Open-Minded?

[nChrist]

Brothers and Sisters,

I was just thinking about this term, "Open-Minded" and what it really means most of the time.

Doesn't it usually pertain to something new, especially new in comparison to:

Norms and taboos of society.

Accepted values, morals, and ethics.

Teaching from parents.

Teaching from the Holy Bible.

What has been considered to be "RIGHT" or "WRONG".

Part of what I'm about to say might seem humorous to some, and others might want to argue. I haven't decided about how much I want to argue on this, so I'll wait and see the subject matter of the argument before I decide whether or not to use time. I don't have very much time, and "REALISTICALLY", none of us do. SO, we should consider how we use our time.

Some people are so open-minded that parts of their brains have fallen out of their heads, or parts of their brains have become infected or otherwise corrupt. Human beings have a skull that GOD has given us to protect our brains and ribs to protect our lungs and heart. SO, our CREATOR obviously thought these were important organs that were easily subject to damage.

It's an insult these days for someone to say that you're closed-minded. Should this really be an insult when we consider the reason for being called "Closed-Minded"? This is what I've been thinking about, and I'm beginning to think that it's pretty wise to be "Closed-Minded" in many things. As an example, I don't want my brain to be infected and corrupted with the things of this world. The BIBLE tells us to "NOT be conformed to the things of this world". In my opinion, there is great wisdom in the BIBLE instructing us to "NOT be conformed to the things of this world".

Being conformed to the things of this world means that I can't be conformed to the things of the HOLY BIBLE. Being conformed to the things of this world also means that I don't have a living testimony for JESUS, and I haven't set myself apart from the evil things that much of the world does. I want to be set apart from the world, and I want to have a living testimony for JESUS, so I definitely don't want to be conformed to the things of this world.

NOW - keep listening if you've gotten this far. How does one become conformed to the world and what's the normal process of this happening?

It starts with listening! That's right - just listening!

One usually keeps listening, and they become less and less sensitive to the "Wrongs" they are listening to and watching.

Repetition seems to make it less and less "Wrong".

The next step that happens is "Condoning the Wrong" without complaining or calling it "Wrong".

The next step is accepting the "Wrong" as being "Right".

The last step is fighting for the "Wrong" as being "Normal and Right".

Examine the above and see if you can identify anything in our societies as being repetitive and probably for the specific purpose of the last few steps above. Remember that they only work when the recipients are open-minded and will listen.

NOW - take everything above and make a stark contrast about how people are saved. "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the WORD of GOD". The recipients weren't necessarily open-minded, but they did at least listen once.

NOW - let's get back to the reason why I wanted to share these thoughts. I want to be closed-minded! I don't want to listen to excuses and reasons for sin, immorality, filth, and disobedience of GOD. I refuse to allow the devil to use his tricks of "Repetition" to gradually wear down what I've been taught from the BIBLE about right and wrong. In short, I don't want to listen to it, hear it, or allow it into my home. I want to be "Closed-minded" and leave it in the gutter where it belongs!

The things I want a "Repetition" of are good things that strengthen the things of GOD and what I've been taught from the HOLY BIBLE. SO, I'll be open-minded in this area and closed-minded in other areas. LORD Willing, I hope to keep most of my brain protected in the skull that GOD gave me, and I also plan to protect it from infection and corruption.

[Soldier4Christ]

Some of that is quite funny yet it is so true. I have also found that people that say that I am not open-minded do so because I refuse to believe as they do when it is something that is definitely against Biblical teaching, yet those same individuals that accuse me of being closed minded are in fact very closed minded when it comes to hearing the word of God.

I will also be very open minded when it comes to listening to God and closed minded when it comes to listening to those things that are not of Him.

[ravenloche]

Greetings brothers and sisters

have you ever noticed that the same people who say we are close-minded,
and old fashioned when we stand on biblical morals are the same people who
come to us and ask us to pray when they need God? 

respectfully yours in Yeshua:

ravenloche

[Pizza_Mahal]

That weird, I become follow of Jesus Chirst though open-minded.

If any non-theist say you closed minded, They are just treat themself as gods(which they make me sick).
 

[nChrist]

Greetings brothers and sisters

have you ever noticed that the same people who say we are close-minded,
and old fashioned when we stand on biblical morals are the same people who
come to us and ask us to pray when they need God? 

respectfully yours in Yeshua:

ravenloche

Hello Brother Ravelnoche,

I'm sorry that I missed this. YES - you have made a very valid point. The nature of many people is to have nothing to do with GOD until they have a big problem they can't handle. I honestly think that them coming to us and asking for prayer is another opportunity to witness. I will pray for them, but I will also share the GOOD NEWS with them again. They can also become a child of GOD and have access to HIS THRONE OF GRACE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This fact should humble all of us and cause us to give THANKS. Just think - we are just lowly human beings, and the KING OF KINGS has authorized an immediate audience for us to pray, praise, and worship HIM. Another wonderful fact is having the HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD living in our hearts. These things should humble us and cause us to never take for granted the Spiritual Riches HE has showered on us in CHRIST.

