How Does God Strengthen Us?
Over the past couple months the Lord and I have been working together to help me understand a few things. Yes, I pray and ask the Lord to help me understand things. I ask him to give me examples or I question him on how does he expect me to act on something if I don’t understand.
Yes, I believe God and his word – every jot and tittle of his word. One day I asked the Lord, why do I read one thing in your word and I try to do what you say, but I do not see the results you say?
I know I live by faith, not by sight. I know Jesus sets me free from the law.
When we first get saved we seem to strive to please God. We try not to sin in the flesh because we love the Lord and want to please him. We quickly learn the battle the apostle Paul was describing as our battle between our flesh and our spirit in Romans chapter 7:14-25 KJV.
After we have been saved for a while we should have some victories over areas in our life God has worked on with us. But what about the parts of God’s word that make promises to us but we don’t see the promises come to fruition yet?
We know for a fact, God can not lie Hebrews 6:18 ” That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:”
So we have to ask God, why haven’t I seen this promise in my life? Am I doing something wrong? And friends, this is one of the questions I have been asking the Lord over the past couple of months.
Yes, the Lord reminded me I walk by faith not by sight. Which told me, just because I have not seen a particular promise come to fruition in my life yet, does not mean it will not come to fruition. So the Lord explained it to me another way, from his word and that is what I want to share with you today.
1¶[[A Psalm of David.]] I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.
Two things God showed me again –
God has magnified his word ABOVE his name. And notice verse three.
When we cry unto the Lord, he answers us AND the Lord strengthens us ( How and Where?) The Lord strengthens us with strength in our soul.
We have several teachings on the spirit, soul and body in our archives for you to review. But God is telling us he strengthens us in our soul. Our soul is our mind, emotions and our will.
So the Lord uses his word to strengthen our mind, strengthens our will and strengthens our emotions. And by using his word to strengthen us he is in fact increasing our faith. Remember, faith is something we can not see.
Hebrews 11:1 “1¶Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
And to strengthen us, the Lord uses Paul to remind us of the heros of faith throughout Hebrews chapter 11.
Friends, no matter what the issues are in your life, God will use his word to strengthen and encourage you. He strengthens your soul. He strengthens your mind, your will and your emotions, if you will let him. But do not forget his method for doing this is through his word which he exalts above his name.
Until next time.
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Weariness and Change 2020
Many people make new year resolutions. Many people fail at keeping their new year resolutions and they do one thing when they fail. Do you know what that one thing is? One five letter word, they faint.
The word faint has several meanings and we are looking at the meaning to sink into dejection (fail with grief; discouraged) to loose courage or spirit, to despair, depressed.
The problems come in when truly saved people live in this world and continue to live and do things like they did before they were saved. Everything from relationships, family, jobs, environment of our life, decision making and every decision we make we often revert back to doing things the way we were taught by man. We revert back to the world’s ways.
Often people ask why, as a believer now, their life doesn’t appear to change for the better.
The world has their knowledge and their understanding of everything. Then God gives us his knowledge and wisdom. We use our mind to decide who and what we will believe.
As a believer God does not always tell us we need to understand what he is doing in our life. God tells us to hear him and apply his wisdom and teachings to our life. Another words, hear God and obey him and then you will see him do incredible things in your life.
Our struggles come in to play when our mind has been taught the world’s ways and God tells us something completely different. An example of this is salvation.
For years people were taught the way to get to heaven is doing good. Later they read in the scriptures, good works have nothing to do with going to heaven and salvation. Salvation is based on what you do with Jesus Christ. Do you believe on him and what he did at the cross? Have you received him into your heart as your Lord and Saviour?
When I was studying something out in scripture, God gave me an ah ha moment. Look at Hebrews 12:1-3 KJV.
” 1. Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. ”
There it was, an answer. An answer how to make real lasting changes in life. Not only me and my life but you too. You can change your life.
When people get “weary” or discouraged, where does that weariness and discouragement rest? The Lord tells us in verse three, our minds.
You can know God’s word inside and out. You can memorize the scriptures. But if everything you know about the scriptures is only in your head, it will not change your life. Jesus calls the scriptures seed. We make decisions based on our mind. Our mind is where knowledge rests. But notice what Paul said in Romans 10 about how to get saved?
