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The Martyr Complex in The Church

A “Martyr Complex” is a destructive pattern of behavior within The Church, when a person habitually seeks ways gain attention or favor from the leader.

A “Martyr Complex” is a destructive pattern of behavior within The Church.

It happens when a person habitually seeks out ways to press themselves to the point of gaining attention or favor from the leader.

They see their labor as a way to feel “good” about themselves.  Often to the detriment of all their other relationships.

In many, they all bring up their childhood memories.  They have tried to measure up to be valuable to God, and Satan tries his best to keep them feeling rejected, and with self-pity, and their pride will not let them ask for help.

Often, these are like the woman who wanted the crumbs from the master’s table. (Matthew 15:27)

God has a special place for the widows and the orphans.  Yet they struggle in knowing how much they are loved by God.

Deep down they do not feel loved as the selfless kind of love.  They see themselves as unlovable.

Self-esteem has a lot of weight on those who suffer from a Martyr Complex.  The worse we feel about ourselves, the more we cover up.

Being a self-imposed martyr also removes the need to take responsibility for our lives, by blaming others for the failure and disappointments in their lives.

When we or others have signs of low self-esteem, it is hard receiving love or affection and often we have a poor body image, judgmentalism, moodiness, etc.

Maybe they were abused as a child emotionally, mentally, physically, and continue to react to authority figures in a negative way.

In some loveless relationships, it could be abusive, and they totally disregard their own health by staying in the relationship.

They refuse to accept responsibility for the decisions and choices that have caused them pain or suffering.

Often, they are out to make themselves righteous or make themselves out to be the one who is always the caregiver.

They blame the other person for the oppression and bondage.  They are always seeking to plead their innocence and to reassure themselves.

Often when a Martyr Complex is spotted, and their coping mechanisms are revealed, they always have to share the information that something is wrong, so that the blame is put on another.

They look for the person they want to inform; usually it’s leadership or someone that has authority so that they will not see their motive, but most times they want to impress so they will push their agenda of mistreatment or suffering.

What I have witnessed is that they are cynical, paranoid, and suspicious.  The obsession of their mind is what is right.

This person will emotionally manipulate situations to gain control.  These types of people will do anything to make themselves out to be the one that suffers.

A person who does things for the approval of man will become cynical in their hearts and attitudes.

Martyrs never take the initiative to solve problems, they love being known for all the efforts they do and seek recognition and attention for the drama they create.

A person could have a relationship that causes emotional damage, but they will not do what needs to be done for their own health.

They want control and will manipulate to get their own way. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and stubbornness is as idolatry.

Jezebel in The Bible was a good example of behavior.  Jezebel, a follower of Baal, promises to kill the prophet Elijah, who flees when hearing her plan.

She also manipulated many powerful men around her in a story about land ownership, leading to the death of several men.

In the past, I have often asked if they have ever dabbled in the occult and played with tarot cards, Ouija board, or read or been involved in any type of negative or false spiritual event.

These things can open a person up to demonic influence. (Study 1 & 2 Kings)

“And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.””   Matthew 15:27

 

In HIS Grace and Mercy,
~ Sherry Edwards Mackey

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Pressing, Process, and Promise

Grieving is something we all must face.  There can be grieving for many things.  Not limited to, maybe a death in the family, a relationship, or a failed job…

“Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house at Gibeah of Saul. And Samuel went no more to see Saul until the day of his death. Nevertheless, Samuel mourned for Saul, and The LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.”   1 Samuel 15:34-35 NKJV

“Now The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.”   2 Samuel 16:1 NKJV

Grieving is something we all must face. 

There can be grieving for many things.  Not limited to, maybe a death in the family, a relationship, or a failed job, or grief over a wayward child, grief over our nation, or like our text read that Samuel grieved over Saul when God rejected him as King.

When the children of Israel were in the desert they would only move when the glory cloud moved.  It is important to know that when God moves on, we too must move with him.

There are various lengths of time for grief with each person.  However, when God says it is time to stop grieving, then we must abide by His leading and move forward to push through the pain into the promise.

“Then the cloud [the Shekinah, God’s visible, dwelling presence] covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory and brilliance of The LORD filled the tabernacle. Moses was not able to enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud remained on it, and the glory and brilliance of The LORD filled the tabernacle. In all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the Israelites would set out; but if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not journey on until the day when it was taken up. For throughout all their journeys, the cloud of The LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel.”   Exodus 40:34-38 AMP

When God moves you into a new location spiritually or physically, regardless of how far, wide, or deep it may be, the pressure to push through can be described like the travail or a birthing process into a new place.

When God takes us through an open Door, there is a process that prepares you to walk through that Door.

Everything that is seen on earth has a beginning in the Spirit realm.  Once God spoke it, it happened in His season. It takes blind faith, trust, and walking it out as if it has already happened.

God works from the inside out.  Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)

If you are in a new environment and feel like you are walking blind and feeling out the new realm you are in, realize God would have never led you there until you were prepared for that place.

But for certain, you know something has happened and it is new!