Love In Christ,
Tom

 

[TalkerCat]

Hey BEPS!

You've always had a knack for hitting the nail on the head (pardon the expression)!       And putting the term "closed minded" the way you have in this post makes me sure that I want to be closed minded too.  Closed to the wrongs that creep their way into "normal society" (Gay marriage comes to thought) Closed minded to the evil that walks among us. 

Please come Sweet Jesus!  Please come!

=^..^=

[nChrist]

Hello TalkerCat,

Sister Terri, thanks for the compliment, but I'll have to give the credit to the Holy Bible. I was reading and studying about Christians being separate and apart from the world and not being conformed to the world.

The thought and study continues to who our adversaries are. The devil and powers of darkness are very powerful and clever, so we obviously need GOD'S help every single day of this short life on earth. At the very least, the devil wants us to be weak and ineffective for GOD'S use, so we should expect the devil to be attacking us from every angle, and he does. Our answers are prayer and the Strength of CHRIST - not our puny strength. I don't want to make the devil happy or give him a single thing. On the other side of the coin, I do want to make GOD happy and give HIM everything HE wants. There is no irony that we can only make GOD happy with HIS help.

Love In Christ,
Tom

   

[Soldier4Christ]

The results of an open mind:

[Shammu]

The results of an open mind:

The boy, all grown up

[Pizza_Mahal]

The results of an open mind:

Yeah, it happen to me......A LOT when I was young
However! When I always found out a truth or thinking about their belief, the answer is almost the same: people treat themself as "gods", as "gods" they can create all they want on their head and with help of demons or not.

Like a:
Science prove God Words is wrong. I was thinking about meaning of science or art of science, science mean knowledge, So when human create earth? death? big bang?  And so many countess unanswer. So they just filthy dreamers.

or People say Allah cult is the peaceful cult, then I saw the role of lady or "What happen if you don't join their cult"
and this "Allah" is samething as others.

I can add more, but I have little time.

[Soldier4Christ]

Yes, science means knowledge and we need to keep in mind that their is true knowledge and false knowledge. That means there is true science and false science. This has been proven by a large number of scientists that the Biblical record is in fact true. Unfortunately many do fall for the false knowledge of men instead of the knowledge that comes from God.

[nChrist]

YES - I did have to snag those pictures, and I had a good laugh.   

Whether we know it or not, we do allow others to partially program us with what we allow into our homes. The old computer saying is quite appropriate, "Garbage in - garbage out." That saying pertained to something very simple:  the quality of the material you can get out of a computer can only be as good as the material put into the computer. This is a good analogy for human beings. We are impacted by what we read, what we listen to, where we go, and our entire environment. In many ways, we are much like the computer when it comes to "Garbage in - garbage out."

We should all know that the devil is very skilled in trying to sell us garbage. He wants us to enjoy evil and plant the seeds of doubt about GOD and the Holy Bible. We can choose how much garbage we allow into our lives, and we can also pray that GOD gives us strength and wisdom to ignore the devil and refuse to give the devil any prominent place in our lives.

Love In Christ,
Tom

   

[daniel1212av]

Being accused of being "closed minded" is often a psychological ploy, like being accused of being intolerant,  a hatemonger, or worse, a "homophobe."  The hypocrisy or illogic of such terms is usually missed by those who use such terms, as those who accuse us of being hateful, etc., are usually very intolerant and often manifestly hateful toward those who oppose their ethos and agenda. And in the case of the label, "homophobic", such lends credence to the charge that those who confuse the normal sexual roles between men and women also cannot discern that opposition to something   rarely means that the opposers  (mothers against drunk driving, etc.) are motivated by fear  of becoming what they oppose, or that they secretly are such, or are personally afraid of those who are. Such charges are often designed to make you defensive, and indeed they work well, as by such the devil works to bring us to be so fearful of being labeled thusly that we primarily seek to avoid doing/saying anything that may incur rejection (like preaching on sin, righteousness and judgment).  While there are times for being discreet, overall i think we are so fearful of being "misunderstood (of being rejected) that we do not speak to bring souls to "understand" (be convicted) of their desperate need for salvation, and of bowing before Christ in faith and surrender.

But rather than being intimidated by such, we can graciously seek to witness to them, if they are actually open minded enough to dialog. Once i was in the subway offering tracts, and had a sign, part of which said "Jesus or sin; Heaven or Hell;  which for you?" While the Spanish people took many, one of the "natives" looked at me with a bit of an reproving eye. I deliberately but slowly approached her and  graciously offered her a tract. She said, "Don't you think that's kind of exclusive?" pointing to the sign.  I said something like, "Well,  your belief   excludes all those who believe in exclusive truth." She  saw the logic of this and by the grace of God, i was able to speak to her more a bit more about the reasonableness of the gospel.  Often in the USA, esp, the NE,  it can take a while to break down defenses that dead religion, and intellectual pride and affluence have infused. But God is able, and to Him be the glory.