THE ANTAGONISTICALLY CURSED LIFESTYLE

“Antagonistically Cursed, is a term for people who are constantly criticized for what they are doing against the approval of others’ opinions.  Jesus was constantly disapproved of His method of caretaking for the disciples and His followers.  Jesus would go through the towns and be led to the needy people who were flocking around Him to hear the Good News of His acclamation of freedom for all who chose to be freed.

 

Look at the story of the man who had spent the last thirty-eight years of his life by the pool, (John 5:2-13 NKJV) “Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches.  In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralysed, waiting for the moving of the water.  For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.  Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years.  When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”  The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”  Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.”  And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed and walked.  And that day was the Sabbath.  The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.”  He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’   Then they asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?”  But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place.”

 

The Jewish authorities were jealous of Jesus, and picked on Him for everything they could pick out.  In the case of the above story, the Pharisees labelled Jesus as a lawbreaker of their traditions – but Jesus was not going to give into traditions for the sake of healing a man who could not help himself.  God helps those who cannot help themselves, God provided for him.   Just being on the side of the pool for thirty-eight years, showed his faith was strong to be healed and to receive his miracle of prosperity, and was in the right place at the right time for the right season for Jesus’ passing through that way at that particular time, meant that he was in the right place at the right time for God’s blessings to prevail for all his needs to be met.  God is never too late, or never too early – His time is always appropriate to get the job completed – whether it be a healing, or work issues – if you are in the right place, at the right time He has prompted you to move out from the death you’re into, to a place of life and prosperity, and dignity, and honour, and trustworthy.  Trustworthy - meaning always the same.

Jesus was always the same, and came to bless with goodness and not to curse us.  Curses are inflicted when the person chooses to remain in a hopeless situation for their self-interests alone, without any care to prosper and to better themselves.  Jesus always taught to speak to His Father and ask Him for forgiveness, and to forgive others as in (Matthew 6:9-13) “The Lord’s Prayer,” which allows us to forgive others as well as be forgiven for all our sins, gives ability in times when a person has stepped out from a stagnate situation from darkness into the light of transformation, to acknowledge the good of every man, women and children, on the contrary to the antagonist’s outlays of problems through spoken words against a person’s credibility of why, and for what reasons they do a task?

Now this is what happens when people act disrespectful and untruthful, they coincide with an untruthful danger of an outcast lifestyle – where the person feels comfortable out of sight, and mindless.  This is the pattern which can erupt down the track of one’s life if it’s not dealt with appropriately.  Rather than – to criticize and complain about them, which means they can only remain in their unrewarding place for their losses, instead of complaining about them, we are to praise God for them, so that He can raise them from the position of stagnation, like the man beside the pool for thirty-eight years, and when he encountered Jesus in the right place of obedience, knowing he could be blessed there by that pool and not stay in the comfort of his home – where he would have missed out on his healing being obtained.  Jesus heals today just like yesterday in the Old and New Testament.  He can heal people of all problems – but unless you obey Him to go where He advises, you can miss out on the blessings He can provide.  Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and He is able to provide whatever your needs are – He can bless you with prosperity, just like Abraham was told by God to leave his father’s house and go to the promised land of fertile fields, trusting the leadings of God to bring about what He had promised Abraham for his obedience.

 

When we are obedient God also blesses us, but it’s only when we complain and bicker and disregard God’s promptings to move out and into His blessings that the antagonistic lifestyle turns around to be curses.  Believing they are OK where they are and have no desires to move and change for the better.

 

Antagonistic people curse others for not heeding the laws when they don’t keep the laws themselves in the company of like-minded people – so that when they talk about a particular matter, they have a like-minded agreement together to pick on people – who are improving their lives through hard work and sacrifices for their own lives – in comparison, they believe that due to their circumstances are lacking as a result of undue misfortunes.  No, this is not misfortune, but cursed by themselves with their own tongues criticizing others for what they are doing good.   So they make fun, of how good those people are who are doing everything right, and they cannot understand why they are not blessed too.  Yes, they are being punished for their sins of antagonistically viewing others whom they see are doing well, and their only excuse, is because they have lack, they can’t get ahead.

 

It’s not how much money you have, but the most important factor being the attitude of the successful, opposed to the hypocritical complainer who by his own standards fails because of lack of honour and respect for themselves and others.  When a person does well we should celebrate with them, not just tolerate as the Jews tolerated Jesus as He walked everywhere, feeding and healing the people who chose to follow Him and by being in the right place at the right time – they were healed for the better.

 

People who cannot show appraisal to someone who is successful becomes antagonistically cursed into a lifestyle of continuous dilemmas, and disapproval reeks, havoc through the antagonistic lifestyle unleashed upon themselves.  This lifestyle cannot profit much, but yet they choose to stay put and not move out when God tells them, and then complain about others who are doing well and are well balanced in all their family matters in comparison to their little desert of staying in the place God told them to move out from, into His favourable choices at the place He has provided for them.

 

So my dear friends – heed the voice of the Lord, and when He asks you to move out and go where He tells you – you can be sure it will be in your best interests to do so – or else, “Whoever does not love the Lord (to obey Him) – A curse on him.” (1 Corinthians 16:22 GNT).

 

This is the pattern of God’s love – obey, or remain as you are with no growth – whereas – do as He requests and bring Him honour as our Father – “So that all may go well with you,” and you will prosper and dwell in the place where Jesus can bless and prosper you and not be antagonistically cursed by a lifestyle of uncharacterized deportment of greed, jealousy, and mal-intent towards those who are doing well, and you are not.

 

So please, help Jesus to bless you with all the prosperity of wealth, in health and abundance of the Kingdom come living here on earth as it is in heaven, by obeying and not giving your justifications for doing this or that to remain in the place where God has given you His marching orders to leave, and dwell elsewhere.

 

Nobody in their right mind would give up an opportunity to live and work in a better environment with appreciation, rather than an environment of depreciation and losses, any longer.

 

This is to say to you all out there, who are not working to improve their lifestyles and living standards – wake up!  Before the years pass and regret becomes the only factor to live by.  This is not God’s will, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV).

 

(2 Timothy 1:7 GNT) “For the Spirit that God has given us does not make us timid; instead, His Spirit fills us with power and self-control.”