Your Flesh Fights Your Spirit
1. And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Now how would you explain this chapter to family, friends or even children? What are some key points? We will go into this because it will unlock doors to life and our understanding. Until next time.
What Happens After Death? Part 2
So mankind clearly has a spirit, a soul and a body. No, that does not mean there are three of you, it does mean your spirit, your soul and your body make up who you are as one person. Remember, God says he created mankind in “his” image.
Genesis 1:27 “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”
So if God made mankind (man) in his image and we have a spirit, soul and body, then God must have a Spirit, Soul and Body. Scripture says God is Spirit and we know scripture speaks of the mind of God. The mind, will and emotions is the soul by definition of the word soul. What about the body?
1 Timothy 3:16 tells us, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”
Jesus declared, I and my Father are one. God was made known to man in the flesh by Jesus Christ. So Jesus is God manifest in the flesh.
When God told Adam, do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or you will die – Adam ate of that tree and so did Eve, did they die? Physically in their body, no. Was God lying? No. So if they did not die in their flesh, their body, what did die? Their soul? Their spirit?
Remember before Adam sinned he and God spoke together? But after Adam sinned, Adam hid himself and God asked Adam, where are you? Our flesh can not speak. Our flesh is stimulated by what we see, hear, taste, touch and smell. Our five senses apply to our flesh.
Our soul is our mind, our will and our emotions. Our mind holds our memories, our affections, our reasoning, our imagination and our conscience. So when Adam sinned, his conscience bothered him and he was afraid.
Genesis 3:9,10 ” And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
10. And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.”
Notice Adam now had knowledge of doing something wrong. He knew he did something God told him not to do. Now Adam was afraid of God. So was it Adam’s flesh, his mind or his spirit that sinned?
Our flesh can not act on its own. Our flesh does what our mind convinces us to do. Our spirit is our communion with God. It is our prayer, our faith, our worship, our reverence and our hope. It was not Adam’s spirit that sinned. Adam’s soul sinned by his mind telling him to do something God told him not to do. And God’s word says, the soul that sins must die.
Ezekiel 18:4 ” Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.” See also the book of Romans.
So it was Adam’s soul that sinned. A thought was planted in to Adam’s mind and Adam decided to believe that thought. Did you ever ask yourself, where do all those crazy thoughts come from? You can sit quietly in your room and all of a sudden, all these thoughts start going through your mind. Where did the thoughts come from?
When Adam sinned, it was not his flesh that made that decision. It was not Adam’s spirit that made that decision but it was Adam’s soul that decided to believe the thought (even though the thought was a lie).
So what died? Scripture tells us. Adam’s communion or fellowship with God. Adam’s connection with God in his spirit man died. Now, Adam had a dead spirit man towards God. Adam no longer had that closeness with God. Now Adam was afraid of God and hid himself from God.
And because we are all created in Adam’s image, and Adam sinned before all of mankind was born, we are all born in to sin. We are all born with a sin nature. We can not help it, we all sin.
Psalm 51:3-5 ” For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
4. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
5. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. ”
When we are born, we are born with a sin nature. Our flesh desires to sin against God and our soul thinks about sinning against God. And there is nothing we can ever do that would make us sin free while we are in this flesh, in this body, in this world. And that is why God fixed the problem himself.
All the laws and rituals done by Israel could never take away their sin, it was always God deciding, by his mercy, to forgive man. So why give the laws and rituals? To show the people they could never keep all the laws and rituals. God fixed the problem by coming in the flesh, shedding his perfect blood to pay, once for all, the debt for all sin.
John 3:16,17 ” For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
What was God saving? Our flesh? Our soul? Our spirit?
When Adam sinned, what died? Not his flesh. Not his soul. His spirit died towards God. Psalm 32:5 ” . I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. ”
What is iniquity? The desire to sin. The wanting or want to, sin. So when a person “gets saved” or born again, it is the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that atones for the soul. Leviticus 17:11 ” For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.”
1 Peter 1:9 “Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.”
When we ask God to forgive us of our sin and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ paying our sin debt with God, we ask the Lord Jesus Christ to come into our heart and save us. We are asking God to save our soul, not our flesh. And when we do this, with a genuine heart and motive, God does it, he saves us, he saves our soul. And we notice something changed inside us. Our spirit man is born again and is alive unto God. Now we can hear God speak to us. Now we hear God direct us.Jesus said, my sheep hear my voice.
