December 26, 2012
I thought I was done writing about my sister and brother-in-law's apparent decision to reject God's ways and instead trust in the world's court. But during the night some new thoughts came to me and more of the iceberg is being exposed.
They rejected God's way and instead turned to the world's way to achieve their goal of "I will win." In the past they were able to get their own desires by implementing all the things I've just mentioned. They were surprised it didn't work for them this time and in a letter to our Senior Pastor said they were "mystified" as to why nothing they tried worded. So, they plowed on, rejecting God ways and embracing the world's way. They lost so much in these last years, and yet nothing to date has stopped them—because I must win! As the saying goes, come Hell or high water nothing else matters, "I will win!"
In my sister's letter to me after mediation she said something to the effect of "when are you going to stop this" which made/makes no sense unless you view it through her "I will win!" thinking. In her view I need to give up and quit defending myself so she can "win."
And God says, "You are already defeated." You've already lost. You will not win. Even if it "appears" that you win in the earthly realm, you have lost in the only thing that really matters—eternal security.
Wow! You can't fight (and win) against God's will. CANNOT! This is why we told our lawyer what we did in January '09 during my sister and brother-in-law's depositions in Indy. They cannot be victorious in deceitfully maneuvering and wrongly taking away from us every earthly thing that God has given us. They cannot! We went on to tell our lawyer that if GOD decides He has a different plan for our lives and it involves removing from us what HE has given us, then we are okay with that because we trust HIM, and we have surrendered ALL to HIM. Fighting against God is always a losing battle and any attempt to do so shows, "you are already defeated."
This isn't some new idea. It is what got Satan kicked out of heaven. It is what caused Adam and Eve to sin and be removed from the garden. It is the violation of God's very first commandment. It is the problem (sin) of "I"—p.r.I.d.e. "I will win!" Stubborn refusal to surrender. I... I... I... no matter what it costs me... I. And it will be costly, for God says, "you are already defeated" because you have relied on yourself and you have rejected my ways for the world's way. I go back to the prayer God gave us for my sister and brother-in-law years ago. "May they understand that without you they are nothing and may they desire nothing but you!"
When you live a life that is not surrendered to God you do not get to control what controls you.
After being taken to court and released by the judge, Paul traveled from town to town giving encouragement and strength to all the followers. Acts 18 gives a clear example of how to handle it when someone is misguided in their teachings. Apollo was passionately and eloquently teaching about Jesus but the only baptism he knew about was the baptism that John taught. He did not yet understand about the Holy Spirit. When Priscilla and Aquila heard this they did not malign him publicly. Acts 18:26 - "They took him to their home and helped him better understand the way of God." When Apollo understood, he went on his way and "He argued very strongly with the Jews before all the people clearly proving with the scriptures that Jesus is the Christ." (Acts 18:28)
Addendum: 3/11/16 ~ Add another rejection to the list. Settlement Conference—rejected. The judge tried to get them to understand their best opportunity for "control" was now, before trial. And still they could not let go. They must win! But at what cost? It is frightening when you look at the path they have chosen to take.
It is even more frightening when you look at the "why" behind their decisions. Of course they chose the world's way. How could they not? It was their ONLY option. In God's design for solving disputes there is NO defense for lies, cheating, devious conduct, evil traps, stealing, etc. Those things have NO place in a Believer's life. To chose God's ways would have meant "change your hearts and lives and get a new way of thinking." They purposely have rejected God's ways and incredibly, they have also rejected any solution the world's way has offered because it didn't include them winning ALL. Throughout this whole process, my sister and brother-in-law have consistently exhibited one attitude, which our lawyer has accurately characterized as, "We win, you lose—you choose."
Up to this point, there has been NO indication that any sort of change is even on the radar of their consciousness or subconsciousness. Dangerous, dangerous ground. O Lord, they are so blinded and their hearts are so hardened. Is there any hope????
Addendum #2: 2/13/19 ~ The judge said a trial would be scheduled for early 2016 if the Settlement Conference was not successful, but that never happened. 2016 passed. Then late in 2017, another notice came from the judge requesting both sides to advise the courts of available times and/or conflicting dates so a trial could be scheduled for 2018. Our lawyer sent back a broad range of times we would be available and also his conflicting dates from when he already had another trial scheduled. Remarkably, my sister and brother-in-law didn't do that. Instead, they sent the judge a list of when they would be available, just a small window of time in early spring, saying any other time would be a hardship for them. You would have thought they would have said, "name the date and time and we will be there." I think the judge was put off by their arrogance and their expectancy that a judge should acquiesce to their demands/limited availability. As a result, we've heard nothing back from the judge and no date was set.
2018 passed. Then in late January of this year (2019) my sister and brother-in-law (through their lawyer) sent a letter to the judge requesting a phone conference between both the lawyers and judge for the purpose of setting a trial date in either late 2019 or the first months of 2020, again saying they are not available any other time as it would be a hardship for them. They are obviously tired of waiting on the judge and have decided to take matters into their own hands.
So we will wait and see.
I said to my husband just a few weeks ago (before my sister and brother-in-law's letter to the judge) that maybe the reason the lawsuit is still sitting stagnant in the court system is because my sister and brother-in-law are going to change their hearts and minds. The arrow on the "hope" meter was a little to the right of center. And then we get the notice that they are still actively pursuing their deceit and our destruction, and the arrow on the "hope" meter goes back to the left and bottoms out.
We still do not believe this lawsuit will ever proceed to trial. There is no legal rationale explaining our beliefs, it is just a strong conviction of faith. In the world's court a trial is the only option left. But, we do not believe this lawsuit will be decided by the world's court. No earthly thing or person can put a stop to my sister's obsession. Only God—only God. See By HIS Great Power.
