Wise in the ways of this world

[InSpiritInTruth]

Luke 16:8 And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

The unjust steward did wisely in the matter of money, but notice the Lord said the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. A generation in scripture may not mean what we think of a generation, but rather I believe the Lord is referring to a whole wicked generation.

Think about those who practice and prosper in this present evil world, it is those who are crafty, sneaky, dishonest, even liars in order to get power and money. The Lord said of the serpent in Genesis 3:1 “Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made.”

The word subtil means subtle, shrewd, crafty, sly, sensible; and subtle means… so delicate or precise as to be difficult to analyze or describe: Difficult to analyze sounds alot like the medical, scientific, and legal jargon in this world to me. LOL

Which then made me think of this verse Psalm 55:21 “The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.”

And that smooth talk sounds a lot like scientists, politicians, lawyers, world leaders etc. don’t it? Then I thought of what the Lord said to the Prince of Tyrus, but the message goes deeper here because God is speaking to man (Adam) who was in the garden of God, and also the spirit now working in man (covering cherub). Ezekiel 28:3 “Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee:”

Which then made me think, what are the governments of the world doing presently through subtil, sly, and crafty means, especially like the NSA and such? They are trying to figure out what everyone is doing and saying in secret, but it is under the disguise of “national security” and sold under the guise of keeping you safe and free. Think about all the big bucks involved in this, and the profits to be made by those who build this massive war machine? They are truly smooth talkers and crafty fellows aren’t they?

But as the Lord said, the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light, even when it comes to power, money and the ways of this evil world. And so it is their time to practice their dark arts and make their craft to prosper, but that time will soon come to an end.

We who are in Christ are not of this world, neither are we of that “wicked generation” and so we suffer at their hands for a time. But the time will come when we the saints shall inherit all things, and also reign with Christ forever and ever. Amen

 

[Blain]

Which then made me think, what are the governments of the world doing presently through subtil, sly, and crafty means, especially like the NSA and such? They are trying to figure out what everyone is doing and saying in secret, but it is under the disguise of “national security” and sold under the guise of keeping you safe and free. Think about all the big bucks involved in this, and the profits to be made by those who build this massive war machine? They are truly smooth talkers and crafty fellows aren’t they?

Buddy this goes far deeper than you want to venture I myself barely got out of that hole trust me you don't want to go down that road.

I believe that not all who prosper in this world are not of God, true enough satan greatly rewards those who loyally serve him and can become very rich and powerful but on the other hand God also greatly enriches those who are loyal to him.
See i don't have what it takes to make it in this world I guess my past would easily be the main cause considering how sevrely it messed me up but what I found even when I first became saved ( and honestly I don't know if it was God who told me this or just me) but i said to myself for every part of me that was made weak in this world he made me strong in his

 

[JesusIsAll]

That all said, the more one grows in Christ, after the same old tricks grow old, the more one can see how knuckle-headed and repetitive the deceptive ways of the world and the flesh are, ego, greed, lust. It does get old, true wisdom of God. I see a lot more fools than the wise. How foolish? Very.

Matthew 16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

We're also called upon to grow in real wisdom of the enemy,

Matthew 10:16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

Anyway, I no longer find the unregenerate very clever, at all, rather more a bore, with nothing to offer, but just speaking for myself.

 

[Joidevivre]

Blain: You said, "Buddy this goes far deeper than you want to venture I myself barely got out of that hole trust me you don't want to go down that road."

What were you talking about personally? What hole were you in that had to do with the Government spying on you?

 

[InSpiritInTruth]

Buddy this goes far deeper than you want to venture I myself barely got out of that hole trust me you don't want to go down that road.

I believe that not all who prosper in this world are not of God, true enough satan greatly rewards those who loyally serve him and can become very rich and powerful but on the other hand God also greatly enriches those who are loyal to him.
See i don't have what it takes to make it in this world I guess my past would easily be the main cause considering how sevrely it messed me up but what I found even when I first became saved ( and honestly I don't know if it was God who told me this or just me) but i said to myself for every part of me that was made weak in this world he made me strong in his

Yeah, think about it. In this day and age can a poor, honest Christian be elected for President? Money and connections is what buys elections, not honesty, integrity, sincerity, or humility. If you don't play along with all the lies, deception, and evil in corporate America you'll get kicked to the curb.

