Accusers of the Brethren (and the Sisters too)

Grrr... Another one of those images just got posted that imply that someone can live perfectly enough that "if someone slanders you, no one will believe it." 

 One science study I read about proved that people aren't very good about detecting lies when told about other people. People weren't designed to lie and tend to believe whatever they hear first. Accusers count on this. 

 Accusations bring contempt and judgement, which leads to mistreatment when people don't seek to be just and loving. Its the Devil's favorite tool. This message shifts the blame to the victim, who may or may deserve any of it. Proving you are worthy of respect would be cool if it actually worked, but as someone who has tried to live that way, I know that this plan would only work if people gave you a FAIR chance and you were able to show them good things BEFORE the slander campaign kicked in. Even then, enough social pressure can cause you to lose what emotional support you earned. Many people don't care about the truth, just react to who is popular and who isn't. The unpopular can't do much for them. 

 Its hard to prove your worthiness if people listen to the slanderer first, especially if the slanderer SEEMS to be popular/respectable/influential. People always look at you judgmentally if they hear ugly stuff first. The listeners feel like they are better than you because THEY aren't being run down like you are right now. The 'safe' herd often figures they don't need to risk giving you any grace & space to show them that you are different from the bad stuff they heard. You don't have to deserve any of it for life to be this way. Entire GROUPS of people have had accusations heaped upon whatever ethnicity, faith, etc. they were in. Hate doesn't have to be personal.

 Most people don't think too hard about what they heard. Those who do have often been victimized too. 

 Actually people still believe slander even about the perfect one, Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ has been slandered a lot, on Earth, and in Heaven - since his ascension. Jesus is perfect, and was still maligned. We can expect trials that come from lies about us too. We cannot hope to make the Accuser of the Brethren (Satan) back off because 'no one will believe ugly lies about me.' Do your best to not deserve it, but the Bible says: 

 1 John 3:12-14…

12 "Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did Cain slay him? Because his own deeds were evil, while those of his brother were righteous. 13 So do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death.… "

 John 15:17-18
 Jesus says: 17 This is My command to you: Love one another. 18 If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first. 19 If you were of the world, it would love you as its own. Instead, the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.… 

 1 Peter 12:12-19 12
"Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”[a] 19 So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good."

Fat Shamers Never Went Away

Well said. I can't recall a time when ugly-hearted people didn't feel free to ridicule my weight issues. They frequently play on public prejudices against those fighting weight issues. Even kids who are actually tiny, can get fat-shaming verbal abuse. It really is bullying.

The assumption that people could just lose weight if they followed the usual advice on using diet foods, cutting their portions, and exercising a bit more is based on misinformation.

More exercise (with no other change) just makes you hungrier. Eat more floured grain products and you will get bigger. 'Low fat,' trendy 'diet' foods can mess up your body even more with hidden sugars and/or chemicals. Cutting out HFCS and cutting sugar way down IS good advice, and once you do that, it is so much easier to cut down portions. Not only do you need more veggies and meats, its necessary to find fresh food with fewer pesticides. Poverty does make all that harder.

I have lost a lot of weight but all my efforts over the years were always hurt by the fat-shamers. Now I know which foods I have to avoid and which supplements I need to help to boost my poverty-damaged metabolism. It had nothing to do with my determination, ethics, or personal value.

From Heaven to Silicon Valley - my thoughts

 

 

I felt this video had a very good point in it.

It is harder to see hunger when you are very full.

It is hard to picture desperate places when at an opulent resort in Pebble Beach, even when you are only there to speak for the poor at a charity event.

It is hard to understand what a chronic illness, ongoing health problem, or disability will do to someone's ability to get things done when you are healthy. Even if you have a disability, the tendency is to think that others should be able to do as much as you do, when their illness/disability is different than yours

It is harder to understand those who have been isolated when you have always had lots of social/familial support.. and so on.

There are many ways to be 'rich' as well as to be poor.

Poor people have to watch out for the mind-bending effects of environment/circumstance too.

