"The Psychology of Entertainment & the Spiritual Impact of Entertaining...": ‘The Application’

"What does the "psychology of entertainment" have to do with the "spiritual impact of entertaining"?

The subtleties of satanic influence occurs the most in the lives of believers in Christ Jesus, when the deceptive feelings of invincibility and the twisted thoughts of self-importance, begins to perversely contaminate and skew our ability to discern the drifting and shifting in our own hearts; and the key to consistently overcoming is by intentionally "guarding our hearts -- with all diligence and vigilance", KNOWING that "out of our hearts flow the issues of life"!

In everything that carries the potential for "abundance" comes the freedom to choose or select anything that delights our tastes; the opportunity to experience new things in the "spur of the moment" - often with little concern of the consequence or potential of "interim setbacks" and conflicts; and our normal standards of conduct and value systems "take a break", to allow our leisure time to be as self-gratifying and self-serving as possible.
 
I call these things, the "silent, but deadly rules"...

First, let me communicate the importance of not living according to any legalistic parameters and law-based living that occurs due to our own ignorance of the Law of Freedom, the Law of Love, and the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ.

God has created "all things" in this life for our enjoyment and pleasure, but our freedom to choose is not our right of choice; and our "personal makeup" (spiritually, physically and mentally) is the determining factor for what "wisdom is for us", as long as we keep all things subject unto us - and not we, becoming subject unto them.

Our personal disciplines and boundaries are not the things to "dismiss" during the times when we believe we "owe our flesh a break", from making our bodies "living sacrifices"; or, following any powerful times of ministry in which our "supernatural use" was orchestrated by the Spirit of God!

As we all know, with "leisure time" comes a desire to "seek entertainment", and as we seek to entertain ourselves, we tend to get unavoidably mired by appetites and excess that we naturally feed during our times of "need" - as we perceive it; where "as much as we press in to God" should be the degree or determining factor in which "the fruit of patience" is still a requirement; for the times that "our flesh" wants to negotiate for some kind of withdrawal or release.

That's part of the reason why physical exercise or any legitimate and sanctified regimen of "reprieve or rest" is important. But, when we're "spent" spiritually, filling our tanks with God's word and presence, becomes a necessity - and not when we feel like getting around to it; without ever having to appease our fleshly appetites "in the moment".

Since we were built to rise above the odds, and to survive in spite of adversity and hardship, a definitive part of our "frame" is built with the need to use our faith - and with the freedom to express and share our lives with others; while enjoying the journey with activities and interests that do not destroy the integrity of our personal disciplines and boundaries.

For that reason in this peculiar season - the Spirit of God is dramatically changing our "diets and feeding schedules" (physically and spiritually) to hunger and thirst for what is in our best interest; holiness, righteousness and the sanctified life - full of joy, peace and rest in the Holy Ghost.

Our former "appetites" had destructive links to dangerous associations, and without them totally surrendered and cancelled-out in our lives; we remain open to the same distorted theology that has marked the passing "leadership guard", with "unusual anointing" and "unchecked appetites".

I'm sure you've noticed in your own life, once "the fight" is over, we tend to languish and drift away from the "urgency for intimacy" - and end up loosing and gaining ground in a cycle of defeat; but never obtaining "new ground" for the Kingdom of God, because we're undisciplined and immature.

Well, no one is "superhuman", so how do we "strike the balance" in the use of our leisure time for entertainment - without opening a door for the potential of our fatal compromise or our destructive demise?

1. Be prayerful and careful about your "gates", what gets in your heart. (eyes and ears)
2. Be led by the Holy Sprit during your times of relaxation and rest.
3. Always have accountability and a sounding board for your every decision.
4. Never make a decision in the use of your leisure time and entertainment that could not stand up against the values you represent in your professional and spiritual life before others.

Finally, there are "parallel tracks" between the natural and the spiritual dimensions of our earthly existence. In other words, as God is graduating us in the "things of the Spirit", there is generally some natural requirement to counterbalance our elevation - as to keep us from proclaiming without attaining; because we're spiritually soaring and physically languishing - and that's not the will of God!

A "wineskin framework" from a "wilderness framework" is a revolutionary transition and transformation, because it is being renewed to a level of God-consciousness and covenant-connection that is rare to the masses of Christendom.

"In Perfection", as the Body of Christ is preparing for Bridal Intimacy with our Bridegroom - Jesus Christ, the acceptance and realization of God's manifold grace in being fully actualized to satisfy and satiate every area of our spirit, soul and body; and is generally only possible through our heavenly graduation.

This is why Jesus could say to His disciples that "I have food that you know not of". We will also know and understand "who is in the process of securing their apostolic identity in Christ", by hearing their confession and admittance of "getting past their greatest areas of struggle"; into complete freedom from the weights and the sin that so easily besets us.

The Apostle Paul's "exceeding revelation" was also counter-balanced by a "thorn in the flesh", which was not a sentence to "eat crow" or "bow to demonic powers" - attempting to break his will; but an acknowledgement of how powerful and explicit devotion to God's purpose is, which led him from struggle and condemnation (Romans 7) to freedom and revelation (Philippians 3) - to influence the world for Christ beyond all of his other contemporaries.

Perhaps, "the spiritual impact of entertaining will determine the selection of your entertainment", moving forward; because your future effectiveness and impact for the Kingdom of God requires it, so step up and fight!

WS-3

Sent from Walter's IPAD
Walter L. Smith III (WS-3)