We have to ask, so what happens to a person, when they die, if they are saved? What happens to a person if they are not saved when they die? We will look at that next time. Until next time.
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Who Are You – Your Mind
Your mind commands your flesh. Every action your flesh does is because your mind told your flesh to do the action.
Your flesh feels cold, you put on a jacket. Your flesh wants food, you eat. Your flesh wants to act on things in this world. When you consider it is your mind, your will and your emotions running your life, you realize you are limited in life by what you know. You are limited to the knowledge of your mind. You limit yourself to the world’s wisdom. And you are “soul living” .
And if you are not born again as described by Jesus in John chapter 3 verses one through thirteen, you are what the scriptures call a “natural man”.
1 Corinthians 2:11-16 KJV “For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
12. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
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.
14. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
15. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
16. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. ”
What God says about mental illness and what the world teaches about mental illness are 180 degrees opposite each other.
By definition, as we said before, mental illness means illness of the mind. The mind is not functioning the way God designed the mind, it is sick, ill. The mind is one of three parts of the soul. Your soul is your mind, your will and your emotions.
Scripture shows us several examples of people with mind problems, aka mental illness. The thing you need to keep in mind is the world defines mental illness a variety of ways, including depression. But God defines mental illness quite differently. Some examples of mental illness in scripture include:
Luke 4:33-37 ” And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice,
34. Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God.
35. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not.
36. And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.
37. And the fame of him went out into every place of the country round about.”
Notice, this guy was in the synagogue or we might say, someone in church.
Look at Luke 8:26-39 “And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee.
27. And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.
28. When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not.
29. (For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.)
30. And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him.
31. And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.
32. And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them.
33. Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked.
34. When they that fed them saw what was done, they fled, and went and told it in the city and in the country.
35. Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
36. They also which saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the devils was healed.
37. Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them; for they were taken with great fear: and he went up into the ship, and returned back again.
38. Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him: but Jesus sent him away, saying,
39. Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him. ”
Here is a disturbing example – this person had mind issues since they were a child.
Mark 9:16-29 ” And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them?
17. And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;
18. And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.
19. He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.
20. And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.
21. And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.
22. And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.
23. Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
24. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
25. When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.
26. And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.
27. But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.
28. And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?
29. And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. ”
Then look at John 8:39 where Jesus tells people they are of their father the devil. Wait a minute, I thought everyone is a child of God! No, that is not true. That is what the world teaches but scripture straightens things out and speaks truth.
Even Peter says in 1 Peter 5:8 – 18 ” Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
9. Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
10. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
11. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. ”
Believers have an enemy, the devil. The devil tries to destroy, depress, confuse and derail believers by attacking them and their family, attacking their job, attacking their “stuff” and attacking their health, just like he attacked Job.
Remember everyone told Job it was God causing his suffering? Even Job’s wife said curse God and die. Was it God causing Job’s suffering? No! Did Job suffer? Yes. We all have suffering in this world. Many people blame God for their troubles and they quit on God (like my neighbor). Some focus their mind on their suffering so much that they get depressed. That is not mental illness.
Mental illness is not a disease, it is an attack from a foul or unclean spirit. And if the person being attacked is not a believer, they will do “crazy” things. Believers have been given a sound mind according to scripture.
2 Timothy 1:7 – 10 ” For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
8. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;
9. Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
10. But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: ”
Yes, the devil attacks believers, again, look at Job. But believers are suppose to be able to recognize our enemy the devil, recognize his attacks and know what devices the devil uses against us. Believers are suppose to know how to fight back. Sadly, most believers can not even recognize attacks from our enemy much less know how to fight back.
The way to cure mental illness is to replace what is in the person’s mind with the word of God. To pray over that person and declare God’s word and then fill their mind with the word if God.
Years ago people were medicated and put in insane asylums with padded walls. Today, they still medicate but then send them home to their family. The answer is call the elders of the church and have them lay hands in them and pray for them declaring God’s word over them. Then fill their mind with the word of God. Start with the gospel of salvation and Romans road. Until next time.
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Who Are You Part 4
We said last time, our flesh – our body, is a shell made of dirt, made from the dust of the earth. Our body can do nothing on its own. Our flesh absorbs things through our five senses; hear, taste, touch, see and smell.
