Three Things That Can Make Any Relationship Stink

Yesterday, we discussed seven follies most people assume are significant. Examples included such as sins such as sexual immorality, anger, and unforgiveness. Today, I’d like to point out three sinful follies we might see as minor, but we should view them with great concern when they manifest in our lives. Because these little sinful follies can become huge problems, especially in our most meaningful relationships. Too often, it’s the little things that often add up to create the most significant stench within our lives spiritually.

Dead flies make the perfumer's ointment give off a stench, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. -Ecclesiastes 10:1 (ESV)

1. Criticism

It may not seem like that big of a deal to point out what you dislike. You may even feel entitled to do so, but it is a sin to live with a mindset of cynicism that constantly fuels a mouth of criticism.

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. -Colossians 3:12–14 (ESV)

2. Lack of empathy

It is impossible to live as a Jesus-follower without compassion. Jesus, himself, consistently modeled a lifestyle moved by empathy. And, just as Paul’s exhortation to the Church at Colossia warns against criticism, it also identifies compassion as an expectation and directive. Meaning it is a command, not a suggestion. And, therefore a lack of empathy can be a sinful act, even though it may not feel like that big of a deal to turn a blind eye to the needs of others.

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. -Colossians 3:12–14 (ESV)

3. Discontentment

It may not seem like a big deal to express discontentment with your house, wardrobe, car, job, church, family, or financial status. But this little thing can become a very big deal. For instance, discontentment cost Adam and Eve the paradise of Eden. They had everything except one thing, yet discontentment focused them on this one thing outside their grasp. Paul cautioned us in this regard by sharing his testimony of the benefits associated with contentment. And he further explained that this kind of lifestyle creates anything but a “stench” spiritually. Instead, it becomes a sweet-smelling savor unto God!

I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me….Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. -Philippians 4:10–13, 18–19 (NKJV)

When we stop to evaluate if we have the dead flies of which Solomon spoke in Ecclesiastes 10 – little sinful follies – poisoning our hearts and souls, it allows us to seek God’s help to remove the things that stink up our lives spiritually. This repentant action gets our hands clean, hearts pure, and minds renewed as we begin to overcome our “stinking thinking” and remember that God shall supply all our needs as He is the one who strengthens us! Through the work of the Holy Spirit, we remove criticism, lack of empathy, and discontentment – the spiritual flies of death – as we reclaim the beautiful fragrance that is pleasing to God in our lives.

I know Jesus will help you in this regard because of the events recorded in Matthew 10, 12, and Luke 11. In each of those instances, Jesus is found to be discussing His acts of casting out the enemy. But each time, he chooses not to call this enemy’s name as we would expect it, Satan or the devil. Instead, Jesus calls him Beelzebub. This intentional act by Jesus is very intriguing because the direct definition of the name Beelzebub is “Lord of the Flies.” Wow! Jesus states that the spiritual flies the enemy lords over and sends into your life will have no authority when Heaven shows up. Jesus can and will cast it out!

The enemy loves to use dead flies to poison the sweet-smelling fragrance of our lives. He craves the opportunity to create a stench that brings destruction to your life. He wants to disrupt the good name of your reputation, as referenced in Ecclesiastes 7:1, but even worse, he wants to disrupt the name of Jesus as a result of your lifestyle choice.

Don’t allow this stench to enter your life. Let Jesus cast out the flies of the and the lord of the flies altogether. You can overcome your follies and live a life that is a sweet-smelling savor unto God as you do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens you! You can run off the flies in our life… You can overcome your little sinful follies… all you need is the name of Jesus! He will help you overcome every hurt, habit, and hang up – every fly of death!

I invite you to view this message in its entirety at this link: https://youtu.be/bybm_0IrRE8

WATCH IT | DISCUSSION GUIDE| MESSAGE NOTES

We want to connect with you and help you take your next steps!

1. Do you have a relationship with Jesus? This decision is the first step in receiving peace in your life. If you are ready to give your life to Jesus, we would love to celebrate with you at 3trees.com.

2. Do you need to rededicate your life to Jesus? If yes, please connect with us at 3trees.com.

3. Do you feel God prompting you to take your next steps? If yes, BEGIN is waiting for you! You can walk through our ONLINE BEGIN class at 3trees.com/begin

4. Would you like to make a difference in our community? Join our captivate team! Visit 3trees.com to find out how you can participate in community outreach opportunities.

