Threats vs. truth

JULY 1, 2022 BY REGAL WOMAN@TRANSAMEAGLE

http://pexels.com

The prophet Isaiah was a trusted spokesman for God. He heard that King Sennacherib had threatened both the people and King Hezekiah of Judah. Sennacherib didn’t know it yet but Hezekiah had connections in very high places.

There are times when corporations or those who have displayed cocksure behavior will push their weight around. This may happen for a season but God has promised the remnant (those who trust in His unfailing love) that He will not fail to show up and defend the humble.

Raging against God and His Word does not go unnoticed. It can even bring about a visit from the angel of the LORD (as in this passage). Without the Lamb’s blood over the doorposts forming a cross, no one can be saved. (reference to Israel’s captivity in Egypt and God’s miraculous rescue). #lambofGod #whotakesawaythesinoftheworld

It may take time, maybe even three years to experience God’s intended harvest but today is the first step to trust His truth over the empty threats of bullies.

Remember not to give up but to trust Him. – Teresa #chipsaredown #timeforaprophet #truthrefreshes

2 Kings 18:20-37 (ESV)

²⁰ Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Your prayer to me about Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard. ²¹ This is the word that the Lord has spoken concerning him:

“She despises you, she scorns you—
the virgin daughter of Zion;
she wags her head behind you—
the daughter of Jerusalem.

²² “Whom have you mocked and reviled?
Against whom have you raised your voice
and lifted your eyes to the heights?
Against the Holy One of Israel!
²³ By your messengers you have mocked the Lord,
and you have said, ‘With my many chariots
I have gone up the heights of the mountains,
to the far recesses of Lebanon;
I felled its tallest cedars,
its choicest cypresses;
I entered its farthest lodging place,
its most fruitful forest.
²⁴ I dug wells
and drank foreign waters,
and I dried up with the sole of my foot
all the streams of Egypt.’

²⁵ “Have you not heard
that I determined it long ago?
I planned from days of old
what now I bring to pass,
that you should turn fortified cities
into heaps of ruins,
²⁶ while their inhabitants, shorn of strength,
are dismayed and confounded,
and have become like plants of the field
and like tender grass,
like grass on the housetops,
blighted before it is grown.

²⁷ “But I know your sitting down
and your going out and coming in,
and your raging against me.
²⁸ Because you have raged against me
and your complacency has come into my ears,
I will put my hook in your nose
and my bit in your mouth,
and I will turn you back on the way
by which you came.

²⁹ “And this shall be the sign for you: this year eat what grows of itself, and in the second year what springs of the same. Then in the third year sow and reap and plant vineyards, and eat their fruit. ³⁰ And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward.³¹ For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the Lord will do this.

³² “Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria: He shall not come into this city or shoot an arrow there, or come before it with a shield or cast up a siege mound against it. ³³ By the way that he came, by the same he shall return, and he shall not come into this city, declares the Lord.³⁴ For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.”

³⁵ And that night the angel of the Lord went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.³⁶ Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went home and lived at Nineveh. ³⁷ And as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, struck him down with the sword and escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.

Footnotes

1. 2 Kings 18:14 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms
2. 2 Kings 18:29 Hebrew his
3. 2 Kings 18:31 Hebrew Make a blessing with me

https://myreconnection.org/2022/07/01/threats-vs-truth/

How to Spot an Emotional Bully

Written by Dr. Eric Perry

---

“Sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me.” ~Anonymous

I wish the above quote was true. The reality is that, unless you are machine or lack basic human emotions, negative words and behaviors do have a profound effect on the way you feel about yourself. Fortunately, in our current society, we have become vigilant and sensitive to all forms of bullying.  As a result, we are quick to notice this taboo behavior in others and ready to condemn it.

While we readily see this behavior when it is committed by others,  many of us fail to see the same actions in ourselves. It is important to take off our blinders and realize that we may be exhibiting the same behaviors that we condemn.

