Church Talk

2 Timothy 3:1 KJV 1900

1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

Perilous = hard, difficult, troubling

If you would listen for the next few minutes, it would change your life!

What I have to say is not about individuals but a spirit that is attacking the church.

Sin can only exist in secrete...

Once it is exposed, it has to be dealt with.

Three spirits at work against us over the last couple months.

Spirit of Depression (attacking your self worth)

Depression says; I am not worthy

Spirit of Contention (attacking your brother and sister, church leadership)

Contention says; you are not worthy

Spirit of Offense (justifies both your depression and your contentious spirit)

Offense says; how dare you

The point of all three of these is to isolate you.

Depression makes you hide

Contention makes everyone avoid you

Offense makes you arrogant

I am going to be teaching about inherited baggage in January - how to deal with it.

(Cool way to say it - Generational Curses)

Let’s talk about contention

How do you know if you are being contentious?

Are you the only one that can do the job?

Do you have to be right all the time?

Is everyone else stupid or beneath you?

Do you have a me verses them mentality?

If you routinely answer yes to one of those questions, if you are honest, you answer yes to them all!

There has been a lot of this lately… and it has to stop!

It is a spiritual attack - deal with it in the spirit!

Now there are those who are perpetually contentious and there is a simple test for that.

If Jack has a problem with Jill...

And Jack has a problem with Bill...

And Jack has a problem with Dell...

And Jack has a problem with Tell...

Then Jack is the problem!

DON’T BE JACK!

If this is you, that is a whole different conversation…

Problem: This spirit of contention and offense that is at work has got some ppl to go on the attack against my family.

I come to shine a great big spotlight on that and put a stop to that...

This is not about individuals, it’s about a spirit that is trying to isolate individuals!

If you have a problem, bring it to me…

I have never understood why people are so bitter and angry toward their pastor…

Most of the time I am all that exists between you and the chaos of hell in your life!

I was up at 3:32 this morning and until after 6:30 I interceded for you!

You have no idea that chaos that I diverted from your life today...

And you allow a spirit of contention to whisper in your year that I don’t love you? I don’t respect you?

Don’t let a spirit whispering in your ear remove you from the greatest protection that God has given you on this earth!

Here is where my humanity shows up!

You abuse me if you think you have too...

LEAVE - MY - FAMILY - ALONE

My family fights for you as hard as I do.

Facts about my family:

No one is harder on them than I

No one has greater expectations for them than I

I take Pauls admonitions to bishops seriously

1tim3.4 “4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;”

tit1.6 “6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.”

That describes my family.

No one anywhere can say different and because of that

I will pull you out of the mire of generational curses over and again…

Based on two things

Your desire to change

How you treat my family

Is that harsh?

I have made a covenant with God that I would raise my kids and lead my family 100% as he commanded...

When you mess with them, you mess with God!

(I wish more people would raise their kids the same)!

When that voice of contention comes whispering in your ear - SHUT IT DOWN!

When the spirit of offense whispers, they don’t like me!

HARD TRUTH: so what!

You don’t like yourself at least half the time, why do you think everyone should like you?!?

Arrest your thoughts!

Conclusion

In all three of these (depression, contention, offense) you must do the same thing

Recognize the attack

Don’t believe the lie

Pray peace

You can’t leave here tonight without making things right!

If you have been isolated for any of these reasons, get right!