You cannot see or hold a child until the process of months with travail and pain comes with breakthrough.  But before it manifests into the natural world the process can be very difficult.

However, once you have moved on and pressed through the process, then comes a breakthrough, and you will see the promise. (John 16:21-23, Romans 8:22)

Spiritual travail is burdensome and has intensity by the Holy Spirit to bring to pass through prayer and spiritual warfare not only what happens with people but the results can produce a promise, an oath, or prophetic insight with the Holy Spirit Illumination that is needed to be revealed in a person, church, place, or thing.

Many things are birthed in the kingdom of God, even wars are won when spiritual warfare is waged. (2 Chronicles 20:1-30)

Our walk with Christ is often used as a life lesson or like an open book that is seen and read of all men.  There is nothing wasted, even what we perceive to be the worst experiences that we would rather not use.

However, when it is used for helping others in the body of Christ, we are supposed to be dead to the deeds of the flesh and this world and alive unto God.  We die daily.  We put to death the deeds of the flesh so the Spirit man will rise!

We must remember we are only passing through this life and these bodies are mere shells that contain what is precious and valuable to God.  The outer man is wasting away but our inner man is renewed day by day. (2 Corinthians 4:16)

Our flesh is not our friend.  Did you know that you live with an adversary every day and every moment?

Our flesh is an adversary that we must be aware of daily!

Our fight with our flesh and the enemy is a daily event.  The flesh and Satan seek to gain the preeminence.

Incorporating fasting and prayer together with the study of God’s Word, is a powerful way to take authority over our flesh and the devil’s tactics and onslaughts.  Living a fasted lifestyle of self-control has many benefits.

So, remember we must not dawdle when God’s glory cloud moves.  We must press through the grief, sorrow, and all the onslaughts of darkness.

Why?  Because there are forces at work that are always seeking ways to keep us down and out of range of our chief Shepherd.

May your prayer be as mine; LORD, please keep me in the center of your will and keep me centered in your heart.

When we see someone that we love going through grief, sorrow, and sickness that has kept them down a long time, we must pray and ask The LORD to intervene.

Don’t be surprised, God may choose you to be an intercessory prayer warrior or even physically intervene in some way.

We are all part of the same body of Christ and when one suffers, we all suffer.  When you go to Church, start looking around you.  If you see people missing, be that person who steps up to the line and salutes to Jesus and becomes radical and militant!

This is not a time to be idle, lazy, self-centered!

Begin to pray and fast for them or others, so that they do not fall through the cracks. It is not the pastor’s job to do all of the shepherding, we all have a purpose within the body of Christ.

Find your fit and stay there!

 

In HIS Grace and Mercy,
~ Sherry Edwards Mackey

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The Reject and Outcast — There’s Good News!

Nothing you go through is wasted. Even the good, the bad, and the ugly, God turns it all around into something that can be used for good to save, encourage, and deliver. 

Nothing you go through is wasted, beloved of God.

Even the good, the bad, and the ugly, He turns it all around into something that can be used for good to save, encourage, and deliver.  Everything Satan meant for evil God will turn it around for good!

The LORD is the answer to every tear drop, to every onslaught, sickness, secret fault, and unbridled thought, and presumptuous ways, because He knows all motives and reasons.  He, precious one knows how desperate the needs are.

The many issues that plague the heart, soul, mind, will, body, marriage, family, friends, financial need, future, present, ministry, answers to heart pangs that the internal fire that burns within is threatening to burn up all that remains.

There is so much to look at in “this season” we all have been found overwhelmed where we exist.  But The LORD Jesus Christ doesn’t want us simply to exist, but to dive into the season with all you are using what you have been freely given and to take captivity captive just as He did when He gave gifts to men.

What better gift to receive than being part of the ultimate gift in ministering salvation to this generation!

Jesus came to set the captive free! What better way to build and fill The Church!  Through the power of The Holy Ghost capturing those who have been imprisoned in their own minds, bodies, through wrong thinking, sickness, and doing what has kept them bound to the things of this world.

For living in a true prison is a process that takes steps and actions to warrant incarceration.

Our goal daily is to plant seeds and to know it is a process of doing what is right and good in ministry to others; even the people nobody wants.

God goes after the rejects He delights in loving and saving them.  Those that are forgiven of much love!  Some of the most passionate people in the Kingdom of God have the roughest backgrounds!

Look at the woman at the well.  She was set up by God to encounter Christ the Son of the living God!

This encounter with Jesus at the well had historic and prophetic implications.  The woman at the well knew something major had happened to her!

The woman understood that Jesus was a prophet (John 4:19) and she was majorly shaken by Jesus’ revelation of her five husbands and history with men.

But there had been a long-standing division between the Samaritan and Jewish religions.  The Jews considered them heretics and apostates and had nothing to do with them calling them dogs.

Jesus was saying to the Samaritan woman that the time of spiritual worship of God’s people has arrived!