Romans 10: 8 – 13 KJV
” But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
12. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
13. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. ”
Notice the word mind does not appear in these verses? Scripture tells us to hide God’s word where? In our mind? No. Hide God’s word in our heart.
God’s word has got to become more than knowledge to you. Remember Proverbs 23:7, as a man thinketh in his heart so is he.
You see, God’s word has got to become more than knowledge to you. Knowledge does not produce anything. It is when people put knowledge to work in their life, they see action. People take knowledge and put it to work and come up with many inventions that change our life. Examples are the automibile, telephone, television, computers and many other examples. But if you do not put this knowledge to work, these items will not change your life.
Jesus calls God’s word seed. Seed has to be planted in good soil. That soil is our heart. We can read and study God’s word all we want and we will acquire knowledge. But we will not see God’s word come to life in our life until we let that seed into our heart where it can be turned into faith. So how do we do that? How do we turn knowledge into faith? Believers do not live a life of knowledge, we live a life of faith. We walk by faith and not by sight. We walk by faith and not by knowledge. Why?
Because it is the enemy’s job to put something in front of you that contradicts what God said inside you. That also explains why we live by faith and not by sight.
So we are going to explore this topic in our next few posts, Lord willing. As the new year is born, let us examine our life and things we would like to “fix” in our life or changes you would like to make. Then as we explore this topic of weariness and change, Lord willing, you will see how you can make real lasting changes in 2020.
God created you with a purpose and God has a plan for you. Will you trust him? Until next time.
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Knowledge, How It Works
How does knowledge work?
We are born into this world spiritually dead to God because we are born in sin. We are born with a sin nature because of Adam and Eve. As we grow up we are taught and educated in the ways of this world, this physical world we see and live in in our body, our flesh.
When we see things in this world that we “perceive” to be bad, we form an opinion about that situation. We compare our opinion to what we have been taught by our parents, educators and teachers. We make a decision based on all the information we have been provided and then we have a belief about that topic or situation. That belief is called a mindset. Once someone has a mindset about a topic it is very difficult to change their mind.
Education is suppose to teach people the “how” of life. Then people practice what they are taught expecting to achieve the same results as the teacher, educator or parents have taught. Example, teaching someone to walk or read or change the oil in their vehicle, when the student learns the “how” they expect the promised results.
Institutional education today no longer focuses on teaching the “how”. Institutional education today indoctrinates. A teaching group decides what is truth and based on what they believe, they create curriculum that supports their belief. They no longer teach students to think for themselves to come up with an answer. They teach their answers. A good example of this today is evolution.
Someone chose, years ago, to no longer believe God and the Bible account that God created the heavens and the earth. Someone chose to believe a man named Darwin and what he thought. Darwin taught evolution. Evolution says matter in space collided through a big bang and from this explosion of matter came trees, fish, birds, insects, sun, moon, planets, flowers, dogs, cats, animals, and even human beings. But evolutionists never explain where this original matter came from.
So now, students are taught evolution and not creation. Teachers indoctrinate students by referring to evolution teachings and examples. Creation is no longer taught. So society, through education, has now indoctrinated students since the 1960s, into rejecting God, rejecting God’s word, and believing a man named Darwin.
So when you are being “taught” one conclusion based on man’s decision, you are being indoctrinated, not educated. Education means you are presented all known possible answers, then investigate each possible answer and (I would add, pray and ask God for help) and make a hypothesis aka an intelligent guess.
When you make an intelligent guess you keep yourself open to add more evidence down the road. And when government run education started indoctrinating students and stopped educating them, a huge home school movement started. So how does this fit in with our topic and this blog?
People have been taught for years about God, about heaven and hell, about life after death in this body and many teachings on these topics are man’s teachings. When you decide you will believe God and his word over everyone and everything you can now let God educate you.
One of the hardest things is when you see something in God’s word and you study it out and come to the conclusion, it does not match up with what you were taught – well then you have a decision to make.
And God is concerned about your mind and your thoughts because the mind is where you make decisions. Your mind directs your body. Your mind affects your heart. And because we are all born spiritually dead towards God, our mind focuses on our flesh and things in this world.
When a person really gets “saved” born again, their spirit is quickened, made alive unto God. Prior to that moment of getting saved, their spirit was dead unto God but by getting saved, all of a sudden their spirit is made alive unto God.
