On Empathy, Being Humble - Establish Firm Boundaries

The Prayer of a Righteous Man - Believers' God is Listening

What the Unsaved Know About God’s People & How They Benefit

Many of the unsaved know God’s people do stray; this is why some will disguise themselves as sheep. Yet, on the inside they are nothing more than wolves always prepared to prey on God’s children.  Wandering into temptation, lies, secrets, cover-ups and some of you know the rest, you did some things recently and those things seared your conscious, created relationship challenges, and sooner or later one is going to experience losses!

Photo by Alexander Krivitskiy on Unsplash

The unsaved are good at deceiving believers.  They know how to twist Scripture to suit their needs, dabble in the occult to make people do what they want, and most of all, hide sins!   Many have deceptive, lying spirits that plague them daily, because they have chosen to live life without God.  Notice I said they have chosen not to have a relationship with God.  Our Creator is a shepherd that wants to protect and guide us, because he knows the future and he also knows where our enemies lurk and what their secret desires are.  Without God in the plan, we suffer! 

I would like to remind readers of my book, "Face Your Foe" is to help those of you who have been blindsided by ungodly men and women who claim to love, know, and appreciate your personal relationship with Christ.  The book wasn't written just to problem-solve with common foes with common issues with us.  Some enemies are strategic and want very much to see a believer suffer, because they are jealous, bitter, difficult, or have some kind of disorder that keeps them mentally bound.

Many of our critics couldn’t tell you when was the last time God, if ever, have spoken directly to them, and even worse they aren’t certain if they are sincerely saved or not!  Their focus shouldn’t be on you and how might you benefit them spiritually, financially, mentally, etc. but all attention should be placed on Jesus Christ!  Direct the naysayer, the worldly, and the confused to Jesus!

Some of you who are reading "Face Your Foe" or finished up with it, have bank accounts that are often in the negative, because you continue to support someone or a group’s ungodly lifestyle.  You know deep down inside you should have never participated in a holiday gift exchange especially with a child of darkness, but you did anyway.  You know God isn’t pleased.  

Other believers are enablers, helping those both young and old who battle with demons of self-destruction continue to harm self by buying alcohol, purchasing cigarettes, or telling them to take drugs.  The wicked are like parasites attached to a wayward believer’s skin feeding off of fleshly desires for more of whatever they like:  pornography, premarital sex, and violence.  Those believers that wonder why some critics have become enemies might want to consider what they are doing to keep backsliding critics happy one day and then angry the next with them.  Can we say, Hypocrite!  

Sometimes God will use a difficult person to challenge and remind a believer of his or her character traits in Christ and how he or she is beginning to weaken in his or her faith.  Acting pathetic and double-minded when it comes to dealing with our enemies is not on the list!  The unsaved benefit from one's weakness as follows:

1)  They obtain or maintain wealth, while one remains in debt.  They play on your generosity.

2)  They expect servants not friends.  After all, you are supposed to be like Jesus, right?

3)  They only listen to counsel that makes them feel good.  So you stay in their good graces when you don't speak anything unflattering.  Their esteem is built up while they tear yours down!

4)  They use you to do things that compromise your morals.  They will mention a title such as: "best friend, mother, father, brother..." they have in your life and all they have done for you in an effort to guilt you into doing what they want.

5)  You are sick from all you have gone through with them, while they are well.  They pity you and talk negatively about you to others to appear like they have it altogether.

Other things they will achieve as a result of your weaknesses include: breaking up marriages and sleeping with coveted partners, rob one of belongings, turn children against you, find ways to get one incarcerated or worse kill, and revel in one's failures while puffing themselves up. 

Our Lord is all-knowing—He sees you, me, the righteous and the unrighteous and what we do and don’t do when it comes to bringing glory to Him.  It’s during times of trial when we start asking questions like, “Why is this person (or people) treating me in this negative way?”  If we choose to trust in God, he will reveal a person’s true intent.  

Watch how people react or respond when you share the good news of Christ or any truth that causes them to open their eyes to ungodliness.  You will know in time who is friend and who is foe.  A friend will be glad you told them something useful and will try to attain more knowledge on the subject, but a foe will put up a protest whether publically or privately about you.

I leave you with this, no matter what you are going through, remember Romans 8:28 and brother Job's story.

Nicholl McGuire is the author of Face Your Foe, Know Your Enemy The Christian's Critic and the owner of this blog.

Vow No More Fighting with Foes This Year

Arguing, fighting, belittling, and more goes on year after year with some family members and friends and what are the results?  Stonewalling, gas-lighting, threats, and getting the unsuspecting involved in the bitter dramas?  Is it worth it? 