Below are some behaviors exhibited by an emotional bully. You may recognize this behavior in others or in yourself. By gaining the self-awareness that you may be acting as an emotional bully you can choose to change the behavior. Self-awareness may lead to personal growth if you choose to change negative behavior to positive.  Through positive evolution, you can become happier and as a result, have healthier relationships with others.

Here are some signs of an emotional bully:

1. Constantly interrupts and forces opinions on others
Having a conversation with an emotional bully will leave you feeling unheard and intimidated. In a conversation or discussion, they need to be the one doing all talking. They believe their opinions are the only ones that matter. They do not listen when others are talking. They will wait for a pause or break in the conversation and jump in and state their opinions and thoughts without taking the other person’s point of view.

2. Will Throw a tantrum in order to control an argument
An emotional bully will use emotional outbursts to control a discussion. If they are involved in an argument or discussion that is not going their way they may act out in a childishly and throw a tantrum. They may storm off to another room in order to end a discussion or even resort to jumping up and down in an attempt to physically get the attention back to their point. In many ways, the emotional bully will behave like a toddler trying to get their way by throwing a tantrum. They may yell, scream or cry in order to get the other person to give in to their point of view.

3. Will Accuse and blame
An emotional bully will blame others around them when events in their life are not going as planned. They may accuse others of direct wrongdoing that has led to their shortcomings in life. They may also blame loved ones for their misfortune and will fail to grasp that they may be in their current situation because of their own behavior.

4. Cries as a way to manipulate
An emotional bully has learned to weaponize emotions. When words fail to get them what they want they may resort to crying in order to manipulate the other person.  Crying will usually elicit benevolent emotions from the other person and this will allow the emotional bully to control the situation.

5. Uses profanity 
An emotional bully will use profanity in an aggressive way to intimidate others in order to get their way.

6. Throws objects when upset
When upset, an emotional bully may throw objects around the room so that those around them know they are upset. They may also throw objects in order to intimidate the other person.

7. Emotional hostage
When upset, they let everyone around them aware of their foul mood. They will hold others as emotional hostages. They are held as hostages to the emotional bully’s emotions. Others may feel the need to kowtow around them in order to avoid further drama and will do anything to appease them in order not to upset them.

8. Exhibits passive-aggressive behavior
If an emotional bully does not get their way they will act out their hostilities in an indirect manner. For example, if you choose where to have dinner over the place they suggested then they may become ill during or after they eat.

9. Uses Threats
An emotional bully will threaten certain negative outcomes or negative behaviors in the future if they do not get their way.

10. Seeks revenge
If an emotional bully feels slighted or wronged they will make it a mission to get back at you over the perceived slight.

11. Always needs to have the last word
In an argument or discussion, they always need to have the last word. Even if someone is trying to disengage from the argument the emotional bully will continue to argue until they feel they have made their point.

Thank you for reading. I would love to hear your experience with emotional bullying and how you responded.

The thoughts expressed in this blog post are my own and are not meant to create a therapeutic relationship with the reader. This blog does not replace or substitute the help of a mental health professional. Please note, I am unable to answer your specific mental health questions as I am not fully aware of all of the circumstances.

Kindly,
Dr. Perry

https://drericperry.wordpress.com/2021/12/03/signs-of-an-emotional-bully/

A Duck, A Plumb Bob, A Compass

By Rev. Paul N. Papas II
31 December 2013

Building a house without a plumb bob is like using a compass without a North. Many of our leaders have adopted values without a plumb bob and a compass without a North, leading from behind those rushing to dive off the cliff.

We live in a broken world. Our experiences here are a mixed bag of good and bad, joy and pain—a reality that Solomon expressed when he wrote, “Even in laughter the heart may sorrow, and the end of mirth may be grief” (Prov. 14:13). The merry heart often does grieve, for that is what this life sometimes demands.