The problems come in when truly saved people live in this world and continue to live and do things like they did before they were saved. Everything from relationships, family, jobs, environment of our life, decision making and every decision we make we often revert back to doing things the way we were taught by man. We revert back to the world’s ways. How is that working for you?
The world has their knowledge and their understanding of everything. Then God gives us his knowledge and wisdom. We use our mind to decide who and what we will believe. The bottom line? People either believe the Lord God Almighty or not. And just because someone chooses not to believe God, does not mean that person is correct. And just because someone does not believe something does not mean it is not true. It means that person’s mind is either blinded or they do not have enough information on the topic. If the person gets the information needed and still chooses not to believe, then as scripture says, Titus 3: 9-11 kjv
” But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.
10. A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;
11. Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.”
People that absolutely refuse to listen to God and his word condemn themselves. Why? Because they choose to believe man and man’s teachings and indoctrinations over God and his word.
So looking at God’s word, as a believer, how can you make changes in your life? Lord willing, we will pick it up from here next time. Until next time.
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Knowledge And Thoughts
Did you ever think about where your thoughts come from? Like when you first wake up in the morning and sit on the edge of your bed, thoughts about all kinds of things start going through your mind. Have you ever sat there and wondered, why am I thinking about that? And why am I thinking about that now? I have.
Let me show you how thoughts and knowledge tie together.
Colossians 1:19-22 KJV ” 19 For it pleased the Father that in him (Jesus Christ) should all fulness dwell;
20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:”
Notice where the thoughts come from? Thoughts that God hates me, thoughts of God is angry with me because I did this terrible thing, or I did this or that. Those thoughts are put into your mind by people, by family, by friends and sadly, even by some preachers and even by the enemy Satan. But what does God say? Read it again, Colossians 1:19-22 above. Read it over and over again until it sinks down into your heart and mind.
Thoughts planted in to your mind can be true, they can be a lie and (like Satan did with Eve) they can be half truths.
If the thought is true, it can be backed up with other scripture verses. As my favorite Old Testament prophet Isaiah says in Isaiah 28:9, 10 – ” Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:”
Notice the topic is knowledge?
So knowledge comes from comparing line upon line and precept upon precept. Remember, knowledge is knowing that you know something. The information you sought was investigated thoroughly and you experiment and test your theories, you ask questions and you
come to a conclusion. When others test your information and come up with the same results you did, then they say you have knowledge in this field.
Some people devote their whole life to specific things. At the end of their life, you would assume they are very knowledgeable of that topic plus they have a lot of experience with their topic of choice.
The reason people get messed up with scripture doctrine is someone plants a thought in their mind. Most people never investigate or research that thought from scripture. They never compare thought or idea (precept upon precept) with other scripture verses. The result? God tells us the results in Ephesians 4:14 ” That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive”
The result is we end up with (58) different religious denominations that use (15) different Bibles.
But when you can take a thought and search it out from scripture (AV1611 King James) you will see God will show you the truth from his word. You notice what you were searching out begins to be explained to you, by God himself.
Once you have searched it out in scripture and in prayer, God gives you your answer. Then it is up to you to decide if you will believe God or reject what God shows you or believe the person who put that thought in to your mind. Once you make your decision you have acquired knowledge in that topic.
Now let me say, if you choose to believe the person who put that thought in your mind over believing God, you base your knowledge on flawed information. An example.
For years people thought the world was flat and they based that teaching of a flat earth on information. But then one day Christopher Columbus sails and discovers other countries and proves when God’s word says the earth is a circle (round not flat) God was proven to be true and correct.
Isaiah 40: 21, 22 KJV ” Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:”
For years people had what they thought was accurate knowledge of the earth (it was flat) only to discover later that their knowledge was based on false information. Christopher Columbus believed God and the scriptures.
People have all kinds of thoughts about God, heaven, salvation and other topics. The question is, where are you getting your information from regarding these topics. Then, are you checking it out, precept upon precept, to make sure your knowledge lines up with the truth of God’s word.
Anyone with any real amount of scripture knowledge can make the word of God teach almost anything. That is how false doctrine is perpetuated. But to obtain knowledge in the truth, you must search out the scriptures and tackle topics line upon line and precept upon precept. Until next time.
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Knowledge And The Soul
To understand life and living in this world, in the flesh, you have to go back to the beginning. God says he created everything. Man, animals, birds, God formed from the dirt of the earth. When we look at man, mankind, God says he created man in His image. So if man has a spirit, a soul, and a body, guess what God has?
