Spiritual Swap Meet
An opening thought...
One Sunday morning when I awoke, the Lord reminded me that "It's All Spiritual." As I now explore and delve into more knowledge around my spiritual gifts and the significance of the fruits of the spirit, I am enamored with the word of God and anxious to continue to gain more wisdom, more knowledge and more understanding.
In recent months I've discovered, and heard people being referred to, labeled, and called "spiritual." The question that immediately comes to mind is of what spirit? The word tells us in 1 John 4:1, "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God..."
"It's all Spiritual."
Don't be deceived by people, places and or things that come wrapped in what appears to be "God's packaging." They may very well be impostors, impersonators, counterfeit, lures and bait used by the enemy to pull off his work of trickery, treachery, malice and destruction.
The older church folks used to say, "Remember chile, the devil comes to church. He gets there early, stays late, and often times you'll find him in the front pew or even in the pulpit. " Yes, the devil can preach. Does he not know the word? What he's banking on is the fact that we don't.
We are so carnal, that we are quick to believe what we see, especially when it "looks like God," and because we don't study the Word, we are clueless about God's character. You can't judge a book by its cover was usually used to describe people who weren't visually acceptable or appealing. The same premise applies also to things that are well packaged to reap a response delivered from emotional stimuli. The best marketing is in the presentation; that which appeals to the senses...
Even money is labeled "In God We Trust." Yet the word tells us in 1 Tim 6:10 "For the love of money is the root [core, foundation, premise, basis] of all kinds of evil (NIV).
Be mindful, in these end times, Matthew 24:24 states "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect."
Matthew also makes it plain in 10:16, "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. "
Be discerning!
Well as we move into this week's topic: Spiritual Swap Meet...
A swap meet by definition is a place of buying, selling, trading and bartering.
The scripture passage that comes to mind is Ephesians 4:22-24 - "That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."
Here Paul instructs the members of the church of Ephesus to put off, set aside, swap the former things; and put on the new man. In other words, trade our old way of thinking and the behavior associated with it for what is made "new" in Christ, for his blood redeems, restores, renews, and makes all things new. We are instructed to put on righteousness and "true" holiness. How obvious is the intentional use of the word "true; " true holiness as opposed to "a form of holiness" or as Timothy so eloquently states " a form of godliness."
We are instructed in Ephesians 6:11 to "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Now we, the "people of God" are doing the exact reverse. We are taking off our armour, our spiritual coverings and putting on the garments of the world:
The girdle of truth is twisted and entangled in deception, hence allowing us to sell off the rest of our armor...
Our breastplate is being auctioned off for designer finery and name brand fashions;
Our feet which should be shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, quicken their way toward sin and unrighteousness;
The shield of faith is melted down and draped around our outer garments on display; worn as accessories, with no real value; strictly to adorn;
The helmet of salvation is being traded for alternative head gear and cover ups that provide no protection;
The sword of the spirit is being exchanged for false doctrines and false teachings that only cripple and kill;
Prayer and supplication are rendered powerless for the involvement with the things of the world dilute the power of prayer and intercession.
We swap, trade and barter the valuable and the enduring for temporary trinkets that are of no spiritual value. The enemy is not after our image, he's after our souls. We willingly stand naked and unarmed in battle fully exposed to the enemy, who just like any well-skilled opponent, will attack where there is vulnerability. We buy in, swap, and exchange the eternal for the momentary/immediately gratifying stuff, things, people, that lose value immediately upon purchase or acquisition.
In a swap meet, the buyers and the traders are strategically looking to acquire treasures, valuables. Be careful that you don't part with items that haven't been properly spiritually appraised or assessed. You may discard items that are crucial to your spiritual success.
Remain armoured...
~Deneen
A Woman Assigned
In recent months I've discovered, and heard people being referred to, labeled, and called "spiritual." The question that immediately comes to mind is of what spirit? The word tells us in 1 John 4:1, "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God..."
"It's all Spiritual."
Don't be deceived by people, places and or things that come wrapped in what appears to be "God's packaging." They may very well be impostors, impersonators, counterfeit, lures and bait used by the enemy to pull off his work of trickery, treachery, malice and destruction.
The older church folks used to say, "Remember chile, the devil comes to church. He gets there early, stays late, and often times you'll find him in the front pew or even in the pulpit. " Yes, the devil can preach. Does he not know the word? What he's banking on is the fact that we don't.
We are so carnal, that we are quick to believe what we see, especially when it "looks like God," and because we don't study the Word, we are clueless about God's character. You can't judge a book by its cover was usually used to describe people who weren't visually acceptable or appealing. The same premise applies also to things that are well packaged to reap a response delivered from emotional stimuli. The best marketing is in the presentation; that which appeals to the senses...
Even money is labeled "In God We Trust." Yet the word tells us in 1 Tim 6:10 "For the love of money is the root [core, foundation, premise, basis] of all kinds of evil (NIV).
Be mindful, in these end times, Matthew 24:24 states "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect."
Matthew also makes it plain in 10:16, "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. "
Be discerning!
Well as we move into this week's topic: Spiritual Swap Meet...
A swap meet by definition is a place of buying, selling, trading and bartering.
The scripture passage that comes to mind is Ephesians 4:22-24 - "That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."
Here Paul instructs the members of the church of Ephesus to put off, set aside, swap the former things; and put on the new man. In other words, trade our old way of thinking and the behavior associated with it for what is made "new" in Christ, for his blood redeems, restores, renews, and makes all things new. We are instructed to put on righteousness and "true" holiness. How obvious is the intentional use of the word "true; " true holiness as opposed to "a form of holiness" or as Timothy so eloquently states " a form of godliness."
We are instructed in Ephesians 6:11 to "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Now we, the "people of God" are doing the exact reverse. We are taking off our armour, our spiritual coverings and putting on the garments of the world:
The girdle of truth is twisted and entangled in deception, hence allowing us to sell off the rest of our armor...
Our breastplate is being auctioned off for designer finery and name brand fashions;
Our feet which should be shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, quicken their way toward sin and unrighteousness;
The shield of faith is melted down and draped around our outer garments on display; worn as accessories, with no real value; strictly to adorn;
The helmet of salvation is being traded for alternative head gear and cover ups that provide no protection;
The sword of the spirit is being exchanged for false doctrines and false teachings that only cripple and kill;
Prayer and supplication are rendered powerless for the involvement with the things of the world dilute the power of prayer and intercession.
We swap, trade and barter the valuable and the enduring for temporary trinkets that are of no spiritual value. The enemy is not after our image, he's after our souls. We willingly stand naked and unarmed in battle fully exposed to the enemy, who just like any well-skilled opponent, will attack where there is vulnerability. We buy in, swap, and exchange the eternal for the momentary/immediately gratifying stuff, things, people, that lose value immediately upon purchase or acquisition.
In a swap meet, the buyers and the traders are strategically looking to acquire treasures, valuables. Be careful that you don't part with items that haven't been properly spiritually appraised or assessed. You may discard items that are crucial to your spiritual success.
Remain armoured...
~Deneen
A Woman Assigned
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