” “Sir,” the woman said, “I see that You are a prophet.  Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place where one must worship is in Jerusalem.”
“Believe Me, woman,” Jesus replied, “a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. But a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth.”
The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When He comes, He will explain everything to us.””   John 4:19-25

Jesus went after the reject and those called dogs knowing her rejection turned into great love!  She was forgiven for much and she loved much! (Luke 7:47)

Her encounter with The LORD Jesus Christ revolutionized her life and she left her water pot and ran to Samaria and told everyone about Jesus!

The Samaritan became the first preacher to her people!  And a woman!

Jesus Loves his women in ministry!  From that woman she spread the message of Jesus, and many came out and Jesus stayed for two days, and Samaria listened to him! Jesus still goes after such as these!

We are creative and even within the church we plant a seed, another waters it while the Spirit of The LORD gives the increase!

I believe this encounter also shows the power of how prophecy turned a woman from being called a dog into a Samaritan evangelist!

“Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Jesus because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.”  So when the Samaritans came to Him, they asked Him to stay with them, and He stayed two days. And many more believed because of His message.  They said to the woman, “We now believe not only because of your words; we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man truly is the Savior of the world.”   John 4:39-42 NKJV

Prophetically God restored the breach at Jacob’s well which name means supplanter/deceiver into Israel which means God Contended’, ‘Wrestles with God’, ‘Triumphant with God.

Why not send the good news to Samaria where division between the Samaritans and the Jews was broken and initialized by Jesus Christ himself!

God our Father, you created within us, a longing and wonder to search out a thing, but Lord I ask that you cover this precious one with your feathers, covering them from the strife of tongues and the silence that ensues for fear of losing everything that is dear.

Strengthen all that remains dear Jesus and touch the silent and wounded soul, take them out of this confusion and isolation so that though they are alone they are really not alone for you are with them even till the end of the age.

Please comfort them with the Spirit of Comfort and provide that stability and security that only you can bring in these trying days. May they see Jesus clearer day by day and may the Glory of The LORD beam from their face!

When it is all said and done, nothing will matter except when we stand before God and all that remains is burned away and we emerge as pure gold, silver, and precious stones.

In prayer, I saw a book and suddenly I saw whole chapters removed at once.  Chapters you wish you could remove from your life though they have taught you fiery lessons.

The LORD has removed the shame and guilt and there is no condemnation.  Be free this day in knowing He is with you and He has you!  And He’s got this! In Jesus name!

“When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.”  (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)9“You are a Jew,” said the woman. “How can You ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?”  (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)  Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God and who is asking you for a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”  “Sir,” the woman replied, “You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where then will You get this living water?  Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock?”  Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again.  But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life.” The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water so that I will not get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”  Jesus told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”  “I have no husband,” the woman replied. Jesus said to her, “You are correct to say that you have no husband.  In fact, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. You have spoken truthfully.”  “Sir,” the woman said, “I see that You are a prophet.  Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place where one must worship is in Jerusalem.”  “Believe Me, woman,” Jesus replied, “a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.  You worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.  But a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth.”  The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When He comes, He will explain everything to us.”  Jesus answered, “I who speak to you am He.”    John 7:7-26

Study: John 4

 

In HIS Grace and Mercy,
~ Sherry Edwards Mackey

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Provoking the Heart Issues

Joseph was blessed by God, and a seeker of God and experienced Prophetic Dreams.

Joseph was blessed by God, and a seeker of God and experienced Prophetic Dreams.

In innocence he thought everyone would be happy with his experiences, but instead of liking his dreams, his brothers were provoked to jealousy!

You would think his family would encourage him, but instead his brothers hated him with pure hatred.  His father gave him a coat of many colors, and further revealed his dreams and it provoked his brothers to jealousy and caused a ruckus in his family like a hornet’s nest!

His brother’s hatred of him stirred up such offense that manifested in Jealousy, Envy, Division, Hatred, Malice, and had it not been for the oldest brother, they would have murdered him.

“Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.”   Song of Salomon 8:6 KJV

The devil stirred up trouble in Josephs life to such a degree, the brothers wanted to kill him!  But the oldest brother instead of killing him he wanted to sell him to the Egyptians as a slave.

All throughout Josephs pathway, everything made him look like a troublemaker.  He was even accused of rape when he was innocent, and he stood with God and leaned hard on God to endure, and he stayed pure to God.

Joseph suffered a very long time being incarcerated for things he never did, and I know he must have had depression and was deeply wounded in his heart.

Yet he continued to remain true to God, and in every environment, he was in God excelled in him even in prison.

When the dreams came to pass, and he was advanced and promoted next to Pharaoh.  He could have held anger and rage against his brothers, but he loved God and knew this that was meant for evil would turn around for his good.

Yet when he revealed himself and told them not to be angry for selling him into slavery, because God sent him ahead of you to preserve a remnant on earth and save lives by a great deliverance.

Even though it was human sin, God determined to redeem all the suffering by turning it around for good.  (Study Genesis 45)

Do you realize you may be provoked to jealousy?

Do you know that God provoked Israel to get to the heart of the matter?

God allows things to provoke a response in us, so that the things in our heart will be made manifest that is not godly, so that we will repent and turn away from that sin.

 

In HIS Grace and Mercy,
~ Sherry Edwards Mackey

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