Tested

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It seems every time I express myself about my relationship with the Lord, it is tested. Not tempted mind you, but tested even maybe to my death. Should I keep my mouth shut? Should I shun away from one that threatens my life when I talk of the Lord to them? They still hold on to the old me that would defend and fight, seeing my forgiveness as weakness. The devil tempts me to defend and strike first, which I will not give in to it , but then fear hits me, then hurt. Are we always tested in some way? Tim
 
People threaten your life when you talk of God to them? Seriously? :eek: :gopray2:
 
Could you be a little more specific? I think if your life is in danger, you might be a little more discreet. Can you get away from this person?

I wouldn’t stop talking about your faith to whoever this may be. Maybe they are angry because they don’t want to believe in our God, and they are unrepentent. (“For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light…”)

Above all, I would pray for this person to stop resisting you, and I’d probably pray for myself too if I were in your situation! But what I think doesn’t matter. I think God might lead you to the right decision on how to deal with someone this hostile.

And you can take legal action against someone threatening to kill you, by the way. 👍 Yay lawyers!
 
dove51 said:
And you can take legal action against someone threatening to kill you, by the way. 👍 Yay lawyers!
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As someone who intends to become a lawyer in the not-too-distant future it’s nice that at least some of our work is useful and appreciated 👍
 
This person is blood and is testing my resolve to some extent, but drug use and mental instability is cause for concern that the threats could manifest. The evil one is directing this rage and this is a real battle for someone’s soul. I am having Mass said for this person and offering what I can, but the Lord let me know He has to be the one to do this. I don’t know where I should stop my efforts and leave it or is the Lord testing my resolve as well. Legal action would cause the situation to explode. Tim
 
TOP said:
This person is blood and is testing my resolve to some extent, but drug use and mental instability is cause for concern that the threats could manifest. The evil one is directing this rage and this is a real battle for someone’s soul. I am having Mass said for this person and offering what I can, but the Lord let me know He has to be the one to do this. I don’t know where I should stop my efforts and leave it or is the Lord testing my resolve as well. Legal action would cause the situation to explode. Tim
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Forgive me because I am trying to understand this—why would your relative be so angry at you for your love of God? I am not doubting that the devil can act in our lives, but could it be *in this case *just that the person is mentally ill and they misinterpret your intentions for discussing God? Please don’t be offended. I know that sometimes people can feel really judged and this puts them at a defensive, eventhough you may not be judging the person ----- some people are just so conflicted. Rage can be a real problem for some people despite the action of the devil.
 
IMO, the best thing to do is not discuss God or your realtionship with God with the person. if your intention is to bring them closer to God some day, the best way for that person to come to eventually accept God is to leave them alone—they already* know *your position. God bless your efforts.
 
He said I did a 180 when I turned to God and keeps reminding me how I wronged the family prior to my turnaround. How I should be dead from cancer (he lost his girlfriend to cancer). The resentment is so deep. I’ve done what I could to apologize which is taking for weakness and turns into his rage. He wants me to give up on him, so he doesn’t have to face forgiveness either way. Some of the slight is imaginary and he builds it up between the times we talk. Then says he loves me and would help me if I ever need it, but always under his conditions and so I’m indebted to him. Part of me says , I’m approached him and I have involved the Church (via the Mass and Eucharist), he now stands self comdemned, but I love my brother. I don’t like who he is, but I still love him and don’t want him to loose his soul. Tim
 
TOP said:
This person is blood and is testing my resolve to some extent, but drug use and mental instability is cause for concern that the threats could manifest. The evil one is directing this rage and this is a real battle for someone’s soul. I am having Mass said for this person and offering what I can, but the Lord let me know He has to be the one to do this. I don’t know where I should stop my efforts and leave it or is the Lord testing my resolve as well. Legal action would cause the situation to explode. Tim
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Action of some kind is almost certainly necessary. If the person has threatened you they most likely have threatened or will threaten others too. Ask around in your family to find out if this is the case.

And if threats continue, then there’s a high possibility that they will lead to violence if you do nothing. If nipped in the bud, however, this may be prevented.

Mind you, if drugs are a problem for this person then arrange, together with your family, for an intervention and treatment for the drug issue - then if psychiatric treatment or action in regard to threatening or violent behaviour is necessary the drug counsellors will see to it.
 
You are simply too close to fix this. This is often the case in families Tim. Your brother knows you as well as you know him. He knows all about you since you were both born, what you have to say to him isn’t going to cut any ice.