I am pretty sure you have heard of the controversy surrounding Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson. Simply put Phil Robertson expressed his personal opinion stating his personal beliefs during an interview for a magazine article and was suspended from his show for speaking what he thought. It was clear he was not acting as a spokesman for A & E, any church, or group. Agree with him or not you should agree that he has a Right to expresses his personal views, just as you and I have that Right. One of the foundations of our Constitutional Republic is the First Amendment:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances

Sadly a group called “GLAAD” felt that bullying and intimidation was going to persuade people that their view was correct and that no one could express an opposing view. Bullying by anyone at anytime is not acceptable.

It has been well said that you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar.

I am a firm believer that even the worst of bullies can have a change of heart and cease being a bully to become a kind and gentle soul.

Bullies only succeed when good people enable the bully by not saying – “that behavior is not acceptable”. Bullies rule by fear – fear of physical, emotional, and/or financial consequences. A bully can be a family member, a “friend”, co-worker, or government employee.

Calling someone a bully does not seem to carry the same stigma as calling someone abusive. It is fairly easy to get a Court Order to keep an abusive person away from you. I don’t know of any bullies who have Court Orders restraining them. There is no difference, other than the name, in the bully’s and abusive person’s actions, intent, and methods.

The Bully/Abusive person causes the same fear, anxiety and consternation to the victim. Many victims need to move, change jobs and expend many hours and spend a lot of money trying to escape the bully/abuser while trying to repair the damage the bully/abuser caused. Often professional assistance is needed for the victim to recover and remain safe. The Bully/Abusive person does not consider the mental health issues they cause their victims while they spew their venomous rants and actions.

The new year will hit us with the reality of the many unwelcomed new regulations and taxes which have been heaped upon us. Some might call it oppressive. You can call it a government being a bully or abusive toward the people they are supposed to be serving. Where do we go to get a Court Order to stop them from abusing us? They’ll be right there if we move or change jobs.

What bully/abusers have in common is that they don’t have a plumb bob of principles and their moral compass has no North. They are like a ship without a rudder wandering aimlessly. They are like the house built on sand that gets washed away by the rain. They go whichever way feels good at the moment to satisfy themselves, yes selfish. This is certainly by no means a permanent impediment in their lives. People who want to can change and receive the peace in their hearts that so desperately seek. They are just looking in all the wrong places.

Phil Robertson was answering the questions with his plumb bob in place and a compass that points North. For far too many the plumb bob and compass were thrown out when the Courts kicked God out of schools. It does not have to remain like this. Each person makes a choice in their personal lives, even if the government does not change, as to whether they will be use a plumb bob and a compass that points North.

We were made to have a plumb bob and a compass that points North in our lives. Let’s tell all Bully/Abusers to: “Get back to where you once belonged”, to quote the Beatles.

Happy New Year.

https://preacher01704.wordpress.com/2014/01/03/a-duck-a-plumb-bob-a-compass/

Chilling First Amendment

By Reverend Paul N Papas II
September 3, 2013

Most people have heard of the First Amendment without understanding it or its history. At this point in time the First Amendment is under assault. Some of these assaults have become vitriolic and devolved into personal attacks. A little history is needed to show how and why we have the First Amendment.

Many of the first settlers to this part of the New World that we now know as the USA came from Great Britain where the King was both head of state and head of the Church of England. At that time adherents to other dominations were ostracized and persecuted which motivated them to flee to seek freedom to worship God according to their denominational doctrine. Some came to this part of the New World directly, some came by way Holland or other countries seeking the freedom to worship God without interference from the government.

When this country decided the Articles of Confederation were not sufficient, they had a choice to amend that or draft a new document, to do that they called a Constitutional Convention. They decided on a new document.

Several delegates to the Constitutional Convention refused to sign the newly drafted constitution because it did not include a bill of rights. Bills of rights were typically parts of the constitutions of the several states of the day (and today), placed there to ensure that certain rights were recognized by the government. Most of the delegates did not feel such a bill was necessary, and other may have been on the fence but were weary from the months of negotiations.

