Post by tlsitd on Jul 25, 2018 17:09:14 GMT -5
Having an appetite for spiritual things does not necessarily mean that one has an appetite for God Himself in truth.
This is something I've been thinking about lately.
If you watch YouTube, as I do, you'll get recommendations for various videos according to what you watch. Because I primarily watch Christian videos, I get recommendations for videos having to do with the same in some way---some of them way off of anything I would ever want to watch.
But when I look at the views on recommended videos about things like encounters with angels, miracles (real or false), end-time prophecy, the outrageous behavior of various "pastors" or false teachers, or crazy and disgusting things being done in this or that church, or about near-death experiences, or things having to do with demons, or conspiracy theories pertaining to the Bible, and such like, those videos have lots of views.
But when I go to a sermon or a video where practical and meaningful topics are being preached or discussed, the views are far fewer. The content is better---spiritually nourishing and refreshing truth from God, but that's not what most people want, obviously. They have a carnal appetite for spiritual things, but not an appetite for God.
People want to know the healthiest foods to feed their bodies from some Christian expert on the subject, because they want to be religious, or superior to others in their own minds by what they put into their bodies, and because they think highly of their bodies because they are self-focused---not because they really want to honor God with their bodies. They won't touch a pork-chop or anything that isn't organic, but they don't even obey God's word. If they were really so concerned about eating healthy because their body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, don't you think they would make obeying the Spirit in all things, and not grieving Him, a priority also?
How is watching people do outrageous and nonsensical things under the supposed influence of the Holy Spirit spiritually beneficial in any way? They might as well watch a video of some performing seals at Sea World. It serves the same appetite: Entertainment.
They want to find secret codes in the Scriptures to uncover hidden mysteries, but they don't care much about studying and being faithful in keeping what is spelled out clearly in the Scriptures and easy to understand.
They chase after prophets and workers of miracles to see something extraordinary, but have little or no desire to live for the One who is supposedly at work in such persons---only for "super-powers" for themselves, like Simon the magician, and for entertainment and blessings.
The people watching these kinds of videos have the same kind of mentality that the people who read tabloids and watch entertainment news have, it just takes a spiritual form rather than a secular one. Their appetite for spiritual or religious things has nothing to do with a genuine love of God or a hunger and thirst for Him, as David had, because they are obsessed with such things but not focused on obeying God.
If they are religious, their religion is self-serving: They want to be something special, and they think highly of themselves and want others to esteem them, or they want to achieve by external means and independent of obedience to God those things which can only be achieved by the Spirit's working on the inside and faithful obedience to God.
They want God to do things for them and to give them things because they are preoccupied with themselves, not because they want to please Him. They're not watching spiritually edifying content because that's not what their appetite is for; it's for content of a spiritual nature that serves their flesh.
That's not the same as a hunger for God. There can be no genuine and righteous hunger for God without the desire to obey Him and to do what pleases Him being paramount and central in one's heart. If that is not the case, then whatever spiritual appetite we may have is an unrighteous and corrupt one---whether it is for studying the Bible or listening to Christian music, or watching people flop around on the floor and make animal sounds in the name of the Holy Spirit on YouTube.
Back in the days before television and movies and the internet, people used to go to revival meetings---not because they were hungry for Jesus Christ and wanted to be saved, but because they wanted to be shocked and entertained by the preaching and whatever else might happen there. And now the same kinds of people seek out YouTube videos about Christian or Biblical or spiritual topics for the same reasons.
Such people might have bookshelves full of books at home on demons and angels and little children who supposedly went to heaven and came back, and how to channel the power of the Holy Spirit to get what they want from God or to do miraculous things, books about miracles and prophecy and on secret mysteries supposedly hidden in the Bible, and various novels with Biblical themes. But how much of the Bible have they actually read and understood? How much time do they spend feeding on God's word, or in prayer? Do they even have a devotional time every day? And what are they doing with what they read? All that spiritual stuff and enthusiasm for the same is not indicative of a hunger and thirst for God; it's just a carnal appetite for spiritual and religious things.
(Why do they crave spiritual things rather than secular? Probably because they desire to be spiritually satisfied on some level, but they don't want to do what is necessary to be spiritually satisfied by God---just the benefits---so they find substitutes.)
