The Pushers

On March 1, 2014, I posted this on FB: #Relationship101 (Part 7): 

Now if a man really loves a woman who's been battered, beaten, and suffered much pain via marriages, relationships, rejection, he will pray for her that she be complete in Him so when she thinks of her "exes," it won't be painful (meaning, she can think about it or talk about it and it won't be painful). She can move on and recognize that these men were nothing more than a demonic spirit who was trying to seize the woman (like Shechem seizing Dinah, or the serpent pushing Eve). 

I indicated there that I would do a blog on The Pushers. So here we go with this lesson:

When most people hear the word "Pusher," they will usually think of a drug pusher or someone trying to sell illegal things to someone else. But The Lord showed me something in the middle of the Relationship 101 series (if you want to read that, here's the link: http://mayneman.blogspot.com/2014/03/relationship-101-unedited.html?m=1)

Satan is the ultimate pusher. He looks for willing participants who will push his agenda; he looks for those who are naive - those who can get blindsided and not know that his agenda is pushed if not forced on them; he looks for those who are a threat to the Kingdom of God - he pushes those willing participants on those who are his threat; he also looks for those homes where there is no spiritual covering - this is where the devil pushes through the house (granted, he can easily walk in the house) and wreak havoc on entire families (parents and children). 

This can be broken up into many sermons just from what I said above, but I only want to focus on two things in particular.

1. If you go back to the first paragraph, what we find is a man named Shechem (a willing participant) pushing (actually forcing) himself onto Dinah. Delilah was a willing vessel but the men surrounded her were pushing the devil's agenda to destroy a man of God so they could worship their god. Now let's take those scenarios and set the scene in the time we're now living in. There are men (and women) who will push themselves onto someone of the opposite sex for the sole purpose of destroying their target's self-worth but more importantly, their target's identity in Christ. Yes, those men and women can be impostors (saying they love God but serving their fleshly desires).   In lieu of the first paragraph, if you are doing their utmost to live holy, and you run upon someone who's trying to get with you, first determine if they are a pusher (or if they are truly sent from God). One question to consider is this: how do you feel about sex before marriage? If they say they're ok first, then he or she changes their demeanor and starts pushing you (or mocking the fact that you're waiting), that's not a red flag, it's a black flag! They are a pusher. If these willing participants don't repent, be assured they have an end. 

2. This one is sensitive to my heart because I've seen this a lot in my life. This is where the home has no covering and the devil pushes right through the door and everyone is hooked (to the point of destruction). Parents and children are caught in this web and for many of them, all that's left is anger, depression and suicide. My prayer is for all infected but especially the children, for many of them have so many questions and they're not given correct answers. Some of their questions are:

1. Why are my parents denying what I went through?

2. If what I went through puts me at a risk for heart disease, why did God choose me to get it?

3. What can I do now considering I didn't know this was wrong though I'm reaping the consequences? 

4. People tell me to forgive and let the abuser get off with clean hands!

They are legitimate questions. Now here are some legitimate answers. 

To #1: Remember the devil is behind this and he pushed his agenda on an uncovered house. You now have the power to get covered, clean and live a victorious life. 

To #2: Your sickness does not lead to death. Now you have the power to take cautions to turn your situation around. Don't give up.

To #3: Part of it is for your testimony. Turn all of it over to Him and He will reward you double for your trouble. 

To #4: The first part is true, and I'm going to end this blog by answering the second part of the statement.

The pusher has an end (especially if he does not repent). You have so much to live for, so live. These pushers (and those who know they are doing wrong), are living without a care (and are probably unaware they are going to the lake of fire - and could care less about that). If you have broken from the pusher's stronghold, live! Don't let their strongholds keep you from living the abundant life you're supposed to live (and get this, as you're living the redeemed life, there's an assurance you will receive crowns in glory)!

Blessings:

The Mayne Man

Are Your Words Killing Others?

I was thinking while eating lunch today about how people love to quote Proverbs 18:21 (Death and life are in the power of the tongue) and sing songs that say "I shall live and not die." I know in most cases, we're saying that to ourselves, but here's a question: are we speaking life to others or are our words killing others? As many times that we can say to ourselves that we're speaking life, I'm willing to say that our words are actually harming others. Why? We're innate selfish!

Before you stop reading, think about it for a minute. How do we kill others? When we down them because of where they are in life or perhaps they may not be a spiritual as you. We speak death to others when we give off a "holier than thou" tone. We speak death to others when God is not the focus of your speech and it's your pride and ego in the way. We tend to speak death those who don't have the same personality as you or who don't bow down to you. I'll use a perfect example as to how our words kill others. When you keep telling people (as you're speaking life to yourself) that you interact with the following phrases, "You're incompetent, you're just like your mother/father - a good for nothing; you'll never be better than me; God's favor is on me and you'll be blessed if you do what I tell you to do; you're old; you're deteriorating; you're just like the other men; you're too good for me; you're not good enough; you're not spiritual enough to be in my circle; you're not like my pastor" and the list goes on. When a person hears phrases like this from you, whether you know it or not, you are abetting in a person's physical death, mental death or worse, spiritual death. Another example is this: at my former church, the pastor would say cursed are those who didn't attend his church. 

Here's something that you may not have thought of, our silence can actually speak death to others. When we don't stand up for the truth and remain silent, we're actually speaking death to everyone around you. Sure, we can speak life unto ourselves and puff ourselves up, we might want to be careful because we can end up acting just like the Pharisee in Luke 18:10-14. Check this out: "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.' But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

Just a short message to say this: if we can encourage ourselves and speak life to ourselves, speak life to a hurting soul and drop your ego, pride and anything else that may give the tone of speaking death. We can't afford to have our words killing another person.