Conversely, just as the rich have trouble seeing need, the poor have trouble seeing why others aren't meeting all their needs.

There is a tendency to expect everyone to know how desperate you feel when you are in need, and to be angry when you think someone can fix it... and they aren't. Whether its a doctor who doesn't seem to hear you about a scary symptom or a relative / church friend who isn't sharing resources you think they could easily part with to meet your needs. That anger comes from fear that your needs won't be met, an attitude of worry that comes from not depending on God completely. I am not judging that reaction. Its not easy to trust God in every circumstance. Trusting God only grows with practicing your faith in Him, and it is never a fun day when you are being stretched that way.

Thing is, when we are feeling freaked about the poor state of our health, familial support, or wealth (circumstances) - this will also affect our willingness to see any reality that is not what we have around us or expect to see elsewhere. We to want to believe people can help us when maybe they can't. Most everybody looks richer than they are when we are feeling very poor. We don't see their needs clearly, and how their provisions stack up against their list of needs.

We aren't necessarily doing unbiased math and making a reasonable request based on it. We want what we want. We need what we need. If we aren't actually, seriously, trusting God for those wants and needs, we are going to be tempted to be angry with those we know when our needs get scary.

Believers need to be aware of this weakness to see things the way they are in our own lives - right around us - and ask the Holy Spirit for help and guidance in seeing reality clearly, whether rich or poor..

2nd point -

We are not to pressure each other into more than following Jesus with a clear conscience.

Like most missionaries I have ever encountered, Mr. Chan tends to believe that all serious followers of Christ need to serve in the same way he has done. This is in spite of the examples (even a few in the video) where a brother or sister sold all they had and donated the results, then tried to join the missionaries only for the Holy Spirit to witness that this was not the path Christ had for them. Mr. Chan is getting to where he recognizes that believers may be of more use to the poor where they are, but he is still leaning toward the idea that we should all do something like what he is doing to be pleasing to God.

I have seen a tendency from those who zealously dedicate their lives to God to think the extra, cool thing they once gave voluntarily to God (and God loves that dedication!) to later be mandatory on all other believers. In fact they will start dropping comments that suggest all serious Christians will do exactly as the zealots did. Nope! Actually this is another version of the same weak tendency to judge all others by what we know around us. If we do the Friday Jewish Sabbath instead of Sunday service, or refrain from eating meat, or carefully tithe the herbs from our garden according to the Old Testament's instructions, shouldn't everyone? The New Testament speaks to these examples directly and says quite plainly that we should not judge each other over such things.

While we should be willing to live sacrificially, God calls us to different walks. Even in his time on Earth, Jesus didn't ask everyone to sell all they had, give it to the poor, and follow him around Judea. The choice given to the Rich Young Ruler was not required of Nicodemus, who was simply asked if he would be born again. Zacharias gave half of his excess wealth to the poor and paid four times what he owed to others, and Jesus was apparently satisfied with that offer.

The point was that the Rich Young Ruler was owned by his possessions and status, where others were able to own good things and use them for God's glory and the good of those around them.

3rd point -

Sometimes God says, "No" - even to very poor people. He knows their needs, but he also knows their hearts.

Mr. Chan gives several stories of how God sent him to a place with great poverty and illness in the population but, then, after a while, God tells Mr. Chan to go to another place even though there was still great physical needs all around him. He was puzzled by this, but obeyed. I think Brother Chan knows God well enough to know that his ministry would not be blessed if he stayed when God said to leave.

This is a direct example of God suggesting that we are not always to feel obligated to fix everything we see broken in the world around us. We are not expected to give everyone we encounter everything we have until we have poured out our existence into the bottomless well of poverty that Jesus said would exist until Christ returns. We are supposed to pray about what we do and use the discernment the Holy Spirit provides.

Okay, you say, but Brother Chan was sent to a place to help all the poor people there for a season and then sent away again. Why is Brother Chan to leave when so many poor people still could have used his help in obtaining their daily needs where he was?

