Yes I know it sounds like " Return of the King"...
Lord Of The Rings.
Who is the King?
I will look forward to your answer.
Why am I writing about the Sower.
This morning I openned my Bible and my eyes fell on the parable and mystery.
Jesus said he gave some the ability to know the mystery.
And for some he put the mystery in a parable so that they may one day understand
And believing, their sins would be forgiven
What sins?
Ofcourse we are sinful.
The thing is some of our sinfulness is not even obvious to us... I mean we sin without knowing...
"Father forgive them,...they do not know what they do.."
These are the words of Jesus at the cross.
Now I am beginning to realize that a dangerouse and insidious sin is intellectualism.
I am really sorry to offend any on you.. but what the heck... a blog is where I tell it like it is.
And you are free to respond if you wish.
I saw a title for a book: "THE DELUSION OF GOD"
Well, first it called to mind what Obama said in one of the debates in his campaign.
"People say I am deluded.."
As I pondered on this concept of delusion I have to tell you I got a clear idea of Satan weaving
yet another attractive journey for those who are logically inclined.
Jesus defies logic. He is PARALOGIC.. if there is such a word... beyond logic.
I must invite you to read the post " The question bugging him" and all the comments.
Jallin pointed out that only those touched by the Holy Spirit have faith.
SOS THE BELOVED wrote a comment about how logic cannot bring us to Salvation.
Jesus speaks to me everyday.. and today he spoke to me about the sower... twice He has asked me to see the mystery in the parable of the sower.
Mark 4:11 "He said unto them. Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:
verse 14 And these are they by the wayside, where the word was sown: but when they have heard , Satan cometh immediately and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts
( How? I see that Satan uses intelectualism and complacency...)
( In religion... cos I do not see religion as knowing God...it can take the form of being legalistic... so we worship the creature instead of the CREATOR as Paul put it. What do I mean by creature. I mean man made rules...I believe in listening to Jesus and prayer and the Word )
v18 And these are they that are sown among thorns; such as hear the word. And the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word and it becometh unfruitful"
( As I read this I began to see lust as coming from flesh and flesh includes the mind...the intellectualism that led to academics becoming uncomfortable with the grasping God...Jesus can be experienced...My Kingdom is not of this world, He said...
My thoughts take me to
John Chap 1
" V 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
V5 In Him was life and the life was the light of men.
V5 And the Light shineth in Darkness; and the Darkness comprehendeth it not.
V14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.
V17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ
Today is the Global Day Of Prayer.
Earlier I had said I would pray for those who are not free to believe.
Now I see that the UNFREE include those seduced by the clever arguments of Satan...
Arguments that appeal to our need for a neat anwer to the question of creation and intelligent design.
I pray that these do not become distractions to the vital journey to salvation.
Lord I pray that you move us to reach out and show us how to reach out.
2 years ago
On the night when Nicodemus came to Jesus, his statement was focus on Jesus was sent by God because Jesus could perform miraculous sign. We know that Nicodemus is an expert of the Torah, the book of Moses. He is a religious teacher, a Pharisee and a well respected leader. In other word Nicodemus is an intellectual. - John 3:2
ReplyDeleteThough he is an intellectual, he is illiterate in spiritual thing because that spirit is from above (from God). His concept on religion is based on what he learnt in the religious class. Spiritually he is blind because his heart is blinded by the spirit of intellectualism.
A rich young man asked Jesus one day saying: "Teacher, what good thing should I do to get eternal life? Jesus replied: "If you want to enter life, obey the commandments." He asked, "which ones?" When Jesus told him not to murder, commit adultery, steal, give false testimony and must honour parents, love neighbour, he replied "I have kept all that. What else I'm lack?" Jesus told him to sell all his possessions and give the money to the poor. The young man went away sad.
Then Jesus concludes his message: "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." - Matthew 19:16-24
This implies to those are rich in wealth and to you and me who are rich intellectually unless we humble our hearts before God and man. For God seek for a humble and meek heart but hated those boasful in spirit.
