SENSORY OVERLOAD
There is so much going on in our world, today. It's easy to get distracted and caught up in the business of "living" and all of its entrapments. Humans in the 21st century are constantly bombarded by things that seduce our five (natural) senses. There are enticements everywhere. This leads to people who are driven to gain more, people who want out, and people who simply fall between the cracks. Most people, fall into two or even all three categories at some point in their lives. In any of these conditions, we can become disillusioned.
Many, who we tend to think of as "having it made" are unhappy, and without peace. Many of us--even in the Church, struggle to find constancy in the peace of God--and find ourselves unsettled, and unable to pinpoint why. It is hard to address a problem when you can't find the reason. Sometimes, we examine our lives, and we have done all of the things we set out to do, acquired the things that we wanted, and still have the feeling that something is missing. I believe it is because we are experiencing an overload of the senses--we have so focused on the natural senses, that the spiritual sense has been neglected, and we are left in an unbalanced position.
John wrote to us about this condition. "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world -- the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life -- is not of the Father, but is of the world.
And the world passeth away and the lust thereof, but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." (1 John 2:15-17, NKJV) The world systems have swallowed many up--even some in the Church, because we have become consumed by what we "see" and "touch" and the things of this world that puff us up. John gives us (from God) this warning to heed, because there is no way to love the world and love God--you either hate one and love the other, or vice versa. If we are so enamored by the world and the temporal things that the world has to offer, then we cannot really love God--I didn't say it, John did, as God inspired him.
The lust of the flesh is the tendency that we have to indulge our outward senses so freely--sight, touch, taste, even smell. We cannot be ruled by our natural, carnal senses--that's the old man, that must be subdued!
The lust of the eye is when we internally (in the mind) crave, or long for the things that we don't have--not needs, but desires. When thoughts of things occupy our attention and we daydream about that "blessing", that's the "lust of the eye".
The pride of life deals with our attitude and how we carry ourselves because of what we acquire--it is being proud, boastful or pompous because of earthly accomplishments or acquisitions. It's a "thirst after honour and applause...the disease of the ear; it must be flattered with admiration and praise". The man who is ruled by any of these is ruled not by God, but by the prince of this world. We can rationalize it any way we want to; but the Bible clearly tells us that we cannot serve God and mammon. We must choose. We serve a jealous God--He freely admits that; He has every right to be jealous (He is the only One Who does!) He does not share our affections with anyone or anything, we cannot have divided loyalties. Whatever is on the pedestal of your heart along with God, must be toppled!
In the 37th Psalm, David writes to us, these words: "Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
Trust in the LORD and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
Delight thyself also in the LORD, and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.
And He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass."
(Psalm 37:1-7, NKJV)
Most of us, hear these words preached and we are ready to dance, because we think that this means God will give me anything that I want--you know, all those "blessings". The cars, the houses, the finest clothes, the best education--the best of everything because I am a King's Kid, and I am royal, so I will live like royalty in the earth! Where is that found, in the Word of God??? That is probably the biggest deception in the Church that is taught, today. Many have been drawn into the "Church" because of promises of financial and natural blessings. Some have left disillusioned after they followed all of the "steps" and still didn't get rich--some are still holding on to faith because it's "delayed, but not denied!" I have something to tell you. God is not in the get rich quick business. He is not in the get rich, naturally-speaking business, either. If it took faith to become rich and faith was the precursor to success than every person who was rich would be full of faith. It really is true, that we are destroyed for lack of knowledge because we don't study, and we want to hear what tickles the ear and excites our flesh.
God's focus for us is to deliver us, safely home. His agenda for us is to meet our needs, not indulge our wants; He wants to have us overflowing with spiritual blessings, not natural ones--love for Him, and one another, not things. If you can find something other than this, please share it with me. This is why most of us love preaching, but not so many of us show up for Bible Class. We just love to hear great preaching, because it is exciting in nature (in most of our churches), but how much of it actually sticks? We may remember the topic, but the points of the sermon--not so much. Teaching is different. It tends to be more interactive, often there is an opportunity to ask questions; or at least, there is a chance to break things down to provide an understanding to the hearers--and if it isn't finished, come back, next week! I love great preaching, too; but I think we need more quality teaching and less preaching. It's like the saying: "Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day; teach a man to fish, he'll eat for a lifetime." Preaching sustains for a little while, but once you have been taught a lesson, thoroughly, it sticks--that's why it's so important to be accurate. ("Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman who needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15 NKJV)
It also isn't simply about being taught in Bible Class, but at home opening your Bible and prayerfully asking the Holy Ghost to "teach you all things".
