Bitterness/resentment of the brethren

[Jason Bramble]

I made a post on my facebook this evening(Jan 16 2018) and I figured i hadn’t posted here in awhile so I’ll just copy paste it.. A Struggle iam having, and i have no idea how to deal with or cope with… Anyone want to discuss with me?

One of my biggest weaknesses, that really makes me bitter and alittle bit resentful(Secretly) is seeing all these what i deem “Super Christians” on my list having dreams and visions and prophecies… Meanwhile I am just out here trying to hear His voice so I can act appropriately.

I know everyone is called to different things, and it may not be my calling to do what they are doing, but when I see myself struggle through the day like today, getting into arguments with people, then I see on my timeline “Well the Lord said this and that to me” I get really bitter and resentful of my brothers and sisters.

Well whatever I guess.

• This topic was modified 8 years, 4 months ago by Jason Bramble.

[Gary Combs]

Hey, Brother. I understand what you are saying. First of all, I believe all Christians struggle with sin. In fact, I was told long ago if you aren’t struggling, you are probably living in sin! (or something like that). Until our spirits are unbound from these bodies of sin, we are going to be at war with it. Depending on where we are at any given moment (tired, hungry, not reading the bible, not praying) our flesh will get the better of us. If we feed the spirit with things of God, we will be able to suppress the flesh, with the strong help from the Holy Spirit.

Anyway, I’ve been where you are at right now probably more times than I would like to think about. Some of the time, I’m in one of those places I mentioned in the paragraph above (in parentheses) and my flesh is at odds with spiritual things of God. And, this may ruffle a few feathers but, I sometimes question all the folks that say they are “hearing from God and they were told this, or that”. I truly belive there are those that are gifted in this regard by having a more direct connection to the Holy Spirit. But, and this is the tough part to say, there are others that are looking for accolades and attention. I’ll let God deal with that because I can’t see anyone’s heart.

My advice to you right now is to set aside some time for quiet thought, reflection and prayer. Ask the Lord to help you figure out why you are arguing with folks right now, and seeing some things in a negative light. He will help you to see it to make the necessary corrections. We all go through it brother — you are not alone!

-God Bless, Gary

[Jason Bramble]

thanks Brother.. I do try to set aside time after work for reflection and Prayer. It’s just something happened to me recently and it had me a little “Upset with God”(God Forgive me). I was struggling with some particular sin. For MANY years… but I finally had enough and wanted to deal with it. But I didn’t know how. Anywho I had a dream about the subject matter and thought it was from the Lord. Long story shortened it wasn’t cos i was pointed to someone who is a “Super Christian” That Super Christian told me the Lord told him I struggle with it, because deep down i love the sin. Which made sense. So I made the proper corrections to hate the sin and try and remove it from my life.

When I sat down and thought about it. I got vex, I thought “why didn’t he just tell me himself? why did i have to go to this guy?” That was a few weeks ago now. I am not as bitter about that, but when I see him post stuff like dreams and visions and other people I feel the bitterness and alittle resentfulness set in.

[Angela Georgantas]

First of all, I think you might want to re-think your “Super-Christian” theory. You only know what people allow you to know. Only God knows their hearts. I have had one “Super-Christian” tell me that he/she knows something really BAD about another “Super-Christian.” A. Why is SC1 talking behind SC2’s back, and B. What was SC2 thinking? We’re all God’s little dirt people doing the best we can. We all struggle; some of us do it out in the open, and some privately.

If you are working through an issue, God sees you. He will help you get through it, but He does it in His time — which is not often OUR time. But don’t spend your time sad that you are you instead of somebody else. Figure out what you WANT to be and ask God to help you get there.

Oh. I just thought of something. For some reason just this week, I have a new prayer I’ve been praying: “God, please make Your desire for me MY heart’s greatest desire.” (If you want to hear the back story, I could tell you, but it’s kind of embarrassing. I will do it for you, though.:)) Anyway, maybe this might be a prayer you could pray too?

In the mean time, I will pray for your direction.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 4 months ago by Angela Georgantas.

[Jason Bramble]

” “God, please make Your desire for me MY heart’s greatest desire.””
Sounds like a solid Prayer.

Can you tell the story? LOL thanks

[M.E.]

Gary I ALWAYS question it when people say they heard from God, lol. Too much of a skeptic? Nah 😂. There’s too many wolves out there.

