In Romans 8:5-8 the Apostle Paul explains the difference between those who are led by the Holy Spirit and are therefore sons of God (Rom. 8:14) and those who are led by the flesh and are therefore sons of Satan. “Those who live according to the flesh (world) focus their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who obey the Holy Spirit focus their minds on the things of God. For to be carnally (flesh/world) minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. For the carnal mind is enmity (contentious) against God, for it is not obedient to the Law of God and therefore cannot please God.” The Bible proves time and again that we think about those things that please us. We then do those things that please us. Therefore we become what we think about, whether good or evil, because it pleases us. This is brought out in Proverbs 23:7 where we are told that “As a man thinks about in his heart (mind), so he is.” We become what occupies our minds because that is important to us. The forbidden tree (sin) occupied the minds of Adam and Eve. What began as a sin thought, because it was entertained and nourished, was eventually acted upon, turning them into sinners. This spiritual law is found in James 1:15 where we are warned that what we allow to linger in our minds eventually “conceives” with a desire to do what we are focusing on. This spiritual “conception” then produces sin.

The carnal mind thinks about the things of the world, making its owner worldly (carnal/fleshy). Some people spend hours each day in front of a television. They can tell you what program airs at what time on what day, what the program is about, the names of its characters, the current theme being played out, what happened in past episodes, etc. The same is true for die-hard sports fans, political fans, internet fans, etc. That which occupies our minds shapes us. People who think about food are literally “shaped” by their thoughts as what they focus on they act on. Billions of people have become addicted to those hand-held idiot boxes. These people know and care about what is on those screens. I was recently at a family gathering where every child had one. Though the weather outside was perfect for playing, they spent hours sitting on the couch staring into those tiny screens. Not yet adolescents, their lives are controlled by what they carry in their pockets like miniature life support systems. Cigarette addicts are another example. Who/what decides when they have to go outside and light up? The cigarettes make that decision, not the addict. THAT WHICH IS MOST IMPORTANT TO US DETERMINES WHAT WE ARE. WHAT WE ARE IS A PERSONAL CHOICE. Whether for good or ill, we determine what we think about. What we think about determines what we are. Thus says the Lord.

Ninety-nine percent of professing Christendom knows more about things of the flesh/world than they do about God’s Word. The reason, God tells us, is because they spend their waking hours focused on worldly, flesh-pleasing endeavors. If God is lucky He gets a few moments at the end of the day when their minds are too tired from watching t.v. to continue feeding their flesh. This is true of the most religious among us–pastors, evangelists, Sunday School teachers, etc. I have talked to pillars of the church who are surprised when I show them the Truths in the Bible. “I didn’t know that was in there” is a common expression heard when religious giants are introduced to God’s Word. Anything beyond John 3:16 is a mystery to them.

Because their minds are occupied with the things of the world and not the things of God, those within professing Christendom do not know that the Old Testament is relevant to their lives. They have been led astray by Satan’s false prophets who can be heard and/or seen 24/7/365 on t.v., the radio, the print media, the internet, etc. These “ministers of righteousness,” in obedience to the “angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:15), have been programmed to tell the masses what they want to hear–that which satisfies their flesh-focused minds (hearts). As Jesus warned, these false men of God have come proclaiming that He (Jesus) is the Christ, and having gained the people’s confidence, have deceived them into believing a perverted gospel (Gal. 1:6-9), which has led them to accept another Jesus (2 Cor. 11:4). Question: How is it possible to deceive church-attending, cross-wearing Bible owners to reject both God’s Word and His Christ? Answer: Ignorance of 1) the Truth they proclaim to believe and 2) the God they claim to obey. CHURCH PEOPLE DO NOT KNOW THE WORD BY WHICH THEY WILL BE JUDGED WORTHY OR UNWORTHY OF ETERNAL LIFE (Jn. 12:48). And most of what they know they reject. The Lord wants all of mankind to be warned about what is coming and why. We who serve in His ministry are commanded to continue to proclaim His Truth as long as we are allowed to do so. We are to work while there is day, for night is soon coming when we can no longer work. L.J.