Let's look at the 37th Psalm, again. I highlighted verse four. That's the verse most of us would get happy about, because it says God will give us what we desire. Yes, it does, absolutely. There is a prerequisite though that ensures that these desires will never be about anything carnal, in nature. "Delight thyself also in the LORD...". How do you delight in the LORD? To delight in the Lord, is to crave Him, so much until you are insatiable--never able to be satisfied with anything less than Him--and still want and need more of Him. When you arrive at that point, then He is ready to give you the desires of your heart. Why? Your desires are now for Him--and only Him (and the spiritual "things" of God), not natural things! If we could just stop reading words and begin to "taste" the Word, and digest it, we will stop being ruled by things around us, and begin to experience Him. (While I highlighted only verse four, please don't miss the context verses--they are not dealing with natural desires--they deal with the rest that we can have because of our relationship with God, as we "delight in Him". We don't have to worry about the evildoers, He will handle them--just delight in Him--that's what He desires of us. And, guess what? As we delight in Him, verse 23 of this same Psalm says, He orders our steps, and He even delights in our way! So, He craves us, as much as we crave Him--more.
He wants to give us His glory, but we don't really want it. We just want the crumbs that fall from the table. He doesn't have a plan to make us naturally comfortable on earth--we can do that with hard work and simple determination; just ask the successful wicked man. God's plan is to make us spiritually comfortable, to remove fear, to fill us with love, and give us peace--whether we have things or not. He has promised to provide our needs--the basics: food, water and clothing (Matthew 6), and that is all. So many of our brothers and sisters lack those basics, because we are so naturally comfortable and not abounding in the work of the Lord. How can the love of God dwell in us, if we see our brothers and sisters in the world dying of curable diseases and starvation, and not respond with compassion, by giving and helping according to our blessing? We will have to explain why we did not take care of the least of these to the best of our capacity, very soon. What answer will we give???
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!"
Luke 13:33-35, NKJV
Grace,
Lisa
Many, who we tend to think of as "having it made" are unhappy, and without peace. Many of us--even in the Church, struggle to find constancy in the peace of God--and find ourselves unsettled, and unable to pinpoint why. It is hard to address a problem when you can't find the reason. Sometimes, we examine our lives, and we have done all of the things we set out to do, acquired the things that we wanted, and still have the feeling that something is missing. I believe it is because we are experiencing an overload of the senses--we have so focused on the natural senses, that the spiritual sense has been neglected, and we are left in an unbalanced position.
John wrote to us about this condition. "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world -- the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life -- is not of the Father, but is of the world.
And the world passeth away and the lust thereof, but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." (1 John 2:15-17, NKJV) The world systems have swallowed many up--even some in the Church, because we have become consumed by what we "see" and "touch" and the things of this world that puff us up. John gives us (from God) this warning to heed, because there is no way to love the world and love God--you either hate one and love the other, or vice versa. If we are so enamored by the world and the temporal things that the world has to offer, then we cannot really love God--I didn't say it, John did, as God inspired him.
The lust of the flesh is the tendency that we have to indulge our outward senses so freely--sight, touch, taste, even smell. We cannot be ruled by our natural, carnal senses--that's the old man, that must be subdued!
The lust of the eye is when we internally (in the mind) crave, or long for the things that we don't have--not needs, but desires. When thoughts of things occupy our attention and we daydream about that "blessing", that's the "lust of the eye".
The pride of life deals with our attitude and how we carry ourselves because of what we acquire--it is being proud, boastful or pompous because of earthly accomplishments or acquisitions. It's a "thirst after honour and applause...the disease of the ear; it must be flattered with admiration and praise". The man who is ruled by any of these is ruled not by God, but by the prince of this world. We can rationalize it any way we want to; but the Bible clearly tells us that we cannot serve God and mammon. We must choose. We serve a jealous God--He freely admits that; He has every right to be jealous (He is the only One Who does!) He does not share our affections with anyone or anything, we cannot have divided loyalties. Whatever is on the pedestal of your heart along with God, must be toppled!