Our body absorbs odors through smell. It absorbs sounds through hearing. It absorbs visions through seeing, flavor through taste and sensations through touching. So why did the asostle Paul say our flesh “works” ? Glad you asked.
Paul explains in Galatians 5:19-21 KJV ” 19. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20. Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
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. ”
Paul lists 17 works of the flesh. For example, let’s pick one of the seventeen – hatred. How can flesh “work hatred” ? Remember, your flesh absorbs things through your five senses. So how does your flesh work hatred?
In the 1828 Webster Dictionary, there are “26” definitions of the word “work”. When we think about the word work, we often think of working to produce something. Most people think of manual labor. But in this case, our flesh “works” to produce hatred in our example.
It is not that our flesh alone can work at producing hatred, but our flesh obeys information and instructions from our “command center”, our soul. Our soul is our mind, will and emotions. Your mind tells your flesh what to do. Your mind tells your flesh I like this or I hate this.
Your mind tells you this smells good or bad. Your mind tells you this sound is pleasing or this sound is horrible. When you look at something, your eyes absorb what they see, but it is your mind that tells your flesh, this is beautiful or that is ugly. Your flesh tastes things, but it is your mind that tells your flesh, this tastes good or not. It is your mind that tells you if you touch something hot or cold, smooth or rough.
It is your mind that tells your flesh to work hatred. It is your mind that tells your flesh to commit adultry. It is your mind that tells your flesh to participate in witchcraft. It is your mind that tells your flesh to sow strife. When you understand it is your mind that commands your flesh to act on something, good or bad, you can understand how Jesus Christ could hang on a cross and say to the Father, ” forgive them, they know not what they do”.
When you understand a person’s mind is causing them to act the way they are acting, you can forgive people who wrong you.
Today, people are pushing chaos, hatred, strife and division. God hates it. Look at the six things God hates and the seventh thing is an abomination. Proverbs 6:16-19 KJV
” 16. These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
17. A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18. An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
19. A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. ”
Today, people will kill someone over a parking space. Some people will not work, but they will steal from those who do work. Even believers will sow strife and divisions with another believer because they do not agree with them. Not good. I am not saying drop doctrine. I am saying, no two people agree on everything so why would you want to have God angry with you just because you do not like or agree with another believer? Each of us are accountable for only our own walk, not your neighbor’s walk and not another believer’s walk.
People will try to destroy people because they do not agree with them. Some are asking, what is going on in this world? Has the world gone crazy? You already know the answer to those questions. The flesh works what the mind commands.
If the mind is focused on things of this world, the flesh will work things of this world. You will work to lay up your treasures in this world. But if you are a true believer, one who has really been born again, not from saying a prayer but from a true heart conversion to Jesus Christ, you want to obey God. You want to lay your treasures up, not on this earth but up in heaven where they will last forever.
Believers are to understand their flesh only does what their mind commands. Believers must understand their flesh wants things of the earth, things of this world. Why? Because the flesh is part of this world, not of heaven’s world. So the believer’s struggle is to bring their flesh under subjection to God knowing perfectly well, their flesh is going to fight them all the way. Scripture says,
1 Corinthians 9:27 KJV “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”
This is what Paul was saying when he says his mind wants to do one thing but his flesh/body wants to do something different.
Romans 7:14-25 KJV ” 14. For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
15. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
16. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
17. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
18. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
19. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
21. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
22. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. ”
Until next time.
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Who Are You – Your Body
Why did God create mankind?
Answer: Genesis 1:26 – 30 KJV
” And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
28. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
29. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
30. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. ”
How did God make man?
Answer: Genesis 2:7 KJV ” And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. ”
God gives man a spirit, a soul and a body, see 1 Thess. 5:23 KJV ” And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ”
So God plants a garden and puts man in the garden to keep the garden. A description of what is in the garden is in Genesis 2:8-17. Then God makes Eve and we read how Satan deceives Eve. We know it is Satan because God calls him, that old serpent the devil.
Adam and Eve disobey God and take of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But notice after Adam and Eve sinned, they “heard the voice of God” walking in the garden.
God was walking in the garden and he calls Adam (Gen.3:9). God pronounces judgment on Satan, Eve and Adam for the sin. And notice what God tells Adam in Genesis 3:19 – ” In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. ”
You are going to sweat and toil working until you return unto the ground. You were made from the dirt/dust of the ground and you are going to return to dust. Adam’s body was made from dirt and so is your body and my body, made from dirt.
