We are made of body, mind, and spirit. God made us and called it very good. Then sin entered the world and it’s been a battle ever since. God knew we would need help so Jesus (God in flesh) came and paid the price for our sins. When He rose He gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit – our helper in all things. I guess He knew we would need some help with the day to day battles we have.
Here are the questions I am pondering today:
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Do we just feed our flesh or do we feed our spirit?
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Do we feed on the Word of God to strengthen His and our spirit?
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Are we starving the Spirit of God while we feed our flesh and our religious grandiose self?
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Are we listening to the Holy Spirit or ignoring Him?
“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. ” – Galatians 5:16-18
Preachers are funny sometimes. I can’t watch some of them on TV. It’s all about them, what they have, and what you need to do to get what they have. Guess what? I don’t want what they have, lol! I do not want to feed my flesh with “do this”, “don’t do that,” and “then you will get this” nonsense. Like God is someone we can analyze and manipulate. He is not a magic Genie either. God doesn’t work that way! His ways are higher than ours and His thoughts are higher than ours!
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” – Romans 8:1-9 NKJV
I mean really, do we even want to be around people who only want something all the time? You know the type. Or what about the ‘know it alls’? What about the braggers? That gets annoying too. Self – ego – better than thou attitudes tell me that that person doesn’t care about God, they only care about themselves. I don’t think God likes that attitude either.
The flesh is the ego which feels an emptiness and uses the resources in its own power to try to fill it. Flesh is the “I” who tries to satisfy me with anything but God’s mercy. ” -John Piper
- God’s mercy is the only reason I am still here.
- God’s love is the only reason my hearts still beats.
- God’s forgiveness is the only reason I have hope.
- God’s faithfulness is the reason I still try.
- God’s hope is the reason I believe.
- It’s not my hope – it’s His hope in me that helps me lift my head.
- It’s not my faith – it’s His faith in me that changes things.
- It’s not my love or my duty or even my obedience – it’s His love and what He did and His obedience that changed everything!
I believe when we feed the flesh we do it backwards. It’s all about us – not God. So can these TV preachers get off the soap box and stop misleading the sheep? It makes me mad. If you pray this…If you send this amount… If you plant this seed…If you come to this church function or that church function…If you believe…If you pray this long…
Can we just stop trying to manipulate God?
Guess what? It’s not about you preacher man! And hallelujah it’s not about me either! It’s about God! Tell me about God’s mercy. Tell me about God’s love. Don’t lecture me about flesh. My flesh is dead anyway! Why are you talking to the dead guy? Ugggh! (Yeah, I guess I’m riled up about this…)