This is something I've been thinking about lately.
If you watch YouTube, as I do, you'll get recommendations for various videos according to what you watch. Because I primarily watch Christian videos, I get recommendations for videos having to do with the same in some way---some of them way off of anything I would ever want to watch.
But when I look at the views on recommended videos about things like encounters with angels, miracles (real or false), end-time prophecy, the outrageous behavior of various "pastors" or false teachers, or crazy and disgusting things being done in this or that church, or about near-death experiences, or things having to do with demons, or conspiracy theories pertaining to the Bible, and such like, those videos have lots of views.
But when I go to a sermon or a video where practical and meaningful topics are being preached or discussed, the views are far fewer. The content is better---spiritually nourishing and refreshing truth from God, but that's not what most people want, obviously. They have a carnal appetite for spiritual things, but not an appetite for God.
People want to know the healthiest foods to feed their bodies from some Christian expert on the subject, because they want to be religious, or superior to others in their own minds by what they put into their bodies, and because they think highly of their bodies because they are self-focused---not because they really want to honor God with their bodies. They won't touch a pork-chop or anything that isn't organic, but they don't even obey God's word. If they were really so concerned about eating healthy because their body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, don't you think they would make obeying the Spirit in all things, and not grieving Him, a priority also?
How is watching people do outrageous and nonsensical things under the supposed influence of the Holy Spirit spiritually beneficial in any way? They might as well watch a video of some performing seals at Sea World. It serves the same appetite: Entertainment.
They want to find secret codes in the Scriptures to uncover hidden mysteries, but they don't care much about studying and being faithful in keeping what is spelled out clearly in the Scriptures and easy to understand.
They chase after prophets and workers of miracles to see something extraordinary, but have little or no desire to live for the One who is supposedly at work in such persons---only for "super-powers" for themselves, like Simon the magician, and for entertainment and blessings.
The people watching these kinds of videos have the same kind of mentality that the people who read tabloids and watch entertainment news have, it just takes a spiritual form rather than a secular one. Their appetite for spiritual or religious things has nothing to do with a genuine love of God or a hunger and thirst for Him, as David had, because they are obsessed with such things but not focused on obeying God.
If they are religious, their religion is self-serving: They want to be something special, and they think highly of themselves and want others to esteem them, or they want to achieve by external means and independent of obedience to God those things which can only be achieved by the Spirit's working on the inside and faithful obedience to God.
They want God to do things for them and to give them things because they are preoccupied with themselves, not because they want to please Him. They're not watching spiritually edifying content because that's not what their appetite is for; it's for content of a spiritual nature that serves their flesh.
That's not the same as a hunger for God. There can be no genuine and righteous hunger for God without the desire to obey Him and to do what pleases Him being paramount and central in one's heart. If that is not the case, then whatever spiritual appetite we may have is an unrighteous and corrupt one---whether it is for studying the Bible or listening to Christian music, or watching people flop around on the floor and make animal sounds in the name of the Holy Spirit on YouTube.
Back in the days before television and movies and the internet, people used to go to revival meetings---not because they were hungry for Jesus Christ and wanted to be saved, but because they wanted to be shocked and entertained by the preaching and whatever else might happen there. And now the same kinds of people seek out YouTube videos about Christian or Biblical or spiritual topics for the same reasons.
Such people might have bookshelves full of books at home on demons and angels and little children who supposedly went to heaven and came back, and how to channel the power of the Holy Spirit to get what they want from God or to do miraculous things, books about miracles and prophecy and on secret mysteries supposedly hidden in the Bible, and various novels with Biblical themes. But how much of the Bible have they actually read and understood? How much time do they spend feeding on God's word, or in prayer? Do they even have a devotional time every day? And what are they doing with what they read? All that spiritual stuff and enthusiasm for the same is not indicative of a hunger and thirst for God; it's just a carnal appetite for spiritual and religious things.
(Why do they crave spiritual things rather than secular? Probably because they desire to be spiritually satisfied on some level, but they don't want to do what is necessary to be spiritually satisfied by God---just the benefits---so they find substitutes.)