around us…

Anyone who carries those “presences” around them is a “weighing down” influence on our lives and spirits and we don’t want to “drag them around” or their beliefs…

I may offend some people with this post – if you know me and you’re reading this and you’re getting angry then I’m most likely (unfortunately) referring to you… 🙂

I’m not apologising for this…

Sometimes we’ve got to “call a spade a spade”…

We don’t know we’re doing this until someone points it out to us…

Are you an encouraging person to be around?

Do people say to you, “O such and such you’re such an encouraging person to be around”?

They should – Jesus is the Most Encouraging Person there is… 🙂

The only time I’m not encouraging is when I’m “chastising” those who are not encouraging… 🙂

And that’s encouraging – encouraging them to “snap out of it” and become encouraging… 🙂

Jesus was so gentle with the humble and so scathing with the self righteous…

Why?

Because the humble needed encouraging – building up – lifting up – in Him but the self righteous needed rebuking so they wouldn’t put out the fire in those who were endeavouring to let their light shine… 🙂

I am going to be uncompromisingly un-encouraging to all who put out the Holy Spirit’s Fire…

And I am going to be incredibly encouraging to all the flickering wicks and broken reeds out there – of which I’ve been one – who need a word of encouragement…

The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of disciples, That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.  (Isaiah 50:4 NASB)

This is how Jesus walked and Jesus gave us His Authority to walk the way He walked…

The only ones He was ever scathing with were those who were Blaspheming the Holy Spirit by refusing to admit that what He was doing was of the Holy Spirit when it was patently obvious that it was – that was the sin – the continuous sin of resisting the Holy Spirit which would never be forgiven them…

Those who refuse to see the Holy Spirit in a person and instead accuse them of being controlled by another spirit are the ones who are so self righteous that they can’t see Jesus standing right in front of them in that other person…

And when we don’t “discern the Body” then we begin “biting and devouring” each other and we need to “watch out” lest we are consumed by one another…

Someone who spends most of their time putting down others – by name mostly – or subtly – and convincing others to do the same – is a tool of Satan – they may be saved but have a lot of “sin within them” still to be practically crucified (a root of bitterness) – stay away from people like that – they will not encourage your faith…

Gravitate towards “positive” people – who will say a “hard word” when necessary but are characterised by loving others and always wanting the good of others and praying for others when they see faults…

Someone who slanders or speaks against his brothers and sisters in a “bitter root judgement” type of way is not furthering the Kingdom of God… 😦

That was a fairly straight word – hopefully I’ve given some food for thought for us all – what sort of people are we? Positive or negative?

Jesus has paid for the sins of the whole world and presently is “not counting their trespasses against them” so that we can bring them “the word of reconciliation”… 🙂

This is good news – and should make us happy, encouraging people to be around – even though we are persecuted by those who can’t see the Holy Spirit in us – even if this leads to being beaten and lashed and in stocks – we’ll still be positive people praising God during the earthquake which sets us free and sees the jailor and his household saved… 🙂

Praise You Jesus… You always cause us to triumph – so let go of the negative people in your life (in as much as is practically possible – the people who “weigh you down” and “drain your energy”) and focus on the positive people which the Lord brings across your path (the ones who receive the word with joy and gladness in a positive spirit of growth and encouragement)… 🙂