Today we have cemeteries but think back hundreds of years ago, thousands of years ago. All those people who lived before us for all the years before we were created, have returned to dirt. Did you ever think that when you take a walk in a park or dig your backyard garden, you are walking or digging where dead people returned to dirt? Maybe it is just the way my mind works.
God tells us, we came from dirt and our body/flesh will return to dirt. People spend millions of dollars pumping up and beautifying a fleshly body that is slowly dying. Until one day, 70, 80, 90 years down the road, their body/flesh dies and ” gives up the ghost/spirit”. Do you think they will get rewards for working and spending thousands of dollars on beautifying their dirt?
I am not saying people should not take care of themselves. Remember, we are discussing our spirit, soul and body.
Remember, God created us like himself and God created us with a spirit, soul and body. 1 Thess. 5:23 tells us we have a spirit, soul and body.
Our body/flesh is dirt that God gave life to, living dirt. Our body has five senses; hear, taste, touch, see and smell. These five senses are like gates to our flesh. These gates allow our flesh to receive sound, odors, vision, sensation and feeling.
There is no such thing as a sixth sense. There are only five senses – hear, taste, touch, smell and see. What people allude to as a “sixth” sense is not part of the flesh. It is part of the soul and spirit.
Through our five senses our body/flesh absorbs things like a sponge. Our flesh absorbs sounds, absorbs odors, absorbs what we see, what we touch and taste. But our flesh itself can not make distinctions or decisions, it only absorbs sounds, odors, what things feel like, and so forth.
If you look at a person who is in a coma, lying on a hospital bed, you see a fleshly body lying on a bed. Their flesh can do nothing but lay there until their “control center” tells their flesh to do something. But can their body still absorb sounds? Absorb odors? Absorb touching? Yes. Their body still absorbs but can not do anything until their control center tells their body to do something.
That may sound very simple but understanding your body is dirt that absorbs through your five senses is key to understanding Who You Are. It is crucial to understanding your spirit, soul and body.
So if a person is lying on a hospital bed, in a coma, does their body still operate with their five senses?
Remember, your five senses are like a sponge to your flesh. If the person is in a coma, they may not be seeing things in this world, in their hospital room, but they still can see. Look at 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 KJV.
Your flesh can not do anything on its own but absorb. Your flesh needs the command center to tell it what to do; lift your arm, sit up, clean yourself.
Remember, your flesh is made of dirt and God gave your dirt life. Your body absorbs things just like the earth absorbs smoke, chemicals, the sun, water, rain and so forth. Your body absorbs things through your five senses. Your body is living dirt that can not do anything on its own but absorb. It is your command center that tells your body what to do, whether good or evil. Until next time.
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The Connection – At Your Wit’s End
Before you get saved, your mind (soul ) speaks to your flesh. Thoughts come into your mind and the thoughts generally try to convince your mind and your flesh to do something good or bad. The flesh has lust, lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh. Scripture tells us, lust is not of God. Lust is in the world.
1 John 2:15,16 KJV ” Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”
So lust works on your soul, your mind, and lust works on your flesh because your flesh is in this world.
When God first created man, he did not create man with lust. Adam did not know lust, or sin until after he took of the tree, he sinned. When Adam chose to take of the tree, chose to sin, then his spiritual relationship with God died, but Adam’s flesh did not die and Adam was now alive unto sin.
Before Adam sinned, his flesh and his soul knew nothing about sin. Adam’s mind, his will and his emotions did not know what sin was. Adam knows nothing about good and evil; Nothing about right or wrong. Imagine taking a person who, from birth, was closed up on an island all their life and knew nothing of the world outside. Even today, parents shelter their children to protect them from the hurts of this world.
Then that person becomes exposed to sin in the world because of something they did. Now they feel fear, lust, hate and a variety of feelings they never felt before. Plus, their relationship with God their Creator, is not the same any more.
Imagine having that relationship with God and God puts you in control of the whole earth. God comes to talk with you, visit you, guide you, give you instructions in things, teach you. God becomes your best friend, your Father, you helper, your joy, your teacher. And now, after you sinned, that relationship with God is gone and you are on your own.