I think you need to stop discussing the faith with him. Rather turn to Jesus and put your brother in His Sacred Heart, offer the Mass and continue to pray for him.

It is hard to bring the burden of the law upon a brother. I would be very reluctant to do this myself. But we are to look after our own safety, God does not want us to put ourselves in harms way if we can avoid it. So for now, avoid your brother and this will be hard to do, but I think if the threats are serious, you must take steps to ensure your safety and the safety of your family.

Does he come to see you? If he does pretend you are out, does he call you, if he does screen your calls. I’m not saying cut him off, I am saying put some distance between your brother and you and let him have time to find something else to focus on because presently he is focusing on you and in a negative way.

You know that as a father and a husband your first duty is to your family, that is wife and then children and not to others. If his threats do not decrease as a result of you withdrawing (as retreat is a healthy position to take in battle, the battle may still be waged in prayer and most often prayer is the supremely effective route) then you must consider taking some sort of step to legally protect yourself and your family.

You know St Monica. She didn’t have long talks with St Augustine to convert, but she had very long talks with God.

You turn to prayer and let the Holy Spirit do the work of converting your brother. You cannot convert him, but the Holy Spirit can.

Let your brother be and trust in Jesus.

May the Precious Blood of Jesus cover you, may Our Lady glance and protect you and may all His Angels minister to you. Amen.

Be prudent, be safe and be vigilant in prayer, always persevering.

In the Living Prayer of my life
 
Tim, pray for your brother and let the Holy Spirit do the work.
No one can change a person’s heart but God. In the case you described, the more you talk to him about your faith the more resisting he will become.

If possible, only keep indirect contact such as email for a while, try to avoid close contact. If there is a family member this brother keeps a fairly good relationship with, may be some help could be offered by such a relative.
 
Tim, at this time, it may be best just to back away and let the Holy Spirit do his work. I would work on your brother’s conversion indirectly, so to speak. Pray, con’t to have masses said for him, spend time in adoration, fast, pray rosaries, etc. I’m not saying to give up, but just approach it differently. BTW, I’ll join you in prayer for your brother.
 
**2288 **Life and physical health are precious gifts entrusted to us by God. We must take reasonable care of them, taking into account the needs of others and the common good.

The above is from the Catholic Catechism. We do have an obligation to care for our own health and life within the terms stated. Sometimes speaking to others about our Faith, religion or God only drives them further away (triggering anger and resentment - bitterness) and discernment is needed in a situation. You may be better all round - for yourself and the other person - to not speak so much of your Faith and keep them in daily prayer. An opportunity, if God so Wills, may come up where the other person is ready to listen and to hear…rather than become angry and threatening. You could pray that the other person may become more ready to listen and to hear.
When we are angry about what another person is saying, most often we do not really hear what is being said as our anger is a barrier to hearing. To be so angered as to threaten life is anger to an absolute extreme to say the least - unbalanced.
Spiritual direction may be very helpful to you.

God’s Blessings with His Peace and Joy…Barb:)
 
Thank you all for your advice and your prayers. It is only my sister (7 years my elder), my brother (6 years my elder) and me. Our parents are deceased within the past 2 and 4 years. My sister is 500 miles away and is coming back to the faith in strength and is eager to learn. She just had an experience (1st) with St. Therese and rose’s. We talk weekly and she say’s my experience with cancer and my turnaround towards the Lord helped her come back to the Church. I tell her of all my experience’s and she know’s I am sincere and working out my salvation. My brother is only 45 minutes away and know’s I’m sincere and has even asked me questions, then he blows up in my face, becoming irrational and violent, recalling fights we had years ago. He has always fashioned himself as this outlaw biker, armed to the teeth and his friends are the same. He knows to turn towards God, would be to let go of that life and accept the suffering we as a family have gone through. He would rather fight it and anything that represents it. We talk every few months only when I call him and each time I try to plant a seed, sometimes it takes. The last time we talked, besides the threats, he proclaimed himself a “doubting Thomas” and laughed because his middle name is Thomas. This time, I told him that Thomas droped to his knees and what he said after he saw, “my Lord and my God” and he said “when I see, I’ll do it then” and laughed again, but he is thinking about it. If he would understand redemptive suffering , I think he would turn. I don’t lecture him as he is my older brother, but warn him as what I’ve been through had to happen and the demons I faced. He knows I’m not BSing him and his own demons manifest when faced with the truth. I know his struggle well and he is testing me as well as building himself up for protection. But his protection is offensive. I don’t think I am dealing with just human emotions here. You all are right, it is time to let the Holy Spirit finish this. I think I have met my obligation to the Lord in this matter physically and will let my brother make next contact, if ever. Thanks, Tim
 
Thank you very much for sharing the story, Tim. “More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of”. I hope that over time your brother will become more and more open and hearing of what you have to say and will keep you and him in prayer. May The Holy Spirit be your guide and wisdom, your strength.

