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Now let's see what the scripture has to say on the subject of man's pride and consider how the LORD looks at the spirit of pride:(Continued from page 1)
| Self-esteem is man's pride disguised as a virtue.
And so-called low self-esteem is really just inverse pride through which the "sufferer" seeks praise, solicits strokes and panders the emotions of others. Suicide is the ultimate sacrifice to the god of self; abortion is the sacrifice of our own children on the altar of pride. Prideful, egocentric Adam refuses to be replaced by (slain and hid in) the New Man, the Second Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ and instead continues to try to keep his own identity, to preserve his own life and to esteem his own self. |
"No man ever hateth his own flesh..."Eph.5:29 KJV
The pride of man and his so-called suffering ego is supposed to be submitted to God, slain in Christ! If you are dead and your life is now hid with Christ in God, how much self-esteem does a dead man need? In Christ, it is no longer I but Christ who liveth, but the psychobabble of psychology has invaded the church! Jesus said, he that taketh not up his cross is not worthy of Me -and, whosoever will come after Me, let him deny "himself" and take up his cross and follow Me. For whosoever shall save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his lfe for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. (see Mark 8:34,35 KJV) |
| pat oneself on the back, be pleased, be flattered, flatter oneself, pride oneself, pique oneself, plume oneself, preen oneself, think a lot of oneself, think too much of oneself,
be on an ego-trip, be vain |
"A man 's pride shall bring him low: but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit." Prov. 29:23
"For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly... Rom.12:3a |
| pride of place,
head of the table taking the lead, leading role, starring role... All too often the role of spiritual leader is abused by man who (intentionally or unintentionally) cause or allow men to follow men all in the name of godly leadership -this is in fact, the seductive practices of false religion, the woman Jezebel (the harlotry of the soul of man) usurping the Authority of the Spirit of God, -men usurping the Leadership of The Man, Jesus Christ to their own selves in His Name. |
"When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; and he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame take the lowest room. But when thou are bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unot thee, Friend, go up higher... Luke 14:8-10
Whether evangelist, teacher, apostle, prophet or pastor the purpose of all godly leadership is to point man to God through Jesus Christ --not to usurp the authority of the Spirit through man's own traditions, teaching, doctrines or commandments of men. The primary purpose of the "under-shepherd" (pastor) is to keep pointing the sheep in the direction of Him who is the Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ. Even Paul, the Apostle said, "Follow me as I follow Christ" --not meaning follow Paul or any other men, -but rather meaning: whatsoever you see and hear of Jesus Christ though me, -follow only Him. |
| In the vanity of the mind of man, men love to quote the portions of scripture that men can use to suit their own purposes to support man's vain (prideful) viewpoint. For example men love to quote the portion of scripture that says: "as a man thinks in his heart, so is he" --as though it is supposed to mean that "you can be whatever you set your mind to be" -kind of like saying, "you are what you think" |
| However, that particular verse of scripture does not teach that we can be whatever we can think of ourselves as. Ironically that verse of scripture when read in it's correct context exposes the wicked nature of the heart of man and contrasts the deceitful nature of the heart of man with the Nature of God. "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he" (see Proverbs. 23:7a) really needs to be understood in the light of what the Spirit says about the deceitful nature of the heart of man: the heart of man is desperately wicked and who can know it!
Man's heart is deceitful and as a man thinks in his heart so is he means that man has a tendency to be vain and deceitful, -even the way man thinks and reasons, his thoughts are vain. And man views things from his own egocentrical viewpoint, from the perspective of man which is vanity "all is vanity, vanity of vanities" saith the preacher! (see Eccl. 1:2) "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and defile the man." Mark 7:21-23 |
Pride leads to a fall and to the condemnation of the devil:
"Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. I Tim.3:6 KJV
"Wherefore let any man that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall"1Cor.10:12 KJV This verse was written as an admonition to the Churches: to the people of God "upon whom the ends of the world are come" (see verse 11) concerning the Israel's apostasy, that their "falling away" through pride and disobedience might be heeded as an ensample, a lesson to us lest we repeat their folly. But have we heeded that warning? (No)
Pride is one of the seven deadly sins. Why? Pride was the reason Satan himself fell, and along with a third of the angels, he was cast out of heaven; And pride was the reason mankind fell. And pride was the primary reason the leadership of Israel departed from God and forsook Him as the Fountain of Living water, -in the vanity of their own stubborn minds (i.e., their idol) they turned to their own knowledge -to their broken cisterns, (teachings of men) that can hold no water (have no real revelation of God.)
