To conform is a temporal decision based on the constant changing preferences that we go through and usually has external influences of gains or losses. These influences are directed at our five senses with the rationalization for gain or loss of finances, security, and promotions. It is deviously orchestrated under the guise of marketing, social improvements or protection. With marketing, we see a “standard” for image, influence, and status; usually as flashy, sexy and with public figures that appeal not only to our five senses but the desires of the flesh including lust, greed, and gluttony. The social improvements ultimate goal is to degrade, reduce and conspire, usually with mantras or slogans like “ the government cares”; “rights for all” and “security”; all under different programs with the aim to make people dependent, mindless and subjugated to special interests.
Protection’s aim is to control rather than safeguard by forcing fear, loss of life or property and instilling phobias into the society and using technology with no boundaries whether physical or genetically. All these agendas lead to ultimately driving people into conforming to a predetermined mindset which is satan’s goal. You determine a human future by enclosing it within a box then you limit his capacity to ponder and be amazed at creation and the possibility of God. The dream is taken out to deny envisioning anything else other than conforming to trends by a secular authority with the goal of enslaving the mind of people.
Never in the time of history has advances been made so continuous across several industries including science, technology, and even food; all pumped into your mind through social media, connecting like-minded individuals for sharing, creating and producing. This engine drives not only businesses, lifestyle but also dependence on each other, including technology and media. By getting sucked into this vacuum, many will not hear much less have the time to truly consider God, mortality or Salvation, because they are so busy flipping through channels that are never ending. They have lend their bodies and minds, suppressing the spirit to a man’s agenda with the “spirit of ego” driving and determining their future lives. They are conforming to satan’s own spirit when he attempted to make himself as a god - Is. 14:14. It doesn’t require scientific evidence to know and realize the more the eyes and ears assimilate, is the more the brain becomes numb and is preoccupied with the information constantly fed to it, ultimately craving for more of the same type of drug. In this age, many will be conforming to feed the flesh rather than the spirit, resulting in being lost and condemn to death - Rm. 8:6, "the mind of flesh leads to death, while the mind of the Spirit leads to life and peace".
How did Jesus do it being saturated daily with moral issues, temptations alluring His five senses, and seeing injustices? It is easy to dismiss His struggle against these things, after all, He is the Son of God, but He was also the Son of Man. Religion will satisfy its theology by making Jesus more special than He really was allowed to and with a fault increase the gap between man and His divinity. It is true that He is the Son of God and surrendered this divinity to become the Son of man. As the Son of Man is faced directly with the challenges of the day to conform or be convicted in His beliefs. A typical day for Jesus would have involved religious notions carried over from the Abrahamic period of animal sacrifice, observation of the Sabbath and the never ending laws. He would also have been subjected to the Roman ideologies, of an ordered society guided by the ambitions of the aristocracy, including the influences of an occupying force and their multi - god deities.
When Jesus was growing up and started His ministry there would have been at least three major religions competing with each other for followers including Judaism, Roman, and Greek religions and other smaller fractions whether political, religious or even cults like Zionism. He did not grow up in a utopia, nor was He sheltered or hidden away from his surroundings, peers, and society. Jesus had to get out of His home daily, just to fetch water.
What Jesus had though beside His Faithful parents, was a strong belief in a destiny, so much so at age twelve with divine inspiration, He sees Himself as a teacher reading the Torah with understanding and authority - Lk. 2:47. Later, at the start of His ministry, Jesus tell others He is the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy - Lk. 4:20. The bible clearly states, “train up a child” - Prob. 22:6, by this, Jesus' mind and spirit, would begin to be influenced and convicted by the Holy Spirit. Yes, the Holy Spirit “hovered” over Him as it never left the earth and from Mary’s conception stayed with Jesus. Whenever an “innocent” child is born, an angel is assigned; that is why they may see Spirits because of the purity of their soul and spirit. It is also why satan is after the babies and young children, because if he can kill or influence them (shape their thinking), he thinks he can challenge God’s plan. Is it no coincidence that prior to the birth of Moses, by satanic influences; Pharaoh decreed all the male born babies, to be killed, charging the Hebrew midwives to do this - Ex. 1:16. By fear, Pharoah (satan) influences the midwives to conform to his wishes; but by conviction and steadfastness in their God, they refused and was rewarded, "because they (midwives) feared God, He made them houses" - Ex1 :21.
