Adversaries For Our Good! Say What?
If you’re married like me, I’m sure you’ve had your share of extended family spats. Who doesn’t right? What’s that expression, “You can pick your friends, but you can’t pick your families… nose?” Or something like that.
In any event, why does it seem, that families, who should be the most supportive and loving, usually cause the most pain and suffering. Well, this is the reason for this essay.
You see, Christ did say, he came to cause division. Dividing us from the CARNAL MAN people so where two once stood, now there is only ONE IN CHRIST! (too much? read on.)
Luke 12:53
The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
Now granted, I see this above scripture allegorically and spiritually. But, whatever is within is also without, people. God uses our lives, our victories, defeats, our joys, and our sufferings, to teach us. God knows, he is doing such with me.
It seems persecution and tribulation has been a better teacher than the warm embrace of love and fluffy pillows.
Acts 14:22
Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
As much as it stinks as a pair of dirty underwear, making mistakes and paying the price really is a better teacher than anything else I have experienced in the world.
Forgiveness is one of the most important lessons we must learn. To do this, we must feel the sting of betrayal. This is so we will learn to find peace within and not outside of ourselves. If we want everyone to like us, then we are looking for Life in temporary things that just can’t cut the mustard when the rubber meets the road. Because Man will fail you every step of the way. So to avoid us putting our faith in THE CREATION, as many idolators love to do, God makes sure you don’t find that acceptance and peace you so desperately crave.
Here is the reason, the TEMPORAL WORLD is the problem, the world WITHIN (the kingdom of God) is the solution. When a turtle is threatened it retreats into its shell, when we are attacked we retreat within as well. GOD HELP US, we pray.
You will find, if you change your thoughts, your world will Change.
Today, everyone, including myself, is worried about what everyone else thinks or says, this is why we SUFFER. Which is why I am here for yet another eye-opening rant about the tests God has placed in my life.
2 Corinthians 4:18
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
We need to stop looking for approval and acceptance anything and anyone outside of us, and start looking for God and His peace within (Note to Jacob: DO THIS!)
Matthew 6:33
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
The people who have been causing my wife and I a good deal of pain of late, are like the Pharisees who were so concerned with the outside appearance of things. On the outside they seemed to have it all right?
WRONG!
They are hurting, they are sad, they are alone and feel empty. I know this by their actions toward us. They believe the more they have, purchase, or own, the more they build, conquer, rule over others or put down, that they will feel better about themselves and find peace. They believe the more they tear down those who are happy, they will feel better about themselves. So they shine up the outside of their lives, while the inside is a cold and bitter, broken, place. These poor people.
Matthew 23:25
You make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
You’ll also find those who put their faith in external things, hate those who put their faith on the internal things, like Me. People hate what they don’t understand. A man who believes in God is hated by the one who wishes he had such passion and faith, but is bankrupt and empty. The fool says in his heart there is no God, and then his action is to mock and find others to do the same. But no matter how many broken, hurting, angry people surround them, they will still be sadly alone. And when it all comes to the end, they will have nothing but a life of mockery and hate to look at, as opposed to what they could have built instead.
If they learned that peace is only found within, and not without, then they would have what WE have, (which they so desperately want and yet hate) And they would no longer feel the need to attack us and tear us down.
Matthew 23:26
Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
So something needs to be done so these people can come to this understanding. And there is no better teacher than TRIBULATION. Through much suffering we enter the kingdom. As a woman travails in birth with her child, the pangs of birth DRIVE HER TO DELIVERY. This happens for us all.
For the moment, My wife and I are enduring the attacks of these sad people, but I assure you this will be for our good. And when we learn, what it is we are meant to learn, then they will have to reap what they have sown as well.
If God didn’t allow us to suffer we would be addicted to Form forever. This is why there is a FIERY SWORD at the garden’s entrance KEEPING US FROM ENTERING eternal life without DYING TO OUR CARNAL (EGO) the Dead Man called ADAM.
This is why Christ had to come and divide, father against son, etc… You see, God will tear you and your earthly attachments apart until you learn these great and nobles truths of the Kingdom.
What better way to learn to forgive a betrayer, or the meat-head enemies that come along, and step on our feelings, then to have one’s own enemy COME from ones own home. (Which I know is also symbolic of our mind) – For truly, the only enemy there is, are the lies and negative thoughts we have about others and ourselves. It is seeing duality and division, instead of unity and knowing peace.
So, there will be enemies in this world for us to overcome. Without us and Within Us. Forgive me for sharing this tid bit of information, but GOD is the One responsible for sending these enemies our way. He does this to humble us and prepare us for what is to come. Sometimes we deserve it. Sometimes we need it. Sometimes we should just ZIP OUR LIP and learn from it. We need to stop worrying and allowing these painful situations to race over again and again in our mind. Because these situations, I promise you, are there for our spiritual advancement.