In the Book of Daniel we are told that in the end time, Satan uses the pride of the vile nature of man to steal the kingdom through flatteries.
"But he shall come in peaceably and obtain the kingdom through flatteries " Dan 11:21 KJV
Satan steals the kingdom (rule of God by His word) from the hearts of God's people through flatteries. Satan appeals to the pride of men, tempting them for instance as he now tempts so many believers: he tempts them just as he tempted Jesus, he tempts "sons of God" to prove that they "know who they are" in Christ! And through flatteries (via winds of doctrine) he seduces them with teachings that appeal to their vanity, that tickle their itching ears, to entertain their whims and lusts, to satisfy their appetites: at a time when man has become so vain, that man will not receive correction "in what he thinks he knows" --and in the conceit of knowledge, because of pride: the time has come when even the so-called godly will not endure (receive) sound doctrine (in the vanity of stubborn/idolatrous minds, men refuse to hear, refuse to be corrected.)
Though many have eyes to see, they see not (refuse to see.) And though they have ears to hear, they hear not (stubbornly refuse to hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches!) And our stubbornness is now as idolatry and our rebelliousness is as the sin of witchcraft, in His Sight. (cf.1Sam.15:23)
The hallmark of the fall of the last days church, the bench mark of the harlot Church is her falling away through self-deception and pride. The enemy of our souls has already seduced most of the church through flattery & false teachings by which God's people are (tempted) taught how to use their power and their authority "as sons of God" to meet their physical needs and to perfect themselves as gods.
Whatever happened to "seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these other things shall be added unto you..." The problem is we haven't been seeking the King-dom of God, -as much as we have for generations been carrying out our own rule "of our own selves" (religiously) according to whatsoever we ourselves deem to be "scripturally" acceptable or unacceptable in our own sight --based upon our own understanding of the letter of the written word.
The church, the Body of Christ, -in the wilderness of ignorance has been busy turning stones into bread.
Through the false teaching of Jezebel, she (false religion) has seduced much of the church into proving "who they are" in Christ. "If thou be a son of God" then let me see you do this... (something Jesus never did.
Those who are not busy "turning stones into bread" have been striving through applied psycho-social sciences (falsely so called sciences) to remold, reshape, revamp and resurrect dead Adam trying to perfect him and make him "Christ-like" (human perfection, instead of man being hid in Him and by Him who is perfection for us in our place: Jesus Christ) man aims for perfecting man himself: Adam's counterfeit Christ-likeness of man through a false gospel.
"The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things: Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail, -our lips are our own who is lord over us?" Psalm 12:3-4
INCREASE IN LAWLESSNESS IS ONLY ONE OF THE SIGNS OF THE LAST DAYS. THE MARKED INCREASE IN EGOTISM, SELF-CENTEREDNESS AND PRIDE WHICH PERVADES THIS PRESENT GENERATION (BOTH IN THE SECULAR WORLD AND THE INCORPORATION OF THESE THINGS INTO THE TEACHINGS OF THE CHURCH ITSELF) IS NOT ONLY A "SIGN OF THE LAST DAYS" BUT THIS GLOBAL ZENITH OF MAN'S SELF-EXALTATION IN THE WORLD AND THE MANIFESTATION OF THE SAME SPIRIT RUN AMUCK IN THE CHURCHES (APOSTASY) IS THE ABOMINATION THAT MAKES THE WHOLE WORLD DESOLATE: IT BRINGS ON THE DESTRUCTION OF A MAJOR PORTION OF THE WHOLE EARTH, AND IS ONE OF THE SIGNS OF THE IMMANENT RETURN OR SECOND COMING OF JESUS CHRIST !
THE PROBLEM IS: THE CHURCHES HAVE TAKEN REFUGE IN LIES, TEACHING A FALSE (HUMANISTIC) GOSPEL OF MAN'S CHRIST-LIKE POTENTIAL, APOSTATE THE APOSTATE CHURCH HAS ALSO TAUGHT MILLIONS THAT THEY (SEEING THEMSELVES FAITHFUL TO THE TRUE GOSPEL) WILL ALL ESCAPE -UNAWARE THAT THE APOSTATE CHURCH REMAINS TO BE MARTYRED FOR HIS NAME BECAUSE MEN REFUSED TO HUMBLE THEMSELVES "IN HIS NAME."