Next Entry: Acts 19:1–41
I thought I was done writing about my sister and brother-in-law's apparent decision to reject God's ways and instead trust in the world's court. But during the night some new thoughts came to me and more of the iceberg is being exposed.
They rejected God's way and instead turned to the world's way to achieve their goal of "I will win." In the past they were able to get their own desires by implementing all the things I've just mentioned. They were surprised it didn't work for them this time and in a letter to our Senior Pastor said they were "mystified" as to why nothing they tried worded. So, they plowed on, rejecting God ways and embracing the world's way. They lost so much in these last years, and yet nothing to date has stopped them—because I must win! As the saying goes, come Hell or high water nothing else matters, "I will win!"
In my sister's letter to me after mediation she said something to the effect of "when are you going to stop this" which made/makes no sense unless you view it through her "I will win!" thinking. In her view I need to give up and quit defending myself so she can "win."
And God says, "You are already defeated." You've already lost. You will not win. Even if it "appears" that you win in the earthly realm, you have lost in the only thing that really matters—eternal security.
Wow! You can't fight (and win) against God's will. CANNOT! This is why we told our lawyer what we did in January '09 during my sister and brother-in-law's depositions in Indy. They cannot be victorious in deceitfully maneuvering and wrongly taking away from us every earthly thing that God has given us. They cannot! We went on to tell our lawyer that if GOD decides He has a different plan for our lives and it involves removing from us what HE has given us, then we are okay with that because we trust HIM, and we have surrendered ALL to HIM. Fighting against God is always a losing battle and any attempt to do so shows, "you are already defeated."
This isn't some new idea. It is what got Satan kicked out of heaven. It is what caused Adam and Eve to sin and be removed from the garden. It is the violation of God's very first commandment. It is the problem (sin) of "I"—p.r.I.d.e. "I will win!" Stubborn refusal to surrender. I... I... I... no matter what it costs me... I. And it will be costly, for God says, "you are already defeated" because you have relied on yourself and you have rejected my ways for the world's way. I go back to the prayer God gave us for my sister and brother-in-law years ago. "May they understand that without you they are nothing and may they desire nothing but you!"
When you live a life that is not surrendered to God you do not get to control what controls you.
After being taken to court and released by the judge, Paul traveled from town to town giving encouragement and strength to all the followers. Acts 18 gives a clear example of how to handle it when someone is misguided in their teachings. Apollo was passionately and eloquently teaching about Jesus but the only baptism he knew about was the baptism that John taught. He did not yet understand about the Holy Spirit. When Priscilla and Aquila heard this they did not malign him publicly. Acts 18:26 - "They took him to their home and helped him better understand the way of God." When Apollo understood, he went on his way and "He argued very strongly with the Jews before all the people clearly proving with the scriptures that Jesus is the Christ." (Acts 18:28)
Addendum: 3/11/16 ~ Add another rejection to the list. Settlement Conference—rejected. The judge tried to get them to understand their best opportunity for "control" was now, before trial. And still they could not let go. They must win! But at what cost? It is frightening when you look at the path they have chosen to take.
It is even more frightening when you look at the "why" behind their decisions. Of course they chose the world's way. How could they not? It was their ONLY option. In God's design for solving disputes there is NO defense for lies, cheating, devious conduct, evil traps, stealing, etc. Those things have NO place in a Believer's life. To chose God's ways would have meant "change your hearts and lives and get a new way of thinking." They purposely have rejected God's ways and incredibly, they have also rejected any solution the world's way has offered because it didn't include them winning ALL. Throughout this whole process, my sister and brother-in-law have consistently exhibited one attitude, which our lawyer has accurately characterized as, "We win, you lose—you choose."
Up to this point, there has been NO indication that any sort of change is even on the radar of their consciousness or subconsciousness. Dangerous, dangerous ground. O Lord, they are so blinded and their hearts are so hardened. Is there any hope????
Addendum #2: 2/13/19 ~ The judge said a trial would be scheduled for early 2016 if the Settlement Conference was not successful, but that never happened. 2016 passed. Then late in 2017, another notice came from the judge requesting both sides to advise the courts of available times and/or conflicting dates so a trial could be scheduled for 2018. Our lawyer sent back a broad range of times we would be available and also his conflicting dates from when he already had another trial scheduled. Remarkably, my sister and brother-in-law didn't do that. Instead, they sent the judge a list of when they would be available, just a small window of time in early spring, saying any other time would be a hardship for them. You would have thought they would have said, "name the date and time and we will be there." I think the judge was put off by their arrogance and their expectancy that a judge should acquiesce to their demands/limited availability. As a result, we've heard nothing back from the judge and no date was set.
2018 passed. Then in late January of this year (2019) my sister and brother-in-law (through their lawyer) sent a letter to the judge requesting a phone conference between both the lawyers and judge for the purpose of setting a trial date in either late 2019 or the first months of 2020, again saying they are not available any other time as it would be a hardship for them. They are obviously tired of waiting on the judge and have decided to take matters into their own hands.
So we will wait and see.
I said to my husband just a few weeks ago (before my sister and brother-in-law's letter to the judge) that maybe the reason the lawsuit is still sitting stagnant in the court system is because my sister and brother-in-law are going to change their hearts and minds. The arrow on the "hope" meter was a little to the right of center. And then we get the notice that they are still actively pursuing their deceit and our destruction, and the arrow on the "hope" meter goes back to the left and bottoms out.
We still do not believe this lawsuit will ever proceed to trial. There is no legal rationale explaining our beliefs, it is just a strong conviction of faith. In the world's court a trial is the only option left. But, we do not believe this lawsuit will be decided by the world's court. No earthly thing or person can put a stop to my sister's obsession. Only God—only God. See By HIS Great Power.
Next Entry: Acts 19:1–41
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