Understand – Page 2 – Praying Pint

32.y. “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it”

Matthew 13:18 “Hear then the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

Proverbs 1:7   The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 1:20-22    Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice;  at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:  “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?

Proverbs 2:1-6   My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you,  making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding;  yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding,  if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures,  then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.  For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;

John 3:19-20    And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

Hebrews 2:1   Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.

Satan is always on the watch to hinder the Word of God from having any depth in the lives of people. He is very clever and the father of all lies. He will find any and all weaknesses in a person and exploit them to keep a person from growing in depth and width in the Word of God and commitment to honor and glorify Jesus Christ. He will cast doubt, incite fear, promote anger, cause division, produce lust, marginalize greed, promote pride, invoke jealousy, harden hearts, deafen ears, stiffen necks, create chaos, insert busyness, and whatever else he can do to keep peoples lives from deeply grounded commitment to honor and glorify Jesus Christ in all they think, say, and do.

We ought to never be content with our current understanding and knowledge of the things of God. Certainly, we must be content with what we know so far for it is the basis of our faith and walk with God. However, a plant must be watered and weeded if there is to be growth and fruit produced.

When we truly and deeply commit and above all else, strive to honor and glorify Jesus Christ in all we think, say, and do, it is then we will find our desire to produce continued growth and the things of this world and the lies and falsehoods promoted by Satan (though they come at us like thousands of arrows shot from a strong bow) will not hit. They will be recognized/discerned and put in their proper place like weeds plucked from a garden and cast aside to die.

32.n. “The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers”

Matthew 11:25 At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children;

Isaiah 5:21    Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!

2 Corinthians 4:3-6     And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.  In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Isaiah 29:10-14    For the LORD has poured out upon you a spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes (the prophets), and covered your heads (the seers).  And the vision of all this has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed. When men give it to one who can read, saying, “Read this,” he says, “I cannot, for it is sealed.”  And when they give the book to one who cannot read, saying, “Read this,” he says, “I cannot read.”  And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,  therefore, behold, I will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.”

Romans 11:8-10    as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.”

John 12:38-40     so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”  Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,  “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.”

“You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes:” This reminds us that if we do respond to Jesus, it is because the Father has revealed these things to babes like us. God revealed Jesus to us and Jesus revealed God to us. This revealing has been rejected by most and believed by those who, by this revelation, were awakened in their heart, mind, and soul to the Holiness of God, the need for repentance and forgiveness, and the redemptive work of Jesus Christ.

“I thank you Father” ought to be our immediate response to any revelation and awaking and understanding of Scripture as we read through God’s Word. It is God who opens our hearts and mind to understanding. As God’s Word says; “line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little there a little”, is how, from the foundation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we grow and continually mature.

Just before you read God’s Word ask Him to keep distractions and temptations away and to,

Reveal to your heart and mind more and more about His grace, mercy, and love.
Allow you to see areas in your life that do not bring honor and glory to Jesus Christ
Give you wisdom and understanding to His Word
Allow you to discern right vs wrong, truths false, and Godly vs worldly
Allow you to see opportunities to share and show the Love of Jesus Christ in you

32.m. “How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God”

Matthew 11:20 Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.”

Jude 1:11   Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error and perished in Korah’s rebellion.

Ezekiel 3:6-7   not to many peoples of foreign speech and a hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, if I sent you to such, they would listen to you.  But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me: because all the house of Israel have a hard forehead and a stubborn heart

Hebrews 10:26-31    For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,  but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.  Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses.  How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?  For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.”  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

“Unresponsiveness to the voice of God is the characteristic of this generation, and will be its downfall.” (France)

It is not only western industrial nations that have had access to the gospel. Technology, computers, internet, websites, translations, radio, TV, etc…. leave no room for excuse. No other society has had access to God’s Word, (Scripture, Gospel of Jesus Christ) at their fingertips, yet they reject and deny it of any value for their soul.

“The people in the cities listed above did not attack Jesus Christ; they did not drive him from their gates; they did not seek to crucify him; they simply disregarded him. In the end, neglect will kill much more than persecution ever did.” (Barclay)

When I read, “But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.”, “ How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God”, “But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.” Here it is implied that there are in fact different degrees of judgment. Some will be punished more severely in the final judgment than others. In fact, those who were living out sin and doing all kinds of fleshly and worldly sinful things will be judged to some lesser degree than those who flat out know the offer of redemption and salvation but not only reject it they deny it any room in their heart for it. God has opened their heart to the Gospel and they neglect, reject, and deny any need for it.

