BLESSED
No matter what their condition these days, it seems whenever you ask people how they are doing, the reply always seem to be the same, ''I'm blessed''. The more self-righteous crowd might even say, ''I am blessed and highly favored''. The carnally minded have no concept of what being Spiritually blessed means. But what many see as being blessed and what God sees are two different things. The blessing the Bible speaks of are nothing physical but Spiritual. Now hear the boost of the self-righteous Pharisee. Luke 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.Noticed he prayed thus with himselfand not with God, he was in his own thoughts or counsel and imagined he was blessed. His blessing were based on as how he compared himself to other men: he was not wise. 2 Corinthians 10:12For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. The Pharisee[Luke 18:11] which represents the modern day self-righteous man or woman who does not realize they are in the flesh or their own thoughts about God's word. Romans 7:18 For I know that in me[that is in my flesh] dwelleth no good thing. In my carnal thinking there is nothing good concerning God's word only evil. Romans 7:19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Again what carnal man imagined as being blessed is, and what God calls blessed are not the same. Lets examine Psalms 1:1 blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the set of the scornful. When we think of a counsel, we picture a group of men around some table debating something or how to steal more money from the city treasury. Spiritually on my shoulders their are counsels going on all the time in my head ,my thoughts. Proverbs 24:6 for by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in the multitude of counsellors there is safety. Now who do I need to war against :The carnal mind? Romans 7:23But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me in captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. Romans 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual : but I am carnal, sold under sin. If you can see this much you are getting blessed. If the Apostle Paul had to war against the carnal mind who do we think we are not too. Let us look at King David and the war he fought against his own carnal thoughts. Psalms 55: 12-14 for it was not an enemy that reproached me: then I could have borne it: neither was he that hated me that did magnify himself against me. Then I could have hid myself from him: [ we cannot hide from ourselves] 13 but it was thou, a man mine equal, [ the only person we secretly feel is our equal is ourselves] my guide, and mine acquaintance. We took sweet [our own counsel is sweet to us] counsel together and walked unto the house of GOD.Here King David is speaking of himself. David took the reproof to his mind at his level of understanding: he saw his carnal mind was his biggest enemy. Why? Romans 8:7Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of GOD, neither indeed can be. PSALM 69:4 They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head. Sure most of us have physical enemies but my biggest physical or spiritual enemies has always been me. No physical enemy ever poured alcohol down my throat and made me drive my car into the back of a parked flatbed truck doing # 60 miles an hour. My wicked thoughts against God's word are more than the hairs on my head. Still King David had physical problems with Joab his top general and Absalom his son. Joab the captain of the host had a habit of doing things against King David wishes and did what he thought was best. Does this remind us of ourselves? 2 Samuel 3:23 Then Joab and the host that was with were come, the told Joab, saying, Abner the son of Ner came to the King, and he hast send him away, and he is gone in peace. 2 Samuel 3:27 And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak to speak with him quietly, and smote him there under the fifth rib, that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother. Absalom who went to war against King David in his own counsel. Our own familiar counsel in reading God's word is only spiritual death. 2 Samuel 16:23 And the counsel of Ahithophel , which he counselled in those day, was as if a man had enquired at the oracle of God. We trust what is familiar to us or our ungodly counsels, our thoughts on God's word is pleasing to us and familiar. The Bible warns against those that take council from familiar spirit or ourselves: about His words. Leviticus 19:31 Regard not them that have familiar spirits. We highly regard our own evil council! Proverbs 1:30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. The first King of Israel was Saul who rejected God's word even as the Churches do today.1 Chronicles 10: 13 So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it. King Saul went to the Witch Of Endor for counsel that had a familiar spirit. You can always trust that old carnal familiar spirit which is our own wisdom, your thoughts are always present to deceive you when reading GOD'S word.James 3:15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. We love our thoughts, our false image of GOD, created in our minds, our stony hearts. The Roman Catholic created stone images, ours images are created in our mind: altars, baptismal pool, your Nicene greed, physical things which cannot save. And we will die in own sins if we will not be rebuked. Now how can you be blessed and highly favored when we are scornful? A scorner cannot hear spiritual things.Proverbs 13:1a wise son heareth his father instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke.We are not talking physical fathers but our Father which art in heaven, if we can humble ourselves to hear. Proverbs 106:43 many times did he deliver them; but they provoked him with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity. How to hear from God when we read His word? Psalm 10:17 Lord,thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear. Reject your ungodly heathen thoughts by waiting on God to reveal his Hidden word to you. Psalm 33:10 The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect. When God starts to prepares your heart to hear can began by comparing verses with the same word in them. 1 Corinthians 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth; but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. Take a word like , VAIN which is mention in the Bible #104 times , study each verse with that word in them. The book of Proverbs may be an excellent starting point. Proverbs will help you build a spiritual house in the mind: your temple. King Solomon built a physical house, you are trying to build a spiritual one. But be careful of what you use for a foundation. Luke 6:49 Be he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great. I hope this has blessed you if so consider helping us financially. Michael Rudolph Hodges8/27/2015 amended 6/17/2016 Amended 5/25/2019 / amended 5/7/2021/amended 6/20/2021/ 6/18/2022