When God created man, He did it knowing that this time of bombardment from all aspects of life would seek to interfere; with knowledge being globally available through the internet and other technologies - Dan. 12:4. Yet, His plan for securing Salvation has never changed and still respects free will for choosing so as to be convicted in His image, commandments and plans. Consider the convictions He requires;
1) Ex. 20 - “the ten commandments” is the guideline to stay within life and avoid death. To have God as the supreme judge and to humble yourself to His wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of everything so that, “The Lord lifts up the humble” - Ps. 147:6. By submitting to His will out of obedience we not only acknowledge He is sovereign but also eternal, “For I the Lord do not change” - Mal. 3:6 and we receive His purpose for our lives, “the plans I have for you, plans for peace and prosperity” - Jer. 29:11. We are to be convicted in obedience.
2) Duet. 30:19 - “choose life or death” or otherwise the blessing or the curse respectively; is God’s gift of free will, choice with no hidden agenda as each path outlines exactly what each will produce for you. Life affords every promise of God including longevity and prosperity from one generation to another - Prob. 13:22, “inheritance to his children’s children”. It opens up every good desire that you may have - Ps. 37:4, “He will give you the desires of your heart”. In choosing death, is ultimately separation from God resulting in the curse taking over one’s life with satan’s will to kill, steal and destroy us. We are to be convicted with our trust in Him.
3) Jos. 1:8 - “meditate day and night on the word” is the method by which your desires will be achieved including success and prosperity. Not on the things that matter to the world but on things that matter to God such as “man made in the image of God” - Gen. 1:27 and to receive all God’s Kingdom as your inheritance both on earth and in heaven, “we would become heirs” - Tit. 3:7. It is also the thief's method to keep you from all God’s will with constant and varied distractions as he is known as the father of confusion which is opposite to who God is, “for God is not of disorder but peace” - 1 Corth. 14:33. We are to be convicted God's ways being higher than our's are best.
4) Heb. 11:6 - “Faith” is that substance that connects the physical with the Spiritual. It is also the demand of God to isolate those who see Him as nothing more than a means to their wants; to those who truly want to be sons and daughters of God not only as an almighty God having control but more so a Father who cares for His family. “Our hearts cry, Abba; no longer a slave but a son” - Gal. 4:6. We are to be convicted that He is always available to help us with no conditions other than a Father to His children.
5) Lk. 10:19 - “authority” is given as to control the outcome of our Faith, having been “redeemed from the curse” - Gal. 3:13; all original birthright lost by Adam is fully restored so that “whatever we bind and loose” - Matt. 18:18, produces with Faith the desired result and making satan nothing more than a loud mouth bully “roaming about to see whom he can devour” - 1 Pet. 5:8. He, satan has no physical or spiritual power over us, other than what we allow him to have. We are to be convicted that as a child of God, He is behind and supporting us in carrying out His Word and plans.
6) Matt. 10:34 - “the sword” by this we have been commanded to separate from darkness and to dwell in the light. Jesus is God and as such His Words come directly from God who holds the results of life or death because “He is the rewarder of those who earnestly seek Him” - Heb. 11:6; but as for those who “deny Me and I will deny you” - Matt. 10:33. We can’t have both sides by playing hooky in the middle or swinging left to right as it suits us; for “God is not mocked” - Gal. 6:7 and God is not tolerant of such disrespect to His will, for “being lukewarm, I will spit you out” - Rev. 3:16. We are to be convicted that God is as the Word says He is, with honor and is just to deliver us because we have burnt all other bridges.