Its very likely that Brother Chan had already done what he had been sent to do and learned what Jesus wanted Chan to learn. He may have reached whoever God sent Chan to help. God knows whose hearts are open to being saved, and who can't be helped for more than with a physical need on a single day.

Not everyone who holds their hand out to get help will have a good attitude about what they receive. Human nature can be moved by missionary/Christian generosity when God blesses, but humans can also be cynical about what they get and willing to transfer their anger to the nearest target, which can be the person trying to help them.

The locals may decide that because Mr. Chan is from a Western country, that whatever they get off of him was owed by his country anyway. They may take whatever Chan and his ministry shared as getting gifts from gullible idiots because of their pathetic philosophy. Someone may even start a slander campaign, suggesting Chan's motives were impure. If he was killed because of such slander, he would be a Holy Martyr, but those who betrayed him would excuse it with whatever self-justification head-trip they had decided on, and say he deserved it. Human nature becomes intense when in need, and can turn septic when it listens to the demons of disdain, fear, greed, anger, etc.

I can directly witness that I personally have been very hurt and betrayed by people I tried to help. I have gotten very ugly responses from places where I sent goodwill gifts. If an effort of generosity only produces more sin in the recipient, then I am literally doing the person no lasting good. I will only persist past this point if God specifically tells me to do so.

This is where you get into the parable about pearls and swine, and how pigs may turn and try to hurt those who give the swine gifts they don't value or understand.

The idea that we MUST be trying to save everyone who needs saving misses the point that it is always God who does ALL saving, both on Earth and in Heaven, whether it is through somebody choosing to be a vessel of blessing or through direct manna-ish miracles from God our Father. Jesus doesn't need us, but He wants us to follow him and bless those around us in His name. Yes, we should keep the needy, hurting, and endangered in prayer. Yes, we should help materially when God leads us to anyone in particular. We should always care, but we aren't the saviors of this hurting world. Jesus is the Christ, and we are his simple, redeemed instruments of grace.

Technically, God didn't even need Chan to go on these missionary trips to help the people Chan has helped. God can provide for and reach anyone anywhere. God also has His angels. God just prefers to use people to witness and help each other where possible. Christ likes letting us help. Loving those around us gives us cool stuff to do. ;)

Walking Away

Not aiming this at anyone in particular, but thinking about the meme image itself.

Sometimes this is very good advice, especially if someone thinks they can just use you or bad talk you - especially if it is because they didn't get what they wanted or are even trying to excuse something bad they want to do to you next! If you don't live with them or under their control in some way, then letting them go is an easy answer. It may or may not be God's answer, but it is understandable to feel that way.

Sometimes in life though - people were/are living in a dependent situation because of youth, bad health, and/ or other things - and were/ are being abused and this walking away thing isn't or wasn't a practical option for many years. if anyone has been badly treated for a long time, there is going to be damage done that only Jesus can (and will) heal. Its still going to take time though, and even being willing to give all that hurt to God, they are still going to have bitter & angry days while they recover from physical, emotional &/ or mental damage.

Its hard to stay positive if you have been subjected to a TON of negative, and even more irritating if someone judges you for not being cheery enough because they choose not to care about what happened to you. Sometimes people aren't just being hard-hearted though. Sometimes figure they are helping injured person move on - like an in-life physical therapist. Sometimes that is a good thing. Sometimes it totally isn't. The crippled don't need to hear how they should be running faster. I guess that is why all decisions like this dealing with the injured, those trying not to be bitter for all the emotional abuse they received, and those surrounded by negative mouths, etc -need to be double-checked with God's Holy Spirit. We all need wise, loving discernment on what these issues (and so many more)

Forgiving versus Reconciliation

Forgiveness vs Reconciliation

Basic thought here is that forgiving someone doesn't mean the relationship is fixed and you have to act like nothing ever happened - especially if they never apologized / repented / continued to treat you badly

As Yvonne said, there are some good thoughts here, and also a few cringe-worthy grammar/usage errors. Eesh *shudders*

My thoughts:

I have had entirely too much practice with these issues.
*rolls eyes*

I have noted before that carnal, manipulative people sometimes try to redefine forgiveness as the victim has to act like the bad stuff never happened or they 'aren't real Christians,' and this just isn't correct.