In the 37th Psalm, David writes to us, these words: "Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
Trust in the LORD and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
Delight thyself also in the LORD, and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.
And He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass."
(Psalm 37:1-7, NKJV)
Most of us, hear these words preached and we are ready to dance, because we think that this means God will give me anything that I want--you know, all those "blessings". The cars, the houses, the finest clothes, the best education--the best of everything because I am a King's Kid, and I am royal, so I will live like royalty in the earth! Where is that found, in the Word of God??? That is probably the biggest deception in the Church that is taught, today. Many have been drawn into the "Church" because of promises of financial and natural blessings. Some have left disillusioned after they followed all of the "steps" and still didn't get rich--some are still holding on to faith because it's "delayed, but not denied!" I have something to tell you. God is not in the get rich quick business. He is not in the get rich, naturally-speaking business, either. If it took faith to become rich and faith was the precursor to success than every person who was rich would be full of faith. It really is true, that we are destroyed for lack of knowledge because we don't study, and we want to hear what tickles the ear and excites our flesh.
God's focus for us is to deliver us, safely home. His agenda for us is to meet our needs, not indulge our wants; He wants to have us overflowing with spiritual blessings, not natural ones--love for Him, and one another, not things. If you can find something other than this, please share it with me. This is why most of us love preaching, but not so many of us show up for Bible Class. We just love to hear great preaching, because it is exciting in nature (in most of our churches), but how much of it actually sticks? We may remember the topic, but the points of the sermon--not so much. Teaching is different. It tends to be more interactive, often there is an opportunity to ask questions; or at least, there is a chance to break things down to provide an understanding to the hearers--and if it isn't finished, come back, next week! I love great preaching, too; but I think we need more quality teaching and less preaching. It's like the saying: "Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day; teach a man to fish, he'll eat for a lifetime." Preaching sustains for a little while, but once you have been taught a lesson, thoroughly, it sticks--that's why it's so important to be accurate. ("Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman who needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15 NKJV)
It also isn't simply about being taught in Bible Class, but at home opening your Bible and prayerfully asking the Holy Ghost to "teach you all things".
Let's look at the 37th Psalm, again. I highlighted verse four. That's the verse most of us would get happy about, because it says God will give us what we desire. Yes, it does, absolutely. There is a prerequisite though that ensures that these desires will never be about anything carnal, in nature. "Delight thyself also in the LORD...". How do you delight in the LORD? To delight in the Lord, is to crave Him, so much until you are insatiable--never able to be satisfied with anything less than Him--and still want and need more of Him. When you arrive at that point, then He is ready to give you the desires of your heart. Why? Your desires are now for Him--and only Him (and the spiritual "things" of God), not natural things! If we could just stop reading words and begin to "taste" the Word, and digest it, we will stop being ruled by things around us, and begin to experience Him. (While I highlighted only verse four, please don't miss the context verses--they are not dealing with natural desires--they deal with the rest that we can have because of our relationship with God, as we "delight in Him". We don't have to worry about the evildoers, He will handle them--just delight in Him--that's what He desires of us. And, guess what? As we delight in Him, verse 23 of this same Psalm says, He orders our steps, and He even delights in our way! So, He craves us, as much as we crave Him--more.
He wants to give us His glory, but we don't really want it. We just want the crumbs that fall from the table. He doesn't have a plan to make us naturally comfortable on earth--we can do that with hard work and simple determination; just ask the successful wicked man. God's plan is to make us spiritually comfortable, to remove fear, to fill us with love, and give us peace--whether we have things or not. He has promised to provide our needs--the basics: food, water and clothing (Matthew 6), and that is all. So many of our brothers and sisters lack those basics, because we are so naturally comfortable and not abounding in the work of the Lord. How can the love of God dwell in us, if we see our brothers and sisters in the world dying of curable diseases and starvation, and not respond with compassion, by giving and helping according to our blessing? We will have to explain why we did not take care of the least of these to the best of our capacity, very soon. What answer will we give???
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!"
Luke 13:33-35, NKJV
Grace,
Lisa
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