Absolutely not!  The pain and the consequences are simply too much too bear!  Someone ends up sick as a result of the stress.  Another relative no longer wants to be around family.  A person may end up in jail or worse dead!  This is why on my YouTube channel: NM Enterprise 7, I am a strong advocate of separating from toxic people/places/things, going low contact, no contact, or grin until you have an exit plan! 

We don't need any more strife in our lives.  Sometimes just eating can be difficult and then throw-in a toxic person that gives you indigestion (sigh)!  We all can do better and we will!  A fed up mind will find his or her peace sooner or later, but not one who refuses to change!  No, that person will keep suffering in his or her mess.

Don't fight with those who can't see the light (truth), can't stand the light, or see the light but refuse correction!  We have too much work to do for our Creator!  Believers, no need to keep beating the unbelieving over the head about being FREE!  Rather what we do, is create our own environment of peace, build personal boundaries, and focus on God's will for our lives!  The enemy will say, "How dare you?  Who do you think you are?"  Simply respond, "I am a child of God!"

State a personal declaration this day, "I will no longer fight with foes this year!"  Then proceed to do what you can to stay clear of those who repeatedly disrespect you or do other things that hurt you often.

1)  Block them online and offline.

2)  Don't converse with them at any length if they should reach you online or via phone, approach your doorstep or suddenly show up in your path.

3)  No inviting them to your family events and those who refuse your wishes of not wanting to see them, don't include them in on your future holiday planning.

4) Share your pain with those who care, but don't dwell in that space for long, rise above it by doing the kind of things that mentally, physically and spiritually build you up.

5) Say a prayer for yourself that God will bless you with more love in your heart for your enemies.  Ask other believers to pray for you!

This upcoming year is going to be someone's best year because you are no longer connecting with the wrong people--God bless!

Nicholl McGuire is the author of Know Your Enemy: The Christian's Critic and other books.   

Condescending, Belittling People

When the Wicked Appear Like They Are Blessed

They Don't Believe They are Sinners

Know Thy Evil Critic - You are an Enemy of Those Who Don't Like Your Spiritual Self

Now who might be the wicked critic of your faith whether in the open or secretly hiding waiting to attack you one day?  You may want to ask yourself the following questions, “Is this person someone who just spouts off the mouth everything ungodly so as to make me angry enough to sin?  Is this critic someone who I can trust, yet when it comes to spiritual matters, he or she is the last person I think about talking to?  Is the critic a person who may have a hidden plan to do harm against me, because I believe what I believe and tend to offend him or her with my faith?”  If someone or many come to mind while you ask yourself these questions, than you might possibly have an enemy in your camp.  An evil critic is anyone who opposes, hinders, suppresses, manipulates, criticizes, ostracizes, or speaks evil of your belief system. 

You might say, “Oh no, not my mom!  Oh no, not my man!  It couldn’t be my lady!  Don’t tell me, my son!”  A critic turned enemy can be anyone!  Now, why would someone who supposedly loves or likes you be so critical of your walk with the Lord whether to your face or behind your back?  Because chances are, you are doing some things that are disturbing their peace of mind, physical location, and convicting their spirits.  Sounds similar to what Jesus did when talking to the Pharisees, huh?  

The more you talk about your experiences believing in the one true God, the more the sinful critic will provide his or her feedback whether on the phone, in-person, by email, text, snail mail, or through someone else.  A sinful critic may even show up on your social networking page or other websites you frequent all-too-ready to leave a negative, demeaning or flippant remark.  Some will say, “I am just giving constructive feedback.”  Sure.

Jealous, wayward Christians, backsliders, apostates, and the godless are not interested in building up believers; rather they are more interested in doing the following:  proving them wrong, making them look like fools, getting a good laugh or tearing down one’s wholesome image.  Watch out Ms. Goody Two-Shoes or Mr. “I’m A Good Man!” the angry critic is waiting for you to slip up.  

In James 4:1-3 (NIV,) fights and quarrels occurred between Christ’s followers due to personal envy and discontent.  “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?  You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God.  When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” 

Deceptive critics will not share too much about themselves whether online or offline, particularly with believers, for fear that God will reveal flaws in their character.  Therefore, they will use criticism as a distraction to keep the focus off of them an on to others. These critics don’t want godly followers to start praying and guiding them toward Jesus, because many of them feel content without him.  This is why a once very talkative friend is not so social like she use to be since you met Jesus.  This is why some will become easily irritated when you ask, “Would you like for me to pray with you?”  No one wants their flaws exposed even if people already know what they are about.