Forgiveness actually means you internally let go of any vengeance or resentment and give it to God, because He bought everyone's sin and vengeance on the Cross. If God feels vengeance is required, He will arrange it. "Vengeance is God's and He will repay."

You are letting go and letting God.

I do believe in giving people space to make another choice (trying to walk in mercy/grace), but when they don't, when they continue on being hurtful or get even worse after being told bad behavior/ugly attitudes aren't appreciated, then I believe we have to let go entirely of even the idea that we can have a real relationship with a (soon to be former) 'friend' who thinks they can despise / disrespect us - or what connection is left will become very unhealthy.

If those who hurt you never repent, never apologize, and never seek to reconcile, then the former relationship remains damaged or dead. That is reality.

 'Turning the other cheek' (once) doesn't equal volunteering to be someone's regular punching bag. Its not even a good witness to those sinning against you to think that being a serious Christian means being a doormat. It is not a correct interpretation of Biblical forgiveness, and doesn't give much of a warning of what they can expect from God if they don't repent. Injuring God's people invokes Abraham's Promise, which says that God will bless those who bless his people and curse those who curse them. This promise was given to Abraham's lineage - and to all Christians by the Christian adoption though Christ's atonement. When someone wrongs a believer walking in faith then they curse themselves, and the works of their hands (especially those works associated with the abuse), etc.

Only God can change the natural result (no good relationship) into a friendship again, but that is a miracle that both sides have to seek / ask God for, or it won't happen.

You can and should pray for those who deliberately, spitefully, and pridefully hurt you, but give God your hurt love/friendship too. Don't expect anything better from those who have chosen to be your enemy. They may repent someday, but you can't count on that. Don't stay open to being hurt by them again and again. Don't think you have to pretend it didn't happen. Forgive them as best you can but move on away from them. Praying for their salvation and other good things will keep your heart right before God about them. (Just make sure you aren't really ranting/rehearsing you resentments endlessly to God. That's not letting really forgiving and letting go. No, this isn't easy at first, so it is best to ask God to purify your prayers and heart concerning them until purified attitude finally sticks. It takes time and prayerful persistence to get this right, making sure you are on the same page with the Holy Spirit.)

If you want to see that painful taking a dying 'friendship' to God over and over process in action you only have to read a lot of my old blogs. I was very seriously betrayed by several people I had cared about very much.

To my knowledge they have never repented of what they did - or the excessively prideful attitudes that inspired their ugliness. Personally I cannot 'accept the apology I didn't get' - because there wasn't one, but I did release them to their fate. I pray for them to repent and get right with God but that will not release them from the curse(s) they earned. They actually will have to repent to get free of that consequence. Additionally our relationship remains dead without a real apology and attempt at reconciliation from their side.

This is the video the article references

Another video from the same counselor deals with anger issues people have when they believe are treated unjustly.  This has certainly been true for us!

RPG Character Quiz

The What D&D Character Am I? Quiz

I Am A: Neutral Good Elf Wizard (6th Level)


Ability Scores:

Strength-8

Dexterity-9

Constitution-9

Intelligence-16

Wisdom-16

Charisma-13


Alignment:
Neutral Good A neutral good character does the best that a good person can do. He is devoted to helping others. He works with kings and magistrates but does not feel beholden to them. Neutral good is the best alignment you can be because it means doing what is good without bias for or against order. However, neutral good can be a dangerous alignment when it advances mediocrity by limiting the actions of the truly capable.


Race:
Elves are known for their poetry, song, and magical arts, but when danger threatens they show great skill with weapons and strategy. Elves can live to be over 700 years old and, by human standards, are slow to make friends and enemies, and even slower to forget them. Elves are slim and stand 4.5 to 5.5 feet tall. They have no facial or body hair, prefer comfortable clothes, and possess unearthly grace. Many others races find them hauntingly beautiful.


