Does this Shoe Fit?

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References

Amen Clinics

Heart of Sound

 

Look up: 

"Cult Behavior Signs"

Read and Read and Read about Cults. 

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You are not alone.

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Cry out to Jesus!

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Psalm 3

O Lord, how my adversaries have increased!


Many are rising up against me.


Many are saying of my soul,


“There is no deliverance for him in God.” 

But You, O Lord, are a shield about me,


My glory, and the One who lifts my head.


I was crying to the Lord with my voice,


And He answered me from His holy mountain. 

I lay down and slept;


I awoke, for the Lord sustains me.


I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people


Who have set themselves against me round about.

Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God!


For You have smitten 

all my enemies on the cheek;


You have shattered the teeth of the wicked.


Salvation belongs to the Lord;


Your blessing be upon Your people! 

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There is Freedom in Christ! Cry out to Him! 

He will give you a way to escape! And a way to return to a normal life!

He will give you a way to survive if you have "lost" a loved one to a cult-like situation!

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We are Weary and Heavy Ladened

-internet photo

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Matthew 11:28-30

"...[Jesus says] 

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” 

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Weary ones... let us learn to run to Jesus, rest in Jesus, trust in Jesus.  

He is our only hope. 

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Prodigals: Going along with the Crowd

-Yellowstone FB

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"When a prodigal son wants to follow his appetites, or the latest fashion in idols, he tells himself that he has made a careful evaluation of everything when he is in reality just going along with the crowd. At such time, the last thing he wants to listen to is wise counsel."

-Phillip E. Johnson, The Wedge of Truth

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Preserve Your Life! Do Not Consent!

 Proverbs 1:7-19

..."The fear of the Lord is the beginning 

of knowledge;


Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Hear, my son, your father’s instruction


And do not forsake your mother’s teaching;


Indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head

And ornaments about your neck.


My son, if sinners entice you,


Do not consent.


If they say, “Come with us,


Let us lie in wait for blood,


Let us ambush the innocent without cause;


Let us swallow them alive like Sheol,


Even whole, as those who go down to the pit;


We will find all kinds of precious wealth,


We will fill our houses with spoil;


Throw in your lot with us,


We shall all have one purse,”


My son, do not walk in the way with them.


Keep your feet from their path,


For their feet run to evil


And they hasten to shed blood.


Indeed, it is useless to spread the baited net


In the sight of any bird;


But they lie in wait for their own blood;


They ambush their own lives.


So are the ways of everyone 

who gains by violence;


It takes away the life of its possessors."...

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Kindness and Respect

 1 Peter 3:7-9

..."You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing."...

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Not one thing in these verses sound cruel, mean, vicious, controlling, disrespectful, violent, manipulating, crazy-making, lying, tricking, abusive...

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The LORD alone is our Refuge from Treachery and Oppression

Psalm 62

"My soul waits in silence for God only;

From Him is my salvation.

He only is my rock and my salvation,


My stronghold; 

I shall not be greatly shaken.

How long will you assail a man,


That you may murder him, 

all of you,


Like a leaning wall, 

like a tottering fence?

They have counseled only to thrust him down from his high position;


They delight in falsehood;


They bless with their mouth,


But inwardly they curse. 

 

My soul, 

wait in silence for God only,


For my hope is from Him.

He only is my rock and my salvation,


My stronghold;

I shall not be shaken.

On God my salvation and my glory rest;


The rock of my strength, 

my refuge is in God.

Trust in Him at all times, O people;


Pour out your heart before Him;


God is a refuge for us.

Men of low degree are only vanity 

and men of rank are a lie;


In the balances they go up;


They are together lighter than breath.

Do not trust in oppression


And do not vainly hope in robbery;


If riches increase, 

do not set your heart upon them.

Once God has spoken;


Twice I have heard this:


That power belongs to God;

And lovingkindness is Yours, O Lord,


For You recompense a man according to his work."

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Bondage in False Teachings as a Choice

This is a subject I have heard many times over these years where men or women have chosen to follow after wrong thinking into a life of spiritual bondage. 

Each instance has had Bible Believing individuals who have trusted the LORD and followed Him biblically in their life only to be swayed by certain "christians" on the "edge" of biblical theology into aberrant beliefs and ways of life. This usually turns into controlling rules, abuse, false righteousness, twisting God's Word, wrong thinking and beliefs, and damaged relationships.

The LORD has never been wishy-washy about what is required of His people, and, really, He did not give us behaviors we could not manage. 

We all need to look humbly at our Christian behaviors and make very sure we are not making up our own rules or following someone else's rules.

The LORD God is whom we should be following.

Micah 6:8

..."He has told you, O man, what is good;


And what does the Lord require of you


But to do justice, to love kindness,


And to walk humbly with your God..."

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Jesus, Friend of a Wounded Heart

~Yellowstone FB 

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Smile, make 'em think you're happy

Lie and say that things are fine

And hide that empty longing that you feel

Don't ever show it, 

just keep your heart concealed

Why are the days so lonely?

