Pride.

 BY Argie Simonis

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." (Gal. 2:20)

~~ What allows the devil access to our lives is trusting in ourselves ~~

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"Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison." (Matt. 5:25)

When the devil says to me "You can't", I used to say "I can in Jesus name".

Do you know what I do now? I agree! I will let the Lord do it through me instead of trusting in myself. He comforts me and takes the burden off me.

~~ As long as something is relatively doable and I can achieve it on my own, it stresses me out. That's where the devil steps in to stress you out and criticize you.

If it is completely beyond my strength I entrust it to the Lord and rest. I have more peace. ~~

---- THE REAL MEANING OF PRIDE ----

"Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom." (Prov. 13:10)

"The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with." (Prov. 17:14)

What is strife?

1. -- the contention between individuals, strong disagreement, quarrel,

2. -- intense, sharp confrontations and contrasts that lead to disruption of (good) relations that can lead to conflict.

Conclusion:

~~ Every quarrel and every strife that exists in the world comes from the pride of man! ~~

Some may not agree with this, but this is what God's word tells us.

-- Do you feel angry and are you constantly in conflict and arguments with others? It comes from pride.

--- WHAT IS PRIDE?

--- It is arrogance and conceit. To think you are better than others.

--- It's thinking you're worse than everyone else.

--- At the center of pride is ourselves. It is self-centeredness, which makes you feel that everything is about you and that you are the center of the universe.

Arrogance and low self-esteem is pride. They both

 make you compare yourself to others.

~~ Introvert people (shy people) have pride, as well as those who want to draw all the attention to themselves. ~~

The attitude of "What will they think of me?" is pride.

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--- MOSES: AN EXAMPLE OF HUMILITY ---

"And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman." (Numbers 12:1)

It was an interracial marriage and his siblings critisized it and began to elevate themselves.

"And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it." (Numbers 12:2)

Continue reading:

"(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)" (Numbers 12:3)

The Lord punished Miriam with leprosy and Moses later prays and Miriam is healed. Moses' brothers were humiliated and learned a very good lesson for their bad behavior.

At Moses time, there were 3,000,000 Israelites, the Egyptians, the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Jebusites, and all the other nations. Many millions. And yet, MOSES HIMSELF WROTE THIS FOR HIMSELF under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The world would call that pride.

~~ If you care more about what the world will say than what God says about you, then you are not meek (gentle, without anger), so you are proud. ~~

This revelation would bring peace to the whole world.

~~ False humility is legalism and it is a sin. We are nothing more and nothing less than what God says we are (and not the world!). ~~

Many times we hear people say:

"I don't have a good voice", but when that person sings it just captivates you...

These people are fishing for compliments.

Tell them "yes, I agree, your voice sucks" and watch their reaction!

The world has a completely distorted view of what it really means to be humble. 

~~ Recognize and accept what the Lord is working in you, the talents and skills He gives you, but give ALL the glory to Him. Exalt God and not yourself. ~~

This is what Moses did. When the Lord told him to write it, he wrote it. This is essentially what I said in my previous messages.

~~ Recognize and accept what the Lord is working in you, the talents and skills He gives you, but give ALL the glory to Him. Exalt God and not yourself. ~~

This is what Moses did. When the Lord told him to write it, he wrote it. This is essentially what I said in my previous messages.

"For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." (Phil. 3:3)

"Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:" (Phil. 3:4)

There is boasting IN the Lord that is NOT sin, just as there is a justified Lord's anger that is not sin:

"Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:" (Eph. 4:26)

And fear of the Lord:

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding." (Prov. 9:10)

~~ All of us are called to build God's kingdom and not ours. ~~

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"Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom." (Prov. 13:10)

Rage is not caused by our DNA, but by our self-centeredness, the perception that we are the center of the whole world and it's all about us. (What will they think of me, what will they say,? Will they accept me? Will they reject me? Am I better? Am I worse?)

This is suffering! It is ALSO fulishness:

"For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, ARE NOT WISE." (2Cor. 10:12)

Change your perspective and you will see real change in your life.

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:" (Phil. 2:5)

"Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:" (Phil. 2:6)

"But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:" (Phil. 2:7)

"And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." (Phil. 2:8)

"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:" (Phil. 2:9)

"That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;" (Phil. 2:10)

"And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Phil. 2:11)

~~ In the kingdom of God the way up is down. ~~

Jesus is the greatest example of humility, and yet He said:

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6)

They tortured the Lord, humiliated Him, mocked Him, beat Him, and yet:

"Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:" (1Pet. 2:23)

~~ This is how you humble yourself, crucified with the Lord and can love God and other people as yourself! ~~

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father." (John 14:12)

"... for without me ye can do nothing." (John 15:5)

But we are always IN CHRIST! The Lord is the one producing the fruit and brings increase, not us.

"Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?" (1Cor. 3:5)

"I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase." (1Cor. 3:6)

"So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase." (1Cor. 3:7)

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Phil. 4:13)

If you think you can do it yourself:

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jer. 17:9)

Without Christ there is NO good in us. We learn to step aside and let the Lord take the lead in our lives and work great things through us. This will completely change our lives.

Amen!