Class:
Wizards are arcane spellcasters who depend on intensive study to create their magic. To wizards, magic is not a talent but a difficult, rewarding art. When they are prepared for battle, wizards can use their spells to devastating effect. When caught by surprise, they are vulnerable. The wizard's strength is her spells, everything else is secondary. She learns new spells as she experiments and grows in experience, and she can also learn them from other wizards. In addition, over time a wizard learns to manipulate her spells so they go farther, work better, or are improved in some other way. A wizard can call a familiar- a small, magical, animal companion that serves her. With a high Intelligence, wizards are capable of casting very high levels of spells.


Find out What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?, courtesy of Easydamus (e-mail)

Rant - What You Do to the Least/Poorest of Christ's Brethren, You've Done to Jesus

A lovely Christian lady shared a link that encouraged people to not be satisfied with just living their faith in the comfort of their church, but to be actively serving those outside services, as Christ calls us all to do. 

Great quote from it here:

"Church isn’t the place where we draw the line at the door and say to those inside the walls ”We are good. We are right. We are done.” Because when we do that we are saying to those outside, “You are bad. You are wrong. You don’t matter.” "

That attitude is earthly, carnal, 'natural' - fleshly. Its how tribes treat insiders and outsiders / exiles. The blogger was right to rebuke it. The poor do feel marginalized in many churches. In fact poor people soon get the message that they are expected to hide their poverty as much as possible or else be quietly shunned. Its subtle, but in a lot of churches admitting to poverty tends to discourage members from issuing invitations or visiting very much. People don't want friends they fear will bring drama into their lives or be a drain on their resources. (Discernment is called for, of course, but plenty of people aren't praying about when they should and shouldn't get involved. They are just avoiding - as a personal policy - anyone and anything that isn't materially advantageous.) Obviously poor people can attend church services for quite awhile, participating when they can, and find out they are not even considered 'real' members, but external 'mission' cases who show up now and then (and that is if this is an active helpful type of church! ) Add in the retreats, get-together brunches at restaurants, group youth dates, pressures to contribute to big gifts for the leadership, and supplies for studies and so on that poor people just can't do, and its not hard to see how they can end up feeling marginalized every kind of way. Not all churches mean to do this, but many don't really care about it either. After all, poor people are not great customers   tithers. 

One Dear Christian Lady tells me that in a number of churches, those who have been poor once themselves are likely to help quietly with expenses like these. Cool, but why is the church's default policy making poverty - and those helping with it - something that the wise have to keep secret?  How does this honor the instructions we have not to discriminate between rich and poor? I realize that the Church today isn't holding all things in common, but perhaps a stronger look at the implicit attitude of poverty = lower status in the church as a problem would be helpful.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's not entirely related, but, unfortunately, this post triggered my desire to rant about how BAD 'churches' treat poor people since I just had another show of how UNChristlike the local church is when our Jeep broke down again this weekend. It happened while we were out buying the few groceries we could afford at the end of the month with another winter storm on the way. I was already feeling strapped - still having medical and financial trials - and then the car wouldn't start. DH's  health wasn't up to fixing it this time. We had to get a tow home. Exactly one person helped us move the car. Meantime one of the 'church ladies' goes by sniggering and smirking, obviously enjoying our problems (God says He hates that attitude btw) and congratulating herself on being better off financially, clearly believing it's proof she's morally/spiritually superior too.

Help us? Care? Hardly!

I still love Jesus and the Bride, but this kind of stuff angers me so much that it may not sound like it sometimes. I still see good words and actions from Christians online. I know I am not the last real believer in the world. I honor the missionaries and everyday brave souls who may read this who would have stood against such garbage if it happened around them. Don't think I am lumping you in with clowns like that. I'm not. May God bless you always!

 Its just that I am currently still mostly isolated here by the deliberate actions of evil people - some of whom pretend to be Christians when it suits them.