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Seven Mistakes that Poison the Meaningfulness of Your Connections with God and Others

As discussed earlier this week, apothecaries or perfumers were people of wealth, honor, and influence in many ancient cultures because of their product’s value. Their sweet-smelling perfumes provided their civilizations, especially in Middle Eastern culture (where water was in short supply), the ability to mask unpleasant body odors. The apothecaries even belonged to notable guilds and sold their perfumes at special bazaars where they made their highly sought after products available. (1)

These apothecaries and their unique perfumes and ointments were in such demand that they often serviced entire regions, traveling from marketplace to marketplace. Obviously, in this period, transportation was a lot different than it is today. It wasn’t easy to get from one place to the next, especially when traveling with a precious product. So maneuvering from one marketplace to another, sometimes on a mass scale, was an arduous journey: wagons, camels, donkeys, oxen, and very rough terrain made for a genuine struggle. During the travel with these valuable fragrances, there was also a battle to protect the product from insects as dead flies could get into the perfumes and ruin them. Especially notorious were “flies of death” that carried bacteria from dead carcasses into society. The bacteria and poison within their systems were dangerous if the fly bit a person, but it could contaminate sweet-smelling perfumes, causing a horrible stench.

This experience bears weight with us spiritually as it can be our story. The journey of life can take a toll on us. We start on fire for God, so excited about being an authentic Jesus-follower! We want a holy life, a righteous life, we strive to obey the Word of God, but as we walk out step after step, the little flies start to creep in – sinful follies start to break the seals – and before we know it, our heart and soul are poisoned.

Solomon called these little follies “dead flies” in Ecclesiastes 10:1, “Dead flies make the perfumer's ointment give off a stench; so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.”

Do you have flies of death – sinful follies – poisoning your heart and soul?

Scripture tells us that there are some specific follies that we must watch out for in our lives. And in context, I believe the Bible implies that these things bring a stench to God’s nostrils:

1. SEXUAL IMMORALITY

And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it: and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob's daughter; which thing ought not to be done. -Gen. 34:7 KJV

2. DISOBEDIENCE

And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel. -Joshua 7:15

3. ANGER

A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man promotes folly. -Proverbs 14:29

4. DECEIT

The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools deceives them. -Proverbs 14:8

5. DRUNKENNESS

I searched in my heart how to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives. I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards. -Ecclesiastes 2:3-4

6. OPPOSING TRUTH

Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was. -Ecclesiastes 3:8-9

7. UNFORGIVENESS

To whom ye forgive anything, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; 14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place. 15 For we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ… -2 Corinthians 2:10, 14

These follies can tip the scale against our wisdom! They outweigh otherwise decisions in your life and diminish the value of your reputation. Worse yet, they just stink spiritually – to God and those who know you best.

I asked you if you had any follies poisoning your heart and soul. Because the truth is that, just like everyone deals with flies in the natural, everyone deals with spiritual flies. Only through daily repentance can we find the suitable repellant and overcome our perpetual hurts, habits, and hang ups.

Allow the Holy Spirit to examine your heart. Get your hands clean, heart pure, and your mind renewed through God's grace. Because to become a light within the darkness, you’ll need to identify and remove the dead flies. So, with God’s help, get the stench out of your life, and let Heaven restore your sweet-smelling savor!

I invite you to view this message in its entirety at this link: https://youtu.be/bybm_0IrRE8

WATCH IT | DISCUSSION GUIDE| MESSAGE NOTES

We want to connect with you and help you take your next steps!

1. Do you have a relationship with Jesus? This decision is the first step in receiving peace in your life. If you are ready to give your life to Jesus, we would love to celebrate with you at 3trees.com.

2. Do you need to rededicate your life to Jesus? If yes, please connect with us at 3trees.com.

3. Do you feel God prompting you to take your next steps? If yes, BEGIN is waiting for you! You can walk through our ONLINE BEGIN class at 3trees.com/begin

4. Would you like to make a difference in our community? Join our captivate team! Visit 3trees.com to find out how you can participate in community outreach opportunities.

5. Subscribe to EricGilbert.org using this link:https://www.ericgilbert.org/subscribe. You'll be able to receive updates directly to your email inbox as we post blogs every Monday, Thursday, and Friday morning.