When we look at God’s instructions to Adam keep in mind, God created Adam in his image. Look at Genesis 2: 15-23
” And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
16. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
17. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
18. And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
19. And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
20. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
21. And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
22. And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
23. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. ”
The only tree Adam could not eat of was a tree of “knowledge” . What area of human life does knowledge affect? Remember, we defined knowledge already in previous posts. Knowledge is not information, it is knowing that you know. So what part of the human body does knowing or knowledge affect? Yes, your mind. And your mind, your will and your emotions are the definition of your soul, not your body and not your spirit.
So when Adam took of the tree of knowledge, what area of Adam’s body would be affected? His mind. His soul.
So think about this. Before Adam sinned, his mind knew God, he communicated with God and God communicated with Adam. Adam thought like God thinks.
We know from scripture that God told Adam, if you take of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you will surely die. We know Adam and Eve took of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Did they die?
We know they did not die in their flesh, in their body. So what died? What part of them died?
Again, knowledge affects what part of the body? The mind. And the mind is part of what? Yes, the soul. So what part of Adam died? His soul. Adam’s soul was now dead unto God. Adam’s mind, his will and his emotions were now dead unto God.
So how could Adam know or operate in God’s will if Adam was now, in his mind, in his will and in his emotions, dead unto God? He can not. It is like Adam does not even have a clue what God tells him. Taking of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil messed up Adam and Eve’s mind. Not only did it mess up their mind but it also killed their soul towards God.
It is like putting on a blindfold and trying to walk through life not seeing, not hearing not knowing where to go and what to do. Not knowing your purpose. Not knowing why you are here. Not knowing what to do. And because God created all of us with his breath of life, deep in our spirit man, we know God is real. People struggle to find God, search out God, learn about God and why he created them. Why? Because when Adam sinned, it messed up his mind. He died towards God.
That is why all the shedding of blood in blood atonement sacrifices. God shed blood of an animal to cover Adam and Eve. Israel shed the blood of sheep and goats to cover Israel’s sin. It was not until God came in the flesh, in a fleshly body, in Jesus Christ, to shed his sinless blood, once and for all time, to pay Adam’s sin debt.
This is explained, by God, in the scriptures in Hebrews 9:6-28 ” Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God.
7. But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:
8. The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:
9. Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;
10. Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.
11. But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
12. Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
13. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
14. How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
15. And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
16. For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
17. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.
18. Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood.
19. For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people,
20. Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you.
21. Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.
22. And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
23. It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
24. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
25. Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;
26. For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
27. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
28. So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”
Not only did Jesus Christ pay man’s sin debt, but he also restored man’s relationship with God. We will pick it up from here next time, Lord willing. 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 5 Mental
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.”
So if it is the mind that commands the flesh, what commands the mind? How does the mind decide what someone should do or should not do? Mental illness is a mind issue. By definition, the person has illness of their mind. Their mind is ill, sick, does not operate the same way as God designed it.
Your mind is part of your soul. Remember, God made man like himself. God made man from the dust of the earth (giving man a body). God breathed into man’s nostrils the breath of life, ( giving man a spirit ) and man became a living soul. If you look soul up in the dictionary you find your soul is your mind, your will and your emotions.
Your body, your flesh, is commanded by your soul. Your mind tells your body to do things. But what tells your soul what to do, what to think, how to feel emotionally? Does God have a soul? According to Isaiah 1:14 KJV ” Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. ”
Psalm 11:5 ” The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. ”
Yes, God has a soul and so do you.
Just like your flesh absorbs things through your five senses, your soul absorbs things too. Your soul is not made up of just your mind, your soul includes your will and your emotions. Your soul absorbs information. That information influences your imagination, your conscience, your memories, your reasoning and your affections. Let’s break it down more.
Your flesh hears some news or your eyes read a book or you try a new restaurant for dinner or you smell smoke coming from somewhere, your flesh absorbs this information. Then your soul, through reasoning, makes a judgment and acts. You chalk the whole thing up to experience.
Because your mind is part of your soul, people with so called “mental illness” have had information put into their mind that causes them to think or do “unnatural” things. Paul explains in 1 Corinthians chapter 2 the difference between the natural man and the spiritual man. Basically, the person who is truly saved, born again, is a spiritual man (man referencing mankind not one’s sex). The natural man is an unsaved person.