I don’t think He’s in the habit of answering questions quite the way we’d like Him to. Jason I’ve wondered the same things as you. Why won’t He just reveal His will to me plainly in a dream so I could just do it? Why do all these people seem to hear from You so clearly when I don’t? Stuff like that. And something I *think*(it was just a thought that came to me, but it had that gentle wisdom feel that I believe is the Holy Spirit teaching me something) He showed me was that He wants us to grow in our ability to hear His Spirit’s leading. So when we’re baby Christians He might ‘yell’, then when we mature He might speak in a normal tone, but as we continue to grow in faith He will start to whisper softer and softer so we will become sensitive in ‘hearing’. Something I heard in ‘God’s Not Dead 2’ was similar. The Grandpa told the main character that she should know that the teacher is always quite during a test (she was a teacher in the movie). I do believe that YHWH reveals things in dreams/visions to some people regularly, BUT when we see this done in scripture it’s not usually over personal matters. I have had one dream I KNOW was from YHWH because it had a completely different feel that even woke me up, and it also came true. I’ve had others that I think were from YHWH, but I’m not 100% on them and even those have been few and far between. It’s just not my gift, and considering what the prophets went through I’m kinda thankful.

Angela, that’s an awesome prayer. Thanks for sharing! ❤

[Louise Brislane]

Jason, Thank you for being open & honest, it is so good to know that I am not the only one who has never heard from the Lord with dreams or visions or even a voice. I too, like you not only envied others but felt like I mustn’t be a real christian as nothing like what others talk about has ever happened to me. I purely walk by faith & have come to trust in the One who saves me because I realise that I read the Scriptures & understand them. I know that non Christians can read the bible but not understand what they are reading. So I stood on that simple fact alone. I started making sure that I spent time with the Lord every day & grew in my love for Him as well as for His Word. I do not understand why I have never ‘heard’ from God like others but have come to understand that with some of us God expects us to walk blindly trusting in Him no matter what!! So keep faithful, trust & obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust & obey. I am now coming to the conclusion that I may never have a dream or a vision or hear a voice but that is okay. I now know & trust others on AMTM that do have dreams or visions etc. They share them & I rejoice now in their gifting, I am no longer bitter or envious. God has chosen this path for me to follow. I intend to stick to it through thick & thin, with a grateful heart because my name is in the Lambs book of Life. I am sure of that much. My foundation is on the Rock & I read the Psalms & I quote the verses & stand on them by faith. So will you join in with me & we will both rejoice in the walk that God has chosen for us to follow, & bless those who have been given dreams or visions etc. We don’t have to figure out whether they are from the Lord or not or what they mean but we can apply them to our lives if they resonate with our spirit. We also have to pray for these guys that they aren’t duped by satan as he can appear as an angel of light & I know of many who have fallen for false dreams etc & had to recant & repent. Blessings my baby brother…

[Gary Combs]

Bless you, Louise. Very well stated.

[Jason Bramble]

Well said and Amen Louise! thanks for sharing that!

[Angela Georgantas]

Okay. Embarrassing story just for you: So, I do this thing at night that calms me down after a stressful day. I get in bed and imagine myself sitting near God’s throne. At first, I was on the side of the throne, and I even imagined a handle on it — like I was holding on so I couldn’t be pulled away (silly, huh?). After a while, I managed to change the image to me sitting by His feet in front of the chair. I no longer have a handle and am in a position where I can put my head on his legs. I believe that this represents growth for me – like more trust. Anyway, imagining myself at the feet of Jesus gets me super calm all at once, and I focus on Him and not on the problems and issues of my day. It’s a self-comforting method like a little kid with a blanket or a thumb, but it works for me. Well, now I have this super crazy DESIRE to be in God’s throne room some day — but not just in it, STATIONED there. I know that’s reserved for people who come out of the tribulation (who serve Him night and day), but I can’t help it. I WANT THAT. So, since I know that God’s time is not my time, and any number of things can happen — not to mention the whole Zebedee-brothers thing where Jesus says, this position “is not Mine to give but it is for whom it has been prepared” — I have started to ask God to make me want what He wants for me. Make me want the position that will be mine. Reading back over this, I hope it doesn’t sound like pride to anyone. I don’t think I’m WORTH this position. It’s just the closest thing to Jesus my mind can imagine, so that is what I want. Embarrassing story, huh?

[M.E.]

Angela, embarrassing? No way! That’s awesome. I basically tell myself stories sometimes to work through different emotions. Kinda like a really long daydream that isn’t always pleasant, lol. I’d say that’s more of an unusual/embarrassing thing, but I really don’t care 😂. If it helps you grow in love of our Heavenly Father that’s all that matters! Thanks for sharing!

[Jason Bramble]

Whats Embarrassing about that? sounds like solid advice which I may bootleg for myself when i feel like iam going through it! Fantastic share sister!