Man has body, soul and spirit. The mind and heart (or seat of emotions) of man makes up his soul. The knowledge and experiences from the world around us comes into our mind and emotions (i.e. our soul) through our five senses.
ReplyDeleteHowever, God’s revelation comes from His Spirit to our spirit man.
"...as it is written:
'No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
what God has prepared for those who love him'
but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit."
[1 Cor 2: 9-10]
Therefore, our spirit knows the things of God before our mind does. When God’s Spirit tries to tell us things, we have to be in a receptive frame of mind and heart. If not, when the knowledge of God comes into our minds via our spirit, we get into reasoning or rationalism.
"The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us."
[1 Corinthians 2: 10-12]
Webster Dictionary defines “intellectualism “ as (1 a) the viewpoint that knowledge is derived from pure reason: RATIONALISM (b) the doctrine that the ultimate principle of reality is reason (2 a) devotion to the exercise of intellect or intellectual things...
Those who depend on intellectualism or rationalism to gain knowledge of God will not be able to go beyond their own pool of knowledge revolving in their own minds. The godless people described in Romans chapter 1 had this problem
"...because that, knowing God, they glorified him not as God, neither gave thanks; but became vain in their reasonings, and their senseless heart was darkened."
[Rom 1:21]
Our minds can be an asset when it is brought into subjection to God; it is an abomination when it exalts itself against the knowledge of God. This is why we are to cast down “imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (ASV).
"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
[2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV]
We can ask God to open our minds so that we can understand the scriptures. This was what Jesus did for two of his diciples:
"Then opened He their mind, that they might understand the scriptures..."
[Luke 24:45]
We are also instructed in Romans 12: 2 to renew our minds:
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will."
The mind is the seat of our intellect. Our intellect is God-given and serves us well when it is rightly used to process information. However, when we exalt our intellect as the seat of knowledge, then we are into a Godless mindset.
I have also picked from the concordance just a few verses containing the word, MIND. It is interesting to examine these verses to note the function of the mind. Some notations are given after the first few verses:
ReplyDeletePsa 26:2 Examine me, O Jehovah, and prove me; Try my heart and my mind. [The Psalmist asks God to sift through his thoughts and emotions...to search him, examine him to see if his thoughts and emotions are on track.]
Isa 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee. [A mind preoccupied with thoughts of God is in perfect rest.]
Jer 17:10 I, Jehovah, search the mind, I try the heart, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.
Dan 2:29 …as for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter; and he that revealeth secrets hath made known to thee what shall come to pass.
[Interesting isn’t how the king’s thoughts “came into his mind” when he was on his bed.}
Mat 22:37 And he said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mar 12:30 and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.
Luk 10:27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.
Act 17:11 Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of the mind, examining the Scriptures daily, whether these things were so.
Rom 1:28 And even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up unto a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting;
Rom 8:5 For they that are after the flesh mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
Rom 8:6 For the mind of the flesh is death; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace:
Rom 8:7 because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be:
Rom 12:16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Set not your mind on high things, but condescend to things that are lowly. Be not wise in your own conceits.
Rom 15:5 Now the God of patience and of comfort grant you to be of the same mind one with another according to Christ Jesus:
1Co 1:10 Now I beseech you, brethren, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
Having a sharp intelligent mind is good as long as it is under the control of the Spirit of God. Having money and influence is good as long as it is laid on the altar for use in God's kingdom.
ReplyDeleteThe danger is to walk in spiritual darkness and blindness. This is the state of those who are yet to believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior.
The easiest way to fight darkness is to switch on the light! May your light so shine this season that men may see your words and actions and glorify your Father in heaven as they become delivered from darkness.
You are blessed.
I have learnt a lot from you. This trap is so pervasive ... I hope more will read our discussion here and contribute so that we can uplift each other and move steadilly to HIS Drum Beat.
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