Peace … Joy…regards- Barb:)
 
TOP said:
This person is blood and is testing my resolve to some extent, but drug use and mental instability is cause for concern that the threats could manifest. The evil one is directing this rage and this is a real battle for someone’s soul. I am having Mass said for this person and offering what I can, but the Lord let me know He has to be the one to do this. I don’t know where I should stop my efforts and leave it or is the Lord testing my resolve as well. Legal action would cause the situation to explode. Tim
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Wow, are you me?

My brother is currently drinking alot. We were raised catholic and both went to Catholic school. However recently when I offered for him to go to church with me and my son he responsed something like this " What the f_ck! Jesus Christ! Why would I want to go to church? Don’t you EVER EVER ask me that again! I don’t believe in that sh_t and I don’t appreciate you pushing it on me."

To this I was in utter shock and I said to him " Hey all I did was simply ask if you wanted to go to church with us. I pushed nothing. And how was I to know you didn’t believe in that sh_t? We were raised the same so why would I even guess that? Your response to me is bizarre and even people who aren’t Catholic wouldn’t be so offended by such a question instead they would just simply say no! You’re behaving like a posessed person geez." Then I joked and said “what is your name demon?”

At this point he let me go and didn’t talk to me for 2 whole weeks. I found out through the grape vine that he was calling all his friends nad just going off the deep end about this. They couldn’t understand either where the severe reaction came from and why he couldn’t let it go. It’s not like I was forcing him or anything.

I decided that I don’t talk to him about it anymore but I am praying harder than ever for him. I’ve noticed some softening toward religion but sometimes when I think I have a breakthrough he rebels or doesn’t answer the phone as if he knows I am praying for him. It’s really strange.

My point is I feel for you. I simply wouldn’t talk to him about it. If you can’t change his person you may still be able to change his spirit aobut it.
 
mommyof4 said:
I know I have been pushing this book a lot on other threads, but I’m in the midst of reading Search and Rescue by Patrick Madrid. I highly recommend it to anyone who has family in need of conversion.
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I was reading the reviews of this book and something struck me. The Lord made it known prior that the Mass and Eucharist was what He wanted for my request, but I didn’t think of the Eucharist in adoration, only my personal offering in communion during Mass. I’ll take this to adoration soon. Thanks Mommyof4, Tim
 
TOP said:
I was reading the reviews of this book and something struck me. The Lord made it known prior that the Mass and Eucharist was what He wanted for my request, but I didn’t think of the Eucharist in adoration, only my personal offering in communion during Mass. I’ll take this to adoration soon. Thanks Mommyof4, Tim
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Well we are in reverse!😃

I didn’t think to offer a Mass until you suggested offering one for your brother, but I have been praying a long time for my brother’s conversion and have taken my brother in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament and offered my Holy Communion for him and my life.

So, God used you to help a man many many thousands of miles away.

I will have a Mass said for your brother and for mine as Private Intention.

In the Living prayer of my life
 
TOP said:
It seems every time I express myself about my relationship with the Lord, it is tested. Not tempted mind you, but tested even maybe to my death. Should I keep my mouth shut? Should I shun away from one that threatens my life when I talk of the Lord to them? They still hold on to the old me that would defend and fight, seeing my forgiveness as weakness. The devil tempts me to defend and strike first, which I will not give in to it , but then fear hits me, then hurt. Are we always tested in some way? Tim
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well i don’t know your personal situation so all i can advise is that you try to keep your beliefs on the down low…don’t give others any excuse to have a go at you…that said if people are having a go at you don’t deny your faith or disown jesus just because they want to…remember this life is short and we all have the next life in heaven with jesus to look forward to…also remember that the saints and martyrs were tested about their faith with people trying to get them to deny their faith and disown jesus…they wouldn’t backdown even when they were tortured badly and threatend with death…in fact many did die and they rather would die than deny their faith and disown jesus…i don’t know if your situation is in the same catagory as all that but just pray to god and tell him your worrys…remember that nothing good or bad can happen to us without god allowing it to happen…and everything good and bad that happens god allows to happen for reasons that we may only start to understand in heaven…ask your holy guardian ange to remain close to you and protect you…but people are hassling you and threating you you could also call the cops on them…

ANGELIC PEACE
 
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