US economy

[carol v]

I believe we are better served to concentrate on defeating the beast within our own selves rather than the beast "out there."

Very good reminder Joe. Thanks.

[Stevernator]

Thanks Joe, looks like you are spot on. Thanks for clarifying.
-Steve

[hillsbororiver]

Hi Carol & Steve,

You are very welcome, I believe losing sight of the beast within us is a very effective tool of the devil as he constantly attempts to take our eyes off of spiritual truth and blind us with physical matters, it has worked very well on me too many times! 

We can only reach for the Lord's extended hand as He pulls us back up on our feet to continue this journey.

THE DEVIL MAKES MAN MINDFUL OF PHYSICAL THINGS

The devil has always been mindful of physical, literal, material things. That's what Satan "dines" on—

"...DUST [of man] shall you eat all the days of your life" (Gen. 3:14).

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour [Greek: 'swallow up']" [I Pet. 5:8].

Yes, the Adversary eats "dust" and we, mankind, ARE "dust" of the ground. Satan does not feast on spiritual food—it would choke him! Satan dines on the carnal [flesh/meat] mind of men. While Jesus was physically starving for forty days, He was feasting on spiritual food from heaven! Satan thought he could trick Jesus into satisfying His need for physical FOOD before He was finished dining on spiritual food with His Father!

"Then was Jesus led up of THE SPIRIT into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered" [...and so was STARVING, The Four Gospels By C.H. Rieu].

And when the tempter came to Him, he said, If you be the Son of God, command that these stones be made BREAD" (Matt. 4:1-3).

Satan should have realized that one doesn't tempt a Spiritual Giant with a loaf of physical bread.

IT TAKES SPIRITUAL EARS TO HEAR SPIRITUAL WORDS

Listen to Jesus (with your SPIRIT):

"WHY do ye [all of us] NOT UNDERSTAND MY SPEECH? EVEN BECAUSE YE CANNOT HEAR MY WORD. Ye are of your father THE DEVIL ... He that is of God HEARS God's words [words of SPIRIT, WITH HIS SPIRIT]: ye therefore hear them not, BECAUSE YE ARE NOT OF GOD" (John 8:43-44 & 47).

"But the natural [soulish] man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are SPIRITUALLY discerned" (I Cor. 2:14).

Practically the whole Church believes and teaches that Jesus spoke literal little stories about physical people, places, and things, so that everyone could understand Him. One cannot hear words of spirit with physical ears.

All they heard were the physical vibrations in the air against their physical eardrums. Their heart and mind and spirit didn't hear a thing! We just read the Scriptures above, where the greatest theologians and thinkers in the law could not "hear" and understand Jesus. Little has changed in two thousand years!

As long as people think what Jesus taught was physical, and material, and literal, then they will never understand. Were the parables given to enhance understanding? I speak as fool (read Matt. 13). Were the teachings of Jesus, temporary, physical, literal? Let Him answer:

"...the words that I speak unto you, THEY ARE SPIRIT, and they are LIFE" (John 6:63)!

Parables have a SPIRITUAL meaning, and all of Christ's teachings are SPIRITUAL. And that is because His very "words" ARE SPIRIT! Remember that Revelation is the "revelation OF Jesus Christ," it is HIS testimony. The "words" of His testimony are therefore, also, "SPIRIT."

So once again: "He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says..." What "who" says? Just "who" is doing the speaking here in Revelation? "...hear what THE SPIRIT says..." It is "the SPIRIT" speaking to the churches, and the words being spoken are those of Jesus, which "words are SPIRIT," and "the LORD [Jesus Christ] is that SPIRIT..." (II Cor. 3:17).

His Peace and Wisdom to you,

Joe

[Stevernator]

Thank you everyone for your comments. I will put my focus towards the spiritual kingdom of God and He will help me to do so if it is His will. I thank God for such great brothers and sisters. Joyce alluded to this verse and I would like to share some more of it as a powerful reminder.

MATTHEW 6 : 24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?

26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life

28 "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not work or spin.

29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.

30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

31 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'

32 For the pagans (unbelievers) run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

33 BUT SEEK FIRST GOD'S KINGDOM, AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND ALL OF THESE THINGS WILL BE ADDED TO YOU.

34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.



Psa 27:1 Yahweh is my Light and my Salvation; Whom should I fear? Yahweh is the Stronghold of my life; Of whom should I be afraid?

Psa 27:2 When evildoers drew near against me To devour my flesh, They who were to me my foes and my enemies, They stumbled and fell."

Psa 27:3 Though an armed force should encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war should rise up against me, In spite of this I am trusting."

Psa 27:4 One thing I have asked from Yahweh-- Only it am I seeking:That I may dwell in the House of Yahweh all the days of my life, To perceive the pleasantness of
Yahweh, And to make my quest in His Temple."

Psa 27:5 For He shall seclude me in His booth in the day of evil; He shall conceal me in the secrecy of His tent; He shall safely set me high on a rock.

Psa 27:6 Even now my head is being raised high over my enemies round about me, And I will sacrifice in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy. I will sing and make melody to Yahweh."

Psa 27:7 Hear my voice, O Yahweh, when I call; Be gracious to me, and answer me."

Psa 27:8 To You my heart has said, I have sought Your face; Your face, O Yahweh, am I seeking."

Psa 27:9 O do not conceal Your face from me, O do not turn aside Your servant in anger, You Who have become my Help! O do not abandon me, And do not forsake me, O Elohim of my salvation."

Psa 27:10 For my father and my mother, they have forsaken me, Yet Yahweh shall gather me in."

Psa 27:11 Direct me, O Yahweh, in Your way, And guide me in a straight path on account of those lying in wait for me."

Psa 27:12 O do not give me up to the soul's desire of my foes, For false witnesses have risen against me, Even malicious calumniators."

Psa 27:13 I believe that I will see the goodness of Yahweh in the land of the living.

Psa 27:14 Be expectant toward Yahweh; Be steadfast, and let your heart be resolute. Yea, be expectant toward Yahweh."


May the love of God be with you all,
Steve

[joyful1]

What are malicious calumniators anyway?