1 Corinthians 2: 11 “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. ”
Once your flesh absorbs information through your five senses, (hear, taste, touch, see and smell) your soul processes that information. Your soul, your mind, will determine or reason with you to decide if you like or dislike what you taste, what you touch, what you hear, what you smell or what you see.
Children receive information from their parents as they grow up. And parents influence their children more than any other person unless the parents relinquish their duties to train up their children in the Lord, to government run schools. You can see why governments offer free primary school. If the government can get your children into a preschool, they can mold their mind into the world’s ways, not God’s ways. When a child starts in government run preschools, goes through twelve years of public schools and then may enter college, those students have been indoctrinated into government ways and the world’s systems. They have been taught there is no God. Many of the students believe in evolution, they reject the scriptures and they reject God.
From about three years old until about twenty two years old their mind has been filled with the world’s wisdom, not God’s wisdom. That is 19 years of indoctrination and that is all that child knows because parents tell their children to listen to and obey their teacher. When the child grows up, many parents wonder why their children argue with them over things of life or over scripture or right from wrong, or hard work. Children have been taught by government run schools and for listening to their teachings, the student gets a participation trophy.
When school prayer was abolished in government run schools and preschools and the Bible was thrown out in the 1950s and 1960s, the information absorbed through the five senses changed. The soul still processes the information though.
Now we have generations of children indoctrinated in socialism (a fancy appealing word that means communism – look the word up in the 1828 Webster dictionary ). Their minds have not just been taught the lie of socialism, their minds have been indoctrinated. That is why Home Schools started springing up. Parents saw the indoctrination through government run schools and pulled their children out. Some governments outlawed home schooling. Did you ever ask yourself why?
The old expression, if you tell a lie long enough, people will believe it to be true. Indoctrination is telling or teaching the same thing over and over and over again, for years. And in children in government run achools, for 19 years teaching the same things over and over again and they eventually believe what they were taught and reject any truth from God. The question is why will they not even listen to what God says and consider, what if God is right and I have been lied to by my teachers?
The same is true with biblical issues. Some denominations have indoctrinated their followers in to their denominational teachings. When people believe their church or their Bible teachers over what the scriptures teach, those people are no different than children educated in government run schools.
Now add in the spirit realm. Not only are their teachers in schools, but parents also teach their children and churches and synagogues teach their people. When your mind decides to believe your school teachers more than anyone else, or decide to believe your church’s or your denomination’s teaching over anyone or anything else, you put yourself in a danger zone in life. There needs to be a final authority who has the right answers to all of our questions. That final authority is the word of God because God is our Creator. He made us. He designed us. He gave us abilities.
So what about “mental illness”? In the early 1900s, and into the 1950s, 60s and early 70s, people with so called mental illness were put into Insane Asylums aka The Funny Farm. These people were put in to straight jackets and rooms with padded walls. Then they were medicated to make them docile and easy to manage.
Children who misbehaved or did not follow “society ” and the world’s ways were put in to reform schools. Many churches stepped in to try and help these troubled children. Was it mental illness? The scriptures have a lot to say about mental illness. What God says about mental illness and what the world teaches about mental illness are 180 degrees opposite each other. We will look at mental illness in our next post. Be sure to subscribe to our blog and if you would like to support our blog ministry, please make a donation or contact us at The HeavensRecord
Until next time.
Win Souls
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Who Are You Part 2
We said last time –
Scientists are trying to clone life but they can not create life. So scientists take living cells from living animals and try to create a new life. They will never do it. They can not create a brand new life from nothing. They always need to take cells from something living.
My son and I were discussing the mind this morning and how the world operates on a system of what mankind thinks. Mankind’s thoughts. When mankind gets an idea, they try to make their idea come to life. So we veered into discussing life. I reminded my son about cloning and how scientists can not create life. I said, everything on this planet has life because God is life and created this planet with life. Everything is alive.
So my son asked me about mashed potatoes. I said yes, they are alive and that is why, if you take one potato and put it on your counter, after a period of time, it will sprout. If you cut the potato into wedges with each wedge having a sprout and then plant the wedges outside, in the ground, you will get potatoes. If you put mashed potatoes in the refrigerator, mold will form.