 Yes, I am *still* facing trials (financial and medical,) and I get no help at all from the neighborhood 'church' - in fact they have run their mouths a lot, threatened even, but never done any GOOD at all. 

They have never offered to help - not so much as a helping hand or old part to help with repairing our old equipment, a warm casserole, or even a sympathy card. They have actively discouraged others from treating us kindly - knowing that Jesus calls us to treat everyone, even enemies with kindness. 

They DID try to insist I come to their Bible study so they could tell me how to be a better Christian.:P  Frankly, I see nothing from them any wise believer would emulate, nor do I expect anything like real fellowship from this self-justifying clique who have done us only harm for decades.

You know what, despite what they think, God WILL rescue us again from our current trials whether they participate or not. (It's be a miracle if they did.) When God is for us, it doesn't matter who is against us!
 
& as for the being poor thing -  Jesus lived as a homeless person for much of his ministry on Earth, and this elitist attitude is specifically rebuked several times in the NT. Some people teach that true followers of Jesus won't be poor because of the blessings of the New Covenant. I see that God can bless His followers however He wants, and promises to cover our desperate needs, but the scriptures make it really clear that there will be Faithful Followers of Jesus Who Are Broke - Yea, even unto the Last Days (now)

Here's the Holy Spirit speaking to an impoverished group of believers in Smyrna in The Last Days (now)

⁸ “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.
⁹ “‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander^[a] of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. ¹⁰ Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. ¹¹ He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’

Here's the mention of a 'rich church' in the same era (now) Revelation 3:14-22

¹⁴ “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation.
¹⁵ “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! ¹⁶ So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. ¹⁷ For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. ¹⁸ I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. ¹⁹ Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. ²⁰ Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. ²¹ The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. ²² He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

 
So, anyway, I wrote this growl about these rotten fruit bearers locally .... and I still feel like posting it. You can ignore the rest if you like. I won't blame you. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Church isn’t the place where we draw the line at the door and say to those inside the walls  ”We are good. We are right. We are done.” Because when we do that we are saying to those outside, “You are bad. You are wrong. You don’t matter.”

You want to know how bad it can get?

That negative prideful message of 'we inside are good' (regardless) and you outside are bad (regardless) is EXACTLY what the "church" nearest us gives out as their most consistent 'witness.' As long as they can call themselves a church they hide behind a mantle of respectability they have no real claim to, because I do not believe they care about living the gospel of Jesus Christ. I rather doubt they believe very much in His existence. These are the sorts of 'Christians' who feel that being chosen to represent their social club to a conference is proof of how 'holy' they are, never mind how they act or talk outside service.

As a matter of fact these local 'church-goers' are among the most evil acting people I have ever had the displeasure to encounter anywhere. We have good reason to suppose that they are behind the hostile gossip pogrom my husband's family received starting 40 years ago, after his Dad stopped an attempted heist of silver batteries going off base  (several people from the neighborhood may have been involved and were leaders in this 'church') I lost count of the times we saw them spreading malicious, prideful rubbish to each other in the parking lot, and shouting insults to us (and others) who went by. My husband's family is still convinced that all Christians are total hypocrites who just pretend to be better than others - SPECIFICALLY because of these bozos. 

(For years, even my husband thought I was a good person *in spite* of my strong Christian beliefs. Now that he knows Jesus himself, he knows better. It is Jesus who makes it possible for us to express goodness and patience well beyond personal limits.)

This 'neighborhood church' has made a habit of saying, thinking, and doing evil to those who literally are neighbors to them, in defiance of Christ's instructions. Several of them threatened our children's lives (at a yell) when they were small. The worst was when prominent members threatened kidnapping and dismemberment to our then toddler daughter 'as a joke' - in town. A number of times a group of them made loud comments after services about how easily our house could burn down,  while others of them chortled. (Gave my kids recurring nightmares.) Several encouraged their children to mock ours from their playground over the years, when they weren't trying to make them feel bad they weren't playing with them. People attending there have blatantly encouraged others to vandalize our property and stop drainage ditches (which ended up damaging their buildings, but not ours.) They know we've had medical and financial trials but they just giggle when they see signs of it (like when the car went out again the other night) and treat it as proof that we deserve the dish of satanic attitudes what they've consistently dished out. When hubby was a teen he knew of several times when the local kids framed him for their crimes, knowing the neighborhood would be good with that, as he was basically their Jew. They got used to everyone being okay with lying about and picking on him, beating on him, and then it ramped up. Whenever anything went wrong in the area, they tried to put hubby's name up for it, and at least one goofball group used us as a target because of it, not knowing us personally at all. A number of them actually went to whatever church we sought to attend and witnessed a bunch of lies at whoever started to befriend us. Yes, really.