It is not hard for me to understand and believe in heaven and hell. What is hard for me to understand is how a person whose heart and mind have been open to the need of salvation and have heard the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and have an understanding of heaven and hell and choose hell. Lost on us is an understanding of eternity. Eternal life or eternal hell. Separated from the love of God forever. The busyness of life needs to be slowed down in most lives. Being too busy for giving thought to eternity just doesn’t make sense now and for sure will not in the future.

28.a. “Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you”

Ephesians 5:15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

1 Corinthians 14:20    Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.

Hebrews 12:25   See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.

Philippians 1:27   Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,

Proverbs 14:8    The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deceiving.

John 12:35     So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.

While walking in the dark we are always exposed to some danger we did not see. We learn this very early in life and will always choose to walk in lighted areas rather than darkened ones. We understand there is a risk associated with walking in the dark.

When we choose to walk in the dark (apart from Jesus Christ and the light of His Word) we foolishly tell ourselves there is no danger. We think we can see the dangers but we can’t and don’t. We blindly walk about without a care. We actually can be accustomed to the dark and shun the light. This shunning takes on many forms; neglect of God’s Word, little to no generosity, kindness, patience, hope…., little to no commitment to attending church yet alone becoming active in serving in some area, thinking, speaking, and doing fleshly/worldly things, having no outward testimony that you are even a follower of Jesus Christ, the busyness of life, worry, fear, confusion, unthankfulness, division, gossip, hopeless, faithless, anger, hate, lusts of the flesh, ………….. and the list continues to whatever it is in the dark that draws you and keeps you from desiring and seeking to walk in the light. Paul said to walk carefully, wisely, and make good use of your time. Any time we spend serving anything other than honoring and glorifying Jesus Christ is not a good use of our time. It is reckless and unwise. Desiring and seeking to honor and glorify Jesus Christ will always be a guiding light for your path in all you think, say, and do.

26.n. “Help me understand your instruction”

Psalms 119:33 Teach me, Lord, the meaning of your statutes, and I will always keep them. Help me understand your instruction, and I will obey it and follow it with all my heart. Help me stay on the path of your commands, for I take pleasure in it. Turn my heart to your decrees and not to dishonest profit. Turn my eyes from looking at what is worthless; give me life in your ways. Confirm what you said to your servant, for it produces reverence for you. Turn away the disgrace I dread; indeed, your judgments are good. How I long for your precepts! Give me life through your righteousness.

“The general desire expressed in this division is that for guidance. It is not an appeal for direction in some special case of difficulty, but rather for the clear manifestation of the meaning of the will of God.” (Morgan)

We should have the expectation of following God and His word to the end. “The end of our keeping the law will come only when we cease to breathe; no good man will think of marking a date and saying, ‘It is enough, I may now relax my watch, and live after the manner of men.’” (Spurgeon)

Without understanding, the psalmist could not follow the desire of his transformed heart. We need understanding to persevere in the faith. The psalmist had no doubt that God had given His word to us; his only fear was that he would not understand it (or be distracted from it). Yet he was utterly confident that God had spoken and that it could be understood rightly by the prayerful heart and mind. Despite his delight and desire for God’s word, the psalmist knows he cannot walk in God’s path without God’s empowering.

“He is asking God to turn his heart toward the Bible rather than allowing him to pursue selfish gain. For the first time he is confessing a potentially divided mind.” (Boice)

The psalmist rightly understood that some things, comparatively speaking, are worthless things. They are of no value for eternity and little value for the present age. He prayed that God would empower and enable him to turn away his eyes and attention from such things. Many lives are wasted because people find themselves unwilling or unable to turn away their eyes from worthless things. The modern world with its media and entertainment technology brings before us an endless river of worthless things to occupy not only our eyes and time, but also our heart and minds. He did not gouge out his own eyes or pray God to do it; instead he wanted to look another way, a better way. The best way to look away from sin is to look at something else. “The prayer is not so much that the eyes may be shut as ‘turned away;’ for we need to have them open, but directed to right objects.” (Spurgeon)

“As I desire that I may be dull and dead in affections to worldly vanities; so, Lord, make me lively, and vigorous, and fervent in thy work and service.” (Poole)

26.k. “I have chosen the way of truth”

Paslms 119:25 My life is down in the dust; give me life through your word. I told you about my life, and you answered me; teach me your statutes. Help me understand the meaning of your precepts so that I can meditate on your wonders. I am weary from grief; strengthen me through your word. Keep me from the way of deceit and graciously give me your instruction. I have chosen the way of truth; I have set your ordinances before me. I cling to your decrees; Lord, do not put me to shame. I pursue the way of your commands, for you broaden my understanding.