Then you come to realize you are having all these weird thoughts you never had before. Bad thoughts. You do not know where these thoughts come from and you do not know why you are having these bad thoughts. You ask God but he is not there any more.
Today, eventually people come to their wit’s end and realize, what they are doing is not working. Their life is not going in the direction they thought. So their mind gets broken and their heart breaks. They begin to focus on their failures in life. They beat themselves up inside themselves. They start quitting on life on the inside. Many often commit suicide. Why? They see no way out of their sadness and they think they have two choices, fake it and keep putting on a fake smile or end it. Question: Are those two choices appealing to the flesh, the soul or the spirit man?
Remember, information regarding life comes to all of us through our mind, our soul. Our soul is our mind, our will and our emotions. All information is knowledge. The information can be true or false and we have to sift through the information, research the information and investigate if the information is true or not.
Because evil is present in this world, information can be twisted and bent to appear one way when in reality, some twist the information in to lies. That is what happened in the garden with Eve. Satan twisted the information Eve knew and Satan twisted it into a lie by telling Eve she would become like a god. Satan deceived Eve’s mind, her soul.
Because our spirit man and our flesh, our body, are commanded by our mind, we do things in life based on what our mind tells us. Eve listened to Satan and her mind, her soul, told her to disobey God and eat. So she did.
People who consider suicide are receiving information in to their mind that tells them, there is no other way out of this. So their soul commands their flesh, their body, to kill themselves. But ask yourself, what part have these people left out of their decision? Their spirit, right. And your spirit man is your connection to God. Your spirit man is how God speaks to you, how God works in you and this world. And it is only your spirit man that can over come this world, over come your flesh, over come your mind, your soul.
If your spirit man is still dead to God, you can not hear God direct you. You can not hear God encourage you. You can not hear God guide you. And your soul only hears you rehash your problems so you feel helpless. God promises believers,
Galatians 5:16,17 KJV ” This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
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.”
The only successful way to fight depression and suicide is to do it with God. You need to get saved so you can hear God speak to you. You need to give Jesus Christ your heart and invite him in to your heart to save you. Then start reading God’s word. Start in the gospel of John. Why John? Because John deals a lot with the spirit man and God the Holy Spirit.
Until next time.
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The Connection Part 1 The Root
Ask yourself, what changes my life here on earth? When you make a decision to move, to go to college, to get married, to have children, what is it that causes you to make the decision you make? Yes, we pray and talk to God and others but when you make the decision, whether a good decision or a bad decision, what is it that causes you to decide what to do?
Let me ask the question in another way. When Eve decided to disobey God in the garden of Eden, what caused her to decide to disobey? What is it that causes people to decide to kill people over petty things? What causes people to decide to rob, to kill, to lie, to cheat and make decisions, good or bad?
I know there is sin in the world but I am not talking about that. I was looking at a roller coaster year. One month up one month down. Was it my decisions?
I had an interesting conversation with my son yesterday. He was telling me he believed man’s will, if strong enough, could overcome anything. I looked at him and said, I disagree. He said will was the most important. I said again, I disagree. I told him if you think will is the most important, you are soul living because man’s will is a part of his soul.
I proceeded to explain God created man from the dust of the earth.
Genesis 2:7 KJV “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”
So every person born into this world is a spirit being living in an earthly body and they have a soul ( mind, will and emotions). Before Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, their spirit man was connected to and with God. After they sinned, that connection was broken because God can not allow sin.
That is why we are told now, you must be born again in John chapter 3. The new birth reconnects us to God in our spirit man. We have the same soul and the same body as we had before the new birth except now, our spirit man has been quickened, made alive unto God. Before then, we were dead to God in our trespasses and sin.
When we look at, what caused Adam and Eve to sin and how were they deceived to act against God we notice and learn how our life gets turned upside down. This pattern is used by Satan and his angels today to mess us up. The pattern gets us to act against God and his word. The same pattern Satan used back then causes us today, to have roller coaster lives.
When Satan came to Eve in the garden to tempt her, he used for his temptation, something Eve could not see. ( You shall (future tense) be as gods). Eve fights back “quoting God’s word” (all be it misquoted) How did Eve know, before she sinned and was still connected to God, how did she know to fight back quoting God’s word?