I wonder where, where can a heart go free

And who will dry the tears that no one's seen?

There must be someone to share your silent dreams

Caught like a leaf in the wind

Lookin' for a friend, where can you turn?

Whisper the words of a prayer 

and you'll find Him there

Arms open wide, love in His eyes

Jesus, He meets you where you are

Jesus, He heals your secret scars

All the love you're longing for

Is Jesus, the friend of a wounded heart

Joy comes like the morning

And hope deepens as you grow

And peace, beyond the reaches of your soul

Comes blowing through you, 

for love has made you whole

Once like a leaf in the wind

Looking for a friend, where could you turn?

You spoke the words of a prayer 

and you found Him there

Arms open wide, love in His eyes

Jesus, He meets you where you are

Jesus, He heals your secret scars

All the love you're longing for

Is Jesus, the friend of a wounded heart

He meets you where you are

Jesus, He heals your secret scars

All the love you're longing for, 

all the love that you need

Is Jesus, the friend of a wounded heart

~Wayne Watson

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Romans 8:31-39

..."What then shall we say to these things? 

If God is for us, who is against us?

He who did not spare His own Son, 

but delivered Him over for us all, 

how will He not also with Him 

freely give us all things?

Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? 

God is the one who justifies; 

who is the one who condemns? 

Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, 

rather who was raised, 

who is at the right hand of God, 

who also intercedes for us.

Who will separate us from the love of Christ? 

Will tribulation, 

or distress, 

or persecution, 

or famine, 

or nakedness, 

or peril, 

or sword?

Just as it is written,

“For Your sake we are being put to death 

all day long;
We were considered as sheep 

to be slaughtered.”

But in all these things 

we overwhelmingly conquer 

through Him who loved us.

For I am convinced that neither death, 

nor life, 

nor angels, 

nor principalities, 

nor things present, 

nor things to come, 

nor powers,

nor height, 

nor depth, 

nor any other created thing, 

will be able to separate us 

from the love of God, 

which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

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Glory to God! 

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"God is still God and His faith Shall Not fail us"

 ~Yellowstone FB

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"The dawn is not distant

nor is the night starless; 

love is eternal!

God is still God, 

and His faith shall not fail us:

Christ is eternal!"

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

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Secret Sorrows that only the LORD can soften

~Yellowstone FB

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"Every heart has its secret sorrows, which the world knows not, and oftentimes we call a man cold when he’s only sad."

~Cited on the opening of the movie, I Heard the Bells.

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Psalm 3:3-5

..."But You, O Lord, are a shield about me,

My glory, and the One who lifts my head.

I was crying to the Lord with my voice,

And He answered me from His holy mountain. 

I lay down and slept;

I awoke, for the Lord sustains me."...

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"Be Still, and Wait; and See"

~Mountain Blue Bird, Yellowstone FB

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She waited for the call that never came;

searched every mail for a letter, 

or a note, 

or card, 

that bore his name;

and on her knees at night, 

and on her feet all day,

she stormed Heaven’s gate in his behalf;

she pled for him in Heaven’s high court.

“Be still, and wait; and see”—

the word God gave; 

then she knew that He would do 

in and 

for and 

with him,

that which she never could.

So doubts ignored

she went about her chores with joy—

knowing, 

though spurned,

His word was true.

The prodigal had not returned, 

but God was God,

and there was work to do. 

-Prodigals and Those Who Love Them, by Ruth Bell Graham.

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Hear Him!

 ~Kinsman Co.

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..."Hear Him, ye deaf; His praise, ye dumb,

your loosen'd tongues employ;

ye blind, behold your Savior come;

and leap, ye lame, for joy."

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Nehemiah 8:10

..."Then he said to them,

 'Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, 

and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; 

for this day is holy to our Lord.' 

Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” ...

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Luke 15:3-7

..."So He [Jesus] told them this parable, saying,

“What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?

When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 

‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’

I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance."...

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2 John 1:12

..."Though I have many things to write to you, 

I do not want to do so with paper and ink; 

but I hope to come to you and speak 

face to face, so that your joy may be 

made full."...

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1 Peter 1:3-9

..."Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord 

Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has 

caused us to be born again to a living hope through 

the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 

to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable 

and undefiled and will not fade away, 

reserved in heaven for you, who are protected 

by the power of God through faith for a 

salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

In this you greatly rejoice, even though now 

for a little while, if necessary, you have been 

distressed by various trials, so that the proof 

of your faith, being more precious than gold 

which is perishable, even though tested by fire, 

may be found to result in praise and glory and 

honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and 

though you have not seen Him, you love 

Him, and though you do not see Him now, 

but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with 

joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining 

as the outcome of your faith the salvation 

of your souls."...

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GLORY to the LORD GOD!

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Broken Hearts Rejoice!

..."He speaks -  and, list'ning to His voice,

New life the dead receive;

The mournful, broken hearts rejoice;

The humble poor believe."...

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Psalm 34:18

..."The Lord is near to the brokenhearted

And saves those who are crushed in spirit."...

