Keep a Tender Conscience

Good Evening to All!

First of all, let me apologize for accidentally closing my comments on last nights post. I somehow accidentally deleted my post last night and had to retype it. I was so tired by the time I got through, I didn't notice that they were disabled. They are now opened again if anyone would care to comment on it.

*****************

The Holy spirit distinctly and expressly declares that in latter times, some will turn away form the faith, giving attention to deluding and seducing spirits and doctrines that demons teach, (2) Through the hypocrisy and pretensions of liars whose consciences are seared (cauterized).
(1 Timothy 4:1-2 AMP.)
In speaking of a "wound" being seared or cauterized, it becomes scar tissue and is unable to feel anything. It is possible for people's consciences to reach the same condition if they are not careful. They become numb or unable to feel what they should be able to feel in their hearts. What God intends for them to feel. The Bible tells us that "God is Love". Therefore it is only logical that it is this feeling that He intends for us to fill our hearts with. Sometimes however, due to years of disobedience, or personal pain, our hearts can become hardened and to begin to resist God's love rather than being gentle and embracing Him. The Key here though is that it is possible through God's grace for us to change.

It is through being tender and sensitive to God that we can immediately sense when we are hurting others or disobeying Him in some way.

There are people who actually deliberately try to turn others away from God, just because they don't believe in Him, and there are those who don't do it intentionally, but are so hurt that they lash out and complain to others about their bad feelings and end up turning others away from Him as well.

We must not judge these people. We must pray for them. We must ask God to soften their hearts and bring them back to Him. As far as people who do this unintentionally, we should also pray that they not only develop a tender heart, but also a hunger for God and His Word. Pray that they will go looking for answers through prayer and by studying His Word.

It is a wonderful feeling to be able to feel close enough to God that we can
immediately feel His presence and discern whether we are doing something to displease Him . We can then ask for His forgiveness and it will change our behavior and demeanor.

We must Always be sure to thank Him for dealing with us, and make sure that we keep in tune with the Holy Spirit for a couple of reasons. First because this is a way God talks to us and we must learn to constantly listen for His voice because the Holy Spirit is what guides us into All Truths and nudges us when we are trying to make decisions. It tells us right from wrong. The more we listen and obey the Holy Spirit, the more we will be able to discern the different voices
(Holy Spirit, our flesh, or even God's adversary). As I said last night, we will all make mistakes at one time or another. Ive made decisions before that I thought were from God, only to find out that they were of my own making. Needless to say, they didn't turn out too well. We cannot be afraid to make mistakes though. It is through this process that we learn and become better at discerning the voice in our spirit. The more we do it the closer to God we will become because He will see that we are serious about listening for His voice and obey His Will.

We must not let others pain and ill feelings toward God influence us. We need to rely on our own experiences with Him. We need to continue to pray and talk to Him. If we encounter someone who we notice very quickly that they are having "issues" with God, we need to pray for them. I would say that we should discuss it with them a little bit and see if we can help clarify the problem and help ease it, but don't get taken in to a deep debate. If you see that nothing you say is going to change their mind, or if they are very adamant about it, just let it go, and put them on your prayer list.

The reason I say this is because a seared conscience is usually not something that can be fixed in 5 minutes, and it would probably take more than a couple of Bible verses to change their heart, so don't expect to see a change right then. Remember, one plants, one waters, and God gives the increase. As long as we plant a seed in their heart that God loves them and forgives them, then someone else can come along and edge them a little closer until God changes their heart. He knows just the right time.

May we all be tough in our resolve, but tender in our hearts.

Good Night to All and May God Bless!