The lack of a bill of rights was one of the main arguments that the Anti-Federalists used to try to convince the public to reject the Constitution. But the need for change was all too evident, and it was not rejected. However, some of the states sent suggestions for amendments to the Constitution to add an enumeration of certain rights. The ratification messages of the states included many varying suggestions, which the very first Congress took under consideration in its very first session. (Note it was not sent to a study committee for some future Congress to settle.)

What makes the first Amendment so important?

The Constitution granted by the people created the government, by contract. In this Contract the federal government is given enough power to protect people’s unalienable rights from being damaged by foreign aggressors and other individuals.

Unalienable Rights can never be taken away by anyone, including the government, because they come from God. Inalienable Rights are granted by the government and subject to cancellation by the government or the people.

Our Founding Fathers gave us a Republic which guarantees each of us our Unalienable Rights. In a Democracy a vote by 51% could cancel the Rights of the other 49%.

The Contract also limits the federal government to ensure that the government itself never became the oppressor and destroyer of those rights.

Once you fully understand those two statements, the reason the First Amendment may be clear.

Our rights come from a power higher than the government, God. If the government could mandate a state religion, there would be no power higher than the official government endorsed religion. Thus our rights would in essence come from our government, and thusly could be taken away by the government.

The Freedoms of Speech, Assembly, and of the Press are there to make sure we had a way to find out what was going on and could let other people know about it if the government ever got the idea not honor the Contract and give itself powers which we the people hadn’t consented to grant them.

If government controlled the message and religious beliefs it would dictate how the people thought and acted. In essence government would have final word on what constitutes open expression of religion and alienate people from their unalienable rights. When you have the power to rule over God, you become God, which is exactly what the First Amendment was created to prevent.

Federal laws are passed by Congress and enacted when signed by the president, or by a veto override. There are some who believe the words “separation of church and state” prevent Prayer or other “religious” activities in public. When Courts determine what the authors of a law meant by a certain word or phrase they review the Congressional Record in order to make a ruling. The phrase “separation of church and state” was written in a private letter by Thomas Jefferson.

The Congressional Records from June 7 to September 25, 1789, record the months of discussions and debates of the ninety Founding Fathers who framed the First Amendment. Significantly, not only was Thomas Jefferson not one of those ninety who framed the First Amendment, but also, during those debates not one of those ninety Framers ever mentioned the phrase “separation of church and state.” It seems logical that if this had been the intent for the First Amendment – as is so frequently asserted-then at least one of those ninety who framed the Amendment would have mentioned that phrase; none did.

If Jefferson’s letter is to be used today, let its context be clearly given – as in previous years. Furthermore, earlier Courts had always viewed Jefferson’s Danbury letter for just what it was: a personal, private letter to a specific group. There is probably no other instance in America’s history where words spoken by a single individual in a private letter – words clearly divorced from their context – have become the sole authorization for a national policy. Jefferson’s Danbury letter should never be invoked as a stand-alone document. A proper analysis of Jefferson’s views must include his numerous other statements on the First Amendment.

The assault on the First Amendment is an assault on God.

There are those who can not win an argument on the merits so they resort to the bully pulpit to abuse, demean and intimidate those with opposing views. The people who resort to such bulling tactics are generally insecure, anxious people who have many fears. Their thinking is that if they bellow enough others will give in, leave, or suggest the one being violated be removed from the situation. Either way the bully gets the sand box to himself. When the abuser/bully is stood up to he looses his power over the one violated. The abuser/bully can create mental health issues for the ones he violates, leaving more carnage.

https://preacher01704.wordpress.com/2013/09/06/chilling-first-amendment/

---

Over 25,000 Sign Petition Demanding Brian Sims Resign After Bullying and Doxxing Pro-Life Women

May 9, 2019 by STEVEN ERTELT

Over 25,000 people have signed a petition sponsored by LifeNews demanding that Pennsylvania state representative Brian Sims resign after he filmed himself twice bullying and harassing pro-life women and teenagers.

