RULING IN THE MIDST OF YOUR ENEMIES ANNEXURE 1

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TTNABS 1 : LESSON 31

RULING IN THE MIDST OF YOUR ENEMIES

ANNEXURE 1

MNEMONIC : “STRIFES”

S ELF IMPORTANCE (PRIDE)

T ALEBEARERS (SLANDERERS) R ESENTMENT (HATRED) I NDIGNATION (ANGER) F AULT FINDING E VIL SPIRITS S ENSUAL DESIRES AMPLIFICATION : 2.3.1 SELF-IMPORTANCE (PRIDE) SYNONYMS = High-mindedness = Conceit = Egotism = Haughtiness = Self centeredness PROVERBS 13:10 (NKJV)

10 By pride comes only contention ... PROVERBS 28:25 (NKJV)

25 He who is of a proud of heart stirs up strife ...

2.3.2 TALEBEARERS (SLANDERERS) AND FOOLISH CONVERSATION

PROVERBS 16:28 (NKJV)

28 A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends

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20 Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth Talebearers cause strife by :

2.3.2.1 INFLICTING WOUNDS (SLANDER)

22 The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly

2.3.2.2 SPEAKING THINGS WHICH THEY OUGHT NOT

1 TIMOTHY 5:13 (NKJV)

13 And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not

2.3.2.3 BOASTING

JAMES 3:5 (NKJV)

5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!

2.3.2.4 IDLE CHATTER

13 And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not

6 A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes

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The fool is calling for strokes; that is, he is looking for trouble

Therefore, idle chatter is akin to foolish conversations DEF : FOOLISH CONVERSATION = Conversation that causes disputes and debates amongst believers

Foolish conversation includes the following :

➢ FABLES

4 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do

TITUS 1:14 (NKJV)

14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth

➢ ENDLESS GENEALOGIES

4 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do

The genealogical records of the Jews were destroyed by Herod

It was therefore a fruitless exercise for the Jews to

continue arguing about their personal genealogies once the genealogical origin of Jesus as Messiah was

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➢ FOOLISH AND UNLEARNED QUESTIONS

23 But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes

These refer to curious questions of no practical importance

➢ FOOLISH JESTING - VULGARITY

EPHESIANS 5:4 (NKJV)

4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks

➢ COMMANDMENTS OF MEN (TRADITION)

TITUS 1:14 (NKJV)

14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth

King David is a sterling example of someone who stops talebearing, even when it concerned the one who wanted to take his life

2 SAMUEL 1:17,20 (NKJV)

17 Then David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son,

20 Tell it not in Gath, proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon-- lest the

daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph

David refused to make Saul the object of gossip

He refused to publish the weaknesses of the church in the local secular press

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2.3.3 RESENTMENT (HATRED)

12 Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins

EXAMPLES :

2.3.3.1 ABSALOM AND AMNON

Absalom hated Amnon for raping his sister

This hidden discord led to murder (2 Samuel 13:22)

Also note that Cain's hidden discord with his brother Abel led to murder

2.3.3.2 SAUL AND DAVID

Saul's hatred for David let to discord between him and David

2.3.3.3 JEWS AND SAMARITANS

The strife that prevailed between Jews and Samaritans was due to mutual hatred

2.3.4 INDIGNATION (ANGER)

22 An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression PROVERBS 15:18 (NKJV)

18 A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife PROVERBS 30:33 (NKJV)

33 Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the

nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife

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EXAMPLES :

2.3.4.1 HAMAN

ESTHER 5:9 (NKJV)

9 Then went Haman forth that day joyful and with a glad heart: but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate, that he stood not up, nor moved for him, he was full of indignation against Mordecai

Haman's indignation against Mordecai led to strife between Haman and the Jews

2.3.4.2 DAVID AND SAUL

1 SAMUEL 18:8 (NKJV)

8 And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have

ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?

2.3.4.3 CAIN AND ABEL

We see in Genesis 4:5-10 that when Cain's sacrifice was rejected by God, Cain became very angry with his brother This anger led to murder

2.3.5 FAULT FINDING

A preoccupation with finding errors in others

The discord between the disciples and the Pharisees : MARK 7:2 (NKJV)

2 And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashed, hands, they found fault

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The Word is clear on the cure for faultfinding : MATTHEW 7:1-5 (NKJV)

1 ‘Judge not, that you be not judged

2For with what judgment you judge, you

will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?

4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye?

5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye’

Scripture teaches us that we must love each other deeply, as love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8)

There is great virtue in covering nakedness

GENESIS 9:23-27 (NKJV)

23 But Shem and Japheth took a

garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and went backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father's nakedness

24 So Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done to him

25 Then he said: ‘Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants he shall be to his brethren’

26 And he said: ‘Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem, and may Canaan be his servant

27 May God enlarge Japheth, and may he dwell in the tents of Shem; and may Canaan be his servant’

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Human (carnal) nature cannot keep secrets or keep quiet 1 KINGS 6:7 (NKJV)

7 And the temple, when it was being built, was built with stone finished at the quarry, so that no hammer or chisel or any iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built

There was no sound on the construction site, when Solomon’s temple was being built

All the shaping was done at the quarry

At the construction site, pre-shaped stones simply slotted into one another easily and soundlessly

If you want to rule, kill strife, kill negativity Do the work quietly, without noisiness

1 THESSALONIANS 4:11 (NKJV)

11 that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we

commanded you,

2.3.5.1 JOSEPH REFUSED TO BE A FAULT-FINDER

GENESIS 40:6-8 (NKJV)

6 And Joseph came in to them in the morning and looked at them, and saw that they were sad

7 So he asked Pharaoh's officers who were with him in the custody of his lord's house, saying, ‘Why do you look so sad today?’

8 And they said to him, ‘We each have had a dream, and there is no interpreter of it’. And Joseph said to them, ‘Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me, please’

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Joseph refused to be a negative complainer

He was interpreting the dreams of others when his own dream appeared to have failed

2.3.6 EVIL SPIRIT

EXAMPLES :

2.3.6.1 THE EVIL SPIRIT BETWEEN ABIMELECH AND THE MEN OF SHECHEM LED TO STRIFE

JUDGES 9:23 (NKJV)

23 Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt

treacherously with Abimelech:

2.3.6.2 EVIL SPIRIT UPON SAUL CAUSED DISCORD BETWEEN SAUL AND DAVID

1 SAMUEL 19:9-11 (NKJV)

9 And the evil spirit from the Lord was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played with his hand

10 And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he

slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night 11 Saul also sent messengers unto

David's house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal David's wife told him, saying, If thou save not thy life to-night, to-morrow thou shalt be slain

2.3.7 SENSUAL DESIRES

JAMES 4:1 (NKJV)

1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

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JAMES 3:14-17 (NKJV)

14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth

15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work

17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy

Main causes are tale-bearing and fault finding To some fault finding has become a ministry

You were not placed on the earth as the second Holy Spirit! The fourth enemy we look at in ‘Ruling in the midst of your enemies’ is, aims