AN ANCIENT..vintage posting..from my FORMER World(beneath) but the ABOVE ..my new apostolic wide area ABOVE
This is a reprint from Dr Taveau’s VINTAGE “THE ENCOURAGING WORD NEWSLETTER” (1987-2000) August 1993
TALK NO MORE VERY PROUDLY
(C) 1993 Taveau D’Arcy All copyrights reserved
“Talk no more very proudly. Let not arrogance go forth from your mouth, for God is a God of knowledge and by Him actions are weighed.” I Samuel 2:3
Dear Leader,
“I have met the Enemy and he is US!” quipped the vintage cartoon character Pogo.
Body of Christ, If we could identify one trait that is the root of division in our midst, the one trait that continually defeats us and resists God’s purpose in our corporate, as well as in our individual lives, would we name it?’
Could it be PRIDE?
Back in the days of the prophet Habakkuk evil lurked on all sides of the righteous. The fierce, warlike Chaldeans were bitter and impetuous. (Hab. 1:6)
In other words, their sense of what was RIGHT and WRONG “proceeded from only themselves.”
Their righteousness was based on human reasoning instead of what the Word of God said. (v. 7)
Because the Chaldeans had the root of PRIDE they developed a false sense of security that indeed resulted in an unpleasant, un-contrite, form of SELF righteousness: based upon their own accomplishments.
These nonbelievers scoffed at all people in authority. “The kings, rulers, they held up to derision and ridicule.” v. 10) Power was their god (v. 11).
They loved the luxurious life. Their food was plentiful and rich. (v. 16)
In Chapter 2 Habakkuk describes the proud human as a persons whose “soul was not straight or right within him.” (v. 4). “His pride makes him reckless and not able to stay at home. His greed is insatiable. ” (v. 5)
Not surprisingly, these bold men of pride were quite popular with the masses. They “collected people and nations as if they owned them.”(V. 5)
They had favor. And they easily tolerated the pop culture and morality of their day.
The book of Zephaniah mentions the proud: those that once knew the Lord:
“Those who have drawn back from following the Lord and those who have not inquired of and required of the Lord as their first necessity.” (Zeph. 1:6 Amp)
Zephaniah warned those unyielding, formerly faithful, that a day was coming when “the mighty man would be unable to flee and would cry bitterly.” (v. 14)
But “They did not listen to or heed the voice (of God); they accepted no correction or instruction; they trusted not the Lord (nor leaned on or was confident in Him, but was more confident in their own (a form of material, social, positional, personal) wealth.” (Zeph. 3:2)
The word of the Lord also came to the prophet Zechariah (chapter 7:9-12 Amp); Let us ponder these words in light of our own hearts:
“Thus says the Lord of Hosts. Execute true judgment and show mercy, kindness and tender compassion, every man to his brother.
And oppress not the widow or the fatherless, the temporary resident or the poor, and let none of you devise, imagine, or think evil against his brother in his heart.
BUT THEY REFUSED to listen and turned a rebellious and stubborn shoulder and made heavy and dull their ears, that they MIGHT NOT HEAR.”
YET they made their hearts as an adamant stone (or diamond point) LEST THEY SHOULD HEAR the law and the words which the Lord of Hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets.”
Body of Christ (across the United States): we have a choice to make: an individual choice: DO WE or DO WE NOT ferret out THE ROOT OF PRIDE in OUR own lives?”
REVIVAL hangs in the balance.
(C)1993 Taveau D’Arcy All copyrights reserved