His conduct has sparked a national outrage — including a rally planned for Friday with national pro-life leaders in Philadelphia at the Planned Parenthood abortion clinic where Sims harassed pro-life people.

Thousands of people have directed their condemnation of Sims and his actions to an online petition demanding that he resign. Many of the people signing the petition are calling for much more — they want a criminal investigation of Sims for potentially violating state laws against cyberbullying and doxxing. Other signers hope the Pennsylvania state legislature will impeach Sims and remove him from his position as a state representative.

But many of the people signing believe, at minimum, Sims ought to resign because his bullying and harassment behavior was completely inappropriate and inconsistent with the kind of behavior they expect from elected officials.

And while Sims has received wide-spread media attention and condemnation from Republicans across the country, his fellow Democrats have been silent. Most of the national mainstream media has been silent, too.

As far as LifeNews can tell, no Democratic leaders have condemned Sims’ behavior thus far. One group, the Temple University Democrats club, tweeted that it was “proud” of Sims. It later deleted the tweet, but several other tweets posted this week on its pagesupport Sims with the hashtag #IstandWithSims.

Meanwhile, earlier this week, the Republican Party of Pennsylvania sent a letter to U.S. Attorney William McSwain, state Attorney General Josh Shapiro and Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner urging that Sims be investigated.

SIGN THE PETITION: Rep. Brian Sims Should Resign for Harassing Pro-Life Women

The pro-abortion Democrat politician has been condemned repeatedly since he posted a video of himself berating a pro-life sidewalk counselor last week in Philadelphia. A second video that he posted earlier in April showed him offering $100 for the identities of three pro-life teenage girls who were praying peacefully outside the abortion facility with their mother.

His requests suggest that Sims, a state representative, may have been trying to intimidate the 13- and 15-year-old girls through doxxing, a practice where a person’s name and contact information are posted publicly online usually to encourage harassment.

In the first video, Sims also appeared to be attempting to doxx another pro-life woman – he called her an “old white lady” – by asking his viewers for her name and address.

“Shame on you!” Sims said as the woman asked him to get his camera out of her face. “You have a problem protesting in public? Don’t protest in public!

“If you know who this woman is and you can give me her address, we’ll protest out in front of her home. Let’s go protest out of her house and tell her what’s right for her body,” he continued.

For most of the video, the woman silently bore Sims’ bullying. The exception was when he got his camera close to her face and she told him not to.

Sims also repeatedly exerted his power and privilege by mentioning that he is a state representative, including when the woman appeared to be calling police.

His bullying continued for more than eight minutes, the length of the video.

In the second video that Sims posted several weeks ago, he made a similar request. He offered his viewers $100 to identify three teenage girls who were peacefully praying outside the same Planned Parenthood.

“What we’ve got here is a bunch of … pseudo Christian protesters who’ve been out here shaming young girls for being here. So, here’s the deal, I’ve got $100 to anybody who will identify these three, and I will donate to Planned Parenthood,” Sims said in the video.

His actions may have violated consent and cyberbullying laws. The Philadelphia police and district attorney’s office said they are looking into the incident.

Sims released a statement late Tuesday where he did not apologize for his behavior. Instead, he chose to attack pro-life advocates even more by claiming they “slur” and “attack” Planned Parenthood patients – without providing any evidence to support his claims.

Several leading pro-life groups are planning a rally on Friday at the Planned Parenthood abortion facility in Philadelphia where Sims filmed himself twice harassing and bullying pro-life women.

A LifeNews petition calling for Sims’ resignation amassed more than 24,000 signatures this week. And a fundraiser started by the family of the teenage girls has raised more than $95,000 for a charity that helps mothers and babies in the city.

The Planned Parenthood abortion clinic where Sims harassed the women has failed 13 of its 23 safety inspections.

Original here