THE THREE MINUTE WORD

Ministry Anointing Isaiah 50:1-9, Isaiah 61:1-4, Jeremiah 1:4-12

TOXIC RELATIONSHIPS

Sunday – March 17, 2024, Adar Bet 7, 5784

Greetings from our house to yours and welcome back to our Sunday Bible Study. Today I will briefly speak about Toxic relationships. I would hope that the featured image from the internet provokes memories of mans first and continuing toxic relationship.

Genesis 3:1 (KJV)

1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

It seems to me to me that when this subject of toxic relationships come up the discussion seems to focus on the more extreme. Things like a husband who is abusive in many ways to the wife, a parent likewise, or a boss that is abusive of employees. I recently heard a sermon on this topic and the central example was how Laban abused Jacob (Genesis chapters 29-31). Other examples come to mind like Joseph and his brothers. Potiphar’s wife was certainly toxic for Joseph.

However, I think there are more subtle toxic relationships all around us that are unrecognized. As I was meditating on writing this it occurred to me that any relationship that has the effect of separating us from God is toxic. Perhaps in a marriage where one or the other spouse draws the other away by being needy, getting involved with the wrong entertainment, or even wrong friends. I am not talking about the spouse willfully doing this. Just as in the Garden demons are behind this to weaken the relationship and cause them to be spiritually weak and more open to his attacks. The enemy comes after the Words of God and tries to get us to accept his words as in the Garden of Eden that fateful day. We see this in the parable of the sower.

Luke 8:5-8 (KJV)

5 A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.

6 And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.

7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.

8 And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

The sower is you or I, but could be a preacher or other person, the seed is the Word of God, and the ground is our heart. You can see there are all sorts of hindrances to the Word of God. Some are brought by outside forces some are our own lusts at work. Some is just not making the Word of God and our relationship with God a priority. The Gospel of Mark puts it this way.

Mark 4:19 (KJV)

19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

Bottom line anything that comes between us and God is not only idolatry but is a toxic relationship. Another toxic relationship which is perhaps even more insidious happens right in Church. It is the teachings of the doctrine of demons and the traditions of men. Things commonly taught from the pulpit we believe but are false and leave subject to the curse. We must be sensitive to these wiles of the devil.

Lord willing, I will pick up right here next Sunday. Remember, we love you, the Lord loves you, and there is nothing you can do about either one.

By: Dr. David R. Wood, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice

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