Revival comes from a sense of spiritual need and lowliness. In the Biblical and historical sense, true revival is marked by a shamed awareness of sin and an urgency to confess and make things right. God uses His word in bringing revival. “Can each one of us now say, in this sense, ‘I have declared my ways’ to the Lord? For this should be done, not only at our first coming to him but continually throughout the whole of our life. We should look over each day, and sum up the errors of the day, and say, ‘I have declared my ways,’ – my naughty ways, my wicked ways, my wandering ways, my backsliding ways, my cold, in different ways, my proud ways.’” (Spurgeon) The psalmist understood that he needed more than knowledge; he also needed understanding. With both, he would meditate on God’s wonderful works. With a deep understanding, we will go beyond a mere understanding of the words to a Spirit-led understanding of what they reveal about the nature of God, the gospel, and God’s ways.” (Boice) If we are to be kept from sin, it must be by the grace of God exercised through the teaching of his Word.” “Men do not drop into the right way by chance; they must choose it, and continue to choose it, or they will soon wander from it.” (Spurgeon) The psalmist understood that if he were to give himself entirely to God – to cling to His word as a shipwrecked man clings to a floating plank in the sea – then he could trust that God would not allow him to be put…to shame. This was well-placed confidence. “Having once chosen our road, it remains that we persevere in it; since better had it been for us never to have known the way of truth than to forsake it when known.” (Horne)

22.d. “Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn”

1 Corinthians 2:14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

Matthew 13:11-17 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “‘“You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.” For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

Romans 8:5-8 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

The natural man – one who lives in a natural state, and under the influences of these natural passions, lives in opposition to things of God and things taught by and through the Holy Spirit. Instead of living with knowledge and understanding, they live void of God. They have blocked their own eyes from seeing and their ears from hearing things of God. Their heart has become like a stone to things of God. They choose to live in this state of blindness and deafness. Everything they do is void of doing it for the honor and glory of God. Even the good that they do is done out of selfish desires. All of us were born in the natural state, with natural desires, and lives that were in opposition to and void of understanding things of God. There is not a single person who can claim a birth other than this. “For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God”

The amazing and awesome Good News of Jesus Christ is that, in the grace, mercy, and love of God, He made a way, a mystery, for us to have a “New Birth”, “Born Again”, “A New Creation”. This mystery can not be understood or found by the wisdom and understanding of the natural man. The heart and mind of the natural man are void of this understanding. Somehow, God, is able to soften the heart and mind of the natural man with the “Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I have no comprehension of how this works, but I know the most stone-hardened heart can be changed by hearing the Good News. I was lost but now am found, I was blind but now I see, I was deaf but now I hear. Somehow the Gospel penetrates through the hardness and the heart and mind are able to understand the Gospel. At that moment, in that very second, that person makes an intentional choice to believe it or reject it. In that very moment a once hardened heart, that intentionally chooses to believe, trust, and rely on Jesus Christ, is changed and is “Born Again”, becomes a “New Creation”, and is a “New Birth”.

Everyone will make an intentional decision to believe and trust God or to reject deny or reject Him before they die. In this decision, they choose eternity in heaven or eternity in hell. There ought to be a difference in how the lives are lived of those that are “Born Again” compared to those who are spiritually void.

20.p. “Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false”

Romans 11:7 What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.” And David says, “Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever.”

Isaiah 6:10     Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

Matthew 13:14-15   Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “‘“You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.”  For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’

2 Corinthians 4:4    In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

2 Thessalonians 2:10-12   and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.  Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false,  in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

How utterly bad is it to have rejected God and His love through Jesus Christ and then believe that which is nothing more than a delusion, lies, and unsatisfying to the soul? God reaches out in love to mankind with a gracious and merciful gift, Jesus Christ, and people have and continue to reject this offer. This offer has been flat out denied, neglected, diluted, or rejected, and it is in this state of mind they easily believe dilutions and lies. The saving grace knowledge of Jesus Christ is not so much withheld from them but rather they have blinded their eyes and deafened their ears with wanting to believe anything other than the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is a personal intentional choice of rejection. With hardened hearts, they hear of God’s love through Jesus Christ but it has no effect. Though the Word of God shouts “Come to Me”, “Believe in Me”, “Trust Me”, “Rely on Me”, “Yield and surrender to Me”, “I love you so much I sent My Son to bear the burden of your sins”, “I will give you rest”, “I will give you joy, peace, power, courage, hope”, and “I will give you eternal life”, they choose to reject, deny, and neglect it. They choose to believe in the wisdom of man or self rather than the Creator. They choose to deny and reject God’s Word when it says; “I will judge you”, “I will pour out My wrath on you”, “I will not withhold my anger against you forever”, “I will cast you into eternal hell for eternity”, “I will reject all who have rejected Me”, “I am coming again to judge both the living and dead”, and “it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God and all of His fury”.

