Who or What Influences You ?
Pastor J. R. Wilhite, author
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Most of us are influenced by television, radio, newspaper, magazines, coworkers, spouse, children, environment, music, health, finances, emotions, games, internet, sports, basically everything in life.
Television - Have you ever thought about the name television, tell-a-vision.
Television, Movies, Music, Friends, Etc.
How is it we will fight over scripture, infant baptism vs adult baptism, dunking vs sprinkling, comunion--wine vs grape juice, comunion--symbolism vs actual body and blood of Jesus (the list goes on); but when it comes to what we are fed by television we take it as the truth, or we ignore the problems (violence, sex, language) and just watch it, and use the excuse "it is only television".
Do you realize you are able to be programed?
You are; we all are! We are always allowing items in our minds and spirit. As we allow things in, they sort of hang around in the background of our mind and/or spirit.
Just think for a second about items when you shop. Have you ever recognized one only due to what you had seen on an ad on television? Of course you have, we all have. That is why companies advertise on television. They count on it planting a seed to buy their product. If a 30 - 60 second spot will get you to buy a certain item, how much more influence does a 30 - 120 MINUTE television show do to seed into you?
How else can you explain the violence of our children today?
Yes, I agree removing the Bible and prayer from school had a lot to do with that. But so do all these slasher movies and television shows. Look back through the past 100 years, children had grown up without anything other than reading 100 years ago. That has been replaced by television, movies, cd's, computers, games, etc. today.
When you were going to school, or before the 80'S or even the 70's how much violence was there. Now kids bring guns, and knives and are killing each other over jackets and shoes. Not because one has and the other does not have, but because one's is better than the other's.
Look at how we have been re-programed to accept so much...in 1980 an underwear comercial was showing underwear on a dumy, now it is showing it on a live person.
What we considered "R" rated in the 50's would be "G" rated today. And now instead of "X" rated there is "NC17". It is just a way to confuse people and get "X" rated movies in all of our theaters.
Not just television and movies, music is one of the biggest problems. That neat beat that goes with the song gets more people to listen to the beat, and hear and be fed the words as well. Some of the songs are down right satanic. While the ones that are not so obvious are the most dangerous. This is because we are not as aware of what it is doing to us. Words do effect us and what words we allow in whether by television, movies, music or just friends feed our spirit and mind.
Mark 4:14 The sower soweth the word.
Mark 4:15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh imediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
Mark 4:16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, imediately receive it with gladness;
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Let's see what Jesus said about this.
Mark 4:17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, imediately they are offended.
Mark 4:18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
Mark 4:19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
Mark 4:20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive [it], and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.
Now that you have read that words are sown in, and what you sow you also reap, here are some not to sow.
Galatians 5:15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
Galatians 5:16 [This] I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Galatians 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
Galatians 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
Galatians 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Galatians 5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Galatians 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
And here is what we should allow, and only what we should allow in our mind, spirit, and soul.
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Galatians 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Galatians 5:24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Galatians 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Galatians 5:26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
Look at how Adam or Eve took words (words of God) twisted them and got into sin.
God Said:
Genesis 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
Eve said:
Genesis 3:3 But of the fruit of the tree which [is] in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
See the difference? She somehow got the idea that just touching the fruit would cause her to die. Maybe Adam said it that way because he just wanted her to stay completely away from it; maybe she thought this herself. It does not really matter; the true word of God was distorted and it contributed to the first sin.
y prayer for you is that you are influenced by words of God and God Himself only. Amen