FLATTERY 1

"A MAN WHO FLATTERS HIS NEIGHBOUR SPREADS A NET FOR HIS FEET."
Proverbs 29:5 (NKJV)

• Flattering is an excessive or insincere praise. It is defined by a dictionary: to compliment excessively and often insincerely, especially in order to win favour.

• Whoever is flattering you, is setting a trap for you (Proverbs 26:28; 29:5).
• A flatterer would make you have a wrong view of yourself. You would want to think more highly of yourself than you ought to:
  "BECAUSE OF THE PRIVILEGE AND AUTHORITY GOD HAS GIVEN ME, I GIVE EACH OF YOU THIS WARNING: DON'T THINK YOU ARE BETTER THAN YOU REALLY ARE. BE HONEST IN YOUR EVALUATION OF YOURSELVES, MEASURING YOURSELVES BY THE FAITH GOD HAS GIVEN US" (Romans 12:3 NLT).
• You cannot afford to be around a flatterer. Do not allow someone to flatter you. Be careful not to mistake flatterers or sycophants for true friends.

• Those who usually want to be flattered are those who have problem with their selfesteem.

• If you did not have good selfesteem, you would always crave attention and want someone or people who can praise or eulogize you, to be around you. You would want to be pleased or gratified by compliments or attentions given you by others.
• If you wanted to be praised always, or wanted your egos be fanned; It means you would always like to be around or keep the company of the flatterers.
• If someone is praising you insincerely, wisdom demands that you keep away from such a person. If you did not keep away from flatterers, you might not be able to move forward or make any meaningful progress in your endeavours.
• When a flatterer tells you that you are doing well, whereas, in the real sense of the words, you are not doing well at all. But a flatterer would make you believe you are the best, when you are actually not.
• A flatterer does not really mean what he or she says. They are just lying and exaggerating, their words are ordinary sweet talk or adulation (Proverbs 26:28).

• Let God assess you. Let the Word of God be the mirror through which you see yourself, to know how you really look and fare (James 1:23,24).

• The Word of God would show you how accurately you look. Whatever the picture of yourself which the Word gives to you, that is your true state—how you sincerely look.
• I discovered that there are some people, even professed believers, who would not want or like to hear the truth.
• If they were told the truth, saying, this is your state or how you look like or how your behave or the defects in you, and it is not good enough; they would see the person who said it or told them the truth as an enemy.
• However, If another person told them they are good, great, and doing excellently well, that their attitudes or behaviours are the best, they would welcome It and be impressed. In other words, they like to hang out or be with with those who flatter or sweet-talk or cajole them.
• Let your praise be from God and not from men—humans: " . . . A PERSON WITH A CHANGED HEART SEEKS PRAISE FROM GOD, NOT FROM PEOPLE" (Romans 2:29 NLT).
• Whoever wants the praise of men, humans, would not please God: "FOR AM I NOW SEEKING THE APPROVAL OF MAN, OR OF GOD? OR AM I TRYING TO PLEASE MAN? IF I WERE STILL TRYING TO PLEASE MAN, I WOULD NOT BE A SERVANT OF CHRIST" (Galatians 1:10 ESV).
• If the people say you are good and excellent, but God, through His Word and the Holy Spirit, says you are below or under par, that is, you are not at the expected level, you are full of defects; It is better that you believe what God and His Word through the Holy Spirit say.
• However, If God justifies you, no one can condemn you:
  33 WHO DARES ACCUSE US WHOM GOD HAS CHOSEN FOR HIS OWN? NO ONE—FOR GOD HIMSELF HAS GIVEN US RIGHT STANDING WITH HIMSELF. 34 WHO THEN WILL CONDEMN US? NO ONE—FOR CHRIST JESUS DIED FOR US AND WAS RAISED TO LIFE FOR US, AND HE IS SITTING IN THE PLACE OF HONOUR AT GOD'S RIGHT HAND, PLEADING FOR US" (Romans 8:33,34 NLT).

• You will not fail in Jesus' name.

• Whatever is contrary to your health is rebuked in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
• That disease and sickness are uprooted in your body, and you begin to live in health from now onwards in Jesus' mighty name.
  Peace!
  TO BE CONTINUED

STEPS TO SALVATION
• Take notice of this:
IF you are yet to take the step of salvation, that is, yet to be born-again, do it now, tomorrow might be too late (2 Corinthians 6:1,2; Hebrews 3:7,8,15).
a. Acknowledge that you are a sinner and confess your Sins (1 John 1:9); And ask Jesus Christ to come into your life (Revelation 3:20).
b. Confess that you believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that you confess it with your mouth, Thus, you accept Him As your Lord and Saviour (Romans 10:9,10).
c. As you took the steps A and B your name is written in the Book of Life (Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:8).

• If you took the steps As highlighted above, congratulations, It means you are saved—born-again. Join a Word based church in your area and Town or city, and be part of whatever they are doing there. Peace!