Rejection, denial, neglect, and complacency, take on many forms, at different times, but always display the intent of the heart, mind, and soul of people. All is exposed and open to God. He knows the intent of your heart and mind. He knows if you have surrendered all your hope of forgiveness for sin by faith, trust, and reliance in/on Jesus Christ alone. He knows if you keep some of this surrender back and by some means rely on some form of your good works or Christian service to help you become good in His eyes. This will never produce anything God-honoring because you are trying to keep some of this honor for yourself to somehow make you right in God’s eyes. It is just another delusion and lie. There is nothing you can do other than complete humble surrender, reliance, and trust in Jesus Christ. It is then and only then you will realize the good things you do are for the single purpose of honoring and glorifying Jesus Christ.

20.l. “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”

Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for “Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.” But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, “I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; with a foolish nation I will make you angry.” Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, “I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.” But of Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”

Luke 16:29-31 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”

1 Corinthians 1:18-24 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

If salvation is so simple, available to all who trust in the person and work of Jesus, then why do so many reject, deny, or neglect it? Saving faith comes through hearing by the word of God. Though people hear or read about the Gospel of Jesus Christ they do not exercise saving faith in Christ – making them (and us) all the more responsible. How much more responsible is a person for their rejection of the Gospel once they have heard it? This is a bit of a dilemma for me. On one hand they hear it, but unless their heart is open to receiving understanding and wisdom from God about it it will be just words on paper or sounds in the air. On the other hand when their heart is open to the gospel God exposes their hearts, minds, and souls to the Gospel (hearing or reading) something utterly changes – they understand sin, their sin and separation from God, and God’s plan and purpose of salvation, redemption, and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. This point in a persons life is where they will either humbly surrender all self-reliance and self-worth and believe in/on Jesus Christ. In their hearts, minds, and souls they are changed. They have gone from being condemned to redeemed, unforgiven to forgiven, guilty to innocent, hell bound to heaven. This is what the Gospel will do to a person when they act on the wisdom and understanding given by God to them. It is true to many good people never see the need for Jesus Christ. They have determined in their heart that they are good enough and worthy of heaven. The destiny of all people, both good and bad, is eternal hell.

19.r. “He is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”

Romans 8:5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

1 Corinthians 2:14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

Philippians 3:18-19 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.

2 Peter 2:10 Such punishment is specially reserved for those who indulge the corruption desires of the flesh and despise authority. Reckless, self-centered, they speak abusively of angelic majesties without trembling,

It is easy to see when others have set their minds to worldly things of the flesh. We see it so plainly that we wonder why that person does not see it. These worldly passions of the flesh – (greed, pride, anger, hate, lust, ego, conceit, self-worth, arrogance, vanity, self-reliance, coveting, materialism, outrage, resentment, lying, aggravation, resentment……………..) are their normal behavior. We know “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” This is who they are. We know there are various levels to which a person may display these fleshly attributes of the world. Some are just more flagrant than others. We may see video clips on the news or read quotes of what people have said and we wonder how in the world can they act this way or think this way. We may even get upset (perturbed) at that person. We may even go so far as to which harm and God’s judgment on that person. Paul says – this is who they are and without the Spirit of God in them, this is how they will remain. We should not expect them to act differently.

We, on the other hand, ought to act and think differently. We ought to know what is in our hearts and minds that are being fed by worldly desires and wants. We ought to know the difference between things of this world and things of God. We ought to know what is pleasing, honoring, and glorifying to Jesus Christ. How or why should we know? Because the Spirit of God is living in us. When we are in God’s Word and seek and desire it to light our paths in this life, it is then the Holy Spirit of God will be more than a whisper. It will be a shout of direction and purpose for our lives each day. We will hear these shouts above any noise of confusion the world is shouting. In fact, the shouts of this world become faint whispers. It is when we begin to neglect God’s Word and our seeking and desiring become complacent that the shouts of the Holy Spirit’s leading become weaker and weaker, and shouts of the flesh and worldly things become louder and louder.

Oh, that our ears would be deaf to things of this world and hear strong and loud the shouts of the Holy Spirit through God’s Word into our lives.