THOSE WHO HAVE JOINED THEMSELVES TO THE HARLOTRY OF THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS (WHICH IS ALL FALSE RELIGION) BY INCORPORATING HER FALSE TEACHINGS INTO THE CHURCHES, WILL RECIEVE OF HER PLAGUES: MANY WILL BE FORCED TO EITHER "ACCEPT THE MARK" OR "DIE", AND THOSE WHO ARE HIS WILL THEN BE FORCED TO FORFEIT THEIR LIVES AS MARTYRS (THEY WILL BE SAVED: YET SO, AS BY FIRE)
BECAUSE HE GAVE HER SPACE TO REPENT AND SHE REPENTED NOT, BECAUSE WHEN HE CALLED SHE REFUSED TO HEAR (SHE EVEN MOCKED WHAT THE SPIRIT SAITH TO THE CHURCHES) MILLIONS WILL WAKE UP TOO LATE TO FIND THAT THEY HAVE FOLLOWED THEIR DECEIVED LEADERS TO THEIR OWN DESTRUCTION. (WE HAVE APPARENTLY NOT LEARNED THE LESSON REGARDING ISRAEL'S APOSTASY: "THE LEADERS OF THIS PEOPLE CAUSE THEM TO ERR; AND THEY THAT ARE LED OF THEM ARE DESTROYED" ISA.9:16 KJV (SEE ALSO PROV.1:20-33 KJV)
UNREPENTANT AND CONTINUING TO TEACH A FALSE GOSPEL, SHE REFUSED TO BE TURNED ANY OTHER WAY AND NOW ...BECAUSE SHE HAS IGNORED HIS EVERY ATTEMPT TO TURN HER FROM HER APOSTASY (WHICH IS THE GREAT FALLING AWAY FROM THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL, TO THE LYING VANITY OF ANOTHER GOSPEL, I.E., THE GOSPEL OF MAN) SHE WILL BE MADE A "DESOLATE HOUSE" AS THE LORD DELIVERS HER OVER TO HER ENEMIES FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF THE FLESH, THAT SOULS MIGHT BE SAVED... Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." 2Thess.2:3-12 KJV Jesus Christ is the power of God, "by whom" and "in whom" we are reckoned as dead, slain and hid: to become "dust and ash members" of His body by the Spirit of Adoption. That is what it means to be "endued with power from on High". The power of God is not a what, but a who: the scripture tells us that Jesus Christ is Himself, both the "wisdom of God" and "the power of God" (not a what, but a Who!) By Him who is Himself the power of God, i.e., Jesus Christ, by His Spirit, by the faith of Christ: we are slain and hid "in Him" who is Himself the wisdom and the power of God. But man has perverted that Truth!
Man empowered to be "like Christ" (the counterfeit "Christ-likeness of man") is a humanist perversion of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which man perverts to make it man's gospel of self. Twisting the emphasis of the mystery of the gospel, off of Christ in us, the hope of glory to shift the focus onto man and how he is now empowered to "be all that he can be" is the humanist manifesto!
The gospel of Jesus Christ is about Him slaying us all through His cross and hiding us all in Him -that God Himself (by His Holy Spirit) might work the works through Christ in us, --that He Himself might become our "all and in all" on behalf of all who have received Him! (All of Him and none of us!)
The gospel has become all about man, about us and about "our use" of His word to empower us, our use of the gifts etc. The gospel has become all about "who we are" in Christ, and how we can now reach our so-called full god-like human potential and achieve our counterfeit Christ-likeness! With countless psychology based so-called scripture how to formula's on how to scripturally empower man to be Christ-like.
All this is being taught to take the place of us (by grace through faith) being clothed with Christ (putting on Him who is the New Man, Jesus Christ) with us, -we ourselves, being slain and hid in Him, --that He might live His Life for us, --not us trying to live His life for Him!
We are not called "to be like Him" or to "live His Life for Him" but to be hid in Him and by Him who came to be our Life abundantly --by Him living His Life for us, on our behalf, -in place of us by His Spirit; with us reckoned as dead and our life hid together with Christ in God. Not "like Him" but hid in the likeness of Him who is Himself, the true and Living God!
(caps are used for emphasis only, not shouting :-)
"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." 2Tim 3:1-5
"Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
Paul feared that in the last days the churches would be beguiled as Eve was beguiled, (how? -through pride!) There is no difference in God's sight between the lie in the garden of Eden "ye shall be as gods" --and the lie in the Churches: you (man) can be empowered to be "like Christ" -which is man's false gospel of who man is in Christ (by which man is supplanting who HE IS in us!)
"Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." Prov. 16:18
"There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness." Prov. 30:12 "Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies." Psalm 40:4
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