Stony Places

wise seeker · Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2003 7:08 am Post subject: Stony Places

"Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. "But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. Matthew 13:5-6

Jesus didn’t tell us that the first commandment was to love the Lord our God with all our minds? Lies, heresies and doctrine of demons occur whenever people emphasize a particular aspect of truth over other truth and this includes loving God. Jesus told us we were to love God with our total being body, soul and spirit, not just our mind:

'And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. "And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." Mark 12:30-31

I have friends whose are like the stony ground that Jesus talked about. Their faith and knowledge of the word of God is all intellectual. It’s all in their head and has not gone down into their spirit or heart. They accept things as long as it makes sense to their carnal mind and they could understand it. They reject what they cannot understand. But God is not logical and understandable. He is illogical and does things that totally don’t make sense - like waiting until Lazarus died before healing him and causing him to go through the anguish of dying and being buried. Did it make sense to allow Job to lose all his possessions and health just so God could win an argument with the devil? And of course people who are very shallow and stony ground who hear the word and immediately receives it with joy but have no root in them endure only for a while. When tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they stumble. Yet God’s word is unchanging:

But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." Matthew 16:23

Jesus said to him, " 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' Matthew 22:37

Man has a free will and he alone determines what he will set his heart, soul and mind on. It he sets it on the flesh then he walks after the flesh. If he set it upon the spirit then he follows after the spirit. And yes Satan who is not mindful of the things of God but of the things of men, influences the mind of man for God’s word is unchanging:

Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh. Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3:11-18

There are religious ones who call themselves Christians and say that Christians cannot be influenced or possessed by demons. But all they are doing is playing around with words because God’s word tells us that there is a wisdom that does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic. And where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. So Christians determine by what wisdom they will live by and if they will allow evil spirit to posses them just like Jesus talked about:

"When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. "Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. "Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation." Matthew 12:43-45

These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: "A dog returns to his own vomit," and, "a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire." 2 Peter 2:17-22

Yes, the word of God tells us that it is possible to escape the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then become again entangled in them and overcome. As a result the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: "A dog returns to his own vomit," and, "a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.

Whatever the mind sets itself on is what the man walks after. If it occupies itself with the flesh, he walks after that; conversely, if it sets itself upon the spirit, he follows after it. It is therefore unnecessary to ask whether or not we are walking after the spirit. On whatever the mind sets itself, that do he follows. This is an unchangeable law. So man makes a daily choice to heed the Spirit in the inner man and to obey the truth or to heed demons and to obey the flesh! Consequentially he becomes either fleshly or spiritual and goes to heaven or hell for the spirit produces life and peace, and following the flesh and others results in death.

An open mind lets in the truth, but the illumination of the spirit's light renders the truth profitable. An open mind doesn’t just give mental ascent to truth but he acts on it. God never forces man into obedience. He allows each one to make his choice to heed the Holy Spirit or evil spirits. The spirit and mind of a spiritual man functions actively together with the Holy Spirit. He exercises his inner man to cooperate with the Holy Spirit and use as well his outer man to follow the movement or silence in his spirit. If a man’s heart and mind are prejudiced or preoccupied with the love of the world including the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life he will not experience the life changing transforming power of the Holy Spirit. Truth that is not allowed to enter the spirit of man due to a closed mind will not bring prosperity to a person but rather loss for God’s word is unchanging:

"For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. Matthew 13:12

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy." And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because "All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away, But the word of the LORD endures forever." Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you. 1 Peter 1:13-25

True Christians not only have the mind of Christ but they let the mind of Christ control and direct them in all things. They take every thought captive to obey Christ. They scrutinize every one of their thoughts in the light of God, not allowing one to escape their observation or judgment. Otherwise a stray thought could be an opportunity for the evil spirits to work and plant a seed that could have disastrous results. But God’s word is unchanging:

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:4-9