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Can Satan Read Minds?
mharrell08:
--- Quote from: Marky Mark on September 16, 2011, 12:51:04 PM ---
--- Quote ---The brain is an organ and like any other organ if it is damaged or sick etc. it doesn't function properly and produces symptoms. It is all to easy to slap a person with mental illness or problems with the mind as demon afflicted or whatever other evil or bad ideas attached to it. If someone has a heart condition why isn't that person considered demomic influenced as well? Fear and ignorance is still strong with this subject
River
--- End quote ---
If all things are of God [which Scripture teaches] then at what point in our lives do we say that it is not of God? Our mind and body are the conduit in which God works all that needs to be done in our lives,under His sovereign rule and will, for our own humility. Disease, whether it be of a mental or of a physical condition is still,none the less,all of God.To deny His sovereignty over your life is to deny His Godly authority in your life.
--- End quote ---
I can already tell I'm going to regret this, but here goes...
Mark, you and JFK are really missing the point of River's comments. Look at your comments in bold. That's the point River is making...a mental disease should also be considered a physical condition, not an alternative. When you say 'a mental OR physical condition'...as if they are separate. River's point is that they are the same. Whether you agree with him or not on that subject is an issue that is outside the forum.
River doesn't even mention God's Sovereignty nor diminishes it in any way. He simply questions why mental illness is considered demonic 'by the church' and not other ailments such as a heart condition, when they are both physical ailments. Again, nothing to do with questioning God's sovereignty from what I read.
Marques
JohnMichael:
I think I may need to clarify. When I say "mental," I am not referring to the brain. There is a difference between the mind and the brain. I am also not referring to mental illnesses such as bi-polar, schizophrenia, or the like. The mind (carnal mind/spiritual mind) is what I was referring to.
It seems like this topic is spiraling, but oh well.
In Him,
John
DougE6:
Yes Marky Mark; great post. Additionally, To me, one of the most wonderful parts of Gods sovereignity, which you so aptly described above, is the fact that in all of these workings of God, WE ARE ALWAYS VOLUNTEERS. God does not FORCE us to do His counsel even as He sends spiritual forces in our direction. We are always volunteers. So even, when we do evil, it always remains true, that OUR hearts are involved. Therefore, we can be held accountable, in the midst of His sovereignity. Truely a magnificent balance.
So it follows that if I cannot be a willing volunteer to commit murder, then I will not commit a murder. Only God knows to what extent he would need to arrange circumstances for me to do such a sin. Not for a moment is God abandoning His sovereignity in that statement; because His plans for that one who cannot commit murder does not include murder. But if I am a past hater or murderer, if I NOW see my heart improving so murderous thoughts and temptations do not occur, then I can rejoice in my overcoming of that sin. I can feel pretty sure that I WILL not commit that sin. That sin will be behind me (obviously God willing, in everything)
So I feel in light of everything you said, a most important additional consideration, is that we should continually judge our hearts. If we find we are failing or falling in areas, then we should KNOW that our hearts are not right, in those areas, and seek God to change our heart. Repent of these sins. Deeply. As God THEN changes our hearts, invariably His plans for us WILL NOT include our falling to various evils and temptation we fell to earlier. It goes hand in hand. EVEN As God does the work, we must put in the effort, and He will respond by changing out hearts. Gods total sovereignity is NEVER an excuse not to put in effort.
Doug
PS where does Marky Mark come from? I have always wondered about your avatar name.
DougE6:
Hi John from Kentucky
I wonder how many times Ray has said we are volunteers when committing sins. That God does not force us. 50? 100? I should check and see. I am curious. I know Ray and myself respect this verse, do you?
Jas 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
Jas 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Jas 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
Now does God wait for us to volunteer to come to Him? Of course not. Was my writing that opaque to you? Do you really think I think that God waits for us to volunteer to come to Him? The Apostle Paul and Jonah, are great examples of how God does complel us to righteousness. If you really believe I think God waits for us to volunteer to COME to HIM let me make it it CLEAR...GOD DOES USE GREAT COMPELLING FORCE ON US TO BRING US TO HIM. OK?
You just think it is more spiritual to think that God does the evil when horrendous personal evils are committed. Every word I wrote in my prior post I will stand by, when it speaks of how God runs his creation concerning evil. Not only does God send evil spirits to entice as Marky wrote cause God will not tempt anyone directly, he also does it in ways that are beyond your reasoning. God asked for volunteer spirits to tempt Ahab to his doom in Kings, to be lying spirits in the propherts mouths. God did not order Satan directly in Job, he goaded Satan. And Satan went for it, as God knew He would. Apparently those minor subtleties are lost on you. Your heart is lazy and lustful you JUST have said it yourself, yesterday, in a recent post. You will NOT try, at least from any words I have EVER seen you write, to struggle against sin. You are content just to sit back and say, well if I have this impulse, I might as well lust for this married women, because apparently God hasn't decided to change me yet, so I might as well enjoy it. I know you pulled the post, just a day or so ago, but you said those very words. So we are to believe that your understanding of the sovereignity of God is correct when you say such things as that? God forbid.
Heb 12:3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
Heb 12:4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
How much have you strived against sin? Have you shed any blood in your struggle to be righteous, whether literal or metaphorical? Or do you hide behind your understanding of Gods sovereignity, so you can have a heart full of lusts and whatever, but it is all fine, in your eyes, cause everything is of God? Is that what the understanding of Gods sovereignity is supposed to do? EXCUSE your laziness and lust?
Joel:
Hi John,
Matthew 6:6 comes to mind concerning your post.
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
This verse seems to indicate that we can have a one on one time with the Father, and no one, or no spirit can hear or see what we are doing in the Spirit, unless God should reveal it to them, and the them not being the enemy, because it is in secret.
Jesus went into the wilderness, and it was after the forty days and forty nights were over, that the devil tempted him. I don't see the tempter being able to interfear during the 40 days and nights, only afterwards.
I don't know of any scripture for Satan being able to read our minds, or hear our prayers, our words and our actions are easily read.
Joel
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