[Kathy Hodges]

I never have visions or even dreams but that doesn’t mean God doesn’t speak to me. I have clearly heard His voice in my heart and my head at the same time. Of course this is the Holy Spirit but it is how He leads me and directs my path. I know it is Him because 1) it is that still quiet voice, unlike the enemy who is loud and obnoxious. 2) it lines up with scripture and what it tells us on how we should be living. 3) it has never led me in the wrong direction…and this is confirmed over the years by it leading me deeper into understanding of God, leading me to a better life, and when I do ignore it I can clearly see that wasn’t what I was supposed to do because my life ends up pretty bad and then I have to ask God to help me get back on track and fix the things I just messed up!

As for what Angela said, I go to sleep basically the same way. I have Roku on my bedroom tv so I put on my YouTube library of praise and worship songs I have collected and listen to the words as I see myself talking to Jesus, at His feet, and worshipping Him. This always allows me to fall into a nice peaceful sleep and usually a dreamless sleep or at least I don’t remember the dreams. I have found when I don’t do this then I have some pretty weird dreams. Of course I always pray for God to be with me while I sleep, protecting me and letting me remember He is there even in my dreams. So Angela this is not embarrassing at all. By telling others about it you might be able to help them if they are struggling so don’t be embarrassed to share it when the Holy Spirit prompts you to do so.

With others such as who Jason referred to as “Super Christians” we must remember to line up what they say with the scriptures and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance. I usually just say “God is this true?” I believe people can have a word of knowledge about us but this does not happen on a regular basis so if people are telling you this I would use the Holy Spirit discernment we have been given as Children of God and test it to see if it is really from God. We have no clue what kind of doors these people are opening and who they are conversing with. As we have already seen mentioned in this thread even the devil can appear as an angel of light. Remember what 1 John 4:1 tells us “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

And Louise when you have thoughts about “mustn’t be a real Christian” remember that comes from the enemy. How many times did the devil tell you these things when you weren’t saved? None! But now that you are a Child of the Most High you will surely hear him spouting this lie of his every chance he gets! We must learn how to put on the whole armor of God and how to use it. The easiest item to learn to use is the Shield of Faith. As long as our faith is in Jesus Christ and what He did at the cross for us then the enemy can shoot all the fiery arrows he has at us but they cannot penetrate the shield and cause us harm. Keep that shield up and ready at all times! Then work on learning how to use the rest of the armor spoken of in Ephesians 6. It’s all about spiritual warfare my friends!

My prayers are with everyone here that we all can help each other draw closer to God!

[Cathleen Dean]

I must say, AAAHHH, my spirit and soul are refreshed reading your dilemma, Jason, and every response. What a wonderful display of Christian confession and love. I too deal with your issue. I also spend time at our Father’s feet at night before I fall asleep. Sometimes I am so troubled and unsettled by the battle the fatigue is overwhelming and only at His feet do I find comfort. The Spirit has also led me to pray for my desire to be only what His desire is for me and for all that seek Him. There is one thing that has brought me closer to our LORD and I would like to share it with you. About 40 years ago I was so desperate, asking every christian I knew quastions that were very real to me, yet no one could answer the questions and they looked at me like I was not a believer because I was even asking. I did everything I was told by preachers and others I thought knew GOD. I wanted GOD to take control of my life and prayed for Him to do so. I begged and pleaded crying out until one night He told me that He had always been in control of my life. The scriptures are full of this teaching from Genesis through Revelation, but I never saw it. Every christian will say that GOD is in control, but do you see it. That is what Jesus was teaching Nichodemus in John 3. That is what the parable of the sower is all about, the seed is the word of the Kingdom of God…HE really is in control of all things, even satan, the demons, and every person, animal, fish, bird…the Almighty God truly is the only Authority in His creation. All things truly do work for the good of those who love Him. Believing this is only the beginning, learning to accept that all things come from His hand is a livelong endeavor. So many mean people and horrible situations and our tendency to respond with hatred or pride or the many ways the flesh reacts rather than recognize that God’s will is being done and responding with love. This is the battle and we truly must crucify the flesh and follow our LORD Jesus in love, believing every thing that happens is His will being done in earth as it is in heaven, in heaven the angels know it is His will, in earth we also can know it is His will. I will continue to pray for you, Jason, and every one that that is seeking God, and hop
e you will pray for me, we all need to enure till the end and that is not easy.

[Angela Georgantas]

Does anyone else miss the “LOVE” button from Facebook? (When sometimes “Like” isn’t enough?)

I love these comments. You guys are awesome!

[Author]

Posts