So before the fall, God’s people, Adam and Eve, knew to fight back quoting God’s word. Then Satan called God a liar by saying what God told you is not true when he said God knows you will be as gods. Then Satan appeals to Eve’s flesh when he said you will be as gods.
Up until this point Adam and Eve are still connected with God spiritually. It was the words of Satan that appealed to Eve’s soul and body/flesh. Eve did not understand if she chose to believe the words of Satan and act on Satan’s words, it would disconnect her from God. So Eve was deceived by Satan’s words. Satan used the same tactics on Jesus in Matthew chapter four.
It is not so much that Eve misquoted God’s word (although that is important) because when Satan tempted Jesus, Jesus fought back by quoting God’s word too. And Jesus did not quote God’s word exactly either, check it out.
We will pick this up from here next time. Share this series with others to help them understand and work through their problems God’s way. Until next time.
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Growing Your Spirit Man
Believers are not taught how to grow their spirit man instead of their fleshly man/woman. Many believers teach and preach doing things in the flesh to “please God”. Some judge your spiritual growth based on how often you go to church. Do you want God to be pleased with you and approve? God tells you how in
2 Timothy 2:15,16 KJV ” Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
16. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.”
So Paul explains salvation in the book of Romans. When Paul gets to Romans 8 he starts focusing in on who we are in Christ. He begins explaining the contrast between the flesh and the spirit. Looking at Romans chapter 8, let us find the words Spirit and spirit and circle these words in this chapter. Then underline the words flesh or carnal. Pray God give you understanding of his word.
Romans Chapter 8 KJV – ” There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4. That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
5. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
10. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
12. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
13. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
18. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
19. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
20. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
21. Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
22. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
23. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
24. For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
25. But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
26. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
27. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
28. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
29. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
31. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
32. He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.
34. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36. As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39. Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. ”
Until next time.
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Building Blocks Of Life Part 2
Our focus is how do we build a spiritual life and live in this flesh on earth? How do we obtain wisdom and understanding in matters of life? How do we acquire health, wealth and joy in this world and the world to come?
Because God Almighty is our Creator, we go to God’s word to learn truth. If you believe God’s word or not, God will still make his word come to pass. Just because people don’t believe God is real does not mean God is not real. And just because people do not believe Jesus Christ will one day judge them for what they did on earth, does not mean Jesus will not judge them. That is where wisdom comes in.
God tells us in Proverbs 24:3 – Through wisdom, not by wisdom but through wisdom, a house is built. You have to go through wisdom – through things. And when you go through things, what do you acquire? Experience.
You see, you can tell someone what it is like to loose a job or get your dream job. You can tell someone what it is like to have a baby or loose a baby. You can tell someone what it is like to grow up with two parents or grow up without parents but all you tell the person is information. The person only has your information.
Another words, the person you share information with only has information aka knowledge of these things. Their knowledge is based on what you speak or say. But they can not fully understand these things or comprehend what it is like until they go through it. And after they go through it, they acquire wisdom of the thing. So when God says through wisdom is a house built, he is telling us not only our body/fleshly house but our house we live in on earth with our family, will go through “things”.
Acquiring wisdom means you will have to go through “things”. So let’s try to simplify rhis. If you take out a piece of paper and at the top left write KNOWLEDGE then move to the top right and write UNDERSTANDING then move down to the center of your paper and in the middle of the page write WISDOM.
God tells us how to acquire all of these knowledge, understanding and wisdom. And these are not only spiritually, but in this world. In our fleshly body. When we go through scripture we find both spiritual applications and earthly applications for just about any topic you could ask God about.
So let us set this up. There is a three step process to implement. On your paper you wrote KNOWLEDGE. What is knowledge? Knowledge is information. You acquire knowledge by getting information. So next to the word KNOWLEDGE write INFORMATION. It should look something like this – KNOWLEDGE / INFORMATION.
Why do people acquire information? People acquire information because they are seeking knowledge about a specific topic of interest to them. So what does KNOWLEDGE give them? Instructions.
People seek knowledge to obtain information about a specific topic they have an interest in. That information instructs people about all facets of that particular topic. Just like driving a vehicle. People seek knowledge / information on what they need to do to drive a vehicle.
Knowledge / Information is available to everyone. All of mankind. Man selects the information or knowledge he seeks then learns about that specific topic. So the person who chooses to spend their whole life on learning how to succeed in this world and obtain wealth and power and nothing about God or his spirit man, God calls a fool.