[Sadly a number believers don't understand that you can't trust the words of those who regularly slander others, even though it says so in the Bible. Some of the real Christians elsewhere told us, and that they wouldn't believe it, but the damage was still done. The REAL message was that anyone who wanted to befriend or help us in the name of the Lord - could pay a price for it, and there are not that many brave souls out there. Churches rarely respond to such situations as a group. In fact they usually pretend this kind of stuff doesn't happen and/or that it isn't their problem. A few people have stood by us anyway, but not many.  There might have been more, but I knew that several of the good hearted, intelligent, brave few were in vulnerable situations themselves, and let the relationships lapse for their sake. I wouldn't be much of a friend if I had wished them to endure what we have. A Word was spoken over me as a kid, that I would be an "Elijah" - a voice for God, often without outside support. Now I know why I was warned about the walk ahead. I was going to need to stay close enough to God that we could be good company with each other, and to keep our little family church encouraged.]

 I know one of them even went online with it. I KNOW this! We found the connections made to put the bad word out. We found the evidence of it. I also know that between his very poor health and the local abuse focused on her, they don't know my son or daughter at all, because they have always been at home, but that hasn't stopped the local jerks from lying their asses off about both of them! That rotten lying thing they did to the father they now do to children/teens/young adults who have never even spoken to them!  The very first time our son went to the local community college, the janitor claimed to know him (they'd never met) and to know he was a thief (never, not even as a little kid) and worse, TO HIS FACE, acting in a threatening manner, and the college refused to do anything about it. They also refused to intervene on the stalking our daughter got when she was there. We attended with her every session to defend her and she STILL got grief... and no justice at all from the authorities there. God has promised to avenge us and I depend on it, because the level of wrong in accusing literal innocents the way they have - --- they got a lot of grief coming from God, that's what!

And it started, and has largely been perpetuated at this so-called 'Church'

And -yes - they definitely tell themselves that they are the good monkeys inside, and those on the other branches deserve whatever poo they feel like flinging.

It outrages me to see so much self-righteousness from such evil-behaving people. We've seen them do a lot of harm with their mouths and actions, but NO GOOD WHATEVER.

GOD IS GOOD

DO YOU REALLY THINK HE IS OKAY WITH YOUR BEING UNRELENTINGLY EVIL??!!

And these idjits have the brass-plated gall to put up signs regularly implying that they are morally superior. That we should come to them to be saved, have fellowship etc.. 

Currently their sign says (on one side) "The sick go to the hospital"

- probably meaning that 'sick' both ways... I know that by now they've heard now I was in the hospital and then filing for help on the bills that the hospital resisted giving me at first, but I now finally been promised relief from it, no thanks to anything they did. Praise God that HE is always there for me!

The other side says "Tomorrow is not a promise"

Put 'em together and it sounds like ill-wishing (which God hates,) and it is likely that this is exactly what is meant.

They've done plenty of 'clever' signs over the years. Mostly we just roll our eyes at the hypocrisy.

They aren't always aimed at us, but we've never been blessed by them except (when they were really egregious) to think that - Hey, maybe God will decide it's time to bless us greatly to show them how little He thinks of their judgmental, hate-filled rubbish. Now, God? Please?