Spiritual Awakening
Aug. 10, 2016.
Conformity vs. Conviction.
The language we hear can challenge or hinder our Spiritual growth because from a very young age our brains are programmed to react to others speaking to us. Even though we associate a word with a particular meaning the tone and inflexion that these words which are spoken to us can make or break our very spirit into submissiveness, fear, and confusion. Using the word love with an angry, flippant or condescending tone can actually cause more harm. This is compounded more when that word is associated with an image. The language today is not just about words but pictures and images that are more powerful in shaping our character for life or death. The typical life of a child growing up today is one of electronic nurturing. The parent in most cases is replaced with some form of media that is either heard or seen whether it is traditionally on the family’s television(s) or through any form of social media gadget, be it a smart phone, tablet, game platforms or even Google goggles. The world wants to saturate your mind with its form of humanity through conformity leading to death, while God wants you to be convicted in your Faith leading to life and all His promises.
Whether it is accepted or not, most people today are a product of what they have been told, what they have heard and what they have seen. If conformity is based on social teachings then conviction must be based on an inner belief in something that may be seen or not seen. Either is a decision that will affect how our outlook is or how we finish and establish our character, lifestyle, and view on daily issues. We are really no different than a sponge absorbing everything we are placed in and eventually expelling or oozing out what’s inside of us whenever the pressure of life squeeze us in our interactions with one another. There is a saying that, “to know me is to live with me”, because all the inhibitions, guards, and facades are down through familiarity exposing the real person behind social graces, cultures, and traditions. All these external faces are in part due to the conformity of one thing or another. When we are convicted, then the why, where, when, what and who will have to take their place secondary to righteousness, truth, spirit and ultimately the first two commandments for a Christian. Now, I am not saying we are to bulldoze others with “Christ” and not be responsible, caring and flexible in sharing Salvation; but by all that is ours through Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit, be led as Jesus was led. We are fighting for the minds of the lost and even to a point for those still on milk, not having established their Faith - Matt. 13.
7) 1 Corth. 13:13 - “of the greatest of these is Love” is the stability in our conviction that despite everything that has occurred from Genesis to now, “God is love” - 1Jn. 4:8 and as such His will is not to abandon His creation but willing sacrifice by, “giving His one and only Son” - Jn. 3:16; for all who would choose life over death, peace over destruction and God over satan. When we know His Love and reciprocate it to the best of our ability then, “The Lord fights for us” - Ex. 14:14. We are to be convicted that we are being trained up by trials and tribulations that will strengthen our impact on the world.
Is it ironic or coincidental that after the fall of Adam the redemption of man starts with the Exodus with Moses and the Passover from slavery to the promise land and culminates with Exodus because we are “to enter into that rest” - Heb. 4:11, because God is fighting for us against satan’s tyranny. God made us partners with His divinity being “partakers” - 2 Pet. 1:4 and for that privilege He has asked us to be convicted in all His will including His precepts, commands, and nature so much so that “Christ is in us” - Col. 1:27; and since as we see Christ “we see the Father” - Jn. 14:9; then we being in Christ, we are of the Father and He in us, “the Father dwells in me, He does the work” - Jn. 14:10. It is only with conviction to this and not by conformity to the things of the world are we overcomers by “being more than conquerors through Him who loves us” - Rm. 8:37.
To conform or have conviction is the same as choosing life over death; of light over darkness, of choosing God who loves us or satan who is jealous of us. He, satan uses forceful and insidious tactics, strategies to deceive us into the anti things of God; while God presents our options clearly, decisive and with no hidden agenda. There is a continuous sacrifice by Christ and the Holy Spirit being the advocate and counselor on our behalf as we journey through the maze of the world, but with satan, he only is the accuser, ready to use our flaws towards our fatality. The world continues to descend into darkness because most people either of no faith, as well as Faith, continue to conform out of fear not recognizing that they are slipping into a world where individualism, inalienable rights, and freedom will not be tolerated.
Flush it Out! - To win in life requires conviction.