Poison words

3/10/11 Thursday
It’s pretty cool out this morning. I got the shower curtain rod installed so now Cherie can hang the shower curtain and we can finally take showers. Been a long time coming. I worked hard on the tree yesterday, not stopping till after 5:00. Am paying for that today for sure but thank God for the pain medication. I’ll get back out there and hopefully finish up the high cutting today. In order to reach the high spots in relative safety I have been pulling the extension ladder up into the tree with me and strapping it in place tightly with the ratchet straps I have. I still have to climb a little higher but can do it fairly safely. It sure has been making Gary’s neighbors nervous. Some have come over to talk with Gary and I. I was able to share about God’s power in our lives, telling of how I fell out of a tree 26 years ago, broke my neck, back, and sustaining the brain injury with subsequent personality change that led to our divorce. And then telling about the car wreck, another broken neck and brain injury, and how through this Cherie and I were reunited and our life was restored. I always enjoy sharing this.

Seems that the Women’s Aglow meeting I was to share this testimony at has been canceled, something about a conflict with the use of the room at the church it’s out. Helen said they would pray about having me present my testimony. Something in my spirit tells me that there have been words spoken that create doubts about who I am. If so the enemy is at work again, using his favorite weapon, gossip and a divisive spirit. This we have battled ever since God restored my life and marriage, there is a constant attack and that tells me that the devil knows God has something in mind for our life and works hard to prevent it.
It's a mess now, but because of this painful, and drastic, pruning this tree will be much healthier and beautiful. So it is with our lives, when we prune out the bad and leave what is good to grow better.


Proverbs 26:22 The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels, And they go down into the innermost parts of the body. 23 Like an earthen vessel overlaid with silver dross Are burning lips and a wicked heart. 24 He who hates disguises it with his lips, But he lays up deceit in his heart. 25 When he speaks graciously, do not believe him, For there are seven abominations in his heart. 26 Though his hatred covers itself with guile, His wickedness will be revealed before the assembly.

One of the things I’ve noticed, is that those who practice such things don’t seem to recognize they are doing anything wrong. In their heart they see themselves as righteous people doing the work of the Lord. Pride is what blinds a person to themselves. How do you speak to them? What can you say? We can see the fruits of these words in how others act towards us, but they won’t sit down and talk and seem to get an attitude when I ask. What’s being said? What kinds of stories are circulating? Don’t know, just recognize the separation it causes and the distance we are kept at.

Proverbs 6:12 A worthless person, a wicked man, Is the one who walks with a perverse mouth, 13 Who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, Who points with his fingers ; 14 Who with perversity in his heart continually devises evil, Who spreads strife. 15 Therefore his calamity will come suddenly ; Instantly he will be broken and there will be no healing. 16 There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: 17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, 19 A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers.

Those things that cause division in the body of Christ are an abomination to God, what He hates the most. Jesus prayed, in John 17, for unity, and it’s this unity that brings power into the church and shows the love of God. How someone can say they love God but not be willing to spend ten minutes talking with someone, sharing and working things out, is beyond me.

1 John 2:9 The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. 10 The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11 But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes

Do I know what I'm doing? Yes and no. Did this for a living 26 years ago but that was a long time. When it comes to things of God the answer is also "Yes and no", but I have extensive training from bible college and more from the life I've lived and the things I see, and am confident that God raised me from the dead and restored my life for a reason.


“I don’t hate my brother!” someone would exclaim, but actions speak louder than words. The Greek word translated “Hate” in this scripture is Miseo, which means not only to hate but also includes detest and despise, to think little of. There doesn’t seem to be a middle ground in the bible when it comes to how we see others. Jesus said several times that we are to Love the Lord our God with all our heart soul and strength, and love our neighbor as our self. That’s real hard to do, loving our neighbor, but love is shown by actions, not empty words, and requires sacrifice, getting close, and getting close can be very uncomfortable. Among the many I’ve met with traumatic brain injuries were several who were hard to talk with and who’s reality wasn’t the same as mine. But when I took the time to understand where they were coming from I discovered a depth of life that otherwise I would have missed out on.

1 John 1:5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth ; 7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin

The Greek word that is translated as fellowship is Koinonia. Here’s the definition as found in Strongs Concordance
Definition fellowship, association, community, communion, joint participation, intercourse, the share which one has in anything, participation, intercourse, fellowship, intimacy, the right hand as a sign and pledge of fellowship (in fulfilling the apostolic office)
Just as this sand it creeping onto the road, so do bad ideas and attitudes creep into our lives, slowly encroaching on the truth we already know, until we suddenly wake up (or hopefully wake up)

It’s pretty clear that this denotes more than a passing “How are you doing”. The early church got together regularly to eat meals with each other and participate together in life. Of course this was at a time that many were being persecuted and killed for their faith and that certainly will break down walls of pride and selfishness that exist so prominently today. Pride would be “How dare he say this, who’s he to talk about fellowship?” It is through humility that God can work, in fact He demands it, and pride, along with the tongue that goes with it, are an abomination to God, something He hates.

Here’s my prayer “Lord help us see our pride, help us choose to be humble, to see the other as more important than ourselves, that we may serve You as You desire”
I always remember the examples Jesus gave us. He washed His disciples feet and said this is how we should act towards one another. He said that we should be servants, taking time to help one another. He died for us and said “No greater love has a man than this, that he should lay down his life for another”.

I heard someone comment recently about how others get bent out of shape because that person wouldn’t talk to them. I wanted to ask “Why won’t you talk with them?” but didn’t get the chance. I don’t understand so many things, but actually I do, only find them incomprehensible in the light of what Jesus said and did. It is pride that hardens the heart and my prayer is that God break down the pride, for that is what’s best for us all.

Time to go climb a tree so got to go.