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The Storms in This Life: Wisdom from the Queen

"It has always been easy to 

hate and destroy.

To build and to cherish 

is much more difficult."

~Wisdom from Queen Elizabeth II

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Ephesians 3:14-21

..."For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,

from whom every family in heaven 

and on earth derives its name,

that He would grant you, 

according to the riches of His glory, 

to be strengthened with power 

through His Spirit in the inner man,

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; 

and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

may be able to comprehend with all the saints 

what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

and to know the love of Christ 

which surpasses knowledge, 

that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. 

Now to Him who is able to do far more

 abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, 

according to the power that works within us,

to Him be the glory in the church and 

in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever.

 Amen."

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Vindicate me, O Lord...

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 Psalm 26:1-5

"Vindicate me, O Lord, 

for I have walked in my integrity,

And I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.

Examine me, O Lord, and try me;

Test my mind and my heart.

For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes,

And I have walked in Your truth.

I do not sit with deceitful men,

Nor will I go with pretenders.

I hate the assembly of evildoers,

And I will not sit with the wicked."...

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1 Corinthians 5:9-13

..."I wrote you in my letter not to associate 

with immoral people;

I did not at all mean with the 

immoral people of this world, 

or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, 

for then you would have to go out of the world.

But actually, I wrote to you not to associate 

with any so-called brother 

if he is an immoral person, or covetous, 

or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, 

or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one.

For what have I to do with judging outsiders? 

Do you not judge those who are within the church?

But those who are outside, God judges. 

Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.

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Matthew 12:33-37

...“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, 

or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; 

for the tree is known by its fruit.

You brood of vipers, how can you, 

being evil, speak what is good? 

For the mouth speaks out of that 

which fills the heart.

The good man brings out of his good treasure 

what is good; 

and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure 

what is evil.

But I tell you that every careless word 

that people speak, 

they shall give an accounting 

for it in the day of judgment.

For by your words you will be justified, 

and by your words you will be condemned.”

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Matthew 7:15-20

“Beware of the false prophets,

who come to you in sheep’s clothing, 

but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

You will know them by their fruits. 

Grapes are not gathered from 

thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? 

So every good tree bears good fruit, 

but the bad tree bears bad fruit.

A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, 

nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.

Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down 

and thrown into the fire.

So then, you will know them by their fruits."

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Psalm 31:12

..."I am forgotten as a dead man, out of mind;

I am like a broken vessel."...

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How can you Forget?

"You never forget the face of the person who destroyed your family."

~unknown

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Oh Why, Oh Why, LORD?!

1 Corinthians 4:1-5

"Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.

In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.

But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself.

For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord.

Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God."...

Psalm 73

"Surely God is good to Israel,


To those who are pure in heart!

 

But as for me, 

my feet came close to stumbling,


My steps had almost slipped.

For I was envious of the arrogant


As I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

For there are no pains in their death,


And their body is fat.

They are not in trouble as other men,


Nor are they plagued like mankind.

Therefore pride is their necklace;


The garment of violence covers them.

Their eye bulges from fatness;


The imaginations of their heart run riot.

They mock and wickedly speak of oppression;


They speak from on high.

They have set their mouth against the heavens,


And their tongue parades through the earth.

Therefore his people return to this place,


And waters of abundance are drunk by them.

They say, 

“How does God know?


And is there knowledge with the Most High?”

Behold, 

these are the wicked;


And always at ease, 

they have increased in wealth.

Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure


And washed my hands in innocence;

For I have been stricken all day long


And chastened every morning.

If I had said, 

“I will speak thus,”


Behold, 

I would have betrayed the generation of Your children.

When I pondered to understand this,


It was troublesome in my sight

Until I came into the sanctuary of God;


Then I perceived their end.

Surely You set them in slippery places;


You cast them down to destruction.

How they are destroyed in a moment!


They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors!

Like a dream when one awakes,


O Lord, 

when aroused, 

You will despise their form.

When my heart was embittered


And I was pierced within,

Then I was senseless and ignorant;


I was like a beast before You.

Nevertheless I am continually with You;


You have taken hold of my right hand.

With Your counsel You will guide me,


And afterward receive me to glory.

Whom have I in heaven but You?


And besides You, 

I desire nothing on earth.

My flesh and my heart may fail,


But God is the strength of my heart 

and my portion forever.

For, behold, 

those who are far from You will perish;


You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You.

But as for me, 

the nearness of God is my good;


I have made the Lord God my refuge,


That I may tell of all Your works.

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Honor Your Mother and Father is for real

~From another mom 

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Exodus 20:12

..."“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you.`"...

And the one after that is pretty good also...

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Grieving for the mother who sent this to us.

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My Anchor is Jesus, and Yours is?

Joshua 1:6,7,9

"...6 Be strong and courageous...

7 ...be strong and very courageous...

...9 Have I not commanded you? 

Be strong and courageous! 

Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

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 Joshua 24:14-15

 

...14 “Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.

15 If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; 

but as for me and my house, 

we will serve the Lord.”...

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