And if a man did compromise his faith in order to be a "player" in this corrupt and crooked system, then he has sold out his soul in exchange for money, power, etc. People have hard choices to make, even in the work place. Receiving the "mark" of the beast is not what most perceive it to be, as the deception is great.

Matthew 16:26
For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

 

[InSpiritInTruth]

That all said, the more one grows in Christ, after the same old tricks grow old, the more one can see how knuckle-headed and repetitive the deceptive ways of the world and the flesh are, ego, greed, lust. It does get old, true wisdom of God. I see a lot more fools than the wise. How foolish? Very.

Matthew 16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

We're also called upon to grow in real wisdom of the enemy,

Matthew 10:16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

Anyway, I no longer find the unregenerate very clever, at all, rather more a bore, with nothing to offer, but just speaking for myself.

That's because you've been given eyes to see it, but most the world chases after it. I see you posted Matthew 16:26 before I did LOL....oh well, it just means we are thinking along the same lines.

 

[Blain]

Blain: You said, "Buddy this goes far deeper than you want to venture I myself barely got out of that hole trust me you don't want to go down that road."

What were you talking about personally? What hole were you in that had to do with the Government spying on you?

Well I used to be really into the whole nsa spying on us and how the government is evil and is actually working along side the antichrist and such. It was interesting at first but one thing leads to another and then you begin to become obsessed and you see their plots and deceptions everywhere you feel as if you know a dark secret that who knows how many actually know then you go from just nsa and government to ancient times where all this was ordained in the Egyption writings then you learn of aliens and how they had their mark on this world from the days of noah to now and how they are demons and how they are the ones actually giving us this technology that we are making today and and ugh... trust me it's not worth it

 

[Bowhunter2394]

Behold, I send you forth as Sheep in the Midst of Wolves: be ye therefore Wise as Serpents, and Harmless as Doves. Matthew 10:16 indeed!

 

[JesusIsAll]

That's because you've been given eyes to see it, but most the world chases after it. I see you posted Matthew 16:26 before I did LOL....oh well, it just means we are thinking along the same lines.

How about that, praise the Lord!

 

[JesusIsAll]

Well I used to be really into the whole nsa spying on us and how the government is evil and is actually working along side the antichrist and such. It was interesting at first but one thing leads to another and then you begin to become obsessed and you see their plots and deceptions everywhere you feel as if you know a dark secret that who knows how many actually know then you go from just nsa and government to ancient times where all this was ordained in the Egyption writings then you learn of aliens and how they had their mark on this world from the days of noah to now and how they are demons and how they are the ones actually giving us this technology that we are making today and and ugh... trust me it's not worth it

I don't really buy a but a fraction of all the conspiracy stuff people obsess over. Rather, I'm of the school, proven by history, than unregenerate man is a classic, blind screw-up who, if anything, will blow himself to bits, if the Lord doesn't come down and slap him upside the head. These people driving the world into the ground, many oblivious they're just Satan's little sock puppets, are not near as clever as you may give them credit for, more a case of legends in their own minds, headed headlong into a ditch.

Matthew 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

Matthew 15:14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

Doesn't seem so bright, how we can't seem to destroy our own environment, in all ways, fast enough, for some filthy lucre and getting noticed at cocktail parties.

 

[Miri]

I don't think the servant here was being commended for being deceitful, but for his shrewdness, it was a way of saying that even
the world knows how to be shrewd and so should we.

if you read the rest of the passage it says:-

Luke 16:10-18 AMP
[10] He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much, and he who is dishonest and unjust in a very little thing is dishonest and unjust also in much. [11] Therefore if you have not been faithful in the case of unrighteous mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions), who will entrust to you the true riches? [12] And if you have not proved faithful in that which belongs to another whether God or man, who will give you that which is your own that is, the true riches?

[13] No servant is able to serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (riches, or anything in which you trust and on which you rely).