1 Corinthians 5:5
To deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
Most Religious leaders leave out this precious scripture, where we see the disciples saying, “Hey put this chooch into the DEVIL’S HANDS, he’ll destroy the fleshy sin that is keeping him from the truth and his SPIRIT will be saved because of it.”
WHAT JACOB? The Devil saves? – Well, if not for a great purpose, God would not create the destroyer to destroy, would he?
Our suffering helps set us free. When we see this we are free indeed.
When we realize our enemies are “unknowingly” doing the will of God to better our spiritual growth, and helping further us into the Kingdom of Peace, we will rejoice!
Amos 3: 6
Shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?
God is preparing us, as a trainer prepares an athlete before a big meet. The weights need to be added on to strengthen us for the fight to come. The stronger we get spiritually, the more resistance we will meet spiritually. (In the natural as well)
God did the same with Joseph, Jacob, David, Moses, Jesus, Paul, the list goes on and on. He even turned a Donkey against Baalam, a donkey was his adversary, now that was Donkey show that I would pay to have seen… Not like the ones some of my old college buddies have paid for in the past. I brought that up to show you, there is no depth that man will not go, when the Truth of Christ is NOT ruling. Man is a beast while the Child of God is entombed within.
But the ELDER (CARNAL) will serve the Younger (Christ In you)
But even the Stubborn “Ass” that stood in the dumb prophet Balaam’s way, was motivated by God’s angel.
God is God people, He is behind it all. The sooner we learn from our sufferings, the sooner we can move forward and stop writing long blog’s about how mean these (adversaries for our good) are… Oh wait a minute, that’s me I’m talking about! DOH!
If resistance is the only way we become physically strong. Is it SO hard to believe spiritual resistance is the only way we become spiritually strong?
Yes, while we are under attack we do feel weak and helpless and it sucks big green eggs… (Not that I have ever seen a green egg, but if you mix that with some green ham I bet that would rock! Or at least I’ve been told by Sam I Am.)
Suffering is good thing. Just look at the Butterfly after its long fight in the death of its cocoon. I think he would say it was worth the fight when flying high above the pain of his past.
In our weakness we FINALLY allow God to be strong. And when God is our Strength we finally know Joy. “The Joy of the Lord is our Strength!”
It is when we scream, “I can’t do it anymore! I give up! I stink like an old mans foot!” It is when we are the most broken that we are given the opportunity to be made whole again.
We must come to the conclusion that our CARNAL NATURE (ADAM/EGO) is vain and can profit us no longer. If we act as an animal acts we will inherit flees. If we act as the Child of God we inherit His Kingdom!
We must say, “I hate this world, I hate who I am, I hate my life (ego)!” You see people, where you may believe you are losing the fight, I see God frustrating you to GIVE UP THE FIGHT… And when you do, VICTORY I MINE, SAYETH THE LORD!
John 12:25
He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
But to get you to this point, sometimes, we need a Pharaoh or two to enslave us, torment us, and test us until we are READY AND WILLING to stand up and REST so we can allow God to set us free.
We all know that carnal man is always concocting devious plans, scenarios, and words to say, things to do, to show those bullies, those that hurt us just what we think of them!… But that is not the voice of truth. That STRANGE WOMAN’S VOICE in our head (See my article; Strange woman), It is the voice of fear, hurt, worry and anger, it is the voice of lies.
If I were to pick up a rock or stone and throw it at one who has stoned me first, guess what, I am no better than them and I better duck because another stone will be coming at me soon after.
This is what we wrestle against, not flesh and Blood, not mean people, but the NEGATIVE THOUGHTS (demons/principalities/powers within) that plague our mind, trying to get us to roll up our sleeves and GET READY TO RUMBLE!
Some would think even those who have so much monetarily, would be at peace and show more compassion and charity. But they don’t.
It should sicken us when people who should love us, attach us, but they know no better. Yet, whatever they are going through, and have yet to go through, will stem from their terrible treatment I assure you.
God is not mocked, whatever a man sows he shall also reap
Many don’t believe this. Because many dont truly believe in God. But these words are a herald of sorts for them all.
“For soon, it will all come crumbling down around them, and in that day they will know they have done evil in the land.”
Sometimes family members or loved ones can take their abuses too far, as was the case with my wife and I. It is harassment and it is slander and liable, and all of this, yes. But, God repays not me. And like I said, there is still much I and my wife ARE LEARNING from these wackadoos!