Actually, fewer signs have been as evil-feeling in the last few years, but they are still reinforcing their materialist outlook. The last 'good' sign was "I sing for joy at the work of your hands" & (approximately)  "I am doing a new thing" (notice that God is only implied, not mentioned in either case) - because they are renovating the facade & foyer and like what the workmen are doing. Yes, I saw what you did there. ha ha :P

Probably they are still telling themselves that DH wants to be a wizard and that I can't be any kind of Christian because I don't attend church each week. (Never mind the role they played in this!) So a little threatening-sounding judging stuff might 'bring us to faith?' Well that's how they might put it when pretending it isn't pure evil. I think what they really want is more like us cowering before them, which won't happen...ever...no matter what. People do that to gain mercy anyway, and I don't believe they have ever seen them express any pure good will of any kind, just networking kinda things for each other. They've only ever done even a few public charity type things - and certainly nothing for the downtrodden locally, most especially nothing for those that they down-trod themselves. If we are ever doing really well THEN they would want to prove how 'kind' they are, or cynically try to mend fences while shifting as much blame for their abuse as possible onto other shoulders, especially that of their targets. Any and everything we've said or done in our defense will be used as "proof" that they were "provoked" - even if they finally accept that their behavior concerning us has been consistently Anti-Biblical. 

I sincerely doubt I will ever see them offer any help while we could really use it, let alone in atonement for the evil their group has done to this family over many years.

& That will be my response. You have done this, this, and this - slandered, gossiped, shown pride, contempt, hostility, judgmental arrogance, cursed us with evil words, and more....

 YOU HAVE DONE AND SAID MUCH EVIL -

BUT WHEN DID YOU DO ANYTHING GOOD?

WHEN DID YOU CARE WHAT THE TRUTH ACTUALLY WAS CONCERNING US? 
No you just wanted to justify the garbage you'd said before. 

WHAT MADE YOU THINK YOU HAD THE RIGHT TO JUDGE OUR SITUATION?
Here's a shock for you. You were never authorized to judge whether we were 'really that sick' or not - or anything else. You gave the worst witness in the world to my mother-in-law. Living Jesus before her would have been to show grace, forgiveness, restraint, love... a better way, not confirmation that 'everyone' sits in hateful judgment on everyone else. You told so many ugly stories - even about each other. If she and the others in that clan die unsaved, it will be their choice, but Jesus will be talking to you about your witness to her - and to all of that family.

WHEN WILL YOU FACE THAT SPREADING UGLY RUMORS WAS UNGODLY?

WHEN DID YOU SAY ANYTHING GOOD ABOUT US?
As much as you watched us, you must have seen something you could have praised. Admit, at least, that we are brave and love each other.

WHEN DID YOU PRAY FOR OUR NEEDS?
And I mean real prayers that genuinely wished us well, not the <say ugly thing> 'bless their hearts' routine... Yep, I grew up Southern. I know that game. I don't think much of it.


WHEN DID YOU EVER TRY TO HELP ANY OF US WITH ANY NEED?

WHEN DID YOU EVER APOLOGIZE OR REPENT OF YOUR EVIL IN ANY WAY?

NO, DEMANDING THAT WE COME IN TO YOUR "SERVICES" TO PUT UP WITH YOUR ABUSE AT CLOSE QUARTERS DOES NOT COUNT AS BEING "FRIENDLY." I have no intention of entering into any co-dependent abusive relationships with anyone. Just give that idea up for the foolish dream it is. If you have no respect for me, I shall have no respect and no time for you. Its that simple.

You are so proud of yourselves, and I see nothing to be proud of. You've been nothing but ugly the whole time I've known you - which is over 20 years now.  You want to convince me that you are Christians at all - let alone "witness" to anyone - show me how you've repented. Do and Say LOVING things, because GOD is LOVE and LOVE IS NOT ABUSE. 

It just ticks me off when someone claims the 'Christian' high ground while being arrogant, unloving, unhelpful, disrespectful, and otherwise Anti-Jesus-ish. How dare you!

 /RANT

 They seem incapable of repentance - but God still does miracles, so I won't say its impossible. ALL things are possible with God.