I explained it is like the whole earth is breathing. Trees are living, grass and flowers are living, everything is alive. God created everything alive, living. The only difference is, God created mankind like himself. He created the earth with life.
Man has realized he can not create life from nothing like God can. This man discovered through attempts at cloning. So now, man is creating AI ( Artificial Intelligence ).
Artificial is defined as not natural, fictitious. Another words, fake. AI is fake intelligence. In our computer age, information from volumes of books is fed into a mainframe. The information is stored and the computer sifts through the information in lightening speed and produces the answer. The answer is based on the information that was programmed into the mainframe. Did God put the information in to the mainframe? Is the world programming God’s answers in to the mainframe? No! AI is based on man’s understanding and man’s knowledge. Based on man’s information and leaves God out.
Which brings me to one of the keys for this series, the soul – the mind. After God formed man from the dust of the ground giving man a body, then breathed his breath into man giving him life ( a spirit ), man became a living soul.
Imagine forming someone in the dirt. Then breath into their nostrils. Nothing happens. But God is the Creator of all and after telling us how he created the earth and the heavens, he tells us how he created mankind – like himself.
Consider this. You die. Your spirit and soul leave your earthly body. Where do they go? What do they look like? Lord willing, we will pick it up from here next time. 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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Mind – The Flesh Connection
2 Corinthians 5:12 KJV “For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart.”
There are many who put on the appearance of a believer but they only appear to be a believer on the outside. By their looks, their actions in public and their words in public you would think they are a believer in Christ. Paul tells us in the verse above, they only appear to be a believer but in their heart, they are not a believer.
Salvation is two-fold, believe in your heart and confess with your mouth as Paul laid out in Romans 10:9,10. Those Paul is mentioning in 2 Corinthians 5 are not believers, they only appear to be believers.
We know the flesh wants to sin against God. Paul shows a list of things the flesh wants to do in Galatians 5.
Galatians 5:17 KJV “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.”
Then Paul lists 17 things the flesh wants to do in the following verses in Galatians 5:17-21. As believers, we are suppose to “reckon” our flesh is dead unto those things.
When we get saved, our spirit man is quickened, made alive unto God. We become a new creature according to – 2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV ” Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
As a new creature, we still have our mind which is part of our soul. And, as a new creature, we still have our fleshly body. Being born again did not deliver us from our mind. It did not deliver us from our flesh. God uses Paul to tell us how we are to handle our mind and our flesh once we are born again, saved.
So here we are – a new creature in Christ in our spirit but we have our old mind and we have our same fleshly body. Now what? God tells us we are to renew our mind with the word of God. So renewing our mind is God gives us a new way to think. What we thought about everything before we are saved changes to line up with what God tells us, through scripture. And people get so steeped in religion, they cling to traditions and doctrines of men and they do not want to follow scripture. Then they wonder why their spiritual life is bland. Change your thinking and believe God.
For the flesh, we are told to bring our body ( our flesh ) into subjection. 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.”
Paul says castaway, not salvation. Another words, if you are doing things in your flesh, your body, and telling others not to do the same thing, will people listen to you? No, they cast you away and call you a hypocrite.
2 Corinthians 5:17 says we are a new creature in Christ. Everything inside us is new and the old is passed away, died. Being new does not deliver us from our fleshly body. This fleshly body fights against God. Our flesh desires need to be brought under subjection or else your flesh will carry you into places your spirit man does not want to go. That’s why after you sin in your flesh, you regret what you did. And Satan always tries to get your flesh going and your mind stirred up all with the goal of getting you to act against God. Why? So he can accuse you of failure. Satan is the accuser of the brethren.
Revelation 12:10 KJV “And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.”
Friends, in your mind you need to get rid of the guilt, shame and thoughts of what you did in the past and focus on who you are in Christ now. Renew your mind with scripture and don’t give place to the devil because he will mess up your mind, confuse you and get you to doubt God and God’s word.
Your flesh has its own desires and those desires fight against God. We need to bring our body into subjection to God. We accomplish that by prayer, getting God’s word deep in our heart and learning to control our flesh and mind. Control your thoughts by quoting scripture. Remember what Jesus did when the devil came after Jesus in the wilderness? In Matthew 4, Jesus responded by quoting scripture that applied to the temptation. Do likewise.
Until next time.
heavensrecord (c) 