Luke 12:17 – 21 KJV ” And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
18. And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
19. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
20. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
21. So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. ”
Matthew 16 :26 KJV ” 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? ”
James 4: 13, 14 KJV ” Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
14. Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”
When people seek knowledge/information they must always look at the source of the information and ask, what is the motive and message of this information. Recently we have experienced fake news or information with a spin added to sway readers. So ask yourself, what is the theme of this information. Is it knocking or pulling people down? Is it humiliating to some one? Is it trying to get me angry and upset? Then ask if the information is promoting strife and devision? Is the information grounded in truth, honesty, righteousness and godliness? If not, you know you have to throw it out.
So let us build our life on the foundation of God’s word so we have a good life filled with wisdom. Next time, we will look at Step 2 Lord willing.
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Kingdom Path Laying A Foundation
Ever since the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:15) God tells us of a future descendant. This descendant would be victorious over the serpent over death, hell and the grave. This descendant is the Messiah and for 4000 years, Israel was watching for their Messiah. The Messiah would set up his kingdom.
When the Jewish religious leaders rejected Jesus Christ as their long awaited Messiah, God saved a Jew named Saul, changed his name to Paul and sent him to preach to Gentiles. Why? Because God tells us. God wants to provoke the Jews to jealousy, that Gentiles would be serving and worshipping their God.
Remember, when Messiah would come, he would set up his kingdom, the Kingdom of Heaven. Had the Jews accepted Christ, the kingdom would have come in then. But God knew the Jewish leaders would reject Jesus as was prophesied in the Old Testament.
When Jesus walked physically on earth Jesus was speaking about the Kingdom of Heaven and how that kingdom operates. Jesus explained the kingdom in many ways, especially through parables. Each parable explained a principle of the Kingdom of Heaven.
The parable of the Sower
The parable of the Wheat and Tares
The parable of The Mustard Tree
The parable of The Leaven
The Hid Treasure
The Pearl
The Drag-net
Different laws and principles applied to the kingdom Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount and other verses. These kingdom principles cover:
Murder
Adultery
Divorce
Perjury
Retaliation
Enemies
Alms Giving
Prayer
Fasting
Money
Food and Clothing
Judgment
And the conditions to enter this kingdom
Throughout Paul’s letters to the churches, Paul is trying to teach Gentiles how God operates, who we are in Christ and kingdom principles.
Gentiles had pagan ways, pagan teachings. Paul even said the Jews require a sign, some proof from God but Gentiles seek wisdom. Gentiles want knowledge about God and his ways.
And then, some Jewish believers tried to tell Gentile believers they needed to keep the Old Testament law that was given to the Jews, even though they are New Testament believers. Paul said no, that is not correct. We are one in Christ made up of Jews and Gentiles.
Even today, churches try to put believers under Old Testament laws. This should not be so. Jesus even explained believers are put into the Kingdom of God and Jesus said the Kingdom of God would be inside of believers. The kingdom of God is inside us, the Holy Spirit indwells all true believers guiding and teaching us.
Luke 17:20, 21 – ” And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
21. Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.”
The Kingdom of Heaven is a literal kingdom where Jesus reigns as King of kings and Lord of lords. The Kingdom of God is inside believers, it is not seen with earthly eyes. The Kingdom of God is like a spiritual kingdom where Christ rules and reigns in our hearts. It would be like saying, the Kingdom of God rules our spirit man, our inner man and the Kingdom of Heaven rules and reigns on earth, physically and will be seen.
So when I speak of Kingdom principles, I am speaking about how God has established his way of doing things in this earth. Our spirit man sits in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Our physical man, sits on this earth. Our spirit man is guided by the Holy Spirit who leads us into all truth. So man has a choice.
Do you choose to be lead and guided by the Holy Spirit in your spirit man and lead by the world’s ways in your flesh on this planet? Or, do you choose to be lead and guided by the Holy Spirit in your inner spirit man and choose to apply kingdom principles to your earthly man? To be lead by God’s way?
We are on a pathway to discover God’s ways known as Kingdom Principles. True success, prosperity, victory over this world comes by following God and his ways, his principles. My plan is to try to show a few kingdom principles and show you how God describes and applies these principles so we can learn to operate in kingdom principles. Until next time.
Kingdom Principles
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