[14] Now the Pharisees, who were covetous and lovers of money, heard all these things taken together, and they began to sneer at and ridicule and scoff at Him. [15] But He said to them, You are the ones who declare yourselves just and upright before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted and highly thought of among men is detestable and abhorrent (an abomination) in the sight of God. I Sam. 16:7; Prov. 21:2. [16] Until John came, there were the Law and the Prophets; since then the good news (the Gospel) of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone strives violently to go in would force his own way rather than God's way into it. [17] Yet it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to fail and become void. [18] Whoever divorces (dismisses and repudiates) his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman who is divorced from her husband commits adultery.

The rest of the passage goes on with the story of the rich man and Lazarus with the rich man having received his reward on earth while Lazarus getting his reward in heaven.

I believe it it was a parable about using talents, money, skills and being faithful but without compromise for the service of the master - Jesus. The world knows how to do this for its own ends, but what about ourselves.

Then there is the other part about not allowing money to be the master, you will serve one or the other.

The Pharisees who heard this seemed to know exactly what he was talking about and took it personally. Who was their master?
it does not appear to have been God but they were very shrewd in their worldly dealings, but took it as a personal attack on themselves, even though the parable was actually addressed to the disciples. Guilty conscious perhaps on their part?

It does seem the case that the world gets away with murder and twists and manipulates at every opportunity, but this life
is temporary and we need to be heavenly minded. But maybe we also need to be heavenly minded while here on earth and
use our money talents etc in the service of the master.

I have been thinking about this, if you have your own business then you will put a lot of time and effort into making it successful and want the best for it. Maybe we need to think more about the business of Jesus and treat it in the same way.

Oops sorry if that's a bit preachy, I can get a bit like that at times. Don't mean to, sometimes words just
pour out - hopefully they make some sense

 

[InSpiritInTruth]

Miri, thanks for the input but the OP was not so much about the entire parable but about....The unjust steward did wisely in the matter of money, but notice the Lord said the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

My main focus was on how the children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light?
But I didn't make that clear in the OP, so no big deal. Peace

 

[EdisonTrent]

I know a person who's heart was going bad and science medicine put a new heart in his chest now that is very wise indeed almost a flat out miracle. 2000 years ago they couldn't fix anything inside the human body. A doctor who can do that is he a child of the light?

 

[JesusIsAll]

Oops sorry if that's a bit preachy, I can get a bit like that at times. Don't mean to, sometimes words just
pour out - hopefully they make some sense

Don't know about that, seems you were just getting warmed up, and I was sort of looking forward to it getting even juicier! Somebody needs to toss a few tables around here, sometimes.

 

[JesusIsAll]

I know a person who's heart was going bad and science medicine put a new heart in his chest now that is very wise indeed almost a flat out miracle. 2000 years ago they couldn't fix anything inside the human body. A doctor who can do that is he a child of the light?

Not really. Please don't get me wrong, not at all undermining the merits of good doctors or their work, but child of the light? Not if the end result is the patient still goes to hell for eternity, a bit later than otherwise. People also desperately need Dr. Jesus, who is the real Doctor of Light, giving a new ticker that actually lasts.

 

[Jeff_56]

and the truth, linus pauling and dr shutes, nobel prize winner and one of the most successful doctors in the usa before 1950,

showed how to eliminate heart disease inexpensively (and how to prevent it).

did the usa follow through ?

yeah, right....... instead, everything that would INCREASE heart disease was promoted.... and look what happened.
from less than 1 in one hundred, to the most common cause of death in the usa, ...... thanks usa.....


(so, 'good' or 'wise' stewards? --- the usa promoted what was /is most profitable (by billions and billions of dollars) )

 

[Origin]

Well I used to be really into the whole nsa spying on us and how the government is evil and is actually working along side the antichrist and such. It was interesting at first but one thing leads to another and then you begin to become obsessed and you see their plots and deceptions everywhere you feel as if you know a dark secret that who knows how many actually know then you go from just nsa and government to ancient times where all this was ordained in the Egyption writings then you learn of aliens and how they had their mark on this world from the days of noah to now and how they are demons and how they are the ones actually giving us this technology that we are making today and and ugh... trust me it's not worth it

Can you even read mdu ntr?