A loving, sweet, wonderful unbelieving partner may not be so attentive these days to his Christ following wife, because he doesn’t want to hear nor talk about Jesus.  If she should start a spiritual conversation, most assuredly the unsaved partner will start creating a wall around his mind.  There are plenty more examples, like this one, of difficult people who oppose the one choosing to follow Jesus.  How long some of the lost and confused welcome you, all depends on how much more they can tolerate you and your Jesus before they distance themselves from you or push you out of their lives with their mean words.  

Sometimes God will expedite our exit from a bad relationship or friendship before we are ready, leaving relatives, friends and co-workers surprised and offended that we no longer associate with them.  They may say, “What happened?  We use to be so close? You and your brother were like peas in a pod.  What changed that?”  You may respond, “I know, but God is working things out in my life now.”  The critic, who doesn’t like this new you, might comment, “So he’s doing something in you without me in your life, huh!?  I knew you were taking this God thing too far!  God wouldn’t tell you to cut me off!  You are out of your mind!”   

As you learn more about the things of the Lord each day, you may find that there are a number of challenges that you have to overcome personally and professionally.  If you aren’t mindful of who you are in Christ, the devil could set a trap for you which may put you in a place of despair, resentment, frustration and more!  Unfortunately, it’s during these times when we backslide.  

Some wayward believers, who are supposed to be new creatures in Christ, will carry something ungodly from their former lifestyles in an effort to make them feel better such as the following:  a strong drink, cigarettes, an ungodly man, an immoral woman, legal or illegal drugs, unhealthy food and desserts, Satanic inspired media, overpriced items, a job that isn’t blessed by God, or do other things to ease their pain--at least temporarily.  However, the more and more we get whether righteous or not the more and more we want something else when our flesh is overriding our spiritual self!  There is simply no peace when you are unhappy with self and others.  We forget the Scripture where Jesus states, “Peace, I leave you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you…” (John 14:27).  

When you are feeling most vulnerable, you may find yourself connecting with relatives, friends and acquaintances that are angry, hate-filled individuals, visiting sinful places, or using things that would make your mother question, “Who did I bring into this world?  I know that’s not my child doing those things!”  

Satan brings problem people and problem things into our lives to tempt, because they get us further and further away from God!  To allow the devil’s foolishness to enter our spirits makes us nothing more than fools!  Eccles. 10:3 says this about the fool, “Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to everyone that he is a fool.”

Backsliding moments in the faith can happen at any time!  You may be acting like Jesus in the morning and the devil by evening when you are distant from your Creator.  When this happens, most backsliders, turned re-dedicated believers, will go to God and repent, yet those so-called saintly types (also known as Pharisees in the Bible), who have been observing fellow believers’ slow decline,  won’t have any mercy on poor, wayward Christians.  Instead, they will beat repentant believers up with insulting words about their “supposed” renewed faith whether to their faces or behind their backs.  You quickly learn that the church-going relative or friend you thought you were close to is really nothing more than a foe!  

Think for a minute about an old story of a wolf hiding in sheep’s clothes.  The animal sits back and pretends to be a sheep in order to get his next meal.  There are those around you, who pretend, or suddenly have amnesia about their own mishaps, so that they can feed off of your spiritual energy!  For instance, they may say things like, “Pray for me.  Buy this for me.  Take me here.  Do this for me.”  But when you point out some things that God showed you in the spiritual realm about them, they go into denial.  They don’t want to receive truth! 

All mean-spirited and selfish critics want is for you to be a servant to them, what better time than a holiday season!  If you were to call them out on their ugly behaviors, they would most likely say, “You are reading too much into what I’m doing…I would never hurt you…I know you are trying to get your life together.   I am so over that.  I don’t do that anymore.”  But you may say to yourself, “I don’t have much if anything to give and this person isn’t listening to what I’m saying anyway!  I am struggling to walk with God myself.  Why would some relatives and good friends want to use me?”  The answer to that question is quite simple, because they know they can-- especially if you have a history of doing for them despite all the negativity they have brought to you. 

When you have fallen away from the Lord, you are weak and the enemy is strong.  Wayward believers and hypocrites know this about backsliding religious and spiritual worldly people; therefore, they will use you until they can’t use you anymore!  Trust in the Lord!

Nicholl McGuire is the blog owner and the author of Know Your Enemy the Christian's Critic and Face Your Foe.

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