So, instead of retaliating or sending an email to expose all the crazy skeletons in their closets. I CHOSE TO THANK GOD FOR THEM! I pray things will get better for them, I want restoration for them, not the division I see… Because let’s be real, their house is already DIVIDED and a house divided against itself cannot stand. News flash OURS IS STANDING STRONGER THAN BEFORE! So instead of bringing down the wrath of Jacob with the ugly truth about our adversaries for our goods lives, I prayed for them instead. Danielle and I will not speak one word of their indiscretions, they are so very pained already, I would not want to cause any suffering in their life, even if they have done so toward us.
You see, sometimes your happiness will drive people bonkers. They don’t have what you have so they want to hurt it, tear it apart. How sad is that? The problem is they want what you have and can’t find it (Peace, Love, Life). A family, a Wife who loves me and is attracted to me, and children who adore us and we adore. It is a simple and wonderful life. But it is not without its trials.
Deep down, our adversaries want to have a home filled with love, Faith in something, they want their life to have meaning. They want what they cannot find, because the only way to find it, is to see how very wrong they are.
In actuality these attacks have brought my wife and I closer together, I never thought that was possible. If only more marriages that were struggling could realize, it is not the good times that proves a man and woman’s love, it is getting through the bad times, that proves their love. It is standing together, forgiving each other, looking to the moment and not behind, taking each others hand and saying, “I love you baby, and you are so darn HOT!” – Well that’s what I say at least.
Our present suffering will end (I PROMISE), but this suffering is the glue that brings families closer together. Two separate objects don’t want to become one naturally. It takes the brute force of the hammer, the piercing of the nail, the torment and splintering of the wood, to have two pieces of wood joined into one. Where two come together, there is always a torment of sorts that changes the two into one.
Here is what our “adversaries for our spiritual growth” don’t understand.
Even those in our own families, extended families, neighbors, whoever it is who hurts us, tear us down, and attacks us. When these individuals are doing everything in their power to break up a marriage. They are also, unknowingly, trying to break up a large family. Tearing each of us from our kids. They don’t realize how devastating this would be to our three children, if we were to let there sad behavior effect our marriage. Then My son and daughter would lose their step mother, who they love so very much. My new son would lose me, who he is crazy about and I love so very much. Worse still, my son and daughter and my wife sons would be forever heart-broken because their brothers and sister for years, were no more. And I would never know true love again!
All because these empty, ugly, hurting, broken sad people tried to dictate and tear apart the very thing they wished they had in their life.
Then comes along a man name Jacob, and a light was lit in that beautiful angels heart. What these (adversaries for our good) don’t realize, is I am not like those that have come before. They know there is something different about me, because I treat them with respect even after they treat me with vulgarity and hate. (That does not compute with the Carnal man)
1 Corinthians 2:14
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
They don’t get me at all. There is just something about me, they can’t stand. I call it CHRIST! But here is where it gets real sticky for them. You see, when My wife and I learn from their torments what it is we are meant to learn, then they will reap what they have sown. Here is a truth, for all of us, those that bless us and our families they will be blessed. But for those who curse us and our families they will be cursed.
Genesis 12:3
I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse.
As the wise sage MC HAMMER once said, “You can’t touch this!”
They are lost, they are sad, and I am praying for their healing now and I will continue when all the dust has settled. Because…
“THOSE THAT HATE THE MOST MUST BE LOVED THE MOST”
-Thomas James – “The Calling: A Voice In The Dead Woods”
So, I will not do anything to avenge myself, and I suggest all of you in similar circumstances learn this lesson and do the same. For God has bigger plans for us all.
Romans 12:19
Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
We are not meant to take up the fight for ourselves. I have done this in the past and the results always backfired. Every bomb you drop on your enemy you drop on your own head…. Unless you are passing gas, and then by all means, God is cool with a drive by dusting of the knuckleheads in your life.
My friend Diane who BTW ROCKS, said we have a choice in life. We can choose to have PEACE or we can choose to be RIGHT. But, if we want to be RIGHT you have to get into the FIGHT. Oh what a wise sage she is!
So, I choose this day which God I will serve, not ADAM, but THE LORD OF HOSTS. And God says the fight is HIS, not ours.
Deuteronomy 1:30
The LORD your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes;
To win the day we simply sit back and let the Lord do his work. Sure, we will suffer the knucklehead comments of our enemies, and the sting of deceit and betrayal. This much we know to be true. However, there is only one-way to end such anguish and it is never found repaying evil with evil.
Matthew 26: 52
Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.
In dodge ball when the ball is thrown at you if you simply catch it your adversary is out of the game! You absorb their blow and you do not return it. While the ball is in your hands, you are safe. But the instant you throw that ball back into play, trying to hit someone to WIN THE DAY, you better watch out because that ball will be coming right back at ya!
