Purity Before The Lord And Submission To God

[Brother Jeff]

I wrote the following religious bullshit study several months ago during what was hopefully my last bipolar-induced trip into fundie fantasy land. I was serious about it then, but I find it very amusing to read now. I thought it was worth sharing because of the humor factor, if nothing else. It goes to show how fucked up my "thinking" was back then, and how fucked up and ridiculous religion is generally, I think. Anyway, here it is:

 

The Lord led me to read the book of Zephaniah today, and as I studied it I thought about how we need to purify ourselves before the Lord and get false gods and idols out of our lives.

 

"I will stretch out My hand against Judah,

And against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

I will cut off every trace of Baal from this place,

The names of the idolatrous priests with the pagan priests—

Those who worship the host of heaven on the housetops;

Those who worship and swear oaths by the LORD,

But who also swear by Milcom;

Those who have turned back from following the LORD,

And have not sought the LORD, nor inquired of Him." (Zeph. 1:4-6)

 

Practicing astrology and the worship of Baal were constant problems for Israel. These practices angered the Lord, and He said that He would "cut off every trace of Baal from this place". Idolatry angers the LORD! He alone is GOD, and He alone is worthy of worship! I encourage us all to search our hearts and surrender anything that is not of HIM to the Lord and get it out of our lives!

 

"But who also swear by Milcom (either an Ammonite deity or Molech, according to the MacArthur Study Bible)"

 

As Jesus said in Matthew 6:24, no man can serve two masters, for he will hate the one and love the other. It is impossible to be totally submitted to God and be an idolator at the same time. We MUST strive to be pure before the Lord, not in our own strength but in HIS strength. Let us pray that God would show us the areas in our lives that are not totally submitted to HIM so we can give those areas to HIM and be pure vessels for HIS glory.

 

"And it shall come to pass at that time

That I will search Jerusalem with lamps,

And punish the men

Who are settled in complacency,

Who say in their heart,

 

'The LORD will not do good,

Nor will He do evil.' (Zeph. 1:12)

 

How many of us have been or are "settled into complacency" when it comes to the things of God? How many of us are complacent when it comes to spending time in prayer and worship, and in reading the Word of God? I know I have been complacent at times, and it is easy to do. But God calls us to a living relationship with HIM wherein doing the things of God becomes a JOY rather than a burden. As Jesus said in Matthew 11:30, "My yoke is easy and my burden is light". I challenge each of us to renew our commitment to GOD and to doing HIS works. As Jesus said in John 4:34, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me...". We should always be about our Father's business! We should allow HIM to rule in every aspect of our lives!

 

"The LORD will not do good, Nor will He do evil."

 

This is what complacent Christians believe concerning their sins. They convince themselves - with Satan's help - that their sin is okay, that God is forgiving and will look past it. But this is a half-truth. Yes, God is forgiving, but sin OFFENDS and ANGERS and HURTS God - Who is HOLY. God forbid that we should abuse His grace and sin willfully!

 

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:1-11)

 

We should count ourselves dead to sin and alive in Christ! Sin has lost its power over us, and we reign in life by Jesus Christ! (Romans 5:17)

 

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:1-2)

 

Let us all submit ourselves totally to GOD - which is our reasonable service - considering the great salvation that we have been given! (Hebrews 2:3) Amen!

 

[Mythra]

I think I like the real brother Jeff better.

 

But, that post does bring back memories. Not good ones, mind you. Just memories.

[Brother Jeff]

I like the real me better too, Brother Mythra. That post brings back the same sort of memories for me too.

[Legion]

I wrote the following religious bullshit study several months ago during what was hopefully my last bipolar-induced trip into fundie fantasy land.

Brother Jeff they have some pretty good medications now to treat manic-depression. You can get off the rollercoaster ride if you want to.

[Brother Jeff]

I wrote the following religious bullshit study several months ago during what was hopefully my last bipolar-induced trip into fundie fantasy land.

Brother Jeff they have some pretty good medications now to treat manic-depression. You can get off the rollercoaster ride if you want to.

 

I would actually rather risk riding the rollercoaster than continue to take the dangerous drugs. All of them have potentially horrific side effects, and two of them that I have been on in the past have left me 50+ pounds overweight. I don't call drugs with dangerous side effects that make your weight balloon "good medications". Currently, all of the medications for bipolar SUCK. They make bipolar people PHYSICALLY ILL, FAT, and MISERABLE. And as long as the drug companies are making a killing off of these drugs like they are now, I doubt that a cure for Bipolar Disorder will ever be forthcoming. Why the hell would they search for a cure when they are making so much money off of the drugs?

 

I say FUCK them and FUCK their dangerous drugs.

 

Yes, I'm bitter and I'm angry, and I have a right to be. Those fucking drugs almost killed me. I didn't start getting better until I got OFF of the drugs back in 2002. I'll probably always be bipolar, but I'll be damned if I'm going to take drugs that just make me feel WORSE.

 

I went back on the drugs several months ago because of stress at school. That was a mistake, and I should have known that it would be. I gained another 15 pounds or so, my hair started falling out, and I generally physically felt like shit. Shortly before Christmas, I went off of the drugs again, and you know what? I FEEL BETTER. Small wonder since I'm not filling my body up with dangerous, toxic drugs.

 

I take a natural approach to treating my bipolar illness that usually works pretty well. I eat a healthy diet, I avoid foods that I know from experience make my symptoms worse, I get a moderate amount of exercise, and I make sure that I get enough rest. This approach usually works pretty well, and it is far less dangerous than the drug route for treatment is.

[Legion]

I hear you man. To each his own. If you've found ways to regulate yourself then more power to ya. I know that some of the drugs do have serious side effects. Manic-depression is a tricky one.

[Taphophilia]

Jeff,

 

My ex-husband was/is bipolar and self medicates with drugs and alcohol. When he's manic, he's psychotic. He thinks he has special powers and is invincible. He tapes his families phone conversations and when plays them back he thinks he hears secret plots against him and then not only threatens to kill them but will plan to do so.

[Purple]

I hope I will not be de-railing the thread, but I just wanted to back up what Brother Jeff said here.

 

There isn't a "cure" for bipolar disorder, and medications do not always take you off the roller coaster, and I have not yet met anyone that went to a doctor, got meds and was ok... not with bipolar. They start you off with what a doctor "guesses" will work for you, and then they have to add other drugs, and adjust and play with it. This can take months to years before they have a good drug, or more often a mix of drugs that works for you. This can be an imotional roller coaster ride in and of itself. It isn't just the adjustment and failure of drugs though, there are the side effects, that so many people poo poo like they are small minor things. Some side effect are, like one pill made me sweat like a race horse. Some side effects are not minor though, and.... speaking as someone with bipolar disorder I am so sick of people making comments like.... "you can get off the roller coaster" no, not all people can, the meds are not good, and... they are not a cure.

 

I dunno, the cavilear, "You can get off that roller coaster" just struck a nerve.

[Legion]

I have a touch of the thing myself. Medication, in part, helped me to get off the roller coaster. Sometimes I really miss the mania, but I don't miss the depression at all. Part of me didn't want to GET OFF THE ROLLER COASTER.

 

I don't use the term "bi-polar". Manic-depresion is so much more descriptive a name. And if the phrase "GET OFF THE ROLLER COASTER" bothered you then you need to grow a thicker skin.