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1) Cambridge Bible for Schools & Colleges

This Is How You Catch Them!

Samson was able to catch not one fox but three hundred. In doing so, he was declaring that all of the things that were working against God’s people were going to start working for God’s people! First, he took the foxes away from Israel’s vineyards. This action saved the Hebrew vines from destruction. Then, he tied the foxes' tails together, set them on fire, and released them into the fields of his enemy to destroy their harvest.

God wants to give you that kind of testimony in your life!

The things that have been gnawing and eating at you can be caught and overcome. God can bring the fire of his presence into your situation. And He can send the enemy back to where he belongs so that you can experience victory over the little foxes in your most meaningful relationships.

We are all dealing with a little fox in some way. Most likely, little foxes! Meaning more than one issue or struggle chewing away at our minds and hearts. Song of Solomon 2:15 tells us that we must “catch” the foxes in order to prevent their damage.

So how do you catch the spiritual foxes that the enemy sends into our relationships to steal, kill, and destroy? With much success, I believe we can “meaningfully” apply The Five Love Languages of Gary Chapman, Words of Affirmation, Physical Touch, Quality Time, Acts of Service, and Gifts:

1. Meaningfully Affirm

So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. -

1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NLT)

Entitlement and selfishness will keep you from affirming others. Instead, affirm the people within your circle of influence: employees, supervisors, business partners, sponsors, parents, teammates, coaches, and, especially, your spouse and children. Greater levels of meaningfulness tend to arrive on the other side of affirmation.

2. Meaningfully Touch

Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. -Hebrews 13:4 (ESV)

Touch your spouse in a loving and meaningful way – physically.

3. Invest Meaningful Time

Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others. -Philippians 2:4 (ESV)

If you're going to catch the little foxes that are gnawing away at the person you care so much about, you have to spend meaningful time with them. Care about what they are interested in and lean into their life. Schedule meaningful time with them, for example, a date night or a short vacation just for the two of you. Even just ten minutes of uninterrupted quality conversation can go a long way!

4. Meaningfully Serve

But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. -1 Timothy 5:8 (ESV)

God commanded us to meaningfully serve the people with whom we want to have a familial relationship. In fact, God designed it to be a testimony of our faith and belief in Jesus.

5. Meaningfully Give

In all things…remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ -Acts 20:35 (ESV)

Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” -Luke 6:38 (ESV)

Give from the goodness of your heart without expecting to receive something in return. No strings attached! Just give. Not manipulatively, but from the purity of Christ-like generosity.

There are little foxes who will constantly try to sneak into your life. They are coming to chew, gnaw, and eat at the roots and fruit of your most meaningful relationships. But God has more planned for your relationship than dead roots and devoured fruit. So instead, believe that there will be something healthy – something meaningful – something that stands the test of time.

Jesus is more than enough to help you defeat every fox:

On that very day some Pharisees came, saying to Him, “Get out and depart from here, for Herod wants to kill You.” And He said to them, “Go, tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.’ -Luke 13:31–32 (NKJV)

Jesus showed us how to deal with the fox! “Go, tell that fox…” I love Jesus! He announced that even when the spiritual fox possesses a king-like personality, demons will still be cast out, sicknesses will still be healed, and Resurrection Day is still coming!

God has the answer for all the little foxes in your life. He has the solution for the things that are gnawing at your roots and devouring your fruit. He can and will help you catch all the little foxes in your life!

I invite you to view this message in its entirety at this link: https://youtu.be/s9gactgmBc0

WATCH IT | DISCUSSION GUIDE| MESSAGE NOTES

We want to connect with you and help you take your next steps!

1. Do you have a relationship with Jesus? This decision is the first step in receiving peace in your life. If you are ready to give your life to Jesus, we would love to celebrate with you at 3trees.com.

2. Do you need to rededicate your life to Jesus? If yes, please connect with us at 3trees.com.

3. Do you feel God prompting you to take your next steps? If yes, BEGIN is waiting for you! You can walk through our ONLINE BEGIN class at 3trees.com/begin

4. Would you like to make a difference in our community? Join our captivate team! Visit 3trees.com to find out how you can participate in community outreach opportunities.

5. Subscribe to EricGilbert.org using this link:https://www.ericgilbert.org/subscribe. You'll be able to receive updates directly to your email inbox as we post blogs every Monday, Thursday, and Friday morning.