When you repay evil with evil, you are simply prolonging your own suffering. This is why we must NEVER repay evil with evil but with Good.
Now this doesn’t mean you roll over and play dead and let these Meat-Heads walk, and talk, all over you. You have to be wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove.
When a fox is spoiling the vine, you find a way to keep the fox out. It may take a couple of different approaches, changing phone lines, moving, praying all the time LOL… but in the end, they will hear as Herod heard…
Luke 13:32
Go ye, and tell that FOX, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.
The negative thoughts, the pain, the insecurities that these attacks caused IN US, will go away! We won’t let this nonsense bother us anymore. And God’s love is healing us from the wounds of our adversaries (who, by now, we know are there for our own spiritual growth) and finally, because of all we have endured, I say THANK YOU to those who have hurt me for on the Third Day I shall be perfected because your wicked devises have done a great work in me!
p.s. THIRD DAY – symbolic of a trimester (birth)
Yes God will use their attacks, to weed out every insecurity that I may have had about being abandoned by my wife and vice versa. This has helped us both to trust each other in the face of adversity. And we have been through health problems, financial problems, blended family problems, but this has been a true test of late. And we have received a strong “C+” – What? that’s above average settle down peanut gallery. (snicker, snicker)
I love her more now than ever before, and she thinks I’m the bees knees babies!
Listen, people don’t do, and say, cruel things because they are at peace. They don’t hurt others because they know joy. They hurt because they are hurt. They attack because they hate themselves!
“Father forgive them for they know not what they do!”
That’s why we must say “I’m rubber your glue! Im going to sit back and pray for you!”
We must “Do Unto others as we would WANT DONE TO US”
Like many of you, I have had my share of persecution. And every time I repaid injury for injury, I got hurt more. But when I stepped back and LET LOVE RULE as the Prophet Lenny Kravitz said… I watched my enemies change, as well as their situations.
“You sit still down river long enough, you’ll see the bodies of your enemies float past you”
SO,
Matthew 5:25
Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
Jesus gave us the keys of the kingdom, and those keys deal with reaping and sowing. If you want good in your life, start doing good. FORGIVE AND LIVE!
Look at what Jesus taught and put these principles into action. We can return to the Lord and have peace in out heart.
“If I say I love God and hate my brother, I am a liar.”
So, let’s start by following these simple rules and watch things in our lives turn around.
KEYS TO THE KINGDOM
Galatians 6:7
Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Luke 6 36-38
Judge not, and you shall not be judged.
Condemn not, and you will not be condemned
Forgive and you will be forgiven
For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
Luke 6:29
And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also.
Matthew 5:7
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
2 Corinthians 9:6
But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
What we do to others, we actually are doing to ourselves, even when it comes to retaliating against our enemies.
This is why I will repay the (adversaries for our good) with the shake of the head, a shrug of the shoulders, and a prayer sent up on high…
Them silly kids, I’ll say. They know not what they do. Knuckleheads.
In every one of these article I usually receive some cool revelation and I hope you stuck with me to the end for this one. Because it JUST HIT ME! And it is good for you to hear this.
Matthew 5:38
Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
We have been taught by Jesus that the “eye for an eye” philosophy needs to be thrown out.
But this is only in reference to the physical action of causing physical or emotional harm to one who has done such to you.
This DOES NOT mean that the law of Reaping and Sowing, Cause and Effect is not still a GREAT TRUTH.
Whatever we do to one, will be done to us, in one way or another. This is why Jesus’ advice is so important for us all to hear and implement in our lives.
39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Why would Jesus say to do this?
Like my dodge ball story, (which I never got pick to play as a kid) If a man strikes you and you strike the man back… you will find you have another fist coming your way.
For one reason or another, God thought we needed or deserved such attacks and abuses. And if, after receiving these attack, we strike out and do the same to our enemies at the moment (for any other reason than self-defense) we are throwing the karmic ball back into play.
If someone talks bad about you, DON’T talk bad about them.
If someone mocks you, DON’T mock them.
Don’t repay evil with evil.
Romans 12:21
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Many don’t understand why Jesus was all about feeding your enemy and praying for them. Well the feeding part is really symbolic of showing them love and compassion. Showing them what they have not shown you. The BREAD FROM HEAVEN is the TRUTH and the Water is the SPIRIT OF GOD.
I would be a big fibbie pants if I were to say I am walking this truth out ALL THE TIME. I am not, but I am trying, and I pray all of you will let God be your Victor. So when trouble comes don’t get ready to rumble, just simply walk away. The bigger man is always the one who wins the day.
Peace everyone!
Jacob
“The Truth Will Change You”
